John Barnhart
35 posts
Looking at Russia’s federal budget execution statistics, “National Defense” is the only major item that never decreased in nominal terms from 2000 to 2016. Yet, spending on education, health care, infrastructure, and even social benefits has slowed at different times 4/14
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So here's a thread about how Putin pumped money into Russia’s army for more than two decades. In 21 years under Putin, Russia has spent more than $1.1 trillion on the military instead of healthcare, education and other peaceful needs 1/14 faridaily.substack.com/p/how-putin-pu…
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John Barnhart retweetledi
Imagine having a role so important MLK convinced you to keep it…
New York Daily News@NYDailyNews
Nichelle Nichols, who memorably played Lt. Uhura on the original “Star Trek,” has died at age 89. trib.al/FZB2oe9
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John Barnhart retweetledi
"Nazis," "nukes," and "NATO" have been Putin's three "N"s from the beginning of the war. His three propaganda slogans emerge as excuses for the war because they summon Russian fears that can be usefully directed outward, against the rest of the world.
snyder.substack.com/p/nazis-nukes-…
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John Barnhart retweetledi
"The Kremlin has built a cult of personality around Mr Putin and a cult of the dead around the Great Patriotic War of 1941-45. Mr Putin’s regime yearns to restore a lost golden age and for Russia to be purged by healing violence."
from @TheEconomist
economist.com/briefing/2022/…
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John Barnhart retweetledi
The old communist joke went "we pretend to work and you pretend to pay us." In Russia today the reality is something more like "you pretend to win a war and we pretend to show enthusiasm." 20/
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John Barnhart retweetledi
This is spot on!
"Inflation comes in waves. The first wave is shrinkflation or skimpflation."
We are absolutely at the Sneakflation phase.
INFLATION = STICKY
Pippa Malmgren@DrPippaM
Being charged for heat in your car seats or ice in your drink? In the old days, you could see the price changes. Now the algos and dynamic pricing mean you can’t see the price hikes till it’s too late. Meet the wave called"Sneakflation". drpippa.substack.com/p/sneakflation…
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John Barnhart retweetledi
John Barnhart retweetledi
This new report from @RUSI_org on #Ukraine is worth a read. Authors @Jack_Watling & Nick Reynolds note “Russian advantages & Ukrainian weaknesses are leading to an attritional conflict that risks a protracted war, eventually favouring Russia.” rusi.org/explore-our-re…
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John Barnhart retweetledi
15/ This strategically bankrupt, selfish and impatient French approach will only encourage future aggression. The Ukrainians have fought for the right to determine how this war ends.
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John Barnhart retweetledi
Even though a large group of heavily armed cops wearing body armor are too scared to engage an active shooter with an assault weapon, Republicans like Texas AG Ken Paxton are counting on ordinary teachers to do so. Madness!
Mike Baker@ByMikeBaker
I have spent the past few days researching the training of Uvalde officers, including the tactics they were expected to use to halt school shooters. The documents are jarring. Here’s a thread of our findings so far. 1/9
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John Barnhart retweetledi
A quick rule of thumb to understand who might have their priorities in order on the right. If they spend more time attacking the ‘woke’ or BLM than they do condemning Putin and the invasion of Ukraine, they don’t.
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John Barnhart retweetledi
In 1965 Rayner Banham wrote an extraordinary essay on the gadget or gizmo and its role in American ideology. It is eerily prescient of the ideological charge attached to weapons such as Javelin in war in Ukraine.
Chartbook #123 on the ideology of ATGM.
adamtooze.substack.com/p/chartbook-12…
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John Barnhart retweetledi
This crisis has torn through so many myths and bits of received wisdom, it’s almost hard to keep count at this point. ft.com/content/b3f297…
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John Barnhart retweetledi
The main reason gas prices are sky high is that Saudi Arabia and the UAE are deliberately helping Russia, and undercutting our sanctions, by refusing to increase oil production.
As this piece argues, the time has come to tell them to choose sides.
washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/…
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John Barnhart retweetledi
Long thread.
Having read many articles in Western media and observed twitterati-led debates both during the run-up to the invasion and from February 24 onwards, I would like to make some critical points about blind spots that frequently prevent us from correctly assessing (1/30)
Mart Kuldkepp@KuldkeppMart
Much of the analysis still continues to focus on 'what Putin wants to do' rather than on 'what Putin can do' in Ukraine, which continues to skew our understanding of the war in stupid ways. And many are still ignoring the fact that Ukrainians have agency in their own fate. 1/2
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John Barnhart retweetledi
@SOURCESIGNALINT @apmassaro3 On domestic policy? Will never stop.
On Russia policy? Not happening. Pro-Russia policy is impossible now. Russia's attempted conquest of Ukraine and the heroism of the defenders resonates very deeply with the American electorate.
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John Barnhart retweetledi
Per usual @ConStelz Right on
“But Germany’s self-serving Russia policy and its self-inflicted energy dependence — part wilfully naive, part deeply corrupt — found eager supporters across the political party spectrum.”
on.ft.com/3EFGtxV
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John Barnhart retweetledi
John Barnhart retweetledi
11)German officials shouldn’t ever talk about return to status quo ante with Russia, not even in theoretical terms. As one colleague said: “Which status quo ante do you want to return to? Russia lying to us or we lying to ourselves?”
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