Phil Free
@philfree.bsky.social
Politics, economics, planet - I live in Essex, UK.
Economic questions: the Karl Polanyi question
www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2025/12...
www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2025/12...
Economic questions: the Karl Polanyi question
This is one of a series of posts that will ask what the most pertinent question raised by a prominent influencer of political economy might have been, and what the relevance of that question might be ...
www.taxresearch.org.uk
February 10, 2026 at 1:20 PM
Economic questions: the Karl Polanyi question
www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2025/12...
www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2025/12...
Whose Fault Was the Cold War?
www.theideasletter.org/essay/whose-...
www.theideasletter.org/essay/whose-...
Whose Fault Was the Cold War? - The Ideas Letter
Bessner traces shifts in Cold War historiography through his review of two recent works on the causes and lessons of the US-Soviet rivalry. Anders Stephanson argues that the Cold War…
www.theideasletter.org
February 10, 2026 at 1:01 PM
Whose Fault Was the Cold War?
www.theideasletter.org/essay/whose-...
www.theideasletter.org/essay/whose-...
Wealth Extraction From a Nursing Home Chain With Individual, Private Equity, & Real Estate Owners
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
Wealth Extraction from a Nursing Home Chain With Individual, Private Equity, and Real Estate Owners - Charlene A. Harrington, 2025
For-profit nursing home (NH) chains have become increasingly financialized in order to maximize short-term profits. This descriptive case study focused on the w...
journals.sagepub.com
February 10, 2026 at 12:32 PM
Wealth Extraction From a Nursing Home Chain With Individual, Private Equity, & Real Estate Owners
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
The Rise & Fall of Liberal Historiography
www.historynewsnetwork.org/article/the-...
www.historynewsnetwork.org/article/the-...
The Rise and Fall of Liberal Historiography
How historians changed their approach, from the 1960s to the present.
www.historynewsnetwork.org
February 9, 2026 at 11:49 PM
The Rise & Fall of Liberal Historiography
www.historynewsnetwork.org/article/the-...
www.historynewsnetwork.org/article/the-...
“In 1947-48 alone, at least 30 documented massacres left hundreds dead, including children, women ,& the elderly.
In a perverse calculus, Israeli forces classified all males between 10 & 50 as legitimate targets, effectively sentencing children to death.”
open.substack.com/pub/savagemi...
In a perverse calculus, Israeli forces classified all males between 10 & 50 as legitimate targets, effectively sentencing children to death.”
open.substack.com/pub/savagemi...
“No Other Country”
Israel, the Pariah
open.substack.com
February 9, 2026 at 11:27 PM
“In 1947-48 alone, at least 30 documented massacres left hundreds dead, including children, women ,& the elderly.
In a perverse calculus, Israeli forces classified all males between 10 & 50 as legitimate targets, effectively sentencing children to death.”
open.substack.com/pub/savagemi...
In a perverse calculus, Israeli forces classified all males between 10 & 50 as legitimate targets, effectively sentencing children to death.”
open.substack.com/pub/savagemi...
Reposted by Phil Free
We need to stop referring to these people as centrist Democrats. They are advancing a right-wing agenda and should be referred to as such.
NEW: The “centrist” Abundance think tank pushing Democrats toward deregulation is run by a registered corporate lobbyist for OpenAI, Larry Ellison’s Oracle, and a crypto think tank.
February 9, 2026 at 6:32 PM
We need to stop referring to these people as centrist Democrats. They are advancing a right-wing agenda and should be referred to as such.
Reposted by Phil Free
China — China! — has signed off on a report that warns focusing on unchecked economic growth is contributing to the destruction of global biodiversity.
subscriber.politicopro.com/article/eene...
subscriber.politicopro.com/article/eene...
E&E News: Obsession with growth is destroying nature, 150 countries warn
China, India and EU countries were among the signatories of a report that criticized the prevailing measures of economic success.
subscriber.politicopro.com
February 9, 2026 at 10:34 PM
China — China! — has signed off on a report that warns focusing on unchecked economic growth is contributing to the destruction of global biodiversity.
subscriber.politicopro.com/article/eene...
subscriber.politicopro.com/article/eene...
