Horseshoe Theory

Far-right and far-left are often portrayed as polar opposites. In reality, they are two sides of the same coin. The fact that both are sympathetic to russia is just another nail in this coffin.

In political science, this is known as horseshoe theory.

1/n 2/ Horseshoe theory - an idea that the far left and right, rather than being at opposite ends of a straight line, actually curve toward one another like a horseshoe. They mirror each other in their rejection of the center and willingness to excuse or enable authoritarian regime.

I’ll say something that isn’t popular right now.

In some sinister way, I think that many Europeans quietly hope the war between russia and Ukraine doesn’t end soon.

1/n 2/ Because once the war ends, russian troops will not simply disappear — they’ll move. The garrisons now pinned down in Eastern Ukraine will redeploy to Finland, to the Baltic borders. And make no mistake — russia will keep producing weapons and expanding its military complex.

“Women do not belong on the front line.”

That’s what the U.S. Secretary of Defense recently implied by suggesting that women are weaker, less able to handle the stress of war, not made for combat.

But the only problem: he is so completely wrong.

1/n 2/ There soon may come a time when the U.S. military will invite Ukrainian women to train their Marines — because these women have already proven what true courage looks like.

Russia will continue to escalate its aggressive actions against NATO countries.

Drones over Poland, military planes over Estonia, espionage and sabotage across other NATO members — all of it is part of a growing pattern.

1/n 2/ There are two reasons for this:
1.A strategic deadlock in Ukraine.
2.The perception that the West is not ready for a real fight — despite its overwhelming economic and demographic advantages.

You could call the Department of Defense the Department of War. You could also call it the Ministry of Aggression, the Ministry of Enemy Annihilation, or Warhammer.

But the true greatness of the Armed Forces — is not in talk.

1/n 2/ All the best and most convincing words, all the expensive suits and red ties are worth nothing if the enemy flies unpunished around your bases, cuts your cables, seizes whole countries across the globe, while you play at being Darth Vader and lecture about beards.

Donald Trump is trying to silence his critics.

From suing The New York Times for billions, to pressuring networks to silence late-night comedians, to leaning on the Pentagon to restrict reporters, Trump is using every tool at his disposal to intimidate dissenting voices.

1/n 2/ But here’s the reality: America’s media landscape is too vast, too diverse, and too resilient to be brought under one man’s control. Trump may win short-term skirmishes, but he cannot silence the free press.

Why does russia behave like one vast prison camp?

Because its very civilization is built on the Prison Code of russia (PCR).

A thread on the ontology of a criminal state.

1/n 2/ Zelensky recently observed:

“Putin learned his morality not from philosophy or religion, but from his coach — who taught not only judo, but criminal codes.”

Millions of russians share this mindset.

One of russia’s favorite propaganda claims is that NATO supposedly promised “not to expand.”

But there was no legally binding agreement, no written treaty, no signed commitment. The only thing that existed were a few informal discussions about German reunification.

1/n 2/ In fact, the Helsinki Final Act (1975) and the Paris Charter (1990) – both signed by the USSR – affirmed that every country has the sovereign right to choose its own alliances.

“If Trump were president, the war would have never happened.”

Trump and his supporters have repeated this phrase hundreds of times. Sadly, they still repeat it today, even though reality has already proven what would have happened.

1/n 2/ If you want to know how Trump would have acted when russia attacked Ukraine in 2022, just look at what he is doing now: nothing.

An open letter to Speaker Mike Johnson

Sir, I applaud you for calling the US and its leaders to “turn the rhetoric down.”

1/ 2/ On NBC, you said, “We've got to turn the rhetoric down, we got to turn the temperature down in this country, we need leaders of all parties on both sides to call that out.”

Education as an Antidote to Violence

I’ve been saddened to see some of my friends repeating the false claim that colleges “radicalize” young people into violence.

The truth is exactly the opposite.

