Cris van Eijk

@crisveijk.bsky.social

1739 Followers 1541 Following

International law, the (space) commons, and how they're made. PhD @newcastleuni.bsky.social | 🇺🇸🇳🇱🏳️‍🌈 | 🔊: krɪs van aɪk | he/him https://www.ncl.ac.uk/law/study/research/students/current-pgr-students/cristian-van-eijk/

Image of 'Kim, there's people that are dying', a popular meme reaction image from the Kardashians, the context to which I have several times scrubbed from my brain. But it's here, if you want it: https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/kim-theres-people-that-are-dying
1 of 2 pages of a review of Rachel Carson's Silent Spring, by Prof William Darby of Vanderbilt, writing in Chemical & Engineering News. Full text at: https://shipseducation.net/pesticides/library/darby1962.htm
An excerpt from UNGA (1st Committee), 'Verbatim Record of the 990th Meeting' (19 November 1958) UN Doc A/C.1/PV.990, 52 "Mr [Víctor Andres] Belaúnde (Peru): “This leads me to a very important point. We have been told that outer space must be outside the purview of terrestrial sovereignty and must be considered res communis. Let us define this res communis. I accept this doctrine so long as this res communis is not used ad-lib but rather within a system imposed by the international community. That is why it is important that we state that there is an international community over and above the ideological and political differences that may divide us. If there is an international community, then the utilization of this res communis is subject to the systems set up by that community. That community, of course, may prefer multilateral agreements. It may consider that the best way of bringing about agreement between the different parties, in consideration of the interests of all the parties, would be through a convention. But if that convention were not agreed to and if conflicts were to arise, then there would be the jurisdiction of the international community and we would have to reconsider the matter.”
A quote from a recent report by Policy Exchange, a Conservative thinktank purporting to analyse international law. https://policyexchange.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/Litigating-Climate-Change.pdf "Renegotiate UNCLOS This is perhaps the most ambitious of our proposals. UNCLOS resulted from a decades-long effort by the international community to codify the law of the sea. On the whole it has been a success for participating States. However, the ICJ through the Climate Change Advisory Opinion has implicitly invited claimant States to invoke UNCLOS in suits for alleged injuries arising from climate change, a development that risks transforming UNCLOS into something which it was never intended to be and delegitimizing the Convention in the eyes of many States party. Therefore, we recommend that, in concert with peer States, the United Kingdom launch an effort to clarify the ambit of UNCLOS in climate matters and to prevent the compulsory dispute settlement mechanisms in UNCLOS from being used to adjudicate matters which exceed the Convention’s scope. Otherwise, the ICJ’s implicit invitation to litigants to avail themselves of UNCLOS and the litigation opportunities afforded by Part XV, section 2, of the Convention will be taken up with great enthusiasm, with unfortunate results."
The image is based on a template meme where a parent (labelled 'ICJ') is playing with one young child (labelled 'Treaty Interpretation'), who is standing in shallow area of a swimming pool; the parent's other child (labelled 'Treaty Interpretation II: We Weren't Finished') is in the foreground, struggling to swim, with only their head above water. In the bottom half, there is a skeleton in the bottom of a body of water (labelled 'labour rights').
Mr. Sneep, Mr. Bomblow, Mr. Zibbers-I object! Chairman-Order! Mrs. Montelair St. Vitus, who's just flown in from the Coronation, wants to speak. Mrs. St. Vitus-I should be starting for Bermuda this minute, but I want to report that everyone in Europe's talking about the moon because there are just no really exclusive resorts left on this planet. We should at least send a committee to the moon to investigate. Senator Whoof-With the proviso it have no dealings whatever with the natives.
A meeting of the Association for Advancement. Chairman-This meeting has been called to consider the conquest of the moon. Mr. Dare-I protest such an imperialistic approach. As president of Atomic Age Citizens, Inc., I move that, in the interest of science and national defense, we urge Congress to back this proposed guided missile project for a man-made moon outside this planet. Mr. Shellbacker-That's a dangerous step! I doubt if it's constitutional. Do you realize where it's lead-ing? Mr. Stepp-Yes. Eventually to travel to the moon. Mr. Zibbers-Exactly! And then on to mixups with foreigners on other planets. And then some crackpot movement for a United Universe. Mr. Brash-When that day comes we'd darn well better have one.
Mr. Stepp-Now wait! Unexplored planets might have their points. No taxes, no government controls, big new areas— Mr. Brash-For new robber barons! Mr. Bomblow-I demand this man be deported. Mr. Zibbers-If we get mixed up with the moon, Uncle Sam'll be giving handouts. Mr. Dare-I tell you the moon is dead.
