Carrots and Sticks
@carrots-and-sticks.bsky.social
As the systems of the world fall apart, let’s eulogize them together, shall we?
Pinned
To be clear, I’m not convinced my takes on foreign affairs are correct.
But that’s never stopped anyone from posting before.
But that’s never stopped anyone from posting before.
Wow who could have predicted this.
The idea that Donald Trump deserves any credit for this ceasefire from the left or from mainstream media would be funny if it weren’t so unbelievably dangerous.
His principle contribution was taking all of the political heat off Netanyahu, enabling him to completely destroy Gaza.
His principle contribution was taking all of the political heat off Netanyahu, enabling him to completely destroy Gaza.
October 20, 2025 at 2:37 AM
Wow who could have predicted this.
The idea that Donald Trump deserves any credit for this ceasefire from the left or from mainstream media would be funny if it weren’t so unbelievably dangerous.
His principle contribution was taking all of the political heat off Netanyahu, enabling him to completely destroy Gaza.
His principle contribution was taking all of the political heat off Netanyahu, enabling him to completely destroy Gaza.
October 14, 2025 at 10:43 PM
The idea that Donald Trump deserves any credit for this ceasefire from the left or from mainstream media would be funny if it weren’t so unbelievably dangerous.
His principle contribution was taking all of the political heat off Netanyahu, enabling him to completely destroy Gaza.
His principle contribution was taking all of the political heat off Netanyahu, enabling him to completely destroy Gaza.
This is all well and good, but there needs to be a tsunami of humanitarian aid allowed in ASAP.
Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians returned to a devastated Gaza City on Saturday, as Hamas warned the next stage in US President Donald Trump's peace plan would be more difficult than the first.
u.afp.com/SmE3
u.afp.com/SmE3
October 11, 2025 at 6:39 PM
This is all well and good, but there needs to be a tsunami of humanitarian aid allowed in ASAP.
Reposted by Carrots and Sticks
EU decision making reminds me of what Bill Gates said about how we overestimate the change that will occur in the next two years and underestimate the change that will occur in the next ten.
EU close up looks pretty slow, but as Max points out, taken together it moves faster than you think.
EU close up looks pretty slow, but as Max points out, taken together it moves faster than you think.
So much of the coverage of the EU is hyper-micro. It's all about the sausage making. So story out of Copenhagen European Council is "dithering," "all talk, no action," nothing fully agreed, etc. It's an effing meeting! Take a step back... they are moving on Eurobonds/frozen Russian assets. 1/
October 2, 2025 at 3:20 PM
EU decision making reminds me of what Bill Gates said about how we overestimate the change that will occur in the next two years and underestimate the change that will occur in the next ten.
EU close up looks pretty slow, but as Max points out, taken together it moves faster than you think.
EU close up looks pretty slow, but as Max points out, taken together it moves faster than you think.
If this were under a Democratic president, this child’s face would be on national TV every night.
The cost of the US shutting down its aid supply chain is measured in lives, and yet the media and the public have seemed to say they don’t care.
The cost of the US shutting down its aid supply chain is measured in lives, and yet the media and the public have seemed to say they don’t care.
Exclusive: In the first half of the year, upheaval from the Trump administration’s foreign aid freeze delayed the delivery of hundreds of USAID shipments of antimalarial and HIV medical supplies to regional warehouses in dozens of countries.
The consequences were deadly.
The consequences were deadly.
Trump’s USAID pause stranded lifesaving drugs. Children died waiting.
USAID antimalarial and HIV supplies valued at nearly $140 million were delayed in the first half of the year or not delivered at all due to the Trump administration’s foreign aid pause, The Post found...
www.washingtonpost.com
September 30, 2025 at 6:55 PM
If this were under a Democratic president, this child’s face would be on national TV every night.
The cost of the US shutting down its aid supply chain is measured in lives, and yet the media and the public have seemed to say they don’t care.
The cost of the US shutting down its aid supply chain is measured in lives, and yet the media and the public have seemed to say they don’t care.
China kind of has no good options, which is at least a little funny.
Xi Jinping’s re-engagement with Kim Jong Un reflects his discomfort at the new power dynamics within Russia, China and North Korea’s anti-Western trio
Why Xi Jinping now accepts Kim Jong Un at the grown-ups’ table
China is grudgingly mending ties with North Korea
econ.st
September 26, 2025 at 7:57 PM
China kind of has no good options, which is at least a little funny.
This is extremely dangerous.
It’s worth noting that if a Democrat had done this, anything that went wrong anywhere in the world after the moment this order went out would be front-page news with “Democrats to blame?” as the angle.
It’s worth noting that if a Democrat had done this, anything that went wrong anywhere in the world after the moment this order went out would be front-page news with “Democrats to blame?” as the angle.
