Dónal Ó Rathaille

(1) The accused declared, ordered, or otherwise indicated that there shall be no survivors or surrender accepted; (2) The accused thereby intended to threaten an adversary or to conduct hostilities such that there would be no survivors or surrender accepted; (3) It was foreseeable that circumstances would be such that a practicable and reasonable ability to accept surrender would exist; (4) The accused was in a position of effective command or control over the subordinate forces to which the declaration or order was directed; and (5) The conduct took place in the context of and was associated with hostilities.

✋ Former USG war crimes lawyer here.

Apropos of SecDef's remarks this morning:

Denial of quarter—even the declaration of no quarter—is a war crime.

And recognized as such by the US Government.

From DoD's Manual for Military Commissions.

Not even the Nazis expressly announced they were committing war crimes. Indeed, at Nuremberg war crimes were denied.

But here, openly, the US Secretary for Defense is explicitly admitting to committing war crimes.

Hegseth: "We will keep pushing, keep advancing. No quarter, no mercy for our enemies."

No quarter is the refusal to take prisoners and instead just execute everyone. It's been considered a war crime for over a century.

But in Argentina in the 1970s, the military dictatorship offered another option: a parallel unit that needed staffing, valued loyalty over competence, and offered career-pressured officers a second chance. The dirty work of state terror — kidnapping, torture, disappearing people — was psychologically repugnant enough that high-performing officers with smooth career trajectories had every reason to avoid it. But for the men at the bottom of the cohort, it was a ladder. A ladder that paid off in terms of higher positions at the end of the career, more salary, and better pensions. The worse an officer’s academic record, the more likely he was to join the secret police. Once inside, the worst performers were assigned to the most brutal departments, where the work was most repugnant and the career reward for doing it most valuable.

Who is willing to to the dirty of an authoritarian regime? A study of the Argentinian secret police found that those who joined "were not the most extreme officers in Argentina’s army. They were the most stuck." Mediocre men whose careers had stalled out.
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/the-secret...

Government failure to regulate AirBnB and vacant homes worsening housing crisis - Social Democrats The government must legislate against the out-of-control number of AirBnBs and vacant homes across Ireland, according to Social Democrats housing spokesperson Rory Hearne. Deputy Hearne said: “Today, ...

We could house all 2,555 homeless families three times over in the number of AirBnB properties let out on a permanent basis.

Govt must legislate against AirBnB’s disproportionate presence in the market and the hoarding of vacant properties across the country.

I simply refuse to believe this isn’t a Chris Morris sketch:

Or left balls

​​​​Cost of Net Zero by 2050 less than a single fossil fuel price shock​ – CCC  - Climate Change Committee The independent, statutory body tested its cost and energy security conclusions against different scenarios. It found that the total additional cost of a single fossil fuel price spike of 2022 magnitu...

The additional cost of ONE fossil fuel price spike on the scale of 2022 = the ENTIRE COST of Net Zero by 2050. We get precisely nothing in return for the first cost, and a whole new, more secure and cheaper energy system from the second one.
#NoBrainer
www.theccc.org.uk/2026/03/11/c...

Screenshot of a Tweet by @TheChiefNerd inclusing an interview with Sam Altman. The text in the Tweet says: SAM ALTMAN: “We see a future where intelligence is a utility, like electricity or water, and people buy it from us on a meter.”

The whole "AI" industry is just based on the hope that they can deskill people fast enough that they'll have to rent back cognitive support systems. Forever.

It's like Uber. Just that they don't try to break existing transportation infrastructures but your brain.

Palantir CEO Makes Shocking Confession on Disrupting Democratic Power They’re saying the quiet part out loud now.

Palantir CEO promises that his technology will reduce educated women's economic and political power newrepublic.com/post/207693/...

Amid secrecy, Dublin City Council CEO advances €600m+ plan to build new council HQ Richard Shakespeare recently held a closed-doors briefing for councillors, giving them a presentation that was watermarked so they could be caught if they shared it.

Amid secrecy, Dublin City Council's CEO has been advancing his €600m+ plan to build a new council HQ. Richard Shakespeare recently held a closed-doors briefing for councillors, giving them a presentation that was watermarked so they could be caught if they shared it.

U-16s social media ban: Protecting kids online shouldn’t mean killing privacy As governments consider banning children from social media, critics say the focus should be on regulating tech companies and algorithms — not restricting young people’s digital rights, writes Andrea...

U-16s social media ban: Protecting kids online shouldn’t mean killing privacy, writes Andrea Horan.

jrnl.ie/6982642

So much for that experiment! Take note, Europe.

Palantir CEO Makes Shocking Confession on Disrupting Democratic Power They’re saying the quiet part out loud now.