Excerpt from: Commonwealth Relations Office Memo (5 Nov 1958) National Archives of Australia: A1209, 1958/5710, 22: "On May 19th last Mr Hammarskjold expressed the hope that the General Assembly would ‘find the way to agreement on a basic rule that outer space and the celestial bodies therein are not considered as capable of appropriation by any State’. He has followed this up by a similar appeal in the introduction to his annual report.” “The United Kingdom Government would prefer to avoid, if possible, at the present time a declaration forbidding the ‘colonization’ of celestial bodies, and would be reluctant to see the Assembly endorse such a declaration. In their view there are still too many unsolved problems in this field to justify the adoption at this stage, and without further careful enquiry of any sweeping legal propositions, in whatever direction they tend. This is one of the problems that might come before the proposed ad hoc committee; and it would be premature for the Assembly to adopt such a declaration at the present session."
Cable STATE 2080 from George Ball to Arthur Goldberg (6 July 1966) LBJ Lib CEJ box 16 folder 1, 102-106; NARA RG59 UD-UP 263, box 6 “1. This TEL contains instructions for US Del in subject negotiations during Outer Space Legal Subcomite session BEG July 12 Geneva and in antecedent bilateral talks with USSR if these take place.” [...] “13. It seems likely that, on pattern of 1959 Antarctic Conference, subject of ownership of possible recoverable lunar resources having commercial value will not be seriously pressed. As in all other aspects, DEL should report any proposal on this subject.”
The original photograph of 'Hello World' aka 'Earth From the Perspective of Artemis II', NASA ID: art002e000192, taken 2 April 2026 and published by NASA on 3 April 2026 at https://images-assets.nasa.gov/image/art002e000192/art002e000192~orig.jpg The image shows a full-circle view of the planet Earth, with a bright dot off to the bottom right-hane corner that is Venus. It shows the Northern half of West Africa and the Southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula, both of which are on the bottom left-hand quadrant of the circle. The aurorae borealis and australis are visible at each pole, with the polar axis running roughly from the bottom left corner to the top right corner of the image.
The Tax Education and School Finance Committee of the National Education Association has called for a broadening and deepening of the entire fiscal structure of education. Its chairman, Arvid J. Burke, points out that the "base of any successful military or technical program is a broad high quality education," and that "any nation that pays its teachers an average annual salary of $4,200 cannot expect to be first in putting an earth satellite into outer space."
Letter from R. Daniel Hogg to Jiri Nosek via Georges Peissel, ‘Dr Guttman’s Letter on Interpreters’ Health’ (15 Jan 1963) UNARMS S-0267-0001-04 “1. I do not think we need to be reminded of the need to keep the workload of our interpreters down to a level at which their health is not impaired. On the whole, we succeed in doing so. Early in 1957, when at my request Dr. Sze [Dr Szeming Sze, Director, UN Health Service] looked into the question of the health of the interpreters and reported widespread nervous exhaustion and extreme tension among them, the average workload per head was 1.28 meetings per day of attendance, or about six and a half meetings weekly. Over the last four years the average (excluding the Chinese) has been 1.11 meetings per day, or less than six meetings weekly. Even for New York conditions I think this is a little on the light aide as an annual average, Certainly, it is not excessive.” “2. There are occasional periods, such as General Assembly sessions, when the workload per head rises too high - to seven to ten meetings weekly in many cases. At such times, many interpreters have temporary health trouble, such as sore throats, high blood pressure loss of appetite, insomnia, nervousness etc. But these periods are usually short, and I doubt if they cause any lasting damage.” “3. Obviously a more even distribution of the workload over the year is desirable, and this we are trying to achieve.” “4. The two deaths that occurred this year in the Interpretation Section were mainly due to factors unconnected with interpreting.”
Excerpt from UNGA (1st), ‘Verbatim Record of the 1492nd Meeting’ (17 Dec 1966) UN Doc A/C.1/PV.1492, 67 (Iran): "• “While studying the Committee's report, I could not help thinking that the lack of reflection on the future has very often plunged mankind into situations from which he has not been able to extricate himself, and also into very dangerous situations. Let us reflect for a moment on the problems raised today by the deforestation of our planet, pollution of the air and water of our great cities, the lack of housing and of buildings. If we had previously sought to distinguish the forms of the future through the fog, perhaps we might have spared ourselves some serious concerns. Today we have an advantage over our ancestors; perhaps we are not wiser than they were, but we do have better tools to work with. Among those tools I would give first place to the United Nations. Our Organization can and should be the forum of the future."
International Astronomical Union, ‘Resolution No. 1’ in Proceedings of the Sixth General Assembly of the IAU (IAU, Berkeley 1961), 4. “Viewing with great concern the grave danger that some future space projects might seriously interfere with astronomical observations in the optical as well as in the radio domain, and believing that a degree of contamination of space which at the present time would be hardly detectable, might, if long-lived, will be disastrous to future observations with improved techniques, and maintaining that no group has the right to change the Earth's environment in any significant way without full international study and agreement; the International Astronomical Union gives clear warning of the grave moral and material consequences which could stem from a disregard of the future of astronomical progress, and appeals to ail Governments concerned with launching space experiments which could possibly affect astronomical research to consult with the International Astronomical Union before undertaking such experiments and to refrain from launching until it is established beyond doubt that no damage will be done to astronomical research.”
