Ezekiel 25:17

 

 

 

 

A cultural watershed

Pulp Fiction is a 1994 American independent black comedy crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino from a story he conceived with Roger Avary. It tells four intertwining tales of crime and violence in Los Angeles. The film stars John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis, Tim Roth, Ving Rhames, and Uma Thurman. The title refers to the pulp magazines and hardboiled crime novels popular during the mid-20th century, known for their graphic violence and punchy dialogue.

Pulp Fiction is widely regarded as Tarantino's magnum opus, with particular praise for its screenwriting. The self-reflexivity, unconventional structure, and extensive homage and pastiche have led critics to describe it as a touchstone of postmodern film. It is often considered a cultural watershed, influencing films and other media that adopted elements of its style. The cast was also widely praised, with Travolta, Thurman, and Jackson earning high acclaim. In 2008, Entertainment Weekly named it the best film since 1983 and it has appeared on many critics' lists of the greatest films ever made. In 2013, Pulp Fiction was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

 

 

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, leading a Pentagon prayer meeting, quoted a fictional Bible verse taken from a violent monologue in Pulp Fiction, originally delivered by actor Samuel L. Jackson just before his character shoots a helpless man to death. The secretary used the prayer to frame the war in Iran as an act of divine justice, the same justification Jackson’s character cites in the film before pulling the trigger.

Hegseth told the audience at a monthly Pentagon worship service that he learned the prayer from the lead mission planner of the “Sandy 1” team that recently rescued downed Air Force crew members in Iran. Hegseth said the verse frequently is spoken by combat search-and-rescue crews, who call the prayer “CSAR 25:17, which I think is meant to reflect Ezekiel 25:17” from the Bible.*1


Sources: Wikipedia and Los Angeles Times

 

*1 Ezekiel 25:17 (King James Version): And I will execute great vengeance upon them with furious rebukes; and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall lay my vengeance upon them.

Trump verklaart Vaticaan de oorlog

 

 

 

Paus Leo is ‘zwak’ en ‘verschrikkelijk’

De betrekkingen tussen de Amerikaanse president Donald Trump en het Vaticaan verslechteren zienderogen, nu Trump op zijn Truth Social fel heeft uitgehaald naar paus Leo XIV. Trump noemde de paus, die eerder nauw verholen kritiek uitte op het voeren van een aanvalsoorlog in de naam van het geloof, 'zwak' en 'verschrikkelijk'. De paus liet op zijn beurt weten zich te zullen blijven uitspreken.   

'Paus Leo is zwak op het gebied van misdaad en verschrikkelijk op het gebied van buitenlandbeleid', aldus Trump. De paus had op eerdere dreigingen van Trump dat 'een hele beschaving zal sterven' in Iran gereageerd en Trumps uitspraken 'onacceptabel' genoemd. Paus Leo riep op tot een vreedzame oplossing van de oorlog tegen Iran. Ook vroeg de paus om 'diepgaande bezinning' over de manier waarop migranten in de VS onder de regering van Trump worden behandeld.

'Leo zou dankbaar moeten zijn', schreef Trump, 'want zoals iedereen weet was hij een schokkende verrassing. Hij stond op geen enkele lijst om paus te worden en werd alleen aangesteld door de kerk omdat hij een Amerikaan is en zij dachten dat dat de beste manier zou zijn om met president Donald J. Trump om te gaan. Als ik niet in het Witte Huis zou zitten, dan zou Leo niet in het Vaticaan zitten', aldus Trump.

Daar bleef het niet bij. 'Ik wil geen paus die het oké vindt dat Iran kernwapens heeft. Ik wil geen paus die het verschrikkelijk vindt dat Amerika Venezuela heeft aangevallen. En ik wil geen paus die de president van de VS bekritiseert, omdat ik precies doe waarvoor ik ben gekozen', vervolgde Trump zijn tirade.

