Benjamin McKean

@blmckean

associate professor of political science at Ohio State University // global justice, supply chains, populism, climate change, critical theory, etc // all tweets (skeets?) produced accidentally by having my phone in a pants pocket while I walk the dog

1,078 Following5,223 Followers3,626 Posts

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Benjamin McKean@blmckean· 13d

Hello Dr Shivers this is your lawer speaking. I am advising you today to please keep posting this shit

C. OSU Immediately Began Implementing the Chalking Ban Unevenly
Mere days after classes began in the fall of 2025, OSU was already failing to enforce the Chalking Ban evenhandedly. By email on September 1, Dr. Shivers forwarded a photo to Chris Kabourek, who at that time was a fellow senior vice president. Dr. Shivers wrote:
Wanted to pass along this photo from Saturday's Game Day festivities - an impressive (albeit policy-violating) chalk tribute to Lee Corso marking his final game in Columbus. [...] While we do have a no chalking policy in place, this clearly drew a lot of positive attention and was meaningful to many fans. I thought it was worth sharing as part of the broader atmosphere and energy of the day.
Additionally, for awareness in case it is reported through to your office. Happy to discuss how we might want to address similar moments moving forward if they pop up again. '3
Mr. Kabourek responded in agreement, adding "we need to think about how we address these types of situations."14
Stated plainly: the very same OSU officials who had just enacted the Chalking Ban a few weeks earlier became aware of an "impressive" chalking display that did not contain pro-Palestine content. They immediately noted that it violated the Chalking Ban, but rather than assessing fines or referring the matter to Student Conduct, they applauded the content as "meaningful" and agreed to "discuss" or "think about" how to address such "positive attention" violations in the future.

Benjamin McKean@blmckean· 14d

Take that, cyclospora!

Benjamin McKean@blmckean· 14d

I guess as long as everyone is sharing their favorite passages from Ross Douthat’s first book, I’ll throw in the time he called me a “good street liberal” for participating in our campaign to win a living wage for workers on campus

Here was street liberalism in a nutshell—a legitimate thirst for a better world joined to grandiose rhetoric, constantly shifting objec-
232
THE LIBERAL CIVIL WAR
tives, and strong-arm tactics. Let others celebrate $11.35 as a victory for Harvard workers. Its student architects saw it for what it really was, what they had always intended it to be: a stepping-stone on the way to utopia.
Were a campaign, Ben McKean had said before the sit-in began, and campaigns end. But like any good street liberal, he didn't say when.

Benjamin McKean@blmckean· 16d

Come to the Costco in Easton if you want to see something terrifying

Benjamin McKean@blmckean· 18d

Screenshot from John Carpenter’s Prince of Darkness

Benjamin McKean@blmckean· 18d

I’m assembling a team

Screenshot of a business called BARBER THEORY

Male grooming defined by theory

Book appointment

(BURGER THEORY
WELCOME TO BURGER THEORY. EAT GREAT AND DRINK LOCAL.
At Burger Theory™ we have a unique point of "brew"- a belief that our guests

Aesthetic Theory Medspa
CHOOSE YOUR LOCATION
aesthetic theory
- WEDSPA
Aesthetic Theory Medspa
Lake Orion

Benjamin McKean@blmckean· 18d

For folks interested in Rawls’s views about this, I would modestly suggest checking out my paper “Ideal Theory after Auschwitz? The Practical Uses and Ideological Abuses of Political Theory as Reconciliation” in the Joirnal of Politics www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1...

Abstract
Contemporary debates about ideal and nonideal theory rest on an underlying consensus that the primary practical task of political theory is directing action. This overlooks other urgent practical work that theory can do, including showing how injustice can be made bearable and how resisting it can be meaningful. I illustrate this important possibility by revisiting the purpose for which John Rawls originally developed the concept of ideal theory: reconciling a democratic public to living in a flawed world that may otherwise seem more of a home for catastrophe than justice. However, Rawls's account of reconciliation is flawed; because of his methodology, the realistic utopia he constructs as a source of hope can be used to defend an unjust status quo. By drawing lessons from Theodor Adorno's contrasting view of reconciliation after the Holocaust, I offer a more democratic method for political theory to offer sources of hope to the public.

