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Robert Reiner

@waylon18.bsky.social

Retired criminology professor. Democratic Socialist.Written on political economy of crime, criminal justice and policing 1970s until severe COVID 2021. Last book Social Democratic Criminology. Love old mysteries, Westerns, country music, music 1930-70

1,953 Followers  |  2,886 Following  |  4,084 Posts  |  Joined: 05.09.2024
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Posts by Robert Reiner (@waylon18.bsky.social)

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How Trump is Paying for His War AND Giving a Huge Tax Cut to the Rich By cutting Medicaid, food stamps, and other assistance people need

How Trump is Paying for His War AND Giving a Huge Tax Cut to the Rich
open.substack.com/pub/robertre...

05.03.2026 17:12 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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The Covid-19 inquiry is sounding a clear warning. If it’s not heeded, yet more lives will be lost | Ben Connah It’s not a question of if, but when, another pandemic hits Britain. We owe it to all those who suffered to make sure mistakes are not repeated, says Ben Connah, secretary of the UK Covid-19 inquiry

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

05.03.2026 15:37 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Globalisation is under threat from Iran war – and Britain is uniquely vulnerable Economic ripples from US-Israel attacks will soon become waves, engulfing everything from energy prices to food

www.theguardian.com/world/2026/m...
Grim analysis of the British economic vulnerability and exposure to global shocks. Contrary to right wing pundits it argues cogently that we can only flourish again if there is a polar shift in distribution, switching resources to the poor away from the wealthy

05.03.2026 15:28 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Churchill, wisely chastened by his own military experience, was totally unlike the bone spur afflicted draft dodger invoking his name. Rhetorically and strategically he was complex, nuanced and always literate.

05.03.2026 14:24 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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The Moral Basis of Civilization Trump is actively destroying it

The Moral Basis of Civilization
open.substack.com/pub/robertre...
Bullying by force or finance unravels civilisation, morally and practically. So too does lying.

05.03.2026 14:17 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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What would Winston Churchill make of war with Iran? Donald Trump has said Keir Starmer is β€˜no Churchill’, but his dismissal is based on a simplified version of history.

theconversation.com/what-would-w...
Historical corrective to Trump’s jibe about Starmer’s weakness compared to Churchill. Unlike Trump, Winston was an experienced warrior. He had complex and nuanced views on war and peace, famously always preferring jaw to jaw to war’s unpredictable hellscape.

05.03.2026 14:04 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Left populism is here to stay A new front has opened in British politics. What does Labour need to do?

Left populism is here to stay
open.substack.com/pub/saturday...
What Marr calls left populism is vaguely defined with reference to a middle ground assumed to be correct. So-called left populists like Corbyn or Polanski rearticulate the post WWII consensus that served us well till neoliberal blitz.

05.03.2026 13:52 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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We paid an ex-Tory MP to lobby for our fake Chinese firm - and authorities did nothing Investigation finds no rules were broken. It just goes to show how few rules there are.

We paid an ex-Tory MP to lobby for our fake Chinese firm - and authorities did nothing
open.substack.com/pub/democrac...

05.03.2026 13:44 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Trump’s Orwellian Board of Peace Consists Entirely of Human Rights Abusers An Intercept analysis finds that every single Board of Peace member state has been rebuked for human rights violations.

theintercept.com/2026/03/02/t...
β€˜Peaceful’ human rights abusers. Unlike those Trump feels like attacking

05.03.2026 13:42 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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The Lead Untangles: Is the Greens' drugs policy reckless or responsible? As Zack Polanski pledges to legalise and regulate drugs, Sarah Sinclair dives into the detail of this controversial policy – what does the evidence say?

The Lead Untangles: Is the Greens' drugs policy reckless or responsible?
open.substack.com/pub/theleadu...
Well informed article lays out research evidence that the β€˜war on drugs’ has failed and other non criminalised forms of regulation succeed better in health and social justice outcomes.

05.03.2026 13:35 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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World War III? Trump's and Netanyahu's illegal war turns global

World War III?
open.substack.com/pub/robertre...

04.03.2026 21:26 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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What we learned at PMQs: Keir Starmer is getting Brits out of the Middle East Kemi Badenoch displayed a total disregard for the evacuations – but Starmer is haunted by the threat of soaring energy bills

magazine.newstatesman.com/2026/03/04/w...
Well deserved praise for Starmer response to US/Israel attacks on Iran and the fallout from that. Also for replies to Badenoch at PMQs

04.03.2026 15:12 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Rachel Reeves claims UK economy can beat forecasts again – is she right? Our writers discuss The chancellor insists Labour has β€˜the right economic plan’ for a world that has become β€˜yet more uncertain’

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Constructive criticism of the Spring Budget. Hope it is taken seriously.

