@flowerwheel76.bsky.social
“A European intelligence agency distributed a hard-copy report in a manila envelope to some of the continent’s most senior national security officials...inside were details of the commercial and economic plans the US had been pursuing with Russia, including jointly mining rare earths in the Arctic.”
November 29, 2025 at 2:47 PM
"A question for history will be whether Putin entertained this approach in the interest of ending the war, or as a ploy to pacify the U.S. while prolonging a conflict he believes is his place in history to slowly, ineluctably win"
November 29, 2025 at 2:46 PM
"By dangling multibillion-dollar rare-earth and energy deals, Moscow could reshape the economic map of Europe—while driving a wedge between America and its traditional allies"
Read this excellent @wsj.com account of the business deals behind the "peace"negotiations
www.wsj.com/world/russia...
Read this excellent @wsj.com account of the business deals behind the "peace"negotiations
www.wsj.com/world/russia...
Make Money Not War: Trump’s Real Plan for Peace in Ukraine
The Kremlin pitched the White House on peace through business. To Europe’s dismay, the president and his envoy are on board.
www.wsj.com
November 29, 2025 at 2:46 PM
Time to ask: In whose interests is American foreign policy being conducted?
"By dangling multibillion-dollar rare-earth and energy deals, Moscow could reshape the economic map of Europe—while driving a wedge between America and its traditional allies"
Read this excellent @wsj.com account of the business deals behind the "peace"negotiations
www.wsj.com/world/russia...
Read this excellent @wsj.com account of the business deals behind the "peace"negotiations
www.wsj.com/world/russia...
November 29, 2025 at 2:46 PM
The day before Jan 6, the 10 living Secretaries of Defense wrote about the danger of politicizing the military. Their words are essential rereading today. open.substack.com/pub/joycevan...
Pete Hegseth and the Generals
The story of self-styled “Secretary of War” Pete Hegseth’s meeting for top military leaders has evolved since the earliest leaks last week.
open.substack.com
October 1, 2025 at 4:15 AM
It also sets a precedent that erodes democratic norms, signaling that institutions like the FBI or Congress can be punished for investigating those in power. And internationally, it makes the U.S. look less like a democracy and more like the authoritarian government.
September 26, 2025 at 1:11 AM
This is dangerous because it weaponizes the justice system for political retribution, blurring the line between impartial justice and revenge. It creates a chilling effect on oversight, since future officials may fear testifying truthfully if it could lead to criminal charges later.
September 26, 2025 at 1:11 AM
Wow, setting an even more dangerous precedent. A federal grand jury returned an indictment against former FBI Director James B. Comey, marking the latest escalation of President Trump’s push for payback over the bureau’s 2016 probe into his campaign’s possible ties to Russia.
September 26, 2025 at 1:11 AM
Good moment to remember that US foreign policy is also being reoriented to enable foreign censors and authoritarian propaganda around the world
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
America Surrenders in the Global Information Wars
The U.S. is reorienting its foreign policy to protect governments that manipulate and suppress information.
www.theatlantic.com
September 18, 2025 at 11:34 PM
David Frum on Jimmy Kimmel:
"This is not cancel culture because it's not culture. It's state repression. It's an order from the government. Here is the script, you must read, if you do not read it, you will be taken off the air."
"This is not cancel culture because it's not culture. It's state repression. It's an order from the government. Here is the script, you must read, if you do not read it, you will be taken off the air."
September 18, 2025 at 11:34 PM
They don’t have the power to do what they’re threatening on a grand scale.
But they want us to think they do.
But they want us to think they do.
September 18, 2025 at 11:33 PM
"Strongmen" by @ruthbenghiat.bsky.social is an invaluable read right now. The whole playbook we're seeing in the US is laid bare for all of us to see.
"On Tyranny" & "On Freedom" by @timothysnyder.bsky.social are also both must reads given the current moment.
www.goodreads.com/book/show/53...
"On Tyranny" & "On Freedom" by @timothysnyder.bsky.social are also both must reads given the current moment.
www.goodreads.com/book/show/53...
Strongmen: Mussolini to the Present
Ours is the age of authoritarian rulers: self-proclaime…
www.goodreads.com
September 18, 2025 at 11:33 PM
Free speech scholars say ABC's decision to suspend Jimmy Kimmel's late-night show indefinitely represents "jawboning," when government officials pressure private companies to suppress speech.
