Brendan Paddy
@bjpaddy.bsky.social
Looking to make the outdoors for everyone as director of Ramblers Scotland but these are personal views. Expect pics of walks, posts on politics/world news, risidual overseas aid and guest appearances by a small hairy murderer named Pixie.
As a former South Morningside parent I'm really proud of the girls football team for winning an Edinburgh-wide tournament but even prouder that they stood up for themselves when presented with a tiny trophy in stark contrast to the one awarded to the winning boys
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Girls football team win tiny plastic cup as boys take home full-size trophy
The cup paled into comparison to the grand old trophy presented to the winning boys football team.
www.bbc.co.uk
January 21, 2026 at 7:43 AM
As a former South Morningside parent I'm really proud of the girls football team for winning an Edinburgh-wide tournament but even prouder that they stood up for themselves when presented with a tiny trophy in stark contrast to the one awarded to the winning boys
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Carney speech worth reading in full - doesn't just lay out the end of the useful fiction of the rules-based world order but talks about a multi-laterial alternative to isolationism
www.weforum.org/stories/2026...
www.weforum.org/stories/2026...
Davos 2026: Special address by Mark Carney, PM of Canada
Canadian PM Mark Carney stressed the end of the rules-based international order and urged middle powers to act together to counter the great power rivalry.
www.weforum.org
January 21, 2026 at 7:22 AM
Carney speech worth reading in full - doesn't just lay out the end of the useful fiction of the rules-based world order but talks about a multi-laterial alternative to isolationism
www.weforum.org/stories/2026...
www.weforum.org/stories/2026...
Reposted by Brendan Paddy
"Those 18-year-olds – the first guinea pigs, the class who matriculated in 2012 – are now turning 31. And belatedly, the impact of the loans they were assured were a rock-solid investment in their futures is becoming apparent."
Some thoughts on student loans
www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...
Some thoughts on student loans
www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...
Britain's youth are living in Nick Clegg's shadow
All except the richest graduates since 2012 face a bespoke additional tax. No wonder they're radicalised
www.newstatesman.com
January 20, 2026 at 10:08 AM
"Those 18-year-olds – the first guinea pigs, the class who matriculated in 2012 – are now turning 31. And belatedly, the impact of the loans they were assured were a rock-solid investment in their futures is becoming apparent."
Some thoughts on student loans
www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...
Some thoughts on student loans
www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...
Reposted by Brendan Paddy
He's right - terrific stuff. 'You cannot “live within the lie” of mutual benefit through integration when integration becomes the source of your subordination.'
Mark Carney's speech really is terrific: full text is here and very much worth your time.
The Carney doctrine
Open comment thread on the PM's Davos speech
paulwells.substack.com
January 20, 2026 at 7:51 PM
He's right - terrific stuff. 'You cannot “live within the lie” of mutual benefit through integration when integration becomes the source of your subordination.'
Reposted by Brendan Paddy
Quite the statement from the Prime Minister of Poland
January 20, 2026 at 6:37 PM
Quite the statement from the Prime Minister of Poland
Reposted by Brendan Paddy
The Lochnagar plateau. Sunday 18th January 2026.
January 20, 2026 at 2:49 PM
The Lochnagar plateau. Sunday 18th January 2026.
Reposted by Brendan Paddy
The Prime Minister of Belgium speaks:
January 20, 2026 at 12:47 PM
The Prime Minister of Belgium speaks:
Reposted by Brendan Paddy
BBC News - Rare seagrass 'fairy circles' discovered in the Hebrides
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Rare seagrass 'fairy circles' discovered in the Hebrides
NatureScot says it is not known why the plants grow in doughnut-shapes on the seabed.
www.bbc.co.uk
January 20, 2026 at 3:18 PM
BBC News - Rare seagrass 'fairy circles' discovered in the Hebrides
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Reposted by Brendan Paddy
Having campaigned for years to get planning controls over hilltracks (via @scotlink.bsky.social when I worked for @ramblersscotland.bsky.social), it's galling to see unauthorised & damaging tracks still being built. Here at Tinto, hardly a remote location!
parkswatchscotland.co.uk/2026/01/18/t...
parkswatchscotland.co.uk/2026/01/18/t...
The destruction at Tinto - will the landowner get off Scot free? - parkswatchscotland
Following my recent post on the landscape destruction at Tinto (see here), I wrote to the local office of NatureScot and have had a very helpful response. Staff confirmed that they had visited the si...
parkswatchscotland.co.uk
January 20, 2026 at 11:26 AM
Having campaigned for years to get planning controls over hilltracks (via @scotlink.bsky.social when I worked for @ramblersscotland.bsky.social), it's galling to see unauthorised & damaging tracks still being built. Here at Tinto, hardly a remote location!
parkswatchscotland.co.uk/2026/01/18/t...
parkswatchscotland.co.uk/2026/01/18/t...
Reposted by Brendan Paddy
Presidents don't float policies that are opposed by the mass public 86 - 9. This is not normal.
Quinnipiac Poll, Jan 8-12 - poll.qu.edu/poll-release...
January 20, 2026 at 12:26 AM
Presidents don't float policies that are opposed by the mass public 86 - 9. This is not normal.
11th Airborne Division troops on standby to deploy to Minnesota - probably just a coincidence these are the primary units in the US army trained for Arctic warfare...
Hundreds of active-duty soldiers on standby, 2 defense officials say
abcnews.go.com
January 20, 2026 at 5:34 PM
11th Airborne Division troops on standby to deploy to Minnesota - probably just a coincidence these are the primary units in the US army trained for Arctic warfare...
