John T
@jtatlife.bsky.social
Dutch consultant by day, interested in world history & British politics by night. Proud Hollander
I am willing to believe that a median Mississipian has access to more stuff and paid services than a median Norwegian, but given the choice of becoming one or the other I would pay money to be a Norwegian
November 25, 2025 at 11:26 AM
I am willing to believe that a median Mississipian has access to more stuff and paid services than a median Norwegian, but given the choice of becoming one or the other I would pay money to be a Norwegian
It clearly is amazingly prosperous, but other hand I'm always shocked that 50% of US *consumption* is done by the top 10%
November 24, 2025 at 3:04 PM
It clearly is amazingly prosperous, but other hand I'm always shocked that 50% of US *consumption* is done by the top 10%
Yes, I think if it wasn't for the recent example of Starmer he might have got away with it....
November 24, 2025 at 2:50 PM
Yes, I think if it wasn't for the recent example of Starmer he might have got away with it....
Rayner/Miliband would hold out some hope of communication, charisma & delivery, so probably unlikely
(I'm not even a lefty, but someone is clearly have to *do something*, and those two seem the best bet)
(I'm not even a lefty, but someone is clearly have to *do something*, and those two seem the best bet)
November 24, 2025 at 2:48 PM
Rayner/Miliband would hold out some hope of communication, charisma & delivery, so probably unlikely
(I'm not even a lefty, but someone is clearly have to *do something*, and those two seem the best bet)
(I'm not even a lefty, but someone is clearly have to *do something*, and those two seem the best bet)
Miliband seems to be the only one who can hold a set of principles in his head and get them translated to policy without getting distracted every 5 mimutes by bad press, so thst seems like a fantastic idea
November 24, 2025 at 2:46 PM
Miliband seems to be the only one who can hold a set of principles in his head and get them translated to policy without getting distracted every 5 mimutes by bad press, so thst seems like a fantastic idea
That sounds like Milliband again...
November 24, 2025 at 2:44 PM
That sounds like Milliband again...
O'Hara gets a medal for (almost) keeping a straight face during the ad-lib (apparently she knew Candy quite well so had had practice)
November 23, 2025 at 1:03 PM
O'Hara gets a medal for (almost) keeping a straight face during the ad-lib (apparently she knew Candy quite well so had had practice)
Huh. That is a good one. Did not know that. Why? Too much in the way? Or some weird gravity effect?
November 22, 2025 at 6:40 PM
Huh. That is a good one. Did not know that. Why? Too much in the way? Or some weird gravity effect?
Thinking it over the 'vat' was probably a 2 litre pan on a propane stove, that you could could just lug with you
November 21, 2025 at 10:04 AM
Thinking it over the 'vat' was probably a 2 litre pan on a propane stove, that you could could just lug with you
Perhaps they were in one of those benighted localities where they deep fry everything and every kitchen and canteen has a deep fryer ready to go
November 21, 2025 at 7:27 AM
Perhaps they were in one of those benighted localities where they deep fry everything and every kitchen and canteen has a deep fryer ready to go
Silly man. Congratulations on the PhD, though, doc!
November 20, 2025 at 8:10 PM
Silly man. Congratulations on the PhD, though, doc!
One of my favourite songs (what can I say, I take liking the classics *all the way*)
November 20, 2025 at 5:00 PM
One of my favourite songs (what can I say, I take liking the classics *all the way*)
Quite. Khan was under the impression that mid-term was a good time to save some Londoners from choking to death with emphysema, and Starmer thought it was a good time to get an extra 3% in the polls and 0.15% extra in the Commons.
November 20, 2025 at 12:10 PM
Quite. Khan was under the impression that mid-term was a good time to save some Londoners from choking to death with emphysema, and Starmer thought it was a good time to get an extra 3% in the polls and 0.15% extra in the Commons.
They (Reeves & Starmer) basically said versions of this in multiple speeches before the election, at which point I got worried, I must say.
November 19, 2025 at 7:20 PM
They (Reeves & Starmer) basically said versions of this in multiple speeches before the election, at which point I got worried, I must say.
There's a lot of post-apocalytic media also needing a note that 5.56mm ammo doesn't grow on trees
November 19, 2025 at 6:34 PM
There's a lot of post-apocalytic media also needing a note that 5.56mm ammo doesn't grow on trees
One reason to prefer female candidates is that the sex lives of powerful men seem to divide about equally into 'faithful', 'repeatedly unfaithful' and 'shocking sex pest, oh my God!'
