Pox cases on a big spike again. Nobody seems to care any more, but does show that all the BORIS ENDS COVID stuff was fanciful.
With Covid tearing a hole through schools across Aberdeenshire I am not at all surprised that Sturgeon has decided to extend the mask mandate. It won't stop it tearing through them but will help stop spreading it further.
Would you support mask mandates to stop norovirus, or influenza, spreading further beyond schools?
If not, what's the difference with Covid?
If it's an influenza as deadly as the Spanish Flu, then yes. And in fact mask mandates were put in place back then too.
Sure, but neither Covid or the currently circulating strains of influenza are that deadly. So it doesn't feel like masks are appropriate or necessary at this stage.
Sweden today activated national service personnel: anybody who has done military training (national service or professional), irrespective of how long ago, is now under military command.
We have an unusual civic responsibility (the only other example seems to be Norway) where every Swedish citizen between 16 and 70, men and women, is part of Totalförsvaret (”Total Defence”). We all have to play our part in defending the state. There are three strands:
1. Military service, already activated (see above) 2. State war service, all public employees (state, regional and council) are obliged to serve the state in whatever capacity the government deems fit, not yet activated. 3. Civil war service, everyone else age 16-70 not included in the above two categories, not yet activated
Sounds pretty authoritarian.
Have you herring-munching wife-swappers decided to join NATO yet?
Although most Swedes profess to be agnostic or atheist (the only other country with such a majority being Scotland), it is still a pretty judgemental Lutheran culture. Conforming is inbuilt in Swedish society. What you perceive to be authoritarian, Swedes consider to be safe and comforting.
We eat a lot of herring. Our sexual habits are probably more tame than your fantasy.
And No is the very clear answer to your final question.
56% of Swedes identity as Lutheran and China is much more atheist than even Scotland as is North Korea
The Chinese aren't particularly atheist. They may well say they are. Their religions were never particularly organised and top-down as ours. But religious based "superstition", or folk beliefs, and private devotions are common.
China has by far the most atheists in the world.
Almost 50% of Chinese are convinced atheists, not even agnostic
The Communist government discourages organised religion as a challenge to loyalty to the party and certainly organised religion without a government licence.
Folk religion and Taoism etc is stronger in Japan than China
I'm in Albania. They are mostly allegedly Muslims but they clearly don't give a f***. Despite the call the prayer you hear from time they seem to like their pork, wine and raki.
She is usually articulate, and an extremely wily political operative. It looks like too much botox, but perhaps she's had a (mini-)stroke? Almost looks like that.
Either she drinks or she has some major cognitive problem (eg a stroke, as you say)
Doesn't look drunk, just looks and is very old. the fact that we can prop up 81 year olds to the extent they can purport to do a serious job, doesn't mean we should. Serious anti struldbrugg legislation needed (actually even struldbruggs were declared legally dead at 80).
I’ve read on here that Biden, Trump, Clinton, Johnson, Pelosi, Corbyn and even I think Sturgeon are suffering from dementia, strokes, or other brain-impairing illnesses.
It’s utter bullshit.
Biden: if that were your dad you'd be having a word with his GP. Harold Wilson and Ronald reagan we know for certain were demented in office. Others:
"Five percent of people ages 71 to 79, 24.2 percent of people 80 to 89, and 37.4 percent of those 90 years or older were estimated to have some type of dementia."
Those odds easily, easily justify a 70 (or 75 absolutely max) cut off for holding office. So you don't have to assess on a case by case basis.
I’m sure there is some cognitive decline as politicians age, and indeed are stressed by the demands of the job.
But every time I watch one of these videos - including the Pelosi one - I just see someone occasionally forgetting a word.
I do it myself.
Everyone has off-days, especially 70-somethings.
So assuming there are adequate numbers of under 70s, which there are, retire the 70 somethings as a precaution. There's a lower bound for US presidents, why no upper one?
What precaution, precisely, are we guarding against? A babbled press conference?
Dementia. You are plainly in the happy position of never having known anyone with a serious case. i can promise you it goes way beyond babbling at conferences.
Absolutely - for the last two years of my father’s life he could go from being incredibly sharp and on the ball re politics or general life to a dribbling mess who insisted I was my brother. It could be a switch in the space of a day, over a few days or weeks.
It’s easy to put it down to just “getting old” but it can take a while to realise what’s really going on and so there is clearly a risk that someone can be elected where “mis-speaks” are laughed off to a real problem where the president is wearing one black brogue and one cherry red penny loafer to thinking he’s Peppa Pig during an essential briefing.
It’s a grim reality but the consequences are huge especially when it’s not your dad having an issue remembering why you are taking them for a hospital appointment but instead when they are supposed to be digesting intelligence briefs and maybe declaring war…..
A friend lost her mother to dementia last week. She had been unable to recognise her daughter for the last couple of years, but her mothers husband reckoned it started 19 years before, just no one noticed but him.
My mother in law has it. Sometimes she's in a vaguely reasonable mood even though she doesn't really know who anyone is but most of the time it is terrible. "I want to be dead" is all to frequent, as is being surprisingly rough, even with her husband of nearly 70 years. We've had to hide all the knives.
What can you do? I'm quite sure if we went back 20 years she'd quite readily have told us to head for Switzerland but that isn't an option now.
The NHS seems to shrug and treat it as a social care problem and not an illness. And care homes however hard they try aren't really a suitable place to dump people, particularly in a pandemic when visiting is heavily limited.
Utter nightmare for all concerned. Cancer, however bad, has nothing on this.
We desperately need to do more research on it as the population gets older. My money is on it being virus or pathogen triggered, but who knows...
The rural English used to have “smothering parties”. Where a whole village would come round, get wildly drunk, then briskly suffocate the elderly demented person under blankets. Job done. No questions asked
Arguably more merciful than what we do today. Keep people alive for years, in grave mental pain
My mother in law was quite cheerful and even entertaining with her dementia, and my grandmother was too. Neither were distressed noticeably, though they did need a lot of care. It isn't always awful, both enjoyed life until near the end.
Sweden today activated national service personnel: anybody who has done military training (national service or professional), irrespective of how long ago, is now under military command.
We have an unusual civic responsibility (the only other example seems to be Norway) where every Swedish citizen between 16 and 70, men and women, is part of Totalförsvaret (”Total Defence”). We all have to play our part in defending the state. There are three strands:
1. Military service, already activated (see above) 2. State war service, all public employees (state, regional and council) are obliged to serve the state in whatever capacity the government deems fit, not yet activated. 3. Civil war service, everyone else age 16-70 not included in the above two categories, not yet activated
Sounds pretty authoritarian.
Have you herring-munching wife-swappers decided to join NATO yet?
Although most Swedes profess to be agnostic or atheist (the only other country with such a majority being Scotland), it is still a pretty judgemental Lutheran culture. Conforming is inbuilt in Swedish society. What you perceive to be authoritarian, Swedes consider to be safe and comforting.
We eat a lot of herring. Our sexual habits are probably more tame than your fantasy.
And No is the very clear answer to your final question.
56% of Swedes identity as Lutheran and China is much more atheist than even Scotland as is North Korea
The Chinese aren't particularly atheist. They may well say they are. Their religions were never particularly organised and top-down as ours. But religious based "superstition", or folk beliefs, and private devotions are common.
China has by far the most atheists in the world.
Almost 50% of Chinese are convinced atheists, not even agnostic
The Communist government discourages organised religion as a challenge to loyalty to the party and certainly organised religion without a government licence.
Folk religion and Taoism etc is stronger in Japan than China
I'm in Albania. They are mostly allegedly Muslims but they clearly don't give a f***. Despite the call the prayer you hear from time they seem to like their pork, wine and raki.
Sweden today activated national service personnel: anybody who has done military training (national service or professional), irrespective of how long ago, is now under military command.
We have an unusual civic responsibility (the only other example seems to be Norway) where every Swedish citizen between 16 and 70, men and women, is part of Totalförsvaret (”Total Defence”). We all have to play our part in defending the state. There are three strands:
1. Military service, already activated (see above) 2. State war service, all public employees (state, regional and council) are obliged to serve the state in whatever capacity the government deems fit, not yet activated. 3. Civil war service, everyone else age 16-70 not included in the above two categories, not yet activated
Sounds pretty authoritarian.
Have you herring-munching wife-swappers decided to join NATO yet?
Although most Swedes profess to be agnostic or atheist (the only other country with such a majority being Scotland), it is still a pretty judgemental Lutheran culture. Conforming is inbuilt in Swedish society. What you perceive to be authoritarian, Swedes consider to be safe and comforting.
We eat a lot of herring. Our sexual habits are probably more tame than your fantasy.
And No is the very clear answer to your final question.
56% of Swedes identity as Lutheran and China is much more atheist than even Scotland as is North Korea
The Chinese aren't particularly atheist. They may well say they are. Their religions were never particularly organised and top-down as ours. But religious based "superstition", or folk beliefs, and private devotions are common.
China has by far the most atheists in the world.
Almost 50% of Chinese are convinced atheists, not even agnostic
The Communist government discourages organised religion as a challenge to loyalty to the party and certainly organised religion without a government licence.
Folk religion and Taoism etc is stronger in Japan than China
I'm in Albania. They are mostly allegedly Muslims but they clearly don't give a f***. Despite the call the prayer you hear from time they seem to like their pork, wine and raki.
I’ve read on here that Biden, Trump, Clinton, Johnson, Pelosi, Corbyn and even I think Sturgeon are suffering from dementia, strokes, or other brain-impairing illnesses.
It’s utter bullshit.
Biden: if that were your dad you'd be having a word with his GP. Harold Wilson and Ronald reagan we know for certain were demented in office. Others:
"Five percent of people ages 71 to 79, 24.2 percent of people 80 to 89, and 37.4 percent of those 90 years or older were estimated to have some type of dementia."
Those odds easily, easily justify a 70 (or 75 absolutely max) cut off for holding office. So you don't have to assess on a case by case basis.
I’m sure there is some cognitive decline as politicians age, and indeed are stressed by the demands of the job.
But every time I watch one of these videos - including the Pelosi one - I just see someone occasionally forgetting a word.
I do it myself.
Everyone has off-days, especially 70-somethings.
So assuming there are adequate numbers of under 70s, which there are, retire the 70 somethings as a precaution. There's a lower bound for US presidents, why no upper one?
What precaution, precisely, are we guarding against? A babbled press conference?
Dementia. You are plainly in the happy position of never having known anyone with a serious case. i can promise you it goes way beyond babbling at conferences.
