Frank Witte
@alarcos.bsky.social
Prof. UCL Econ. Computational Economist & ex-Theoretical Physicist, Alpine Glacier hiker, born: 30 Messidor CLXXIV.
Pinned
Frank Witte
@alarcos.bsky.social
· Oct 19
Fauré : Automne Op.18 n°3
YouTube video by France Musique concerts
www.youtube.com
A rainy October 19th, 1812.
From a burnt and looted Moscow, an emaciated army of some 100,000+ soldiers from over a dozen nations, losing every day a hundred men or more to Cossack raids, began its retreat. www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QMz...
From a burnt and looted Moscow, an emaciated army of some 100,000+ soldiers from over a dozen nations, losing every day a hundred men or more to Cossack raids, began its retreat. www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QMz...
Reposted by Frank Witte
Paradox ist ja, dass im Erinnerungsweltmeisterland noch immer Teile der politischen, wirtschaftlichen & medialen Meinungsführer es für unvorstellbar halten, dass Menschen Faschismus à la AfD einfach genau so wollen. Also nicht aus Protest, Unwissenheit Verführung. Sondern aus abgrundtiefem Wollen.
November 24, 2025 at 9:11 PM
Paradox ist ja, dass im Erinnerungsweltmeisterland noch immer Teile der politischen, wirtschaftlichen & medialen Meinungsführer es für unvorstellbar halten, dass Menschen Faschismus à la AfD einfach genau so wollen. Also nicht aus Protest, Unwissenheit Verführung. Sondern aus abgrundtiefem Wollen.
Reposted by Frank Witte
absolutely incredible -- CNN host introduces a segment about Trump's "new healthcare proposal," but less than two minutes later breaks into her script to announce "breaking news" that Trump's healthcare proposal is being postponed
November 24, 2025 at 8:55 PM
absolutely incredible -- CNN host introduces a segment about Trump's "new healthcare proposal," but less than two minutes later breaks into her script to announce "breaking news" that Trump's healthcare proposal is being postponed
Reposted by Frank Witte
Just a jaw-dropping paragraph in Trevor Phillips's column for The Times.
This is a policy that, by his own account, has left parents of a particular race too frightened to walk their children to school.
And that's the example he chooses of the "vigour" we "need".
www.thetimes.com/comment/colu...
This is a policy that, by his own account, has left parents of a particular race too frightened to walk their children to school.
And that's the example he chooses of the "vigour" we "need".
www.thetimes.com/comment/colu...
November 24, 2025 at 10:52 PM
Just a jaw-dropping paragraph in Trevor Phillips's column for The Times.
This is a policy that, by his own account, has left parents of a particular race too frightened to walk their children to school.
And that's the example he chooses of the "vigour" we "need".
www.thetimes.com/comment/colu...
This is a policy that, by his own account, has left parents of a particular race too frightened to walk their children to school.
And that's the example he chooses of the "vigour" we "need".
www.thetimes.com/comment/colu...
Useful.👇
www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHiZ...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHiZ...
Does OpenAI expect a Government Bailout
YouTube video by Patrick Boyle
www.youtube.com
November 24, 2025 at 10:52 PM
Useful.👇
www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHiZ...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHiZ...
Reposted by Frank Witte
they are not playing 3D chess. they are fucking idiots.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Judge dismisses cases against James Comey and Letitia James after finding that prosecutor was illegally appointed.
November 24, 2025 at 5:45 PM
they are not playing 3D chess. they are fucking idiots.
It's the Tabacco & Fossil Fuel industries all over again 🙄
Meta halted internal research that purportedly showed (young) people who stopped using Facebook became less depressed and anxious, according to an unredacted legal filing released on Friday. www.cnbc.com/2025/11/23/m...
Meta halted internal research suggesting social media harm, court filing alleges
Meta is alleged to have halted internal research suggesting social media harm, according to court documents.
www.cnbc.com
November 24, 2025 at 8:25 AM
It's the Tabacco & Fossil Fuel industries all over again 🙄
Reposted by Frank Witte
And for once the Union could do something actually useful for a change, and call industrial action against the govt’s relentless demolishing of the sector, rather than its current pipe dreams about wanting more pay when the whole sector is collapsing.
November 24, 2025 at 12:03 AM
And for once the Union could do something actually useful for a change, and call industrial action against the govt’s relentless demolishing of the sector, rather than its current pipe dreams about wanting more pay when the whole sector is collapsing.
