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Jim Obey @jimob1.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

'...many proven downsides and unless they’re accompanied by big increases in supply...', as the private sector won't increase supply if profits are capped, any rent controls must be accompanied by the state building lots of housing that is cheap to rent. I shall call this idea 'council housing'.

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Reposted by Jim Obey

Mark Copelovitch @mcopelov.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

The problem with this entire “talking across difference” approach to politics is that it assumes a shared consensus about democracy that no longer exists b/w the 2 main 🇺🇸 political parties. You don’t need to have lunch with people who don’t believe in free elections, equal rights, & the rule of law.

Democracy is a system in which parties lose elections

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Jim Obey @jimob1.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Electioneering framing all dates back to New Labour. Q) How does a SD party get elected by positing neoliberal economic policies (deregulation, independent CBs etc.)? A) Employ spin doctors to deny you are doing this and wonks to conjure up 'things' to do so that you appear progressive.

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Jim Obey @jimob1.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Personally not a fan of Corbyn, but yes. The Labour right had a vendetta against Corbyn and the right wing media happily jumped aboard the band wagon. Who is going to do the hatchet job on Badenoch as the Tories fade into obscurity?

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Jim Obey @jimob1.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Nothing to do with more responsibility transferred from the state to individuals, rising housing costs and flatlining wages, so that those in increasingly financially precarious positions worry about providing a secure environment for their kids. Nope, nothing at all.

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Jim Obey @jimob1.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Yes! Make no mistake, what Reform is doing is very wrong. But the holier than thou hypocrisy from the established parties.... 🙉🤮🤮🤮

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Jim Obey @jimob1.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Agreed. Allowing for the fact that there was a noticeable tonal shift away from non-committal neutrality to a positive vision, both 'brave new world' enthusiasts and 'just more of the same' cynics read too much into the speech. Whether he will walk the talk is the next question.

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Jim Obey @jimob1.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Former Chief Treasury Sec. - the 'economically stagnant' 70s was followed by a 'remarkable national recovery based on free enterprise' in the 80s.......where growth fell. 📉🤔

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Jim Obey @jimob1.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Former *Chief Treasury Sec.* says that the 'economically stagnant' 70s was followed by a 'remarkable national recovery based on free enterprise' in the 80s.......where growth fell. 📉🤔

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Jim Obey @jimob1.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Not 'essential', but trying to do more with the same is very difficult/dangerous. Euroland + UK struggle for growth because they chronically underinvest. In the high growth 1920s, persistent US Gov. surpluses incentivised people to leverage the money they had until splat.

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Russ Jones @russincheshire.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Avg GDP growth 1945-79: 2.8% Since then: 1.6% And this apparently "broken, economically stagnant" basket case kept its AAA status right through the Winter of Discontent We lost it under Cameron, and it fell again under May, then Johnson, and then Truss: i.e. the whole time Clarke was in govt

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Jim Obey @jimob1.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

How does the centre take the right to task for lying when it also debases the truth? Hence a post-truth world where debating facts is impossible and where people mistrust all politicians (except for the bulging-eyed variety whose anger is genuine). Somewhere Bannon is doing a little jig?

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JWexTheSpa @jwsidders.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Janan Ganesh writes a lot of nonsense a lot of the time, but the idea a National Care Service is anti-growth is bollocks for the ages. Freeing up NHS beds and staff to accelerate treatment times, and family members to work and generate wealth, is about as pro-growth as you can get.

ft.com

At least Burnham doesn’t pretend to care about growth

Unlike his predecessors, Britain’s prime minister is a fairly honest stagnation-ist

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Jim Obey @jimob1.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Always at the scene of the crime. Coincidence?🧐

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Reposted by Jim Obey

Ada Palmer @adapalmer.bsky.social · 23/01/2025

It’s #HandwritingDay so I thought I’d share a thread about Renaissance handwritten documents I worked with in the research that led to “Inventing the Renaissance,” and the best and worst scripts I’ve ever seen. 1/? (Continuing countdown to the release of my *absurdly fat* *absurdly orange* book!)

