Neil Munro

This is all a bit like the Reichstag fire. In February 1933, a month after Hitler was elected Chancellor of Germany, a mysterious fire at the parliament in Berlin was blamed on the Communists. Hitler used it as a pretext to suspend civil liberties and take ruthless measures against all his opponents

Excited that Scottish Centre for China Research (SCCR) will host @andreaghiselli.bsky.social for a talk “Discussing How We Understand and Study Chinese Foreign Policy”

When: Tuesday Sept 30th 4pm U.K. time

Join us online by registering at:

www.gla.ac.uk/research/az/...

When will these people learn? You cannot win an argument by adopting your opponent's position! You cannot win a boxing match by lying on the ropes! You cannot dominate the field by getting to your knees! You cannot lead by pulling up the rear! You cannot win respect by falling prostrate on the floor

Hi Holly & Yu, here is the link to the event, now live on our home page: www.gla.ac.uk/research/az/...

Scottish Centre for China Studies autumn seminar series starts next week

Dr Yu Sun (Uni of Glasgow)

Rating villagers’ morality via data scoring systems: everyday surveillance and techno-moral governance in rural China

Wed 24 Sept, 4–5.30pm
Register online: uofglasgow.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

The problem in the US is that you have a Government which doesn't believe in the First Amendment. They decisively influence corporations and citizens who have forgotten the history of religious wars and arbitrary state violence from which the need for a Bill of Rights arose, and take it for granted.

Breakthrough Scholarship for Fantasy Writers with Low Income This scholarship will award one talented speculative writer with limited financial means a place on our new nine-week online Writing Fantasy course.

Opportunity here for a writer on a low income to get access to a nine week novel writing course taught by the great @silvanhistorian.bsky.social

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This looks suspiciously like an admission that ICE got it wrong with the Hyundai workers and that in future arresting, chaining, racially abusing, and holding in humane conditions the very experts needed to make America great again, especially ones from a close ally might well be just plain stupid.

China’s Strategic Culture and Cross-Straits Relations: A Perilous Triangle This book explores China’s strategic culture in the context of relations across the Taiwan Strait. The USA has long played a stabilising role, deterring China from attacking Taiwan. However, as China’...

@routledgebooks.bsky.social proud to announce publication of my new book China’s Strategic Culture and Cross-Straits Relations: A Perilous Triangle with Duanyi Yi. Of interest to #taiwan, #strategic & #china scholars. Pre-orders with 20% discount: use code 25ESA3.
www.routledge.com/Chinas-Strat...

Perhaps a good start would be to acknowledge the failings of the previous regime (democracy). Seen from the outside, it seemed senile and corrupt. There were too many safe seats in Congress and no interest in reaching consensus. Opposition was obstructive. Liberalism was not working for the worker.

The Soviet Union fought an undeclared border war with the empire of Japan between 1935 and 1939. In 1941, the two signed a neutrality pact. Then, in 1945, between the first and second atomic bombs. the Soviets declared war on Japan. This was the sum total of their contribution to victory over Japan.

Tenure track professor in Chinese Studies (Faculty of Arts, KU Leuven) - Academic Positions The East Asian and Arabic Studies Research Unit of the Faculty of Arts at KU Leuven is seeking a full-time (tenure-track) professor (ZAP) in Chinese Studies....

A wonderful position at the University of Leuven, application deadline 9/15. #ChineseStudies #Sinology

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⏰ CLOSING SOON ⏰

Applications for ASPI's Defence Strategy Program Coordinator role close tomorrow!

Want to play a key role in supporting the development of policy briefs, reports and research on Australia's defence and security environment?

🗓️ Don't miss out — apply today 👉 bit.ly/3JsJyb8

In ancient China, there was a successful strategy known as 'alliance with those who are distant, while attacking those who are near.' Trump's strategy is much simpler: lie about the product to get customers in the door, palm it off with more lies, ignore feedback because you'll never see them again.

It is not possible to blockade the island without opening hostilities. Your blockading ships would be vulnerable to missile strikes and air strikes from Taiwan. Submarines can't do it on their own, because they don't carry enough ammunition. So, pre-emptive strikes would be needed before a blockade.

American Association for (you name it) used to be the leading scientific conference in the world in nearly all fields. Foreign academics are normal people for whom $15,000 is a lot of money, and it is kind of degrading to post a bond. The MACAW movement strikes again: Make America Corrupt and Weak!!

As I understand it, the tariffs are just another form of taxation. The US government is taxing what it sees as an undesirable activity (buying foreign stuff). They hurt US consumers as much as foreign manufacturers. Presumably, foreign consumers benefit since more stuff is available for them to buy?

You have to wonder if Trump is, in fact a triple agent, posing as a double agent working for Russia but really working for China. This could explain why he is interfering in Brazil's internal affairs and helping to drive every country in the region onto China's side. The CCP are loving every minute.

Trump wants to help Russia win without being seen to help Russia win. That is the explanation for the back tracking, double talk, delays, and dithering. It is the policy of a dishonest and cowardly administration which does not even believe in, let alone have the capacity to lead the Western world.

Oh come on, "weighing evidence and causal weight?" That sounds like something for a journal article. But if you want to apply those standards to political discussion online, we may as well not have the discussion, and we may as well ask BlueSky to hire moderators to remove any unevidenced remarks.

I'm perfectly willing to accept that possibility. But I am not willing to just pretend I do not see any others just because Trump is in office and it's politically inconvenient to embarrass him and his supporters now. As Tim Snyder has said on this site, "Do not obey in advance. Wait for the memo."

Yeah, Trump could be gay and in love with Putin, but too conservative to just come out and say it, poor fella. That could also account for his behaviour. What's good politically or personally is for politicians to decide, but in my view dems and liberals more generally have been far too soft handed

Yeah, so not enough evidence to prosecute by then current standards. But Steele was not trying to meet those standards. He was just digging to see what was there. His Russian informant was found in the boot of a car. So, no corroboration there. But judging by Trump's behaviour, Russia has influence

Before Trump got elected, Christopher Steele collected a dossier suggesting Trump was videoed romping with prostitutes during the Miss Universe pageant which he took to Moscow in 2013. The FSB definitely keep all that stuff. Nobody but Trump cares any more about the videos, but if he cares enough...

He wants Russia to win the war because that fits his view that the strong do what they can and the weak do what they must. He also hopes to use Russia to put pressure on the Europeans whom he dislikes even more than China. He doesn't really care about the soldiers on the front line or any civilians.

My theory is that he wants to cut off all aid to Ukraine, but he can't for now because of policy inertia and because there's a room full of generals who point at the map and say Ukraine is a domino, and we can't defend the US if all our European dominoes fall. So he is offering Ukraine a slow death.

I agree with you that Trump lacks thought out policies, which is the fault of his advisers, too, and he writes like a junior high dunce on social media. However, he has been consistent in a) his belief in using tariffs to correct trade imbalances and b) never doing anything to annoy Vladimir Putin.

So each time Trump says that he "really mad" with Russia, then does nothing, that he is "pissed off" with Russia, then does nothing, that Putin "has gone crazy," then does nothing, we should just interpret that to mean Trump is fulfilling the mandate given to him by the American people? Russians lol

Sanctions are a displacement activity to avoid providing effective military assistance. The last US administration gave surplus weapons to Ukraine while using the appropriations to upgrade the US's own capabilities. It was the right approach, but done too timidly and too late. US credibility is nil.