“Reform will prioritise “people with actual domain expertise” over “these posh generalists who float about from department to department making policy at the moment”, says the Eton-educated MP some would describe as a posh generalist himself.”
Traffic Jam and Garbage Cans No Match for Irate Campaigner Eleanor Clark French moved a double‐parked panel truck on East 83d Street yesterday, hurled two empty garbage cans onto the sidewalk, kicked aside a few cartons of rags that were lying in the street‐and waved the driver of a large truck safely through a narrow opening. Thus did the Democratic Liberal candidate for Congress in the 17th District solve one of the city's most vexing problems—the traffic jam. Mrs. French, who hopes to unseat Rep. John V. Lindsay, the Republican inumbent, in the Nov. 3 election, had sat for 15 minutes in a taxi between Madison and Fifth Avenues. The cab had been standing behind a panel truck parked next to a city garbage truck. She was late for an appointment with her staff and decided to clear a path. [...] “There was a panel truck that was double‐parked and blocking traffic. I asked two doormen where the driver was. They said, ‘I don't know, lady.’ I saw the keys were there and I decided to drive it down the block,” she said. Mrs. French said the truck was an unfamiliar model." “The gear shift thing was on the dashboard,” she said, “I took a little time and figured it out and drove it down the street to the corner to clear the lane. [...] Then I got the driyer of a big truck who was also stalled through the narrow lane I'd cleared.” By this time a policeman had arrived. A handful of spectators also had gathered. “Officer, you shouldn't allow this,” Mrs. French said, pointing to the garbage truck. The policeman said he was helpless. The driver of the panel truck arrived looking shocked at the spot where he had left his truck. “It's down there,” Mrs. French said pointing to the truck, “and I think you're utterly selfish.” Amidst the honking of horns, Mrs. French took time out to distribute leaflets to the bystanders. “Vote for French for Congress. She gets things done,” Mrs. French said.
An excerpt from a 1975 memo by Henry Kissinger, linked above. "Ambassador [garble] of Cameroon noted that the Africans considered the United States to be the greatest power in the world in a material sense and declared that Africa expects from the United States in regard to their (Africa’s) important problems moral leadership also.” This, he said, would be important even if there were no material assistance to go along with it. The Secretary expressed sympathy with this point of view. In closing he reiterated his appreciation for the “generosity with which you have received me and received Ambassador Davis” and declared “we will understand each other better, and I am positive that we can make definite progress during the course of this year.”"
No future for future generations: who is international environmental law for? Emily Jones Newcastle Law School, Newcastle University, UK "The idea that the environment must be protected for future generations has been gaining traction in recent years. This article argues that the concept of future generations, as deployed in international environmental law, is, however, deeply exclusionary, with only some humans being envisaged as future generations. It is furthermore argued that the concept is anthropocentric in that it focuses only on human future generations. The article discusses whether the concept can be recast considering these critiques, deploying queer and decolonial approaches to do so. In particular, Indigenous understandings of future generations are highlighted as offering an alternative framing. The article concludes by arguing that legal concepts must be carefully designed to ensure the construction of a future whereby climate change and environmental degradation are addressed in an equitable and just way, providing three pathways that can be used to begin to reframe the concept of future generations accordingly." Keywords: International environmental law, Future generations, Decolonial law, Queer approaches to international law, *Population control, Neo-Malthusianism,* Anthropocentrism and law, Interdisciplinary legal studies
Excerpt from Art 8(2)(e)(ix) of the ICC Elements of Crimes: https://www.icc-cpi.int/sites/default/files/Publications/Elements-of-Crimes.pdf Article 8 (2) (e) (ix) War crime of treacherously killing or wounding Elements 1. The perpetrator invited the confidence or belief of one or more combatant adversaries that they were entitled to, or were obliged to accord, protection under rules of international law applicable in armed conflict. 2. The perpetrator intended to betray that confidence or belief. 3. The perpetrator killed or injured such person or persons. 4. The perpetrator made use of that confidence or belief in killing or injuring such person or persons. 5. Such person or persons belonged to an adverse party. 6. The conduct took place in the context of and was associated with an armed conflict not of an international character. 7. The perpetrator was aware of factual circumstances that established the existence of an armed conflict.
A collage of book covers I read in 2025, full list at app.thestorygraph.com/profile/crisveijk on StoryGraph
An excerpt of the Paris Declaration Respecting Maritime Law (signed 16 April 1856), at https://ihl-databases.icrc.org/en/ihl-treaties/paris-decl-1856/declaration. The text in asterisks is highlighted: "The above-mentioned Plenipotentiaries, being duly authorized, resolved to concert among themselves as to the means of attaining this object; and, having come to an agreement, have adopted the following solemn Declaration: *1. Privateering is, and remains, abolished;* 2. The neutral flag covers enemy's goods, with the exception of contraband of war; 3. Neutral goods, with the exception of contraband of war, are not liable to capture under enemy's flag; 4. Blockades, in order to be binding, must be effective, that is to say, maintained by a force sufficient really to prevent access to the coast of the enemy. The Governments of the undersigned Plenipotentiaries engage to bring the present Declaration to the knowledge of the States which have not taken part in the Congress of Paris, and to invite them to accede to it."