Als klap op de vuurpijl deelde Trump ook een afbeelding, mogelijk met AI gemaakt, waarop hij is afgebeeld met bovennatuurlijke krachten. Te zien is hoe er licht uit zijn handen komt terwijl hij zich over een zieke man ontfermt. Trump lijkt ook een bijbels gewaad te dragen, maar kwam verder niet met een toelichting over wat de illustratie moet voorstellen.


BNR/Mark van Harreveld

  

George Clooney for president!

Sticks and stones

Someone in the White House seems to have put the word out: Stop talking about a free and prosperous Iran, and start talking about pulverizing Iran until you can sift the rubble through a tennis racket. On Wednesday, Donald Trump vowed to bomb Iranian targets hard enough to send them “back to the Stone Ages where they belong.” Pete Hegseth also tweeted “back to the stone age,” a military cliché so lazy and flabby that if it were one of his generals, it would be frog-marched to an elliptical machine and forced to melt away its belly fat until its abs showed through. The messaging shift over the past couple of weeks reflects a change in plans, after Iran’s resistance proved more vigorous than expected. If Iran will not change its regime’s intentions, America will reduce it to resisting American imperial aggression with sticks and stones.*1

The Atlantic, April 3, 2026

 

 

A dispute about war crimes

The long-running war of words between George Clooney and the White House has ignited again after the Oscar-winning actor criticised Donald Trump’s threat to Iran that “a whole civilization will die tonight”.

On Wednesday (April 8), in a speech to 3,000 high school students in Cuneo, Italy, Clooney said the US president had committed a war crime with his threat.

“Some say Donald Trump is fine,” the 64-year-old told the students at an event organised by the Clooney Foundation for Justice. “But if anyone says he wants to end a civilization, that’s a war crime. You can still support the conservative point of view but there must be a line of decency, and we must not cross it.”

In response, the White House communications director, Steven Cheung, told the Independent: “The only person committing war crimes is George Clooney for his awful movies and terrible acting ability.”

The Guardian, 9 April 2026

 

*1 Also watch/read Paul Krugman's opinion on this topic on Substack.

   

The blitzkrieg scenario didn’t work

 

 

Our man in Moscow

BBC Russia editor Steve Rosenberg believes his continued ability to report from Moscow is largely due to Vladimir Putin’s desire for Russia to be viewed as a global superpower—an image that, in his view, requires tolerating the presence of international news organizations. Like correspondents from other Western outlets in countries such as France, Germany, and Italy, as well as networks like Sky News, Rosenberg knows he is constantly balancing on a knife-edge, aware that he could be expelled from the country at any moment. His position remains precarious. He holds only a three-month visa, and its renewal is typically delayed until the final day, a recurring reminder of how fragile his situation is.

“I don’t kid myself—this could end tomorrow,” Rosenberg said while accepting the 2025 Charles Wheeler Award for his outstanding contribution to broadcast journalism. “Every time I file a report, I feel like I’m walking a narrow line—a tightrope stretched over a minefield of repressive laws designed to punish criticism of the Russian state or so-called anti-Russian rhetoric in the media. “But Russia considers itself a great power,” he added, “and as a center of global influence, it hosts journalists from around the world.”

HD 

 

Steve Rosenberg

  

For varmt for Cold Response 26

  

 

Ikke så mye tele og snø

Nato-øvelsen Cold Response skjer i en utenrikspolitisk opphetet verden, med krig både i Ukraina og Midtøsten.*1 Den skjer også i et forholdsvis varmt nordnorsk jordsmonn.

Tidlig snø i nord har gjort at kalde værperioder ikke har kommet særlig langt ned i jorda. Nå varsler Forsvaret om at kombinasjonen av lite tele og tungt militært utstyr kan gi store skader på dyrket mark.

 

– Vi er avhengig av tilstrekkelig tele og nok snø for å redusere skadeomfanget, men dessverre er det ikke så mye tele i øvelsesområdet i år som i fjor, sier miljøvernoffiser ved Forsvarets operative hovedkvarter (FOH), Marianne Rygh Bø.

