Alexander Clarkson
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aphclarkson.bsky.social
Alexander Clarkson
@aphclarkson.bsky.social
32K followers 1K following 12K posts
Lecturer for European Politics and History at King's College London. Opinions my own. RT not always endorsement.
Also to be found at @APHClarkson
https://www.ullstein.de/werke/die-macht-der-diaspora/hardcover/978354910
Posts Replies Media Videos
Reposted by Alexander Clarkson
atrupar.com
MSNBC broadcasts body cam footage of the FBI raid at the Fulton County elections office
February 3, 2026 at 3:12 PM
Reposted by Alexander Clarkson
noelreports.com
Russia just keeps terrorizing civilians in Ukraine. A Russian Shahed drone struck a residential building in Kharkiv, according to reports. Witnesses say the drone deliberately targeted the building. Three people have been reported injured so far following the strike. #Ukraine
February 3, 2026 at 3:16 PM
Reposted by Alexander Clarkson
junlper.beer
February 3, 2026 at 1:46 AM
aphclarkson.bsky.social
The current leadership might fall but particularly now Labour MPs are not going to trigger elections. Come on people.
February 3, 2026 at 3:16 PM
Reposted by Alexander Clarkson
drjennings.bsky.social
Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not after you...
cajohnson-craig.bsky.social Craig Johnson @cajohnson-craig.bsky.social · 1h
as someone who pushes hard against conspiratorial thinking in my professional and political life, it is deeply irritating when, on top of the untold human harms Epstein caused, it turns out he was at the center of at least half a dozen actual conspiracies
February 3, 2026 at 2:56 PM
Reposted by Alexander Clarkson
bungdan.bsky.social
Once a protest movement gets larger than a few hundred people self-policing the dipshits within it is an almost insoluble problem.
February 3, 2026 at 3:03 PM
aphclarkson.bsky.social
Has there been a closer look at Mandelson's longstanding relationships with other influential states and financial market actors?
February 3, 2026 at 3:11 PM
Reposted by Alexander Clarkson
stevepeers.bsky.social
Looks increasingly like Mandelson's salary was nominally paid by the taxpayer, yet he was actually working for Epstein
pickardje.bsky.social Jim Pickard @pickardje.bsky.social · 2h
EXCLUSIVE:

Lord Peter Mandelson lobbied the US government on behalf of Jeffrey Epstein and Jes Staley in 2010 when he was business secretary, using their talking points in conversations with an American official about financial-crisis reforms

www.ft.com/content/e50f...
Peter Mandelson lobbied against US bank reforms on behalf of Jeffrey Epstein and Jes Staley
Former UK business secretary used talking points in conversations with US official about financial crisis measures
www.ft.com
February 3, 2026 at 1:42 PM
Reposted by Alexander Clarkson
mh120480.bsky.social
Neue Folge: Ich habe mit @aphclarkson.bsky.social darüber gesprochen ob Trump die USA lähmt und ob Europa zu langsam in allem ist. foreigntimes.de/2026/02/03/p...
<img style="height: 24px" src="/wp-content/themes/moetheme/premium.png" alt="PREMIUM">ForeignTimes092 mit Alexander Clarkson über den gelähmten Trump und das bemühte Europa
Alexander Clarkson auf BlueskyAlexander Clarkson auf XBlog von Alexander ClarksonAlexander bei WPRSteady: Gesamtabo Foreign Times + Mikroökonomen PodcastAbo des Foreign Time
foreigntimes.de
February 3, 2026 at 2:07 PM
Reposted by Alexander Clarkson
raphae.li
New: Together with colleagues I’ve been testing Grok.

The chatbot still produces sexualized images —

even when told the subjects don’t consent.

even when told the photos will be used for public humiliation.

even when told the subjects are survivors of abuse.

www.reuters.com/business/des...
Exclusive: Despite new curbs, Elon Musk’s Grok at times produces sexualized images - even when told subjects didn’t consent
Elon Musk’s flagship artificial intelligence chatbot, Grok, continues to generate sexualized images of people even when users explicitly warn that the subjects do not consent, Reuters has found.
www.reuters.com
February 3, 2026 at 11:37 AM
Reposted by Alexander Clarkson
whstancil.bsky.social
Things are still bad here in MN. But until Bovino left, the admin would meet each challenge with more escalation. Withdrawing him cracked their resolve. Now they seem increasingly scared to escalate. So they’re stuck. They should simply leave.
thoreau.bsky.social The Captain @thoreau.bsky.social · 9h
HOLY SHIT!!! Lost in the news today is THIS BANGER, wherein THE REGIME TOLD TROOPS IN AK and MN to STAND DOWN!!!

