David Klemperer
@dmk1793.bsky.social
Historian, researcher, and co-editor of @renewaljournal.bsky.social
Pinned
David Klemperer
@dmk1793.bsky.social
· Oct 26
NEW EPISODE OUT NOW!
In today’s episode David & @dmk1793.bsky.social try to answer some of the hundreds of questions, comments and suggestions we have had about this series. How do we know if democracy is broken? Have we ever had a real democracy anyway?
Find us at...🎧 ppfideas.com
In today’s episode David & @dmk1793.bsky.social try to answer some of the hundreds of questions, comments and suggestions we have had about this series. How do we know if democracy is broken? Have we ever had a real democracy anyway?
Find us at...🎧 ppfideas.com
Really enjoyed recording this discussion with David Runciman, covering threats to democracy, early 20thc theories of oligarchy, how algorithmic social media is changing politics, the problem with 19thc approaches to suffrage - and much, much more!
Reposted by David Klemperer
This is precisely the dynamic Jean Zyromski observed and analysed back in 1938 - the "internationalisation of class struggle"
December 5, 2025 at 4:27 PM
This is precisely the dynamic Jean Zyromski observed and analysed back in 1938 - the "internationalisation of class struggle"
Reposted by David Klemperer
"House of Commons Jerk Seasoning" is 1) an extremely funny concept and more importantly 2) a sign of a complete and total victory for cultural pluralism in a way that is kind of difficult to concieve
Look, I know things aren’t great at the moment for (a) anyone, and (b) the Labour Party, but fuck me that’s bleak
December 8, 2025 at 11:32 AM
"House of Commons Jerk Seasoning" is 1) an extremely funny concept and more importantly 2) a sign of a complete and total victory for cultural pluralism in a way that is kind of difficult to concieve
Reposted by David Klemperer
The future of England is a Sunday roast with Yorkshire puddings and Jolof rice and that is not a force that can really be slowed
December 8, 2025 at 11:38 AM
The future of England is a Sunday roast with Yorkshire puddings and Jolof rice and that is not a force that can really be slowed
Reposted by David Klemperer
We are pleased to announce Queen Mary University will host the second Annual George Padmore Institute Lecture. Professor Matthew J Smith will present 'Pressing Against Babel: Frank Hill and the Creation Story of Jamaica’
📅 5 February 2026
⏰ 18:00-19:30
📍QMUL Mile End
💰 Free
🎟 tinyurl.com/QMSmith
📅 5 February 2026
⏰ 18:00-19:30
📍QMUL Mile End
💰 Free
🎟 tinyurl.com/QMSmith
The Second Annual George Padmore Institute Lecture: Matthew J Smith
‘Pressing Against Babel: Frank Hill and the Creation Story of Jamaica’
tinyurl.com
December 8, 2025 at 12:02 PM
We are pleased to announce Queen Mary University will host the second Annual George Padmore Institute Lecture. Professor Matthew J Smith will present 'Pressing Against Babel: Frank Hill and the Creation Story of Jamaica’
📅 5 February 2026
⏰ 18:00-19:30
📍QMUL Mile End
💰 Free
🎟 tinyurl.com/QMSmith
📅 5 February 2026
⏰ 18:00-19:30
📍QMUL Mile End
💰 Free
🎟 tinyurl.com/QMSmith
Reposted by David Klemperer
🏘️ Community Right to Buy passing the Commons through the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill: a landmark moment giving communities the power to save the spaces that matter and take ownership of their future.
December 8, 2025 at 11:46 AM
🏘️ Community Right to Buy passing the Commons through the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill: a landmark moment giving communities the power to save the spaces that matter and take ownership of their future.
Reposted by David Klemperer
Great essay from @martinsandbu.ft.com highlighting the stumbles Europe is making - born of the usual conservatism on risk sharing - on Russian assets. Citing our @peacerep.bsky.social report on the Russian economy he points out, Europe has leverage but lacks the will.
www.ft.com/content/fb01...
www.ft.com/content/fb01...
The EU stumbles to an imperfect solution for funding Ukraine
Europe has cards. But will it manage to play them?
www.ft.com
December 8, 2025 at 8:17 AM
Great essay from @martinsandbu.ft.com highlighting the stumbles Europe is making - born of the usual conservatism on risk sharing - on Russian assets. Citing our @peacerep.bsky.social report on the Russian economy he points out, Europe has leverage but lacks the will.
www.ft.com/content/fb01...
www.ft.com/content/fb01...
Reposted by David Klemperer
The way I'd put it is that there's currently a global struggle between democracy and nationalist gangster-capitalism, that this struggle is simultaneously unfolding both within and between states, and that the US currently sits at its epicentre
The New Cold War is against nationalist authoritarianism, and the US is on their side.
December 5, 2025 at 11:40 AM
The way I'd put it is that there's currently a global struggle between democracy and nationalist gangster-capitalism, that this struggle is simultaneously unfolding both within and between states, and that the US currently sits at its epicentre
Reposted by David Klemperer
This sort of carving up of the national population into discrete ethnic blocks based on familial origins is just so much more profoundly unBritish and antithetical to the Western tradition than *anything* happening in Hackney or Tower Hamlets or Birmingham etc
Fashworth-Hayes now leading the charge in trying to convert the talking point from "people shouldn't have kids they can't afford" to "removing the two-child benefit cap is funding the great replacement" is a sign of things to come
December 7, 2025 at 6:24 PM
This sort of carving up of the national population into discrete ethnic blocks based on familial origins is just so much more profoundly unBritish and antithetical to the Western tradition than *anything* happening in Hackney or Tower Hamlets or Birmingham etc
Reposted by David Klemperer
Dialogue doesn't mean much against an enemy with determination to destroy a sovereign state and people.
Polanski here exhibits classic main character syndrome, as in believing that others are only ever responding to us as opposed to pushing their own agendas.
December 7, 2025 at 11:14 PM
Dialogue doesn't mean much against an enemy with determination to destroy a sovereign state and people.
Reposted by David Klemperer
It's interesting that British politics has been so slow to master social media/internet distribution, given how quickly British politicians mastered newspapers, radio & TV when they were new tech. Baldwin would have built a podcast studio in Downing Street & be pumping out content all the time
Keir Starmer doing an email newsletter is a good idea, but the execution needs a complete overhaul:
Politics that makes a difference
Over half a million children, lifted out of poverty
open.substack.com
December 7, 2025 at 12:36 PM
It's interesting that British politics has been so slow to master social media/internet distribution, given how quickly British politicians mastered newspapers, radio & TV when they were new tech. Baldwin would have built a podcast studio in Downing Street & be pumping out content all the time
Reposted by David Klemperer
Every interview with a right-wing politician is like: "Mr. Hitler is adamant: If we sacrifice enough children, Santa Claus will come back and deliver 5% GDP growth. But I have to ask him: Do you ever worry that your relentless advocacy for working folks offends the rootless cosmopolitan parasites?"
I don’t get how Jenrick can actually believe that we should shrink the population and then start making more of our own things from pots and pans to what iPhones? How does he think that happens?
December 6, 2025 at 5:02 AM
Every interview with a right-wing politician is like: "Mr. Hitler is adamant: If we sacrifice enough children, Santa Claus will come back and deliver 5% GDP growth. But I have to ask him: Do you ever worry that your relentless advocacy for working folks offends the rootless cosmopolitan parasites?"
Reposted by David Klemperer
I’m partial to the old radical demand of 6 hours work, 6 hours rest, 6 recreation, 6 hours education
Do you emphasise work-life balance? Or do you focus on productivity? How you think about the optimal workweek says something about the kind of manager you are
How many hours should employees work?
A question that reveals something about every boss
econ.st
December 6, 2025 at 11:36 PM
I’m partial to the old radical demand of 6 hours work, 6 hours rest, 6 recreation, 6 hours education
Reposted by David Klemperer
The tech oligarchs are the most organised, determined anti democratic force we’ve seen this side of World War II
For way too long this has been ignored, elided and under estimated
What someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time
For way too long this has been ignored, elided and under estimated
What someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time
A Palantir billionaire just called for public hangings.
“It's time to bring back masculine leadership to protect our most vulnerable,” writes Joe Lonsdale.
This is where Silicon Valley authoritarianism is heading:
www.thenerdreich.com/joe-lonsdale...
