Jason Dittmer
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realjdittmer.bsky.social
Jason Dittmer
@realjdittmer.bsky.social

Professor of Political Geography at UCL. Posting about geopolitics, popular culture, and cat memes

Political science 29%
Art 22%

The key: you will know it is downhill when they all of a sudden race downhill at terrifying speeds. You will know it is uphill when they require you to carry them

If you ever want to learn the subtle topography of your neighbourhood, get yourself a toddler with a scooter.

Having just received an excellent proposal, I am reminded that I should do more to advertise the Bloomsbury book series I co-edit: Geopolitical Worlds, Material Bodies
www.bloomsbury.com/ca/series/ge...
We would value some more excellent proposals to go with the one I just got! #AcademicSky
Geopolitical Bodies, Material Worlds: Bloomsbury Publishing (CA) - Bloomsbury
This series publishes studies that originate in a range of different fields that are nonetheless linked through their common foundation: a belief that the macro…
www.bloomsbury.com

I continue to find @davidfrenchjag.bsky.social one of the most interesting commentators of our current conundrum. Strongly recommend this one:
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/14/o...
Opinion | What Happens if You Refuse to Recognize That We Are in a Death Spiral
www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Jason Dittmer

It's 16 minutes past 3. The sun has set in #Orkney. Just 6 hours and 19 minutes of daylight today.

We are almost at the shortest day but there will still be 9 minutes less daylight on the #WinterSolstice.

And then the light returns. 💡
British Library staff asked for a decent pay. Instead they got ‘a few money-saving present ideas’, such as ‘consider not giving presents this holiday season’. They are on strike this week. I wrote about it for @lrb.co.uk. www.lrb.co.uk/blog/2025/de...
Anna Aslanyan | On the Picket Line
On Monday morning, more than a hundred people formed a picket line outside one of the entrances to the British Library...
www.lrb.co.uk

A really interesting article for those interested in Gibraltar and performances of sovereignty (and/or assemblage geopolitics!):
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
An assemblage approach to performances of sovereignty through Gibraltar's hosting of the 2019 International Island Games
This article examines performances of sovereignty using as its entry-point the 2019 International Island Games (IG) held in the British Overseas Terri…
www.sciencedirect.com

Reposted by Jason Dittmer

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said today that parts of the U.S. administration's new National Security Strategy are terrible from Europe's point of view.
‘Unacceptable’: Germany’s Merz slams Trump’s controversial Europe document
U.S. administration’s foreign policy document roils Berlin.
www.politico.eu

Good question; Faberge eggs are rare, but this is one of a kind (I hope)

All the news that is fit to print
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/05/w...
Man Who Swallowed Stolen Fabergé Egg Passes It Naturally, Police Say
www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Jason Dittmer

Big congratulations to my fellow FIFA Peace Prize shortlist nominees: we are all, in some way, winners, and we can just focus on the hard work of talking about how much peace we accomplished in 2025 & how much we’re into the idea of peace, generally.

To all my followers that own wine vineyards: “Pinot Grinch-io”
That’s for you, but I get 10% of proceeds

Okay, a new one - maybe the Fog of War is his new tipple of choice?

Someone probably made this joke two days ago

Does Pete Hegseth know the fog of war isn’t an actual fog?

Reposted by Jason Dittmer

Good to see findings from this timely & necessary research coming out. Hope there are tangible actions following the findings and this is not simply another citable reference that can be used to document and tick-box
States of precarity in UK Higher Education geography
www.rgs.org/research/hig...
States of precarity in UK Higher Education geography
Findings from a discipline-focused research project exploring the lived realities of precarious academic work within UK Higher Education geography.
www.rgs.org

Excellent!

Reposted by Jason Dittmer

🎄 Norwegian Christmas tree arrives in London

In a yearly tradition going back to 1947, a Norwegian spruce arrives in London, where it will "grace" Trafalgar Square during the Christmas period, with a lighting ceremony planned for December 4

I think they might just be south London. But good eggs!

Also Hiyacar

Well, that settles that
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/27/w...
Putin Defends Witkoff Against Accusations of Pro-Russia Bias
www.nytimes.com

on.ft.com/481Bk3s The death of the diplomat in Trump’s America (Or of expertise, I would argue)
The death of the diplomat in Trump’s America
Sidelining the state department and relying on dealmakers will come at a cost
on.ft.com
EXCLUSIVE: US presidential envoy Steve Witkoff advised Russia on how to pitch Ukraine plans to Trump, in audio files reviewed by Bloomberg
Witkoff Advised Russia on How to Pitch Ukraine Plan to Trump
US presidential envoy Steve Witkoff, fresh from the triumph of the Gaza peace deal, held a phone call last month with a senior Kremlin official to suggest they work together on a similar plan for Ukraine — and that Vladimir Putin should raise it with Donald Trump.
bloom.bg

An interesting read given we are all talking about critical infrastructure these days
on.ft.com/3XPJbeq How Ireland became the weak spot in Europe’s defences
How Ireland became the weak spot in Europe’s defences
With few ships and limited intelligence-sharing, some say the country cannot hope to protect itself or its infrastructure
on.ft.com

Reposted by Jason Dittmer

So the University of Texas at Austin neither signed Trump's higher-ed compact nor rejected it. The deadline passed and UT just did not respond: www.texastribune.org/2025/11/17/u...
UT-Austin still silent on Trump compact as deadline passes
Most other invited universities have rejected the administration’s offer tying priority federal funding to campus policy changes.
www.texastribune.org

Reposted by Jason Dittmer

Bloomberg unfolds the history of the Vance-Dmitriev initiative... Dmitriev put it to Witkoff and Vance in a meeting in Miami, Axios published it, Trump and Rubio knew nothing of it. But then Trump decided to simply bless Dmitriev's draft after the fact. A perfect biopsy of "diplomacy" under Trump.
Secret US-Russia Talks Led to Peace Plan That Blindsided Ukraine
The controversial 28-point plan dropped suddenly by the Trump administration to Ukraine as a take-it-or-leave it proposition mere days ago was mostly the result of several weeks of negotiations behind...
www.bloomberg.com