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Adam Ballah 🇨🇦🇺🇦

@aballah.bsky.social
167 followers 356 following 34 posts

Interested in how a rapidly changing and increasingly uncertain world will re-shape society, and in particular the way this intersects with national security and international stability.

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Reposted by Adam Ballah 🇨🇦🇺🇦
Adam Ballah 🇨🇦🇺🇦 @aballah.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
@sportsnetpr.bsky.social Not sure what’s happening but your app isn’t working on Apple TV. Black screen on startup with infinite spinning connection dots; reinstalled and signed in but then crashes on open every time. Four attempts with same outcome. ATV is up to date.
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Adam Ballah 🇨🇦🇺🇦 @aballah.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
@sportsnetpr.bsky.social Not sure what’s happening but your app isn’t working on Apple TV. Black screen on startup with infinite spinning connection dots; reinstalled and signed in but then crashes on open every time. Four attempts with same outcome. ATV is up to date.
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David Roberts @volts.wtf · 12/03/2026
"We started a war of aggression for no reason & commenced it by accidentally bombing an elementary school & killing over 100 kids." That simple fact is so horrific that it's just kind of bouncing on the surface of our collective consciousness. We can't absorb its full implications & significance.
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Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 08/03/2026
There's something deeply obscene and broken about the fact that Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth are bombing elementary schools in an illegal war of aggression, and there's still a sense among the opposition that it has to be explained in terms of gas prices in order to get American voters to care.
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utopia deferred @utopia-defer.red · 18/10/2025
when i say that i yelped in shock at this kid’s sign
A young boy holds a sign that simply states in plain handwriting: Trump hit on my girlfriend
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Adam Ballah 🇨🇦🇺🇦 @aballah.bsky.social · 30/06/2025
If you’ve ever read any Foucault you know exactly why their gear is full overkill. They aren’t cos-playing—the exaggerated show of force is a big part of the point.
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All In with Chris Hayes @allinwithchris.bsky.social · 20/06/2025
@jelaniya.bsky.social on historic parallels to the reaction to ICE raids: "My students are like, 'Oh, so these people who came out against the Fugitive Slave Act were all abolitionists?' I said, 'No, these were people who could not countenance the idea of their neighbors being taken from them.'"
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Kate Aronoff @katearonoff.bsky.social · 18/06/2025
Wild how the Fed chair saying that *entire regions of the United States* won’t be able to get a mortgage in the next decade barely registered as a news event
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Katie Mack @astrokatie.com · 17/06/2025
I still can't get past the idea that people in America are now supposed to accept that this is a valid form of law enforcement and just assume it's fine when random dudes in groups with face-coverings, no ID, no warrant, & no uniform grab people off the street and force them into unmarked vehicles
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Brad Lander @bradlander.bsky.social · 17/06/2025
Hi, it’s Meg again. Brad is still in ICE custody. We are grateful to the many friends, supporters, and allies who have gathered in Federal Plaza. Together we are standing up for those with no voice.
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Chris Hayes @chrislhayes.bsky.social · 16/06/2025
For instance: If murders in Baltimore were UP 40%, then Mayor Brandon Scott would be a national figure. Instead it's gone down that amount so no one knows who he is.
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Anders Åslund @andersaslund.bsky.social · 16/06/2025
Trump displays his lies. 1. Russia was expelled by all for its war of aggression against Ukraine in March 2014. 2. The war has continued ever since because the West did not arm Ukraine. 3. Clearly, Trump condones Putin's war on Ukraine.
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The Bulwark @thebulwark.com · 09/06/2025
"It's up to us to get him the fuck out of this nightmare!" - @timmiller.bsky.social on the fight to free Andry
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Gander Social @gandersocial.ca · 23/05/2025
Nice way to wake up today. Thanks @nadrescher.bsky.social @thelogic.co for the article. It’s paywalled (but free with a trial). Happy to answer questions. Thanks @bmann.ca @blaine.bsky.social @walkah.social @bad-example.com for the support! thelogic.co/news/gander-...
thelogic.co
Canada is building its own social network - The Logic
Gander Social aims to be a social network where users, not algorithms, set the tone—and where content moderation is based on Canadian laws.
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Larry Tenney @larrytenney.bsky.social · 16/05/2025
The Boss: telling it like it is Springsteen shining a light on the chaos, threats & injustices of the moment with hope and love in his heart for America 🇺🇸
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David Roberts @volts.wtf · 06/05/2025
There are lots of things that warrant discussion & debate about AI, but "it uses too much energy" is a short-sighted critique that will appear silly in retrospect.
sustainabilitybynumbers.com
What's the carbon footprint of using ChatGPT?
Very small compared to most of the other stuff you do.
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Adam Ballah 🇨🇦🇺🇦 @aballah.bsky.social · 03/05/2025
Dying For Sex deserves all of the awards. What a show.
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Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 26/04/2025
The Naval Academy cancelled a freakin' Ken Burns documentary showing, not because of the content, but because Burns had been critical of Trump www.nytimes.com/2025/04/24/u...
In November, representatives for the filmmaker Ken Burns reached out to the academy with an offer to screen clips from his new six-part series on the American Revolution at the academy in a private event for a select group of midshipmen. The school accepted and booked the event for April 22.