– Vi er veldig klar over skadene kjøring på jorder kan medføre, så vi søker å få avdelingene til ikke å kjøre der. Men må avdelingene likevel krysse jorder, oppfordrer vi dem til å kjøre i ytterkant eller i færre spor, sier Rygh Bø.

I et land med bare tre prosent matjord må det være en høy terskel for å legge potensielt ødeleggende trafikk nettopp hit.

Om lag 25.000 norske og allierte soldater trener på forsvaret av Norge. Ett av målene ved årets øvelse å øve på samspill mellom sivile og militære. Det er en god anledning til å inkludere lokale landbrukskontorer i øvelsen.

Kjørespor og ødelagt grasdekke er lette å oppdage. Skader nede i matjorda, for eksempel skadde eller tette dreneringsrør, viser seg først over tid. Det gjelder å melde fra så tidlig som mulig når skade er oppdaget eller mistenkt.

 

 

Også reindriften påvirkes når soldater beveger seg i reinbeiteområder. Reineieren Ole Nils Aslak Baal fikk et våpen rettet mot seg da han oppsøkte en norsk avdeling ved Helligskogen forrige søndag. Baal ville informere om at en reinflokk beitet like i nærheten.

– Det var en veldig ubehagelig opplevelse, sier Baal til avisa Nordlys.

Forsvaret sier at hendelsen skyldtes en misforståelse. Våpenet som ble rettet mot Baal, var ikke skarpladd.

– Hæren har fredag hatt et konstruktivt møte med Helligskogen reinbeitedistrikt om Cold Response 2026, og ønsker å bygge videre på det, sier oberstløytnant Lars Strøm, som er kommunikasjonssjef i Hæren.

 

Dyrevelferden må veie tungt når Forsvaret nærmer seg tamreindriften. Samtidig må alle utmarksbrukere regne med å merke det når vi og våre allierte øver på å forsvare landet.

Skader må søkes unngått, og erstattes om de oppstår. Men den som tror at store, motoriserte militærøvelser er det verste som kan skje arealbrukende virksomheter, har ikke vært i en krigssone. Alle har interesse av at Forsvaret øver på å forsvare fedrelandet.

NATIONEN - distriktsavisa (publisert: 09.03.26 17:53)

 

  

*1 Cold Response er en Norskledet militær vinterøvelse som avholdes hvert annet år. På land og i luften trenes det i Nord-Norge (Troms og nordre Nordland) og Nord-Finland. På sjøen skal det øves i sjøområdene utenfor Norge. Hoveddelen skjer 9.–19. mars 2026. Rundt 25 000 soldater deltar i øvelsen. Av disse øver rundt 11 800 på norsk jord. Resten deltar på sjøen, i luften og i Finland. Deltakerne kommer fra Norge, USA, Storbritannia, Tyskland, Nederland, Frankrike, Italia, Canada, Spania, Tyrkia, Sverige, Finland, Danmark og Belgia.

 

Regime change?

 

 

 

Trump launches war on Iran

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 86, who has ruled Iran since 1989, is dead, according to a report from Reuters. Israeli officials told the news agency earlier today (28 February) that Iran’s Supreme Leader was killed following Israeli strikes.

Iranian news agencies Tasnim and Mehr reported that the Supreme Leader was “steadfast and firm in commanding the field”.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump earlier speculated that Khamenei was dead. On a call with NBC news Trump said: I have spoken to a lot of people, we feel that is a correct story.”

“This morning we destroyed the compound of the tyrant Khamenei,” Netanyahu said in a brief video statement this evening.

“There are many signs that this tyrant is no longer. This morning we eliminated senior officials in the ayatollahs’ regime, Revolutionary Guards commanders, senior figures in the nuclear program… In the next few days, we will hit thousands more targets of the terror regime.”

