Christy Quirk
@cequirk.bsky.social
Opinion research and advocacy/political strategy in declining democracies and emerging autocracies. Don’t ask questions you don’t want the answers to. Nice, FR
quirkglobalstrategies.com
linkedin.com/in/christinequirk
Quirkglobalstrategies: Substack
quirkglobalstrategies.com
linkedin.com/in/christinequirk
Quirkglobalstrategies: Substack
Reposted by Christy Quirk
even those of us who keep insisting this is historically and unprecedentedly stupid are still not doing a good job of establishing just how stupid this is. like, this is so stupid it’s the kind of thing you read people in antiquity making reference to as something so dumb/weird they doubt it’s true
January 19, 2026 at 4:06 PM
even those of us who keep insisting this is historically and unprecedentedly stupid are still not doing a good job of establishing just how stupid this is. like, this is so stupid it’s the kind of thing you read people in antiquity making reference to as something so dumb/weird they doubt it’s true
Reposted by Christy Quirk
Kyiv tonight: no electricity, no water, freezing cold.
"Darkness all around – but not within us. We will endure." said the author of this photo, Yan Dobronosov.
"Darkness all around – but not within us. We will endure." said the author of this photo, Yan Dobronosov.
January 20, 2026 at 2:55 AM
Kyiv tonight: no electricity, no water, freezing cold.
"Darkness all around – but not within us. We will endure." said the author of this photo, Yan Dobronosov.
"Darkness all around – but not within us. We will endure." said the author of this photo, Yan Dobronosov.
Reposted by Christy Quirk
I am building an essential 90,000 square foot ballroom and soliciting billion dollar membership fees for my new alternative UN while I shake down Venezuela for cash I will hide in Qatar and I am debating whether I should collapse NATO by stealing the world’s biggest island.
as it always is, part of the trump problem is that describing his behavior in plain language makes you sound like you should be on a 72 hour hold
January 20, 2026 at 1:49 AM
I am building an essential 90,000 square foot ballroom and soliciting billion dollar membership fees for my new alternative UN while I shake down Venezuela for cash I will hide in Qatar and I am debating whether I should collapse NATO by stealing the world’s biggest island.
This is much funnier to read when you know the spoiler: The driver was French.
I just woke up from a nap and somehow while I was asleep, everyone on the bus has figured out we are not going to the right place
January 20, 2026 at 8:02 AM
This is much funnier to read when you know the spoiler: The driver was French.
"The opposition in exile increasingly mirrors the power structure in Russia it claims to oppose: no transparency, no accountability and the same people remaining in charge indefinitely." A nuanced but critical review of the latest Russian opposition controversy www.themoscowtimes.com/2026/01/19/t...
The Hollow Core of Russia's Opposition Is Exposed, Again - The Moscow Times
Opinion | The furor surrounding Leonid Volkov’s statements is not a private scandal or yet another quarrel within the Russian emigre community.
www.themoscowtimes.com
January 19, 2026 at 6:17 PM
"The opposition in exile increasingly mirrors the power structure in Russia it claims to oppose: no transparency, no accountability and the same people remaining in charge indefinitely." A nuanced but critical review of the latest Russian opposition controversy www.themoscowtimes.com/2026/01/19/t...
Reposted by Christy Quirk
“Play him, Sidney! Play him! … Oooooooweeeee! … It’s gonna be fresh burgers tonight!”
January 19, 2026 at 5:07 PM
“Play him, Sidney! Play him! … Oooooooweeeee! … It’s gonna be fresh burgers tonight!”
Reposted by Christy Quirk
This is what it feels like to be an American right now.
youtu.be/U5X4N2exOsU?...
youtu.be/U5X4N2exOsU?...
Tom Waits/Cookie Monster mashup - God's Away On Business
YouTube video by cookiewaits
youtu.be
January 19, 2026 at 6:55 AM
This is what it feels like to be an American right now.
youtu.be/U5X4N2exOsU?...
youtu.be/U5X4N2exOsU?...
Reposted by Christy Quirk
Am thoroughly underwhelmed by Lukashenko's Epiphany dip/swim.
January 19, 2026 at 10:07 AM
Am thoroughly underwhelmed by Lukashenko's Epiphany dip/swim.
Reposted by Christy Quirk
Hey GOP: come get your man.
January 19, 2026 at 9:09 AM
Hey GOP: come get your man.
Reposted by Christy Quirk
Pew Research Institute (2023):
• Red State Texas has about 2.1 million undocumented immigrants
• Red State Florida has 1.6 M undocumented immigrants
• Blue State Minnesota has 130,000.
And yet only Minnesota is being occupied by masked thugs over "immigration."
It's *not* about immigration.
• Red State Texas has about 2.1 million undocumented immigrants
• Red State Florida has 1.6 M undocumented immigrants
• Blue State Minnesota has 130,000.
