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News from my former life as a rural ethnographer - my book forthcoming with @UGAPress has a cover

Endless trust by the president and huge distrust among the population, according to polls.

The thread below. Time for exercising moral superiority is long gone. Either rational pragmatic approach, or nothing.

This post about "what Russians must do to be accepted by Ukrainians" betrays a misunderstanding about Russians. It's not 2022 anymore. As I see it, Russian liberals no longer seek an alliance with Ukrainians or seek their approval or validation. Let me explain why. 1/

A really important story about the many layers and shadow economies across Europe, where Ukrainians and other migrants are systematically exploited and abused, because nominally strong labor laws are just not enforced. vsquare.org/war-labor-ukra…

I promised a follow up - here's my coauthored take on Yashin, Kara-Murza, the brokerage by Pevchikh, and the political meaning of the release and press-conference comments by K-M against sanctions. postsocialism.org/2024/08/04/bro…

Russia expert trivia. Level: Hard. Name the author. One. "If the information about Ukrainian schools is correct, Ukraine is preparing for war with Russia, because instilling hatred into 6-year-olds is the first step towards creating soldiers to burn the 'subhumans." 1/

A truly fascinating article by Volodya Vagner* on a Swedish trade union of post-Soviet precarious construction workers

oc-media.org/azerbaijani-re… Not unexpected, but outrageous none the less. Bahruz Samadov (the Lack Observer) is one of the most honorable people in our region. #FreeBahruz #freearmenianpows #FreeArmenianHostages

An Azerbaijani scholar arrested. Relatives say in connection with his criticism of the government. Please follow tag #FreeBahruz

Neque Detestari's latest on Spivak in Ukraine nequedetestari.substack.com

The first case that directly proves that Swedish Migrationsverket bases its decisions on an unclear assessment of the situation in #Belarus: a Belarusian denied political asylum was deported and detained immediately on arrival at the Belarusian border. sverigesradio.se/artikel/nekade….

Ukraine is facing its darkest moment in the war. And President Zelensky faces increasing pressure from western allies to pursue negotiations, despite skepticism about Russia’s willingness and concerns over Kyiv’s weak position. w/ Ben Hall Henry Foy ft.com/content/2bb205…

Thing is though, academia has largely been captured by these narratives. Split on funding 'disinformation' or 'authoritarian preferences', versus holistic social origins of resentment. I'd say it's 95:5 in favour of getting money to examine 'symptoms' and not the causes.

The similarities btw the current Western dominant narrative and the late communist narrative are absolutely striking: In both cases, words have lost all relation to reality.

When the EU froze billions from Hungary due to Russian ties, Orbán turned to China to boost the economy. Two years later, Hungary is the main home for the Chinese capital in Europe. Chinese Investment in Hungary is featured in today's Chartbook Top Links: tinyurl.com/yva4cea2

1/ Why is Ukraine losing ground? There are many explanations, ranging from a lack of aid to a lack of political will to win. The reality, however, is far more complex. This thread offers a brief excerpt from my recent analysis, with the full link provided at the end. 🧵Thread: