Sign in

Perspectives from a Swede

@intl-pete.bsky.social
11 followers 12 following 58 posts

Son of immigrants from Russia and Uganda, raised in Sweden. Dual degrees in law and economics. Nearly a decade in London across i-banking and tech. Very thankful to the Swedish welfare state for making my education possible! Big fan of John Stuart Mill.

PostsRepliesMedia
Perspectives from a Swede @intl-pete.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Wow, that caller Dean from Croydon makes me think of that Nas line ”they love to hear the story (about) how the thugs live in worry”. I feel slightly guilty for admitting how fascinating I found it listening to him! @29:02
000
Perspectives from a Swede @intl-pete.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
🥲🫣
000
Perspectives from a Swede @intl-pete.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
It’s a gamble reminiscent of Marine Le Pen’s strategy of portraying legal scrutiny as political persecution—not because the cases are legally equivalent, but because the political framing is similar: convert legal jeopardy into democratic legitimacy.
000
Perspectives from a Swede @intl-pete.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
By forcing a by-election, Farage shifts the question from “Did he breach parliamentary rules?” to “Do Clacton voters care?” If he’s comfortably re-elected, he can argue that voters knew the allegations and endorsed him anyway, reinforcing the populist narrative of “the people vs the establishment.”
100
Reposted by Perspectives from a Swede
James O’Brien @mrjamesob.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
Not for the first time. @wired.com shows the way...
26747222
Perspectives from a Swede @intl-pete.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
@mrjamesob.bsky.social Re construction in the US, see the latest contribution in the so called culture wars: "gyno-fascism". Sigh. I came across this term, to my dismay, espoused by Adam Carolla on the "All-in" podcast which is hosted, inter alia, by David Sachs, Trump's crypto tsar.
000
Perspectives from a Swede @intl-pete.bsky.social · 25/04/2026
000
Perspectives from a Swede @intl-pete.bsky.social · 25/04/2026
Media power, in the US and beyond, isn’t just shifting—it’s being reshaped. Ownership, regulation, and access are moving in the same direction, while critics are sidelined and allies amplified. Worth reading how structure, incentives, and narrative are converging: www.ft.com/content/ea10...
100
Perspectives from a Swede @intl-pete.bsky.social · 25/04/2026
000
Perspectives from a Swede @intl-pete.bsky.social · 25/04/2026
One of the funniest satires I’ve seen of this Trump administration
100
Reposted by Perspectives from a Swede
James O’Brien @mrjamesob.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
As a former NATO chief identifies the necessity of ending UK military dependence on a no longer reliable or trustworthy USA, we thank our lucky stars we haven’t done anything really stupid, like let Farage, Johnson & co persuade us to turn our backs on EU allies… open.spotify.com/episode/2ANY...
open.spotify.com
Is the UK-US "special relationship" over?
561041230
Perspectives from a Swede @intl-pete.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
Pleasure speaking today @mrjamesob.bsky.social (@44:03). Been thinking about this since early this year when you referenced Thatcher and her observation on intl law vs intl anarchy. Tried to work through it here, if of interest: open.substack.com/pub/peterbba...
open.substack.com
Is it time for liberal democracies to decouple from the United States?
For decades, the international system rested on a fragile but powerful idea: that even the strongest states would accept some constraints on how power could be used.
020
Perspectives from a Swede @intl-pete.bsky.social · 18/04/2026
@mrjamesob.bsky.social James, with the utmost respect for your time, I think this piece will really interest you. It touches on many themes from your excellent show, especially around grievance, status and perception: www.ft.com/content/b61f... Why higher pay hasn’t made young adults feel richer
ft.com
Why higher pay hasn’t made young adults feel richer
The aspiration gap has turned everyone into losers, especially graduates
000
Perspectives from a Swede @intl-pete.bsky.social · 18/04/2026
If you want to understand what drives many grievances today—on immigration, jobs, status—this is one of the most useful pieces I’ve read. It gets at the gap between expectations and reality, and why it matters. giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/... Why higher pay hasn’t made young adults feel richer
000
Perspectives from a Swede @intl-pete.bsky.social · 02/04/2026
@mrjamesob.bsky.social Re your discussion about conflation of criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza with antisemitism.
000
Reposted by Perspectives from a Swede
James O’Brien @mrjamesob.bsky.social · 27/03/2026
Lying about your own country in return for money from a foreign power. There should be a word for that.
