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Michael Shurkin

@michaelshurkin.bsky.social
3.8K followers 183 following 1.2K posts

Ex-CIA, Ex-RAND, ex-historian. I post on things related to defense, national security, Africa (esp. the Sahel), and all things French military. Sometimes troll antisemites.

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by Michael Shurkin
jack-foley.bsky.social @jack-foley.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
This is a good discussion about the feasibility of Trump's blockade, especially if you like ⚓naval history. @anthonylopresti.bsky.social @reaganforcolorado.bsky.social
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Michael Shurkin @michaelshurkin.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Have you watched this yet? Brush up your Castex and give this a gander. Or, give it a gander to brush up your Castex :) youtu.be/KwIFHNm2mZ0
youtu.be
Can a Naval Blockade Against Iran Work?
YouTube video by Pax Americana
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Michael Shurkin @michaelshurkin.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
This sadly is probably on the mark. @almagroschool.bsky.social macdonnchada.substack.com/p/is-ireland...
macdonnchada.substack.com
Is Ireland a Cesspit of Antisemitism? A Second Look
1. Suspend your disbelief a moment; I know the following scenario is very unlikely.
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Reposted by Michael Shurkin
ex-Lethality Jane @lethalityjane.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
You're losing the war you started for no reason, dumbass.
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Michael Shurkin @michaelshurkin.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Allen Edmonds Strands? (I'm grasping for something positive here.)
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Michael Shurkin @michaelshurkin.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Also on YouTube: Can a Naval Blockade Against Iran Work? A Castexian Analysis. youtu.be/KwIFHNm2mZ0
youtu.be
Can a Naval Blockade Against Iran Work?
YouTube video by Pax Americana
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Michael Shurkin @michaelshurkin.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Grok's take on what the world would look like if I were in charge, based on my tweets.
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Michael Shurkin @michaelshurkin.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
I've been thinking about Iran, naval blockades, and, of course, Castex. shurkin.substack.com/p/can-the-na...
shurkin.substack.com
Can the Naval Blockade Against Iran Work?
A Castexian Analysis
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Michael Shurkin @michaelshurkin.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
The war has started in Ethiopia. This could easily become the worst human catastrophe of the century. I wrote this in February. The situation has become more complex, and more dangerous. shurkin.substack.com/p/the-loomin...
shurkin.substack.com
The Looming Disaster in the Horn of Africa: A Primer
A major war is imminent in East Africa.
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Michael Shurkin @michaelshurkin.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
My take on the Portuguese military and Portugal's rearmament. youtu.be/ggwrJJZSkd0
youtu.be
Portugal Rearms. How and What For?
YouTube video by Pax Americana
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Michael Shurkin @michaelshurkin.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
My take on the Portuguese military and Portugal's rearmament. youtu.be/ggwrJJZSkd0
youtu.be
Portugal Rearms. How and What For?
YouTube video by Pax Americana
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Reposted by Michael Shurkin
Fen d'Air Défense.net @airdefensenet.bagarrosphere.fr · 20/09/2026
Pas encore eu le temps d'être réparées qu'elles brûlent à nouveau.
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Reposted by Michael Shurkin
NOELREPORTS @noelreports.com · 20/09/2026
Ukrainian Morok long-range attack drones were reportedly seen flying over the Moscow region during the early morning attack. Morok is a fixed-wing one-way attack drone with a reported range of up to 800 km and a warhead payload of up to 30 kg, designed for deep strikes inside Russia. #Ukraine
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Michael Shurkin @michaelshurkin.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Well, alright! Looks like I've got an audience on YouTube.
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Michael Shurkin @michaelshurkin.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
I'm delighted my 2-day old video about Ambazonia is doing so well. Friends tell me they first thought I was pulling their leg. There is no such place as Ambazonia! Maybe next to Narnia? But now they know! I've taught a whole bunch of people something about a corner of Africa. That was my goal.
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Michael Shurkin @michaelshurkin.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
My working thesis re: Israel/Palestine is that responsibility is shared. Perhaps to varying degrees, perhaps case by case. We can debate the balance in each instance. But any narrative that places blame entirely on one side while completely absolving the other is both incorrect and unhelpful.
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Michael Shurkin @michaelshurkin.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Interesting.
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Reposted by Michael Shurkin
Sven-Erik Volberg @volberg.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Great overview of Houthi-Saudi-Iran-US situation.
