Interesting i/v by @gideonrachman.bsky.social about how to end the US-Iran war.
Critical note: telling detail that Trump’s global toxicity hence political dangers for allies for being associated with T’s war is not valued by the Americans.
USfirst => USalone
podcasts.apple.com/nl/podcast/t...
Would love to play that one for the jury in the defamation case.
“That’s why I said this individual can just fuck right off, because I know I belong in my own country. You’re not going to be able to do that to me,” she said. She said there was an aspect of racism to the claims. “I do think there is that element of it, which is: ‘How dare you, a brown woman, say a thing that we white liberals think you’re not allowed to say?’ Well I’m saying it.”
Across the world, regardless of skin colour, the successful playbook is IMV always 'I'm awesome! You're awesome! This is an awesome country! I will avoid where possible talking about racism!' and not....this.
"Financial markets ended last week on an upswing — apparently convinced that the worst of the crisis is over. That assumption looks complacent." @gideonrachman.bsky.social @financialtimes.com
If this actually happens, it may rank as the single most corrupt act in the history of American politics. I cannot believe this is even under discussion.
“Orbán’s banishment is a blow to the fatalism that has become so fashionable in western democracies. There’s nothing inevitable about the march of the populist-oligarch right.”
My Swamp Notes with @gideonrachman.bsky.social. Free to read. as.ft.com/r/a16fea82-8...
"The economic impacts of the war were cushioned for a while b/c a lot of Gulf oil/gas was already at sea when the US & Israel attacked Iran in Feb. But the effects of the strait’s closure & Iran’s attacks on Gulf energy are now kicking in."
@gideonrachman.bsky.social
www.ft.com/content/2f1c...
Quite a flex to turn up at the presidential palace, get him to confirm you as prime minister, call him unfit to serve with no moral authority, tell him to resign, and then pose for a picture
Negotiating an end to the war — and the energy crisis it is causing — will require strategic vision, patience and an ability to understand trade-offs and to build alliances. All qualities that Trump lacks @gideonrachman.bsky.social
www.ft.com/content/2f1c...
Hungary chose to be a member of the EU. And Hungarian voters overwhelmingly rejected Orban’s anti-EU stance. MAGA can’t get its head around this.
Incredible result. An amazing achievement for Magyar and also for the people of Hungary. All is not lost!
Listening to this podcast I was left wondering why Baroness Cathy Ashton isn’t either our Foreign Sec, a senior Minister or a Special Envoy with all her EU and global foreign policy experience.
Another great podcast episode.
@gideonrachman.bsky.social
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...
"Armageddon is off . . . for now" - @gideonrachman.bsky.social here on the ceasefire and how peace talks might play out www.ft.com/content/1843...
Philip Gordon of @brookings.edu, interviewed by @gideonrachman.bsky.social, sums up total failure of Trump admin to think strategically: "US military presence did deter the closure of the Strait of Hormuz because we said 'we're going to use massive military force against you if you close it'..." 1/2
"Neither Britain nor Europe has decades to get it right." @gideonrachman.bsky.social rightly spurring @10dowingstreet.bsky.social and @ec.europa.eu @eucouncil.bsky.social to speed up rapprochement between #UK and #EU, or #rejoining
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'I notice he has barely touched his prosecco, while I’ve guzzled most of mine.' I had lunch with Jay McInerney as.ft.com/r/3a99aa58-2...
Escaping through literature was not the escape I had hoped for.
In the first 16 days, the US, together with coalition forces, burned through more than 11,200 munitions at an estimated cost of $26bn, according to research published by the Royal United Services Institute. Among these were more than 1,200 RTX Patriot missile-defence systems, hundreds of its long-range Tomahawk missiles and more than 300 Lockheed-built Thaad interceptors. “The number of offensive and defensive missiles that are being expended in the current operation is, frankly, scary,” said Tom Karako, director of the Missile Defense Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Quite the numbers…
“In the first 16 days, the US, together with coalition forces, burned through more than 11,200 munitions, according to RUSI.
Among these were more than 1,200 RTX Patriot missile-defence systems, hundreds of its long-range Tomahawk missiles and more than 300 Thaad interceptors.”
Great @financialtimes.com interview of @veghzsuzsanna.bsky.social by @gideonrachman.bsky.social about the Hungarian elections.
www.ft.com/content/7309...
He’s not prime minister of Israel
Indeed. It was worth listening to him yesrday evening live on Al Jazeera spelling out the chapter and rhe verse. A calamitous US defeat if Trump follows through
I hope all those people who said the US had done no planning for war in Iran will now apologise. www.ft.com/content/744e...
Two more weeks until the Hungarian election!
We discussed with @gideonrachman.bsky.social @financialtimes.com if this will bring the end of Orban's rule, why the opposition is on the rise, what Fidesz's close ties with Russia means for Europe and what may be different.
🎧 www.ft.com/content/ef9b...
#Podcastvandedag Viktor Orbán has been a thorn for the EU and a favourite of Donald Trump. But his party is now behind in the polls ahead of next month’s Hungarian elections.
But this is not a done deal! @gideonrachman.bsky.social @veghzsuzsanna.bsky.social
podcasts.apple.com/nl/podcast/t...
Analysts like Citrinowicz believe that the biggest long-term strategic threat to Israel is not Iran — but the potential loss of the American support on which Israel relies. The erosion of that support is now well under way, schrijft @gideonrachman.bsky.social
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Yet another excellent episode from @gideonrachman.bsky.social and it sounds like Statecraft the New Rules by @Jack Watling will be a good read.
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...
There seem to be two possible outcomes for Hungary’s election:
- Orban loses, refuses to accept defeat, and Trump backs him, threatening retaliation if he does not stay in power
- Orban wins thanks to Russian and US interference
I hope the EU is prepared
www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/0...
One thing struck me in chats in Bxl today on EU not helping Trump over Iran
One senior EU official noted EU leaders had become somewhat “immune” to Trump's threats. They've been so many (tariffs, NATO, Ukraine, Greenland, against Starmer etc) that the impact has sort of worn of
Transcript of a podcast b/w @gideonrachman.bsky.social and Jack Watling, author of ‘Statecraft: The New Rules of Power in a Divided World’, is very illuminating.
- Trump admin ignored risk of Strait of Hormuz being closed
- Threat to shipping won't go away any time soon
www.ft.com/content/a530...
Greenland was no joke. Believe what he says.