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peopletrees.bsky.social
Jacob S
@peopletrees.bsky.social
260 followers 560 following 570 posts
Organising, tenant unions, writing, post-capitalism. Bristol, formerly London. My book Renters Unite is an account of the new wave of tenant organising around the world. No access to DMs. https://www.plutobooks.com/9780745350011/renters-unite/
www.plutobooks.com
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peopletrees.bsky.social
Jacob S @peopletrees.bsky.social · Aug 19
Why tenant unions? Why now? Find out in my new book, Renters Unite! 'A brilliant and inspiring analysis of the causes and possible solutions to one of the central issues facing people around the world today: the problem of housing' - Jeremy Gilbert
Renters Unite
As housing crises proliferate around the world, so does the fightback. A new generation of tenants' unions are rising up to demand good, affordable housing f...
www.plutobooks.com
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Reposted by Jacob S
mcduff.bsky.social
Phil McDuff @mcduff.bsky.social · 21h
There is a genuine mental block amongst the elites in capitalist societies. Everything is collapsing and the hegemon is autocannibalising, but if that were true then they'd have to do something about it, and so they are doubling down on "everything is fine and normal."
mxbernhard.bsky.social
Max Bernhard @mxbernhard.bsky.social · 23h
Seems like the worst time to start sharing your citizens' biometric data with the US government
matthimon.bsky.social
Matthias Monroy @matthimon.bsky.social · Aug 29
The EU-Commission wants to negotiate a very sensitive agreement that would allow US authorities direct (!) access to police-stored fingerprints & facial images in Europe.
Potentially, all travelers could be affected by this #EBSP – and people in need for protection.
digit.site36.net/2025/08/29/e...
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peopletrees.bsky.social
Jacob S @peopletrees.bsky.social · 1d
It's fine to articulate the differences but does she know that electorally this is a nothingburger? Nobody cares about these positions except left micro groups. I know it's not all about voting but still, if that's the big difference the public will be baffled.
zarahsultana.bsky.social
Zarah Sultana MP @zarahsultana.bsky.social · 1d
Great discussion at TWT on how the left must unite — Your Party and the Greens — to keep Farage out of Downing Street.

But unity isn’t uniformity. Your Party will be truly anti-imperialist: no diplomatic ties with a genocidal, apartheid Israeli state and no greenwashing NATO.

Join us: yourparty.uk
Photo of Zarah, Zack Polanski, Amna Abdullatif from We Deserve Better and Abubakr Nanabawa from The Muslim Vote Zarah speaking to a packed room at The World Transformed
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kevincarson1.bsky.social
Kevin Carson 🇵🇸 🇺🇦 🇹🇯 @kevincarson1.bsky.social · 2d
It's also not so much that they're "hoarding" money -- most of it's "invested" in some form of economic activity -- it's that they're in control of where the money's directed, and it's "invested" in their priorities -- which are mostly bubbles, enshittification, and private equity asset-stripping...
liberalcurrents.com
Liberal Currents @liberalcurrents.com · 2d
“The problem with billionaires isn’t that they’re hoarding money that would otherwise pay for a Scandinavian social utopia. It’s that their money has become a source of wildly distorted political power that allows a few men with extremist views to wreak havoc on the rest of us.”
Billionaires Are Hoarding Power, Not Money
Billionaire money has become a source of wildly distorted political power that allows a few men with extremist views to wreak havoc on the rest of us.
www.liberalcurrents.com
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Reposted by Jacob S
mskellymhayes.bsky.social
Preorder Read This When Things Fall Apart @mskellymhayes.bsky.social · 2d
Hear me out: What if it's both the hoarding and the havoc?
liberalcurrents.com
Liberal Currents @liberalcurrents.com · 2d
“The problem with billionaires isn’t that they’re hoarding money that would otherwise pay for a Scandinavian social utopia. It’s that their money has become a source of wildly distorted political power that allows a few men with extremist views to wreak havoc on the rest of us.”
Billionaires Are Hoarding Power, Not Money
Billionaire money has become a source of wildly distorted political power that allows a few men with extremist views to wreak havoc on the rest of us.
www.liberalcurrents.com
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peopletrees.bsky.social
Jacob S @peopletrees.bsky.social · 3d
Certainly sounds bad
dmk1793.bsky.social
David Klemperer @dmk1793.bsky.social · 3d
I think it's bad that we allow financiers operating out of the gulf states to run massive private propaganda operations designed to undermine British democracy and stir up racial hatred
benfenton.bsky.social
Ben Fenton @benfenton.bsky.social · 3d
If a news organisation is making -200% margin after five years, it is not a commercial operation and should be assumed to have a different purpose.
peopletrees.bsky.social
Jacob S @peopletrees.bsky.social · 4d
Abolish landlords!
peopletrees.bsky.social
Jacob S @peopletrees.bsky.social · 4d
The entire UK press either doesn't understand or pretends not to understand how house prices work. E.g. you could lower prices by stopping interest only mortgages. It is not simply about supply and demand of housing but of credit.
peopletrees.bsky.social
Jacob S @peopletrees.bsky.social · 4d
I guess these boring tweets are one reason I don't have a big following!
peopletrees.bsky.social
Jacob S @peopletrees.bsky.social · 4d
The entire UK press either doesn't understand or pretends not to understand how house prices work. E.g. you could lower prices by stopping interest only mortgages. It is not simply about supply and demand of housing but of credit.
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peopletrees.bsky.social
Jacob S @peopletrees.bsky.social · 4d
Houses are priced at what the market (people and companies with enough resources) can bear. If you knock 20k off in SD the price will go up 20k. A more general land tax would keep prices down, but I don't think any major party has lower prices as a policy goal.
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peopletrees.bsky.social
Jacob S @peopletrees.bsky.social · 4d
I heard a young Tory who doesn't own a home enthusing about getting rid of stamp duty. SD isn't paid on most first time purchases, and getting rid without replacement will put house prices up. There will be zero benefits to house buyers.
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peopletrees.bsky.social
Jacob S @peopletrees.bsky.social · 4d
Cameron could pass gay marriage while shredding public services. I just feel like without economic principles, like extreme inequality being bad, you would end up with Cameroonian social progressivism. I don't assume bad faith, I assume power relations exist.
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peopletrees.bsky.social
Jacob S @peopletrees.bsky.social · 4d
More seriously, any party with no fixed economic position and a sniff of power would have their economic position bought and paid for within a year.
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peopletrees.bsky.social
Jacob S @peopletrees.bsky.social · 4d
Sounds like the SNP
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Reposted by Jacob S
premnsikka.bsky.social
Prem Sikka @premnsikka.bsky.social · 6d
The UK household debt is over £2 trillion.

