Mikko Meriläinen

BFO, but if we’re smoking dinky surface combatants two thousand miles from the strait of Hormuz, I think it’s safe to call this a general war.

At odds with Europe: Why is Spain saying ‘no’ to US-Israeli war on Iran? Spain's socialist president is locked in a war of words with Washington, which has threatened to cut trade ties.

Hat off to Spain leadership for demonstrating how groveling and US bootlicking are not the only possible approach to geopolitics.

"Cancelling ChatGPT is a piece of cake. You can do it in 10 seconds, and the alternatives are just as good or even better."

quitgpt.org

Spain to respond to Trump’s criticism and threats over Nato spending and use of bases – Europe live Spain’s prime minister Pedro Sánchez to give speech shortly in Madrid Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, is due to make a statement at 9am local time to respond to Donald Trump’s extraordinary threat to cut of all trade with Spain over its refusal to allow two jointly operated bases in its territory to be used in the US’s ongoing strikes against Iran. “At this moment, it isn’t possible to establish trade reprisals or separate trade relations … I think the most surprising thing about this fact is that the American federal government is unaware of this, and therefore it is necessary to insist, as the spokesperson for the European Commission did last night, that the trade negotiations of each and every one of the 27 member states of the EU are the responsibility of the Commission, and it is not possible to create a division or fragmentation among the member states.” “What we’re seeing is very similar to what happened just a month ago with those threats – also in a boastful tone – regarding Greenland. And the truth is, there was an immediate reaction from our EU partners, from the European Commission, and from the markets. I think that the instability; the tension generated by this way of relating to, or speaking about third parties – whether it’s about Starmer, Macron, or Pedro Sánchez – is deeply disruptive, not only for societies, for peace, for cooperation, but also for the economy. And it has immediate consequences for the overall economic activity of everyone.” “Spain doesn’t take to being blackmailed or lectured by an aggressor country. We’re a country of peace. If the US wants an ally, let them begin by respecting our sovereignty and international law.” Continue reading...

Spain to respond to Trump’s criticism and threats over Nato spending and use of bases – Europe live

Petteri Orpolta tulenarka avaus – Näin suomalaisten palveluille käy Pääministeri Petteri Orpo katsoo, että terveydenhuollon palveluvalikoimasta löytyisi järkeviä säästökohteita. Orpo ennustaa muutoksia sairaaloille tulevalle hallituskaudelle.

Hyvinvointivaltion kattavat, laadukkaat ja universaalit sosiaali- ja terveyspalvelut ovat jo lentäneet Kokoomuksen kuormasta.

Tämä ei ole mikään pakko, tämä on valinta: yhteiskuntamme resurssit voitaisiin jakaa niin, että laajasta hyvinvointivaltiosta pidettäisiin kiinni.

#yhteiskunta #politiikka

What happens when everyone else is an NPC? How gaming publics welcomed the far right - C-REX – Center for Research on Extremism with Adrienne Massanari, American University

Do not miss the next webinar organized by @crexuio.bsky.social and CANSES on how gaming spaces have become fertile soil for far-right recruitment and mobilization, with @adriennemassanari.bsky.social
on March 18 🤩

I'm blown away how much of the discussion on LLMs in academia seems to be about using them for research and writing rather than how they could help minimise time spent on admin.

1908: the Lancet, one of the most respected scientific journals, calls for 18 age limit on reading in bed amidst a moral panic surrounding children becoming "addicted" to novels, which were "designed to keep kids hooked" and destroy their attention/mental health

A big part of the authoritarian playbook is war. War takes over the news. War blots out criticism. War divides a nation’s people, subjecting those against it to being called unpatriotic. War grants leaders all sorts of emergency powers. War consumes everything else.

We mustn’t let this war do so.

“We cannot say that the United States’ actions are against international law, but we condemn Iran’s retaliatory actions as against international law,” is neither a coherent nor a compelling position.

And here we thought our PM was rubbish.