On another call with ABC news tonight Trump said: “I don’t want to say anything definitively until I see things but we believe he is. And much of their leaders are gone.”


Source: The New Statesman 

 

The Guardian, Sun 1 Mar 2026 07.48 CET:

Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, was killed, Iranian state media has confirmed, in the opening salvo of a war the US and Israel launched with the aim of regime change.

Khamenei had not been heard from since the strikes began, and satellite imagery showed that his secure compound was heavily damaged in the initial barrage on Saturday.

The confirmation came early on Sunday, hours after Donald Trump announced the death of the ayatollah, who has ruled Iran as supreme leader since 1989, in a post on Truth Social.

 

Q&A

Will this military operation fundamentally change things in Iran? Will the country become a truly democratic, gender-equal, and open society? Is Donald Trump’s main objective in this war really regime change? Or is it merely about regime alteration and oil, as we saw two months ago in Venezuela?

In need of answers? Turn to: I pity the garden by Forugh Farrokzhad (1934-1967), translated and recited by Sholeh Wolpé. HD

 

Russische zorgen

 

 

De kosten van een pan soep

Rusland beweerde gisteren dat Frankrijk en het Verenigd Koninkrijk werken aan het leveren van 'een superwapen' aan Oekraïne. Gedoeld werd op een kernwapen of een 'vuile bom', een explosief dat radioactief materiaal verspreidt. De media die het nieuws naar buiten brachten beroepen zich op informatie van de Russische buitenlandse inlichtingendienst (SVR). Dmitri Medvedev, de oud-president en huidige vice-voorzitter van de Russische Veiligheidsraad, greep het bericht aan om opnieuw te dreigen met een nucleaire aanval op Oekraïne en sloot bovendien een dergelijke aanval op Frankrijk en het VK ook niet uit. Waarschijnlijk was de boodschap vooral als afleidingsmanoeuvre voor Vladimir Putins annexatie van Oekraïne bedoeld, die tot op heden weinig succesvolle 'speciale militaire operatie' begon gisteren namelijk exact vier jaar geleden.

Ondertussen hebben de enorme defensie-uitgaven, tezamen met het geheel aan westerse sancties, de Russische economie zwaar onder druk gezet. Sommige Russen kunnen zich enkel nog pap veroorloven en inmiddels zijn zelfs alledaagse spullen voor veel mensen te duur. Dit blijkt ook uit de Borsjtsj-index, een index die meet hoeveel het kost om een pan borsjtsj, bietensoep, te maken.*1 Door de prijzen van ingrediënten als bieten, aardappelen, kool en vlees te volgen, laat de index zien hoe hard inflatie Russische huishoudens treft. Deze is sinds het begin van de oorlog van 393 naar boven de 500 roebel gestegen.

De Borsjtsj-index wordt in Rusland beschouwd als een betrouwbare indicator voor de levenskwaliteit van de armste dertig procent van de bevolking. Waar officiële inflatiecijfers van de Centrale Bank van Rusland rond de 4,5% - 5,5% voor 2026 worden voorspeld, laat de Borsjtsj-index zien dat de kosten voor de bereiding van het nationale gerecht inmiddels al veel harder zijn gestegen. Inmiddels besteden Russische huishoudens gemiddeld 40 procent van het inkomen aan voeding, in april 2025 was dat nog ongeveer 34 procent.


©Huub Drenth

*1 Recept voor borsjtsj.

Heeft Putin de kaarten?

Rusland breekt alle records

Volgens The Economist, BBC News Russia en het onafhankelijke medium Mediazona, was 2025 verreweg het meest bloedige jaar voor de Russische strijdkrachten sinds het begin van de invasie in Oekraïne. De laagste schatting voor het aantal Russische militaire doden in 2025 ligt op 100.000 en zal onvermijdelijk stijgen naarmate er meer informatie beschikbaar komt en er meer overlijdensberichten worden gepubliceerd. Het totale aantal Russische slachtoffers sinds 24 februari 2022, vandaag exact vier jaar geleden, wordt geschat op tussen de 190.000 en 480.000.

