Sign in

Chris Dickenson

@cpdickenson.bsky.social
1.5K followers 414 following 2.2K posts

Ancient historian/archaeologist. British. Live in the Netherlands. Hobbies: reading (obviously!), writing fiction, music (pop/Classical), painting miniatures. Tentatively getting back into blogging: thefourthsophistic.wordpress.com

PostsRepliesMedia
Chris Dickenson @cpdickenson.bsky.social · 2h
Wtf?! John Rentoul celebrating a PM trying to turn the Brexit tide and claiming credit for making it happen?!! Surely this can’t be the same John Rentoul who worked so hard to normalise Johnson’s lurch to the right and actually called him the “heir to Blair” www.independent.co.uk/voices/burnh...
independent.co.uk
Victory for The Independent! The PM has broken the spell on Europe
By saying that all options for Britain’s future with the EU are back on the table – including rejoining – the prime minister has supercharged the Brexit debate, says John Rentoul
000
Reposted by Chris Dickenson
Chris Dickenson @cpdickenson.bsky.social · 5h
The only reason Trump ran again was to put himself beyond the law. HIs side cried “lawfare” and said his opponents were playing the legal system for political ends. The truth is he was playing the political system to get away with criminality.
001
Reposted by Chris Dickenson
Mourning NAVALNY😢 @jan-readsalot.bsky.social · 23h
I can’t wait for this day.
312149893425
Chris Dickenson @cpdickenson.bsky.social · 5h
Is this all based on current voting intentions? If so it could be massively inaccurate. FPTP effectively forces a large part of the electorate to vote tactically. PR wouldn’t just make voting fairer it would also most likely dramatically impact who people vote for www.theguardian.com/politics/ng-...
theguardian.com
How could Great Britain look under proportional representation? See the results for your area
These visualisations from exclusive polling modelling show how the UK parliament could change under different voting systems
010
Reposted by Chris Dickenson
Ben Franklin’s ghost @ben-franklin-ghost.bsky.social · 23h
They (GOP) know this to be true and it will always be true.
336131183863
Chris Dickenson @cpdickenson.bsky.social · 15h
Been using Google Scholar for about two decade and Google still hasn’t bothered to make its “sort by date” function work properly. It’s useless. Normal search hundreds of articles and books presented by relevance (I.e. randomly!). Sorry by date? Suddenly less than five.
001
Reposted by Chris Dickenson
Mike Switzer (he/him) @kidornery.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
I believe a President should be impeached every time they commit an impeachable act
1182683477
Reposted by Chris Dickenson
Paul Marvin @paulmarvin.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
38185723078
Reposted by Chris Dickenson
Tea Pain @teapainusa.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
The current occupant desecrated it years ago.
97960591390
Reposted by Chris Dickenson
Chris Dickenson @cpdickenson.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
The question that’s more to the point is why a man who’s doing everything he can to dismantle US democracy is allowed to be in the White House.
3355
Reposted by Chris Dickenson
Schooley @schooley.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Go on. Keep proving the point of the documentary, fellas.
apple.news
The Major Social Media Platforms Are All Rejecting Paid Ads for 'Musk' (Exclusive) — The Hollywood Reporter
The Alex Gibney doc has received denials from YouTube, Meta, TikTok and X on running the trailer. Its U.S. distributor is appealing.
763614944
Reposted by Chris Dickenson
Mark Chadbourn @chadbourn.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
The MAGA US Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle has blurted out how America interferes in European politics. At a private dinner in Athens in March 2026, Guilfoyle said of the collapse of the Romanian government: “We can do that to any country we want. We can do that here”, the WSJ reports.
26427190
Chris Dickenson @cpdickenson.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
On second thoughts my own opposition to it all is also about self interest. I know my life would be immeasurably worse living in the far right hellscape that he is trying to inflict on the world.
