Steve Brimble @stevebrimble.bsky.social · 15/03/2026The Secret Agent Hedda Nouvelle Vague Die, My Love Weapons Sirât No Other Choice No Other Land It Was Just An Accident Bugonia 000
Steve Brimble @stevebrimble.bsky.social · 15/03/2026And here’s a much longer list (unlike the above, in no particular order) of releases I somehow missed, but intended to catch at some point: 100
Steve Brimble @stevebrimble.bsky.social · 15/03/2026One Battle After Another Sentimental Value The Ballad of Wallis Island Hamnet Train Dreams Wake Up Dead Man Sinners 100
Steve Brimble @stevebrimble.bsky.social · 22/01/2026substack.com/@stevebrimblesubstack.comSteven Brimble | Substack 000
Steve Brimble @stevebrimble.bsky.social · 22/01/2026But Europe also needs to be pragmatic enough to de-escalate when needed, while in the meantime rapidly accelerating plans to build independent capabilities and reduce strategic dependence 100
Steve Brimble @stevebrimble.bsky.social · 22/01/2026It appears the old maxim still applies: take Trump seriously, but not literally. Europe has to be strong and coordinated to see off maximalist demands. 100
Steve Brimble @stevebrimble.bsky.social · 22/01/2026Macron, Canada, Denmark and others set firm red lines; figures like Rutte used personal relationships to flatter and sell the offramp; and Starmer operated, uncomfortably but still usefully, somewhere in the middle. 101
Steve Brimble @stevebrimble.bsky.social · 22/01/2026What we saw at Davos — despite criticism of some leaders’ tone — was actually a fairly effective mix of both. There was a kind of good-cop / bad-cop dynamic in play. 100
Steve Brimble @stevebrimble.bsky.social · 22/01/2026The lesson for Europe is that this is (and always will be) his modus operandi. While he responds to flattery, he also respects strength. 100
Steve Brimble @stevebrimble.bsky.social · 22/01/2026It’s ugly and corrosive for the international system, but as a tactic for forcing movement, it’s disturbingly effective. 100
Steve Brimble @stevebrimble.bsky.social · 22/01/2026His strategic end point may not be wildly different from other US leaders — what’s different is that he’s happy to discard diplomatic niceties and use crisis and asymmetry to force faster concessions. 100
Steve Brimble @stevebrimble.bsky.social · 22/01/2026But Trump is a man in a hurry and thrives on the TV spectacle of big threats, showdowns and reconciliations. He wants to dominate headlines (always) and wants visible impact before the midterms. 100
Steve Brimble @stevebrimble.bsky.social · 22/01/2026That appears to preserve Danish and Greenlandic sovereignty. It can be spun as a geopolitical win for all parties, and it’s also an outcome that could have been achieved via normal, civilised diplomatic negotiations between allies. 100
Steve Brimble @stevebrimble.bsky.social · 22/01/2026In relation to Greenland, what’s emerged so far is a “framework” deal after his meeting with Mark Rutte: tariff threats dropped, force ruled out, and enhanced US access and basing arrangements in Greenland — likely building on the 1951 agreement. 101
Steve Brimble @stevebrimble.bsky.social · 22/01/2026The casualties are relationships, trust, and international norms — but those clearly aren’t things he values. 110
Steve Brimble @stevebrimble.bsky.social · 22/01/2026His critics call this “TACO — Trump Always Chickens Out,” but another way of seeing it is that he’s securing incremental gains quickly by destabilising the negotiation space. 100
Steve Brimble @stevebrimble.bsky.social · 22/01/2026We might find it obnoxious, but the lesson he seems to have taken from business is that you get quick results by starting with outrageous demands and threats, then accepting a lesser outcome that still advances his underlying objective. 100
Steve Brimble @stevebrimble.bsky.social · 22/01/2026I dislike Trump (biggly!) but I’m forcing myself to look at the Davos/Greenland episode from his perspective. First and foremost, he wants impact and attention. He’s also a self-styled disrupter and deeply frustrated by slow, cautious political systems. 100
Steve Brimble @stevebrimble.bsky.social · 21/05/2025The news coming out of Palestine at the moment is horrific. But I found this Leading interview with Arab Barghouti — son of imprisoned Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti — really interesting and unexpectedly hopeful. Definitely worth a listen. open.spotify.com/episode/1hKm...open.spotify.com134. Palestine's Most Popular Politician: Marwan Barghouti's Son on Occupation, Resistance, and HopeLeading · Episode 020
