gerardkroon.bsky.social - Profile | ThreadSky | a Reddit-style client for Bluesky

To me, a Nazi salute means, "I want to murder your family." There can be no irony about it: It puts deep anger and hatred in my heart to see it done and I will never forgive anyone who justifies or minimizes it.

submitted 6 hours ago • 192 comments

One Russian paper poses a “core question” about America, Europe and Nato. Another quotes a retired Russian general & former minister as saying that, when the war in Ukraine ends, Russia “must continue to build up its defence capabilities. I repeat, build them up.” #ReadingRussia

submitted 10 hours ago • 11 comments

"Such a fine, sunny day, and I have to go... What does my death matter, if through us, thousands of people are awakened and stirred to action?" Eighty two years ago today Sophie Scholl was executed, aged 21, for her part in the non-violent, anti-Nazi group the White Rose.

submitted 1 day ago • 3 comments

There's a rumour that Nigel Farage is keeping his head down because he's off to a Trump cheerleading conference over the weekend. I’m afraid I’m being proved right- Farage is far more interested in Trump's success than British security. He is a bootlicker and a plastic patriot.

submitted 3 days ago • 271 comments

Here's video of Steve Bannon doing a Sieg Heil today at CPAC. It is what it is and it's what Bannon intended. Don't let yourself be gaslit.

submitted 2 days ago • 1496 comments

Here's one of the warnings I gave in an article before the US election. It's devastating to see it all happening. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

submitted 3 days ago • 168 comments

As Trump makes concessions to Russia, he is showing weakness on a level unprecedented in modern US history. His position is so weak that it is unlikely to convince anyone. Trump is a sheep in wolf’s clothing. The wolves can tell the difference "The Weak Strongman" snyder.substack.com/p/the-weak-s...

submitted 3 days ago • 131 comments

De zwakke, sterke man.. Lezenswaardig opiniestuk van de onvolprezen Timothy Snyder. Trump is een vehikel voor krachten die hij niet begrijpt, of denkt dat hij ze in de hand heeft. De wolven weten dit...

submitted 3 days ago • 1 comment

Hours after Lavrov's lie, Russia attacked energy infrastructure in Odesa. About 160,000 people in the city are without electricity and heating. The temperatures are below zero Celsius in Ukraine this week. Hospital and daycares were also damaged. True face of Russia.

submitted 4 days ago • 65 comments

Let’s take a dive into history.

submitted 4 days ago • 5 comments

Zelenskyy says Trump 'lives in disinformation bubble' with discord sowed by Russia www.theguardian.com/world/live/2...

submitted 4 days ago • 21 comments

Oh, look what normal countries do when a former president leads a far right coup attempt.

submitted 5 days ago • 1196 comments

My thoughts on the Russian-American talks on Ukraine, without Ukraine. The simplest interpretation of the available facts is that the Americans are using Russian violence to try to exploit Ukraine. snyder.substack.com/p/peace-or-p...

submitted 5 days ago • 152 comments

"This was not peace talks nor a negotiation, but a business meeting," risk analyst @samdebendern.bsky.social says. "A business meeting between the representatives of two bosses, who want to decide how best to share the spoils of war. That is really what we're seeing here." ~AA

submitted 5 days ago • 41 comments

OTD in 2022 i denied any invasion would happen. So you can believe my promises about peace now.

submitted 5 days ago • 49 comments

Trump demanded a $500 billion "payback" for protecting Ukraine, including 50% of revenue from extraction of rare minerals, oil, gas, etc. "Trump’s demands would amount to a higher share of Ukrainian GDP than reparations imposed on Germany at the Versailles Treaty"

submitted 6 days ago • 14 comments

“As memories of the global financial crisis dim, banks and big corporates are returning to the pay culture that sent inequality soaring and contributed to the collapse of the economy. Nobody wants this and it isn’t in our economic interest.” @highpaycentre.bsky.social @lukehildyard.bsky.social

submitted 6 days ago • 5 comments

We're shocked by Trump and Musk's antics because we judge them against the idea that governments should serve the people. But they have no such intention. Government for them is simply about seizing power and wealth. Let's stop being shocked, and build a global, democratic counter-movement.

submitted 6 days ago • 111 comments

"Javier Milei crypto pump and dump" omg he just like Hawk Tuah

submitted 8 days ago • 3 comments

The Russo-Ukrainian war started at 4.30 AM on February 27th 2014 when Russian troops took control of the Crimean Parliament building in Simferopol. The invasion of Crimea was followed by the invasion of Donbass in March 2014. The war has been going on ever since.

