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Alex Dukalskis

@alexdukalskis.bsky.social
4.5K followers 428 following 1.9K posts

Research & teach on authoritarian states and human rights. Head of @ucdpolitics.bsky.social (opinions my own, obvs.) Publications: tinyurl.com/bdfcnf8u Academic Freedom Officer @psaireland.bsky.social & editorial board @cpcs.bsky.social

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Reposted by Alex Dukalskis
UCD Politics and International Relations @ucdpolitics.bsky.social · 11h
New on The Conversation: Why Yemen Has Returned to Conflict by Dr Vincent Durac. Dr Durac examines the recent escalation in Yemen as Houthi forces seize control of key Red Sea locations, including the port city of Mocha. Read full article: theconversation.com/why-yemen-ha...
theconversation.com
Why Yemen has returned to conflict
The recent Houthi advance has revived the seemingly endless conflict between Saudi Arabia and its antagonists in Yemen.
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Alex Dukalskis @alexdukalskis.bsky.social · 13h
Please get this guy in front of as many midterm voters as possible between now and election day.
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Alex Dukalskis @alexdukalskis.bsky.social · 17h
Wow. End of a thread on a blockbuster story about alleged treason in the German foreign intelligence agency.
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Alex Dukalskis @alexdukalskis.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Never Say War: Life Inside Russia by Åsne Seierstad (2026) #AutumnReading
amazon.co.uk
Never Say War: Life Inside Russia - LONGLISTED FOR THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION: Amazon.co.uk: Seierstad, Åsne, Mackie, Siân: 9780349020587: Books
Buy Never Say War: Life Inside Russia - LONGLISTED FOR THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION by Seierstad, Åsne, Mackie, Siân (ISBN: 9780349020587) from Amazon's Book Store. Everyday low prices an...
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Reposted by Alex Dukalskis
Erin Cook @erincook.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
jesus christ - Myanmar state television has broadcast footage of the migrants on the journey home, being led in aerobics classes on a ship deck and wearing T-shirts saying: "Happy voyage back to motherland".
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Reposted by Alex Dukalskis
Alex Dukalskis @alexdukalskis.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
My department - @ucdpolitics.bsky.social - is hiring two PERMANENT posts in any area of politics, international relations, theory, or development studies. Please apply if you are on the academic job market, and if you're not, please do us a solid & spread the word! Deadline NOV 9.
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Reposted by Alex Dukalskis
Rikki Dean @rikkidean.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Permanent political theory jobs at a fantastic university! Interesting, at least to me, that academic salaries seem to be notably higher in Ireland than in England.
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Reposted by Alex Dukalskis
Di Volpe @divolpe.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Honestly love my alma mater so much it almost makes moving back to Dublin a tempting prospect
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Reposted by Alex Dukalskis
Henry Farrell @himself.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
My alma mater, and from talking to people it is doing just great these days.
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Alex Dukalskis @alexdukalskis.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
My department - @ucdpolitics.bsky.social - is hiring two PERMANENT posts in any area of politics, international relations, theory, or development studies. Please apply if you are on the academic job market, and if you're not, please do us a solid & spread the word! Deadline NOV 9.
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Reposted by Alex Dukalskis
Eamonn Sweeney @sweeneyagonistes.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
We hear so much about Tommie Smith, John Carlos, Muhammad Ali, Colin Kaepernick et al that it's easy to forget their stands were made notable by being rare. A new age of politically conscious sportspeople was hailed at the turn of the decade. Then it was business as usual at the Qatar World Cup.
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Alex Dukalskis @alexdukalskis.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Sounds like there’s going to be considerable political pressure to go easy on Man City. — “Manchester City found guilty of breaching Premier League rules” www.ft.com/content/2f82...
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Alex Dukalskis @alexdukalskis.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Dublin usually ranks well on these kinds of lists but I'm not too sure Dubliners *feel* like they live in the 6th best city in the world. (Caveat: I like it here. This is just an observation about how others often talk about the city.)
bbc.com
The world's top cities for 2026 - and why they stand out
From cultural investment to cutting-edge technology, the 2026 Global Cities Index reveals what makes the world's leading cities such compelling places to live and visit.