“It's time to bring back masculine leadership to protect our most vulnerable,” writes Joe Lonsdale.
This is where Silicon Valley authoritarianism is heading:
www.thenerdreich.com/joe-lonsdale...
Joe Lonsdale Calls For Public Hangings
Silicon Valley radicalization escalates
www.thenerdreich.com
December 6, 2025 at 10:03 PM
The tech oligarchs are the most organised, determined anti democratic force we’ve seen this side of World War II
For way too long this has been ignored, elided and under estimated
What someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time
For way too long this has been ignored, elided and under estimated
What someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time
Reposted by David Klemperer
cannot stress enough how bad it is to give teenage boys a "see this person naked" button. massive, multi-axis disaster
The rise of deepfake pornography in schools: ‘One girl was so horrified she vomited’ www.theguardian.com/society/ng-i...
The rise of deepfake pornography in schools: ‘One girl was so horrified she vomited’
The use of ‘nudify’ apps is becoming more and more prevalent, with hundreds of teachers having seen images created by pupils, often of their peers. The fallout is huge – and growing fast
www.theguardian.com
December 6, 2025 at 12:20 AM
cannot stress enough how bad it is to give teenage boys a "see this person naked" button. massive, multi-axis disaster
Reposted by David Klemperer
The online review analogy is brilliant, such a clear way of describing why old-school triangulation is dead. I've been talking about it in all our sessions on comms, narrative and campaigning since reading it!
December 5, 2025 at 3:33 PM
The online review analogy is brilliant, such a clear way of describing why old-school triangulation is dead. I've been talking about it in all our sessions on comms, narrative and campaigning since reading it!
Reposted by David Klemperer
When I was a young parliamentary researcher, a hereditary peer called the office to ask if the MP I worked for would support his red squirrel campaign. He said “I was going to call it the grey squirrel annihilation league but thought that might get marginally less support”
Red squirrels expand across Highlands after 10-year reintroduction drive
- Rewilding charity @treesforlife.bsky.social helps bolster Scottish stronghold of species that once came close to extinction in UK
Story by me
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
- Rewilding charity @treesforlife.bsky.social helps bolster Scottish stronghold of species that once came close to extinction in UK
Story by me
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Red squirrels expand across Highlands after 10-year reintroduction drive
Rewilding charity helps bolster Scottish stronghold of species that once came close to extinction in UK
www.theguardian.com
December 5, 2025 at 11:52 AM
When I was a young parliamentary researcher, a hereditary peer called the office to ask if the MP I worked for would support his red squirrel campaign. He said “I was going to call it the grey squirrel annihilation league but thought that might get marginally less support”
Reposted by David Klemperer
British politics is now wealth tax vs anti-immigration. And Labour own neither.
If they want to intervene they will need something of comparable emotive power that does drive some controversy
The budget was ok but obviously an exercise in shoring up MPs. They needed to go much bigger
If they want to intervene they will need something of comparable emotive power that does drive some controversy
The budget was ok but obviously an exercise in shoring up MPs. They needed to go much bigger
December 5, 2025 at 11:58 AM
British politics is now wealth tax vs anti-immigration. And Labour own neither.
If they want to intervene they will need something of comparable emotive power that does drive some controversy
The budget was ok but obviously an exercise in shoring up MPs. They needed to go much bigger
If they want to intervene they will need something of comparable emotive power that does drive some controversy
The budget was ok but obviously an exercise in shoring up MPs. They needed to go much bigger
Reposted by David Klemperer
Thanks! While I think Labour would need to deploy it differently, you could’ve predicted Green’s recent success from the dynamics laid out here. They are very much capitalising on the attention economy.
Re-upping this excellent little essay @demofuturist.bsky.social wrote for @renewaljournal.bsky.social, which I continue to think is an extremely pithy and insightful bit of analysis on this topic:
December 5, 2025 at 11:58 AM
Thanks! While I think Labour would need to deploy it differently, you could’ve predicted Green’s recent success from the dynamics laid out here. They are very much capitalising on the attention economy.