Cable USUN 2294 from Adlai Stevenson to State Dept (12 Dec 1962) NARA RG84 A1 1030F box 74. “Extreme example difficutties posed for Mission by attendance Portuguese Africans at social events, as pointed out in REFTEL, is fact that, very evening of day REFTEL Sent, Achkar Marof (Guinea), arriving toward end of small cocktail party at apartment of political adviser O’Neill, brought with him uninvited guest, Amilcar Cabral, from Portuguese Guinea.” “Fortunately, only foreign guests still present included one one Nigerian, Congolese and one Tanganyikan. Only other guests present were Americans. Although there no reason believe that presence Cabral at American party, even though uninvited, is likely become known to Portuguese, Marof or other guest might deliberately leak it. Mission wishes report fact in order DEPT and EMB Lison may be forewarned.” “Cabral, who had arrived only that morning, intends appear as petitioner 4th CMTE. Says expects remain about two weeks. Was moderate in his statements to Americans present and appeared, at least, very friendly to US. Says he seeks first self-determination and then independence of Portuguese Guinea and Cape Verde. Expressed appreciation US efforts get Portugal make progress towards self-determination of Portuguese colonies.”
An excerpt from para 25 of the ICJ WHO Nuclear Weapons Advisory Opinion: "international organizations are subjects of international law which do not, unlike States, possess a general competence. International organizations are governed by the "principle of speciality", that is to say, they are invested by the States which create them with powers, the limits of which are a function of the common interests whose promotion those States entrust to them."
A picture of the Indiana University campus, with trees in full autumn colours.
A screenshot of two tweets by me, dated 10 Dec 2021, reading: Loading @marineregions's maps into Google Earth changed how I think about int'l spaces. Q: If I'm at Trafalgar Square, how far must I go before I'm beyond national jurisdiction? A: 100 km, straight up. You may think it's the high seas... but space is 8.3 times closer. In fact, for almost the *whole world*, space is closer than any other ABNJ. I've spent a lot of time in/near The Hague Central Station, right in the middle of an 'international city'. Look how far I'd have to go to get into international waters. Space is 11.5 times closer.
Excerpt from Judge Sebutinde's Dissenting Opinion to the ICJ Advisory Opinion, highlighted text in asterisks: "A. Irreconcilable goals and objectives 19. *Both sides to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict* remain firmly committed to their respective strategic goals and objectives, with little indication of compromise or de-escalation. This entrenched posture has significant legal implications, particularly in relation to the conduct of hostilities, the protection of civilians and compliance with international humanitarian law. On one hand, the publicly articulated objectives of Hamas3° in the context of the Gaza conflict include: (i) the elimination of the State of Israel3'; (ii) the establishment in its stead of an Islamic State governed by Sharia law across Gaza, the West Bank and the territory currently comprising Israel; (iii) the pursuit of armed resistance against Israeli occupation; (iv) the retention of political and military control over the Gaza Strip 32; and (v) the strategic use of hostages as leverage in negotiations 33"
Excerpt from ICJ Adv Opinion, Dissent of Judge Sebutinde, with three sentences underlined (here in *asterisks*: "the Occupied Palestinian Territory (hereinafter the "Wall Opinion")12, the Court has, in those two prior advisory opinions, already given its opinion regarding the applicable rules and principles of international law and expounded on its understanding of Israel's specific obligations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory as an "occupying Power", ', including in relation to the right to self-determination of the Palestinian people. *In my view, revisiting issues already adjudicated in prior advisory opinions constitutes a clear misuse of the Court's advisory jurisdiction and undermines the sound administration of international justice.* Such repetition lacks legitimate judicial purpose and risks politicizing the Court's proceedings, thereby diminishing the authority and impartiality of its advisory function. The following examples illustrate my point: - A central issue in the present case concerns the applicability of international humanitarian law (IHL) in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, particularly the Gaza Strip. In both the Wall Opinion and the OPT Opinion, *the Court affirmed that the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is under Israeli occupation*3 and that the Fourth Geneva Convention and customary rules of IHL are applicable in the OPT 4. In the OPT Opinion *the Court further held that the law of occupation remains applicable to Gaza*, concluding that Israel's 2005 disengagement did not absolve it of its obligations under the law of occupation and that Israel's obligations persist to the extent that it retains effective control over the Gaza Strip!5. Consequently, the Court found in both opinions that IHL applies in the OPT and that Israel is bound by its obligations under that body of law. *The Court unnecessarily repeats this point* in paragraphs 83-90 of the present Advisory Opinion."
