Marcel Dirsus
@marceldirsus.com
Political scientist and author of How Tyrants Fall: And How Nations Survive. Writing The Hundred, a politics newsletter. www.marceldirsus.com
GDP per capita in Madagascar is roughly the same now as it was in 1950
November 27, 2025 at 8:36 AM
GDP per capita in Madagascar is roughly the same now as it was in 1950
25. September 2001: Vladimir Putin gives a speech (in German) in Germany's Bundestag. His speech is followed by minutes of applause
November 24, 2025 at 11:08 AM
25. September 2001: Vladimir Putin gives a speech (in German) in Germany's Bundestag. His speech is followed by minutes of applause
After 8 million think tank papers and about as many speeches about the importance of European strategic autonomy, the French and the Germans can't agree to build a plane together
Source: FT
Source: FT
November 17, 2025 at 9:34 AM
After 8 million think tank papers and about as many speeches about the importance of European strategic autonomy, the French and the Germans can't agree to build a plane together
Source: FT
Source: FT
Keir Starmer is extremely unpopular
November 17, 2025 at 9:19 AM
Keir Starmer is extremely unpopular
Eligible German voters by age (in %), 2025
November 17, 2025 at 9:09 AM
Eligible German voters by age (in %), 2025
Why has Erdogan supported Hamas?
"It would be very strange if he didn’t support Hamas."
thehundred.substack.com/p/making-sen...
"It would be very strange if he didn’t support Hamas."
thehundred.substack.com/p/making-sen...
November 12, 2025 at 3:53 PM
Why has Erdogan supported Hamas?
"It would be very strange if he didn’t support Hamas."
thehundred.substack.com/p/making-sen...
"It would be very strange if he didn’t support Hamas."
thehundred.substack.com/p/making-sen...
Just another normal day for Chinese diplomacy: After Japan’s new prime minister Sanae Takaichi said Japan may intervene if Beijing attacks Taiwan, China's consul general in Osaka threatened to behead her
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
November 11, 2025 at 11:28 AM
Just another normal day for Chinese diplomacy: After Japan’s new prime minister Sanae Takaichi said Japan may intervene if Beijing attacks Taiwan, China's consul general in Osaka threatened to behead her
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
"China’s carbon dioxide emissions have been flat or falling for 18 months, analysis reveals, adding evidence to the hope that the world’s biggest polluter has managed to hit its target of peak CO2 emissions well ahead of schedule."
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
November 11, 2025 at 10:27 AM
"China’s carbon dioxide emissions have been flat or falling for 18 months, analysis reveals, adding evidence to the hope that the world’s biggest polluter has managed to hit its target of peak CO2 emissions well ahead of schedule."
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
“The U.S. military’s long history of remaining apolitical has always depended upon a norm in which the military avoided politics while civilian leadership respected and protected those in uniform from the political fray,” General McChrystal said.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/07/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/07/u...
November 11, 2025 at 10:24 AM
“The U.S. military’s long history of remaining apolitical has always depended upon a norm in which the military avoided politics while civilian leadership respected and protected those in uniform from the political fray,” General McChrystal said.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/07/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/07/u...
AI could end scarcity, end humanity - or boost trend growth by 0.2 percentage points
November 7, 2025 at 1:24 PM
AI could end scarcity, end humanity - or boost trend growth by 0.2 percentage points
Absolutely no way this goes wrong: "Aides say that far more planning has gone into striking at the Maduro government than on what it would take to govern Venezuela should the operation succeed."
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/04/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/04/u...
November 5, 2025 at 1:45 PM
Absolutely no way this goes wrong: "Aides say that far more planning has gone into striking at the Maduro government than on what it would take to govern Venezuela should the operation succeed."
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/04/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/04/u...
Belgium is still blocking the use of frozen Russian assets to help Ukraine
www.politico.eu/article/russ...
www.politico.eu/article/russ...
November 5, 2025 at 10:40 AM
Belgium is still blocking the use of frozen Russian assets to help Ukraine
www.politico.eu/article/russ...
www.politico.eu/article/russ...
Every now and then, I remember this quote by Donald Rumsfeld (2002):
November 4, 2025 at 11:43 AM
Every now and then, I remember this quote by Donald Rumsfeld (2002):
Check out Conversations by ABC. I found out about it when I visited Australia and they have the most random selection of guests. One week it's someone bitten by a shark, the next it's a historian talking about Singapore during WWII. The hosts are great
November 3, 2025 at 12:55 PM
Check out Conversations by ABC. I found out about it when I visited Australia and they have the most random selection of guests. One week it's someone bitten by a shark, the next it's a historian talking about Singapore during WWII. The hosts are great
Quite the chart: As a % of GDP, American tariffs are at the highest levels in more than a century
Source: @josephpolitano.bsky.social
Source: @josephpolitano.bsky.social
October 30, 2025 at 6:26 PM
Quite the chart: As a % of GDP, American tariffs are at the highest levels in more than a century
Source: @josephpolitano.bsky.social
Source: @josephpolitano.bsky.social
The latest poll from the German state of Saxony-Anhalt has the far-right AfD at 40%. That's an increase of 10% since June
October 16, 2025 at 12:31 PM
The latest poll from the German state of Saxony-Anhalt has the far-right AfD at 40%. That's an increase of 10% since June
Wikipedia is cool but the actual best website is @ourworldindata.org. Thousands and thousands of charts on hundreds of topics, all free. It's incredible
October 16, 2025 at 10:49 AM
Wikipedia is cool but the actual best website is @ourworldindata.org. Thousands and thousands of charts on hundreds of topics, all free. It's incredible
As battery prices have fallen, capacity has shot up
October 13, 2025 at 9:11 AM
As battery prices have fallen, capacity has shot up
October 10, 2025 at 2:31 PM
I'm incredibly honoured to say that my book has been translated into Ukrainian. Being translated is always going to be extraordinary, but this one feels especially meaningful. It really is an honour
October 8, 2025 at 2:36 PM
I'm incredibly honoured to say that my book has been translated into Ukrainian. Being translated is always going to be extraordinary, but this one feels especially meaningful. It really is an honour
This remains the best article the Onion has ever published. America's enemies don't have to do a thing, they can just sit back and enjoy the collapse of the United States
October 2, 2025 at 9:01 AM
This remains the best article the Onion has ever published. America's enemies don't have to do a thing, they can just sit back and enjoy the collapse of the United States
Chinese CO₂ emissions per capita are more than twice as high as those of France
October 1, 2025 at 1:59 PM
Chinese CO₂ emissions per capita are more than twice as high as those of France
The President of the United States is using the power of the American government to go after his political enemies
September 26, 2025 at 7:34 AM
The President of the United States is using the power of the American government to go after his political enemies
Trump's speech reminds me of this passage from my book:
September 23, 2025 at 3:24 PM
Trump's speech reminds me of this passage from my book:
September 22, 2025 at 11:41 AM