Anita Howarth

Is this really what Conservativism stands for? Are others in the party okay with this cultural vandalism? Badenoch is once again contradicting herself and the values of her party 3/3

Why should students in other parts of the world be able to study these texts, but those living in the country that gave birth to them not? How is that love for your country and its culture? 2/3

I'm confused. Why would a study of the great texts written in your mother tongue be a 'rip-off degree' for a party that claims to love British culture and all Britain stands for? 1/2

We'd retain our sanity and decency

I like that combo. It's the circulation of air that is critical

Well put

I'm in a terraced house built to keep heat in. Have 2 fans blowing giving a cross breeze when I'm downstairs then take them up to the bedroom at night. Close the curtains to stop the sun coming in. And that combo brings temps down 3-4 degrees and manageable

As a South African living here for over 20 years: the droll, dry and self-depreciating humour.

Agree wholeheartedly. I, for one, would appreciate a lot less sound and fury politics and much more patience and due process. It makes for better decision-making and better policies. Enough of the cheap point-scoring. Time for serious people doing serious work

Thank you. performative hysteria is a good way of summing up the British press approach. Refreshing to have a respite from it

bsky.app/profile/hear...
Brilliant!

Ditto. "These isolationists confuse coercion with power and cooperation with weakness, when in truth it is more or less the other way around. Coercion and violence are what you resort to when you have failed ... our power lies in cooperation and connection ..."

I also get a sense that his style is more closed doors and measured speech and a distaste for drama. Agree that Starmer going on Mon matters.

Great idea. Please do add me to the list

The thread is excellent. Finally some sense and a way to navigate the impediments to debating immigration. Much better than vacating that space of public conversation leaving it to the radical or extreme right

Starmer’s Berlin trip was a real success. But let’s not confuse Germany with the EU | Helene von Bismarck If the British prime minister wants a closer relationship with the EU, he needs to go to Brussels, not just Berlin and Paris says the German historian Helene von Bismarck

This article injects some much-needed sense and nuance into the sometimes bizarre world of diplomatic reporting. Well worth a read by @helenebismarck.bsky.social on when the normal seems abnormal and the importance of making the best of a bad situation.

How Kamala Harris became Donald Trump’s supertroll and found his weak spot Since the vice president became the Democratic presidential candidate there has been a sharp change of tactic: turn Donald Trump and his team into a laughing stock. Alex Hannaford meets the woman who ...

A useful read for those into political communication esp on how Democrats are using the strategy set out by Bitecofer in "Hit 'em where it hurts". Memes do not always use humour and when they do it can flop, but when the combo works it can be powerful esp when mixes factually accurate + humour

This is excellent. Difficulty is that he has insinuated his way onto news platforms.

Even if you don’t enjoy travel books, this is for you. One of the most remarkable and interesting men of the 20th century, an extraordinary adventure, and a fascinating and unique culture now long swept away by the sands of time (cliche alert!).

Horrifying [in972mag]
That the attacks are "intended to harm Palestinian civil society: to create a shock that will lead civilians to put pressure on Hamas,” is the exact definition of terrorism. Israel is committing a stated campaign of state terrorism.
[h/t RJackson] www.972mag.com/mass-assassi...

Hillingdon Herald
"It is with great sadness that we announce our beloved colleague at Brunel University, Professor Benjamin Zephaniah, has died. Benjamin died in the early hours of this morning, December 7. Benjamin was diagnosed with a brain tumour 8 weeks ago. He was an inspiration to us all.

Don't forget the small joys of British life A recent family visit reminded me of the British traditions designed to lift our spirits

This from Marie Le Conte is delightful. I've lived in London for 20 years and had forgotten the novelty of these small British traditions. Good to be reminded on a grim December morning

Under the snappy title News, I’ve started curating a list of top level information providers across a range of subject areas - journalists, academics, opinion formers…

· Event: Representing climate change: Problems and challenges for the 4th Estate”
· Date: Thursday 7 December 2023
· Time: 1pm – 2pm (UK Time), please check time difference for your country. ·
Link to register: events.teams.microsoft.com/event/2a9114...

Katherine Rundell · Consider the Golden Mole

News that a “bashful golden mole” has been discovered in South Africa after 87 years is sufficient excuse to post one of my favourite LRB pieces. www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...

· Event: Representing climate change: Problems and challenges for the 4th Estate”
· Date: Thursday 7 December 2023
· Time: 1pm – 2pm (UK Time), please check time difference for your country. ·
Link to register: events.teams.microsoft.com/event/2a9114...

A big part of growing up in South Africa was seeing the blue whales in Hermanus, a couple of hours' drive from Cape Town. Great news tihs😍😍

Image is a screenshot of the front cover of the book “Dementia-Friendly Communities: Why We Need Them and How We Can Create Them” by Susan H. McFadden, PhD

There’s been a noticeable uptick in politically-charged work on dementia in sociology and psychology in recent years.

I’m halfway through this book and feeling even more strongly that philosophy is far behind other disciplines on this.

Fascinating talk by Hauke Riesche at @brunelsmcj.bsky.social yesterday on a paper he + others published. Argues a research program on the Public Understanding of Social Science "cannot take the paradigm developed for the natural sciences and apply this unproblematically to the social sciences".