Aidan Skinner
@aidan.skinner.me.uk
No longer has any opinions
Reposted by Aidan Skinner
On the 34th anniversary of the end of the USSR, I’m reposting my article from earlier this year, which argued that we should have understood the moment as liberation rather than only as collapse: www.eurozine.com/liberation-n...
Liberation, not collapse
The fall of the Berlin Wall, and not the human chain across the Baltics, is emblematic of 1989. But what if this show of unity had become iconic of communism’s disintegration? Could acknowledging East...
www.eurozine.com
December 26, 2025 at 8:49 PM
On the 34th anniversary of the end of the USSR, I’m reposting my article from earlier this year, which argued that we should have understood the moment as liberation rather than only as collapse: www.eurozine.com/liberation-n...
Reposted by Aidan Skinner
I made this years ago at my sister's prompting and it deserves better than vanishing into nothing
December 26, 2025 at 12:13 AM
I made this years ago at my sister's prompting and it deserves better than vanishing into nothing
Reposted by Aidan Skinner
James II, living just long enough in exile that the Act of Settlement was passed in his lifetime
December 25, 2025 at 11:13 PM
James II, living just long enough in exile that the Act of Settlement was passed in his lifetime
Reposted by Aidan Skinner
Reposted by Aidan Skinner
May the Xmas Force be with you 🎄
December 25, 2025 at 9:28 PM
May the Xmas Force be with you 🎄
Reposted by Aidan Skinner
Harvard Square, welcome to @thewaroncars.bsky.social.
December 25, 2025 at 9:03 PM
Harvard Square, welcome to @thewaroncars.bsky.social.
Should have asked for socks
December 25, 2025 at 9:04 PM
Should have asked for socks
And Tiny Tim, who cannot die, lies eternal dreaming in R'lyeh
December 25, 2025 at 4:38 PM
And Tiny Tim, who cannot die, lies eternal dreaming in R'lyeh
Reposted by Aidan Skinner
Christmas Day sunset
December 25, 2025 at 4:30 PM
Christmas Day sunset
Happy Christmas. We're doing tatties in tea this year because it was on the kitchen cabinet
December 25, 2025 at 2:31 PM
Happy Christmas. We're doing tatties in tea this year because it was on the kitchen cabinet
Reposted by Aidan Skinner
Can’t get to sleep, not because I’m thinking about Santa, but by thoughts that my final Monkey Cage is on in ten hours and I am troubled by putting together what led to my departure and why I felt I had to resign - deeply frustrated
Despite the title of this week’s @bigissue.com column , it is more about my love of Manchester than resigning from Monkey Cage - but here it is
www.bigissue.com/opinion/robi...
www.bigissue.com/opinion/robi...
Comedian Robin Ince: 'Why I had no choice but to resign from the BBC'
Robin Ince explains why he has stepped down from The Infinite Monkey Cage, after finding his values are at odds with the BBC.
www.bigissue.com
December 25, 2025 at 12:49 AM
Can’t get to sleep, not because I’m thinking about Santa, but by thoughts that my final Monkey Cage is on in ten hours and I am troubled by putting together what led to my departure and why I felt I had to resign - deeply frustrated
Reposted by Aidan Skinner
xmas movie posters but with muppets: thread
December 24, 2025 at 2:19 PM
xmas movie posters but with muppets: thread
Reposted by Aidan Skinner
One for the UK train geeks - York ROC passing on their season's greetings...
![Live signalling diagram for the East Coast Mainline north of York. No trains are currently running, so the staff have taken the opportunity to manually input headcodes into blocks. It currently reads "Mery [sic] Xmas From York *ROC East Coast DSC"
The ability to do this is so signallers can leave meaningful codes for track that's unavailable, perhaps through maintenance or a train parked there overnight, and is often used whimsically when it won't affect operations.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:znrkwcuzdbhduyqrbdpkl7pe/bafkreigzlepq4dedcd42n3il2pbzlu7owpkcosjv2doqts4vc4bmbwdrh4@jpeg)
December 25, 2025 at 12:34 AM
One for the UK train geeks - York ROC passing on their season's greetings...
Reposted by Aidan Skinner
Just want everyone to go to bed so Father Christmas can have a small drink in the glow of the tree lights
December 24, 2025 at 10:41 PM
Just want everyone to go to bed so Father Christmas can have a small drink in the glow of the tree lights
Reposted by Aidan Skinner
"The challenge for Europeans is to imagine a global outcome and adopt a unified strategy to make it happen. Like Keynes and Harry Dexter White in the depths of the Second World War, the task for progressives as we go into 2026 is to ask ourselves: what do we want the world to look like when we win?"
Can China Build a New World System?