Steve Brimble @stevebrimble.bsky.social · 05/03/2025This PSG Liverpool match is exhausting! Two things: Alisson for Man of the Match Also, how cocky were this guy's parents? And how frustrating that their cockiness turned out to be justified! 010
Reposted by Steve BrimbleLewis Goodall @lewisgoodall.com · 18/02/2025A Trump shill on Newsnight claims there are more people in prison in UK jails for freedom of speech violations than in Putin’s Russia. These people are radicalised, insane, plain stupid or some combination of all three. 1862823562
Steve Brimble @stevebrimble.bsky.social · 11/02/2025📢 Publicly Available Sources 🔗 AP: DOGE lawsuit 🔗 NY Post: Musk’s $97B OpenAI bid 🔗 Vox: Musk’s Gov IT takeover 👀 Share this. Talk about it. Push back. Democracy isn’t automatic. #Kleptocracy #AIpower #AmericanDemocracy 000
Steve Brimble @stevebrimble.bsky.social · 11/02/2025💡 What Can Be Done? 🔹 Restore oversight (challenge DOGE secrecy). 🔹 Break AI monopolies (FTC must investigate OpenAI bid). 🔹 Protect transparency (end legal loopholes for DOGE). 🔹 Strengthen independent press & whistleblowers. 🔹 Public pressure works—speak out! One more thing 👇 100
Steve Brimble @stevebrimble.bsky.social · 11/02/2025📜 Historical Warnings We've seen this before: Russia/Putin: Oligarch rule, corporate-state fusion. Turkey/Erdogan: Weakened courts, centralized control. Hungary/Orbán: Rigged system for elites. Philippines/Marcos: Public wealth looted. U.S. still has strong institutions, but they’re under attack. 👇 100
Steve Brimble @stevebrimble.bsky.social · 11/02/2025🚨 Scenario 3: A Full Kleptocratic State (LOW but Rising) Gov becomes fully controlled by oligarchs. Dissent = financial ruin (blacklists, AI surveillance). Public assets sold off, insiders take everything. Laws apply only to opponents, not elites. Still avoidable—but for how long? 👇 100
Steve Brimble @stevebrimble.bsky.social · 11/02/2025🛠️ Scenario 2: An Authoritarian Technocracy (MODERATE Risk) Gov bureaucracy replaced with AI. Agencies shrink, AI makes key decisions. Public services privatized, favoring elite control. Judicial oversight weakens further. Would mean permanent corporate rule. 👇 100
Steve Brimble @stevebrimble.bsky.social · 11/02/2025🔮 Scenario 1: A “Soft” Kleptocracy (HIGH Likelihood) Musk & Trump’s influence merge into a corporate-state hybrid. AI-driven policy controls who gets opportunities. Gov oversight fades while private power grows. Laws favor insiders, punish critics. Happening NOW. 👇 110
Steve Brimble @stevebrimble.bsky.social · 11/02/20255️⃣ AI monopolization: Musk bids $97B for OpenAI, centralizing AI power. 6️⃣ Regulators dismantled: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau shut down. 7️⃣ Legal immunity for elites: DOGE & OpenAI cases shielded from scrutiny. This is how oligarchy takes hold. What’s next? Possible futures 👇 100
Steve Brimble @stevebrimble.bsky.social · 11/02/2025⚠️ 7 Risk Indicators in the U.S. 1️⃣ Checks weakened: DOGE bypasses oversight, Congress blocked. 2️⃣ Public $$ → private power: DOGE gets gov funds. 3️⃣ Zero transparency: FOIA/judicial exempt till 2034. 4️⃣ Corporate-state fusion: Private AI shaping policy. 👇 More risks ahead! 100
Steve Brimble @stevebrimble.bsky.social · 11/02/2025🛑 What Is an Authoritarian Kleptocracy? A system where a ruling elite consolidates power while extracting wealth & influence for private gain. Signs include: Weakening democracy 🏛️ Corrupt policies 💰 Suppression of oversight 🚨 Legal shielding 🛡️ Favoring insiders 🤝 Sound familiar? Keep reading. 👇 100
Steve Brimble @stevebrimble.bsky.social · 11/02/2025🚨 Is America Becoming an Authoritarian Kleptocracy? Recent moves by Elon Musk & Donald Trump raise concerns of growing corporate-state fusion. With AI, government restructuring, and legal shielding, are we seeing democracy erode into tech-driven kleptocracy? Let’s break it down. 🧵👇 100
Steve Brimble @stevebrimble.bsky.social · 07/02/2025📌 Sources: UK Government Council Tax Data, Bradford Council Budget Reports. #CouncilTax #Bradford #LocalGovernment #TheRealNumbers 000
Steve Brimble @stevebrimble.bsky.social · 07/02/2025The real question isn’t just how much council tax is going up, but whether Bradford delivers good value for what it collects. Are Bradford residents really being "overcharged" when their council still collects significantly less per person than many others? 🧵⬇️ 100
