Andrew Farrand
@afarrand.bsky.social
MENA energy analyst | author of The Algerian Dream | American abroad
"We are heading into the 250th anniversary of this country’s founding while surrounded by horrible evidence that its system of government is in terrible need of repair."
A frank, concise assessment of our predicament, and why despair is not the answer:
A frank, concise assessment of our predicament, and why despair is not the answer:
„Never forget: whenever Elon Musk walks up to a podium to bullshit you about colonizing Mars or whatever, he is walking on the bodies of dead children. He yanked their food and medicine away while telling lies and cracking stupid jokes.“
@dereklowe.bsky.social as usual not pulling any punches
@dereklowe.bsky.social as usual not pulling any punches
Last Year, and the Year to Come
www.science.org
January 5, 2026 at 10:10 AM
"We are heading into the 250th anniversary of this country’s founding while surrounded by horrible evidence that its system of government is in terrible need of repair."
A frank, concise assessment of our predicament, and why despair is not the answer:
A frank, concise assessment of our predicament, and why despair is not the answer:
"Having de facto control of the Western Hemisphere’s petroleum wealth is a geopolitical game changer. For decades, US military adventurism was constrained by the impact of any war on energy costs. Today the WH has primacy over oil-producing allies and adversaries alike..." - @javierblas.bsky.social
Trump Now Has His Very Own Oil Empire
Let’s do the math. Start with the oil production of the US and add Canada. Then include Venezuela and the rest of Latin America, from Mexico to Argentina and everywhere else in between: Brazil, Guyana...
www.bloomberg.com
January 5, 2026 at 9:51 AM
"Having de facto control of the Western Hemisphere’s petroleum wealth is a geopolitical game changer. For decades, US military adventurism was constrained by the impact of any war on energy costs. Today the WH has primacy over oil-producing allies and adversaries alike..." - @javierblas.bsky.social
Trump's (illegal) intervention in Venezuela will likely reduce, not boost, its oil production in the short term.
No big deal for USA. But Cuba sources most of its oil from Venezuela.
Blackouts are already common in Cuba. What happens when they're constant?
Have Trump+Rubio thought this through?
No big deal for USA. But Cuba sources most of its oil from Venezuela.
Blackouts are already common in Cuba. What happens when they're constant?
Have Trump+Rubio thought this through?
January 4, 2026 at 9:30 PM
Trump's (illegal) intervention in Venezuela will likely reduce, not boost, its oil production in the short term.
No big deal for USA. But Cuba sources most of its oil from Venezuela.
Blackouts are already common in Cuba. What happens when they're constant?
Have Trump+Rubio thought this through?
No big deal for USA. But Cuba sources most of its oil from Venezuela.
Blackouts are already common in Cuba. What happens when they're constant?
Have Trump+Rubio thought this through?
Unclear that oil co's are keen on VZ opps at all. So again, why?
An estimated "$110bn in capital expenditure on exploration and production alone would be required to bring the country’s output back to where it was 15 years ago—2x the amount America’s oil majors combined invested worldwide in 2024."
An estimated "$110bn in capital expenditure on exploration and production alone would be required to bring the country’s output back to where it was 15 years ago—2x the amount America’s oil majors combined invested worldwide in 2024."
Donald Trump’s great Venezuelan oil gamble
The country has the world’s largest petroleum reserves. Getting them out of the ground will be tortuous
www.economist.com
January 4, 2026 at 3:27 PM
Unclear that oil co's are keen on VZ opps at all. So again, why?
An estimated "$110bn in capital expenditure on exploration and production alone would be required to bring the country’s output back to where it was 15 years ago—2x the amount America’s oil majors combined invested worldwide in 2024."
An estimated "$110bn in capital expenditure on exploration and production alone would be required to bring the country’s output back to where it was 15 years ago—2x the amount America’s oil majors combined invested worldwide in 2024."
Reposted by Andrew Farrand
impeach him. try to do it once a month, if necessary. build the case over and over to not just the American people but to the world that this isn’t the way things should be here, that this isn’t the way we should use our power abroad.
January 3, 2026 at 7:36 AM
impeach him. try to do it once a month, if necessary. build the case over and over to not just the American people but to the world that this isn’t the way things should be here, that this isn’t the way we should use our power abroad.
Reposted by Andrew Farrand
Seen at an anti-war protest in Manhattan today.
January 3, 2026 at 9:13 PM
Seen at an anti-war protest in Manhattan today.
Reposted by Andrew Farrand
this is so spooky. the news this early morning was real, but who knows which of the videos by which we learned it were?
THREAD: I'll fact-check all the viral misinformation about the US military operation in Venezuela in this thread
This image, purporting to show the US military arresting Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, is AI-generated.
According to Google's SynthID detector, it was created using Google AI.
This image, purporting to show the US military arresting Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, is AI-generated.
According to Google's SynthID detector, it was created using Google AI.
January 3, 2026 at 9:13 PM
this is so spooky. the news this early morning was real, but who knows which of the videos by which we learned it were?
