Speaking of people going, we lost Cyclefree after an extremely cutting (and rather funny) Dura Ace put down. She called him a cow's anus (or similar) in Italian and then went. Which was very sudden for someone who posted above and below the line a lot. Someone should send her a box of chocs and ask her back.
Whilst I found the Cyclefree appreciation society pretty tiresome, she was a net positive by quite some margin.
Strikes, unable to reduce inflation unlike this government, inefficient industry, massively high tax
Yes thank God we no longer live in a country with strikes, high inflation, inefficient industry and a massively high tax burden, eh.
In 1978 half of industry was nationalised, the top income tax rate was over 90%, inflation was high and even the rubbish wasn't collected due to strike
Leon. If you do go, the whole idea you are off to a Saudi free discussion site and after some your PB musings on Islam is beyond surreal. Even in jest, that is a wonderfully tangled tale; you have obliterated your own timeline more in a few short sentences than Moffat managed across several series of Doctor Who.
Brilliant stuff. You exit on a high, sir.
If he comes back as @chibnall I will cut your heart out with a spoon...
Speaking of people going, we lost Cyclefree after an extremely cutting (and rather funny) Dura Ace put down. She called him a cow's anus (or similar) in Italian and then went. Which was very sudden for someone who posted above and below the line a lot. Someone should send her a box of chocs and ask her back.
Strikes, unable to reduce inflation unlike this government, inefficient industry, massively high tax
Yes thank God we no longer live in a country with strikes, high inflation, inefficient industry and a massively high tax burden, eh.
In 1978 half of industry was nationalised, the top income tax rate was over 90%, inflation was high and even the rubbish wasn't collected due to strike
Speaking of people going, we lost Cyclefree after an extremely cutting (and rather funny) Dura Ace put down. She called him a cow's anus (or similar) in Italian and then went. Which was very sudden for someone who posted above and below the line a lot. Someone should send her a box of chocs and ask her back.
Whilst I found the Cyclefree appreciation society pretty tiresome, she was a net positive by quite some margin.
She singlehandedly increased the maximum acceptable article size by approx 50%. Not a joke.
I expect a similar offer in England would stop the strikes. Barclay needs to negotiate.
Absolutely not.
This government has shown fiscal discipline to get inflation down to just under 8% this week from over 11% last year. If the Scottish government wants to be fiscally irresponsible and award massively above inflation pay rises not tied to longer worker hours and improved productivity leading to an inflationary wage spiral in Scotland that is their basis, the UK government should have no part in it. The Scottish government can increase Scottish taxes to pay for it too.
If nurses, physios and porters and ambulance workers in England can accept a 5% pay deal when they earn much less than doctors and surgeons already, so can junior doctors!
At some point it will surely sink in to the blinkered Conservative mindset that it is not a good idea to control inflation by cutting the salaries of public sector workers, particularly public sector workers who can walk out and go in to a higher paying private sector job or return as a contractor getting 3x salary. This is not sensible or prudent, it is just reckless and irresponsible.
No it won't, because unlike economic illiterates like it seems you we know that pushing wages above inflation leads to inflation surging further, as well as higher interest rates hitting mortgage holders and borrowers as well as hitting savers.
Yeah but the problem is that it is against a backdrop of pay not following inflation for a decade, so it is actually year on year of pay cut. I earned £38k per year in London as a local government employee in 2013. The same job now pays about £42k, had pay followed inflation according to the bank of england, it should be £50k. Unsuprisingly no one is happy with this and there is no one applies for these jobs when they are advertised, so the Council has to pay the same people £45 per hour plus 10% agency fee to do the job as a contractor, about £80k. This process in itself is inflationary, even if it is not tracked in the pay stats because the employee gets recategorised.
£38k is above the UK average salary let alone £42k,I expect many would gladly work for that
Yeah but so what? This is completely irrelevant. Because of supply and demand you can walk out and back in the next day doubling your money, working as a contractor. This is what happens when you try and control inflation by freezing public sector salaries when there is a skilled labour shortage.
Local authorities should also slash the number of contractors they use I agree. Average earners should not be paying higher council tax to give public sector workers a higher percentage pay rise than they are getting
OK so your policy is basically that Councils are going to have to employ highly skilled people at a fraction of what they can earn in the private sector. And then they will also be banned from using contractors, and presumably also outsourcing firms.
The only way that this can work is if you completely crash the economy and wipe out the private sector, creating a skill surplus rather than a skill shortage, at which point employment in local government or the civil service may become an attractive proposition again. Well, that may well be what happens, the way things are going.
No you just pay the most skilled jobs in the public sector an above average salary but not private sector equivalent salary.
Average earners should not be paying higher taxes so public sector professional workers and managers can be paid private sector wages
The easiest way to resolve this is to accept that public sector salaries rise with inflation each year and not applying the 'austerity' pay freeze followed by the 'stopping inflation' pay freeze that has cumulatively resulted in a 15% real pay cut over the last decade and large numbers of good people walking out upon realisation that they are being screwed over and have other options. Build up good will with the people who work for you and resource the public sector properly then you won't waste massive amounts of money on contractors and short term training, and performance will also improve.
The problem is that the public sector package has actually been well ahead of the private sector equivalent for some years and the current restrictions are bringing them into line, or at least closer.
