Owen Michael
@owenwmichael.bsky.social
Welsh and European. Biromantic Asexual. @UKLabour, @unisontheunion, and @thefabians. Data person and all round geek. He/him/o
Reposted by Owen Michael
the vassal states of the famously non-colonialist soviet union might beg to differ.
January 30, 2026 at 6:12 PM
the vassal states of the famously non-colonialist soviet union might beg to differ.
Reposted by Owen Michael
There were 3 things going on simultaneously, that both communist hunters and communists want to conflate.
1) quest for actual Communist spies working for the Soviets
2) quest to purge certain sectors of society (like Hollywood) of Communists and fellow travelers supposedly corrupting society...
1) quest for actual Communist spies working for the Soviets
2) quest to purge certain sectors of society (like Hollywood) of Communists and fellow travelers supposedly corrupting society...
February 7, 2026 at 11:12 PM
There were 3 things going on simultaneously, that both communist hunters and communists want to conflate.
1) quest for actual Communist spies working for the Soviets
2) quest to purge certain sectors of society (like Hollywood) of Communists and fellow travelers supposedly corrupting society...
1) quest for actual Communist spies working for the Soviets
2) quest to purge certain sectors of society (like Hollywood) of Communists and fellow travelers supposedly corrupting society...
Reposted by Owen Michael
Greater Manchester Police are investigating Reform over the potential breaking of electoral law in the Gorton & Denton by-election.
The party sent out election materials without identifying they were the promoter.
If Reform won the election the result could be overturned in court.
The party sent out election materials without identifying they were the promoter.
If Reform won the election the result could be overturned in court.
February 7, 2026 at 10:33 PM
Greater Manchester Police are investigating Reform over the potential breaking of electoral law in the Gorton & Denton by-election.
The party sent out election materials without identifying they were the promoter.
If Reform won the election the result could be overturned in court.
The party sent out election materials without identifying they were the promoter.
If Reform won the election the result could be overturned in court.
Reposted by Owen Michael
Yep. I dont feel like I am at least on "yellow alert" going through most any major global city in Western countries bc I dont think seeing non-white ppl or occasional instances of poverty are actually a threat to my wellbeing, but 🤷🏻♂️
"Safe" is such a goddamned dogwhistle.
February 7, 2026 at 8:29 PM
Yep. I dont feel like I am at least on "yellow alert" going through most any major global city in Western countries bc I dont think seeing non-white ppl or occasional instances of poverty are actually a threat to my wellbeing, but 🤷🏻♂️
Reposted by Owen Michael
seeing a lot of discourse lately about this tweet and just want to point out that it’s from 2020, whatever else you think about it.
not sure the author would say the same today. (he might!)
have to think Carl Schmitt would have had follow up thoughts eventually though.
not sure the author would say the same today. (he might!)
have to think Carl Schmitt would have had follow up thoughts eventually though.
February 7, 2026 at 6:16 PM
seeing a lot of discourse lately about this tweet and just want to point out that it’s from 2020, whatever else you think about it.
not sure the author would say the same today. (he might!)
have to think Carl Schmitt would have had follow up thoughts eventually though.
not sure the author would say the same today. (he might!)
have to think Carl Schmitt would have had follow up thoughts eventually though.
Reposted by Owen Michael
An AuDHD person who planned to change their entire life in a day has already ruined it with a single deviation from their vision, it has been rumoured.
Quittin’ time! AuDHD person’s 24-hour life overhaul ruined before 9am
An AuDHD person who planned to change their entire life in a day has already ruined it with a single deviation from their vision, it has been rumoured. Des Ackerman, 40, was reportedly finally ready…
thedailytism.com
February 7, 2026 at 6:03 PM
An AuDHD person who planned to change their entire life in a day has already ruined it with a single deviation from their vision, it has been rumoured.
Reposted by Owen Michael
Another in a long list of "this site is multiple forms of illiterate" is the fact that *so many people* on here seem just fundamentally incapable of grasping the difference btwn what McConnell accomplished in 09-14 and what he accomplished in 15 & 16 (or even beyond).
this isn’t really true? the main political consequence of mcconnell’s intransigence was that obama won reelection and democrats kept their senate majority. to the extent that mcconnell helped trump win, it was after republicans won the senate majority.