1/n 2/ Research consistently shows that education reduces crime. More schooling lowers the likelihood of arrests, convictions, and incarceration for violent offenses, including homicide.

Americans are divided like never before. The right hates the left, and the left hates the right. Republicans vs. Democrats. Blacks vs. whites. Christians vs. atheists. The list goes on.

1/n 2/ Sometimes it’s hard to even recognize your own friends when they openly call for violence — and that’s happening on both sides.

The Nord Stream saga.

For two years, the world has speculated: Who blew up the Nord Stream pipeline? Russia accused the U.S. The U.S. pointed at russia. Conspiracy theories flourished — each more imaginative than the last.

1/n 2/ Now, reports suggest that it was not the CIA, not British divers — but an elite Ukrainian team that carried out the sabotage in September 2022.

Many Americans have complained that the allocated $400 million in aid to Ukraine is “very little.” I disagree. That number may look modest, but it’s almost as high as $500 million Donald Trump is on track to spend on his golf trips during his presidency.

1/n 2/ GAO audit: Just four Mar-a-Lago trips in 2017 cost U.S. taxpayers ~$13.6M total (~$3.4M per trip) when you include Air Force aircraft, Coast Guard boats, and overtime.

Russian attack on Poland achieved several objectives at once.

First — testing NATO’s “red lines.” The Kremlin knows well that the West’s main weakness is not the lack of weapons or finances, but political will.

1/n 2/ Ideally, Moscow wants to prove the North Atlantic Alliance’s inability to act as a collective institution. This test is aimed personally at Donald Trump, who has repeatedly expressed skepticism about U.S. commitments to its allies.

After watching the full video of how Iryna Zarutska was murdered, I couldn’t hold back tears. It made me sick to my stomach.

How is it possible that a man arrested 14 times for armed robbery, assault, and violence was allowed to roam the streets freely? Fourteen times!

1/n 2/ It doesn’t matter whether you’re a Republican or a Democrat — if someone has a record like that, they should never be back on the streets. Period. Every release was another roll of the dice, and this time it cost Iryna her life. That is unthinkable. That is unacceptable.

Watching ICE agents drag people off the streets feels like a reenactment of the Nazi Gestapo. I can’t believe what this morally bankrupt government has turned our country into.

How did we get here?

1/n 2/ At least now I understand how most Germans, including a Christians, in the 1930s ended up supporting Hitler.

Please read this text from Jake McGrew, who survived a russian attack on Kyiv.

Jake was one of my first hires at American University Kyiv. He is a U.S. citizen who moved to Ukraine during the war to teach Ukrainian students. But American leadership has betrayed all of us.

1/n
2/ “Last night, I went to bed hoping for a quiet night.

There were drones in the sky, but none near Kyiv, so I thought maybe, just maybe, I’d get a few hours of peaceful sleep. That’s become a rare thing lately.

The U.S. economy is in real trouble — just look at the latest jobs report.

With 300+ million people, the U.S. historically added about 150,000 jobs a month, roughly in line with population growth.

1/n 2/ Then came the pandemic crash of spring 2020: 1.4 million jobs lost in March, 20 million in April.

In russia, 12-year-old Masha Moskalyova drew rockets flying toward a Ukrainian family and wrote:
“No to war. No to Putin.” – Die Welt.

Her classmates reported her.

1/n 2/ Soon after, russian authorities arrested her father, Oleksii.

On New Year’s Eve, masked men with weapons stormed their apartment — smashing walls, stealing money, and beating him again.

What Security Guarantees Ukraine Actually Needs

Lately there have been many talks about possible “security guarantees” for Ukraine. It’s time to cut through the noise and lay out what real assurances could look like.

1/n 2/ No more illusions about russian “guarantees.”

History has shown one thing beyond doubt: russia’s promises are worthless. From the Budapest Memorandum to countless ceasefires, Moscow has broken every pledge the moment it suited them.