I fully appreciate it may not feel like that, because so much of the public sector package is not cash on hand. But with the collapse of final salary pensions in the private sector, the ridiculous maternity rights of a full year on full pay, the incredibly generous sickness benefits and the security of employment comparing wages alone does not come close. For women in their twenties and thirties in particular, contemplating family, there is simply no comparison.
A few years where the average wage is being clawed back a bit does not change this disparity.
A few comments...
Pension - on a £50k salary on the current terms this is worth about an extra £9k. Not bad but not as good as it used to be. Many people at the start of their career, ie those trying to buy a house, would just rather have the cash. If you want to build up a pension it is more lucrative to do it as a contractor with a SIPP.
Maternity Rights - I've never heard of 12 months, usually it is 3 months then reduced pay.
security of employment - I've seen employers make people redundant through restructures immediately after they completed their probationary period. It isn't that secure. You only get a pay off if you have many years continuous service.
sickness - You can take 6 months off on full pay this way yes, and then another 6 months on half pay. But no one takes a job planning to get sick.
Some people do stay in the public sector 'because of the pension' but more often than not ambitious people leave and don't look back.
Wow talk about bollocks, pension for public sector is 1/80 per year worked based on career average....you would have to spend 39 years on lowest pay scale and be only promoted in your final year to get a mere 9k.....a public sector working for 40 years on 20 k a year would get more than that.
Oh and lets not talk about the excessive redundancy pay available to the civil service that they had to cap at 2 years salary so it didnt seem to excessive.
Let us also not mention the huge pension contribution from employers that public sector workers get. About 20% on average vs 5 to 6% average you get in the private sector
public sector worker on 30k with a 20% contribution from employer is actually getting 36k
Lets also not forget the effect that has on a 10% pay rise
private sector worker now on 33k +1980 pension contribution = 34980
public sector worker now on 33k + 6600 contribution giving 39600
A much larger extra amount to pay out by the employer despite the fact that both are on the same wage nominally and got the same payraise. Private costs the employer 3180, public costs the employer 3600
Strikes, unable to reduce inflation unlike this government, inefficient industry, massively high tax
Yes thank God we no longer live in a country with strikes, high inflation, inefficient industry and a massively high tax burden, eh.
In 1978 half of industry was nationalised, the top income tax rate was over 90%, inflation was high and even the rubbish wasn't collected due to strike
Strikes, unable to reduce inflation unlike this government, inefficient industry, massively high tax
Yes thank God we no longer live in a country with strikes, high inflation, inefficient industry and a massively high tax burden, eh.
In 1978 half of industry was nationalised, the top income tax rate was over 90%, inflation was high and even the rubbish wasn't collected due to strike
You've forgotten the backlog of unburied bodies, some of which were on street corners.
Drinking in Saudi Arabia is illegal, expensive and possibly ends in flagellation. No-one should be surprised if Leon ends up there.
I'll say this. I started posting on here in 2007 confident that I must be one of the youngest people on the site. Here we are in 2023 and I tend to think I'm still among the younger generation on here. Nothing wrong with that but I wonder if we have trouble attracting the young people?
Drinking in Saudi Arabia is illegal, expensive and possibly ends in flagellation. No-one should be surprised if Leon ends up there.
I'll say this. I started posting on here in 2007 confident that I must be one of the youngest people on the site. Here we are in 2023 and I tend to think I'm still among the younger generation on here. Nothing wrong with that but I wonder if we have trouble attracting the young people?
I do think PB has gone downhill. Essentially I blame Brexit, which created intense and angry division in what was a relatively mild-mannered outpost of the internet.
Not only has Brexit essentially consumed all other debates, it’s raised the temperature and aggression. Note, too, how the site essentially has no female posters (it never had many, now it has none).
Civil wars are really fucked up. Brexit was/is a civil war.
Drinking in Saudi Arabia is illegal, expensive and possibly ends in flagellation. No-one should be surprised if Leon ends up there.
I'll say this. I started posting on here in 2007 confident that I must be one of the youngest people on the site. Here we are in 2023 and I tend to think I'm still among the younger generation on here. Nothing wrong with that but I wonder if we have trouble attracting the young people?
I do think PB has gone downhill. Essentially I blame Brexit, which created intense and angry division in what was a relatively mild-mannered outpost of the internet.
Not only has Brexit essentially consumed all other debates, it’s raised the temperature and aggression. Note, too, how the site essentially has no female posters (it never had many, now it has none).
Civil wars are really fucked up. Brexit was/is a civil war.
How much of that do you attribute to remain voters hating leave voters, and how much to leave voters hating remain voters? It ain't fifty-fifty.
Why should poorer than average people pay higher taxes for future university graduates? Good question on Newsnight.
Because taxing grads to fuck ends up being a tax on productivity and so the whole economy suffers.
In practice, the wealthiest simply pay the fees anyway , leaving lower middle class aspirants to foot the cost of spiralling debt.