010
Chris Dickenson @cpdickenson.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
And why has approval rating slipped? Gas prices and grocery prices. It is so depressing that in spite of the assault on democracy, the blatant corruption and his total lack of dignity and intelligence the only thing that shifts the polls is self interest www.theguardian.com/news/ng-inte...
theguardian.com
‘The weaker he gets, the more dangerous he gets’: Trump lashes out as his power wanes
Trump tries to dominate at the UN as his approval ratings plummet and even some Republicans distance themselves from him
020
Reposted by Chris Dickenson
Mark Chadbourn @chadbourn.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
New poll: 59% of Democrats would react positively to a military takeover removing Trump “to safeguard the Constitution”, compared with 28% negatively. 86% reacted positively to impeachment and removal and 84% to use of the 25th Amendment.
Chart showing all poll responses
55367144
Reposted by Chris Dickenson
Peter Stefanovic @peterstefanovic.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
If only there was some way of knowing why Nigel Farage is so against a new national centre to tackle disinformation and deepfakes from hostile states such as Russia
791341380
Reposted by Chris Dickenson
Chris Dickenson @cpdickenson.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Super intelligence? Compared to Donald Trump my first ZX Spectrum had super intelligence.
031
Chris Dickenson @cpdickenson.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
It’s not all Putin? No it’s not. A large part of it is the US, Trump and probably even more so Musk and others stoking it up through social media. Not that the piece is arguing that. It ignores rhe elephant and says apart from Purin the problem is hkme grown www.independent.co.uk/voices/andy-...
independent.co.uk
Andy Burnham is wrong to think Russia alone is behind the far right’s rise
As hundreds of anti-migrant protesters descended on the seaside down of Gosport, the PM used the biggest weapon he has, the world stage, to target the Kremlin’s campaign of disinformation, but he must...
010
Reposted by Chris Dickenson
The Mouthy Renegade Writer @mouthyrenegade.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Remember when we had a NORMAL president who wasn't an ill-mannered, lazy, unintelligent child rapist? Damn, I miss that.
17376202261
Reposted by Chris Dickenson
Chris Dickenson @cpdickenson.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Really is déjà vu. Exactly how the press responded with Starmer. It’s no achievement to get him to be friendly. He’ll be nice as long as he thinks the UK’s grovelling at his feet and turn nasty the minute there’s pushback against his antidemocratic imperialism www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/poli...
independent.co.uk
Nervous Burnham will be relieved his high stakes Trump meeting was a success
The prime minister passed his first major diplomatic test in his meeting with the erratic US president, but there were warning signs it might not all be plain sailing, writes Kate Devlin in New York
022
Chris Dickenson @cpdickenson.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
The way to measure a UK prime minister’s success with Trump isn’t how many smiles he got out of him. It’s how well has he managed to protect the UK from the spread of his antidemocratic agenda. Starmer was at his best when Trump had turned against him.
020
Chris Dickenson @cpdickenson.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Really is déjà vu. Exactly how the press responded with Starmer. It’s no achievement to get him to be friendly. He’ll be nice as long as he thinks the UK’s grovelling at his feet and turn nasty the minute there’s pushback against his antidemocratic imperialism www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/poli...
independent.co.uk
Nervous Burnham will be relieved his high stakes Trump meeting was a success
The prime minister passed his first major diplomatic test in his meeting with the erratic US president, but there were warning signs it might not all be plain sailing, writes Kate Devlin in New York
022
Chris Dickenson @cpdickenson.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Super intelligence? Compared to Donald Trump my first ZX Spectrum had super intelligence.
031
Chris Dickenson @cpdickenson.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Was bad enough that Duolingo was making me use the word “kids” instead of “children” the whole time but now it forced me to translate a Greek sentence meaning “my mistake” as “my bad”. Feels yucky.
000
Reposted by Chris Dickenson
Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Everything the pro-Trump billionaire Ellison family will now own: Paramount+ CBS CNN Showtime HBO Warner Bros TNT TBS MTV DC Studios Nickelodeon Comedy Central And more... With this comes the power to decide which stories get told, but more importantly, which stories DON'T get told. Shameful.
