Lelde Luika

👋 Giving Bluesky a try, let’s see how it goes.

If you’d like some light reading on the historical political economy of the Baltic states, East-Central Europe and more, here are a few of my recent publications 👇

Happy to share links if you can’t access them.

Jauniem pētniekiem sochum jomā gandrīz nav iespēju atgriezties Latvijā no ārzemēm - ka būtu mans gadījums pēc gadiem EE un SE. Katrā ziņā vismaz pēcdokturanturas programma to vairs neatbalsta - kam ir bijuši lieliski rezultāti, piemēram, LKA.

Manam pēcdokt. projektam par “ManaBalss” vairs gandrīz nebija izredžu pēc spec. koeficientiem, kas ņem nost punktus par fundamentālo zinātni un produkta trūkumu. Un tas ir jau pēc visiem MK noteikumiem, kas ierobežoja sochum un privilēģē finansējumu rūpnieciskiem pētījumiem.

Stāsti pie ugunskura par vardarbību. Kas ir “true crime” žanrs? Domāju, ka “true crime” popularitāte atspoguļo sieviešu bezpalīdzības sajūtu sistēmiskā līmenī.

"Domāju, ka “true crime” popularitāte atspoguļo sieviešu bezpalīdzības sajūtu sistēmiskā līmenī."

Lelde Luika par "true crime" žanru.
ej.uz/true-crime

Nesaprotu, kāpēc KNAB atbildībā pēkšņi ietilpst publiskie mediji? Pat ja Re:Baltica saņemtu valsts finansējumu, mediju kontrole nav valsts iestāžu, bet pašas jomas ekspertu un sabiedrības uzraudzībā. Tas ir par robežu nospraušanu, nevis atsevišķu iestāžu kontroli “sabiedrības vārdā”.

Laba intervija! Par starpkaru demokrātiju joprojām trūkst niansētākas diskusijas nekā tikai pretnostatījums starp krīzi un autoritāro režīmu. Gan kļūdas, gan veiksmes - viss ir nenovērtējama pieredze, caur ko palūkoties citām acīm uz šodienas valsts procesiem.

Pēdējas dienas lasu Oksanas Zabužko “Planēta vērmele” - dinamīts, ar ko viņa ved cauri laikiem un (post)padomiskajai cīņai par savu nacionālo es ārpus “centra”. Šeit viņa par bezgožu kultūru, kas definē kaut ko ļoti centrālu par uzvarošo politisko morāli šobrīd.

Naturally this has implications for the way in which a political philosopher should communicate his ideas. One of the unwelcome side effects of turning political philosophy into an academic discipline has been the rise of the journal article as the preferred means of expression. Everything about it is forbidding to the lay reader. It has a formal structure that seems designed to reassure her that there will be no surprising turns of argument. It lays out in advance the conclusion to which she will be marched. It plods dutifully through the large literature on the topic, as though to confirm that no original thought is going to be expressed. It is weighed down with footnotes—in the worst case almost every sentence has a Harvard-style reference at the end. Everything about it signals that it’s intended only for the initiated— those who’ve already mastered the fifty-five other articles it cites. In all these respects it contrasts with the essay as a form of writing designed to convey ideas to the reader in an enticing and imaginative way and with little use of formal apparatus. For several centuries before this one, the essay was the primary means of conveying political-philosophical ideas to what Hume in his essay on the subject called ‘the conversible World’. ( D. Hume, ‘Of Essay Writing’, in D. Hume, Essays Moral, Political, and Literary, edited by E. Miller (Liberty Press, 1985).

A footnote from David Miller, expressing highly recognisable reservations about the rise of the journal article.

“You have never heard about these places and it better stay that way!” Reminds how recently Swedish public agencies mixed up three Baltic countries several times while processing my documents. In Belgium, an official once asked if Latvia is in EU. 🤷🏻‍♀️

And now leading polls for the municipal elections.

Currently all of this looks like done for audience of one - Trump himself. Of course, there is the “popular support”, but let’s see how long that lasts. The most banally evil so far are those elite institutions - media, universities, law firms - who normalise this, and they seem to be the majority.

The complete inability of the biggest Latvian centre-right mainstream party to engage Latvia’s Russian-speakers is… something.

“In fact, EU flags have all but disappeared from the protests. Unlike Hungary, Georgia and Slovakia, people in Serbia view leader Vučić as Brussels’ man in Belgrade who will pay lip service to EU values when he’s in Brussels […] as long as they don’t criticize him too harshly.”

This appears to be the most meaningful and impactful grassroots action of the moment. It is hitting where it counts - amazing for (decentralised) organisers and global community.

!!!

''For somewhat different reasons, Musk and Trump prefer a world in which might makes right. That in such a world that United States is less mighty is of no concern."

Vai redzot, kas notiek ASV iekšpolitikā, nav nekādu pārdomu, ko vispār nozīmē demokrātiska sabiedrība, ko tad mēs cenšamies it kā nosargāt? Viss tiek pasniegts skaidri no Trampa un co - ir tikai viņu “likums esmu es” demokrātija un pārejie ir tikai idioti vai ienaidnieki, tajā skaitā Eiropā.

Pat ja mēs pieņemam, ka Latvijas un Baltijas politiķu uztājībai, ka Tramps nepiekāpsies Putinam ir kāds pamats - kādi ir varianti B un C, ja runa vairs nav par piekāpšanos, bet par dziļu un sirsnīgu sadarbību divu autoritāru režīmu starpā?

This idea in NATO circles at the start of Trump presidency that he somehow would express strength by not appeasing Russia, etc. - where was this coming from? Providing security in Ukraine in exchange for natural minerals: an example of the only rationale this administration appears to have.

Will any Swedish politician defend the group most terrorised by the Örebro gun massacre? In one generation, Sweden has become polyglot and cosmopolitan – but denial has met the wave of white supremacism sweeping the country

I have loved my time in Sweden. Nevertheless, this rings true:
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Latvijas zinātne - tikai dažas noteiktas jomas, kas vispār neiekļauj sociālās un humanitārās zinātnes. Jau postdoku konkurss bija mērķēts tikai RIS3, tagad arī šis.

Vai mēs lasām vienas un tās pašas ziņas? Cik ilgi šī vēlmju domāšana par ASV turpināsies starp Latvijas politiķiem?

Klau, bet vai nav tā...ka Straume beigās ir atnesusi to Laimes Lāci? 🫣

🥲🐈‍⬛

I had forgotten the parallel language reality where headlines that in any other context would be gut-punching are just consumed, as a facade of sorts. Some strange form of doublespeak.

"Flow" is special in many ways, one of which is sensibilities that are and are not human - since it is a worldless film, with animals treated on their terms. With music, it becomes something dreamlike, unspoken that touches universally; funny how perhaps a sense of voicelessness has enabled that.

Golden Globes (and Oscars) in animation have been won by big Hollywood studies exclusively, with the exception of Studio Ghibli (!) last year. This is an amazing feat for an independent film from Europe and then Latvia especially - w/ one of its most underfinanced arts, eduction and culture sectors.

And it’s Gints, of course.

Ultimate underdog story with a cat 🐈‍⬛. So inspiring!

Democracy indeed is an ideal, but also ideals need to be defended when the threat to them is existential. Extremely disappointing quote, perpetuating close mindedness of critical theorists.