Autocrats learn from each other... #SaveDemocracy #TheWolfAndTheLamb #Aesop

My third and final progress report on Political Geography is out and open access. This one covers recent work on Authoritarian Geographies journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

"“They are not acting as true litigators of the law. They are looking at these cases from a political lens,” she [Karoline Leavitt] said." Thank heaven that the White House is not (looking at these cases from a political lens!). #RightToApplyForAsylum @unhcr.org @usccbofficial.bsky.social

And @dailystar.co.uk gives us The King - and the "Manbaby"!🤩

Sometimes you just have to love the British press! Media in the UK often hit home. Tonight, their take on the state visit of #King Charles to the U.S., by way of @thesun.co.uk Eagerly waiting for @dailystar.co.uk to excel this😎

The current "leader of the free world" makes #Putin look, almost, incompetent in comparison. Authoritarians thrive on mutual support, and a frear of free speech. #EchoOfMoscow (now transmitting from Berlin).

"As leaders of America’s colleges, universities, and scholarly societies, we speak with one voice against the unprecedented government overreach and political interference now endangering American higher education", says @aaup.org and many, many heroic! higher education leaders in the U.S.

Unbelievable and incredible sad... #DefendDemocracy #DefendAcademicFreedom #DefendFreedomOfThinking #FreeToThink @scholarsatrisk.bsky.social @eua.eu @coimbragroup.bsky.social @sciencecouncil.bsky.social @erc.europa.eu @uniworldnews.bsky.social @indexoncensorship.org @iucdubrovnik.bsky.social

#ICE is still operating in the U.S... "Saving" #democracy? The U.S. is more and more looking as a state in the former Eastern-Europe 1946-1990. #DasLebenDerAnderen www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politic...

"EU institutions also slashed their budget by 13.8%. "While this shift is politically understandable, it raises serious questions about the EU's capacity to sustain long-term partnerships and deliver on its external action objectives”, says Jones." Europe is making a HUGE disservice to democracy.

📘We’re excited to share the new IUC Academic Programme Brochure for 2026. 📄 Brochure is available here 🔽 lnkd.in/dN5jRUer Join us and take part in the programme that interest you. #iucdubrovnik

Yesterday’s #UNAM - #UiB symposium on #migration in a shifting global order was a sucess! With the participation of @piervanwoll.bsky.social, @hakangs.bsky.social, Ann Cathrin Corrales-Øverlid, Kari Hagatun, Simone Grassini, as well as @noruegaenmexico.bsky.social and @acnurmexico.bsky.social

Volker Türk "hizo un llamado para que el tema de las #desapariciones no se #politice y se ponga al centro a las #víctimas ...el mensaje que recibió de las víctimas es que se acabe la #impunidad, lo cual reconoció que el #Gobierno impulsa y trabaja en contra de ello." #Mexico #4T

More people really need to understand what mission creep is and how the language of criminality will apply to literally everyone an authoritarian government deems fit.

!

En su amplia cobertura de la IV Cumbre en Defensa de la Democracia, ¿cuánto escribió @elperiodico.com sobre los #desaparecidos en #México, explicando por qué este no fue un tema para una reunión de #izquierda? ¿Cuántas preguntas críticas le hicieron a #Sheinbaum? @irenebenedicto.bsky.social

Volker #Türk “Estuvo interesado en escucharnos antes de escuchar a las autoridades...él decía que era importante primero escuchar la sociedad civil sobre la reestructuración de los derechos humanos en general que hay en el país” #Mexico #4T #Militarización @centroprodh.bsky.social

Podemos suponer que el tema de los desaparecidos no se trató en la reunión de "los progresistas" en Barcelona... ¡Qué mundo tan extraño vivimos cuando la izquierda hace la vista gorda ante tales atrocidades! #Mexico #4T #TenemosOtrosDatos @cperezbustillo.bsky.social @efe.com @es.france24.com

Gobernación rechaza una vez más el informe de la ONU sobre desaparecidos en #México. La titular respalda a Sheinbuam y descarta un problema estructural, luego de confirmar una reunión con Volker Türk, Alto Comisionado de la organización. losangelespress.org/noticias/202...

"El 19 de abril se conmemora en #México el Día Nacional de las Familias Buscadoras, una fecha instituida por colectivos para visibilizar la labor de búsqueda de personas desaparecidas."

"Türk se reunirá con representantes de la sociedad civil y víctimas de violaciones de derechos humanos, incluidos representantes de pueblos indígenas y familias de personas desaparecidas..El Alto Comisionado realizará una conferencia de prensa al final de su visita el miércoles 22 de abril." #Mexico

"En entrevista, el ex presidente del Comité contra las Desapariciones Forzadas (CED), Santiago Corcuera, informó que la visita [de Volker Turk] se programó para este domingo 18 de abril"

"a nation can only legitimately take up the sword ‘in #self-defense, once all #peace efforts have failed’ (Catechism of the #Catholic Church, no. 2308). That is, to be a #justwar it must be a defense against another who actively wages #war" #Theology

The Trump admin has abruptly canceled an $11 million contract w/ Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami to shelter & care for migrant children who enter the U.S. alone, ending a relationship between the Church & the U.S. govern. dating back to the 1st arrivals of Cuban exiles in South Fla.

Today's column "Trump’s Blasphemy Is a Warning" by Ross #Douthat in @nytimes.com is astounding. Not because of his opinions, but because it seems to reflect a remarkable lack of understanding of #CST. Don't they have theological competence left in NYT? Analysing theology with political lenses...