November 19, 2025 at 7:10 AM
One reason to prefer female candidates is that the sex lives of powerful men seem to divide about equally into 'faithful', 'repeatedly unfaithful' and 'shocking sex pest, oh my God!'
What would they say if riot police were badly trained?
I hate stories where the alternative would also be made a story
I hate stories where the alternative would also be made a story
November 16, 2025 at 9:55 PM
What would they say if riot police were badly trained?
I hate stories where the alternative would also be made a story
I hate stories where the alternative would also be made a story
That last is true, especially the way his polling crashed within 4 weeks for little reason. The British electorate are fickle.
I do think the recent refugee bashing is ugly though, and I say that as someone who is a centrist on migration.
I do think the recent refugee bashing is ugly though, and I say that as someone who is a centrist on migration.
November 16, 2025 at 8:50 PM
That last is true, especially the way his polling crashed within 4 weeks for little reason. The British electorate are fickle.
I do think the recent refugee bashing is ugly though, and I say that as someone who is a centrist on migration.
I do think the recent refugee bashing is ugly though, and I say that as someone who is a centrist on migration.
He’s not *very bad*, he’s just bad at mass communication and is willing to do cynical things to compensate (which is arguably quite bad).
He also completely fails to understand the theory & practice of ‘draagvlak’, same as Truss. It will not end well.
He also completely fails to understand the theory & practice of ‘draagvlak’, same as Truss. It will not end well.
November 16, 2025 at 8:34 PM
He’s not *very bad*, he’s just bad at mass communication and is willing to do cynical things to compensate (which is arguably quite bad).
He also completely fails to understand the theory & practice of ‘draagvlak’, same as Truss. It will not end well.
He also completely fails to understand the theory & practice of ‘draagvlak’, same as Truss. It will not end well.
Also I get the impression that Streeting realised over the last 4-8 weeks that Starmer (+ McSweeney) was in trouble and started adapting his line to appeal to the membership rather than the boss. He’s not my cup of tea but understands basic politics. Presumably hence the clumsy attempt to knife him.
November 16, 2025 at 8:30 PM
Also I get the impression that Streeting realised over the last 4-8 weeks that Starmer (+ McSweeney) was in trouble and started adapting his line to appeal to the membership rather than the boss. He’s not my cup of tea but understands basic politics. Presumably hence the clumsy attempt to knife him.
Raises questions about how you get them to do the labour if there isn't a backstop of something worse
November 16, 2025 at 8:58 AM
Raises questions about how you get them to do the labour if there isn't a backstop of something worse
Fine. Most settled societies using non-carceral systems tended to use some mixture of
- Execution
- Mutilation
- Torture
- Exile (off the table in an interconnected world)
- Financial restitution
I don't think any of those are a big improvement. .
- Execution
- Mutilation
- Torture
- Exile (off the table in an interconnected world)
- Financial restitution
I don't think any of those are a big improvement. .
November 16, 2025 at 8:57 AM
Fine. Most settled societies using non-carceral systems tended to use some mixture of
- Execution
- Mutilation
- Torture
- Exile (off the table in an interconnected world)
- Financial restitution
I don't think any of those are a big improvement. .
- Execution
- Mutilation
- Torture
- Exile (off the table in an interconnected world)
- Financial restitution
I don't think any of those are a big improvement. .
And in their first year they learn that crying out to the Great Ones is a far more effective route to getting what they want than anything their own fallible limbs can be got to do.
November 15, 2025 at 3:51 PM
And in their first year they learn that crying out to the Great Ones is a far more effective route to getting what they want than anything their own fallible limbs can be got to do.
This sort of thing absolutely brings out the smug papist because for all its many faults it does stand for the idea that religion actually means specific things, and is not a 'Bring your own slop' buffet
November 15, 2025 at 3:30 PM
This sort of thing absolutely brings out the smug papist because for all its many faults it does stand for the idea that religion actually means specific things, and is not a 'Bring your own slop' buffet
His politics and oratical abilities aside, it's still a bit of a mystery why anyone with Corbyn's obvious inability to lead organisations was picked to be a potential PM (or even applied), when similar, more effective people like John McDonnell were right there
November 15, 2025 at 11:11 AM
His politics and oratical abilities aside, it's still a bit of a mystery why anyone with Corbyn's obvious inability to lead organisations was picked to be a potential PM (or even applied), when similar, more effective people like John McDonnell were right there