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E P Thompson, Luddism & AI

Reposted by K M Flett

K M Flett @keithbeard.bsky.social · 10h

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E P Thompson in the Making of the English Working Class was rightly critical of those who dismissed opposition to new technology in the 1820s and 1830s. Their livelihoods were threatened by employe…

Gary Neville faces Zack Polanski for Beard of Autumn 2025

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Reposted by K M Flett

K M Flett @keithbeard.bsky.social · 9h

The first Close Shave vote for Beard of Autumn 2025 is now open. Contenders: 1 Robbie Savage 2 Lenny Henry 3 Zack Polanski 4 Chris Woakes. Top two go to a final Beard Off vote. Respond below or DM to vote 👇
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Beard Liberation Front contact BLF Organiser Keith Flett @keithbeard.bsky.social 9th October Gary Neville faces Zack Polanski for Beard of Autumn 2025 The Beard Liberation Front, the informal …

Gary Neville faces Zack Polanski for Beard of Autumn 2025

K M Flett @keithbeard.bsky.social · 8h

A nightcap. Now a permanent addition to the Johnnie Walker range. Aged in red wine & sherry barrels. Churchill was a fan of JW red & black. This seems more focused to cocktails(one was served at Trump's recent State Banquet). I'm drinking it neat with ice..

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K M Flett @keithbeard.bsky.social · 9h

The first Close Shave vote for Beard of Autumn 2025 is now open. Contenders: 1 Robbie Savage 2 Lenny Henry 3 Zack Polanski 4 Chris Woakes. Top two go to a final Beard Off vote. Respond below or DM to vote 👇
wp.me/p15p2Q-ff7

Beard Liberation Front contact BLF Organiser Keith Flett @keithbeard.bsky.social 9th October Gary Neville faces Zack Polanski for Beard of Autumn 2025 The Beard Liberation Front, the informal …

E P Thompson, Luddism & AI

K M Flett @keithbeard.bsky.social · 9h

Fully Hegelian
Wordle 1,575 2/6

🟨⬜🟩🟨⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

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K M Flett @keithbeard.bsky.social · 9h

Two Adnams brewed beers today. One cask(Wetherspoons £1.99) the other in can(Sainsburys £2.70). Price is an issue, the beer was excellent

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K M Flett @keithbeard.bsky.social · 10h

wp.me/p15p2Q-fg5

E P Thompson in the Making of the English Working Class was rightly critical of those who dismissed opposition to new technology in the 1820s and 1830s. Their livelihoods were threatened by employe…

The MP for Clacton has been attacking the British education system (in a speech in Michigan)

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K M Flett @keithbeard.bsky.social · 11h

An important statement in times like these & the beer is ok. The small print reveals the beer is brewed in Sweden & canned in the UK. Global Big Beer at work(Carlsberg). The LGBTQ support will look good in the annual report of course

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Reposted by K M Flett

K M Flett @keithbeard.bsky.social · 14h

Fresh from running down the UK in Michigan, Farage has been in Caerphilly today. Missed his Friday Surgery in Clacton yet again...
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The speech took place on 18th September 2025. The Guardian has the story. Who paid for Farage to be there is as often not known, neither is his connection to the College. It does however fit a patt…

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Reposted by K M Flett

K M Flett @keithbeard.bsky.social · 14h

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Jenrick, Trump….

Visit the post for more.

ID cards and the history of working-class anonymity

K M Flett @keithbeard.bsky.social · 13h

One of the men in this photo was recently convicted of taking Russian bribes while serving as a UKIP MEP & then briefly as Welsh leader of Reform. Farage in Caerphilly today has claimed that Gill was a 'bad apple' & he had no idea....

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Reposted by K M Flett

Morning Star @mstaronline.bsky.social · 22h

Socialist historian KEITH FLETT looks at the pronounced hostility the labour movement has had to giving the state the power to pry and identify dissidents, going back to the era of the ‘Freeborn Englishman’ and Captain Swing
morningstaronline.co.uk/article/id-c...

