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Matthew Redhead

@matthewrr.bsky.social

1.8K followers 1K following 2.2K posts

National & financial security. Former UK civil servant and financial intelligence professional. Senior Associate Fellow @rusi.bsky.social CFS. Loves ideas, cult fiction, anomalous stuff and landscapes. Views own.

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Matthew Redhead @matthewrr.bsky.social · 28d

“People sometimes tell me that they prefer barbarism to civilisation. I doubt if they have given it a long enough trial…they are bored by civilisation; but all the evidence suggests that the boredom of barbarism is infinitely greater.”

Kenneth Clark, ‘Civilisation’.

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Stefan Stern @stefanstern.bsky.social · 2h

Breaking: Trump bans ABBA and declares war on Sweden.

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Chris Orton @chriso1.bsky.social · 18h

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Matthew Redhead @matthewrr.bsky.social · 21h

“A rally not for any old change, lads. REAL change.”

Matthew Redhead @matthewrr.bsky.social · 21h

“Back together, after all those tears.”

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Glen O'Hara @gsoh31.bsky.social · 1d

Coverage of Badenoch's speech was one of the worst examples ever of Westminster Brain and Lobbythink. A litany of nonsense applauded by a policy elite that can't even think three moves ahead. (1/3)

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Profolus @profolus.com · 1d

A study reveals that the biggest predictor of war support is not politics—but masculinity. Cultural ideals linking manhood with violence make people more likely to support militarization and war.

Beliefs About Violent Masculinity May Predict Readiness for War - Profolus

Beliefs linking masculinity with violence are the strongest driver of pro-war attitudes.

www.profolus.com

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Matthew Redhead @matthewrr.bsky.social · 1d

If he doesn’t want to pigeon-holed as a Tory, why did he write about it in a national newspaper? And speak at the Tory conference? Give me a break.

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Shipwreck @shipwreck75.bsky.social · 1d

A senior Iranian lawmaker said on Wednesday that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei had lifted all limits to the range of Iran’s missiles, signaling a potential major shift to Tehran's defense posture after a punishing June war.
iranintl.com/en/202510081527

Khamenei lifted all limits on missile range, senior Iranian MP says

iranintl.com

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Jan-Werner Mueller @jwmueller-pu.bsky.social · 1d

"The future they are building is one in which states cooperate in a global condominium to suppress transnational dissent...one in which a fundamental means of continuing the struggle against dictatorships—fleeing to a more democratic country and advocating from there—is foreclosed."

Important read:

Trump Is Supporting Transnational Repression

Instead of sheltering pro-democracy dissidents, America is now returning them for arrest.

foreignpolicy.com

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François Heisbourg @fheisbourg.bsky.social · 2d

Grey zone ops

POLITICO Europe @politico.eu · 2d

One of Europe’s biggest air defense companies is warning that its top secret factories are being overflown by increasing numbers of drones.

And it wants clear rules on how to jam or bring them down.

Top EU weapons firm warns of drone threat to production lines

Thales Belgium says its factory making 70 mm rockets is being buzzed by drones.

ow.ly

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Matthew Redhead @matthewrr.bsky.social · 1d

Rip off degrees:

Matthew Redhead @matthewrr.bsky.social · 1d

👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻

David Henig @davidheniguk.bsky.social · 2d

Incidentally English graduates are in demand by tech companies who need to translate what they do into understandable language for their business customers in particular.

But why let facts get in the way of a stupid soundbite?

Tim Worthington @outonbluesix.bsky.social · 2d

How is this repeatedly made into a policy issue - by *all* parties - when the blunt fact of the matter is that grown adults who are obliged to pay for their own education, and relentlessly pursued to repay their loans, should be able to study whatever the fuck they want.

Matthew Redhead @matthewrr.bsky.social · 1d

That two hander with Guinness and Bannen. Beautiful, sad, bitter.

Matthew Redhead @matthewrr.bsky.social · 1d

I seem to be seeing more random posts from accounts I don’t follow. I just had one telling me “not to forget to trace and kiss her tattoos today”.

Like, what? WHAT?

Matthew Redhead @matthewrr.bsky.social · 1d

Interesting perspective.

Anders Östlund @andersostlund.bsky.social · 2d

EU's slow response EU to Russian warfare makes a Russian state collapse more likely. EU's measures are slowly eating away at the Russian body in a way a swift and resolute response would not. Time is not on Russia's side. Eventually China will also not want to be fettered to a corpse.

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Matthew Redhead @matthewrr.bsky.social · 1d

Those flags are like bleedin’ rabbits.

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Ian Bond @cerianbond.bsky.social · 2d

I agree. I've seen Putin described as risk-averse; I don't think that's right. He takes risks that other leaders wouldn't, but only when he assesses that the likelihood of an effective response is low. The West has yet to change his assessment that he can keep pushing us back.

Keir Giles @keirgiles.bsky.social · 2d

Here is @nigelgould-davies.bsky.social on Russia’s disruption campaign against Europe. I’m not sure I would be so optimistic on the Kremlin being worried by US & EUR behaviour, but the conclusion is unshakeable: absent a serious response, this will get much worse.

www.iiss.org/online-analy...

Screenshot from linked article, saying Western officials are puzzled, but they shouldn’t be.

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Matthew Redhead @matthewrr.bsky.social · 1d

Which indicates what a small person she is.

Matthew Redhead @matthewrr.bsky.social · 1d

More to the point - you don’t just do a degree to get a job.

Matthew Redhead @matthewrr.bsky.social · 1d

I’ve worked with quite a few English grads in consultancy, banking and technology. Some have had to learn new skills (me too - I studied history), but most bring imagination, cultural depth and humanity to their work. That’s a dividend, not a rip off, as far as I can see.

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Marc Morris @marcmorris.bsky.social · 2d

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Ian Dunt @iandunt.bsky.social · 2d

Calling English a 'rip-off degree' is one of the most blatant exhibitions of personal barbarism I've ever seen. You've demonstrated nothing but the poverty of your own mind.

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Matthew Redhead @matthewrr.bsky.social · 1d

They could cast you as the next "Man in Black" on Radio 4.

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Keir Giles @keirgiles.bsky.social · 1d

It's been a year since the audiobook version of 'Who Will Defend Europe?' was released. If you haven't heard my best soothing bedtime story voice recounting this tale of looming disaster and calamity, a) what's your excuse and b) the publishers have the answer.

www.audiobooks.com/promotions/p...

70% OFF Who Will Defend Europe?: An Awakened Russia and a Sleeping Continent

Who will defend Europe? The answer should be obvious: Europe should be able to defend itself. Yet, for decades, most of the continent enjoyed a defense holiday, outsourcing protection to the United St...

www.audiobooks.com

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Matthew Redhead @matthewrr.bsky.social · 1d

This happens to me occasionally. I mostly feel like I am blathering into the ether on here, but invariably, the few times I get re-posted, I've made a ruddy mistake.