Excerpt from Judge Sebutinde's dissenting opinion in today's ICJ Advsory Opinion: https://www.icj-cij.org/sites/default/files/case-related/196/196-20251022-adv-01-01-en.pdf "22. Particularly troubling is the documented misuse of photographs of children suffering from pre-existing medical conditions, which were erroneously disseminated by various media outlets as emblematic of famine-related suffering in Gaza. In one notable case, The New York Times and other major outlets issued corrections after it was revealed that a child portrayed as a victim of starvation was, in fact, afflicted by rare genetic disorders unrelated to malnutrition.37 Moreover, senior United Nations officials have, on occasion, retracted or revised public statements after the underlying claims were found to be inaccurate or unsubstantiated.38 These incidents underscore the prevalence of disinformation and propaganda in the current hostilities and highlight the need for the Court to exercise rigorous evidentiary scrutiny in assessing claims related to the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.39"
Excerpt from the ICC Elements of Crimes, pp 4-5, at https://www.icc-cpi.int/sites/default/files/Publications/Elements-of-Crimes.pdf Article 7 (1) (d) Crime against humanity of deportation or forcible transfer of population Elements 1. The perpetrator deported or forcibly^12 transferred,^13 without grounds permitted under international law, one or more persons to another State or location, by expulsion or other coercive acts. 2. Such person or persons were lawfully present in the area from which they were so deported or transferred. 3. The perpetrator was aware of the factual circumstances that established the lawfulness of such presence. 4. The conduct was committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against a civilian population. 5. The perpetrator knew that the conduct was part of or intended the conduct to be part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against a civilian population. ------ 12. The term “forcibly” is not restricted to physical force, but may include threat of force or coercion, such as that caused by fear of violence, duress, detention, psychological oppression or abuse of power against such person or persons or another person, or by taking advantage of a coercive environment. 13. “Deported or forcibly transferred” is interchangeable with “forcibly displaced”.
Excerpt from UNGA(1st), ‘Verbatim Record of the 1492nd Meeting’ (17 Dec 1966) UN Doc A/C.1/PV.1492, 67 (Iran). "While studying the Committee's report, I could not help thinking that the lack of reflection on the future has very often plunged mankind into situations from which he has not been able to extricate himself, and also into very dangerous situations. Let us reflect for a moment on the problems raised today by the deforestation of our planet, pollution of the air and water of our great cities, the lack of housing and of buildings. If we had previously sought to distinguish the forms of the future through the fog, perhaps we might have spared ourselves some serious concerns. Today we have an advantage over our ancestors; perhaps we are not wiser than they were, but we do have better tools to work with. Among those tools I would give first place to the United Nations. Our Organization can and should be the forum of the future. It is fortunate, as may be seen from the agenda item before us today, that the United Nations is fully and entirely conscious of its responsibilities." "A few years ago, the object of this item on our agenda might have seemed to be, if not fantastic, then at least of less relative urgency. But the progress of science and technology has been so great and so rapid that the frontiers between the present and the future are being rolled back. The exploration of the moon, of the solar system, of interplanetary space which ten years ago belonged to the realm of science fiction today has become part of reality. Even more, the progress achieved in the last few years is such that the question has become a familiar one and, as the representative of Australia said yesterday, even trite. Nobody was surprised the other day on seeing on the first page of newspapers. the extraordinary photographs of the moon taken by Lunar Orbiter."
Excerpt from speech by Fereydoun Hoyveda, from: UNGA (1st), ‘Verbatim Record of the 1492nd Meeting’ (17 Dec 1966) UN Doc A/C.1/PV.1492, 73 (Iran) "The spirit of understanding and co-operation which has characterized our discussion on this point surely gives us legitimate room for hope. Today in the field of outer space we are proving with the treaty that men are aware of the projections of their undertakings and that they can work together and in peace. It is true that the spirit which underlies the treaty has still not spread to more earthly fields. But, to conclude on a more happy note, I should like to cite a phrase of a painter who has just celebrated his eighty-fifth birthday. I am speaking of Picasso. Picasso had painted the portrait of the outstanding American writer, Gertrude Stein, who, looking at the picture, said: ‘Does that portrait truly look like me?’ To which Picasso replied: ‘You will end by looking like the portrait’. We do not as yet resemble the picture which the draft treaty before us paints of us, but we are sure that the spirit of mankind will end up by resembling the spirit of the treaty. That, at least, is our hope.”
1 of 3 screenshots of 'Horizons' by P.L. Prattis, writing in the Pittsburgh Courier on 23 Dec 1961. Horizon By P. L. Prattis Outer Space "MORE AND MORE as the years descend upon me, I become concerned with the nature or this white man with whom I live and must have my being. Long, long ago, he caused me to distrust him. I needed little sense of discernment to discover that where I was concerned, the ideals professed by whites meant little. There has always been a minority of whites who are true Christians and include me in their devotion to the Golden Rule. But I know that there is larger group which doesn't, and that the largest segment or whites is unconcerned about me and my people."