Debt once public now loaded to households e.g. student debt. Energy debt rising. People borrowing for healthcare.

Mortgages 7 times salary being issued. Soaring rents.

Real average wage stuck at the 2008 level.

What could go wrong?
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peopletrees.bsky.social
Jacob S @peopletrees.bsky.social · 5d
Not quite abolition then, but a good set of policies to Minimise Landlords.
greensorganise.bsky.social
Greens Organise @greensorganise.bsky.social · 5d
The Green Party wants to Abolish Landlords.

The question on everyone’s lips:
What does that actually mean?

Here’s motion proposer @sallonsax.bsky.social talking to @turnleftmedia.co.uk about just that!
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peopletrees.bsky.social
Jacob S @peopletrees.bsky.social · 5d
Ah OK. At least the cost was peanuts though! Like the cost of one new motorway bridge or something.
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peopletrees.bsky.social
Jacob S @peopletrees.bsky.social · 5d
No. Read what was written. It made the money back in tax. As does much government spending. It 'costs' nothing in the long run.
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garethwatkins.bsky.social
Gareth Watkins @garethwatkins.bsky.social · 5d
Imagine this happening in the UK and not having to sigh 'what do their parents do?' every time you hear about a new band. Wouldn't it be great to hear music from somebody who isn't directly related to the Lord Admiral Wythenshawe Bloodfeast MP, the Butcher of Bangalore?
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peopletrees.bsky.social
Jacob S @peopletrees.bsky.social · 5d
He's clearly not a Badenoch Tory though. Anti-immigrant feeling may be inevitable but is stirred by the bad guys. The good guys are always pro immigration. His social liberalism is also beyond any stream of Toryism. So Lib Dems maybe.
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peopletrees.bsky.social
Jacob S @peopletrees.bsky.social · 6d
My toddler semi-regularly screams at me to not do something that I am, in fact, not doing. Then gets angrier at me for not not doing it as she asked. Sometimes I just do the thing so she has a legit reason to be angry, then I can stop doing it as requested. Does that help? No, not at all thanks.
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peopletrees.bsky.social
Jacob S @peopletrees.bsky.social · 6d
I wonder if it helped having the literal prime minister repeatedly saying the protests were understandable and he wouldn't want his daughter to be walking past asylum seeker hotels.
belalugosisdad.bsky.social
🔻Bela Lugosi's Dad (Even More Spooky) 🏳️‍⚧️ 🇵🇸 🇱🇧 🇮🇷 @belalugosisdad.bsky.social · 6d
We're so fucking cooked.
YouGov poll showing that 54% of British adults think that protests outside hotels housing asylum seekers are either somewhat or completely justified.
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peopletrees.bsky.social
Jacob S @peopletrees.bsky.social · 6d
And that's before we get to regressive movements, which can also have social and economic (and blended) forms. Though they often hardly deserve the term 'movement', as some rich people are usually paying for it - see the 'movement' to raise flags in the UK at present.
peopletrees.bsky.social
Jacob S @peopletrees.bsky.social · 6d
But that's a bit of a mouthful, so I expect we'll stumble along with the 'social movement' term for a while longer. BUT it is very important to distinguish between movements that would restructure the economy to the benefit of ordinary people, and those that won't (and thus have a liberal version).
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peopletrees.bsky.social
Jacob S @peopletrees.bsky.social · 6d
Monday morning geeky thought: the term 'social movement' was promoted by liberals who wanted to distance themselves from communist movements. However, an umbrella term for movements is so useful that we all end up using it. A better term for radical movements would be 'social and economic movements'
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paulbernal.bsky.social
Paul Bernal @paulbernal.bsky.social · 7d
We would be in a much better place if politicians from all parties hadn’t been spreading the lie that local governments have lots of fat to cut, essentially since Maggie Thatcher.
financialtimes.com
Financial Times @financialtimes.com · 7d
Reform likely to raise Kent council tax after cost-cutting drive falters on.ft.com/4pTvJ62
Reform likely to raise Kent council tax after cost-cutting drive falters
Nigel Farage’s party promised to revive local authority finances by slashing wasteful spending
on.ft.com
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