Jack Kennedy
@jackkennedy.ie
PhD candidate @hertieschool.bsky.social // 🔍 nuclear weapons and strategic stability // editorial fellow @thebulletin.org // Irish in Berlin // He/they // All views my own but willing to share jackkennedy.ie linktr.ee/jack_kennedy
Wild what powerful people will just straight-up say on the record.
The Wall Street Journal@wsj.com · 23h agoNew York City’s business elites are long accustomed to direct access to City Hall, where even Democratic mayors felt the need to court the city’s wealthiest and most influential corporate leaders. That access is getting shredded by Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
Never mind, they're (incorrectly) demanding thousands of euro from me
Jack Kennedy@jackkennedy.ie · 3w agoThe German tax experience took several years off my life. I discovered that as a PhD I have so little taxable income I qualify for "hardship relief" but I'm getting a refund of the €11.50 in capital gains tax that I did not realise I paid last year. so that's something
The “cowardly French” and the “incompetent Irish”, at its heart Brexit was the last gasp of imperial British exceptionalism. In their minds Britain was being held back by its small minded, feckless, cowardly partners and would thrive once it was unshackled from the EU and “forged its own path”.
I've done a bit of a Wikiwalk about this and had the amazing revelation that one of the French agents behind the bombing later became a wildlife photographer and had one of his photos published under a pseudonym in a calendar for...Greenpeace. Most of them had been sold by the time they realised.
Jack Tindale@jacktindale.bsky.social · 13h agoThe Deputy Head of DGSE picking at his overcooked chicken supreme as he waits to hear if he'll get a Lifetime Achievement Award for the Rainbow Warrior.
First she says it's about contrition, that he's reformed now. But also notes she doesn’t really believe in rehabilitation Then she allows that being reformed and accepted in society is one thing, but public office has higher standards Then says it's still fine because councils don't really matter
This is just the worst and stupidest response possible. It is continuously remarkable just how bad Badenoch is at the barest, most basic skills of politics The competition for "worst at doing politics in the UK in 2026" features some real historic talents but Badenoch wins by laps anyway
Chris Terry-Enescu@cjterry.bsky.social · 17h agoIt's OK for criminal ex-neo Nazis to run your bins is a hell of a line.
I’m telling you this as a political scientist. The person who is electable is the one who is elected. This can and does change over time. Any and all speculation about “electability” is either puffery or anxiety and is often both.
Julia Azari@juliaazari.bsky.social · 22h agoOne way to be safe is to never write an electability take
My least favourite thing in the world is when, in response to someone talking about their depression or other poor mental health, people suggest exercising My second least favourite thing is when you do manage to exercise and it does in fact help
With this it seems that was previously merely obvious subtext is now text: the leadership of the Football Association of Ireland simply dislikes the Irish population generally and Irish football fans specifically
Irish Independent@independent.ie · yesterdayLocked out: FAI confirm no tickets will be sold to Ireland fans for ‘away’ Nations league game with Israel in Hungary www.independent.ie/sport/soccer...
So in order to avoid being sued, the Christian Bros declined to put forward a 'nominee', leaving abuse victims to sue individuals rather than the org. The judge said, fine, we will just publish the names of all 341 members of the order and summons you all. And that's what happened.
The Journal@thejournal.ie · 2d agoThe names of 341 former Christian Brothers have been published in the Irish Independent following an order from the High Court in relation to an abuse case. None of those named are accused of abuse, but their names have been published in the hope that they will come forward. jrnl.ie/7120723
Ex-PM Starmer said, in response to Raise the Colours terrorising people, ‘I am supporter of flags’, ‘I’m very encouraging of flags. I think they’re patriotic and I think they’re a great symbol of our nation’ and his family had ‘got St George’s flag in our flat’ www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...
Cllr Dr Alex Powell@apowelllaw.bsky.social · yesterdayThe campaign of harassment and intimidation Raise the Colours have undertaken against council staff, contractors, and members of the public as reported by the Clarion today is shocking if not surprising. Excellent reporting. oxfordclarion.uk/the-clarion-...
I did assume that this was a case of a local organisation having totally lost the plot, but Kemi Badenoch is now forcefully and explicitly defending the selection of a former neo-Nazi with a significant criminal history as a candidate. Crackers and terrifying.