February 7, 2026 at 5:33 PM
Another in a long list of "this site is multiple forms of illiterate" is the fact that *so many people* on here seem just fundamentally incapable of grasping the difference btwn what McConnell accomplished in 09-14 and what he accomplished in 15 & 16 (or even beyond).
Reposted by Owen Michael
it's genuinely heart-breaking to me that Stalin had American communists doing protests in front of the White House against Lend-Lease until he was suddenly the newest beneficiary
watched Animal Farm a week ago and even in adaptation Orwell's disillusionment and despair over what Stalin did to Lenin's dream is palpable
February 7, 2026 at 4:09 AM
it's genuinely heart-breaking to me that Stalin had American communists doing protests in front of the White House against Lend-Lease until he was suddenly the newest beneficiary
Reposted by Owen Michael
Not really, because the likelihood of “the Labour government actually doing anything about it” runs through “what does ‘some twerp’ do to break the government out of its stupor?”
This is, and I will be blunt here, enormously more important a political story than what some twerp of a Labour backbench MP may be whispering.
US government to fund Maga-aligned think-tanks and charities in Europe - www.ft.com/content/f869... via @FT
February 6, 2026 at 3:41 PM
Not really, because the likelihood of “the Labour government actually doing anything about it” runs through “what does ‘some twerp’ do to break the government out of its stupor?”
Reposted by Owen Michael
OMG thank you. A bunch of dipshits have wildly over-indexed on this and the Lynn Cheney thing, when not one voter out of a *million* knows who all those people are or what happened.
If you knew who Dick Cheney was, you were in a class of high-info voters who Kamala won
She bragged about getting endorsed by Dick Cheney
February 6, 2026 at 2:48 AM
OMG thank you. A bunch of dipshits have wildly over-indexed on this and the Lynn Cheney thing, when not one voter out of a *million* knows who all those people are or what happened.
Reposted by Owen Michael
I shared a few thoughts on this yesterday - but this is very, very good and accurate.
Marie's point about how some MP's think too broadly and intelligently to be promoted as Ministers is also quite key I think as well (and may well explain a few mystifying non-promotions)
Marie's point about how some MP's think too broadly and intelligently to be promoted as Ministers is also quite key I think as well (and may well explain a few mystifying non-promotions)
this is the crux of my argument: the House of Commons just wasn't built with "over 600 pretty normal and reasonably clever professionals who love being in Parliament" in mind, and that's why everything's broken now youngvulgarian.substack.com/p/politics-i...
February 6, 2026 at 11:30 AM
I shared a few thoughts on this yesterday - but this is very, very good and accurate.
Marie's point about how some MP's think too broadly and intelligently to be promoted as Ministers is also quite key I think as well (and may well explain a few mystifying non-promotions)
Marie's point about how some MP's think too broadly and intelligently to be promoted as Ministers is also quite key I think as well (and may well explain a few mystifying non-promotions)
Reposted by Owen Michael
I realized that a lot of the guys who have been found in the Epstein files are probably really struggling because the guy they would have gone to for advice about being discovered in the Epstein files was JEFFREY EPSTEIN
Over the past two weeks I've begun to realize that rich people only started funding chatbots once they could no longer email Jeffrey Epstein
February 6, 2026 at 4:23 AM
I realized that a lot of the guys who have been found in the Epstein files are probably really struggling because the guy they would have gone to for advice about being discovered in the Epstein files was JEFFREY EPSTEIN
Reposted by Owen Michael
I'm sorry but
actually
we need this. The current infrastructure is not fit for purpose
(spare me the jokes this time)
actually
we need this. The current infrastructure is not fit for purpose
(spare me the jokes this time)
I'm sorry but it's ridiculous that the taxpayer is being asked to fund up to £40 billion pounds for urgent works to 'save Parliament burning down', which also yknow features Essential Improvements such as a brand new underground visitors centre
February 6, 2026 at 9:35 AM
I'm sorry but
actually
we need this. The current infrastructure is not fit for purpose
(spare me the jokes this time)
actually
we need this. The current infrastructure is not fit for purpose
(spare me the jokes this time)
Reposted by Owen Michael
I think it's great that this is basically no longer an issue that causes wars.
