BalthazarBlaze
@balthazarblaze.bsky.social
If you don't learn from history, you're doomed to repeat it. That involves admitting you were wrong once in a while, and a little contrition. "challenging historical narratives and contemporary politics" or whatever tedious trite floats your whistle
Reposted by BalthazarBlaze
I think about this almost every day
January 22, 2026 at 11:57 AM
I think about this almost every day
Reposted by BalthazarBlaze
Obama awarding his former guy, Tom Homan, and presently the border "czar" under Donald Trump, an award for being so efficient at deporting millions of immigrants in 2015.
January 22, 2026 at 11:35 AM
Obama awarding his former guy, Tom Homan, and presently the border "czar" under Donald Trump, an award for being so efficient at deporting millions of immigrants in 2015.
Reposted by BalthazarBlaze
Finally, a flag worth fighting for.
January 19, 2026 at 8:30 PM
Finally, a flag worth fighting for.
Reposted by BalthazarBlaze
From the @equatormag.bsky.social mission statement and damn, was that ever proven 100% correct in short order.
January 21, 2026 at 9:21 AM
From the @equatormag.bsky.social mission statement and damn, was that ever proven 100% correct in short order.
Reposted by BalthazarBlaze
Italian voice actor Carlo Bononi was the voice of all of the characters on Pingu. A trained clown by trade, he used a theater technique called grammelot, which consists of "speaking" in a mix of babbled gibberish noises. He improvised all the voices live and unscripted.
January 20, 2026 at 3:49 PM
Italian voice actor Carlo Bononi was the voice of all of the characters on Pingu. A trained clown by trade, he used a theater technique called grammelot, which consists of "speaking" in a mix of babbled gibberish noises. He improvised all the voices live and unscripted.
Reposted by BalthazarBlaze
trump getting his feelings hurt by european leaders is the culmination of this new type of guy that emerged in the last decade or so: guy who goes out of his way to be a huge asshole who then gets really offended when the people he's being an asshole to don't like him
January 20, 2026 at 7:54 PM
trump getting his feelings hurt by european leaders is the culmination of this new type of guy that emerged in the last decade or so: guy who goes out of his way to be a huge asshole who then gets really offended when the people he's being an asshole to don't like him
Reposted by BalthazarBlaze
just spent £120 on rail tickets for a journey that would have cost me about £40-£50 in petrol (don't @ me about cost of car/insurance/tax etc i know its not like for like yeah). Booking 4 weeks in advance. imagine if they'd spent last summer protesting this shit instead of asylum seekers
January 20, 2026 at 12:44 PM
just spent £120 on rail tickets for a journey that would have cost me about £40-£50 in petrol (don't @ me about cost of car/insurance/tax etc i know its not like for like yeah). Booking 4 weeks in advance. imagine if they'd spent last summer protesting this shit instead of asylum seekers
Reposted by BalthazarBlaze
This is a really good essay from Juliet Jacques on intellectuals & the politics of the media. novaramedia.com/2026/01/15/t...
Today’s Public Intellectuals Are More Likely to Serve Power Than Challenge It | Juliet Jacques
30 years ago, the BBC invited Palestinian thinker Edward Said to deliver six lectures on the public intellectual, writes Juliet Jacques. Can you imagine something so outlandish happening today?
novaramedia.com
January 18, 2026 at 9:50 PM
This is a really good essay from Juliet Jacques on intellectuals & the politics of the media. novaramedia.com/2026/01/15/t...
Reposted by BalthazarBlaze
11th January 2026
Vs
18th January 2026
Vs
18th January 2026
January 19, 2026 at 7:30 AM
11th January 2026
Vs
18th January 2026
Vs
18th January 2026
It occurs to me that in Britain "political journalist has inappropriate relationship with political figure" would be a job qualification.
The fact that Vanity Fair hired Nuzzi after she *admitted in her book* to helping RFK get a role in the Trump administration is one of the most damning indictments of elite media I've ever seen.
Not only is VF sweeping it under the rug but no one else in elite media seems perturbed by it either!
Not only is VF sweeping it under the rug but no one else in elite media seems perturbed by it either!
At the very least, these big media pubs have some explaining to do
January 17, 2026 at 7:21 PM
It occurs to me that in Britain "political journalist has inappropriate relationship with political figure" would be a job qualification.
