Hugh Barnard
@hughbarnard.bsky.social
Ecology, local democracy, FOSS, AI, ethics, radical financial reform/alternative currencies, music:http://tinyurl.com/4btpysvm, miscellaneous mischief.
Pic is Umi&me at the Grand Soleil in Gruissan
@[email protected] and https://hughbarnard.org
Pic is Umi&me at the Grand Soleil in Gruissan
@[email protected] and https://hughbarnard.org
Reposted by Hugh Barnard
TW: Suicide and transphobia
A trans woman died in Scottish prison after spending *nine weeks* in isolation as discussions over being transferred to a women's prison "dragged on" in 2019.
The inquiry ended this month.
insidetime.org/newsround/tr...
A trans woman died in Scottish prison after spending *nine weeks* in isolation as discussions over being transferred to a women's prison "dragged on" in 2019.
The inquiry ended this month.
insidetime.org/newsround/tr...
Trans woman took her own life after being refused move to female jail
A transgender women took her own life in the segregation unit of a male prison after being denied a move to a female establishment. Sarah Jane Riley died in January 2019 at HMP Perth, where she was…
insidetime.org
November 28, 2025 at 3:22 PM
TW: Suicide and transphobia
A trans woman died in Scottish prison after spending *nine weeks* in isolation as discussions over being transferred to a women's prison "dragged on" in 2019.
The inquiry ended this month.
insidetime.org/newsround/tr...
A trans woman died in Scottish prison after spending *nine weeks* in isolation as discussions over being transferred to a women's prison "dragged on" in 2019.
The inquiry ended this month.
insidetime.org/newsround/tr...
Reposted by Hugh Barnard
"To acquire the habit of reading is to construct for yourself a refuge from almost all the miseries of life"
Books & Reading #92
The great British novelist W. Somerset Maugham wrote this in his 1940 work Books and You, a collection of essays which he subtitled "A Dissertation Upon Reading" #bookworm #booklover #booknerd #readingislife
The great British novelist W. Somerset Maugham wrote this in his 1940 work Books and You, a collection of essays which he subtitled "A Dissertation Upon Reading" #bookworm #booklover #booknerd #readingislife
November 28, 2025 at 3:21 PM
"To acquire the habit of reading is to construct for yourself a refuge from almost all the miseries of life"
Reposted by Hugh Barnard
not beating the “AI art is lazy” allegations
November 26, 2025 at 7:47 PM
not beating the “AI art is lazy” allegations
Reposted by Hugh Barnard
Former Farage party MEP denies taking money from pro-Russian campaign www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Former Brexit Party MEP denies taking payment from pro-Russian campaign
A prominent former MEP for Nigel Farage's old party denies taking bribes in a pro-Russian campaign.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 28, 2025 at 11:18 AM
Former Farage party MEP denies taking money from pro-Russian campaign www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Reposted by Hugh Barnard
Reposted by Hugh Barnard
Reform UK Doncaster leader resigns after being defeated in council chamber by his own party
www.doncasterfreepress.co.uk/news/politic...
www.doncasterfreepress.co.uk/news/politic...
Reform UK leader resigns after being defeated in council chamber by his own party
Reform UK Councillor Guy Aston has stepped down as group leader on the City of Doncaster Council, claiming he has received “vitriolic texts that border on abuse” from members of his own party.
www.doncasterfreepress.co.uk
November 28, 2025 at 12:03 PM
Reform UK Doncaster leader resigns after being defeated in council chamber by his own party
www.doncasterfreepress.co.uk/news/politic...
www.doncasterfreepress.co.uk/news/politic...
Reposted by Hugh Barnard
Video shows Israeli forces shooting Palestinians dead moments after surrender
Video shows Israeli forces shooting Palestinians dead moments after surrender
Far-right minister defends killing of two men in Jenin, saying ‘terrorists must die’
Video of an Israeli military raid in Jenin shows soldiers summarily executing two Palestinians they had detained seconds earlier.