47371673219
Chris Dickenson @cpdickenson.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
It’s deja vu time. Despite all the evidence of the last two years are we really still telling ourselves that if Burnham can get Trump to smile and laugh he’ll have played him brilliantly and it’ll be a win for Britain?
010
Chris Dickenson @cpdickenson.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Burnham can’t afford his meeting with Trump going badly? The UK cant afford to go on believing in the delusion that friendship with Trump is possible. Subjection or enmity or the only two options on the table. The first option is not in the country’s interests www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/poli...
independent.co.uk
Burnham cannot afford for his first Trump meeting to go badly
Sir Keir Starmer’s relationship with the US president started brightly before rapidly turning sour. Andy Burnham will be hoping he can make a good impression, writes Kate Devlin, who says his ability ...
000
Chris Dickenson @cpdickenson.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Starmer’s relationship with Trump started brightly and then went sour? No. It started with abject sycophancy, gained nothing but some friendly smiles and then the price of the friendship became too high and Starmer, thankfully refused to go on paying it. www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/poli...
independent.co.uk
Burnham cannot afford for his first Trump meeting to go badly
Sir Keir Starmer’s relationship with the US president started brightly before rapidly turning sour. Andy Burnham will be hoping he can make a good impression, writes Kate Devlin, who says his ability ...
110
Reposted by Chris Dickenson
Chris Dickenson @cpdickenson.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Journalists who ask British PMs if Trump can be trusted know the true answer. They also know the PM can’t possibly give an honest answer. He’s in an impossible situation. Journalists, howerver, are not in an impossible situation and they should be honest about Trumps antidemocratic agenda.
022
Chris Dickenson @cpdickenson.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Journalists who ask British PMs if Trump can be trusted know the true answer. They also know the PM can’t possibly give an honest answer. He’s in an impossible situation. Journalists, howerver, are not in an impossible situation and they should be honest about Trumps antidemocratic agenda.
022
Chris Dickenson @cpdickenson.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
What blatant nonsense. Trump has proven again and again he’s trying to spread his antidemocratic agenda abroad and particularly to Britain. He’s also treated allies—Canada, Denmark, Ukraine—atrociously. Of course he can’t be trusted www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/poli...
independent.co.uk
UK politics latest: Burnham insists he can ‘trust’ Trump ahead of first meeting
Andy Burnham said the special relationship was as strong as ever
000
Chris Dickenson @cpdickenson.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Below 30%?! How more than one in four people can approve of him defies belief. That his approval rating is in double figures defies belief. How can anybody approve of him? www.newsweek.com/donald-trump...
newsweek.com
Donald Trump's approval rating hits all time low
The new poll showed Trump struggling to win voters over on the economy, with over 70 percent believing it was getting worse.
000
Reposted by Chris Dickenson
The Liberal BoJack @thelibbojack.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Trump says, "the Press" is the enemy of the people. Guess who else said the same exact thing? Hitler, Stalin, and Mousolini. Post Anything Here: InteractInk.com
920360
Chris Dickenson @cpdickenson.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Can’t read it because of the paywall but I wonder if considers driving wedges between the UK and Europe, pushing the UK closer to Trump and a Reform government and the general far right assault on democracy that’s already been going on ever since Brexit www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...
independent.co.uk
All the ways Putin could attack UK with devastating consequences
As it is revealed that drones are targeting Britain’s military bases almost daily, leaving the UK vulnerable to growing threats from Russia and Iran, defence expert Francis Tusa explains how and where...
000
Chris Dickenson @cpdickenson.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Can’t read it because of the paywall but I wonder if considers driving wedges between the UK and Europe, pushing the UK closer to Trump and a Reform government and the general far right assault on democracy that’s already been going on ever since Brexit www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...
independent.co.uk
All the ways Putin could attack UK with devastating consequences
As it is revealed that drones are targeting Britain’s military bases almost daily, leaving the UK vulnerable to growing threats from Russia and Iran, defence expert Francis Tusa explains how and where...
