Gerard Toal
@critgeopolitics.bsky.social
đ€ 4593
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Space & power at 1.5Cđ„
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So the new and outgoing Presidents of Ireland met yesterday and a certain book was visible on the table... Thanks
@president.ie
Michael D. Higgins for your great service to Ireland down the years (and for this little personal surprise). Here's to the success of President elect Catherine Connolly.
about 2 months ago
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âIf we have the right to be aggressive in our own backyard,â said Fiona Hill, a Russia expert at the Brookings Institution, âwhy canât they?â But, arguable, Trump is *following* Putinâs lead: âthey do it so why donât weâ New transgressive behavior taker not maker.
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/05/w...
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Trumpâs Foray Into Venezuela Could Embolden Russiaâs and Chinaâs Own Aggression
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/05/world/europe/trump-venezuela-china-russia.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share
about 1 hour ago
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What Iâve told reporters asking for my reaction to Venezuela.
about 5 hours ago
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Seizing territory is a fascist passion. Trumpâs desire will end NATO.
www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...
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US attack on Greenland would mean end of Nato, says Danish PM
Mette Frederiksen criticises Donald Trumpâs âunacceptable pressureâ as Greenland counterpart condemns âfantasiesâ
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/05/trump-must-give-up-fantasies-about-annexation-says-greenland-pm?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
about 11 hours ago
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Well that was very last century. Oil, our oil (under their soil for some reason), is the elixir of future prosperity.
2 days ago
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âWeâre going to make sure that country is run properlyâ Imperialist cliche bingo
2 days ago
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We are presented with the cheapest of melodramas in the most cliched hyperbolic terms by the shallowest of people.
3 days ago
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Wild swings between Venezuela and Washington DC by Trump. Near abroad & inner abroad intimately connected in his head. âWeâve superseded the Monroe Doctrines..â
3 days ago
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reposted by
Gerard Toal
Elisabeth Vallet
3 days ago
And 1) it's no good news for the world. Haushofer being who he was. 2) countries traditionally free from major geopolitical anxiety must start to worry
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Excellent piece by Julian Borger.
www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...
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The âPutinizationâ of US foreign policy has arrived in Venezuela
Trump is no longer bending the rules â he is demolishing them, with consequences far beyond Caracas
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/03/putin-russia-us-foreign-policy-venezuela?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
3 days ago
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Do you want your geopolitical flexes with or without moralism? Our premium attention economy plan offers basic pyrotechnics and standard Epstein distraction plus convenient domestic law extraterritoriality. It offers exciting hemispheric boss energy that others will admire. Risks apply.
3 days ago
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Mamdaniâs inauguration, and all its speakers, is a real tonic.
4 days ago
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MTV was a big deal when I first arrived in the US, and weâd gather to watch in the graduate dorm lounge. I remember the premiere of U2âs New Years Day video well. But this with Rik Mayall has got to be one of my favorite videos. đđŒ
youtu.be/tK-vUY6erQU?...
add a skeleton here at some point
5 days ago
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"Itâs useless to call for civil debate as âpolitics in the right wayâ; politics has moved beyond words. Where there are words at all, they are but a way to express a meme, a vibe, an aesthetic."
add a skeleton here at some point
5 days ago
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Lots of rich ideas about the affective structures that animate Anglo-American politics here. Deserves to be widely read.
@ajsecor.bsky.social
@benandersongeog.bsky.social
www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/777472...
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The Politics of Feeling by Ben Anderson, Anna J. Secor: 9781915983299 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books
How todayâs dominant political formsâright-wing populism, progressivism, and liberalismâoffer differentiated responses to shared conditions of uncertainty. The Politics of Feeling argues...
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/777472/the-politics-of-feeling-by-ben-anderson-and-anna-secor/
5 days ago
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Materialist re-write: âThe {reunification} BOILING of our motherland, a trend of the times, is unstoppableâ {because of our emissions}
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/d...
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Xi Jinping vows to reunify China and Taiwan in New Yearâs Eve speech
Reunification âis unstoppableâ, says Chinese president, a day after the conclusion of intense military drills
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/dec/31/xi-jinping-vows-reunification-china-taiwan-new-years-eve-speech?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
5 days ago
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reposted by
Gerard Toal
Illiberalism Studies Program
about 2 months ago
In case you missed it, a recording of our Nov 10 event with Laura Field on her book Furious Minds is now available on our YouTube channel. Check it out!
@lkatfield.bsky.social
@libankerdc.bsky.social
@princetonupress.bsky.social
www.youtube.com/watch?v=DU5h...
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Furious Minds: The Making of the MAGA New Right
YouTube video by Illiberalism Studies Program
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DU5hEBvZRA0
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Short new book on Trump's rhetorical skill at mobilizing dark passions, drawing upon classical political theory: Anger, Fear, Domination by William Galston (Yale UP)
add a skeleton here at some point
18 days ago
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Nighttime at the 40 Foot.