Absolutely - for the last two years of my father’s life he could go from being incredibly sharp and on the ball re politics or general life to a dribbling mess who insisted I was my brother. It could be a switch in the space of a day, over a few days or weeks.
It’s easy to put it down to just “getting old” but it can take a while to realise what’s really going on and so there is clearly a risk that someone can be elected where “mis-speaks” are laughed off to a real problem where the president is wearing one black brogue and one cherry red penny loafer to thinking he’s Peppa Pig during an essential briefing.
It’s a grim reality but the consequences are huge especially when it’s not your dad having an issue remembering why you are taking them for a hospital appointment but instead when they are supposed to be digesting intelligence briefs and maybe declaring war…..
A friend lost her mother to dementia last week. She had been unable to recognise her daughter for the last couple of years, but her mothers husband reckoned it started 19 years before, just no one noticed but him.
My mother in law has it. Sometimes she's in a vaguely reasonable mood even though she doesn't really know who anyone is but most of the time it is terrible. "I want to be dead" is all to frequent, as is being surprisingly rough, even with her husband of nearly 70 years. We've had to hide all the knives.
What can you do? I'm quite sure if we went back 20 years she'd quite readily have told us to head for Switzerland but that isn't an option now.
The NHS seems to shrug and treat it as a social care problem and not an illness. And care homes however hard they try aren't really a suitable place to dump people, particularly in a pandemic when visiting is heavily limited.
Utter nightmare for all concerned. Cancer, however bad, has nothing on this.
We desperately need to do more research on it as the population gets older. My money is on it being virus or pathogen triggered, but who knows...
The rural English used to have “smothering parties”. Where a whole village would come round, get wildly drunk, then briskly suffocate the elderly demented person under blankets. Job done. No questions asked
Arguably more merciful than what we do today. Keep people alive for years, in grave mental pain
I can imagine that still happens - eg in some of the quieter, more bucolic parts of Kent.
Matt Hancock @MattHancock · 2m Just hearing @IPSAUK won't allow any MP to open their homes to refugees fleeing Ukraine - despite there being NO extra cost to the taxpayer
This is absurd and cruel
I will be writing to IPSA to get this ridiculous decision overturned immediately Matt Hancock @MattHancock · 40s They say it’s because we can’t sublet. I won’t be subletting: I will be WELCOMING Ukrainians as guests
Chris Bryant has just called for Aaron Banks to be sanctioned as a Russian “agent of influence”, and notes that Nigel Farage received over £500k from RT in 2018 alone.
We need to be careful with this stuff. I dislike both men but we can’t have a witch hunt for anyone who ever took any cash from a Russian. Working for Russia Today has always been morally wrong, but it was lawful. I’d we’re not careful this could all get a bit “reds under the bed”.
On that note I'd like to point out that I never called for Salmond to be sanctioned.
I raised his RT work in the hope that the SNats here would finally admit; yep, a wrongun'.
But it's never happened. It shouldn't be a surprise when they wouldn't even disown him when he had to leave their party and set up a new one because he couldn't keep his hands off the women in his first party (they said that. In detail).
Why do the Nats here find him impossible to criticise? Is he like a god to them?
Is he their Boris?
Your obviously an inattentive dimwit because insofar as there are lots of 'SNats' on here, several of us including me have said his behaviour in office have disqualified him from holding it again (not that theres much chance of that); I certainly won't vote for Alba whatever the circumstances.
I'm amused by exactly the same people who multiply orgasmed when Salmond was accused of attempted rape & sexual assault, had big, fat,sad faces when he was cleared then pivoted to screeching about the injustice done to the 'best PM the UK never had' now busting a sphincter over his relationship with RT.
Save your efforts for peering out from the net curtains for the approach of Vlad's goons, sport.
Can you refer me to a post of yours criticising Salmond that I inattentively ignored?
I'd love to retract my statement in your direction if you've made one, single critical post regarding his RT employment.
Obviously ol' Malc would first have to acknowledge his RT employment.
I couldn't give a toss if you retract your statement or not. How are your efforts driving aid to Ukraine going? You might be better employed getting that going rather than sermonising on here.
I'm waiting for a tranche of redundancy money from my old employer before I spend it on an intensive driving course. I could borrow money to do it, if you'll lend?
If you want to help get me off here you could donate. I haven't yet set up a page for donations, it'd seem a bit previous like my earlier willingness to cook on the front line now does.
But if you want to donate, I'll take yours and any other's declaration here like a PB bet.
I prefer my Don Quixotes a bit less steeped in hysteria and self righteousness.
I can well understand why you would doubt me now.
I'll be disappointed if you don't support me once I've proved myself.
She is usually articulate, and an extremely wily political operative. It looks like too much botox, but perhaps she's had a (mini-)stroke? Almost looks like that.
Either she drinks or she has some major cognitive problem (eg a stroke, as you say)
Doesn't look drunk, just looks and is very old. the fact that we can prop up 81 year olds to the extent they can purport to do a serious job, doesn't mean we should. Serious anti struldbrugg legislation needed (actually even struldbruggs were declared legally dead at 80).
Matt Hancock @MattHancock · 2m Just hearing @IPSAUK won't allow any MP to open their homes to refugees fleeing Ukraine - despite there being NO extra cost to the taxpayer
This is absurd and cruel
I will be writing to IPSA to get this ridiculous decision overturned immediately Matt Hancock @MattHancock · 40s They say it’s because we can’t sublet. I won’t be subletting: I will be WELCOMING Ukrainians as guests
Sweden today activated national service personnel: anybody who has done military training (national service or professional), irrespective of how long ago, is now under military command.
We have an unusual civic responsibility (the only other example seems to be Norway) where every Swedish citizen between 16 and 70, men and women, is part of Totalförsvaret (”Total Defence”). We all have to play our part in defending the state. There are three strands:
1. Military service, already activated (see above) 2. State war service, all public employees (state, regional and council) are obliged to serve the state in whatever capacity the government deems fit, not yet activated. 3. Civil war service, everyone else age 16-70 not included in the above two categories, not yet activated
Sounds pretty authoritarian.
Have you herring-munching wife-swappers decided to join NATO yet?
Although most Swedes profess to be agnostic or atheist (the only other country with such a majority being Scotland), it is still a pretty judgemental Lutheran culture. Conforming is inbuilt in Swedish society. What you perceive to be authoritarian, Swedes consider to be safe and comforting.
We eat a lot of herring. Our sexual habits are probably more tame than your fantasy.
And No is the very clear answer to your final question.
56% of Swedes identity as Lutheran and China is much more atheist than even Scotland as is North Korea
The Chinese aren't particularly atheist. They may well say they are. Their religions were never particularly organised and top-down as ours. But religious based "superstition", or folk beliefs, and private devotions are common.
China has by far the most atheists in the world.
Almost 50% of Chinese are convinced atheists, not even agnostic
The Communist government discourages organised religion as a challenge to loyalty to the party and certainly organised religion without a government licence.
Folk religion and Shinto etc is stronger in Japan than China in some surveys though unless it includes belief in a God as with the Abrahamic religions is effectively atheism anyway
Chris Bryant has just called for Aaron Banks to be sanctioned as a Russian “agent of influence”, and notes that Nigel Farage received over £500k from RT in 2018 alone.
We need to be careful with this stuff. I dislike both men but we can’t have a witch hunt for anyone who ever took any cash from a Russian. Working for Russia Today has always been morally wrong, but it was lawful. I’d we’re not careful this could all get a bit “reds under the bed”.
Watching the C4 doc on the Jeremy Kyle show having never watched the programme but connected to earlier conversations I’m not sure exactly which punishment suits him:
The smothering party, early onset dementia, cancer, Nigel Foremain’s Leprechaun beating or just parachuted into Russian troop areas of Mariupol painted in Azov Battalion insignia.
Sweden today activated national service personnel: anybody who has done military training (national service or professional), irrespective of how long ago, is now under military command.
We have an unusual civic responsibility (the only other example seems to be Norway) where every Swedish citizen between 16 and 70, men and women, is part of Totalförsvaret (”Total Defence”). We all have to play our part in defending the state. There are three strands:
1. Military service, already activated (see above) 2. State war service, all public employees (state, regional and council) are obliged to serve the state in whatever capacity the government deems fit, not yet activated. 3. Civil war service, everyone else age 16-70 not included in the above two categories, not yet activated
Sounds pretty authoritarian.
Have you herring-munching wife-swappers decided to join NATO yet?
Although most Swedes profess to be agnostic or atheist (the only other country with such a majority being Scotland), it is still a pretty judgemental Lutheran culture. Conforming is inbuilt in Swedish society. What you perceive to be authoritarian, Swedes consider to be safe and comforting.
We eat a lot of herring. Our sexual habits are probably more tame than your fantasy.
And No is the very clear answer to your final question.
56% of Swedes identity as Lutheran and China is much more atheist than even Scotland as is North Korea
The Chinese aren't particularly atheist. They may well say they are. Their religions were never particularly organised and top-down as ours. But religious based "superstition", or folk beliefs, and private devotions are common.
China has by far the most atheists in the world.
Almost 50% of Chinese are convinced atheists, not even agnostic
The Communist government discourages organised religion as a challenge to loyalty to the party and certainly organised religion without a government licence.
Folk religion and Taoism etc is stronger in Japan than China
I'm in Albania. They are mostly allegedly Muslims but they clearly don't give a f***. Despite the call the prayer you hear from time they seem to like their pork, wine and raki.
50% of Albanians say religion is important to them however, compared to just 9% of Chinese who say religion is important to them
Of course people in China cannot always express their true views openly. With the way Falun Gong and other religions are treated they have to be very discrete.
Chris Bryant has just called for Aaron Banks to be sanctioned as a Russian “agent of influence”, and notes that Nigel Farage received over £500k from RT in 2018 alone.
We need to be careful with this stuff. I dislike both men but we can’t have a witch hunt for anyone who ever took any cash from a Russian. Working for Russia Today has always been morally wrong, but it was lawful. I’d we’re not careful this could all get a bit “reds under the bed”.
On that note I'd like to point out that I never called for Salmond to be sanctioned.
I raised his RT work in the hope that the SNats here would finally admit; yep, a wrongun'.
But it's never happened. It shouldn't be a surprise when they wouldn't even disown him when he had to leave their party and set up a new one because he couldn't keep his hands off the women in his first party (they said that. In detail).
Why do the Nats here find him impossible to criticise? Is he like a god to them?
Is he their Boris?