Italian Winter Olympic athletes love to be named Johannes Würnstraße and be from a lovely town called Alpenstrudel in the Italian region known as Süd-Österreich
February 7, 2026 at 3:18 PM
I think it's great that this is basically no longer an issue that causes wars.
Reposted by Owen Michael
Man I am more than happy to build bridges and work alongside the left - and frankly some of our local DSA folks have been the biggest stalwarts in this ICE nightmare - but there are so many lefties who can’t se to understand that agreeing on ICE doesn’t mean I suddenly changed all my views
February 6, 2026 at 4:11 AM
Man I am more than happy to build bridges and work alongside the left - and frankly some of our local DSA folks have been the biggest stalwarts in this ICE nightmare - but there are so many lefties who can’t se to understand that agreeing on ICE doesn’t mean I suddenly changed all my views
Reposted by Owen Michael
in this week's newsletter! my very, very hot take, which is that one of the reasons politics has got bad is that our politicians have got.......too good - do read it, see what you think, shout at me, etc youngvulgarian.substack.com/p/politics-i... [free edition!]
February 6, 2026 at 10:23 AM
in this week's newsletter! my very, very hot take, which is that one of the reasons politics has got bad is that our politicians have got.......too good - do read it, see what you think, shout at me, etc youngvulgarian.substack.com/p/politics-i... [free edition!]
Reposted by Owen Michael
Being very Marshall McLuhan about it, I think technological advancement feeds this tendency by making it hard to relate to our own past. The people protesting for/against civil rights as characters in old fashioned movies who didn't have Instagram, rather than your grandparents.
One thing I do have a problem with re: Gen Z/Alpha is that I think there's a certain taken for grantedness on certain social gains that allows for right-wing subversion of politically disengaged normie types and hyper-leftists alike.
February 6, 2026 at 7:33 AM
Being very Marshall McLuhan about it, I think technological advancement feeds this tendency by making it hard to relate to our own past. The people protesting for/against civil rights as characters in old fashioned movies who didn't have Instagram, rather than your grandparents.
Reposted by Owen Michael
No joke: I got angry hate mail today for writing an obituary of a Black woman scientist—because the person felt she did didn’t deserve the recognition.
Which just makes me want to share it again: www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Which just makes me want to share it again: www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Gladys Mae West obituary: mathematician who pioneered GPS technology
She made key contributions to US cold-war science despite facing huge barriers as a Black woman.
www.nature.com
February 6, 2026 at 9:09 AM
No joke: I got angry hate mail today for writing an obituary of a Black woman scientist—because the person felt she did didn’t deserve the recognition.
Which just makes me want to share it again: www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Which just makes me want to share it again: www.nature.com/articles/d41...
Reposted by Owen Michael
The problem is that the opponents to the repairs to parliamentary refit
a) complain costs too much
b) say that MPs should stay in Westminster during the works (which will dramatically increase costs)
Doesn't feel like a grown-up debate
www.ft.com/content/7fca...
a) complain costs too much
b) say that MPs should stay in Westminster during the works (which will dramatically increase costs)
Doesn't feel like a grown-up debate
www.ft.com/content/7fca...
Do think people need to appreciate that it’s not merely a “do some expensive repairs to stop it falling down” job, but a “spending tens of billions to build a new improved giant temple” job
I'm sorry but it's ridiculous that the taxpayer is being asked to fund up to £40 billion pounds for urgent works to 'save Parliament burning down', which also yknow features Essential Improvements such as a brand new underground visitors centre
February 6, 2026 at 9:44 AM
The problem is that the opponents to the repairs to parliamentary refit
a) complain costs too much
b) say that MPs should stay in Westminster during the works (which will dramatically increase costs)
Doesn't feel like a grown-up debate
www.ft.com/content/7fca...
a) complain costs too much
b) say that MPs should stay in Westminster during the works (which will dramatically increase costs)
Doesn't feel like a grown-up debate
www.ft.com/content/7fca...
Reposted by Owen Michael
👇 It's stunning the amount that this lesson has not yet sunk in. No, it is never 'good news' or 'not worth worrying about' if your opponent moves further away from you or becomes more extreme.
