Reposted by Jon Birkett
A very offline cousin sent this to fam group chat. This story is breaking containment.
October 24, 2025 at 11:36 PM
A very offline cousin sent this to fam group chat. This story is breaking containment.
Reposted by Jon Birkett
I think I understand the many reasons why people believe it's not worth it to phase out fossil fuels, but I also feel exhausted and vaguely insane living my life knowing that while the world seems normal on the surface, the fossil-fuel economy is, right now, breaking the world forever.
October 20, 2025 at 5:37 AM
I think I understand the many reasons why people believe it's not worth it to phase out fossil fuels, but I also feel exhausted and vaguely insane living my life knowing that while the world seems normal on the surface, the fossil-fuel economy is, right now, breaking the world forever.
Reposted by Jon Birkett
David Simon, creator of ‘The Wire’, being interviewed by Ari Shapiro (NPR)
October 9, 2025 at 4:42 AM
David Simon, creator of ‘The Wire’, being interviewed by Ari Shapiro (NPR)
Reposted by Jon Birkett
Nigel Farage can give up trying to be PM as he already runs the government. He ran the last one too.
If everything has turned to shit, it's because he's been running things, it's not because he hasn't.
If everything has turned to shit, it's because he's been running things, it's not because he hasn't.
Mahmood says she will introduce new conditions for indefinite leave to remain:
Lived here 10 years not 5
Being in work
Not taking a penny in benefits
No criminal record
Giving back to community eg volunteering
Lived here 10 years not 5
Being in work
Not taking a penny in benefits
No criminal record
Giving back to community eg volunteering
September 30, 2025 at 5:59 AM
Nigel Farage can give up trying to be PM as he already runs the government. He ran the last one too.
If everything has turned to shit, it's because he's been running things, it's not because he hasn't.
If everything has turned to shit, it's because he's been running things, it's not because he hasn't.
Reposted by Jon Birkett
If, as Labour continues to do, for example with the language in their Immigration White Paper, you continue to reinforce this narrative, instead of combatting it and doing something to actually tackle deprivation, then of course you will strengthen the likes of Reform. 9/
www.gov.uk/government/p...
www.gov.uk/government/p...
Restoring control over the immigration system: white paper
The white paper sets out the government's plans to create an immigration system which promotes growth but is controlled and managed.
www.gov.uk
September 3, 2025 at 10:15 AM
If, as Labour continues to do, for example with the language in their Immigration White Paper, you continue to reinforce this narrative, instead of combatting it and doing something to actually tackle deprivation, then of course you will strengthen the likes of Reform. 9/
www.gov.uk/government/p...
www.gov.uk/government/p...
Grim, and not one mention of what exacerbates drought and makes it more likely.
Syria's worst drought in decades pushes millions to the brink www.bbc.com/news/article...
Syria's worst drought in decades pushes millions to the brink www.bbc.com/news/article...
Syria's worst drought in decades pushes millions to the brink
The drought has slashed wheat harvests by 40% in a country where nearly 90% of the population already lives in poverty.
www.bbc.com
September 17, 2025 at 8:48 AM
Grim, and not one mention of what exacerbates drought and makes it more likely.
Syria's worst drought in decades pushes millions to the brink www.bbc.com/news/article...
Syria's worst drought in decades pushes millions to the brink www.bbc.com/news/article...
Reposted by Jon Birkett
This times 100.
Not wishing to sound like a member of Dad's Army, there were Britons struggling 100 years ago who suffered from real economic anxiety. And when they were called upon, they went off and fought fascists, rather than marched for them.
Not wishing to sound like a member of Dad's Army, there were Britons struggling 100 years ago who suffered from real economic anxiety. And when they were called upon, they went off and fought fascists, rather than marched for them.
Stephen is correct as usual but also i'm glad he's called out the utter bullshit about eCoNoMiC aNxIeTy
September 15, 2025 at 2:15 PM
This times 100.
Not wishing to sound like a member of Dad's Army, there were Britons struggling 100 years ago who suffered from real economic anxiety. And when they were called upon, they went off and fought fascists, rather than marched for them.
Not wishing to sound like a member of Dad's Army, there were Britons struggling 100 years ago who suffered from real economic anxiety. And when they were called upon, they went off and fought fascists, rather than marched for them.
Reposted by Jon Birkett
Given the context and the crowd, despite Musk’s weasel words, this was a call for violence against the British state, from a foreign national who controls a major propaganda engine, and has engineered it to monetise hate
September 13, 2025 at 9:04 PM
Given the context and the crowd, despite Musk’s weasel words, this was a call for violence against the British state, from a foreign national who controls a major propaganda engine, and has engineered it to monetise hate
Reposted by Jon Birkett
Absolutely !!!insane!!! to me that the UK government, lobby and newspapers litigate at length every minor infraction by the BBC, rival newspapers, or what some random columnist has posted. But all of them just carry on not even commenting about this media owner. He’s not hiding, he’s telling you!