Steve Brimble @stevebrimble.bsky.social · 07/02/2025Many councils with smaller percentage increases already collect far more per resident than Bradford. Even after the increase, Bradford will still be collecting around £200 less per person than the estimated national average. 🧵⬇️ 100
Steve Brimble @stevebrimble.bsky.social · 07/02/2025Yes, a 10% increase sounds high, but what really matters is how much councils collect overall and how efficiently they spend it. A small percentage rise in a high-tax area can mean more per person than a big rise in a low-tax area like Bradford. 🧵⬇️ 100
Steve Brimble @stevebrimble.bsky.social · 07/02/2025Even after the increase, Bradford residents will still pay less council tax per person than the national average. 📊 Latest estimates (2025-2026): Bradford (before increase): £457.85 per person Bradford (after 10% increase): ~£503.63 England’s estimated average: ~£699.49 🧵⬇️ 100
Steve Brimble @stevebrimble.bsky.social · 07/02/2025There's been a lot of talk about a proposed 10% rise in Bradford’s council tax for 2025-2026, set to take effect from April 2025. On the surface, that sounds like a big jump—but let’s put it in perspective. 🧵⬇️ 100
Steve Brimble @stevebrimble.bsky.social · 03/02/2025Wow - what a way to round off the weekend! Ibibio Sound Machine @thetradesclub.bsky.social (and if you missed them in Hebden Bridge you can catch them @deershed.bsky.social) 061
Steve Brimble @stevebrimble.bsky.social · 02/02/2025🎶@Alhambra Hamilton My name is @Alhambra Hamilton🎶 This entire touring cast is fantastic... Really liked Chastity Crisp as Angelica Schuyler but totally stealing the show every time he's on stage was Billy Nevers as Aaron Burr... What an amazing voice and presence... Can't believe he's only 22! 010
Steve Brimble @stevebrimble.bsky.social · 31/01/2025Congratulations @nanofthenorth.bsky.social -- very well deserved! Winner -- Best Promoter Winner -- Outstanding Contribution @bradfordmusicscene.bsky.social #Bradford2025 042
Steve Brimble @stevebrimble.bsky.social · 25/01/202510. These are the questions we must confront—before the combination of AI and post-truth politics does more harm than good. 000
Steve Brimble @stevebrimble.bsky.social · 25/01/20259. And most importantly, how do we balance rapid technological advancement with the urgent need to rebuild trust in truth itself? 100
Steve Brimble @stevebrimble.bsky.social · 25/01/20258. So, what do we do? How do we ensure AI systems are accurate, transparent, and accountable? How do we prevent these technologies from amplifying biases and agendas of those who control them? 100
Steve Brimble @stevebrimble.bsky.social · 25/01/20257. Rather than a tool for progress, AI risks becoming the ultimate engine for disinformation in a world where truth already feels fragile. 100
Steve Brimble @stevebrimble.bsky.social · 25/01/20256. The timing couldn’t be worse. The rise of post-truth populism, the erosion of the rules-based international order, and growing skepticism of expertise create a perfect storm. AI could be weaponized to destabilize societies, manipulate public opinion, and further polarize populations. 100
Steve Brimble @stevebrimble.bsky.social · 25/01/20255. Meanwhile, the individuals and corporations driving AI development are not neutral actors. When billionaires dismantle fact-checking systems (like Zuckerberg) or prioritize ideological crusades (like Musk’s “anti-woke” campaign), we have to ask: who are these technologies really serving? 100
Steve Brimble @stevebrimble.bsky.social · 25/01/20254. AI systems, like large language models, don’t inherently understand or verify truth. They reflect the data they’re trained on—and if those data are polluted by bias, misinformation, or political agendas, AI can amplify those distortions at scale. 100
Steve Brimble @stevebrimble.bsky.social · 25/01/20253. The irony is chilling: we’re developing the most powerful tools humanity has ever created to generate and disseminate information, at the same time that truth itself is being undermined. 100
Steve Brimble @stevebrimble.bsky.social · 25/01/20252. The AI revolution is accelerating at a breathtaking pace, but it’s unfolding in a world increasingly shaped by “post-truth populism,” where facts are sidelined in favor of narratives that serve political or ideological agendas. 100
Steve Brimble @stevebrimble.bsky.social · 25/01/20251. Have been exploring ChatGPT a fair bit this week. Stating the bleeding obvious -- but it's *so* useful, for literally *everything*. However... Here's what, *in its own words*, is troubling me this fine morning... 100
