banner
LightNews
philfree.bsky.social
Phil Free
@philfree.bsky.social
770 followers 770 following 5.9K posts
Politics, economics, planet - I live in Essex, UK.
Posts Media Videos Starter Packs
philfree.bsky.social
Phil Free @philfree.bsky.social · 30m
Peter Thiel’s off-the-record antichrist lectures reveal more about him than Armageddon
www.theguardian.com/technology/n...
Peter Thiel’s off-the-record antichrist lectures reveal more about him than Armageddon
Silicon Valley titan desperately tries to detach self from power in amateurish talks attempting to ape his favorite philosopher
www.theguardian.com
philfree.bsky.social
Phil Free @philfree.bsky.social · 47m
Centrism - corrupt careerism.

Tony Blair & Nick Clegg hosted dinner giving tech bosses access to UK minister
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Tony Blair and Nick Clegg hosted dinner giving tech bosses access to UK minister
Exclusive: Six tech leaders dined with investment minister, documents reveal, underlining growing influence of ex-PM’s consultancy
www.theguardian.com
philfree.bsky.social
Phil Free @philfree.bsky.social · 59m
Conservatism - corruption.

Boris Johnson breached rules designed to stop abuse of contracts made in public office
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Boris Johnson breached rules designed to stop abuse of contacts made in public office, watchdog finds
Johnson found to have breached rules after refusing to answer specific questions about allegations published by the Guardian
www.theguardian.com
1
philfree.bsky.social
Phil Free @philfree.bsky.social · 10h
“Only now the problem is not natural dialectics but relativistic cosmology & quantum mechanics; with the exotic possibilities of space/time providing an illusory escape from an all but ruined planet earth.”

On Dialectics & Butterflies - @pure-culture.bsky.social
open.substack.com/pub/blackd/p...
On Dialectics and Butterflies
Now in paperback:
open.substack.com
philfree.bsky.social
Phil Free @philfree.bsky.social · 10h
In Israel, ‘animals in human form’ may be killed
mondoweiss.net/2025/08/in-i...
In Israel, ‘animals in human form’ may be killed
Studies consistently show that Jewish Israelis view Palestinians as less than human. This deep-seated racism is rooted in the Zionist colonial project and helps explain the broad support for the Gaza ...
mondoweiss.net
philfree.bsky.social
Phil Free @philfree.bsky.social · 11h
‘Once the war ends, we’ll be able to weep’: joy & trepidation in #Gaza as ceasefire goes into effect
mondoweiss.net/2025/10/once...
‘Once the war ends, we’ll be able to weep’: joy and trepidation in Gaza as ceasefire goes into effect
Gaza erupted in celebration as a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas was reached on Thursday. But while there has been an outpouring of joy over the prospect of an end to the genocide, many a...
mondoweiss.net
Reposted by Phil Free
benbraun.bsky.social
Benjamin Braun @benbraun.bsky.social · 11h
I knew it reminded me of something
Visualization of OpenAI’s links to other tech companies Spiderman meme
1 4 20
philfree.bsky.social
Phil Free @philfree.bsky.social · 11h
How a 400,000-year-old elephant skeleton solved a tantalising puzzle of early human behaviour
theconversation.com/how-a-400-00...
How a 400,000-year-old elephant skeleton solved a tantalising puzzle of early human behaviour
Early nomadic humans living in Europe briefly halted to profit from an unexpected windfall, leaving some important clues about their behaviour.
theconversation.com
1
philfree.bsky.social
Phil Free @philfree.bsky.social · 12h
“A 2022 report by local activists estimated that, each day, around 300,000 tonnes of toxic mining waste are dumped into the Ajkwa River system.”

