The Belligerent Optimist
@sharestuff.bsky.social
Doing democracy, civic tech, policy, transparency, participation and space things. Occasionally at the same time.
Also writing scifi.
https://thebelligerentoptimist.civian.online
IDIC🖖
Also writing scifi.
https://thebelligerentoptimist.civian.online
IDIC🖖
Pinned
Hi folks. I used to do refugee support. Then I mapped social geometry and trust networks in revolutions for 5 years, was a diplomat for a bit, built a research transparency tool. Now I lead projects in democratic sustainability, disinfo response for local gov & citizen space policy. #Introduction
Reposted by The Belligerent Optimist
We've just deployed the latest version of our citizens' space policy platform. And it would be SO cool if folks could come and give it a go. Share your visions for the future and your priorities for the present + see how your vision lines up with others around the world.
engage.celestialcommons.org
engage.celestialcommons.org
Citizens' Space Policy Initiative — CSPI 2026
Add your voice to the first global citizen survey on space policy.
engage.celestialcommons.org
May 21, 2026 at 10:43 AM
We've just deployed the latest version of our citizens' space policy platform. And it would be SO cool if folks could come and give it a go. Share your visions for the future and your priorities for the present + see how your vision lines up with others around the world.
engage.celestialcommons.org
engage.celestialcommons.org
Whether you think space is important or not, what's happening will affect all of us. Come and join in our citizens' policy initiaitve!
We've just deployed the latest version of our citizens' space policy platform. And it would be SO cool if folks could come and give it a go. Share your visions for the future and your priorities for the present + see how your vision lines up with others around the world.
engage.celestialcommons.org
engage.celestialcommons.org
Citizens' Space Policy Initiative — CSPI 2026
Add your voice to the first global citizen survey on space policy.
engage.celestialcommons.org
May 22, 2026 at 11:53 AM
Whether you think space is important or not, what's happening will affect all of us. Come and join in our citizens' policy initiaitve!
We've just deployed the latest version of our citizens' space policy platform. And it would be SO cool if folks could come and give it a go. Share your visions for the future and your priorities for the present + see how your vision lines up with others around the world.
engage.celestialcommons.org
engage.celestialcommons.org
Citizens' Space Policy Initiative — CSPI 2026
Add your voice to the first global citizen survey on space policy.
engage.celestialcommons.org
May 21, 2026 at 10:43 AM
We've just deployed the latest version of our citizens' space policy platform. And it would be SO cool if folks could come and give it a go. Share your visions for the future and your priorities for the present + see how your vision lines up with others around the world.
engage.celestialcommons.org
engage.celestialcommons.org
Tens of thousands of Iranians being slaughtered. Continued suffering for Gaza. Yet the world is fixated on America.
This is not me diminishing anything. ICE is awful. But we need to get radically better at processing more if we want to actually mount a serious challenge to the avalanche of evil.
This is not me diminishing anything. ICE is awful. But we need to get radically better at processing more if we want to actually mount a serious challenge to the avalanche of evil.
January 25, 2026 at 12:44 PM
Tens of thousands of Iranians being slaughtered. Continued suffering for Gaza. Yet the world is fixated on America.
This is not me diminishing anything. ICE is awful. But we need to get radically better at processing more if we want to actually mount a serious challenge to the avalanche of evil.
This is not me diminishing anything. ICE is awful. But we need to get radically better at processing more if we want to actually mount a serious challenge to the avalanche of evil.
With everyone saying "I didn't have xyz on my bingo card"... I decided to make one.
I present - my 2026 bingo card.
I present - my 2026 bingo card.
January 21, 2026 at 1:14 PM
With everyone saying "I didn't have xyz on my bingo card"... I decided to make one.
I present - my 2026 bingo card.
I present - my 2026 bingo card.
I wish the Total Perspective Vortex was a real thing.
January 21, 2026 at 10:40 AM
I wish the Total Perspective Vortex was a real thing.
Gotta wonder if this whole thing would just evaporate if someone showed trump a globe instead of a Mercator projection.
January 19, 2026 at 3:08 PM
Gotta wonder if this whole thing would just evaporate if someone showed trump a globe instead of a Mercator projection.
Just think where we might be if everyone were just a tad less racist and a smidge less greedy.
January 17, 2026 at 7:54 PM
Just think where we might be if everyone were just a tad less racist and a smidge less greedy.
Trump won’t be judged like Hitler. And Republicans won’t be judged like Nazis. History will pick them apart as unique precisely because of their significance. But ordinary Americans on the other hand, will be judged like the Germans and treated with far less nuance.
January 11, 2026 at 2:08 PM
Trump won’t be judged like Hitler. And Republicans won’t be judged like Nazis. History will pick them apart as unique precisely because of their significance. But ordinary Americans on the other hand, will be judged like the Germans and treated with far less nuance.
This song is etched into my memory from childhood. It’s always been relevant. And it sadly will continue to be for some time yet.
Patriot Game (Live at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY - March 17, 1963)
YouTube video by The Clancy Brothers - Topic
youtu.be
December 19, 2025 at 6:59 AM
This song is etched into my memory from childhood. It’s always been relevant. And it sadly will continue to be for some time yet.
