Author | Lightnews

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Adam Serwer @adamserwer.bsky.social · 2h

Describe a character in Greek mythology the way someone trying to defend a politician would. I’ll start.

Oedipus: Like you’ve never had sex with someone and regretted it later

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Marc Cooper @marccooper.bsky.social · 4h

Three main things, imo:

1. Capitalism – the reward function is money, so money is the goal, which is orthogonal to "society".
2. Lack of discussion about the kind of society we want to live in.
3. FPTP - which is combative rather than collaborative, and tends to authoritarianism.

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Marc Cooper @marccooper.bsky.social · 3d

Imagine how they feel in Norn Irn ;-)

I agree, though. I've spent nine years, in total, living in Scotland, and it always felt like a world away from England – in a good way. I remain broadly in favour of independence, especially as I might qualify for a passport :-)

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Henry Mance @henrymance.ft.com · 6d

How has the government got itself into the position of standing up for Israeli football hooligans, while criminalising peaceful supporters of Palestine Action?

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Stephen Curry @scurry.bsky.social · 7d

Never forget. These deaths are due to cuts that Elon Musk, a Fellow of the @royalsociety.org bragged about. And to this day, they’re fine with it.

zatapatique @zatapatique.bsky.social · 7d

Even in this place, I feel the sheer scale of foreign aid being demolished isn't fully appreciated. As it stands, it is perhaps *the* most catastrophic change to preventable deaths in our lifetimes, and the salience - even in presumably friendly spaces - is basically zero

apnews.com/article/myan...

Starving children screaming for food as US aid cuts unleash devastation and death across Myanmar

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has repeatedly said “no one has died" because of his government’s decision to gut its foreign aid program.

apnews.com

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Paul Bernal @paulbernal.bsky.social · 7d

This is why the Greens are rising in the polls, and why Labour have fallen so far. Labour’s ’natural supporters’ aren’t anti-immigrant. They’re not xenophobic. Labour’s leadership are alienating them, and now they have somewhere to go.

Well said.

Zack Polanski @zackpolanski.bsky.social · 7d

British.

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Marc Cooper @marccooper.bsky.social · 7d

I agree. But more than that, Zack is saying: "this is what I think", "this is what I represent", "this is where I'm taking you." And he invites us in.

I'm prime Labour material, if they could connect. But they can't.

I've flipped LibDem/Green, but Zack has pulled me back. Sincerity has value.

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Chris Dillow @chrisdillow.bsky.social · 9d

In A Glass of Blessings (1958) Barbara Pym says the post arrived 2-3 times a day in the run-up to Xmas. Which reminds us that technical regress is a thing: enshittification isn't just for the internet. Here's one I wrote earlier: chrisdillow.substack.com/p/technical-...

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Marc Cooper @marccooper.bsky.social · 9d

We could make it a bit simpler and have them transcribe a two minute conversation between a Geordie, a Cumbrian, and an Aberdonian.

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Marc Cooper @marccooper.bsky.social · 10d

Redcoats in the village and there's fighting in the streets
Indians and the Mountain Men are talking when they meet
The king has said he's going to put a tax on tea
And that's the reason y'all Americans drink coffee

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George Monbiot @georgemonbiot.bsky.social · 13d

Limited liability is one of our weird silences. It's a massive free gift society makes to plutocrats, seldom remarked upon, let alone contested.
Shareholders should have to buy limited liability, like any other insurance. The insurers would then be liable. 🧵
www.theguardian.com/news/ng-inte...

Will UK taxpayers get their £122m back from PPE Medpro?

The high court told the company linked to Michelle Mone to pay up over the supply of defective gowns, but there appears no clear route to reclaim the funds

www.theguardian.com

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Coates is Odd This Day @oddthisday.bsky.social · 14d

Ah, happy 88th anniversary of the day Oswald Mosley tried to sell fascism to Liverpudlians – and someone concussed him with a brick

A man in a suit stands at a microphone which has been mounted on the roof of a van. There are loudspeakers at his feet, and a building behind him. He has an arm raised, and is flinching as projectiles are hurled at him, because he's a fucking Nazi

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The Green Party of England & Wales @greenparty.org.uk · 14d

“You can’t blame austerity on one hand, but then say it’s the immigrants. The immigrants haven’t caused austerity.”

