The Spectre Haunting Europe
@frightfulhobgoblin.bsky.social
Sometimes antisocial but always antifascist
🟥 Libertarian communist
🦋♾️ AuDHD
🚻 he/him
🏳️⚧️ Trans liberation
🇵🇸 Palestinian liberation
⚒️ Working-class liberation
🟥 Libertarian communist
🦋♾️ AuDHD
🚻 he/him
🏳️⚧️ Trans liberation
🇵🇸 Palestinian liberation
⚒️ Working-class liberation
Again: 'immigration' is not a real political topic.
'Immigration' is a container, for all of the problems of late stage neoliberalism - underfunded public services, degraded housing, low pay, social disintegration etc - all packaged together, and blamed on the very least powerful people in society.
'Immigration' is a container, for all of the problems of late stage neoliberalism - underfunded public services, degraded housing, low pay, social disintegration etc - all packaged together, and blamed on the very least powerful people in society.
November 27, 2025 at 12:18 PM
Again: 'immigration' is not a real political topic.
'Immigration' is a container, for all of the problems of late stage neoliberalism - underfunded public services, degraded housing, low pay, social disintegration etc - all packaged together, and blamed on the very least powerful people in society.
'Immigration' is a container, for all of the problems of late stage neoliberalism - underfunded public services, degraded housing, low pay, social disintegration etc - all packaged together, and blamed on the very least powerful people in society.
Labour's growing authoritarianism is deeply sinister.
This week, they've:
- Swapped judges last minute in the high-profile Palestine Action ban review
- Proposed removing the right of trial by jury for most offences
- Planned to abolish appeals in the asylum system
This week, they've:
- Swapped judges last minute in the high-profile Palestine Action ban review
- Proposed removing the right of trial by jury for most offences
- Planned to abolish appeals in the asylum system
November 27, 2025 at 11:02 AM
Labour's growing authoritarianism is deeply sinister.
This week, they've:
- Swapped judges last minute in the high-profile Palestine Action ban review
- Proposed removing the right of trial by jury for most offences
- Planned to abolish appeals in the asylum system
This week, they've:
- Swapped judges last minute in the high-profile Palestine Action ban review
- Proposed removing the right of trial by jury for most offences
- Planned to abolish appeals in the asylum system
If the whole point of the Blue Labour project was to tack rightwards in order to prove their 'electability' and 'seriousness' to the Founts of Public Opinion - but now they're still printing screeching op-eds as absurd as any under Corbyn (as we all predicted) - what was the point of the project?
November 27, 2025 at 9:51 AM
If the whole point of the Blue Labour project was to tack rightwards in order to prove their 'electability' and 'seriousness' to the Founts of Public Opinion - but now they're still printing screeching op-eds as absurd as any under Corbyn (as we all predicted) - what was the point of the project?
It's galling to see the flag-waving liberals who bayed for the blood of Edward Snowden, Reality Winner, Chelsea Manning etc etc now hankering for someone to leak the Epstein Files.
Almost as if systematic state malfeasance is what principled freedom of information is designed to prevent??
Almost as if systematic state malfeasance is what principled freedom of information is designed to prevent??
November 26, 2025 at 11:04 PM
It's galling to see the flag-waving liberals who bayed for the blood of Edward Snowden, Reality Winner, Chelsea Manning etc etc now hankering for someone to leak the Epstein Files.
Almost as if systematic state malfeasance is what principled freedom of information is designed to prevent??
Almost as if systematic state malfeasance is what principled freedom of information is designed to prevent??
I think the problem here is that Very Serious Politics Understanders tell themselves that politicians are demigod 4D chess players whose plans cannot be divined by mere mortals, and who should be unquestioningly praised for their magnanimity.
In reality, The Emperor is really just a naked old guy.
In reality, The Emperor is really just a naked old guy.
I don’t know and I don’t care! All that matters is that they have done it now and they should be praised for doing so not harping back to why they don’t the year before when they inherited a skip fire.
November 26, 2025 at 10:00 PM
I think the problem here is that Very Serious Politics Understanders tell themselves that politicians are demigod 4D chess players whose plans cannot be divined by mere mortals, and who should be unquestioningly praised for their magnanimity.
In reality, The Emperor is really just a naked old guy.
