@entraineurrugby.bsky.social
Pinned
May 1, 2025 at 6:15 AM
Reposted
🧵DISMANTLING DEMOCRACY
I've been keeping track of Trump actions - now up to 192. Here, I dig into 69 actions specifically targeted at undermining democracy, rule of law & suppressing dissent.
It's been 12 weeks of assaults on democracy.
based on
christinapagel.substack.com/p/a-republic...
1/18
I've been keeping track of Trump actions - now up to 192. Here, I dig into 69 actions specifically targeted at undermining democracy, rule of law & suppressing dissent.
It's been 12 weeks of assaults on democracy.
based on
christinapagel.substack.com/p/a-republic...
1/18
April 14, 2025 at 8:43 AM
🧵DISMANTLING DEMOCRACY
I've been keeping track of Trump actions - now up to 192. Here, I dig into 69 actions specifically targeted at undermining democracy, rule of law & suppressing dissent.
It's been 12 weeks of assaults on democracy.
based on
christinapagel.substack.com/p/a-republic...
1/18
I've been keeping track of Trump actions - now up to 192. Here, I dig into 69 actions specifically targeted at undermining democracy, rule of law & suppressing dissent.
It's been 12 weeks of assaults on democracy.
based on
christinapagel.substack.com/p/a-republic...
1/18
Reposted
On reflection and reading commentary, I think
a) it was a planned ambush to serve both as a pretext to end aid and to signal unequivocal fealty to Moscow.
b) VZ had no option to react as he did. Anything else would have appeared weak to Putin, defeatist to Europe, and disloyal to his people.
a) it was a planned ambush to serve both as a pretext to end aid and to signal unequivocal fealty to Moscow.
b) VZ had no option to react as he did. Anything else would have appeared weak to Putin, defeatist to Europe, and disloyal to his people.
March 1, 2025 at 11:23 AM
On reflection and reading commentary, I think
a) it was a planned ambush to serve both as a pretext to end aid and to signal unequivocal fealty to Moscow.
b) VZ had no option to react as he did. Anything else would have appeared weak to Putin, defeatist to Europe, and disloyal to his people.
a) it was a planned ambush to serve both as a pretext to end aid and to signal unequivocal fealty to Moscow.
b) VZ had no option to react as he did. Anything else would have appeared weak to Putin, defeatist to Europe, and disloyal to his people.
Reposted
That's certainly a more plausible conclusion than the
White House explanation of "an employee of the Russian state got into the Oval Office without us noticing".
White House explanation of "an employee of the Russian state got into the Oval Office without us noticing".
Rachel Maddow reports that TASS was allowed in to livestream the Zelensky confrontation, which proves both premeditation and collaboration if true?
March 1, 2025 at 10:15 AM
That's certainly a more plausible conclusion than the
White House explanation of "an employee of the Russian state got into the Oval Office without us noticing".
White House explanation of "an employee of the Russian state got into the Oval Office without us noticing".
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Love hearing "smart diplomacy would have been to sit there and take it," from people on the right who spend all their time talking about the low T beta cuck masculinity crisis and people in the reactionary center who "MAH NORMS'd" us into slow-rolling the Trump indictments.
March 1, 2025 at 9:09 AM
Love hearing "smart diplomacy would have been to sit there and take it," from people on the right who spend all their time talking about the low T beta cuck masculinity crisis and people in the reactionary center who "MAH NORMS'd" us into slow-rolling the Trump indictments.
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Trump’s opponents in the US need to keep repeating one word: weak.
Weak people punch down and cower before those they think are stronger.
It is Putin, not Zelensky, who is disrespecting the US, and Trump is letting him get away with it.
Weak people punch down and cower before those they think are stronger.
It is Putin, not Zelensky, who is disrespecting the US, and Trump is letting him get away with it.
March 1, 2025 at 6:35 AM
Trump’s opponents in the US need to keep repeating one word: weak.
Weak people punch down and cower before those they think are stronger.
It is Putin, not Zelensky, who is disrespecting the US, and Trump is letting him get away with it.
Weak people punch down and cower before those they think are stronger.
It is Putin, not Zelensky, who is disrespecting the US, and Trump is letting him get away with it.
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All European leaders making statements of support for Ukraine really should put their money and arms where their mouths are this weekend. It is important to remember that Europe's efforts to date have been insufficient.
February 28, 2025 at 11:20 PM
All European leaders making statements of support for Ukraine really should put their money and arms where their mouths are this weekend. It is important to remember that Europe's efforts to date have been insufficient.
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I doubt you will read a more accurate analysis of what is driving Trump’s alliance with Putin open.substack.com/pub/goodalla...
We're waking up to a new US/Russia axis
Why Trump clings to Putin.
open.substack.com
February 20, 2025 at 9:13 AM
I doubt you will read a more accurate analysis of what is driving Trump’s alliance with Putin open.substack.com/pub/goodalla...
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Excellent analysis and recommendations
With Trump repeating untrue Kremlin talking points, it’s become clear that Europe can’t rely on this administration to behave like the ally the United States is supposed to be.
To defend Ukraine and itself European countries need to step up — here’s how:
foreignpolicy.com/2025/02/18/e...
To defend Ukraine and itself European countries need to step up — here’s how:
foreignpolicy.com/2025/02/18/e...
