Rhys Needham
@rhysneedham.bsky.social
Je Suis Marxiste, Tendance Harpo (...movie star, movie star...)
Mostly Harmless. Panicking optional.
Don't blame me, I voted for Kodos.
Ex-Douglas Bader Meinhof Gang.
Yasser (Arafat), I can boogie all night long.
Views pilfered from everyone else's
Mostly Harmless. Panicking optional.
Don't blame me, I voted for Kodos.
Ex-Douglas Bader Meinhof Gang.
Yasser (Arafat), I can boogie all night long.
Views pilfered from everyone else's
Reposted by Rhys Needham
the real hot take is that democrats are the actual party of capitalism (complimentary) but neither capital nor democrats want to acknowledge that for reasons that have nothing to do with economics in either case
The funny thing about modern economic discourse is that The Wealth of Nations is very clear that market failure requires regulation.
I am a capitalist because “planned economy” vs “lawless markets”‘is a false choice.
A smartly regulated economy is literally what Smith articulated.
I am a capitalist because “planned economy” vs “lawless markets”‘is a false choice.
A smartly regulated economy is literally what Smith articulated.
for lack of other options, i am nominally a capitalist, and i think we should get back to first principles about making capital productive. any one person having tens or hundreds of billions of dollars is grossly unproductive and bad for business.
February 19, 2026 at 6:05 PM
the real hot take is that democrats are the actual party of capitalism (complimentary) but neither capital nor democrats want to acknowledge that for reasons that have nothing to do with economics in either case
Reposted by Rhys Needham
I am surprised Janan Ganesh would write this. If you spend much time reading about 1930s fascism it quickly becomes very clear that those movements were in this sense equally “unserious” and “regarded politics as just a smashing indoor sport”.
February 18, 2026 at 9:45 PM
I am surprised Janan Ganesh would write this. If you spend much time reading about 1930s fascism it quickly becomes very clear that those movements were in this sense equally “unserious” and “regarded politics as just a smashing indoor sport”.
Reposted by Rhys Needham
We asked the party leaders for their reaction to Andrew’s arrest
Keir Starmer: Morgan, how should I respond? Wait, shit, he’s not here anymore
Sanae Takaichi: Why the fuck am I still here?
Kemi Badenoch: My best friend was killed by a Sega Mega Drive
Keir Starmer: Morgan, how should I respond? Wait, shit, he’s not here anymore
Sanae Takaichi: Why the fuck am I still here?
Kemi Badenoch: My best friend was killed by a Sega Mega Drive
February 19, 2026 at 12:56 PM
We asked the party leaders for their reaction to Andrew’s arrest
Keir Starmer: Morgan, how should I respond? Wait, shit, he’s not here anymore
Sanae Takaichi: Why the fuck am I still here?
Kemi Badenoch: My best friend was killed by a Sega Mega Drive
Keir Starmer: Morgan, how should I respond? Wait, shit, he’s not here anymore
Sanae Takaichi: Why the fuck am I still here?
Kemi Badenoch: My best friend was killed by a Sega Mega Drive
Reposted by Rhys Needham
Unrelated, but Infantino was the source of a massive political scandal in Lebanon when the Lebanese government tried to give him Lebanese citizenship to celebrate his visit, something that Lebanese mothers cannot even give to their own kids due to archaic laws.
Your man may have broken his own organisation’s rules on political neutrality. But these things only matter when others seem to do it. So nothing to see here.
February 19, 2026 at 4:07 PM
Unrelated, but Infantino was the source of a massive political scandal in Lebanon when the Lebanese government tried to give him Lebanese citizenship to celebrate his visit, something that Lebanese mothers cannot even give to their own kids due to archaic laws.
Reposted by Rhys Needham
Correct! Go after them to fix democracy, because they exist like blackholes that warp the fabric of society. Money is power and they simply have too much of it.
It will not work, and is wrong in principle
Don’t go after the rich to fix broken budgets
It will not work, and is wrong in principle
econ.st
February 19, 2026 at 1:43 PM
Correct! Go after them to fix democracy, because they exist like blackholes that warp the fabric of society. Money is power and they simply have too much of it.
Reposted by Rhys Needham
Yes. As a capitalism-sympathetic social democrat, I believe we have a duty to markets to ensure money can act as a disciplinary measure. We have literally reached the fail state of money. Elon can lose 90% of his wealth and functionally lose no practical value. We broke the invisible hand.
Correct! Go after them to fix democracy, because they exist like blackholes that warp the fabric of society. Money is power and they simply have too much of it.
It will not work, and is wrong in principle
February 19, 2026 at 1:50 PM
Yes. As a capitalism-sympathetic social democrat, I believe we have a duty to markets to ensure money can act as a disciplinary measure. We have literally reached the fail state of money. Elon can lose 90% of his wealth and functionally lose no practical value. We broke the invisible hand.