Voluntary Relocation: A Path to Greater Opportunity Any serious proposal for Greenland’s integration into the United States must place the welfare, agency, and future prosperity of Greenlanders at the forefront. The transition from Danish rule to US governance would bring profound changes, both in terms of administration and economic opportunities. Some Greenlanders may wish to remain in their homeland, benefiting from infrastructure investments and modernization, while others may seek to relocate to the US mainland in pursuit of broader educational and professional prospects. Respecting this diversity of aspirations requires a policy framework that prioritizes voluntary choice, economic empowerment, and cultural preservation. Voluntary Relocation: A Path to Greater Opportunity For Greenlanders who choose to relocate to the United States, a structured, well-funded resettlement program would be essential. Learning from past models— both their successes and pitfalls—such as federal relocation programs for Native Alaskans and Pacific Islanders in US territories, Greenlanders would be offered comprehensive support, including financial incentives, housing assistance, and expedited residency status. This policy would ensure that relocation is an informed and voluntary decision rather than an economic necessity. A voluntary relocation program should provide direct grants covering travel, housing, and initial living expenses for families establishing themselves in the continental United States. Upon integration, Greenlanders would automatically receive US citizenship, granting them full legal protections, access to federal benefits, and-"
Excerpt from the end of a speech by FCC Chair Brendan Carr on 6 Oct 2025: "I’d like to close with this. I spoke earlier about how the White House just designated space innovation as one of the nation’s five most important R&D priorities. There is something else about this initiative that I think speaks to this moment. The Trump Administration’s position on R&D is not just that it needs to be more targeted, but that it needs to be more ambitious. America’s scientists often spend 40% of their time doing paperwork on grant applications, rather than direct research. And the new grant applications they work on are too often aimed at what will get funded rather than what could have the biggest impact. University of Chicago professor James Evans summed up our problem nicely. He wrote: “Too many projects get funding because they are probable. But science moves forward one improbability at a time.” The United States of America is the greatest country in human history, because, like no other nation, risk-taking is in our DNA. As Americans, we imagine the impossible and then make it real. After being too timid for too long, America is finally getting its mojo back. Under President Trump’s leadership, we are entering a Golden Age of innovation in space, and we are looking to The Gundo to play a crucial role. Think about it. “Moonshot” is the most popular metaphor for our most ambitious endeavors. For this crowd, moonshots are what you do on a Tuesday. You are pushing boundaries like Americans always have. Please know that you have committed partners at the FCC and in Washington who are doing everything we can to make your next big breakthroughs possible. Thank you again for hosting me today. I look forward to learning from the panel discussion to come."
Two excerpted quotes from Toni Morrison, ‘Unspeakable Things Unspoken: The Afro-American Presence in American Literature’ (1989) 28 Michigan Quarterly Review, 11-12 (with the asterisked text highlighted for emphasis): “We can agree, I think, that invisible things are not necessarily ‘not-there’; that a void may be empty, but is not a vacuum. In addition, certain absences are so stressed, so ornate, so planned, they call attention to themselves.” “Looking at the scope of American literature, I can't help thinking that the question should never have been ‘Why am I, an Afro-American, absent from it?’ It is not a particularly interesting query anyway. The spectacularly interesting question is *‘What intellectual feats had to be performed by the author or his critic to erase me from a society seething with my presence, and what effect has that performance had on the work?’ What are the strategies of escape from knowledge? Of willful oblivion?*”
America’s scientists often spend 40% of their time doing paperwork on grant applications, rather than direct research. And the new grant applications they work on are too often aimed at what will get funded rather than what could have the biggest impact. University of Chicago professor James Evans summed up our problem nicely. He wrote: “Too many projects get funding because they are probable. But science moves forward one improbability at a time.”
A chart from p. 159 of a UK Parliament Report (linked below), showing offences per 100,000 people in England and Wales in the 20th century. The chart shows a sharp increase in crime rate over the 1980s, from ~6,800 in 1981 to 11,000 in 1991. https://www.parliament.uk/contentassets/90b7f09a39a74dbcaa34acdfe7a210cb/olympicbritain.pdf#page=159
Excerpt from p. 6 of linked Decision: "Second, the Russian Federation states that their concerns on the IDI Declaration are further corroborated and exacerbated by my activities in the social media. They cite my reposting on X (then Twitter) of a speech by the Kenyan Ambassador on 22 February 2022 before the Security Council. This was a post by one Cris van Eijk (not personally known to me) reposting a tweet by one Thomas van Linge (also not personally known to me). I reposted this tweet when I heard the Kenyan envoy state that Africa's borders were drawn in London, Paris and Lisbon. It is a matter concerning my continent that touches me. I normally repost or post tweets which touch on African issues of interest. For example, an African President ok to task the Chief Justice and Speaker of Parliament for wearing wigs (my repost of 28 March 2022); Dr S.A. Salim making Africa proud (repost of 23 January 2022); Climate injustice: Africa suffers more from climate impacts (repost of 15 November 2021); the passing of the last of Africa's liberation stalwarts (post of 18 June 2021); election of an African as President of the ICJ (post of 13 February 2018); and election of an African as ICC President (post of 30 March 2018)."
