Have you ever had a feeling that a certain monograph should exist in a particular field, but you can't find anything like it, and then thd happiness when you finally do? Carole Fink's Defending the Rights of Others on history of intl minority protection 1877-1938 is that book for me.

It reminds me a bit of the story in Feb 2024 when a few Palestinians were kicked out of a Sinn Féin pro-Palestinian rally in Belfast because they heckled the invited speaker - Palestinian Ambassador.

The famous 'militarisation' of Europe that is suddenly happening, as we were told during the last year's presidential campaign in Ireland. I can blame Europe for complacency towards Russia all I want, but the increase in defence spending has been dramatic since 2014.

After recent failures with sourdough I gave up and baked with fresh yeast 🤝

There's something darkly ironic in the fact that Belfast refugees of 1922 are a homeless theme in my dissertation. I keep cutting them out of chapters and moving them to others only to be unhappy with their new position. One day I will settle on a definitive chapter for them but it won't be today.

Nukes are the only protection left in this lawless international order. Twas a nice residually rules-based international order we used to have.

Спонсор сьогоднішнього різдвяного столу, а точніше його відсутності 😂 👏

Same old tune the before Russians concocted new theories why they want Donbas or any other parts of Ukraine in particular. Crimea was different, a Russian apocryphal story that drunk Khruschov unfairly gave it to Ukrainian SSR already existed.

Jens Stoltenberg memoir has a curious point on that. He and others in Labour Youth League in Norway, protested against American nukes in Europe during the Cold War. He wonders why that was that nobody protested against Russian nukes, not even mid-range ones that literally threatened Europe.

Not writing before Christmas dinner: full of guilt and PhD anguish. Not writing after Christmas dinner: tipsy and guilt-free. Cheers!

Procrastinating on writing my last chapter by reading Stoltenberg's memoir 'On my watch'. His accounts of Trump's first term only show that Trump-2 is Trump-1 for slow learners and fewer adults in the room. If only Euros had been less addicted to Russian oil and gas and prepared for US withdrawal.

What I was saying about Trump's push for restoring business as usual with Russia. Europeans have a lot of incentives to do this at their own accord, but this creeping normalisation on the highest intl level doesn't help.

I was having lunch in the tiny kitchen at Westminster Parliamemntary Archive (it has moved to Kew afaic). A Belgian lady started telling me how her family were refugees in London in WW1 and how she is researching family history. I was not sure why she was telling me this. And then....

I was having lunch in the tiny kitchen at Westminster Parliamemntary Archive (it has moved to Kew afaic). A Belgian lady started telling me how her family were refugees in London in WW1 and how she is researching family history. I was not sure why she was telling me this. And then....

Funny someone should say that currently Russia is shrugging off Ukrainian strikes on oil refineries, when there are massive petrol shortages in certain areas of Russia, esp close to the front. Must be part of 'the great Russia is shrugging off sanctions' story.

Or it shows that any braindead political trend that Americans set gets eventually followed in Europe too. Let's all talk to Putin and bully Ukraine hoping to resume business as usual with Russia over Ukrainian dead bodies asap.

No shit Sherlock 🙄

A great dissection of the common anti-imperial leftist tropes like 'imperialism is only when sea' and 'if Russia does colonialism, then those people deserved it'.

Macron wants a dacha in St Pstersburg too

Btw @sianushka.bsky.social a weird piece by Ischenko. Denying agency to resist Russians to 'ordinary Ukrainians', equating war effort with 'corrupt elites' is something only partisan academics could glean from cherry-picked sources. If these findings were true, Ukraine would have long lost the war.

Interesting thoughts by Neil McDonell on Irish defence in the wake of Zelensky's visit to Dublin, which was followed by unknown, I mean, Russian drones. 'We got through the Zelenskyy visit unscathed on 1st December because we were lucky, not because we were ready.' www.linkedin.com/pulse/after-...

Interesting thoughts by Neil McDonell on Irish defence in the wake of Zelensky's visit to Dublin, which was followed by unknown, I mean, Russian drones. 'We got through the Zelenskyy visit unscathed on 1st December because we were lucky, not because we were ready.' www.linkedin.com/pulse/after-...

