Chris Dickenson
cpdickenson.bsky.social
Chris Dickenson
@cpdickenson.bsky.social
Ancient historian/archaeologist. British. Live in the Netherlands. Hobbies: reading (obviously!), writing fiction, music (pop/Classical), painting miniatures. Tentatively getting back into blogging: https://thefourthsophistic.wordpress.com
Pinned
Political polarization is an unhelpful myth. Only one side is becoming more extreme. There is nothing extreme in standing firm in opposing rightwing extremism.
Reposted by Chris Dickenson
The war will end when Russia stops fighting. Therefore, pressure has to be put on Russia, so that they stop believing that they will win. Why is that so hard to understand?
November 27, 2025 at 1:49 AM
Reposted by Chris Dickenson
Ancient historian here. Yes this is right
The only problems with the theory that southern Italy is poor because of mass migration from Syria in Roman times are that Roman southern Italy was rich, Roman Syria was rich, and there was no mass migration from one to the other. Otherwise, great theory
November 27, 2025 at 2:47 AM
Roman amphitheatre older than Colosseum gets accessible facelift for Winter Paralympics www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/n...
Roman amphitheatre older than Colosseum gets accessible facelift for Winter Paralympics
The conversion of the Arena di Verona, which will host the Paralympics opening ceremony, includes the addition of a lift and toilets to a structure older than the Colosseum
www.theguardian.com
November 26, 2025 at 12:54 PM
Reposted by Chris Dickenson
In case you missed this, the BBC edited a historian's speech about Trump to remove the claim that he's "the most openly corrupt president in US history." This came after Trump had threatened a $1 billion lawsuit.

Elite capitulation continues.

Read all about it here:
newrepublic.com/article/2036...
Trump Angrily Threatened to Sue BBC. Then Things Took a Darker Turn.
First, British Broadcasting Corporation execs resigned after Trump complained about a segment. Now the BBC edited out a line from a historian that was critical of Trump. Where does this end?
newrepublic.com
November 26, 2025 at 12:30 PM
The Independent has bizarrely been covering this as if the only thing that needs to happen is that Zelensky needs to reach an agreement with Trump and the war will be over. Though I suppose Trump’s role in this is essentially Putin’s ambassador to Ukraine… www.independent.co.uk/news/world/e...
Ukraine war latest: Trump says Russia ‘making concessions’ in peace deal
Trump says 'dealmaker' Witkoff will meet Russia's president in Moscow next week
www.independent.co.uk
November 26, 2025 at 11:57 AM
Reposted by Chris Dickenson
If the President doesn’t want to be called a Russian asset, perhaps he should stop acting like a Russian asset.
November 25, 2025 at 1:00 PM
Reposted by Chris Dickenson
🔥 Highly recommended that you all sign and share.

Link to the petition—> petition.parliament.uk/petitions/74...
November 26, 2025 at 8:55 AM
Reposted by Chris Dickenson
The EU and the UK has to accept that Trump’s USA is not a reliable ally. Pains me to say it, but it’s true.

uk.news.yahoo.com/trumps-peace...
Trump's peace plan had Russian fingerprints all over it - and now we know why
If there was much surprise and confusion about the origins of a US-backed peace proposal for Ukraine that had Russian fingerprints all over it, there is less now. To learn of US envoy Steve Witkoff a...
uk.news.yahoo.com
November 26, 2025 at 11:38 AM
Reposted by Chris Dickenson
No matter how long I live after we get through this dark chapter, I will never get over the immorality, the amorality, the corruption, the criminality and the cruelty in service to one of the worst humans to ever walk the earth.
November 26, 2025 at 1:13 AM
Reposted by Chris Dickenson
Donald Trump is reportedly the cause of nearly 2 million lives lost in the world since he first took office in January 2017.

HE SHOULD BE IMPEACHED AND ARRESTED!
November 25, 2025 at 6:15 PM
Imagine if we could just agree that supporting Trump and his allies in their agenda of undermining democracy the world over is already beyond the pale. Then it wouldn’t be necessary to dredge up schoolboy racism to discredit Nigel Farage.
November 25, 2025 at 9:55 AM
Reposted by Chris Dickenson
This petition calling for a public inquiry into Russian influence on UK politics & democracy already has over 30,000 signatures. Let’s get it to 100,000 this week.

