D Ekarps

1. This is Piles Copse, the largest remaining fragment of high-ground temperate rainforest on Dartmoor. It’s a tiny speck of green in a dismal, human-made desert. Prepare yourselves for a story of breathtaking perversity, told in this thread. (There’s a one-page version at the bottom). 🧵

Save?

Right-wing push to dismantle the EU: Heritage Foundation’s private workshop After seizing control of the US government, the Heritage Foundation turns its attention to the EU

🔥😡 A private Heritage Foundation workshop took place last month aimed at dismantling the EU.

Neoliberalism has shifted the Overton window further right as it’s degraded the lives of the working and middle classes whilst making a new super rich class who will do anything to cling to power hence why we see attacks on minority and marginalised people. Nationalising infrastructure would help.

Ahhh. Even a cursory search finds, to Nationalise water, gas and electricity would cost an estimated £55.4-£196 billion. Significantly less than the ‘trillions’ Andrew Pierce claims. It’s these throw away claims which keep us in this neoliberal mire.

What’s the actual cost to nationalising these industries? Trillions is a wild figure to just throw out - especially if one is in support of the neoliberal, privatised agenda of the last 40 years. And guess what? It isn’t worked! Nationalise the lot. Bet it doesn’t cost anywhere near a trillion.

What I just can’t wrap my head around is how much right-wingers (Tories and Reform) claim to be about patriotism, putting the country first etc but sell off (has or would) all our vital infrastructure to foreign companies. Pound shop patriotism.

We'd really appreciate it if you could share action with your broader networks - including via WhatsApp. Once you've done the process yourself you will be given a whole range of sharing tools. Let's start to defund Zuckerberg!

Tax cuts whilst cutting public services and welfare is going down like a lead balloon.

Looks like the sentencing, like the law the Tories introduced, is about protecting profits over the protection of the planet. Ludicrous.

That ok?

Austerity refers to strict economic policies that a government puts in place to reduce its budget deficit. This usually involves cutting public spending, increasing taxes, or both. Measures are often introduced during times of crisis or when a country is in significant debt.

I’m solely talking about the cuts to welfare.

I’m sorry? Are you say that there aren’t £5bn in cuts?

Anything but wealth taxes - that’s the message from Labour. There isn’t anything left to ‘cut’ back on. Cutting public services to prosperity does not work otherwise we’d be doing well right now. No to austerity.

Continued austerity isn’t what people voted for. It really does seem that Labour will do anything other than introduce a wealth tax. It’s lunacy and I worry what comes after this Labour government.

Petition signed!

Saw this and it’s so true. In the U.K., the demonisation of paying tax needs to be reversed and the benefits promoted. I don’t mind paying tax as I know the alternative is bankruptcy and homelessness if you get sick. #uk #tax #nhs #socialisedhealthcare

In vast areas of the US, the sentiments expressed in this wonderful letter from a British man about why it's a privilege to pay tax to enable the National Health Service to run would see him probably certified as insane and labelled a "socialist".

Word of the day is ‘lickspittle’ (17th century): a person who fawns upon someone in power for personal gain.

I am disgusted at this backtracking on Climate commitments by some of the world's biggest polluters.
Those obligations were to make future generations more secure. But that doesn't increase profits for greedy shareholders.

#BlueskyResistance #Voices4Victory #ProudBlur
Advertisement at a London bus stop. Ya gotta love the British…

Carl Sagan’s prediction of America in his 1995 book, The Demon Haunted World. Prescient.

Busy week

Everyone I speak to speaks disparagingly of Trump and Musk yet the loudest mouths on the right of politics seem to think we share this idea that Trump and Musk are geniuses. Or should that be Jenius?