The shooting on Thursday evening, which was also witnessed by journalists close to the scene, is under justice ministry review, but has already been defended by Israel’s far-right minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who declared: “terrorists must die”. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
November 28, 2025 at 11:58 AM
Video shows Israeli forces shooting Palestinians dead moments after surrender
Reposted by Hugh Barnard
i know WHY this is but that just makes it even more of a kick in the pants lmao
November 28, 2025 at 3:28 AM
i know WHY this is but that just makes it even more of a kick in the pants lmao
Quote from therestartproject.org
'In fact, lots of us end up regretting Black Friday purchases; it's estimated that Black Friday creates an extra 1.5 million tonnes of waste just in the UK and whopping 80% of purchases get thrown away!'
#EnoughStuff
'In fact, lots of us end up regretting Black Friday purchases; it's estimated that Black Friday creates an extra 1.5 million tonnes of waste just in the UK and whopping 80% of purchases get thrown away!'
#EnoughStuff
The Restart Project - The Right to Repair and Reuse Your Electronics
The Restart Project encourages and empowers people to use their electronics longer in order to reduce waste. Join or host a Restart Party in your community
therestartproject.org
November 28, 2025 at 12:23 PM
Quote from therestartproject.org
'In fact, lots of us end up regretting Black Friday purchases; it's estimated that Black Friday creates an extra 1.5 million tonnes of waste just in the UK and whopping 80% of purchases get thrown away!'
#EnoughStuff
'In fact, lots of us end up regretting Black Friday purchases; it's estimated that Black Friday creates an extra 1.5 million tonnes of waste just in the UK and whopping 80% of purchases get thrown away!'
#EnoughStuff
Reposted by Hugh Barnard
Elon Musk and the Trump administration gleefully shutting down USAID “has already caused the deaths of six hundred thousand people, two-thirds of them children.”
People throw around terms like genocide quite freely online but it’s hard to find other words to describe this level of man-made death.
People throw around terms like genocide quite freely online but it’s hard to find other words to describe this level of man-made death.
USAID shutdown has led to hundreds of thousands of deaths | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
The Trump administration’s decision to shut down the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths from infectious diseases and malnutrition, accord...
hsph.harvard.edu
November 28, 2025 at 11:24 AM
Elon Musk and the Trump administration gleefully shutting down USAID “has already caused the deaths of six hundred thousand people, two-thirds of them children.”
People throw around terms like genocide quite freely online but it’s hard to find other words to describe this level of man-made death.
People throw around terms like genocide quite freely online but it’s hard to find other words to describe this level of man-made death.
Reposted by Hugh Barnard
The Romans had actual corn laws that distributed subsidised (and eventually) free corn as state welfare. Important parts of Roman history hinge on this and we still use the phrase "bread and circuses" which is a direct reference to this state welfare
November 28, 2025 at 11:20 AM
The Romans had actual corn laws that distributed subsidised (and eventually) free corn as state welfare. Important parts of Roman history hinge on this and we still use the phrase "bread and circuses" which is a direct reference to this state welfare
Reposted by Hugh Barnard
Reposted by Hugh Barnard
#OtD 28 Nov 1979 mostly Asian women workers at the Chix confectionery factory in Slough, were on strike. They had walked out in October for recognition of their union, and stayed out for eight months until they won stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/1004...
November 28, 2025 at 7:10 AM
#OtD 28 Nov 1979 mostly Asian women workers at the Chix confectionery factory in Slough, were on strike. They had walked out in October for recognition of their union, and stayed out for eight months until they won stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/1004...
Reposted by Hugh Barnard
I heard a story about a female academic giving a paper at the IHR who, after receiving a long and aggressive question from a senior male professor, simply leaned back with her hands behind her head and replied “Oh, do fuck off.”
One of my colleagues went to a seminar at Berkeley and when someone asked a question Derrida brushed it off saying ‘what you ask may be important but it is not interesting’.
This path leads to chaos.
