Devadas Moodley
@historydev.bsky.social
Historian etc retired academic. South Asia, Africa, Empire. Museums, Art history
Reposted by Devadas Moodley
The single biggest intellectual failing in this government is a deeprooted belief that the 2006 to 2024 Conservative party has no lessons, positive or negative, and that 2015, 2017, 2019 are solely a story of Labour failure and Tory deceit.
Fascinating that the cause of collapse of both major parties has not just been basically identical (cost of living and service failings creating unpopularity, chasing radical right tail on immigration fuelling in-bloc schism), but that doubling down has persisted long after failure became clear.
November 16, 2025 at 10:54 PM
The single biggest intellectual failing in this government is a deeprooted belief that the 2006 to 2024 Conservative party has no lessons, positive or negative, and that 2015, 2017, 2019 are solely a story of Labour failure and Tory deceit.
Reposted by Devadas Moodley
Dani Rodrik in the NYT the other day with a pretty compelling argument about making service sector jobs into good jobs
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/10/o...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/10/o...
November 17, 2025 at 12:10 AM
Dani Rodrik in the NYT the other day with a pretty compelling argument about making service sector jobs into good jobs
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/10/o...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/10/o...
Reposted by Devadas Moodley
This is what many of us have been saying. Part 3 of the Planning & Infrastructure Bill is based on a myth: that we don't have enough homes because wildlife and green spaces are protected. It will solve nothing, and inflict terrible harm on our remaining ecosystems
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Nature not a blocker to housing growth, inquiry finds
Commons committee report challenges ‘lazy narrative’ used by ministers that scapegoats wildlife and the environment
www.theguardian.com
November 16, 2025 at 12:12 PM
This is what many of us have been saying. Part 3 of the Planning & Infrastructure Bill is based on a myth: that we don't have enough homes because wildlife and green spaces are protected. It will solve nothing, and inflict terrible harm on our remaining ecosystems
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Reposted by Devadas Moodley
Liz Truss on Fox News supporting Trump suing the BBC
"There are lots of people in Britain who are cheering President Trump on and want him to sue the BBC"
"And I believe the organisation needs to be defunded"
"There are lots of people in Britain who are cheering President Trump on and want him to sue the BBC"
"And I believe the organisation needs to be defunded"
November 15, 2025 at 5:57 PM
Liz Truss on Fox News supporting Trump suing the BBC
"There are lots of people in Britain who are cheering President Trump on and want him to sue the BBC"
"And I believe the organisation needs to be defunded"
"There are lots of people in Britain who are cheering President Trump on and want him to sue the BBC"
"And I believe the organisation needs to be defunded"
Reposted by Devadas Moodley
Really quite impressive that they’ve managed to screw up their one overarching objective — do whatever the bond market says — without gaining any extra leeway on either of the other two axes — tax and spending.
November 15, 2025 at 3:06 PM
Really quite impressive that they’ve managed to screw up their one overarching objective — do whatever the bond market says — without gaining any extra leeway on either of the other two axes — tax and spending.
Reposted by Devadas Moodley
wiebkehollersen.bsky.social: Sociologist Katja Salomo says: "The demographic situation in East Germany is absolutely unique worldwide." Aging population, low birth rate, surplus of men. I spoke with her about what this means and why it's hardly noticed. link Orig.
November 15, 2025 at 9:05 AM
wiebkehollersen.bsky.social: Sociologist Katja Salomo says: "The demographic situation in East Germany is absolutely unique worldwide." Aging population, low birth rate, surplus of men. I spoke with her about what this means and why it's hardly noticed. link Orig.
Reposted by Devadas Moodley
Several years ago, we put a whole bunch of data from a project into Wikidata. Now, as a result, some people who we had no more info for aside from a name or could not disambiguate are actually identifiable. LOD FTW.
November 14, 2025 at 2:03 PM
Reposted by Devadas Moodley
Useful article by @adamramsay.bsky.social on the Green's turn to the left (something that's been going on for much longer than a lot of the coverage and media talk of "entyrism" would suggest):
The Inside Story of How the Green Party Turned Red | Novara Media
Zack Polanski’s smash-hit eco-populism might seem like a sudden gear-change for the Green party. In fact it’s part of a tectonic shift some of its members have been driving for more than a decade. Ada...
novaramedia.com
November 14, 2025 at 5:52 PM
Useful article by @adamramsay.bsky.social on the Green's turn to the left (something that's been going on for much longer than a lot of the coverage and media talk of "entyrism" would suggest):
Reposted by Devadas Moodley
Trump’s tariff equation is nonsense, says @johnauthers.bsky.social. Here’s why 🎥
April 3, 2025 at 5:05 PM
Trump’s tariff equation is nonsense, says @johnauthers.bsky.social. Here’s why 🎥
On incompetence open.substack.com/pub/chrisdil... An excellent go at a general diagnosis of UK political failure.