Reposted by Rhys Needham
i jokingly referred to popularism as "the organizational structure of Leninist democratic centralism as adopted for centrism"
but it's becoming more and more true: a lot of these people have views that there is a top-down centrist political settlement that must be enforced on all candidates
but it's becoming more and more true: a lot of these people have views that there is a top-down centrist political settlement that must be enforced on all candidates
this is just the fundamental issue with all popularism, because it’s a strategy cooked up in seeming complete ignorance of how elections work at a very basic level. like, the popularist position is that even doing the original Median Voter Theorem strategy is too radical!
"Obama should pivot on [x issue]" dawg you know that the democratic base is highly educated and the primary system tends to select for people who *are* social liberals, right?
February 19, 2026 at 3:56 PM
i jokingly referred to popularism as "the organizational structure of Leninist democratic centralism as adopted for centrism"
but it's becoming more and more true: a lot of these people have views that there is a top-down centrist political settlement that must be enforced on all candidates
but it's becoming more and more true: a lot of these people have views that there is a top-down centrist political settlement that must be enforced on all candidates
Reposted by Rhys Needham
All you need to do is stop making higher education cost more than the downpayment for a 3 bedroom house and thus stop turning sporting ability by children into their one shot to get a college education because like 5% of ppl can even afford one and this will mostly self correct I suspect
As a parent, a thing that has been hard to find is a sort of middle ground with youth sports. At a certain age, sports needs to be moderately structured and serious enough that kids develop skills and stay engaged. My town has free youth sports, but since it’s free, there’s a wide range of interest.
"free/cheap/non-toxic youth sports" feels like one of those skeleton keys that would have knock-on effects accidentally fix 100 unrelated things about America
or, you know, even if it didn't, at least a bunch of kids would be able to have fun playing sports
or, you know, even if it didn't, at least a bunch of kids would be able to have fun playing sports
February 19, 2026 at 4:14 PM
All you need to do is stop making higher education cost more than the downpayment for a 3 bedroom house and thus stop turning sporting ability by children into their one shot to get a college education because like 5% of ppl can even afford one and this will mostly self correct I suspect
Reposted by Rhys Needham
President Milei tweets a slogan that he meant to be a play on words meaning "Milei doesnt support the [General] Strike"
But written in a way that literally means;
"Milei cannot get an erection"
Help. I cant breathe 😅
But written in a way that literally means;
"Milei cannot get an erection"
Help. I cant breathe 😅
February 19, 2026 at 3:26 PM
President Milei tweets a slogan that he meant to be a play on words meaning "Milei doesnt support the [General] Strike"
But written in a way that literally means;
"Milei cannot get an erection"
Help. I cant breathe 😅
But written in a way that literally means;
"Milei cannot get an erection"
Help. I cant breathe 😅
Reposted by Rhys Needham
The Hungarian government, cited as direct ideological inspiration by the Trump admin, allowed neo-Nazis to march in SS uniforms last weekend - but banned a Holocaust survivor from giving a speech warning about fascism in response. www.errc.org/news/budapes...
Budapest: Nazis openly march in SS uniforms, while Holocaust survivor gets banned, and Romani Pride organiser gets prosecuted - European Roma Rights Centre
By Bernard Rorke
On Sunday 14th February, neo-Nazis converged on the Castle district in Budapest to ...
www.errc.org
February 19, 2026 at 3:07 PM
The Hungarian government, cited as direct ideological inspiration by the Trump admin, allowed neo-Nazis to march in SS uniforms last weekend - but banned a Holocaust survivor from giving a speech warning about fascism in response. www.errc.org/news/budapes...
Reposted by Rhys Needham
i think about this chart all the time today.yougov.com/politics/art...
February 19, 2026 at 1:35 PM
i think about this chart all the time today.yougov.com/politics/art...
Reposted by Rhys Needham
Remember Trump’s past talk about abolishing the income tax and replacing it with tariff income? It sounds outlandish, but it’s rooted in a longstanding effort on the US right to replace progressive taxation with regressive taxation, while starving the parts of the government that help the non-rich.
1. The president is burning up the American middle class with the largest tax increase since the early 1990s, which itself is snowballing the price of everything from coffee to clothes to carpets to car parts.
Yet this isn’t a major, ongoing, attention-grabbing story.
Yet this isn’t a major, ongoing, attention-grabbing story.
February 19, 2026 at 2:41 PM
Remember Trump’s past talk about abolishing the income tax and replacing it with tariff income? It sounds outlandish, but it’s rooted in a longstanding effort on the US right to replace progressive taxation with regressive taxation, while starving the parts of the government that help the non-rich.
Reposted by Rhys Needham
this might be me getting conspiratorial but a lot of chatter from people Surprised That ROK Has Functional Democratic Institutions basically just reads like it has the same root as the weird tankie myth that it is still a military dictatorship because they haven't read any korean history since 1959
i'll grant you this is true for the UK but it is objectively not surprising re: South Korea
February 19, 2026 at 2:13 PM
this might be me getting conspiratorial but a lot of chatter from people Surprised That ROK Has Functional Democratic Institutions basically just reads like it has the same root as the weird tankie myth that it is still a military dictatorship because they haven't read any korean history since 1959
Reposted by Rhys Needham
The possibility that pre-Elon Twitter was limiting the reach of conservative tweets was the greatest story in the history of journalism, while a vast network of sex trafficking pedophiles that included billionaires, celebrities and two presidents is just a big yawn.
