@griboyedov.bsky.social
War, economics, politics in the UK and a number of other places, random other topics. Afghanistan veteran, as one says nowadays. British- this alias possibly not a sensible choice.
There is no way that anyone who knows anything about the UK will say the electorate threw out the Tories in 2024 because there was a global anti-incumbency movement 'in fact caused by the internet'. Will Stancil does however say that.
The problem is that everyone assumes that anti-incumbency was caused by inflation and is therefore over now when it is in fact caused by the internet and is continuing or even worsening
2024 was an anti-incumbent year around the globe largely because of forces beyond any one lawmaker's control and I feel like that's where all analyses should start and I don't really know how much more complicated it should get than that.
October 6, 2025 at 7:50 PM
There is no way that anyone who knows anything about the UK will say the electorate threw out the Tories in 2024 because there was a global anti-incumbency movement 'in fact caused by the internet'. Will Stancil does however say that.
Reposted
Ah, I see this post has crossed the Bad Faith Threshold: that indefinable moment on social media when people stop behaving as if you’re a normal human person who, say, loves your child and is making a mildly humorous observation, and start responding with wild criticisms and imagined slights.
Yesterday my eleven-year-old daughter claimed that Taylor Swift had embraced a range of genres which included punk. The retribution was swift and included considerable mockery and a lesson on punk which probably took longer than she would have liked.
October 6, 2025 at 5:48 AM
Ah, I see this post has crossed the Bad Faith Threshold: that indefinable moment on social media when people stop behaving as if you’re a normal human person who, say, loves your child and is making a mildly humorous observation, and start responding with wild criticisms and imagined slights.
A case in point. Look at this guy laughing at Reform councillors a) discovering how many problems local government face and b) thinking about doing something rational, ie raise taxes and preserve services. I hope he laughs equally hard when Reform do really well in the 2029 General Election.
October 6, 2025 at 9:58 AM
A case in point. Look at this guy laughing at Reform councillors a) discovering how many problems local government face and b) thinking about doing something rational, ie raise taxes and preserve services. I hope he laughs equally hard when Reform do really well in the 2029 General Election.
A lot of left-liberal people are laughing at the Reform councillors who say these things. They shouldn't. It means Reform will be able to say to voters 'we understand how tough things are for you' in the next General Election. That's the language Labour should be speaking, but isn't.
*gasp*
October 6, 2025 at 9:41 AM
A lot of left-liberal people are laughing at the Reform councillors who say these things. They shouldn't. It means Reform will be able to say to voters 'we understand how tough things are for you' in the next General Election. That's the language Labour should be speaking, but isn't.
Don't worry, an NHS where Doctors inadvertently starve a man with Downs Syndrome to death will have no problems implementing Assisted Dying. Vulnerable people and their families needn't worry.
This is utterly heartbreaking. Too sad for words. A direct result of underfunding the NHS.
October 6, 2025 at 9:31 AM
Don't worry, an NHS where Doctors inadvertently starve a man with Downs Syndrome to death will have no problems implementing Assisted Dying. Vulnerable people and their families needn't worry.
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This is utterly heartbreaking. Too sad for words. A direct result of underfunding the NHS.
October 6, 2025 at 8:16 AM
This is utterly heartbreaking. Too sad for words. A direct result of underfunding the NHS.
So Britons should stop discussing immigration and asylum because a far Right US president- elected in very large part over voter discontent about, erm, immigration- is abusing his powers? This is not even trying to be a coherent argument.
October 6, 2025 at 9:23 AM
So Britons should stop discussing immigration and asylum because a far Right US president- elected in very large part over voter discontent about, erm, immigration- is abusing his powers? This is not even trying to be a coherent argument.
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I have just heard some really sad news that Peter Hall from Breaky Bottom, one of England's greatest winemakers, has just died. Wrote a little thing on the great man here: henryjeffreys.substack.com/p/a-tribute-...
