The most relevant question isn't whether postliberalism is intellectually interesting. It's whether its ideas are shaping real political power. @mattjj89.bsky.social explores that idea in the context of the new book, 𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘗𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘭𝘪𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘮 𝘍𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘥.
JD Vance’s Ideas Will Never Work
Postliberalism has been tried before, to ruinous results.
lnk.thebulwark.com
Postliberal thinkers claim liberalism is doomed by its own contradictions. But a new book argues the opposite: that postliberal projects consistently collapse under the weight of authoritarianism, corruption, and economic failure.
The diabolical nature of this stroke of Millerian evil cannot be overstated. www.nytimes.com/2026/05/22/u...
Green Card Seekers Must Leave U.S. to Apply, Trump Administration Says
nytimes.com
No piece has resulted in as many cancelled readers for @theunpopulist.net as this one by @mattjj89.bsky.social, which is just fine. You want people to read you for the right reasons. open.substack.com/pub/theunpop...
Hasan Piker Is Following in Candace Owens's Footsteps
Responsible liberals must curb him now, before he's uncontrollable—not exploit him to beat Trump
open.substack.com
Ryan Holiday’s MAGA critics seem to assume that Stoicism preaches political quietism, but this isn’t true. Holiday is showing how nonpolitical influencers can find their anti-authoritarian voice. Matt Johnson on Holiday and Ivanka Trump's pseudo-philosophy:
Ivanka Trump Doesn’t Understand Her Favorite Philosophy
Author Ryan Holiday slammed Trump’s daughter for reducing Stoicism to a bauble, showing along the way how nonpolitical influencers can find their anti-authoritarian voice.
lnk.thebulwark.com
It’s insulting to suggest that Americans are indifferent to the spectacle of a sitting president laying siege to their democracy—especially when the evidence of Americans’ awareness and alarm is greater than ever.
Hungary Proved That Liberalism Can Win
Péter Magyar ran against authoritarianism, not the price of eggs.
lnk.thebulwark.com
The American pro-democracy coalition "must recognize the power of building a political movement around a commitment to fundamental liberal principles—which means recovering the radical and inspiring political vision of liberalism."
Hungary Proved That Liberalism Can Win
Péter Magyar ran against authoritarianism, not the price of eggs.
lnk.thebulwark.com
Make no mistake: The defeat of Orbán is a major victory for liberalism—and not just in Hungary. Now it's time for us to learn from Hungary's victory over corrupt authoritarianism. New from Matt Johnson: lnk.thebulwark.com/4mNMDlF
"At this stage, impeachment is not merely about accountability for a rogue president, but an assertion of our own moral limits—a reminder to ourselves that some things should still remain beyond the pale." Thank you @mattjj89.bsky.social. @fsfp.bsky.social open.substack.com/pub/theunpop...
America Needs to Impeach Trump For its Own Moral Health
Even an unsuccessful effort will show that many Americans reject threats of genocide to win a war
open.substack.com
We cannot minimize and normalize genocidal rhetoric as "some colorful language." It'll numb and inure us, undermining our capacity to make proper moral distinctions, engage in moral reasoning itself. @mattjj89.bsky.social at @theunpopulist.net open.substack.com/pub/theunpop...
America Needs to Impeach Trump For its Own Moral Health
Even an unsuccessful effort will show that many Americans reject threats of genocide to win a war
open.substack.com
Man, this is so good—and morally urgent—from @mattjj89.bsky.social in @theunpopulist.net Share this one widely
America Needs to Impeach Trump For its Own Moral Health
Even an unsuccessful effort will show that many Americans reject threats of genocide to win a war
theunpopulist.net
Where is Congress? “A whole civilization will die”? This is genocidal rhetoric. Enough
"With all this exploring, building, and pioneering to do, there’s little time for introspection. This is why it’s no surprise that several prominent Silicon Valley types are attracted to Donald Trump." lnk.thebulwark.com/40REkuQ
Why Tech Titans Love Trump and Hate ‘Introspection’
Silicon Valley’s “builders” love the president who’s destroying everything.
lnk.thebulwark.com
"Andreessen later cited Marcus Aurelius’s advice to 'stop talking about what the good man is like, and just be one' to support his case, apparently indifferent to the fact that this line comes from Aurelius’s Meditations." lnk.thebulwark.com/40REkuQ
"More fundamentally, the Trump era will serve as a historic warning....We’re overdue for some national introspection."
