PushPenning
@bassney.bsky.social
Wonderful rendition. This is also a great version by Ye Vagabonds (music starts after a while) youtu.be/QBTehMqrLRk
Ye Vagabonds, Willie O Winsbury.
YouTube video by Myles O'Reilly
youtu.be
September 20, 2025 at 9:02 PM
Wonderful rendition. This is also a great version by Ye Vagabonds (music starts after a while) youtu.be/QBTehMqrLRk
Also, I hasten to add, I am not implying that you are making these excuses. Here in Germany (but also in the UK), the centrist left has been accommodating far-right agendas in the vain hope of winning back votes this way. It never works…
September 14, 2025 at 12:10 PM
Also, I hasten to add, I am not implying that you are making these excuses. Here in Germany (but also in the UK), the centrist left has been accommodating far-right agendas in the vain hope of winning back votes this way. It never works…
Agreed. And I wasn‘t suggesting that there aren’t real socio-economic and political reasons that have contributed to this slide to the right. However, on a purely emotional level, I am sick of people (particularly on the centre-left) making excuses for what are inexcusable and unacceptable beliefs.
September 14, 2025 at 12:07 PM
Agreed. And I wasn‘t suggesting that there aren’t real socio-economic and political reasons that have contributed to this slide to the right. However, on a purely emotional level, I am sick of people (particularly on the centre-left) making excuses for what are inexcusable and unacceptable beliefs.
That certainly is not the experience in Europe. Most of us Gen-Xers had grandparents who fought in the war. My Opa was fought Russia for three years (on the wrong side). It was him who told me about the horrors of war and how he never wanted anyone to go through that ever again.
September 14, 2025 at 11:49 AM
That certainly is not the experience in Europe. Most of us Gen-Xers had grandparents who fought in the war. My Opa was fought Russia for three years (on the wrong side). It was him who told me about the horrors of war and how he never wanted anyone to go through that ever again.
I‘m not sure the European situation is all that comparable to the US. In Europe (particularly us Gen-Xers), we know that the welfare state (or as we Germans call it the ‚social market economy‘) works. We experienced it first hand. But we have been told (mostly by Americans) that it is unaffordable.
September 14, 2025 at 11:45 AM
I‘m not sure the European situation is all that comparable to the US. In Europe (particularly us Gen-Xers), we know that the welfare state (or as we Germans call it the ‚social market economy‘) works. We experienced it first hand. But we have been told (mostly by Americans) that it is unaffordable.
And, to complete the argumentative circle, I (perhaps naively) thought that we Gen-Xers - having lived through the final bits of the Cold War and saw how quickly that world order dissolved - were wise enough to understand how precarious it all is. Apparently not.
September 14, 2025 at 11:41 AM
And, to complete the argumentative circle, I (perhaps naively) thought that we Gen-Xers - having lived through the final bits of the Cold War and saw how quickly that world order dissolved - were wise enough to understand how precarious it all is. Apparently not.
Agreed. Which, however, is not to say that inequality within countries of the Global North is negligible. On the contrary. But for some reason, the right has managed to fraudulently frame that one is the cause of the other…
September 14, 2025 at 11:32 AM
Agreed. Which, however, is not to say that inequality within countries of the Global North is negligible. On the contrary. But for some reason, the right has managed to fraudulently frame that one is the cause of the other…
Yes, depressing. But that sort of emphasizes my point: people tend to support racist and exclusionary parties not because they ‚have legitimate concerns‘ about their social rights but because they, well, agree with racist and exclusionary policies.
September 14, 2025 at 11:27 AM
Yes, depressing. But that sort of emphasizes my point: people tend to support racist and exclusionary parties not because they ‚have legitimate concerns‘ about their social rights but because they, well, agree with racist and exclusionary policies.
I suppose what I‘m saying is that our lot should really know better…
September 14, 2025 at 11:18 AM
I suppose what I‘m saying is that our lot should really know better…
Well, yes. That does annoy me too (also a Gen-X lefty). But I don‘t go around wrapped in a flag (black, red, gold in my case) blaming people who clearly are not to blame. Also, it’s hardly news that the game is rigged: I realized as soon as I graduated into the 90s. As - I am sure - did you.
September 14, 2025 at 11:17 AM
Well, yes. That does annoy me too (also a Gen-X lefty). But I don‘t go around wrapped in a flag (black, red, gold in my case) blaming people who clearly are not to blame. Also, it’s hardly news that the game is rigged: I realized as soon as I graduated into the 90s. As - I am sure - did you.
(Although the famous quotation apparently is a misattribution)
September 2, 2025 at 2:39 PM
(Although the famous quotation apparently is a misattribution)
Looks like something Grok might churn out. The detachment from any form of factual basis is remarkable. I suppose they are taking Goebbels‘ guidance seriously.