November 27, 2025 at 6:16 PM
I heard a story about a female academic giving a paper at the IHR who, after receiving a long and aggressive question from a senior male professor, simply leaned back with her hands behind her head and replied “Oh, do fuck off.”
Reposted by Hugh Barnard
Two things really struck me in what is a very good article
1. *Why* did we shift from always having a CMO who is a trained public health doctor to appointing ones who are not?
2. What did SE Asian nations do so much better than the West/UK did &why did we ignore lessons (and ignore WHO too)
1. *Why* did we shift from always having a CMO who is a trained public health doctor to appointing ones who are not?
2. What did SE Asian nations do so much better than the West/UK did &why did we ignore lessons (and ignore WHO too)
November 28, 2025 at 9:53 AM
Two things really struck me in what is a very good article
1. *Why* did we shift from always having a CMO who is a trained public health doctor to appointing ones who are not?
2. What did SE Asian nations do so much better than the West/UK did &why did we ignore lessons (and ignore WHO too)
1. *Why* did we shift from always having a CMO who is a trained public health doctor to appointing ones who are not?
2. What did SE Asian nations do so much better than the West/UK did &why did we ignore lessons (and ignore WHO too)
Reposted by Hugh Barnard
Very well worth a read … I agree with the need for an urgent review of the remit, role, function and membership of SAGE 👇
www.bylinesupplement.com/p/230000-dea...
www.bylinesupplement.com/p/230000-dea...
230,000 Deaths and the ‘Calculated Silence’ of the Medical Establishment About the COVID Inquiry
The Covid Inquiry Report is a devastating critique of the medical establishment which led the UK to the worst public health disaster in a century, argues Anthony Costello
www.bylinesupplement.com
November 27, 2025 at 9:24 PM
Very well worth a read … I agree with the need for an urgent review of the remit, role, function and membership of SAGE 👇
www.bylinesupplement.com/p/230000-dea...
www.bylinesupplement.com/p/230000-dea...
Reposted by Hugh Barnard
Camera exposes Israeli forces kill two Palestinians after their surrender in occupied West Bank
Camera exposes Israeli forces kill two Palestinians after their surrender in occupied West Bank
A video published on Thursday documented the moment two Palestinian men were shot dead after fully surrendering during an Israeli army siege of homes in the Jabal Abu Zuhair area near Jenin refugee…
www.middleeastmonitor.com
November 28, 2025 at 8:26 AM
Camera exposes Israeli forces kill two Palestinians after their surrender in occupied West Bank
Reposted by Hugh Barnard
A year ago today, Georgians poured into the streets after Georgian Dream announced it would suspend the country's EU path. The regime responded with brutal crackdowns, torturing up to 500 protesters. No one has been held accountable.
Detailed reports:
t.co/a8rHKbxza6
europeanorbit.ge/eng/news/39
Detailed reports:
t.co/a8rHKbxza6
europeanorbit.ge/eng/news/39
A 🧵 with some of the most harrowing accounts of physical and verbal abuse against Georgian protesters during the November-December crackdowns.
[Source: a recent report from Georgian civil society organizations: cutt.ly/6rz3ADOy] 1/10
[Source: a recent report from Georgian civil society organizations: cutt.ly/6rz3ADOy] 1/10
November 28, 2025 at 8:48 AM
A year ago today, Georgians poured into the streets after Georgian Dream announced it would suspend the country's EU path. The regime responded with brutal crackdowns, torturing up to 500 protesters. No one has been held accountable.
Detailed reports:
t.co/a8rHKbxza6
europeanorbit.ge/eng/news/39
Detailed reports:
t.co/a8rHKbxza6
europeanorbit.ge/eng/news/39
Reposted by Hugh Barnard
A year ago today, Georgian Dream unleashed an unprecedented wave of repression against protesters — torture, beatings, mass arrests, and crushing fines. The brutality has only grown since. Yet, Georgians continue to protest every single day.