"23. If there should be a continuance of the present attitude of complacency and indifference to the plight of the Arabs of Palestine, can we in all honesty ascribe it to anything but an attitude of inertia, of unwillingness, rather than to an inability to act?”
UNGA, ‘Verbatim Record of the 1138th Meeting’ (1 Oct 1962) A/PV.1138, 239-240 “10. But of more immediate and lasting significance than exploration and control of outer space is our ability to control our inner selves, to make this planet a place worthy of decent and friendly habitation. And it is here in this hall that we meet in what is the most encompassing parliament of nations, to lay down the foundations for peace, goodwill and co-operation among nations. If we should fail in this pivotal task, then all the efforts which are being expended in various fields will have been of no avail, with the threat of extinction continuing to hover menacingly over our fates.” “11. But world peace cannot be achieved by pious hopes or even under the compulsion of fear or the instinctive desire for survival. Any such assumption would be a serious misreading not only of history, but of the inner springs of human motivation and behaviour. For there will always be differences and conflicts so long as human beings are what they are. What is imperative is that these conflicts and differences be dealt with and resolved in accordance with norms, procedures and attitudes that are just, equitable and commanding of universal acceptance and respect; it is essentially the rule of law, rather than the unruly whims or interests of any particular group. This has been the function and the achievement of domestic law in national societies. It is our challenge to make it equally applicable in the field of international relations.” “12. The question now is: How can the Unite Nations work out a modus vivendi which would bring it as close as possible to a universally acceptable rule of law?”
A screenshot from the CV of Valerian Zorin from the official history page of the Russian delegation to the UN, reading: Valerian Zorin (1902-1986) in diplomatic service since 1941 1941-1943 - worked in Moscow at the USSR People’s Commissariat for Foreign Affairs 1943-1945 - Head of the Fourth European Section of the USSR People’s Commissariat for Foreign Affairs 1945-1947 - Ambassador of the USSR to Czechoslovakia [underlined] 1947-1955 - Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the USSR 1952-1953 - Permanent Representative of the USSR to the UN Security Council 1955-1956 - Ambassador of the USSR to the Federal Republic of Germany [underlined] 1956-1960 - Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the USSR 1960-1963 - Permanent Representative of the USSR to the UN and USSR Representative to the UN Security Council [underlined] 1963-1965 - Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the USSR 1965-1971 - Ambassador of the USSR to France 1971-1986 - Ambassador-at-Large at the USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The tags of this linked article, which are “Middle East”, “Israel & the Palestinians”, and “Palestine territories”
Excerpt from the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance: “Article 2 For the purposes of this Convention, "enforced disappearance" is considered to be the arrest, detention, abduction or any other form of deprivation of liberty by agents of the State or by persons or groups of persons acting with the authorization, support or acquiescence of the State, followed by a refusal to acknowledge the deprivation of liberty or by concealment of the fate or whereabouts of the disappeared person, which place such a person outside the protection of the law.”
Until the end of the 17th century alchemy and chemistry ‘were used largely interchangeably’ and ‘the restriction of alchemy specifically to gold-making is a late development’.67 Alchemy was not thought of just as a search for the Philosophers’ Stone or making gold but rather as part of broader research concerns... Thus, if alchemy is ‘viewed as part of a wider early modern interest in experimenting with nature, rather than as an obscure, nonscientific endeavor that occupied outcasts, then its potential role in the development of modern science cannot be overlooked’.71 As such, the rejection of alchemy happened ‘without ever been refuted’ since the rejection was not due to internal debates and one side winning the debate over the other due to the validity of their argument.72 The division between alchemy and chemistry occurred primarily due to processes of professionalization. This occurred through discrediting alchemy at professional associations because of alchemies belief in ancient wisdom. Chymistry at the beginning of the 17th century had not yet achieved a secure place in universities. This was mainly due to transmutational aims being associated with forgery, fraud and avarice. The professionalization of chymistry meant that it was required to separate itself from those aspects (search for Philosophers Stone, transmutation). The Royal Academy of Sciences in Paris established in 1666 had by 1699 five places (out of 30) reserved for chymistry and very openly and fervently condemned ‘transmutational endeavours’."
Words are not violence, nor are they powerless. Burying the truth of the Confederacy, rewriting its aims and ideas, and ignoring its animating words allowed for the terrorization of the Black population, the imposition of apartheid, and the destruction of democracy. The rewriting and the ignoring were done not just by Confederates, but also by putative allies for whom the reduction of Black people to serfdom was the unfortunate price of white unity. The import of this history has never been clearer than in this moment when the hard question must be asked: If you would look away from the words of Charlie Kirk, from what else would you look away?
Screenshot of Washington Post post , reading: “Elon Musk has disrupted one industry after another, from space rockets and electric vehicles to humanoid robots. His latest target: the stodgy club of mobile networks.”
