Robert

Lees dit, door @elsacourt.bsky.social

“Praising their resilience is like standing on the shore, watching a person struggle not to drown in a riptide. Instead of sending a lifeboat to save them, you praise them for being such a strong swimmer.”

The New Laser That Can Take Down Aircraft Russian strikes have forced Ukraine to build high-tech air defense on the cheap.

Friends of mine were actually working on the same idea! I was sceptical; if it wasn't done yet, there would be reasons. The Ukrainian army innovates so quickly and tries so many new things.
Guess I was wrong to be sceptical and should've just waited a bit longer.

www.theatlantic.com/national-sec...

A reality check some media personalities and policymakers badly need. Still fighting, Russia has already lost what it sought to achieve.
Framing matters; the language we use matters. Sadly, it is not over yet.

Opinion | I’m the Prime Minister of Spain. This Is Why the West Needs Migrants.

“Governments can buy into the zero-sum thinking of the far-right and retreat into isolation, scarcity, selfishness and decline. Or they can harness the very same forces that (..) have allowed our societies to thrive for centuries.“

Spanish Prime Minister Sánchez: www.nytimes.com/2026/02/04/o...

New fuck/marry/kill list just dropped

Less on the current tightrope and more of a reflection of the last 30 years and how Russia changed.
The last bit stuck with me 'It's like Russia's national symbol: the double-headed eagle. One head is growling and calling you a "defecating squirrel." The other is saying: "Thanks for being here."'

If Orban loses the election in Hungary on April 12th to Peter Magyar it’s going to be massive for Europe and the entire democratic world. Orban largely created the populist-right formula for autocratic takeover of a democracy which was copied by MAGA’s Project 2025. 1/12

America vs. the World President Trump wants to return to the 19th century’s international order. He will leave America less prosperous—and the whole world less secure.

Not sure anymore who originally shared this, as it took me a while to get to it.
Great read that explains, through examples, how history cannot see into the future, and it will not be the same. History rhymes, and the only thing we can do is try to learn from it. www.theatlantic.com/magazine/202...

This isn't a crisis we fact-check our way out of, we need to build something bigger and more radical to resist the tide of authoritarianism engulfing our democracies. We can't wait for institutions to act, it's up to us to organise.

Is Greenland really in danger of being overrun by Russia and China? The US claims seizing the territory is vital for security but analysts say divisions with allies would make it less safe — and there is no immediate threat

Interesting Times article on the US approach re: Greenland.

It notes:
- Greenland isn’t even mentioned in the brand new US Security Strategy
- The US has few military resources geared to the Arctic
- Ending allied (NATO) arctic submarine-hunting would increase, not decrease military risk to 🇺🇸

A🧵

As it happened before in for example Turkey, Hungary. HE is often one of the first to be attacked.
"Campuses, which regarded themselves as incubators of critical thought and freedom of expression crucial to a healthy democracy, have been reined in, with administrators and students alike on edge."

An excellent analysis, but sadly a gloomy outlook as many of the articles I am reading at the moment.

We ran high-level US civil war simulations. Minnesota is exactly how they start | Claire Finkelstein Developments in Minnesota closely mirror a scenario explored in a 2024 exercise conducted at the Center for Ethics and the Rule of Law at the University of Pennsylvania, which I direct

On the cusp of civil war . . .

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Military models Canadian response to hypothetical American invasion Armed Forces envision insurgency tactics like those used by Afghan mujahedeen, sources say. But officials and experts stress a U.S. operation is unlikely, and the scenarios are conceptual

Canada starts preparing for guerilla warfare, just in case
www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/art...

Amazing moment on French TV. A French judge explains how Trump sent people from the US Embassy basically trying to intimidate her during Le Pen's trial for embezzlement - something they've done to other judges around the world.

🇵🇱🇺🇸 Nawrocki faces his first, major, entirely self-inflicted conundrum: should he join a thing that Putin and Lukashenka were invited to? If he says "yes", Tusk gets a free penalty kick that he won't miss; if he says "no", what if he loses his coveted "Trump whisperer" status?