“One official told The Intercept that the order was “madness” and unlike any order in living memory “or probably ever.” Another said that calling home generals and admirals from front-line stations was “reckless”…
Pete Hegseth Orders Top Military Leaders to Attend Mystery Meeting
“To say the military leadership is anxious would be an understatement,” one defense official told The Intercept.
theintercept.com/2025/09/25/h...
“To say the military leadership is anxious would be an understatement,” one defense official told The Intercept.
theintercept.com/2025/09/25/h...
September 25, 2025 at 6:27 PM
This is extremely dangerous.
It’s worth noting that if a Democrat had done this, anything that went wrong anywhere in the world after the moment this order went out would be front-page news with “Democrats to blame?” as the angle.
It’s worth noting that if a Democrat had done this, anything that went wrong anywhere in the world after the moment this order went out would be front-page news with “Democrats to blame?” as the angle.
Reposted by Carrots and Sticks
I think the lesson of the last decade is that when you suddenly remove American leadership the gap gets filled by *nothing*
Europe badly lacks capacity, China has domestic neuroses to match the US, and another way of phrasing "prioritizing regional balances of power" is "more small wars"
Europe badly lacks capacity, China has domestic neuroses to match the US, and another way of phrasing "prioritizing regional balances of power" is "more small wars"
September 24, 2025 at 12:29 PM
I think the lesson of the last decade is that when you suddenly remove American leadership the gap gets filled by *nothing*
Europe badly lacks capacity, China has domestic neuroses to match the US, and another way of phrasing "prioritizing regional balances of power" is "more small wars"
Europe badly lacks capacity, China has domestic neuroses to match the US, and another way of phrasing "prioritizing regional balances of power" is "more small wars"
The thing that boggles the mind about the American left is its continuing denial of the truth that worse things are not only possible, but probable.
What part of the last decade has made you think that blowing up a system with no plan to replace it leads to better outcomes for normal people?
What part of the last decade has made you think that blowing up a system with no plan to replace it leads to better outcomes for normal people?
Surprised to see pushback to this entirely uncontroversial post. Do liberals really still have illusions about US benevolence? Were people asleep during Vietnam and Iraq?
September 24, 2025 at 6:54 PM
The thing that boggles the mind about the American left is its continuing denial of the truth that worse things are not only possible, but probable.
What part of the last decade has made you think that blowing up a system with no plan to replace it leads to better outcomes for normal people?
What part of the last decade has made you think that blowing up a system with no plan to replace it leads to better outcomes for normal people?
What he’s missing is that what’s been so effective wasn’t “American hegemony.”
It was multilateral democratic hegemony, which the US was the stronger supporter of.
That the US no longer supports it is an indictment of the US, not that system.
It was multilateral democratic hegemony, which the US was the stronger supporter of.
That the US no longer supports it is an indictment of the US, not that system.
September 24, 2025 at 3:25 PM
What he’s missing is that what’s been so effective wasn’t “American hegemony.”
It was multilateral democratic hegemony, which the US was the stronger supporter of.
That the US no longer supports it is an indictment of the US, not that system.
It was multilateral democratic hegemony, which the US was the stronger supporter of.
That the US no longer supports it is an indictment of the US, not that system.
Every crisis is overlooked. This is the problem right now. Even Gaza and Ukraine lose attention when compared to the general news churn.
✍️ NEW OP-ED | Overlooked Crises Compete for Oxygen at the U.N. General Assembly
Other conflicts and humanitarian crises are likely to get significantly less attention then Gaza and Ukraine, writes @richardgowan1.bsky.social.
www.crisisgroup.org/global/overl...
Other conflicts and humanitarian crises are likely to get significantly less attention then Gaza and Ukraine, writes @richardgowan1.bsky.social.
www.crisisgroup.org/global/overl...
Overlooked Crises Compete for Oxygen at the U.N. General Assembly | International Crisis Group
www.crisisgroup.org
September 24, 2025 at 3:13 PM
Every crisis is overlooked. This is the problem right now. Even Gaza and Ukraine lose attention when compared to the general news churn.
To be clear, I’m not convinced my takes on foreign affairs are correct.
But that’s never stopped anyone from posting before.
But that’s never stopped anyone from posting before.
September 24, 2025 at 3:07 PM
To be clear, I’m not convinced my takes on foreign affairs are correct.
But that’s never stopped anyone from posting before.
But that’s never stopped anyone from posting before.
The world is getting more complex and more conflict-primed by the year, and #UNGA is getting to be more and more of a political stunt show.
These two things are related.
These two things are related.
September 24, 2025 at 3:05 PM
The world is getting more complex and more conflict-primed by the year, and #UNGA is getting to be more and more of a political stunt show.
These two things are related.
These two things are related.