iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

While Rome Burns @while-rome-burns.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Battersea dogs home doing dog whistle adverts for anarchism (or someone working there managed to sneak this through) I predict the Cats Trust doing All Cats Are Beautiful anytime soon

Train platform advert for Battersea Dogs Home. Cute pictures of border collies and a big headline saying THE ONLY BORDERS WE CARE ABOUT

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While Rome Burns @while-rome-burns.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

...it is also true that almost all wealth accumulated and enriching the elite of the time is not going to have an origin vastly more palatable As a man once wrote: “A great deal of capital, which appears today … without any certificate of birth, was yesterday ... the capitalised blood of children."

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While Rome Burns @while-rome-burns.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

At the end the point is made that we have to always try to keep in mind that these columns of figures, this mobile wealth that is invested, represents the actual lives of enslaved men women and children. This is true of the wealth invested in the slave trade, but...

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While Rome Burns @while-rome-burns.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

This is very impressive from @davidolusoga.bsky.social . And also impressive that it got made given the current climate of backlash against the anti-racist gains of 6 years ago. Feels slightly like an artefact of 2020 itself. www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis...

bbc.co.uk

Finding Britain’s Slave Traders with David Olusoga - Series 1: Episode 1

David Olusoga reveals the new research that uncovers how the slave trade was driven by the monarchy, beginning with Elizabeth I, and how a royal monopoly was established.

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While Rome Burns @while-rome-burns.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Actually I think that might already have happened in Belfast

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While Rome Burns @while-rome-burns.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

We are surely only a matter of months away from when they have a go at firefighters for trying to save asylum seekers from the fires they started. www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...

independent.co.uk

RNLI closes Portsmouth lifeboat station after huge anti-migrant protests

RNLI volunteers were branded ‘traitors’ after bringing migrants ashore

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While Rome Burns @while-rome-burns.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

So sad and indicative that the RNLI felt they had to have an entire webpage about why they rescue migrants from the sea. RNLI volunteers are more or less the best people in Britain. If you’re having a go at them that says everything about you and nothing about them. rnli.org/about-us/our...

rnli.org

Why does the RNLI launch to small boats in the English Channel?

RNLI lifeboat crews have always launched to the rescue without judgement or preference. Men, women and children in danger in the Channel are no exception.

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While Rome Burns @while-rome-burns.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Oh no Dolly Parton. Seemed like one of the few celebrities who was actually a genuinely good person.

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While Rome Burns @while-rome-burns.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

Lots of people care. It’s just a question of how many of them run the Labour Party, which is why I’m sceptical.

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While Rome Burns @while-rome-burns.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

There is now a window for Andy Burnham to take a different course. Will he? I wouldn’t hold your breath, but if he’s smart that’s what he would do. We know where more of the same will lead.

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While Rome Burns @while-rome-burns.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

This had catastrophically failed. As almost everyone had being saying it would for ages This strategy only strengthened Reform and has now birthed even further right parties. Not to mention creating fertile ground for the racial pogroms that now seem to be a familiar part of the political landscape

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While Rome Burns @while-rome-burns.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

The reason Keir Starmer is gone is that Labour MPs are terrified of losing their seats to Reform in 3 years time. The strategy of the Labour right to stop Reform was to chase them: drape Starmer in flags, get to him to parrot Enoch Powell, frame any form of migration as per se a problem…

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While Rome Burns @while-rome-burns.bsky.social · 27/04/2026

www.theguardian.com/news/2026/ap... This is pretty good from @trillingual.bsky.social Fascist Feelings link a sense of perceived relative personal decline w perceived relative national decline, and the same recipe to fix them both… Expel and punish the out group.

theguardian.com

The impossible promise: are we witnessing the return of fascism?

Some of today’s far right is openly violent and undemocratic – and even in its less extreme forms, far-right populism is a profound threat. But that doesn’t mean it is just a re-run of history

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While Rome Burns @while-rome-burns.bsky.social · 29/03/2026

Really? Is this what we’re doing now? It’s 1984 Red Dawn scaremongering all over again… Apparently in this scenario they’ve conquered India!

Cover of the book If Russia Wins by Carlo Masala showing spreading red across the map of the world…

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While Rome Burns @while-rome-burns.bsky.social · 28/03/2026

There were so many people on the Together Alliance march against the far right today in London. Media saying 500,000. We were there handing out copies of our new antifascist tabloid - we got rid of over 5000 and had a great reception. Check out weareplanc.org for info and to get copies

Front cover of the tabloid with the headline FASCISM IS EVERYBODY’S PROBLEM over a kind of steampunky zeppelin boat thing.

