The world should look at Mariupol and learn what Russian occupation actually means. People had homes there. People died there. Now Russians build and sell new properties on that land, while former residents are offered a fraction of their value. As if nothing happened.

#VilksVēro #VilksObserves

Amid some concern in Latvia’s information space, I wonder whether the American president even remembers that the Baltic states are not the Balkans. 🫠

#VilksVēro #VilksObserves

I spy with my little eye… could that be a spy chief flying home from Moscow? 👀✈️

Spotted over Carnikava at 19:45.

#VilksVēro #VilksObserves

Russia invades Ukraine. Only 10% of Russians blame Russia for the continuing war. Most blame Europe, the US or Ukraine itself. And 56% support escalating attacks.

Refuse responsibility. Blame everyone else. Demand more violence.

#VilksObserves

www.levada.ru/2026/08/06/k...

It is disturbing to watch a system destroy intelligence and humanity wherever they appear.

Lev Shlosberg, an intelligent anti-war voice, was punished with an 11-year sentence for naming the reality the system demands everyone deny.

#VilksObserves

www.bbc.com/russian/arti...

Thought experiment. What if politicians were banned from social media, municipal newsletters and selfies? And required to go out and talk to randomly selected people to understand how they actually live? Would it make politicians less detached from real life?

#VilksObserves

Nupat vēl viens indikators, kam interesanti pasekot, rubļa vērtība. Interesanti, kā situācija attīstīsies.

One more indicator that’s interesting to watch right now is the value of the rouble. Interesting to watch how the situation develops.

#VilksVēro #VilksObserves

My takeaway from Campbell, Rory Stewart & Gerhart Baum.

• Populism gives a simple story.
• Polarisation gives an enemy.
• Post-truth weakens verification.
• Pictures feel like truth.

How much of our reality is shaped by images more than evidence?

#VilksVēro #VilksObserves

Reuters on Taiwan’s Han Kuang drills, the focus is not just on military readiness & critical infrastructure protection,

but also on continuity of government and whole-of-society support.

I hope we’re preparing just as seriously in Latvia.
#VilksVēro #VilksObserves

www.reuters.com/world/china/...

After 2 weeks away from Russian news, caught up yesterday.

My takeaways:
✔️Strikes.Less strategic impact than social media suggests.
✔️Economy.Stagflation matters more.
✔️Society.Hard to judge what ordinary Russians perceive.
✔️China.Growing leverage may be the bigger story.

#VilksVēro #VilksObserves

Discussions about societal collapse often ask what breaks societies apart.

But can we change the rules of political competition if they begin to erode trust, cooperation and our capacity for collective action?

#VilksVēro #VilksObserves

www.theguardian.com/wellness/202...

Does living on a civilizational frontier shape how we perceive the world and one another? If so, does it help us better understand both the behavior we see around us and our own reactions to it? #VilksVēro #VilksObserves

While European governments look for ways to reduce the impact of inflation on their populations, Russia is discussing raising fuel prices to cover the costs of a war it started.

#VilksObserves

Source: ru.themoscowtimes.com/2026/06/02/v...

Sunday thought.
For brain health, neuroscientists recommend moving, sleeping, learning, maintaining relationships, living with purpose.

Meanwhile, one ruler is investing billions in immortality projects.
Perhaps printing a new organ is easier than finding meaning in one’s own life.

#VilksObserves

89% of leading economists expect weaker growth and 94% expect higher inflation.Source: WEF Chief Economists’ Outlook 2026
More troubling than the forecasts is the trend. Talent, capital and energy that could create value are instead directed toward countering threats and an arms race.
#VilksObserves

Opposition analysts argue that everyone in the system lies as naturally as they breathe. If so, economic management loses its ability to understand reality.

Which part of the state’s “brain” will prove stronger, the one that measures inflation or the one that blocks the internet?

#VilksObserves

Russia presents an interesting contradiction. One part of the state’s “brain” tries to deliver positive economic news, while another blocks the internet and conducts security operations.

#VilksObserves