Alix Mortimer
@alixmortimer.bsky.social
I(i)mpact and engagement for my brilliant colleagues in politics, economics, social sciences @kingscollegelondon.bsky.social. Often I dream of islands.
🚢 ships
🏺archaeology
🏰 medieval history
🇭🇷 učim Hrvatski
Can’t see DMs, sorry!
🚢 ships
🏺archaeology
🏰 medieval history
🇭🇷 učim Hrvatski
Can’t see DMs, sorry!
Reposted by Alix Mortimer
My most predictive theory of Trump so far is that he likes to be able to unilaterally do stuff, and the best way to predict his next pivot is when he starts getting thwarted.
Deploying the military is the new IEEPA - a vast power he can threaten, deploy or exempt from without checks and balances.
Deploying the military is the new IEEPA - a vast power he can threaten, deploy or exempt from without checks and balances.
January 5, 2026 at 9:39 AM
My most predictive theory of Trump so far is that he likes to be able to unilaterally do stuff, and the best way to predict his next pivot is when he starts getting thwarted.
Deploying the military is the new IEEPA - a vast power he can threaten, deploy or exempt from without checks and balances.
Deploying the military is the new IEEPA - a vast power he can threaten, deploy or exempt from without checks and balances.
Reposted by Alix Mortimer
There are a lot of conversations going on about the long-term shift but it's slow (because Europe always moves slowly and, to varying degrees, is tied into the US military).
Leaders are also prioritising Ukraine and are desperate to retain leverage on Zelensky's behalf.
Leaders are also prioritising Ukraine and are desperate to retain leverage on Zelensky's behalf.
"Vassal" talk is a bit much, but those Starmer (and other EU leaders tbf) statements read like all these people still believe, if we can just hold our breath for three more years, this nightmare will be over and we'll be back to singing Atlantic Kumbaya
January 5, 2026 at 9:22 AM
There are a lot of conversations going on about the long-term shift but it's slow (because Europe always moves slowly and, to varying degrees, is tied into the US military).
Leaders are also prioritising Ukraine and are desperate to retain leverage on Zelensky's behalf.
Leaders are also prioritising Ukraine and are desperate to retain leverage on Zelensky's behalf.
Reposted by Alix Mortimer
well, being a small powerless frightened afterthought in someone else's capricious violent empire is not nearly as fun as being in charge of one, is it?
a black cat holding a nail file in its paws
Alt: a black cat holding a nail file in its paws, sharpening its claws with a grim expression
media.tenor.com
January 5, 2026 at 9:28 AM
well, being a small powerless frightened afterthought in someone else's capricious violent empire is not nearly as fun as being in charge of one, is it?
Reposted by Alix Mortimer
🆕 Pioneering research on conflict resolution led by our academic, Dr Elisa Cavatorta, has been licensed for use as part of an innovative virtual reality (VR) programme being rolled out in schools 👩💻🏫
Read more here 👇
www.kcl.ac.uk/news/researc...
Read more here 👇
www.kcl.ac.uk/news/researc...
Research by King's academic licensed for use as part of innovative teaching programme | King's College London
Pioneering research on conflict resolution led by a King’s academic has been licensed for use as part of an innovative virtual reality (VR) programme being rolled out in schools.
www.kcl.ac.uk
December 16, 2025 at 9:23 AM
🆕 Pioneering research on conflict resolution led by our academic, Dr Elisa Cavatorta, has been licensed for use as part of an innovative virtual reality (VR) programme being rolled out in schools 👩💻🏫
Read more here 👇
www.kcl.ac.uk/news/researc...
Read more here 👇
www.kcl.ac.uk/news/researc...
Well that was quick bsky.app/profile/waja...
I have a rather haunting future sense about European countries making the similarly strong statements to this they are currently not making, once we also have no choice.
"Mexico strongly condemns and rejects the military actions carried out unilaterally ... by armed forces of the United States of America against targets in the territory of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, in clear violation of Article 2 of the [UN] Charter"
www.gob.mx/sre/prensa/m...
www.gob.mx/sre/prensa/m...
January 4, 2026 at 7:44 PM
Well that was quick bsky.app/profile/waja...
Reposted by Alix Mortimer
For Christmas entertaining, I froze ice cubes with small berries in them. In a few, I concealed Mentos mints. It was excellent watching people's reactions when the ice melted enough for their Cokes to suddenly erupt for no apparent reason
January 4, 2026 at 2:20 PM
For Christmas entertaining, I froze ice cubes with small berries in them. In a few, I concealed Mentos mints. It was excellent watching people's reactions when the ice melted enough for their Cokes to suddenly erupt for no apparent reason
Reposted by Alix Mortimer
I’m seeing this cited as ‘what Starmer should have said but @iaindale.bsky.social has done some editing and splicing here.
