Joshua Barretto
@jsbarretto.com
Software engineering / security / safety. Also gardening, urbanism, lefty politics, DIY, and occasional dog photos. Really, really dislikes fascists. Born at 364 ppm. He/him.
More active on Mastodon: social.coop/@jsbarretto
More active on Mastodon: social.coop/@jsbarretto
Reposted by Joshua Barretto
Home Office inadvertently bans historical research about the Dunkirk evacuation.
I'd hate to be a boat owner after this passes.
Imagine all the information that could be be useful for your navigation but which would ALSO be potentially useful to those guiding small boats across the Channel.
Will the Shipping Forecast cease broadcasting? That, after all, makes crossings easier.
Imagine all the information that could be be useful for your navigation but which would ALSO be potentially useful to those guiding small boats across the Channel.
Will the Shipping Forecast cease broadcasting? That, after all, makes crossings easier.
December 3, 2025 at 9:54 AM
Home Office inadvertently bans historical research about the Dunkirk evacuation.
Reposted by Joshua Barretto
I, a person who wants Rachel Reeves to not be chancellor of the exchequer, am increasingly tired of the number of shitty ways that the press are trying to stop her being chancellor of the exchequer
December 2, 2025 at 10:26 PM
I, a person who wants Rachel Reeves to not be chancellor of the exchequer, am increasingly tired of the number of shitty ways that the press are trying to stop her being chancellor of the exchequer
Reposted by Joshua Barretto
Really enjoyed this wide-ranging essay on the Corbynism, commoning, English identity, and the radical politics of the allotment
December 2, 2025 at 8:44 PM
Really enjoyed this wide-ranging essay on the Corbynism, commoning, English identity, and the radical politics of the allotment
Reposted by Joshua Barretto
in my judgement, Chris Mason misled the country
December 2, 2025 at 12:39 PM
in my judgement, Chris Mason misled the country
Reposted by Joshua Barretto
They were 8 and 11 years old
December 2, 2025 at 6:50 AM
They were 8 and 11 years old
Reposted by Joshua Barretto
Reposted by Joshua Barretto
Reposted by Joshua Barretto
People are very hard on young people on here, lack of critical thinking, lack of responsibility etc, and then you see something like this and it all makes a different kind of sense.
November 30, 2025 at 1:44 PM
People are very hard on young people on here, lack of critical thinking, lack of responsibility etc, and then you see something like this and it all makes a different kind of sense.
There's nothing more suspicious than an atheist that advocates for 'Christianism' in the most earnest of terms
I had forgotten the detail here that Kemi doesn't actually believe in God.
I disagree very profoundly with Mrs Thatcher, as did many of the members of the General Assembly, but she had actually thought her position out (and she was speaking from her own, genuine, faith, rather than rather oddly denouncing things as “unchristian” when you don’t believe in God).
November 28, 2025 at 1:47 PM
There's nothing more suspicious than an atheist that advocates for 'Christianism' in the most earnest of terms
Reposted by Joshua Barretto
Proposing a bold new scheme replacing foster parents with wolves
November 28, 2025 at 12:16 PM
Proposing a bold new scheme replacing foster parents with wolves
Reposted by Joshua Barretto
There was no state. Who does she think crucified him, an anarchist collective?
November 28, 2025 at 11:22 AM
There was no state. Who does she think crucified him, an anarchist collective?
Reposted by Joshua Barretto
Welfare spending is currently 1.2% of GDP *lower* than in 2012-13.
Abolition of two-child cap is best viewed as a correction than an increase.
Abolition of two-child cap is best viewed as a correction than an increase.
Is welfare spending ''out of control''?
Total welfare spending in Britain in 2025-26 is estimated to be 10.8 per cent of GDP.
That's just 0.8 per cent of GDP higher than in 2007-08, and total welfare spending has actually fallen fallen by 1.2 per cent of GDP since 2012-13⤵️
buff.ly/s5mz97u
Total welfare spending in Britain in 2025-26 is estimated to be 10.8 per cent of GDP.
