John T
@jtatlife.bsky.social
Dutch consultant by day, interested in world history & British politics by night. Proud Hollander
Wurzel Gummidge was also popular, I guess it's a look small kids can appreciate (especially the 'not having to comb your hair or keep your clothes neat')
December 4, 2025 at 3:04 PM
Wurzel Gummidge was also popular, I guess it's a look small kids can appreciate (especially the 'not having to comb your hair or keep your clothes neat')
Hopefully Americans won't pretend in future that as a people they are any less prone to craven bootlicking than anyone else.
Remember all this slobbering is *without* anyone threatening them with execution.
Remember all this slobbering is *without* anyone threatening them with execution.
December 4, 2025 at 2:37 PM
Hopefully Americans won't pretend in future that as a people they are any less prone to craven bootlicking than anyone else.
Remember all this slobbering is *without* anyone threatening them with execution.
Remember all this slobbering is *without* anyone threatening them with execution.
Cannot see this lasting. One of the many things which sunk Truss was that couldn't say interesting things in interesting ways to a mass audience. She wasn't bad at holding a line in a short clip or interview, but even rightwing podcast audiences expect more than that.
December 4, 2025 at 1:42 PM
Cannot see this lasting. One of the many things which sunk Truss was that couldn't say interesting things in interesting ways to a mass audience. She wasn't bad at holding a line in a short clip or interview, but even rightwing podcast audiences expect more than that.
No, they voted for.
The votes against are a real rogues' gallery
The votes against are a real rogues' gallery
December 4, 2025 at 11:26 AM
No, they voted for.
The votes against are a real rogues' gallery
The votes against are a real rogues' gallery
This seems to be the just approach as regards this admiral. If a junior commander fearing for his life can be shot for this sort of thing, then an admiral in an office seems to be a more just recipient of such a punishment.
December 4, 2025 at 6:27 AM
This seems to be the just approach as regards this admiral. If a junior commander fearing for his life can be shot for this sort of thing, then an admiral in an office seems to be a more just recipient of such a punishment.
Right. As a Continental the jury trial thing wouldn't be a red line, but I do think that the UK Government should follow 5,000 years of tradition and consider that delivery of a swift and fair justice is a fundamental obligation of Government, public opinion be damned.
December 3, 2025 at 4:35 PM
Right. As a Continental the jury trial thing wouldn't be a red line, but I do think that the UK Government should follow 5,000 years of tradition and consider that delivery of a swift and fair justice is a fundamental obligation of Government, public opinion be damned.
No asabiyyah, no hegemony, no respect from the barbarian. It's an old story
December 3, 2025 at 11:36 AM
No asabiyyah, no hegemony, no respect from the barbarian. It's an old story
I don't think it's a Mary Sue thing, it's more that superheroes upped the bar on 'wish fulfilment protagonists' like Luke and Rey.
Separately I think it's sloppy writing, Rey should absolutely be brilliant at things but would make more sense for a scrapper kid to be mechanically brilliant or sneaky
Separately I think it's sloppy writing, Rey should absolutely be brilliant at things but would make more sense for a scrapper kid to be mechanically brilliant or sneaky
December 2, 2025 at 7:05 PM
I don't think it's a Mary Sue thing, it's more that superheroes upped the bar on 'wish fulfilment protagonists' like Luke and Rey.
Separately I think it's sloppy writing, Rey should absolutely be brilliant at things but would make more sense for a scrapper kid to be mechanically brilliant or sneaky
Separately I think it's sloppy writing, Rey should absolutely be brilliant at things but would make more sense for a scrapper kid to be mechanically brilliant or sneaky
I do remember the film - I've watched it several times and particularly enjoyed Ridley' performance - & within 3 minutes of that ram, Rey, who's who's not been presented as a pilot, is outflying two starfighters, in an old freighter in almost impossibly difficult trmerrain at high speed.
December 2, 2025 at 7:03 PM
I do remember the film - I've watched it several times and particularly enjoyed Ridley' performance - & within 3 minutes of that ram, Rey, who's who's not been presented as a pilot, is outflying two starfighters, in an old freighter in almost impossibly difficult trmerrain at high speed.