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While Rome Burns @while-rome-burns.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

The orange faced white supremacist in question bsky.app/profile/here...

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While Rome Burns @while-rome-burns.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

When not only are you blocked on the streets but also all the social media traffic of your demo is Ryan Ferguson loudly claiming to be a Nazi… it’s humiliation on multiple fronts Kudos to @bristolantifascist.bsky.social and everyone who was part of an amazingly effective antifascist mobilisation!

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While Rome Burns @while-rome-burns.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

When you have to lock down your social media and specifically claim “this is not the end of patriotism in Bristol…” then you know it might be quite close to being the end of ‘patriotism’ in Bristol.

Facebook post from Bristol Patriots

Public Announcement from Bristol Patriots

Following Saturday's protest, I first want to say a huge thank you to the true patriots who turned up to stand with us. Your support means everything.

I also want to offer an apology regarding some of the other groups who were invited to the march by certain individuals within our community. While Bristol Patriots has always believed in welcoming anyone who shares our core views, some of those who attended on Saturday do not align with our mission.

We are aware of some of the content currently circulating online; we want to be clear that this does not represent what Bristol Patriots is about. While everyone is entitled to their own beliefs, many of the views displayed on Saturday do not align with our movement.

Second half…

Bristol Patriots

Upcoming Changes

Because of the direction things have taken recently, we are in the process of making some significant changes.

• Post Visibility: This post will remain active for 48 hours.

• Page Suspension: After 48 hours, this page will be suspended for a period of time while these changes take effect.

The Future of the Movement

I want to thank everyone who has shown such strong support for us. If it wasn't for the majority of you who stand by our true values, we never could have built this community.

This is not the end of patriotism in Bristol.
This is a time for us to reset and bring back the true British patriotism that we started with. We have huge respect for those who have supported us-this isn't the end, just a necessary time for change.

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While Rome Burns @while-rome-burns.bsky.social · 07/03/2026

Also the literal Nazis who had been welcome on the demo apparently decided that the possibility of accidentally hanging out with a Jew was too much for them and bailed. So it’s only due to the principles of the Nazis that they weren’t on the multi faith demo! bsky.app/profile/bris...

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While Rome Burns @while-rome-burns.bsky.social · 07/03/2026

Bristol Patriots’ march was a bizarre attempt to spin their racism as some sort of multi faith celebration (notice which faith is mysteriously missed out). This was a total failure and the demo noticeably failed to attract anyone apart from the usual reprobates.

It’s an advert for their demo. It’s got a cross, Star of David, Hindu Om and a Sikh Khanda. It calls itself a march for unity.

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While Rome Burns @while-rome-burns.bsky.social · 07/03/2026

Bristol Patriots having a shit day out today. All 40 of them, totally boxed in by hundreds of antifascists. Police turned them around and marched them back the way they came. Despite using batons and horses against antifascists, people held their ground and the fascists did not pass.

40 far right with union flags surrounded by cops on every side boxes into a small huddle

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While Rome Burns @while-rome-burns.bsky.social · 05/03/2026

And what have all those countries mentioned got in common? Oh yes, horrific civil wars. So they *know* that these people are legitimate refugees and that’s why they’re trying to stop them!

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While Rome Burns @while-rome-burns.bsky.social · 05/03/2026

What a world of Orwellian bullshit we inhabit. We’ve been told for years that it was only the “illegals” that people objected to and of course they had nothing against the good ones who come legally Turns out - no we just don’t want brown people. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

theguardian.com

UK puts emergency brake on study visas for four countries’ nationals

Shabana Mahmood says UK’s generosity abused as study visas halted for nationals from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan

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While Rome Burns @while-rome-burns.bsky.social · 16/02/2026

UKLFI operate as a law firm without being regulated as such and also operate as a charity while being overtly highly political. People have started to take them on and fight them at their own game, reporting them to the Solicitors’ Regulation Authority: www.declassifieduk.org/landmark-com...

declassifieduk.org

Landmark complaint issued against UK Lawyers for Israel

Exclusive: UK Lawyers for Israel has waged a campaign against solidarity with Palestine. The group is now being referred to the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

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While Rome Burns @while-rome-burns.bsky.social · 16/02/2026