Reposted by BalthazarBlaze
When someone on the left historicizes revolutionary or resistance movements in the 2010s as jumping from Occupy to Bernie without passing BLM or Standing Rock it's a pretty solid guarantee those people are going to have white settler politics and can not be trusted
This is a big reason movements like BLM very often aren’t considered resistance or left movements and it’s *constantly* reflected in our rhetoric.
people think that americans don't fight facism because they are just as racist and misogynistic and homophobic and ableist
aka; anyone who is not cis white straight dudes protesting rarely counts as anyone protesting
they literally do not see or recognize it when others are doing the work
aka; anyone who is not cis white straight dudes protesting rarely counts as anyone protesting
they literally do not see or recognize it when others are doing the work
January 14, 2026 at 7:25 PM
When someone on the left historicizes revolutionary or resistance movements in the 2010s as jumping from Occupy to Bernie without passing BLM or Standing Rock it's a pretty solid guarantee those people are going to have white settler politics and can not be trusted
Reposted by BalthazarBlaze
Politicians are calling for a senior police officer to be sacked BECAUSE WEST MIDLANDS POLICE USED MICROSOFT CO-PILOT, WHICH WE'RE ALL BEING TOLD IS GREAT AND THE FUTURE. The same politicians who are gung-ho and balls deep for piping hot AI. There's your fucking story.
January 14, 2026 at 1:13 PM
Politicians are calling for a senior police officer to be sacked BECAUSE WEST MIDLANDS POLICE USED MICROSOFT CO-PILOT, WHICH WE'RE ALL BEING TOLD IS GREAT AND THE FUTURE. The same politicians who are gung-ho and balls deep for piping hot AI. There's your fucking story.
Reposted by BalthazarBlaze
yes—and also, it is not everyone's job to act like a politician! if you're not a politician, it's actually not your job at all. so if you think ice should be abolished, don't give up on saying it. politicians will never be brave unless they're scared of the rest of us.
there's more than enough people saying "prosecute and hold ICE accountable" and "reform and better train ICE" to reach the people who are thought to be reachable with incremental change, so I feel like it's time and energy well-spent, personally, to hold the line with "abolish ICE"
January 12, 2026 at 6:11 PM
yes—and also, it is not everyone's job to act like a politician! if you're not a politician, it's actually not your job at all. so if you think ice should be abolished, don't give up on saying it. politicians will never be brave unless they're scared of the rest of us.
Reposted by BalthazarBlaze
"How many iranian refugees should britain let in" is the only question to ask the usual suspects who are in their happy place screaming at "the left" (who they can't hear anyway) for not clapping for whatever they think we should be clapping for
January 13, 2026 at 7:54 AM
"How many iranian refugees should britain let in" is the only question to ask the usual suspects who are in their happy place screaming at "the left" (who they can't hear anyway) for not clapping for whatever they think we should be clapping for
Reposted by BalthazarBlaze
the only reason "abolish ICE" is seen as radical is that no one will say it but the far left. if every normie Democrat started saying it tomorrow it would move the overton window so far you'd have to squint to find it. my kingdom for leaders who understand they can shape public opinion.
Democrats officially going all in on the mealy mouthed “ICE needs training” narrative.
No. ABOLISH ICE.
No. ABOLISH ICE.
WARNER: It used to take 5 to 6 months to get trained. They've now lowered the training period to 47 days. Why 47 days? Because Donald Trump's the 47th president. Tell me that's a rational approach
KERNEN: I'm not taking that bait
WARNER: Joe! You can't pick your facts
KERNEN: I'm not taking that bait
WARNER: Joe! You can't pick your facts
January 12, 2026 at 1:49 PM
the only reason "abolish ICE" is seen as radical is that no one will say it but the far left. if every normie Democrat started saying it tomorrow it would move the overton window so far you'd have to squint to find it. my kingdom for leaders who understand they can shape public opinion.
No electoral implications whatsoever for people's perceptions about crime and race in the UK.
Luckily, there just isn't a constituency for it (Reform, 23%).
natcen.ac.uk/sites/defaul...
Luckily, there just isn't a constituency for it (Reform, 23%).
natcen.ac.uk/sites/defaul...
January 12, 2026 at 3:34 PM
No electoral implications whatsoever for people's perceptions about crime and race in the UK.
Luckily, there just isn't a constituency for it (Reform, 23%).
natcen.ac.uk/sites/defaul...
Luckily, there just isn't a constituency for it (Reform, 23%).
natcen.ac.uk/sites/defaul...
Reposted by BalthazarBlaze
I hadn't realised "It's not a problem domestically that there's a widespread rhetoric stating London is filled with unchecked ethnic violence. It has no relation to the far right whatsoever. it's only significant because overseas investors believe it" was such widely accepted wisdom.
January 12, 2026 at 3:09 PM
I hadn't realised "It's not a problem domestically that there's a widespread rhetoric stating London is filled with unchecked ethnic violence. It has no relation to the far right whatsoever. it's only significant because overseas investors believe it" was such widely accepted wisdom.
Always such brittle people and always so dedicated to tedious sophistry.
You literally said the 'London is a warzone' stuff was only significant because foreigners saw it. Have you ever actually met anyone who didn't go to Oxbridge in real life?
