Jonathan Hopkin

Guido Foylkes

Italy has run a primary surplus practically every non-Covid year since 1992, and Germany was the first country to violate the 3% rule. But sure

The only thing that reassures me is they wouldn't have the resources to throw at creating their own Gestapo that Trump has

Even if you sound totally dumb it will probably tickle some people’s prejudices so you will be encouraged to produce more of it. And before you know it, you are … (insert favourite example here)

The punditry doomloop in action. You start off with a few interesting thoughts about things you’re familiar with, start to get a following, and then before you know it feel compelled to pronounce on things you know absolutely nothing about

I just have no idea who the Tories think the audience is for full bore authoritarianism plus austerity. Very few who want the former want the latter.

Britain may be in a crisis broadly speaking but if you look at facts instead of vibes things are as they have been for a long time - a country in relative decline with some dynamic parts but lots of inequality and hopelessness elsewhere

Something very postmodern about all these politicians with African heritage yelling about sending people back to where they came from

If ever there was a manufactured crisis it is this one. What the hell is critical about it? There are crises in the places people are fleeing from, but otherwise I see nothing but the mid-life crises of inadequate people

A lot of parties are acting as if the election is tomorrow as opposed to likely 2029 after which either Trump is out of office, or more concerningly, still in office.

“Terrible things are happening outside. Poor helpless people are being dragged out of their homes. Families are torn apart. Men, women, and children are separated. Children come home from school to find that their parents have disappeared.”

Diary of Anne Frank
January 13, 1943

The Board of Deputies’ response to the Israeli government inviting Tommy Robinson to visit

Bravo.

British Politics' Midlife Crisis Why British Parties Can't Make Peace with Their Actual Voters

Just had time to properly read this brilliant piece by @benansell.bsky.social. It left me even more convinced than I already was that what he calls Labour's (and indeed the Conservative's) "prole-whisperers" are horribly mistaken if they genuinely think chasing after Reform voters is the way to go.

That’s my go-to explanation anyway

Economic stagnation and decline of representative democratic institutions

Somehow even basic Rawlsianism seems to have died in our culture

Human rights, but just for whoever the government thinks should have them

@crookedfootball.bsky.social I thought this was excellent

crookedtimber.org/2025/01/29/t...

1. This is one of the most insane statements ever delivered by a presidential spokesperson in U.S. history. Totally disconnected from reality.

2. There is either going to be a civil war or abject Democratic surrender to autocracy. They are telling this you, to your face, in explicit terms.

My husband was detained by ICE today

Juan Muñoz, an American citizen, father of 2, and local government official, was peacefully protesting w. other elected officials. He was assaulted and taken away

I have had zero contact or updates since

#SOS
@duckworth.senate.gov @durbin.senate.gov

Pete Hegseth is bragging about bombing civilians to death in international waters, as a DOJ lawyer is in federal court arguing that Hegseth can call up the National Guard — as he did over the weekend in Portland — to send troops into U.S. cities for virtually any reason.

Tommy Robinson posted a neo-Nazi blog that accused me and my fellow Jews Jack Straw and Barbara Roche of conspiring to flood the UK with immigrants.

Unbelievable yet all too believable

Wtf

I think we also need to talk about the fact that white working class kids are right at the bottom of the educational attainment ladder, which presumably leads to resentment from their elders that they can't make a living anymore without studying and get left behind by some kids with migrant heritage

Embarrassing

Labour peer calls for Treasury to be abolished Maurice Glasman, founder of Blue Labour, calls for more

Oh we have an answer for that www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

It's the usual stuff about non-manual workers being parasitic on the horny-handed sons of toil

The lanyard thing is a bit weird - practically anyone who works in an organisation these days is going to have one. Apart from the self-employed and the retired we’re all the lanyard class