daveganicca.bsky.social
@daveganicca.bsky.social
Beginner botanist. Supporter of nature restoration and wilding. Lover of the outdoors and nature. Believer in fairness and opportunity. Secular Buddhist and vegan. Why not be kind?
Reposted by daveganicca.bsky.social
The important question is no longer whether the United States has the military capability to destroy. It is whether those tactical actions are moving the United States toward a defined political objective.
NEW from @markhertling.bsky.social:
NEW from @markhertling.bsky.social:
The Iran War Is Moving Too Fast for Washington to Keep Up
America’s friends, partners, and enemies are making decisions now without waiting for the Trump administration to respond.
lnk.thebulwark.com
September 16, 2026 at 2:42 PM
The important question is no longer whether the United States has the military capability to destroy. It is whether those tactical actions are moving the United States toward a defined political objective.
NEW from @markhertling.bsky.social:
NEW from @markhertling.bsky.social:
Reposted by daveganicca.bsky.social
In this video, @georgemonbiot.bsky.social and @marklynas.bsky.social go an adventure to watch bluefin tuna.
George explains how Atlantic bluefin tuna were fished to near-extinction — but now, are in recovery
Tell the UK Government: Defend bluefin tuna! Sign the petition: shorturl.at/fTY80
George explains how Atlantic bluefin tuna were fished to near-extinction — but now, are in recovery
Tell the UK Government: Defend bluefin tuna! Sign the petition: shorturl.at/fTY80
September 16, 2026 at 11:21 AM
In this video, @georgemonbiot.bsky.social and @marklynas.bsky.social go an adventure to watch bluefin tuna.
George explains how Atlantic bluefin tuna were fished to near-extinction — but now, are in recovery
Tell the UK Government: Defend bluefin tuna! Sign the petition: shorturl.at/fTY80
George explains how Atlantic bluefin tuna were fished to near-extinction — but now, are in recovery
Tell the UK Government: Defend bluefin tuna! Sign the petition: shorturl.at/fTY80
Reposted by daveganicca.bsky.social
Reform is the richest party in Britain.
Its leaders are almost all millionaires.
It is funded almost exclusively by billionaires.
It has a supportive TV station and widespread media backing.
So naturally, this donation comes with the usual attack on "elites".
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Its leaders are almost all millionaires.
It is funded almost exclusively by billionaires.
It has a supportive TV station and widespread media backing.
So naturally, this donation comes with the usual attack on "elites".
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Reform UK given record £36m donation by British crypto billionaire
Ben Delo was convicted in US for failing to implement adequate anti-money laundering controls but pardoned by Trump
www.theguardian.com
September 12, 2026 at 8:44 AM
Reform is the richest party in Britain.
Its leaders are almost all millionaires.
It is funded almost exclusively by billionaires.
It has a supportive TV station and widespread media backing.
So naturally, this donation comes with the usual attack on "elites".
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Its leaders are almost all millionaires.
It is funded almost exclusively by billionaires.
It has a supportive TV station and widespread media backing.
So naturally, this donation comes with the usual attack on "elites".
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Reposted by daveganicca.bsky.social
hurrah for the blackshorts!
The RNLI volunteer has told us that donations usually run at £20,000 per day. Currently running at £100,000 per day!
Bloody brilliant!
Bloody brilliant!
September 11, 2026 at 1:19 PM
hurrah for the blackshorts!
Reposted by daveganicca.bsky.social
One reason England does so well is our second generation immigrants outperform their peers which is not true in most OECD countries.
We are also very good at integration. And it's v sad that this is never acknowledge in debates on immigration.
We are also very good at integration. And it's v sad that this is never acknowledge in debates on immigration.
September 8, 2026 at 8:18 AM
One reason England does so well is our second generation immigrants outperform their peers which is not true in most OECD countries.
We are also very good at integration. And it's v sad that this is never acknowledge in debates on immigration.
We are also very good at integration. And it's v sad that this is never acknowledge in debates on immigration.
