Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Mark Harrison @mark4harrison.bsky.social · 1d

For Putin's birthday I was quoted in @thesun.co.uk about his methods of rule . . . www.thesun.co.uk/news/3693614... @warwickecon.bsky.social @cagewarwick.bsky.social @britishacademy.bsky.social @basees.bsky.social

How Vlad used sex tape to seize power... and spies use secrets to keep him there

RISING through the ranks of Russia’s elite and consolidating his power, Vladimir Putin weaponised sex and secrets to crush his political opponents. The former KGB officer used underhanded esp…

www.thesun.co.uk

1 1

Reposted by Mark Harrison

H.G.W. Davie @hgwdavie.bsky.social · 11d

I was recommended this book by @mark4harrison.bsky.social and I am on my fourth time reading it Its a magestrial explanation of the creation of the Soviet Warfare State Do not agree with everything the connection with the American Civil War seems contrived but it is hudely challenging in its breadth

1 3

Reposted by Mark Harrison

Paul Poast @profpaulpoast.bsky.social · 16d

ICYMI: in my latest for @wpr.bsky.social, I discuss how an embrace and even enthusiasm for using violence abroad inevitably links back to violence at home.

The ‘World at War’ Is Becoming Increasingly Lawless

International and domestic violence, have long been seen as intrinsically linked, largely because they both can feed on one another.

www.worldpoliticsreview.com

1 20 45

Reposted by Mark Harrison

The Economist @economist.com · 28d

Russia seems to be testing the willingness of Poland’s NATO allies to react collectively to a vivid provocation. How will the West respond?

Vladimir Putin’s dangerous drone probe is a moment of truth for NATO

Poland’s prime minister warns of “open conflict” with Russia

econ.st

2 9 21

Reposted by Mark Harrison

The Kyiv Independent @kyivindependent.com · 29d

⚡️ Poland asks NATO to activate Article 4 over Russian drone incursion.

Article 4 of the NATO treaty allows member states to request consultations with the allies if they believe their security has been threatened, without triggering a military response.

Poland asks NATO to activate Article 4 over Russian drone incursion

Article 4 of the NATO treaty allows member states to request consultations with the allies if they believe their security has been threatened, without triggering a military response.

kyivindependent.com

12 150 480

Reposted by Mark Harrison

Martin Sandbu @martinsandbu.ft.com · 29d

A few quick impressions from @vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu's State of the Union address: ec.europa.eu/commission/p... /

2025 State of the Union Address by President von der Leyen

President von der Leyen delivered the first State of the Union Address of the 2024-2029 Commission. \n

ec.europa.eu

1 10 25

Reposted by Mark Harrison

Polling USA @usapolling.bsky.social · Sep 7

New high of Americans saying immigration is good for the US

38 390 1.6K

Reposted by Mark Harrison

Roland Smith @rolandmcs.bsky.social · Aug 24

Enter a parallel universe where Lucy Connolly is a Bradford-based Muslim man called Usman Farooq who has tweeted that people should "set fire to all the f*cking churches full of the bastards", and the Telegraph would call him a terrorist who should be locked up immediately.

P. Thomas Johnson 🇬🇧🇨🇦 🤝 🇺🇦 @ptomj.bsky.social · Aug 24

"I was Keir Starmer's political prisoner?"

"Really? And what politics got you imprisoned?"

"I publicly advocated for vulnerable people to be burned alive"

Roland Smith @rolandmcs.bsky.social · Aug 23

This felt inevitable: an interview with Allison Pearson given top billing in the Telegraph.

Connolly suggests Starmer should relearn what freedom of speech means and "what the laws are in this country".

I think he knows but Connolly/Pearson clearly don't. No lessons have been learned in prison.

20 190 690

Reposted by Mark Harrison

Sam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · Aug 22

Farage is content with allowing people to be murdered and tortured. I'm not on that side and never will be.

89 350 1.2K

Reposted by Mark Harrison

On Humans Podcast @ilarimakela.bsky.social · Aug 21

What does the story of India reveal about the big questions of world history?

I got to talk about this at the British Academy. What an honour! Recording out now.

This was at the book launch of B. Gupta's "Economic History of India", hosted by the always-inspiring @cagewarwick.bsky.social.
1/3

The Great Question of History: India, Britain, and the Fates of Nations | Live at the British Academy

On Humans · Episode

open.spotify.com

1 2 2

Reposted by Mark Harrison

John Sipher @johnsipher.bsky.social · Aug 21

Gonna need some foreign help with those midterms, I guess.

Ryan Goodman @rgoodlaw.bsky.social · Aug 21

"Among other changes announced by Gabbard, the restructuring eliminates the Foreign Malign Influence Center, which monitors foreign efforts to influence the US public."

ODNI Fact Sheet here: www.dni.gov/files/ODNI/d...

www.bbc.com/news/article...