Your obviously an inattentive dimwit because insofar as there are lots of 'SNats' on here, several of us including me have said his behaviour in office have disqualified him from holding it again (not that theres much chance of that); I certainly won't vote for Alba whatever the circumstances.
I'm amused by exactly the same people who multiply orgasmed when Salmond was accused of attempted rape & sexual assault, had big, fat,sad faces when he was cleared then pivoted to screeching about the injustice done to the 'best PM the UK never had' now busting a sphincter over his relationship with RT.
Save your efforts for peering out from the net curtains for the approach of Vlad's goons, sport.
Can you refer me to a post of yours criticising Salmond that I inattentively ignored?
I'd love to retract my statement in your direction if you've made one, single critical post regarding his RT employment.
Obviously ol' Malc would first have to acknowledge his RT employment.
I couldn't give a toss if you retract your statement or not. How are your efforts driving aid to Ukraine going? You might be better employed getting that going rather than sermonising on here.
I'm waiting for a tranche of redundancy money from my old employer before I spend it on an intensive driving course. I could borrow money to do it, if you'll lend?
If you want to help get me off here you could donate. I haven't yet set up a page for donations, it'd seem a bit previous like my earlier willingness to cook on the front line now does.
But if you want to donate, I'll take yours and any other's declaration here like a PB bet.
I prefer my Don Quixotes a bit less steeped in hysteria and self righteousness.
I can well understand why you would doubt me now.
I'll be disappointed if you don't support me once I've proved myself.
Good luck. Personally if I wanted support at some future point I wouldn't stomp about the place accusing folk of being appeasers and collaborators, but that's lil ol me.
Sweden today activated national service personnel: anybody who has done military training (national service or professional), irrespective of how long ago, is now under military command.
We have an unusual civic responsibility (the only other example seems to be Norway) where every Swedish citizen between 16 and 70, men and women, is part of Totalförsvaret (”Total Defence”). We all have to play our part in defending the state. There are three strands:
1. Military service, already activated (see above) 2. State war service, all public employees (state, regional and council) are obliged to serve the state in whatever capacity the government deems fit, not yet activated. 3. Civil war service, everyone else age 16-70 not included in the above two categories, not yet activated
Sounds pretty authoritarian.
Have you herring-munching wife-swappers decided to join NATO yet?
Although most Swedes profess to be agnostic or atheist (the only other country with such a majority being Scotland), it is still a pretty judgemental Lutheran culture. Conforming is inbuilt in Swedish society. What you perceive to be authoritarian, Swedes consider to be safe and comforting.
We eat a lot of herring. Our sexual habits are probably more tame than your fantasy.
And No is the very clear answer to your final question.
56% of Swedes identity as Lutheran and China is much more atheist than even Scotland as is North Korea
The Chinese aren't particularly atheist. They may well say they are. Their religions were never particularly organised and top-down as ours. But religious based "superstition", or folk beliefs, and private devotions are common.
China has by far the most atheists in the world.
Almost 50% of Chinese are convinced atheists, not even agnostic
The Communist government discourages organised religion as a challenge to loyalty to the party and certainly organised religion without a government licence.
Folk religion and Shinto etc is stronger in Japan than China in some surveys though unless it includes belief in a God as with the Abrahamic religions is effectively atheism anyway
Sweden today activated national service personnel: anybody who has done military training (national service or professional), irrespective of how long ago, is now under military command.
We have an unusual civic responsibility (the only other example seems to be Norway) where every Swedish citizen between 16 and 70, men and women, is part of Totalförsvaret (”Total Defence”). We all have to play our part in defending the state. There are three strands:
1. Military service, already activated (see above) 2. State war service, all public employees (state, regional and council) are obliged to serve the state in whatever capacity the government deems fit, not yet activated. 3. Civil war service, everyone else age 16-70 not included in the above two categories, not yet activated
Sounds pretty authoritarian.
Have you herring-munching wife-swappers decided to join NATO yet?
Although most Swedes profess to be agnostic or atheist (the only other country with such a majority being Scotland), it is still a pretty judgemental Lutheran culture. Conforming is inbuilt in Swedish society. What you perceive to be authoritarian, Swedes consider to be safe and comforting.
We eat a lot of herring. Our sexual habits are probably more tame than your fantasy.
And No is the very clear answer to your final question.
56% of Swedes identity as Lutheran and China is much more atheist than even Scotland as is North Korea
The Chinese aren't particularly atheist. They may well say they are. Their religions were never particularly organised and top-down as ours. But religious based "superstition", or folk beliefs, and private devotions are common.
China has by far the most atheists in the world.
Almost 50% of Chinese are convinced atheists, not even agnostic
The Communist government discourages organised religion as a challenge to loyalty to the party and certainly organised religion without a government licence.
Folk religion and Shinto etc is stronger in Japan than China in some surveys though unless it includes belief in a God as with the Abrahamic religions is effectively atheism anyway
Is God's existence based on facts or opinions?
Neither, in the English State model c. 1540. On Henry VIII's legislation. Still in force today.
Chris Bryant has just called for Aaron Banks to be sanctioned as a Russian “agent of influence”, and notes that Nigel Farage received over £500k from RT in 2018 alone.
We need to be careful with this stuff. I dislike both men but we can’t have a witch hunt for anyone who ever took any cash from a Russian. Working for Russia Today has always been morally wrong, but it was lawful. I’d we’re not careful this could all get a bit “reds under the bed”.
On that note I'd like to point out that I never called for Salmond to be sanctioned.
I raised his RT work in the hope that the SNats here would finally admit; yep, a wrongun'.
But it's never happened. It shouldn't be a surprise when they wouldn't even disown him when he had to leave their party and set up a new one because he couldn't keep his hands off the women in his first party (they said that. In detail).
Why do the Nats here find him impossible to criticise? Is he like a god to them?
Is he their Boris?
Your obviously an inattentive dimwit because insofar as there are lots of 'SNats' on here, several of us including me have said his behaviour in office have disqualified him from holding it again (not that theres much chance of that); I certainly won't vote for Alba whatever the circumstances.
I'm amused by exactly the same people who multiply orgasmed when Salmond was accused of attempted rape & sexual assault, had big, fat,sad faces when he was cleared then pivoted to screeching about the injustice done to the 'best PM the UK never had' now busting a sphincter over his relationship with RT.
Save your efforts for peering out from the net curtains for the approach of Vlad's goons, sport.
Can you refer me to a post of yours criticising Salmond that I inattentively ignored?
I'd love to retract my statement in your direction if you've made one, single critical post regarding his RT employment.
Obviously ol' Malc would first have to acknowledge his RT employment.
I couldn't give a toss if you retract your statement or not. How are your efforts driving aid to Ukraine going? You might be better employed getting that going rather than sermonising on here.
I'm waiting for a tranche of redundancy money from my old employer before I spend it on an intensive driving course. I could borrow money to do it, if you'll lend?
If you want to help get me off here you could donate. I haven't yet set up a page for donations, it'd seem a bit previous like my earlier willingness to cook on the front line now does.
But if you want to donate, I'll take yours and any other's declaration here like a PB bet.
I prefer my Don Quixotes a bit less steeped in hysteria and self righteousness.
I can well understand why you would doubt me now.
I'll be disappointed if you don't support me once I've proved myself.
Good luck. Personally if I wanted support at some future point I wouldn't stomp about the place accusing folk of being appeasers and collaborators, but that's lil ol me.
I'm usually willing to see the other side. Even though I'm a unionist, I absolutely understand the desire for an independent Scotland. It'd be bizarre for anyone who voted for Brexit not to understand that. I understood why Remainers wanted to stay in the EU - I did quite a lot, just not enough - how could I not when I want Scotland to stay in the UK.
Right now there aren't shades; it's good versus evil.
Right now I'm trying to aim my fire at Russia, and things or people that are helping Russia. People working for RT recently are helping Russia. People blaming NATO are helping Russia. People blaming Israel are helping Russia.
I'm not saying you've done any of these things, but when I've attacked those things you've attacked me.
Sweden today activated national service personnel: anybody who has done military training (national service or professional), irrespective of how long ago, is now under military command.
We have an unusual civic responsibility (the only other example seems to be Norway) where every Swedish citizen between 16 and 70, men and women, is part of Totalförsvaret (”Total Defence”). We all have to play our part in defending the state. There are three strands:
1. Military service, already activated (see above) 2. State war service, all public employees (state, regional and council) are obliged to serve the state in whatever capacity the government deems fit, not yet activated. 3. Civil war service, everyone else age 16-70 not included in the above two categories, not yet activated
Sounds pretty authoritarian.
Have you herring-munching wife-swappers decided to join NATO yet?
Although most Swedes profess to be agnostic or atheist (the only other country with such a majority being Scotland), it is still a pretty judgemental Lutheran culture. Conforming is inbuilt in Swedish society. What you perceive to be authoritarian, Swedes consider to be safe and comforting.
We eat a lot of herring. Our sexual habits are probably more tame than your fantasy.
And No is the very clear answer to your final question.
56% of Swedes identity as Lutheran and China is much more atheist than even Scotland as is North Korea
The Chinese aren't particularly atheist. They may well say they are. Their religions were never particularly organised and top-down as ours. But religious based "superstition", or folk beliefs, and private devotions are common.
China has by far the most atheists in the world.
Almost 50% of Chinese are convinced atheists, not even agnostic
The Communist government discourages organised religion as a challenge to loyalty to the party and certainly organised religion without a government licence.
Folk religion and Taoism etc is stronger in Japan than China
I'm in Albania. They are mostly allegedly Muslims but they clearly don't give a f***. Despite the call the prayer you hear from time they seem to like their pork, wine and raki.
Ooh, enjoy. I love Raki.
I have a baklava and raki moment coming up
Enjoy. I’m more than a little envious.
It was nice. Albania is a great east-meets-west little place. Democratic prices, too.
Matt Hancock @MattHancock · 2m Just hearing @IPSAUK won't allow any MP to open their homes to refugees fleeing Ukraine - despite there being NO extra cost to the taxpayer
This is absurd and cruel
I will be writing to IPSA to get this ridiculous decision overturned immediately Matt Hancock @MattHancock · 40s They say it’s because we can’t sublet. I won’t be subletting: I will be WELCOMING Ukrainians as guests
Sweden today activated national service personnel: anybody who has done military training (national service or professional), irrespective of how long ago, is now under military command.
We have an unusual civic responsibility (the only other example seems to be Norway) where every Swedish citizen between 16 and 70, men and women, is part of Totalförsvaret (”Total Defence”). We all have to play our part in defending the state. There are three strands:
1. Military service, already activated (see above) 2. State war service, all public employees (state, regional and council) are obliged to serve the state in whatever capacity the government deems fit, not yet activated. 3. Civil war service, everyone else age 16-70 not included in the above two categories, not yet activated
Sounds pretty authoritarian.