And yet only Minnesota is being occupied by masked thugs over "immigration."
It's *not* about immigration.
January 18, 2026 at 9:03 PM
Pew Research Institute (2023):
• Red State Texas has about 2.1 million undocumented immigrants
• Red State Florida has 1.6 M undocumented immigrants
• Blue State Minnesota has 130,000.
And yet only Minnesota is being occupied by masked thugs over "immigration."
It's *not* about immigration.
• Red State Texas has about 2.1 million undocumented immigrants
• Red State Florida has 1.6 M undocumented immigrants
• Blue State Minnesota has 130,000.
And yet only Minnesota is being occupied by masked thugs over "immigration."
It's *not* about immigration.
Reposted by Christy Quirk
A lot of people have been very slow on the uptake about what is happening in America (including Americans too, obviously).
A lot of people are going to have to get used to the reality that America is no longer our closest ally.
Kamikaze stuff from Badenoch.
January 18, 2026 at 12:07 PM
A lot of people have been very slow on the uptake about what is happening in America (including Americans too, obviously).
Reposted by Christy Quirk
Calm down, people. It’s always been doctrine that the U.S. military should be able to fight two wars simultaneously. The only thing that’s new here is that one of those wars would be against its own people and the other against its allies.
ABC News, in updates about the federal occupation in Minnesota, reported at 9:30pm on Jan 17, 2026, that: Some 1,500 active duty Army paratroopers have been put on alert for a potential deployment to Minnesota, according to two defense officials...One said the president had not made a final decision
January 18, 2026 at 9:55 AM
Calm down, people. It’s always been doctrine that the U.S. military should be able to fight two wars simultaneously. The only thing that’s new here is that one of those wars would be against its own people and the other against its allies.
Reposted by Christy Quirk
It me
i think, however, this is a crystal clear example that the next cold war is actually democracy vs autocracy and the battle lines run right through every single advanced democracy. there aren't really any safe harbors.
January 17, 2026 at 9:06 PM
It me
Reposted by Christy Quirk
The photo the BBC are using on their live blog to illustrate the French response is so very good.
January 17, 2026 at 7:35 PM
The photo the BBC are using on their live blog to illustrate the French response is so very good.
Reposted by Christy Quirk
"We'll invade you to protect and liberate you" is what Pu said to Ukr. Ru often insists it's the only guarantor of Ukrainian sovereignty. Now Trump is walking in Pu's footsteps by saying the only way Greenland can be sovereign/protected is by being taken over by the US. Surreal Ru-US convergence!
January 17, 2026 at 7:27 PM
"We'll invade you to protect and liberate you" is what Pu said to Ukr. Ru often insists it's the only guarantor of Ukrainian sovereignty. Now Trump is walking in Pu's footsteps by saying the only way Greenland can be sovereign/protected is by being taken over by the US. Surreal Ru-US convergence!
Reposted by Christy Quirk
Seen in Minneapolis this morning
January 17, 2026 at 5:20 PM
Seen in Minneapolis this morning
Reposted by Christy Quirk
everyone brings up pizza hut but what about gorby's louis vutton ads? at least pizza hut is proletarian slop, shilling luxury handbags is the ultimate capitulation to commodity fetishism
January 17, 2026 at 4:50 PM
everyone brings up pizza hut but what about gorby's louis vutton ads? at least pizza hut is proletarian slop, shilling luxury handbags is the ultimate capitulation to commodity fetishism
Reposted by Christy Quirk
The First Amendment, 2026.
Photo by Pierre Lavie. Yes this is me. And I threw my Leica. It landed on the bass plate with hardly a scratch. Another Photographer grabbed it along with my phone and I was able to track him later. I was held face down tear gas deployed right in front of me and pepper sprayed directly into the eye.
January 17, 2026 at 4:17 PM
The First Amendment, 2026.
Promises of support, real or perceived, from the US or EU, can have pernicious effects on resistance movements as well. Opposition movements who count on help from the EU/US, rather than focus on building domestic political support, are rarely successful. It’s a bit of a tell. Not naming names.
In '56, Hungarians rose with CIA hawks promising them promising "rollback.". Eisenhower would not risk WWIII. The Kurds were encouraged similarly but Bush held back. And now Trump, promises all, delivering nothing.
We can praise when people rise up. What we can't do is promise what isn't coming.
We can praise when people rise up. What we can't do is promise what isn't coming.
January 17, 2026 at 4:14 PM
Promises of support, real or perceived, from the US or EU, can have pernicious effects on resistance movements as well. Opposition movements who count on help from the EU/US, rather than focus on building domestic political support, are rarely successful. It’s a bit of a tell. Not naming names.