A deadly meningitis outbreak is threatening Gaza’s children
mondoweiss.net/2026/02/a-de...
mondoweiss.net/2026/02/a-de...
A deadly meningitis outbreak is threatening Gaza’s children
Bacterial meningitis is spreading among children in Gaza, including those who are vaccinated. Officials say conditions in Gaza’s displacement camps, widespread malnutrition, and Israeli bans on the en...
mondoweiss.net
February 9, 2026 at 10:54 PM
A deadly meningitis outbreak is threatening Gaza’s children
mondoweiss.net/2026/02/a-de...
mondoweiss.net/2026/02/a-de...
Attacking Black Journalists Is an American Tradition
prospect.org/2026/02/02/a...
prospect.org/2026/02/02/a...
Attacking Black Journalists Is an American Tradition - The American Prospect
The arrests of Don Lemon and Georgia Fort reflect an American legacy of targeting the Black press.
prospect.org
February 9, 2026 at 10:26 PM
Attacking Black Journalists Is an American Tradition
prospect.org/2026/02/02/a...
prospect.org/2026/02/02/a...
New Jerseyans Demand State Divestment From ICE Profiteer Palantir
prospect.org/2026/01/30/n...
prospect.org/2026/01/30/n...
New Jerseyans Demand State Divestment From ICE Profiteer Palantir - The American Prospect
Locals at a routine state investment council meeting this week told board members they must get taxpayer money out of the surveillance tech company.
prospect.org
February 9, 2026 at 10:05 PM
New Jerseyans Demand State Divestment From ICE Profiteer Palantir
prospect.org/2026/01/30/n...
prospect.org/2026/01/30/n...
DOGE Lives On Through Russell Vought
prospect.org/2026/02/05/d...
prospect.org/2026/02/05/d...
DOGE Lives On Through Russell Vought
Trump’s White House OMB director has quietly institutionalized the government demolition agenda set in motion by Elon Musk’s wrecking crew.
prospect.org
February 9, 2026 at 9:46 PM
DOGE Lives On Through Russell Vought
prospect.org/2026/02/05/d...
prospect.org/2026/02/05/d...
“[The middle class] are not radical, not liberal, not conservative, not reactionary; they are ‘inactionary’… If we accept the Greeks’ definition of the idiot as a privatised man, then we must conclude that the US citizenry is now largely composed of idiots.”
jacobin.com/2026/02/wrig...
jacobin.com/2026/02/wrig...
Reading C. Wright Mills in the Age of Trump
Seventy years ago, C. Wright Mills published The Power Elite, a scathing indictment of corporate executives, state officials, and their academic apologists. His analysis has lost none of its bite as w...
jacobin.com
February 9, 2026 at 9:08 PM
“[The middle class] are not radical, not liberal, not conservative, not reactionary; they are ‘inactionary’… If we accept the Greeks’ definition of the idiot as a privatised man, then we must conclude that the US citizenry is now largely composed of idiots.”
jacobin.com/2026/02/wrig...
jacobin.com/2026/02/wrig...
In Canada, the Free Market Fairy failed to cut emissions
climateandcapitalism.com/2025/11/14/i...
climateandcapitalism.com/2025/11/14/i...
Making sure you're not a bot!
You are seeing this because the administrator of this website has set up Anubis to protect the server against the scourge of AI companies aggressively scraping websites. This can and does cause downtime for the websites, which makes their resources inaccessible for everyone.
climateandcapitalism.com
February 9, 2026 at 6:51 PM
In Canada, the Free Market Fairy failed to cut emissions
climateandcapitalism.com/2025/11/14/i...
climateandcapitalism.com/2025/11/14/i...
Tech’s role in exploiting vulnerable migrant workers
www.opendemocracy.net/en/fake-visa...
www.opendemocracy.net/en/fake-visa...
