Ancient & military historian specializing in the Roman economy and military. PhD from UNC History. More impressive credential is that I have beaten both Dark Souls and Elden Ring. Blogs at acoup.bloghttps://bsky.app/profile/bretdevereaux.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/bretdevereaux.bsky.social/post/3mk2jgkjyys2pI make no claims to political prognostication, but to me one of the significant things about Virginia redistricting is it is another indicator of where anti-Trump voters - both Dems and independents - are on the 'fight/no-fight' axis. 'Fight' keeps being the election-winning stance.22 Apr 2026 03:08 +0000at://did:plc:lp3e77mdabccgcprvoxsn7zp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mk2jgkjyys2phttps://bsky.app/profile/bretdevereaux.bsky.social/post/3mk2b5uo4ks27I looked at the results for the Virginia ballot measure and was worried for a moment and then I saw that at least half of the uncounted ballots are from Fairfax County, the Land of my Childhood. So yeah, looks like Virginia is redistricting. [contains quote post or other embedded content]22 Apr 2026 00:40 +0000at://did:plc:lp3e77mdabccgcprvoxsn7zp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mk2b5uo4ks27https://bsky.app/profile/bretdevereaux.bsky.social/post/3mjzu46hdlk2gMore Starfield thoughts: It is funny that a bunch of quests have 'will you spare or slay [enemy NPC]' moral dilemmas, because, like, you blew up 52 people to get to that enemy. Kinda makes the dilemma a little silly.21 Apr 2026 20:46 +0000at://did:plc:lp3e77mdabccgcprvoxsn7zp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjzu46hdlk2ghttps://bsky.app/profile/bretdevereaux.bsky.social/post/3mjzsuxmua222Oh look, what a shock, he's extending the ceasefire indefinitely. I assume the market response will be 'oh good, no renewed war!' when it should be, 'uh oh, this 'almost no ships move, mutual blockade ceasefire could continue for a long time!' Both sides think they gain from extending pressure.21 Apr 2026 20:25 +0000at://did:plc:lp3e77mdabccgcprvoxsn7zp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjzsuxmua222https://bsky.app/profile/bretdevereaux.bsky.social/post/3mjzjnm2i4k2sAlso I rather suspect the academic achievement gap - boys now trail girls substantially in the aggregate - has a lot to do with these sorts of attitudes pushing male teachers out of primary school education. It is bad and false to tell boys and men that they aren't and cannot be nurturers. [contains quote post or other embedded content]21 Apr 2026 17:39 +0000at://did:plc:lp3e77mdabccgcprvoxsn7zp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjzjnm2i4k2shttps://bsky.app/profile/bretdevereaux.bsky.social/post/3mjzjdyamsk2sI disagree here, the problem is not the dinner, it is Trump. The WH Correspondents Dinner, as actually practiced, is a sort of humiliation-of-the-powerful ritual common and valuable in republics since antiquity. That Trump is incapable of doing this is yet another signal of his unfitness to lead. [contains quote post or other embedded content]21 Apr 2026 17:34 +0000at://did:plc:lp3e77mdabccgcprvoxsn7zp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjzjdyamsk2shttps://bsky.app/profile/bretdevereaux.bsky.social/post/3mjzhoczr3224Introduced my students to the Latin subjunctive today. It was a whole mood.21 Apr 2026 17:04 +0000at://did:plc:lp3e77mdabccgcprvoxsn7zp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjzhoczr3224https://bsky.app/profile/bretdevereaux.bsky.social/post/3mjxlp2itok24It shouldn't surprise me anymore, but man a lot of people have a real problem with, "this dumb, immoral thing is actually legal." Or legal under international law even though it violates domestic law. Alas, not every Bad Thing is illegal. Many Bad Things are perfectly legal.20 Apr 2026 23:11 +0000at://did:plc:lp3e77mdabccgcprvoxsn7zp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjxlp2itok24https://bsky.app/profile/bretdevereaux.bsky.social/post/3mjxdn5tgbs2lIf not losing, why losing shaped? [contains quote post or other embedded content]20 Apr 2026 20:46 +0000at://did:plc:lp3e77mdabccgcprvoxsn7zp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjxdn5tgbs2lhttps://bsky.app/profile/bretdevereaux.bsky.social/post/3mjwz656h4c2rThis is actually the normal and legal functioning of a blockade. Blockading ships can order ships running the blockade to stop for inspection - a ship that refuses to stop can be fired upon to make it stop. Ships with contraband or running the blockade can be seized. [contains quote post or other embedded content]20 Apr 2026 17:39 +0000at://did:plc:lp3e77mdabccgcprvoxsn7zp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjwz656h4c2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/bretdevereaux.bsky.social/post/3mjwrf6j5us2bExcited to see the TACO rationale that emerges if the war goes hot again and we start exchanging fires with Iran, but my guess here is that Trump actually does extend the ceasefire despite saying it is 'highly unlikely.' [contains quote post or other embedded content]20 Apr 2026 15:20 +0000at://did:plc:lp3e77mdabccgcprvoxsn7zp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjwrf6j5us2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/bretdevereaux.bsky.social/post/3mjuhwljhrs25You can also tell that this is all just words to cover over gutter racism and not about cultural practice at all, because if the question was productive culture, they'd be praising the Springfield Haitians as a beautiful example of assimilation and adaption, not partnered with ICE to destroy them. [contains quote post or other embedded content]19 Apr 2026 17:25 +0000at://did:plc:lp3e77mdabccgcprvoxsn7zp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjuhwljhrs25https://bsky.app/profile/bretdevereaux.bsky.social/post/3mjs5novyck2mThe always fantastic @partialhistorians.bsky.social are at last emerging from the Early Republic (small, poor, sources largely made up) to the Middle Republic (cool, successful, sources not* made up)! (*mostly). [contains quote post or other embedded content]18 Apr 2026 19:16 +0000at://did:plc:lp3e77mdabccgcprvoxsn7zp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjs5novyck2mhttps://bsky.app/profile/bretdevereaux.bsky.social/post/3mjqmgo4vxk2xIt is a strange experience watching this go on when even if the strait *had* opened today, there's a huge amount of disruption baked in here - we're hurtling towards the part of the problem that can't be solved by marketing. It may be too late to change course...but also we're not changing course. [contains quote post or other embedded content]18 Apr 2026 04:35 +0000at://did:plc:lp3e77mdabccgcprvoxsn7zp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjqmgo4vxk2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/bretdevereaux.bsky.social/post/3mjpnalvfz227So today, the president confirmed the blockade is still in place while Iran reiterated that the Strait was 'open' if 'open' means 'closed, except for a few ships that pay the toll' and the result was that WTI futures dropped ~10%. I realize they're betting on a deal in the future, but still 🤷‍♂️17 Apr 2026 19:17 +0000at://did:plc:lp3e77mdabccgcprvoxsn7zp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjpnalvfz227https://bsky.app/profile/bretdevereaux.bsky.social/post/3mjph4bxxic2qMy advice is always: do not write for anywhere that will not pay you, even if it is just a token sum (unless it is literally your platform, then you do you). Your work has value, make them pay for it. [contains quote post or other embedded content]17 Apr 2026 17:27 +0000at://did:plc:lp3e77mdabccgcprvoxsn7zp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjph4bxxic2q