Reposted by daveganicca.bsky.social
My latest post examines the buildup to the Witkoff/Kushner visits to Moscow and Kyiv. There is no evidence of progress and won’t be until Putin is no longer sure that his troops are on the verge of victory. (£/free trial). samf.substack.com/p/can-putin-...?
Can Putin be persuaded he is not winning?
Towards a “hurting stalemate”
samf.substack.com
September 8, 2026 at 8:34 AM
My latest post examines the buildup to the Witkoff/Kushner visits to Moscow and Kyiv. There is no evidence of progress and won’t be until Putin is no longer sure that his troops are on the verge of victory. (£/free trial). samf.substack.com/p/can-putin-...?
Reposted by daveganicca.bsky.social
When I told my mates I wanted to be a water diviner, they gave me a bit of stick.
September 6, 2026 at 6:31 AM
When I told my mates I wanted to be a water diviner, they gave me a bit of stick.
Agreed!
This is genuinely superb. You can read it if you do the free trial. (And no, I am not on commission).
New post out:
The split between the Tories and Reform is disastrous for the right.
I look at the liklihood of possible resolutions: a pact, either party gaining dominance, a leadership change or the right-wing press picking a horse.
(£/free trial)
samf.substack.com/p/will-the-r...
The split between the Tories and Reform is disastrous for the right.
I look at the liklihood of possible resolutions: a pact, either party gaining dominance, a leadership change or the right-wing press picking a horse.
(£/free trial)
samf.substack.com/p/will-the-r...
September 5, 2026 at 5:43 PM
Agreed!
Reposted by daveganicca.bsky.social
A thread full of good questions for Nigel Farage
🧵1/ I worked in anti-corruption for years before becoming an MP.
Nigel Farage has serious questions to answer following the undercover investigation into Reform UK's fundraising practices.
This is now for the police and donations watchdog to resolve, but here is what I want to know:
Nigel Farage has serious questions to answer following the undercover investigation into Reform UK's fundraising practices.
This is now for the police and donations watchdog to resolve, but here is what I want to know:
Reform officials ‘plotted to break law on foreign donations’ in undercover film
Investigation broadcast by Channel 4 News shows man posing as ‘impermissible donor’ paying for polling that helped Reform
www.theguardian.com
September 4, 2026 at 2:21 PM
A thread full of good questions for Nigel Farage
Reposted by daveganicca.bsky.social
A little 36-hour Bluesky exclusive back-to-school offer on the substack....
25% off for your first year.
(Please feel free to share the link with friends not on here. Can also be used to buy gift subs for kids starting politics A-level / degrees....)
samf.substack.com/specialoffer
25% off for your first year.
(Please feel free to share the link with friends not on here. Can also be used to buy gift subs for kids starting politics A-level / degrees....)
samf.substack.com/specialoffer
Subscribe to Comment is Freed
Politics, policy analysis, and foreign affairs from Sam and Lawrence Freedman. Click to read Comment is Freed, a Substack publication with tens of thousands of subscribers.
samf.substack.com
September 3, 2026 at 8:21 AM
A little 36-hour Bluesky exclusive back-to-school offer on the substack....
25% off for your first year.
(Please feel free to share the link with friends not on here. Can also be used to buy gift subs for kids starting politics A-level / degrees....)
samf.substack.com/specialoffer
25% off for your first year.
(Please feel free to share the link with friends not on here. Can also be used to buy gift subs for kids starting politics A-level / degrees....)
samf.substack.com/specialoffer
Reposted by daveganicca.bsky.social
1976 felt like something exceptional - not just because it was my gap 9months before university - looks quite tame now.
Top seven UK Summer's by mean temperature:
1976: 15.70°C
2022: 15.71°C
2003: 15.74°C
2006: 15.75°C
2018: 15.76°C
2025: 16.10°C
2026: 16.50°C
#Climatecrisis
www.bbc.co.uk/weather/arti...
1976: 15.70°C
2022: 15.71°C
2003: 15.74°C
2006: 15.75°C
2018: 15.76°C
2025: 16.10°C
2026: 16.50°C
#Climatecrisis
www.bbc.co.uk/weather/arti...
