The people in Epstein’s circle could have been stopped. That did not happen. No one stopped Mandelson, Jagland, Andrew, Chomsky, Musk or the rest of the lovely lot —long before they shook hands with the inglorious bastard.

The GOOD THING about the Epstein affair: It involved people from both the left and the right. It was not just an alt-right set-up. It’s time we ditch the left versus right dichotomy, see our leaders for what they are, not where they belong on an outdated and harmful spectrum.

Would you have said no to an invitation from Epstein? I hope I had checked his background and said thanks, but no thanks. Can I be absolutely sure about that? No. What about you? Would a chance to meet some high and mighty people have been too tempting?

The Epstein affair is not just about “these people” hanging around with the bastard. This sordid saga is a reflection of us. Imagine the millions who never had the chance, but would gladly have said yes to an invitation from him? How many would have reacted like Tina Brown did? 👇

The Orange Moron isn’t the problem. The problem is that he wasn’t stopped. We must stop overfocusing on the man at the top. We must start focusing on why millions of voters, staff, politicians, reporters and donors carried this man into office. Twice. Otherwise, the same thing will happen again

If there is anything this voluminous Epstein scandal should teach then it is to stop being impressed by titles, fame and money. Are these the kind of people we want to admire, and to give power over us? People who begged to be invited to his sex-trafficking island... 1/2.

A reminder in these tumultuous times. The Earth does not care about capitalism, the left versus the right— or environmentalism for that matter. The planet merely reacts to the damage we do to it.

What Has Been Overlooked in the Greenland Debacle? The People of Greenland. As President Zelensky has reminded us, conflicts are not about territories; they are about people. That aspect seems to have been lost in the cacophony surrounding this episode of the POTUS reality show.

How to handle the Orange Moron? It's time we start to listen to PSYCHOLOGISTS instead of political analysts. Narcissism is so much more than just being self-obsessed. Dr Russell Razzaque offers an excellent insight into the Orange's mind.

More relevant than ever: "The correct thing to do with authoritarians is to take them realistically for the bastards they are and then behave towards them as if they were bastards. That is the only realistic way to treat bastards." -Abraham Maslow

If you don't pay attention to what is happening in Iran, you may miss one of the most important events in our time. The end of the hideous Islamic Republic will impact us all: The economy, politics—and make us understand how detrimental Islam is to any culture or society.

Locals in Tehran report that late last night, in the Karim Khan Zand Street area, protesters set fire to the regime’s fast-response motorbikes as security forces tried to disperse crowds. An attempted crackdown failed, while resistance in the capital is intensifying.

At least one major news channel is reporting on the situation in Iran.

Michael Wolff unmasks the simple thinking of the Orange moron, like no one else."Everything has to be about me." Venezuela, Greenland or whatever is all about childish attention. "How do I make sure no one else gets the attention?"

Thank you, Olga, Nina, Nataliia, Maria, Anna, Kateryna, Olena, and the rest of the lovely ladies, for all you do for your soldiers, your country, and for humanity. Ukraine will win this war.  Merry Christmas to you all 🎄 Slava Ukraini! 🇺🇦

"The people of Ukraine have shown us who we ought to be, and what we are capable of—if we are willing to take up the call." From my visit to Lviv in 2022.

Belarus has freed 123 prisoners, including prominent opposition activist Maria Kolesnikova Nobel Peace Prize winner Ales Bialiatski is also among those who have been freed. Fantastic news from Belarus despite the disgusting motivation.

The Odesa coast is a perfect place for contemplation. “Waves touched his feet. He didn’t try to step aside. He just looked at the sea, and no one disturbed that moment. Beautiful eyes filled with pain. A moment that is hard to put into words,” wrote his wife, Nataliia.

If more Americans had been thinking like Paul Lance, the U.S. could have resembled a great country. Leaders reflect who we are. When we accept that, orange morons will no longer rule the world. youtu.be/vlnipODsxBg?...

"With the right level of support, Ukraine could rebuild superior combat power — similar to its successful 2022 counter offensives — and begin retaking occupied territory. In this scenario, Ukraine's battlefield momentum would force Russia into peace talks that safeguard Kyiv's vital interests."

Excellent, as always, from Steve Rosenberg. We tend to forget there was something called free (= more free) speech in Russia only a few years ago. Now all those sensible voices have been silenced.

Look what I found in Lviv! On the wall, on the premises of the camo netting project, By_Porokhova. Who is guilty? #Fella #NAFO

Some flee the coming winter and go to Gran Canaria or Thailand. Others spend their holiday in Lviv, making camouflage nets in the company of these lovely and dedicated ladies at By_Porokhova. www.volunteeringukraine.com/en/volunteer...