Benjamin McKean@blmckean· 19d

what a country

Mold-a-Rama machine that makes a “Rosa Parks bus”

Benjamin McKean@blmckean· 23d

??????

owlfamily.ca
Famous
The OWLof Minerva *
Korean Restaurant & Bar

Photo a smiling Korean woman

Enjoy the Best Food!
"The owl of minerva first takes flight with twilight closing in"
- G.W.F. Hegel -

Benjamin McKean@blmckean· 24d

We need a version of this meme for stuff that sucks. In related news, my kid is watching _Saved by the Bell_.

The Onion meme with photo of a salt and pepper haired man next to a teenage girl holding a Talking Heads LP

Cool Dad Raising Daughter On Media That Will Put Her Entirely Out Of Touch With Her Generation
@the ONION

Benjamin McKean@blmckean· 28d

reminds me of one of my all-time favorite Twitter exchanges

Nerd With Wound @agatron1
I would like to point out that the
"Twitter" in this instance was a guy with 218 followers.
IMZ
TZ V
@TMZ• 1d
The hellscape of Twitter is at it again... this time arguing over whether Anne Frank, a girl killed in the Holocaust for being Jewish, actually had
'white privilege.' tmz.com/2022/07/09/twi...
11:33 AM • 7/10/22 • Twitter Web App

Nth-dimensional Hypersphere
• 5h
Replying to @agatron1
Aren't they kind of right? Like, she had the privilege of not being murdered, even if she had a lot of other disadvantages
• • •
Zoe Collette @geekygiraffegrl • 2h
She was murdered???
1
1
••.
Nth-dimensional Hypersphere
・2h
After 88 years. But it doesn't matter, I'm not trying to defend the spirit of the post...
1
Zoe Collette @geekygiraffegrl • 2h
I dont even understand what you're saying man Anne Frank was murdered in a concentration camp when she was 16
2
Nth-dimensional Hypersphere
God damn it. I was thinking of hellen keller
1
・2h
1
•••
• ••
Zoe Collette @geekygiraffegrl • 1h
Alright dude lol
2

Benjamin McKean@blmckean· Jul 13

Uh…you little beauty…?

X
how do you say congratulations in australia
EFO
+2
In Australia, you can use the formal
"congratulations" or "congrats", but locals usually prefer casual, friendly slang to celebrate an achievement.
The most classic Aussie alternatives include:
• "Good on ya!" (A quintessential Aussie phrase for "well done")
• "You little beauty!" (Used when someone gets some seriously good news)
• "Top job!" or "Nice one!"
• "Absolute legend!" (For praising the person who achieved it
EF
EF +2
If you're ever in the country, you might want to stop by a local pub for a pint to celebrate. You can use the Australia.com Pub Guide to track down the closest traditional watering hole to you.

Benjamin McKean@blmckean· Jul 11

When she was little, my kid used to love Peck, Peck, Peck by Lucy Cousins but on this page of the American edition, they replace “aubergine” with “eggplant,” which completely fucks up the rhyme - it drove me insane

PECK PECK PECK
a tangerine, a nectarine,
• a green bean, an aubergine, a sardine, • some margarine
and seventeen jelly beans.
PECK
PECK
PECK
PECK
PECK
PECK pEcK
PECK
PECK
PECK
PECK
PECK
PECK
PECK
PECK PECK
PECK
PECK

Benjamin McKean@blmckean· Jul 7

Going to have anxiety dreams about making a mistake and then everyone receiving a push alert to watch a cartoon Zapruder film recreating my errors in painstaking detail

3-D Look at U.S. Mishap We recreated the brutal game-changing goal that ousted the U.S. men's soccer team from the World Cup.
now

Benjamin McKean@blmckean· Jul 7

My kid wanted to post a photo of the maze itself so everyone could see that it was impossible

Picture of the impossible-to-solve maze with an eagle trying to get to its nest

On top, it says HELP EAGLE FIND THE NEST! On the bottom, it says, "THANK YOU, LITTLE EAGLES!"

Benjamin McKean@blmckean· Jul 7

I haven’t seen Seattle host a disaster like that since the 1999 WTO summit

Benjamin McKean@blmckean· Jul 6

My kid picked up a random 20-year-old back issue of Archie Comics at the comic book store and I had to explain the cover joke to her because the idea of TV shows going off the air for the summer is totally unintelligible to her

The heteronormative of the cover, on the other hand, is still recognizable

Archie and friends on the beach in the Archie staring at Veronica on the arm of a beefier red headed guy as Archie’s friend says “Face it, Archie…TV shows aren’t the only things with summer replacements!”