Reposted by Frank Witte
The Finnish Architecture Museum is joining the Design Museum and they sold off excess furniture. So now there is an Artek Y805A glass table (Alvar Aalto, 1947) as a side table in the living room. Which is very nice, but now it needs some expensive design table light to tie the room together. Sigh.
November 24, 2025 at 7:32 AM
Reposted by Frank Witte
Noch ein paar Jahre und es ist soweit.
November 24, 2025 at 7:15 AM
Noch ein paar Jahre und es ist soweit.
Reposted by Frank Witte
A few thoughts from Chicago.
November 22, 2025 at 10:08 PM
A few thoughts from Chicago.
Reposted by Frank Witte
If you bought bagged lettuce the day that “peace plan” got leaked, it’s still not expired.
Well there’s certainly no basis for negotiations now. I feel a bit sorry for everyone who has to go to Geneva for nothing. Maybe they can still cancel
US senators say they spoke with Rubio about Trump’s Ukraine peace plan who denied it is a US plan
U.S. senators critical of President Donald Trump’s approach to ending the Russia-Ukraine war say they spoke with U.S.
apnews.com
November 22, 2025 at 11:59 PM
If you bought bagged lettuce the day that “peace plan” got leaked, it’s still not expired.
"The death of truth, is the ultimate victory of evil!" Mon Mothma, Coruscant, 1 BBY.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4cV...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4cV...
Andor: The Death of Truth
YouTube video by SWFT
www.youtube.com
November 22, 2025 at 7:48 PM
"The death of truth, is the ultimate victory of evil!" Mon Mothma, Coruscant, 1 BBY.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4cV...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4cV...
Reposted by Frank Witte
![Social media screenshot:
Arnaud Bertrand @RnaudBertrand
In a normal world, this should be an immense scandal in Europe.
Le Monde has a long article describing the hellish life of Nicolas Guillou, a French judge at the ICC in The Hague, due to U.S. sanctions punishing him for authorizing arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant for war crimes in Gaza.
Guillou's daily existence has been transformed into a Kafkaesque nightmare. He cannot: open or maintain accounts with Google, Amazon, Apple, or any US company; make hotel reservations (Expedia canceled his booking in France hours after he made it); conduct online commerce, since he can't know if the packaging is American; use any major credit card (Visa, Mastercard, Amex are all American); access normal banking services, even with non-American banks, as banks worldwide close sanctioned accounts; conduct virtually any financial transaction.
He describes it as being "economically banned across most of the planet," including in his own country, France, and where he works, the Netherlands.
That's the real shocking aspect of this: the Americans are:
- punishing a European citizen
- for doing his job in Europe
- applying laws Europe officially supports
- at an institution based in Europe
- that Europe helped create and fund
and Europe is not only doing essentially nothing to protect him, they're actively enforcing America's sanctions against their own citizen - European banks closing his accounts, European companies refusing him service, European institutions standing by while Washington destroys a European judge's life on European soil.
Again, in a normal world, European leaders and citizens should be absolutely outraged about this. But we've so normalized the hollowing out of European sovereignty that the sight of a European citizen being economically executed on European soil for upholding European law is treated, at best, as an unfortunate technical complication in transatlantic
[further text missing]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:jrzyao2holfkgrsfbq2tue27/bafkreiga2xugyfyqaagrd3essidr6sktmwm72xodvy7aatg3yebuvygiyi@jpeg)
Reposted by Frank Witte
One of the worst atrocities and one of the least discussed.
Today is Holodomor remembrance day, one of the worst human rights atrocities of the 20th century.
If you are wanting to know more, this episode of @originstorypodcast.bsky.social is excellent, featuring justifiable moral outrage from @iandunt.bsky.social and @dorianlynskey.bsky.social
If you are wanting to know more, this episode of @originstorypodcast.bsky.social is excellent, featuring justifiable moral outrage from @iandunt.bsky.social and @dorianlynskey.bsky.social
🚨NEW EPISODE🚨 Welcome back to Origin Story: The Story of Socialism as we resume the story of Lenin, Trotsky and Stalin in part three @iandunt.bsky.social and @dorianlynskey.bsky.social discuss Terror 👉 linktr.ee/originstoryp...
#originstory #lenin #trotsky #stalin
#originstory #lenin #trotsky #stalin
November 22, 2025 at 1:30 PM
One of the worst atrocities and one of the least discussed.