... and where would Europe fit? A think-piece on China's "New Quality Productive Forces"
htsf.substack.com
December 24, 2025 at 3:48 PM
"The challenge for Europeans is to imagine a global outcome and adopt a unified strategy to make it happen. Like Keynes and Harry Dexter White in the depths of the Second World War, the task for progressives as we go into 2026 is to ask ourselves: what do we want the world to look like when we win?"
Current status: family all gathered, Christmas eve lamb curry on the go, catching up on the Archers
December 24, 2025 at 3:37 PM
Current status: family all gathered, Christmas eve lamb curry on the go, catching up on the Archers
Reposted by Aidan Skinner
As an inexperienced Lobby Correspondent with no sources inside government, one of the things I realised was that when Tom Kelly was especially grumpy about an issue, it was because there was an internal problem with it, and he knew it. His letter to The Times about why the briefings matter:
December 24, 2025 at 2:46 PM
As an inexperienced Lobby Correspondent with no sources inside government, one of the things I realised was that when Tom Kelly was especially grumpy about an issue, it was because there was an internal problem with it, and he knew it. His letter to The Times about why the briefings matter:
Putting the turkey crown back in the freezer, we're having pigeon instead
December 24, 2025 at 12:30 PM
Putting the turkey crown back in the freezer, we're having pigeon instead
Reposted by Aidan Skinner
All three top stories tonight are about men accused of rape or sexual assault of women.
Some with great power + influence, some without.
Some white, some not.
Some religious, some not.
The only commonality is that they are all men (cis men).
Men who are accused of the most awful & cruel acts.
Some with great power + influence, some without.
Some white, some not.
Some religious, some not.
The only commonality is that they are all men (cis men).
Men who are accused of the most awful & cruel acts.
December 23, 2025 at 9:40 PM
All three top stories tonight are about men accused of rape or sexual assault of women.
Some with great power + influence, some without.
Some white, some not.
Some religious, some not.
The only commonality is that they are all men (cis men).
Men who are accused of the most awful & cruel acts.
Some with great power + influence, some without.
Some white, some not.
Some religious, some not.
The only commonality is that they are all men (cis men).
Men who are accused of the most awful & cruel acts.
Reposted by Aidan Skinner
Where we send you if we catch you inferring future events on the basis of resemblance to past occurrences. Or, at least, where we've sent people so far.
December 23, 2025 at 1:17 PM
Where we send you if we catch you inferring future events on the basis of resemblance to past occurrences. Or, at least, where we've sent people so far.
Reposted by Aidan Skinner
Today in “say what you like about First Past The Post, at least it delivers clear, predictable majorities and facilitates stable government”
Westminster Voting Intention:
RFM: 25% (-3)
LAB: 20% (+2)
CON: 19% (+2)
LDM: 15% (+1)
GRN: 15% (-2)
SNP: 3% (-1)
Via @yougov.co.uk, 21-22 Dec.
Changes w/ 14-15 Dec.
RFM: 25% (-3)
LAB: 20% (+2)
CON: 19% (+2)
LDM: 15% (+1)
GRN: 15% (-2)
SNP: 3% (-1)
Via @yougov.co.uk, 21-22 Dec.
Changes w/ 14-15 Dec.
December 23, 2025 at 11:31 AM
Today in “say what you like about First Past The Post, at least it delivers clear, predictable majorities and facilitates stable government”
Reposted by Aidan Skinner
Our first cat, Meno, captured here on the day he discovered Marx and Engels and subsequently tried to overthrow us
December 23, 2025 at 11:22 AM
Our first cat, Meno, captured here on the day he discovered Marx and Engels and subsequently tried to overthrow us
Reposted by Aidan Skinner
Was watching this quite casually then got VERY invested
August 21, 2025 at 6:15 PM
Was watching this quite casually then got VERY invested
Reposted by Aidan Skinner
Story from Joolz Denby over on Facebook. A bad day at TotP in 1985 with New Model Army, and Chris Rea suddenly appearing and being compassionate and gernerally decent.
December 23, 2025 at 9:10 AM
Story from Joolz Denby over on Facebook. A bad day at TotP in 1985 with New Model Army, and Chris Rea suddenly appearing and being compassionate and gernerally decent.
I played Angry Birds so I guess that?
I turned a steam discount on empire total war into an unplayed game recently
I turned a steam discount on empire total war into an unplayed game recently
Quote this with your favourite game NOW that was released in 2009, and what your favourite was THEN (if you had one)
Localisations/early access count, remasters/ports don't. Remakes depend
Two-way ties count
If you need more of a refresher: backloggd.com/games/lib/po...
Localisations/early access count, remasters/ports don't. Remakes depend
Two-way ties count
If you need more of a refresher: backloggd.com/games/lib/po...
December 22, 2025 at 8:10 PM
I played Angry Birds so I guess that?
I turned a steam discount on empire total war into an unplayed game recently
I turned a steam discount on empire total war into an unplayed game recently