But in late March, the school’s leadership felt that Mr. Burns’s criticisms of Mr. Trump before the 2024 election could cause another outcry from conservative think tanks and Republican members of Congress.
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Acyn @acyn.bsky.social · 26/04/2025
Reporter: There was a car bomb in Moscow this morning that killed a Russian general. Do you have any reaction to that? Trump: Who killed what? Reporter: A Russian general killed by a car bomb. Trump: Well, you're just telling me that for the first time. Where did this take place?
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Mark Carney @mark-carney.bsky.social · 20/04/2025
Joined John and his family for some Easter egg painting yesterday in Newcastle — and got an important reminder from the next generation.
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Aurelien Mondon @aurelmondon.com · 19/04/2025
Many people didn't fail to see this. In fact, many people (academics , activists, independent journalists etc) have warned for a long time that this is where we were heading Why were only the same old tired voices listened to? Why were actual alternatives given less air time than fascism?
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Rachel Gilmore @rachelgilmore.bsky.social · 17/04/2025
Literally like half of the questions are going to disinformation spewing grifter outlets who are using it as an opportunity to spew absolute bullshit under the guise of asking questions. Great work, leaders debate.
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scha·den·freu·de @blisterpearl.bsky.social · 17/04/2025
"If you can purchase US citizenship for $5 million, the “illegals” are only guilty of being poor." -Feminist News
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Christopher McKnight Nichols @cmcknichols.bsky.social · 12/04/2025
It is striking to me in studying the role of ideas & ideologies in past foreign policy & politics that we live in an age where there is such an acute failure of imagination (including innovative ideas, articulation of principles, conviction) across virtually the whole landscape of "leadership" ...
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The Bulwark @thebulwark.com · 11/04/2025
American presidents decades from now will still be cleaning up what Trump did to this country in 2025. The mess is made, and it's too late to avoid the pain. @davidfrum.bsky.social joins @jvl.bsky.social, in for Tim, on today's Bulwark Podcast:
thebulwark.com
David Frum: It's Too Late to Stop the Pain
Trump has effectively imposed a trade embargo on China, which means that after the inventory runs out, American retail will soon dry up.
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Adam Ballah 🇨🇦🇺🇦 @aballah.bsky.social · 11/04/2025
Destroying our capacity to understand how we impact the world around us, or, in other words, comprehend reality, makes perfect sense considering the fact that these are purely selfish people, many of whom believe life is determined by an omnipotent old white dude sitting on a cloud.
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Canadian Paintings @canadianpaintings.bsky.social · 06/04/2025
Smears of Jam, Lights of Jelly Mary Pratt 2007
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Tom Nichols @radiofreetom.bsky.social · 05/04/2025
If the U.S. military is given direct orders to seize Greenland—pull down another nation’s flag, and then claim the ground in the name of the United States—every senior commander has a moral obligation to refuse to accept or support such a command. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
theatlantic.com
Trump’s Greenland Ambitions Are No Joke
The Danes seem to believe him, and so should Americans.
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PressProgress @pressprogress.ca · 04/04/2025
NEW: Conservative candidate used a secret Signal group chat with Freedom Convoy leaders, right-wing media and far-right influencers Andrew Lawton was a member of the “clandestine” group chat used to coordinate convoy messaging on social media
pressprogress.ca
Conservative Candidate Used a Secret Signal Group Chat With Freedom Convoy Leaders, Right-Wing Media and Far-Right Influencers
Andrew Lawton was a member of a “clandestine” group chat used to coordinate convoy messaging on social media
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Melissa & Chris Bruntlett @modacitylife.com · 01/04/2025
A former French military base, Vauban is a thriving neighbourhood of 5,500 residents connected to Freiburg town centre by bus and light rail. Built in the late 1990s as a radical experiment in low-car living, it forgoes virtually all on-street parking in favour of active, green, and social spaces. 🧵
People in casual spring attire walk, cycle, and ride trams along car-free streets lined with colourful low-rise residential buildings in the  neighbourhood of Vauban in Freiburg, Germany.People in casual spring attire walk, cycle, and ride trams along car-free streets lined with colourful low-rise residential buildings in the  neighbourhood of Vauban in Freiburg, Germany.People in casual spring attire walk, cycle, and ride trams along car-free streets lined with colourful low-rise residential buildings in the  neighbourhood of Vauban in Freiburg, Germany.People in casual spring attire walk, cycle, and ride trams along car-free streets lined with colourful low-rise residential buildings in the  neighbourhood of Vauban in Freiburg, Germany.
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Adam Ballah 🇨🇦🇺🇦 @aballah.bsky.social · 01/04/2025
Owning the libs…
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Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez @aoc.bsky.social · 22/03/2025
Tonight an unbelievable **34,000 people** gathered for our Denver rally to take on billionaires and win our country back. This was the largest political gathering in Denver since Obama in 2008. Also bigger than the 2024 DNC. And the largest ever rally in Bernie’s career (and obviously, mine too).
AOC and Bernie in front of the rally crowd in DenverZoomed out crowd shot of 34,000 people in downtown Denver with Colorado mountains in the background
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Fiona "Fi" Webster 🌎🌍🌏 @fiona-webster22.bsky.social · 19/03/2025
A professor of environmental science describes his study of the US military's research on climate change. Climate change has long been seen as a threat multiplier that worsens instability & mass migration in already fragile regions of the world. Succinct & well-written article! No pay wall.
theconversation.com
The US military has cared about climate change since the dawn of the Cold War – for good reason
During the Cold War, the US poured support into Arctic military outposts and climate research amid fears of a Russian invasion. Climate change is still on the military’s radar as a threat multiplier.
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Chatham Harrison dba TRUMP DELENDUS EST @chathamharrison.bsky.social · 19/03/2025
Is it inefficient to design a bridge to hold more weight than it's rated for? Is it inefficient to design your plumbing to withstand unexpected abuses? People who insist that government be maximally "efficient" do not appreciate why we have government at all
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Maria Popova @popovaprof.bsky.social · 19/03/2025
vulnerable to disinformation. As Canada preps for a new election, I notice too many voters spreading unhinged disinformation abt corruption among Canadian politicians. This can hurt our democracy. @professorniki.bsky.social and I wrote an article abt corruption, conspiracies, and illiberalism...
papers.ssrn.com
Will the Real Conspiracy Please Stand Up: Sources of Post-communist Democratic Failure
At the start of the pandemic, it looked like the biggest COVID-related threat to democracy, in Eastern Europe and elsewhere, was executive aggrandizement. This
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C. L. Polk @clpolk.com · 16/03/2025
So I’m getting started reading Values by Mark Carney and I want to share some shots of how this book starts because it makes me blink in surprise. If you haven’t read it, I think you might want to, because this is what Canada’s new prime minister was thinking about five years ago.
Page excerpt of Mark Carney’s book, Values.