000
Chris Dickenson @cpdickenson.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Trump’s regime is all about playing politics to get away with corruption. Yet the Democrats let them get away with saying they’re the ones playing the legal system for political ends!
000
Reposted by Chris Dickenson
Professor Darkness @professordarkness.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
436118942860
Reposted by Chris Dickenson
George Conway ⚖️🇺🇸 @gtconway.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
And a malignant narcissist is a narcissist who ends up trying to destroy everything he hasn’t contributed to and isn’t entitled to. ht: @narceducator.bsky.social
275108063183
Chris Dickenson @cpdickenson.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
No! www.independent.co.uk/news/world/e...
independent.co.uk
Ukraine latest: Russian exit poll projects comfortable win for Putin-backed party
Zelensky says Ukrainians strikes hit ‘one of Russia’s key oil industry facilities and logistics facility’ in overnight attack
000
Reposted by Chris Dickenson
Otto English @ottoenglish.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Incredible surprise results from Moscow...
6973886
Reposted by Chris Dickenson
Mark Chadbourn @chadbourn.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Trump is preparing to impose “sweeping sanctions” on the International Criminal Court, WSJ reports. Nothing says “we are international criminals” more.
53939304
Reposted by Chris Dickenson
Andrew McCabe @andrewahala.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
The Kennedy Centre was a gift from the world 3700 tons of white marble from Italy tapestries by Matisse woven by the ancient des Gobelins factory in France silk stage curtains woven by Japan Orrefors glass lighting and chandeliers from Sweden Not paid for by the US, gifted by us to honour JFK
Orrefors chandeliers in the foyerMatisse tapestry showing birds and fish, blue backgroundInterior view, round Orrefors chandelier, silk red Japanese stage curtainsCarrera marble being mined by Italy to donate in JFK memory
39940
Reposted by Chris Dickenson
Chris Dickenson @cpdickenson.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
I think Rishi Sunak himself should have said it when he was PM. Instead he spent his time stoking anger against immigrants by keeping his “Rwanda scheme” at the top of the news—- a scheme that was designed to be unworkable precisely so that it would stay in the news and get the rightwing angry.
1122
Reposted by Chris Dickenson
Ricky Davila @therickydavila.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
A reminder that the Kennedy Center isn’t just a performing arts center, it’s a memorial to President John F. Kennedy and only an evil vindictive vile weak depraved narcissistic pathetic subhuman would spend every waking day trying to deface it and completely destroy it out of spite and jealousy.
37997522696
Chris Dickenson @cpdickenson.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
He’s right. And their willingness to allow the rot of that antidemocratic agenda to infect the UK should disqualify them from getting anywhere near power www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/poli...
independent.co.uk
Tories and Reform want to turn Britain into a ‘Trump satellite state’, Ed Davey says
Liberal Democrat leader declares his party’s ‘orange wall’ will stop Reform‘s rise to power
010
Reposted by Chris Dickenson
Political Humor @politicalhumor9.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
The fact that US news outlets do not report every day that Trump is clearly mentally ill is an epic failure of American journalism.
1243269914
Reposted by Chris Dickenson
Galveston @brucelcarter.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
@theweekendmsnow.bsky.social Why doesn’t the White House Press Pool just leave the White House is solidarity with MSNOW, CNN and Politico? Deny the President the attention he craves?
5024355978
Reposted by Chris Dickenson
Ricky Davila @therickydavila.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Americans from around the country protested at the Kennedy Center yesterday against the MAGA regime’s latest plan to demolish someone’s sacred memorial, people were even seen forming a human chain around the building. That’s the kind of energy we need going forward.
13630135
Chris Dickenson @cpdickenson.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
My most reposted post ever and then I spot the typo!
001
Reposted by Chris Dickenson
Chris Dickenson @cpdickenson.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Shame. www.independent.co.uk/news/world/a...
independent.co.uk
Trump announces agreement to take permanent control of Greenland’s security
Greenlanders have voiced their opposition to U.S. control, holding anti-Trump protests with signs that read, ‘Make Americans Go Away’
001