James Bottomley
@jamesbottomley.bsky.social
UK-based older project consultant guy with history in both public and private sectors. Enjoys chatting about politics, society, culture, etc. Spent time in many countries, including working in the US, so moderately familiar with other lands.
Full vodka intake emulator engaged.
November 11, 2025 at 8:50 PM
Full vodka intake emulator engaged.
Sounds like a tacit admission that they know many asylum seekers earn in the grey economy, so a small top up would just about make them viable.
November 11, 2025 at 8:49 PM
Sounds like a tacit admission that they know many asylum seekers earn in the grey economy, so a small top up would just about make them viable.
We could go on about it all week, but I don't think it's fair to describe it as 'racist' - the nearest it gets to overt racism IMO is the Southrons, who visibly are 'swarthy' types from the South and under the sway of Sauron, although they appear to have both a culture and feelings, are lesser folk.
November 11, 2025 at 5:10 PM
We could go on about it all week, but I don't think it's fair to describe it as 'racist' - the nearest it gets to overt racism IMO is the Southrons, who visibly are 'swarthy' types from the South and under the sway of Sauron, although they appear to have both a culture and feelings, are lesser folk.
He's been one of the major spreaders of anti-Arab racism and he hasn't been slow to back racist reactionary memes about asylum seekers either.
November 11, 2025 at 4:52 PM
He's been one of the major spreaders of anti-Arab racism and he hasn't been slow to back racist reactionary memes about asylum seekers either.
What the hell is he talking about?
November 11, 2025 at 4:51 PM
What the hell is he talking about?
Disappointing. The IEA run rings round the charity system. It's a charity in no real sense.
November 11, 2025 at 4:31 PM
Disappointing. The IEA run rings round the charity system. It's a charity in no real sense.
Tolkien would have absolutely hated this linkage. Lord of the Rings is not a bigoted book, nor is it racist. It is fantasy drawing on cultural norms in widespread circulation in the period in which it was written, but it's about freedom from tyranny and subjugation of all sorts, including to wealth.
November 11, 2025 at 4:21 PM
Tolkien would have absolutely hated this linkage. Lord of the Rings is not a bigoted book, nor is it racist. It is fantasy drawing on cultural norms in widespread circulation in the period in which it was written, but it's about freedom from tyranny and subjugation of all sorts, including to wealth.
Some have fought back successfully, proving beyond doubt that simple cowardice is operating in the ones that capitulated. Many of the supposedly mighty corporations have a giant streak of yellow running through their boardrooms.
November 11, 2025 at 10:06 AM
Some have fought back successfully, proving beyond doubt that simple cowardice is operating in the ones that capitulated. Many of the supposedly mighty corporations have a giant streak of yellow running through their boardrooms.
Yes indeed, privatisation is the goal with the NHS and elimination with the BBC - the big commercial operators don't want the Beeb to exist. The current attacks fomented and coordinated by GBN people act as proxies.
November 11, 2025 at 10:05 AM
Yes indeed, privatisation is the goal with the NHS and elimination with the BBC - the big commercial operators don't want the Beeb to exist. The current attacks fomented and coordinated by GBN people act as proxies.
The BBC have focused on how bad things are in many areas of treatment which on its face sounds like a valuable thing to do, but tends long term to play into the privatisation agenda as confirming it is 'broken'. There's no overall analysis of government cuts and the dreadful reorganisations.
November 11, 2025 at 10:03 AM
The BBC have focused on how bad things are in many areas of treatment which on its face sounds like a valuable thing to do, but tends long term to play into the privatisation agenda as confirming it is 'broken'. There's no overall analysis of government cuts and the dreadful reorganisations.
They're scared of the right wing grip on the media, but allowing the BBC to remain under the control of Tory placeniks is hardly the best move. Points to not just fear, but incredible stupidity. Clearing out the BBC should have been one of the first moves.
November 11, 2025 at 9:01 AM
They're scared of the right wing grip on the media, but allowing the BBC to remain under the control of Tory placeniks is hardly the best move. Points to not just fear, but incredible stupidity. Clearing out the BBC should have been one of the first moves.
This is not a properly trained law officer. It's a wannabe with dangerous violent tendencies. The disgusting recruitment policies that led to this. Jesus.
November 11, 2025 at 6:01 AM
This is not a properly trained law officer. It's a wannabe with dangerous violent tendencies. The disgusting recruitment policies that led to this. Jesus.
It's him, Johnson, Rees-Mogg - all the usual suspects.
November 11, 2025 at 12:48 AM
It's him, Johnson, Rees-Mogg - all the usual suspects.
I'm frustrated with most of those too. They've ruined R3 and 4 with constant loud ads for shows on other channels that I don't care about. A number of once solid programming has been cut. The license fee isn't as easy to defend on quality grounds as it used to be.
November 11, 2025 at 12:47 AM
I'm frustrated with most of those too. They've ruined R3 and 4 with constant loud ads for shows on other channels that I don't care about. A number of once solid programming has been cut. The license fee isn't as easy to defend on quality grounds as it used to be.
My guess is they'll say they are going to do this and then wrap it around with caveats and delay full implementation.
November 10, 2025 at 6:13 PM
My guess is they'll say they are going to do this and then wrap it around with caveats and delay full implementation.
For Boris, patriotism is whatever is currently lining his pockets.
November 10, 2025 at 6:12 PM
For Boris, patriotism is whatever is currently lining his pockets.
Problem the UK govt faces is that Trump makes wild threats and then tries to make them come true. Britain is chronically reliant on export sales to the US, US investments in the UK, US technology for its defence and US IT systems at every level.
November 10, 2025 at 6:11 PM
Problem the UK govt faces is that Trump makes wild threats and then tries to make them come true. Britain is chronically reliant on export sales to the US, US investments in the UK, US technology for its defence and US IT systems at every level.
Billionaires break down and cry when they hear things like that. They've already told Trump if he does it, he'll die a miserable death soon afterwards, along with his children in due course.
November 10, 2025 at 5:57 PM
Billionaires break down and cry when they hear things like that. They've already told Trump if he does it, he'll die a miserable death soon afterwards, along with his children in due course.
This is one of the things that neither the MAGAs nor the British Right can stand. They want our British media space to be a blasted landscape like the US, pumped full of misleading propaganda and idiocy, leaving them with a much wider space to rule over, untroubled by intelligent criticism.
November 10, 2025 at 5:55 PM
This is one of the things that neither the MAGAs nor the British Right can stand. They want our British media space to be a blasted landscape like the US, pumped full of misleading propaganda and idiocy, leaving them with a much wider space to rule over, untroubled by intelligent criticism.
They're both the sort of patriots who feel perfectly fine lining up with overseas oligarchs who hate most things about Britain, providing that it serves their financial and political interests. They see their politics in global terms and have no particular interest in what happens to our people.
November 10, 2025 at 5:53 PM
They're both the sort of patriots who feel perfectly fine lining up with overseas oligarchs who hate most things about Britain, providing that it serves their financial and political interests. They see their politics in global terms and have no particular interest in what happens to our people.