Tech’s role in exploiting vulnerable migrant workers
From Saudi Arabia to Nepal and the UK, vulnerable workers are exploited due to a lack of digital and financial literacy
www.opendemocracy.net
February 9, 2026 at 6:25 PM
Tech’s role in exploiting vulnerable migrant workers
www.opendemocracy.net/en/fake-visa...
www.opendemocracy.net/en/fake-visa...
Reposted by Phil Free
Ironic that a man barely ever in his workplace should make such a call.
BREAKING: Nigel Farage calls for an end to working from home and the focus on work-life balance
"People aren't more productive working from home - it's a load of nonsense”
Whatever you do JUST DON’T VOTE REFORM!
"People aren't more productive working from home - it's a load of nonsense”
Whatever you do JUST DON’T VOTE REFORM!
February 9, 2026 at 5:35 PM
Ironic that a man barely ever in his workplace should make such a call.
“These are problems of what I cal The Global Casino, which facilitates the insane gambling of international financial markets & the direct impact of their activities on our pensions, daily bread, energy & housing; but also on the biosphere.”
@annpettifor.bsky.social
tribunemag.co.uk/2026/01/gamb...
@annpettifor.bsky.social
tribunemag.co.uk/2026/01/gamb...
Gambling the Biosphere
The habits of global financial markets have a direct impact on the cost-of-living and climate crises. Societies and governments must take back control to avoid catastrophe.
tribunemag.co.uk
February 9, 2026 at 6:00 PM
“These are problems of what I cal The Global Casino, which facilitates the insane gambling of international financial markets & the direct impact of their activities on our pensions, daily bread, energy & housing; but also on the biosphere.”
@annpettifor.bsky.social
tribunemag.co.uk/2026/01/gamb...
@annpettifor.bsky.social
tribunemag.co.uk/2026/01/gamb...
Behemoth or Leviathan?
open.substack.com/pub/johnganz...
open.substack.com/pub/johnganz...
Behemoth or Leviathan?
State and Unstate
open.substack.com
February 9, 2026 at 5:19 PM
Behemoth or Leviathan?
open.substack.com/pub/johnganz...
open.substack.com/pub/johnganz...
“But that’s what politics is all about: Bending reality to satisfy our primal cravings, however morally indefensible, attainable or sustainable they may or may not be.
In the fight between platitudes & ecological realities there can be only one winner.”
open.substack.com/pub/gnug315/...
In the fight between platitudes & ecological realities there can be only one winner.”
open.substack.com/pub/gnug315/...
Collapse - Part 1/5: Denial
Why no one wants to talk about doom and gloom
open.substack.com
February 9, 2026 at 4:49 PM
“But that’s what politics is all about: Bending reality to satisfy our primal cravings, however morally indefensible, attainable or sustainable they may or may not be.
In the fight between platitudes & ecological realities there can be only one winner.”
open.substack.com/pub/gnug315/...
In the fight between platitudes & ecological realities there can be only one winner.”
open.substack.com/pub/gnug315/...
“Those are not the actions of people trying to secure systems. They look like the actions of people trying to shut down scrutiny.”
McSweeney goes - but Josh Simons in the frame over targeting journalists
open.substack.com/pub/democrac...
McSweeney goes - but Josh Simons in the frame over targeting journalists
open.substack.com/pub/democrac...
McSweeney goes - but Josh Simons in the frame over targeting journalists
Cabinet Office minister hired a PR firm to investigate journalists. His explanation is bewildering - and begs one big question. How can Starmer keep him on?
open.substack.com
February 9, 2026 at 3:56 PM
“Those are not the actions of people trying to secure systems. They look like the actions of people trying to shut down scrutiny.”
McSweeney goes - but Josh Simons in the frame over targeting journalists
open.substack.com/pub/democrac...
McSweeney goes - but Josh Simons in the frame over targeting journalists
open.substack.com/pub/democrac...
“The argument pushed by governments & industry that the emissions can be ignored because new trees will absorb them in the future is wrong & dangerous.”
Woody biomass is a false climate solution & a massive threat to Indonesia’s forests - @reddmonitor.bsky.social
open.substack.com/pub/reddmoni...