KEIR STARMER’S plan to introduce digital ID cards has a recent history. It was a project of the Blair years. Tony Blair, who has never had a personal social media presence, was keen on ID cards becaus...

morningstaronline.co.uk

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K M Flett @keithbeard.bsky.social · 14h

The Beard of Autumn Shortlist & the Hegseth Test
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The criteria used for Beard Award shortlists. The Reverse Hegseth Test

Beard Liberation Front 10th December The shortlist for the Beard of Autumn 2025 has been announced and on-line voting will open on Saturday 11th October. The BLF is often asked what criteria are us…

The MP for Clacton has been attacking the British education system (in a speech in Michigan)

K M Flett @keithbeard.bsky.social · 14h

Fresh from running down the UK in Michigan, Farage has been in Caerphilly today. Missed his Friday Surgery in Clacton yet again...
wp.me/p15p2Q-ffw

The speech took place on 18th September 2025. The Guardian has the story. Who paid for Farage to be there is as often not known, neither is his connection to the College. It does however fit a patt…

2 4 10

K M Flett @keithbeard.bsky.social · 14h

wp.me/p15p2Q-fg2

Jenrick, Trump….

Visit the post for more.

The criteria used for Beard Award shortlists. The Reverse Hegseth Test

Reposted by K M Flett

The Rude Pundit @rudepundit.bsky.social · 17h

I bet Qatar's air force allows beards.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 18h

Hegseth: "I'm also proud that today we're signing a letter of acceptance to build a Qatari Emeri air force facility at the Mountain Home Airbase in Idaho."

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K M Flett @keithbeard.bsky.social · 17h

Indeed. He may have gone there for a photo-op but lunch will have been a grander affair with wine not beer

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K M Flett @keithbeard.bsky.social · 17h

Farage has been in Caerphilly today (10th Oct). The real story is where he went for lunch. If there were any actual journalists present as opposed to Farage stenographers perhaps we'll find out

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K M Flett @keithbeard.bsky.social · 19h

wp.me/p15p2Q-ffU

Beard Liberation Front 10th December The shortlist for the Beard of Autumn 2025 has been announced and on-line voting will open on Saturday 11th October. The BLF is often asked what criteria are us…

The MP for Clacton has been attacking the British education system (in a speech in Michigan)

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K M Flett @keithbeard.bsky.social · 20h

wp.me/p15p2Q-ffw

The speech took place on 18th September 2025. The Guardian has the story. Who paid for Farage to be there is as often not known, neither is his connection to the College. It does however fit a patt…

E P Thompson’s Time Work Discipline in the 24/7 age & plans to extend pub opening hours

K M Flett @keithbeard.bsky.social · 22h

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E P Thompson’s Time Work Discipline in the 24/7 age & plans to extend pub hours EP Thompson’s essay on Time-Work Discipline was published in Past and Present 38/1 December 1967. It speaks to ve…

Socialist History Seminar. Mon 20th Oct Dilan Tulsiani, Traditions of Dissent. The British Section of the League Against Imperialism

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K M Flett @keithbeard.bsky.social · 23h

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Monday 20th October 5.30pm on Zoom Dilan Tulsiani ‘Traditions of Dissent: The British Section of the League Against Imperialism and British interwar anticolonialism’. Free on Zoom. Booking essentia…

Times letter writers give thumbs down to Jenrick on ‘activist’ judges and racism

Reposted by K M Flett

K M Flett @keithbeard.bsky.social · 1d

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E P Thompson in his collection Writing By Candlelight saw Times letter writers at representative of provincial and often reactionary views. Thompson was determinedly provincial himself (from Halifa…

Right-wing historians & history. Niall Ferguson on Donald Trump,dictatorship & Nazi Germany

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Reposted by K M Flett

K M Flett @keithbeard.bsky.social · 1d

Comparisons between Trump's US & Nazi Germany in the later 1930s are overblow. However comparisons to the pre-Nazi takeover 1930-32 may be closer to the mark
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The above is an extract from a long piece in the Times by Prof Niall Ferguson about whether Donald Trump is a dictator or not. Ferguson thinks he isn’t and I agree but we come at it from diff…