...which is clearly & repeatedly stated in the film, by Leia & Tarkin, to be something that the Empire deliberately allows to happen.
Star Wars at least tries to handwave these things.
But agree it's not Mary Sue, it's just superhero movies poisoning the well with overly powerful protagonists.
Star Wars at least tries to handwave these things.
But agree it's not Mary Sue, it's just superhero movies poisoning the well with overly powerful protagonists.
December 2, 2025 at 6:59 PM
...which is clearly & repeatedly stated in the film, by Leia & Tarkin, to be something that the Empire deliberately allows to happen.
Star Wars at least tries to handwave these things.
But agree it's not Mary Sue, it's just superhero movies poisoning the well with overly powerful protagonists.
Star Wars at least tries to handwave these things.
But agree it's not Mary Sue, it's just superhero movies poisoning the well with overly powerful protagonists.
But it's more reasonable to do that for things that take a long time to fix (structural underinvestment) than for something you could have fixed in the first two weeks (wrong rate of NI).
December 2, 2025 at 12:21 PM
But it's more reasonable to do that for things that take a long time to fix (structural underinvestment) than for something you could have fixed in the first two weeks (wrong rate of NI).
I think you're all settled up with Upstairs but have the opportunity to incur new debts, basically.
December 2, 2025 at 12:18 PM
I think you're all settled up with Upstairs but have the opportunity to incur new debts, basically.
That makes sense. Hurray for gloom, I suppose
December 2, 2025 at 12:16 PM
That makes sense. Hurray for gloom, I suppose
Sunak wasn't a barrister and he canceled a fundamental bit of infrastructure in search of a conference line.
I think the lack of long term vision and deeply held principles is possibly the issue
I think the lack of long term vision and deeply held principles is possibly the issue
December 2, 2025 at 12:04 PM
Sunak wasn't a barrister and he canceled a fundamental bit of infrastructure in search of a conference line.
I think the lack of long term vision and deeply held principles is possibly the issue
I think the lack of long term vision and deeply held principles is possibly the issue
Why are the bond market vigilantes not going in a bit harder though? It's not Trussite but the 'we'll rely on an unpredictable mix of tax rises and close the deficit with tax rises & spending cuts in 2028/9, yes siree' stuff seems like the kind of bullshit they don't like.
December 2, 2025 at 11:55 AM
Why are the bond market vigilantes not going in a bit harder though? It's not Trussite but the 'we'll rely on an unpredictable mix of tax rises and close the deficit with tax rises & spending cuts in 2028/9, yes siree' stuff seems like the kind of bullshit they don't like.
I'm beginning to think that after Truss they put an AI in charge, and last year it took off its soaked Rishi Sunak suit and donned a Starmer skin. The policies are different but the methodology and the tin ear are a constant.
December 2, 2025 at 11:52 AM
I'm beginning to think that after Truss they put an AI in charge, and last year it took off its soaked Rishi Sunak suit and donned a Starmer skin. The policies are different but the methodology and the tin ear are a constant.
How's the strategy of trying to appease the overwhelmingly right-wing media going? Is there any sign they'll ever be nice? Are there any steps being taken in government to deal with them, even in the BBC?
No-one to the left of Robert Jenrick should care what the Daily Mail says or wants.
No-one to the left of Robert Jenrick should care what the Daily Mail says or wants.
December 2, 2025 at 11:49 AM
How's the strategy of trying to appease the overwhelmingly right-wing media going? Is there any sign they'll ever be nice? Are there any steps being taken in government to deal with them, even in the BBC?
No-one to the left of Robert Jenrick should care what the Daily Mail says or wants.
No-one to the left of Robert Jenrick should care what the Daily Mail says or wants.
Also her characrer & skills aren't related to her backstory. Luke is pitched as a farm boy who likes to fly, can shoot a bit and has friends.
