The library in the Abbey of St. Gallen 📷

New twist on diversionary war theory.

Zürich in the snow 📷

one net effect of this will just be to make life a little harder for Americans in ways, they can’t quite put their finger on, because some of these organizations do the invisible work of multilateralism that enables contemporary life; another will be to hold up progress on most shared global goal…

www.nytimes.com/2026/01/06/w... Our strategy hinges on immiserating Venezuela. If there's anything we know from the Iraq sanctions experience, it's that regime elites find ways to insulate themselves and it's ordinary people who suffer.

Yes, this. Denmark is a loyal ally that has fought by our side. If the administration can't address its security interests through negotiations with a friendly nation, then they are lousy diplomats.

At the risk of disagreeing with the wonderful @profsaunders.bsky.social, I think the Venezuela operation shows that while the president is largely unconstrained in deciding whether to use force, he is constrained when it comes to scope and scale. 1/6

New thread on why Rubio can't just tell Venezuela what to do and expect results. Here's a link to the whole thread on one page, via @skywriter.blue: skywriter.blue/pages/did:pl...

🧵Day 3 and we have a new meaning for "running Venezuela," courtesy of Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the nation's top diplomat, who is in charge of Venezuela as well as the National Archives. We're going to insist they do what's in the US national interest. Time for some principal-agent theory. 1/

Apropos current events, I want to tout this paper by @soyounglee.bsky.social showing that discussion of economic benefits can reduce public support for military action. People are skeptical when they think specific groups (e.g., oil companies) will benefit. www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

I can’t believe we need this reminder in 2026, but countries have sovereignty over their natural resources. hrlibrary.umn.edu/instree/c2ps...

It's wild that the PM of a NATO member feels compelled to put out a statement like this vis-à-vis the US government.

So we’re not doing Iraq 2003. Instead, we’re doing Iraq 1991-2002. Wonder how that went?

Water and ice ❄️ 📷

Merry Christmas from Bellwald, Switzerland 📷

Imagine interviewing a victim of torture and independently confirming the details of his torture and then being told you can’t broadcast it because the people who ordered the torture wouldn’t give their side of the story.

Luzern 📷

You know where this kind of discussion across differing viewpoints *actually* happens on a daily basis? In university classrooms across the country.

This afternoon’s view from Zürich’s Uitliberg mountain. 📷

🧵Here's a research-backed answer: No. 1/ www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

The Habsburg castle in Aargau, Switzerland, from which the famous dynasty got its name (and yes, the castle had the name first).

Ah yes, the Putin Addendum to the Trump Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine

Feels more like Times Late Roman

A few thoughts on the new NSS, expert responses, and upcoming NDS. 1. The first talking point for every expert should have been that this is an overtly white nationalist document that spits on every American ideal of meritocracy, the innate value of human life, and self-determination. 1/

Some random observations about the new National Security Strategy. 🧵 www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/u...

A few thoughts on the new US national security strategy that was released today. 🧵 www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/u...

Given how much the Pentagon is leaking right now, real reporters would be wasting their time going to a press briefing.

A disaster for the U.S. and the world that will have long term ramifications

Christmas lights in Zürich 📷

Many stores in Switzerland were advertising “Black Friday” sales. Some even called it “Black Week.” Then there is this place…

Three views of the Basel Cathedral surrounded by Christmas cheer. 📷

Zurich tonight 📷

Inexcusable elite capitulation of course. On the bright side, I am sure I speak for many when I say that the only line I have ever heard from a Reith Lecture is the one they chose to censor.

That design sux. www.sfgate.com/national-par...

Zurich decked out for Christmas 📷

We used to have nice things

A terrace with an amazing view on Lake Lugano (Gandria, Switzerland) 📷

This is an exciting issue of @iojournal.bsky.social, and I'm delighted to have an essay weighing the risks of interstate territorial conflict in light of everything that's going on. You'll find I am guardedly optimistic. Looking forward to reading the other essays. #IOFoGG doi.org/10.1017/S002...

Zurich 📷

People often forget all the wars we won between WW1 and WW2. 🙄

Luzern, Switzerland 📷

tariff spiral (pasta)

I’m not a highly paid political consultant, but it seems to me that “Republicans showed that they’d rather starve children and risk planes falling from the sky than lower health care costs” is a better message than this.

Hiked around a large mountain with great vistas, but my favorite shot of the day was this quiet scene from a small chapel in Rigi Kaltbad, Switzerland.

Fascinating to see the Trump administration argue that the use of state power to extract money from citizens is not taxation if the purpose is to disincentivize some behavior that the government dislikes, rather than to raise revenue. That is not what Republicans used to claim to believe.

This is a monument to the soldiers from Aargau, Switzerland, who served during WW1 and WW2—two wars in which Switzerland, of course, did not participate. They are remembered for warding the evil away. I have seen countless war memorials, but never one like this.

Guten abend from Zurich 📷

Waking up here in Europe. Time to see how yesterday’s World Series game ended…

Harsh, but fair.