Pawel Swidlicki
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pswidlicki.bsky.social
Pawel Swidlicki
@pswidlicki.bsky.social
Currently clean on OPSEC
Zuma's defence here is amazing, 'I thought it was a legitimate paramilitary training programme in Russia, I didn't think they'd get sent to fight in Ukraine' www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
Jacob Zuma’s daughter accused of tricking men into fighting for Russia in Ukraine
South African police investigate allegations made against Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla by another of ex-president’s daughters
www.theguardian.com
November 25, 2025 at 7:23 PM
Its impossible to have too many books, and as for the cables, well you never know, worth keeping them in that dusty box just in case
Twitter accounts are based in Russia. BlueSky accounts are based in homes with, frankly, too many books, plants, obsolete cables, and pieces of rustic pottery, that could do with a bit of a tidying up, to be honest.
November 23, 2025 at 11:50 PM
Yeah, this is the kind of subtlety that gave us 3 Sims/Sims 3
November 23, 2025 at 5:13 PM
One of my favourite instances of this was when one of these purportedly 'UK Patriot' type accounts got tripped up by not realising that Brum was a reference to Birmingham
November 23, 2025 at 4:59 PM
TBF I'm not familiar with his early work, but since he has emerged as a public figure, for someone cast as a thinker, Glassman seems remarkably un-thoughtful. Like this is just rote 'anti-woke' verbiage that could've been published at any point over past decade
Why is transphobia the default state for so many arseholes?
November 23, 2025 at 4:54 PM
Reposted by Pawel Swidlicki
There are some truly unhinged bits in the piece about Glasman, as to be expected when dealing with Glasman, but seriously what the actual? That's...one hell of a conflation of terminology.
November 23, 2025 at 3:19 PM
Reposted by Pawel Swidlicki
The part where they threatened to break a judge’s car windows should be a bigger story … they feel comfortable treating judges this way, which means they are being told that they can do literally anything to nearly everyone
November 21, 2025 at 4:53 PM
They'll just deport some more pro-Palestinian students and then the total sum of anti-Semitism will net out, same principle as carbon offsetting
"US Coast Guard will no longer classify the swastika, an emblem of fascism and white supremacy inextricably linked to the murder of millions of Jews and that more than 400,000 US troops died fighting against in World War II, as a hate symbol, according to a new policy that takes effect next month."
U.S. Coast Guard will no longer classify swastikas, nooses as hate symbols
The military service, which falls under the Department of Homeland Security, has drafted a new policy that classifies such items “potentially divisive.”
www.washingtonpost.com
November 20, 2025 at 10:50 PM
Reposted by Pawel Swidlicki
No matter which way you cut it, this has become a very unpopular government - now at Johnson on resignation day and Corbyn in mid-2019 levels of dislike, including among their own voters.

Only Truss-tier is yet to be reached, though with Reeves already at Kwarteng levels, it's not out of sight.
Keir Starmer's net favourability rating falls to its lowest level to date (-54, 16-17 November), within the margin of error of Jeremy Corbyn (-55) and Boris Johnson's (-53) lowest ratings

Favourable: 19% (-2 from 13-14 Oct)
Unfavourable: 73% (+1)
Net: -54 (-3)

yougov.co.uk/politics/art...
November 20, 2025 at 12:44 PM
As someone who consumes a lot of political content in the current era I am pretty jaded, but this has genuinely blown my mind
I'm struck by this clip of former Obama speechwriter Sarah Hurwitz saying Holocaust education has backfired in part because people Palestinians as victims: "They think the lesson of the Holocaust is…you fight the big powerful people hurting the weak people."

