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Iwasid

@iwasid.bsky.social

2K followers 2.6K following 4.2K posts

Bookish. Amateur philosopher of the worst kind. Political animal who still believes we can build a better world for all. Banner is the Red Sand sea bell, tolling. Contemplating not being anonymous. Standing up for Palestinians.

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Iwasid @iwasid.bsky.social · Dec 1

If you read anything today, tomorrow, this week, this year, this should be that read.

Susan Abulhawa's speech to the Oxford Union debate last week.

WalkingInAustin @walkinginaustin.bsky.social · Nov 30

The actual debate speech:

x.com/susanabulhaw...

x.com

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Edward Luce @edwardluce.bsky.social · 21m

I've no doubt democracy could win. But only with the courage you mention.

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Edward Luce @edwardluce.bsky.social · 3h

"Such is their fear of jail, bankruptcy or reprisal, that most people I spoke to insisted on anonymity. This was in spite of the fact that many of the same people said Trump would only be restrained by powerful voices standing up to him." My Weekend FT essay. Please read it. on.ft.com/4hqblpr

The Trump Supremacy

[FREE TO READ] Opponents in disarray, allies in line, followers enthralled — the US president is already on his way to building a new world order

on.ft.com

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Iwasid @iwasid.bsky.social · 19m

Yes, I think that is a good analysis.

Iwasid @iwasid.bsky.social · 40m

"Welsh BBC"

National BBC having a firm word. He won't make that mistake again.

#GE2029

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Olivia Guest · Ολίβια Γκεστ @olivia.science · 2h

I am close to tears; they listened and made an english version apache.be/2025/10/24/b...

@apache.be you rule 🖤

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Dinah Rose KC @dinahrose.bsky.social · 2h

Not how. Why.

Grey cat sleeping inside a lever arch file on a table.

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Dr Ian McCormick @wokestudies.bsky.social · 1h

"YouGov survey ... finds that more than four in ten Britons consider the Reform UK party (47%), policies (46%) and voters (43%) to be “generally racist”. "
yougov.co.uk/politics/art...

Do Britons think Reform UK are racist? | YouGov

A new YouGov survey conducted for ITV Peston finds that more than four in ten Britons consider the Reform UK party (47%), policies (46%) and voters (43%) to be “generally racist”.

yougov.co.uk

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Sooz Kempner @soozuk.bsky.social · 6h

If Labour is continuing to lose votes, just got 11% in a by-election in a seat they've held for 100 years and in a few recent polls is equal to or just behind the Greens maybe we should stop suggesting they're the only thing that can defeat Reform.

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Rob Ford @robfordmancs.bsky.social · 1h

Read more, and become infuriated, at the link below. If you are someone who believes in defending planning regulations, you need to find ways to stop idiots abusing them to stop sensible development like this: www.kentcurrent.news/p/protecting...

Protecting imaginary countryside

Plus Reform suspends councillor in misconduct row, new hope for international rail in Ashford, news in brief, and more

www.kentcurrent.news

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Rob Ford @robfordmancs.bsky.social · 1h

People sometimes ask me why I tend to be instinctively sceptical of the good faith of objections to development, anmd instinctively prone to see our current planning system as damaging. Here's a paragraph providing a compelling example of why I think this way:

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Ruairi Dubh @ruairidubh.bsky.social · 1h

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Resolution Foundation @resfoundation.bsky.social · 2h

The number of NEETs is high and rising.

This reflects falling labour market participation among young people since 2022-23, and a slow down in increases in education participation (following fast increases since the Covid-19 pandemic).

Read more➡️ buff.ly/kIei4lG

We estimate that
the number of NEETs has risen by more than a quarter (up by 26 per cent, or 195,000)
over the past two years to reach 940,000 in 2024-25. Our NEETs series gives an almost
identical NEETs figure to the number implied by the official ONS NEETs data, which also
has the number of NEETs reaching 940,000 in 2024-25. This is shown in Figure 2

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the ghost of pony pony huckabuck @spindlypete.bsky.social · 18h

check out this absolutely terrifying ancient babylonian lullaby

12:01
÷73
+ r/AskAnthropology
••
What is the oldest lullaby or nursery rhyme that...
11 upvotes • 1 comment
As far as the earliest we know of, it's another Babylonian tablet, about 4000 years old and most often known as Little Baby in the Dark House. We don't have the music for it, but again, the BBC article has a good go at describing some commonalities of the music that tends to accompany lullabies, so that might inspire you.
The rough translation for that Babylonian lullaby, by the way, is:
Little Baby in the dark house
You have seen the sun rise
Why are you crying?
Why are you screaming?
You have disturbed the house god.
'Who has disturbed me?' says the house god.
'It is the baby who has disturbed you!
'Who scared me?' says the house god.
'The baby has disturbed you, the baby has scared you, making noises like a drunkard who cannot sit still on his stool.
He has disturbed your sleep!
'Call the baby now, says the house god.
• 4 Reply A & Vote &
Join the conversation

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LiLBazula 👻 @lilbazza.bsky.social · 2h

Not sure we stocked enough hotdog suits

Robert Hutton @roberthutton.co.uk 7m The current Labour Party's contempt *for people who actually voted Labour* does not bode well here.

