Dan Olner
@danolner.bsky.social
540 followers 1.8K following 230 posts
Policy fellow @Y_PERN_ @SouthYorksMCA Data scientist / geospatial+economics / climate / political economy / "tepid centrist" / bit of sci-fi too danolner.net github.com/DanOlner
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Reposted by Dan Olner
fisherandrew79.bsky.social
Asking people to pay for goods would kill the shoplifting industry ...
Reposted by Dan Olner
iandunt.bsky.social
I was lucky to be there at the best moment for it, when it was full of potential. I dunno how someone starting a career now would find their audience, particularly on the liberal left.
Reposted by Dan Olner
eliothiggins.bsky.social
Big presence on the beaches of Normandy in 1944 too.
premthakker.bsky.social
From Donald Trump's Roundtable on Antifa just now —
"Antifa has been around in various iterations for almost 100 years in some instances, going back to the Weimar Republic in Germany."
— special guest Jack Posobiec
Reposted by Dan Olner
localnotail.bsky.social
How authoritarianism creeps in
And how it can be uprooted

Ruth Ben-Ghiat and Ivan Ehlers in the Los Angeles Times Sept 7 2025

www.latimes.com/opinion/stor...
first 2 of 9 frames of an illustrated guide to recognising and resisting authoritarianism

1, [a woman is having to vote under the eye of a balaclava-wearing security force officer with an automatic rifle]
History has shown us that some dictators have seized countries overnight through coups, while others consolidate power over years. However they proceed, the goal is always the same: to end democracy.
2. [drawing of a general and a politician / businessman exchanging a suitcase full of cash]
History has also shown us the tools authoritarians use: propaganda, surveillance, violence, purging nonloyalists from institutions and co-opting elites with promises of never-before-seen profits. 3. Same General and businessman giving the thumbs up while exchanging a briefcase full of money  but he's wearing a tracksuit now]
Authoritarians often justify their repression by vowing to rid the country of criminals. But authoritarians may partner with the very gangs they pledged to eliminate, as Nicolás Maduro and Nayib Bukele reportedly do.
4. [woman who looks like the same one who was voting is sitting next to a man in sunglasses on public transport who is paying close attention to her and she's thinking "Secret Police?" ] 
Secret police are formed that are loyal only to the authoritarian leader. They create a climate of intimidation and terror, often by blending into the population, along with informants and other civilian collaborators. 7. [a man in a tank top and shirt is saying "Relax, It'll never happen here " to a woman who looks unconvinced and behind them both are many balaclava-wearing security forces with  guns]
Even though authoritarians often explicitly state their intentions, many people convince themselves that "it's not that bad" and think they won't be targeted... until the state comes for them, too. When government officials in masks appear, you know that no one is safe.

8. [group of people standing united in a crowd who look resistant]
The history of authoritarian rule is also the history of resistance, Around the world, people have taken to the streets, even in situations of great danger, to tell the leader and his collaborators: "We refuse your violence and corruption. We stand in solidarity with the persecuted and the silenced."
danolner.bsky.social
See this FT article also - US reverses only slightly denting direction of travel (~5% dip in renewables deployment by 2030, not just US-caused; a sizeable chunk but nothing that'll stop where it's going.) www.ft.com/content/2fa6... (cough cough openversion cough archive.ph/hvKK8)
Reposted by Dan Olner
iandunt.bsky.social
It breaks my mind that two British political parties have seen scenes like this and decided to try and replicate it in Britain. Thuggary, lawlessness, state brutality. Farage and Badenoch decided they liked the look of it.
cristianfarias.com
This video of Chicagoans intervening to save a man from being abducted off the streets by ICE is making the rounds on Instagram.

Community action works.

Source: www.instagram.com/reel/DPZL2AL...
Reposted by Dan Olner
davidgilbert.bsky.social
Over the weekend, Trump's deputy chief of staff for policy Stephen Miller repeatedly attacked judges, calling them part of an "organized terrorist attack" on the US government....

On Saturday, the home of a judge who ruled against Trump, went up in flames

time.com/7323442/sout...
House of South Carolina Judge Criticized by Trump Administration Set Ablaze
Authorities are investigating a fire at the home of a South Carolina judge who had reportedly received death threats in what could be the latest incident of political violence across the country.
time.com
danolner.bsky.social
Reason #452 Labour's ID card plan is so dumb at the moment - with Reform this high in the polls, you'd help centralise personal data more? Really?
ziibiing.com
i don’t think, outside of folks doing this work already on the ground, most of us have reconciled with exactly how much the surveillance state can be used against us, or how our work might need to change

and i’m just saying, we have to listen to the people who have survived
Reposted by Dan Olner
msintexas.bsky.social
Oh damn, not the Fox News DEI hire telling career military they suck at their jobs.
Reposted by Dan Olner
janrosenow.bsky.social
Denmark is becoming the new Norway!