Reposted by Christy Quirk
I realise I'm just a freak, but living in a multicultural city is the best thing of all time, it's just the best possible human experience and i can not understand why anyone on earth would be like "weve got to destroy this"
January 17, 2026 at 4:28 AM
I realise I'm just a freak, but living in a multicultural city is the best thing of all time, it's just the best possible human experience and i can not understand why anyone on earth would be like "weve got to destroy this"
Reposted by Christy Quirk
Then, control who gets on the ballot. It's hard to ban candidates/parties but you can discourage a strong candidate from running though coordinated doxxing and threats, online harassment (great for discouraging strong female candidates) or using increasingly available surveillance tools/blackmail /5
January 16, 2026 at 1:19 PM
Then, control who gets on the ballot. It's hard to ban candidates/parties but you can discourage a strong candidate from running though coordinated doxxing and threats, online harassment (great for discouraging strong female candidates) or using increasingly available surveillance tools/blackmail /5
Reposted by Christy Quirk
Democratic politicians facing frivolous criminal investigations from Trump:
Kat Abughazaleh
Elissa Slotkin
Jason Crow
Tim Walz
Jacob Frey
Letitia James
Lisa Cook
Mark Kelly
Eric Swalwell
Adam Schiff
Kat Abughazaleh
Elissa Slotkin
Jason Crow
Tim Walz
Jacob Frey
Letitia James
Lisa Cook
Mark Kelly
Eric Swalwell
Adam Schiff
Two days ago it was Elissa Slotkin. Last week it was Jerome Powell. Before that, Mark Kelly. Weaponizing the justice system against your opponents is an authoritarian tactic.
The only person not being investigated for the shooting of Renee Good is the federal agent who shot her.
The only person not being investigated for the shooting of Renee Good is the federal agent who shot her.
Breaking news: The Justice Department has issued subpoenas for Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey as part of an investigation alleging that they are impeding federal law enforcement officers’ abilities to do their jobs in the state.
January 17, 2026 at 12:28 AM
Democratic politicians facing frivolous criminal investigations from Trump:
Kat Abughazaleh
Elissa Slotkin
Jason Crow
Tim Walz
Jacob Frey
Letitia James
Lisa Cook
Mark Kelly
Eric Swalwell
Adam Schiff
Kat Abughazaleh
Elissa Slotkin
Jason Crow
Tim Walz
Jacob Frey
Letitia James
Lisa Cook
Mark Kelly
Eric Swalwell
Adam Schiff
Reposted by Christy Quirk
The thing about the threats to Jay Powell is that they’re not about Jay Powell: they’re about the next guy. I think Trump is looking for someone who would be vulnerable to this kind of blackmail, and he is signaling to them what would happen if they don’t behave. giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...
The threat to the global economy from Trump’s war on the Fed
The escalating conflict between the White House and the US central bank could have far-reaching consequences
giftarticle.ft.com
January 17, 2026 at 3:38 AM
The thing about the threats to Jay Powell is that they’re not about Jay Powell: they’re about the next guy. I think Trump is looking for someone who would be vulnerable to this kind of blackmail, and he is signaling to them what would happen if they don’t behave. giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...
Reposted by Christy Quirk
everyone who was mad about Trump's "dictator on day one" promise in 2024 has been fully vindicated. and if you were part of the crowd saying it was trump derangement syndrome to take him seriously i don't think we can fully trust your judgment about where his 2nd term is headed
January 16, 2026 at 4:59 PM
everyone who was mad about Trump's "dictator on day one" promise in 2024 has been fully vindicated. and if you were part of the crowd saying it was trump derangement syndrome to take him seriously i don't think we can fully trust your judgment about where his 2nd term is headed
Do I hear amateurs are trying to steal elections on Election Day? Is that today's discourse?
Not saying we're NOT dealing with amateurs here, because they are clearly the dumbest authoritarians alive, who prefer easy optics over strategic election stealing but....
Not saying we're NOT dealing with amateurs here, because they are clearly the dumbest authoritarians alive, who prefer easy optics over strategic election stealing but....
let's say the president wants to suppress the vote in detroit. assuming a conventional 20 soldiers for every 1000 civilians ration, he would need more than 12,000 ICE agents — more than double the current number of field officers — to occupy detroit and only detroit, a city of 630,000 people
imho people are focusing on the words "cancel the midterms" and saying uh actually a president cannot do that at the expense of what they would actually try to do, ie send troops/ice into liberal cities to suppress the vote
January 16, 2026 at 1:04 PM
Do I hear amateurs are trying to steal elections on Election Day? Is that today's discourse?
Not saying we're NOT dealing with amateurs here, because they are clearly the dumbest authoritarians alive, who prefer easy optics over strategic election stealing but....
Not saying we're NOT dealing with amateurs here, because they are clearly the dumbest authoritarians alive, who prefer easy optics over strategic election stealing but....