The alleged British links to mass deforestation and displacement in a conflict few have even heard of
theconversation.com/the-alleged-...
The alleged British links to mass deforestation and displacement in a conflict few have even heard of
New report alleges British links to human rights and environmental crises in West Papua, Indonesia.
theconversation.com
philfree.bsky.social
Phil Free @philfree.bsky.social · 12h
Kerouac’s Road: The Beat of A Nation – this documentary can’t reconcile nostalgia with the true contemporary US
theconversation.com/kerouacs-roa...
Kerouac’s Road: The Beat of A Nation – this documentary can’t reconcile nostalgia with the true contemporary US
Today, Sal Paradise would have a podcast. And I am not convinced that it would be much different from some of the worst of the manosphere.
theconversation.com
philfree.bsky.social
Phil Free @philfree.bsky.social · 12h
Could digital currencies end banking as we know it? The future of money
theconversation.com/could-digita...
Could digital currencies end banking as we know it? The future of money
Throughout history, control over money has been one of the most powerful levers of state authority. What does this mean in the new era of digital currencies?
theconversation.com
philfree.bsky.social
Phil Free @philfree.bsky.social · 15h
“It is the political centre—supposedly the repository of Enlightenment values—that has pushed politics to the right since 1980, long before any ‘populist upsurge’.”

Identity Politics
fromarsetoelbow.blogspot.com/2025/09/iden...
Identity Politics
The suggestion that ID cards will help solve the immigration "crisis" isn't exactly novel, but it is now the headline
fromarsetoelbow.blogspot.com
1
philfree.bsky.social
Phil Free @philfree.bsky.social · 15h
Unchecked concentration of wealth is eroding US democracy
rwer.wordpress.com/2025/06/15/u...
Unchecked concentration of wealth is eroding US democracy
As the world watches Donald Trump and Elon Musk publicly fight over the sweeping legislation moving through Congress, we should not let the drama distract us. There is something deeper afoot: unpre…
rwer.wordpress.com
philfree.bsky.social
Phil Free @philfree.bsky.social · 15h
Daring to dream after two years under fire: Life in #Gaza
www.opendemocracy.net/en/gaza-ceas...
Daring to dream after two years under fire: Life in Gaza
For two years, our lives have been on hold amid constant air strikes and fighting. Now, we finally have reason to hope
www.opendemocracy.net
philfree.bsky.social
Phil Free @philfree.bsky.social · 16h
“Our interregnum does not feel like a bridge between worlds: it feels like a mudslide. But Gramsci would not object to the pessimism taking hold of us, provided it helps us to fight for a better world.”

- @greeneujournal.bsky.social
www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/in-defence-o...
In Defence of Pessimism
Hope, divorced from reality, is a liability. Strategic pessimism can help us more in our current crises.
www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu
philfree.bsky.social
Phil Free @philfree.bsky.social · 16h
Against Ironic Detachment
open.substack.com/pub/mikebroc...
Against Ironic Detachment
Why Moral Seriousness Matters
open.substack.com
philfree.bsky.social
Phil Free @philfree.bsky.social · 17h
“If the richest 10% lived like the European middle class, we would be moving in the right direction. Moving to a #wellbeingeconomy under #degrowth principles would move us even farther in the right direction.”

- @mattorsagh.bsky.social
degrowthistheanswer.substack.com/p/if-the-ric...
If the Rich Lived Like the Middle Class
Would that solve the problem?
degrowthistheanswer.substack.com
1
Reposted by Phil Free
routledgeeditor.bsky.social
Routledge Business, Economics & Law Editors @routledgeeditor.bsky.social · 1d
#RoutledgeRevisited

Prosperity Without Growth
@timjackson.org.uk

"Cuts through the intellectual clamour with clarity, courage & hope" @naomiaklein.bsky.social
"Essential reading for those refusing to succumb to a dystopic future" @yanisvaroufakis.bsky.social

www.routledge.com/Prosperity-w...
Front cover of the book, "Prosperity Without Growth"
6 9
philfree.bsky.social
Phil Free @philfree.bsky.social · 17h
“The automatic rise in public debt since the GFC & the COVID pandemic is a consequence of economic weakness & private sector failure. It is not caused by fiscal profligacy.”