Benjamin McKean@blmckean· Jul 6

Sure this is a great World Cup game but will it end with a “postgame eating exhibition”?

Columbus Clippers Suggested for you • 10h •
Perfect timing! Fresh off his 18th win, Joey Chestnut is headed to Huntington Park on Friday, August 14th He'll be throwing out a First Pitch, meeting with fans and be sure to stick around after the game for a postgame eating exhibition.
: https://tinyurl.com/yc48hcmm
SPECIAL APPEARANCE FROM
JOEY CHESTNUT
FRIDAY, AUGUST 14TH AT 7:05 PM

Benjamin McKean@blmckean· Jun 26

Oh no! Not you too, Cup Noodles!

Stacks of Cup Noodles with PROTEIN like everything else these days

Benjamin McKean@blmckean· Jun 25

THE SUPREME COURT HAS RULED THAT THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION CAN CANCEL THE TEMPORARY PROTECTED STATUS OF THE HAITIAN COMMUNITY
THERE ARE APPX MORE THAN 30,000 HAITIANS ON TPS IN COLUMBUS, OHIO
THERE WILL BE IMMEDIATE IMPACTS OF THIS TODAY JOB LOSS, MISSED BILL PAYMENTS, THE BEGINNINGS OF FOOD INSECURITY & THE POTENTIAL FOR INCREASED ICE ACTIVITY
IMMEDIATE ACTION ITEMS
DONATE TO
HAITIANSUPPORTCENTER.ORG (SPRINGFIELD)
HACONET.ORG & OURHELPERS.ORG (CUS)
CALL YOUR REPRESENTATIVES
DEMAND THAT THEY SUPPORT THE HAITI EMERGENCY RELIEF ACT HR 1689 OR S. 742 - EXTENDS TEMPORARY LEGAL PROTECTIONS FOR HAITIAN MIGRANTS
CONTACT COLUMBUS CITY COUNCIL & DEMAND THAT THEY IMMEDIATELY END THEIR CONTRACT WITH FLOCK & BAG EXISTING CAMERAS!!
LINK IN BIO TO SEND EMAIL
We will update as we learn more - 614 ICE Watch

Benjamin McKean@blmckean· Jun 24

Extremely confused by this business model - the idea is to simulate high speed drunk driving?

RACERS...
START YOUR ENGINES!
Step into the driver's seat at Columbus' first Sim Racing center and bar. Feel the adrenaline of the track with state-of-
the-art simulators.
Whether you're just looking for some casual fun or want to join a competitive
race or league, get ready for some full throttle action!
REORO
racinglinecbus.com

Benjamin McKean@blmckean· Jun 24

How effective are Columbus’s political institutions at protecting the status quo? Darializa Avila Chevalier created a political earthquake by beating the chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus with 33K votes. Here, Jesse Vogel won 53K+ votes - and still couldn’t even get in a city council seat.

Mamdani's Picks Sweep New
York House Primaries
N.Y. 10th N.Y. 12th
Dem. Primary ›
So Darializa Avila Chevalier
5, Adriano Espaillat*
88% of votes in
N.Y. 13th N.Y. 7th
Votes
Pct.
32,790
49%
30,464 46

*Incumbent
District 13
Avila Chevalier
Espaillat
Source: A.P.
40 60%

General election
General election for Columbus City Council
District 7
Tiara Ross defeated Jesse Vogel in the general election for Columbus City Council District 7 on November 4, 2025.

Candidate
%
Votes

Tiara Ross
(Nonpartisan)
50
55,245

Jesse Vogel (Nonpartisan)
49
53,523

Benjamin McKean@blmckean· Jun 23

Congratulations to workers at the best movie theater in Columbus on winning their first union contract!

Screenshot of Facebook post

Ohio AFL-CIO
• is with AFL-CIO and
AFSCME.

Huge news from AFSCME as Gateway Film Center workers secure a first contract with their AFL-CIO #union, Gateway Film Center United
AFSCME OHIO COUNCIL 8 NEWS

[photo of Gateway Film Center workers]

GATEWAY FILM CENTER UNITED MEMBERS UNANIMOUSLY RATIFY
FIRST CONTRACT
AFSCME

Benjamin McKean@blmckean· Jun 15

Didn't want to retweet this story without doing some more research so I'm happy to report the National Library of New Zealand has multiple political cartoons online attesting to it

Political cartoon that shows a New Zealander hastily leaving the New Zealand Embassy by the back door as a consignment of New Zealand lamb is pushed through the front door.