Have you herring-munching wife-swappers decided to join NATO yet?
Although most Swedes profess to be agnostic or atheist (the only other country with such a majority being Scotland), it is still a pretty judgemental Lutheran culture. Conforming is inbuilt in Swedish society. What you perceive to be authoritarian, Swedes consider to be safe and comforting.
We eat a lot of herring. Our sexual habits are probably more tame than your fantasy.
And No is the very clear answer to your final question.
56% of Swedes identity as Lutheran and China is much more atheist than even Scotland as is North Korea
The Chinese aren't particularly atheist. They may well say they are. Their religions were never particularly organised and top-down as ours. But religious based "superstition", or folk beliefs, and private devotions are common.
China has by far the most atheists in the world.
Almost 50% of Chinese are convinced atheists, not even agnostic
The Communist government discourages organised religion as a challenge to loyalty to the party and certainly organised religion without a government licence.
Folk religion and Taoism etc is stronger in Japan than China
I'm in Albania. They are mostly allegedly Muslims but they clearly don't give a f***. Despite the call the prayer you hear from time they seem to like their pork, wine and raki.
Ooh, enjoy. I love Raki.
I have a baklava and raki moment coming up
Enjoy. I’m more than a little envious.
It was nice. Albania is a great east-meets-west little place. Democratic prices, too.
We’re in Montenegro in September. We’re hoping it will be the Albania.
She is usually articulate, and an extremely wily political operative. It looks like too much botox, but perhaps she's had a (mini-)stroke? Almost looks like that.
Either she drinks or she has some major cognitive problem (eg a stroke, as you say)
Doesn't look drunk, just looks and is very old. the fact that we can prop up 81 year olds to the extent they can purport to do a serious job, doesn't mean we should. Serious anti struldbrugg legislation needed (actually even struldbruggs were declared legally dead at 80).
So my wife at 82 should be dead in your musings
Aging does indeed chip away in myriad ways. I am 82. Today, for the first time ever I had an offer from a nice middle aged lady in the queue at Costa coffee to carry my tray with water and coffee for two to our table. Actually I could probably have carried her and her tray to her table, but It made me think that 60 odd years of nearly daily exercise must have been to some benefit. Such vignettes do tend to stay with one though.
I note he doesn’t rule out receiving money before 2018. I believe Bryant was talking about tax returns for 2018 which presumably refer to receipts in 2017.
Matt Hancock @MattHancock · 2m Just hearing @IPSAUK won't allow any MP to open their homes to refugees fleeing Ukraine - despite there being NO extra cost to the taxpayer
This is absurd and cruel
I will be writing to IPSA to get this ridiculous decision overturned immediately Matt Hancock @MattHancock · 40s They say it’s because we can’t sublet. I won’t be subletting: I will be WELCOMING Ukrainians as guests
Sweden today activated national service personnel: anybody who has done military training (national service or professional), irrespective of how long ago, is now under military command.
We have an unusual civic responsibility (the only other example seems to be Norway) where every Swedish citizen between 16 and 70, men and women, is part of Totalförsvaret (”Total Defence”). We all have to play our part in defending the state. There are three strands:
1. Military service, already activated (see above) 2. State war service, all public employees (state, regional and council) are obliged to serve the state in whatever capacity the government deems fit, not yet activated. 3. Civil war service, everyone else age 16-70 not included in the above two categories, not yet activated
Sounds pretty authoritarian.
Have you herring-munching wife-swappers decided to join NATO yet?
Although most Swedes profess to be agnostic or atheist (the only other country with such a majority being Scotland), it is still a pretty judgemental Lutheran culture. Conforming is inbuilt in Swedish society. What you perceive to be authoritarian, Swedes consider to be safe and comforting.
We eat a lot of herring. Our sexual habits are probably more tame than your fantasy.
And No is the very clear answer to your final question.
56% of Swedes identity as Lutheran and China is much more atheist than even Scotland as is North Korea
The Chinese aren't particularly atheist. They may well say they are. Their religions were never particularly organised and top-down as ours. But religious based "superstition", or folk beliefs, and private devotions are common.
China has by far the most atheists in the world.
Almost 50% of Chinese are convinced atheists, not even agnostic
The Communist government discourages organised religion as a challenge to loyalty to the party and certainly organised religion without a government licence.
Folk religion and Shinto etc is stronger in Japan than China in some surveys though unless it includes belief in a God as with the Abrahamic religions is effectively atheism anyway
Sweden today activated national service personnel: anybody who has done military training (national service or professional), irrespective of how long ago, is now under military command.
We have an unusual civic responsibility (the only other example seems to be Norway) where every Swedish citizen between 16 and 70, men and women, is part of Totalförsvaret (”Total Defence”). We all have to play our part in defending the state. There are three strands:
1. Military service, already activated (see above) 2. State war service, all public employees (state, regional and council) are obliged to serve the state in whatever capacity the government deems fit, not yet activated. 3. Civil war service, everyone else age 16-70 not included in the above two categories, not yet activated
Sounds pretty authoritarian.
Have you herring-munching wife-swappers decided to join NATO yet?
Although most Swedes profess to be agnostic or atheist (the only other country with such a majority being Scotland), it is still a pretty judgemental Lutheran culture. Conforming is inbuilt in Swedish society. What you perceive to be authoritarian, Swedes consider to be safe and comforting.
We eat a lot of herring. Our sexual habits are probably more tame than your fantasy.
And No is the very clear answer to your final question.
56% of Swedes identity as Lutheran and China is much more atheist than even Scotland as is North Korea
The Chinese aren't particularly atheist. They may well say they are. Their religions were never particularly organised and top-down as ours. But religious based "superstition", or folk beliefs, and private devotions are common.
China has by far the most atheists in the world.
Almost 50% of Chinese are convinced atheists, not even agnostic
The Communist government discourages organised religion as a challenge to loyalty to the party and certainly organised religion without a government licence.
Folk religion and Taoism etc is stronger in Japan than China
I'm in Albania. They are mostly allegedly Muslims but they clearly don't give a f***. Despite the call the prayer you hear from time they seem to like their pork, wine and raki.
50% of Albanians say religion is important to them however, compared to just 9% of Chinese who say religion is important to them
Of course people in China cannot always express their true views openly. With the way Falun Gong and other religions are treated they have to be very discrete.
In the Balkans, where ethnicity and religion are closely intertwined, it might make a difference. They are playing a folk music loop in the restaurant I'm in and it sounds pretty Turkish to me. Having said that, some Albanians are Orthodox and in the North, Catholic (apparently along the lines of Theodosius's split between the Eastern and Western Empires).
Matt Hancock @MattHancock · 2m Just hearing @IPSAUK won't allow any MP to open their homes to refugees fleeing Ukraine - despite there being NO extra cost to the taxpayer
This is absurd and cruel
I will be writing to IPSA to get this ridiculous decision overturned immediately Matt Hancock @MattHancock · 40s They say it’s because we can’t sublet. I won’t be subletting: I will be WELCOMING Ukrainians as guests
Sweden today activated national service personnel: anybody who has done military training (national service or professional), irrespective of how long ago, is now under military command.
We have an unusual civic responsibility (the only other example seems to be Norway) where every Swedish citizen between 16 and 70, men and women, is part of Totalförsvaret (”Total Defence”). We all have to play our part in defending the state. There are three strands:
1. Military service, already activated (see above) 2. State war service, all public employees (state, regional and council) are obliged to serve the state in whatever capacity the government deems fit, not yet activated. 3. Civil war service, everyone else age 16-70 not included in the above two categories, not yet activated
Sounds pretty authoritarian.
Have you herring-munching wife-swappers decided to join NATO yet?
Although most Swedes profess to be agnostic or atheist (the only other country with such a majority being Scotland), it is still a pretty judgemental Lutheran culture. Conforming is inbuilt in Swedish society. What you perceive to be authoritarian, Swedes consider to be safe and comforting.
We eat a lot of herring. Our sexual habits are probably more tame than your fantasy.
And No is the very clear answer to your final question.
56% of Swedes identity as Lutheran and China is much more atheist than even Scotland as is North Korea
The Chinese aren't particularly atheist. They may well say they are. Their religions were never particularly organised and top-down as ours. But religious based "superstition", or folk beliefs, and private devotions are common.
China has by far the most atheists in the world.
Almost 50% of Chinese are convinced atheists, not even agnostic
The Communist government discourages organised religion as a challenge to loyalty to the party and certainly organised religion without a government licence.
Folk religion and Taoism etc is stronger in Japan than China
I'm in Albania. They are mostly allegedly Muslims but they clearly don't give a f***. Despite the call the prayer you hear from time they seem to like their pork, wine and raki.
50% of Albanians say religion is important to them however, compared to just 9% of Chinese who say religion is important to them
Of course people in China cannot always express their true views openly. With the way Falun Gong and other religions are treated they have to be very discrete.
In the Balkans, where ethnicity and religion are closely intertwined, it might make a difference. They are playing a folk music loop in the restaurant I'm in and it sounds pretty Turkish to me. Having said that, some Albanians are Orthodox and in the North, Catholic (apparently along the lines of Theodosius's split between the Eastern and Western Empires).
Although I have spotted a couple of icons so they are probably Orthodox here.
I note he doesn’t rule out receiving money before 2018. I believe Bryant was talking about tax returns for 2018 which presumably refer to receipts in 2017.
But let’s see what Bryant says.
Nige asserts elsewhere that he only received a few grand from RT in previous years.
“I had two small appearance fees back then, well under £5,000. Not appeared since.”
He added: “I didn’t do anything with RT in 2018.”
Asked when he received the “two small appearance fees” he referred to in his initial statement, Farage said: “Different years, a couple of bits of business in 2016 and 2017.”
True or not, I suspect this allegation was leaked to Bryant indirectly by the Kremlin. Having achieved Brexit, it's certainly now in Putin's interest to put Farage in a bad light - demoralizing Leavers and spreading more confusion and acrimony.
Sweden today activated national service personnel: anybody who has done military training (national service or professional), irrespective of how long ago, is now under military command.
We have an unusual civic responsibility (the only other example seems to be Norway) where every Swedish citizen between 16 and 70, men and women, is part of Totalförsvaret (”Total Defence”). We all have to play our part in defending the state. There are three strands:
1. Military service, already activated (see above) 2. State war service, all public employees (state, regional and council) are obliged to serve the state in whatever capacity the government deems fit, not yet activated. 3. Civil war service, everyone else age 16-70 not included in the above two categories, not yet activated
Sounds pretty authoritarian.