De bandbreedte is echter fors, het Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) schat bijvoorbeeld het aantal Russische slachtoffers sinds 2022 op 1,2 miljoen, waarvan zeker 325.000 doden. Voor 2025 houdt het CSIS het op 415.000 Russische slachtoffers, dat is een verbijsterend maandgemiddelde van een 35.000 dode, gewonde en vermiste Russische mannen. Volgens het CSIS heeft geen enkele grootmacht in een gewapend conflict sinds de Tweede Wereldoorlog dergelijke verliescijfers laten zien.

Saillant detail: het tempo van de rekrutering in Rusland bleef vorig jaar steken op ongeveer 30.000 tot 35.000 mensen per maand, net genoeg om de verliezen in de gehaktmolen te compenseren, maar volstrekt onvoldoende om nieuwe eenheden te vormen, laat staan om strategische reserves op te bouwen.

En het ziet er niet naar uit dat deze Russische modus operandi in 2026 zal veranderen. De oorlog in Oekraïne blijft een uitputtingsoorlog, met een slagveld dat gedomineerd wordt door precisiewapens en drones die grootschalige manoeuvres vrijwel onmogelijk maken. Diepe doorbraken, omsingelingen of instortingen van het front zullen als gevolg daarvan uitblijven, waardoor een beslissende nederlaag van de Oekraïense strijdkrachten onwaarschijnlijk is. Of zoals de Britse denktank Royal United Services Institute het formuleert: Oekraïne verliest niet en Rusland wint niet.


Bron: BNR

Irpin, maart 2022.

 

Agálas johtin

Quora, oppdatert 12. jan. 2026:

Kan samene fra Norge, Sverige og Finland forstå hverandre?

Rolf Theil, tidligere professor i lingvistikk, Universitetet i Oslo (1966–2016): 

Det finst 9~10 levande samiske språk i Noreg, Sverige, Finland og Russland, og grensene mellom desse språka følgjer ikkje statsgrensene, fordi dei utvikla seg før nordmenn, svenskar, finnar og russarar la ulike delar av dei samiskspråklege delane av Fennoskandia under seg.*1 

(Eg skriv «9~10 levande samiske språk» fordi statusen til akkalasamisk er uklar.)

(Dei samiske språka stammar frå ursamisk, som blei snakka om lag på same tid som urnordisk, dvs rundt dei fem første hundreåra etter Kristi fødsel. Det er vandringsrutene til reindriftsamane – mellom sommarbeite og vinterbeite – som har bestemt grensene mellom språka. Vandringa skjer på tvers av den skandinaviske halvøya.) 

Sørsamar i Sverige og Noreg snakkar same språket og skjønar med andre ord kvarande, men di lenger nordover og austover du kjem i Fennoskandia, di vanskelegare er det for ein sørsamisktalande å forstå andre samiske språk. Ein sørsame kan truleg forstå ein god del ume- og pitesamisk, men så er det slutt. Nordsamar og sørsamar snakkar saman på norsk og svensk.

Dei som snakkar nordsamisk, forstår lulesamisk relativt greitt, men ume- og pitesamisk er det nok verre med. Dei samiske språka lenger aust, frå enare- og skoltesamisk og vidare bortover på Kola, er vanskelege å forstå for nordsamisktalande. For over 50 år sidan – da eg studerte nordsamisk – følgde eg eit kurs i enaresamisk ved Universitetet i Oslo, og dei nordsamisktalande studiekameratane mine hadde ikkje noko lettare for å forstå tekstane enn eg. Men dei nordsamisktalande i Noreg forstår utan vidare nordsamisk i Sverige og Finland. Eg har møtt nordsamisktalande samar frå Finland som har jobba i Karasjok. Dei brukar nordsamisk i jobben. Dei kan finsk (og engelsk) i tillegg til nordsamisk, men norsk kan dei ikkje.