You know the situation is dire when a German Chancellor asks not to repeat 1938. A big change from Merkel and her non-stop Putin-appeasement on Ukraine.

The European Union has triggered Article 122 to indefinitely immobilise the assets of the Russian Central Bank, worth a whopping €210 billion. I explain what just happened and why this is such a big deal for Europeans. 🧵 Long thread.

Great bravery going on here

It's interesting the same Tom Clonan (with Catherine Connolly) asked for a ceasefire in Ukraine for the sake of peace, in 2023. I wonder why he's now afraid that Russian drones can harm Irish civilian aviation. Can't he just ask Russia nicely to do peace? www.irishtimes.com/opinion/lett...

D'fhulaing Sirius barróg arís ar feadh tamaill beag, a chréatúir.

I reckon if Ukraine signed a peace deal under US pressure, Russia would still be free of any obligations. Or so it seems from how the purportedly US-beokered peace deals fall apart in ways that favour the aggressor.

Eight ex-MEPs that we know of so far. Some others merit investigation but why would anyone bother, right?

If the EU buys into Russia's pinkie promise not to attack further after they are given everything they want, this will be suicidal.

Germany has had decades of supposedly democracy through trade with Russia, arguing that Russia will be more democratic when it gets richer. It ended in tears for Ukraine, Georgia, and yet might end in tears for Baltics next if the EU follows a US-RU reset.

"Russia would never attack Ireland" -people in my mentions four days ago

EXCLUSIVE: Four unidentified military-style drones breached no-fly zone to target Zelenskyy's arrival in Dublin jrnl.ie/6893104

🫥🫥🫥🫥🫥🫥

False peace efforts by Trump and Putin are weakening the support from less willing allies of Ukraine. The idea that less military support is needed right now is shameless pandering to Russia. If a ceasefire were to miracuously happen, Ukraine would need to be armed to teeth to deter Russia.

Bhí mé ar @tg4.bsky.social 7Lá aréir ag plé cuairt Uachtarán na Úcráine ar Éirinn. www.tg4.ie/ga/player/ca...

"his views published on the website of a pro-Kremlin think tank called Katehon." Worth noting that Katehon is part of the media empire of one of the richest Russian anti-abortion, anti-LGBTQ+ funders/oligarchs. But tell me again how these people are progressive!

Ah yes, "politics of empathy for me but not for thee" again and again. www.irishtimes.com/politics/202...

If Russia decouples Orban from PiS, this will be something.

Bhí mé ar chlar Foram ar RTÉ inniu. Bhíomar ag plé cúrsaí cogaíochta, síochána agus caimiléireachta a bhaineann leis an Úcráin, Meiriceá agus an Rúis. www.rte.ie/player/serie...

Rovers fans chanting 'Orange bastards' at Shakhtar Donetsk. Irony is dead 😂

Even putting destalinisation and decolonisation in one sentence will cause rage in some corners of decolonial academia. Godspeed and fair play to the organisers 🚀

Did you advise him on the reset policy and declaring there was "no military solution" in 2014?

'Humanitarian activities' include militarisation and russification of Ukrainian kids. Humanity, impartiality, neutrality and indepence of international humanitarianism as it is 🤡

A few images showing how cancer treatment changed through time. Left: mosaic 'Victory' on Kyiv Institute of Cancer (1970-71), resembling St George defeating a dragon. Right: Orchid Centre, Cork University Hospital today, a gentle image evoking hope at the face of a life-threatening illness.

Giving an online talk for Muckross House, Kerry on the Economic War 1932-38. This Wednesday, Nov 26 at 19:30. Do tune in! Email [email protected] to register.

Eduroam works in mysterious ways. It doesn't work for me at all when I need it at some university libraries. But somehow I've got a perfect wifi connection at Cork University Hospital 👍

Insane betrayal

The US is stabbing Ukraine in the back right when even sceptical news sources such as Militarnyi report that Ru military budget is in terrible form. I'm not one for daily cheery reports that Russia collapses tomorrow, but it's clear that Trump is rescuing Russia from the unfolding economic disaster.

Gmail users!! They've turned on AI scraping by default now...Here's how to turn it off. Pass it on!! www.malwarebytes.com/blog/news/20...