James Kanter
@jameskanter.bsky.social
award-winning journalist | euscream.com politics podcast | formers @nytimes @iht @dowjones-wsje @cambodiadaily
I just got a nearly 45% bill hike from @microsoft.com which is one of the world's top three richest corporations for an annual subscription to its standard suite of apps. If anyone else is grabbing pitchforks I'll happily join you. Surely only monopolies can pull this shit. Paging @ec.europa.eu.
November 17, 2025 at 9:38 PM
I just got a nearly 45% bill hike from @microsoft.com which is one of the world's top three richest corporations for an annual subscription to its standard suite of apps. If anyone else is grabbing pitchforks I'll happily join you. Surely only monopolies can pull this shit. Paging @ec.europa.eu.
Historic. Commentators making parallels with early 1930s accommodation with Nazis. Long story short: conservatives combine with far right and neofascists to pass legislation. The vote was about business supply chains but will be remembered as another waypoint on the EU's lurch rightwards.
November 13, 2025 at 11:08 AM
Historic. Commentators making parallels with early 1930s accommodation with Nazis. Long story short: conservatives combine with far right and neofascists to pass legislation. The vote was about business supply chains but will be remembered as another waypoint on the EU's lurch rightwards.
Vanishingly rare, if you click on this kind of bait.
November 12, 2025 at 11:16 PM
Vanishingly rare, if you click on this kind of bait.
Seems we've forgotten how far-right we've gone.
November 3, 2025 at 10:03 PM
Seems we've forgotten how far-right we've gone.
Von der Leyen has been serenaded by a mariachi band and responded with "Viva la vida" as part of trade ties with Mexico writes @gerardofortuna.bsky.social who notes it was one of "the weirdest moments of her mandate so far" yet where is the video, as it could be a rare interesting one of VDL.
October 22, 2025 at 10:00 AM
Von der Leyen has been serenaded by a mariachi band and responded with "Viva la vida" as part of trade ties with Mexico writes @gerardofortuna.bsky.social who notes it was one of "the weirdest moments of her mandate so far" yet where is the video, as it could be a rare interesting one of VDL.
Brussels police confiscate tents and sleeping bags Sunday morning from a planned People's Encampment outside @ec.europa.eu aimed at pressuring EU to suspend EU-Israel association agreement.
October 19, 2025 at 10:51 AM
Brussels police confiscate tents and sleeping bags Sunday morning from a planned People's Encampment outside @ec.europa.eu aimed at pressuring EU to suspend EU-Israel association agreement.
Europe in most "dangerous situation" since WWII and Denmark ready to "down" Russian drones, says PM Mette Frederiksen @eu2025dk.bsky.social at #euco
October 1, 2025 at 9:58 AM
Europe in most "dangerous situation" since WWII and Denmark ready to "down" Russian drones, says PM Mette Frederiksen @eu2025dk.bsky.social at #euco
Big climate alarm: European mayors have warned the EU about prospect of forced evacuation of their cities for "large periods of the year" due to 45-50 degrees centigrade heat, says @ec.europa.eu's Exec VP Teresa Ribera, who also calls for systems to anticipate "catastrophic" events.
September 29, 2025 at 10:44 AM
Big climate alarm: European mayors have warned the EU about prospect of forced evacuation of their cities for "large periods of the year" due to 45-50 degrees centigrade heat, says @ec.europa.eu's Exec VP Teresa Ribera, who also calls for systems to anticipate "catastrophic" events.
Turkmenbashi.
Trumpmanbashi.
We look to Ashgabat now.
Trumpmanbashi.
We look to Ashgabat now.
September 19, 2025 at 11:49 AM
Turkmenbashi.
Trumpmanbashi.
We look to Ashgabat now.
Trumpmanbashi.
We look to Ashgabat now.
Pyongyang on the Plains.
Oklahoma targets teachers for insufficient mourning of Charlie Kirk.
Oklahoma targets teachers for insufficient mourning of Charlie Kirk.
September 17, 2025 at 10:19 PM
Pyongyang on the Plains.
Oklahoma targets teachers for insufficient mourning of Charlie Kirk.
Oklahoma targets teachers for insufficient mourning of Charlie Kirk.
EU foreign minister @kajakallas.bsky.social pours cold water on Israel @eurovision.tv boycotts. Says taking measures impacting Israeli culture, entertainment and people are "wrong." h/t @raffschaidreiter.bsky.social
September 17, 2025 at 12:22 PM
EU foreign minister @kajakallas.bsky.social pours cold water on Israel @eurovision.tv boycotts. Says taking measures impacting Israeli culture, entertainment and people are "wrong." h/t @raffschaidreiter.bsky.social
Don't be fooled by the flat affect. @kajakallas.bsky.social is the hawk of Brussels. Here she is on all that goose-stepping going down in Beijing for Xi, Kim and Putin. "These aren't just anti-Western optics. This is a direct challenge to the international system."
September 3, 2025 at 12:02 PM
Don't be fooled by the flat affect. @kajakallas.bsky.social is the hawk of Brussels. Here she is on all that goose-stepping going down in Beijing for Xi, Kim and Putin. "These aren't just anti-Western optics. This is a direct challenge to the international system."
Seems to me RFK Jr.'s commitment to science is on par with that of Spinal Tap's lead guitarist David St. Hubbins, e.g. slime molds have "been running the earth all this time." The oracular utterance was shared @newyorker.com this week by director Rob Reiner.
www.newyorker.com/culture/pers...
www.newyorker.com/culture/pers...