It’s from a radio phone-in and, if you read the whole thing, it’s not the unequivocal condemnation that appears in the edit.
www.margaretthatcher.org/document%2F1...
It’s from a radio phone-in and, if you read the whole thing, it’s not the unequivocal condemnation that appears in the edit.
www.margaretthatcher.org/document%2F1...
January 4, 2026 at 1:04 PM
I’m seeing this cited as ‘what Starmer should have said but @iaindale.bsky.social has done some editing and splicing here.
It’s from a radio phone-in and, if you read the whole thing, it’s not the unequivocal condemnation that appears in the edit.
www.margaretthatcher.org/document%2F1...
It’s from a radio phone-in and, if you read the whole thing, it’s not the unequivocal condemnation that appears in the edit.
www.margaretthatcher.org/document%2F1...
Reposted by Alix Mortimer
Card Keir keeps drawing
January 4, 2026 at 10:41 AM
Card Keir keeps drawing
Reposted by Alix Mortimer
I was born 51 years ago. What is the purpose of my life?
I have lived several lives in my lifetime. A happy but oblivious childhood in the Soviet Union, focused on family, mathematics, and sports. The gangster 1990s in Ukraine focused on survival and money. 1/
I have lived several lives in my lifetime. A happy but oblivious childhood in the Soviet Union, focused on family, mathematics, and sports. The gangster 1990s in Ukraine focused on survival and money. 1/
January 3, 2026 at 10:13 PM
I was born 51 years ago. What is the purpose of my life?
I have lived several lives in my lifetime. A happy but oblivious childhood in the Soviet Union, focused on family, mathematics, and sports. The gangster 1990s in Ukraine focused on survival and money. 1/
I have lived several lives in my lifetime. A happy but oblivious childhood in the Soviet Union, focused on family, mathematics, and sports. The gangster 1990s in Ukraine focused on survival and money. 1/
Reposted by Alix Mortimer
OK, crash course in oil. Oil has two main gradings, viscosity (light or heavy) and sulfur (sweet or sour). A light (low viscosity) and sweet (low sulfur) oil is easier to process into gasoline and other products than a heavy and sour one, so the light & sweet oil commands a premium price.
I know several oil barons, I’ve had the oil and gas industry as clients in a past life: none of them want the Venezuelan oil, it’s dog shit quality and getting the PDVSA fields up to modern standards would take 20 years! It’s just trump being stuck in 1987
At this point the oil barons hardly even care (they can pivot to renewables too). It’s just gender and internal combustion brain
January 3, 2026 at 8:35 AM
OK, crash course in oil. Oil has two main gradings, viscosity (light or heavy) and sulfur (sweet or sour). A light (low viscosity) and sweet (low sulfur) oil is easier to process into gasoline and other products than a heavy and sour one, so the light & sweet oil commands a premium price.
The classic marquee wedding chairs! Only missing a forgotten sparkly wrap draped over the back
the photographer was definitely like, "ok everybody, look tough!" but we know they're all just reading tweets with their arms crossed in a country club dining room divided up by bedsheets tacked to the beams
January 3, 2026 at 9:09 PM
The classic marquee wedding chairs! Only missing a forgotten sparkly wrap draped over the back
His chutzpah remains unbeaten
President Zelenskyy on Maduro:
What can I say here? If this can be done to dictators, like that, then the United States of America know what they should do next.
What can I say here? If this can be done to dictators, like that, then the United States of America know what they should do next.
January 3, 2026 at 6:44 PM
His chutzpah remains unbeaten
Hadn’t occurred to me before I read rge tone of this but do the oil companies know they’re being volunteered to spend billions of dollars?
January 3, 2026 at 6:02 PM
Hadn’t occurred to me before I read rge tone of this but do the oil companies know they’re being volunteered to spend billions of dollars?
Reposted by Alix Mortimer
So for months they have tried to blame the entire fentanyl crisis on Venezuela and the indictment only mentions cocaine, which they pardoned a different guy for weeks ago
January 3, 2026 at 2:03 PM
So for months they have tried to blame the entire fentanyl crisis on Venezuela and the indictment only mentions cocaine, which they pardoned a different guy for weeks ago
Reposted by Alix Mortimer
The investment needed to restore Venezuelan production would be many dozens of billions of $. That has to pay off over a long time period. Securing the revenues requires military control indefinitely, itself v expensive. Future regimes in US may give up; future forces in Vz might depose them.
Q: Is it possible that the US ends up administering Venezuela for years?
TRUMP: Well, you know, it won't cost us anything because the money coming out of the ground is very substantial
TRUMP: Well, you know, it won't cost us anything because the money coming out of the ground is very substantial
January 3, 2026 at 5:48 PM
The investment needed to restore Venezuelan production would be many dozens of billions of $. That has to pay off over a long time period. Securing the revenues requires military control indefinitely, itself v expensive. Future regimes in US may give up; future forces in Vz might depose them.