Why Tech Titans Love Trump and Hate ‘Introspection’
Silicon Valley’s “builders” love the president who’s destroying everything.
lnk.thebulwark.com
If Trump's Silicon Valley friends would take a moment to reflect on the long-term consequences of empowering an authoritarian to "just do things," they would see that many of Trump’s achievements are a dangerous mirage. Matt Johnson on the tech titans: lnk.thebulwark.com/40REkuQ
Why Tech Titans Love Trump and Hate ‘Introspection’
Silicon Valley’s “builders” love the president who’s destroying everything.
lnk.thebulwark.com
RFK Jr. promised to keep the CDC's statement that vaccines don't cause autism on the website. He kept it—but directly contravened it by adding a line saying that studies supporting a link "have been ignored by health authorities." @mattjj89.bsky.social
RFK Jr. Lied His Way Into Office and American Health Is the Victim
He is pushing quackery as science as health secretary
theunpopulist.net
The United States’ allies worried that Trump would inaugurate a new era of American isolationism, but the reality turned out to be much worse. They must now find a way to navigate a world in which American hostility is a new global threat. My latest, no paywall open.substack.com/pub/mattjj/p...
Trump has left America's friends with no good options
What's even worse than American isolationism?
open.substack.com
“Congratulations are in order for Donald Trump: His attack on Iran is the most unpopular American war in modern history.” — @gregsargent.bsky.social in @newrepublic.com Greg is essential reading for understanding MAGA’s ongoing reception in society.
How Trump’s War on Iran Is Hastening the Coming MAGA Crack-Up
Another Middle East war is exactly what the young voters and voters of color who flocked to Trump in 2024 did not sign up for.
newrepublic.com
"While the U.S. military can plan an air campaign, it’s up to the civilian leadership to set strategy and determine which ends America’s mighty means are working toward." You can't have one without the other. (Well, you can, and you might get disaster.)
Trump Is Repeating Putin’s Blunder
Both men thought they could start easy, quick regime-change wars at minimal cost.
lnk.thebulwark.com
"To TACO or not to TACO, that is Donald Trump’s question. I think we know how it’s likely to be resolved." @billkristolbulwark.bsky.social, @eggerdc.bsky.social, and @markhertling.bsky.social in Morning Shots, only @thebulwark.com: www.thebulwark.com/p/tacos-with...
TACOs With a Side of War Porn
Despite his callous bluster, Trump is seemingly retreating.
thebulwark.com
"Without taking into account the particular personalities of two major world leaders, it’s hard to explain two of the most important international events of the last five years." One of them could have learned from the other. New from Matt Johnson:
Trump Is Repeating Putin’s Blunder
Both men thought they could start easy, quick regime-change wars at minimal cost.
lnk.thebulwark.com
You could make a case for Hegseth, but really RFK is at the top of the list for worst Senate confirmation of the bunch. He was a dedicated lifelong crackpot, nothing he has done is remotely surprising and the stuff he said to secure confirmation was transparently dishonest. Cassidy has no excuse.
RFK Jr. Lied His Way Into Office and American Health Is the Victim
He is pushing quackery as science as health secretary
theunpopulist.net
South Carolina is in its largest measles outbreak in decades. Nearly 1,000 infected. The man running U.S. public health spent years arguing the MMR vaccine causes autism. This is what that looks like in practice.
RFK Jr. Lied His Way Into Office and American Health Is the Victim
He is pushing quackery as science as health secretary
theunpopulist.net
"At a time when America desperately needed a champion for vaccination, it got the precise opposite—a lifelong anti-vaccine crusader running the nation’s public health apparatus." Must-read from @mattjj89.bsky.social in @theunpopulist.net on the disaster that is RFK Jr.
RFK Jr. Lied His Way Into Office and American Health Is the Victim
He is pushing quackery as science as health secretary
theunpopulist.net
Weird. I tried to warn libertarians about Trump
"The Post’s inability to make money covering a second Trump administration is a business catastrophe. It is also evidence of a moral collapse."
Jeff Bezos Must Sell the Washington Post
Mass layoffs undermine his promises to protect a great American institution.
lnk.thebulwark.com
"It’s now impossible for Democrats to change the subject from the United States’ descent into authoritarianism, and they shouldn’t want to"—no matter how often they are advised to focus on the price of eggs or are cautioned against criticizing law enforcement. From @mattjj89.bsky.social
It’s the Democracy, Stupid
It turns out voters care about rights and freedoms after all.
thebulwark.com
It’s now impossible for Democrats to change the subject from the United States’ descent into authoritarianism, and they shouldn’t want to. Voters do care about the state of our democracy. New from Matt Johnson:
It’s the Democracy, Stupid
It turns out voters care about rights and freedoms after all.
lnk.thebulwark.com