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Nicholas Dorn @financedemos.bsky.social · 13d

I struggle to imagine what's in the minds of IDF operatives as they bulldoze agricultural land & destroy wells. That these constitute 'terrorist infrastructures'? That settlers might move in after such devastation? That it doesn't matter, somehow? Just following orders? I'm asking, genuinely, WHAT?

Nicholas Dorn @financedemos.bsky.social · 18d

Live by the sword... China stops buying agricultural produce of one of Trump's political constituencies, his rural vote. After imposition of wide range of US trade tariffs, China buys S American soya (image). Good news & wait for the US manufacturing shoe to drop? Hardly, US may simply up the ante.

Nicholas Dorn @financedemos.bsky.social · 20d

Microsoft finds "evidence that supports elements" of The Guardian’s reporting on Israeli use of the company's cloud storage and AI services and technologies in Gaza and the Occupied Territories. blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issue... Most services remain in place.

Nicholas Dorn @financedemos.bsky.social · 20d

As Trump/Witkoff plan falters theprint.in/opinion/trum... ex-UK PM Tony Blair & other technocrats positioned as 'compromise' in a “Gaza International Transitional Authority" for ”'international trusteeship" of Gaza - echoing failed model of High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina. Legitimacy?

Trump's selling a new Gaza peace plan to the Islamic world. That has no takers on the ground

Frustrations among Arab leaders are growing. They notice how Trump has been unable to carry the Abraham Accords to their logical conclusion and restrain Israel.

theprint.in

Nicholas Dorn @financedemos.bsky.social · Sep 16

In 2023 International Criminal Court issued arrest warrant for President Putin over transfer of Ukrainian children to Russia. Fearing President Trump's sanctions on ICC, the Humanitarian Research Lab of Yale School of Public Health has stopped sharing data with ICC medicine.yale.edu/lab/khoshnoo...

Ukraine's Stolen Children: Inside Russia's Network of Re-Education and Militarization

The Yale School of Public Health’s Humanitarian Research Lab (HRL) has concluded that children from Ukraine have been taken to at least 210 facilities inside

medicine.yale.edu

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Nicholas Dorn @financedemos.bsky.social · Sep 13

After Mossad declined, Israeli air force hit Doha office of Khalil al-Hayya, killing his son & others, while al-Hayya & other negotiators met elsewhere. Qatari internal security appears better than Iranian, possibly due to international liaison. Not so its anti-missile capability, despite CENTCOM.

Nicholas Dorn @financedemos.bsky.social · Sep 1

Israeli Education Ministry removes from civics exam the principles of liberal democracy & role of constitution in limiting actions by government. Students will still be examined on concepts of a state with a religious-traditional identity & role of religious law www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog-sep...

Nicholas Dorn @financedemos.bsky.social · Aug 27

Interesting take on 'intelligence': IDF Golani Brigade acted on tip-off from Rafael Hayun, amateur Israeli open source intelligence (OSINT) enthusiast, who has a licence to own & operate equipment, processes, filtering & feeding info to troops on the ground. www.instagram.com/reel/DNyotkW...

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Nicholas Dorn @financedemos.bsky.social · Aug 26

Journalists: Israeli army tank shelled camera stationed at the hospital, believing it was being used to track troops. Two shells were fired, the first targeting the camera, the second hitting rescuers who were operating at the scene. IDF "works to minimize harm” www.timesofisrael.com/strike-on-so...

Nicholas Dorn @financedemos.bsky.social · Aug 24

Villagers must always “pay a heavy price” for any attack on settlers/IDF reservists, says IDF Central Command chief - including "shaping operations” that target communities' vulnerabilities, including their livelihoods. www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_ent...

Nicholas Dorn @financedemos.bsky.social · Aug 21

Private Eye Magazine: “If I said I was wearing a Palestine Action T-shirt would you get here quicker?" In shops now! It's true that the police can be a tad slow. Sometimes. But might printing, selling, even wearing such a T-shirt be taken as grounds for action under UK anti-terror legislation?

Nicholas Dorn @financedemos.bsky.social · Aug 21

“The starvation is real. You can’t deny it. Is it one child, is it one thousand children, is it half a million, is it ten thousand? I don’t know ... Is the number too big? Is the number too low? Are people exaggerating the number? It’s the wrong conversation.” www.timesofisrael.com/after-seeing...

Nicholas Dorn @financedemos.bsky.social · Aug 17

UK Home Secretary says "Palestine Action satisfies the relevant tests in the Terrorism Act 2000". But the Act says 'Secretary of State may proscribe' (not must). To apply it to PA was a political choice not a duty. To retain credibility of legislation and salvage political credibility, deproscribe.

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Nicholas Dorn @financedemos.bsky.social · Aug 11

78% of Jewish Israelis and 22.5% of Arab Israelis think that, given the circumstances of the fighting in Gaza, Israel is making efforts to avoid causing suffering to the Palestinian population there.

Nicholas Dorn @financedemos.bsky.social · Aug 7

Israel to approve a phased plan to take over vast new areas of the Gaza Strip .. displacing around a million Palestinians .. to quickly push more Gazans toward the southern Mawasi zone, in hopes this would serve the stated plan to encourage emigration from Gaza. www.timesofisrael.com/gaza-takeove...

