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Chris Smith

@spyhistorian.bsky.social

4.5K followers 1.4K following 3.7K posts

Historian. Spies, signals intelligence, Second World War. Social and Cultural history. History of humour. Insults = 🚫

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Chris Smith @spyhistorian.bsky.social · May 12

I cannot continue financially supporting Labour while it bullies immigrants; while it panders to racist Reform voters; while its leader employs the rhetoric of Enoch Powell; and while it is allowing the destruction of my sector of employment again to pander to racism. @teamlabouruk.bsky.social

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Chris Smith @spyhistorian.bsky.social · 3h

Sadly, my cat is 140 miles away. I, too, should be prepping teaching. Instead, I'm watching political debates from the US and drinking a very nice beer.

Chris Smith @spyhistorian.bsky.social · 3h

I'm absolutely not saying they are paedophiles, but if you wanted to fancy dress as a paedophile, this is what you would wear.

Chris Smith @spyhistorian.bsky.social · 1d

Sadly not.

Chris Smith @spyhistorian.bsky.social · 1d

Yep, the line splits to north Wales after Mach, the west line goes onto Aberystwyth.

Chris Smith @spyhistorian.bsky.social · 1d

I thought the nominations were in months ago. Was it even possible for Trump to win at this late stage?

And thinking about this reasonably, now with an anti-Trump perspective, surely it will take time to see if his efforts bear fruit. Surely next year or the following would be his best bet?

Chris Smith @spyhistorian.bsky.social · 1d

I think there are few people in British commentary as weaselly and pathetic than Jenkins. All of his very hot takes are idiotic and invariably wrong. And here he is in full reverse ferret. How he still has a column and a knighthood defy explanation. He isn't even a good writer.

Chris Smith @spyhistorian.bsky.social · 1d

To get more mid-Wales you have to go 20 miles or so west to Llanidloes. A very fine town itself.

Chris Smith @spyhistorian.bsky.social · 1d

@iandunt.bsky.social and @dorianlynskey.bsky.social brilliant pod on socialism, as usual. But as a proud inhabitant of Wales, Newtown is not in south Wales. It is more or less dead centre mid-Wales.

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Chris Smith @spyhistorian.bsky.social · 1d

I hope you sue some of the main influences for libel.

Chris Smith @spyhistorian.bsky.social · 1d

National treasure.

Chris Smith @spyhistorian.bsky.social · 1d

Nonsense.

Chris Smith @spyhistorian.bsky.social · 1d

As a teenager marrying Salma Hayek was a life goal. I feel that as I rapidly approach middle-age balding and fat that Chris would be deeply disappointed.

Chris Smith @spyhistorian.bsky.social · 1d

Does having a truly astonishing amount of money somehow damage people mentally? I don't mean that to be flippant. The number of billionaires who appear to disappear down weird rabbitholes seems way above the population average.

Chris Smith @spyhistorian.bsky.social · 1d

I kind of think we live in periods of pendulum swings. In the late 1990s 2000s we lived in a period of relative liberalism which reached its "extremes" and now the pendulum is swinging hard the other way. I think it will go back the other way when Trumpism fails fully.

Chris Smith @spyhistorian.bsky.social · 1d

You just know that in 30 years time, this image is going to appear on the cover of history text books trying to make sense of the batshit period to which, by accident of birth, we have been subjected.

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Chris Smith @spyhistorian.bsky.social · 1d

Love it, these people are practically British.

Chris Smith @spyhistorian.bsky.social · 1d

These people are a joke.

Chris Smith @spyhistorian.bsky.social · 1d

Or Biden as this deal was basically his.

Chris Smith @spyhistorian.bsky.social · 1d

Why should he? His foreign policy achievements are thin on the ground. While we can hope that the 20-point peace plan for Gaza (basically Biden's) is commendable in that he forced Netanyahu's hand, it is very far from clear it will have even medium-term success.

Chris Smith @spyhistorian.bsky.social · 1d

Yes and no. Yes, the power behind the throne matters. No, it is really important that the leader of the free world is a mentally incontinent disaster who is clearly incapable of executing his role.

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Chris Smith @spyhistorian.bsky.social · 2d

Israel Palestine breaks brains.

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Chris Smith @spyhistorian.bsky.social · 2d

Or Biden given it is essentially his peace plan than Trump has plagiarised.

Chris Smith @spyhistorian.bsky.social · 2d

This is absolutely what is happening at my gaff. "We hate it, we need to prevent students from using it, but here is how to use it 'legitimately'." Er...

Chris Smith @spyhistorian.bsky.social · 2d

Do you have a link to the episode?

Chris Smith @spyhistorian.bsky.social · 2d

I wonder if a more journalistic, publis history piece for a magazine is a better venue?

Anyone have any experience of this or an idea who might want it?