Grassroots for Europe🇪🇺

@grassrootsforeurope.org

Living in the EU provides a *sense of stability.*

According to European Parliament's Eurobarometer survey, *the EU is viewed as a place of stability by its citizens,* with more than *7 out of 10* respondents saying that their country has benefitted from being a […]

[Original post on mas.to]

A satirical poster at a London bus stop on Nutfield Close features a bold message reading, “IMAGINE HAVING A TRILLION DOLLARS AND STILL BEING THE WORLD’S BIGGEST LOSER,” above an image of a man making a sarcastic expression. A red double-decker bus with the destination “Waltham Cross 279” passes by on the street, and autumn trees line the background. Created by the anonymous artist collective everyonehateselon_, this piece humorously critiques billionaire culture and public perception of extreme wealth.

everyonehateselon_ : 🚨 BREAKING: Tesla shareholders just voted to make Elon Musk the world's first TRILLIONAIRE.
Only the world’s biggest loser would would have the ability to end world hunger several times over and choose not to.
Just tax billionaires. Duh […]

[Original post on mastodon.online]

Most international press comments on the Dutch parliamentary election result have been poor. Geert Wilders' vote went down but other far right votes went up. D66 has an almost impossible task to form a new coalition. Chris Keulemans explains […]

#EU country grouping cleared to build sovereign digital infrastructure
The EU-level organisation – led by France, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands – will develop #opensource alternatives in key areas like #AI, #cloud, and #socialnetworks […]

#EU country grouping cleared to build sovereign digital infrastructure
The EU-level organisation – led by France, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands – will develop #opensource alternatives in key areas like #AI, #cloud, and #socialnetworks […]

Frans Timmermans goes. D66 gains but without GL/PVDA will struggle to form anything other than a right wing alliance. Geert Wilders does badly but two other far right parties do well.
A complicated result […]

Carole Cadwalladr (@carolecadwalla) The “Russia hoax” isn’t a hoax. It’s seeing former heads of the FBI indicted. In Britain, the UK political and media establishment is so ignorant and absent not even a Russian spy scandal involving a whole treasure trove of bikini shots can get them off their arses to cover it

Why won't UK media cover this story?
https://substack.com/@carolecadwalla/note/c-170422995?r=1v0eqi

Carole Cadwalladr (@carolecadwalla) The “Russia hoax” isn’t a hoax. It’s seeing former heads of the FBI indicted. In Britain, the UK political and media establishment is so ignorant and absent not even a Russian spy scandal involving a whole treasure trove of bikini shots can get them off their arses to cover it

Why won't UK media cover this story?
https://substack.com/@carolecadwalla/note/c-170422995?r=1v0eqi

Trump's spokesperson Bondi "We classify inflatable frog costumes as part of the Antifa uniform"

You really couldn't make this up.