h/t to @maddow.bsky.social !!!!!

www.nytimes.com/2026/02/02/u...
Northern Command Tells N.C., Alaska Troops to Stand Down on Possible Minnesota Deployment
www.nytimes.com
February 3, 2026 at 7:04 AM
aphclarkson.bsky.social
February 3, 2026 at 10:59 AM
Reposted by Alexander Clarkson
davidheniguk.bsky.social
Hadn't previously thought this, but if this Labour government wants to show any understanding of the situation then McSweeney's position is untenable. Now. Not after May.

The change needed is in attitudes more than delivery.
February 3, 2026 at 8:33 AM
Reposted by Alexander Clarkson
mh120480.bsky.social
alle preise, die sich nicht auf luxusgüter beziehen, haben einen starken einfluss auf die wahrnehmung der meisten menschen. das war mal eine grundlage jeden ökonomischen denkens.

in unsereren überflussgesellschaften fehlt dafür aber mittlerweile das denken.
oldtrotter.bsky.social David Higham @oldtrotter.bsky.social · 7h
Excellent piece here. www.ft.com/content/320c...
Plus people experience inflation in different ways and food prices seem to have a particularly important influence on perceptions. www.bankofengland.co.uk/working-pape...
But have most people really become divorced from reality about policy issues they profess to care about, like crime, immigration and the cost of living? Or is something else going on? Part of the problem is a disconnect between the metrics commonly used by economists, policymakers and journalists, and the ways in which people actually perceive change in their everyday lives. Inflation in the US may have fallen from a peak of more than 7 per cent in 2022 to less than 3 per cent, for example. But that still means prices are rising, just not as quickly as before.
February 3, 2026 at 8:39 AM
aphclarkson.bsky.social
I don't think this kind of political ennui really helps much in any struggle to defend democracy. And elite fatalism certainly doesn't help the many people in civil society doing their best to help their communities in everyday life through anti-racism work, food banks, sports coaching and so on
davidandress.bsky.social Dave Andress @davidandress.bsky.social · 7h
The thing is, of course, if we put an actual concentrated effort into making people's lives better, it would make people's lives better, regardless of which "indicators" wobbled up or down.

But it's very evident that most voters don't actually care enough about each other to want that.
jdportes.bsky.social Jonathan Portes @jdportes.bsky.social · 7h
My review of @profkepickett.bsky.social's new book, "The Good Society"

"If you’d asked Pickett in 2010 whether she’d have accepted this trade she’d presumably have jumped at it...But now, like most of the rest of us, she’s less than happy with the results."