Technocrats as handmaidens to authoritarianism - Pt 1 - @annpettifor.bsky.social
open.substack.com/pub/annpetti...
Technocrats as handmaidens to authoritarianism - Pt 1
Central bank technocrats are not ‘independent’
open.substack.com
1 2
philfree.bsky.social
Phil Free @philfree.bsky.social · 18h
“The threat of ‘vote for us or get something even worse’ can work given a lack of alternatives, but when an alternative rises up out of the people you’ve marginalised, bullied & expelled, it suddenly carries a lot less weight.”

- @anotherangryvoice.bsky.social
open.substack.com/pub/anothera...
Is the Labour-Tory duopoly finally dying?
Labour and the Tories have been the two main political parties for over 100 years, but after 46 years of neoliberalism and 15 years of austerity ruination, they're more unpopular than ever
open.substack.com
Reposted by Phil Free
flyingrodent.bsky.social
flyingrodent @flyingrodent.bsky.social · 18h
It’s worth bearing in mind that to the libs, “defenders of democracy” can mean anything from “Barack Obama” to “Islamist militia we have armed to the teeth” or “death squad carrying out a genocide”, and that in practice, these warm approving terms tend to mean “cooperative with America”.
shawnybantzy.bsky.social
Shawn's Socialist Slipstreaming（宇祥）- he/him/他/dia @shawnybantzy.bsky.social · 19h
Apparently our newest Nobel Peace Prize winner wrote to fucking Netanyahu for help in overthrowing the government of her own country dawg
The population of Venezuela needs international protection against the widespread and systematic attack to which the Venezuelan regime subjects it. This is demonstrated by the report dated May 29, 2018, submitted by the Organisation of American States to the International Criminal Court. This has served as the basis for nine states, including Argentina, to file complaints against the regime before that international body. We deeply appreciate this effort, which is decisive for the outcome of the Venezuelan tragedy. I am convinced that the international community, in accordance with the responsibility to protect doctrine, is called upon to provide Venezuelans with the necessary support to bring about the regime change that is urgently needed to restore national and international security. Therefore, I have recently sent letters to several of the world’s leading figures to promote before the United Nations Security Council the adoption of effective protection measures for Venezuela by fostering regime change, a step that necessarily entails strengthening international security. Today I want to ask Israel and Argentina to contribute their expertise and influence to advance a sound and urgent decision-making process in the Security Council. Such measures are imperative in the face of a hemispheric security hotspot like the one currently posed by the regime oppressing Venezuela. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Organisation for Migration have certified that the current refugee crisis of people fleeing Venezuela is the largest in the history of the Americas. Argentina is an example of this crisis, having welcomed hundreds of thousands of our compatriots—a gesture for which Venezuelans will always be grateful. However, we must be aware that without a change of regime in our country, hemispheric and global security will be at risk.
4 46 120
philfree.bsky.social
Phil Free @philfree.bsky.social · 18h
World roundup: October 9 2025
open.substack.com/pub/fx/p/wor...
World roundup: October 9 2025
Stories from Israel-Palestine, Myanmar, Haiti, and elsewhere
open.substack.com
philfree.bsky.social
Phil Free @philfree.bsky.social · 20h
End of the line for cod?
theecologist.org/2025/sep/29/...
End of the line for cod?
Warnings over collapsing fish stocks as experts advise ‘zero catch’ for cod.
theecologist.org
philfree.bsky.social
Phil Free @philfree.bsky.social · 21h
Citizen scientists locate plastic pollution hotspots
theecologist.org/node/2994545
Citizen scientists locate plastic pollution hotspots
Big Microplastic Survey gathers data from 39 countries, uncovering widespread nurdle and bio-bead contamination.
theecologist.org
philfree.bsky.social
Phil Free @philfree.bsky.social · 21h
A storm is coming
theecologist.org/2025/sep/23/...
A storm is coming
Global water cycle is more erratic and harder to predict, UN scientists warn.
theecologist.org