Rick Bastin
@thedarkerlord.bsky.social
Proud member of the Guardian reading, tofu eating wokerati. Not a neo-fascist!
Reposted by Rick Bastin
The killing of Alex Pretti is a heartbreaking tragedy. It should also be a wake-up call to every American, regardless of party, that many of our core values as a nation are increasingly under assault.
January 25, 2026 at 5:39 PM
The killing of Alex Pretti is a heartbreaking tragedy. It should also be a wake-up call to every American, regardless of party, that many of our core values as a nation are increasingly under assault.
Reposted by Rick Bastin
Obama labels Minneapolis shooting a ‘wake-up call to every American’
Obama labels Minneapolis shooting a ‘wake-up call to every American’
Obama labels Minneapolis shooting a ‘wake-up call to every American’
www.independent.co.uk
January 25, 2026 at 7:24 PM
Obama labels Minneapolis shooting a ‘wake-up call to every American’
Reposted by Rick Bastin
Reposted by Rick Bastin
"History will remember this day— when an American President and Vice President abandoned all we stand for."
February 28, 2025 at 9:25 PM
"History will remember this day— when an American President and Vice President abandoned all we stand for."
Reposted by Rick Bastin
See, the thing is, Zelensky refused to tug his forelock to Trump. Or to grovel.
March 2, 2025 at 2:46 PM
See, the thing is, Zelensky refused to tug his forelock to Trump. Or to grovel.
Reposted by Rick Bastin
“If Roosevelt had told Churchill to sue for peace on any terms with Adolf Hitler and to fork over Britain’s coal reserves to the United States in exchange for no American security guarantees, it might have approximated what Trump did to Zelensky.”
Opinion | A Day of American Infamy
A dreadful moment for Ukraine, for the free world, for the legacy of an America that once stood for the principles of the Atlantic Charter.
www.nytimes.com
March 1, 2025 at 11:30 AM
“If Roosevelt had told Churchill to sue for peace on any terms with Adolf Hitler and to fork over Britain’s coal reserves to the United States in exchange for no American security guarantees, it might have approximated what Trump did to Zelensky.”
Reposted by Rick Bastin
Important to take the week as a whole. Statement from Dominic Grieve:
March 1, 2025 at 5:22 PM
Important to take the week as a whole. Statement from Dominic Grieve:
Reposted by Rick Bastin
UK energy bills forecast to rise 5% from April.
Add to this inflation-busting rises in water, phone, internet and more., people feel helpless.
Can't grow economy with depleted household incomes.
Must curb profiteering, impose windfall taxes.
Ofgem protects companies, not people.
Add to this inflation-busting rises in water, phone, internet and more., people feel helpless.
Can't grow economy with depleted household incomes.
Must curb profiteering, impose windfall taxes.
Ofgem protects companies, not people.
Energy bills in Great Britain forecast to rise by 5% from April
Households face greater than expected rise in Ofgem price cap after Europe’s gas storage levels slump, analysts say
www.theguardian.com
February 18, 2025 at 1:32 PM
UK energy bills forecast to rise 5% from April.
Add to this inflation-busting rises in water, phone, internet and more., people feel helpless.
Can't grow economy with depleted household incomes.
Must curb profiteering, impose windfall taxes.
Ofgem protects companies, not people.
Add to this inflation-busting rises in water, phone, internet and more., people feel helpless.
Can't grow economy with depleted household incomes.
Must curb profiteering, impose windfall taxes.
Ofgem protects companies, not people.
Reposted by Rick Bastin
Hope it’s a negotiating tactic.
Fear it’s just bloody stupid.
Fear it’s just bloody stupid.
NEW: Yvette Cooper rules out a youth mobility scheme between the UK and EU: "That's not the right starting point for us at all."
Brussels is demanding one as part of the government's "reset" of relations with the bloc.
Brussels is demanding one as part of the government's "reset" of relations with the bloc.
February 2, 2025 at 9:18 AM
Hope it’s a negotiating tactic.
Fear it’s just bloody stupid.
Fear it’s just bloody stupid.
Reposted by Rick Bastin
Average UK state pension (SP) is £10,500 a year.
In 2022, 110,000 pensioners died from fuel poverty.
28% of over 55-year-olds have no other pension saved, will completely rely on SP.
23% of 18-34-year-olds expect to solely rely on SP.
Crisis looming. SP must be aligned with the living wage.
In 2022, 110,000 pensioners died from fuel poverty.
28% of over 55-year-olds have no other pension saved, will completely rely on SP.
23% of 18-34-year-olds expect to solely rely on SP.
Crisis looming. SP must be aligned with the living wage.
Pensioner poverty in the world’s sixth largest economy is a political choice
The hardship inflicted on retirees now will surely visit future retirees unless steps are taken to alleviate misery.
leftfootforward.org
February 1, 2025 at 3:34 PM
Average UK state pension (SP) is £10,500 a year.
In 2022, 110,000 pensioners died from fuel poverty.
28% of over 55-year-olds have no other pension saved, will completely rely on SP.
23% of 18-34-year-olds expect to solely rely on SP.
Crisis looming. SP must be aligned with the living wage.
In 2022, 110,000 pensioners died from fuel poverty.
28% of over 55-year-olds have no other pension saved, will completely rely on SP.
23% of 18-34-year-olds expect to solely rely on SP.
Crisis looming. SP must be aligned with the living wage.
Reposted by Rick Bastin
Corporate promises.
A London council approved a landfill and an incinerator, in exchange for a publicly accessible nature reserve.
Three decades later the land is still barren.
£2.2m bond meant to guarantee funding has disappeared.
Chicanery boosts profits.
www.thelondonspy.co.uk/p/the-incine...