Reposted by Alix Mortimer
We had a good run
2026 could be great. We simply don't know.
January 3, 2026 at 4:08 PM
We had a good run
Reposted by Alix Mortimer
It took nearly 30,000 US troops to effectively occupy Panama in 1989.
You can't run a country by, umm, saying you are.
You can't run a country by, umm, saying you are.
Trump on Venezuela: "We're going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper, and judicious transition"
January 3, 2026 at 5:22 PM
It took nearly 30,000 US troops to effectively occupy Panama in 1989.
You can't run a country by, umm, saying you are.
You can't run a country by, umm, saying you are.
Reposted by Alix Mortimer
It’s like a much higher stakes (and higher body count) version of the dying days of the Boris ministry. “It’s probably wise to assume that this particular incident isn’t what does him in, but the unraveling is coming”
January 3, 2026 at 5:23 PM
It’s like a much higher stakes (and higher body count) version of the dying days of the Boris ministry. “It’s probably wise to assume that this particular incident isn’t what does him in, but the unraveling is coming”
Reposted by Alix Mortimer
Knowing this DoJ they’ll probably fail to get a grand jury indictment and their lead prosecutor will get disbarred for malpractice.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were indicted on charges including narco-terrorism, cocaine trafficking conspiracy, and weapons offenses tied to a federal case.
Live updates: Trump says Maduro captured in ‘large scale strike’ against Venezuela
The United States launched a large-scale strike on Venezuela, captured its president, Nicolás Maduro and flew him out of the country, President Trump said.
www.washingtonpost.com
January 3, 2026 at 2:21 PM
Knowing this DoJ they’ll probably fail to get a grand jury indictment and their lead prosecutor will get disbarred for malpractice.
I have a rather haunting future sense about European countries making the similarly strong statements to this they are currently not making, once we also have no choice.
"Mexico strongly condemns and rejects the military actions carried out unilaterally ... by armed forces of the United States of America against targets in the territory of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, in clear violation of Article 2 of the [UN] Charter"
www.gob.mx/sre/prensa/m...
www.gob.mx/sre/prensa/m...
January 3, 2026 at 2:11 PM
I have a rather haunting future sense about European countries making the similarly strong statements to this they are currently not making, once we also have no choice.
Reposted by Alix Mortimer
Even Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez, who has been the most critical of Trump among the EU's national leaders (and has been ostracised by the others because of it), has been cautious in his response.
But this is the strongest reaction we've seen among 🇪🇺leaders so far www.exteriores.gob.es/es/Comunicac...
But this is the strongest reaction we've seen among 🇪🇺leaders so far www.exteriores.gob.es/es/Comunicac...
January 3, 2026 at 1:52 PM
Even Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez, who has been the most critical of Trump among the EU's national leaders (and has been ostracised by the others because of it), has been cautious in his response.
But this is the strongest reaction we've seen among 🇪🇺leaders so far www.exteriores.gob.es/es/Comunicac...
But this is the strongest reaction we've seen among 🇪🇺leaders so far www.exteriores.gob.es/es/Comunicac...
Reposted by Alix Mortimer
fwiw it’s been about six weeks since Trump pardoned the former president of Honduras who had been convicted of trafficking drugs into the US
January 3, 2026 at 10:47 AM
fwiw it’s been about six weeks since Trump pardoned the former president of Honduras who had been convicted of trafficking drugs into the US
Reposted by Alix Mortimer
Key thing to remember is: They want these fascist fortress cities because *they believe existing nations are going to collapse*
These are escape hatches for a post-democracy world they seek to create. I would argue that they have gotten much farther than they should have. See: DOGE, crypto, etc
These are escape hatches for a post-democracy world they seek to create. I would argue that they have gotten much farther than they should have. See: DOGE, crypto, etc
The Financial Times finally covers the Network State cult.
Is this tech fascism?
"I mean,we are funding companies that will operate non-democratic cities...and if you're not into that you shouldn't move there," says Peter Thiel protégé Patri Friedman.
Is this tech fascism?
"I mean,we are funding companies that will operate non-democratic cities...and if you're not into that you shouldn't move there," says Peter Thiel protégé Patri Friedman.
December 8, 2025 at 3:38 AM
Key thing to remember is: They want these fascist fortress cities because *they believe existing nations are going to collapse*
These are escape hatches for a post-democracy world they seek to create. I would argue that they have gotten much farther than they should have. See: DOGE, crypto, etc
These are escape hatches for a post-democracy world they seek to create. I would argue that they have gotten much farther than they should have. See: DOGE, crypto, etc
Reposted by Alix Mortimer
There was a leak but not to the media
January 3, 2026 at 7:35 AM
There was a leak but not to the media