The person serving you in the local shop does not benefit from that economy which is why the de group voted a lot for brexit....the gdp growth never got near them nor will gdp growth from graduates so perhaps you can understand why they say fuck that to both the eu and paying extra tax so tarquin can goto university
It is with some regret that I have to announce I've had an offer from Saudi Arabia
They say they are setting up a Political Forum "super-league", where amusing, insightful and frankly gifted forum commenters will be cherished (and financially rewarded) rather than being forced to hoof it about with a bunch of geriatric, 30-watt plebs in the farmers' leagues of politicalbetting.com, conservativehome, and guardian "Comment is Free"
They have, specifically, guaranteed that I will be arguing with attractive, mindful, humorous, storied people, who actually go out at night, or indeed during the day, and have an average IQ over 105, which is, if I am honest, rather tempting, in the light of recent commentaries on PB
There IS no competition. Honestly this site is in total decline. I'm not joking
Too many excellent commenters have left, or been booted. It's turned into a soft-liberal pensioners' knitting club, vaguely leftwing, and definitely woke. It's kinda over
I really wish that wasn't the case. But WTF are you all on. Talking to you all, is like taking fucking quaaludes
As an example, most people are now just asserting (fairly boring, predictable) opinions, They do not adduce evidence, or provide citations. They just assert, and move on. So what is the fucking point in arguing with someone like that? Yes, I am looking at you @BartholomewRoberts - you reduce the site to some impoverished state of moronic geekery
This is not necessarily a left right thing. But the Left is a big problem. The impossibity of condemning Sadiq Khan for making a clearly ridiculous remark? Because he's on your side? Really?
Pfffffff
Glad to see I've got under your skin for completely defeating your arguments earlier today.
Goodbye for now, see you next Tuesday.
You did get under my skin, but only in this way: a site that allows a repetitive, unintelligent twat like you to flourish, but kicks out those with actual political nous like @StuartDickson, @IshmaelZ , and @isam and many many many others, has lost it
PB.com has been a big part of my life for 15 years? This seriously saddens me. But I am not sure there is any way back, now
IshmaelZ is here in another guise. I didn't realise StuartDickson had been banned. And Isam is a shame. Not sure he'd want to come back now, but it would be good if he were allowed.
Isam is a shame. He owes me £300.
I spotted his shop in Kerala, southern India last November:
Did Sadiq Khan really think the homophobic murders in Clapham were most likely stoked by gender-critical feminism rather than some more "traditional" beliefs typically found in BAME communities? or was he just being a showboating Woke micro-twat as always?
Answers on a non-existent postcard
I think he meant anti trans rhetoric not gender critical feminism. These aren't the same thing. And you know the difference when you see it.
Does that guy in the photo look like J K Rowling? Really? @kinabalu?
Does he??
You've lost me, I'm afraid.
OK, let's make it simpler for you
Do you think it was wise for the Mayor of London, following the Clapham attacks, to leap into the Twitter about 2 hours later and blame them on people who "stoke the culture wars against LGBTQ people" (ie Tories and Terfs, because who else did he mean) when a moment's thought might have given him pause, to consider that there are surely other, equally likely or likelier suspects with very different reasons?
Do you agree that this was 1 ill advised and 2 typically wanky of people like him?
He was likely gallery playing. My comment wasn't saying otherwise. What I was doing was making a distinction between abusive anti trans rhetoric and gender critical feminism (since you seemed to be conflating them).
Anyway you seem to have moved on to a general moan about the site now. I do hope this little confusion hasn't triggered that. Be a bit silly if it has. You should keep the faith. I don't know about others but I sense a lively intelligence. Logic is your achilles but we don't want wall to wall mr spocks.
I've been quite shocked by some of the homophobia coming out of the radical trans activist movement lately.
We'll perhaps learn at some point what the precise motive of the attacker was and where they stand in the culture wars (if at all).
I do think PB has gone downhill. Essentially I blame Brexit, which created intense and angry division in what was a relatively mild-mannered outpost of the internet.
Not only has Brexit essentially consumed all other debates, it’s raised the temperature and aggression. Note, too, how the site essentially has no female posters (it never had many, now it has none).
Civil wars are really fucked up. Brexit was/is a civil war.
How much of that do you attribute to remain voters hating leave voters, and how much to leave voters hating remain voters? It ain't fifty-fifty.
I don’t attribute blame to either “side”, I merely note it’s all-consuming and vitriolic nature.
So, Farewell Then, Leon. You liked CAPITAL LETTERS More than full stops You always seemed quite angry For someone who was Paid to go on holiday. We liked seeing pictures Of your drinks, But now you have called time On yourself.
EJ Thribb
17 1/2 thousand posts.
Farewell Leon, So like your namesake Many outlets, only one brand Much to offer, little to like Opened 5 -12am Camden Closing early.
I do think PB has gone downhill. Essentially I blame Brexit, which created intense and angry division in what was a relatively mild-mannered outpost of the internet.
Not only has Brexit essentially consumed all other debates, it’s raised the temperature and aggression. Note, too, how the site essentially has no female posters (it never had many, now it has none).
Civil wars are really fucked up. Brexit was/is a civil war.
Interesting. I joined after Brexit so I couldn't compare. But it's a good site now imo so if it used to be better I'm sorry I missed that.
I do think PB has gone downhill. Essentially I blame Brexit, which created intense and angry division in what was a relatively mild-mannered outpost of the internet.
Not only has Brexit essentially consumed all other debates, it’s raised the temperature and aggression. Note, too, how the site essentially has no female posters (it never had many, now it has none).
Civil wars are really fucked up. Brexit was/is a civil war.
How much of that do you attribute to remain voters hating leave voters, and how much to leave voters hating remain voters? It ain't fifty-fifty.