That's just 0.8 per cent of GDP higher than in 2007-08, and total welfare spending has actually fallen fallen by 1.2 per cent of GDP since 2012-13⤵️
buff.ly/s5mz97u
November 28, 2025 at 8:35 AM
Welfare spending is currently 1.2% of GDP *lower* than in 2012-13.
Abolition of two-child cap is best viewed as a correction than an increase.
Abolition of two-child cap is best viewed as a correction than an increase.
Reposted by Joshua Barretto
One of the main driving factors behind my decision to stay in the US is that while both the US and UK have become increasingly far-right and hostile to immigrants, the US has much further to fall. The UK is basically only a sneeze away from bankrupting what's left of its economy.
The number of British citizens emigrating hasn’t increased, btw. Outward migration is up, but the increase is mostly non-EU migrants leaving the UK.
The methodology counting emigration of British citizens changed in 2021, which increased the number, and it’s been pretty much flat ever since…
The methodology counting emigration of British citizens changed in 2021, which increased the number, and it’s been pretty much flat ever since…
November 28, 2025 at 1:18 AM
One of the main driving factors behind my decision to stay in the US is that while both the US and UK have become increasingly far-right and hostile to immigrants, the US has much further to fall. The UK is basically only a sneeze away from bankrupting what's left of its economy.
Reposted by Joshua Barretto
The "don't have an extra kid if you can't afford it" brigade get awfully upset when you suggest they don't stay in their £2m house if they can't afford it, don't they?
November 27, 2025 at 6:09 PM
The "don't have an extra kid if you can't afford it" brigade get awfully upset when you suggest they don't stay in their £2m house if they can't afford it, don't they?
Reposted by Joshua Barretto
there is almost no feedback I will reflexively ignore as a game developer but “you shouldn’t name something X because people don’t know that word” is one of them. oh no! You might learn a new word! God forbid you take away a piece of knowledge from a game that’s not a brand of gun or some shit lol
November 25, 2025 at 6:52 AM
there is almost no feedback I will reflexively ignore as a game developer but “you shouldn’t name something X because people don’t know that word” is one of them. oh no! You might learn a new word! God forbid you take away a piece of knowledge from a game that’s not a brand of gun or some shit lol
Reposted by Joshua Barretto
"a single person of this demographic may have committed a crime, therefore we must punish the entire demographic" is a policy response you may recognize from fascist governments dedicated to ethnic cleansing elsewhere.
November 27, 2025 at 5:52 AM
"a single person of this demographic may have committed a crime, therefore we must punish the entire demographic" is a policy response you may recognize from fascist governments dedicated to ethnic cleansing elsewhere.
Reposted by Joshua Barretto
In 2012, a Conservative government awarded April Ashley, a trans woman, an MBE for "services to trans equality".
How far are we from a Labour government revoking that award, because trans people don't deserve equality?
How far are we from a Labour government revoking that award, because trans people don't deserve equality?
the bbc changed their article from saying 'trans woman' to saying 'biological male who identifies as a woman'.
even if you don't care about trans ppl it should alarm you just how captured the bbc has become.
they will no longer even say 'trans woman'. that's not normal and shows massive bias.
even if you don't care about trans ppl it should alarm you just how captured the bbc has become.
they will no longer even say 'trans woman'. that's not normal and shows massive bias.
November 27, 2025 at 8:56 AM
In 2012, a Conservative government awarded April Ashley, a trans woman, an MBE for "services to trans equality".
How far are we from a Labour government revoking that award, because trans people don't deserve equality?
How far are we from a Labour government revoking that award, because trans people don't deserve equality?