September 2, 2025 at 2:37 PM
Looks like something Grok might churn out. The detachment from any form of factual basis is remarkable. I suppose they are taking Goebbels‘ guidance seriously.
Why not? Is our racism somehow better? Or worse? Seems to me that racist bigotry is much the same in Döbeln and Dorking. But, of course, you‘re right to point out the different meaning of ‚Mittelstand‘. Wie wär’s denn mit ‚Spiessertum‘?
August 23, 2025 at 9:14 AM
Why not? Is our racism somehow better? Or worse? Seems to me that racist bigotry is much the same in Döbeln and Dorking. But, of course, you‘re right to point out the different meaning of ‚Mittelstand‘. Wie wär’s denn mit ‚Spiessertum‘?
We had to hear that sort of drivel from older generations (the boomers, I’m a GenXer) when we were young. It annoyed me no end then and I swore to myself never to subject young people to that. Apart from the fact that it would be objectively false…I don’t envy young people today. On the contrary…
August 20, 2025 at 3:09 PM
We had to hear that sort of drivel from older generations (the boomers, I’m a GenXer) when we were young. It annoyed me no end then and I swore to myself never to subject young people to that. Apart from the fact that it would be objectively false…I don’t envy young people today. On the contrary…
Yes, I suppose you‘re right, this is a most unpleasant situation one wouldn’t wish on one’s enemy…and, yet, I cannot help but wonder at what he was expecting to happen…
enemy.one
August 17, 2025 at 3:26 PM
Yes, I suppose you‘re right, this is a most unpleasant situation one wouldn’t wish on one’s enemy…and, yet, I cannot help but wonder at what he was expecting to happen…
That’s what I thought. But then again, Russia (even just the European part) is pretty big. Send all the Republicans to Northern Russia. I hear it’s nice in spring.
August 17, 2025 at 11:27 AM
That’s what I thought. But then again, Russia (even just the European part) is pretty big. Send all the Republicans to Northern Russia. I hear it’s nice in spring.
Just like fire, AI will never catch on
August 11, 2025 at 7:04 PM
Just like fire, AI will never catch on
Die nehmen nachher wenigstens nicht die Innenstadt auseinander, so wie ihre südlichen Nachbarn…
August 7, 2025 at 7:40 PM
Die nehmen nachher wenigstens nicht die Innenstadt auseinander, so wie ihre südlichen Nachbarn…
Also, purely from the perspective of policy outcomes (which really is what we should be focussed on, otherwise why bother), it makes very little difference what party is undermining democracy and violating human rights.
August 6, 2025 at 12:46 PM
Also, purely from the perspective of policy outcomes (which really is what we should be focussed on, otherwise why bother), it makes very little difference what party is undermining democracy and violating human rights.
Well, their struggles with the far-right FPÖ are worth studying. I believe there is a lot to be learned: particularly how not to 'contain' a far-right party by adopting its policies. If recent history is something to go by, people - including floating voters - will always prefer the original.
August 6, 2025 at 12:43 PM
Well, their struggles with the far-right FPÖ are worth studying. I believe there is a lot to be learned: particularly how not to 'contain' a far-right party by adopting its policies. If recent history is something to go by, people - including floating voters - will always prefer the original.
The problem with playing to the far-right is that it rarely works. Take, for example, the political contortions of both the ÖVP and SPÖ in Austria since 2000. All pandering to the far-right seems to do is legitimate and nurture appetites for anti-democratic and racist policies.
August 6, 2025 at 12:35 PM
The problem with playing to the far-right is that it rarely works. Take, for example, the political contortions of both the ÖVP and SPÖ in Austria since 2000. All pandering to the far-right seems to do is legitimate and nurture appetites for anti-democratic and racist policies.
Maybe. But the polish resumption of border controls along the German-Polish border was an explicit reaction to Germany having reintroduced controls. Hungary may have played a part but the Chancellor is primarily playing to the domestic far-right.
August 6, 2025 at 12:00 PM
Maybe. But the polish resumption of border controls along the German-Polish border was an explicit reaction to Germany having reintroduced controls. Hungary may have played a part but the Chancellor is primarily playing to the domestic far-right.
Our Polish neighbours have only re-introduced border controls as a reaction to BK Merz's populist and eye-wateringly expensive initiative to prevent asylum-seekers illegally entering Germany. Merz's government has unilaterally reintroduced border checks...depressing.
August 5, 2025 at 2:48 PM
Our Polish neighbours have only re-introduced border controls as a reaction to BK Merz's populist and eye-wateringly expensive initiative to prevent asylum-seekers illegally entering Germany. Merz's government has unilaterally reintroduced border checks...depressing.