Hello Europeans (that includes you, Britain)! Why the hype about Halloween? It's an American tradition. Introduced to Europe to make money out of it. What about the quiet tradition of All Souls Night? Or Guy Fawkes Night in Britain?

John Bolton was in many European's eyes the hawkish, anti-UN horror lizard during the Bush administration. Now he his— sort of— "the good guy," and well worth listening to. Interesting times we live though.

The big elephant in the room: Overpopulation. Could you imagine a planet with fewer people? Less need for housing. Less migration, poverty, pollution and deforestation.

🇬🇪Over the past three years, Georgia has transformed from a fragile democracy into a Russian-aligned kleptocracy. The ruling party, Georgian Dream (GD), isn’t just authoritarian-it’s financially desperate. Everything it does now revolves around one thing: cash. 1/18

What do a blue-haired demonstrator and an over-botoxed influencer have in common? A desperate need to matter. Take any problem in the world, and you’ll find that beneath it lies a desperate need to matter.

“Facts Matter. Verifiable, testable, provable facts.” – Stephen Fry This #GlobalMILWeek, let’s champion reliable info and critical thinking. See how Full Fact’s building a better information environment: fullfact.org #CelebrityTraitors

#AnythingButTrump "While the news focuses overwhelmingly on all the things that are going wrong, historical statistics allow us to also see what has gone right — the immense progress the world has achieved."

"...in politics, where it’s been known for a long time that most voters are shockingly ignorant and misinformed, with many approaching politics more in the manner of sports hooligans and religious fanatics than the rational deliberators of liberal fantasies."

An excellent piece of journalism about the "Gaza metro." My main takeaway: What if Hamas had spent all this effort and all these resources on building a prosperous Gaza instead?

These protests were commendable. But I keep on asking: What did you achieve? What do you want to achieve, #NoKings ?

A massive #No Kings anti-Trump protest will take place across the U.S tomorrow. And we have seen such anti-autocracy demonstrations across Europe. But where is the uproar against stupid voters? They put these manchildren in power.

Launching a new hashtag #AnythingButTrump. Encourage anyone to post something that does NOT mention or relate to the Orange moron. I'll go first:

What Gaza used to look like. Before the Israeli occupation in 1967, long before Hamas. www.vice.com/en/article/u...

Short Post: What is the real problem in Venezuela and other Latin American countries? - It has nothing to do with “the left” or “the right.”

Dear Bluesky, could you please stop sending me porn, silly cartoons, and American posts where I don't understand the issue at hand and do not interest me at all. I am tired of spending much of my time on Bluesky muting or blocking accounts you put into my feed. Thank you.

This is an award for democracy and peace in VENEZUELA. This award is NOT about the U.S. Making everything about the U.S., and knowing little about how the rest of the world works, is a major reason why the Orange moron ended up in the White House.

"It is in our interest that we see Russia fail in Ukraine, and we should be pouring all our time and effort behind that objective. Above anything that is happening in the Middle East, and above anything that is happening elsewhere in the world."

America, America, America, that's what I see every morning on BlueSky. I don't mind Americans. It is the inundation I oppose. I want to know more about what goes on in Belfast, Barcelona and Belarus. Am I the only one who wants a European social media platform? Something way better than Mastodon?

The problem with narcissists is not about a toxic individual coming in and moving out. The problem with narcissists is that they are never alone. It's like finding an ant in your house—you have a huge and costly problem to deal with.

The Georgian Dream maintains its power as long as it has a sufficient number of ENABLERS. Among them all those Georgians who voted for GD. Not because they were forced to or paid to, but because of the rural investments, and also because they dislike the EU, like Russia and dislike LGBT rights.

IMMATURE PEOPLE run the world. Why is that? Because we vote for autocrats, work for the greedy, buy from kleptocrats and admire narcissists. Until we turn that around, nothing else matters.

This list has stood the test of time.

@afalkhatib.bsky.social nailed it again. "I wish we would stop hearing about Greta Thunberg and Western activists trying to make this endeavor about themselves instead of making a difference." Activism is not always, but too often, about a need for attention and nothing else.

What do you know about the conflict in Gaza? If you only follow the major news channels, you know very little, and your opinion is worth even less. Instead, follow people like Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib. The more he teaches me about the conflict, the more I understand how little I know.

The best thing about the election in Moldova? That dirty corruption, manipulation and megalomania met organised integrity, courage and selflessness. The latter won. With such a critical mass of mature people, you can achieve anything. Without it, you will be on a train to downfall.

Every day, I scroll through the news or social media, and what comes up? America, America, America. A whole week about the tragic death of a man I have never heard of. What about the release of the Belarusian journalist Ihar Losik? Way more newsworthy than a religious nutcake.