A London council approved a landfill and an incinerator, in exchange for a publicly accessible nature reserve.
Three decades later the land is still barren.
£2.2m bond meant to guarantee funding has disappeared.
Chicanery boosts profits.
www.thelondonspy.co.uk/p/the-incine...
The incinerator, the nature reserve and the missing £2.2m bond
A deal to create a new London park has gone badly wrong
www.thelondonspy.co.uk
January 26, 2025 at 8:41 AM
Corporate promises.
A London council approved a landfill and an incinerator, in exchange for a publicly accessible nature reserve.
Three decades later the land is still barren.
£2.2m bond meant to guarantee funding has disappeared.
Chicanery boosts profits.
www.thelondonspy.co.uk/p/the-incine...
A London council approved a landfill and an incinerator, in exchange for a publicly accessible nature reserve.
Three decades later the land is still barren.
£2.2m bond meant to guarantee funding has disappeared.
Chicanery boosts profits.
www.thelondonspy.co.uk/p/the-incine...
Reposted by Rick Bastin
Why do BBC give Laura Kuenssberg free rein to write this drivel?
"The big picture is tough. The country's debts are massive and taxes are huge."
It's not even wrong/biased. It's just vacuous twaddle that adds absolutely nothing to public understanding of the issues.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
"The big picture is tough. The country's debts are massive and taxes are huge."
It's not even wrong/biased. It's just vacuous twaddle that adds absolutely nothing to public understanding of the issues.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Rachel Reeves: Why is she suddenly in a rush, asks Laura Kuenssberg
The chancellor raised taxes in the Budget - but now she wants to get rid of barriers to business. Why the change of focus?
www.bbc.co.uk
January 25, 2025 at 10:41 PM
Why do BBC give Laura Kuenssberg free rein to write this drivel?
"The big picture is tough. The country's debts are massive and taxes are huge."
It's not even wrong/biased. It's just vacuous twaddle that adds absolutely nothing to public understanding of the issues.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
"The big picture is tough. The country's debts are massive and taxes are huge."
It's not even wrong/biased. It's just vacuous twaddle that adds absolutely nothing to public understanding of the issues.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Reposted by Rick Bastin
Nearly two-thirds of Britons say very rich have too much influence on politics.
They fund political parties, legislators; get access to policymakers to shape laws.
Capital gains, dividends taxed at lower rates than wages
We are voting fodder in a sham democracy
www.theguardian.com/inequality/2...
They fund political parties, legislators; get access to policymakers to shape laws.
Capital gains, dividends taxed at lower rates than wages
We are voting fodder in a sham democracy
www.theguardian.com/inequality/2...
Nearly two-thirds of Britons say very rich have too much influence on politics
Opinium survey of 2,000 adults found concern about the impact of growing wealth inequality in the UK
www.theguardian.com
January 26, 2025 at 9:43 AM
Nearly two-thirds of Britons say very rich have too much influence on politics.
They fund political parties, legislators; get access to policymakers to shape laws.
Capital gains, dividends taxed at lower rates than wages
We are voting fodder in a sham democracy
www.theguardian.com/inequality/2...
They fund political parties, legislators; get access to policymakers to shape laws.
Capital gains, dividends taxed at lower rates than wages
We are voting fodder in a sham democracy
www.theguardian.com/inequality/2...
Reposted by Rick Bastin
In a cautionary tale for crypto investors, Donald Trump’s meme coin $TRUMP has, over the past six trading days, surged to a high of $96, before plummeting to $26.65, marking a 70% collapse in value.
Trump Pump & Dump | Forexlive
Beware the siren song of FOMO—no matter how grand the Trump or tempting the jump, it’s often just smoke and mirrors luring you into the crypto dump.
www.forexlive.com
January 26, 2025 at 10:55 AM
In a cautionary tale for crypto investors, Donald Trump’s meme coin $TRUMP has, over the past six trading days, surged to a high of $96, before plummeting to $26.65, marking a 70% collapse in value.
Reposted by Rick Bastin
Stepping back from the two big stories of the moment, pretty much all of the platforms where the Southport killer indulged his passions for violence, genocide & murder are owned & controlled by men who were in the prime seats at Donald Trump’s inauguration yesterday.
And they all *hate* regulation…
And they all *hate* regulation…
January 21, 2025 at 5:09 PM
Stepping back from the two big stories of the moment, pretty much all of the platforms where the Southport killer indulged his passions for violence, genocide & murder are owned & controlled by men who were in the prime seats at Donald Trump’s inauguration yesterday.
And they all *hate* regulation…
And they all *hate* regulation…
Reposted by Rick Bastin
Big news from Guardian Towers this morning...
The Guardian has announced it will no longer post content on Elon Musk’s X from official accounts.
(I'm staying put - for now - as feel it's important to at least try to retain some balance there).
www.theguardian.com/media/2024/n...
The Guardian has announced it will no longer post content on Elon Musk’s X from official accounts.
(I'm staying put - for now - as feel it's important to at least try to retain some balance there).
www.theguardian.com/media/2024/n...
Guardian will no longer post on Elon Musk’s X from its official accounts
Platform’s coverage of US election crystallised longstanding concerns about its content, says Guardian
www.theguardian.com
November 13, 2024 at 11:33 AM
Big news from Guardian Towers this morning...
The Guardian has announced it will no longer post content on Elon Musk’s X from official accounts.
(I'm staying put - for now - as feel it's important to at least try to retain some balance there).
www.theguardian.com/media/2024/n...
The Guardian has announced it will no longer post content on Elon Musk’s X from official accounts.
(I'm staying put - for now - as feel it's important to at least try to retain some balance there).
www.theguardian.com/media/2024/n...