Ian Baird, Ph.D. (History)

@business @acoyne What a ridiculous, nonsensical comparison. Good grief.

Just like the fall of the Soviet Union, Orbán’s defeat will resonate far beyond Hungary’s borders. bloomberg.com/news/newslette…

@jkenney @GiorgiaMeloni This only makes sense if one realizes the war has been utterly moralized, without regard to long-term national or humanitarian interests. Russia is the EU’s White Whale, and it seems willing to destroy itself (which it is) in futile pursuit of the whale’s destruction.

Brava, signora primo ministro @GiorgiaMeloni !

@jonkay In the end, reality always defeats people like her. And as history shows, once they overstep and come to “save” the children, their demise is hastened.

Oh no Women have been “emboldened”

@I_Katchanovski The AFU has to replace the 55,000 men they fed into the Kursk blender.

To the last Ukrainian: Zelensky states in Germany that men of mobilization age who left Ukraine need to return: "The relevant authorities in both countries should address this issue... Our Armed Forces would certainly like them to return. Because it is a matter of fairness. We have people, soldiers on the front lines, who need rotations."

@jkenney There’s no daylight between Magyar and Orban on Russian energy. It has nothing to do with ideology and everything to do with Hungarian economic interests. Hungary is a conservative country, which has switched one right wing “illiberal” party for another. I predict status quo.

Hungarians voted today to end the humiliating submission of their country to Vladimir Putin. "Russians out!" was the leading chant at Hungarian opposition rallies over recent weeks. Putin has lost yet another effort to elect his lackeys in Europe, following the recent defeat of pro Russian parties in Moldova and Romania. This should be a cautionary moment for Putin's allies on the Western Europe right, including Germanys AfD, France's RN, and Britain's Reform.

@BarackObama Hungary is a conservative country, which has exchanged one right wing party for another right wing party. I wouldn’t expect much to change, especially regarding Russia (which is economic and not ideological) and immigration.

The victory of the opposition in Hungary yesterday, like the Polish election in 2023, is a victory for democracy, not just in Europe but around the world. Most of all, it’s a testament to the resilience and determination of the Hungarian people – and a reminder to all of us to keep striving for fairness, equality and the rule of law.

