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Phillips OBrien

@phillipspobrien.bsky.social
56K followers 500 following 2.7K posts

Professor of Strategic Studies, Author, Lover of Sicily. Purveyor of a “righteous-but-rational vibe”

PostsRepliesMedia
Phillips OBrien @phillipspobrien.bsky.social · 11h
Trump and Musk going all out to protect Putin
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Phillips OBrien @phillipspobrien.bsky.social · 14h
Look, Zelensky signalling that the US has cut off all warning of Russian missile attacks on Ukraine.
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Phillips OBrien @phillipspobrien.bsky.social · 13/10/2026
Nothing to see here but the President of the USA protecting foreign powers helping the Iranians target and kill US soldiers....
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Phillips OBrien @phillipspobrien.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
Are you sure you can get Putin to return the mortgage on the USA you’ve gifted him?
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Phillips OBrien @phillipspobrien.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
People are falling for the Trump con again. This is a trap for Ukraine. Russia has already destroyed most of Ukr power generation, so they can hold off for a day or two. Ukr needs to attack Russian refineries now. If they do, trump can blame them and help Russia more.
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Phillips OBrien @phillipspobrien.bsky.social · 11/10/2026
Btw, in case you missed it, I had a piece recently appear in Persuasion, which called for a radical rethinking of US defense--including a plan for the next few years. It’s free to read and here are some of the key points. open.substack.com/pub/persuasi...
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Phillips OBrien @phillipspobrien.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
Christ, they are using this to start the process of ending sanctions on Russia.
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Phillips OBrien @phillipspobrien.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
Trump’s love for Putin is the only pure thing in his life.
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Phillips OBrien @phillipspobrien.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
This is how you admit you are strategically screwed, with bluster.
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Phillips OBrien @phillipspobrien.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Corruption of this kind is why the Democrats need to freeze or cut back US defense spending of they take control of Congress. If you actually care about US security, funding this is destructive.
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Phillips OBrien @phillipspobrien.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Yeah, it’s exactly what he said, but in this case the White House knows it was a colossal screw up, so is lying its ass off.
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Phillips OBrien @phillipspobrien.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
This proves only two things. The Ukrainian campaign against Russian refineries is causing serious damage. Putin has asked Trump to help him out and the US president obliged.
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Phillips OBrien @phillipspobrien.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
It’s notable that while a whole chorus of Trump backers are saying he is winning the war with Iran, he is admitting time and again that he just wants out.
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Phillips OBrien @phillipspobrien.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Hey Canada, looks like he wants to emigrate. To you or Switzerland…
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Phillips OBrien @phillipspobrien.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
The pay for a US Secretary of Defense is $246000 a year. They don’t even bother to hide the corruption these days
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Phillips OBrien @phillipspobrien.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Lord, President Xi just insulted Trump and the USA, right to Trump's face-in the White House. Xi referred, yet again, to the "Thucydides trap". This is an reference to the US being in decline and China replacing it. And Trump sits their making moo eyes like a lovestruck teenager
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Phillips OBrien @phillipspobrien.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
What the heck is up with the one glove look--is he channeling his inner Michael Jackson?
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Phillips OBrien @phillipspobrien.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
For now the wheels are coming off for the GOP. But there is still time for this to change.
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Phillips OBrien @phillipspobrien.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
How do you really help Putin without saying you are really helping Putin?
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Phillips OBrien @phillipspobrien.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Trump doesn’t care a bit about Ukrainian civilians as he starves Ukraine of air defense. But he is terrified about the damage to Putin’s oil industry. Why is that?
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Phillips OBrien @phillipspobrien.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
The USA can never recover until this arch is torn down, brick by brick.
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Phillips OBrien @phillipspobrien.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
The American Age is well and truly over
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Phillips OBrien @phillipspobrien.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
Natalie said it makes him look 30 years younger!
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Phillips OBrien @phillipspobrien.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
He just really hates Ukraine.
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Phillips OBrien @phillipspobrien.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Man, that’s a bit harsh.
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Phillips OBrien @phillipspobrien.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
One poll, but a Democrat is leading a Republican in a race for the US Senate. I believe that is a sign of something in the Book of Revelations.
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Phillips OBrien @phillipspobrien.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Poor Natalie got confused between Kharg Island and Larak Island--worshipping can be such exhausting business.