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Michael Shurkin @michaelshurkin.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
I'm worried. shurkin.substack.com/p/houthis-ve...
shurkin.substack.com
Houthis Versus Saudi Arabia: Yes, It’s a Big Deal
This past week has seen a sharp escalation of the conflict between Yemen’s Houthis and Saudi Arabia.
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Michael Shurkin @michaelshurkin.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
For topics like this, my objective is not to advocate a specific position but to learn, teach, and explore. If people who have never heard of Ambazonia or given a thought to Cameroon now have, I've succeeded.
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Michael Shurkin @michaelshurkin.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Have you watched this yet? #cameroon #cameroun #ambazonia
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Michael Shurkin @michaelshurkin.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Once again I experimented with having AI write something for me. Then I asked the same AI program to fact-check the document, only to have it tell me that the "facts" the same AI wrote for me were false.
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Michael Shurkin @michaelshurkin.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
All about Ambazonia. Martin Mungwa and I get into it. We also talk about criteria for recognizing the independence of subnational regions. youtu.be/vgvD3SPihPI
youtu.be
Should America support Ambazonian Independence?
YouTube video by Pax Americana
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Michael Shurkin @michaelshurkin.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Part of what makes the topic of Ambazonia interesting is that it broaches the subject of if/when sub-national regions should be granted independence. We can all think of contested independence movements: Somaliland, Azawad, Catalonia, etc. My interviewee, Martin Mungwa, has an interesting take.
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Michael Shurkin @michaelshurkin.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
My 🇵🇹 video is taking longer to complete than I had planned. Too much to say. In the mean time, I'll soon post an interview about #Ambazonia and the Ambazonian independence movement. No idea what I'm talking about? Stay tuned and learn :) #cameroon #southerncameroon #cameroun
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Michael Shurkin @michaelshurkin.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Time to re-up this piece. The Houthis' new ability to close the Bab al-Mandab has just made a really bad situation even worse. shurkin.substack.com/p/forget-oil...
shurkin.substack.com
Forget Oil. Worry About Fertilizer.
I’ve already raised the subject in a previous essay on the Iran war, but the topic is far too important to leave at that.
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Reposted by Michael Shurkin
H I Sutton @covertshores.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Seems relevant... Guide To Explosive USV Threat In Red Sea -> www.hisutton.com/Yemen-Houthi... (The Houthis and the Blowfish)
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Michael Shurkin @michaelshurkin.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Something that's been bothering me. shurkin.substack.com/p/whatever-h...
shurkin.substack.com
Whatever Happened to Shame?
Among the more unsettling global developments is the disappearance of shame.
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H I Sutton @covertshores.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Fresh photos confirm our identification, Iran’s IRGC have recovered a U.S. forces (likely Navy) Anduril Dive-LD underwater drone
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Michael Shurkin @michaelshurkin.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Remember, Jews have ALWAYS lived in the "West Bank." Until, that is, Arab armies under the command of British officers slaughtered/expelled them in 1948.
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Michael Shurkin @michaelshurkin.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
A Portrait of the Analyst as a Young U.S. Park Ranger.
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Reposted by Michael Shurkin
Shipwreck @shipwreck75.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Attempted attack on Brandenburg's largest power plant m.bild.de/news/medienb...
m.bild.de
Mit Raketen: Versuchter Angriff auf Brandenburgs größtes Kraftwerk
An einem Umspannwerk im Süden Brandenburgs soll es zu einem Zwischenfall gekommen sein. Laut einem Medienbericht kamen dabei Raketen zum Einsatz.
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Michael Shurkin @michaelshurkin.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
I'm working on a video about the Portuguese military and found this charming 1955 video put out by NATO that profiles the country. youtu.be/ViOSPw-fE1Y?...
youtu.be
Introducing 🇵🇹 Portugal | The Atlantic Community Series | NATO Documentary | 1955
YouTube video by NATO History
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Reposted by Michael Shurkin
Vassili Golod @golod.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
„Russland greift Deutschland an. Nicht so offen wie die Ukraine, aber tödlich entschlossen. (…) Deshalb ist jetzt die Stunde der Abschreckung. Russland muss zu Verhandlungen über einen stabilen Frieden gebracht werden.“ Konrad Schuller erklärt, wie.
faz.net
Russland greift Deutschland an: Jetzt ist Zeit für Abschreckung
Die Drohne am Leipziger Flughafen war ein russischer Angriff auf Deutschland. Wer das nicht ausspricht, spielt Putins Spiel.
