Karlo Basta
@karlobasta.bsky.social
Senior Lecturer in Comparative Politics, University of Edinburgh. Nationalism, the state, capitalism, socialism, in a blender. Wrote The Symbolic State: https://tinyurl.com/3jb7juez. Writing Capitalists against Nationalism. https://www.karlobasta.com/
A fantastic book on, I suppose the best way to put it would be, the loss of consumer sovereignty to big tech. More informative than I expected it to be. But then, I don’t follow this stuff closely
November 24, 2025 at 4:09 PM
A fantastic book on, I suppose the best way to put it would be, the loss of consumer sovereignty to big tech. More informative than I expected it to be. But then, I don’t follow this stuff closely
a rare instance of public business opposition to Trump's trade policy is a reaction to more trade
www.ncba.org/news-media/n...
www.ncba.org/news-media/n...
October 23, 2025 at 10:15 AM
a rare instance of public business opposition to Trump's trade policy is a reaction to more trade
www.ncba.org/news-media/n...
www.ncba.org/news-media/n...
Other issues, for comparison
October 20, 2025 at 1:04 PM
Other issues, for comparison
I know this isn't the point of the piece, but what really stands out is the near-consensus across voters for this👇. A moderately competent/backbone-having Labour leadership would've developed a platform and narrative to dominate for a decade. Instead, we have what we have.
October 20, 2025 at 1:02 PM
I know this isn't the point of the piece, but what really stands out is the near-consensus across voters for this👇. A moderately competent/backbone-having Labour leadership would've developed a platform and narrative to dominate for a decade. Instead, we have what we have.
Heartened by the economy of the future
October 7, 2025 at 12:24 PM
Heartened by the economy of the future
Past time to revisit some of this stuff.
September 13, 2025 at 9:38 AM
Past time to revisit some of this stuff.
Trust the Financial Times to hit at the heart of liberal orthodoxy
September 9, 2025 at 11:08 AM
Trust the Financial Times to hit at the heart of liberal orthodoxy
Went to Jedburgh to see historic sights
September 6, 2025 at 3:49 PM
Went to Jedburgh to see historic sights
he’s simply saying the unspoken part out loud. Not the first time someone observed that the line between the state and big business is, shall we say, a bit fictitious
August 29, 2025 at 8:28 AM
he’s simply saying the unspoken part out loud. Not the first time someone observed that the line between the state and big business is, shall we say, a bit fictitious
...like the one in/from which Apple originated. Another is that the book leaves as many good questions as it answers. One was whether Apple really sleepwalked into its dependency on China, so I went digging and found this from their 2007 10-K that suggests they were not that naive about the risks
August 25, 2025 at 1:02 PM
...like the one in/from which Apple originated. Another is that the book leaves as many good questions as it answers. One was whether Apple really sleepwalked into its dependency on China, so I went digging and found this from their 2007 10-K that suggests they were not that naive about the risks
Moreno-Linz question in Taiwan (for what that's worth)
August 7, 2025 at 11:17 AM
Moreno-Linz question in Taiwan (for what that's worth)
'Nazis were socialists'
July 12, 2025 at 7:21 PM
'Nazis were socialists'
Interregnum reading
July 11, 2025 at 3:17 PM
Interregnum reading
Odd approach to soliciting policy input but if it works for them…
July 11, 2025 at 9:08 AM
Odd approach to soliciting policy input but if it works for them…
this is how you do the evil genius thing
July 10, 2025 at 9:14 AM
this is how you do the evil genius thing
So much for working class interests. Not that it was unexpected but carried interest loophole remains
July 9, 2025 at 10:49 AM
So much for working class interests. Not that it was unexpected but carried interest loophole remains
Whatever you make of this claim, you have to appreciate FT’s penchant for explaining class politics in the most unvarnished manner possible
July 3, 2025 at 9:14 AM
Whatever you make of this claim, you have to appreciate FT’s penchant for explaining class politics in the most unvarnished manner possible
“Starmer facing possibility he might be in charge of a Labour Party”
June 27, 2025 at 1:43 PM
“Starmer facing possibility he might be in charge of a Labour Party”
Here's a template for a funky tattoo
June 24, 2025 at 9:59 PM
Here's a template for a funky tattoo
Survey of Yugoslav youth (14-27 years of age) in 1985, responses to the question "I am a Yugoslav, and I cannot give precedence to any other sense of belonging", first row DK, then from complete disagreement to complete agreement.
June 23, 2025 at 9:59 AM
Survey of Yugoslav youth (14-27 years of age) in 1985, responses to the question "I am a Yugoslav, and I cannot give precedence to any other sense of belonging", first row DK, then from complete disagreement to complete agreement.
The third step: listen to what we say, don't look at what we do
June 4, 2025 at 9:58 AM
The third step: listen to what we say, don't look at what we do
The second step: get the fuck out of our way
June 4, 2025 at 9:57 AM
The second step: get the fuck out of our way
The first step: give us all your money
June 4, 2025 at 9:56 AM
The first step: give us all your money