While Rome Burns

Poppies are opiates that make you forget: the politics of remembrance and the rise of nationalism This is a previously unpublished piece from 2012. It seemed relevant now.1 “The struggle of people against power is the struggle of memory against forgetting” – Milan Kundera. It is true that often…

Still relevant bc the same shit keeps coming around

...or gets worse.

2012 me:

"In a way a little similar to George Orwell, it always makes me feel almost patriotic to observe the general lack of overt patriotism in this country."

whileromeburnsjournal.wordpress.com/2016/11/10/p...

Mamdani won by keeping the focus on the cost of living, while not capitulating on so-called ‘culture war’ issues

“If your democracy cannot deliver on the material needs of working people, people will not care about saving your democracy”

BONUS - Zohran: The Final Stretch Podcast Episode · Chapo Trap House · 30/10/2025 · 17m

Zohran Mamdani shows one way to resist fascism.

Where the far-right is weak is that it is backed by billionaires and produces zero tangible benefits for working people. All it does is say - “Look over there! An immigrant!”

Zohran Mamdani Wins! National Political Committee Statement - Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani’s win is a win for the working class. NYC DSA and Zohran proved a better world is possible. Join DSA to help build it.

Putting this in context it is kind of astonishing.

Someone who calls himself a socialist just won Mayor of New York.

A Muslim just won Mayor of New York.

Someone who is willing to say Israel is committing genocide just won Mayor of New York.

www.dsausa.org/statements/z...

An amazing victory in New York.

All the more impressive that all the billionaires and right wing maniacs weren’t able to come up with anything to stop him.

Facebook holding page: This content isn't available at the moment When this happens, it's usually because the owner only shared it with a small group of people or changed who can see it, or it's been deleted. Go to Feed Go back Visit Help Centre

In totally coincidental other news our local flag shaggers “Sussex Patriots” have entirely vanished off Facebook and gone completely silent on all other platforms for the last month… 👀

I guess they must be busy.

Another arrest as terror police take over Peacehaven mosque arson case Detectives from Counter Terrorism Policing South East (CTPSE) are now leading the investigation into the arson at the Peacehaven mosque

Another arrest in connection with the Peacehaven mosque arson. Also it’s now being handled by counter-terror police, although still not being called a terrorist attack (presumably bc the victims are Muslims).

www.brightonandhovenews.org/2025/11/04/a...

Billboard in front of some office buildings Billboard has giant AI face of a woman staring straight ahead Billboard says: STOP HIRING HUMANS The Era of Al Employees Is Here ARTISAN

It’s really interesting seeing corporations lean into dystopianism.

This is an excellent history of Lewes Bonfire that draws out the contradictions of the event - a strange survival of another time that has somehow been passed down with mutating meanings

And as is generally the case with history - nothing is really as of as great antiquity as people like to believe

Confirmation: it is indeed a post-Southport thing to stop the far-right burning asylum seekers alive every time there's a crime

Still doesnt stop them though. Currently far-right Facebook is speculating the alleged attacker changed his name to sound more English

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

Brighton antifascists holding a banner that reads: defending our communities against racist attacks.

Brighton antifascists holding a banner that reads: solidarity across borders, safety and dignity for all.

A gang of us travelled from Brighton yesterday to support the anti-racist demo in Newhaven. About 300 people joined the ‘Everybody’s Haven’ march which wound around the town centre before finishing with a rally and music at the bandstand on Denton Island.

This doesn’t work bc the far-right have already called demos outside asylum hotels in response to the attack, even though the attackers were British.

…Which of course shows their real agenda - the attackers arent *really* British.

Two men were arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. Police said they were a 32-year-old black British national and a 35-year-old British national of Caribbean descent. Both were born in the UK.

Interesting that the Huntingdon train attack has to be reported in this way.

On the one hand feels reactionary to be immediately flagging up the ethnicity of the attackers.

But on the other hand, after the racist riots last year, everyone’s trying to get in ahead of the far right rumour mill.