Bluesky – the dream is over by Sascha Pallenberg October 22, 2025 (8 min read) **Autumn is coming… and not only outside, but also in my social media world. Yet again I’m at the point of leaving a platform. And this time it’s Bluesky – this once promising alternative to Twitter, that wanted to be a safe place for exchange, creativity and respectfulness. But what just happened there, is everything but that.** Translated from the German original available at https://www.metacheles.de/bluesky-der-traum-ist-vorbei/ > If you want to support MeTacheles directly, then simply “chip in” the equivalent amount of a “curry wurst” (preferably even a vegan one) to my PayPal account: [Paypal Me] (https://paypal.me/SaschaPallenberg?ref=metacheles.de) > > MeTacheles doesn't work without your support, and if you believe this format will work in your own network, then please share the content with the them. There is also a Community on Discord for MeTacheles and my Youtube-channel. You can sign up for free here: https://t.ly/PallesEK?ref=metacheles.de ## Bluesky – from safe haven to political pawn Bluesky wanted to be different. More open, more decentralised, more human. A place without Trolls, without hate speech, without algorithmic manipulation. A network that would allow us to reconnect with each other again. But what became of it? A digital battleground for those who scream the loudest – and who have the least to say. The decisive moment came when the Trump administration – yes, you read that right – the US government itself – discovered Bluesky as a projecting surface. Within a few days 30 accounts showed up, all of them verified, orchestrated, coordinated. And they didn’t come to have a conversation… but in order to provoke. To spread hate. To capture attention. And Bluesky left them to it… and in doing so, started digging their own grave. ## Capitulation to the system What happens here, is not a coincidence. It’s strategy. Social Media is no longer merely used by authoritarian systems – it’s being deliberately instrumentalised. What was once a free stage for the exchange of ideas has become a tool for propaganda today. And Bluesky has committed the same mistake as Twitter under Elon Musk: They believed (at least initially), that neutrality is strength. But those who tolerate hatred will inevitably loose control or be assimilated… The completely unhinged Tesla CEO isn’t just an example of this – historically speaking, he’s the absolute poster boy for this! We’re experiencing the slow poisoning of that which was once a safe space for queer communities, for black lives matter, for progressive voices. When government agencies, who defame migrants, are allowed to post on a platform – under the cloak of ‘freedom of speech’ – then that platform is lost. What many underestimate: Behind this orchestrated takeover lies a deliberate troll strategy. It’s no coincidence, no spontaneous wave of fans – it’s coordinated digital warfare. Government-aligned communications consultants and former Trump-era social media operatives know exactly how to manufacture outrage. They’re using the same tactics that poisoned public discourse in 2016 and 2020: provoke en masse, wait for the backlash, then cast themselves as victims of “cancel culture”—and ultimately turn the platform into their own tool. Let’s not kid ourselves: if Bluesky actually enforced its community guidelines here, the FCC (or U.S. regulators) would come down on them like a ton of bricks. The new Bluesky accounts aren’t random voices. They’re meticulously constructed, with clear missions: shaping narratives, shifting debates, and hijacking topics. And because Bluesky still believes decentralisation protects it from manipulation and takeover… hey, you’re about as decentralised as the biggest energy source we know: the sun! ## Unmoderated and Unchecked These accounts are operating with virtually no moderation. Why? Because Bluesky fears retaliation from the Trump regime. And so, they continue to systematically erode discourse by weaponizing Bluesky’s own mechanics—throwing the doors wide open for trolls and turning the platform against itself. ## Big Tech’s Lackeys Meanwhile, the same CEOs who once championed diversity and freedom are now applauding from the sidelines. Gates, Zuckerberg, Cook, Nadella—all at Trump’s White House dinner, all smiling, all nodding obediently. They’re not rebels anymore. They’re lackeys. And they know exactly what they’re doing. Power has a scent. Money has a taste. And influence? That’s the new religion. ## The Internet’s Broken Promise The internet used to be a place of free exchange—chatrooms, forums, IRC—a global experiment in equality. Now, it’s a controlled system of oligopolies. Facebook belongs to Meta, Twitter belongs to Musk, and Bluesky? It belongs to venture capital. Same game, different logo. ## The Great Disappointment I genuinely hoped Bluesky would be different. That it would learn from past mistakes. That it would understand what responsibility means. But now that government-affiliated accounts are trolling there with impunity, it’s clear: Bluesky has caved, too. And it’s no accident. The platform is being marked as an enemy by the Trump administration—while simultaneously being used as a tool to spread chaos. That’s not a contradiction. That’s strategy. ## Bluesky wanted to build a community free from manipulation. Now, it’s part of the problem. And that’s bitter. ## Back to the Fediverse So I’m pulling the plug. My Bluesky account will stay up for a little while, but there won’t be any new posts. I’m out. Again. And this time, for good. I’m going back to the Fediverse. Back to Mastodon. Back to the nerds, the tinkerers, the idealists. Back to the people who talk about relevance, not reach. The ones who understand that decentralization isn’t nostalgia—it’s the future. That digital sovereignty isn’t a gimmick—it’s a survival strategy. Yes, the Fediverse can be clunky, nerdy, and uncomfortable. But it’s ours. It’s not over-regulated, not capital-driven, not ruined by algorithms. It’s what social media was supposed to be: a network of people, not brands. ## A Principled Farewell I know some of you will roll your eyes. “He’s leaving another platform?” Maybe. But let’s be honest: Anyone who’s followed the past few years knows I’ve usually pulled the ripcord early—and in hindsight, I wasn’t entirely wrong. Twitter, Threads, Instagram—all the same. Commercial bubbles that toy with communities until nothing’s left. Bluesky was an experiment. A brief one. And another reminder of how broken social media has become. When democracy is reduced to content, when hate is monetized, when platforms court governments, it’s time to walk away. I’m leaving. And this time, I’m doing it with a clear conscience and the conviction that every minute of personal effort and every user who converts will make the web a little better. The web we once loved still lives where servers are run by people, not corporations. And that’s the Fediverse.

https://text.tchncs.de/newcontinent/bluesky-the-dream-is-over

And dancing

And dancing

Man sits at typewriter, typing analog letter to Trump

Frog typing analog letter to Trump

People holding up Signs of Fascism. Including 'using military against civilians ' and ' using fear to gain power'

#NoTyrants #NoKings day in London yesterday.