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Alex Dukalskis @alexdukalskis.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Apparently published six papers on one day in August.
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Reposted by Alex Dukalskis
UCD Politics and International Relations @ucdpolitics.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Yesterday, Prof Aidan Regan gave a talk for the SPIRe seminar series titled "Winner-Takes-All: Corporate Tax Erosion and Wealth Concentration in the United States." The SPIRe seminar series continues throughout the term 👇 www.ucd.ie/spire/newsan...
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Alex Dukalskis @alexdukalskis.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
What must it be like to be #2? Central Military Commission: Seat 1 - Xi Jinping 2 - Zhang Shengmin 3 - purged 4 - purged 5 - purged 6 - purged 7 - purged — China's purges of top military commanders spur questions about war-waging ability
reuters.com
China's purges of top military commanders spur questions about war-waging ability
Purges of military leaders may have dented China's war-fighting readiness, but are likely to have strengthened President Xi Jinping's grip on an institution that is a key source of power for the rulin...
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Reposted by Alex Dukalskis
Nate Schenkkan @nateschenkkan.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Big step from UN human rights experts on transnational repression: www.ohchr.org/en/statement...
ohchr.org
Joint Statement by United Nations Human Rights Experts on Transnational Repression
Preamble1. We, members of United Nations human rights Treaty Bodies and United Nations Special Procedures mandate holders, express our deep concern regarding transnational repression and its serious i...
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Reposted by Alex Dukalskis
UCD Politics and International Relations @ucdpolitics.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
SPIRe Newsletter 2026 is now live! Read our latest event reports, upcoming event info, and more. www.ucd.ie/spire/newsan...
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Reposted by Alex Dukalskis
UCD Politics and International Relations @ucdpolitics.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
We have an extra helper on site to get us through another busy week! 🐶🐾 🗓️ Wed 23: SPIRe Seminar by Prof Aidan Regan ucd.ie/spire/newsan... 🗓️ Thu 24: • Final Master's grades released (2025–26 cohort) • Internship Workshop for current Master's students (4 pm)
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Reposted by Alex Dukalskis
Yaqiu Wang 王亚秋 @yaqiu.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
In the past 19 months, Washington has lost ground to Beijing on every major front: economic, military, technology, soft power and alliances. The gap is narrowing not because China got smarter, but the US got so much dumber. My piece with @bequelin.bsky.social 👇 foreignpolicy.com/2026/09/17/c...
foreignpolicy.com
China, Not Iran, Is Trump’s Real Foreign-Policy Debacle
In 19 months, Washington has lost ground to Beijing on every conceivable front.
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Alex Dukalskis @alexdukalskis.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
*Intern who was a literature major sees his opportunity* "Mr. Vice President, actually in Shelley's original the monster did not have a name. Its creator was named Frankenstein in the novel, so it is more accurate to say 'Frankenstein's monster'. Don't worry it is a common error"
theguardian.com
‘If you’re building Frankenstein, stop’: JD Vance dismisses calls for AI regulation
US vice-president’s comments come as former Anthropic researcher revisits recent claim AI could destroy humanity
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Reposted by Alex Dukalskis
Dmitri. #freeLink @momus.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
if the name of Don Jr.'s benefactor sounds familiar, it's because he's responsible for the boxing anti-trans panic at the Paris Olympics
theguardian.com
Olympic boxing gender row a result of Russian fake news, says IOC chief
A gender row involving two female boxers at the Paris 2024 Games was the result of ‘a fake news campaign coming from Russia’, said Thomas Bach
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Alex Dukalskis @alexdukalskis.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
The U.S. constitution completely toothless when compared to the Irish planning permission regime.
ft.com
Tiny snail stalls Donald Trump’s Irish golf ambitions
US president arrives in Ireland on Saturday as environmentalists oppose his ‘other ballroom’ to protect the narrow-mouthed whorl snail
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Alex Dukalskis @alexdukalskis.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Wow... “If I’m paying for your wedding, at some point, you’re going to owe me something,” said Frank Montoya Jr., a retired career FBI official who held senior counterintelligence roles.
propublica.org
Donald Trump Jr.’s Wedding Bankrolled by Putin-Linked Russian Oligarch
The oligarch, Umar Kremlev, spent hundreds of thousands on expenses like renting out a private island. He appears to have met Trump Jr. only recently, but he attended the intimate wedding with a large...