The internet sucks. Time for a reboot. May I suggest…
Compu-Global-Hyper-Mega-Net
Compu-Global-Hyper-Mega-Net is Homer's Internet company from the episode "Das Bus". The company's headquarters is the dining room of 742 Evergreen Terrace. It is never made clear what the company sell...
simpsons.fandom.com
December 16, 2025 at 6:49 AM
The internet sucks. Time for a reboot. May I suggest…
All the coolest people were in Cairo
November 5, 2025 at 6:57 AM
All the coolest people were in Cairo
I'm not over the moon that I turned out right about all this 8 months before the orange dickhead won his first election. But I stand by the analogy.
September 19, 2025 at 1:55 PM
I'm not over the moon that I turned out right about all this 8 months before the orange dickhead won his first election. But I stand by the analogy.
Hope is punk now.
And being the eternal belligerent optimist I am, I guess that makes me cool.
It took a while, but you were right all along Mum.
And being the eternal belligerent optimist I am, I guess that makes me cool.
It took a while, but you were right all along Mum.
September 10, 2025 at 6:19 PM
Hope is punk now.
And being the eternal belligerent optimist I am, I guess that makes me cool.
It took a while, but you were right all along Mum.
And being the eternal belligerent optimist I am, I guess that makes me cool.
It took a while, but you were right all along Mum.
Age turns music from a parade of dreams to a procession of memories.
September 9, 2025 at 5:27 PM
Age turns music from a parade of dreams to a procession of memories.
This (what the emperor said), but unironically.
I’m sick of folks buying into the images authoritarians have painted on the inside of our eyelids. Democracy is the engine of human freedom and one of the best damn ideas we’ve ever come up with. It just needs fixing.
I’m sick of folks buying into the images authoritarians have painted on the inside of our eyelids. Democracy is the engine of human freedom and one of the best damn ideas we’ve ever come up with. It just needs fixing.
The 'Do Nothing' Democracy (and what to do about it)
Democracy has stalled. It lacks vision. It's consumed by feckless conflict. And it's starting to believe the bullshit authoritarians say about it. But we can fix it. We have the technology.
thebelligerentoptimist.ghost.io
September 9, 2025 at 11:38 AM
This (what the emperor said), but unironically.
I’m sick of folks buying into the images authoritarians have painted on the inside of our eyelids. Democracy is the engine of human freedom and one of the best damn ideas we’ve ever come up with. It just needs fixing.
I’m sick of folks buying into the images authoritarians have painted on the inside of our eyelids. Democracy is the engine of human freedom and one of the best damn ideas we’ve ever come up with. It just needs fixing.
So here’s my pitch. A late night show, with all the trimmings, but they just pull randoms off the street and introduce/treat them like they’re ‘important’ celebrities.
We got a great show for you tonight. Josh is here! He waited tables for 3 years and now he’s starting an animal shelter!
We got a great show for you tonight. Josh is here! He waited tables for 3 years and now he’s starting an animal shelter!
July 18, 2025 at 6:08 AM
So here’s my pitch. A late night show, with all the trimmings, but they just pull randoms off the street and introduce/treat them like they’re ‘important’ celebrities.
We got a great show for you tonight. Josh is here! He waited tables for 3 years and now he’s starting an animal shelter!
We got a great show for you tonight. Josh is here! He waited tables for 3 years and now he’s starting an animal shelter!
The Great War for Peace continues.
June 23, 2025 at 10:56 AM
The Great War for Peace continues.
Just read that @nature.com is adopting transparent peer review across the board.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
You folks should really look at using Stone - the free tool built explicitly for that purpose. Produces embedable records of review.
www.writeinstone.com
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
You folks should really look at using Stone - the free tool built explicitly for that purpose. Produces embedable records of review.
www.writeinstone.com
Write In Stone
Research is valuable. Make it visible.
www.writeinstone.com
June 19, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Just read that @nature.com is adopting transparent peer review across the board.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
You folks should really look at using Stone - the free tool built explicitly for that purpose. Produces embedable records of review.
www.writeinstone.com
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
You folks should really look at using Stone - the free tool built explicitly for that purpose. Produces embedable records of review.
www.writeinstone.com
Happy Captain Picard Day!
June 16, 2025 at 5:36 AM
Happy Captain Picard Day!
Mass protests > Military parades
June 14, 2025 at 8:55 PM
Mass protests > Military parades
Ok cool. Now take a page from the Arab Spring and do the same thing every week.
Every. Week.
Every. Week.
June 14, 2025 at 8:14 PM
Ok cool. Now take a page from the Arab Spring and do the same thing every week.
Every. Week.
Every. Week.
“…from a kingdom of gold, to one of rust and iron…”
- Cassius Dio
- Cassius Dio
June 14, 2025 at 3:39 PM
“…from a kingdom of gold, to one of rust and iron…”
- Cassius Dio
- Cassius Dio
League of Nations ❌
United Nations ❌
________________ ❔
United Federation of Planets ✅
United Nations ❌
________________ ❔
United Federation of Planets ✅
June 13, 2025 at 10:38 AM
League of Nations ❌
United Nations ❌
________________ ❔
United Federation of Planets ✅
United Nations ❌
________________ ❔
United Federation of Planets ✅