Ian Hall
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drianhall.bsky.social
Ian Hall
@drianhall.bsky.social

Professor of International Relations at Griffith University, India’s foreign policy, Indo-Pacific stuff, snakes when I find one. Usual caveats.

Political science 68%
Economics 10%

But Walter Crocker’s gem, though?
Don’t know whether to laugh or cry.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/30/w...

Reposted by Ian Hall

Survey shows favourable global opinion on China – Xinhua: ‘Nearly 70 percent of foreign respondents expressed a positive view of the Communist Party of China’s steadfast implementation of the central Party leadership's eight-point decision on improving conduct’
Survey shows favorable global opinion on China
english.news.cn

Something to think about given the established wisdom in Australia about large and supposedly efficient universities vs. small institutions like, um, most of the good places elsewhere…Caltech and Cambridge, etc.
“Never do a write-round” “Legislation is a last resort” “Find a forcing function” Advice for advisers from Henry de Zoete samf.substack.com/p/advice-for...

Reposted by Ian Hall

“Never do a write-round” “Legislation is a last resort” “Find a forcing function” Advice for advisers from Henry de Zoete samf.substack.com/p/advice-for...

Bibi’s face afterwards…
Trump ranting to Netanyahu on a hot mic: "Do I get credit for it? No. They gave the Nob-- I did 8 of them. How about India and Pakistan? So I did 8 of them. And then I'll tell you the rest of it."

That framing, though. Sheesch.

"As peace efforts intensified in 2025 under pressure from US President Donald Trump's administration, 40% more obituaries of soldiers were published in Russian sources compared with the previous year."

The ratio of losses to Russia's (meagre) territorial gains is really shocking.

Reposted by Ian Hall

Russia's losses in Ukraine rise faster than ever, as US pushes for peace deal
Russia's losses in Ukraine rise faster than ever, as US pushes for peace deal
A steep rise in soldiers' obituaries is documented by the BBC as part of its work in counting Russian war losses.
www.bbc.com

Reposted by Ian Hall

Putin's Ukrainian attack claim also seems designed to show the world how easily he can manipulate the views of the US president. That's something that should worry everyone in the GOP who cares about the US's reputation. Whether it will is another matter, of course.
Trump ranting to Netanyahu on a hot mic: "Do I get credit for it? No. They gave the Nob-- I did 8 of them. How about India and Pakistan? So I did 8 of them. And then I'll tell you the rest of it."

I am pleading with this tech folk - please get your AI to summarise another book for you. Any book. Maybe some Philip K Dick. Some interesting and relevant stuff there. Leave poor Tolkien alone for a bit.
Sauron is appearing on the scene as concerns rise about crime among the most wealthy.
Sauron, the high-end home security startup for "super premium" customers, plucks a new CEO out of Sonos | TechCrunch
Sauron is appearing on the scene as concerns rise about crime among the most wealthy.
techcrunch.com

Exactly right. But also because LLMs produce average papers because that's what they're designed to do - produce the most likely series of words. It is hard - at least to me - to see how you can use one to create an exceptional paper.

Reposted by Ian Hall

During today’s press conference at Mar-o-Lago, Trump said that Russia wanted to see Ukraine succeed.
Zelenskyy could not contain himself as Trump’s claim was absolutely ludicrous and out of touch with reality.
SUVs and big Utes "are 44 per cent more likely to kill an adult pedestrian or cyclist in a crash compared with a sedan, and 82 per cent more likely to kill a child" www.theage.com.au/national/vic...
Pedestrian fatalities reach 17-year-high. This trend could be why
Fifty-one pedestrians had been killed on the state’s roads this year as of Saturday – the most in any calendar year since 2008.
www.theage.com.au

Unhinged.
“If they [the UK and France] allow themselves to be overwhelmed with very destructive moral ideas, then you allow nuclear weapons to fall in the hands of people who can actually cause very, very serious harm to the US.”
Full transcript: JD Vance on American identity
unherd.com

My current conspiracy theory: a certain well known Australian hardware store paid off the MCG groundskeeper to prepare this awful pitch, end the game in two days, and make everyone go and buy stuff to do all those things around the house that need doing.
“If they [the UK and France] allow themselves to be overwhelmed with very destructive moral ideas, then you allow nuclear weapons to fall in the hands of people who can actually cause very, very serious harm to the US.”
Full transcript: JD Vance on American identity
unherd.com

Reposted by Ian Hall

By "populist", it's safe to say the FT is referring to the far right

This matters though because it helps conflate any alternative to the status quo, whether left or far right, and leaves only the status quo as a "reasonable" alternative, even if said status quo is increasingly far right...

I mean, why not? At least we might get more than two days of cricket.
One day, this could be true. We can still make days 3, 4 and 5 when the game will be over.

Reposted by Ian Hall

One day, this could be true. We can still make days 3, 4 and 5 when the game will be over.

By Herod Antipas
If the Romans had simply deported woke baby Jesus to South Sudan, a lot of trouble could have been avoided

Reposted by Ian Hall

If the Romans had simply deported woke baby Jesus to South Sudan, a lot of trouble could have been avoided

About time, some might say.

Reposted by Ian Hall

Modi turns his focus to reforming India’s economy ft.trib.al/b1Tu6TQ
Modi turns his focus to reforming India’s economy
Emboldened by political victories at home and facing high US tariffs, PM is preparing to embark on ‘big bang’ overhaul
ft.trib.al

Xi Jinping cannot believe his luck.
Q: In terms of the mission, do you see these ships as a counter to China?

TRUMP: It's a counter to everybody. It's not China. We get along great with China.

Reposted by Ian Hall

Q: In terms of the mission, do you see these ships as a counter to China?

TRUMP: It's a counter to everybody. It's not China. We get along great with China.

If I could turn back time
If I could find a way
I'd take back those words that have hurt you and you'd stay
If I could reach the stars, I'd give 'em all to you
Then you'd love me, love me like you used to do, ohh...