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Robert Reiner

@waylon18.bsky.social

1.5K followers 2.4K following 3.3K posts

Retired criminology professor. Democratic Socialist.Written on political economy of crime, criminal justice and policing 1970s until severe COVID 2021. Last book Social Democratic Criminology. Love old mysteries, Westerns, country music, music 1930-70

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Robert Reiner @waylon18.bsky.social · Feb 19

www.routledge.com/Social-Democ...

Social Democratic Criminology

This book argues that ‘social democratic criminology’ is an important critical perspective which is essential for the analysis of crime and criminal justice and crucial for humane and effective policy...

www.routledge.com

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Reposted by Robert Reiner

David Osland @davidosland.bsky.social · 1d

On the centenary of Thatcher's birth, don't forget that she called Osama bin Laden a freedom fighter, Nelson Mandela a terrorist, General Pinochet a friend. And Jimmy Savile 'Sir'.

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Robert Reiner @waylon18.bsky.social · 17h

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Revealing the plumbing of our rigged economy
particularly in the supply of privatised utilities. Full public ownership would start a virtuous circle of enhanced living standards for most people. There was a high price for New Labour‘modernisation’ of Clause Four

Soaring bills are the gift that keeps on giving for Reform. Shame Labour doesn’t have the guts to do anything about them | Mathew Lawrence

A cost of living crisis is not inevitable if there is the will to stop companies extracting profits from Britain’s essential services, says Mathew Lawrence of the Common Wealth thinktank

www.theguardian.com

Robert Reiner @waylon18.bsky.social · 19h

edition.independent.co.uk/edition/uk.c...
Compelling critique of the right wing assault on ‘worthless’ degrees - those which give the tools to see through billionaire power. Shows the value of the author’s ‘Mickey Mouse’ studies

Badenoch thinks my degree is worthless – I beg to differ

edition.independent.co.uk

Robert Reiner @waylon18.bsky.social · 19h

www.unpopularfront.news/p/whats-happ...
Political economy of the rise of MAGA

"What's Happening Here"

My Chicago lecture and a great question

www.unpopularfront.news

Robert Reiner @waylon18.bsky.social · 19h

politicshomecom.cmail20.com/t/t-e-ghhply...
The power of open but well stocked minds terrifies those with closed, empty minds. The transatlantic war on knowledge, dressing itself up as fighting antisemitism, must be defeated for the sake of continued humanity

Universities Face A Financial Crisis Like The 2008 Crash, Warns Union Boss

politicshomecom.cmail20.com

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Robert Reiner @waylon18.bsky.social · 1d

observer.co.uk/news/opinion...
Not going back? OK. But not going back to what? Peace in Israel? OK. But a small country cannot be at peace unless its neighbours are too. Peace and prosperity on one side, poverty and oppression on the other cannot last. The future must be justice and peace all round

‘We’re not going back to 6 October’ | The Observer

When the war in Gaza began two years ago, the date became synonymous with bitter political arguments, violation and failed policies

observer.co.uk

Reposted by Robert Reiner

Ben D. @angler5.bsky.social · Dec 1

Nice.
“Do not waste time bothering whether you ‘love’ your neighbor; act as if you did. As soon as we do this we find one of the great secrets. When you are behaving as if you loved someone, you will presently come to love them.” C.S. Lewis

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Robert Reiner @waylon18.bsky.social · 1d

observer.co.uk/news/opinion...

Our grief can become anger – or it can deepen our humanity

We will never fully recover from the trauma of the past two years. But with a sense of compassion and dignity towards each other, we can build a better w...

observer.co.uk

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Robert Reiner @waylon18.bsky.social · 1d

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Evisceration of ‘Labour’ completing the destruction of democracy initiated by the Tories. That this is being done by people whose careers were built on commitment to human rights is heartbreaking and bewildering. Should be renamed Billionaires Buddies Party

Here’s what you need to know about Starmer’s illiberal protest curbs: they would have killed the Labour party at birth | George Monbiot

The rights we enjoy in the UK, and the movement the PM purports to lead, were built on protest. Those rights are in dire peril, says Guardian columnist George Monbiot

www.theguardian.com

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Reposted by Robert Reiner

Grumpy Brian🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇮🇪🇪🇺 @brian770.bsky.social · 1d

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Reposted by Robert Reiner

Grumpy Brian🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇮🇪🇪🇺 @brian770.bsky.social · 1d

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Robert Reiner @waylon18.bsky.social · 1d

fairnessfoundation.com/fairnecessit...
A thorough critical analysis of the political parties’ varying claims to promote fairness. Based on a multi dimensional notion of fairness

The Fair Necessities

What does fairness mean? We define it as five 'fair necessities': fair essentials, fair opportunities, fair rewards, fair exchange and fair treatment.

fairnessfoundation.com

Reposted by Robert Reiner

Jace @rapturedemon.bsky.social · 3d

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Dee Lomas @deelomas.bsky.social · 2d

If I were a betting woman (I’m not) I would bet my fucking house on the odds that not one bloke in this photo could successfully tell us the opening lines in the Book of Genesis chapter 1.