Reposted by Brendan Paddy
CARNEY: “.. You cannot live within the lie of mutual benefit through integration when integration becomes the source of your subordination.” 🔥
Carney: "American hegemony in particular helped provide public goods, a stable financial system... this bargain no longer works. Let me be direct. We are in the midst of a rupture, not a transition... recently, great powers have begun using economic integration as a weapon. Tariffs as leverage ... "
January 20, 2026 at 3:56 PM
CARNEY: “.. You cannot live within the lie of mutual benefit through integration when integration becomes the source of your subordination.” 🔥
Holy shit - Carney on the demise of the useful fiction of the rules-based international order
Carney: "American hegemony in particular helped provide public goods, a stable financial system... this bargain no longer works. Let me be direct. We are in the midst of a rupture, not a transition... recently, great powers have begun using economic integration as a weapon. Tariffs as leverage ... "
January 20, 2026 at 4:48 PM
Holy shit - Carney on the demise of the useful fiction of the rules-based international order
Reposted by Brendan Paddy
Some perspective: The S&P opened down -1.3% on Trump's Greenland saber-rattling. That's $750 billion of wealth destroyed -- roughly equal to estimates of the value of Greenland.
And so ~in dollar terms~ his shenanigans have already cost the US one Greenland, and we've got nothing to show for it.
And so ~in dollar terms~ his shenanigans have already cost the US one Greenland, and we've got nothing to show for it.
January 20, 2026 at 2:48 PM
Some perspective: The S&P opened down -1.3% on Trump's Greenland saber-rattling. That's $750 billion of wealth destroyed -- roughly equal to estimates of the value of Greenland.
And so ~in dollar terms~ his shenanigans have already cost the US one Greenland, and we've got nothing to show for it.
And so ~in dollar terms~ his shenanigans have already cost the US one Greenland, and we've got nothing to show for it.
Reposted by Brendan Paddy
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs:
Greenland belongs to its people.
No threat or tariffs will change that.
Our response must be to remain calm, hold our ground and act in unity.
Extract of my intervention in #EPlenary ↓
No threat or tariffs will change that.
Our response must be to remain calm, hold our ground and act in unity.
Extract of my intervention in #EPlenary ↓
January 20, 2026 at 2:02 PM
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs:
Reposted by Brendan Paddy
The Sundance Film Festival kicks off Thursday in Park City, Utah, marking its final year there.
The Sundance Film Festival prepares to bid farewell to Park City, and Robert Redford
The Sundance Film Festival kicks off Thursday in Park City, Utah, marking its final year there. The festival features 90 premieres, including potential Oscar nominees and stars like Natalie Portman and Charli XCX.
bit.ly
January 20, 2026 at 5:30 AM
The Sundance Film Festival kicks off Thursday in Park City, Utah, marking its final year there.
Reposted by Brendan Paddy
If only there had been some clue that he was like this.
January 19, 2026 at 8:18 PM
If only there had been some clue that he was like this.
Reposted by Brendan Paddy
Think it would be easier than people think to get the public to accept real lower consumption if politicians were more forthright about the case for it. People did so for COVID. "Russia is invading eastern Europe and America is run by a mad king, we need an army" doesn't seem that hard a sell.
January 19, 2026 at 2:45 PM
Think it would be easier than people think to get the public to accept real lower consumption if politicians were more forthright about the case for it. People did so for COVID. "Russia is invading eastern Europe and America is run by a mad king, we need an army" doesn't seem that hard a sell.
Reposted by Brendan Paddy
Could Europe really leverage its $12.6tn pile of US assets?
NIIPing an outlandish idea in the bud
www.ft.com
January 19, 2026 at 1:08 PM
Reposted by Brendan Paddy
There's a lot of talk about rearmament and breaking US dependence. I understand the logic completely. But I wonder if people have fully absorbed the economic/consumption implications of serious rearmament, especially when we also consider the state of public opinion and the information environment.
January 19, 2026 at 10:46 AM
There's a lot of talk about rearmament and breaking US dependence. I understand the logic completely. But I wonder if people have fully absorbed the economic/consumption implications of serious rearmament, especially when we also consider the state of public opinion and the information environment.
Reposted by Brendan Paddy
The only U.S. heavy icebreaker turns 50. That's an interesting landmark given recent U.S. criticism of other countries for not taking Arctic security seriously.
USCGC Polar Star, the U.S. Coast Guard’s only heavy icebreaker, turns 50. All U.S. military icebreakers are part of the Coast Guard; the Navy does not operate any vessels of this type.
militarnyi.com/en/news/u-s-...
militarnyi.com/en/news/u-s-...
U.S. Coast Guard’s Only Heavy Icebreaker Marks 50 Years in Service - Militarnyi
Polar Star can navigate ice up to 6 feet thick at 3 knots. Using a continuous ramming process, drive, strike, retreat, and strike again, it can penetrate ice up to 21 feet thick.
militarnyi.com
January 18, 2026 at 9:40 PM
The only U.S. heavy icebreaker turns 50. That's an interesting landmark given recent U.S. criticism of other countries for not taking Arctic security seriously.
Reposted by Brendan Paddy
Agree with @gideonrachman.bsky.social excellent column. European appeasement hasn't worked. It's time to try a different approach.
January 18, 2026 at 3:23 PM
Agree with @gideonrachman.bsky.social excellent column. European appeasement hasn't worked. It's time to try a different approach.
Reposted by Brendan Paddy
The view into the Cairngorms from Carn na Drochaide today. It's not been one of those super-mild thaws, thankfully, so there is still good cover higher up. An excellent primer for any heavy falls to come.....but need to get through Tues/Weds first 😬
January 18, 2026 at 9:40 PM
The view into the Cairngorms from Carn na Drochaide today. It's not been one of those super-mild thaws, thankfully, so there is still good cover higher up. An excellent primer for any heavy falls to come.....but need to get through Tues/Weds first 😬