Have you herring-munching wife-swappers decided to join NATO yet?
Although most Swedes profess to be agnostic or atheist (the only other country with such a majority being Scotland), it is still a pretty judgemental Lutheran culture. Conforming is inbuilt in Swedish society. What you perceive to be authoritarian, Swedes consider to be safe and comforting.
We eat a lot of herring. Our sexual habits are probably more tame than your fantasy.
And No is the very clear answer to your final question.
56% of Swedes identity as Lutheran and China is much more atheist than even Scotland as is North Korea
The Chinese aren't particularly atheist. They may well say they are. Their religions were never particularly organised and top-down as ours. But religious based "superstition", or folk beliefs, and private devotions are common.
China has by far the most atheists in the world.
Almost 50% of Chinese are convinced atheists, not even agnostic
The Communist government discourages organised religion as a challenge to loyalty to the party and certainly organised religion without a government licence.
Folk religion and Shinto etc is stronger in Japan than China in some surveys though unless it includes belief in a God as with the Abrahamic religions is effectively atheism anyway
Sweden today activated national service personnel: anybody who has done military training (national service or professional), irrespective of how long ago, is now under military command.
We have an unusual civic responsibility (the only other example seems to be Norway) where every Swedish citizen between 16 and 70, men and women, is part of Totalförsvaret (”Total Defence”). We all have to play our part in defending the state. There are three strands:
1. Military service, already activated (see above) 2. State war service, all public employees (state, regional and council) are obliged to serve the state in whatever capacity the government deems fit, not yet activated. 3. Civil war service, everyone else age 16-70 not included in the above two categories, not yet activated
Sounds pretty authoritarian.
Have you herring-munching wife-swappers decided to join NATO yet?
Although most Swedes profess to be agnostic or atheist (the only other country with such a majority being Scotland), it is still a pretty judgemental Lutheran culture. Conforming is inbuilt in Swedish society. What you perceive to be authoritarian, Swedes consider to be safe and comforting.
We eat a lot of herring. Our sexual habits are probably more tame than your fantasy.
And No is the very clear answer to your final question.
56% of Swedes identity as Lutheran and China is much more atheist than even Scotland as is North Korea
The Chinese aren't particularly atheist. They may well say they are. Their religions were never particularly organised and top-down as ours. But religious based "superstition", or folk beliefs, and private devotions are common.
China has by far the most atheists in the world.
Almost 50% of Chinese are convinced atheists, not even agnostic
The Communist government discourages organised religion as a challenge to loyalty to the party and certainly organised religion without a government licence.
Folk religion and Taoism etc is stronger in Japan than China
I'm in Albania. They are mostly allegedly Muslims but they clearly don't give a f***. Despite the call the prayer you hear from time they seem to like their pork, wine and raki.
Ooh, enjoy. I love Raki.
I have a baklava and raki moment coming up
Enjoy. I’m more than a little envious.
It was nice. Albania is a great east-meets-west little place. Democratic prices, too.
We’re in Montenegro in September. We’re hoping it will be the Albania.
I have restricted myself to Tirana and the South. Northern Albania, Montenegro, Macedonia, Kosovo can be fitted into a longer trip round the Balkans.
Oh, and this is for reasonably modern Western kit, not the 40 or 50 year old Soviet stuff we are seeing the Russians fielding in Ukraine at the moment.
Sweden today activated national service personnel: anybody who has done military training (national service or professional), irrespective of how long ago, is now under military command.
We have an unusual civic responsibility (the only other example seems to be Norway) where every Swedish citizen between 16 and 70, men and women, is part of Totalförsvaret (”Total Defence”). We all have to play our part in defending the state. There are three strands:
1. Military service, already activated (see above) 2. State war service, all public employees (state, regional and council) are obliged to serve the state in whatever capacity the government deems fit, not yet activated. 3. Civil war service, everyone else age 16-70 not included in the above two categories, not yet activated
Sounds pretty authoritarian.
Have you herring-munching wife-swappers decided to join NATO yet?
Although most Swedes profess to be agnostic or atheist (the only other country with such a majority being Scotland), it is still a pretty judgemental Lutheran culture. Conforming is inbuilt in Swedish society. What you perceive to be authoritarian, Swedes consider to be safe and comforting.
We eat a lot of herring. Our sexual habits are probably more tame than your fantasy.
And No is the very clear answer to your final question.
56% of Swedes identity as Lutheran and China is much more atheist than even Scotland as is North Korea
The Chinese aren't particularly atheist. They may well say they are. Their religions were never particularly organised and top-down as ours. But religious based "superstition", or folk beliefs, and private devotions are common.
China has by far the most atheists in the world.
Almost 50% of Chinese are convinced atheists, not even agnostic
The Communist government discourages organised religion as a challenge to loyalty to the party and certainly organised religion without a government licence.
Folk religion and Shinto etc is stronger in Japan than China in some surveys though unless it includes belief in a God as with the Abrahamic religions is effectively atheism anyway
Oh, and this is for reasonably modern Western kit, not the 40 or 50 year old Soviet stuff we are seeing the Russians fielding in Ukraine at the moment.
Oh, that is an interesting site - the statistical armour and turret cage postings were very interesting.
Anyone watching the Matt Frei led debate on how to respond better to the Ukraine crisis? Currently on Channel 4.
Yes Prime Minister, BBC4
I think Paul Eddington might be the best comedy actor. YM/YPM and The Good Life are my two favourite sitcoms of all time.
His ability to deliver what amounted to several lines of speech just through facial expressions was amazing. Mind you he had great back up in the rest of the cast.
Matt Hancock @MattHancock · 2m Just hearing @IPSAUK won't allow any MP to open their homes to refugees fleeing Ukraine - despite there being NO extra cost to the taxpayer
This is absurd and cruel
I will be writing to IPSA to get this ridiculous decision overturned immediately Matt Hancock @MattHancock · 40s They say it’s because we can’t sublet. I won’t be subletting: I will be WELCOMING Ukrainians as guests
Welcoming them as guests and trousering the £350 per month payment… based on utilising state funded assets
I imagine that ministers taking red boxes home should be briefed on security issues, but MPs do seem to forget why we needed to have an IPSA in the first place.
How many MPs are offering their constituency homes, rather than their London homes, and is there a way to decline the £350 payment?
Sweden today activated national service personnel: anybody who has done military training (national service or professional), irrespective of how long ago, is now under military command.
We have an unusual civic responsibility (the only other example seems to be Norway) where every Swedish citizen between 16 and 70, men and women, is part of Totalförsvaret (”Total Defence”). We all have to play our part in defending the state. There are three strands:
1. Military service, already activated (see above) 2. State war service, all public employees (state, regional and council) are obliged to serve the state in whatever capacity the government deems fit, not yet activated. 3. Civil war service, everyone else age 16-70 not included in the above two categories, not yet activated
Sounds pretty authoritarian.
Have you herring-munching wife-swappers decided to join NATO yet?
Although most Swedes profess to be agnostic or atheist (the only other country with such a majority being Scotland), it is still a pretty judgemental Lutheran culture. Conforming is inbuilt in Swedish society. What you perceive to be authoritarian, Swedes consider to be safe and comforting.
We eat a lot of herring. Our sexual habits are probably more tame than your fantasy.
And No is the very clear answer to your final question.
56% of Swedes identity as Lutheran and China is much more atheist than even Scotland as is North Korea
The Chinese aren't particularly atheist. They may well say they are. Their religions were never particularly organised and top-down as ours. But religious based "superstition", or folk beliefs, and private devotions are common.
China has by far the most atheists in the world.
Almost 50% of Chinese are convinced atheists, not even agnostic
The Communist government discourages organised religion as a challenge to loyalty to the party and certainly organised religion without a government licence.
Folk religion and Shinto etc is stronger in Japan than China in some surveys though unless it includes belief in a God as with the Abrahamic religions is effectively atheism anyway
Is God's existence based on facts or opinions?
On Authority.
HYUFD is a Christian. That's good enough for me.
But, in a Don Camillo style twist, God graciously defers to HYUFD's greater certitude on matters relating to political polling.
Sweden today activated national service personnel: anybody who has done military training (national service or professional), irrespective of how long ago, is now under military command.
We have an unusual civic responsibility (the only other example seems to be Norway) where every Swedish citizen between 16 and 70, men and women, is part of Totalförsvaret (”Total Defence”). We all have to play our part in defending the state. There are three strands:
1. Military service, already activated (see above) 2. State war service, all public employees (state, regional and council) are obliged to serve the state in whatever capacity the government deems fit, not yet activated. 3. Civil war service, everyone else age 16-70 not included in the above two categories, not yet activated
Sounds pretty authoritarian.
Have you herring-munching wife-swappers decided to join NATO yet?
Although most Swedes profess to be agnostic or atheist (the only other country with such a majority being Scotland), it is still a pretty judgemental Lutheran culture. Conforming is inbuilt in Swedish society. What you perceive to be authoritarian, Swedes consider to be safe and comforting.
We eat a lot of herring. Our sexual habits are probably more tame than your fantasy.
And No is the very clear answer to your final question.
56% of Swedes identity as Lutheran and China is much more atheist than even Scotland as is North Korea
The Chinese aren't particularly atheist. They may well say they are. Their religions were never particularly organised and top-down as ours. But religious based "superstition", or folk beliefs, and private devotions are common.
China has by far the most atheists in the world.
Almost 50% of Chinese are convinced atheists, not even agnostic
The Communist government discourages organised religion as a challenge to loyalty to the party and certainly organised religion without a government licence.
Folk religion and Shinto etc is stronger in Japan than China in some surveys though unless it includes belief in a God as with the Abrahamic religions is effectively atheism anyway
Is God's existence based on facts or opinions?
Hmm. He doesn’t exist that is a fact. Opinions on this fact differ.
Oh, and this is for reasonably modern Western kit, not the 40 or 50 year old Soviet stuff we are seeing the Russians fielding in Ukraine at the moment.
Oh, that is an interesting site - the statistical armour and turret cage postings were very interesting.
Yes, I had it bookmarked after someone (I think here) linked to the turret cages post the other day.
Oh, and this is for reasonably modern Western kit, not the 40 or 50 year old Soviet stuff we are seeing the Russians fielding in Ukraine at the moment.
We begin to see why the Russians have made almost no progress for yet another day.
