Best Of

It's very amusing to here all the advise for the Tories from non-tories. Anyone would think the panic about Reform was growing. Yet only the other day some were posting that Reform had peaked. Indeed I doubt they can get much beyond 33/5% and probably less. However, it's also quite possibly true tha the Labour bottom is not yet there. All very funny.

You do always get that. Eg Reform/Tory supporters say Labour have to do Reform/Tory things to save themselves. Ultra Conservatives say the Dems must ditch the social justice agenda if they are ever to regain the WH. And (tbf and to show what an objective cove I am) people like me say if they have any sense the Cons should tack back to One Nation moderation.

I always find the World is a happier place when run by Centrists either to the centre left (my preference) or the centre right, which is why I would always recommend centrism over fascism, be that Russian fascism, Trump fascism or schoolboy anti-Semitic, racist fascism.

In Italy for thirty years under the Borgias, they had warfare, terror, murder, and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland, they had brotherly love, they had five hundred years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock.

One of my theories of the New Radicalism is that its leaders are bored, frustrated, wannabe Men Of Action. Yes, I am looking at you, Glasman. And you, Farage.

Whereas for your average person, varying shades of Butskellism have turned out to be more effective at delivering better lives to more people more sustainably than anything else anyone has come up with.

Butskellism made things (ok forget Dr Beeching) Faragism just breaks things. The irony is by breaking things; curtailing EU membership leading to the Boriswave he becomes more popular. It's like a political Stockholm Syndrome.

Butler wasn’t responsible for Beeching. Marples was the bounder who helped destroy our railway system for personal gain.

English Heritage admits promoting ‘nonsense’ theory about Christmas
Charity apologises over widely discredited theory that Roman Empire repurposed sun god festival
...
In a now-deleted post on X, the social media platform, on Wednesday, English Heritage wrote: “Why do we celebrate Christmas on 25 December? It was celebrated by the Romans as the birth of the sun god, Sol Invictus. After the Roman Empire converted to Christianity, it was changed into a Christian holy day, and parts of the winter festivals were brought together.”

The claim is widely discredited among historians, because the evidence for Sol Invictus being celebrated on December 25 appears later than the first records of Christians saying Christ was born on the date.
...
In the early 3rd century, Hippolytus of Rome and Sextus Julius Africanus dated the birth of Christ to December 25 by adding nine months – the term of a pregnancy – to March 25.
...
A spokesman for English Heritage said: “We quickly realised we got this wrong and deleted the posts.”
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/12/17/english-heritage-promoting-nonsense-theory-christmas-jesus/ (£££)

Sol Invictus was I believe a cult propagated by late-Empire pagans to counter Christianity.

Mithras's birthday was also 25 December, and I am not sure who decided the Incarnation happened on 25 March. The fact that Christmas llis 6bmonths after Midsummer probably has more to do with it, as a popular midwinter festival

Mithras' birthday was not on the 25th (the god from which the Mithraic cult derived was in any case not 'born' in any classical sense, but rather emerged from rock). The idea it was was due to a confusion with - ironically - the Sol Invictus cult.

The reason 25th December was fixed on as the day of Jesus' birth is because it was believed in the late Roman Empire that people died on the same day they were conceived. As Passover for the relevant year (which they wrongly thought was 33AD) was on the 25th March, they made that the Feast of the Annunciation and added nine months to get the date of Jesus' birth.

Hence why medieval Christian calendars started the new year on March 25th.

Bit more on Mithras here if you're interested:

https://historyforatheists.com/2016/12/the-great-myths-2-christmas-mithras-and-paganism/

Blimey that is prolix, it's longer than one of Cyclefree's headers.

I'm not sure Mithras/Sol is down to "confusion" he does seem to have been regarded as some sort of solar deity. Having a solar festival midwinter makes a lot of sense

Not really. I mean, anyone doing sun worship (or as I shall now always think of it, a @malcolmg impression) right now would not be getting anything back for their pains.

It's very amusing to here all the advise for the Tories from non-tories. Anyone would think the panic about Reform was growing. Yet only the other day some were posting that Reform had peaked. Indeed I doubt they can get much beyond 33/5% and probably less. However, it's also quite possibly true tha the Labour bottom is not yet there. All very funny.

You do always get that. Eg Reform/Tory supporters say Labour have to do Reform/Tory things to save themselves. Ultra Conservatives say the Dems must ditch the social justice agenda if they are ever to regain the WH. And (tbf and to show what an objective cove I am) people like me say if they have any sense the Cons should tack back to One Nation moderation.

I always find the World is a happier place when run by Centrists either to the centre left (my preference) or the centre right, which is why I would always recommend centrism over fascism, be that Russian fascism, Trump fascism or schoolboy anti-Semitic, racist fascism.

Yep, left orientated social democracy, mixed economy, progressive tax and spend, equal rights, internationalist, free chocolate hobnobs, is the End of History.

Chocolate Hobnobs?

Landslide for left orientated social democracy incoming!