Rey is a tough, lonely scrapper. She should be a brilliant survivor, mechanically very clever but untrusting. Instead she's a charismatic super-pilot fencer
Rey is a tough, lonely scrapper. She should be a brilliant survivor, mechanically very clever but untrusting. Instead she's a charismatic super-pilot fencer
December 2, 2025 at 11:41 AM
Also her characrer & skills aren't related to her backstory. Luke is pitched as a farm boy who likes to fly, can shoot a bit and has friends.
Rey is a tough, lonely scrapper. She should be a brilliant survivor, mechanically very clever but untrusting. Instead she's a charismatic super-pilot fencer
Rey is a tough, lonely scrapper. She should be a brilliant survivor, mechanically very clever but untrusting. Instead she's a charismatic super-pilot fencer
There's a difference of degree Luke has one Marty Sue skill - he's a good, not great starfighter pilot with some force sense, and the former is at least handwaved by saying he did similar flying on Tatooine.
Rey is an eite-level pilot and can go toe-to-toe with a Sith in melee combat from the off.
Rey is an eite-level pilot and can go toe-to-toe with a Sith in melee combat from the off.
December 2, 2025 at 11:24 AM
There's a difference of degree Luke has one Marty Sue skill - he's a good, not great starfighter pilot with some force sense, and the former is at least handwaved by saying he did similar flying on Tatooine.
Rey is an eite-level pilot and can go toe-to-toe with a Sith in melee combat from the off.
Rey is an eite-level pilot and can go toe-to-toe with a Sith in melee combat from the off.
Faisal Islam's article on the Budget, was more useful while still including a lot of interesting comment & analysis. He should absolutely be leading the budget coverage.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
The real reason Reeves is making you pay more tax
This is about buying breathing space, politically and economically. The two factors are now inseparable.
www.bbc.com
December 1, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Faisal Islam's article on the Budget, was more useful while still including a lot of interesting comment & analysis. He should absolutely be leading the budget coverage.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Usually too optimistic , partly because they overestimate productivity increases & partly because they are obliged to accept fictions like 'the Government will go all in on spending cuts and tax rises in an election year'.
December 1, 2025 at 2:10 PM
Usually too optimistic , partly because they overestimate productivity increases & partly because they are obliged to accept fictions like 'the Government will go all in on spending cuts and tax rises in an election year'.
For real. I used to think ' society X succumbed to decadence' was bullshit old-school history but it turns out that I was an idiot and Ibn Khaldun was, as advertised, a 14th century genius.
We're suffering from a total lack of 'asabiyyah.
We're suffering from a total lack of 'asabiyyah.
December 1, 2025 at 12:17 PM
For real. I used to think ' society X succumbed to decadence' was bullshit old-school history but it turns out that I was an idiot and Ibn Khaldun was, as advertised, a 14th century genius.
We're suffering from a total lack of 'asabiyyah.
We're suffering from a total lack of 'asabiyyah.
Right, because in a tight hierarchy you often don't know whether the order the captain gives you originates wih him, or the anti-Semitic colonel, the over-zealous general, the Reichsfuhrer etc. It's an order. You have to decide what to with it
November 30, 2025 at 7:01 PM
Right, because in a tight hierarchy you often don't know whether the order the captain gives you originates wih him, or the anti-Semitic colonel, the over-zealous general, the Reichsfuhrer etc. It's an order. You have to decide what to with it
Are there any good stories you've seen on why the financial markets have accepted this stuff? It can't really be the case that bond traders just look at an OBR forecast and not at the underlying factors - what are they seeing that I (and Michael, and other sceptics) are not
November 30, 2025 at 1:11 PM
Are there any good stories you've seen on why the financial markets have accepted this stuff? It can't really be the case that bond traders just look at an OBR forecast and not at the underlying factors - what are they seeing that I (and Michael, and other sceptics) are not
Unfortunately in the case of politically related offenses that leaves you with a max sentence of 2 years in prison (between 2 years of trial and a pardon from the next Republican).
That's not going to deter anyone afterwards.
That's not going to deter anyone afterwards.
November 30, 2025 at 6:59 AM
Unfortunately in the case of politically related offenses that leaves you with a max sentence of 2 years in prison (between 2 years of trial and a pardon from the next Republican).
That's not going to deter anyone afterwards.
That's not going to deter anyone afterwards.