@timothysnyder.bsky.social
Temerty Professor of Modern European History, Munk School, University of Toronto; Permanent Fellow, IWM Vienna; Emeritus Levin Professor, Yale. Author of "On Freedom," "On Tyranny," "Our Malady," "Road to Unfreedom," "Black Earth," and "Bloodlands"
The latest step, and a major one, in the Trump administration’s consistent efforts to keep the Russian army in the field against Ukraine.
www.nytimes.com/2026/03/12/u...
Yes. This is transparently the plan. It is a destructive and unconstitutional plan. And it can be stopped. It can even be turned into an electoral issue that hurts Trump. But only if we face this now.
When the President decides photojournalists can’t take pictures at Sec’y Hegseth’s Iran briefings, it’s not a small thing. We’re connecting the dots to the larger efforts to erode our 1st Amendment rights, just when we need them the most. open.substack.com/pub/joycevan...
A purpose of the war on Iran might well be to provoke a terrorist attack inside the United States, thereby justifying the need to “federalize” elections. We must anticipate it, with sadness and resolution, and not be surprised, if it happens.
snyder.substack.com/p/the-desire...
“The ask is simple enough that nobody gets to say they didn’t know what to do.” @carmitage.bsky.social
cmarmitage.substack.com/p/the-regime...
You can have the best armed forces in the history of the world, but if you are an incompetent criminal without a plan, you can still lose a war, and rather quickly.
But when they send Vance to try to destroy the welfare state in Minnesota, they do call that a “war.”
The good news is that if we lose in Iran and create horror across the region then Jesus comes back and fixes everything. Hegseth Doctrine.
jonathanlarsen.substack.com/p/us-troops-...
Patel fires FBI Iran experts just in time for war. Counter-terror generally has already been taken apart.
www.ms.now/news/kash-pa...
Don't worry everybody, there's a 22 yo in charge of counter terrorism and Kash Patel fired most of the experts in Iranian militant groups.
“We’re not starting a war, we’re ending one” was a Russian talking point on Ukraine — four years ago.
Saying that you -must- be grateful is what domestic abusers and Russian prison guards do. You must take the violence and say you like it. It is a mark of fascism.
Reporter seeking freedom of speech in the US arrested for exercising freedom of speech in the US
AI is better than humans because AI doesn’t get cancer. So let’s build data centers that we know will cause humans to get cancer. It’s a win all around.
www.nbc4i.com/news/local-n...
It’s fine for Russia to use drones to freeze out your population — by the way, can you give us your drone defenses? This is the actual US position.
We need your drone interceptors for our war, but we won’t thank you and our propaganda will claim that we made them.
Yes, they’ve trivialized antisemitism by using it to mean things that they don’t like, like college campuses, enabling them to be actual antisemites while avoiding criticism.
Sarah Kendzior in her usual excellent form.
@sarahkendzior.bsky.social
sarahkendzior.substack.com/p/the-no-wor...
A purpose of the war on Iran might well be to provoke a terrorist attack inside the United States. This would provide Donald Trump with a pretext to try to cancel or “federalize” the coming Congressional elections.
snyder.substack.com/p/the-desire...
He can just use state power to make bad things worse, blame others, and demand that we don’t hold elections. That’s it, that’s the whole plot; and if we don’t see it that’s on us. (3/3)
The funny thing is — he can’t do anything about college sports because the oligarchs are bigger than him, and he can’t do anything about Russian intel because the oligarchs are bigger than him. He can’t solve either problem. He can’t solve any problem. (2/3)
To clarify this: the context is college sports. Trump is saying that Russia helping Iran target Americans in a war is less important than the pay structure for athletes. (1/3)
And it is probably worth noting that Senator Mullin has no experience that would qualify him to be Secretary of Homeland Security. Given that we are at war and counter-terror is already severely compromised, might be worth a thought.
The girls’ school in Iran, where 165 people were killed by an apparent US-Israeli attack, was hit with two strikes, with the second missile killing sheltering survivors, two first responders and the parent of a slain child have told Middle East Eye.
The most salient thing about Senator Mullin would seem to be his endorsement of the Big Lie about the 2020 election. That should certainly come up in hearings about running an organization that Trump allies (improperly) associate with elections.
This is the man Senators who present themselves as serious human beings are going to rubber stamp into the office of Director of Homeland Security. Show some self-respect and some love of country and vote no.
A purpose of the war on Iran might well be to provoke a terrorist attack inside the United States. This would provide Donald Trump with a pretext to try to cancel or “federalize” the coming Congressional elections.
snyder.substack.com/p/the-desire...
If we examine the origins of the war on Iran, we get an inkling of a closed domain of international oligarchs, exploiting the state’s power and patriotic sentiment, while creating a world order in which the American state is much weaker. An oligarchical corridor.
snyder.substack.com/p/the-oligar...
So let me get this straight ...
1. US bombs Iran
2. Oil price goes up a bit, benefitting Russia's petrostate
3. Russia gives Iran targeting info
4. Oil price shoots WAY up
5. US unsanctions Russian oil