In reality, The Emperor is really just a naked old guy.
Louis XIV said 'L' etat, c'est moi', but that didn't stop his idiot grandson getting his head chopped off for conspiring to massacre his own subjects.
November 26, 2025 at 7:59 PM
Louis XIV said 'L' etat, c'est moi', but that didn't stop his idiot grandson getting his head chopped off for conspiring to massacre his own subjects.
Six months ago, Labour was spending every shred of political capital - up to and including suspending seven of its own MPs - to maintain the two child benefit cap.
Now, they're describing it's abolition as an overriding moral imperative.
Cynical, untrustworthy twisters.
Now, they're describing it's abolition as an overriding moral imperative.
Cynical, untrustworthy twisters.
November 26, 2025 at 5:18 PM
Six months ago, Labour was spending every shred of political capital - up to and including suspending seven of its own MPs - to maintain the two child benefit cap.
Now, they're describing it's abolition as an overriding moral imperative.
Cynical, untrustworthy twisters.
Now, they're describing it's abolition as an overriding moral imperative.
Cynical, untrustworthy twisters.
Cutting Motability is just the meanest, small-minded, penny-pinching cruelty, in order to save a rounding-error's worth in the Budget.
But it's not really about saving money. It's about demonstrative cruelty to appeal to people who will never, ever vote Labour.
But it's not really about saving money. It's about demonstrative cruelty to appeal to people who will never, ever vote Labour.
November 26, 2025 at 5:12 PM
Cutting Motability is just the meanest, small-minded, penny-pinching cruelty, in order to save a rounding-error's worth in the Budget.
But it's not really about saving money. It's about demonstrative cruelty to appeal to people who will never, ever vote Labour.
But it's not really about saving money. It's about demonstrative cruelty to appeal to people who will never, ever vote Labour.
The last 3 months have been the apotheosis of 'government by leak' - the Treasury leaking select policies from the Budget to the press via client journalists, watching the public response, and tailoring the actual Budget accordingly.
Just spectacularly, dangerously weak, amoral, cowardly politics.
Just spectacularly, dangerously weak, amoral, cowardly politics.
November 26, 2025 at 4:16 PM
The last 3 months have been the apotheosis of 'government by leak' - the Treasury leaking select policies from the Budget to the press via client journalists, watching the public response, and tailoring the actual Budget accordingly.
Just spectacularly, dangerously weak, amoral, cowardly politics.
Just spectacularly, dangerously weak, amoral, cowardly politics.
The single greatest evil of the last 50 years has been to frame governments instructing their own central banks to increase the supply of their own sovereign currencies as 'borrowing'.
November 26, 2025 at 2:31 PM
The single greatest evil of the last 50 years has been to frame governments instructing their own central banks to increase the supply of their own sovereign currencies as 'borrowing'.
*slams head in the door of my car repeatedly*
The government's finances are like a household budget
The government's finances are like a household budget
November 26, 2025 at 2:13 PM
*slams head in the door of my car repeatedly*
The government's finances are like a household budget
The government's finances are like a household budget
The UK is really just one massive experiment in how long you can go in piling up the mountainous wealth of the plutocratic 0.1% without serious social explosions involving public woodwork projects in town squares.
Labour have taken a good look at it and thought, nah we can push it further!
Labour have taken a good look at it and thought, nah we can push it further!
November 26, 2025 at 1:55 PM
The UK is really just one massive experiment in how long you can go in piling up the mountainous wealth of the plutocratic 0.1% without serious social explosions involving public woodwork projects in town squares.
Labour have taken a good look at it and thought, nah we can push it further!
Labour have taken a good look at it and thought, nah we can push it further!
Capitalism is so cooked it's only systemic response to anthropogenic climate change is to *commodify the greenhouse gases themselves* so they can be traded in a manner that preserves profit and massive inequality in the hands of greenhouse gas producers.
November 25, 2025 at 7:43 PM
Capitalism is so cooked it's only systemic response to anthropogenic climate change is to *commodify the greenhouse gases themselves* so they can be traded in a manner that preserves profit and massive inequality in the hands of greenhouse gas producers.
This is really what it's all been about: trying to bilk the handful of day-traders & sovereign funds that prop up the bond markets into grudging acceptance of her tenure by performative cruelty vs benefits recipients, the disabled, migrants etc.
