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Will Davies @will-davies.bsky.social · 2h

Award Trump the economics Nobel

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Anne Applebaum @anneapplebaum.bsky.social · 2h

Congratulations to Maria Corina Machado, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize - her incredible optimism has already changed her country. I spoke to her, and wrote about her, at the beginning of this year:
www.theatlantic.com/internationa...

The ‘Anthropological Change’ Happening in Venezuela

Maduro is still in place, but a pro-democracy movement is transforming the beleaguered country.

www.theatlantic.com

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alina @ramshackle78.bsky.social · 3h

Yeah, listening to the Chairman live it sounded like he's talking to anybody who even thought it might be Trump.

Wd be interested if Fox News carried the speech live

Bård Harstad @bardharstad.bsky.social · 3h

Note the wording.. Ms. Machado receives the prize for:
- promoting democratic rights
- struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition
- At a time when democracy is under threat
- where democracy is in retreat
- more and more authoritarian regimes are challenging norm
www.nobelpeacecenter.org/en

Nobel Peace Center | Museum of the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway

The Nobel Peace Center in Oslo is the museum of the Nobel Peace Prize. Experience our exhibitions, events and guided tours inspired by the ideas and work of the Nobel Peace Prize laureates.

www.nobelpeacecenter.org

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Tatarigami @tatarigami.bsky.social · 3h

Jokes are already emerging: As the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, in retaliation, the US will impose tariffs on Norway and start supporting Maduro.

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alina @ramshackle78.bsky.social · 3h

I think it would be better. if Venezuelans peacefully wrestle power from Maduro.
There's rumours that she has been hiding in the deserted US embassy in Caracas

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alina @ramshackle78.bsky.social · 3h

Machado gets it.

Hope he's not invading Venezuela today

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alina @ramshackle78.bsky.social · 3h

All… 'must follow in the imperial vortex, and smile on till they die.'

'A fanaticism of obedience… oppression disguised as love of order'

'Domestic entertainments were appointed and regulated; the people were drilled like soldiers'

We all know of Tocqueville's optimism about America

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alina @ramshackle78.bsky.social · 3h

'The secret presides over everything … saying the truth would overturn the State.'

'He speaks, and it is done; the life and fortunes … all depend on his supreme will.'

'Let but the liberty of the press be accorded to Russia for twenty-four hours… Silence is indispensable to oppression.' 4/

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alina @ramshackle78.bsky.social · 3h

All these years later, if you read both and then look at America and Russia nowadays it's clear that Custine turned out to be far more prescient than Tocqueville about their respective subjects.

Some quotes from Custine about Russia:

'society in a perpetual state of siege.' 3/

'

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alina @ramshackle78.bsky.social · 3h

went to Russia in 1839 and then published his LA RUSSIE EN 1939 in 1843.

These two aristocrats moved in the same circles in Paris but only met briefly.

Custine's book was bestseller in Europe and banned in Russia 2/

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alina @ramshackle78.bsky.social · 3h

First half of the 19th century two French aristocrats set sail for two very different parts of the world.

25y old Alexis (comte) de Tocqueville went to America for 10 months (May 1831 - Feb 1832) and then published his DEMOCRACY IN AMERICA in 1835 and 1840.

49y Astolphe (marquis) de Custine 1/

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alina @ramshackle78.bsky.social · 4h

Aaaah, interesting. Maybe Ukraine can now find out what modifications Russia made to the Kinzhal that is making it evade Patriot

WarTranslated (Dmitri) @wartranslated.bsky.social · 4h

A MiG-31 crashed in Russia yesterday evening, reportedly a Kinzhal missile carrier, Russian sources said.

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alina @ramshackle78.bsky.social · 4h

My bad, it's 11am Oslo time so in ~1h

alina @ramshackle78.bsky.social · 4h

So we've got 15min left of peace before Nobel committee announces

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alina @ramshackle78.bsky.social · 4h

I think at this point we can assume they're both and together playing us for fools. Just this week 👇

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alina @ramshackle78.bsky.social · 4h

I was quite surprised to discover in a DW article from yesterday on this that EV adoption in Germany (whether pure EV or plug in hybrid) is worse than in the UK

alina @ramshackle78.bsky.social · 10h

Oh man, if only you'd have Gen Z protesting in US as they do in Nepal, Madagascar, Indonesia, Phillipines, Morocco, Kenya

Gil Durán @gilduran.com · 11h

My takeaways from Thiel's Secret Antichrist Lectures (embargo lifted):

1. Tech is building the "machinery" of the Antichrist. D'oh!

2. The Antichrist is defined by "velocity" ("acceleration," eh?)

3. The Antichrist will be Gen Z (weird numerology stuff about the number 33)

Gil Durán @gilduran.com · 11h

News: I have obtained full transcripts of Peter Thiel's Secret Antichrist Lectures (as have multiple other journalists).

They were supposed to be embargoed until 9 a.m. tomorrow, but Reuters has a story up. (They may have gotten them from a different source)

www.reuters.com/world/us/pet...

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jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 11h

practically a requirement for this administration to be a sex pest

Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 11h

"30-year-old conservative lawyer and activist who is Trump’s nominee to lead the Office of Special Counsel, which deals with federal employee whistleblower complaints and discrimination" cancelled his colleague's hotel room so she would be forced to stay with him.
www.politico.com/news/2025/10...

In late July, Paul Ingrassia, the White House liaison for the Department of Homeland Security, arrived at a Ritz-Carlton in Orlando with a lower-ranking female colleague and others from their department. When the group reached the front desk, the woman learned she didn’t have a hotel room.

Ingrassia then informed her that she would be staying with him, according to five administration officials familiar with the episode. Eventually the woman discovered that Ingrassia had arranged ahead of time to have her hotel room canceled so she would have to stay with him, three of those officials said.

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alina @ramshackle78.bsky.social · 10h

Time to organise

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Dan Nexon @dhnexon.bsky.social · 10h

Everything I've posted since 2016–2022 about Trump and MAGA is basically just a reworded version of stuff I wrote during that period.

Starfish Who Can’t Think Something Witty @irhottakes.bsky.social · 4d

Honestly, it kinda feels like we're out of takes at this point. Like everyone's already said everything they had to say and we're done here.

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paris martineau @paris.nyc · 11h

don’t make the tap the sign

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alina @ramshackle78.bsky.social · 10h

Necessary correction from the always great @massdara.bsky.social on how we think of Russia'a military now, in 2025 and going forward

tl;dr Don't sleep on it

www.foreignaffairs.com/podcasts/ree...