Reposted by Andrew Farrand
The kidnapping of Maduro inaugurates a highly dangerous era of U.S. empire that for perhaps the first time in an era of mass media is not pretending to be anything other than a violent, extractive enterprise of domination.
A Criminal Empire
The United States launches a conquest and occupation of Venezuela to extract its oil wealth. The neocon dream is the America First dream
www.forever-wars.com
January 3, 2026 at 7:50 PM
The kidnapping of Maduro inaugurates a highly dangerous era of U.S. empire that for perhaps the first time in an era of mass media is not pretending to be anything other than a violent, extractive enterprise of domination.
Reposted by Andrew Farrand
What JD Vance really means by this is that Maduro is bound by US laws but Trump is not.
January 3, 2026 at 8:38 PM
What JD Vance really means by this is that Maduro is bound by US laws but Trump is not.
Reposted by Andrew Farrand
Two things can be true:
• Maduro is a brutal dictator and Venezuelans deserve to live in freedom and dignity.
• The US invasion of Venezuela and kidnapping of Maduro set a precedent normalizing the law of the jungle and giving other governments carte blanche to act similarly.
• Maduro is a brutal dictator and Venezuelans deserve to live in freedom and dignity.
• The US invasion of Venezuela and kidnapping of Maduro set a precedent normalizing the law of the jungle and giving other governments carte blanche to act similarly.
January 3, 2026 at 9:19 PM
Two things can be true:
• Maduro is a brutal dictator and Venezuelans deserve to live in freedom and dignity.
• The US invasion of Venezuela and kidnapping of Maduro set a precedent normalizing the law of the jungle and giving other governments carte blanche to act similarly.
• Maduro is a brutal dictator and Venezuelans deserve to live in freedom and dignity.
• The US invasion of Venezuela and kidnapping of Maduro set a precedent normalizing the law of the jungle and giving other governments carte blanche to act similarly.
And the more we act like Russia, unconstrained by laws and norms, the more cover we give to Putin.
Looks like Russia's "Special Military Operation" might be getting a little cousin.
January 3, 2026 at 8:45 AM
And the more we act like Russia, unconstrained by laws and norms, the more cover we give to Putin.
Reposted by Andrew Farrand
Good morning. Let's make a collective resolution: this will be the year in which we start to turn things round.
January 1, 2026 at 8:51 AM
Good morning. Let's make a collective resolution: this will be the year in which we start to turn things round.
So much to look forward to!
Happy new year, serfs. I have good news & bad news. 2026 will be worse than 2025, but it will be better than 2027.
December 31, 2025 at 11:46 PM
So much to look forward to!
Reposted by Andrew Farrand
So this is a more interesting question than a lot of people give it credit for
"Yemen" is a signifier whose meaning has shifted a lot over the last 200 years. Even today, some Southern separatists no longer want to refer to themselves as "South Yemen," but "South Arabia" 1/x
"Yemen" is a signifier whose meaning has shifted a lot over the last 200 years. Even today, some Southern separatists no longer want to refer to themselves as "South Yemen," but "South Arabia" 1/x
OK, why is most of South Yemen north of North Yemen, and vice versa?
December 30, 2025 at 1:06 PM
So this is a more interesting question than a lot of people give it credit for
"Yemen" is a signifier whose meaning has shifted a lot over the last 200 years. Even today, some Southern separatists no longer want to refer to themselves as "South Yemen," but "South Arabia" 1/x
"Yemen" is a signifier whose meaning has shifted a lot over the last 200 years. Even today, some Southern separatists no longer want to refer to themselves as "South Yemen," but "South Arabia" 1/x
"Eskom is now planning to erect large solar arrays on the grounds of shuttered coal plants. And by 2040 it intends to shift its predominantly coal-based system to cleaner sources."
A nice snapshot of how Chinese tech is allowing energy leapfrogging in South Africa (while complicating grid mgmt).
A nice snapshot of how Chinese tech is allowing energy leapfrogging in South Africa (while complicating grid mgmt).
Cheap Solar Is Transforming Lives and Economies Across Africa
www.nytimes.com
December 30, 2025 at 2:29 PM
"Eskom is now planning to erect large solar arrays on the grounds of shuttered coal plants. And by 2040 it intends to shift its predominantly coal-based system to cleaner sources."
A nice snapshot of how Chinese tech is allowing energy leapfrogging in South Africa (while complicating grid mgmt).
A nice snapshot of how Chinese tech is allowing energy leapfrogging in South Africa (while complicating grid mgmt).
Reposted by Andrew Farrand
Mini nuclear reactors are already losing their glow
Solar and wind are cheaper, faster to build, and already scaling globally, while SMRs face high costs, long timelines, and regulatory hurdles. Nuclear’s reliability is a strength, but on pure economics renewables wins.
www.ft.com/content/567a...
Solar and wind are cheaper, faster to build, and already scaling globally, while SMRs face high costs, long timelines, and regulatory hurdles. Nuclear’s reliability is a strength, but on pure economics renewables wins.
www.ft.com/content/567a...