"Palantir CEO Alex Karp says his AI technology will lessen the power of “highly educated, often female voters, who vote mostly Democrat” while increasing the power of working-class men."

Just saying it right out loud now.

newrepublic.com/post/207693/...

"הצדק נעשה. אני מברך על החלטת הפרקליט הצבאי הראשי, אלוף איתי אופיר, לסגור את תיקי שדה תימן נגד חיילי צה"ל ולבטל את כתב האישום נגדם. המשפט הזה נולד על ידי הפצ"רית הקודמת בחטא, תוך שימוש בעלילת דם נגד חיילי צה"ל ובשיטות חקירה עברייניות ואני שמח על כך שהצדק נעשה והמשפט בוטל. תפקיד המערכת המשפטית הצה"לית הוא להגן ולשמור על חיילי צה"ל שעוסקים בגבורה במלחמה מול מפלצות אכזריות, ולא על זכויות מחבלי הנוחב'ה. אני משוכנע שההחלטה תוביל לדרך חדשה."

For those who don't read Hebrew, here are the words of Israel Katz, Israeli Minister of Defense, on the IDF dropping its indictment of IDF reservists charged with sexually abusing Palestinian detainees at Sde Teiman:

"Justice has been done...

Photo shows young white woman in a white tan top with from the river to the sea in black all caps text. She’s flanked by security or police Text of X screenshot: An 18-year-old woman in Queensland faces two years in jail for wearing a shirt that says "from the river to the sea." In Australia, you can bankroll mass murder and sleep fine. But wear a shirt that says "from the river to the sea"?Two years in prison.

I was told that a bombing campaign is needed to free her from a fascist government that controls what women can wear.

Global subsidies to the fossil fuel industry topped $7trn in 2022 alone. It’s higher now.
The estimated cost of a Just Transition (warmer homes, better transport, clean energy etc) would cost* about 10-15% of the fossil fuel subsidies.

*it’s not a cost. Join the dots.

The State cannot continue to fund schools that operate in flagrant denial of children's and teachers' right to freedom of religion and belief.
Excellent piece from David Graham of @educationequality.bsky.social in today's Irish Independent.
#SeparateChurchAndState

📣 New Research just published.

Adoption of EVs, solar PV, and heat pumps in Ireland is driven by affluence. Current grants favour high-income groups, risking a "green divide." Policies must focus on equity and lower upfront costs.

Open access: authors.elsevier.com/sd/article/S...

““This horrific crime represents a continuation of the violations committed by the RSF in the White Nile,” said Dr. Razan Al-Mahdi,…adding that the paramilitaries attacked several civilian facilities in the past two days, including a student dormitory and a power station.”

Note the absence of Ireland from this list despite government parties committing to do so before the last election...

I love the idea that *this* US government, which has been nabbing landscapers and five year olds knows where Iranian sleeper cells are but just hasn’t gotten around to doing anything about it yet.

A cartoon by Ron Cobb (1975), showing a shadow of US B-52 bomber above cratered landscape. Two people who look like Vietnamese peasants look up; one says “they’re having problems with their economy again.”

This is from 1975.

Contract signed, purchase not concluded. Not that I doubt it will conclude, but no guarantees!

He wore the RA's Gerry Beret - the kind you find in a second hand store?

Christian Brothers persist with moves that hinder abuse lawsuits’ progress The Christian Brothers are persisting with a much-criticised legal strategy that involves the religious community refusing to provide a nominee to act on its behalf when abuse survivors are suing for ...

Do we actually believe these people will ever change?
Why did we ever allow them near our children?
Out of our schools. Out, out, OUT!
www.independent.ie/irish-news/c...

Andrew O’Hagan · Stay Classy: Mummy’s Favourite The late queen can be held responsible for much, but nobody could accuse her of seeming to enjoy her role. For the...

Absolutely terrific piece in the London Review of Books

Andrew O’Hagan · Stay Classy: Mummy’s Favourite The late queen can be held responsible for much, but nobody could accuse her of seeming to enjoy her role. For the...

The finest take down of the institution of monarchy and "class" and the grasping, greedy, venal, entitled, and very stupid people it enables that you will read today or any day.

www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...

Andrew O’Hagan · Stay Classy: Mummy’s Favourite The late queen can be held responsible for much, but nobody could accuse her of seeming to enjoy her role. For the...

Nobody has ever been so lyrically yet thoroughly excoriated as in this piece. And yet, few people have ever deserved such a complete dismantling as the Prince formerly known as Andrew

www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...

President Connolly was very clear about the sort of President she would be and 63% of the electorate felt that she should occupy the office.