Neoliberal feedback mechanisms are psychopathic.
Neoliberal feedback mechanisms are psychopathic.
Reeves asks banks to praise her plans as they escape Budget tax raid on.ft.com/3KjmNae
Reeves asks banks to praise her plans as they escape Budget tax raid
Chancellor is under pressure from some Labour MPs to raise levies on business this week
on.ft.com
November 24, 2025 at 11:31 PM
This is really what it's all been about: trying to bilk the handful of day-traders & sovereign funds that prop up the bond markets into grudging acceptance of her tenure by performative cruelty vs benefits recipients, the disabled, migrants etc.
Neoliberal feedback mechanisms are psychopathic.
Neoliberal feedback mechanisms are psychopathic.
Wicked: For Good is actually a film about how antifascist partisans are critical to defeating authoritarianism even if they fail to achieve state power directly; they destabilise internal systems and lay its contradictions bare.
November 24, 2025 at 6:10 PM
Wicked: For Good is actually a film about how antifascist partisans are critical to defeating authoritarianism even if they fail to achieve state power directly; they destabilise internal systems and lay its contradictions bare.
Burying the tottering HE sector, for the kind of money the government loses down the back of the sofa - less than 0.05% of the govt's annual budget.
I'd describe this as a catastrophic failure of imagination, but the obvious solution - wealth taxes on the rich - is insultingly obvious to everyone.
I'd describe this as a catastrophic failure of imagination, but the obvious solution - wealth taxes on the rich - is insultingly obvious to everyone.
i: Reeves to unveil £600m raid on foreign student
university fees #TomorrowsPapersToday
university fees #TomorrowsPapersToday
November 24, 2025 at 12:15 PM
Burying the tottering HE sector, for the kind of money the government loses down the back of the sofa - less than 0.05% of the govt's annual budget.
I'd describe this as a catastrophic failure of imagination, but the obvious solution - wealth taxes on the rich - is insultingly obvious to everyone.
I'd describe this as a catastrophic failure of imagination, but the obvious solution - wealth taxes on the rich - is insultingly obvious to everyone.
Surely this was the point? Create an atmosphere in which anti-genocide opinions and speech are considered terrorism, or terrorist adjacent?
What do you mean these people aren't 'real' terrorists, and they're gumming up other repressive systems designed to demonise Muslims more generally?
What do you mean these people aren't 'real' terrorists, and they're gumming up other repressive systems designed to demonise Muslims more generally?
Palestine Action ban could lead to people being wrongly criminalised, Home Office official says
Palestine Action ban could lead to people being wrongly criminalised, Home Office official says
Exclusive: Member of homeland security group says anti-terrorism Prevent scheme risks being overwhelmed by Palestine advocates
The anti-terrorism Prevent programme risks being overwhelmed because of the government’s ban on Palestine Action and could lead to people being wrongly criminalised, a member of the Home Office’s homeland security group has warned.
The official said there was already confusion among counter-terrorism police, officials and in schools and hospitals as a result of the proscription of the direct action group, which makes being a member of – or showing support for – it a criminal offence under the Terrorism Act. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
November 23, 2025 at 12:01 PM
Surely this was the point? Create an atmosphere in which anti-genocide opinions and speech are considered terrorism, or terrorist adjacent?
What do you mean these people aren't 'real' terrorists, and they're gumming up other repressive systems designed to demonise Muslims more generally?
What do you mean these people aren't 'real' terrorists, and they're gumming up other repressive systems designed to demonise Muslims more generally?
It's pretty instructive to compare the kinds of arguments that racists made in favour of segregation to the arguments transphobes make in favour of excluding trans people from public life.
Performative white feminine fragility vs the hypersexualised other has always been the #1 weapon.
Performative white feminine fragility vs the hypersexualised other has always been the #1 weapon.
November 23, 2025 at 10:27 AM
It's pretty instructive to compare the kinds of arguments that racists made in favour of segregation to the arguments transphobes make in favour of excluding trans people from public life.
Performative white feminine fragility vs the hypersexualised other has always been the #1 weapon.
Performative white feminine fragility vs the hypersexualised other has always been the #1 weapon.
