Make that 4 decades, given the Bush “chicken Kyiv” speech and his opposition to Ukraine’s independence…
04.03.2026 21:30
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Make that 4 decades, given the Bush “chicken Kyiv” speech and his opposition to Ukraine’s independence…
Belgian law was recently changed in order to be able to conduct this type of action.
Francken is MOD, not MFA.
Ex-collega @marijntriovrt.bsky.social maakte een indringende documentaire over het leven na het front, vanavond op VRT Canvas om 21u20 /
120.000 veteranen in Oekraïne leven met amputaties: "Als het vandaag vrede wordt, moeten we nog 10 jaar prothesen maken"
vrtnws.be/p.JNnXv4kYo
I don’t know the answer to that question. Just wanted to point out that, contrary to the common perception, he was far from innocent.
Gorbachev was responsible for the Vilnius Massacre (1991). The idea that he was some kind of saint is a part of our Western mythology.
Yes, but don’t you think it’s true that — in part — the rise of Trump and the current state of the U.S. “conservatives” are a consequence of the flaws of liberalism?
I mean, in a similar way, as one couldn’t describe the rise of the Nazi’s without looking at the flaws of the Weimar Republic.
But in order to understand the rise of far right / left movements, one cannot simply ignore the cultural and political conditions that have allowed for such a possibility?
I think the flaws of liberalism have been accurately described in some of the essays of Leszek Kolakowski. Surely, one of the points of being a liberal (or simply: being an intellectual) is the ability to assess the weaknesses in every ideological framework?
Over the night, russians heavily bombed Odesa, sending there 50+ drones which targeted energy facilities and households. Tens are injured, more people may still be under the rubble.
This is a daily horror that ordinary Ukrainians are enduring 24/7. Trump wants to reward this w/ the Donetsk region.
Wie zegt: “we hebben Amerika niet nodig” zou in de eerste plaats moeten beginnen om onze defensie-uitgaven te verhogen naar 5%. Niet in 2030. Niet in 2035. Maar nu, onmiddellijk.
Grootspraak zonder daadkracht is onverantwoord.
So I don't think there is much comparison with U.S. conservative politics, especially nowadays, when U.S. "conservatism" has become so anti-intellectual and so fond of conspiracy theory.
In my view American "conservatism" as it stands today is in fact proto-fascist.
He also wrote a book in which he criticizes the "Woke" movement. He characterizes these "woke" ideas as anti-Enlightenment and post-modern; an intolerant movement that creates a hierarchy of society based on group identity and victim status and which is inherently anti-Western.
He also believes that the cultivation of a shared sense of identity and basic Western values is elementary to create social cohesion. Until a few years ago, he wrote favorably about how America succeeds in absorbing migrants into their society and make them into "Americans".
On migration, he holds the view that illegal mass migration is bad, because it leads to social and political destabilization. He is in favor of Australia's approach: to stop illegal migration, and to set standards to facilitate legal migration based on the needs of our society.
On economics, De Wever is pro free market, but he does not believe that all political and social problems can be solved by applying free market solutions. So he is in favor of a welfare state within certain boundaries — this would be shocking to most, if not all, GOP policy makers.
On social matters, De Wever is pro-LGBTQ and pro-abortion. Contrary to the U.S., where "Christian Nationalism" is, I believe, a large factor in the conservative movement, in Belgium there is no religious component prescribing dogma into a political program.
De Wever's conservatism is influenced by Edmund Burke, Cicero, Tocqueville, Scruton. It is grounded in a political philosophy which tends to describe a way of looking at the world. It's anti-utopian and opposes the idea that a perfect society can be created by applying a political doctrine.
Whilst I don't really agree with the characterization of my compatriot of De Wever as an "ultra" conservative, I'll take a shot at answering your question.
So, De Wever calls himself a "conservative" politician, but the meaning of this word is quite different from the American interpretation.
*Kyiv
So why aren’t they opposing Trump? Afraid to lose power? Or afraid of being prosecuted by some made up charge? Or afraid of death threats?
Such a disguise would work better in russia, the homeland of trash.
He’s always been a madman, it’s just more visible now because in his first term he was mostly surrounded by experienced, conventional GOP policy people; now he’s surrounded by yes-men and right-wing extremists.
Would be interested to know what you think about the recent trade/investment deals Canada made with China and Qatar…
This is insane…
3 jaar geleden sorteerde hij nog post in België, vandaag patrouilleert hij bij -18 graden langs de Oekraïense grens met Rusland: Sphinx is één van de Belgische vrijwilligers die na de Russische invasie naar Oekraïne trok. Voor @vrtnws.be zocht ik hem op.⬇️
vrtnws.be/p.5w9Eax8x8
Is this real? Source?
This is Kyiv. Ukraine’s capital. An apartment building where the temperature is below 0. Where people live. Some of them can’t leave. (UNITED24)
Machado dedicates her life and risks it all for the purpose of human rights and restoring democracy to her nation. She is heroic.
A pathetic person would be someone who sends mean social media posts from based on his own prejudice. I wish you'd experience what it is like to live in a dictatorship.