Woody biomass is a false climate solution & a massive threat to Indonesia’s forests - @reddmonitor.bsky.social
open.substack.com/pub/reddmoni...
Woody biomass is a false climate solution and a massive threat to Indonesia’s forests
A new report highlights the threat to Indonesia’s forests from industrial biomass demand.
open.substack.com
February 9, 2026 at 3:33 PM
“The argument pushed by governments & industry that the emissions can be ignored because new trees will absorb them in the future is wrong & dangerous.”
Woody biomass is a false climate solution & a massive threat to Indonesia’s forests - @reddmonitor.bsky.social
open.substack.com/pub/reddmoni...
Woody biomass is a false climate solution & a massive threat to Indonesia’s forests - @reddmonitor.bsky.social
open.substack.com/pub/reddmoni...
U.S. Envoys Refused to Report "Apocalyptic" Conditions in Gaza. Exclusive Photos Show the Reality They Suppressed
open.substack.com/pub/dropsite...
open.substack.com/pub/dropsite...
U.S. Envoys Refused to Report "Apocalyptic" Conditions in Gaza. Exclusive Photos Show the Reality They Suppressed
The U.S. embassy in Jerusalem suppressed a February 2024 report on northern Gaza because it “lacked balance.” These photos from the UN fact finding trip are visual evidence of the conditions.
open.substack.com
February 9, 2026 at 2:58 PM
U.S. Envoys Refused to Report "Apocalyptic" Conditions in Gaza. Exclusive Photos Show the Reality They Suppressed
open.substack.com/pub/dropsite...
open.substack.com/pub/dropsite...
Light, entropy & why care keeps society alive
www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2025/12...
www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2025/12...
Light, entropy and why care keeps society alive
Everything tends towards decay unless energy is applied. That is not ideology, it is physics.
In this video, I explore light through the lens of entropy and explain why care, maintenance, and public s...
www.taxresearch.org.uk
February 9, 2026 at 1:27 PM
Light, entropy & why care keeps society alive
www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2025/12...
www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2025/12...
“To reinstate progressive neoliberalism would be to exacerbate the very conditions that created Trump & perhaps even prepare the ground for something far more monstrous.” #PostCapitalism
Neoliberalism’s Persistence & the Struggle for What Comes After
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
Neoliberalism’s Persistence & the Struggle for What Comes After
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
Sage Journals: Discover world-class research
Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.
journals.sagepub.com
February 9, 2026 at 1:07 PM
“To reinstate progressive neoliberalism would be to exacerbate the very conditions that created Trump & perhaps even prepare the ground for something far more monstrous.” #PostCapitalism
Neoliberalism’s Persistence & the Struggle for What Comes After
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
Neoliberalism’s Persistence & the Struggle for What Comes After
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
“Economic growth has a near mythical status in the affections of economists & politicians. But wishful thinking won’t solve the climate crisis.” #PostCapitalism #Degrowth #PostGrowth #BeyondGrowth
Economic growth is still heating the planet
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Economic growth is still heating the planet
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Economic growth is still heating the planet. Is there any way out?
Rising GDP continues to mean more carbon emissions and wider damage to the planet. Can the two be decoupled?
www.theguardian.com
February 9, 2026 at 9:40 AM
“Economic growth has a near mythical status in the affections of economists & politicians. But wishful thinking won’t solve the climate crisis.” #PostCapitalism #Degrowth #PostGrowth #BeyondGrowth
Economic growth is still heating the planet
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Economic growth is still heating the planet
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Matt Yglesias is still lying about Democratic donors
open.substack.com/pub/carlbeij...
open.substack.com/pub/carlbeij...
Matt Yglesias is still lying about Democratic donors
Another swing at the Shor / Yglesias "rich people have made Democrats too progressive" schtick.
open.substack.com
February 8, 2026 at 11:19 PM
Matt Yglesias is still lying about Democratic donors
open.substack.com/pub/carlbeij...
open.substack.com/pub/carlbeij...