أوروبا لا تعاني من "مشكلة" واحدة، بل من ثلاث مشاكل: ثلاث دول أوروبية تعاني من حالة "دوار ما بعد الإمبراطورية" الحاد. أولاً، المملكة المتحدة: تلك الأمة التي صوتت لصالح "بريكست" كي "تستعيد السيطرة"، لتكتشف لاحقاً أنها نسيت تماماً كيف تقود. إن أزمة الهوية البريطانية تشبه مشاهدة أسد متقاعد يحاول تبني نظام غذائي نباتي. لقد استبدلوا الثقة الإمبراطورية ببرامج تدريبية في "الحساسية السلوكية" تليق بقسم موارد بشرية. أرض "تشرشل" تُحكم الآن من قبل بيروقراطية "الدولة المربية" المترامية الأطراف، والتي تخشى الإساءة لأحد على منصة (X) أكثر من خشيتها من الانحدار الفعلي. أما الشرطة البريطانية، التي كانت يوماً ما محط حسد العالم، فتبدو الآن وكأنها تكرس مواردها للتحقيق في "حوادث كراهية غير إجرامية" وطلاء سيارات الدورية بألوان قوس قزح، أكثر مما تفعل في حل جرائم السطو. إنها أمة تتشبث يائسة بجماليات التقاليد — العائلة المالكة، المراسيم، الشاي — بينما نخر "العفن التقدمي" مؤسساتها حتى جعلها تبدو أكثر تطرفاً من حرم جامعة كاليفورنيا. إنهم يريدون "هيبة" القرن التاسع عشر، لكنهم مشلولون بالهشاشة العاطفية للقرن الحادي والعشرين. ثم تأتي فرنسا: العمة الغاضبة المدخنة بشراهة التي ترفض الاعتراف بأنها عاطلة عن العمل منذ عقود. يتجلى "دوار ما بعد الإمبراطورية" لدى فرنسا في حالة دائمة من التمرد التي تتخفى وراء قناع "المشاركة المدنية". هويتها منقسمة بين نخبة واهمة لا تزال تعتقد أن باريس هي عاصمة الكون، وشعب يعبر عن "بهجة الحياة" بحرق مواقف الحافلات كل يوم خميس. يعاني الفرنسيون من "عقدة نابليونية" بدون وجود نابليون؛ فهم يطالبون بمستوى معيشة إمبراطورية فاتحة بينما يعملون 35 ساعة في الأسبوع ويتقاعدون في سن يكون فيه معظم الأمريكيين في قمة عطائهم. ينظرون للقيم "الجمهورية" والعلمانية المتشددة، ومع ذلك فقدت الدولة سيطرتها على مساحات شاسعة من ضواحيها. فرنسا باختصار هي متحف جميل في الهواء الطلق، حيث القيمون عليه في إضراب، والحراس يخشون الزوار، والإدارة مشغولة بإلقاء المحاضرات على بقية العالم حول "العظمة" (Grandeur) بينما فواتير الكهرباء لم تُدفع بعد. أخيراً لدينا ألمانيا: العملاق العصبي الذي قرر أن الطريقة الوحيدة للتكفير عن تاريخه هي ارتكاب "انتحار صناعي" بطيء. إن "دوار ما بعد الإمبراطورية" في ألمانيا هو مرض مناعي أخلاقي؛ فالبلاد مرعوبة من ظلها لدرجة أنها استبدلت الفخر الوطني بجلد الذات العنيف وقوانين إعادة التدوير. هويتهم مبنية على كونهم "القوة الأخلاقية العظمى"، وهو ما يترجم عملياً إلى إغلاق محطات الطاقة النووية التي تعمل بكفاءة تامة من أجل حرق الفحم القذر، كل ذلك بينما يلقون الدروس على جيرانهم حول البصمة الكربونية. إنها أمة من المهندسين الذين هندسوا مجتمعاً لا يعمل. الروح الألمانية، التي عرفت يوماً بالكفاءة والانضباط، تحورت إلى بيروقراطية مشلولة حيث ملء الاستمارة الصحيحة أهم من النتيجة النهائية. إنهم مستميتون لتجنب الظهور بمظهر "التهديد" لدرجة أنهم تحولوا أساساً إلى منظمة غير حكومية ضخمة تمتلك جيشاً يستخدم "مقابض المكنسات" بدلاً من البنادق، خوفاً من أن يُفسر إظهار أي حزم على أنه انتكاسة للماضي.

The ethnocidal framing here is to make one feel there is no alternative to forever war, but what’s destroying Ukrainian identity and possibly statehood is the war itself, the longer it goes. Seven million people fled Ukraine already, most of them for good. More will leave when men are allowed to cross the border. The work of many generations - giant industrial hubs, dams, power stations - has been destroyed, real Ukrainian identity is being replaced with an obscurantist far right cargo cult. What will be left of Ukraine when warmongering pundits finally lose their argument?

@TheEconomist @acoyne Last time I checked, two months ago, Ukraine was the most corrupt country in Europe, has been for a very long time, and has only gotten worse in the last four years.

Hungary is the most corrupt country in the EU. Its election is the best chance in 16 years of getting rid of its unscrupulous strongman, Viktor Orban. If the opposition wins, liberals everywhere should study what it got right econ.st/4cmiB4E Photo: Reuters

@ryangerritsen This can’t be possible. Please say this is parody.

Instead of deaf people just watching the actual artists perform, CBC puts a sign language interpreter on to perform air guitar & drum solos for them to watch along side of it. Whats going on in Canada? It’s a 24/7 nut house

@ClydeDoSomethin She can’t carry a tune in a bag. This was a middle school open mike night.

All the talent has left Canada. What in the hell would you call this performance at the Juno awards?

@jk_rowling Hoodies are ghetto. That, or mediaeval peasant. Either way, low class.

I fear this might be my most controversial take ever, but I agreed to put it to a vote so here we are. Hoodies should only be worn by men young enough not to look silly carrying a skateboard.

@NatCon2022 Ireland is in trouble. Dublin is a dangerous mess. I know because I visited it in 1994, 2011, and 2023, and noted the radical demographic shift.