Zack Polanski takes on Reform’s Zia Yusuf over spreading of misinformation on #BBCQT

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Leah Shaffer @leahshaffer.bsky.social · 15d

Woke Pope Says Nope To DisInfo Slope

The Associated Press @apnews.com · 15d

Pope Leo XIV has encouraged international news agencies to stand firm as a bulwark against the "ancient art of lying" and manipulation.

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.

bit.ly

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Senator Ron Wyden @wyden.senate.gov · 16d

We will rebuild

Frank A. Stengel @frankstengel.com · 16d

Horrible, horrible images from Portland:

Senator Ron Wyden @wyden.senate.gov · 18d

It was a beautiful Sunday in Portland. Farmer’s markets, the Portland Marathon, peaceful protests, and some views of Mt. Hood. This city is vibrant, peaceful, and resilient. We do not need a federal occupation, and we sure as hell don’t want one.

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Chris Lintott @chrislintott.bsky.social · 16d

Prof. Gurdon was Master at Magdalene when I was an undergraduate. I remember trying to make small talk while he had students over (generously) for Sunday lunch. But I also remember him making a magnificent job of introducing Nelson Mandela, who was being made an honorary fellow of the college..(1/n)

University of Cambridge @cam.ac.uk · 16d

It is with great sadness that the University shares the news of the death of Professor Sir John Gurdon, founder of the @gurdoninstitute.bsky.social

Read our tribute to the visionary Nobel Laureate and watch an interview from 2012, just after he won: https://bit.ly/4mM8o3r

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Lewis Goodall @lewisgoodall.com · 17d

Am wondering if all of those suddenly deciding they’re against communities living “parallel lives” might reconsider their support of religious schools? Or indeed private ones?

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Mike Sowden @mikeachim.bsky.social · 17d

Damn. This is amazing. £325 per week, paid monthly, for 3 years - and the result was a profit for the Irish economy:
www.citizensinformation.ie/en/employmen...

Post from Threads user rodneyowl: "Ireland has declared the Basic Income for Artists scheme permanent. This will be officially announced in tomorrow’s budget. Details to follow. Congratulations to all who fought for it and the present and future artists of all sorts in Ireland. That includes me 👌We’re just comin to the end of a 3 year pilot scheme. It’s been a roaring success. For every €1 paid out to the 2000 participants, the government got €1.46 back. Can’t argue with that. Other countries are already taking note."

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SpinningHugo @spinninghugo.bsky.social · 17d

The brilliance of Britain is that it is a concept. Its whole point is it is a *liberal* place.

We don't care what religion you are, what colour your skin is, what your backgorund is, what your beliefs are. We don't subject anyone to the choices of others.

We invented liberalism.

/2

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Robert Saunders @robertsaunders.bsky.social · 18d

Ultimately, it's hard to see a solution that doesn't involve ending FPTP & breaking the allergy of UK politics to cross-party cooperation.

For now, leaders should remember that parties are delicate organisms. Hack back too far, & you kill the plant.

And these parties badly need new growth. ENDS

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Robert Saunders @robertsaunders.bsky.social · 18d

Both Labour and the Conservatives were stronger, more intellectually vigorous & commanded a larger share of the vote when they were broad churches, able to contain different strands of opinion.

Recently they've developed a taste for purges, loyalty tests & expulsions.

How's that going for them? 🧵

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Normal Island News @normalisland.co.uk · 19d

BREAKING: Heroic police officers save public from this terrifying terrorist who was holding a sign the government doesn’t like x

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KimBo @zapperfan7.bsky.social · 20d

Will someone remind me why Greta Thunberg can be arrested but Benjamin Netanyahu can't?

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sianushka.bsky.social @sianushka.bsky.social · 19d

I don't know where this revisionism has come from about the suffragettes - people saying "if the suffragettes were around today, they'd be considered terrorists."

The suffragettes were arrested and tortured, sexually assaulted and beaten by the state. They *were* considered terrorists!

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Ivor Tymchak @ivor.bsky.social · 21d

If capitalism were a novel (NOW A MAJOR FEATURE FILM!) we're at the point in the story where the main protagonist finds herself in a position of greatest jeopardy with all her options spent and the adversary holding all the cards.
Somehow, I don't see the amazing plot twist coming to save us.

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