Researcher of social cohesion🕊️ PhD'r, teacher, geek & Mozillian - 'cause communities never forget & institutions never remember 🌱 My opinions belong to me.
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Joined November 2009
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Tom Salmon 🇺🇦 🇵🇸 retweeted
Hard to find adequate words to describe the depravity of continuing air strikes and strafing civilians as millions scramble to uncover their loved ones from earthquake rubble. bbc.com/news/articles/cy7x7r…
Tom Salmon 🇺🇦 🇵🇸 retweeted
BREAKING 🇿🇦 More than 100 parliamentarians from around the world stand with the South African people against US President Donald Trump's executive order, calling it "an assault on their right to self-determination."
Tom Salmon 🇺🇦 🇵🇸 retweeted
There's not much to love with these new Republicans. They are loud and dumb just like Republicans in the Bush era. But these new ones keep letting the cat out of the bag and telling everyone how it really is.
They want a world enslaved to the two headed beast of U.S. imperialism and disaster capitalism. That's not news to the international left or anti-imperialists across the world. But it appears to be shocking news to American liberals who like to do their imperatism behind a veil of Lies and mythology about good guys and bad guys endlessly replaying WWII in a global economy where the rising tide lifts all ships.
Problem is neoliberalism has failed, and trickle-down economics was always a big fat lie, and these new republicans wouldn't have the wit to explain it if they did understand what was going on. As a result the contradictions of late stage capitalism will continue unabated until the U.S. Empire slips into insignificance.
This point is crucial: The US vice president has admitted that Washington's goal is to keep formerly colonized countries in the Global South trapped at the bottom of the global value chain.
The US-led West wants to maintain a strict international division of labor, in which poor countries in the periphery produce low value-added goods (with lots of competition and therefore low profits), whereas the rich nations in the core extract exorbitant monopoly rents through their control over high value-added technologies (with little to no competition, reinforced by strict intellectual property rights).
China has tried to challenge its subservient place in the world-system, to move out of the periphery -- so the US government has responded with aggressive tariffs, sanctions, and export controls, aimed at sabotaging China's technological innovation and economic development, to keep the US at the top of the global value chain, where it can continue to extract monopoly rents.
In other words, JD Vance has inadvertently acknowledged that the fundamental thesis of the dependency theorists in the 1950s and '60s was indeed correct!
Another win for dependency theory.
Tom Salmon 🇺🇦 🇵🇸 retweeted
Black Saturday: The Day the United States Ceased to Be a Constitutional Democracy
The Moment Democracy Ceased to Function
🧵1/10: Saturday, March 15, 2025, may have seemed unremarkable to most Americans. But in time, history will remember it as Black Saturday—the moment the United States ceased to function as a constitutional democracy.
For the first time in modern American history, a sitting president openly defied a direct federal court order—and nothing happened. No intervention. No enforcement. No consequences.
A legal ruling was issued, and the White House simply ignored it.
The White House’s Decision: Power Over Law
Inside the White House, the decision was not about law—it was about power.
A federal judge ruled against the administration. The debate inside Trump’s team was not whether the ruling was legal, but whether they could get away with ignoring it. They decided they could. And they were right.
This was not a clash between equal branches of government. It was the moment the judiciary was exposed as powerless. The courts do not have an army. They rely on compliance.
But a court that cannot enforce its rulings is not a court—it is a suggestion box.
And a presidency that can ignore the courts without consequence is no longer constrained by law—it is an untouchable executive.
Trump did not declare the end of judicial authority in a speech.
He demonstrated it in practice.
This is how democratic systems collapse—not with a single act, but with the normalization of defiance, the expectation that a ruling can simply be brushed aside.
theintellectualist.com/black…
Tom Salmon 🇺🇦 🇵🇸 retweeted
After 9/11, NATO's Article 5 was invoked for the first (and only) time ever by the United States.
Troops from the UK, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Denmark, Australia, Spain, Poland, Norway, Romania, Turkey, New Zealand, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Ukraine, Finland, and many others joined the fight in Afghanistan.
More than one thousand of these soldiers paid the ultimate price.
JD Vance - Have you said 'thank you' once for their sacrifice?
Tom Salmon 🇺🇦 🇵🇸 retweeted
BREAKING: After Trump's disgraceful actions at the WH today with President Zelensky major world players just came out to defend Ukraine and Zelensky:
- Donald Trump and JD Vance: You never thank us... waa waa waa.
- Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk: “Dear Zelensky, dear Ukrainian friends, you are not alone.”
- President of Lithuania Gitanas Nausea: “Ukraine, you’ll never walk alone.”
- Denmark Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen: “Dear Zelensky, Denmark proudly stands with Ukraine and the Ukrainian people.”
- French President Emmanual Macron: “There is an aggressor: Russia. There is a people being aggressed: Ukraine. We were all right to help Ukraine and sanction Russia three years ago and to continue doing so. We, that’s the Americans, the Europeans, Canadians, Japanese, and many others. Thank you to all those who have helped and continue to do so. And respect to those who, from the beginning, have been fighting. Because they are fighting for their dignity, their independence, for their children, and for the security of Europe.”
- President of Moldova Maia Sandu: “The truth is simple. Russia invaded Ukraine. Russia is the aggressor. Ukraine defends its freedom—and ours. We stand with Ukraine.”
- Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson: “Sweden stands with Ukraine. You are not only fighting for your freedom but also for all of Europe’s. Slava Ukraini! ”
- Incoming German Chancellor Friedrich Mer: “Dear Volodymyr @zelenskyyua, we stand with #Ukraine in good and in testing times. We must never confuse aggressor and victim in this terrible war. (FM)”
- Crotia’s Prime Minister Andrej Plenković: “Croatia knows from its own experience that only a just peace can last. The Croatian Government stands firm in its belief that Ukraine needs such a peace - a peace that means sovereignty, territorial integrity, and a secure Europe.”
- Finland’s Prime Minister @PetteriOrpo: “Finland and the Finnish people stand firmly with Ukraine. We will continue our unwavering support and work towards a just and lasting peace.”
- Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal: “We stand united with @ZelenskyyUa and Ukraine in our fight for freedom. Always. Because it is right, not easy.”
- Ireland’s Deputy Prime Minister Simon Harris: “Ukraine is not to blame for this war brought about by Russia’s illegal invasion. We stand with Ukraine.“
- Latvia’s President Edgars Rinkevics: “Ukraine is a victim of the Russian aggression. It fights the war with the help from many friends and partners. We need to spare no effort for just and lasting peace. Diplomacy sometimes is the art of the impossible in difficult circumstances. Latvia stands with Ukraine”
- Prime Minister of the Netherlands Dick Schoof: ”The Netherlands supports Ukraine as firmly as ever. Now more than ever. We want a lasting peace and an end to the war of aggression started by Russia. For Ukraine and its people, and for Europe.”
- Prime Minister of Luxembourg Luc Friedsen: “Luxembourg stands with Ukraine. You are fighting for your freedom and a rules based international order. ”
The West stands with the heroic Zelensky. Trump sides with the evil Putin. What has America become?
Tom Salmon 🇺🇦 🇵🇸 retweeted
Just finished @zeithistoriker's latest. Its a short and punchy book that really does a lot to historically clarify the right-libertarian/neoliberal to hard right pipeline that's been subject to a lot of speculation. In particular the central chapters on race and IQ...
Tom Salmon 🇺🇦 🇵🇸 retweeted
Seeing how the USA now hellbent on emulating their newfound ally of Russia, both at home and abroad, I find myself obliged to repost my dive into Russia's posh cities, just to give your average MAGA a glimpse into the greatness Trump is sure to bring about! Do enjoy!🧵
Tom Salmon 🇺🇦 🇵🇸 retweeted
All my life I have studied democratization and autocratization. My 1st field trip was to newly democratic Argentina. I then added autocracies to my portfolio: Cuba, Ven, etc. I think I can recognize the stages of transition to authoritarianism. Here are the boxes checked off.
Tom Salmon 🇺🇦 🇵🇸 retweeted
Just to be clear, you are defending a Heil Hitler salute that was performed and repeated for emphasis and clarity.
People can officially stop listening to you as any sort of reputable source of information now. You work for them. Thank you for making that crystal clear to all.
This is a delicate moment. It’s a new day and yet so many are on edge. Our politics are inflamed, and social media only adds to the anxiety.
It seems that @elonmusk made an awkward gesture in a moment of enthusiasm, not a Nazi salute, but again, we appreciate that people are on edge.
In this moment, all sides should give one another a bit of grace, perhaps even the benefit of the doubt, and take a breath. This is a new beginning. Let’s hope for healing and work toward unity in the months and years ahead.
Tom Salmon 🇺🇦 🇵🇸 retweeted
Join us on Thursday 16 January at 3PM UK time for an online webinar on Imperialism & Africa, with speakers Lyn Ossome, Hannah Cross, Matteo Capasse, Essam Elkorghli, & Ray Bush. Run jointly with @IIPPE_ Africa Working Group.
Register here👇🏿
eventbrite.com/e/imperialism…
Tom Salmon 🇺🇦 🇵🇸 retweeted
Laboratories of Learning: Social Movements, Education and Knowledge-Making in the Global South meridian.allenpress.com/her/…
Tom Salmon 🇺🇦 🇵🇸 retweeted
Neoliberalism’s Plague: The Erosion of Conscience in Education, see socialistproject.ca/2024/12/… @socialistprojct
Tom Salmon 🇺🇦 🇵🇸 retweeted
The SARChI T&L chair invites you to:
The ‘Quest for Relevance’: Reconceptualising and Redefining Internationalisation of Higher Education in South Africa.
Presented by Dr @Savo_Heleta .
DISCUSSANT Professor Felix Maringe:
15 Nov 2024 | 14:00 – 16:00 |
Link in QR & post below
Tom Salmon 🇺🇦 🇵🇸 retweeted
NEW: ‘A Cartography of Genocide’. Since October 2023, we have collected and analysed data related to Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. Our findings indicate that Israel has systematically targeted all aspects of civilian life. tinyurl.com/bdcrnzka
Tom Salmon 🇺🇦 🇵🇸 retweeted
The UK has the highest retirement age in the world, the lowest pension in Europe, some of the longest working hours in Europe, one of the lowest minimum wages, the highest energy costs, the biggest profits, and the lowest taxes for the richest.
It all needs to change.
