Re: the "leak": Lots of assumptions out there about which side leaked. Most assume it is a dissenter-allied soul. That seems unlikely. Here's why:
If you're leaking, you're trying to have an effect on the result — either to cement it or change it. No reason to risk punishment (of whatever sort) otherwise, because in any case, results were going to be known.
Mar 12, 2022 • 9 tweets • 3 min read
I've been desperate to find this perspective: Julia Ioffe is brilliant, and this interview with a Russian pollster/social scientist is chilling (paywall, sorry). Some key quotes in the thread following.
Inside Russia’s Media Black Hole - Puck puck.news/inside-russias…
Speaking of a Russian who refused to watch BBC: "it’s an enemy source of information and she doesn’t want to believe in it because then her entire worldview and everything she believed to be true would fall apart." (familiar?)
Dec 10, 2021 • 25 tweets • 6 min read
Just published my first piece with @nybooks (honored!): "Why the US Is a Failed Democratic State" Here's a thread outlining the piece. nybooks.com/daily/2021/12/…
The essay was inspired by the State Department's "Summit on Democracy" — which commits to "openly and transparently" "confront" "acknowledged" "imperfections." Let's: #SummitForDemocracy
Jan 4, 2021 • 4 tweets • 1 min read
Re: the "criminality" in the latest Trump call: washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/…
When you listen to the tape, what's most striking is that he really sounds like he believes that he's been robbed of the election. Like he really believes there were hundreds of thousands of ballots stolen or reversed — and is pleading with the SOS to reverse a crime.
I am sorry if my essay created fear. But against the background of endless articles describing what they are not actually trying, it seems fair and right to describe what they are actually trying — §2.
And the idea you would represent a complicated legal argument like this is completely irresponsible.
2/ There is NO LEGAL AUTHORITY for the proposition that AFTER a legislature has vested the choice of electors in the people, the legislature can recall that power and vest it differently.
It has literally NEVER happened.
May 26, 2020 • 5 tweets • 3 min read
The backsliding has begun. Four weeks ago, 4 states representing 4.9% of the population had R(t) numbers greater than 1. Today, it is 5 states representing 12.4%.
"If you drink alcohol, stay hydrated by drinking water. But NEVER drink rubbing alcohol."
Would a true summary of my statement be:
"Lessig Doubles Down: IF you drink rubbing alcohol, mix it with water" ?
(2/11)
Jun 20, 2019 • 16 tweets • 3 min read
Ok, so seriously: this argument of some on the right that
BECAUSE "we're not a democracy, we're a Republic"
THEREFORE majority rule does not apply
is just stupidly silly and criminally ignorant about our actual history.
(FWIW: @cbinlosangeles)
I have already once made the point that by "Republic" the framers meant a "representative democracy" — so, e.g., if a "Ford truck" is a "truck," then a "representative democracy" (aka, "Republic") is a "democracy." See bit.ly/ARepublic