Full report: t.co/a8rHKbxza6
Full report: t.co/a8rHKbxza6
Key findings from the latest report from Georgian civil society organizations on the Georgia crackdowns in November-February:
[Report in Georgian:
cutt.ly/6rz3ADOy]
- 77.7% of respondents reported experiencing violence and mistreatment by police. 🧵 1/9
[Report in Georgian:
cutt.ly/6rz3ADOy]
- 77.7% of respondents reported experiencing violence and mistreatment by police. 🧵 1/9
November 28, 2025 at 8:51 AM
A year ago today, Georgian Dream unleashed an unprecedented wave of repression against protesters — torture, beatings, mass arrests, and crushing fines. The brutality has only grown since. Yet, Georgians continue to protest every single day.
Full report: t.co/a8rHKbxza6
Full report: t.co/a8rHKbxza6
See also David Graeber's en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bullshi...
November 28, 2025 at 9:24 AM
See also David Graeber's en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bullshi...
Reposted by Hugh Barnard
One year of continuous resistance
#GeorgiaProtests
The fight for freedom continues! ✊🏻🇬🇪🇪🇺
Video by David Tsintsadze
#GeorgiaProtests
The fight for freedom continues! ✊🏻🇬🇪🇪🇺
Video by David Tsintsadze
November 27, 2025 at 8:32 PM
One year of continuous resistance
#GeorgiaProtests
The fight for freedom continues! ✊🏻🇬🇪🇪🇺
Video by David Tsintsadze
#GeorgiaProtests
The fight for freedom continues! ✊🏻🇬🇪🇪🇺
Video by David Tsintsadze
Reposted by Hugh Barnard
Instead of seeking peace, the Kremlin is trying to buy time and undermine Ukraine’s allies, analysts say. Another goal is to shift the blame to Kyiv by accusing it of rejecting Russian conditions that are effectively tantamount to capitulation.
Russia's coy game: Why Kremlin won't commit to Trump's peace push
As U.S. President Donald Trump accelerates his push for a settlement in Moscow's war against Ukraine, analysts say Russia's ambiguous stance is clouding the process.
Even though the original peace pl...
kyivindependent.com
November 27, 2025 at 8:18 PM
Instead of seeking peace, the Kremlin is trying to buy time and undermine Ukraine’s allies, analysts say. Another goal is to shift the blame to Kyiv by accusing it of rejecting Russian conditions that are effectively tantamount to capitulation.
Reposted by Hugh Barnard
“the foreign state that saw the greatest benefit to itself in fracturing Europe’s democratic alliances…is Putin’s Russia.”
As Tory chancellor Philip Hammond noted pre ref “the only country that wants us to leave the EU is Russia”
#Brexit #Russia www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
As Tory chancellor Philip Hammond noted pre ref “the only country that wants us to leave the EU is Russia”
#Brexit #Russia www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Rachel Reeves has many problems. She’s realising that her Brexit bind may be the biggest of all | Rafael Behr
Brutal economic realities are prompting a shift in Labour’s tone on Europe. But will it dare tell the whole truth about Britain’s predicament, asks Guardian columnist Rafael Behr
www.theguardian.com
November 27, 2025 at 4:27 PM
“the foreign state that saw the greatest benefit to itself in fracturing Europe’s democratic alliances…is Putin’s Russia.”
As Tory chancellor Philip Hammond noted pre ref “the only country that wants us to leave the EU is Russia”
#Brexit #Russia www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
As Tory chancellor Philip Hammond noted pre ref “the only country that wants us to leave the EU is Russia”
#Brexit #Russia www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Reposted by Hugh Barnard
Ryan Bourne, a member of the Economists for Brexit* cabal that the Leave camp depended on to make their economic case for leaving, has written a long article in the Times admitting to the damage that Brexit has caused.
(*Other familiar names include Patrick Minford.)
archive.ph/2025.11.26-1...
(*Other familiar names include Patrick Minford.)
archive.ph/2025.11.26-1...
November 28, 2025 at 8:16 AM