Screenshot of an Al Jazeera story (https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/9/9/palestinians-on-edge-as-israel-ramps-up-raids-in-wake-of-jerusalem-attack): "Palestinians on edge as Israel pursues collective punishment after attack After deadly shooting in occupied East Jerusalem, Israel orders suspects’ homes in occupied West Bank demolished and neighbours’ work permits revoked."
A screenshot from The Guardian of a news item in a live update feed (https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2025/sep/09/israel-gaza-city-evacuation-order-idf-military-offensive-live-updates-middle-east-crisis-latest-news?filterKeyEvents=false&page=with%3Ablock-68c047348f0881130a81f5fa#block-68c047348f0881130a81f5fa), which says: "Netanyahu says Doha attack on Hamas leadership was ordered in response to Jerusalem shooting Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he ordered the attack against Hamas’s leadership in Doha following recent attacks in Jerusalem and Gaza, Reuters reports. He went on to say in a statement that the attacks were “entirely justified” and that the decision was green lit at 12pm today after identifying an “operational opportunity”."
Excerpt from: bell hooks, ‘Choosing the Margin as a Space of Radical Openness’ [1989] Framework 15, p. 22: "Silenced. During my graduate years I heard myself speaking often in the voice of resistance. I cannot say that my speech was welcomed. I cannot say that my speech was heard in such a way that it altered relations between coloniser and colonised. Yet what I have noticed is that those scholars, most especially those who name themselves radical critical thinkers, feminist thinkers, now fully participate in the construction of a discourse about the "Other". I was made "other" there in that space with them. In that space in the margins, that lived-in segregated world of my past and present. They did not meet me there in that space. They met me at the centre. They greeted me as colonisers. I am waiting to learn from them the path of their resistance, of how it came to be that they were able to surrender the power to act as colonisers. I am waiting for them to bear witness, to give testimony. They say that the discourse on marginality, on difference has moved beyond a discussion of "us and them". They do not speak of how this movement has taken place. This is a response from the radical space of my marginality. It is a space of resistance. It is a space I choose."
An imaged diagram from a Power Point of mine. The bottom of the image is taken up by a long arc spanning its width, labelled 'Earth'. Above it, at about 1/3 the way up, is a dotted arc labelled 'atmosphere'. Outside the 'atmosphere' is labelled 'Outer Space'. In the centre of the diagram is a taller hyperbolic arc simulating a simplified launch, ascent, and descent of a fictional space object, in which it travels from 'Earth', beyond the atmosphere, and back down to Earth. The segments of that arc within the atmosphere are green, labelled 'environmental law, including EIA (FAA)'. The segment beyond the atmosphere, the peak or apogee of the arc, is labelled 'No environmental law? (FCC)'.
An imaged diagram from a Power Point of mine. The bottom of the image is taken up by a long arc spanning its width, labelled 'Earth'. Above it, at about 1/3 the way up, is a dotted arc labelled 'atmosphere'. Outside the 'atmosphere' is labelled 'Outer Space'. In the centre of the diagram is a taller hyperbolic arc simulating a simplified launch, ascent, and descent of a fictional space object, in which it travels from 'Earth', beyond the atmosphere, and back down to Earth. The segments of that arc within the atmosphere are green, labelled 'environmental law, including EIA (FAA)'. The segment beyond the atmosphere, the peak or apogee of the arc, is labelled 'No environmental law? (FCC)'.
A very opaque signature of the above-described person, which apparently reads 'F. Trew 16/4'.
VII. THE INABILITY OF THE COURT TO MAKE UP ITS MIND ON THE “PRECAUTIONARY APPROACH OR PRINCIPLE” 49. Finally, I am surprised by the unprecedented inability of the Court to make up its mind on the formulation of a normative concept such as the “precautionary principle”. Alternative formulations of the principle, as a “precautionary approach or principle”, are offered in the Advisory Opinion and the choice is left to the readers or to the general public; the Court thus acknowledging its failure to make a decision. 50. This publicly displayed uncertainty of the World Court on how to characterize a well-known principle one way or the other is rather puzzling, to say the least. If the majority did not feel comfortable with the use of “principle”, they could have at least stayed with the formulation used by the Court itself in the Pulp Mills Judgment and by ITLOS in its COSIS Advisory Opinion which is “precautionary approach”39. It would not have caused as much confusion or uncertainty as the alternative formulations.
Excerpt from: State Dept, ‘Position Paper: Liability for Damage Caused by the Launching of Objects into Outer Space’ (26 Aug 1964) NARA RG59 A1 5181, box 12 "II. Presentation of Claims. Article IV of the Annex A text calls for presentation of claims through the diplomatic channel. The Delegation should point out that this manner of presentation fosters expediency and simplicity." "The Delegation should draw attention to the desirability of offering protection to stateless persons. Article IV entitles a Contracting Party to present a claim not only on behalf of its natural and juridical persons, but also for any person permanently residing in its territory provided that (a) he is not a national of the Respondent State, and (b) no other Contracting Party has presented a claim on his behalf."