The Pentagon says it’s ‘lethalitymaxxing’. Why has ‘incel’ slang crossed into the mainstream? With the rise of influencer Clavicular and ‘looksmaxxers’, sexist language from niche memes has infiltrated official government accounts and NYT headlines

The Pentagon says it’s ‘lethalitymaxxing’. Why has ‘incel’ slang crossed into the mainstream?

Näinköhän selviää koko kaudestaan.

Two smiling tax administration employees standing at Arrivals section of an airport with a large hand-drawn banner with the text translated above

“To all influencers and other tax exiles in Dubai, the tax authorities wish you a safe return to France”

Much like in Iran, the war is an opportunity for the people of the United States to finally liberate themselves from under the yoke of a hated, corrupt, tyrannical regime that brazenly murders its own citizens.

I was born in an Iranian prison. My parents were held in their jails. My uncles lie in their mass graves. Nothing you can tell me about the crimes of the Iranian regime that I haven't lived in blood and bone. That doesn't mean I want my people bombed, maimed, killed, their homes in ruins. If your vision of liberation comes only through the destruction of innocent lives, then it's not freedom you're after. Sahar Delijani, Iranian author

I am pro Iranian people. I stand with them against their own government’s repression AND against the imperial violence in the form of bombs dropped from the sky from Israel & the US who have already killed hundreds.

I support neither imperialism or dictatorship.

Sahar Delijani said it best:

Dearest people who don’t read or remember history:

The reason Iran is ruled by Ayatollahs now is because the U.S. overthrew the democratically-elected Iranian President in 1953 to help American oil interests.

Heyyy Rainbow, looking forward to meeting you!

Thanks for the tip, just picked this up and looking forward to playing it!

I've become a big fan of @sam-pearson.bsky.social's game design videos, not least because of working on my own ruleset. Also just really pleasing to view clearly structured videos with calm but entertaining delivery and well-made points - really soothes my middle-aged soul.

Today’s military strikes on Iran — carried out by the United States and Israel — mark a catastrophic escalation in an illegal war of aggression. Bombing cities. Killing civilians. Opening a new theater of war.

Under four months till Iran kick off in Group G of the World Cup, hosted by the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize winner.

This War Will Destabilize The Entire Mideast Region And Set Off A Global Shockwave Of Anti-Americanism vs. No It Won’t

I can't fucking believe we're doing this again.

You have this, and you have Europe's leaders demanding for Iran to commit to further negotiations. The depravity of it all.

I promise you that the government that murdered Alex Pretti and Renee Good does not give a flying fuck about the protests in Iran.

What comes after this long winter? We have to continue to envision it, agitate for it, and plant the seeds for it so that one day we see its harvest.

Tuoreimman esimerkin tarjoaa presidenttimme, joka X-lausunnossaan mainitsee ainoastaan Iranin ja "tapahtumat Lähi-idässä" ja tuomitsee "kaikki toimet". Kuka hyökkäsi? Mitkä valtiot?

Ironisesti edellisessä postauksessaan parin päivän takaa Stubb puhuu suorasanaisesti Venäjän hyökkäyksestä Ukrainaan.

The good news this day needed ❤️

Jos jotain on viime vuosista saanut koko ajan katkerammin oppia, niin länsimaisen murskaavan kaksinaismoralismin. Hävettää olla Suomen ja EU:n kansalainen, kun johtajilta ei ole tarjolla kuin "arvorealistista" matelemista ja kiemurtelua pahimpienkaan sotarikosten edessä, kunhan tekijä on oikea.

Sanat muuttavat maailmaa: sillä on väliä, onko kyseessä "Yhdysvaltojen ja Israelin ennaltaehkäiseväksi kutsuttu sotilasoperaatio", vai "Yhdysvaltojen ja Israelin laiton, raakalaismainen hyökkäys." Jos lapsia täynnä olevan koulun pommittaminen kesken koulupäivää ei ole sitä, niin mikä on?