@jonathanpwalden.bsky.social
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Been reading about early #ColdWar #Finnish #intelligence #history and man, it’s _wild._
Like, a Social Democrat officer ran the largely privately funded military intelligence, which (among other things) spied upon both the Communists and the civilian security police (SUPO), ...
Like, a Social Democrat officer ran the largely privately funded military intelligence, which (among other things) spied upon both the Communists and the civilian security police (SUPO), ...
June 16, 2025 at 8:02 AM
Been reading about early #ColdWar #Finnish #intelligence #history and man, it’s _wild._
Like, a Social Democrat officer ran the largely privately funded military intelligence, which (among other things) spied upon both the Communists and the civilian security police (SUPO), ...
Like, a Social Democrat officer ran the largely privately funded military intelligence, which (among other things) spied upon both the Communists and the civilian security police (SUPO), ...
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who called them "the Huns" and not "H from Steppes"
September 19, 2025 at 3:03 PM
who called them "the Huns" and not "H from Steppes"
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This came to me in a vision
August 29, 2025 at 11:48 AM
This came to me in a vision
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Here’s a thing I knew, but hadn’t absorbed: during the reign of James VI and I, people believed that Arthur and Merlin were real. Anyone know when we realised they weren’t? (Not rhetorical. Really curious)
July 19, 2025 at 6:31 PM
Here’s a thing I knew, but hadn’t absorbed: during the reign of James VI and I, people believed that Arthur and Merlin were real. Anyone know when we realised they weren’t? (Not rhetorical. Really curious)
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In 1290, Edward I issued an edict expelling all Jews from England, becoming the first European state in history to do so. The law was issued on the ninth of Ab, just to be an extra asshole about it, and land and property were forfeited to the crown.
judeo-christian, my ass
judeo-christian, my ass
July 20, 2025 at 11:28 AM
In 1290, Edward I issued an edict expelling all Jews from England, becoming the first European state in history to do so. The law was issued on the ninth of Ab, just to be an extra asshole about it, and land and property were forfeited to the crown.
judeo-christian, my ass
judeo-christian, my ass
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Why am I so unimpressed by these strikes? Israel and the US have failed to target significant elements of Iran's nuclear materials and production infrastructure. RISING LION and MIDNIGHT HAMMER are tactically brilliant, but may turn out to be strategic failures. 🧵 1/17
June 23, 2025 at 1:27 AM
Why am I so unimpressed by these strikes? Israel and the US have failed to target significant elements of Iran's nuclear materials and production infrastructure. RISING LION and MIDNIGHT HAMMER are tactically brilliant, but may turn out to be strategic failures. 🧵 1/17
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Thinking a bit more broadly, one thing that comes out pretty clearly in the beating the Iranian regime has taken over the past two years that one hopes many countries are watching is how much better it is to be a friend of America than, say, Russia or China.
June 24, 2025 at 2:50 AM
Thinking a bit more broadly, one thing that comes out pretty clearly in the beating the Iranian regime has taken over the past two years that one hopes many countries are watching is how much better it is to be a friend of America than, say, Russia or China.
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He pulls an encyclical? You pull a papal bull. He sends one of yours to vespers? You send one of his to compline! That's the Chicago way
May 8, 2025 at 5:28 PM
He pulls an encyclical? You pull a papal bull. He sends one of yours to vespers? You send one of his to compline! That's the Chicago way
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the policy-ese version of kieranhealy.org/blog/archive...
April 25, 2025 at 7:11 PM
the policy-ese version of kieranhealy.org/blog/archive...
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Paging @thetattooedprof.bsky.social and @kevinmkruse.bsky.social
Hoping you aren’t the end of the video just yet.
Hoping you aren’t the end of the video just yet.
March 19, 2025 at 10:10 PM
Paging @thetattooedprof.bsky.social and @kevinmkruse.bsky.social
Hoping you aren’t the end of the video just yet.
Hoping you aren’t the end of the video just yet.
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![Cartoon by Stephen Collins for The Guardian. Script as follows:
[scene is Winston Churchill in a bbc studio, giving his 'finest hour' speech]
1
CHURCHILL:
The whole fury and might of the enemy must very soon be turned on us.
2
CHURCHILL:
Hitler knows that he will have to break us in this Island or lose the war.
3
CHURCHILL:
If we can stand up to him, all Europe may be free
and the life of the world may move forward into broad, sun-
BBC PRESENTER:
Thank you prime minister
4
BBC PRESENTER:
Mr hitler, your response?
5
HITLER [in the studio]:
Vell zis is hysterical woke nonsense as usual from mr Churchill
6
HITLER:
What we are proposing -
CHURCHILL:
Hang on
7
HITLER:
Let me finish - what we are proposing eez a simple power-sharing arrangement -
8
CHURCHILL:
What's he doing here
BBC PRESENTER:
It's important we hear both sides of the debate
9
CHURCHILL:
This isn't a debate
You don't debate fascists
10
HITLER:
Oh here we go with ze Godwins law!