It's very amusing to here all the advise for the Tories from non-tories. Anyone would think the panic about Reform was growing. Yet only the other day some were posting that Reform had peaked. Indeed I doubt they can get much beyond 33/5% and probably less. However, it's also quite possibly true tha the Labour bottom is not yet there. All very funny.

You do always get that. Eg Reform/Tory supporters say Labour have to do Reform/Tory things to save themselves. Ultra Conservatives say the Dems must ditch the social justice agenda if they are ever to regain the WH. And (tbf and to show what an objective cove I am) people like me say if they have any sense the Cons should tack back to One Nation moderation.

I always find the World is a happier place when run by Centrists either to the centre left (my preference) or the centre right, which is why I would always recommend centrism over fascism, be that Russian fascism, Trump fascism or schoolboy anti-Semitic, racist fascism.

Yep, left orientated social democracy, mixed economy, progressive tax and spend, equal rights, internationalist, free chocolate hobnobs, is the End of History.

Chocolate hobnobs? Easy now. You’ll be referred to Prevent

The king of biscuits.

"Congratulations to President Kennedy"

https://x.com/PressSec/status/2001717032191168839

I have just been informed that the highly respected Board of the Kennedy Center, some of the most successful people from all parts of the world, have just voted unanimously to rename the Kennedy Center to the Trump-Kennedy Center, because of the unbelievable work President Trump has done over the last year in saving the building. Not only from the standpoint of its reconstruction, but also financially, and its reputation. Congratulations to President Donald J. Trump, and likewise, congratulations to President Kennedy, because this will be a truly great team long into the future! The building will no doubt attain new levels of success and grandeur.

If I was on the board I’d probably vote to change the name. Ultimately it doesn’t matter, makes him look ridiculous and will be changed back in 3 years or so. But if you vote against it you have a vengeful president to deal with.

Pick your battles

They muted board members who wanted to vote against. It's also illegal to change the name, as if that mattered.

It's very amusing to here all the advise for the Tories from non-tories. Anyone would think the panic about Reform was growing. Yet only the other day some were posting that Reform had peaked. Indeed I doubt they can get much beyond 33/5% and probably less. However, it's also quite possibly true tha the Labour bottom is not yet there. All very funny.

You do always get that. Eg Reform/Tory supporters say Labour have to do Reform/Tory things to save themselves. Ultra Conservatives say the Dems must ditch the social justice agenda if they are ever to regain the WH. And (tbf and to show what an objective cove I am) people like me say if they have any sense the Cons should tack back to One Nation moderation.

I always find the World is a happier place when run by Centrists either to the centre left (my preference) or the centre right, which is why I would always recommend centrism over fascism, be that Russian fascism, Trump fascism or schoolboy anti-Semitic, racist fascism.

Yep, left orientated social democracy, mixed economy, progressive tax and spend, equal rights, internationalist, free chocolate hobnobs, is the End of History.

Chocolate hobnobs? Easy now. You’ll be referred to Prevent

It's very amusing to here all the advise for the Tories from non-tories. Anyone would think the panic about Reform was growing. Yet only the other day some were posting that Reform had peaked. Indeed I doubt they can get much beyond 33/5% and probably less. However, it's also quite possibly true tha the Labour bottom is not yet there. All very funny.

You do always get that. Eg Reform/Tory supporters say Labour have to do Reform/Tory things to save themselves. Ultra Conservatives say the Dems must ditch the social justice agenda if they are ever to regain the WH. And (tbf and to show what an objective cove I am) people like me say if they have any sense the Cons should tack back to One Nation moderation.

I always find the World is a happier place when run by Centrists either to the centre left (my preference) or the centre right, which is why I would always recommend centrism over fascism, be that Russian fascism, Trump fascism or schoolboy anti-Semitic, racist fascism.

In Italy for thirty years under the Borgias, they had warfare, terror, murder, and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland, they had brotherly love, they had five hundred years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock.

One of my theories of the New Radicalism is that its leaders are bored, frustrated, wannabe Men Of Action. Yes, I am looking at you, Glasman. And you, Farage.

Whereas for your average person, varying shades of Butskellism have turned out to be more effective at delivering better lives to more people more sustainably than anything else anyone has come up with.

There must be a book to be written about how societies that had brilliant, charismatic, leaders, and immense cultural achievements - completely destroyed themselves. Late Republican Rome, Renaissance Italy, Classical Hellas, are the go-to examples.

I hope we've all digested this story: https://www.theverge.com/news/847159/trump-media-tae-technologies-merger-nuclear-fusion

Trump Media is merging with a nuclear fusion company. Of course they are.

His other businesses were a mess and, whilst wealthy, not as valuable as he would claim. Trump Media has been a real godsend for him, he really leveraged being President to make money.

In spades. "Ask not what you can do in the White House for the country, ask what being in the White House can do for you."

On the plus side, he'll be dead before he manages to use all his corruptly gotten gains.

On the downside, his children appear to be as awful as him.

Worse.

It is difficult to contemplate, but DT does have the redeeming feature that he is not DT Jr