Skoltesamar i Noreg, Finland og Russland forstår kvarandre.


Quora/Rolf Theil

Wimme - Agálas johtin / Eternal journey.

  

*1 Academia Cervena: Introduction to the Sami Languages,
    JuLingo: About the Sámi languages.

  

What a comeback!

Combat, survival and triumph

MILAN, Feb 16 (Reuters) - Figure skater Ryuichi Kihara said he could not stop crying since the early setback he and partner Riku Miura suffered on Sunday, but on Monday the duo climbed back to win Japan's first Olympic pairs gold with a powerful, Gladiator-themed free skate.

The two‑time world champions had been devastated after finishing fifth in the short programme due to a lift error, but returned with a performance  their coach, Bruno Marcotte, said was built on heart, belief and seven years of resilience.

Kihara, 33, said he struggled to shake off the previous day's mistake and arrived at practice still shaken. 

Riku Miura said seeing her partner in tears pushed her to take the lead.

"Ryuichi has been crying since this morning, and so I felt like I needed to be strong and support him and help him focus," the 24-year-old said.

Their free skate reflected their struggles — a programme built around combat, survival and triumph.

Skating to music from the "Gladiator" soundtrack performed by Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, they attacked every element with the steadiness that had deserted them a day earlier, their choreography echoing the resilience that has defined their partnership.

Source: Agnieszka Flak/Reuters

American Arctic readiness

 

 

  

Humiliated by Finnish reservists

In an article published January 21, journalists at The Times argue that US forces are poorly prepared for military operations in the Arctic. Citing a source in military circles, the paper reports that the US armed forces lack both the resources and the practical experience needed to operate effectively in this region.

According to the article, American troops are outperformed even by their European NATO partners when it comes to Arctic readiness. The best prepared for harsh northern conditions, The Times notes, are the forces of the Scandinavian countries, Finland and the United Kingdom.

A military source told the paper that during last year’s Joint Viking exercises in northern Norway, US units ran into serious difficulties.*1 The source said the exercise command had to ask Finnish reservists, who were playing the role of the simulated enemy, to ease up on the American troops because their performance was becoming, in his words, "humiliating and demoralising" for the US side.*2

The report also states that the United States still depends on Finnish technology for building icebreakers, while European countries have far more substantial hands-on experience operating in Arctic conditions. Against this backdrop, The Times concludes that if US President Donald Trump truly wants to "protect" the region, continuing to antagonise America’s Arctic allies is the wrong approach.

The newspaper adds that Joint Viking is not the only exercise taking place in the High North: NATO also conducts drills such as Cold Response. According to The Times, the alliance is now discussing the creation of an "Arctic Sentry" mission, intended to counter what it describes as "Russian threats" in the region.


Source: Military Affairs/John Baker

 

 

Finnish reservists.

 

*1 Joint Viking is a Norwegian winter exercise held every other year. Around 10,000 Norwegian and allied soldiers took part in the exercise, held in Northern Norway from 3 to 14 March 2025. The aim of the exercise was to enhance allied interoperability, train on protecting NATO's northern flank and to test Norway's ability to recieve allied reinforcements. Joint Viking 2025 gathered participants from nine nations: Norway, Canada, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the USA. 

*2 Finland, which has the longest border with Russia of any NATO or EU country, is well known for its decades of focus on a possible attack from its eastern neighbour, leading to a level of preparedness perhaps unequalled in the western world. It has fought many conflicts with Russia, most infamously the winter war of 1939/40 in which the Nordic country inflicted hundreds of thousands of casualties on the invading Soviet army. Almost a third of Finland's adult population are reservists, giving the country of just 5.6 million people one of the largest militaries in Europe and its joint largest amount of artillery. While conscription is mandatory for Finnish men, it is voluntary for women aged 18–29. After completing their service, women are placed in the reserve just like their male counterparts, with similar duties and opportunities for further training. Since its initiation in 1995, up to more than 14,000 women in total have completed the voluntary military service for women.