Philip Cowley @philipjcowley.... 1h This was such a problem in 2010 - an arrogant assumption that *obviously* the Lib Dems would bail them out despite the disdain the party was shown. There does need to be some wooing.

James Ball @iamesrball.com Labour has alwavs been notorious for this, but everything about the current Number 10 operation - which s constantly at war with anyone ever within the party who's perceived as a millimetre to their left - suggests it's only got worse

Philip Cowley @philipjcowley.... 1h This was such a problem in 2010 - an arrogant assumption that *obviously* the Lib Dems would bail them out despite the disdain the party was shown. There does need to be some Wooing.

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LiLBazula 👻 @lilbazza.bsky.social · Mar 3

The only acceptable Keynesianism to the Labour right is military / weaponised Keynesianism. Impossible to harness state capacity for jobs & infrastructure in eg the NHS, council housing, social care or education. But loadsa cash to funnel to arms manufacturers to build munitions that'll gather dust

Post from Keith Starmer

Increasing defence spending will bolster our national security and help to put more money in people's pockets.

By helping smaller businesses access this investment, we're opening up more opportunities for good, skilled jobs, making communities across the UK better off.

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LiLBazula 👻 @lilbazza.bsky.social · 3h

Face eating leopards, strike again. As we have been saying since forever now, anon vexatious briefings to sympathetic stenographers is the *only* politics these graspers have. It's all the know how to do

John Rentoul @rentouliohn.bskv.social 11m
"Consistent pattern now emerged from the Starmer operation: he appoints someone and promises radical change; within months other people in the operation start briefing against them; a few months later Starmer fires them and the cycle starts again... 2/5

John Rentoul @rentouljohn.bsky.s... 11m

"That tells us: 1. Starmer has terrible judgement
2. He allows a culture of briefing
aqainst each other
3. He has no lovalty to anyone t's appallina, disgraceful behaviour from a PM who turns out to be alarminglv like Boris in his treatment of people" 3/5

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Iwasid @iwasid.bsky.social · 2h

It's not a Weimar comparison. Post Weimar.

Iwasid @iwasid.bsky.social · 2h

Oops. LD's a loss not a gain. Changes my numbers a little.

Iwasid @iwasid.bsky.social · 2h

Presuming, dangerously, that stay-at-home's stayed home, I'd hazard all the PC gains came from Labour, as did Green and LD's.

That leaves the rest of Labour's losses going to Reform, 12.5% ish or some 4,000 voters?

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Jack London @jacklondonbluesky.bsky.social · 4h

Caerphilly Senedd By-election compared to 2021
PC: 15,961 votes (47.4%, +19.0%)
REF: 12,113 votes (36.0%, +34.2%)
LAB: 3713 votes (11.0%, -34.9%)
CON: 690 votes (2.0%, -15.3%)
GRN: 516 votes (1.5%, new)
LD: 497 votes (1.5%, -1.2%)

TURNOUT: 33,689 (50.43%, -0.2%)
www.thenational.scot/news/2556806...

In numbers: See the results of the Caerphilly by-election

Plaid Cymru have defeated Reform UK in a fiercely-fought Welsh Parliament by-election, with defending party Labour trailing in third.

www.thenational.scot

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Iwasid @iwasid.bsky.social · 2h

"polls indicate"

But note the fear.

#1930s

Iwasid @iwasid.bsky.social · 3h

Heartening to see the FT standing up to be counted.

Bravo @edwardluce.bsky.social

#1930s

Iwasid @iwasid.bsky.social · 3h

"ought to be"

That's not how fascism pans out.

#1930s

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Edward Luce @edwardluce.bsky.social · 7d

Gold now above $4,300 a troy ounce - up more than 60 per cent since Trump was inaugurated. It's what you buy in times of turmoil and uncertainty, and is the best market indicator of the Trump effect.

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Oliver @oliver48.bsky.social · 3h

Complicit in Israeli genocide
"If you can't lift the injustice, at least tell everyone about it"
via Jimmy O'd

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