Legal experts say pulling Jimmy Kimmel from air may amount to illegal 'jawboning'
Free speech scholars say ABC's decision to suspend Jimmy Kimmel's late-night show indefinitely represents "jawboning," when government officials pressure private companies to suppress speech.
n.pr
September 18, 2025 at 11:33 PM
Reposted
Today’s episode of The Ezra Klein Show.
Trump Is Building His Own Paramilitary Force
The journalist @radleybalko.bsky.social explains the mechanisms Trump is using to create a personal army.
open.spotify.com/episode/3OTs...
youtu.be/UcTZ_en5FTM?...
Trump Is Building His Own Paramilitary Force
The journalist @radleybalko.bsky.social explains the mechanisms Trump is using to create a personal army.
open.spotify.com/episode/3OTs...
youtu.be/UcTZ_en5FTM?...
Trump Is Building His Own Paramilitary Force | The Ezra Klein Show
YouTube video by The Ezra Klein Show
youtu.be
August 27, 2025 at 7:05 PM
Today’s episode of The Ezra Klein Show.
Trump Is Building His Own Paramilitary Force
The journalist @radleybalko.bsky.social explains the mechanisms Trump is using to create a personal army.
open.spotify.com/episode/3OTs...
youtu.be/UcTZ_en5FTM?...
Trump Is Building His Own Paramilitary Force
The journalist @radleybalko.bsky.social explains the mechanisms Trump is using to create a personal army.
open.spotify.com/episode/3OTs...
youtu.be/UcTZ_en5FTM?...
After the Alaska summit this is what Russia did to Ukraine.
"In all, officials said, Russia launched 598 drones and 31 missiles in the overnight assault on Kyiv and other cities. Ukraine’s defenses shot down 563 drones and 26 missiles, according to the Ukrainian authorities."
September 1, 2025 at 1:30 PM
After the Alaska summit this is what Russia did to Ukraine.
Reposted
Reposted
NEW. A wide-ranging and I think very instructive conversation with @anneapplebaum.bsky.social on Ukraine, Europe, Trump, and the danger of authoritarianism.
youtu.be/F8yzpfxOm6o?...
youtu.be/F8yzpfxOm6o?...
Anne Applebaum: Ukraine, Europe, Trump, and the Danger of Authoritarianism
YouTube video by Conversations with Bill Kristol
youtu.be
August 28, 2025 at 7:49 PM
NEW. A wide-ranging and I think very instructive conversation with @anneapplebaum.bsky.social on Ukraine, Europe, Trump, and the danger of authoritarianism.
youtu.be/F8yzpfxOm6o?...
youtu.be/F8yzpfxOm6o?...
Reposted
NEW: Social Security’s chief data officer, Charles Borges, has resigned, three days after submitting a whistle-blower complaint that alleged members of DOGE had uploaded the confidential personal information of hundreds of millions of Americans to an insecure cloud server.
August 29, 2025 at 7:20 PM
NEW: Social Security’s chief data officer, Charles Borges, has resigned, three days after submitting a whistle-blower complaint that alleged members of DOGE had uploaded the confidential personal information of hundreds of millions of Americans to an insecure cloud server.
Reposted
September 1, 1939
I sit in one of the dives
On Fifty-second Street
Uncertain and afraid
As the clever hopes expire
Of a low dishonest decade:
Waves of anger and fear
Circulate over the bright
And darkened lands of the earth...
I sit in one of the dives
On Fifty-second Street
Uncertain and afraid
As the clever hopes expire
Of a low dishonest decade:
Waves of anger and fear
Circulate over the bright
And darkened lands of the earth...
September 1, 2025 at 6:52 AM
September 1, 1939
I sit in one of the dives
On Fifty-second Street
Uncertain and afraid
As the clever hopes expire
Of a low dishonest decade:
Waves of anger and fear
Circulate over the bright
And darkened lands of the earth...
I sit in one of the dives
On Fifty-second Street
Uncertain and afraid
As the clever hopes expire
Of a low dishonest decade:
Waves of anger and fear
Circulate over the bright
And darkened lands of the earth...
Reposted
While our podcasts are on a summer break, we’re re-posting our fav eps of the year so far. In May, @ruthbenghiat.bsky.social joined us to discuss Trump’s authoritarianism:
prospectmagazine.sub...
prospectmagazine.sub...
August 29, 2025 at 7:00 PM
While our podcasts are on a summer break, we’re re-posting our fav eps of the year so far. In May, @ruthbenghiat.bsky.social joined us to discuss Trump’s authoritarianism:
prospectmagazine.sub...
prospectmagazine.sub...