From NZ National Library https://natlib.govt.nz/records/30652852?search%5Bi%5D%5Bsubject_authority_id%5D=-12995&search%5Bpath%5D=items

Benjamin McKean@blmckean· Jun 13

At the used bookstore, the 9-year-old found an old Archie comic where the gang meets Mark Zuckerberg - a bizarre relic from a bygone era

Benjamin McKean@blmckean· Jun 12

Call for Participation International Congress on Kojin Karatani, Modes of Exchange, & the Transformation of the World School of Philosophy and Letters, UNAM, Mexico City June 9-11, 2027 Proposal submission period: June 15 to September 15, 2026 Cost: Registration and attendance are free of charge

Sale
VELAD NATIONAL
MAMA FE
中
ayni
Call for Participation
International Congress
Kojin Karatani, Modes of Exchange, & the Transformation of the World
School of Philosophy and Letters, UNAM, Mexico City
June 9-11, 2027
The UNAM School of Philosophy and Letters, in collaboration with the Ayni Institute, invite all those interested in the work of philosopher Kojin Karatani to participate in an international conference to be held June 9-11, 2027. The aim of this conference is to cultivate critical studies of our world by developing Karatani's modes of exchange theory.
We are organizing this conference at a critical conjuncture. Compounding environmental, economic, and political crises are reshaping our world. How can we make sense of this moment? What strategies are available to those of us who seek justice, equality, and emancipation? How do we situate ourselves within the long are of history?
This conference is premised on the view that Kojin Karatani's modes of exchange theory allows us to answer these questions from a fresh perspective. This framework provides a new language and topology to grasp the Capital-Nation-State trinity that structures our world system. This gathering allows us to ground new perspectives on history and philosophy and thus deepen our analysis while also building collective strategies to engage in the struggle for our future.
This conference is being organized in coordination with the Ayni Institute, a training and research center focused on social movements. The conference will serve as a meeting point for scholars as well as social movement activists engaged in various grassroots organizations across the region. We conceive this event as an opportunity, therefore, to deepen philosophical perspectives while also elaborating upon the political and social implications of Karatani's thought.

Conference organizers welcome proposals for paper presentations or panel discussions.
Proposals of paper presentations should include: name, contact information, title, and abstract (400 words max.). Panel proposals should include: name and contact information for each speaker; title of panel; abstract describing the central themes and questions under discussion (400 words max.).; also attach CV or brief biography for each speaker.
If you plan on attending as part of a social movement organization, please email us at the email address below to set up a time to talk with a member of the organizing committee.
Send materials to: congresounamayni@gmail.com
Thematic Areas:
• The work of Marx and Marxism
• The structure of world history
• The present and future of capitalism
• The translation of Kojin Karatani's work
• Critique and action in the face of contemporary capitalism
• The Capital-State-Nation trinity
• Social movement strategies against the trinity
• How the modes of exchange help us explain social movements and countercultures
• Transformation from the periphery - the role of Latin America in global change
Submission of Proposals and Key Dates:
• Proposal submission period: June 15 to September 15, 2026
• Notification of acceptance: November 15, 2026
• Languages: Spanish, English, and Portuguese
Cost: Registration and attendance are free of charge.
This congress is part of the research project "Capitalism: Critical Studies. New Readings of Capital" (PAPIT: IN400826) of UNAM, in collaboration with the Ayni Institute (Boston, USA).

Benjamin McKean@blmckean· Jun 12

Needless to say, if more than 100 agents were aggressively interrogating people all over the state, that’s a truly staggering level of government intimidation

Benjamin McKean@blmckean· Jun 12

Some follow-up reporting from @rooster.info on the FBI raid on the Ohio Organizing Collaborative - sure sounds like the Republicans are planning to run the ACORN playbook, but this time led by the FBI instead of and James O'Keefe

Benjamin McKean@blmckean· Jun 12

Maybe I suggest

Benjamin McKean@blmckean· Jun 11

This is the cover of a random 80’s punk 7” come to life