On incompetence
Much of our political culture is fundamentally incompetent.
open.substack.com
November 15, 2025 at 11:01 AM
On incompetence open.substack.com/pub/chrisdil... An excellent go at a general diagnosis of UK political failure.
Reposted by Devadas Moodley
Just a reminder, the coward who refused to accept an election loss in 2020 and then committed crimes trying to overthrow that election will certainly cheat, abuse his powers, and break the law to try to win the 2026 & 2028 elections.
He’s a real threat to democracy. Believe it.
He’s a real threat to democracy. Believe it.
November 13, 2025 at 8:58 PM
Just a reminder, the coward who refused to accept an election loss in 2020 and then committed crimes trying to overthrow that election will certainly cheat, abuse his powers, and break the law to try to win the 2026 & 2028 elections.
He’s a real threat to democracy. Believe it.
He’s a real threat to democracy. Believe it.
Reposted by Devadas Moodley
the CDC museum inspired so many people (including myself) to serve this nation and world in public health. this is hard to see
🚨🚨
🧵1/6 #FedFam, reporters - urgent help needed
🚨CDC Museum (a Smithsonian affiliate) is being shuttered🚨
Staff are being “un-RIFed” just to close the museum permanently — then RIFed again in Jan
This is bureaucratic cruelty & cultural vandalism
CDC Library is a national treasure
#SaveCDCLibrary
🧵1/6 #FedFam, reporters - urgent help needed
🚨CDC Museum (a Smithsonian affiliate) is being shuttered🚨
Staff are being “un-RIFed” just to close the museum permanently — then RIFed again in Jan
This is bureaucratic cruelty & cultural vandalism
CDC Library is a national treasure
#SaveCDCLibrary
The David J. Sencer CDC Museum: In Association with the Smithsonian
Free museum exhibiting public health topics and the history of CDC.
www.cdc.gov
November 14, 2025 at 3:53 AM
the CDC museum inspired so many people (including myself) to serve this nation and world in public health. this is hard to see
Reposted by Devadas Moodley
"It's clear some tax rises are inevitable but cutting thresholds would drag people already struggling on low wages into paying tax they can't afford, so would need to come with additional measures to ease the cost of living. 3/5
November 14, 2025 at 12:45 PM
"It's clear some tax rises are inevitable but cutting thresholds would drag people already struggling on low wages into paying tax they can't afford, so would need to come with additional measures to ease the cost of living. 3/5
Reposted by Devadas Moodley
"Any tax rise should be progressive by starting with the wealthiest, not push up inflation and be earmarked for voter priorities like the NHS and the cost of living. Equalising capital gains so profits from investment are taxed at the same rate as wages would be an important first step. 4/5
November 14, 2025 at 12:45 PM
"Any tax rise should be progressive by starting with the wealthiest, not push up inflation and be earmarked for voter priorities like the NHS and the cost of living. Equalising capital gains so profits from investment are taxed at the same rate as wages would be an important first step. 4/5
Reposted by Devadas Moodley
Good piece at @aeon.co by @araujohistorian.bsky.social on slavery in Latin America, particularly Brazil, and how racial identity differs there from Anglo-American framings
Way down south: slavery far beyond the United States | Aeon Essays
Slavery in Latin America, on a huge scale, was different from that in the United States. Why don’t we know this history?
aeon.co
November 13, 2025 at 12:13 PM
Good piece at @aeon.co by @araujohistorian.bsky.social on slavery in Latin America, particularly Brazil, and how racial identity differs there from Anglo-American framings
Reposted by Devadas Moodley
It was good to hear Ed Miliband making an explicit case on #Today this morning that reducing inequality should be a core objective of economic policy.
He's much the most persuasive advocate of the government's economic strategy, & of the philosophical case for things like the workers' rights bill.
He's much the most persuasive advocate of the government's economic strategy, & of the philosophical case for things like the workers' rights bill.
November 13, 2025 at 9:18 AM
It was good to hear Ed Miliband making an explicit case on #Today this morning that reducing inequality should be a core objective of economic policy.
He's much the most persuasive advocate of the government's economic strategy, & of the philosophical case for things like the workers' rights bill.
He's much the most persuasive advocate of the government's economic strategy, & of the philosophical case for things like the workers' rights bill.
Reposted by Devadas Moodley
📉🇭🇺 INVESTIGATION: Viktor Orbán vowed to boost Hungary’s population without immigrants. But births keep falling—and emigration is soaring. Direkt36's investigation shows many young people are leaving, posing serious risks for the country’s future.