Electric vehicles in Denmark follow a text book S-curve.

In August: 69% of new sales were full battery electric vehicles.

Source @leraffl.bsky.social
danolner.bsky.social
"Forced volunteering is not volunteering, it's unpaid labour." Oh yeah, very good point.
chrischirp.bsky.social
Just fuck off with this. How about start the conversation by highlighting how much immigrants contribute to the UK - not least by propping up the NHS and social care system!

Also - forced volunteering is not volunteering, it's unpaid labour.
Reposted by Dan Olner
iandunt.bsky.social
If she does this, the gap between her policy and Farage's will narrow considerably. Retrospective legislation is the choice of tinpot dictators and intellectual vegetables. It means no-one could take Britain's word seriously.
theipaper.com
The Home Secretary is understood to be considering applying the policy to deal with concerns about the so-called ‘Boriswave'.

Read more: trib.al/WewVODg
Reposted by Dan Olner
jaredlholt.bsky.social
At a major "anti-hate" conference a few years ago I was on a panel where I lightly suggested big tech companies were faking their concerns about hate/misinfo. It didn't go over too well.

But let the record show that once again I was right. They only care about money.

www.yahoo.com/news/article...
YouTube reversing bans on creators flagged for COVID and election misinformation
YouTube will allow creators banned under its old COVID-19 and election misinformation policies to return, Alphabet said in a letter to Congress.
www.yahoo.com
Reposted by Dan Olner
bestforbritain.org
Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London: "People will be wondering what it is about this Muslim mayor who leads a liberal, multicultural, successful, diverse city. It seems to me that I’m living rent free inside Donald Trump’s head."
Reposted by Dan Olner
13sarahmurphy.bsky.social
Our politics and media have become viciously obsessed with immigration. Farage has made sure of it. And in that obsession, they’ve all lost sight of the people they target. Fellow human beings trying to live and belong somewhere.
Shame on everyone responsible for this daily inhumanity
(Letter,Times)
Reform's plan for a benefit clampdown
Sir, Regarding Reform's plan to ban foreigners from claiming benefits ("Farage visas would make it harder to settle in the UK", news, Sep 22;
"Time's Up", leading article, Sep 23), in my small company for the past ten years we have employed, on a yearly average, 32 eastern European people, two of them in senior management positions. They all pay British taxes and have had little or no unexplained absences to date. Sick leave for them is extremely low. As far as I am aware, none of them is claiming benefits for dependants. These diligent people provide compassionate care for their clients, living with them for a few weeks at a time. During the pandemic they were responsible for ensuring zero transmission of the virus to people in their care. I feel utterly ashamed that many of them will be reading about Nigel Farage's plan on their various social media platforms
this morning.
Chrstina Sell
Managing director, Arbour
Reposted by Dan Olner
pickardje.bsky.social
spokesperson for Sadiq Khan:

“We are not going to dignify his appalling and bigoted comments with a response.

“London is the greatest city in the world, safer than major US cities, and we’re delighted to welcome the record number of US citizens moving here.”
atrupar.com
Trump to the UN: "I have to say, I look at London where you have a terrible mayor -- terrible terrible mayor -- and it's been so changed, so changed. Now they want to go to Sharia Law ... both their immigration and their suicidal energy ideas will be the death of Western Europe."
danolner.bsky.social
OK, better from the Guardian.
Guardian headline: "pay no attention: global health agencies dismiss false trump claim on everyday painkillers."
danolner.bsky.social
Wes Streeting actually pitching this right. Guardian/NYT fluffing it. Streeting: "There is no evidence to link the use of paracetamol by pregnant women to autism in their children. None." Guardian: "Highly contentious conclusions" (nope, false conclusions). NYT: "Unproven link." Sigh...
Wes Streeting quote: "I’ve just got to be really clear about this: there is no evidence to link the use of paracetamol by pregnant women to autism in their children. None. In fact, a major study was done back in 2024 in Sweden, involving 2.4 million children, and it did not uphold those claims. So I would just say to people watching, don’t pay any attention whatsoever to what Donald Trump says about medicine. In fact, don’t take even take my word for it, as a politician – listen to British doctors, British scientists, the NHS."
Reposted by Dan Olner
paulpierref.bsky.social
It may have something to do with this 😉