These are the questions that this book seeks to explore. It will examine how our society came to embody Wilde's aphorism - knowing the price of everything but the value of nothing. How by elevating belief in the market to an inviolable truth we moved from a market economy to a market society. And how we can turn this around.

In many respects, this book is a belated response to a question posed a few summers ago when a range of policymakers, business people, academics, labour leaders and charity workers gathered at the Vatican to discuss the future of the market system.
Pope Francis surprised us by joining the lunch and sharing a parable. He observed that:
Our meal will be accompanied by wine. Now, wine is many things. It has a bouquet, colour and richness of taste that all complement the food. It has alcohol that can enliven the mind. Wine enriches all our senses.

At the end of our feast, we will have grappa. Grappa is one thing: alcohol. Grappa is wine distilled.

He continued:
Humanity is many things - passionate, curious, rational, altruistic, creative, self-interested.
Excerpt, continued:

But the market is one thing: self-interested. The market is humanity distilled.

And then he challenged us:
Your job is to turn the grappa back into wine, to turn the market back into humanity. This isn't theology. This is reality. This is the truth.

This book draws on my experience in the private sector and public policy to examine the relationship between value and values. How they shape each other, and how, by doing so, they can determine our livelihoods, identities and possibilities. And how, once we recognise these dynamics, we can turn
grappa back into wine.