Summer 2026 was UK's hottest on record, Met Office says
Met Office figures show that the previous record, set in 2025, has been broken after an unprecedented summer of persistent heat.
www.bbc.co.uk
September 1, 2026 at 2:41 PM
1976 felt like something exceptional - not just because it was my gap 9months before university - looks quite tame now.
This is excellent from @samfr.bsky.social though some of the comments in reply not so much.
We’re early in the innovation cycle for a new energy system I think-so still huge opportunity to reap savings,efficiencies,develop entirely new services/markets-with doubters on the wrong side of the curve
We’re early in the innovation cycle for a new energy system I think-so still huge opportunity to reap savings,efficiencies,develop entirely new services/markets-with doubters on the wrong side of the curve
New post:
With climate change now visible all around us opponents of action are changing tack.
Dismantling their new attacks helps identify a hidden structure in political argument that is often used to try and kill popular + necessary policies.
(£/free trial)
samf.substack.com/p/how-to-kil...
With climate change now visible all around us opponents of action are changing tack.
Dismantling their new attacks helps identify a hidden structure in political argument that is often used to try and kill popular + necessary policies.
(£/free trial)
samf.substack.com/p/how-to-kil...
How to kill a popular policy
Opposing action to tackle climate change is getting tricker.
samf.substack.com
August 30, 2026 at 8:07 PM
This is excellent from @samfr.bsky.social though some of the comments in reply not so much.
We’re early in the innovation cycle for a new energy system I think-so still huge opportunity to reap savings,efficiencies,develop entirely new services/markets-with doubters on the wrong side of the curve
We’re early in the innovation cycle for a new energy system I think-so still huge opportunity to reap savings,efficiencies,develop entirely new services/markets-with doubters on the wrong side of the curve
Reposted by daveganicca.bsky.social
New post from @ldfreedman.bsky.social
Is the Iran War the most stupid of all time?
By comparing it other stupid wars (Iraq, Suez) we can get a sense of the level of damage it could do the US in the long-run.
(£/free trial)
samf.substack.com/p/good-wars-...
Is the Iran War the most stupid of all time?
By comparing it other stupid wars (Iraq, Suez) we can get a sense of the level of damage it could do the US in the long-run.
(£/free trial)
samf.substack.com/p/good-wars-...
Good Wars, Bad Wars, and Stupid Wars
Could the war in Iran do even more damage to the US than Iraq?
samf.substack.com
August 27, 2026 at 8:48 AM
New post from @ldfreedman.bsky.social
Is the Iran War the most stupid of all time?
By comparing it other stupid wars (Iraq, Suez) we can get a sense of the level of damage it could do the US in the long-run.
(£/free trial)
samf.substack.com/p/good-wars-...
Is the Iran War the most stupid of all time?
By comparing it other stupid wars (Iraq, Suez) we can get a sense of the level of damage it could do the US in the long-run.
(£/free trial)
samf.substack.com/p/good-wars-...
Reposted by daveganicca.bsky.social
New post out answering questions from subscribers covering lots on Russia and Ukraine, UK military spending: pressure on Israel and its coming elections; the deadlock between US and Iran; and historical figures to challenge at croquet. (£/free trial), samf.substack.com/p/will-russi...?
Will Russia change course without a "cliff-edge" crisis? Will Netanyahu lose the Israeli election? How should we spend our defence budget?
Answering your questions
samf.substack.com
August 22, 2026 at 9:18 AM
New post out answering questions from subscribers covering lots on Russia and Ukraine, UK military spending: pressure on Israel and its coming elections; the deadlock between US and Iran; and historical figures to challenge at croquet. (£/free trial), samf.substack.com/p/will-russi...?