submitted 100 days ago • 10 comments

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch today launches her campaign for “Free Speech” in the UK, taking her lead from Musk. A reminder that “Free Speech” is Right Wing code for the freedom to cause harm by saying racist, misogynistic or homophobic things in public without consequence.

submitted 7 days ago • 78 comments

Sorry UK, I'm all for deeper UK-EU security cooperation at this moment, but forget about this bridge illusion. The EU will speak for itself. And you cannot pretend to speak 'for Europe' and at the same meeting call for tariff carve outs playing on being 'not Europe'. From: on.ft.com/4gLuvnQ

submitted 7 days ago • 57 comments

History buffs will know that every authoritarian leader eventually converges on some version of: "I am the state. I can not break the law, I am the law, the law is instantiated in me." Our march to authoritarianism so far has been excruciatingly by-the-book. Hitting every beat. No surprises.

submitted 8 days ago • 345 comments

Ein Zitat, das auch Massenmörder Breivik in seinem Manifest nennt, übrigens.

submitted 8 days ago • 22 comments

Extraordinary speech by Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Munich: "Some in Europe might be frustrated with Brussels. But let’s be clear: If not Brussels, then Moscow. It’s your decision. That’s geopolitics. That’s history. Moscow will pull Europe apart if we, as Europeans, don’t trust each other." A must 🧵

submitted 8 days ago • 1 comment

Boris Pistorius reagiert spontan auf die Rede von Vance: "Das ist nicht akzeptabel." Lange Applaus.

submitted 9 days ago • 151 comments

I would say "does this guy need to give a Nazi salute in the middle of a public speech for you to put the pieces together" but unfortunately Musk already did that and some of y'all are still acting clueless

submitted 9 days ago • 19 comments

Trump spoke to Putin today and agreed to throw Ukraine to the wolves. Everything Russia wanted. Ukraine not even involved in negotiations. Putin: “I am very pleased we are now working together.” A short 🧵

submitted 11 days ago • 55 comments

On LBC this morning, I spoke about why we should be far more worried the power Elon Musk is accruing, especially in light of his Open AI moves. The normalisation of his actions and activity by quite a bit of the US and even UK media is a big part of the problem. www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGnt...

submitted 12 days ago • 86 comments

NEW: Tuesday’s News Agents. Elon Musk is already one of the most powerful men we’ve ever seen. We ask why much of the media isn’t talking more about the dangers of his getting more powerful still. Listen now. podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...

submitted 12 days ago • 24 comments

What do we do when working within the system no longer works? This is the great and for many, unaskable, question looming above Washington on this dark, cold February night. open.substack.com/pub/davidrot...

submitted 11 days ago • 94 comments

1/ Must-watch: George Conway describes the term #Psychopathocracy he coined to describe the US government under Trump. #AutocracyVsDemocracy youtu.be/TjqSeb9GyeI?...

submitted 13 days ago • 21 comments

New word for today #Psychopathocracy ...thanks to @gtconway.bsky.social Lets make it go viral and add it to the dictionary! #PresidentMusk #Trump #TrumpAdministration #MAGA

submitted 15 days ago • 0 comments

More random trade policy announcements from the US President which may or may not mean anything beyond what is already known, that he doesn't understand trade, or international relations, doesn't respect deals, doesn't care except about himself. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

submitted 13 days ago • 16 comments

Meanwhile in Russia.... Music journalist and Russian singer Vadim Strojkin has died in Russia after falling from a window of his apartment building. This happened at the moment that the police raided it. Strojkin was active in opposition circles in Russia.

submitted 17 days ago • 0 comments

If you wonder where Trump is headed with all this destruction of democracy, the answer may lie in the dark writings of Curtis Yarvin.

submitted 15 days ago • 162 comments

Reading list to offer context for today’s environment: 1) Strongmen, Ruth Ben-Ghiat 2) Mafia States, Moises Naim 3) Autocracy, Inc., Anne Appelbaum 4) Tech Coup, Marietje Schaake 5) Corruptible, Brian Klaas 6) Dying of Whiteness, Jonathan Metzl

submitted 14 days ago • 41 comments

I never thought I’d say this, but here’s a former UK Conservative Chancellor talking sense.

submitted 17 days ago • 37 comments