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Reposted by Michael Shurkin
Rima I Anabtawi @rimaanabtawi.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
You really need to stop and read this poignant piece on grief and love and song and Mamas.
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Michael Shurkin @michaelshurkin.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
My mother died on Friday, and I am coping by writing. Like this: shurkin.substack.com/p/listening-...
shurkin.substack.com
Listening to Dolly Parton During Shiva
(Please forgive this personal aside.
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Michael Shurkin @michaelshurkin.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
A brief essay on coming to terms with the realities of American power. shurkin.substack.com/p/losing-my-...
shurkin.substack.com
Losing My Religion
Growing up in America in the 1970s, I was in awe of the federal government.
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Reposted by Michael Shurkin
jack-foley.bsky.social @jack-foley.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
This is such an outstanding piece, it concisely expresses what many of us from the American military community think and feel. @showmetheenergy.bsky.social @scottlucas.bsky.social @hcrichardson.bsky.social
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Michael Shurkin @michaelshurkin.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
I've been pondering lost causes. shurkin.substack.com/p/torn-betwe...
shurkin.substack.com
Torn Between Supporting a War and Acknowledging Its Failure
I support the Iran war in principle, but I cannot ignore the overwhelming evidence that it is a failure.
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Michael Shurkin @michaelshurkin.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
I've been pondering lost causes. shurkin.substack.com/p/torn-betwe...
shurkin.substack.com
Torn Between Supporting a War and Acknowledging Its Failure
I support the Iran war in principle, but I cannot ignore the overwhelming evidence that it is a failure.
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Michael Shurkin @michaelshurkin.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
I had the honor and pleasure of speaking at length with @eliocalcagno.bsky.social, an expert at @iaionline.bsky.social , about Italian defense policy and Italian strategic culture as well as European defense integration. I learned a ton! Check it out. youtu.be/LrqCj3EcKuA
youtu.be
Talking Italian Defense and European Defense Coordination with Elio Calcagno
YouTube video by Pax Americana
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Reposted by Michael Shurkin
Anna Kubišta @annakubista.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
Aujourd'hui, je vous raconte l'histoire d'une amitié entre un soldat tchécoslovaque de l'armée de l'air française et de la RAF et de son chien Antis, engagés pour combattre les nazis. annakubista.substack.com/p/antis-le-c...
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Éamann Mac Donnchada @almagroschool.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
With the correct link to a story with a pic of the Falcon
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Michael Shurkin @michaelshurkin.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
Another excellent read from @almagroschool.bsky.social .
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Auschwitz Memorial @auschwitzmemorial.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
5 August 1928 | A French Jewish girl, Bella Rubin, was born in Paris. She arrived at #Auschwitz on 19 July 1942 in a transport of 1,000 Jews deported from Drancy together white her mother Marta and a younger sister Micheline. They were all murdered in a gas chamber.
Vintage black-and-white portrait of a girl wearing a houndstooth coat. The individual has curly hair styled in two long braids.A vintage black and white photo of a woman sitting on a sandy beach, holding a cup, with striped tents in the background. There is a classical building visible behind the tents.A vintage black and white photograph of a young child with curly hair wearing a short-sleeved dress, looking downward with a thoughtful expression. The background is a plain, light-colored surface, and the photo has a visible crease at the top.
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Anne M. Carpenter @catholickungfu.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
"Basically, for the Left, Ceuta is a demonstration of Jews’ fantastical and malignant power. For the Right, Ceuta is a demonstration of what happens when one is soft on immigration. Rare are the voices that try to explain events by looking at Moroccan domestic politics."
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Michael Shurkin @michaelshurkin.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
My thoughts on Ceuta. shurkin.substack.com/p/what-happe...
shurkin.substack.com
What happened in Morocco versus what people want to have happened in Morocco
This past weekend, an estimated 60,000 people, mostly Moroccan, swarmed the Spanish enclave of Ceuta.
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Reposted by Michael Shurkin
Francis Drake @fracisdrake.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
Very disturbing read.
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Michael Shurkin @michaelshurkin.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
Lol, Spain.
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