Maduro’s was clearly a repressive, autocratic regime, but there are many of these. My guess is Rubio sold his soul and Europe to Trump for this, whilst for Trump there are of course opportunities for personal plunder, despite MAGA misgivings of foreign adventures. The end of rules is very scary

Boxing Day visit to lights at Kew Gardens

PRO: Raises total number of countries Americans can name to respectable nine CON: May have to come up with a reason for doing so

Pros And Cons Of War With Venezuela https://theonion.com/pros-and-cons-of-war-with-venezuela/

Women's Institute to stop offering trans women membership. This seems so sad, to pull down bridges that have been built. What threat or unfairness could possibly have been imagined here? Do the Supreme Court think they have averted male entryism into the WM?

ED DAVEY QUOTE GRAPHIC. TEXT: A traitor was at the very top of Reform UK, aiding and abetting a foreign adversary. Nigel Farage and his party are a danger to national security. Nigel Farage himself was previously paid to be on Putin’s TV channel, Russia Today, and said he was the world leader he admires the most. We must all ask - where do his loyalties really lie? We need a full investigation into Russian interference in our politics.

Nathan Gill has been sentenced to 10.5 years for endangering national security and taking Russian bribes.

Nigel Farage and Reform are a danger to national security, the Liberal Democrats will continue to hold them to account and defend our democracy.

Fascinating on mid-century (mainly private) housing in Greenwich, Blackheath and Dulwich. Sure to be a basis of some walks in the future.

Fewest murders in London in summer since 2018 - over to you Robert Jenrick or is the truth a mere inconvenience to your narrative

Definitely one of the best articles on Anarchism I’ve ever read

Definitely one of the best articles on anarchism I’ve ever read

Heartwarming to see this huge EU flag at the Italian Ambassador’s Residence in Grosvenor Square

Israel “won’t commit suicide”, says the government’s ideologue In an interview Bezalel Smotrich is uncompromising about the war in Gaza

Israel “won’t commit suicide”, says the government’s ideologue
economist.com/israel-wont-...
from The Economist
So yet another effort by the Israeli government to make a two state solution impossible; following Netanyahu’s policy over the years to boost Hamas over the PA.

Two injured as car overturns in Piccadilly Circus - why are these reported as if cars have agency? I know it seems a small point but normalises idea of it being nobody’s fault rather than a motorist driving without caring about the lives of others.

This was one of my 1st year economics questions on the Politics paper in 1987 that I came across today. Part (a) seems like ancient history but (b) is still very relevant. The Miliband quoted is Ralph, father of Ed and David

Why on earth is the headline not Lib Dem elected leader of council

It is a strange world where I come to agree with Jeremy Corbyn … although I suspect we would differ on how to go about ‘taxing the rich and building an economy that works for all’

📢 No More First Past the Post Elections! Thursday’s election results confirm what so many of us already know: the current voting system is broken. With 5 parties polling strongly, First Past the Post is delivering chaos and turning election...

🚨 Thursday’s elections prove it: First Past the Post is broken. 5 parties, chaotic results, millions left unrepresented. We need Proportional Representation — NOW.
✍️ Sign the petition:

actionnetwork.org/petitions/20...

All his life Trump has used bullying and abusing asymmetric power to get his way. It is not surprising that his hatred is directed against those like Ukraine, who have defied such pressure.

Sign the Petition National Commission on Electoral Reform

💥 I’ve just signed the petition calling for a “National Commission on Electoral Reform” - Will YOU sign too? actionstorm.org/petitions/nc...

Well said by Timothy Garton Ash. Vital that we understand this in the West. Putin is clearly following Hitler’s playbook; we need to learn the lessons now rather than allow it to end with WW3

'It feels like a coup d'état' - martial law chaos sparks worry in South Korea. This felt to me like a Netanyahu moment …. But executed by a less savvy political operator

Another great piece by Freedland, as Netanyahu continues to pursue a strategy that places no value on Palestinian (or Lebanese) lives. He has done so much long term damage to Israel with what looks like a war on the Palestinians (directly in Gaza and by proxies elsewhere) rather than Hamas

I’m no fan of employer’s NICs as a way of raising tax as it’s basically a tax on labour and I’d rather a wider based that taxed income from land and capital. However please can people ask to properly fund GP, pharmacies etc, rather than exempt them and create yet more complexity.

So why when I search BlueSky on the IOS App Store is “Truth”social the first app I see? Should I treat use of the word “Truth” in the same way I would inclusion of the word “Democratic” in the name of a country in the 1980s