oh it's going to be a Recession recession

This is literally what I've been writing and podcasting about for years. I was planning to do an essay on this, but here's a 🧵. The main reason is psychology. Due to personal, family, and cultural histories, some people are inherently scared of the world.

Pew Research Institute (2023): • Red State Texas has about 2.1 million undocumented immigrants • Red State Florida has 1.6 M undocumented immigrants • Blue State Minnesota has 130,000. And yet only Minnesota is being occupied by masked thugs over "immigration." It's *not* about immigration.

The president -Is occupying a major city with armed paramilitiaries -Is blackmailing treaty allies to hand over their sovereign territory -Is trying to set himself up as chairman for life of a UN rival with $1B fees for permanent membership -Is talking about canceling elections

A note from reality: Trump says that he is imposing tariffs on 8 EU countries, but that's not doable. The EU is a single trading block and customs union. Things made in the EU are simply "made in EU." Many products such as autos or machinery are made with components from multiple EU countries.

Norwegian PM Støre says Trump repeatedly raises—complains about, pleads for, and demands—the Nobel Peace Prize every time they meet. Støre gives same answer each time: decision is made independently by Norwegian Nobel Committee, with no role for Norwegian gov—a concept Trump appears unable to grasp.

WELKER: What is the national emergency that justifies this new slate of tariffs? BESSENT: The national emergency is avoiding a national emergency

Na alle sneeuw is het momenteel afzien voor iedereen die naar #UrbanFlora #stoepplant #crackweed kijkt. Er staat buitengewoon weinig meer in bloei. Extra welkom dus, deze Groot sneeuwklokje (Galanthus elwesii), ergens in Rotterdam.

We had a great conversation with @michaelkofman.bsky.social about the state of European defense. Warning: some blunt talk in the link below. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...

On May 10th, Macron informed Trump that Ukraine had accepted his ceasefire proposal. Putin flatly rejected it. ​Trump responded by shifting the goalposts. His reversal sabotaged the very ultimatum European leaders had traveled to Kyiv to deliver. He later blamed Ukraine. ​

Blijf me verbazen over al die mensen (politici, analisten, journalisten) die nu verbaasd zijn.

Vanmiddag spoedoverleg in Brussel over Trumps chantage politiek. Wel zo fijn om te weten wat daarbij de inzet is van het demissionaire kabinet. De eerste reactie van @ministerBZ was niet geruststellend. En @MinPres zwijgt. Vandaar net verzoek gedaan om een Kamerbrief.

🧵 I've been thinking about this in the past few days and it makes a lot of sense to me. To describe what Eliot is saying here through the lens of the Middle East, I'm going to write here what my interpretation of it is.

Gaan we straks zitten juichen en lachen in een land dat onze territoriale integriteit bedreigt en een handelsoorlog tegen ons voert?

💯 correct.

FIFA would then try to punish European nations over it, which would have the bonus side effect of showing it up for what it is, too.

Been talking about this in our family tonight. It is one of the few things that would register with him.

As much as we all look forward to the world cup I genuinely feel we should be doing this.

The Olympic Games in Berlin 1936 should’ve been cancelled, but it wasn’t. Don’t give the tyrant an opportunity for grandeur.

Just about the only domain I can think of where Europe still dominates the rest of the world. There simply is no World Cup without Europe, they have a very strong hand here.

What Europe could do is threaten to boycott the World Cup. It won't. But that might actually work. Trump wants his big show.

*whispers* *hey, most of the world, you know we should boycott the Olympics and the World Cup, right*

"When America sneezes, the world catches a cold." Well, some of it does.

In 1916, the US was worried that Germany might take control of the Danish West Indies to use as a submarine base. So, Denmark sold the Danish West Indies to the USA, with the colony becoming the US Virgin Islands. In exchange, the USA acknowledged Denmark's complete sovereignty over Greenland.

[1/6] A reminder: Europe has cards to use against the US. Lots of them. To cite some examples: - Tighten screws on US digital giants (taxes, fines, even bans) - Export taxes disrupting US supply chains eg pharma - Exclude US firms from European procurement, inc defence ecfr.eu/publication/...