A tribute to Peter Hall
A legend of English wine died on Wednesday at 82. I didn't know him well but loved the unique wines he made at Breaky Bottom in Sussex and was fortunate to meet him a few times.
henryjeffreys.substack.com
October 2, 2025 at 6:09 PM
I have just heard some really sad news that Peter Hall from Breaky Bottom, one of England's greatest winemakers, has just died. Wrote a little thing on the great man here: henryjeffreys.substack.com/p/a-tribute-...
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And I'd argue that Plaid replacing Labour as the political embodiment of Welsh identity is potentially as consequential for the future of the UK Union as Reform gains
September 30, 2025 at 8:46 AM
And I'd argue that Plaid replacing Labour as the political embodiment of Welsh identity is potentially as consequential for the future of the UK Union as Reform gains
British units on deployment to Afghanistan in the winter would have a Christmas party, which included skits where the troops mocked their officers. I served in a company where the OC was 6 foot 4 inches. He was played in the sketch by two squaddies, one sitting on the other's shoulders.
Sometimes low-level Army units do a fundraiser for unit morale funds where you pay $5 and you get to throw a pie in the commanders face and I think they should try that at the big DoD-wide meeting with all the high military brass and Hegseth giving his dumb warrior ethos speech.
September 26, 2025 at 8:46 PM
British units on deployment to Afghanistan in the winter would have a Christmas party, which included skits where the troops mocked their officers. I served in a company where the OC was 6 foot 4 inches. He was played in the sketch by two squaddies, one sitting on the other's shoulders.
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networkcultures.org/blog/2015/01...
Thanks for that - I searched and found this!
Amazing!
I was shot in the head with a Colt .45 at a distance of six feet when I was 14 years old — and have suffered from mild Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) ever since.
MILD - not really!
Thanks for that - I searched and found this!
Amazing!
I was shot in the head with a Colt .45 at a distance of six feet when I was 14 years old — and have suffered from mild Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) ever since.
MILD - not really!
Paulina Borsook: Cyberselfish 15 years after, Part II
"Cyberselfish" 15 years after publicationPart II: Where am I going and where have I beenThe complex truth behind how I got into writing about technology and writing about it the way that I did
networkcultures.org
September 25, 2025 at 12:01 AM
networkcultures.org/blog/2015/01...
Thanks for that - I searched and found this!
Amazing!
I was shot in the head with a Colt .45 at a distance of six feet when I was 14 years old — and have suffered from mild Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) ever since.
MILD - not really!
Thanks for that - I searched and found this!
Amazing!
I was shot in the head with a Colt .45 at a distance of six feet when I was 14 years old — and have suffered from mild Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) ever since.
MILD - not really!
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1/ A longtime Wired editor just wrote a mush-brained essay about how he totally missed the political rot of Silicon Valley (& still doesn't get it).
But in the late 1990s, a Wired journalist warned of a toxic ideology bubbling up from tech. Paulina Borsook has largely been erased. Let's change that
But in the late 1990s, a Wired journalist warned of a toxic ideology bubbling up from tech. Paulina Borsook has largely been erased. Let's change that
September 24, 2025 at 6:36 PM
1/ A longtime Wired editor just wrote a mush-brained essay about how he totally missed the political rot of Silicon Valley (& still doesn't get it).
But in the late 1990s, a Wired journalist warned of a toxic ideology bubbling up from tech. Paulina Borsook has largely been erased. Let's change that
But in the late 1990s, a Wired journalist warned of a toxic ideology bubbling up from tech. Paulina Borsook has largely been erased. Let's change that
UK politics Bluesky for the next year is going to be middle class left-liberals shouting at each other 'No, it's YOUR stance on ID cards that's reactionary and xenophobic!'
September 26, 2025 at 10:10 AM
UK politics Bluesky for the next year is going to be middle class left-liberals shouting at each other 'No, it's YOUR stance on ID cards that's reactionary and xenophobic!'