www.theguardian.com/books/2026/f...
February 3, 2026 at 8:37 AM
Reposted by Alexander Clarkson
oldtrotter.bsky.social
The fundamental problem with increasing defence spending isn't funding but real resources. And most defence spending isn't "investment" and does nothing to increase the underlying growth rate. Of course, the country has to be defended but there are opportunity costs.
General Sir Richard Barrons: Borrowing outside Reeves' fiscal rules is 'the only credible solution' lan Bozic/Alamy General Sir Richard Barrons, a former senior UK military commander and one of the co-authors of the SDR, said: "It's the only credible solution to the problem the government has. There is a gap of £28bn over the next four years, which you can't close by 'reprofiling' or trying to bung it later." "If you have exhausted the normal things you usually do to manage a gap, you either have to have less of the capabilities within the SDR or more money sooner to fund the SDR in full." Max Warner, economist at the Institute for Fiscal Studies think-tank, said it might be possible to achieve a “temporary increase” in borrowing as part of the transition to higher defence spending. But he cautioned: “It seems hard to justify a permanent increase in borrowing for defence."
February 3, 2026 at 8:22 AM
Reposted by Alexander Clarkson
realcaptainhaddock.bsky.social
This is what we need to see in the UK
profjacob.bsky.social Jacob Öberg @profjacob.bsky.social · 1d
🚨🚨Striking but welcome development in Portugese politics: To stop the explosive growth of the ultranationalist #Chega party, Portugal’s leading conservatives are doing the previously unthinkable: endorsing the center-left candidate for president. 🧵
www.politico.eu/article/port...
Portugal’s conservatives back left-wing candidate to avoid a far-right president
Center-right leaders are taking pains to publicly reject the ultranationalist contender ahead of the country’s Feb. 8 vote.
www.politico.eu
February 3, 2026 at 5:59 AM
Reposted by Alexander Clarkson
georgemonbiot.bsky.social
1. In 2009 I wrote this. I argued that Peter Mandelson's department “functions as a fifth column within government, working for corporations to undermine democracy and the public interest.”
This thread explains what I saw, and reaches a startling conclusion.🧵
www.monbiot.com/2009/05/04/m...
Mandelson’s Fifth Column
The British government’s business department exists to undermine democracy.
www.monbiot.com
February 3, 2026 at 7:32 AM
Reposted by Alexander Clarkson
oldtrotter.bsky.social
Excellent piece here. www.ft.com/content/320c...
Plus people experience inflation in different ways and food prices seem to have a particularly important influence on perceptions. www.bankofengland.co.uk/working-pape...
But have most people really become divorced from reality about policy issues they profess to care about, like crime, immigration and the cost of living? Or is something else going on? Part of the problem is a disconnect between the metrics commonly used by economists, policymakers and journalists, and the ways in which people actually perceive change in their everyday lives. Inflation in the US may have fallen from a peak of more than 7 per cent in 2022 to less than 3 per cent, for example. But that still means prices are rising, just not as quickly as before.
February 3, 2026 at 8:06 AM
aphclarkson.bsky.social
Another one of my pet bugbears is exasperation over a self-flagellating political discourse in the UK that in its obsession with the impact of deindustrialisation ignores how substantial manufacturing in the Midlands, Yorkshire and Northwest of England still is as a player in European supply chains
paulsingh.bsky.social Paul Singh @paulsingh.bsky.social · 8h
British manufacturers enjoyed one of their best months since Labour came to power in January, according to a closely watched survey, adding to signs that the Bank of England will decide to keep interest rates on hold this week.
www.theguardian.com/business/202...
UK manufacturing growth accelerates as export orders rise
Greater optimism in PMI survey, adding to signs Bank of England will keep interest rates on hold this week
www.theguardian.com
February 3, 2026 at 7:43 AM
Reposted by Alexander Clarkson
doener.bsky.social
Epstein-Files: Teile der globalen Eliten haben sich komplett vom gemeinsamen Gesellschaftsvertrag gelöst. Sie fühlen sich dank Geld, Status und Macht unangreifbar.
February 3, 2026 at 7:24 AM
Reposted by Alexander Clarkson
beijingpalmer.bsky.social
this is also a fun cross-cultural corruption example: Chinese leaders' kids very commonly have their overseas study funded by 'scholarships' set up by businessmen close to their parents
pickardje.bsky.social Jim Pickard @pickardje.bsky.social · 18h
the problem with this newfound “bursary” argument aired in the Times is this:

twhen we first heard about these payments in September a person close to Mandelson said it couldn’t possibly be the case and, er, threatened to sue us
February 3, 2026 at 7:29 AM
Reposted by Alexander Clarkson
kschake.bsky.social
Allow me to rush to say that economics columnist Adam Tooze knows nothing about Chinese military modernization. Being smart about one thing does not make you smart about everything.
foreignpolicy.com Foreign Policy @foreignpolicy.com · 17h
Economics columnist Adam Tooze explores Xi Jinping’s military modernization campaign and Beijing’s yearslong purge of the top ranks of the People’s Liberation Army. foreignpolicy.com/2026/01/30/c...
China Is Building a Better, More Modern Military
Xi’s purges are part of a generational reshuffling of generals.
foreignpolicy.com
February 3, 2026 at 12:43 AM
Reposted by Alexander Clarkson
reichlinmelnick.bsky.social
HUGE. A victory for more than a quarter million Haitians with Temporary Protected Status. A significant majority of them entered the United States legally and have never been out of status since.