Reposted by daveganicca.bsky.social
I'd say "Something for nothing" culture is getting paid £100,000 a year of public money, plus expenses, for a job that you then fail to turn up to for months on end
August 20, 2026 at 7:54 AM
I'd say "Something for nothing" culture is getting paid £100,000 a year of public money, plus expenses, for a job that you then fail to turn up to for months on end
I think this is brilliant from @stephenkb.bsky.social and gets it exactly righ to me. Academic integrity and hiring standards are important things,very important - but so are kindness and understanding , basic humanity, and - vitally, equal treatment regardless of colour. We’re miles away from that
"One of his fellow professors at Cambridge, a historian, who is white, was reported by the FT to have been found to have copied more than 12 pages of an undergraduate’s work. He is still in post — fittingly for the social sciences, this is an experiment with a control." By @stephenkb.bsky.social:
The difficult truth about Jason Arday
From the beginning, investigations were accompanied by a cloud of excessive references to his race
www.ft.com
August 18, 2026 at 1:14 PM
I think this is brilliant from @stephenkb.bsky.social and gets it exactly righ to me. Academic integrity and hiring standards are important things,very important - but so are kindness and understanding , basic humanity, and - vitally, equal treatment regardless of colour. We’re miles away from that
Reposted by daveganicca.bsky.social
New post:
"Was Thatcher a Thatcherite?"
Much of what Thatcher (and New Labour) did was adapting to economic circumstances they didn't fully understand leading to outcomes they didn't expect.
And why we risk making the same mistakes again.
(£/free trial)
samf.substack.com/p/was-thatch...
"Was Thatcher a Thatcherite?"
Much of what Thatcher (and New Labour) did was adapting to economic circumstances they didn't fully understand leading to outcomes they didn't expect.
And why we risk making the same mistakes again.
(£/free trial)
samf.substack.com/p/was-thatch...
Was Thatcher a Thatcherite?
The hidden history of "neoliberalism" in Britain
samf.substack.com
August 15, 2026 at 8:36 AM
New post:
"Was Thatcher a Thatcherite?"
Much of what Thatcher (and New Labour) did was adapting to economic circumstances they didn't fully understand leading to outcomes they didn't expect.
And why we risk making the same mistakes again.
(£/free trial)
samf.substack.com/p/was-thatch...
"Was Thatcher a Thatcherite?"
Much of what Thatcher (and New Labour) did was adapting to economic circumstances they didn't fully understand leading to outcomes they didn't expect.
And why we risk making the same mistakes again.
(£/free trial)
samf.substack.com/p/was-thatch...
This seems right to me- he had resigned and was clearly vulnerable. So leave him alone and be kind- and switch your focus to asking questions of the institutions. So just sad
I think functionally all of the post-resignation coverage that was about him rather than Cambridge was excessive (e.g. this poisonous review of a book nobody is going to buy - why)
Jason Arday’s memoir is mawkish, self-aggrandising and hard to believe
The embattled former Cambridge professor’s autobiography, Great and Unfortunate Things, feels precision-tooled to flatter the biases of the sappiest white liberals
www.thetimes.com
August 15, 2026 at 10:45 AM
This seems right to me- he had resigned and was clearly vulnerable. So leave him alone and be kind- and switch your focus to asking questions of the institutions. So just sad
Reposted by daveganicca.bsky.social
The Haywain 2026
August 13, 2026 at 11:55 AM
The Haywain 2026
Reposted by daveganicca.bsky.social
So Ben Shapiro put out a video asking me to explain why his new Daily Wire movie is Islamophobic, challenged me to name more than 5 Hollywood movies with Muslim villains, & called me a "terror-hugger" & "spokesperson for Qatar."
Here's my response to Shapiro's gaslighting, with lots of receipts.
Here's my response to Shapiro's gaslighting, with lots of receipts.
Ben Shapiro Called Mehdi a ‘Terror Hugger.’ Mehdi Brings Receipts.
YouTube video by Zeteo
www.youtube.com
August 11, 2026 at 5:51 PM
So Ben Shapiro put out a video asking me to explain why his new Daily Wire movie is Islamophobic, challenged me to name more than 5 Hollywood movies with Muslim villains, & called me a "terror-hugger" & "spokesperson for Qatar."
Here's my response to Shapiro's gaslighting, with lots of receipts.
Here's my response to Shapiro's gaslighting, with lots of receipts.