Update, from the horse's mouth: 'I am unable to think of arguments against an ID scheme beyond what people say to me on social media. I am a Professor of Political Science at Manchester University.'
These are literally the arguments that appear most often in my replies. If you have better ones then have at it.
September 26, 2025 at 9:42 AM
Update, from the horse's mouth: 'I am unable to think of arguments against an ID scheme beyond what people say to me on social media. I am a Professor of Political Science at Manchester University.'
'Here I will set out and then demolish a series of weak and poorly-expressed arguments against the Government's ID proposal. Stronger arguments? Sorry, can't think of any. Oh how I wish the British public square had more serious discourse on the major issues of the day.'
Some args I see against universal ID:
1. “I don’t like the way the govt is arguing for it, making it all about immigration”. I’m not keen on a lot of this govt’s comms but the route to a majority on this issue runs through more authoritarian voters so it makes sense to go big on framing like this
1. “I don’t like the way the govt is arguing for it, making it all about immigration”. I’m not keen on a lot of this govt’s comms but the route to a majority on this issue runs through more authoritarian voters so it makes sense to go big on framing like this
September 26, 2025 at 9:38 AM
'Here I will set out and then demolish a series of weak and poorly-expressed arguments against the Government's ID proposal. Stronger arguments? Sorry, can't think of any. Oh how I wish the British public square had more serious discourse on the major issues of the day.'
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Age 13: Government "You must NEVER be on smartphones."
Age 16: Government "You must ALWAYS be on smartphones."
Age 16: Government "You must ALWAYS be on smartphones."
September 26, 2025 at 9:08 AM
Age 13: Government "You must NEVER be on smartphones."
Age 16: Government "You must ALWAYS be on smartphones."
Age 16: Government "You must ALWAYS be on smartphones."
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In the spirit of promoting more Canadian mili thought and history, some book recommendations! First up, this one (surprisingly available in the UK too)! An examination of a Canadian victory which I believe has more lessons to teach than Vimy Ridge- covering everything from staff work to logistics.
September 25, 2025 at 7:50 PM
In the spirit of promoting more Canadian mili thought and history, some book recommendations! First up, this one (surprisingly available in the UK too)! An examination of a Canadian victory which I believe has more lessons to teach than Vimy Ridge- covering everything from staff work to logistics.
The British Army was by 1918 one of the two most competent armies in the world, together with the German, and played the key role in securing victory on the Western Front. Its ability to recover from the initial defeats in spring 1918 was remarkable.
“While Allied propaganda exaggerated it, the Germans did in fact do many war crimes in Belgium in WW1 and even more war crimes on the Eastern Front, dwarfed as they eventually would be by their atrocities in WW2”
can we at least start litigating some different wars? somebody do some wars of the roses posting, that could tie up the timeline for at least two years, you can cross the streams with GoT posting and really deep fry some brain worms
September 25, 2025 at 1:09 PM
The British Army was by 1918 one of the two most competent armies in the world, together with the German, and played the key role in securing victory on the Western Front. Its ability to recover from the initial defeats in spring 1918 was remarkable.
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Just a small thing, but, if Downing Street were serious about accomplishing its policy aims, it would, while firing all but three of the London MPs in the government, found a job for Helen Hayes in the DfE.
Education select committee chair Helen Hayes - who has led an inquiry into solving the SEND crisis says she believes SEND reform is possible and deliverable but she warns that the trust and confidence in the system is "utterly broken".
September 15, 2025 at 4:40 PM
Just a small thing, but, if Downing Street were serious about accomplishing its policy aims, it would, while firing all but three of the London MPs in the government, found a job for Helen Hayes in the DfE.
Why, oh why, do I think this gentleman has problems with rage, and why do I hesitate to accept his opinions on other people's mental health?
Anyone who thinks Kruger isn’t a theocrat is basically mad
Time for you to take your lithium before you soil yourself
Time for you to take your lithium before you soil yourself
September 15, 2025 at 1:40 PM
Why, oh why, do I think this gentleman has problems with rage, and why do I hesitate to accept his opinions on other people's mental health?
