Harry Smart

'hegemony' is a bit of a stretch. That said, watching the dismantling of US higher ed and research capacity is bizarre.

Not to over-biblify this but there's a psychological insight in Revelations where it describes the devil's increasing fury 'because he knows his time is short'.

And it's a sign of how driven the people are for whom he's a useful idiot. They have no guarantee of a smooth Vance succession and they see what you've named here.

Some have been calling for large-scale conscription for a couple of years. İt may well become a NATO imperative, an Article 5 activation looks increasingly likely.
That will be one big wake-up call.

The US citizens slowly waking up to domestic disaster have little conception of the scale of the US' enemy-making and support-losing globally.
But the generals, like those of us outside the US, do know this.

The other issue that occurs is, Hegseth et al, and most Americans, feel secure in the continental US. The military knows it has countless assets around the globe that are eminently hittable.

'them' = generals, admirals et al.

I hope so. The best hope surely is a large number of them recognising that their oath to defend the constitution requires them to refuse Executive autarchy.

One of the many reasons I love Istanbul.

I see that, but I fear it's too late.

David, as a US-watcher, my jaw is probably permanently damaged from hitting the floor - hard. But this is ..

words honestly, genuinely, fail.

Ibrox has a not dissimilar vibe, and we have a mutual just round the corner from it.

Or play the Kaiser Chiefs' I Predict A Riot at unfeasible volume and you could almost be in Leeds.

There's a saying in story-structure teaching that action (in a movie) is not spectacle, it's decision. Politically, action requires decision. That there is a crisis and therefore we must act, or speak. The danger is the unrecognised decision-by-default in favour of silence.

Yep. İf he had a shred of decency, and wanted to introduce Anthea to life in the UK, he'd invite her to Elland Road. None of your barista nonsense there.
City of dreaming spires to city of shattered dreams

İt's a place of such privilege that the vast majority of us Brits have next to no hope of living or studying there.

And you deserve it.

May your time there be everything you need to heal and recharge. Slainte!

This terrified girl in Gaza is too young to know that we had the power to stop the bombs falling on her family, but we chose not to.

She doesn't know of our profound and inescapable complicity. But we do.

btw İ say this as a believer. Any Christian anywhere in the world Church should be exercised by this blasphemy coming from one of the most globally prominent, vocal and visible communions in the world.

I see at least one banner saying Jesus in bold over what looks almost like a version of England's St George's cross.

I'd like to see a close reading of the iconography of this event. I assume there's a lot more footage out there to work with.

I've seen few things that so clearly show the instinctive, irrational hatred of black people that so many White Nationalist people have.

Thanks for this, David.

Can't help thinking that when Jesus said he would make his disciples fishers of men, this wasn't what he had in mind.

He's more viciously vengeful than ever.

Litten had AH in the dock for three hours. AH was red-faced, shouting, and self contradictory. It made no difference. Litten ended up dead.

Maybe in the short run, like when Hans Litten got The Leader in the dock. But that worked out badly for Litten and would you back trump to not react the same way?

The 'insult followed by weeping tears of laughter emoji' move. Guaranteed to clinch every argument.

I sit in a nargile cafe; Muslim friends quiz me about the doctrine of the Trinity with curiosity & courtesy, having given more thought to it than almost any evangelical Christian I know.

İt is so bizarre reading this crap about Islam while in a Muslim city (#İstanbul) where, as a Christian, I am more welcomed, and respected for my faith, than anywhere in 'Christendom'.

Your acknowledgement of harm must be at least as public as the harm.

If you said something harmful in public/ a staff meeting / a FB group /whatever, it's not enough to re-engage a key person privately.

Not if your actions have other impacts & others don't know you've been making these efforts.

I've done similar. Best response was @lilithetch.bsky.social who came with her 'İ climbed Everest' t-shirt.

Great work. And I like the Al Stewart quotes. Where are they from?

Took me a while to realise this is my thing, portrait and bodyscape together. Sometimes you only realise by looking at your work in retrospect.
#fineartnude #bodyscape #portrait