Notices by Peter Brown (peterbrown@mastodon.scot), page 4

@Infoseepage @ChrisMayLA6 I don’t think it’s practical or reasonable for the EU to get to a military state of readiness that they could defend themselves against the US and Russia simultaneously.
However, removing dependence on either of these powers for our infrastructure and daily life would seem to be a simple act of necessary prudence.

https://snyder.substack.com/p/lies-and-lawlessness “People enforcing the law do not wear masks. And people wearing masks who trespass, assault, batter, and kill are not enforcing the law.
They are violating it”

@gemlog well in the UK the old age pension goes to everybody and I think that’s the best model. You’re absolutely right that the billionaire class manage to avoid tax, but that should not be a barrier to UBI.
Universal payments are exponentially easier to implement as there is almost no administration. As soon as you start to make exceptions, you increase complexity.
1/2

Whilst it might be tempting to have different levels of #UBI for different parts of the country I believe the only way it can work satisfactorily is for it to be the same for all residents regardless of locality.
Most of the population will boost the economy by buying goods and services and of course the wealthy will pay most of it back in tax

@helvick come on #ireland !

@gemlog yes, and egged on by those of the ultra right who surround him and by his own fear of the Epstein files.
He must be running out of diversionary tactics- what will he do next?

https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/january-24-2026 “Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, a statewide investigations team that specializes in police shootings, told reporters his agency had obtained a search warrant—a rare step—but the federal government still refused them access.”

https://www.monbiot.com/2026/01/23/money-talks/ “Effective income tax rates climb steadily for most of the population but fall sharply for billionaires and centi-millionaires.”

@gemlog here they are https://mastodon.neometropolis.net/@QudsNen/115933569124632051

Well worth remembering!

Definitely worth listening to Omer Bartov: https://www.democracynow.org/2023/11/10/bartov_two_state  It’s the second of two parts, where he analyses possibilities for the future.

@LALegault I didn’t know you could do that. I’ll try.

@HG I have seen some interesting pieces from Quds

@bodhipaksa is school really that important? I think I would keep him at home.
Think of it as non-infectious Covid: you could learn a lot from each other.

@bodhipaksa in fact the way the USA is going you might all qualify for refugee status to get out the country!
We have universities here as well!

@bodhipaksa well I don’t know about the USA but in this country taking a year out is nothing. If he’s desperate to go onto university then a year makes no difference.
If he’s interested in the subject matter, he might learn more at home

@Infoseepage well if you could get yourself to Edinburgh…

https://www.cameratiks.co.uk/

@Infoseepage to be fair I think they both do it to each other.
Keeps them all on their toes

@Infoseepage and most of the population of Scotland is in the front line. Faslane is the largest nuclear dump in Western Europe

https://www.gregpalast.com/when-venezuelas-president-delcy-rodriguez-banged-on-my-door-at-2am/ “the United Nations annual drug trafficking report says that Venezuela neither produces nor is a transit point for drugs going to the US. “