19 days ago
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The âjoys of dehumanization.â Helpful conversation on the jokey sadism of this awful White House.
add a skeleton here at some point
about 1 month ago
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In the magical kingdom of MAGA World thereâs a Donald J. Trump Institute for Peace. âïž
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
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White House renames building the âDonald J. Trump Institute of Peaceâ
The change comes as Trump officials tout his peace deals and prepare to host leaders from Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo to sign an accord.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/12/03/trump-name-peace-building/
about 1 month ago
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Irelandâs green fields signify a country locked in a high emission way of life.
www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2025...
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Ireland second highest in EU for greenhouse gas emissions per person
Farming and forestry responsible for 38% of Stateâs total output of gases linked to climate change
https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2025/12/03/ireland-second-highest-in-eu-for-greenhouse-gas-emissions-per-person/
about 1 month ago
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I will be speaking on âFascist Passions: MAGA & Washington DCâ at Trinity College Dublin next week. Unfortunately the length of the talk keeps growingâŠ
about 1 month ago
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reposted by
Gerard Toal
about 1 month ago
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Fair play to the women artists refusing to allow their music to be the soundtrack to fascist right stripping videos.
www.theguardian.com/music/2025/d...
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Sabrina Carpenter slams âevil and disgustingâ ICE video that uses her song
Pop star calls out White Houseâs âinhumane agendaâ after post that soundtracks immigration raids to her song Juno
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/dec/02/sabrina-carpenter-ice-video?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
about 1 month ago
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Fascist passion. Definition: pleasurable infliction of violence against fantasmatic âenemies.â Illustration: đđŒ
add a skeleton here at some point
about 1 month ago
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Carl Schmitt admirers, Heritage and officials in the Trump administration. No doubt that Trump thinks politics as friend/enemy.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
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Leaked files show far-right influences among Project 2025 applicants
Applicants reportedly cited Nazi theorists and other extremists as inspiration for Trump administration roles
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/28/project-2025-heritage-foundation-hack?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
about 1 month ago
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âIt is important to support the negotiation process ... and crucial to support the principles on which Europe stands â that borders cannot be changed by force; that war criminals must not escape justice; & that the aggressor must pay fully for the war he started.â
www.irishtimes.com/world/europe...
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US holds Russia-Ukraine peace talks in Abu Dhabi
Kremlin calls for talks on original plan that Kyiv presidential aide says âno longer existsâ
https://www.irishtimes.com/world/europe/2025/11/24/russia-rejects-european-input-into-peace-proposals-as-us-and-ukraine-praise-progress/
about 1 month ago
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A work of service to public discourse on an issue that has scarred this island for a hundred years.
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
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A united Ireland referendum must not be âanother Brexitâ, analysts say
Two leading journalists from both sides of the border warn against another âvague, thumbs up-thumbs downâ vote
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/nov/24/a-united-ireland-referendum-must-not-be-another-brexit-analysts-say?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
about 1 month ago
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Abuser-in-chief.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/23/u...
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Trump Calls Ukraine Ungrateful, Again, for U.S. Support in War With Russia
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/23/us/politics/trump-ukraine-criticism-russia.html?smid=url-share
about 1 month ago
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30 years ago this week a US administration pressured a state victimized by larger neighboring state aggression & genocide to accept an unjust illiberal peace. Trumpâs Ukraine peace has Bosnia echoes.
theconversation.com/the-dayton-p...
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The Dayton Peace Accords at 30: An ugly peace that has prevented a return to war over Bosnia
More than 100,000 people were killed in the Bosnian war. But the peace that ended it in 1995 sowed the seeds for ethnonationalism.
https://theconversation.com/the-dayton-peace-accords-at-30-an-ugly-peace-that-has-prevented-a-return-to-war-over-bosnia-268424?utm_medium=article_clipboard_share&utm_source=theconversation.com
about 1 month ago
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Trumpâs 28-Point Plan to End Russiaâs War in Ukraine is perfectly consistent with the administrationâs broader moralized sadism.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/22/w...
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What Is Trumpâs 28-Point Plan to End Russiaâs War in Ukraine?
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/22/world/europe/trump-russia-ukraine-peace-plan.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share
about 1 month ago
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Excellent podcast series this.
add a skeleton here at some point
about 2 months ago
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The Executive Branch threatens to execute the Legislative Branch in the US.
add a skeleton here at some point
about 2 months ago
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âThe Court rejects Defendantsâ fly-by assertion of constitutional power, finding that such a broad reading of the Presidentâs Article II authority would erase Congressâs role in governing the District and its National Guardâ đ
add a skeleton here at some point
about 2 months ago
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Imagine a country whose president understands the moral urgency of decarbonization & climate justice. In Ireland, you donât need toâŠ
www.irishtimes.com/environment/...
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Moral duty âto act nowâ on climate change for future generations, says President Connolly
Figures of possible fines of between âŹ8bn and âŹ26bn for breaching emissions targets âincredibleâ, President says
https://www.irishtimes.com/environment/climate-crisis/2025/11/19/moral-duty-to-act-now-on-climate-change-for-future-generations-president-connolly-says/
about 2 months ago
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What kind of peace did Dayton bring Bosnia? Adis Maksic and I review the 30 years of the Dayton Peace Accords.
nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com?url=https%3A...