The book is divided into three parts. Part I examines various concepts of value and their roots in political philosophy and, more recently and narrowly, in economic theory and financial practice. It uses a series of valuation paradoxes from art to the environment to illustrate the potential disconnects between valuations in markets and the values of society.
Values and value are related but distinct. In the most general terms, values represent the principles or standards of behaviour; they are judgements of what is important in life. Examples include integrity,
A second excerpt from Values by Mark Carney:

Chapter 6 shows that our deepest challenges are rooted in the narrowing of our values to market fundamentalism, and it explains how this is contributing to the growing exclusivity of capitalism and the rise of populism. In particular, it argues that, just as all ideologies are prone to extremes, capitalism loses its sense of moderation when the belief in the power of the market enters the realm of faith. In the decades prior to the financial crisis, such radicalism came to dominate economic ideas and
became a pattern of social behaviour.
In short, we have moved from a market economy to a market society, and this is now undermining our basic social contract of relative equality of outcomes,
equality of opportunity and fairness
across generations.

Part II explores the three most significant crises of the twenty-first century - of credit, Covid and climate.
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Adam Ballah 🇨🇦🇺🇦 @aballah.bsky.social · 01/03/2025
“For decades, American artists have canceled tours as a means of protesting war, autocracy, injustice and discrimination abroad. Now…some performers are employing the tactic and turning the tables: canceling performances in the United States.” www.nytimes.com/2025/02/28/a...
nytimes.com
The Violinist Christian Tetzlaff’s Tactic to Oppose Trump’s Agenda: Cancel Concerts
Christian Tetzlaff said he was disturbed by the president’s embrace of Russia and other policies. “There seems to be a quietness or denial about what’s going on,” he said.
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David Roberts @volts.wtf · 17/02/2025
So ... what's waiting in the queues? Ah. emp.lbl.gov/queues
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Sherrilyn Ifill @sifill.bsky.social · 17/02/2025
Last night @60minutes.bsky.social opened an otherwise superb segment on Germany’s approach to online hate speech by saying “in the U.S., most of what’s said on online [social media] platforms is protected by the First Amendment.” No.The First Amend protects us against GOVT infringements on speech.
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Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 16/02/2025
It’s remarkable how quickly the Trump team has sabotaged all the things that actually made the U.S. influential on the global stage. Free trade economics, strong diplomatic networks and alliances, the soft power of democratic culture and values, the hard power of a competent military …
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David Rothkopf @djrothkopf.bsky.social · 17/02/2025
This.
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Mark Carney @mark-carney.bsky.social · 15/02/2025
When people see the maple leaf, they see possibility. They see freedom. They see a helping hand. They see Canada, and the best of our values. Happy 60th to our flag. 🇨🇦
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Anne Applebaum @anneapplebaum.wsocial.eu · 13/02/2025
"the assumption that a cease-fire will end Russia’s primary threat to Ukrainians misunderstands the nature of the conflict" From Nataliya Gumenyuk. A warning www.foreignaffairs.com/ukraine/puti...
foreignaffairs.com
Putin’s Ukraine
The end of war and the price of Russian occupation.
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Sherrilyn Ifill @sifill.bsky.social · 13/02/2025
Good.
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Phillips OBrien @phillipspobrien.bsky.social · 12/02/2025
Its now clear that Putin and Trump are aligning positions. Putin has stated he and Putin have spoken, have agreed to start talks, and are basically on the same page. Ukraine is about to get hammered by the USA. edition.cnn.com/2025/02/12/p...
edition.cnn.com
After Putin call, Trump says negotiations to end Ukraine war will start ‘immediately’ | CNN Politics
President Donald Trump said negotiations to end the Ukraine war will start “immediately” after holding a “lengthy and highly productive” telephone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesd...
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Phillips OBrien @phillipspobrien.bsky.social · 12/02/2025
As the piece makes clear, the formal position of the US government is now that the sovereign and legally recognised territory of a democratic friend, is to be handed over to the control of a dictatorship.
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Mira of Kyiv 🇺🇦 @reshetz.bsky.social · 12/02/2025
I know most Americans don’t care probably, but this betrayal aches for many, many people
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Canadian Paintings @canadianpaintings.bsky.social · 09/02/2025
Light Flight Sean William Randall 2023
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Adam Ballah 🇨🇦🇺🇦 @aballah.bsky.social · 09/02/2025
Will the halftime show feature a petty beef between two multi-millionaires, or will it be a scathing critique of what’s shaping up to be a historically inept and cruel US administration?
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