The Nobel Peace Prize becoming so prestigious that wars are fought over a head of state coveting it is some real monkey paw stuff for Alfred Nobel.

This is important. A year ago, most believed that as soon as Trump abandons Ukraine, Ukr would fall and my response was always "don't underestimate Ukr" @oxanashevel.bsky.social and I wrote abt it justsecurity.org/109084/putin... The last yr has proven Ukr can withstand w European help only

An excellent read! While it may not answer all the questions about why some decisions are made, it offers a valuable new lens through which to explain some of Trump's irrational actions!

One would hope to see such strong questions asked more often by journalists all around the world. Especially in the US.

The US Is Attempting Regime Change In Venezuela Watch Cuba

phillipspobrien.substack.com/p/the-us-is-...
A superb overview by @phillipspobrien.bsky.social!
"One of the reasons Maduro has been unable to flee is that the Cubans, reportedly, were threatening to kill him if he did. Cuba needs Venezuelan oil to live."
Such a critical angle I knew nothing about!

Trump isn’t predictable or consistent, but this particular action *would* be consistent with the emergence of a G2+1 order where Washington and Beijing, with Moscow as a junior partner, give each other free rein in their purported spheres of influence.

I feel like I haven’t even been properly lied to about the purposes of this war

We asked critics from authoritarian regimes what they wish they’d known sooner. Here’s what they said Critics from Hungary, El Salvador and Turkey offer advice to the US about what they’ve learned about authoritarians

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
No matter the topic, it’s vital to listen to those who’ve experienced it. Listen to voices in Eastern Europe on Russia, and to those who have resisted autocrats on opposing them.
There are countless examples of Western arrogance and the belief that we know best.

How long Britain could really fight for if war broke out tomorrow In the event of a war, one expert suggests the British Army could be incapable of fighting effectively on land within weeks, once committed - though 'much depends on the form of the conflict'.

www.bbc.com/news/article...
"Two of the biggest military lessons to come out of the Ukraine war are .. secondly, that "mass", or sheer volume of personnel and military hardware, matters."
Decades on, we're rediscovering that "Quantity has a quality all its own"

Assad family live in Russian luxury as Bashar ‘brushes up on ophthalmology’ Family friend, sources in Russia and Syria, and leaked data help give rare insight into life of dictator’s reclusive household

www.theguardian.com/world/2025/d...
Let's not forget that many of the fallen dictators still live an easy life of luxury, albeit with limited social interactions. A curious insight into the life of the fallen dictator, Bashar, residing in the same gated community in Moscow as Yanukovych.

I definitely still believe there is a place for consultants and outsourcing. However, it shouldn’t be for tasks that can be done by hiring; it should be for adding capabilities temporarily or getting an outside perspective. Working at a company that produces something is more gratifying! 2/2

The Consulting Crash Is Coming Bloated, overpaid, and outpaced by AI—big consulting firms confront a future they can’t outsource.

www.thefp.com/p/the-consul...
Interesting article about an industry in which several of my friends work. It ties in with concepts such as 'the Bermuda Triangle of Talent' @simonvanteutem.bsky.social, a dying industry that, through sheer capital and size, can still attract the brightest youth. 1/2

Threads — On Seeing Wide Why panorama photography gives us a truer view

eddyvanwessel.substack.com/p/threads-on...
Also wanted to share my interest in analogue photography here. @eddyvanwessel.bsky.social quickly became one of (if not) my favourite photographers. Seeing his panoramic work easily convinced me I should load up my panoramic camera the Horizont again.

The iconic star that has lit up Christmas for more than 180 years Thousands of Moravian stars decorate homes and churches during Christmas

www.independent.co.uk/news/world/e...

Learned that the stars one can see all around Berlin over Christmas have a name. Moravian star in English or Herrnhuter Stern in German. I vastly prefer these stars to the other Christmas lights you see around. I just love the warm orange glow!