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The Dayton Peace Accords at 30: An ugly peace that has prevented a return to war over Bosnia
More than 100,000 people were killed in the Bosnian war. But the peace that ended it in 1995 sowed the seeds for ethnonationalism.
https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheconversation.com%2Fthe-dayton-peace-accords-at-30-an-ugly-peace-that-has-prevented-a-return-to-war-over-bosnia-268424&data=05%7C02%7Ctoalg%40vt.edu%7Cf95878c77e574cdd362408de276efcf5%7C6095688410ad40fa863d4f32c1e3a37a%7C0%7C0%7C638991554880071604%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=PDdehx6rj%2FvwwUqXFvnePWNecJ35B16DSlPS9SarHZ4%3D&reserved=0
about 2 months ago
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Friday is the 30th anniversary of the initialing of the Dayton Peace Accords. I have been unable to attend the commemorative conference(s) happening in Sarajevo. But I wrote a retrospective on the 30 years (no easy task) with Adis Maksic. It is being published tomorrow in The Conversation.
about 2 months ago
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Great to see Scotland into the World Cup finals. đŽó §ó ąó łó Łó Žó ż Now we đźđȘ just need to join them.
about 2 months ago
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Congratulations to
@lkatfield.bsky.social
whose new book is being launched in Washington DC
@illsp.bsky.social
today. Its an 'insider' account of how the MAGA New Right grew from yet also broke with the Straussian conservative right that was her intellectual home. Insightful & unsettling reading.
about 2 months ago
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So the new and outgoing Presidents of Ireland met yesterday and a certain book was visible on the table... Thanks
@president.ie
Michael D. Higgins for your great service to Ireland down the years (and for this little personal surprise). Here's to the success of President elect Catherine Connolly.
about 2 months ago
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Hope.
2 months ago
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reposted by
Gerard Toal
The New York Review of Books
2 months ago
âBeing the party that feels the worldâs pain is not a good answer to a president who invites his supporters to share the unalloyed joy of being able to inflict it.â â
@fotoole.bsky.social
on Kamala Harrisâs new memoir
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The Lingering Delusion | Fintan OâToole
Kamala Harrisâs memoir 107 Days succeeds at least in distilling the evasions and weaknesses of the modern Democratic Party.
https://buff.ly/1wLdGVe
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Trying to write a 900 word evaluation of Bosnia 30 years after Dayton is mission impossible. No way Tom Cruise could do it.
2 months ago
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reposted by
Gerard Toal
Zentrum fĂŒr Osteuropa- und internationale Studien (ZOiS)
2 months ago
Out now & #OpenAccess: Does #Chinaâs growing role and the #BRI challenge the EUâs approach to promoting development in in Eastern Europe? A new article by ZOiS researchers Julia Langbein & Valentin KrĂŒsmann with Tanja Börzel & Lunting Wu in @globalpolicy.bsky.social âĄïž
doi.org/10.1111/1758...
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reposted by
Gerard Toal
Gela Merabishvili
2 months ago
"In this instance, environmental and defensive aims overlap"
www.dw.com/en/peatlands...
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How rewetting peatlands could help protect EU borders â DW â 10/30/2025
Finland and Poland are considering rewetting drained peatlands as a defense barrier in case of a Russian attack. It could also help the climate.
https://www.dw.com/en/peatlands-as-defense-climate-nato-finland-poland-russia-co2-rewetting/a-74513628
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Missed this yesterday. Another ace deal đ€ "meetings and communications with the Trump administration were facilitated by well-connected lobbyists and lawyers with ties to Mr. Trump who were paid a total of about $300,000 per month or more by the Srpska government.."
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/29/u...
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Sanctions Lifted on a Putin-Backed Autocrat After Lobbying by Trump Allies
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/29/us/politics/milorad-dodik-sanctions-trump.html?smid=bs-share
2 months ago
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At
@gsqjournal.bsky.social
they're developing a special issue on land & politics. Here's one of the first articles: No Land to Give: Wartime Narratives and the Symbolic Value of Territory.
academic-oup-com/isagsq/artic...
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Shibboleth Authentication Request
https://academic-oup-com.ezproxy.lib.vt.edu/isagsq/article/5/3/ksaf091/8296922
2 months ago
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reposted by
Gerard Toal
Prof John O Brennan
2 months ago
Superb piece by Ben Tonra in todayâs Irish Tines, on Irelandâs strategic choices in a predatory world, with the necessity of a strategic pivot towards Europe increasingly apparent. Everyone interested in foreign policy making should read this.
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I've said it before: Ian Masters is meeting the moment with great work. The conversations here are necessary perspective on our unhinged gaslite times.
add a skeleton here at some point
2 months ago
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The latest skirmish of the eternal civil war.
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/28/u...
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Trump Administration Reinstalls Confederate Statue in Washington
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/28/us/politics/confederate-statue-trump.html?unlocked_article_code=1.xE8.-FcL.AikrzMXmkQ5l&smid=bs-share
2 months ago
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