Inside Viktor Orbán’s Failure to Achieve His Demographic Goal - VSquare.org
The Prime Minister has long said that he would like to grow the population of Hungary without bringing in immigrants. Recently, births have fallen, but the number of people leaving the country has also soared.
vsquare.org
November 12, 2025 at 8:49 PM
📉🇭🇺 INVESTIGATION: Viktor Orbán vowed to boost Hungary’s population without immigrants. But births keep falling—and emigration is soaring. Direkt36's investigation shows many young people are leaving, posing serious risks for the country’s future.
Reposted by Devadas Moodley
This makes no sense. Any national law "codifying abortion" would have been superseded by the Dobbs decision.
The Dems had so much time to codify abortion, they don't get rewarded for doing the bare minimum.
November 12, 2025 at 5:39 AM
This makes no sense. Any national law "codifying abortion" would have been superseded by the Dobbs decision.
Information underpins Democracy – why the BBC must be defended open.substack.com/pub/christin... Professor Christina Pagel weighs in.
Brian Finney on Making sense... of evidence, data, and the stories they tell
I agree - it needs defending, not perfect but far better than the alternatives eg US media.
Impartiality is very difficult to demonstrate, but is important and necessary.
And of course, mistakes are...
open.substack.com
November 11, 2025 at 10:54 AM
Information underpins Democracy – why the BBC must be defended open.substack.com/pub/christin... Professor Christina Pagel weighs in.
Reposted by Devadas Moodley
I don't know when I'll write it up, but among the things Rudy Giuliani got pardoned for is destroying the lives of Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss.
November 10, 2025 at 6:22 PM
I don't know when I'll write it up, but among the things Rudy Giuliani got pardoned for is destroying the lives of Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss.
Reposted by Devadas Moodley
📈| NEW BLOG: The Employment Rights Bill could boost growth, not slow it.
From ending one-sided flexibility to day-one sick pay, these reforms could unlock a productivity dividend that official estimates overlook. Read here: www.ippr.org/articles/a-w...
From ending one-sided flexibility to day-one sick pay, these reforms could unlock a productivity dividend that official estimates overlook. Read here: www.ippr.org/articles/a-w...
November 10, 2025 at 3:36 PM
📈| NEW BLOG: The Employment Rights Bill could boost growth, not slow it.
From ending one-sided flexibility to day-one sick pay, these reforms could unlock a productivity dividend that official estimates overlook. Read here: www.ippr.org/articles/a-w...
From ending one-sided flexibility to day-one sick pay, these reforms could unlock a productivity dividend that official estimates overlook. Read here: www.ippr.org/articles/a-w...
Reposted by Devadas Moodley
Great to hear the Chancellor make the common sense case for removing the 2 child limit.⬇️ We've seen positive first steps & clear commitment to tackling poverty in their first year. Now we need bold action in the Budget to give children a fair start & reduce the need for emergency food.
November 10, 2025 at 3:36 PM
Great to hear the Chancellor make the common sense case for removing the 2 child limit.⬇️ We've seen positive first steps & clear commitment to tackling poverty in their first year. Now we need bold action in the Budget to give children a fair start & reduce the need for emergency food.
Reposted by Devadas Moodley
Exactly this.
I honestly think those Brits inclined to complain about the BBC should see just how poor this sort of programming is in other parts of the world. For most, BBC programming is something to be envied and emulated, not decried.
Private services will only dumb it all down.
I honestly think those Brits inclined to complain about the BBC should see just how poor this sort of programming is in other parts of the world. For most, BBC programming is something to be envied and emulated, not decried.
Private services will only dumb it all down.
There are many subtle and complex arguments one can have about the future of the BBC — but I guarantee you that no other channel or streaming service will be as committed to factual programming, children’s education, history shows, religious discussion, poetry, arts, or state of the nation debate
November 10, 2025 at 1:14 PM
Exactly this.
I honestly think those Brits inclined to complain about the BBC should see just how poor this sort of programming is in other parts of the world. For most, BBC programming is something to be envied and emulated, not decried.
Private services will only dumb it all down.
I honestly think those Brits inclined to complain about the BBC should see just how poor this sort of programming is in other parts of the world. For most, BBC programming is something to be envied and emulated, not decried.
Private services will only dumb it all down.
Reposted by Devadas Moodley
Socialism is what they called public power.
Socialism is what they called social security.
Socialism is what they called the growth of free and independent labor organizations.
Socialism is their name for almost anything that helps all the people.
—Harry Truman, 1952
Socialism is what they called social security.
Socialism is what they called the growth of free and independent labor organizations.
Socialism is their name for almost anything that helps all the people.
—Harry Truman, 1952
November 7, 2025 at 9:30 PM
Socialism is what they called public power.
Socialism is what they called social security.
Socialism is what they called the growth of free and independent labor organizations.
Socialism is their name for almost anything that helps all the people.
—Harry Truman, 1952
Socialism is what they called social security.
Socialism is what they called the growth of free and independent labor organizations.
Socialism is their name for almost anything that helps all the people.
—Harry Truman, 1952