The way I'd put it is that there's currently a global struggle between democracy and nationalist gangster-capitalism, that this struggle is simultaneously unfolding both within and between states, and that the US currently sits at its epicentre
The New Cold War is against nationalist authoritarianism, and the US is on their side.
December 5, 2025 at 11:40 AM
The way I'd put it is that there's currently a global struggle between democracy and nationalist gangster-capitalism, that this struggle is simultaneously unfolding both within and between states, and that the US currently sits at its epicentre
Re-upping this excellent little essay @demofuturist.bsky.social wrote for @renewaljournal.bsky.social, which I continue to think is an extremely pithy and insightful bit of analysis on this topic:
December 5, 2025 at 11:36 AM
Re-upping this excellent little essay @demofuturist.bsky.social wrote for @renewaljournal.bsky.social, which I continue to think is an extremely pithy and insightful bit of analysis on this topic:
Reposted by David Klemperer
Went for drinks last night and the Olivia Nuzzi fiasco really brought people together in a spirit of festive celebration. What a gift to conversation
December 5, 2025 at 11:28 AM
Went for drinks last night and the Olivia Nuzzi fiasco really brought people together in a spirit of festive celebration. What a gift to conversation
Reposted by David Klemperer
Just published!
Rent Strikes: A history of collective tenant actions across the world, the book I edited with @hannesrolf.bsky.social, is out now from @uclpress.bsky.social
It's OPEN ACCESS, part of the "Work Around the World" series by @iisg-amsterdam.bsky.social
uclpress.co.uk/book/rent-st...
Rent Strikes: A history of collective tenant actions across the world, the book I edited with @hannesrolf.bsky.social, is out now from @uclpress.bsky.social
It's OPEN ACCESS, part of the "Work Around the World" series by @iisg-amsterdam.bsky.social
uclpress.co.uk/book/rent-st...
Rent Strikes
Since the nineteenth century, working-class families have predominantly relied on tenements for housing, with rents often consuming a large portion of their household budgets. There is a long and cont...
uclpress.co.uk
November 9, 2025 at 1:30 PM
Just published!
Rent Strikes: A history of collective tenant actions across the world, the book I edited with @hannesrolf.bsky.social, is out now from @uclpress.bsky.social
It's OPEN ACCESS, part of the "Work Around the World" series by @iisg-amsterdam.bsky.social
uclpress.co.uk/book/rent-st...
Rent Strikes: A history of collective tenant actions across the world, the book I edited with @hannesrolf.bsky.social, is out now from @uclpress.bsky.social
It's OPEN ACCESS, part of the "Work Around the World" series by @iisg-amsterdam.bsky.social
uclpress.co.uk/book/rent-st...
"neutrality" isn't worth much if you can't enforce it
Quite breathtaking story - military grade drones at Dublin airport which flew on the path Zelensky's plane took. The drones reached the flight path of his plane exactly the time it should have been there, but just missed it because Zelensky arrived ahead of schedule:
Four unidentified military-style drones breached no-fly zone to target Zelenskyy's arrival in Dublin
Gardaí are investigating whether the drones took off from land in Dublin or from an undetected ship.
www.thejournal.ie
December 5, 2025 at 11:16 AM
"neutrality" isn't worth much if you can't enforce it
Reposted by David Klemperer
In this week's Economist I've written about how, contrary to the breathless hot-takes last week, the emigration of British citizens from the UK is actually falling. (A thread 1/17)
www.economist.com/britain/2025...
www.economist.com/britain/2025...
Are Brits really leaving the country in droves?
No. We estimate that emigration is lower now than it was five years ago
www.economist.com
December 4, 2025 at 5:42 PM
In this week's Economist I've written about how, contrary to the breathless hot-takes last week, the emigration of British citizens from the UK is actually falling. (A thread 1/17)
www.economist.com/britain/2025...
www.economist.com/britain/2025...
Reposted by David Klemperer
Looks like Ukrainian president Zelensky narrowly survived an assassination attempt.
Four unidentified military-style drones breached no-fly zone to target Zelenskyy's arrival in Dublin
Gardaí are investigating whether the drones took off from land in Dublin or from an undetected ship.
www.thejournal.ie
December 5, 2025 at 2:42 AM
Looks like Ukrainian president Zelensky narrowly survived an assassination attempt.