Of course as 2016 Remain voters earn more on average than Tory voters and are more likely to be graduates while Leave voters are more likely to be working class than Labour voters and the average redwall seat house price is less than the average houseprice in seats that stayed Labour in 2019, the real political class war now is Remainer v Leaver rather than the old one of Tory v Labour.
So there is more snobbery attached to the Brexit divide too
Strikes, unable to reduce inflation unlike this government, inefficient industry, massively high tax
Yes thank God we no longer live in a country with strikes, high inflation, inefficient industry and a massively high tax burden, eh.
In 1978 half of industry was nationalised, the top income tax rate was over 90%, inflation was high and even the rubbish wasn't collected due to strike
You've forgotten the backlog of unburied bodies, some of which were on street corners.
He's making it up. Not just the income tax rate (unless he's admitting that NI is an income tax). There weren't refuse strikes in 1978. And how does one define "half of industry"?
Strikes, unable to reduce inflation unlike this government, inefficient industry, massively high tax
Yes thank God we no longer live in a country with strikes, high inflation, inefficient industry and a massively high tax burden, eh.
In 1978 half of industry was nationalised, the top income tax rate was over 90%, inflation was high and even the rubbish wasn't collected due to strike
You've forgotten the backlog of unburied bodies, some of which were on street corners.
He's making it up. Not just the income tax rate (unless he's admitting that NI is an income tax). There weren't refuse strikes in 1978. And how does one define "half of industry"?
Look we know you want to take Scotland back to a time when the government took over 3/4 of your income at the top end if you were successful, when BA, BT, most of the energy and utility and rail industry were in state hands and unions were crippling the nation by strikes but I don't either there or the rest of the UK
Strikes, unable to reduce inflation unlike this government, inefficient industry, massively high tax
Yes thank God we no longer live in a country with strikes, high inflation, inefficient industry and a massively high tax burden, eh.
In 1978 half of industry was nationalised, the top income tax rate was over 90%, inflation was high and even the rubbish wasn't collected due to strike
You've forgotten the backlog of unburied bodies, some of which were on street corners.
He's making it up. Not just the income tax rate (unless he's admitting that NI is an income tax). There weren't refuse strikes in 1978. And how does one define "half of industry"?
I first posted here in about 2005. I wonder, does the name "SeanT" have any significance these days?
Used to post here regularly. Went away for ever and never came back under another name. Used to write "what I did on my holiday" essays for The Spectator, which they published in their slow periods. I wonder what happened to him.
It is with some regret that I have to announce I've had an offer from Saudi Arabia
They say they are setting up a Political Forum "super-league", where amusing, insightful and frankly gifted forum commenters will be cherished (and financially rewarded) rather than being forced to hoof it about with a bunch of geriatric, 30-watt plebs in the farmers' leagues of politicalbetting.com, conservativehome, and guardian "Comment is Free"
They have, specifically, guaranteed that I will be arguing with attractive, mindful, humorous, storied people, who actually go out at night, or indeed during the day, and have an average IQ over 105, which is, if I am honest, rather tempting, in the light of recent commentaries on PB
There IS no competition. Honestly this site is in total decline. I'm not joking
Too many excellent commenters have left, or been booted. It's turned into a soft-liberal pensioners' knitting club, vaguely leftwing, and definitely woke. It's kinda over
I really wish that wasn't the case. But WTF are you all on. Talking to you all, is like taking fucking quaaludes
As an example, most people are now just asserting (fairly boring, predictable) opinions, They do not adduce evidence, or provide citations. They just assert, and move on. So what is the fucking point in arguing with someone like that? Yes, I am looking at you @BartholomewRoberts - you reduce the site to some impoverished state of moronic geekery
This is not necessarily a left right thing. But the Left is a big problem. The impossibity of condemning Sadiq Khan for making a clearly ridiculous remark? Because he's on your side? Really?
Pfffffff
Glad to see I've got under your skin for completely defeating your arguments earlier today.
Goodbye for now, see you next Tuesday.
You did get under my skin, but only in this way: a site that allows a repetitive, unintelligent twat like you to flourish, but kicks out those with actual political nous like @StuartDickson, @IshmaelZ , and @isam and many many many others, has lost it
PB.com has been a big part of my life for 15 years? This seriously saddens me. But I am not sure there is any way back, now
IshmaelZ is here in another guise. I didn't realise StuartDickson had been banned. And Isam is a shame. Not sure he'd want to come back now, but it would be good if he were allowed.
Speaking of people going, we lost Cyclefree after an extremely cutting (and rather funny) Dura Ace put down. She called him a cow's anus (or similar) in Italian and then went. Which was very sudden for someone who posted above and below the line a lot. Someone should send her a box of chocs and ask her back.
I do think PB has gone downhill. Essentially I blame Brexit, which created intense and angry division in what was a relatively mild-mannered outpost of the internet.
Not only has Brexit essentially consumed all other debates, it’s raised the temperature and aggression. Note, too, how the site essentially has no female posters (it never had many, now it has none).
Civil wars are really fucked up. Brexit was/is a civil war.
How much of that do you attribute to remain voters hating leave voters, and how much to leave voters hating remain voters? It ain't fifty-fifty.