Oh, and this is for reasonably modern Western kit, not the 40 or 50 year old Soviet stuff we are seeing the Russians fielding in Ukraine at the moment.
We begin to see why the Russians have made almost no progress for yet another day.
Hopefully this'll go down in history as one of the most ill-judged military campaigns of all time.
Sweden today activated national service personnel: anybody who has done military training (national service or professional), irrespective of how long ago, is now under military command.
We have an unusual civic responsibility (the only other example seems to be Norway) where every Swedish citizen between 16 and 70, men and women, is part of Totalförsvaret (”Total Defence”). We all have to play our part in defending the state. There are three strands:
1. Military service, already activated (see above) 2. State war service, all public employees (state, regional and council) are obliged to serve the state in whatever capacity the government deems fit, not yet activated. 3. Civil war service, everyone else age 16-70 not included in the above two categories, not yet activated
Sounds pretty authoritarian.
Have you herring-munching wife-swappers decided to join NATO yet?
Although most Swedes profess to be agnostic or atheist (the only other country with such a majority being Scotland), it is still a pretty judgemental Lutheran culture. Conforming is inbuilt in Swedish society. What you perceive to be authoritarian, Swedes consider to be safe and comforting.
We eat a lot of herring. Our sexual habits are probably more tame than your fantasy.
And No is the very clear answer to your final question.
56% of Swedes identity as Lutheran and China is much more atheist than even Scotland as is North Korea
The Chinese aren't particularly atheist. They may well say they are. Their religions were never particularly organised and top-down as ours. But religious based "superstition", or folk beliefs, and private devotions are common.
China has by far the most atheists in the world.
Almost 50% of Chinese are convinced atheists, not even agnostic
The Communist government discourages organised religion as a challenge to loyalty to the party and certainly organised religion without a government licence.
Folk religion and Shinto etc is stronger in Japan than China in some surveys though unless it includes belief in a God as with the Abrahamic religions is effectively atheism anyway
Is God's existence based on facts or opinions?
Religious people have on average significantly lower levels of education and lower levels of intelligence than agnostics/atheists. That's a fact. Draw your own opinions from that.
Matt Hancock @MattHancock · 2m Just hearing @IPSAUK won't allow any MP to open their homes to refugees fleeing Ukraine - despite there being NO extra cost to the taxpayer
This is absurd and cruel
I will be writing to IPSA to get this ridiculous decision overturned immediately Matt Hancock @MattHancock · 40s They say it’s because we can’t sublet. I won’t be subletting: I will be WELCOMING Ukrainians as guests
Anyone watching the Matt Frei led debate on how to respond better to the Ukraine crisis? Currently on Channel 4.
Yes Prime Minister, BBC4
I think Paul Eddington might be the best comedy actor. YM/YPM and The Good Life are my two favourite sitcoms of all time.
His ability to deliver what amounted to several lines of speech just through facial expressions was amazing. Mind you he had great back up in the rest of the cast.
He could also play the straight man role, but also be the more comic foil if needed, not easy.
I’ve read on here that Biden, Trump, Clinton, Johnson, Pelosi, Corbyn and even I think Sturgeon are suffering from dementia, strokes, or other brain-impairing illnesses.
It’s utter bullshit.
Biden: if that were your dad you'd be having a word with his GP. Harold Wilson and Ronald reagan we know for certain were demented in office. Others:
"Five percent of people ages 71 to 79, 24.2 percent of people 80 to 89, and 37.4 percent of those 90 years or older were estimated to have some type of dementia."
Those odds easily, easily justify a 70 (or 75 absolutely max) cut off for holding office. So you don't have to assess on a case by case basis.
I’m sure there is some cognitive decline as politicians age, and indeed are stressed by the demands of the job.
But every time I watch one of these videos - including the Pelosi one - I just see someone occasionally forgetting a word.
I do it myself.
Everyone has off-days, especially 70-somethings.
So assuming there are adequate numbers of under 70s, which there are, retire the 70 somethings as a precaution. There's a lower bound for US presidents, why no upper one?
What precaution, precisely, are we guarding against? A babbled press conference?
Dementia. You are plainly in the happy position of never having known anyone with a serious case. i can promise you it goes way beyond babbling at conferences.
Absolutely - for the last two years of my father’s life he could go from being incredibly sharp and on the ball re politics or general life to a dribbling mess who insisted I was my brother. It could be a switch in the space of a day, over a few days or weeks.
It’s easy to put it down to just “getting old” but it can take a while to realise what’s really going on and so there is clearly a risk that someone can be elected where “mis-speaks” are laughed off to a real problem where the president is wearing one black brogue and one cherry red penny loafer to thinking he’s Peppa Pig during an essential briefing.
It’s a grim reality but the consequences are huge especially when it’s not your dad having an issue remembering why you are taking them for a hospital appointment but instead when they are supposed to be digesting intelligence briefs and maybe declaring war…..
A friend lost her mother to dementia last week. She had been unable to recognise her daughter for the last couple of years, but her mothers husband reckoned it started 19 years before, just no one noticed but him.
My mother in law has it. Sometimes she's in a vaguely reasonable mood even though she doesn't really know who anyone is but most of the time it is terrible. "I want to be dead" is all to frequent, as is being surprisingly rough, even with her husband of nearly 70 years. We've had to hide all the knives.
What can you do? I'm quite sure if we went back 20 years she'd quite readily have told us to head for Switzerland but that isn't an option now.
The NHS seems to shrug and treat it as a social care problem and not an illness. And care homes however hard they try aren't really a suitable place to dump people, particularly in a pandemic when visiting is heavily limited.
Utter nightmare for all concerned. Cancer, however bad, has nothing on this.
We desperately need to do more research on it as the population gets older. My money is on it being virus or pathogen triggered, but who knows...
The rural English used to have “smothering parties”. Where a whole village would come round, get wildly drunk, then briskly suffocate the elderly demented person under blankets. Job done. No questions asked
Arguably more merciful than what we do today. Keep people alive for years, in grave mental pain
I would certainly trust a village 'jury' who knew someone as a member of the community to do the right thing far more than the social care system that doesn't know them from Eve, and probably also more than the close family.
I do wonder where we lost our way on this. Perhaps we (as a society) are too distant from reality, even after a pandemic. It is much easier to take an extremist 'life at all costs' position when you hide all the problems away.
As an aside, I do know that not everyone with dementia has behavioural problems. A neighbour also had it and was "fine" living at home until the end. I suppose you don't know how it is going to be until it is too late.
Oh, and this is for reasonably modern Western kit, not the 40 or 50 year old Soviet stuff we are seeing the Russians fielding in Ukraine at the moment.
We begin to see why the Russians have made almost no progress for yet another day.
Hopefully this'll go down in history as one of the most ill-judged military campaigns of all time.
Message intercepted to Moscow from Iranian Committee for Building Relationships with Infidels and Heretics. ++Thank you for the £400M of British tax payer money. ++We have new markets for our oil despite being gulfs bad guys for goodness knows how long ++hard cheese as our new best buddies say ++Enjoy hell with the Great Satan
Whoever it was (might have been several people) earlier who said this was all a bit 1914 wasn’t wrong.
Me, I think. To contrast it with all the talk of 1938 appeasement.
The reality is that all wars are unique. Putin's problem is the failure to recognise sunk costs. He has gone so far that he cannot back out, even though he should.
Perhaps a UN peacekeeping force with Jamaican, Indian and Brazilian troops on the streets of Lukhansk, Donetsk and patrolling the Ukraine-Crimea border.
Can't see it and the thorny question of who pays for it will never be far from the top of the agenda - perhaps ask the UAE or the Qataris to stump or use proceeds from the sale of oligarch assets.
The truth unfortunately is partition has been used a lot in recent times - it resolves nothing but preserves a peace of sorts.
Whoever it was (might have been several people) earlier who said this was all a bit 1914 wasn’t wrong.
Me, I think. To contrast it with all the talk of 1938 appeasement.
The reality is that all wars are unique. Putin's problem is the failure to recognise sunk costs. He has gone so far that he cannot back out, even though he should.
You are right that parallels are never exact, but it is just feeling like there’s a lot of overlapping issues and it won’t take a massive miscalculation before we are in a situation the history books will take two chapters to unpack.
I’ve read on here that Biden, Trump, Clinton, Johnson, Pelosi, Corbyn and even I think Sturgeon are suffering from dementia, strokes, or other brain-impairing illnesses.
It’s utter bullshit.
Biden: if that were your dad you'd be having a word with his GP. Harold Wilson and Ronald reagan we know for certain were demented in office. Others:
"Five percent of people ages 71 to 79, 24.2 percent of people 80 to 89, and 37.4 percent of those 90 years or older were estimated to have some type of dementia."
Those odds easily, easily justify a 70 (or 75 absolutely max) cut off for holding office. So you don't have to assess on a case by case basis.
I’m sure there is some cognitive decline as politicians age, and indeed are stressed by the demands of the job.
But every time I watch one of these videos - including the Pelosi one - I just see someone occasionally forgetting a word.
I do it myself.
Everyone has off-days, especially 70-somethings.
So assuming there are adequate numbers of under 70s, which there are, retire the 70 somethings as a precaution. There's a lower bound for US presidents, why no upper one?
What precaution, precisely, are we guarding against? A babbled press conference?
Dementia. You are plainly in the happy position of never having known anyone with a serious case. i can promise you it goes way beyond babbling at conferences.
Absolutely - for the last two years of my father’s life he could go from being incredibly sharp and on the ball re politics or general life to a dribbling mess who insisted I was my brother. It could be a switch in the space of a day, over a few days or weeks.
It’s easy to put it down to just “getting old” but it can take a while to realise what’s really going on and so there is clearly a risk that someone can be elected where “mis-speaks” are laughed off to a real problem where the president is wearing one black brogue and one cherry red penny loafer to thinking he’s Peppa Pig during an essential briefing.
It’s a grim reality but the consequences are huge especially when it’s not your dad having an issue remembering why you are taking them for a hospital appointment but instead when they are supposed to be digesting intelligence briefs and maybe declaring war…..
A friend lost her mother to dementia last week. She had been unable to recognise her daughter for the last couple of years, but her mothers husband reckoned it started 19 years before, just no one noticed but him.
My mother in law has it. Sometimes she's in a vaguely reasonable mood even though she doesn't really know who anyone is but most of the time it is terrible. "I want to be dead" is all to frequent, as is being surprisingly rough, even with her husband of nearly 70 years. We've had to hide all the knives.
What can you do? I'm quite sure if we went back 20 years she'd quite readily have told us to head for Switzerland but that isn't an option now.