Nicholas Dorn @financedemos.bsky.social · Jul 19

Can Haredi men's study of the Tora, supported by the state & by those Haredi women who work in the wider economy, make a contribution to 'defense' exceeding military service? Secular Israelis don't think so. Meanwhile Haredis mostly vote right, support war. There's more en.idi.org.il/publications...

Nicholas Dorn @financedemos.bsky.social · Jul 9

Who's for lunch? The White House hosts African leaders "multilateral lunch" for 5 countries, Mauritania, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Senegal, Gabon, apparently “low-hanging fruit”. Not the largest economies, e.g. South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt and Ethiopia, allied to BRICS. edition.cnn.com/2025/07/09/a...

Nicholas Dorn @financedemos.bsky.social · Jul 6

Saudi Arabia not joining BRICS. Trade support for dollar + bilateral trade in other currencies, including more with Iran, working around sanctions. President XI's absence from July 2025 BRICS meeting signals China's focus on that ME 'third way'. Some background moderndiplomacy.eu/2025/03/18/s...

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Nicholas Dorn @financedemos.bsky.social · Jun 28

"Islamists"? Hezbollah, in the Gulf & looking east, calls for self-defence against western invasiveness. Ennahda sees itself as a bridge between Africa & Europe, ponders a global order without hegemony. Right / wrong - or differing contexts? edinburghuniversitypress.com/book-islamis... open access

edinburghuniversitypress.com

Nicholas Dorn @financedemos.bsky.social · Jun 21

CNN: Regime change would require Israel/US having a figure to replace Khamenei & sending troops into Iran. Israel favors Reza Pahlavi, son of king ousted in 1979. edition.cnn.com/2025/06/20/m... Obviously not a serious proposition. Deeper and wider chaos more likely, to the liking of arms sellers.

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Nicholas Dorn @financedemos.bsky.social · Jun 15

Saudi Arabia expanding oil production. Why? In return for US deliverables (AI, civilian nuclear, weapons); in anticipation of the strikes on Iran; and to preserve value of Treasuries. Stable oil price keeps dollar inflation low, avoiding US paying its creditors, e.g. Saudi, in a devalued currency.

Nicholas Dorn @financedemos.bsky.social · Jun 15

Israel/Iran action deflects attention from Gaza. IDF, concerned over prosecution, insisted on a fig-leaf: GHF's minimally nutritious food boxes. Huge crowds. IDF feels 'threatened', shoots. Any pretence of checking IDs long gone. AJ interview gives fair summary of consequences. youtu.be/QXF4E9e-qG4

Israel turns aid into lethal trap as Gaza starvation deaths mount: Medical Aid for Palestinians

YouTube video by Al Jazeera English

youtu.be

Nicholas Dorn @financedemos.bsky.social · May 29

Counter-performativity: something did 'work' for quite a while, then starts to backfire. E.g. US Treasury Bonds, which require servicing through interest payments. More issuance, more payments - currently the greatest expense in the US budget. Hey, debt forgiveness, anyone? Please honk if you agree!

Nicholas Dorn @financedemos.bsky.social · May 28

Saudi Arabia launches $10bn venture capital fund and seeks investment from US tech sector, for a global AI hub. Tareq Amin, chief executive of Humain, in talks with tech cos [FT 28 May]. So, while Riyadh buys US fighter jets, supporting US economy, US private capital to flow to Saudi Arabia. Maybe.

Nicholas Dorn @financedemos.bsky.social · May 17

Moody's rationale: "As deficits and debt have grown, and interest rates have risen, interest payments on government debt have increased markedly." Yes, interest payments. Hello China, Japan, Saudi Arabia ... hey guys can you help US out here? As Miran said, lower payments, longer terms. Or else ...

Nicholas Dorn @financedemos.bsky.social · May 15

NEOCONSERVATISM = busted flush. Trump: “transformation has not come from Western interventionists” www.whitehouse.gov/articles/202... The Independent says his “condemnation of “neocons” in his party [is] causing headaches for Washington hawks supportive of his first-term “maximum pressure” policy.”

Nicholas Dorn @financedemos.bsky.social · May 13

I know that bsky is a cat area really, here's mine. Called Blinky & it's not hard to guess why. This post is just a diversion from my main preoccupation over Mr Trump being more worried about T-bonds than about trade: tariffs = leverage & presentation. Talks are going "great". Who will blink first?

Nicholas Dorn @financedemos.bsky.social · May 12

UK gov in court to defend allowing export of parts for F-35 fighter jet contributing to devastation in Gaza. UK reasons: stopping supply could have a negative impact on international security. And UK has no “actual knowledge” of breaches of intl humanitarian law in Gaza www.alhaq.org/advocacy/258...

Nicholas Dorn @financedemos.bsky.social · May 9

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi visiting Saudi Arabia and Qatar, participating in the Iran-Arab World Dialogue summit in Doha, ahead of possible US-Iran talks on Sunday [9 May] www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_ent... Common interests include Palestine, oil, economics, nuclear. Trump cornered?

Nicholas Dorn @financedemos.bsky.social · May 9

Japan’s finance minister says selling US Treasuries “does exist as a card ... whether or not we use that card is a different decision.” While this may seem like an anodyne statement, it is anything but, and the Treasury market’s aggressive selloff [2 May] proves it. www.splinter.com/japan-threat...

Japan Threatens Their Nuclear Option in Trump’s Trade War

Splinter is your home for news and opinions that challenge power in our political and economic system that's becoming more unhinged each and every day.

www.splinter.com

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