www.reddit.com/r/JewsOfCons...
From the JewsOfConscience community on Reddit: Former Obama speechwriter Sarah Hurwitz speaking to the Jewish Federation and lamenting that young people are learning the wrong lessons from Holocaust e...
Explore this post and more from the JewsOfConscience community
www.reddit.com
November 19, 2025 at 11:42 PM
Reposted by Pawel Swidlicki
Yes, if only we had an agency that could provide "food, doctors, and everything else that are desperately needed" in Sudan.
Trump is now turning his attention to Sudan. We’ll see if the warring factions there want to play his games.
November 19, 2025 at 7:45 PM
"In return, Moscow would promise not to further attack Ukraine or other countries in Europe, according to the officials, and would codify that promise in legislation."
The Trump administration has drafted a peace plan calling for Ukraine to yield territory to Russia and drop demands for a peacekeeping force to deter future attacks by Moscow, U.S. officials said.
Trump Administration Pushes New Plan for Ending Ukraine War
The 28-point proposal drafted by some of the president’s closest aides is likely to face strong opposition from Ukraine.
on.wsj.com
November 19, 2025 at 11:29 PM
Reposted by Pawel Swidlicki
62% of Israelis, and 73%(!) of Jewish Israelis, said they'd oppose Palestinian statehood, even if it's coupled with normalization with Saudi Arabia.
The Israeli public (not just government) and the rest of the world seem to be moving in 2 very opposite directions. www.jpost.com/israel-news/...
Israeli poll shows strong opposition to Palestinian state | The Jerusalem Post
Among Jewish Israelis, opposition is even higher at 79%, up from 76% in the previous JCFA poll. This marks the highest level of Jewish-Israeli opposition in its tracking since the war began.
www.jpost.com
November 19, 2025 at 9:19 PM
Reposted by Pawel Swidlicki
To quote @mcopelov.bsky.social, “‘Who was actually president in 2020?’ continues to be the central cleavage in American politics in 2025.”
NEW: House Republicans on a judiciary subcommittee are laying the groundwork for a law-defying mid-decade census, claiming counting noncitizens and statistical errors in the 2020 Census justifies a recount to give the GOP more congressional seats.
To Weaken Minority Voting Power, Republicans Push For Unprecedented Mid-Decade Census
Read more here.
www.democracydocket.com
November 19, 2025 at 9:21 PM
Another missed opportunity to make a principled argument that people who have lived here a significant period of time during which they have contributed in various ways should have certain rights. In many cases these people will be in long-term relationships with UK nationals with dependent children
Reform’s plan to cut EU citizens’ benefits would risk trade war with Europe, Labour claims – UK politics live
Reform’s plan to cut EU citizens’ benefits would risk trade war with Europe, Labour claims – UK politics live
As Reform announces what it claims are £25bn in savings through cuts, Labour says ‘Farage’s fantasy numbers don’t add up’ Good morning. Yesterday, as the government announced drastic plans to curb the number of asylum seekers able to stay in the UK, it was accused of adopting the politics of Reform UK, the anti-immigration party with a big lead in the opinion polls. In response, ministers argued that Labour would be doing even worse if it just ignored the legitimate concerns of voters who are supporting Nigel Farage’s party. But, when mainstream parties move on to the territory of the more extreme parties, they often respond with a further lurch to the right, and we will see an example of that today. Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, is holding a press conference where he is going to announce proposals that cover immigration and the budget (the other huge announcement preoccupying Westminster politics at the moment). As Peter Walker reports, Farage will propose spending cuts which he clams would save £25bn a year. The virtual elimination of all foreign aid spending. Currently aid spending runs at almost £14bn a year, but Reform would slash this to £1bn. Removing the right of EU nationals living in the UK to claim benefits, which Reform UK says would save £6bn. Increasing the cost of the NHS surcharge, the fee paid by non-UK residents when they get a visa to stay in the UK. This would rise form £1,035 to £2,718 a year, which Reform UK says would save £5bn. Nigel Farage’s fantasy numbers don’t add up, and he’d leave British taxpayers footing a hefty bill. Farage is happy to slap British shoppers with higher prices at the checkouts by risking a trade war with Europe. He’d betray working people and hammer British businesses who want to trade with the EU. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
November 18, 2025 at 9:11 AM
It's funny how American commentators will talk up the horrors of socialism and insofar as they ever expand on what that means in practice, its often this kind of stuff.
Fox guest on how to save money during the holidays:

"Remember, adults don't need gifts. Focus on the people in your life who are aged 3 to 18. Grandma doesn't need slippers. If they don't live by you, don't get them a gift."
November 17, 2025 at 11:57 PM
Am I missing something here or the government position that failings in the asylum regime are driving racism against non-white UK citizens, and that some performative toughness against newly arrived claimants will address this?
November 17, 2025 at 11:53 PM
Reposted by Pawel Swidlicki
The tone of an organisation is set from the leader on down, and the tone of Keir Starmer's leadership has always been 'say it if it is convenient'.
The Home Secretary says "we have become the destination of choice in Europe, clearly visible to every people smuggler and would-be illegal migrant across the world"

That is a factually untrue claim: the Home Office shows that the UK is fifth, getting 1/10 claims, while Germany gets 1/5 claims
November 17, 2025 at 5:48 PM
Reposted by Pawel Swidlicki
i'd say it did. the public put a group of thieves, vandals and extremists in office last november and they promptly went about destroying everything that might work to limit their ability to loot, steal and inflicting pain on the people they hate
This whole NYT account about the weaponization of DOJ is beyond disturbing. Kinda feels like the US government fell in January.

Gift link: www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
November 17, 2025 at 2:19 PM
Reposted by Pawel Swidlicki
Immigration policy needs to be taken away from the home office. They’ve failed to balance economic effects, humanitarian obligations and border control.

It is so cross cutting it should probably go to the Cabinet office . The HO can then focus on the borders bit while the policy is done elsewhere
Unsurprising Labour Govt has gone down rabbit hole of talking as if asylum-seeking can be ended.

They listen to immigration officials, in a fantasy island isolated even from other civil servants.

When Diane Abbott was Shadow Home Sec, she made no attempt to create an alternative policy. But…
November 17, 2025 at 11:08 AM
Reposted by Pawel Swidlicki
"highly trained specialists have been pulled into immigration work, such as analysts who assist in money laundering and counterterrorism"

"new duties have included compiling addresses of undocumented immigrants...and making arrests at traffic stops [and] big-box store parking lots"
Homeland Security Missions Falter Amid Focus on Deportations
www.nytimes.com
November 16, 2025 at 9:52 PM
Reposted by Pawel Swidlicki
The seeming influence of Glasman is genuinely bizarre. What exactly are his credentials as a strategic political genius?
Late to this, but if the Sunday Times is correct that Morgan McSweeney spent one and a half hours last week with Lord Glasman then he isn't fit to fill any senior position in government.
November 16, 2025 at 8:53 PM
IDK how much more evidence you could possibly need to conclude that this agenda isn't about 'freedom of expression' in any kind of genuinely holistic sense
The conservative think tank behind Donald Trump’s Project 2025 roadmap is looking for new friends across the Atlantic.

On the agenda: pro-natalism, freedom of expression, opposing trans rights and fighting Chinese influence.

🔗  www.politico.eu/article/the-...
November 15, 2025 at 4:27 PM
Reposted by Pawel Swidlicki
Looking at this fiasco, and the mess Starmer is making of government, it’s looking more and more like the defeat of Corbynism was about its own limitations rather than the Machiavellian machinations of the Labour right
Three people who’d be expected to be Your Party bigwigs have largely walked away from Corbyn’s project: former NE mayor Jamie Driscoll, former Labour MP Beth Winter, and former ANC MP Andrew Feinstein.

I have some new intel on the fall-out, if you’re interested in that sort of thing… 🧵
November 15, 2025 at 3:21 PM
The asylum 'reforms' remind me of the proposed welfare 'reforms' in that rather than actually rethinking the system from first principles, we're getting arbitrary and badly-designed policies driven by short-termist considerations. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
UK set to limit refugees to temporary stays
Shabana Mahmood is expected to say the era of permanent protection for refugees is over, in major changes to the UK's asylum and immigration system.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 15, 2025 at 3:59 PM