For a year, the bottom of the Baltic Sea was overwhelmingly quiet. Then, within a few days, six cables were damaged or even cut. But the world was watching Washington, Venezuela and Greenland. foreignpolicy.com/2026/01/16/b... (Me @foreignpolicy.com. Gift link.)

Maybe someone should tell Trump that Greenland is not a very large golf course.

Another classic ‘nothing to see here folks’ moment from coward Mike Johnson

Ik zag deze!!

‘Maar een WK voetbal ter viering van de grootheidswaan van een racistische, gewetenloze en gewelddadige vastgoedtycoon en zijn trawanten zou zelfs voor haar een stap te ver moeten zijn.’ Zou moeten zijn, toch @knvb.bsky.social ?

This is actually the really simple story of the collapse of American democracy. You can explain America’s constitutional collapse in a single coherent sentence:

These are voices of Russian soldiers confessing to their families about crimes they’ve committed in Ukraine. It’s similar to confessions from Wagner paramilitaries who’ve committed numerous human rights abuses in Africa

Sweden’s Prime Minister, in a new statement on Greenland: “We will not let ourselves be blackmailed… Sweden is now having intensive discussions with other EU countries, Norway, and the United Kingdom for a coordinated response.”

Territorial integrity and sovereignty are fundamental principles of international law. They are essential for Europe and for the international community as a whole.

This is the definition of what Kavanaugh thinks a good stop is. He was detained, based on his accent, and then released after they checked his papers (which presumably Kavanaugh does not carry with him). He was detained in front of his five year old child, who told him "I don't want to lose you."

Trump wil Groenland om z’n techvrienden aan een eigen land te helpen: ‘Silicon Valley tech investors had begun ‘promoting the frozen island as a site for a so-called freedom city, a libertarian utopia with minimal corporate regulation.’’ newrepublic.com/article/2051...

Nu keihard in EU-verband terugslaan!

I’ve been stalwart backer of transatlantic alliance all my life. I understand why Europeans have so far trod softly/tried to keep Trump onside. But, there comes a time when you have to face reality. The US is no longer our ally. Its defense guarantee is worthless. Time to kick ass back🧵

Kyiv’s Motherland Monument lit up in the colors of Ukraine and the United Kingdom 🇺🇦🇬🇧 The lighting marks the anniversary of the 100-Year Partnership agreement. In a winter that tries to drain hope, small signs of steady support matter.

We may be weak individually, but collectively we’re stronger than we think and have tools we can leverage- military based, bond markets, overflight rights, Diego Garcia, trade deals, sanctions. Trump is a corrupt, authoritarian leader - we’d have long ago sanctioned his type in other countries.

Find some spine, UK and Europe. Where’s that fabled spirit of resistance? Tell Trump to sod off. Close his golf courses. Take the gloves off. Badenoch kicked out Jenrick before he quit; what are we waiting for with Trump? Do we have to suffer abject humiliation? Enough. Enough already.

Dutch citizens were advised by their government to prepare an emergency kit in case war were to break out. I hear that people are now beginning to wonder who the enemy might be: Russia or the United States.

Dat Trump kiest voor provoceren en chanteren bewijst opnieuw: Europa moet grenzen stellen. Meebewegen en vleierij werken niet. Dit vraagt om een snelle, eensgezinde en krachtige reactie. nos.nl/artikel/2598...

Alle EU landen niet naar het WK voetbal in de VS. Pak Trump zijn speeltje af.

More than 200,000 Danish citizens have signed a petition to buy California as a response to Trump’s attempt to take Greenland. They say they will provide Californians with “rule of law, universal health care, fact-based politics, and a lifetime supply of Danish pastries.”

Elon Musk is having a cry because the CEO of Ryanair said that X is a cesspit and Musk is an idiot. I don't like Ryanair, but he's not wrong.

En nee ook geen compensatie! blijft toch te zot voor woorden dit. Ik zie 't hele verbod weer uitgesteld worden, dit kunnen ze eindeloos traineren. 😡

Why would ICE join BSky?