Iain King
@iainbking.com
Director of the Centre for Ethical Foreign Affairs, www.cefa.org. Author, former Director of NATO Mission Iraq, diplomat and academic. Fascinated by philosophy and thrillers. CBE, likes tea.
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Iain King
@iainbking.com
· Nov 15
All - Bluesky Directory
A curated collection of all things relating to the Blue Sky social media platform.
blueskydirectory.com
The easiest way to start on BlueSky:
1: think of the topics you want to follow
2: type them in as search terms and click 'follow all' on the 'starter pack' - here: blueskydirectory.com/starter-pack...
1: think of the topics you want to follow
2: type them in as search terms and click 'follow all' on the 'starter pack' - here: blueskydirectory.com/starter-pack...
It’s fascinating to have your previous views changed. There was much in this article which was new to me:
www.theguardian.com/world/2026/s...
www.theguardian.com/world/2026/s...
Britain knew about the Holocaust as it happened. A new exhibition reckons with that truth
Research draws upon reporting and witness testimony, while a permanent memorial is planned for London
www.theguardian.com
September 28, 2026 at 5:30 AM
It’s fascinating to have your previous views changed. There was much in this article which was new to me:
www.theguardian.com/world/2026/s...
www.theguardian.com/world/2026/s...
I feel sorry for Monica Grenfell. She did her duty as a civil servant, by reporting her evidence relating to alleged war crimes committed by serving special forces officers (allegations which first emerged from SAS members) and everyone is mocking and ridiculing her. Awful.
September 27, 2026 at 7:45 AM
I feel sorry for Monica Grenfell. She did her duty as a civil servant, by reporting her evidence relating to alleged war crimes committed by serving special forces officers (allegations which first emerged from SAS members) and everyone is mocking and ridiculing her. Awful.
Great article by Johanthan Freedland on 7Up:
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
The makers of the 7 Up series set out to prove a point about class. What they achieved is far more profound | Jonathan Freedland
The epic documentary series reveals much about the shifting social attitudes of the last 60 years – and much more about the quiet mystery of human life, says Guardian columnist Jonathan Freedland
www.theguardian.com
September 26, 2026 at 6:41 AM
Great article by Johanthan Freedland on 7Up:
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Excellent post by @samfr.bsky.social on how cynical arguments are used to undermine ‘Net Zero’ and other sensible policies:
samf.substack.com/p/how-to-kil...
samf.substack.com/p/how-to-kil...
How to kill a popular policy
Opposing action to tackle climate change is getting tricker.
samf.substack.com
August 30, 2026 at 9:03 AM
Excellent post by @samfr.bsky.social on how cynical arguments are used to undermine ‘Net Zero’ and other sensible policies:
samf.substack.com/p/how-to-kil...
samf.substack.com/p/how-to-kil...
On the anniversary of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, here’s something I wrote on it in 2019 - even more salient now, following Russia’s full scale invasion of Ukraine:
www.csis.org/analysis/pas...
www.csis.org/analysis/pas...
Is Past Prologue? The Eightieth Anniversary of the Start of World War II and a Secret Pact Between Great Powers
Eighty years after the signing of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, which precipitated the invasion of Poland and the beginning of World War II, CSIS’s Iain King discusses the lessons we should learn from ...
www.csis.org
August 23, 2026 at 9:02 AM
On the anniversary of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, here’s something I wrote on it in 2019 - even more salient now, following Russia’s full scale invasion of Ukraine:
www.csis.org/analysis/pas...
www.csis.org/analysis/pas...
It's today when we're meant to show off about getting A-level results decades ago, and patronise young people with humblebrags, right?
August 13, 2026 at 10:03 AM
It's today when we're meant to show off about getting A-level results decades ago, and patronise young people with humblebrags, right?
Never, in the history of opinion polling, has a question lent itself more to empirical testing.
July 25, 2026 at 7:53 AM
Never, in the history of opinion polling, has a question lent itself more to empirical testing.
The Guardian excels at one-star reviews…
www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...
www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...
Boris Johnson: Into Ukraine’s Kill Zone review – the self-serving narcissist ruins this documentary
Just by his being there, the ex-prime minister undermines the honour of every brave fighter he meets in this tour of the war’s frontline. It should never have made it to TV
www.theguardian.com
July 25, 2026 at 6:44 AM
The Guardian excels at one-star reviews…
www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...
www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...
Very OD.
Reform UK donor and Farage ally George Cottrell carried a fake Swiss passport under the name ‘Oscar Drewitt’.
Cottrell was hired under the name by the future Reform treasurer Mehrtash A’zami.
A’zami later vetted Cottrell’s mother's donations to Reform, now the subject of a police investigation
Cottrell was hired under the name by the future Reform treasurer Mehrtash A’zami.