1331285354
Reposted by Perspectives from a Swede
James O’Brien @mrjamesob.bsky.social · 30/03/2026
His lapel pin appears to be a noose.
104480171
Perspectives from a Swede @intl-pete.bsky.social · 25/03/2026
@mrjamesob.bsky.social The Kanye West song "POWER" popularized the phrase" No one man should have all that power". It famously featured in the 1992 Malcolm X film, spoken by a police officer witnessing Malcolm X calming a Harlem crowd. Great tune, and even better film! 😊
000
Perspectives from a Swede @intl-pete.bsky.social · 24/03/2026
@mrjamesob.bsky.social Best case scenario: that Iran could be a COVID moment for Trump in that the consequences of reality finally exposes his idiocy to the American public and even his most staunch supporters will abandon him.
000
Perspectives from a Swede @intl-pete.bsky.social · 24/03/2026
Hahaha all good! I’ve always been a bit unsure how it’s spelt ☺️😉
010
Perspectives from a Swede @intl-pete.bsky.social · 24/03/2026
@mrjamesob.bsky.social Worst case scenario is the increased likelihood of nuclear weapon proliferation. As allies increasingly distrust the US, more countries will see no other option for deterrence than to acquire nuclear weapons themselves. That will in turn incentivize adversaries as well.
000
Perspectives from a Swede @intl-pete.bsky.social · 24/03/2026
@mrjamesob.bsky.social re Trump's motivations in Iran, in an interview with The Economist 19th of March, Tucker Carlson (that very uncharming character) suggested it was payback for donations Trump's presidential campaign received. He confessed that he couldn’t phantom why else Trump has gone to war
000
Perspectives from a Swede @intl-pete.bsky.social · 24/03/2026
*Your. Less the sticklers come at me 😄
140
Perspectives from a Swede @intl-pete.bsky.social · 24/03/2026
You’re contribution was amazing! I was on tenterhooks listening to it. Greetings from Stockholm, Sweden
120
Perspectives from a Swede @intl-pete.bsky.social · 24/03/2026
Ash was amazing! What a gem of a caller! I was a listening on catch up, and hit rewind more than once to fully grasp the implications of his contribution. Greetings from Stockholm, Sweden
010
Reposted by Perspectives from a Swede
James O’Brien @mrjamesob.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
This is just evil.
31784229
Reposted by Perspectives from a Swede
James O’Brien @mrjamesob.bsky.social · 24/03/2026
When Australian broadcasters discussed the terms of the deal Boris Johnson ‘secured’ for the UK by contrast, they collapsed in fits of giggles. I will dig out the clip today.
381052257
Perspectives from a Swede @intl-pete.bsky.social · 22/03/2026
Worth looking at this before saying “diplomacy gets you nowhere.” Under the deal: stockpiles collapse. After withdrawal: they rise again. Sometimes diplomacy doesn’t solve everything, repression, proxies, etc. But abandoning it didn’t solve those either.
000
Perspectives from a Swede @intl-pete.bsky.social · 20/03/2026
Claim: Europe is losing freedom of speech Data: European countries score *very highly* on V-Dem free expression indices
000
Perspectives from a Swede @intl-pete.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
They say don’t meet your heroes (even the intellectual kind). Given how sharp the show can be, I was bracing myself a bit — but came away unscathed and really enjoyed the exchange 😄 @46:57
000
Perspectives from a Swede @intl-pete.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
“The Art of Double Speak” 🥲🤦🏾
010
Perspectives from a Swede @intl-pete.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
[Intentional design] + [Awareness of harm] + [Profit motive] = Legal liability Is social media having a “Big Tobacco moment” similar to the litigations of the 90s? www.nytimes.com/2026/03/12/t...
000
Reposted by Perspectives from a Swede
James O’Brien @mrjamesob.bsky.social · 17/03/2026
Wow!
72828162
Perspectives from a Swede @intl-pete.bsky.social · 17/03/2026
@mrjamesob.bsky.social Isn’t Trump handing Putin a gift (another one) by trying to link NATO to a war of choice in Iran? Even raising that possibility risks lending credibility to Putin’s long-standing claim that NATO isn’t purely defensive, and that Russia has reason to fear it on its doorstep.
001
Perspectives from a Swede @intl-pete.bsky.social · 16/03/2026
Linking NATO to a war of choice with Iran would hand Putin a political gift. He has spent years claiming NATO expansion threatens Russia. An intervention far outside alliance territory could make that claim look less paranoid and more prescient in the eyes of his audience.