US media v UK media

Not quite. It seems like they have amended the headline, which would have been great, you quoted (or suggested). The printed version, page A1👇, now reads "Trump Denies Portraying Self As Jesus in Post". @froomkin.bsky.social @mkrebs.bsky.social @prisoner37.bsky.social

This would be good! It would mean no longer fighting Google and Facebook for ads or relying on an algorithm you can’t control! Don’t fear atoms! Embrace it!!!

"It has long been obvious to anyone who wants to see that US President Donald #Trump is doing what he can to dismantle the American #democracy. With attacks on the free press, on the courts and on the judicial system", writes editor Hanne Skartveit for @vg.no. The political cartoon is by Roar Hagen.

"the #Church should have true freedom to preach the faith, to teach her #socialdoctrine, to exercise her role freely...and also to pass #moral #judgment in those matters which regard public order when the fundamental rights of a person or the salvation of souls require it." -Gaudium et spes, #76

"many countries outside the US don't trust American software companies, especially Microsoft...So it is, especially in the European Union (EU), that governments have been dumping #Microsoft software in favor of open-source programs", writes Steven Vaughan-Nichols, for Zednet.com #Linux #Democracy

Cardinal McElroy on CNN regarding AI image Trump posted: “I haven’t talked to a single person who interprets that the same way the President does. For the President to take on this aura, this identity…is really crossing a line.”

La investigadora Jésica Pla, de @clacso.bsky.social muestra la debilidad de los datos sobre la #pobreza en #Argentina utilizados en un editorial de @washingtonpost.com y cómo ocultan una realidad de empobrecimiento @pagina12ok.bsky.social @es.france24.com @elpais.com www.clacso.org/la-medicion-...

@clacso.bsky.social researcher Jésica Pla shows the weakness of the data on #poverty in #Argentina used by an editorial in @washingtonpost.com, and how they conceal a reality of impoverishment. @efe.com @en.france24.com @oxfaminternational.bsky.social @apnews.com www.clacso.org/la-medicion-...

I'm Catholic. We were taught it is blasphemous to speak badly about a priest over disagreements -- let alone our pontiff, who to us, represents Christ Vicar (on earth) And then for Trump to depict himself as Our Savior?! A self-imposed prayer card as Healer Jesus!? It's depraved and manipulative

"México que se dice soberano, pero se muestra incapaz de garantizar el derecho elemental a no desaparecer", ecsribe @beltrandelrio.bsky.social para @theobjective-es.bsky.social

"This is why I like him [Trump] so much", says the Secretary General of NATO. You could not make this stuff up...

“Diferentes expertos, diferentes diplomáticos, diferentes gobiernos- la misma postura” Esto (abajo) fue en 2015, bajo el régimen de Pena Nieto. Así nos recuerda nuestro respetado colega Michael Chamberlin en su posteo en Facebook, reproducido aquí- Este es el “cambio” que nos prometieron??

Three 2-year full-time postdoctoral positions in autocratic politics at the Department of Political Science at Aarhus University (in connection to projects headed by Jakob Tolstrup and Alexander Baturo). Flexible start date. Application deadline: June 1, 2026. international.au.dk/about/profil...

Worth a download and study!

Absolutely a great investigative documentary by @frontlinepbs.bsky.social; strongly recommended! Makes one wonder about the 'business' (economic) dealings between Bukele and Trump. Another thing these two autocrats have in common is designating media as "the enemy"... #DefendJournalism #Liberty

Autoridades rebasadas o cómplices e impunidad: las fallas estructurales de México en la crisis de desapariciones dozz.es/qmu4n1

This👇is a very interesting 'Trinity' (pun intended)😇: Miranda, José Porfirio. Marx against the Marxists. Orbis Books, 1980. Hinkelammert, Franz J. The Ideological Weapons of Death. @orbisbooks.bsky.social, 1986. Dussel, Enrique. The Theological Metaphors of Marx. @dukepress.bsky.social, 2024.

Esto es muy importante. Parece que Sheinbaum no cuenta con buenos asesores ni expertos en el texto del Convención. Esto no habría sido un problema si el gobierno simplemente hubiera dado las gracias a la ONU. Pero decidieron iniciar una batalla que no pueden ganar. Qué lástima. #PolíticaAmateur #4T

" #morality is not simply present in some fashion in the thinking of Marx...but...it actually constitutes the guiding thread of...economic analyses...For #Marx, economic science itself is not feasible without a strictly moral conscience." -José Porfirio Miranda, Marx Against the Marxists, p.xi-xxi.

“Sí somos parte de la ONU”: presidente de Comité contra la Desaparición Forzada responde a Sheinbaum www.proceso.com.mx/nacional/202...

"Los Estados Partes en la presente Convención...Decididos a prevenir las #desapariciones forzadas y a luchar contra la impunidad en lo que respecta al delito de desaparición forzada". Esto significa que es el Estado ( #Mexico) el responsable de las desapariciones ocurridas dentro de su territorio.

The Rise of Authoritarian Middle Powers The world’s “middle powers” were once bastions of defense for a liberal rules-based international order. But no more. A new kind of authoritarian middle power has emerged, undermining democratic norms and safeguards. muse.jhu.edu/pub/1/a...

4T llega al poder en 2018. El informe 2025 del Observatorio Sobre #Desaparición e #Impunidad en #México, es muy similar al CED en sus conclusiones. Ese informe de 2025 fue elaborado por una larga lista de ONG y cuenta con el apoyo de FLACSO México, Universidad de Minnesota y Universidad de Oxford.

Algunos periódicos (de menor tiraje) en #México siguen dando seguimiento al caso de los #desaparecidos y al informe de la ONU. "Exhorta @amnesty.org a la cooperación por los desaparecidos." @angel-pc.bsky.social @jacobodayan.bsky.social @es.france24.com @analisisurbano.bsky.social @efe.com