August 28, 2025 at 12:09 PM
Seems to me RFK Jr.'s commitment to science is on par with that of Spinal Tap's lead guitarist David St. Hubbins, e.g. slime molds have "been running the earth all this time." The oracular utterance was shared @newyorker.com this week by director Rob Reiner.
www.newyorker.com/culture/pers...
www.newyorker.com/culture/pers...
Von der Leyen playfully touted as next German president as of 2027 in Spiegel newsletter this morning. Merz's top pick, apparently. No playful speculation on who'd take VDL's place at the European Commission where she's due to serve another four years. (From the Department of Failing Upwards)
August 25, 2025 at 9:28 AM
Von der Leyen playfully touted as next German president as of 2027 in Spiegel newsletter this morning. Merz's top pick, apparently. No playful speculation on who'd take VDL's place at the European Commission where she's due to serve another four years. (From the Department of Failing Upwards)
"We Want to Swim" is no idle request in drop-dead-city Brussels where there's little or zero access to outdoor public pools.
August 19, 2025 at 10:06 AM
"We Want to Swim" is no idle request in drop-dead-city Brussels where there's little or zero access to outdoor public pools.
It's protocol but the "luncheon in honor of his excellency" stuff from Alaska is gag.
embed.documentcloud.org/documents/26...
embed.documentcloud.org/documents/26...
August 16, 2025 at 4:12 PM
It's protocol but the "luncheon in honor of his excellency" stuff from Alaska is gag.
embed.documentcloud.org/documents/26...
embed.documentcloud.org/documents/26...
A few minutes ago von der Leyen's trade nuncio Maroš Šefčovič said one of the quiet parts out loud when it comes to Europe's capitulation to Trump. "It's about Ukraine."
July 28, 2025 at 11:10 AM
A few minutes ago von der Leyen's trade nuncio Maroš Šefčovič said one of the quiet parts out loud when it comes to Europe's capitulation to Trump. "It's about Ukraine."
So much lunacy from Trump in Scotland including Trump saying about Gaza that "if we weren't there I think people would have starved" followed by the grim spectacle of Ursula unable to correct his willful ignorance about the many dozens of deaths of hungry children that have already been recorded.
July 28, 2025 at 10:11 AM
So much lunacy from Trump in Scotland including Trump saying about Gaza that "if we weren't there I think people would have starved" followed by the grim spectacle of Ursula unable to correct his willful ignorance about the many dozens of deaths of hungry children that have already been recorded.
EU officials Sabine Weyand and Paula Pinho at least keep their thumbs out of what amounts to another infomercial for Trumpism's mercantilism, and its misogyny.
July 28, 2025 at 4:00 AM
EU officials Sabine Weyand and Paula Pinho at least keep their thumbs out of what amounts to another infomercial for Trumpism's mercantilism, and its misogyny.
Not a huge shift. But the China hawks in Brussels will be squirming. Blinkered Atlanticism is starting to look very last century. From @pewresearch.org
July 21, 2025 at 8:03 AM
Not a huge shift. But the China hawks in Brussels will be squirming. Blinkered Atlanticism is starting to look very last century. From @pewresearch.org
Finally found a use for AI. Apologies in advance to folkies. And to the environment and climate. Lord knows what energy use this involved cos I hardly had to do anything.
July 15, 2025 at 8:16 AM
Finally found a use for AI. Apologies in advance to folkies. And to the environment and climate. Lord knows what energy use this involved cos I hardly had to do anything.
Spain as expected strongest in favor of suspending EU trade ties with Israel on basis of gross human rights violations in Gaza. It's very much worth seeing what Spanish Foreign Minister @jmalbares.bsky.social had to say this morning about what's at stake for the EU.
June 23, 2025 at 10:03 AM
Spain as expected strongest in favor of suspending EU trade ties with Israel on basis of gross human rights violations in Gaza. It's very much worth seeing what Spanish Foreign Minister @jmalbares.bsky.social had to say this morning about what's at stake for the EU.
The dilemmas created by Germany's responsibility for the Holocaust and the ongoing atrocities by Israel are catching up with Ursula von der Leyen. The EC president's tone has been shifting. But "Staatsräson" still seems to overhang thinking and policy. EU soft power has been diminished. 1/2
June 23, 2025 at 8:13 AM
The dilemmas created by Germany's responsibility for the Holocaust and the ongoing atrocities by Israel are catching up with Ursula von der Leyen. The EC president's tone has been shifting. But "Staatsräson" still seems to overhang thinking and policy. EU soft power has been diminished. 1/2
When real people like top athletes are exposed to Trump's boorishness and bigotry they can't wait to leave. What a tragedy for America.
June 19, 2025 at 7:28 PM
When real people like top athletes are exposed to Trump's boorishness and bigotry they can't wait to leave. What a tragedy for America.
Attention on Gaza may be gaining strength locally even as Iran dominates internationally. There's a palpable disconnect between people and politicians. In Brussels a 5-day hunger strike for justice in Palestine started today at the Béguinage Church that's associated with Fr. Daniel Alliët.
June 16, 2025 at 9:09 AM
Attention on Gaza may be gaining strength locally even as Iran dominates internationally. There's a palpable disconnect between people and politicians. In Brussels a 5-day hunger strike for justice in Palestine started today at the Béguinage Church that's associated with Fr. Daniel Alliët.