Best Of

About those Epstein files.

President Trump, "In my opinion many European countries will not be viable countries any longer"

"If you take a look at Paris, it's a much different place to what it was"

"If you take a look at London, you have a Mayor named Khan, he's a horrible mayor. An incompetent mayor. But he's a horrible vicious disgusting mayor"
https://x.com/implausibleblog/status/1998493091230257357

Arguably true....

No. It’s not. I despise Khan. I think he’s useless and incompetent and a horrible mayor.

But he’s not vicious or disgusting, words which speak to him as a person rather than his performance as an elected official

If you "despise" Sadiq Khan what word would you reach for to sum up your feelings about Donald Trump?

I’m flying to the US next week so I might plead the 5th.

(“Despise” may be a little strong but he’s redolent of a political class that is self interested, careerist and ineffective. We deserve better leaders. Unfortunately the voters don’t like people who tell them the truth.)

Khan took a brave stance on clean air - the ULEZ extension was unpopular and he faced concerted opposition but he did it because he thought it was the right thing and it has worked - the air in London now meets international health standards. I can't think of another recent UK politician who has taken that kind of brave, non-populist stance. Call him what you want, but he is neither ineffective nor some kind of shallow careerist.

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The sale of pardons is of course an impeachable offence, but as Congress has proven it's incapable of holding the President in check by such means, it would likely be somewhat more effective to remove the unconditional power.

The US government is now operating much like the Russian government. Laws no long matter for the people at the top as nobody will enforce them, where the law is invoked it is frequently arbitrary and merely follows the wishes of the leadership, everything (laws, permits, regulation, citizenship) is in effect for sale, the inner circle gets rich from very obvious corruption, the whole country is being plundered, and the people are told it's all for their safety and that they are going to become wealthier as a result even as they wonder why nothing much improves.

And following the precedent proudly set in 2018 for fascistic regimes representing a threat to democracy, they will be hosting the World Cup.

Fifa have also set it up so that the US will inevitably host it in 2038 as well.

And let's not forget the Olympics. Hopefully a Somalian superstar will come along and win the 100m, 200m and long jump.

The Aussies have a 17yo sprinter beating Usain Bolts records who is the son of Sudanese refugees. Possibly the favourite for 2028 sprints, and has a crazy name. Gout Gout.

Ah yes. Him. Well there we are - there's our Jesse Owens. Go Go Gout Gout!

What's the opposite of nominative determinism?

I will just check with my ex English teacher, Miss Nomer.

Probably a better person to ask than my ex Maths teacher, Miss Take.

Let's not even get started on RE teacher Miss Conceived.

I thought her lessons were immaculate.

About those Epstein files.

President Trump, "In my opinion many European countries will not be viable countries any longer"

"If you take a look at Paris, it's a much different place to what it was"

"If you take a look at London, you have a Mayor named Khan, he's a horrible mayor. An incompetent mayor. But he's a horrible vicious disgusting mayor"
https://x.com/implausibleblog/status/1998493091230257357

Arguably true....

In which case can you give three examples where Sadiq has been vicious? As opposed to from a different political party.....

Yep I don't get this stuff about Sadiq Khan. Trump we can dismiss but I have heard others say similar about him. @squareroot2 obviously thinks so. Now he is not my cup of tea, as our politics differ but 'horrible, incompetent, vicious, disgusting'? None of those words apply do they?

Khan's a bit of a non-entity, very different from Ken and Boris, and perhaps not as big a public figure as London needs. I don't rate him, but it's plain that much of the attacks against him are driven by racism and because he is a Muslim. He's getting attacked again because people have drawn parallels between Khan and the election of Mamdani.

The sale of pardons is of course an impeachable offence, but as Congress has proven it's incapable of holding the President in check by such means, it would likely be somewhat more effective to remove the unconditional power.

The US government is now operating much like the Russian government. Laws no long matter for the people at the top as nobody will enforce them, where the law is invoked it is frequently arbitrary and merely follows the wishes of the leadership, everything (laws, permits, regulation, citizenship) is in effect for sale, the inner circle gets rich from very obvious corruption, the whole country is being plundered, and the people are told it's all for their safety and that they are going to become wealthier as a result even as they wonder why nothing much improves.

This US administration is really setting new levels of corruption and the BBC were completely wrong to stop their Reith lecturer from saying so. It is just so blatant.
For example:
"In 2023, the SEC brought civil fraud charges against Sun, alleging the unregistered sale of crypto securities, market manipulation, and deceptive practices, such as paying celebrities to promote tokens without disclosing their compensation. In January, Sun purchased $75 million of $TRUMP with 75 percent of the profits ($56.25 million) going directly to the Trump family. The next month, court documents showed that the SEC had agreed to pause the case as they engaged in talks with Sun to resolve the claims. In July, Sun announced his intention to purchase $100 million more of $TRUMP. Recently, he complained on social media that his $WLFI coins (a different coin sold by World Liberty Financial) had been “unreasonably frozen,” but then announced that he would be purchasing even more $WLFI tokens. His case remains pending, but there is no indication the SEC is actively pursuing it."
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/political-donors-should-not-be-above-law

The ability to buy Cryptocurrency which directly enriches the Trump family has made a mockery of the traditional limits of corruption. Everything is for sale.

Notes from the Tice session.

He’s an accomplished speaker in a small group situation: naturally loud voice, articulate, reasonably on top of his brief. I think it’s a mistake to lump all Reform people together as knuckle-heads - he has a brain. Not a brain that thinks the same way as mine, but a brain nonetheless.

Ideologically and stylistically he’s very much a Redwoodite Tory. The conversation could easily have been with someone on the right of the Tory party any time in the last 30 years. Deregulation, let’s get business people into government, cutting waste, common sense etc etc. The wrinkle vis a vis most Thatcherite types is a greater attachment to national champions, government intervention in the ownership of public utilities, and PPP. And of course a very clear enmity towards net zero and all things renewable, which is now mainstream conservative ideology but didn’t used to be.

To my question on corporation tax, he said they couldn’t make firm policy thus far out from an election but he praised Osborne’s tax roadmap.

He steered well away from anything culture war related, apart from a lone scoffing reference to “woke” investment funds. Nor foreign affairs. Clearly not his lane.

A clear indication that they would do “what they do in the USA” (he actually said that) and create a partisan civil service with Perm secs and their staff appointed by the government.

This was, in essence, like watching an hour of Dominic Cummings. Or indeed @Luckyguy1983 of this parish with a dollop of @Casino_Royale .