Safie Maken Finlay

Thank you both for the clarification. I always believed any of these titles made someone an aristocrat, but you are pointing out that this isn't the case. Still, even a lifetime appointment to an office of political power is problematic. Do the hereditary lords still hold their seats?

Not to take away from the importance of the discussion, but "Noble Lady?!?" Sometimes I forget the UK has a branch of government, with real power, composed entirely of aristocrats.

History teaches us that the greatest harms often begin with the quiet acceptance of the unacceptable. I have seen where that road leads, and I will not walk it again without resistance.

This is not debatable‼️ We saw it‼️
On this day, January 24, 2026, we witnessed it‼️

Whose Hemisphere? | Fintan O’Toole The US capture of Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro reinforces the Trump administration’s capacity to invent any pretext to justify the use of armed force.

“Trump’s imperial project is all gunboat and no diplomacy. He probably mistakes the flattery…of most European leaders for esteem. In reality their deference masks a mixture of fear and short-term resignation.” —@fotoole.bsky.social

Please share. 💔

in the pit

This entire weekend

EXCLUSIVE: Michael Prescott himself doctored Trump quote in his anti-BBC report A report alleging Panorama broadcast misleading Trump quotes contains misleading quotes itself

The remarkable story we discussed this morning. (No paywall but do consider subscribing.) www.thenewworld.co.uk/james-ball-e...

They "don't care about the social emotional growth of their son?" Wow.

As someone who saw the whole speech, the reports about this are bewildering. Even the Guardian seems to claim that Trump was not inciting anyone, but begging an unruly crowd to act peacefully. Why is the BBC going full Paramount on this?

I expect that one thing they plan to do is swoop in with ICE agents and arrest people lining up to vote on the pretext that they believe them to be illegal immigrants.

How do you prevent that? Is there a judicial order that could be put in place beforehand to stop it?

Both choices are very understandable. It would be a pity though, after having a dynamic vibrant presidency for 35 years (is it 35?!!), to go back to it being a ceremonial pen pusher.

I've never encountered an Irish election so limited in scope.

Candidate 1, I agree with strongly on most issues & disagree with passionately on some vital issues.

Candidate 2, I disagree with on almost everything except those same crucial issues.

This must be how a 2-party system feels
#speirgorm

#A_NewHope ✊

"It looked as if a night of dark intent
Was coming, and not only a night, an age.
Someone had better be prepared for rage."

Robert Frost

This happens to me way more than you might think.

I return to Twitter occasionally, out of hopeless nostalgia.

It's like having brain surgery while being hit on the face with a cactus.

Hannah Arendt distinguished totalitarianism “from other forms of political oppression known to us such as despotism, tyranny and dictatorship” in that totalitarianism seeks to subjugate civil society and private lives, not just political opponents, using psychological, not just physical, repression.

I’ve been saying this for ten years now but possibly not often enough: Ask Them What They Think The Words They’re Using Mean. And then ask them to name the ‘problematic’ people. We had ‘sovereignty’, ‘laws’ & ‘unelected bureaucrats’. The US now has ‘Antifa’, the ‘radical left’ & ‘insurrection’. Ask!

The Age of Insanity

Is our problem social media itself or the fact that social media has been weaponized to polarize and disrupt?

If Trump could pass a law stating that it was illegal to do anything that upset the dear leader, he would. And a big portion of the MAGA crowd would most likely go along with it.

What a wonderful view!

US publications, can I suggest that you temporarily replace paywalls with donation requests when it comes to articles of political significance?

Good journalism should be paid for, but this is an emergency, and lies are being peddled for free.

I’m beginning to think they lied about liking free speech…

Never thought the name “Jimmy Kimmel” would be accompanied by a physical chill passing through my bones.

RIP #RobertRedford

Free Speech and Me Speech A helpful distinction

An important distinction - from @timothysnyder.bsky.social

open.substack.com/pub/snyder/p...

Can I ask, if you follow 40,000 people or more, why are you doing that? Doesn't it make your social media feeds a pile of messy sludge.

Very informative. The parade of far right lunatics lining up to embarrass Ireland on a global scale should know that their power would be restricted to throwing tea parties and causing the occasional legislative delay.