The NHS seems to shrug and treat it as a social care problem and not an illness. And care homes however hard they try aren't really a suitable place to dump people, particularly in a pandemic when visiting is heavily limited.
Utter nightmare for all concerned. Cancer, however bad, has nothing on this.
We desperately need to do more research on it as the population gets older. My money is on it being virus or pathogen triggered, but who knows...
The rural English used to have “smothering parties”. Where a whole village would come round, get wildly drunk, then briskly suffocate the elderly demented person under blankets. Job done. No questions asked
Arguably more merciful than what we do today. Keep people alive for years, in grave mental pain
I would certainly trust a village 'jury' who knew someone as a member of the community to do the right thing far more than the social care system that doesn't know them from Eve, and probably also more than the close family.
I do wonder where we lost our way on this. Perhaps we (as a society) are too distant from reality, even after a pandemic. It is much easier to take an extremist 'life at all costs' position when you hide all the problems away.
As an aside, I do know that not everyone with dementia has behavioural problems. A neighbour also had it and was "fine" living at home until the end. I suppose you don't know how it is going to be until it is too late.
"Life at all costs" is not something that I recognise in UK practice. It is more of a feature in the USA,.
From yesterday, I note I was laughed at by some for suggesting China's goal was to deprecate the dollar as the world's reserve currency, I see from today's Wall Street Journal that Saudi Arabia is in talks to start pricing its oil in yuan.
I repeat what I said yesterday - dumb people wage war with tanks, smart people wage war with economics.
The Yuan can't be the world's reserve currency for two and a half reasons:
(1) It's not really freely convertible (2) If it became the world's reserve currency, others would peg their currencies to it, and therefore China would lose the ability to devalue and (2.5) The world's reserve currency is pretty much always that of a debtor nation: that is, there needs to be enough of the currency in circulation for people to use it at the reserve. Which requires regular money creation through the act of borrowing. (2.75) There aren't enough Yuan denominated assets for people to buy.
Sweden today activated national service personnel: anybody who has done military training (national service or professional), irrespective of how long ago, is now under military command.
We have an unusual civic responsibility (the only other example seems to be Norway) where every Swedish citizen between 16 and 70, men and women, is part of Totalförsvaret (”Total Defence”). We all have to play our part in defending the state. There are three strands:
1. Military service, already activated (see above) 2. State war service, all public employees (state, regional and council) are obliged to serve the state in whatever capacity the government deems fit, not yet activated. 3. Civil war service, everyone else age 16-70 not included in the above two categories, not yet activated
Sounds pretty authoritarian.
Have you herring-munching wife-swappers decided to join NATO yet?
Although most Swedes profess to be agnostic or atheist (the only other country with such a majority being Scotland), it is still a pretty judgemental Lutheran culture. Conforming is inbuilt in Swedish society. What you perceive to be authoritarian, Swedes consider to be safe and comforting.
We eat a lot of herring. Our sexual habits are probably more tame than your fantasy.
And No is the very clear answer to your final question.
56% of Swedes identity as Lutheran and China is much more atheist than even Scotland as is North Korea
The Chinese aren't particularly atheist. They may well say they are. Their religions were never particularly organised and top-down as ours. But religious based "superstition", or folk beliefs, and private devotions are common.
China has by far the most atheists in the world.
Almost 50% of Chinese are convinced atheists, not even agnostic
The Communist government discourages organised religion as a challenge to loyalty to the party and certainly organised religion without a government licence.
Folk religion and Shinto etc is stronger in Japan than China in some surveys though unless it includes belief in a God as with the Abrahamic religions is effectively atheism anyway
Is God's existence based on facts or opinions?
Religious people have on average significantly lower levels of education and lower levels of intelligence than agnostics/atheists. That's a fact. Draw your own opinions from that.
As on most problems in life Pratchett sums it up perfectly:
"The presence of those seeking the truth is infinitely to be preferred to the presence of those who think they’ve found it"
Whoever it was (might have been several people) earlier who said this was all a bit 1914 wasn’t wrong.
Me, I think. To contrast it with all the talk of 1938 appeasement.
The reality is that all wars are unique. Putin's problem is the failure to recognise sunk costs. He has gone so far that he cannot back out, even though he should.
You are right that parallels are never exact, but it is just feeling like there’s a lot of overlapping issues and it won’t take a massive miscalculation before we are in a situation the history books will take two chapters to unpack.
Sweden today activated national service personnel: anybody who has done military training (national service or professional), irrespective of how long ago, is now under military command.
We have an unusual civic responsibility (the only other example seems to be Norway) where every Swedish citizen between 16 and 70, men and women, is part of Totalförsvaret (”Total Defence”). We all have to play our part in defending the state. There are three strands:
1. Military service, already activated (see above) 2. State war service, all public employees (state, regional and council) are obliged to serve the state in whatever capacity the government deems fit, not yet activated. 3. Civil war service, everyone else age 16-70 not included in the above two categories, not yet activated
Sounds pretty authoritarian.
Have you herring-munching wife-swappers decided to join NATO yet?
Although most Swedes profess to be agnostic or atheist (the only other country with such a majority being Scotland), it is still a pretty judgemental Lutheran culture. Conforming is inbuilt in Swedish society. What you perceive to be authoritarian, Swedes consider to be safe and comforting.
We eat a lot of herring. Our sexual habits are probably more tame than your fantasy.
And No is the very clear answer to your final question.
56% of Swedes identity as Lutheran and China is much more atheist than even Scotland as is North Korea
The Chinese aren't particularly atheist. They may well say they are. Their religions were never particularly organised and top-down as ours. But religious based "superstition", or folk beliefs, and private devotions are common.
China has by far the most atheists in the world.
Almost 50% of Chinese are convinced atheists, not even agnostic
The Communist government discourages organised religion as a challenge to loyalty to the party and certainly organised religion without a government licence.
Folk religion and Shinto etc is stronger in Japan than China in some surveys though unless it includes belief in a God as with the Abrahamic religions is effectively atheism anyway
Is God's existence based on facts or opinions?
Religious people have on average significantly lower levels of education and lower levels of intelligence than agnostics/atheists. That's a fact. Draw your own opinions from that.
As on most problems in life Pratchett sums it up perfectly:
"The presence of those seeking the truth is infinitely to be preferred to the presence of those who think they’ve found it"
From yesterday, I note I was laughed at by some for suggesting China's goal was to deprecate the dollar as the world's reserve currency, I see from today's Wall Street Journal that Saudi Arabia is in talks to start pricing its oil in yuan.
I repeat what I said yesterday - dumb people wage war with tanks, smart people wage war with economics.
The Yuan can't be the world's reserve currency for two and a half reasons:
(1) It's not really freely convertible (2) If it became the world's reserve currency, others would peg their currencies to it, and therefore China would lose the ability to devalue and (2.5) The world's reserve currency is pretty much always that of a debtor nation: that is, there needs to be enough of the currency in circulation for people to use it at the reserve. Which requires regular money creation through the act of borrowing. (2.75) There aren't enough Yuan denominated assets for people to buy.
The Yaun might be a reserve currency. But not in my lifetime.
Whoever it was (might have been several people) earlier who said this was all a bit 1914 wasn’t wrong.
Me, I think. To contrast it with all the talk of 1938 appeasement.
The reality is that all wars are unique. Putin's problem is the failure to recognise sunk costs. He has gone so far that he cannot back out, even though he should.
You are right that parallels are never exact, but it is just feeling like there’s a lot of overlapping issues and it won’t take a massive miscalculation before we are in a situation the history books will take two chapters to unpack.
Nothing to see here, we're doing our job, move on.
Why does her age matter?
Surely the story is that someone somewhere was searched by someone for some reason?
A bit more than that. Was searching her in such a manner without parental presence or adult advocate present right at all? Would she have received different treatment by the police were she the blond, blue-eyed daughter of an MP? How do we handle people accused of 'smelling of drugs'?
Age certainly matters when serious allegations are made, intrusive procedures are followed, and parents are neither informed nor present. Race does matter when there is a suspicious that someone of a different social standing and skin colour would receive different treatment.
I’ve read on here that Biden, Trump, Clinton, Johnson, Pelosi, Corbyn and even I think Sturgeon are suffering from dementia, strokes, or other brain-impairing illnesses.
It’s utter bullshit.
Biden: if that were your dad you'd be having a word with his GP. Harold Wilson and Ronald reagan we know for certain were demented in office. Others:
"Five percent of people ages 71 to 79, 24.2 percent of people 80 to 89, and 37.4 percent of those 90 years or older were estimated to have some type of dementia."
Those odds easily, easily justify a 70 (or 75 absolutely max) cut off for holding office. So you don't have to assess on a case by case basis.
I’m sure there is some cognitive decline as politicians age, and indeed are stressed by the demands of the job.
But every time I watch one of these videos - including the Pelosi one - I just see someone occasionally forgetting a word.
I do it myself.
Everyone has off-days, especially 70-somethings.
So assuming there are adequate numbers of under 70s, which there are, retire the 70 somethings as a precaution. There's a lower bound for US presidents, why no upper one?
What precaution, precisely, are we guarding against? A babbled press conference?
Dementia. You are plainly in the happy position of never having known anyone with a serious case. i can promise you it goes way beyond babbling at conferences.
Absolutely - for the last two years of my father’s life he could go from being incredibly sharp and on the ball re politics or general life to a dribbling mess who insisted I was my brother. It could be a switch in the space of a day, over a few days or weeks.
It’s easy to put it down to just “getting old” but it can take a while to realise what’s really going on and so there is clearly a risk that someone can be elected where “mis-speaks” are laughed off to a real problem where the president is wearing one black brogue and one cherry red penny loafer to thinking he’s Peppa Pig during an essential briefing.
It’s a grim reality but the consequences are huge especially when it’s not your dad having an issue remembering why you are taking them for a hospital appointment but instead when they are supposed to be digesting intelligence briefs and maybe declaring war…..
A friend lost her mother to dementia last week. She had been unable to recognise her daughter for the last couple of years, but her mothers husband reckoned it started 19 years before, just no one noticed but him.
My mother in law has it. Sometimes she's in a vaguely reasonable mood even though she doesn't really know who anyone is but most of the time it is terrible. "I want to be dead" is all to frequent, as is being surprisingly rough, even with her husband of nearly 70 years. We've had to hide all the knives.
What can you do? I'm quite sure if we went back 20 years she'd quite readily have told us to head for Switzerland but that isn't an option now.