February 19, 2026 at 1:45 PM
The possibility that pre-Elon Twitter was limiting the reach of conservative tweets was the greatest story in the history of journalism, while a vast network of sex trafficking pedophiles that included billionaires, celebrities and two presidents is just a big yawn.
Reposted by Rhys Needham
The key between conspiracy theories and actual conspiracies is that the theories are all ridiculous, complicated and obvious. Most actual conspiracy theories are actually quite normal and boring.
If you want to get rid of some incriminating documents you don't want anyone to see, the best course of action is to hide them on the top floors of the most famous twin towers in the world and hit them with two hijacked passenger planes.
February 19, 2026 at 1:31 PM
The key between conspiracy theories and actual conspiracies is that the theories are all ridiculous, complicated and obvious. Most actual conspiracy theories are actually quite normal and boring.
Reposted by Rhys Needham
During the Kennedy Administration, the Joint Chiefs of Staff considered the Bay of Pigs Invasion to have a "fair chance" of success, which they marked as somewhere between 25-40%.
The Kennedy brothers heard "fair chance" and assessed it much higher, like 65-70%.
Good to see America hasn't changed.
The Kennedy brothers heard "fair chance" and assessed it much higher, like 65-70%.
Good to see America hasn't changed.
February 19, 2026 at 12:48 PM
During the Kennedy Administration, the Joint Chiefs of Staff considered the Bay of Pigs Invasion to have a "fair chance" of success, which they marked as somewhere between 25-40%.
The Kennedy brothers heard "fair chance" and assessed it much higher, like 65-70%.
Good to see America hasn't changed.
The Kennedy brothers heard "fair chance" and assessed it much higher, like 65-70%.
Good to see America hasn't changed.
Reposted by Rhys Needham
Our latest article on extra-pair paternity of blue tits & great tits nesting in tree holes in Poland’s #Białowieża Forest, published #OpenAccess. 1/2
tinyurl.com/3tsbfnjd
#ornithology
@mszulkin.bsky.social @funecology.bsky.social @mizpas.bsky.social
tinyurl.com/3tsbfnjd
#ornithology
@mszulkin.bsky.social @funecology.bsky.social @mizpas.bsky.social
February 19, 2026 at 11:57 AM
Our latest article on extra-pair paternity of blue tits & great tits nesting in tree holes in Poland’s #Białowieża Forest, published #OpenAccess. 1/2
tinyurl.com/3tsbfnjd
#ornithology
@mszulkin.bsky.social @funecology.bsky.social @mizpas.bsky.social
tinyurl.com/3tsbfnjd
#ornithology
@mszulkin.bsky.social @funecology.bsky.social @mizpas.bsky.social
Reposted by Rhys Needham
One of those things where we could probably achieve our national objectives with fifty million dollars to the right military leaders, guaranteed passage to Dubai for the others and a hundred thousand radios alternating between broadcasts of Pink Pony Club and the Thriller album.
I'm gonna be so forreal, they are probably blowing Khamenei's head smoove off his shoulders after markets close Friday
February 19, 2026 at 4:40 AM
One of those things where we could probably achieve our national objectives with fifty million dollars to the right military leaders, guaranteed passage to Dubai for the others and a hundred thousand radios alternating between broadcasts of Pink Pony Club and the Thriller album.
Reposted by Rhys Needham
UN probe documents coordinated ethnic targeting, rape and torture against non-Arab communities in Sudanese city.
UN mission finds RSF destruction in el-Fasher bears ‘hallmarks of genocide'
UN probe documents coordinated ethnic targeting, rape and torture against non-Arab communities in Sudanese city.
www.aljazeera.com
February 19, 2026 at 1:00 PM
UN probe documents coordinated ethnic targeting, rape and torture against non-Arab communities in Sudanese city.
Reposted by Rhys Needham
Okay, this is quite outstanding from Bedford Council.
February 19, 2026 at 8:26 AM
Okay, this is quite outstanding from Bedford Council.
Anarchism!
BBC correspondent: "This tells us the investigation is carrying on as if this wasn't a member of the royal family... The law is separate from the church, it's separate from the monarchy, it's separate from the state in many ways."
Come again? 😂
Come again? 😂
February 19, 2026 at 12:51 PM
Anarchism!
Reposted by Rhys Needham
Yoon Suk-yeol has been sentenced to life imprisonment.
February 19, 2026 at 7:02 AM
Yoon Suk-yeol has been sentenced to life imprisonment.
Reposted by Rhys Needham
love completely arbitrary decisions made through a totally opaque process, we call it the rule of law folks don't we www.nytimes.com/2026/02/18/h...
F.D.A. Reverses Decision and Agrees to Review Moderna’s Flu Vaccine
www.nytimes.com
February 19, 2026 at 4:48 AM
love completely arbitrary decisions made through a totally opaque process, we call it the rule of law folks don't we www.nytimes.com/2026/02/18/h...