Just sayin…

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Robert Reiner @waylon18.bsky.social · 2d

www.theguardian.com/world/2025/o...
Such a sad story

Survivor of 7 October Nova festival attack in Israel found dead

Roei Shalev, 30, whose girlfriend and best friend were killed in front of him at festival, took his own life on Friday night

www.theguardian.com

Robert Reiner @waylon18.bsky.social · 2d

observer.co.uk/news/opinion...
Incisive amusing critique of Badenoch attack on ‘rip off’ degrees. The humanities and social sciences have value in every sense including economic. If the worthy degrees are those acquired by the Conservative leaders they are reviving their old ‘stupid party’ image

In praise of “rip-off” degrees | The Observer

Kemi Badenoch’s attack on the arts and humanities isn’t just culturally short-sighted, it’s economically illiterate

observer.co.uk

Robert Reiner @waylon18.bsky.social · 2d

observer.co.uk/news/columni...
Provocative witty destruction of anti intellectualism and pretentiousness

Welcome to dumb Britain, where anti-intellectualism is on...

From performative males to Taylor Swift analysis, pretentious intelligence is increasingly a turn-off

observer.co.uk

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Robert Reiner @waylon18.bsky.social · 2d

observer.co.uk/news/columni...
Dolly P shows you can be successful and good

Queen Dolly ‘ain’t ready to die yet’. Phew, we need her i...

Some may wonder what reaction there may be to their death; others are treated to a preview. Country music legend Dolly Parton just had to put out a video...

observer.co.uk

Robert Reiner @waylon18.bsky.social · 2d

observer.co.uk/news/columni...
Powerful advocacy of innovative national pension fund to support growth and security within existing Treasury constraints.

How Labour can unpick the triple lock | The Observer

The British Pension Plan would guarantee every child born from today a decent pension as a right. It is not too good to be true

observer.co.uk

Robert Reiner @waylon18.bsky.social · 2d

observer.co.uk/news/columni...
Stirring paean to history of working class intellectual and artistic culture, largely built on self education. Eroded by New Labour materialistic notions of relevance and Conservative disdain

It’s not opera that’s elitist but the idea that art is to...

The myth that culture has not been for the masses is debunked in a new book

observer.co.uk

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Robert Reiner @waylon18.bsky.social · 3d

Nigel Farage’s declaration of war on teachers is a war on compassion, empathy and kindness www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2025/10...
Farage’s war isn’t with Marxism in education. It’s with the values of Judaea Christianity - love the stranger etc. This really does inspire the many empathetic educators

Nigel Farage’s declaration of war on teachers is a war on compassion, empathy and kindness

According to The Guardian, Nigel Farage, speaking at an event at a private Christian college in Michigan, USA, has accused teachers in the UK of “poisoning our kids” and predicted that they would go o...

www.taxresearch.org.uk

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Robert Reiner @waylon18.bsky.social · 3d

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Surveys have always recorded the public as believing crime is worsening, irrespective of whether official statistics are rising or not. This is because media report the most dramatic violent or property crimes. Meanwhile crimes by the powerful remain mainly hidden

Is London in the grip of a crime wave? It’s not so simple

Perception of runaway crime partly blamed for ‘driving away the super-rich’ but in reality some high-profile offences such as watch theft are falling

www.theguardian.com

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Robert Reiner @waylon18.bsky.social · 3d

mailchi.mp/be870d49560c...
Has Atlas shrugged as the poster people for free market true believers fail successively? Probably not given that their think tanks like Atlas remain influential and generously supported by the billionaires they celebrate as holding the world up.

Chainsaws, chaos and crashing polls: Tories’ Javier Milei infatuation faces a reality check

mailchi.mp

Robert Reiner @waylon18.bsky.social · 3d

edition.independent.co.uk/edition/uk.c...
As a boomer I can see where this critique of boomer memoirs is coming from. But I think analysis based on generations is a distraction. The sources of deprivation and insecurity for the majority of subsequent generations lie in greed and folly of elites

Boomer memoirs... the least they could do is say sorry

edition.independent.co.uk

Robert Reiner @waylon18.bsky.social · 3d

www.theguardian.com/business/202...
Ideally Labour should not be trapped by financial bullying of bond markets and OBR. Resuscitate Keynes if you can do it you can afford it. Real resource availability is the crucial constraint. Financial orthodoxy primarily favours the wealthy

Rachel Reeves v the OBR: chancellor aims to loosen the watchdog’s grip

Labour embraced the forecaster’s powerful role, but now finds itself scrambling in the face of gloomy projections

www.theguardian.com

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