Very good from @samfr.bsky.social on explaining the ins and outs of the,to me at least, complicated rules on immigration, and why we shouldn’t be talking about the ‘Boriswave’…
New post out:
"The myth of the 'Boriswave'"
The online right claim that the immigrants who arrived between 21-24 will bankrupt the country.
This isn't remotely true but they've created a mainstream panic that could lead us down a dangerous path.
(£/free trial)
samf.substack.com/p/the-myth-o...
"The myth of the 'Boriswave'"
The online right claim that the immigrants who arrived between 21-24 will bankrupt the country.
This isn't remotely true but they've created a mainstream panic that could lead us down a dangerous path.
(£/free trial)
samf.substack.com/p/the-myth-o...
The myth of the "Boriswave"
Over summer 2024 anonymous right-wing accounts on twitter, who support Reform or more extreme ethnonationalist parties, started using the term “Boriswave” to describe the brief but sharp rise in net m...
samf.substack.com
August 9, 2026 at 8:59 AM
Very good from @samfr.bsky.social on explaining the ins and outs of the,to me at least, complicated rules on immigration, and why we shouldn’t be talking about the ‘Boriswave’…
Reposted by daveganicca.bsky.social
Frum: The 20% who lived in the most pro-Trump places suffered 70,000 more COVID deaths than the 20% in the most pro-Biden places. Red America obeyed those who told them not to mask, not to vaccinate. They died for it. No, Fauci is not the villain here.
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...
Anthony Fauci Is Not the Villain in This Story
The doctor was thrust into his pandemic-leadership role because of Trump’s deadly dereliction of duty.
www.theatlantic.com
August 1, 2026 at 12:54 PM
Frum: The 20% who lived in the most pro-Trump places suffered 70,000 more COVID deaths than the 20% in the most pro-Biden places. Red America obeyed those who told them not to mask, not to vaccinate. They died for it. No, Fauci is not the villain here.
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...
‘In stage one we say nothing is going to happen.
Stage two, we say something may be about to happen, but we should do nothing about it.
In stage three, we say that maybe we should do something about it, but there's nothing we *can* do….
Stage two, we say something may be about to happen, but we should do nothing about it.
In stage three, we say that maybe we should do something about it, but there's nothing we *can* do….
You gotta think even Telegraph readers aren't buying this shit as their holiday home near Bordeaux goes up in flames...
Nighty night.
July 30, 2026 at 7:12 AM
‘In stage one we say nothing is going to happen.
Stage two, we say something may be about to happen, but we should do nothing about it.
In stage three, we say that maybe we should do something about it, but there's nothing we *can* do….
Stage two, we say something may be about to happen, but we should do nothing about it.
In stage three, we say that maybe we should do something about it, but there's nothing we *can* do….
Reposted by daveganicca.bsky.social
New post looks at whether or not Putin will move to a large-scale mobilisation. I consider the needs of the front and the extent of Russia’s recruitment crisis. (£/free trial) open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/w...?
Will Putin be forced to announce another mobilisation?
Like many people trying to follow the Russo-Ukraine War I spend a lot of time staring at maps of the front line.
open.substack.com
July 29, 2026 at 8:45 AM
New post looks at whether or not Putin will move to a large-scale mobilisation. I consider the needs of the front and the extent of Russia’s recruitment crisis. (£/free trial) open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/w...?
Yay… take good news where I can find it…
First time Reform has lost the lead with any pollster since mid-April 2025
Our latest voting intention sees cross over. Labour move ahead by 4. Their first lead since March 2025 & highest share since Nov 24
🌹 LAB 28% (+4) ⏩ REF 24% (-2) 🌳 CON 22% (nc) 🔶 LIB DEM 12% (+1) 🟢 GREEN 8% (-3) 🟡 SNP 2% (nc)
N = 2061| Dates 24-27/7| Change w 22/7
🌹 LAB 28% (+4) ⏩ REF 24% (-2) 🌳 CON 22% (nc) 🔶 LIB DEM 12% (+1) 🟢 GREEN 8% (-3) 🟡 SNP 2% (nc)
N = 2061| Dates 24-27/7| Change w 22/7
July 27, 2026 at 3:47 PM
Yay… take good news where I can find it…