  

New leaders

 

 

 

Freedom is a collective practice

The free Western world is urgently searching for new leadership as its former leader, the United States of America, sinks ever deeper into a quagmire of fascism. A few days ago, Canada’s prime minister, Mark Carney, delivered an impressive speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos in which he outlined the path that the remaining democratic nations must follow in order to preserve their political and economic autonomy, as well as their moral dignity and freedom.

"The middle powers must act together," Carney said, referring to Canada, the EU and countries like Japan, Brazil, Australia and South Korea, "because if we’re not at the table, we’re on the menu." Donald Trump was not mentioned by name in the speech, but it was clear to everyone that these remarks referred to him. Mark Carney is a man of action, not merely a talker like many of his European counterparts, and he was therefore met with considerable acclaim from his audience. He is clearly the kind of political leader that intelligent, freedom-minded people all over the globe are longing for in a rapidly changing world order.*1

Another form of leadership – this time in the historical and philosophical-ethical realm – is embodied by the American historian Timothy Snyder. He was among the first political refugees when Donald Trump came to power a year ago. From 2017 to 2025, he served as the Richard C. Levin Professor of History at Yale University, today he teaches at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy at the University of Toronto.*2

¡Principio del fin!
Será muerto el Hombre Orquesta de Norte América.
Benjamin Solari Parravicini, 1938.*3

On January 16, during a sold-out evening at BOZAR in Brussels, Timothy Snyder spoke with historian Pieter Lagrou about freedom, democracy, and resistance in an age of growing authoritarian pressure.

Drawing on his work on history, from the Holocaust to contemporary Ukraine, Snyder emphasized that freedom is more than the absence of constraints. It requires active engagement, moral choice, and care for one another. In dialogue with Lagrou, he reflected on historical lessons and present-day threats such as authoritarianism and digital manipulation. He warned against the abuse of free speech in the digital age, arguing that it should serve to challenge power rather than monopolize the information space.

Snyder stressed the vital role of history in defending democracy, as it helps societies resist propaganda, simplistic narratives, and the illusion of an inevitable future. The evening concluded with a powerful conclusion: freedom is not an individual possession, but a collective practice – one that must be continuously upheld by citizens, institutions, and generations alike.


©Huub Drenth

 

Emperor Donald Trump.

 

*1 Mark Carney's speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos. 

*2 I’ve published a number of posts on Timothy Snyder, use the search bar beneath this post to explore them. 

*3 Translation from Spanish: Beginning of the end! The one-man orchestra of North America will be killed. Known as "the Nostradamus of the Americas," Benjamin Solari Parravicini (1898–1974) was an Argentine artist who made extraordinary prophecies about the world’s future. What made his clairvoyance especially compelling was that it was expressed artistically through hundreds of drawings, known as "psychographs," each accompanied by short, handwritten messages. The drawing in this post was made by him in 1938.

 

A rupture, not a transition

 

 

Europe must heed Mark Carney – and embrace a painful emancipation from the US

EU leaders would do well to meditate on the seminal lesson that the Canadian prime minister, Mark Carney, delivered at this year’s World Economic Forum.

In an incisive analysis of the new age of predatory great powers, where might is increasingly asserted as right, Carney not only accurately defined the coarsening of international relations as “a rupture, not a transition”. He also outlined how liberal democratic “middle powers” such as Canada – but also European countries – must build coalitions to counter coercion and defend as much as possible of the principles of territorial integrity, the rule of law, free trade, climate action and human rights. He spelled out a hedging strategy that Canada is already pursuing, diversifying its trade and supply chains and even opening its market to Chinese electric vehicles to counter Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canadian-made automobiles.

