David Frier

If you have any professional or cultural interest in Brazil or are just concerned about democracy in that country and the environmental future of the planet, please consider signing this open letter in support of Lula da Silva for relection as President this weekend. forms.gle/Uia4Jyo1yAFj...

'One-income families', eh? A return to the days of the woman unable to leave a broken marriage for economic reasons? If that is not the intention, that might well be the outcome...

@jesszafarris.com @robwords.com This will interest the two of you since Rob brought it up in last week's "Words Unravelled".

What a load of crap! You cannot compromise on this particular issue: either that march goes down the Garvaghy Road or it does not. And, as for nobody in N. Ireland wanting to go back 28 years, just what makes you think that is a fair description of the Orange Order?

Well, since I don't have any kids it's easy for me to say, but I would not want any children of mine to be forced to sing an explicitly anti-Scottish song which requires voluntary self-abasement before an unelected ruler and the continuation of British imperialism. Call me a Leftie if you want: I am

Oh, my goodness. These look like the famous shot of Daleks on Westminster Bridge in London in the 1960s. But this is real life, not sci-fi.

In which the UK's self-proclaimed Prime Minister in waiting announces his intention to force the RNLI to conduct criminal investigations on people drowning at sea before actually pulling them out of the water. 'Let them all drown' is the motto. Just let that sink in.

Very sad...

This whole thread is well worth reading and sharing onwards. Thanks to Richard Haviland for forwarding it.

And these people have the barefaced cheek to talk about the UK being 'invaded' while they get to lead their balaclaved fascist militias through city centres?

Reform could not give out seats in the Lords because their donors are almost entirely from outside the UK. The donors would not be eligible to take their seats. This is pseudo-democracy, and not one word of questioning the very existence or functioning of the upper House, which is far more important

This is a female protestor being physically manhandled by conference participants at the Reform UK Rally, ahem, conference, in Birmingham yesterday, while Farage mocks her. On the day when his party and he himself were exposed as law breakers, he presides over the actions of the fascist mob.

Richard is citing here an earlier post from Andrew Sparrow, which said "Reform UK says it would declare 'national emergency' on day one in power, not letting judges or officials 'get in our way'". Precisely. Any parallels to Germany in 1933 are, of course, entirely coincidental.

A powerful statement here. I am not sure I am 100% in agreement with all that is said, but, as one other person remarked, plenty people in Ireland are talking about Andy Burnham's recent dismissal of a border poll. But then Irish opinion never really counted for much in the UK...

An important message about humans in opposition to AI here... it sounds like there is some hope for us carbon-based lifeforms after all! (Provided we are prepared to put our faith in our own bodies, that is.) Thanks to Alec Mackinnon for posting this.

Tee hee... childish, I know, but I kind of liked it.

I do find it rather amusing that Farage's knowledge of naval matters extends to sticking huge maritime mammals on the top of Royal Navy boats. No wonder the vessels are too high!!

This is what we are dealing with today. And we are seeing the fruits of the pronouncements of Musk, Tommy Robinson and all the other vile racists today in places like Glasgow Green on Saturday. It comes down to the local level. Everywhere. So it needs to be combatted everywhere.

If these allegations are true, this is a very serious incident indeed. No European country should be allowing the diplomats of the USA to arbitrarily determine who is or is not a security threat on the soil of the host country.

Excellent news that Colin Bramwell's Scots translations of Fernando Pessoa have won the Oxford Weidenfeld translation prize for this year. 'Fower Pessoas' was a wonderful read: I recommend it heartily. @billykayscot.bsky.social. www.carcanet.co.uk/978180017464...

Worth bearing in mind in view of the events in Belfast overnight (and all the pop-up protests elsewhere around the UK organised by chancers like Tommy Robinson). Outrage can be selective at times.

Indeed...

'Predictive policing'? This sounds suspiciously like racial profiling to me. And Starmer is still wanting to pass huge sections of the UK public sector over to Palantir? (Palantir, which is owned by arch-right winger Peter Thiel, remember...)

Yes, well said, Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez.

I'm honestly not having a go at Plaid Cymru politically (and there probably is an issue there about rail funding in Wales), but why have they located their party at the very northern tip of the Scottish mainland? Should they not be out canvassing in Wales?

Brilliant!!

This is a very powerful read about the present international crisis. Jonathan Cook has good qualifications to comment in depth on the whole Israel/Iran/Gaza/Lebanon/USA imbroglio that threatens to engulf us all.

An interesting and provocative piece here. Is the author overstating the case? I honestly don't know, but it is worth hearing the pushback against Starmer's pseudo-statesmanlike posturing in Munich. He certainly didn't go there as a disciple of Chamberlain. I think we can say that much at least.

Well worth reading on current events in Iran. I have no idea how the big demonstration in Berlin at the weekend went. I am afraid I have seen absolutely no news coverage of it, but there has to be a third way between the present disastrous regime and the US-led re-imposition of the old monarchy.

Indeed... and scroll down below the comment here by James to see what this is specifically referring to (the latest pronouncements from UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, if you need to know in advance).

Wow. This is powerful. Please pass this on widely.

Personally I am against the slogan 'Globalise the intifada', whatever Tactchell may say about the meaning of the word in Arabic. The problem is what it has come to mean for many in English, on both sides of this dispute. But the words 'Non-vioient resistance' seem transparent to me in their meaning?

See the comment below from Richard Haviland (@rfhaviland.bsky.social). I reproduce Lord Frost's actual comments in a screenshot here.

These are the thoughts of Shabana Mahmood, currently Home Secretary in the UK. Bringing in nineteenth-century moral philosophers sounds very positive... but then look at the detail of what she is proposing: essentially predicting who will be deemed as criminals before the event.

It's always worth knowing the historical context around events in countries which we only tend to hear about in negative terms... and not least when we are talking about legacies of imperial hubris.

Indeed... for those of us who try to engage our brains to conduct a bit of critical reading of journalistic language, this barely requires further commentary. Sadly, there are many who are probably fooled by this type of doublespeak from the BBC and other media outlets.

Worth signing if you are a UK citizen. Please feel free to sign and share.

Mustn't offend the Donald, eh?

In which even the Secretary General of the United Nations plays shy of openly condemning Trump's aggressive and illegal attack on Venezuela yesterday, as well as the kidnapping and abduction of the country's President and his wife.

Wonderful... and touching from Len Pennie. Happy New Year, a'body!

Yes... precisely that!

Why not, Mr. Starmer?

Ignore experience and bow to dogma and prejudice.

On the creation of 'unanimity'...

Some strong language here, but the sentiments expressed seem totally justified to me.

Anas Sarwar gives Lord Offord of Reform UK a total dressing down on TV last night.

Nigel Farage ('Not a racist'). Nigel Farage ('Not a racist'). Nigel Farage ('Not a racist'). No more convincing than Father Ted was thirty years ago...

Tee hee... the spirit of satire is not dead.

Ah, delightful: the latest from the White House....

Strong language, but this is very powerful...