04.03.2026 14:56 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Head of Police Federation of England and Wales arrested on suspicion of corruption Mukund Krishna arrested by City of London police along with two other national board members

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

04.03.2026 13:07 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 5    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Marx's Method is the Message From Abstract Philosophy to the Material Reality of Class Struggle

Marx's Method is the Message
open.substack.com/pub/gracebla...
Great exposition of the essence and importance of Marx’s perspective in a lucid brief post. We can make our own history albeit under conditions rigged against us

04.03.2026 12:49 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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The Stupidest, Saddest, Sleaziest of Spectacles What happened to my wonderful old department is typical of what Trump is doing to our government

The Stupidest, Saddest, Sleaziest of Spectacles
open.substack.com/pub/robertre...

04.03.2026 12:39 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Trump's British bullies with a byline The so-called patriotic newspapers are gleefully doing the US president's bidding.

Trump's British bullies with a byline
open.substack.com/pub/brokenbo...
Evisceration of fake patriots of right wing press twisting the history of WWII to portray Starmer as appeaser. Based on speculation about what Starmer might have done in 30s. No need to speculate about Mail support of fascism!

04.03.2026 12:37 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Please sign and share.

31.10.2025 11:50 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Four years after we created the Covid Memorial Wall in a guerrilla action born out of grief and determination, the Government has now announced it will be made permanent.

This is a powerful step towards ensuring our loved ones are never forgotten.

13.11.2025 17:01 β€” πŸ‘ 28    πŸ” 13    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

My Dad escaped the Nazis in 1939 on the Kindertransport.

He went to night school then University, trained as a physicist. Married my mum, brought up 3 kids, all work in public sector.

Under these proposed rules, he would have been deported.

100% 'performatively cruel' @stellacreasy.bsky.social

17.11.2025 17:50 β€” πŸ‘ 122    πŸ” 65    πŸ’¬ 3    πŸ“Œ 2
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Our statement following the publication of the Covid Inquiry Module 2 report into Core UK decision-making and political governance:

20.11.2025 16:44 β€” πŸ‘ 39    πŸ” 19    πŸ’¬ 3    πŸ“Œ 5

My father died in April 2020.

I hold Boris Johnson personally responsible for his death, along with thousands of others.

All his ex-PM privileges should be removed, including Β£115k he can claim every year.

If you agree, please sign and share this petition πŸ‘‡

@cbffjuk.bsky.social

21.11.2025 17:06 β€” πŸ‘ 14    πŸ” 8    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Boris Johnson β€˜beyond contempt’ for attack on Covid inquiry’s findings Families of the Covid bereaved have reacted to horror to the lack of contrition in the former prime minister’s weekly column

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/poli...

22.11.2025 11:24 β€” πŸ‘ 39    πŸ” 22    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 1

Disrespectful to the bereaved, and indeed all those Johnson let down, to respond to the Covid Inquiry's M2 report in a footnote to his column. This man should never be allowed to hold public office again, and certainly should not be benefitting from the public purse.

@cbffjuk.bsky.social

22.11.2025 11:32 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Unfortunately there currently isn't a mechanism by which he can be prosecuted for misconduct in public office. But you can sign this petition demanding that he doesn't benefit from the public purse: www.change.org/p/end-public...

22.11.2025 20:47 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Boris Johnson took four days off as NHS warned Covid could β€˜overwhelm’ system Files show then PM was walking dog, riding motorbike and hosting guests as pandemic planning stalled in β€˜lost month’

πŸ‘€ β€˜official activity logs appear to undermine evidence that Johnson gave under oath [to the public inquiry].’

Hmmmm

@cbffjuk.bsky.social

www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

22.11.2025 22:29 β€” πŸ‘ 10    πŸ” 5    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 1
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Sign the Petition End Ex-PM Benefits For Boris Johnson Following Covid Inquiry Verdict

"Let the bodies pile high"

The one promise Boris Johnson kept.

Now he wants us to forget and move on.

He believes he is unaccountable. We disagree. Sign our petition to stand with us.

change.org/STOPFUNDINGJOHNSON

28.11.2025 12:40 β€” πŸ‘ 18    πŸ” 8    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 2
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Sign the Petition End Ex-PM Benefits For Boris Johnson Following Covid Inquiry Verdict

The verdict of the Covid Inquiry is clear: Boris Johnson's negligence led to thousands of deaths.

Yet last year, the public was forced to pay Johnson Β£115k in 'ex-PM' benefits.

⬇️ If you agree it's time we stopped funding Johnson, sign our petition ⬇️

www.change.org/STOPFUNDINGJ...

27.11.2025 10:52 β€” πŸ‘ 13    πŸ” 10    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1

Kemi Badenoch has rejected mask-wearing to curb flu, saying she is β€œstill traumatised” by β€œall the mask-wearing” during Covid.

You know what's more traumatising than wearing a mask?

Having your family members die because politicians played culture wars with their lives.

1/2

10.12.2025 13:07 β€” πŸ‘ 64    πŸ” 25    πŸ’¬ 4    πŸ“Œ 4

πŸ‘€ A recent article in @newstatesman1913.bsky.social by @anooshc.bsky.social claims that β€˜Britain’s inquiry culture radicalises victims’.

If wanting truth & change is what counts as radical, count me in.

πŸ‘‡πŸ»πŸ‘‡πŸ»πŸ‘‡πŸ»

@cbffjuk.bsky.social

22.12.2025 13:07 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0