Reposted by Joshua Barretto
"average french person arrested 3 times a year for corruption" factoid actualy just statistical error. average french person arrested 0 times per year. Corruptions Sarko, who lives in le XVIe arrondissement & has over 10k convictions a day, is an outlier adn should not have been counted
November 26, 2025 at 2:27 PM
"average french person arrested 3 times a year for corruption" factoid actualy just statistical error. average french person arrested 0 times per year. Corruptions Sarko, who lives in le XVIe arrondissement & has over 10k convictions a day, is an outlier adn should not have been counted
Reposted by Joshua Barretto
the next couple of days are going to see a hell of a lot of "the rich declare themselves poor"
November 26, 2025 at 10:26 PM
the next couple of days are going to see a hell of a lot of "the rich declare themselves poor"
Reposted by Joshua Barretto
Huge news from the UK today: after UN climate talks in which there was a massive fight over language on fossil fuels, the UK government today announced that it will in fact be keeping many millions of barrels of oil & gas in the ground. Deeds rather than just words for a change! 🧵
November 26, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Huge news from the UK today: after UN climate talks in which there was a massive fight over language on fossil fuels, the UK government today announced that it will in fact be keeping many millions of barrels of oil & gas in the ground. Deeds rather than just words for a change! 🧵
Reposted by Joshua Barretto
Scrapping the two-child limit in full is a monumental decision. Well done to all involved in the Child Poverty Strategy, and everyone who has made the case against the policy.
OBR says scrapping costs £3 billion in 2029-30 and will lift 450,000 out of poverty
OBR says scrapping costs £3 billion in 2029-30 and will lift 450,000 out of poverty
November 26, 2025 at 12:57 PM
Scrapping the two-child limit in full is a monumental decision. Well done to all involved in the Child Poverty Strategy, and everyone who has made the case against the policy.
OBR says scrapping costs £3 billion in 2029-30 and will lift 450,000 out of poverty
OBR says scrapping costs £3 billion in 2029-30 and will lift 450,000 out of poverty
Reposted by Joshua Barretto
We are moving inexorably to the end point of electoral chaos - five parties all tied on 19% in the polls, election to be decided by blindfolded chimps chucking coloured darts at a constituency map
Westminster Voting Intention:
RFM: 25% (-2)
LAB: 19% (=)
CON: 18% (+1)
GRN: 16% (-1)
LDM: 15% (+2)
SNP: 3% (=)
Via @yougov.co.uk, 23-24 Nov.
Changes w/ 16-17 Nov.
RFM: 25% (-2)
LAB: 19% (=)
CON: 18% (+1)
GRN: 16% (-1)
LDM: 15% (+2)
SNP: 3% (=)
Via @yougov.co.uk, 23-24 Nov.
Changes w/ 16-17 Nov.
November 25, 2025 at 11:14 AM
We are moving inexorably to the end point of electoral chaos - five parties all tied on 19% in the polls, election to be decided by blindfolded chimps chucking coloured darts at a constituency map
Note to online publications: many of you are good enough to put money towards but not good enough to hold a recurring subscription for. Let me make a small one-time payment to read a long-form piece!
November 25, 2025 at 3:04 PM
Note to online publications: many of you are good enough to put money towards but not good enough to hold a recurring subscription for. Let me make a small one-time payment to read a long-form piece!
Ah, here comes the 'let's piss everybody off with a million tiny tweaks to things people actually notice' wave that exists only because we were too unserious to brave increasing a single and much more progressive tax by a margin that almost nobody would notice.
November 25, 2025 at 2:56 PM
Ah, here comes the 'let's piss everybody off with a million tiny tweaks to things people actually notice' wave that exists only because we were too unserious to brave increasing a single and much more progressive tax by a margin that almost nobody would notice.
Reposted by Joshua Barretto
![R. H. Bing (October 20, 1914 – April 28, 1986)[1] was an American mathematician who worked mainly in the areas of geometric topology and continuum theory.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:cyyd366g3hrxp5rynixm2mm3/bafkreid62wy3dekb2kzbisjfdlimlb35j4rlgew5iof7vi32byfszmg26a@jpeg)
![Bing's father was named Rupert Henry, but Bing's mother thought that "Rupert Henry" was too British for Texas. Thus she compromised by abbreviating it to R. H.[5] Consequently, R. H. does not stand for a first or middle name.
When Bing was applying for a visa, he was requested not to use initials. He explained that his name was really "R-only H-only Bing", and ended up receiving a visa made out to "Ronly Honly Bing".](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:cyyd366g3hrxp5rynixm2mm3/bafkreigmfj53q4uy33spga2bxdkllqm3ag5sffovg5g7ddmu3vqzkb6k24@jpeg)