Detail of some handwritten Latin. A note written in the bottom left margin of a book is in smaller, paler text than the bolder letters visible in the top right corner where the main text of the book is. At the top one can read a word which begins "Ne" and then has a bizarre squiggle, The next word is clearly "pro" then a strange line. The following words, to an expert eye, can be read as "sustitudine veterii alterum requirit ut neque hoc neque illud primus Cicero usus est sine altorum" but most of hte words are very hard to make out, many have omitted letters assuming you'll recognize the abbreviation, and only the word "Cicero" is really recognizable to a modern eye.

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Jim Obey @jimob1.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Former mayor says we shouldn't be quick to judge as Lex Luther did revitalise Metropolis...

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Jim Obey @jimob1.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

'When the measure becomes the target it ceases to be a good measure'. Did Osborne not realise that hitting/missing a guesstimate would become the end, rather than a means to an end? I doubt it, but it is possible.

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Jim Obey @jimob1.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Absolutely and Osborne was always going to do austerity regardless of the OBR. But assuming he wanted to, how could Osborne 'place pressure' on successors whilst still allowing fiscal policy to be, as you say, a choice for government?

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Jim Obey @jimob1.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

'When the measure becomes the target it ceases to be a good measure'. If I wanted to give the illusion of neutrality I'd ensure that hitting/missing an arbitrary fiscal forecast (guess) of an independent body is elevated in importance (compared to other values/aims).

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Jim Obey @jimob1.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

If I inferred the OBR has powers to instruct the Chancellor I apologise. But saying a fiscal gatekeeper named the Office of Budget Responsibility (spending by elected officials = irresponsible?) was 'definitely not' set up by Osborne to have a political bias? Goodhart's Law?

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Reposted by Jim Obey

Stefan Eich @stefeich.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

New article just dropped in APSR! Leah Downey and yours truly on why people should stop using “democratize” when all they really mean is increasing market access. (Looking at you, economists! 👀) And, more positively, what a better vision of “democratization” looks like when applied to finance.

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Jim Obey @jimob1.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

The OBR's assumptions 'are conservative, or reflect an establishment view....As the great majority of academic economists work within this mainstream I think the OBR is correct in doing this.' Osborne undemocratically future-proofing his ideology? But as one can't be in his head...🤷‍♂️

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Jim Obey @jimob1.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

As Dan Davis put it, 'To be honest, I don’t really think that this picture of the OBR as a purely neutral and academic forecasting body, which wasn’t meant to have any control over the democratically elected representatives … I don’t think it passes a laugh test.' But all arguments are yea/boo? 🤷

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Jim Obey @jimob1.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

I think the impassioned speech served a valuable purpose by making a positive case for values. However, as regards substance, I'm little the wiser. Power? He is a Blairite, so... all in all, baby steps in the right direction?

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Jim Obey @jimob1.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

'Thirdly, the ‘can’ test - and the one where Burnham is still on probation for the public. while Brits think Burnham gets it and is trying, doubts remain over whether he can deliver.' Will he change course every time a pollster farts?🤣

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Jim Obey @jimob1.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

'Of course we're here to help (wrings hands), however if you read the terms and conditions...'

static.klipy.com

Adam Brody: I'm So Sorry, Noah

ALT: Adam Brody: I'm So Sorry, Noah

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Jim Obey @jimob1.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Yes. And show me the height of buildings and I'll show you the price of the land. But if reducing the price of land reduces the value of their house? 🤔

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Jim Obey @jimob1.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

If this is also the perceived story of the last 40 years, this logic also led to Trump?

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Jim Obey @jimob1.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

You cut off the last bit, '...unless you were born somewhere else in which case you can do one.'