You literally said the 'London is a warzone' stuff was only significant because foreigners saw it. Have you ever actually met anyone who didn't go to Oxbridge in real life?
Another day, another person on Bluesky who you have to ask yourself 'have you ever actually *met* an ethnic minority person in real life?' Yes, well done, have a cookie, I of course am indifferent to the fact that *I personally* have experienced more in-person racism this past year than in the past.
It doesn't matter because it fuels domestic xenophobia and racism?
Your peers have been echoing 'British police ruled by Islamists to protect grooming gangs and ban [wildly violent racist] football clubs' for some time now. This would seem to matter beyond 'international business'.
Your peers have been echoing 'British police ruled by Islamists to protect grooming gangs and ban [wildly violent racist] football clubs' for some time now. This would seem to matter beyond 'international business'.
January 12, 2026 at 2:46 PM
Always such brittle people and always so dedicated to tedious sophistry.
You literally said the 'London is a warzone' stuff was only significant because foreigners saw it. Have you ever actually met anyone who didn't go to Oxbridge in real life?
You literally said the 'London is a warzone' stuff was only significant because foreigners saw it. Have you ever actually met anyone who didn't go to Oxbridge in real life?
Reposted by BalthazarBlaze
Watching an old episode of Bullseye and it is insanely woke?? They just had a couple of questions - one asking to name a notorious London Slumlord, and then one asking the name of an innocent person that the London Police killed by mistake in 1983??? We must retvrn!!!!!
January 9, 2026 at 11:45 PM
Watching an old episode of Bullseye and it is insanely woke?? They just had a couple of questions - one asking to name a notorious London Slumlord, and then one asking the name of an innocent person that the London Police killed by mistake in 1983??? We must retvrn!!!!!
Lol if you follow this thread it is absolutely hilarious that Pierce attempted this pivot from discussing Venezuela.
January 10, 2026 at 4:38 PM
Lol if you follow this thread it is absolutely hilarious that Pierce attempted this pivot from discussing Venezuela.
Reposted by BalthazarBlaze
There always comes a moment when The Sensibles pivot from complaining about protests and tone policing every sign to despairing that people aren't in the streets
January 10, 2026 at 12:03 PM
There always comes a moment when The Sensibles pivot from complaining about protests and tone policing every sign to despairing that people aren't in the streets
Reposted by BalthazarBlaze
Best TikTok thing going is the two dudes trying food from every country without leaving NYC. If you haven’t seen them yet, it’s incredible. My favorite so far is last week’s. Legit got me emotional.
January 9, 2026 at 1:50 AM
Best TikTok thing going is the two dudes trying food from every country without leaving NYC. If you haven’t seen them yet, it’s incredible. My favorite so far is last week’s. Legit got me emotional.
Reposted by BalthazarBlaze
I can't tag Khalil's account, it's been deleted. Again. So to remind everyone - I've video called with him. He is real, his family is real, and if they're faking living in a damp tent that feels like an awful lot of set dressing for $50 a day in donations.
Emergency Relief for Mohammed, Yassin and Baby Ghaith
Hello friends. My name is Todd and I am a close family friend of Noreen, her husband Khalil and their three children currently in Khan Younis, Gaza, in Palestine. The humanitarian crisis has bore down...
chuffed.org
January 8, 2026 at 12:03 PM
I can't tag Khalil's account, it's been deleted. Again. So to remind everyone - I've video called with him. He is real, his family is real, and if they're faking living in a damp tent that feels like an awful lot of set dressing for $50 a day in donations.
Reposted by BalthazarBlaze
It's a standard British state operating procedure, instiutionalised corruption. It's had a lasting impact on how WW1 is remembered.
The government in WW1 met regularly with newspaper editors and basically told them what was going on on condition they not publish for 'the good of the country'.
/1
The government in WW1 met regularly with newspaper editors and basically told them what was going on on condition they not publish for 'the good of the country'.
/1
The relationship between the police and the traditional press has often been problematic in the UK. There are lots of lesser examples of journalists getting exclusive content in return for toeing a particular law enforcement line.
January 8, 2026 at 11:21 AM
It's a standard British state operating procedure, instiutionalised corruption. It's had a lasting impact on how WW1 is remembered.
The government in WW1 met regularly with newspaper editors and basically told them what was going on on condition they not publish for 'the good of the country'.
/1
The government in WW1 met regularly with newspaper editors and basically told them what was going on on condition they not publish for 'the good of the country'.
/1
Reposted by BalthazarBlaze
Amongst everything else, I'm thinking about how eager the UK press were initially to swallow the Met's lie that Jean Charles de Menezes was a terrorist after they executed him in a tube station
January 8, 2026 at 10:11 AM
Amongst everything else, I'm thinking about how eager the UK press were initially to swallow the Met's lie that Jean Charles de Menezes was a terrorist after they executed him in a tube station