Reposted by Frank Witte
Do me a favor and forward this post.This needs to get out to everyone. We need to be unified.
Congress, pay attention. We the People decide where our money goes — not the President. And we are demanding full support for Ukraine, with everything they need to win. Trump does not hold the power of the purse. The American people do. Act accordingly.
November 22, 2025 at 3:29 AM
Do me a favor and forward this post.This needs to get out to everyone. We need to be unified.
European leaders keep parroting the narrative that the US is an ally trying to mediate between an ally (Ukraine) and a common opponent (Russia) ... but it is bleedingly obvious that the real situation is that a supposed ally (US) has surrendered to the aggressor (Russia) and is now negotiating on
Europe must realize entertaining the US clown-show for too long without communicating to the US people their government acts as a pawn of Moscow, will reduce i) any deterrence effect of European armed forces, ii) the morale of European populations, an iii) increase the difficulties of mobilisation.
November 22, 2025 at 6:53 PM
European leaders keep parroting the narrative that the US is an ally trying to mediate between an ally (Ukraine) and a common opponent (Russia) ... but it is bleedingly obvious that the real situation is that a supposed ally (US) has surrendered to the aggressor (Russia) and is now negotiating on
Reposted by Frank Witte
The elephant saves a young deer.😍
November 22, 2025 at 5:06 PM
The elephant saves a young deer.😍
Reposted by Frank Witte
I know this is rhetorical but my stab at a real answer: because they are trying to get funding from VC people who are ideologues like Peter Thiel and Thiel doesn’t want us to have libraries
Why is startup culture always “I am inventing a coffeeproof phone you can put in your coffee cup to keep it warm with cell radiation” and never “I’m inventing a new library wholesaler to replace the single company that is shutting down and sending libraries into crisis”
November 22, 2025 at 5:07 PM
I know this is rhetorical but my stab at a real answer: because they are trying to get funding from VC people who are ideologues like Peter Thiel and Thiel doesn’t want us to have libraries
Reposted by Frank Witte
5 immigration judges were summarily fired in San Francisco today, the largest such firing in the city all year.
It continues a trend of the Trump admin. targeting immigration judges nationwide. In San Francisco, at least 12 have been sacked this year.
missionlocal.org/2025/11/sf-i...
It continues a trend of the Trump admin. targeting immigration judges nationwide. In San Francisco, at least 12 have been sacked this year.
missionlocal.org/2025/11/sf-i...
Friday night massacre: 5 judges fired from S.F. immigration court today
The Department of Justice fired at least five San Francisco immigration court judges on Friday in the largest cut of immigration judges in the city so far
missionlocal.org
November 22, 2025 at 5:07 PM
Reposted by Frank Witte
An investigation into Russian interference in our politics is long overdue. And we all know who should be questioned first.
November 21, 2025 at 7:01 PM
An investigation into Russian interference in our politics is long overdue. And we all know who should be questioned first.
👇 Great thread.
This creates a moral inversion. Seeking clinical care becomes betrayal. Enduring extreme risk becomes virtue. “Wild pregnancy” and rejecting medical support are rebranded as strength, not danger.
November 22, 2025 at 5:37 PM
👇 Great thread.
Reposted by Frank Witte
I don’t think the Rutte “daddy strategy” worked
November 22, 2025 at 6:01 AM
I don’t think the Rutte “daddy strategy” worked
Reposted by Frank Witte
NEW: It’s takes a moment for this to really sink in.
Guardian reporting that key parts of Trump’s peace plan was drafted IN RUSSIAN first.
Guardian reporting that key parts of Trump’s peace plan was drafted IN RUSSIAN first.
November 21, 2025 at 3:45 PM
NEW: It’s takes a moment for this to really sink in.
Guardian reporting that key parts of Trump’s peace plan was drafted IN RUSSIAN first.
Guardian reporting that key parts of Trump’s peace plan was drafted IN RUSSIAN first.
Europe must realize entertaining the US clown-show for too long without communicating to the US people their government acts as a pawn of Moscow, will reduce i) any deterrence effect of European armed forces, ii) the morale of European populations, an iii) increase the difficulties of mobilisation.
November 22, 2025 at 10:23 AM
Europe must realize entertaining the US clown-show for too long without communicating to the US people their government acts as a pawn of Moscow, will reduce i) any deterrence effect of European armed forces, ii) the morale of European populations, an iii) increase the difficulties of mobilisation.