11
HITLER:
Why must you people always compare ze things you don't like to 'fascists, Nazis, Hitler'...
CHURCHILL:
Because you are a fascist Nazi Hit-
12
HITLER [standing up, saluting]:
RAUSS!
BBC PRESENTER:
*Please* Mr Churchill let him speak
[ends]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:4m3we4apbjayclzcnhwe3pfp/bafkreibw4ldc3fhslbvxgy2oqrof2oys5kpgh7zu6a5f3usmx3lf4547qm@jpeg)
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During WW2 the US army needed over 750,000 typewriters to keep things functioning across all theatres.
The need was so great they requisitioned civilian typewriters and created a national shortage. Typewriter repair units were seen as critical army personel.
I'll do a thread on it at some point.
The need was so great they requisitioned civilian typewriters and created a national shortage. Typewriter repair units were seen as critical army personel.
I'll do a thread on it at some point.
Bureaucracy, famously not important in war
February 11, 2025 at 5:47 PM
During WW2 the US army needed over 750,000 typewriters to keep things functioning across all theatres.
The need was so great they requisitioned civilian typewriters and created a national shortage. Typewriter repair units were seen as critical army personel.
I'll do a thread on it at some point.
The need was so great they requisitioned civilian typewriters and created a national shortage. Typewriter repair units were seen as critical army personel.
I'll do a thread on it at some point.
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As a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, I propose that the Truss era be known as the "Lost Cos"
January 10, 2025 at 10:45 AM
As a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, I propose that the Truss era be known as the "Lost Cos"
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mine will always be the sperm whale who reacted to a Roman soldier throwing a bottle at him off the Byzantine coast by sinking every ship he could off that coast for the next 60 years and had the emperor declare him an enemy of the state and name him after the Titan who attacked mount olympus
About once a week I think fondly of my personal icon, the elephant who trampled a woman and then came back later to trample her some more at her funeral.
conversation I had with a ranger at Corbett National Tiger Reserve
me: whats the most dangerous animal in the jungle? Tiger?
him: elephant
me: what about in the water
him: elephant
me: you don't understand, I mean aquatic animal
him: no you don't understand, don't fuck with elephant
me: whats the most dangerous animal in the jungle? Tiger?
him: elephant
me: what about in the water
him: elephant
me: you don't understand, I mean aquatic animal
him: no you don't understand, don't fuck with elephant
January 4, 2025 at 9:05 PM
mine will always be the sperm whale who reacted to a Roman soldier throwing a bottle at him off the Byzantine coast by sinking every ship he could off that coast for the next 60 years and had the emperor declare him an enemy of the state and name him after the Titan who attacked mount olympus
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Annual reminder:
Die Hard is about using impossibly limited resources to defend a tower from foreign invaders.
Die Hard is a Hanukkah movie.
Die Hard is about using impossibly limited resources to defend a tower from foreign invaders.
Die Hard is a Hanukkah movie.
December 14, 2024 at 1:55 PM
Annual reminder:
Die Hard is about using impossibly limited resources to defend a tower from foreign invaders.
Die Hard is a Hanukkah movie.
Die Hard is about using impossibly limited resources to defend a tower from foreign invaders.
Die Hard is a Hanukkah movie.
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The late, great Clive James on Assad’s wife
December 9, 2024 at 5:47 AM
The late, great Clive James on Assad’s wife
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Happy anniversary to my favorite copy editor comment of all time.
"You use 'long eighteenth century' a lot in this book, but each century is exactly as long as another."
"You use 'long eighteenth century' a lot in this book, but each century is exactly as long as another."
December 1, 2024 at 6:53 PM
Happy anniversary to my favorite copy editor comment of all time.
"You use 'long eighteenth century' a lot in this book, but each century is exactly as long as another."
"You use 'long eighteenth century' a lot in this book, but each century is exactly as long as another."
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this gotta be one of the all time wmg classics. ive seen this image so many times and i love it more each time
November 26, 2024 at 8:12 PM
this gotta be one of the all time wmg classics. ive seen this image so many times and i love it more each time
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One of my fave forgotten military Holy Orders is the Knights of St Stephen.
Started as a tax dodge by Cosimo Medici, to get the Pope to pay for his navy.
It backfired. They started fanboi-ing the Knights Hospitaller, got really into holy piracy in the Med, and stopped following Medici instructions
Started as a tax dodge by Cosimo Medici, to get the Pope to pay for his navy.
It backfired. They started fanboi-ing the Knights Hospitaller, got really into holy piracy in the Med, and stopped following Medici instructions
November 18, 2024 at 10:28 AM
One of my fave forgotten military Holy Orders is the Knights of St Stephen.
Started as a tax dodge by Cosimo Medici, to get the Pope to pay for his navy.
It backfired. They started fanboi-ing the Knights Hospitaller, got really into holy piracy in the Med, and stopped following Medici instructions
Started as a tax dodge by Cosimo Medici, to get the Pope to pay for his navy.
It backfired. They started fanboi-ing the Knights Hospitaller, got really into holy piracy in the Med, and stopped following Medici instructions