010
Perspectives from a Swede @intl-pete.bsky.social · 16/03/2026
Trump depicting himself as Nostradamus in this press conference. He predicted 9/11 a year before it happened. He’s nothing if not full of tact and good taste…
000
Perspectives from a Swede @intl-pete.bsky.social · 15/03/2026
An interesting information-economy effect. Violence indicators in London have been declining, yet posts depicting the city as dangerous are increasing. When engagement drives income, the system rewards content that provokes reaction rather than accuracy. @mrjamesob.bsky.social
001
Perspectives from a Swede @intl-pete.bsky.social · 14/03/2026
Dowman Wow! 🤩
000
Perspectives from a Swede @intl-pete.bsky.social · 11/03/2026
I can relate. My diamond shoes are also too tight! 🥲😆 Jokes aside, what I started doing, is simply deliberately setting time aside for reading. Set phone on DND, and perhaps even a timer eg 30 min during which you commit yourself to nothing but reading (life’s full of distractions)
000
Perspectives from a Swede @intl-pete.bsky.social · 11/03/2026
Perhaps because Orwell’s fear in 1984 hasn’t fully come true: people still believe what they see. War exposes its consequences too clearly. Images from Gaza, and the shared memory that Iraq and Afgha were disasters, make people wary of new wars—especially when the case for them feels rushed or thin.
000
Reposted by Perspectives from a Swede
Chris Murphy @chrismurphyct.bsky.social · 11/03/2026
I was in a 2 hour briefing today on the Iran War. All the briefings are closed, because Trump can't defend this war in public. I obviously can't disclose classified info, but you deserve to know how incoherent and incomplete these war plans are. 1/ Here's what I can share:
513177277125
Reposted by Perspectives from a Swede
James O’Brien @mrjamesob.bsky.social · 09/03/2026
Good.
601455233
Perspectives from a Swede @intl-pete.bsky.social · 08/03/2026
Additions: Putin (“I think he’s a strong leader.”) Xi Jinping (“He’s a very good man… highly respected.”)  Orbán (“He’s a fantastic leader.”)  Duterte (“I just wanted to congratulate you because I am hearing of the unbelievable job on the drug problem.”) Erdoğan (“He’s a highly respected man.”)
050
Perspectives from a Swede @intl-pete.bsky.social · 07/03/2026
Trump: bombing of Iran will continue until the regime surrenders unconditionally. Gaza suggests caution. Israel has bombed Hamas for nearly 2 yrs and even sent troops in, yet Hamas still exists. Iran is far larger. Military damage seems likely; unconditional surrender through bombing alone less so.
100
Perspectives from a Swede @intl-pete.bsky.social · 05/03/2026
I’d encourage people to notice the overlap between those who are the loudest cheerleaders for military interventions in regions far from their own countries and those who are most vocal in opposing immigration. Complaining about the migration while ignoring the causal chain is a contradiction.
000
Perspectives from a Swede @intl-pete.bsky.social · 01/03/2026
Few Americans support U.S. military action against Iran. today.yougov.com/politics/art...
010
Perspectives from a Swede @intl-pete.bsky.social · 01/03/2026
Steven Simon argues that air power alone rarely delivers regime change. Iran would likely fall only if its internal coercive structures fracture. Without occupation or elite defections, external strikes risk stalemate, rally effects, or unstable bargains rather than durable political transformation.
000
Perspectives from a Swede @intl-pete.bsky.social · 28/02/2026
My distrust of Trump and Netanyahu is profound, so I can’t take their framing at face value. Still, disliking the actor doesn’t mean rejecting every act. The test is clear aims, lawful means, credible outcomes—and vigilance for ulterior motives given their track record. Greetings from Stockholm, SWE
011
Reposted by Perspectives from a Swede
James O’Brien @mrjamesob.bsky.social · 28/02/2026
The Iranian regime is objectively hideous. It murders & incarcerates innocent people, threatens & attacks sovereign neighbours, routinely breaks international law, outlaws dissent & crushes free speech. Can you see the problem with *Donald Trump & Benjamin Netanyahu* leading the attack on them?
1011333250
Perspectives from a Swede @intl-pete.bsky.social · 17/02/2026
It’s about time *Munya Chawawa* is recognised as one of the great satirists of our age! www.instagram.com/reel/DUBiIIG...
instagram.com
Instagram
Create an account or log in to Instagram - Share what you're into with the people who get you.
000