Rootless Cosmopolitan
@brennick.bsky.social
1.9K followers 2.6K following 4.5K posts
books, films, music, politics, history. "this is a stupid conversation, and I'm not going to continue it".
Posts Media Videos Starter Packs
Reposted by Rootless Cosmopolitan
cnn.com
CNN @cnn.com · 13h
"While Trump came to office promising to restore free speech, particularly on college campuses and on social media, he's now engaged in a multi-front war over what people can say in the US," writes Zachary B. Wolf | Analysis
https://cnn.it/4q1uOkl
Reposted by Rootless Cosmopolitan
theintercept.com
Qatar has pumped billions of dollars into U.S. companies over the past year — in many cases enriching companies and business ventures linked to Trump’s family and friends. interc.pt/4h6QXJP
A photo of President Donald Trump speaking with Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad al Thani as he departed the Al Udeid Air Base for Abu Dhabi on May 15, 2025, in Doha, Qatar, overlaid with the headline, "Did Qatari Money Drive Trump’s Push for Gaza Ceasefire?" and the DEK, "Trump’s stance on Gaza shifted after Israel’s attack on Qatar — a close ally where he and his family have key business deals."
Reposted by Rootless Cosmopolitan
marcuschown.bsky.social
Look at these stats for female prisons in the UK (2013). They show it’s not unusual for ~50% of staff to be men..

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7c84...

Given controversy about possibility of trans women in female spaces, why is it never mentioned there are so many men in female prisons?
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
brennick.bsky.social
I remember watching The World at War as a kid and always asking myself “How on earth could a modern sophisticated nation support these fascist goons and weirdos?” The last decade has shown me exactly how.
Reposted by Rootless Cosmopolitan
socialmedialab.ca
"Pope Leo XIV encouraged international news agencies on Thursday to stand firm as a bulwark against the “ancient art of lying” and manipulation, as he strongly backed a free, independent and objective press." apnews.com/article/pope...
Pope urges news agencies to stand as bulwark against lies, manipulation and post-truths
Pope Leo XIV has encouraged international news agencies to stand firm as a bulwark against the “ancient art of lying” and manipulation.
apnews.com
Reposted by Rootless Cosmopolitan
atrupar.com
STEPHANOPOULOS: Did Tom Homan give the $50,000 back?

VANCE: He did not take a bribe. It's a ridiculous smear

STEPHANOPOULOS: You didn't answer the question

VANCE: Did he accept $50,000? I'm sure that in the course of Homan's life, he's been paid more than $50k for services.

(So, no, he didn't)
Reposted by Rootless Cosmopolitan
danwhitehead.net
Have you read the good news?
A very poor Photoshop edit of the "Everything I Don't Like Is Woke" spoof Ladybird book, except now the man has Peter Thiel's face, the book is called "Everything I don't like is The Antichrist" and he's pointing at a car engine saying "This engine is the Antichrist".
Reposted by Rootless Cosmopolitan
carolecadwalla.bsky.social
NEW: The British politician, his Russian intelligence handler & a Kremlin plot against the US & Ukraine.

My new piece about Nathan Gill and Nigel Farage for @thenerve_news in which we ask:

Why, even now, is no-one asking questions?

t.co/BUTtpK9C4S
Reposted by Rootless Cosmopolitan
editorialboard.bsky.social
I saw the new George Orwell documentary last night. It’s called 2+2=5. I have been a little bit squeamish about applying the word totalitarian to Trump and the Republicans. Not anymore. We are experiencing a totalitarian movement. There’s no question.
brennick.bsky.social
Powell never saw active combat in WWII. Unlike Dennis Healey, Jim Callaghan and…Edward Heath. Wonder how much that incensed him.
Reposted by Rootless Cosmopolitan
eddwilson.bsky.social
Ceasefire withdrawal

#bbclaurak
Reposted by Rootless Cosmopolitan
thejuicemedia.com
The Government of New Zealand has made a new tourism ad and it's surprsingly honest and informative!
Honest Government Ad | Visit New Zealand!
YouTube video by thejuicemedia
www.youtube.com
Reposted by Rootless Cosmopolitan
samfr.bsky.social
New post just out:

The relationship between Russia and the European radical right goes well beyond Reform's Nathan Gill being bribed.

In this post I trace the history back to the 1990s and look at the threat it poses now.

(£/free trial)

open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/r...
Russia and the rise of the radical right
Marine Le Pen meets with Putin before the 2017 French Presidential election (Photo credit Mikhail Klimentyev/AFP via Getty Images)
open.substack.com
Reposted by Rootless Cosmopolitan
chrisdaleoxford.bsky.social
Heron surveys the world and is unimpressed
The head and body of a heron looking cross. Its body is grey, with white lower breast and throat. The beak is yellow underneath and black and grey above. Its eye has a yellow ring round a black centre.
brennick.bsky.social
Ah that was my aspiration back then. And 30 years later I do finally have a debit card.
Reposted by Rootless Cosmopolitan
wokestudies.bsky.social
"London reported the lowest number of homicides of under-25s for more than two decades. Overall, murders are at a five-year low, and the rate is much lower than in other international cities such as New York, Paris, Brussels, Berlin and Madrid" www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
‘London has turned into something crazy’: is the city in the grip of a crime wave?
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
Reposted by Rootless Cosmopolitan
peterstefanovic.bsky.social
UK travellers should expect "four-hour queues" as new EU border system comes into force. Brexit really is the gift that keeps giving

www.itv.com/news/2025-10...
Reposted by Rootless Cosmopolitan
sturdyalex.bsky.social
Imagine being the UK diplomat having to respond to these "concerns" about how intel is handled, knowing that on the other side the people in charge are Kash Patel, Tulsi Gabbard, Pete Hegseth, and Donald Trump.
White House anger over UK spy case fiasco
US warns of damage to shared intelligence
Caroline Wheeler Political Editor
George Grylls
Washington Correspondent
Gabriel Pogrund Whitehall Editor
The White House has warned Sir Keir Starmer that the failure to prosecute two alleged Chinese spies risks undermining the special relationship and could threaten intelligence-sharing between Brit ain and the US.
President Trump is understood to be concerned about the UK's reliability after charges against two Britons accused of spying for Bei jing were dropped. The case against Chris Cash, 30, a former parliamentary researcher, and Christopher Berry, 33, an aca demic, collapsed last month after the government failed to provide evidence that China was a threat to national security.
A senior Trump administration official said: "The United States has been warning allies about the Chi nese threat to our combined national security since Preside Trump first came into office in 2017. The US government exercises mation with foreign governments subject to adversarial coercion and influence. We are especially
careful in jurisdictions where our adversaries can act with impunity." Senior Republicans insisted that
the prosecution go ahead. John Moolenaar, chairman of the House of Representatives' China commit tee, said: "As a target of [Chinese state) espionage, it is my hope that the UK government will not allow this case to falter and will take the steps necessary to ensure a clear message is sent and proper justice is served."
Trump's administration has pre viously warned against allowing a Chinese mega-embassy to be built near London financial centres. The American president is understood to have raised the matter person ally with Starmer.
While the prime minister is sof tening Britain's position on China, Trump reignited his trade war with Beijing on Friday, raising tariffs to 130 per cent after China blocked the export of critical minerals used in the defence and tech industries.