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Alex Dukalskis @alexdukalskis.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Put differently: “President Putin's laid out his line of what he wants to achieve. If RUSSIA, you know, wanted to withdraw BACK TO ITS OWN TERRITORY, you know, we have the rest of the deal set up and put together. RUSSIA right now does not want to do that.”
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Alex Dukalskis @alexdukalskis.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Just saw my first Toblerone outside of its natural airport duty free habitat and it was a jarring experience.
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Alex Dukalskis @alexdukalskis.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Seven years in prison for the slogan "ending one-party dictatorship"
bbc.com
Hong Kong's Tiananmen activists sentenced to up to seven years in prison
Hong Kong used to be one of the only places in Chinese territory where people could gather to mark the 1989 crackdown.
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Alex Dukalskis @alexdukalskis.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Oof this kind of vote buying looks like the last refuge of the desperate
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Reposted by Alex Dukalskis
Turquoise Roof @turquoiseroof.org · 10/09/2026
New in Journal of Human Rights: McMahon proposes 'erosive repression', #transnationalrepression as cumulative process, not only discrete incidents. Fieldwork with #Tibetans in exile; Article 63 of the PRC's new Ethnic Unity law read as codifying transnational repression. doi.org/10.1080/1475...
doi.org
Fear in exile: Transnational repression and its toll on social relations among Tibetans in exile
This article conceptualizes the process of erosive repression in order to examine how instances of transnational repression (TR) impact social and relational dynamics within the Tibetan exile commu...
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Alex Dukalskis @alexdukalskis.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
When you attack your allies they’re going to look elsewhere for protection/cooperation. Trump’s foreign policy is a suicide pact.
cbc.ca
China says it held 'candid and in-depth' military talks with Canadian officials last week | CBC News
As the Carney government pursues deeper relations with Beijing, the Chinese government reports it held a "candid" exchange on military issues with Canadian officials earlier this month.
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Alex Dukalskis @alexdukalskis.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Was this…. written by Xi Jinping’s staff?
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Reposted by Alex Dukalskis
Prof David Farrell, UCD @davidfarrell-ucd.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Great opening session of our @ucddublin.bsky.social @ucdpolitics.bsky.social seminar series with my colleagues @karendublin.bsky.social James Cross, @bentonra.bsky.social and @dawnwalsh.bsky.social Lots of home truths about Ireland’s EU presidency
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Alex Dukalskis @alexdukalskis.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
It’s 2030. The UN Security Council is Xi, Putin, Don Jr, Farage, and Le Pen. The AfD runs Germany. The ocean is boiling. Some voter: “you know I agree with most of what they say but I just can’t bring myself to vote for [insert reasonable party here] because [insert minor quibble here].”
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Alex Dukalskis @alexdukalskis.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Always great to be on podcasts w/ @cooleyoneurasia.bsky.social - this time we're discussing global authoritarian influence on The Democracy Paradox Podcast
democracyparadox.com
Alexander Cooley and Alexander Dukalskis Fear Autocracies Are Hijacking the International Order - Democracy Paradox
Alexander Cooley and Alexander Dukalskis on how autocracies are repurposing liberal institutions to hijack the international order.