Carney’s clear-eyed recognition that the age of the western-led “rules-based international order” – with all its flaws and inconsistencies – is not coming back contrasts with dithering among European leaders, many of whom still seem to believe they can flatter, bribe and appease Trump into taking their interests into account. Fear of Trump storming out of Nato or abandoning Ukraine to Russian dismemberment has so far prevented them from taking a strong stance against his bullying of allies.

 

Nuuk, Greenland.

The US president’s insistence on taking possession of Greenland, and his threat of punitive tariffs against European allies who sent a small reconnaissance force to Greenland last week in support of Denmark, should be the red line that finally triggers a united and firm European response. Yet nothing is less certain, with EU leaders still torn between de-escalation and bargaining on the one hand, and escalation to create a balance of power before any negotiation, on the other.

Trump muddied the waters after giving a belligerent speech in Davos, by announcing he had “formed the framework of a future deal” on Greenland in talks with Nato’s Mark Rutte and would not, after all, be imposing those threatened additional tariffs. But Europeans should not be lulled into dropping their guard.

Carney’s lesson in Davos could not have been clearer and more timely. “When we only negotiate bilaterally with a hegemon, we negotiate from weakness. We accept what’s offered. We compete with each other to be the most accommodating,” he warned. “This is not sovereignty. It’s the performance of sovereignty while accepting subordination. In a world of great power rivalry, the countries in between have a choice – compete with each other for favour, or combine to create a third path with impact.”

In other words, Europe can only hope to stop Trump’s abuse of US power if it acts with unity and strength, and joins forces with like-minded countries such as Canada, but also Japan, Australia, Brazil and India, to build new trade pacts and rules.*

Paul Taylor/The Guardian

 

* Visit this post on the site of the World Economic Forum to read the full transcript of the speech by Mark Carney in Davos. The post also contains a video of Carney's complete performance on January 20, 2026.

 

Goodbye my friend

A joint statement

Europe vowed a united response after President Donald Trump said he would impose tariffs on eight of its allies for sending troops to Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark that the president has repeatedly threatened to annex.

Trump said Saturday he would introduce 10% tariffs on imports from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland, all of which sent small numbers of military personnel to Greenland in recent days to take part in military exercises.

The move, which comes as Trump has stepped up his campaign to annex the territory, prompted a wave of condemnation from the leaders of the ostensible U.S. allies, which were already subject to tariffs of 10% and 15%. The row could call into question trade deals the U.S. struck with the U.K. in May and the European Union in July.

On Sunday, the eight countries issued a joint statement declaring that they “stand in full solidarity with the Kingdom of Denmark and the people of Greenland.” 

"As members of Nato, we are committed to strengthening Arctic security as a shared transatlantic interest. The pre-coordinated Danish exercise Arctic Endurance conducted with Allies, responds to this necessity. It poses no threat to anyone,” the statement said. 

"Tariff threats undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral. We will continue to stand united and coordinated in our response. We are committed to upholding our sovereignty," it added. 

 

Upernavik in northwest Greenland, 19th century.

A day earlier, Trump’s announcement set off a firestorm across European capitals as he threatened tariffs in his latest effort to acquire the territory of Greenland for the United States.

“Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, The United Kingdom, The Netherlands, and Finland have journeyed to Greenland, for purposes unknown. This is a very dangerous situation for the Safety, Security, and Survival of our Planet,” Trump said in a Truth Social post Saturday announcing the tariffs. 

Trump added that the tariffs would increase to 25% on June 1, and would remain in effect “until such time as a Deal is reached for the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland.”

His comments came as thousands rallied on Saturday in the Danish cities of Copenhagen, Aarhus, Aalborg and Odense, as well as in Greenland’s capital, Nuuk, to oppose Trump’s annexation plans. In Nuuk, hundreds marched to the U.S. consulate, some holding signs that read “Greenland is not for sale,” and “Yankees go home!”


 Richard Hall and Rebecca Schneid/Time (January 18)

Nuuk, Greenland.