Timur Kuran

Terrific article by @McFaul in the latest issue of Journal of Democracy (pdf) + a related op-ed in Washington Post (gated). The article gives many reasons to consider Russia politically unstable despite broad public support for Putin and his war.

Excellent thread.

A 13-page academic guide on words to be avoided. In most cases, the alternatives will serve mostly to signal virtue. The group meant to be spared offense has no problem itself with the existing usage. It may even prefer the terminological status quo.

Excellent but discomforting thread on appeasing Russia. Ukrainians and the whole world are paying a huge price for failures to enforce red lines.

Excellent thread about how the invasion is disorienting Americans accustomed to seeing the US as the source of all evil. The invasion is disorienting also to big subsets of far leftists elsewhere. It doesn’t fit their standard narratives; but it’s also too horrible to ignore.