Melike Arslan

It is worth underscoring that there are many opposition groups in Israel, and there is a liberal-democratic future worth fighting for there (and in a free Palestine). The authoritarian disease is a transnational problem in this moment—not one unique to Israel or to Zionism.

I live in Britain; I grew up in Israel. It’s painful to say, but we need real UK sanctions to save Gaza | Yair Wallach Symbolic gestures and empty statements are no longer enough. In Israel’s globalised economy, here’s what will shift public opinion, says says senior lecturer in Israeli studies Yair Wallach

By continuing business as usual, Israel’s international partners are allowing the Israeli government to continue with its genocidal campaign with no consequences beyond symbolic gestures of disapproval and statements.
The time to act is now - me @theguardian.com

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

American students saw where this was headed a year and a half ago. Some protests crossed lines they should not have, but by and large the diagnosis was correct. Now those students, and universities, are being punished for students’ speaking an unpopular truth that is becoming common sense.

What could possibly go wrong (this time)

on the other hand, congratulations to Trump, it's got Europe to agree on a common investment budget in the US that is exactly the same it planned to spend in Net Zero Industrial Act to become a 'cleantech champion'

A Columbia genocide scholar says she may leave over university's new definition of antisemitism Academics around the country are raising alarm about growing efforts to define antisemitism on terms pushed by the Trump administration.

Marianne Hirsch is one of the greatest scholars of memory studies working today, and I have learned so much from her work. Last semester, I assigned her to my students and they learned from her. If she feels she cannot stay at Columbia, that speaks badly of Columbia now. apnews.com/article/colu...

The destruction of Palestine is breaking the world | Moustafa Bayoumi The rules of the institutions that define our lives bend like reeds when it comes to Israel – so much that the whole global order is on the verge of collapse

Everyday more horrified, I read this great essay again to contemplate “What future hell are we currently living in?”

www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-i...

Revealed: Harvard publisher cancels entire journal issue on Palestine shortly before publication As Harvard’s feud with Trump escalated, so did tensions over an ‘education and Palestine’ issue of a prestigious journal. Scholars blame the ‘Palestine exception’ to academic freedom

We have reached a stage where the top university in the world censures peer-reviewed articles for covering the education of Palestinian children: www.theguardian.com/education/20...

Review of International Political Economy Volume 32, Issue 3 of Review of International Political Economy

Ever wondered why the world is awash in capital, and so little of it goes towards decarbonization? Might have something to do with the issues raised in this special issue edited by @markblyth.bsky.social and @leahdowney.bsky.social
In RIPE: Vol 32, No 3 www.tandfonline.com/toc/rrip20/3...

America’s Braudelian Autumn | Benjamin Braun & Cédric Durand Factions of capital in the second Trump administration

We wrote about the US ruling class taking the reins to manage its own decline. What do the Trumpist factions of capital want? Can that be squared with the interests of the MAGA base? Capable state managers could potentially thread the needle, but that's all gone. With @cedricdurand.bsky.social.

The empire is also shedding its soft power in education

A tricky thing about modern society is that no one has any idea when they don’t die.

Like, the number of lives saved by controlling air pollution in America is probably over 200,000 per year, but the number of people who think their life was saved by controlling air pollution is zero.

Trump Just Pardoned ... a Corporation? In what may be an American first, President Donald Trump pardoned a company sentenced to $100 million in fines for breaking money laundering laws.

Well, there you go!

Trump Just Pardoned … a Corporation? theintercept.com/2025/04/02/t...

3. That got patched together with a political deal, under which the EU accepted Obama administration promises that EU citizens would have some protections against U.S. surveillance. Now, it's much, much worse. Europe is increasingly looking at U.S. tech platforms as a source of vulnerabilities.

TL;DR: Think more of incompetent Byzantine emperors and less of Nero, Caligula bc massive imperial bureaucracies / routines buffered the empire from the latter’s crazy. Less true today for the USA -> see the last chs of States V Markets (2018 – 2025 written but not in production). 3/6

Thanks for these! Really useful to consider how the “exceptions” or nuances discussed in appendixes to broad theories have now become the real story here.
I guess the next question is, is the empire over? Can we still talk about the networked power of the US when ties are being severed?

@thunen.bsky.social very curious to hear your thoughts!

I’m wondering how many IR and IPE theories on American imperialism will have to be updated as a result of yesterday? My understanding was that most theories assumed US benefited from its central position in the world economy, despite stressing out about some of its strategic dependencies.

I was going to get the train today. But I am increasingly concerned at the deficit I’m running with Great Northern Rail. I buy a lot from them and they purchase nothing from me.
Tempted to apply a 20% tariff. Sure my tickets will cost 20% more but it might mean I buy fewer and reduce the deficit.

Reciprocal Tariff Calculations Executive Summary Reciprocal tariffs are calculated as the tariff rate necessary to balance bilateral trade deficits between the U.S. and each of our trading partners. This calculation assumes that pe...

This is what Trump's "economists" say about how they calculated the "reciprocal" tariffs. Don[t be fooled by the equation. They commit countless crimes against economics. ustr.gov/issue-areas/... +

This makes sense to me with one caveat: some of the platforms like Amazon rely on the import of cheap goods to form political alliance with consumers (platform power theory). Does that mean that alliance has served its use and is no longer needed?

Economists: people don't understand marginal tax. If your tax rate increases above £100,000, you don't suddenly lose money when you earn £100,001

UK tax system: hold my beer www.ft.com/content/8fc5...

A simple hack to ChatGPT-proof assignments using Google Drive What if there was a way to maintain the essay in all its three constituent parts – reading, thinking, writing – in the age of ChatGPT? Dave Sayers thinks he has an answer

If you want to prevent use of AI in student assignments, try this method of mine. It works really nicely. In the process, it also gives students transparent tools to prove they did their own work (to me and to future employers).
www.timeshighereducation.com/campus/simpl...

Teaching the political economy of the green transition this term, I used, and learned from, some amazing 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐲 𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐬. A 🧵 on some of the best. Further suggestions are very welcome, I'll add them below.

But much much cheaper than Dropbox!

Gosh didn’t encounter that! My patience ran out very quickly when I couldn’t upload files with long names or names with symbols etc.

AI cracks superbug problem in two days that took scientists years The lead researcher has told the BBC he was so astounded he assumed his computer had been hacked.

I think about this article often when colleagues tiptoe around the question of using AI in research. The other day I was asked if I’d be “offended” if we used AI to draft an outline of our paper. I think we are waaay past that point. www.bbc.com/news/article...

I agree with this, especially if you’re not using Microsoft OS there are severe compatibility issues, but I’ve been very happy with Google drive and Box. Box especially for team work.