It doesn't surprise me in the slightest that a hack writer whose wizards canonically simply shat themselves and cleaned it up with magic would be confused and enraged by the normal operation of bathrooms.
November 22, 2025 at 11:23 PM
It doesn't surprise me in the slightest that a hack writer whose wizards canonically simply shat themselves and cleaned it up with magic would be confused and enraged by the normal operation of bathrooms.
Zack Polanski inviting Zarah Sultana to join the Greens is, frankly, top craic.
November 22, 2025 at 6:14 PM
Zack Polanski inviting Zarah Sultana to join the Greens is, frankly, top craic.
Pontification about 'the dangers of populism' come down to no more than that which has been playing on the mind of the bourgeoisie for 600 years: fear of the mob.
On the contrary - the mob is the *only* social institution which has advanced, safeguarded and underpinned social progress.
On the contrary - the mob is the *only* social institution which has advanced, safeguarded and underpinned social progress.
November 22, 2025 at 6:04 PM
Pontification about 'the dangers of populism' come down to no more than that which has been playing on the mind of the bourgeoisie for 600 years: fear of the mob.
On the contrary - the mob is the *only* social institution which has advanced, safeguarded and underpinned social progress.
On the contrary - the mob is the *only* social institution which has advanced, safeguarded and underpinned social progress.
No coincidence that Mamdani was meeting Trump whilst the House Democrats were passing a resolution to 'condemn socialism'.
A very real split between narrow establishment politics and emergent mass politics (in its positive, optimistic form vs its negative, hateful form). The old ways are dying.
A very real split between narrow establishment politics and emergent mass politics (in its positive, optimistic form vs its negative, hateful form). The old ways are dying.
November 22, 2025 at 5:52 PM
No coincidence that Mamdani was meeting Trump whilst the House Democrats were passing a resolution to 'condemn socialism'.
A very real split between narrow establishment politics and emergent mass politics (in its positive, optimistic form vs its negative, hateful form). The old ways are dying.
A very real split between narrow establishment politics and emergent mass politics (in its positive, optimistic form vs its negative, hateful form). The old ways are dying.
You mean, the same trick that was used to put Starmer into power too?
The same people who convinced the British public to back a catastrophic Boris Johnson premiership are now pulling the same trick again with Nigel Farage
www.adambienkov.co.uk/p/the-confid...
www.adambienkov.co.uk/p/the-confid...
The Confidence Trick That Put Boris Johnson Into Power Is Now Being Used on Nigel Farage
The same people who convinced the British public to back a catastrophic Boris Johnson premiership are now pulling the same trick again with Nigel Farage
www.adambienkov.co.uk
November 22, 2025 at 11:38 AM
You mean, the same trick that was used to put Starmer into power too?
You could only believe this if you were either a child or in a coma between 2001-9.
Hell, I was a child and even I remember what a nasty piece of work this lunatic Christofascist was.
Hell, I was a child and even I remember what a nasty piece of work this lunatic Christofascist was.
Watching the funeral of VP Dick Cheney and listening to his daughter, Congresswoman Liz Cheney, speak. One can only hope that this GOP will find its democratic compass again and reject all things fascist. I didn’t always agree with VP Cheney BUT he was antifa. He always put country over party.RIP🙏
November 22, 2025 at 9:38 AM
You could only believe this if you were either a child or in a coma between 2001-9.
Hell, I was a child and even I remember what a nasty piece of work this lunatic Christofascist was.
Hell, I was a child and even I remember what a nasty piece of work this lunatic Christofascist was.
Has come to my attention that my account has been labelled for having a 'hate symbol' as its pfp.
Firstly, that's a pumpkin. That's the joke.
Secondly, this requires believing that the people who built Auschwitz and the people who liberated were identical.
Firstly, that's a pumpkin. That's the joke.
Secondly, this requires believing that the people who built Auschwitz and the people who liberated were identical.
November 21, 2025 at 11:54 PM
Has come to my attention that my account has been labelled for having a 'hate symbol' as its pfp.
Firstly, that's a pumpkin. That's the joke.
Secondly, this requires believing that the people who built Auschwitz and the people who liberated were identical.
Firstly, that's a pumpkin. That's the joke.
Secondly, this requires believing that the people who built Auschwitz and the people who liberated were identical.