UKLFI’s whole modus operandi is to fire off scary sounding letters threatening people with the law and with accusations of antisemitism. People regularly fold on receipt of the letters and so UKLFI are rarely tested On the occasions when people have stood up to them, their threats often evaporate

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While Rome Burns @while-rome-burns.bsky.social · 16/02/2026

There is a petition to the BM to reverse their decision and maybe not take curatorial decisions on the say-so of political lobbying groups: www.change.org/p/erasing-a-...

change.org

Sign the Petition

Erasing a Word Erases a People: Reinstate Palestine in the British Museum

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While Rome Burns @while-rome-burns.bsky.social · 16/02/2026

So the British Museum has removed the word “Palestine” from some of its exhibits after a complaint from UK Lawyers for Israel. Who out of the British Museum and a tiny pro-Israel lawfare group would we imagine to be the expert on ancient history? And yet… www.middleeasteye.net/news/british...

middleeasteye.net

'Erasing history': British Museum criticised for removing references to ‘Palestine' from exhibits

Move condemned by scholars and activists as part of a ‘systematic’ attack on Palestinian cultural identity

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While Rome Burns @while-rome-burns.bsky.social · 23/01/2026

It’s permanently hard to determine if this is a clever ploy and ultimately Trump Always Chickens Out or if he actually might be crazy enough to do it. Which is why it works I guess.

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While Rome Burns @while-rome-burns.bsky.social · 23/01/2026

Was Trump’s whole seizing Greenland plan, like the tariffs, an attempt to extract concessions by going in hard with an insane threat? This strategy relies on people thinking he just might be crazy enough to do it Then ppl scrabble around to placate him and he walks away with most of what he wants

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While Rome Burns @while-rome-burns.bsky.social · 19/01/2026

That 2016 White House correspondents dinner is going to be the Gavrilo Princip’s choice of lunch spot of this century.

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While Rome Burns @while-rome-burns.bsky.social · 19/01/2026

Of course there’s more to it than that - there’s geopolitical grand strategy, resources etc But with Trump we should never underestimate sheer petty vanity and resentment as motivators of the most consequential decisions.

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While Rome Burns @while-rome-burns.bsky.social · 19/01/2026

Jesus Christ. The world is actually being run by a toddler. He wants a Nobel Peace Prize because Obama got one and Obama made fun of him in front of everyone at the White House Correspondents dinner in 2016.

Tweet from @nickschifrin

NEW: @potus letter to @jonasgahrstore links @NobelPrize to Greenland, reiterates threats, and is forwarded by the NSC staff to multiple European ambassadors in Washington. I obtained the text from multiple officials:

Dear Ambassador:
President Trump has asked that the following message, shared with Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, be forwarded to your [named head of government/state]

"Dear Jonas: Considering your Country decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize for having stopped 8 Wars PLUS, I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of Peace, although it will always be predominant, but can now think about what is good and proper for the United States of America. Denmark cannot protect that land from Russia or China, and why do they have a "right of ownership" anyway? There are no written documents, it's only that a boat landed there hundreds of years ago, but we had boats landing there, also. I have done more for NATO than any other person since its founding, and now, NATO should do something for the United States. The World is not secure unless we have Complete and Total Control of Greenland. Thank you! President
DJT"

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While Rome Burns @while-rome-burns.bsky.social · 16/01/2026

So good on him. Although it’s all an indication of exactly how bad things have got And he calls for resolutely peaceful protest and puts a lot of faith in the courts and the voting booth But what happens when the fascists hollow out or capture the courts and the voting booth?

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While Rome Burns @while-rome-burns.bsky.social · 16/01/2026

Kind of insane that this is where we are. Democrat governors calling for civil resistance and mutual aid against immigration raids www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2Z3...

youtube.com

Tim Walz Calls for Mass Resistance Against ICE in Minnesota

YouTube video by electron media group, inc.

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While Rome Burns @while-rome-burns.bsky.social · 10/01/2026

We are *heavily* militarised countries It’s only the insanity of the US war machine and Trumpist aggression that makes European states seem like pacifists or something.

How much are EU member states spending on defence?

Taken from the European council

In 2024, member states' defence expenditure reached €343 billion, rising for the 10th consecutive year. In 2025, it is expected to reach an estimated €381 billion. Defence expenditure in 2025 increased by 11% compared to the previous year and by 62.87% compared to 2020.