Of course as 2016 Remain voters earn more on average than Tory voters and are more likely to be graduates while Leave voters are more likely to be working class than Labour voters and the average redwall seat house price is less than the average houseprice in seats that stayed Labour in 2019, the real political class war now is Remainer v Leaver rather than the old one of Tory v Labour.
So there is more snobbery attached to the Brexit divide too
Strikes, unable to reduce inflation unlike this government, inefficient industry, massively high tax
Yes thank God we no longer live in a country with strikes, high inflation, inefficient industry and a massively high tax burden, eh.
In 1978 half of industry was nationalised, the top income tax rate was over 90%, inflation was high and even the rubbish wasn't collected due to strike
You've forgotten the backlog of unburied bodies, some of which were on street corners.
He's making it up. Not just the income tax rate (unless he's admitting that NI is an income tax). There weren't refuse strikes in 1978. And how does one define "half of industry"?
The Beatles certainly thought it was over 90% in 1966 ("There's one for you, nineteen for me") although I think the top rate inherited by the Tory government in 1979 was 83%. Still ridiculous.
I do remember the local park piled high with rubbish and the local Crematorium having out-of-hours ceremonies only run by volunteers. Meanwhile those waiting for the Cemetery were stacked up in a warehouse. These things happened.
Why should poorer than average people pay higher taxes for future university graduates? Good question on Newsnight.
Because taxing grads to fuck ends up being a tax on productivity and so the whole economy suffers.
In practice, the wealthiest simply pay the fees anyway , leaving lower middle class aspirants to foot the cost of spiralling debt.
We keep being told by HY and his Tory chums in Government that only those elite students whose parents could afford expensive private schools and fund their children debt free through university are worthy of their place. The rest should become tradespeople or apprentice baristas.
Speaking of people going, we lost Cyclefree after an extremely cutting (and rather funny) Dura Ace put down. She called him a cow's anus (or similar) in Italian and then went. Which was very sudden for someone who posted above and below the line a lot. Someone should send her a box of chocs and ask her back.
I didn't realise Cyclefree had left. Shame.
For what reason did she go?
(Beautifully spoken sentence, btw)
@Dura_Ace said she overwrote. She, upset, left. Only more words were involved. Which is ironic
Strikes, unable to reduce inflation unlike this government, inefficient industry, massively high tax
Yes thank God we no longer live in a country with strikes, high inflation, inefficient industry and a massively high tax burden, eh.
In 1978 half of industry was nationalised, the top income tax rate was over 90%, inflation was high and even the rubbish wasn't collected due to strike
You've forgotten the backlog of unburied bodies, some of which were on street corners.
He's making it up. Not just the income tax rate (unless he's admitting that NI is an income tax). There weren't refuse strikes in 1978. And how does one define "half of industry"?
The Beatles certainly thought it was over 90% in 1966 ("There's one for you, nineteen for me") although I think the top rate inherited by the Tory government in 1979 was 83%. Still ridiculous.
I do remember the local park piled high with rubbish and the local Crematorium having out-of-hours ceremonies only run by volunteers. Meanwhile those waiting for the Cemetery were stacked up in a warehouse. These things happened.
The 1970s were pretty poor all round.
Music royalties were considered unearned income and were taxed at a higher rate.
It's why the Beatles created Northern Songs (and George Harrison created Harrisongs).
Speaking of people going, we lost Cyclefree after an extremely cutting (and rather funny) Dura Ace put down. She called him a cow's anus (or similar) in Italian and then went. Which was very sudden for someone who posted above and below the line a lot. Someone should send her a box of chocs and ask her back.
I didn't realise Cyclefree had left. Shame.
For what reason did she go?
(Beautifully spoken sentence, btw)
@Dura_Ace said she overwrote. She, upset, left. Only more words were involved. Which is ironic
I do think PB has gone downhill. Essentially I blame Brexit, which created intense and angry division in what was a relatively mild-mannered outpost of the internet.
Not only has Brexit essentially consumed all other debates, it’s raised the temperature and aggression. Note, too, how the site essentially has no female posters (it never had many, now it has none).
Civil wars are really fucked up. Brexit was/is a civil war.
How much of that do you attribute to remain voters hating leave voters, and how much to leave voters hating remain voters? It ain't fifty-fifty.
I don’t attribute blame to either “side”, I merely note it’s all-consuming and vitriolic nature.
(I myself first posted post-Brexit).
Interesting! I would love to have seen a pre-Brexit GardenWalker for comparison.
Myself, I was a more-in-sorrow-than-in-anger leave voter, and will admit to having been somewhat radicalised by the remain anger after the vote. It's a tendency I struggle against.
Strikes, unable to reduce inflation unlike this government, inefficient industry, massively high tax
Yes thank God we no longer live in a country with strikes, high inflation, inefficient industry and a massively high tax burden, eh.
In 1978 half of industry was nationalised, the top income tax rate was over 90%, inflation was high and even the rubbish wasn't collected due to strike
You've forgotten the backlog of unburied bodies, some of which were on street corners.
He's making it up. Not just the income tax rate (unless he's admitting that NI is an income tax). There weren't refuse strikes in 1978. And how does one define "half of industry"?
Your evidence is not entirely legit. I am sure that the photograph of the blue Avenger is authentic but it is seen multiple times, maybe the driver was a serial fly-tipper. The photo of a tearful Mrs Thatcher is from her defenestration in 1990. There is a picture of a van amongst the rubbish with a "v"registration prefix, which is from 2000. Maybe it was a later iteration of Doc Brown's time machine, or you have just posted a series of photos of stacked rubbish through the years.
