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drleostrauss.bsky.social
Russia, Asia political, econ, military & intel focus. Applied transnational legal, commercial, policy & natsec experience. RTs = interesting. По Русски 日本語
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submitted 14 hours ago • 0 comments

Vance speaks here to MAGA Base. He knows international audiences see the BS. Vance/NatCons work to flip MAGA Base's truth - they were the most feral, fervent 2001-08 war supporters. To hitch that emotion to join Admin's trade attack on West/EU, de facto NATO withdrawal. Expect more of this.

submitted 20 hours ago • 0 comments

Bukele works with Rightist Silicon Valley types such as Thiel, Andreessen, etc after his 2021 election. The Rightist platform, Rumble, funded by Thiel, Vance, has an official deal with Bukele. Bukele granted 0% tax on tech including software. He declared Bitcoin a national currency. Many ties.

submitted 1 day ago • 0 comments

Richard Armitage, who held US senior defense and diplomatic posts in the 1980s and 90s, has died at the age of 79. armitageinternational.com/news/remembe...

submitted 1 day ago • 1 comment

Here’s the letter the White House (technically the GSA) sent Harvard. Worth reading. Essentially demands full control over directing the university. www.harvard.edu/research-fun...

submitted 1 day ago • 32 comments

Cambridge also has the endowment, assets, IP, brand and alum network (like Princeton) to issue their own bonds successfully. Columbia and Penn could in theory, too. Many schools and colleges don't. Why Harvard leading matters. But key takeaway is to join together and form united fronts

submitted 1 day ago • 0 comments

SCOTUS had little option than 9-0 "facilitate." 1) Roberts had to ensure 9-0 vote. To get Thomas, Alito and possibly Gorsuch, Kavanaugh. 2) Executive power at zenith in foreign affairs discretion. 3. W/out Congress backup, enforcing contempt exposes courts in political terms, advisory.

submitted 1 day ago • 0 comments

The US government has abdicated and left the West as we knew it. Evidence, logic, truth and morality no longer are America's core values.

submitted 1 day ago • 6 comments

We clearly are now in a post-rule of law America. I thought there was a chance Bukele might signal an off ramp for Garcia as favor to Admin. Given Roberts' 9-0. Miller clearly driving force over cabinet secretaries. Trump's unique body language as Rubio spoke notable.

submitted 1 day ago • 0 comments

Key flaw in original Bessent/Marin 10% tariff 'big bang': 1) Devalue $ against 🇨🇳 Yuan, € etc; 2) Makes 🇺🇸 exports cheaper at their expense; 3) AND wants to make 🇨🇳🇯🇵 massive $ holdings less valuable - like 🇺🇸 1985 to 🇯🇵. Put this in writing. Why would 🇨🇳🇯🇵 others buy bonds? Plus stagflation fears.

submitted 2 days ago • 0 comments

Rubio just saw Loomer via Trump fire several NSC staffers with ties to him over the years. As untrustworthy 'neocons'. She also removed a 4 star general NSA head and his deputy. He knows others around Trump want him gone. And Waltz. Witcoff has Trump's ear. Court politics until fired or he quits

submitted 3 days ago • 0 comments

Suspect Bukele, as a favor 'to his good friend Donald Trump,' on Monday "facilitates" a solution w/out acknowledging SCOTUS jurisdiction. Trump can read 9-0 and there are major fights ahead. Could be wrong. But I read much of today's rhetoric as determination not to set domestic precedent.

submitted 3 days ago • 0 comments

Blatantly a bailout of SV and Wall Street bitcoin positions into useable fiat currencies ($£€ etc). Lutnick alone ~ $10 B in Tether. Unclear if POTUS has legal authority to do this even under 'national economic emergency' laws. Thus the BITCOIN Act 2025 GOP introduced in Senate, House.

submitted 3 days ago • 0 comments

A brilliant essay from @edwardluce.bsky.social and yes, both figures deserve study, not least I would argue, in today’s Europe, where if an attempt is to be made at superpower status, it will need to be discovered anew. For decades, it has been left to the Americans. www.ft.com/content/84d6...

submitted 3 days ago • 1 comment

Hence Monday meeting with Bukele from El Salvador. And Roberts internal work to ensure 9-0 vote. And Trump's love of theatricality Monday. This guarantees the Admin will continue to push boundaries of lower courts and game out shadow docket even more ahead.

submitted 4 days ago • 0 comments

🍿 Old enough to recall emotionally unhinged, virulent denunciations of Biden, Sullivan & Blinken. By 🇺🇦, Eastern Flank, West kerosene carriers. Exposed by realities Zelensky/Syrski botched 2023 offensive, force gen etc. 'Strong GOP' wanted over Biden/Harris. You got it. Pottery Barn & all that.

submitted 4 days ago • 0 comments

Huh. So weird.

submitted 4 days ago • 0 comments

Admin's original 10% radical tariff plan conceived by Marin & Bessent before Navarro hijacked to Spinal Tap. Envisions negotiations to pressure currency rate reform/other sweeping requests. 'Tariff rate' itself not really the key. Or US withdraws security relations only to compliant nations

submitted 5 days ago • 0 comments

Just finished this. I think it’s one of the best books on intelligence to be published in the last several years. An excellent & sweeping history of the Russian illegals programme, based on a great deal of original reporting and some remarkable interviews with former illegals & their families.

submitted 7 days ago • 3 comments

Interesting Langley slow roll. Even under Ratcliffe. "Among issues agency lawyers examining is CIA and officers’ liability if an US citizen accidentally killed in any operation, per one person briefed." And using assets focused on military targets used against cartels www.cnn.com/2025/04/07/p...

submitted 7 days ago • 0 comments

[email protected] on Trump/Miran tariff prospects. 🇪🇺CBAM proxy for tariff pricing signals: 🔹After initial shock long term fail industrial goals; need price + innovation. 🔹🇺🇸 politics has autonomy frm markets. 🔹Trump secure on Right; likely time/room adamtooze.substack.com/p/chartbook-...

submitted 7 days ago • 1 comment