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While Rome Burns @while-rome-burns.bsky.social · 10/01/2026

Worth reflecting in current fuss about defence spending numbers - Trump whinging about how Europe doesn’t pay its way blah blah… … that EU defence spending is greater than China. And if you include the UK in European defence, it’s even more.

Graph of defence spending by country 2024 taken from Statistica.com modified to show collective EU and UK plus EU numbers

United States 997bn
UK + EU 424bn
EU TOTAL 343bn
China* 314bn
Russia* 149bn
Germany 88.5bn
India 86.1bn
United Kingdom 81.8bn
Saudi Arabia* 80.3bn
Ukraine 64.7bn
France 64.7bn

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While Rome Burns @while-rome-burns.bsky.social · 08/01/2026

He’s Ramsay Bolton, not Tywin Lannister, if you want to put it in those terms. Anyone smart knows who’s more dangerous. Trump is dumb enough that he thinks being a psychopath who will fuck over your allies makes you more of a tough guy.

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While Rome Burns @while-rome-burns.bsky.social · 08/01/2026

Smarter imperialists than him kept the mask there for good reasons. Because if you dispense with it, and if you have proved yourself volatile, governed by no rules, and if your international allies and your domestic population are only kept in line by fear, that actually makes you weaker.

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While Rome Burns @while-rome-burns.bsky.social · 08/01/2026

He thinks that dispensing with the mask of law, democracy, rules, norms, allies and coalitions that the USA has traditionally worn is ‘tough’ and he sees maintaining this ideology as weakness. But this is not necessarily smart.

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While Rome Burns @while-rome-burns.bsky.social · 08/01/2026

Internationally, he has launched a foreign policy of pure aggression and colonialism. Just - we want it, we’ll take it, who’s going to stop us? The keynote of both is white supremacy and reliance on naked force.

Helicopters and explosions from bombing over Caracas during the recent illegal abduction of Maduro.

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While Rome Burns @while-rome-burns.bsky.social · 08/01/2026

Trump’s fascist domestic policy and his fascist foreign policy are joining up. Domestically, he has a private army of immigration goons invading cities with large non-white populations and rounding people up and kidnapping them And of course now murdering them if they get in the way.

Masked ICE agents take away a handcuffed person in Minneapolis.

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While Rome Burns @while-rome-burns.bsky.social · 07/01/2026

Not to mention… Are we *trying* to start a war with Russia? Sending British troops to Ukraine and then helping seize their ships in international waters? Remember when the fear of nuclear annihilation meant that we avoided direct war for 45 years?

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While Rome Burns @while-rome-burns.bsky.social · 07/01/2026

Is there an illegal US-backed war we won’t rush to join? Apparently the UK is now joining in with the illegal overthrow of a foreign head of state and the imposition of sanctions to pressure them to hand over all their oil to Trump.

UK confirms support to US seizure of Russian flagged oil tanker
The UK Ministry of Defence has just confirmed the
UK has provided "enabling support" to the US during its operation to seize the Bella 1 / Marinera vessel.
Its statement said:
"UK Armed Forces provided pre-planned operational support, including basing, to U.S. military assets interdicting the Bella 1 in the UK-Iceland-Greenland gap following a U.S. request for assistance. RFA Tideforce provided support for U.S. forces pursuing and interdicting the Bella 1, while the RAF provided surveillance support from the air.
The UK and U.S. defence and security relationship is the deepest in the world and the
UK provided enabling support in full compliance with international law."

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While Rome Burns @while-rome-burns.bsky.social · 04/01/2026

“Thus I helped make Mexico and especially Tampico safe for American oil interests... I helped make Haiti and Cuba a decent place for the National City Bank boys to collect revenues in. I helped in the raping of half a dozen Central American republics for the benefit of Wall Street”

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While Rome Burns @while-rome-burns.bsky.social · 04/01/2026

“I spent 33 years and 4 months in active service… I served in all commissioned ranks from a second lieutenant to Major-General.” “And during that period I spent most of my time being a high-class muscle man for Big Business, for Wall Street... In short, I was a racketeer for capitalism.”

Original 1935 edition of War is a Racket. Slim volume, red hardback with the title in bold black

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While Rome Burns @while-rome-burns.bsky.social · 04/01/2026

This is Smedley Butler At the time of his death he was the highest decorated US marine in history. He served in the military for 34 years. He also single handily saved the US from a fascist coup in the 1930s (long story). Anyway, for no particular reason he came to mind today…

Black and white photo of Butler In uniform

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