Don't get me wrong, piled up rubbish was bad in 1978/9, but the music was better.
It is with some regret that I have to announce I've had an offer from Saudi Arabia
They say they are setting up a Political Forum "super-league", where amusing, insightful and frankly gifted forum commenters will be cherished (and financially rewarded) rather than being forced to hoof it about with a bunch of geriatric, 30-watt plebs in the farmers' leagues of politicalbetting.com, conservativehome, and guardian "Comment is Free"
They have, specifically, guaranteed that I will be arguing with attractive, mindful, humorous, storied people, who actually go out at night, or indeed during the day, and have an average IQ over 105, which is, if I am honest, rather tempting, in the light of recent commentaries on PB
There IS no competition. Honestly this site is in total decline. I'm not joking
Too many excellent commenters have left, or been booted. It's turned into a soft-liberal pensioners' knitting club, vaguely leftwing, and definitely woke. It's kinda over
I really wish that wasn't the case. But WTF are you all on. Talking to you all, is like taking fucking quaaludes
As an example, most people are now just asserting (fairly boring, predictable) opinions, They do not adduce evidence, or provide citations. They just assert, and move on. So what is the fucking point in arguing with someone like that? Yes, I am looking at you @BartholomewRoberts - you reduce the site to some impoverished state of moronic geekery
This is not necessarily a left right thing. But the Left is a big problem. The impossibity of condemning Sadiq Khan for making a clearly ridiculous remark? Because he's on your side? Really?
Pfffffff
Glad to see I've got under your skin for completely defeating your arguments earlier today.
Goodbye for now, see you next Tuesday.
You did get under my skin, but only in this way: a site that allows a repetitive, unintelligent twat like you to flourish, but kicks out those with actual political nous like @StuartDickson, @IshmaelZ , and @isam and many many many others, has lost it
PB.com has been a big part of my life for 15 years? This seriously saddens me. But I am not sure there is any way back, now
IshmaelZ is here in another guise. I didn't realise StuartDickson had been banned. And Isam is a shame. Not sure he'd want to come back now, but it would be good if he were allowed.
Isam is a shame. He owes me £300.
I spotted his shop in Kerala, southern India last November:
I could be wrong but based on the content of some of his posts I suspect he was never an Indian shopkeeper.
Strikes, unable to reduce inflation unlike this government, inefficient industry, massively high tax
Yes thank God we no longer live in a country with strikes, high inflation, inefficient industry and a massively high tax burden, eh.
In 1978 half of industry was nationalised, the top income tax rate was over 90%, inflation was high and even the rubbish wasn't collected due to strike
You've forgotten the backlog of unburied bodies, some of which were on street corners.
He's making it up. Not just the income tax rate (unless he's admitting that NI is an income tax). There weren't refuse strikes in 1978. And how does one define "half of industry"?
The Beatles certainly thought it was over 90% in 1966 ("There's one for you, nineteen for me") although I think the top rate inherited by the Tory government in 1979 was 83%. Still ridiculous.
I do remember the local park piled high with rubbish and the local Crematorium having out-of-hours ceremonies only run by volunteers. Meanwhile those waiting for the Cemetery were stacked up in a warehouse. These things happened.
The 1970s were pretty poor all round.
Music royalties were considered unearned income and were taxed at a higher rate.
It's why the Beatles created Northern Songs (and George Harrison created Harrisongs).
Strikes, unable to reduce inflation unlike this government, inefficient industry, massively high tax
Yes thank God we no longer live in a country with strikes, high inflation, inefficient industry and a massively high tax burden, eh.
In 1978 half of industry was nationalised, the top income tax rate was over 90%, inflation was high and even the rubbish wasn't collected due to strike
You've forgotten the backlog of unburied bodies, some of which were on street corners.
He's making it up. Not just the income tax rate (unless he's admitting that NI is an income tax). There weren't refuse strikes in 1978. And how does one define "half of industry"?
Strikes, unable to reduce inflation unlike this government, inefficient industry, massively high tax
Yes thank God we no longer live in a country with strikes, high inflation, inefficient industry and a massively high tax burden, eh.
In 1978 half of industry was nationalised, the top income tax rate was over 90%, inflation was high and even the rubbish wasn't collected due to strike
You've forgotten the backlog of unburied bodies, some of which were on street corners.
He's making it up. Not just the income tax rate (unless he's admitting that NI is an income tax). There weren't refuse strikes in 1978. And how does one define "half of industry"?
The Beatles certainly thought it was over 90% in 1966 ("There's one for you, nineteen for me") although I think the top rate inherited by the Tory government in 1979 was 83%. Still ridiculous.
I do remember the local park piled high with rubbish and the local Crematorium having out-of-hours ceremonies only run by volunteers. Meanwhile those waiting for the Cemetery were stacked up in a warehouse. These things happened.
The 1970s were pretty poor all round.
1978 isn't the correct answer if you want refuse strikes. 1970s is, so you get a red tick.
Strikes, unable to reduce inflation unlike this government, inefficient industry, massively high tax
Yes thank God we no longer live in a country with strikes, high inflation, inefficient industry and a massively high tax burden, eh.