Mini nuclear reactors are already losing their glow
Several studies suggest SMRs will produce higher levels of nuclear waste than traditional plants
www.ft.com
December 30, 2025 at 7:25 AM
Mini nuclear reactors are already losing their glow
Solar and wind are cheaper, faster to build, and already scaling globally, while SMRs face high costs, long timelines, and regulatory hurdles. Nuclear’s reliability is a strength, but on pure economics renewables wins.
www.ft.com/content/567a...
Solar and wind are cheaper, faster to build, and already scaling globally, while SMRs face high costs, long timelines, and regulatory hurdles. Nuclear’s reliability is a strength, but on pure economics renewables wins.
www.ft.com/content/567a...
Reposted by Andrew Farrand
Saudi Statement on escalation in Yemen
Remarkable.. this is, really, uncharted territory..
Remarkable.. this is, really, uncharted territory..
December 30, 2025 at 7:39 AM
Saudi Statement on escalation in Yemen
Remarkable.. this is, really, uncharted territory..
Remarkable.. this is, really, uncharted territory..
Made by swapping 1 of every 1mn carbon molecules for nitrogen, this quantum diamond "is so sensitive to changes in magnetic field that it can detect a car driving down the street outside the building a hundred metres away." 💎🤯 via @financialtimes.com
How diamonds are powering a new quantum revolution
By inserting tiny imperfections into the stones, scientists open up possibilities in computing, encryption and sensors
www.ft.com
December 29, 2025 at 9:42 PM
Made by swapping 1 of every 1mn carbon molecules for nitrogen, this quantum diamond "is so sensitive to changes in magnetic field that it can detect a car driving down the street outside the building a hundred metres away." 💎🤯 via @financialtimes.com
"Egypt’s return to gas imports – despite the fanfare over Zohr – reveals more than the decline of a single field. It is the result of a model that favored quick wins over long-term strategy, soaring consumption over structural reform, and weaponized energy narratives over serious sectoral overhaul."
From Zohr to Leviathan: How Israel turned Egypt's gas dreams into a pipeline for dependency
The $35-billion gas deal between Cairo and Tel Aviv may look like business as usual – but it locks Egypt into a long-term dependency that began the moment it outsourced its energy future.
thecradle.co
December 29, 2025 at 9:32 PM
"Egypt’s return to gas imports – despite the fanfare over Zohr – reveals more than the decline of a single field. It is the result of a model that favored quick wins over long-term strategy, soaring consumption over structural reform, and weaponized energy narratives over serious sectoral overhaul."
Reposted by Andrew Farrand
Incredibly cool series of photographs showing how infrared tech enables surveillance systems
PHOTO ESSAY: Invisible infrared surveillance technology and those caught in its digital cage
When you unlock a phone, step into view of a security camera or drive past a license plate reader at night, beams of infrared light - invisible to the naked eye — shine onto the unique contours of you...
apnews.com
December 28, 2025 at 11:19 AM
Incredibly cool series of photographs showing how infrared tech enables surveillance systems
Reposted by Andrew Farrand
And human beings are not packages, you fascist ghouls 🤷♂️🤦♂️
December 24, 2025 at 6:56 PM
And human beings are not packages, you fascist ghouls 🤷♂️🤦♂️
Reposted by Andrew Farrand
"If you don't fund the State Department fully, then I need to buy more ammunition.”
-James Mattis as Secretary of Defense testifying before Congress in 2017.
Succeeding with soft power is greatly preferable—and a lot cheaper—than having to address something with hard power.
-James Mattis as Secretary of Defense testifying before Congress in 2017.
Succeeding with soft power is greatly preferable—and a lot cheaper—than having to address something with hard power.
Context for Trump withdrawing dozens of ambassadors
*China has invested heavily in expanding diplomacy
*The US has significantly degraded soft power
*The US already has scores of diplomatic vacancies
*China has invested heavily in expanding diplomacy
*The US has significantly degraded soft power
*The US already has scores of diplomatic vacancies
December 25, 2025 at 12:33 AM
"If you don't fund the State Department fully, then I need to buy more ammunition.”
-James Mattis as Secretary of Defense testifying before Congress in 2017.
Succeeding with soft power is greatly preferable—and a lot cheaper—than having to address something with hard power.
-James Mattis as Secretary of Defense testifying before Congress in 2017.
Succeeding with soft power is greatly preferable—and a lot cheaper—than having to address something with hard power.
Reposted by Andrew Farrand
👇🎯 Your regular reminder that we can either be a full democracy, with equal rights for all, or we can be a white Christian theocracy. There is no compromise or middle ground between these things.
Pluralism is antithetical to Christian nationalism. If Jews (or other religions minorities) have an equal right to the mantle of Americanism it knocks over the whole sordid house of cards. This same fact also explains why anti-Blackness is so central to the movement as well.
December 22, 2025 at 7:26 PM
👇🎯 Your regular reminder that we can either be a full democracy, with equal rights for all, or we can be a white Christian theocracy. There is no compromise or middle ground between these things.