Wage war on nature to build new homes: that’s Labour’s offer, but it’s a con trick | George Monbiot The government’s new planning bill is tearing down environmental protections to benefit developers. This nation of nature lovers won’t stand for it, says Guardian columnist George Monbiot

Today's column is about the government's huge, unprecedented assault on nature ... and about the eerie, astonishing silence of the big nature groups. The RSPB, National Trust, Wildlife Trusts have 7.5m members between them. A vast force, completely unmobilised. 🧵
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

"Jeremy Hunt ... revealed he would now vote for Brexit if the EU referendum were held today."
Godalming and Ash - Your MP is now a Leaver.
https://archive.ph/2025.10.13-125816/https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/wes-streeting-brexit-rache-reeves-farage-tax-budget-r30sjm5nv
#GodAsh […]

@phocks Yes it would be good to have this fixed.

You wouldn't know it from how it was covered in major news outlets, but: "No Kings Day on June 14 was one of the largest single days of protest in United States history."

Let's make October 18 the largest […]

Just under 1 week till #nokings protest. Here’s the plan:
1. Share / boost this post to grow account - help us grow to largest social reach by 18th ✅ 2. Amp and boost all Nokings posts leading up to 18th. We will, too. ✅ 3. On protest day take pics and share […]

[Original post on channel.org]

The far right is acting as one party. When will we?
https://www.euractiv.com/opinion/the-far-right-is-acting-as-one-party-when-will-we/
#FarRight #Europe

#AOC

Whoever makes you believe absurdities also makes you do monstrous things.

Voltaire

Mike Galsworthy (@mikegalsworthy) Starmer on the “Farage boats”, Rachel Reeves on the economic benefits of youth mobility… Are the Labour leadership starting to poke their heads out of their shells and dare to see a pro-EU pathway as a route both to fixing our woes and also attacking Farage’s Achilles’ heel? Let’s hope so.

Mike Galsworthy on Labour and EU
https://substack.com/@mikegalsworthy/note/c-162184728?r=1v0eqi

And on Andy Burnham and Europe
https://substack.com/@mikegalsworthy/note/c-161260509?r=1v0eqi

#Brexit #RejoinEU #Labour #EuropeanMovement #Europa #Europe

Mike Galsworthy (@mikegalsworthy) Starmer on the “Farage boats”, Rachel Reeves on the economic benefits of youth mobility… Are the Labour leadership starting to poke their heads out of their shells and dare to see a pro-EU pathway as a route both to fixing our woes and also attacking Farage’s Achilles’ heel? Let’s hope so.

Mike Galsworthy on Labour and EU
https://substack.com/@mikegalsworthy/note/c-162184728?r=1v0eqi

And on Andy Burnham and Europe
https://substack.com/@mikegalsworthy/note/c-161260509?r=1v0eqi

#Brexit #RejoinEU #Labour #EuropeanMovement #Europa #Europe

Do the #British regret #Brexit today?

https://www.quora.com/Do-the-British-regret-Brexit-today/answer/Richard-Corbett-34 #Bregret #RejoinEU

For those who don’t seem to quite get it yet.

🆘🇺🇸

Peter Oborne on Starmer and McSweeney:
https://www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/mcsweeney-did-in-shadows-haunt-starmer-labour

Peter Oborne on Starmer and McSweeney:
https://www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/mcsweeney-did-in-shadows-haunt-starmer-labour

#Hegseth orders rare, urgent meeting of hundreds of generals, admirals.
The #Pentagon has summoned military officials from around the world for a gathering in Virginia. Even top generals and their staffs don’t know the reason for the meeting.
https://archive.ph/i3G1r

https://archive.ph/CAbsj