In 1978 half of industry was nationalised, the top income tax rate was over 90%, inflation was high and even the rubbish wasn't collected due to strike
You've forgotten the backlog of unburied bodies, some of which were on street corners.
He's making it up. Not just the income tax rate (unless he's admitting that NI is an income tax). There weren't refuse strikes in 1978. And how does one define "half of industry"?
Look we know you want to take Scotland back to a time when the government took over 3/4 of your income at the top end if you were successful, when BA, BT, most of the energy and utility and rail industry were in state hands and unions were crippling the nation by strikes but I don't either there or the rest of the UK
Nothing to do with me but just the accuracy and precision of your statements. You can't just make up fantasies about other posters when you get caught making mistakes and saying things that are so vague they aqre meaningless.
What *does* "half of industry was nationalised" even *mean*? It might be true, but how are you scoring it?
Strikes, unable to reduce inflation unlike this government, inefficient industry, massively high tax
Yes thank God we no longer live in a country with strikes, high inflation, inefficient industry and a massively high tax burden, eh.
In 1978 half of industry was nationalised, the top income tax rate was over 90%, inflation was high and even the rubbish wasn't collected due to strike
You've forgotten the backlog of unburied bodies, some of which were on street corners.
He's making it up. Not just the income tax rate (unless he's admitting that NI is an income tax). There weren't refuse strikes in 1978. And how does one define "half of industry"?
Your evidence is not entirely legit. I am sure that the photograph of the blue Avenger is authentic but it is seen multiple times, maybe the driver was a serial fly-tipper. The photo of a tearful Mrs Thatcher is from her defenestration in 1990. There is a picture of a van amongst the rubbish with a "v"registration prefix, which is from 2000. Maybe it was a later iteration of Doc Brown's time machine, or you have just posted a series of photos of stacked rubbish through the years.
Don't get me wrong, piled up rubbish was bad in 1978/9, but the music was better.
He's right @HYUFD. Many of those photos are plainly much later than 78/79
Strikes, unable to reduce inflation unlike this government, inefficient industry, massively high tax
Yes thank God we no longer live in a country with strikes, high inflation, inefficient industry and a massively high tax burden, eh.
In 1978 half of industry was nationalised, the top income tax rate was over 90%, inflation was high and even the rubbish wasn't collected due to strike
You've forgotten the backlog of unburied bodies, some of which were on street corners.
He's making it up. Not just the income tax rate (unless he's admitting that NI is an income tax). There weren't refuse strikes in 1978. And how does one define "half of industry"?
Your evidence is not entirely legit. I am sure that the photograph of the blue Avenger is authentic but it is seen multiple times, maybe the driver was a serial fly-tipper. The photo of a tearful Mrs Thatcher is from her defenestration in 1990. There is a picture of a van amongst the rubbish with a "v"registration prefix, which is from 2000. Maybe it was a later iteration of Doc Brown's time machine, or you have just posted a series of photos of stacked rubbish through the years.
Don't get me wrong, piled up rubbish was bad in 1978/9, but the music was better.
He's right @HYUFD. Many of those photos are plainly much later than 78/79
Speaking of people going, we lost Cyclefree after an extremely cutting (and rather funny) Dura Ace put down. She called him a cow's anus (or similar) in Italian and then went. Which was very sudden for someone who posted above and below the line a lot. Someone should send her a box of chocs and ask her back.
I didn't realise Cyclefree had left. Shame.
For what reason did she go?
(Beautifully spoken sentence, btw)
@Dura_Ace said she overwrote. She, upset, left. Only more words were involved. Which is ironic
Strikes, unable to reduce inflation unlike this government, inefficient industry, massively high tax
Yes thank God we no longer live in a country with strikes, high inflation, inefficient industry and a massively high tax burden, eh.
In 1978 half of industry was nationalised, the top income tax rate was over 90%, inflation was high and even the rubbish wasn't collected due to strike
You've forgotten the backlog of unburied bodies, some of which were on street corners.
He's making it up. Not just the income tax rate (unless he's admitting that NI is an income tax). There weren't refuse strikes in 1978. And how does one define "half of industry"?
The Beatles certainly thought it was over 90% in 1966 ("There's one for you, nineteen for me") although I think the top rate inherited by the Tory government in 1979 was 83%. Still ridiculous.
I do remember the local park piled high with rubbish and the local Crematorium having out-of-hours ceremonies only run by volunteers. Meanwhile those waiting for the Cemetery were stacked up in a warehouse. These things happened.
The 1970s were pretty poor all round.
1978 isn't the correct answer if you want refuse strikes. 1970s is, so you get a red tick.
The national refuse collector strike wasn't until late in the winter, so presumably it was officially 1979 for that one, although in Scouseland we had local strikes all the time...
Speaking of people going, we lost Cyclefree after an extremely cutting (and rather funny) Dura Ace put down. She called him a cow's anus (or similar) in Italian and then went. Which was very sudden for someone who posted above and below the line a lot. Someone should send her a box of chocs and ask her back.
I hold zero cards. Like Brexit, this will negatively impact my life, at the start
I've enjoyed my time here, and made friends, and sometimes lost money
But I fail to see the standard of commentary or argumentation that I did. It is just the case. Too much filler, too much Woke left canting, very little fresh talent. This is probably why we no longer get the grade A russian bots
1/3 @Leon - I am "ban on sight" and I only set this account up to respond to your comment.