The NHS seems to shrug and treat it as a social care problem and not an illness. And care homes however hard they try aren't really a suitable place to dump people, particularly in a pandemic when visiting is heavily limited.
Utter nightmare for all concerned. Cancer, however bad, has nothing on this.
We desperately need to do more research on it as the population gets older. My money is on it being virus or pathogen triggered, but who knows...
The rural English used to have “smothering parties”. Where a whole village would come round, get wildly drunk, then briskly suffocate the elderly demented person under blankets. Job done. No questions asked
Arguably more merciful than what we do today. Keep people alive for years, in grave mental pain
I would certainly trust a village 'jury' who knew someone as a member of the community to do the right thing far more than the social care system that doesn't know them from Eve, and probably also more than the close family.
I do wonder where we lost our way on this. Perhaps we (as a society) are too distant from reality, even after a pandemic. It is much easier to take an extremist 'life at all costs' position when you hide all the problems away.
As an aside, I do know that not everyone with dementia has behavioural problems. A neighbour also had it and was "fine" living at home until the end. I suppose you don't know how it is going to be until it is too late.
"Life at all costs" is not something that I recognise in UK practice. It is more of a feature in the USA,.
I know it isn't in medical practice - I've also been party to 'does it really help to do anything about this' conversations - but I'm more meaning society in general.
The pandemic response is an interesting case. I know we can argue a lot about the statistics and the NHS being unable to cope, but it still had an air of saving lives at the cost of life. I was self-locked down throughout (for obvious reasons given this conversation) but still felt rather uncomfortable about the whole business.
Matt Hancock @MattHancock · 2m Just hearing @IPSAUK won't allow any MP to open their homes to refugees fleeing Ukraine - despite there being NO extra cost to the taxpayer
This is absurd and cruel
I will be writing to IPSA to get this ridiculous decision overturned immediately Matt Hancock @MattHancock · 40s They say it’s because we can’t sublet. I won’t be subletting: I will be WELCOMING Ukrainians as guests
Welcoming them as guests and trousering the £350 per month payment… based on utilising state funded assets
I imagine that ministers taking red boxes home should be briefed on security issues, but MPs do seem to forget why we needed to have an IPSA in the first place.
How many MPs are offering their constituency homes, rather than their London homes, and is there a way to decline the £350 payment?
I would suggest the best thing to do would be to pass the £350 straight over to whoever you are hosting. Then depending on your circumstances if you are so inclined you can discuss them contributing some back to help pay for food but otherwise they have some money to be able to look after themselves rather than relying entirely on their hosts. It is taxpayer's money and I think most of those who have volunteered so far would do so with or without the cash so better that it goes to the people who are coming here with practically nothing. They have a far greater need.
Sweden today activated national service personnel: anybody who has done military training (national service or professional), irrespective of how long ago, is now under military command.
We have an unusual civic responsibility (the only other example seems to be Norway) where every Swedish citizen between 16 and 70, men and women, is part of Totalförsvaret (”Total Defence”). We all have to play our part in defending the state. There are three strands:
1. Military service, already activated (see above) 2. State war service, all public employees (state, regional and council) are obliged to serve the state in whatever capacity the government deems fit, not yet activated. 3. Civil war service, everyone else age 16-70 not included in the above two categories, not yet activated
Sounds pretty authoritarian.
Have you herring-munching wife-swappers decided to join NATO yet?
Although most Swedes profess to be agnostic or atheist (the only other country with such a majority being Scotland), it is still a pretty judgemental Lutheran culture. Conforming is inbuilt in Swedish society. What you perceive to be authoritarian, Swedes consider to be safe and comforting.
We eat a lot of herring. Our sexual habits are probably more tame than your fantasy.
And No is the very clear answer to your final question.
56% of Swedes identity as Lutheran and China is much more atheist than even Scotland as is North Korea
The Chinese aren't particularly atheist. They may well say they are. Their religions were never particularly organised and top-down as ours. But religious based "superstition", or folk beliefs, and private devotions are common.
China has by far the most atheists in the world.
Almost 50% of Chinese are convinced atheists, not even agnostic
The Communist government discourages organised religion as a challenge to loyalty to the party and certainly organised religion without a government licence.
Folk religion and Shinto etc is stronger in Japan than China in some surveys though unless it includes belief in a God as with the Abrahamic religions is effectively atheism anyway
Is God's existence based on facts or opinions?
Religious people have on average significantly lower levels of education and lower levels of intelligence than agnostics/atheists. That's a fact. Draw your own opinions from that.
Bullshit.
A 2017 US study showed Jews, Unitarians, Episcopalian Anglicans, Presbyterians, Lutherans and even Muslims had a significantly higher level of education than the average American and were significantly more likely to be graduates than atheists and agnostics.
Matt Hancock @MattHancock · 2m Just hearing @IPSAUK won't allow any MP to open their homes to refugees fleeing Ukraine - despite there being NO extra cost to the taxpayer
This is absurd and cruel
I will be writing to IPSA to get this ridiculous decision overturned immediately Matt Hancock @MattHancock · 40s They say it’s because we can’t sublet. I won’t be subletting: I will be WELCOMING Ukrainians as guests
Welcoming them as guests and trousering the £350 per month payment… based on utilising state funded assets
I imagine that ministers taking red boxes home should be briefed on security issues, but MPs do seem to forget why we needed to have an IPSA in the first place.
How many MPs are offering their constituency homes, rather than their London homes, and is there a way to decline the £350 payment?
I would suggest the best thing to do would be to pass the £350 straight over to whoever you are hosting. Then depending on your circumstances if you are so inclined you can discuss them contributing some back to help pay for food but otherwise they have some money to be able to look after themselves rather than relying entirely on their hosts. It is taxpayer's money and I think most of those who have volunteered so far would do so with or without the cash so better that it goes to the people who are coming here with practically nothing. They have a far greater need.
& in the future, people who have volunteered to host Ukranian refugees could perhaps go on to register with Refugees At Home, a charity that tries to place refugees from all over the world who end up in the homes of volunteers in the UK.
Comments
I'll be disappointed if you don't support me once I've proved myself.
https://twitter.com/IAPonomarenko
And this is the same incident I think
https://twitter.com/NewsfeedUkraine/status/1503775643061870603
Personally if I wanted support at some future point I wouldn't stomp about the place accusing folk of being appeasers and collaborators, but that's lil ol me.
HYUFD is a Christian. That's good enough for me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9Ar5zwYrTs
https://twitter.com/RhonddaBryant/status/1503810252713648130?cxt=HHwWhICzqaLdzd4pAAAA
Chris Bryant
@RhonddaBryant
I have never received a single penny from Russia Today. End of. Ever. Not in any year.
Right now there aren't shades; it's good versus evil.
Right now I'm trying to aim my fire at Russia, and things or people that are helping Russia. People working for RT recently are helping Russia. People blaming NATO are helping Russia. People blaming Israel are helping Russia.
I'm not saying you've done any of these things, but when I've attacked those things you've attacked me.
I know what side I'm on.
But let’s see what Bryant says.
off the side of a busout of thin air.“I had two small appearance fees back then, well under £5,000. Not appeared since.”
He added: “I didn’t do anything with RT in 2018.”
Asked when he received the “two small appearance fees” he referred to in his initial statement, Farage said: “Different years, a couple of bits of business in 2016 and 2017.”
https://www.thenational.scot/news/19995622.nigel-farage-dismisses-labour-mp-chris-bryants-claims-payments-russian-state/
True or not, I suspect this allegation was leaked to Bryant indirectly by the Kremlin. Having achieved Brexit, it's certainly now in Putin's interest to put Farage in a bad light - demoralizing Leavers and spreading more confusion and acrimony.
https://www.tanknology.co.uk/post/self-deploying-afvs
Oh, and this is for reasonably modern Western kit, not the 40 or 50 year old Soviet stuff we are seeing the Russians fielding in Ukraine at the moment.
How many MPs are offering their constituency homes, rather than their London homes, and is there a way to decline the £350 payment?
https://twitter.com/visegrad24/status/1503847327521554435
I do wonder where we lost our way on this. Perhaps we (as a society) are too distant from reality, even after a pandemic. It is much easier to take an extremist 'life at all costs' position when you hide all the problems away.
As an aside, I do know that not everyone with dementia has behavioural problems. A neighbour also had it and was "fine" living at home until the end. I suppose you don't know how it is going to be until it is too late.
With excellent guests stars as well.
++Thank you for the £400M of British tax payer money.
++We have new markets for our oil despite being gulfs bad guys for goodness knows how long
++hard cheese as our new best buddies say
++Enjoy hell with the Great Satan
The reality is that all wars are unique. Putin's problem is the failure to recognise sunk costs. He has gone so far that he cannot back out, even though he should.
Can't see it and the thorny question of who pays for it will never be far from the top of the agenda - perhaps ask the UAE or the Qataris to stump or use proceeds from the sale of oligarch assets.
The truth unfortunately is partition has been used a lot in recent times - it resolves nothing but preserves a peace of sorts.
(1) It's not really freely convertible
(2) If it became the world's reserve currency, others would peg their currencies to it, and therefore China would lose the ability to devalue
and
(2.5) The world's reserve currency is pretty much always that of a debtor nation: that is, there needs to be enough of the currency in circulation for people to use it at the reserve. Which requires regular money creation through the act of borrowing.
(2.75) There aren't enough Yuan denominated assets for people to buy.
"The presence of those seeking the truth is infinitely to be preferred to the presence of those who think they’ve found it"
Surely the story is that someone somewhere was searched by someone for some reason?
Christians are often known as Seekers.
Next.
Age certainly matters when serious allegations are made, intrusive procedures are followed, and parents are neither informed nor present. Race does matter when there is a suspicious that someone of a different social standing and skin colour would receive different treatment.
The pandemic response is an interesting case. I know we can argue a lot about the statistics and the NHS being unable to cope, but it still had an air of saving lives at the cost of life. I was self-locked down throughout (for obvious reasons given this conversation) but still felt rather uncomfortable about the whole business.
https://smarkets.com/event/42629619/politics/europe/2025/01/01/00-00/russia/2022/05/01/12-00/putin-to-be-russian-president-on-1-may-2022
A 2017 US study showed Jews, Unitarians, Episcopalian Anglicans, Presbyterians, Lutherans and even Muslims had a significantly higher level of education than the average American and were significantly more likely to be graduates than atheists and agnostics.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religiosity_and_education
So that is not a fact. Just your ill researched crap
What's the best proxy for betting against a nuclear apocalypse? On the grounds that there isn't really a monetary downside...