S. I. Rubinstein

Roving historiographer. “Brevity is... wit."

[S. I. Rubinstein @si_rubinstein]

I am delighted that my essay '"Hitler's Thucydides": Percy Ernst Schramm (1894–1970) and the Problem of Nazi Historiography', based on my Masters dissertation, is now published (open access) in _German History_: https://t.co/DFLTd8CJoF

[UnHerd @unherd]

Is Andy Burnham a plastic Papist?, by Samuel Rubinstein (@si_rubinstein)

England’s Protestant patriots can breathe a sigh of relief: if Burnham’s Catholic conquest comes, it will not bring with it much by way of doctrine. Indeed, due largely to the triumph of social liberalism within the Labour Party, British Catholics are no longer even a reliable Labour bloc. They struggle to reconcile their conservatism with Labour policy.

We could soon witness something similar to the Biden presidency, where a socially liberal Catholic leader gets into awkward public conflict with the authorities of his own Church. The political implications here will, in any case, be narrowly intra-Catholic ones. They will be of no interest to the non-Catholic and non-religious majority.

Once a Roman Catholic prime minister would have been met with cries of ‘No Popery!’; the striking thing today is how little anyone cares.

Read more below ⬇️

https://t.co/hEhzObjZv6

[S. I. Rubinstein @si_rubinstein]

IndyRef 2014. It was disorientating to be told as a child that my country could simply be dissolved on a whim.

[Andrew Lilico @andrew_lilico]

When was the 1st time something happened that made you think this might not be the country you'd been raised to think & hope it was? Not just something you disagreed with, but that was of a nature, or created a reaction in others, that made you doubt?

[Dan Neidle @DanNeidle]

I get endless cold-emails selling me something. Was wondering how many of them are human. The answer turns out to be: none.

Updated my LinkedIn profile yesterday. 10 monastic messages today, of which this was the best.

[S. I. Rubinstein @si_rubinstein]

@LemanWalters The Capaldi era was pretty good, quite uneven but some fantastic episodes

[Tom Harwood @tomhfh]

Our schizophrenic government is giving the vote to people it doesn’t trust to be on social media in the evening.

[S. I. Rubinstein @si_rubinstein]

Yeah, it's called 'Éire'

[Morgan 🇮🇪🇵🇸 @Fenianmoder]

Calling it the Republic of Ireland is a dead giveaway you are completely out of your depth when discussing the North

[Capel Lofft @CapelLofft]

In 1910, nonconformist Liberal MPs were angry when risqué dancer Maud Allan came to one of Asquith's garden parties. A colleague remarked to him that it was characteristic of their party that 'so many Members who object to meeting the lady were able apparently to recognise her'

[S. I. Rubinstein @si_rubinstein]

@kevinf567 @The_Clermontian They could find Wigan because they all love the Football & Wigan has a Football Club that used to be in "the Prem"

[S. I. Rubinstein @si_rubinstein]

Why would they be able to find Makerfield (do locals even call it ‘Makerfield’ anyway?) They could probably find Wigan on the map. How many of them could find Feltham & Heston? Or Meon Valley?

[Alexander Brown @AlexofBrown]

EXC: Andy Burnham says Westminster has failed Northern towns for decades
*Says many MPs couldn't find Makerfield on map
*Vows to unite “too factional” Labour party
*Says by-election will shape UK for years
*Warns Britain risks US style division
*Joined on doorstep by Steve Coogan

[Jon Tonge @JonTonge]

Robert Crampton on the Makerfield by-election (The Times)

[S. I. Rubinstein @si_rubinstein]

"AI" Carns

[Al Carns @AlistairCarns]

This week the most advanced AI model on the planet got switched off by a foreign government. British researchers were studying it. British companies were testing it. British hospitals were piloting it. Not any more.

This isn't an AI story. It's the story of every industry we used to lead.

Britain has some of the best AI talent in the world. DeepMind was built here. Our AI Safety Institute writes the rules other countries follow. We have the researchers, the universities, the standards.

What we don't have is the power stations to run the data centres, the planning system to build them, or the industrial base to make the chips. So the work happens here and the value lands somewhere else. We invent. Others build. Others decide. Then we read about it on Saturday morning.

Same story as the kit our soldiers don't have. Same story as the factories we used to.

I spent nine months in government making this argument inside the room. I'll make it louder from outside.

[S. I. Rubinstein @si_rubinstein]

Decent chance they asked him this exact question in the conclave.

[Christopher Hale @ChristopherHale]

Pope Leo XIV was asked who he’d root for between the United States and Peru in the World Cup.

His answer? “Probably Peru.”

[S. I. Rubinstein @si_rubinstein]

Andy Burnham wants Londoners to pay more tax as punishment for not saying good morning to their neighbours

[S. I. Rubinstein @si_rubinstein]

🥱

[Lord Sugar @Lord_Sugar]

As skeptic if AI I asked ChatGpt who is more famous in the UK me or @Piers Morgan. Here is what they said. If by name recognition among the UK public, it's probably very close, but I'd give a slight edge to Alan Sugar
YouGov's 2026 UK ratings show Alan Sugar with 98% fame, meaning virtually everyone in Britain has heard of him. Eat your heart out Piersy, he wont see this as he has blocked me. For those unblocked pass it on with my love.

[Institute of Intellectual History @StAndrewsIIH]

Full article: Review of István Hont, Political economy from Pufendorf to Marx: culture, needs and property rights https://t.co/23Xdpv013F

[S. I. Rubinstein @si_rubinstein]

@nguyenhdi The British people are correct! https://t.co/EQ1ankBqah

[Aris Roussinos @arisroussinos]

What is more Anglofuturist, in its own way, than this intentionally humble, instantly emotionally grabbing and recognisable, piece of explicitly digital art?