Two years later, I'm no more optimistic than I was when I wrote Rose Burawoy, Political Scientist. Less, rather.
Recent Bluessky Posts- There is: Reward your friends and those who pay you. Punish opponents and perceived enemies. June 13, 2026 Michael Froomkin
- I gather that Trump's name came off the Kennedy Center after the courts rejected the ridiculous 11th hour attempt (unhinged brief not signed by career lawyers) to block it, but the work was done behind a tarp to block the cameras. Missed opportunity to sell tickets; might have raised real money. June 13, 2026 Michael Froomkin
- Seen at MIA in the TSA departures queue, this invitation to 'self-deport' in exchange for a $1000 per person and a free flight. Although I recall reading they don't necessarily deliver. In any case a sour taste for the start of international travel. June 13, 2026 Michael Froomkin
- In a strange way you almost could admire the Trumpies' leave-no-stone-unturned approach to graft. There is really no bottom. No limit. And justice is at best slow. June 12, 2026 Michael Froomkin
- Jotwell Adlaw: Fred Jacob, Administrative Agencies & the People who Love Them, JOTWELL (June 12, 2026) (reviewing Anya Bernstein & Cristina Rodriguez, Working with Statutes, 103 Tex. L. Rev. 921 (2025)), adlaw.jotwell.com/__trashed-2/. June 12, 2026 Jotwell
I didnt know of this blog two years ago but, after reading the original post and seeing how things have evolved, I would also say that there are more reasons for concern now than before. However, that doesnt mean that Im more or less pessimistic about the issue (state abuse) a truly concerned person cant afford such a feeling, its unpractical: the enemy feeds precisely on this kind of individual weakness. One example (of many, including Prof. Froomkins efforts from this blog) of the right approach (Ive done a search and havent been able to find any reference to her in this site): Jesselyn Radack (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesselyn_Radack). A brilliant lawyer with a promising career in the Justice Department, she was fired, smeared and blacklisted after blowing the whistle about the misuse of relevant information in the trial against John Walker Lindh (the American Taliban). Add to this multiple sclerosis and being the mother of three young children. Did she give up? No way. Shes suing the government and pursuing her legal career as a speaker, writer and teacher in legal ethics.
“Granite Shadow”
After 9/11 I understood (tho didn’t agree with) the desire to hurt someone who at least looked like the suicide bombers. Bush’s cowboy/bully approach obviously appealed to many folks as ‘strong leadership.’ But the bungling (?) of the Katrina aftermath (KatrinaGate?) has shaken me. Greed I understand. Revenge I understand. BushCo’s blandly ignoring the suffering and death of fellow Americans has truly shaken my foundation of optimism. Maybe the species that inherit the earth will learn from our mistakes. Shit.