Simon B.-M.

Perhaps that’s because the Brexit referendum showed that, whatever the current polling, the nationalistic/xenophobic vote with no regard for the consequences for freedom, prosperity, security and morality is potentially 52%. They pander to the irrationality, which they fear and don’t understand.

💯💯💯

Ethnonationalism is a psycho thing. The actual object of xenophobia is completely interchangeable. The psychological need to belong to a group in conflict with other groups persists irrespective of the external circumstances.

The geopolitically defining moment of the Russian invasion of Ukraine is here

Donald Trump is planning to agree a deal where Ukraine cedes heavily fortified territory to Russia for what will be a temporary ceasefire

Ukraine will want to say no, but the EU will have to stand up

Tired of the constant claims that this war is somehow our fault. Ukraine had only one choice: to defend itself against russia or to succumb and become cannon fodder in russia's future wars of conquest. As anyone with a clear mind can see, neither of these options is peace.

There seems to be an issue with trust that is what is happening. Hard to signal it without spoiling the pretence.

The Trump Putin Alaska Summit and Europe’s Munich Moment The Trump Putin Alaska Summit and Europe's Munich Moment "The uncomfortable truth is this: if Ukraine falls, Europe won’t be debating whether to confront Russia, but when"

"The uncomfortable truth is this: if Ukraine falls, Europe won’t be debating whether to confront Russia, but when"

I wonder what “stand up to” means. It might be enough for the primitive nationalist mentality to make jingoistic noises however unreasonably and pointlessly. These people feel safe belonging to a group in conflict with other groups. More internationalist people feel safe in cooperation.

Ignorance is how we got here. Sigh.

A morally appalling and strategically short sighted argument: Ukraine is losing, therefore, instead of doing what's necessary for Ukraine (and Europe) to win, we should just give up

De facto vs de jure recognition is a legal nicety, it won't matter in the slightest to Ukraine's future or its people

Nvidia and AMD to pay 15% of China chip sale revenues to US government Chipmakers agree to unusual arrangement to secure export licences from Trump administration

Payola. That supposed new US "global" trade system seems to have as one of its core anchors simple bribery. www.ft.com/content/cd1a...

The symbolism of Trump rolling out the red carpet for Putin on former Russian territory, in order to agree how they'll carve up Ukraine is horrendous. If there's any positive, it's that it might finally force some Europeans to face the fact that the US is no longer an ally.

It’s the tabloidisation of the brain. He’s a tabloid-head.

Presseschau zu Brosius-Gersdorf: "Niederlage im neu eröffneten deutschen Kulturkampf" Die Presse reagiert besorgt auf den Rückzug von Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf. Der Fall habe die Demokratie geschädigt und einen Rechtsruck innerhalb der Union offengelegt.

Die Presse reagiert besorgt auf den Rückzug von Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf. Der Fall habe die Demokratie geschädigt und einen Rechtsruck innerhalb der Union offengelegt.

Der geheime rechte Masterplan hinter dem Brosius-Gersdorf-Canceling Die Mitte-Kandidatin Brosius-Gersdorf wurde Ziel einer inszenierten Fake-Kampagne und zog sich jetzt zurück. Es entspricht 1:1 einem rechten Masterplan, der unsere Demokratie zerstören will.

Die Mitte-Kandidatin Brosius-Gersdorf wurde Ziel einer inszenierten Fake-Kampagne und zog sich jetzt zurück. Es entspricht 1:1 einem autoritären Masterplan, der unsere Demokratie zerstören will. www.volksverpetzer.de/aktuelles/ma...

La 'voluntad de mejora continua', clave en el milagro económico chino El rasgo aupará al gigante asiático a 'liderar el mundo', predice el especialista en negocios Julio Ceballos, que expuso su auge en una charla en la Feria de Muestras

Recientemente Xi Jinping declaró que China "no detendrá sus medidas climáticas ni reducirá su apoyo a la cooperación internacional por muchos cambios que experimente el mundo".

Aprendamos de ello. Establezcamos colaboraciones firmes.

www.lne.es/asturias/202...

I am horrified. If you use US material, download all old reports you use. The record will be erased. Even that might not save you: every report sourced from the US will now have to be suspected of politicised manipulation and will in the future the same credibility as Iran’s human rights reports

Russian propagandists say that Moscow's task now is "not to get a radically hostile to Russia Trump".

At the same time, Russia will continue its offensive in Ukraine, the propagandists add.

It doesn’t match. It’s an SA jacket and tie with an SS shirt.

I’m not much of a reader. The little bit that I read I write myself.

Ice-cream for everybody

Selbst die Mehrheit der Unionswähler war für Brosius-Gersdorf. Auch die Mehrheit der Unionswähler lehnt eine Zusammenarbeit mit der AfD ab. Aber CDU-nahe Millionäre bezahlen Millionen, um CDU-Abgeordnete mit Fake News zu indoktrinieren, die Wähler sollen folgen. Der Rechtsruck kommt von oben.

Exclusive: Rubio orders US diplomats to launch lobbying blitz against Europe's tech law President Donald Trump's administration has instructed U.S. diplomats in Europe to launch a lobbying campaign to build an opposition to the European Union's Digital Services Act, which Washington says stifles free speech and imposes costs on U.S. tech companies, an internal diplomatic cable seen by Reuters showed.

Out in the open: the US administration’s attempt to undermine the EU Digital Services Act (and other regulations) was evident.

Now it has been elevated to formal policy and goal of diplomatic efforts.

www.reuters.com/sustainabili...

Europe is the hostage of a geopolitical nostalgia that no longer exists. EU does not want (or knows) to accept that the USA of Trump is no longer a reliable partner. Instead investors are backing out of the US: too much risk and instability. And €/$ +13% in 6months
(G.Noci @sole24ore.bsky.social )

In Nazi Germany the parliament was called the most expensive choir in the world.

And here we go: Not a deal, but a deal to try to force a deal without European involvement. This allows Putin to feign good will, and Trump to back away from a largely empty sanctions threat. Not a good day for Ukraine, I’m afraid.

(A quick 🧵)

nytimes.com/2025/08/06/us/…

/1

I‘m not the budgie smuggler, I‘m the budgie smuggler’s son, I‘m only smuggling budgies till the budgie smuggler comes.
So that’s the headline. The article should write itself. What’s it about again?

People under 45 are not the main culprits of nostalgia. I hate to think what they’ll be nostalgic about later.

There a people alive who were born when a third of global trade was transacted in Sterling. It is a link to a more glorious past and it’s part of traditionalism in a country that’s nostalgic even for the BBC transmission test card.

That is a nationalist view of the currency as a national symbol. The EU does consist of nation states and does have benefits in the national interest, but it’s obviously intended as an alternative to nationalism, so appealing to nationalist instincts seems an odd way to start.