Mark Chadbourn@chadbourn.bsky.social · 2d agoKemi Badenoch certainly seems to be advancing with her agenda to turn the Conservatives into Reform.
It is extremely depressing to see how Iran's government has a shrewd understanding of America's interests and culture while the entirety of America's government thinks they are dealing with primitive sand people who will cower in fear from mean tweets and trade everything for shiny trinkets.
Former neo-Nazi activist selected as Tory candidate for Somerset council election
Former neo-Nazi activist selected as Tory candidate for Somerset council election
Joshua Bonehill-Paine, creator of satirical Crewkerne Gazette, has convictions including for harassing a Jewish MP A former neo-Nazi activist with convictions including for harassing a Jewish MP has been selected as a Conservative candidate for a local election in Somerset. Joshua Bonehill-Paine, the creator of the viral Crewkerne Gazette series of AI clips, is due to stand for election to Somerset council next year in a new Crewkerne South district. He told the Guardian he was an executive member of the Tories’ Yeovil branch, working as an events organiser. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
Thrilled to finally share the great news that Sharon Weinberger is joining the @thebulletin.org as our next Editor-in-Chief! thebulletin.org/2026/08/the-...
The Bulletin welcomes Sharon Weinberger as editor-in-chief
The Bulletin’s new editor-in-chief, Sharon Weinberger, has dedicated her career to covering the intersection of science, technology, and national security and will guide the Bulletin’s editorial effor...
thebulletin.org
Anyone who praises a writer/commentator for "challenging conventional thinking", being "brazen", or words to that effect should be required to give an itemised list of the brazenness and challenges to convention that they're describing, and a justification for why they believe they were positive
Like all great writers, it's a time to pay tribute to the words they left us with
The National@scotnational.bsky.social · 2d agoBREAKING: Sunday Times and Sun columnist Rod Liddle has died aged 66 after a short illness
Classic case Cosy up to Trump because you're amoral, corrupt, and drawn to power. Burn your goodwill with every other potential ally in the process. In a crisis, turn to Trump to bail you out. Realise too late that Trump's conception of loyalty is exclusively unidirectional
Mark Chadbourn@chadbourn.bsky.social · 2d agoFIFA President Gianni Infantino is seeking the Trump administration's help to stay in office and has scheduled private talks with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the NYP reports. Assistant Secretary of State Dylan Johnson later said Rubio had no plans to speak with Infantino.
A historically-extreme drought unearthing relics of an ancient evil force seems like the kind of portent the greeks or romans would've taken very seriously, and maybe we should too
Sunken Nazi warship uncovered in shrinking river during heatwave
European Investment Bank says it is among 200 vessels that lie at the bottom of the waterway
independent.co.uk
I think this is fundamentally wrong but in an interesting way I will need to write about sometime. The key is a) consumers do not choose what is produced, or how, they choose between what is produced. This is a crucial difference
Max Dubler 🏳️🌈@maxdubler.com · 3d agoI think my most genuinely unpopular take is that a widely held and genuine consumer preference for cheaper, lower-quality goods, not private equity, is driving the decline in quality of consumer goods like clothing and housewares.
But I didn’t want Cadburys to taste like shite, that’s been imposed on me. Mondolez made $2.4 billion last year they could have swallowed some of the higher cocoa costs, but didn’t, and more importantly, now costs are lower, they won’t reinstate the quality will they?
Max Dubler 🏳️🌈@maxdubler.com · 3d agoI think my most genuinely unpopular take is that a widely held and genuine consumer preference for cheaper, lower-quality goods, not private equity, is driving the decline in quality of consumer goods like clothing and housewares.
That "men should be allowed, without judgement or consequence, to do an amount of harm to women and girls that I personally deem acceptable" seems to be a genuine opinion still held by too many people in the year two thousand and twenty six is incredibly grim
Australia’s eSafety commissioner buried a report (released Friday afternoon) that shows the under 16 social media ban didn’t tangibly reduce teen social media use, and also resulted in parents tuning out of kids usage. We traded our privacy for no reason. theconversation.com/more-than-80...
More than 80% of kids still using social media despite ban, new eSafety report finds
The report provides more evidence Australia’s world-leading social media ban isn’t going to plan.
theconversation.com