Please sign and share 🙏

petition.parliament.uk/petitions/74...
Petition: Call a public inquiry into Russian influence on UK politics & democracy
We are concerned about reported efforts from Russia to influence democracy in the US, UK, Europe and elsewhere. We believe we must establish the depth and breadth of possible Russian influence campaig...
petition.parliament.uk
November 25, 2025 at 7:32 AM
Reposted by Chris Dickenson
We're used to seeing ancient Greek funerary stelae with gorgeous carved reliefs. However, during the Hellenistic era - particularly in Cyprus - steles were painted with the images of the deceased instead of carved. This pedimented stele shows a painted image of a youth holding a bird. 🏺 1/

📸 me
November 24, 2025 at 3:49 AM
Brexit, Johnson’s handling of the pandemic, everything Trump is doing, Victor Orban, Netanyahu, Bolsonaro - how much proof do the British public need to see that rightwing populism is never the answer and only ever makes everything worse? It’s sheer masochism that Reform are leading in the polls
November 24, 2025 at 7:13 PM
Reposted by Chris Dickenson
Or you could stay, impeach him, and then leave.
PUNCHBOWL: “.. GOP members messaged us over the weekend saying that they, too, are considering retiring in the middle of the term. Here’s one particularly exercised senior House Republican:

@punchbowlnews.bsky.social
November 24, 2025 at 5:11 PM
Reposted by Chris Dickenson
Trump is so far detached from reality it’s absurd. It’s past time to talk seriously about the 25th Amendment.
November 23, 2025 at 1:38 AM
Reposted by Chris Dickenson
November 24, 2025 at 7:27 AM
Reposted by Chris Dickenson
60 Minutes just reminded us that Putin is a war criminal and all I could think of while watching that is remembering how our president embraced him like a hero. It’s disgusting how far we have fallen.
November 24, 2025 at 12:22 AM
Reposted by Chris Dickenson
If the President doesn’t want to be called a Russian asset, perhaps he should stop acting like a Russian asset.
November 23, 2025 at 4:10 PM
Reposted by Chris Dickenson
„Quiet, Piggy!“ Just think about that for a minute, and what it means to live in a time when a President can assault a woman in public like that without any consequences.
It‘s quite a testimony to the age of regression we live in.
November 23, 2025 at 6:09 PM
Reposted by Chris Dickenson
This dude has GOT to go. Let’s make it happen:
Tell Congress to Impeach Trump
Contact Congress today!
actionnetwork.org
November 23, 2025 at 12:51 AM
Reposted by Chris Dickenson
How can any responsible government look at a poll average that predicts a massive majority for an unpopular Reform government and not take serious moves to introduce proportional representation? Act now before it is too late.
Nowcast Update - Green's vote share surpasses Lib Dems, as Labour hits new low.

RFM: 350 (+345), 30.2% (50 Maj.)
LAB: 87 (-324), 18.8%
LDM: 75 (+3), 13.0%
SNP: 44 (+35), 2.7%
CON: 38 (-83), 17.6%
GRN: 23 (+19), 13.5%
PLC: 7 (+3), 1.1%
Oth: 7 (+2), 3.1%

electionmaps.uk/nowcast
November 23, 2025 at 10:05 AM
Reposted by Chris Dickenson
Do I understand correctly that there is now a dispute within the administration about whether this "peace plan" was written by Russians or Americans?
November 23, 2025 at 2:42 AM
Reposted by Chris Dickenson
The Presidency was never intended to be a safe haven for criminals.
November 22, 2025 at 4:38 AM
Reposted by Chris Dickenson
So it turns out that the so-called 28 point plan for peace was a 'wish list' by Russia, it made its way into the US administration, it got leaked to the media and was somehow quickly adopted as official White House policy.

Who runs the WH? Putin? Another extraordinary failure by the Orange!
November 23, 2025 at 7:16 AM