Profile avatar
judah-grunstein.bsky.social
Editor-in-chief of World Politics Review. Spent more than a year in Provence. Used to be an American in Paris. Currently bringing coal to Newcastle. https://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/ @wpr.bsky.social
14,168 posts 12,938 followers 1,258 following
Regular Contributor
Active Commenter

This is just a jaw-dropping bombshell of an investigation, and it goes without saying that there is likely a ton of leakable stuff still out there just waiting for a home. We're working it up now for today's Daily Review newsletter, so stand by for that.

"The Tibetan spiritual leader has vowed to reveal a succession plan when his birthday is celebrated on July 6. He may get creative to thwart Chinese interference." The intersection of pre-modern "succession plans" and contemporary geopolitics is a thing to behold.

It's chillingly revealing that Kristi Noem has grafted a hideous mask, one incapable of revealing any affect or emotion, over her face. It's like a reverse Dorian Gray, where the moral decay is kept publicly visible, while whatever goodness that might remain is buried to keep it from rebelling.

A friend visiting from Pau mentioned that the nearby airport at Lourdes features daily direct flights from Portugal, Spain, Italy and Poland, and it struck me as a vestigial reminder of how the Catholic Church once configured supranational linkages in Europe.

This is a great piece because it expands the field for thinking about the potential uses and benefits of digital currencies, not just for settlement, disbursement and fiscal policy, but also for stabilization of global systemic shocks. Lots of obstacles to be overcome, though.

Most global affairs outlets ignore maritime issues until they involve naval clashes. We even have a Maritime Issues tag. If you're not paying attention to the world's oceans, you're missing 71% of the story (by surface area).

Lula's global ambitions have come at the cost of Brazil's regional influence, which has paled this time around in comparison with his first stint in power.

Great look at how cultural heritage can drive soft power and nation-building exercises, but also be used for more divisive purposes, by Mohammad Salami.

"Western policymakers need to ask themselves how prepared they would be in the face of a similar operation. The answer is: no better than the Russians." Highly recommend this one, by @rikefranke.bsky.social.

This was my first reaction as well. The "Iran is terminally weakened but mortally dangerous" framing is the gift that keeps on giving.

Arthur Miller's The Crucible also comes to mind, as does Monty Python's Life of Brian.

“Senior Bukele officials helped an MS-13 leader with a pending extradition order escape from prison, according to court records, U.S. officials and Salvadoran news reports. At least three other top gang leaders were released from Salvadoran custody after the U.S. filed extradition requests for them”

Good 🧵. The events in LA have repercussions way beyond the domestic.

Don’t know what is happening in the Middle East but when we did Cold War crisis game with @radiofreetom.bsky.social for Harvard Ext evacuations always got everyone’s attention …

My first column with @wpr.bsky.social, on obvious events. “…It is the first time it is attempting to use the military’s coercive power, as opposed to its logistics capabilities, in the service of its domestic political goals.” www.worldpoliticsreview.com/trump-la-pro...

"If the Trump administration deploys military forces to cities beyond Los Angeles, it lays the groundwork for abuses of power that will polarize public opinion about the military and very possibly galvanize opinion against it." From @carriealee.bsky.social's inaugural @wpr.bsky.social column.

Evening soundtrack.

In consoling a friend recently, I put words to something I've felt since my first brush with loss but never managed to articulate: One of the hardest things about loss is the co-existence of grieving time with normal time, in ways that can be both comfortingly complementary and jarringly dissonant.

Three hours in on the bolognese is my happy place.

Ding ding ding

Very big news. Not gonna say I called it. But. Well. I did.

It's worth mentioning that Trump and Miller's language of territory outside the state's control is very prevalent in the immigration discourse of the French far right, right and even Macron, who speak of "zones de non-droit" and "séparatisme islamiste." Meanwhile, this:

In her WPR column yesterday, Mary Gallagher detailed just how China cornered the market on rare earths, which is very similar to how it cornered the market on EVs. China's mass and state-party system essentially allow it to corner the market by breaking the market.

Everything we know about conflict-resolution and peacemaking tells us that pushing through a deal with a 60-day ultimatum for a conflict that has lasted decades may get you the signed piece of paper Trump will enjoy waving around, but little more.

"No longer" is doing a lot of work here.

All the Americans involved in this are now guilty of doing business with FTO-listed entities.

We're at the point of framework deals to restore truces, i.e., some broad ideas for how to keep kicking the can down the road. What clowns.