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Alex Dukalskis @alexdukalskis.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
It’s really the most Trumpy thing about this entire episode
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Reposted by Alex Dukalskis
UCD Politics and International Relations @ucdpolitics.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
📣 Alumni Event | Holding the EU Presidency: Ireland’s role in the European Union 🗓️ Tuesday, Oct 20, 2026 at 6 PM 👥 Panelists: John Bell, Brigid Laffan & Andrea Pappin, Moderated by Gavan Reilly 🔗 Info & Registration: www.ucd.ie/spire/newsan...
ucd.ie
Alumni Event - Ireland's EU Presidency
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Alex Dukalskis @alexdukalskis.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Crowded Out: The Competitive Landscape of Contemporary International NGOs by @sarahbush.bsky.social & @jenniferhadden.bsky.social via @universitypress.cambridge.org (2025) #AutumnReading
amazon.ie
Crowded Out: The Competitive Landscape of Contemporary International NGOs : Bush, Sarah Sunn, Hadden, Jennifer: Amazon.ie: Books
Crowded Out: The Competitive Landscape of Contemporary International NGOs : Bush, Sarah Sunn, Hadden, Jennifer: Amazon.ie: Books
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Alex Dukalskis @alexdukalskis.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
As usual these sorts of commentators deny agency to non-western governments. Their actions are just the result of pressures generated by “western empire”. Russia invades Ukraine b/c nato made them do it; Iran executes protesters b/c of sanctions; North Korea locks down its society b/c of the US, etc
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Alex Dukalskis @alexdukalskis.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Invisible Rulers: The People Who Turn Lies into Reality by @noupside.bsky.social (2024) #SummerReading
hachettebookgroup.com
Invisible Rulers
An eye-opening look at the small communities of propagandists revolutionizing politics, culture, and society. “Essential and riveting reading.” —Jonath...
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Alex Dukalskis @alexdukalskis.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
New review in the Italian Political Science Review of my & @cooleyoneurasia.bsky.social 's book Dictating the Agenda: The Authoritarian Resurgence in World Politics. @peterchai1013.bsky.social says it's an "original account of the changing relationship between globalization and political power"
cambridge.org
Dictating the Agenda: The Authoritarian Resurgence in World Politics by Alexander Cooley and Alexander Dukalskis. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2025. 312 p. $29.99 hardcover. | Italian Political Sc...
Dictating the Agenda: The Authoritarian Resurgence in World Politics by Alexander Cooley and Alexander Dukalskis. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2025. 312 p. $29.99 hardcover. - Volume 56 Issue 2
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Alex Dukalskis @alexdukalskis.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
Thread
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Alex Dukalskis @alexdukalskis.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
Basically: “Very few Americans want the Smithsonian national history museum to be a tool for ideological advocacy so we’re going to make it a tool for ideological advocacy.” www.ft.com/content/659a...
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Alex Dukalskis @alexdukalskis.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
North Korea enjoying an economic boomlet due to its support of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Quotations from @shreyaskreddy.bsky.social & @pward89.bsky.social
ft.com
North Korea enjoys rare ‘dash for flash’
Kim Jong Un’s backing for Russian war on Ukraine fuels construction boom and sales of luxury goods
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Alex Dukalskis @alexdukalskis.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
"The Janus Face of the Liberal International Information Order: When Global Institutions Are Self-Undermining" by @himself.bsky.social & @abenewman.bsky.social in @iojournal.bsky.social (2021) #SummerReading
cambridge.org
The Janus Face of the Liberal International Information Order: When Global Institutions Are Self-Undermining | International Organization | Cambridge Core
The Janus Face of the Liberal International Information Order: When Global Institutions Are Self-Undermining - Volume 75 Issue 2
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Alex Dukalskis @alexdukalskis.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
Looks amazing - going to the top of the “to read” pile.
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Alex Dukalskis @alexdukalskis.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
You know they’ve lost when regime-change sanctions is their big new idea.
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Alex Dukalskis @alexdukalskis.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
This part especially: “Grant money mostly goes to paying students, postdocs, and staff, and is heavily vetted and scrutinized.” People think grant money goes into our pockets. It really doesn’t. Also: we don’t have summers “off”.
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Financial Times @financialtimes.com · 19/08/2026
US government debt hits $40tn as borrowing rises at historic rate ft.trib.al/RrImncN
ft.trib.al
US government debt hits $40tn as borrowing rises at historic rate
Public spending surges despite Donald Trump’s vow to stabilise America’s public finances
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Alex Dukalskis @alexdukalskis.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
Sure my research assistant wrote the piece but really it was me because I’m a “thought leader”
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Alex Dukalskis @alexdukalskis.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
Translation I very much want to run for president in 2028.
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