The owner of and absolute unquestionable algorithm controller of a preferred communications channel of the UK Government calling for violence and the overthrow of the Government. www.theguardian.com/politics/liv...
Elon Musk addresses the ‘unite the kingdom’ march crowd via video link – UK politics live
Met Police believe 110,000 people attending rally, with one group in Whitehall throwing projectiles at officers
www.theguardian.com
September 13, 2025 at 5:15 PM
Absolutely !!!insane!!! to me that the UK government, lobby and newspapers litigate at length every minor infraction by the BBC, rival newspapers, or what some random columnist has posted. But all of them just carry on not even commenting about this media owner. He’s not hiding, he’s telling you!
Reposted by Jon Birkett
Reform's stormtroopers in action
This is vile. Local guy speaks to Sky News about the impact of asylum seekers protests. Watch what happens and share widely
September 4, 2025 at 3:42 PM
Reform's stormtroopers in action
Reposted by Jon Birkett
To be the candidate for British Prime Minister of both Donald Trump *and* the Taliban is not a pitch that has ever been tried before
August 26, 2025 at 9:52 PM
To be the candidate for British Prime Minister of both Donald Trump *and* the Taliban is not a pitch that has ever been tried before
Reposted by Jon Birkett
It is objectively quite pathetic that politicians and pundits still treat these anti-asylum protests as if they are "the voice of the people". They have been amplified beyond any reason or sense, and yet we still even senior government officials saying we need to respect them as mainstream opinion.
Sunday protests seem to be < 500 nationwide, maybe < 300, across 4-6 locations
Yet ITV news using language of "erupt nationwide" (!)
Epping: 100-150
London: 20
Birmingham: 30
Stevenage: 30-50
Norwich: ? anything of any scale
Manchester: ? anything of any scale
Dudley: ? anything of any scale?
Yet ITV news using language of "erupt nationwide" (!)
Epping: 100-150
London: 20
Birmingham: 30
Stevenage: 30-50
Norwich: ? anything of any scale
Manchester: ? anything of any scale
Dudley: ? anything of any scale?
August 24, 2025 at 9:10 PM
It is objectively quite pathetic that politicians and pundits still treat these anti-asylum protests as if they are "the voice of the people". They have been amplified beyond any reason or sense, and yet we still even senior government officials saying we need to respect them as mainstream opinion.
Reposted by Jon Birkett
This is just getting ridiculous. Nothing that has happened (or is reported below the headline to have happened) this weekend remotely justifies talk of an explosion or mass protests. The media are confecting a crisis, and, in some sections of it, hoping to provoke one. 1/3
August 24, 2025 at 7:47 PM
This is just getting ridiculous. Nothing that has happened (or is reported below the headline to have happened) this weekend remotely justifies talk of an explosion or mass protests. The media are confecting a crisis, and, in some sections of it, hoping to provoke one. 1/3
Reposted by Jon Birkett
A valuable thread pointing out that, despite wall-to-wall media coverage, Britain's far-right anti-migrant protests are mostly tiny, and some _don't even exist_.
This is possible. But it is a very weak basis for a frontpage splash, learning absolutely nothing from credulous media reporting two weekends ago of a wave of protests that barely happened
August 23, 2025 at 9:56 PM
A valuable thread pointing out that, despite wall-to-wall media coverage, Britain's far-right anti-migrant protests are mostly tiny, and some _don't even exist_.
Reposted by Jon Birkett
Absolutely fire speech by @GhoshAmitav accepting the Erasmus prize.
erasmusprijs.org/en/laureates...
erasmusprijs.org/en/laureates...
August 22, 2025 at 8:49 PM
Absolutely fire speech by @GhoshAmitav accepting the Erasmus prize.
erasmusprijs.org/en/laureates...
erasmusprijs.org/en/laureates...
Reposted by Jon Birkett
The actual data being presented shows immigration is falling significantly. But if the visuals that precede it are "busy hospital", "MIGRATION CRISIS", and "full small boat" (in scary washed out colours) the opposite message has already been served up, absorbed, and is hard to dislodge. ~AA
August 21, 2025 at 4:26 PM
The actual data being presented shows immigration is falling significantly. But if the visuals that precede it are "busy hospital", "MIGRATION CRISIS", and "full small boat" (in scary washed out colours) the opposite message has already been served up, absorbed, and is hard to dislodge. ~AA
Reposted by Jon Birkett
Repeatedly dishonest/dangerous claims and creepy behaviour by racists, egged on by Jenrick/Farage/RW media, with no pushback from spineless govt/BBC
As we walked through the car park to the beach we saw the coach and thought nothing of it. Apparently it was a group of Sikhs having a fun dayout at the seaside. They played on the beach + had a picnic. Some rascist woman filmed them, including all of the children and claimed on tik tok that Haven
August 21, 2025 at 9:07 AM
Repeatedly dishonest/dangerous claims and creepy behaviour by racists, egged on by Jenrick/Farage/RW media, with no pushback from spineless govt/BBC
Reposted by Jon Birkett
It bears repeating: choosing to double down and accelerate our burning of fossil fuels will kill off a substantial proportion of humanity
That is something we want to avoid - and can choose to avoid
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
That is something we want to avoid - and can choose to avoid
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
‘A climate of unparalleled malevolence’: are we on our way to the sixth major mass extinction?