A’zami later vetted Cottrell’s mother's donations to Reform, now the subject of a police investigation
‘Posh George’, Two Passports, and a Fraudulent Identity: Convicted Fraudster and Nigel Farage Funder's Connections to Reform UK’s Murky Financial Structures
Why did Reform UK change from being a privately-owned company to a non-profit company limited by guarantee in 2025? Nafeez Ahmed investigates a fraudulent identity used by George Cottrell – and how hi...
bylinetimes.com
July 23, 2026 at 2:13 PM
Very OD.
I watched the England vs Argentina match, but only now - the next day - feel radicalised by the scandalously poor refereeing, after seeing social media posts. It’s a funny feeling.
July 16, 2026 at 8:04 AM
I watched the England vs Argentina match, but only now - the next day - feel radicalised by the scandalously poor refereeing, after seeing social media posts. It’s a funny feeling.
Great article on the ethics within AI, and how philosophers have shaped the evolution of non-human decision making:
www.theguardian.com/news/ng-inte...
www.theguardian.com/news/ng-inte...
‘There’s this deep mystery of what, actually, is this thing?’: the philosopher inside Google DeepMind
The long read: Since 2017, Iason Gabriel has worked at the tech giant, trying to anticipate – and think through – the impact of AI. But as commercial and geopolitical pressures escalate, can ethicists...
www.theguardian.com
June 30, 2026 at 7:02 AM
Great article on the ethics within AI, and how philosophers have shaped the evolution of non-human decision making:
www.theguardian.com/news/ng-inte...
www.theguardian.com/news/ng-inte...
If Andy Burnham (born 1970) becomes British Prime Minister, it means Liz Truss will no longer be the only PM from Generation X.
June 21, 2026 at 12:15 PM
If Andy Burnham (born 1970) becomes British Prime Minister, it means Liz Truss will no longer be the only PM from Generation X.
Macdonalds has David Beckham on their World Cup merchandise, implying he’s still a player.
June 10, 2026 at 2:38 PM
Macdonalds has David Beckham on their World Cup merchandise, implying he’s still a player.
Good to see some accountability, but yet again its a woman who may be punished for Epstein-related actions : www.theguardian.com/news/2026/ma...
‘Seriously the best boss ever’: inside the world of Jeffrey Epstein’s assistant
The long read: She was quick, polite, relentlessly positive, military-grade efficient. A trawl through the Epstein files raises the troubling question: what did Lesley Groff know?
www.theguardian.com
May 28, 2026 at 7:35 AM
Good to see some accountability, but yet again its a woman who may be punished for Epstein-related actions : www.theguardian.com/news/2026/ma...
Reposted by Iain King
Every summer I repost this article on how to spot drowning. Please read it and pass on. In the last few years I’ve had SIX messages from people who saved a kid’s life after clicking on the link from my feed.
slate.com/technology/2...
slate.com/technology/2...
Drowning Doesn’t Look Like Drowning
Drowning is not the violent, splashing call for help that most people expect.
slate.com
May 23, 2026 at 6:51 PM
Every summer I repost this article on how to spot drowning. Please read it and pass on. In the last few years I’ve had SIX messages from people who saved a kid’s life after clicking on the link from my feed.
slate.com/technology/2...
slate.com/technology/2...
Excellent new public art from Banksy in central London. Clever, contemporary, controversial, well executed, and a great prompt for discussion.
May 1, 2026 at 8:07 AM
Excellent new public art from Banksy in central London. Clever, contemporary, controversial, well executed, and a great prompt for discussion.
A long read, but worth it: www.theguardian.com/news/2026/ap...
The impossible promise: are we witnessing the return of fascism?
Some of today’s far right is openly violent and undemocratic – and even in its less extreme forms, far-right populism is a profound threat. But that doesn’t mean it is just a re-run of history
www.theguardian.com
April 19, 2026 at 7:05 AM
A long read, but worth it: www.theguardian.com/news/2026/ap...
On the front lines, Russian soldiers pay officers to stay alive - The Economist.
apple.news/AB_qTtdUPT7a...
apple.news/AB_qTtdUPT7a...
On the front lines, Russian soldiers pay officers to stay alive — The Economist
The war against Ukraine has created a corrupt economy of blood money
apple.news
April 4, 2026 at 8:34 AM
On the front lines, Russian soldiers pay officers to stay alive - The Economist.
apple.news/AB_qTtdUPT7a...
apple.news/AB_qTtdUPT7a...
“Each communications revolution rewrotes the political order it inherits” - very insightful piece, well worth a read: engelsbergideas.com/notebook/aft...
After the Eighth Great Power
Each communications revolution rewrites the political order. Democracies will not survive by clinging to broadcast certainties or chasing every viral falsehood.
engelsbergideas.com
February 7, 2026 at 9:56 AM
“Each communications revolution rewrotes the political order it inherits” - very insightful piece, well worth a read: engelsbergideas.com/notebook/aft...
Reposted by Iain King
Maybe Greenland could invade us instead?
January 20, 2026 at 11:16 AM
Maybe Greenland could invade us instead?