Marcel Dirsus
@marceldirsus.com
Political scientist and author of How Tyrants Fall: And How Nations Survive. Writing The Hundred, a politics newsletter. www.marceldirsus.com
AI could end scarcity, end humanity - or boost trend growth by 0.2 percentage points
November 7, 2025 at 1:24 PM
AI could end scarcity, end humanity - or boost trend growth by 0.2 percentage points
Absolutely no way this goes wrong: "Aides say that far more planning has gone into striking at the Maduro government than on what it would take to govern Venezuela should the operation succeed."
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/04/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/04/u...
November 5, 2025 at 1:45 PM
Absolutely no way this goes wrong: "Aides say that far more planning has gone into striking at the Maduro government than on what it would take to govern Venezuela should the operation succeed."
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/04/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/04/u...
Belgium is still blocking the use of frozen Russian assets to help Ukraine
www.politico.eu/article/russ...
www.politico.eu/article/russ...
November 5, 2025 at 10:40 AM
Belgium is still blocking the use of frozen Russian assets to help Ukraine
www.politico.eu/article/russ...
www.politico.eu/article/russ...
Every now and then, I remember this quote by Donald Rumsfeld (2002):
November 4, 2025 at 11:43 AM
Every now and then, I remember this quote by Donald Rumsfeld (2002):
Check out Conversations by ABC. I found out about it when I visited Australia and they have the most random selection of guests. One week it's someone bitten by a shark, the next it's a historian talking about Singapore during WWII. The hosts are great
November 3, 2025 at 12:55 PM
Check out Conversations by ABC. I found out about it when I visited Australia and they have the most random selection of guests. One week it's someone bitten by a shark, the next it's a historian talking about Singapore during WWII. The hosts are great
Quite the chart: As a % of GDP, American tariffs are at the highest levels in more than a century
Source: @josephpolitano.bsky.social
Source: @josephpolitano.bsky.social
October 30, 2025 at 6:26 PM
Quite the chart: As a % of GDP, American tariffs are at the highest levels in more than a century
Source: @josephpolitano.bsky.social
Source: @josephpolitano.bsky.social
The latest poll from the German state of Saxony-Anhalt has the far-right AfD at 40%. That's an increase of 10% since June
October 16, 2025 at 12:31 PM
The latest poll from the German state of Saxony-Anhalt has the far-right AfD at 40%. That's an increase of 10% since June
Wikipedia is cool but the actual best website is @ourworldindata.org. Thousands and thousands of charts on hundreds of topics, all free. It's incredible
October 16, 2025 at 10:49 AM
Wikipedia is cool but the actual best website is @ourworldindata.org. Thousands and thousands of charts on hundreds of topics, all free. It's incredible
As battery prices have fallen, capacity has shot up
October 13, 2025 at 9:11 AM
As battery prices have fallen, capacity has shot up
October 10, 2025 at 2:31 PM
I'm incredibly honoured to say that my book has been translated into Ukrainian. Being translated is always going to be extraordinary, but this one feels especially meaningful. It really is an honour
October 8, 2025 at 2:36 PM
I'm incredibly honoured to say that my book has been translated into Ukrainian. Being translated is always going to be extraordinary, but this one feels especially meaningful. It really is an honour
This remains the best article the Onion has ever published. America's enemies don't have to do a thing, they can just sit back and enjoy the collapse of the United States
October 2, 2025 at 9:01 AM
This remains the best article the Onion has ever published. America's enemies don't have to do a thing, they can just sit back and enjoy the collapse of the United States
Chinese CO₂ emissions per capita are more than twice as high as those of France
October 1, 2025 at 1:59 PM
Chinese CO₂ emissions per capita are more than twice as high as those of France
The President of the United States is using the power of the American government to go after his political enemies
September 26, 2025 at 7:34 AM
The President of the United States is using the power of the American government to go after his political enemies
Trump's speech reminds me of this passage from my book:
September 23, 2025 at 3:24 PM
Trump's speech reminds me of this passage from my book:
September 22, 2025 at 11:41 AM
If Russia conquers Ukraine, Putin will force millions of Ukrainians to fight against us. The Russians are already brainwashing Ukrainian children
September 18, 2025 at 1:15 PM
If Russia conquers Ukraine, Putin will force millions of Ukrainians to fight against us. The Russians are already brainwashing Ukrainian children
I just got the cover for the Japanese translation of my book and I love it! We're at 17 languages now, which is just incredible
September 18, 2025 at 10:08 AM
I just got the cover for the Japanese translation of my book and I love it! We're at 17 languages now, which is just incredible
An issue that doesn't get enough attention: It has become much easier for dictators to hunt down their enemies abroad
thehundred.substack.com/p/how-dictat...
thehundred.substack.com/p/how-dictat...
September 15, 2025 at 1:18 PM
An issue that doesn't get enough attention: It has become much easier for dictators to hunt down their enemies abroad
thehundred.substack.com/p/how-dictat...
thehundred.substack.com/p/how-dictat...
A month ago, Trump rolled out the red carpet for Putin. Since then, Russia has targeted Ukraine's government with a cruise missile, attacked an American factory and launched more than a dozen drones towards Poland. Oh, and Putin still refuses to meet Zelensky on neutral ground
September 15, 2025 at 11:27 AM
A month ago, Trump rolled out the red carpet for Putin. Since then, Russia has targeted Ukraine's government with a cruise missile, attacked an American factory and launched more than a dozen drones towards Poland. Oh, and Putin still refuses to meet Zelensky on neutral ground
Since the start of the year, Russia has fired more than 34,000 attack drones and decoys at Ukraine. According to the New York Times, that's nearly nine times the number from the same period last year.
September 15, 2025 at 8:54 AM
Since the start of the year, Russia has fired more than 34,000 attack drones and decoys at Ukraine. According to the New York Times, that's nearly nine times the number from the same period last year.
China's population has begun to fall. It's projected to halve before 2100.
September 15, 2025 at 8:29 AM
China's population has begun to fall. It's projected to halve before 2100.
September 8, 2025 at 1:24 PM
September 8, 2025 at 12:35 PM
"The war in Ukraine has become a contest between two hourglasses: one measuring how long Ukraine’s thinly stretched army can keep up the fight, and the other how long Russia’s economy can sustain the invasion without hurting the stability of Vladimir Putin’s regime."
www.wsj.com/world/putin-...
www.wsj.com/world/putin-...
September 8, 2025 at 12:25 PM
"The war in Ukraine has become a contest between two hourglasses: one measuring how long Ukraine’s thinly stretched army can keep up the fight, and the other how long Russia’s economy can sustain the invasion without hurting the stability of Vladimir Putin’s regime."
www.wsj.com/world/putin-...
www.wsj.com/world/putin-...