Tulsi Gabbard announces plans to cut intelligence staff by half

The director of national intelligence will also revoke the security clearances for 37 US intelligence officials who served under Biden and Obama.

www.bbc.com

5 45 110

Reposted by Mark Harrison

Shashank Joshi @shashj.bsky.social · Aug 20

My understanding is that the list of people whose clearances have been revoked by Gabbard includes a career civil servant who was until recently the most senior Russia analyst in the CIA & remains senior there. (NYT previously reported it included a snr CIA analyst: www.nytimes.com/2025/08/19/u...)

Trump Revokes Security Clearances of 37 Former and Current Officials

www.nytimes.com

19 120 240

Reposted by Mark Harrison

Shashank Joshi @shashj.bsky.social · Aug 21

Remarkable open letter from Bill Burns. "If intelligence analysts at the CIA saw our rivals engage in this kind of great-power suicide, we would break out the bourbon. Instead, the sound we hear is of champagne glasses clinking in the Kremlin and Zhongnanhai." theatlantic.com/magazine/arc...

A Letter to America’s Discarded Public Servants

You all deserved better.

theatlantic.com

41 670 1.9K

Reposted by Mark Harrison

Timothy Snyder @timothysnyder.bsky.social · Aug 17

1/2. The phrase "land swap" is being used to mean "Ukraine concedes land illegally occupied by Russia and also concedes territory that is not even occupied." That is not a swap.

63 990 3.2K

Reposted by Mark Harrison

Fabio Sabatini @fabiosabatini.bsky.social · Aug 12

🧵 In a recent IZA Discussion Paper, @stepanmikula.bsky.social, @tommasoreggiani.bsky.social, and I study how civic culture can persist—or even emerge—under authoritarian rule.
In the IZA World of Labor commentary linked below, you can also find a short non-technical summary.

#EconSky

1/3

Seeds of trust: How churches helped sustain civic life behind the “iron curtain”

Safeguarding even small civic spaces can be crucial for strengthening democracy in the long run

wol.iza.org

1 9 18

Mark Harrison @mark4harrison.bsky.social · Aug 8

"Growth is the number one priority" but the government needs money so let's stick a 6% tariff on one of our own more successful export industries

Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · Jul 10

We are calling on the UK Government to not introduce a levy on higher education provider income from international students, reduce visa costs to attract global talent, and to review higher education funding to create a sustainable model
www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/documents/58...

• Discontinue the idea of introducing a levy on higher education provider income from international students.
• Reduce visa costs to ensure they are at least as competitive in cost as other leading science nations, and preferably have a target to become the mos competitive in the G7.
• Provide immediate clarity that the current time length for Indefinite Leave to Remain is kept in place for current and future Global Talent visa holders and their dependents.

1 4

Reposted by Mark Harrison

Immo Rebitschek @immorebitschek.bsky.social · Aug 2

Take it from a historian: it is worthwhile to keep an eye on Russia's agricultural performance

Prune60 @prune602.bsky.social · Aug 2

‼️ Russian Agricultural Update:

“Beet shipments down 51%”

*sugar beets

For January-June 2025.

This story might be more complex & more important than you might expect.

www.kommersant.ru/doc/7926448

2 2 11

Reposted by Mark Harrison

Paul Poast @profpaulpoast.bsky.social · Aug 2

Why does sovereign recognition matter?

Because it is foundational to the current international system.

🧵

2 11 38

Reposted by Mark Harrison

Wojtek Kopczuk @wwwojtekk.bsky.social · Aug 2

2 5 29

Reposted by Mark Harrison

World Politics Review @wpr.bsky.social · Aug 1

France, the U.K. and Canada are all prepared to recognize the state of Palestine. What does that actually mean in international relations?

@profpaulpoast.bsky.social explains:

Recognizing Palestinian Statehood Isn’t Just Political Theater

France, the U.K. and Canada are all prepared to recognize the state of Palestine. What does that actually mean in international relations?

www.worldpoliticsreview.com

3 5

Reposted by Mark Harrison

Alan Owlport 🦉 🎃 @alanallport.bsky.social · Jul 29

Alright then, before this totally runs out of steam/becomes too tedious even for me:

1 like = one opinion about the Second World War

13 22 230

Mark Harrison @mark4harrison.bsky.social · Jul 28

In which Pyotr Kurzin and I have a pleasant chat on a gloomy subject -- sanctions, economic warfare, and Russia's war on Ukraine www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfjX...

@warwickecon.bsky.social @cagewarwick.bsky.social @britishacademy.bsky.social @cepr.org

Why Russia’s Slow Collapse Is More Dangerous Than You Realise

YouTube video by Pyotr Kurzin | Geopolitics

www.youtube.com

4 8

Reposted by Mark Harrison

Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · Jul 24

Lionel Shriver tells those of us who live here what our country looks like if you leave it + rely on the media ecosystem of the very online right as a proxy for reality

66 50 330

Reposted by Mark Harrison

Carl T. Bergstrom @carlbergstrom.com · Jul 26

Good stuff: Paul Krugman's general theory of enshittification even includes a little dynamic programming model.

The General Theory of Enshittification

It isn’t a new phenomenon, but it seems to matter more

paulkrugman.substack.com

18 170 580

Reposted by Mark Harrison

Lawrence Freedman @ldfreedman.bsky.social · Jul 24

Were they shopping or just browsing?

2 1 78