Even the Trump admin isn't saying Haiti is a safe country for them to go back to.
chrisgeidner.bsky.social Chris Geidner @chrisgeidner.bsky.social · 15h
BREAKING: Judge Ana Reyes, in DC, issues a stay of DHS Sec. Noem’s decision to end Haiti’s temporary protected status (TPS) designation, a decision that was to go into effect on Tuesday and could have ended legal status for up to 350,000 people overnight. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA FRITZ EMMANUEL LESLY MIOT, et al., Plaintiffs, Case No. 25-cv-02471 (ACR) V. DONALD J. TRUMP, et al., Defendants. MEMORANDUM OPINION On December 2, 1783, then-Commander-in-Chief George Washington penned: "America is open to receive not only the Opulent & respected Stranger, but the oppressed & persecuted of all Nations & Religions." More than two centuries later, Congress reaffirmed President Washington's vision by establishing the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program. See 8 U.S.C. § 1254a (TPS statute). It provides humanitarian relief to foreign nationals in the United States who come from disaster-stricken countries. It also brings in substantial revenue, with TPS holders generating $5.2 billion in taxes annually. See Part VI. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem has a different take.? eSec Noem I just met with the President. I am recommending a full travel ban on every damn country that's been flooding our nation with killers, leeches, and entitlement junkies. Our forefathers built this nation on blood, sweat, and the unyielding love of freedom-not for foreign invaders to slaughter our heroes, suck dry our hard-earned tax dollars, or snatch the benefits owed to AMERICANS. WE DON'T WANT THEM. NOT ONE. 6:52 PM - Dec 1, 2025 - 13.2M Views ' Letter from George Washington to Joshua Holmes (December 2, 1783). 2 Dkt. 90 (Second Am. Compl.) 1110 n.91. But see supra n.l. So says the official responsible for overseeing the TPS program. And one of those (her word) "damn" countries is Haiti. Relevant here, three days before making the above post, Secretary Noem announced she would terminate Haiti's TPS designation as of February 3, 2026. See 90 Fed. Reg. 54733 (Nov. 28, 2025) (Termination). Plaintiffs are five Haitian TPS holders. They are not, it emerges, "killers, leeches, or entitlement junkies." They are instead: Fritz Emmanuel Lesly Miot, a neuroscientist researching Alzheimer's disease, Dkt. 90 (Second Am. Compl. (SAC)) 1 1; Rudolph Civil, a software engineer at a national bank, id. 1 2; Marlene Gail Noble, a laboratory assistant in a toxicology department, id. | 3; Marica Merline Laguerre, a college economics major, id. 9| 4; and Vilbrun Dorsainvil, a full-time registered nurse, id. 9|5. They claim that Secretary Noem's decision violates the Administrative Procedure Act (APA), 5 U.S.C. § 706(2), and the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The Government counters that the Court does not have jurisdiction, and, in any case, the Secretary did not violate the law. Plaintiffs seek to stay the Secretary's decision under 5 U.S.C. § 705 pending the outcome of this litigation. See Dkt. 81 (§ 705 Mot.). To decide their motion, the Court considers first whether it has jurisdiction. It does. See Part II. It then considers: whether Plaintiffs have a substantial likelihood of success on the merits; whether they will be irreparably harmed absent a stay; and whether a merged balance of the equities and public interest analysis favors a stay. See Part III. Each element favors Plaintiffs. See Parts IV, V, and VI. Finally, the balance of equities and public interest favor a stay. The Government does not cite any reason termination must occur post haste. Secretary Noem complains of strains unlawful immigrants place on our immigration-enforcement system. Her answer? Turn 352,959 lawful immigrants into unlawful immigrants overnight. She complains of strains to our economy. Her answer? Turn employed lawful immigrants who contribute billions in taxes into the legally unemployable. She complains of strains to our healthcare system. Her answer? Turn the insured into the uninsured. This approach is many things— in the public interest is not one of them. For the reasons below, the Court GRANTS Plaintiffs' Renewed Motion for a Stay Under 5 U.S.C. § 705, Dkt. 81.
February 3, 2026 at 12:46 AM
Reposted by Alexander Clarkson
vivarioarriba.bsky.social
💯% here for this.

And if this causes a state's right clash w/Trump's MAGAministration...

here for that, too.

#GoDems
#GoJustice
#GoMidterms

www.startribune.com/minnesota-pr...
Minnesota prosecutors formally demand evidence from Trump administration over the killing of Renee Good
The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office said it has sent what are known as Touhy letters to gain crime scene evidence from the shooting death of Renee Good by ICE agent Jonathan Ross.
www.startribune.com
February 3, 2026 at 1:00 AM