The vote for and against the EU deportation bill, by country: For-Against-Abstained Austria 11-7-1 Belgium 5-12-3 BAD! Bulgaria 11-3-1 Cyprus 3-1-1 Croatia 7-3 Czechia 20-1 AWESOME! Denmark 9-5-1 Estonia 4-3 Finland 4-8-1 BAD! France 41-26-5 Germany 50-37 Greece 10-7 Hungary 17-0 AWESOME! Ireland 3-5 BAD! Italy 39-29 Latvia 7-1 VERY GOOD! Lithuania 5-2-2 Luxembourg 1-4 BAD! Malta 5-0 AWESOME! Netherlands 16-11-1 Poland 44-3-1 AWESOME! Portugal 9-7-1 Romania 17-2-2 VERY GOOD! Slovakia 9-4 Slovenia 5-3 Spain 30-23 Sweden 7-4-7

@T_Krawchenko @LenaPetrovaOnX The hallmark of a scholar is humility. You should give it a try. Ivan’s record is vastly more impressive than your CV. You should’ve read his before arrogantly dismissing him in your sullen little tantrum. It’s ok to disagree with him but make your case with facts, not emotion.

@LenaPetrovaOnX Russia disinfo from a totally discredited part time sessional teacher at the U of O. I don’t even know if he teaches there anymore.

"Ending the war in Ukraine would lead to very negative consequences for Zelensky, but NOT for Ukrainians. It is very clear that Zelensky's interests differ from those of Ukrainians and from Ukraine's interests as a state. For this reason, he wants to prolong this war and stay in power as long as possible," says Canadian-Ukrainian academic, Dr. Ivan Katchanovski (@I_Katchanovski) in our recent interview. 🎥 Watch the full episode: ▪️Substack: lenapetrova.substack.com/p/nato-warmong… ▪️YouTube: youtu.be/S4HWJDA_vRk

This is what economic suicide looks like;

Head of the Finnish intelligence service confirms there is no evidence that Russia has attempted to damage any cables in the Baltic Sea. This conspiracy theory was brought to you by the same warmongering political-media establishment that sold you Russiagate, the Biden laptop scandal being a Russian intelligence operation, Russia putting bounties on American soldiers in Afghanistan, Russia blowing up Nord Stream, etc. etc.

Evolutionary psychology is real. Men and women are inherently different, and that’s a beautiful thing; it ensured our survival over millennia. The whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

@HavryshkoMarta Western governments have funded and heavily armed a Ukrainian ‘Taliban’ which, like the Afghan version, will eventually turns its murderous fury on EU members it deems responsible for Ukraine’s inevitable defeat by Russia. Allies today. Terrorists tomorrow.

The “elite” Third Assault Brigade (rooted in the Azov movement) continues grooming its ideologues (khorunzhi). They gather them among the ruins of old castles — presumably to add a touch of mysticism. They light torches — because nothing says modern politics quite like a bit of theatrical fascist aesthetics. Then they bring out a “leader” with the Nazi-style alias Nachtigall and deliver speeches about how the Ukrainian nation has a sacred duty to "defend European civilization" from a new "Mongol-Tatar invasion." Medieval imagery, torchlight theatrics, apocalyptic rhetoric — the whole package. And somehow there are still people willing to die for these fairy tales. Fascism on the rise, wrapped in patriotic mythology and the death cult.

@I_Katchanovski Washington, and eventually Brussels, sided with the Galician ethno-nationalists on an economic/military containment project against Russia. This was always a dangerous gambit given the historic ethnic divisions in Ukraine. The result was predicted countless times. Tragic.

Tinpot dictator: "In recent weeks the Ukrainian president has sharpened his rhetoric toward both critics and allies, rebuking European leaders for moving too slowly on support, trading barbs with Hungary’s Viktor Orbán, and openly questioning Donald Trump’s approach to the war. The tougher tone reflects mounting frustration in Kyiv as peace talks stall and financial support hangs in the balance — but even those close to Zelenskyy warn the rhetoric risks alienating the very partners Ukraine relies on for money, weapons and diplomatic backing. The Ukrainian president has upbraided European leaders before, including in the early months of the war and last year at Davos. But his tenor this time was almost mocking as he reeled off a long list of complaints, starting with the EU’s decision not to use Russian assets frozen in Europe to help fund Ukraine. The strain was on display last week when the European Union publicly rebuked the Ukrainian leader over remarks in which he appeared to threaten Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. Zelenskyy has also become less guarded in his remarks about Trump — a departure from the meticulous caution he adopted last year after a tense Oval Office exchange in which he veered off script, in part after being goaded by U.S. Vice President JD Vance, who accused him of ingratitude."

@Rainmaker1973 We’ll soon know how this social experiment worked out.

How couples met (1930-2024) [🎞️ EEAGLI]