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Since WW2, 19 seats in Westminster have been won with less than 30% of the vote. Ten of those were last year. They'll be a lot more next time.
5 parties on more than 12%, winner gains seat with under 30%. Results like this used to be rare, freak outliers. Now they are routine (there was a second just like this yesterday). Electoral chaos.
Newmarket East (West Suffolk) Council By-Election Result:
➡️ RFM: 29.7% (New)
🌳 CON: 25.0% (+4.1)
🔶 LDM: 17.2% (-3.1)
🌹 LAB: 15.3% (-8.3)
🌍 GRN: 12.8% (New)
No WSI (-19.2) or Ind (-16.1) as previous.
Reform GAIN from Labour.
Changes w/ 2023.
➡️ RFM: 29.7% (New)
🌳 CON: 25.0% (+4.1)
🔶 LDM: 17.2% (-3.1)
🌹 LAB: 15.3% (-8.3)
🌍 GRN: 12.8% (New)
No WSI (-19.2) or Ind (-16.1) as previous.
Reform GAIN from Labour.
Changes w/ 2023.
September 12, 2025 at 8:00 AM
Since WW2, 19 seats in Westminster have been won with less than 30% of the vote. Ten of those were last year. They'll be a lot more next time.
This is an excellent thread on immigration to the UK by @benansell.bsky.social : detailed, honest, and clear. We should take it as a model for talking about this subject, and all difficult and emotive topics.
Well I foolishly promised it two months ago, so I had to write it... Behold my analysis of UK immigration policy and my attempt at coming up with some principles that could command public support. It's long (7,000) words because, well, this is complex stuff. So here's a thread... 1/n
Select and Respect
How to create a UK immigration policy that can command public support
benansell.substack.com
September 12, 2025 at 8:57 AM
This is an excellent thread on immigration to the UK by @benansell.bsky.social : detailed, honest, and clear. We should take it as a model for talking about this subject, and all difficult and emotive topics.
So good to see a Jamie Kenny post going viral. Anyone interested in politics, war, China and human folly should spend some time reading the archives of Blood and Treasure:
bloodandtreasure.typepad.com/blood_treasu...
bloodandtreasure.typepad.com/blood_treasu...
September 10, 2025 at 10:06 PM
So good to see a Jamie Kenny post going viral. Anyone interested in politics, war, China and human folly should spend some time reading the archives of Blood and Treasure:
bloodandtreasure.typepad.com/blood_treasu...
bloodandtreasure.typepad.com/blood_treasu...
A man so convinced of the soundness of his arguments that he writes in a calm and rational manner, happy to let his words convince all who read them.
& no the SNP don’t have a worse problem because “they’re less competent than Labour” you fucking maniac, “being unable to stand up to fascists who want to murder people & expel millions more” is obviously fucking worse than “having loose fiscal policy”
Pull your head out of your anglocentric arse
Pull your head out of your anglocentric arse
September 10, 2025 at 2:04 PM
A man so convinced of the soundness of his arguments that he writes in a calm and rational manner, happy to let his words convince all who read them.
It's almost as if Starmer and McSweeney's patriotic rhetoric was an entirely shallow and opportunistic affair based on photo ops with 'flags and veterans' and they had no idea at all of what kind of country they wanted to see and what might threaten it, or something.
In the real world, the last PM, a Conservative, actually defended this stuff, to the point of saying that British multiculturalism works and taking real political damage to do so. Some Labour people are so convinced of their superior virtue they don't seem to realise it's about what you *do*.
September 10, 2025 at 1:49 PM
It's almost as if Starmer and McSweeney's patriotic rhetoric was an entirely shallow and opportunistic affair based on photo ops with 'flags and veterans' and they had no idea at all of what kind of country they wanted to see and what might threaten it, or something.