Part One: Bishop David E. Taylor: Jesus Christ's Best Friend Podcast Episode · Behind the Bastards · 28/10/2025 · 1h 1m

So many grifting cults been covered by @iwriteok.bsky.social

What really struck me w this one is the symbiosis btw USA’s lack of decent healthcare and the opportunities it creates to prey on the desperate

I guess that’s America: Capitalism x Christianity baby!

podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/b...

Painted windows at the Amnesty Bookshop. Shows outlines of people linked arm in arm, with text saying “Together we can stop the rise of authoritarianism” with a trans flag and a Palestinian flag behind it.

Nice window display Amnesty bookshop

Looking forward to seeing the "specialist experience and skills" of the British Army in bringing peace to the Middle East.

news.sky.com/story/britis...

Give it a listen. They talk about Hebron I think and Al Qassam inspiring the 1936 revolt and obvs inspiring current Al Qassam Brigades.

Seems to be back now but also here

thebookshelf.org.uk/small-boats-...

And it feels like a straight continuity to today as the occupying colonial power rains bombs on villages, bulldozes houses, crowds people into concentration camps and salts the earth to annihilate the local population.

The British just handed empire over to the Zionists to administer.

299. Gaza: The Palestinian Revolt, The Black and Tans, & Bomber Harris (Part 9) Podcast Episode · Empire · 15/10/2025 · 45m

The episodes of Empire with Caroline Elkins on Palestine between the wars are really extraordinary.

Shows British imperial techniques of violence, the Black and Tans and Bomber Harris were essentially the founders of the IDF.

podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/e...

Anti-migrant protesters laugh as firefighters rush to Canary Wharf migrant hotel The Britannia Hotel in Canary Wharf was searched for signs of fire, London Fire Brigade confirmed.

There are multiple clips from various locations of far right hotel protesters calling for asylum seekers to be burnt to death and laughing about the idea

Sometimes the British press even turn these people into popular heroes and stick them on the front page of the paper

metro.co.uk/2025/10/05/f...

It’s obviously good to stop the slaughter and release captured people (Hamas has ‘hostages’ whereas of course Israel only has ‘prisoners’).

And it’s nice that Doing Peace is the thing he’s competing over I spose.

Be grateful for small mercies.

Truth Social post from @realDonald Trump l am very proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have both signed off on the first Phase of our Peace Plan. This means that ALL of the Hostages will be released very soon, and Israel will withdraw their Troops to an agreed upon line as the first steps toward a Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace. All Parties will be treated fairly! This is a GREAT Day for the Arab and Muslim World, Israel, all surrounding Nations, and the United States of America, and we thank the mediators from Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey, who worked with us to make this Historic and Unprecedented Event happen. BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS! DONALD J. TRUMP PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Has global politics ever been driven so obviously before by one man’s petty rancour?

(A: probably)

He’s laying it on with a fucking trowel. He so obviously wants a Nobel Peace Prize just bc Obama got one and Obama once made fun of him at a White House dinner in 2011.

Donate to Rebuilding stronger after the recent Arson Attack, organized by Peacehaven Mosque Website: https://www.peacehavenmosque.co.uk/ Saturday night 04… Peacehaven Mosque needs your support for Rebuilding stronger after the recent Arson Attack

If you want to do something positive - help support the mosque and its community to rebuild and improve security:

gofund.me/f71c3c8a2

Man arrested over suspected arson at Peacehaven mosque - BBC News The front entrance of the building and a car parked outside were damaged, Sussex Police say.

I’m sure the people who get lifted for this will turn out to have no connections at all with the sort of noble patriots who attach flags to lampposts.

www.bbc.com/news/article...

Superhero team up with the Mud Wizard to defeat all cops

I was slightly disappointed to realise the things that British people *really* care about are parking and bins.

I am also considerably more dubious of their tactics when it’s 18 year old people of colour getting terrorism charges on their record for life.

Feels like you should prob be advising those ppl against that.

They’re *really* not going to want to back down to protesters over having classified something as a terrorist group.

Feels like the best chance is all this protest then influencing the court which rules the ban unlawful.

Especially when the people getting arrested are a parade of vicars and retired magistrates it does feel like this is putting considerable pressure on the government.

Whether this is ever capable of causing enough disquiet in the establishment to get the government to backtrack is unclear.