David Herdson

davidherdson.bsky.social

05 August 2026 21:21

Debt levels, incompetent and corrupt governments, expensive wars, deep social divides, technological change - yes, all that. But the 1780s were also a pretty wacky decade climate-wise. Keep an eye on El Nino. This year's weather has already been extraordinary. It's likely to get worse.

David Herdson

davidherdson.bsky.social

05 August 2026 21:21

I get that the media and many pundits like to make comparisons with the 1920s and 30s. Yes, plenty to go at there. But we can also learn from the run-up to, and aftermath of, other financial and political crises. Personally, I think a bit more focus on France in the 1780s would be beneficial.

Steffen Rayburn-Maarup

rayburnmaarup.bsky.social

04 August 2026 08:31

I don't think people are ready for this kind of joke yet.

Duncan Weldon

duncanweldon.bsky.social

04 August 2026 08:26

As a general rule: explaining something you know well to smart people who ask good questions but do not know the topic well is a really useful exercise. If nothing else, they tend to ask interesting questions which you hadn’t considered.

Alastair Meeks

alastairmeeks.bsky.social

02 August 2026 09:28

Let’s imagine that Reform continue to sink under the weight of the financial allegations against them. Where do their radicalised supporters go? It’s hard to imagine all that many of them returning to support an establishment party. So do Restore benefit or do they retreat to abstaining?