How Europe Can Defend Itself
Here are 10 steps European leaders can take now to bolster the continent’s defenses without U.S. help.
foreignpolicy.com
February 19, 2025 at 4:33 PM
Excellent analysis and recommendations
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A reminder that the world's richest man is trying to make it illegal for companies to not advertise on his social media platform.
Elon just filed his proposed second amended complaint, asking for "treble damages" for companies illegally [checks notes] not advertising on X...
The level of entitlement is insane.
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
The level of entitlement is insane.
storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
storage.courtlistener.com
February 1, 2025 at 12:43 PM
A reminder that the world's richest man is trying to make it illegal for companies to not advertise on his social media platform.
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Indeed. His habitual deference to Putin’s view of Ukraine’s sovereignty is clear. I am starting to think that he imagines that if Putin controls UA while the US takes over Canada & Greenland, he will in some weird way be the ‘winner’. Europe still isn’t taking the risk from Trump seriously enough.
January 8, 2025 at 7:42 AM
Indeed. His habitual deference to Putin’s view of Ukraine’s sovereignty is clear. I am starting to think that he imagines that if Putin controls UA while the US takes over Canada & Greenland, he will in some weird way be the ‘winner’. Europe still isn’t taking the risk from Trump seriously enough.
Reposted
I am very sad to say, David Lodge died on January 1st.
He was a wonderful man and hugely influential writer.
I was lucky to be his agent and he taught me so much.
His campus novels will be read for years to come.
A great loss.
www.penguin.co.uk/articles/202...
He was a wonderful man and hugely influential writer.
I was lucky to be his agent and he taught me so much.
His campus novels will be read for years to come.
A great loss.
www.penguin.co.uk/articles/202...
January 3, 2025 at 10:14 AM
I am very sad to say, David Lodge died on January 1st.
He was a wonderful man and hugely influential writer.
I was lucky to be his agent and he taught me so much.
His campus novels will be read for years to come.
A great loss.
www.penguin.co.uk/articles/202...
He was a wonderful man and hugely influential writer.
I was lucky to be his agent and he taught me so much.
His campus novels will be read for years to come.
A great loss.
www.penguin.co.uk/articles/202...
Reposted
Waiting for the year of the snake to begin
January 1, 2025 at 1:22 AM
Waiting for the year of the snake to begin
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A very good point. Though it does make a difference whether Putin invades your country with tanks or contrives to get his favoured candidates into power, his objective is the same, & he needs to be countered, not accommodated.
"Russians going feral" - it's time someone said it, though it's about a decade or more too late.
One thing that increasingly concerns me is how various terms - "war", "hybrid war", "low-intensity war", "disinformation" - can lead us to focus on definitions and delineate types of hostile activity >
One thing that increasingly concerns me is how various terms - "war", "hybrid war", "low-intensity war", "disinformation" - can lead us to focus on definitions and delineate types of hostile activity >
I was on the opposite side of the Brexit debate from Richard Dearlove (& still think Russia helped Brexit along, to undermine Western cohesion); but on this I think he's right. Putin is conducting a high-intensity war against Ukraine & a low-intensity war against the West.
November 28, 2024 at 2:32 PM
A very good point. Though it does make a difference whether Putin invades your country with tanks or contrives to get his favoured candidates into power, his objective is the same, & he needs to be countered, not accommodated.
Reposted
As I & others have been trying to tell Western officials & political leaders for years, Putin is provoked by weakness, not strength. Scholz’s phone call to Putin & his refusal to let Ukraine have Taurus & Trump’s criticism of Zelenskyy for not ceding territory all show weakness.
On Friday, Scholz called Putin to push for de-escalation
Just earlier, Scholz defended his decision not to give Ukraine long-range missiles
This morning, Russia launched a massive wave of drones and missiles against Ukraine's cities and energy infrastructure
Just earlier, Scholz defended his decision not to give Ukraine long-range missiles
This morning, Russia launched a massive wave of drones and missiles against Ukraine's cities and energy infrastructure
November 17, 2024 at 9:12 AM
As I & others have been trying to tell Western officials & political leaders for years, Putin is provoked by weakness, not strength. Scholz’s phone call to Putin & his refusal to let Ukraine have Taurus & Trump’s criticism of Zelenskyy for not ceding territory all show weakness.
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Not to take issue with any of this, but it’s worth stressing again and again that every 0.1C of warming matters enormously.
We’re surely going to miss 1.5C, but we shouldn’t give up. 1.9C is much better than 2C, 2.2C is better than 2.3C, and that is still worth fighting for
We’re surely going to miss 1.5C, but we shouldn’t give up. 1.9C is much better than 2C, 2.2C is better than 2.3C, and that is still worth fighting for
but the big Q for UK politics in next four years will be: why bother? on climate (without the US goodbye 1.5C) growth (good luck with that in a trade war) Middle East policy (face it we're not the big player) you name it, we'll need reasons to keep doing the right thing for possibly zero reward
November 6, 2024 at 9:08 AM
Not to take issue with any of this, but it’s worth stressing again and again that every 0.1C of warming matters enormously.
We’re surely going to miss 1.5C, but we shouldn’t give up. 1.9C is much better than 2C, 2.2C is better than 2.3C, and that is still worth fighting for
We’re surely going to miss 1.5C, but we shouldn’t give up. 1.9C is much better than 2C, 2.2C is better than 2.3C, and that is still worth fighting for
Well, I did not see this coming @stevepeers.bsky.social
September 26, 2024 at 9:06 PM
Well, I did not see this coming @stevepeers.bsky.social