The long read: Churning quantities of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere at the rate we are going could lead the planet to another Great Dying
www.theguardian.com
August 19, 2025 at 8:50 AM
It bears repeating: choosing to double down and accelerate our burning of fossil fuels will kill off a substantial proportion of humanity
That is something we want to avoid - and can choose to avoid
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
That is something we want to avoid - and can choose to avoid
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Reposted by Jon Birkett
"In the ancient world, people spoke of 'Ultima Thule,' a mythical land in the extreme north, the end of the earth. By venturing north to Alaska to meet Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump reaches his own Ultima Thule, the arctic endpoint of a foreign policy dreamworld."
snyder.substack.com/p/ultima-thule
snyder.substack.com/p/ultima-thule
Ultima Thule
Trump in Alaska
snyder.substack.com
August 15, 2025 at 2:19 PM
"In the ancient world, people spoke of 'Ultima Thule,' a mythical land in the extreme north, the end of the earth. By venturing north to Alaska to meet Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump reaches his own Ultima Thule, the arctic endpoint of a foreign policy dreamworld."
snyder.substack.com/p/ultima-thule
snyder.substack.com/p/ultima-thule
Reposted by Jon Birkett
"Understanding what is happening when soldiers with machine guns start fanning out across American cities does not require any great expertise. All it requires is the ability to open your fucking eyes and be honest about what you see." @hamiltonnolan.bsky.social www.hamiltonnolan.com/p/how-pretex...
How Pretexts Work
A manufactured crisis unfolds.
www.hamiltonnolan.com
August 15, 2025 at 5:40 PM
"Understanding what is happening when soldiers with machine guns start fanning out across American cities does not require any great expertise. All it requires is the ability to open your fucking eyes and be honest about what you see." @hamiltonnolan.bsky.social www.hamiltonnolan.com/p/how-pretex...
Reposted by Jon Birkett
I really do feel awful for Ukrainians watching this. Putin kidnapped 20,000 of their children and forced them through "re-education" camps and the future of their country depends on his ability to flatter the softest ego imaginable
Trump: "Vladimir Putin said something- one of the most interesting things. He said 'your election was rigged because you have mail in voting. It's impossible to have mail in voting & have honest elections.' He said that to me because we talked about 2020. He said, 'you won that election by so much'"
August 16, 2025 at 2:39 AM
I really do feel awful for Ukrainians watching this. Putin kidnapped 20,000 of their children and forced them through "re-education" camps and the future of their country depends on his ability to flatter the softest ego imaginable
Reposted by Jon Birkett
Tinderbox Britain: How conservatives ended up praying for violence iandunt.substack.com/p/tinderbox-...
August 15, 2025 at 8:59 AM
Tinderbox Britain: How conservatives ended up praying for violence iandunt.substack.com/p/tinderbox-...
Reposted by Jon Birkett
Absolutely devastating but no longer headline news…
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Wildfires rage across southern Europe as temperatures pass 40C
The heatwave has led to red alerts being issued in parts of Italy, France, Spain, Portugal and the Balkans.
www.bbc.com
August 12, 2025 at 8:03 PM
Absolutely devastating but no longer headline news…
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Reposted by Jon Birkett
Well, if you mean "Earth and humanity are going towards catastrophe of unforeseen scale and we have failed to even slow down."
So, I kind of agree, but "not success" seems like quite an understatement in current situation.
So, I kind of agree, but "not success" seems like quite an understatement in current situation.
August 15, 2025 at 3:04 PM
Well, if you mean "Earth and humanity are going towards catastrophe of unforeseen scale and we have failed to even slow down."
So, I kind of agree, but "not success" seems like quite an understatement in current situation.
So, I kind of agree, but "not success" seems like quite an understatement in current situation.
Reposted by Jon Birkett
Can we all agree that this is not success.
As of August, do we know what fossil CO2 emissions will do in 2025?
I made an estimate in July, using IEA projections of fossil fuel use, to estimate 0.8% growth in 2025.
Carbon Monitor has an estimate based on Jan-Jun data, 0.7%.
But what about countries?
www.eenews.net/articles/in-...
1/
I made an estimate in July, using IEA projections of fossil fuel use, to estimate 0.8% growth in 2025.
Carbon Monitor has an estimate based on Jan-Jun data, 0.7%.
But what about countries?
www.eenews.net/articles/in-...
1/
August 15, 2025 at 9:28 AM
Can we all agree that this is not success.