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Jim Obey @jimob1.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

As said it's just a quibble, but unless one considers all critiques of Rawls are without merit, putting him in context would have added colour.

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Jim Obey @jimob1.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Agreed that Hayek and Nozick had their moments, but I was thinking more about non-libertarian critiques (Sen, Sandel, the Feminists, Marxists etc). Touching briefly on one or two would have given a bit of welcome context?

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Jim Obey @jimob1.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Definitely one of the good guys! Accepting you can only so much Info in an hour or so, my one quibble is that in ignoring (non-libertarian) critiques, it came across as a bit of a hagiography.

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Jim Obey @jimob1.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Making housing affordable means either rising wages or falling house prices. The fact that assets have outpaced wages for 40 years doesn't mean rising house prices is a law of nature (why do the yoof vote Green?). As this is clearly an investment property for a delusional couple, boo-fucking-hoo.😆

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Jim Obey @jimob1.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Fix the roof when the sun is shining? A stitch in time saves nine? Not if you take a fundamentalist approach to 'balancing budgets'. Rising costs leads to low growth and rising debt/GDP. Well I never.

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Jim Obey @jimob1.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Do politicians treat voters as consumers because they continually hear how appealing to groups X, Y and Z trumps all? In other words, does fetishising electioneering create perverse incentives that lead to bad governance?

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Jim Obey @jimob1.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

The issue is, if winning the next election is *the* objective, good governance will lose out to messaging and coalition building. Hence, a Burnham who 'wants to end 40 years of neoliberalism' reheats failed neoliberal policy as it 'sounds' good. Plus ca change...? www.bbc.com/news/article...

bbc.com

Andy Burnham announces scheme to help first-time buyers

The prime minister says he wants people without support from the "bank of mum and dad" to receive help.

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Jim Obey @jimob1.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

I see Burnham intends to 'end 40 years of neoliberalism' by reheating the old failed neoliberal policy of first-time buyer subsidies.

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Jim Obey @jimob1.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

21st century politics? Whilst waiting for change (that never materialises), one has the joy of changing hats occasionally.

static.klipy.com

Waiting For Godot: Classic Theatre Scene

ALT: Waiting For Godot: Classic Theatre Scene

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Jim Obey @jimob1.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

'...major change won't come this side of an election'. Burnham wants 'to end 40 years of neoliberalism'.....just not today.

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Jim Obey @jimob1.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

'The new prime minister needs to achieve three things: Improve Labour's headline polling, recover his party's standing against its two large right-wing opponents, and reunite the left vote by recovering disaffected progressive voters lost during the Starmer years.' Or govern effectively?

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Jim Obey @jimob1.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Insane! As ever, a few extra houses will clear the hurdle rate, the subsidy will be added on to house prices, so increased government debt/spending will just result in higher profits for developers and no change for buyers. Do developers, looks at notes, 'lobby' MPs? 🤔 www.ft.com/content/e23b...

ft.com

Burnham to revive Help to Buy scheme in bid to aid first-time buyers

Concern mounts among ministers that low housing construction volumes could hit growth forecasts

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Jim Obey @jimob1.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Private house building has essentially flatlined since the '50s. As ever the subsidy will just be added to the sale price resulting in the same number of houses, increased profits for developers, rising debt for the state and no change for buyers. I wonder, do developers 'lobby' politicians ? 🤔

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Jim Obey @jimob1.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

If, as per every other time, tax breaks are just added to the sale price, why not give it straight to the developers who, looks at notes, 'lobby' politicians and cut out the middle man? 😆 Build council housing by borrowing at 4% for returns of 5%? Nah, that would be sensible. 🤦‍♂️

static.klipy.com

Nathan: It's Happening Again

ALT: Nathan: It's Happening Again

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Jim Obey @jimob1.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Err, anyone 4 yr old who has watched Scooby-Doo will know that evilness and competence are two completely different things. 🤣🤣🤣

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