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Phillips OBrien @phillipspobrien.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
So the USA is stealing Venezuelan oil and entrenching a new dictator in power to oppress the Venezuelan people. There needs to be a reckoning for all this.
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Phillips OBrien @phillipspobrien.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
This is what I meant by how easily the administration was able to present a case of US weakness as one of strength.
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Phillips OBrien @phillipspobrien.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
The USA is so weak these days…in so many ways.
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Phillips OBrien @phillipspobrien.bsky.social · 16/08/2026
He is just itching to join an alliance with Russia, North Korea and China. And who knows, maybe eventually Iran.
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Phillips OBrien @phillipspobrien.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
I cannot get my head around how anyone can support him, let alone work for him.
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Phillips OBrien @phillipspobrien.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
They are fighting fantasy wars in their heads and all the while they are losing badly to a country without a Navy and and Air Force.
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Phillips OBrien @phillipspobrien.bsky.social · 02/08/2026
The USA is at the same time a nuclear armed superpower, and one of the most ridiculous states in the history of the world.
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Phillips OBrien @phillipspobrien.bsky.social · 25/07/2026
People embracing a racist who trashes US democracy because she also now supports Ukraine need to understand what they are supporting. You must own this as well. There is one side in support of freedom and the rule of law, and this is not on that side.
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Phillips OBrien @phillipspobrien.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
A sobering @nytimes.com article about the challenges Ukraine will face if it actually even gets the license to build Patriot interceptors. It’s taken Germany and Japan many years, even with their great engineering expertise, to reach small production levels.
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Phillips OBrien @phillipspobrien.bsky.social · 04/07/2026
Yeesh, can they just get together and name Trump the son of God, the waiting is killing me.
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Phillips OBrien @phillipspobrien.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
The most corrupt president in the history of the USA, arguably the most corrupt politician in the history of the USA, who also lost a war faster than any president in American history…. Is asking for more of your money.
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Phillips OBrien @phillipspobrien.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
The two most plausible explanations for this most dangerous move are: 1) Trump plans to sell this extremely valuable information to foreign states and make billions and billions. 2)The US is run by an agent of a foreign country that desperately needs this information.
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Phillips OBrien @phillipspobrien.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
First the administration said they wanted unconditional surrender, and Iran did not surrender. Then they said in the deal Iran made all the concessions, and Iran made no concessions. They they said Iran would get no money, and Iran is getting lots of money. Now this....
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Phillips OBrien @phillipspobrien.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
Say what you want about the Trump Administration, they certainly now how to surrender with swagger.
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Phillips OBrien @phillipspobrien.bsky.social · 21/06/2026
So this is what you call a toll that you do not want to call a toll….
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Phillips OBrien @phillipspobrien.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
Remember when Trump promised the Iranian people the full support of the USA if they rose up and took their freedom….
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Phillips OBrien @phillipspobrien.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
So Trump is ok with Iran collecting money from shipping passing through the Strait as long as it’s called a “fee” and not a “toll”. So much winning.
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Phillips OBrien @phillipspobrien.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
Trump last night: Praises Putin to the New York Times and promises to bully Ukraine (again) into handing over more land and people to Russia. Putin last night:
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Phillips OBrien @phillipspobrien.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
The gullible idiots are, as always, those who thought Trump might do something good for the Iranian people.
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Phillips OBrien @phillipspobrien.bsky.social · 13/06/2026
Prepare yourself for US humiliation. Iran, btw, has never claimed it wanted a nuclear weapon, so if they say they do not in the agreement--that is nothing. The Strait of Hormuz was open on Feb 27, and note that Trump says nothing about Iran giving up the right to charge tolls.
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Phillips OBrien @phillipspobrien.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
Trump tells the WSJ it’s no big deal when Iran shoots down a US Apache. I’m sure US service personnel will feel all warm and fuzzy hearing this.
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Phillips OBrien @phillipspobrien.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
So, an Iranian drone brought down an expensive and advanced American Apache, and the Trump and Hegseth are dragging their feet in learning from the Ukrainians about drone warfare. The President and Secdef seem more than happy to endanger American lives.
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Phillips OBrien @phillipspobrien.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
Alarm bells of worth should be clanging for the USA. A few hours ago Trump assured the world that Iran was close to a deal. Then the Iranians turn around and shoot down an advanced and expensive piece of US equipment.
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