I think the problem with this approach is the power of US money rapidly makes them the only ideological show in town on the right, and then regardless of domestic opposition to MAGA, you are one bad economic run from them getting power.
No reason to get too worked up about this.
Ultranationalist transnationalism is not an easy thing to pull off — and the trademark „MAGA-funded“ might hurt European forces more than help on balance.
Ultranationalist transnationalism is not an easy thing to pull off — and the trademark „MAGA-funded“ might hurt European forces more than help on balance.
February 6, 2026 at 2:17 PM
👇 It's stunning the amount that this lesson has not yet sunk in. No, it is never 'good news' or 'not worth worrying about' if your opponent moves further away from you or becomes more extreme.
Reposted by Owen Michael
I think the problem with this approach is the power of US money rapidly makes them the only ideological show in town on the right, and then regardless of domestic opposition to MAGA, you are one bad economic run from them getting power.
No reason to get too worked up about this.
Ultranationalist transnationalism is not an easy thing to pull off — and the trademark „MAGA-funded“ might hurt European forces more than help on balance.
Ultranationalist transnationalism is not an easy thing to pull off — and the trademark „MAGA-funded“ might hurt European forces more than help on balance.
February 6, 2026 at 2:11 PM
I think the problem with this approach is the power of US money rapidly makes them the only ideological show in town on the right, and then regardless of domestic opposition to MAGA, you are one bad economic run from them getting power.
Reposted by Owen Michael
This is exactly what so many of them are doing & it's why politics is breaking down.
Good political leaders aren't the actors or musicians but the director or conductor.
We need politicians to stop obsessing about details & focus on the big picture. That's how you get a programme for government.
Good political leaders aren't the actors or musicians but the director or conductor.
We need politicians to stop obsessing about details & focus on the big picture. That's how you get a programme for government.
What should a backbench Labour MP be doing?
What they should have been doing in opposition from 2010-2024 but, we know, did not.
You should make yourself *the* expert in a policy field. Planning. Tax reform. Health service reform. Primary schools. Whatever.
/2
What they should have been doing in opposition from 2010-2024 but, we know, did not.
You should make yourself *the* expert in a policy field. Planning. Tax reform. Health service reform. Primary schools. Whatever.
/2
February 7, 2026 at 9:25 AM
This is exactly what so many of them are doing & it's why politics is breaking down.
Good political leaders aren't the actors or musicians but the director or conductor.
We need politicians to stop obsessing about details & focus on the big picture. That's how you get a programme for government.
Good political leaders aren't the actors or musicians but the director or conductor.
We need politicians to stop obsessing about details & focus on the big picture. That's how you get a programme for government.
Reposted by Owen Michael
Feels telling that they’re just making up shit and still don’t even pretend to be getting support from young women. If you’re just writing fan fiction anyway, why not?
The untold story that is told constantly and isn’t really true
February 7, 2026 at 12:58 PM
Feels telling that they’re just making up shit and still don’t even pretend to be getting support from young women. If you’re just writing fan fiction anyway, why not?
Reposted by Owen Michael
Initially, I actually thought that user had posted that quote in the context that it had demonstrably been proven false.
You know, in the sense of "they thought people wouldn’t raise against them, but look at what is actually going on, look at all this push-back".
You know, in the sense of "they thought people wouldn’t raise against them, but look at what is actually going on, look at all this push-back".
Petition to stop citing Nazis when they famously convinced themselves that their enemies were weak and then lost. It's a genre of Nazi posting that really needs to stop being a thing.
February 7, 2026 at 9:04 AM
Initially, I actually thought that user had posted that quote in the context that it had demonstrably been proven false.
You know, in the sense of "they thought people wouldn’t raise against them, but look at what is actually going on, look at all this push-back".
You know, in the sense of "they thought people wouldn’t raise against them, but look at what is actually going on, look at all this push-back".
Reposted by Owen Michael
Petition to stop citing Nazis when they famously convinced themselves that their enemies were weak and then lost. It's a genre of Nazi posting that really needs to stop being a thing.
February 7, 2026 at 2:02 AM
Petition to stop citing Nazis when they famously convinced themselves that their enemies were weak and then lost. It's a genre of Nazi posting that really needs to stop being a thing.