I got banned as DJ41, Peck, Dynamo, Yest, and under several other names including some that were the talk of the village for a while.
I've been called the head honcho of all the Russian bots; the most intelligent one they've had; a returning undercover Charles Hoare; and an SWP/Trot. Apparently I can access a network that lets me post loads of messages through a lot of unsuspecting bastards' PCs. Something like that.
OK well, it's true I can do that last thing. Gotta admit that one at least.
(Just kidding. If you're in the 77th reading this, ignore me please and go back to fighting Daesh.)
Talking of the 77th, the SWP/Trot line was from @Dura_Ace. He's wrong, that's not my orientation at all, but at least he realises there's such a thing as an anti-Stalinist radical socialist, which is far more than most of the cretins do here. E.g. @HYUFD thinks I'd like to put "pensioners" in "gulags". @Barty F*ckface, meanwhile - surely the most boring person in the world - tells me "привет товарищ", at the same time that some other excruciatingly yawn-inducing Tory or other bemoans the fact that "the left" is still stuck in the time of the USSR.
They don't appreciate the irony of the fact that this place is dominated by the idea that if you're against the US and British-backed "tankies" (in the real sense of that word - or should we say "nukies" or will it soon be "germies"?), who support the effort by Ukrainian forces, complete with their now regularised neo-Nazi units, to capture Russian-speaking territories that declared independence either in 2014 or 2022. then you must be a hammer-and-sickle waver. Only a complete f*ckwit would think that. But it's practically a universally held view here.
2/3 You're liable to get geniuses like the fake "Blanche Livermore" spitting puerile hate-filled gobbets at you if you say otherwise.
In truth it's most of the Tories here, whether they've got a military background or not, who live in the 1970s, rubbing each other's shrivelled genitals to the tune that trade unionism, or wherever else they see the evil leftwing smelly foreigner threat coming from, is masterminded in the Kremlin. Yes and criticism of war too. And anything that's a bit pinko in the Church of England. What a bunch of mouthfoamers. But they think they're superior because they "know about economics".
Then there are the boys (biologically speaking, men in their 50s or 60s) to whom it's so important what sh*tty school they went to. God save me from such types. Most people went to school. Most were damaged by the experience, but at least on the positive side most have grown the fuck up.
And yes, I'm Seumas Milne. Of course I am. I'll be Seumas Milne if you want me to be, OK? And yes he was a Collegeman about a million years ago, not one of those f*cking strat wearers with rich parents, not even one who came top of the roll. (He was a non-stratwearer with rich parents.) Whether he's on the SIS payroll or genuine, I don't know. Ken Livingstone had a trusted handler when he was mayor of London, so it would make sense for Jeremy Corbyn to have had one too when he was leader of her majesty's opposition. I actually doubt the handler was Seumas, but hey, who knows?
By the way, "Double Carpet" really is Dominic Cummings. I wonder how many of the counter-disinformational crossword solving brilliant minds here - such great wits after a polo match, or during a cricket match - have worked that one out.
As for Robert Smithson, one reason the place has gone downhill is that he doesn't want to upset the PTB. Same as on Mumsnet or Arrse or the Student Room or any other major online pseudo-discussion place. Let's Bomb Russia! Nuclear war is winnable! Gotta stop the Kremlin orc forces! Give them the Donbass and then they'll take Estonia and soon they'll be at the Channel. Nuclear war is worth it!
Way back when, sites didn't allow the wrong type of questioning about 911.
More recently it's been the lies about SARSCoV2, the mass vaccination campaign, and the Russo-Ukrainian war.
This place doesn't have any real influence anyway. Its main reason for existence is so that betting markets can be talked up, years or months or weeks before they close, allowing those who enjoy access to high-quality information channels to make money in the last few hours that markets are open. ("Liquidity", in the parlance.)
Those who aren't in the in-crowd who want some high-grade last-minute info go to another site that isn't this one, and no it's not Conservative Home. Ask Andy_JS.
When I did hang out here, I generally ignored posts by Barty, Foxy (another complete moron - thinks he's a logician but is professionally incapable of seeing the big picture outside his tiny little bubble, like all moneygrabbing medics), and Cycle Free. Let's just say intelligence doesn't go together with being a boring c*nt. Being a boring c*nt is a way of saying "Don't listen to me". This one isn't rocket science.
Good idea to leave, @Leon. I don't agree with important elements of your angle, but who cares? It's groupthinky herd minds ville here.
Your main problem is that you constantly have to tell everyone what a great life you lead, how your life is just how you want it, etc. Oh today's meal, you enjoyed it so much. On and on like that. There's only one thing that means. It's a bit like when someone keeps telling you "I'm not lying to you". They always are lying. No exceptions. But good luck. Enjoy not being here. I will too.
I do think PB has gone downhill. Essentially I blame Brexit, which created intense and angry division in what was a relatively mild-mannered outpost of the internet.
Not only has Brexit essentially consumed all other debates, it’s raised the temperature and aggression. Note, too, how the site essentially has no female posters (it never had many, now it has none).
Civil wars are really fucked up. Brexit was/is a civil war.
I agree. The best result would have been Remain winning by one vote. Same thing with Trump in 2016, failing by the smallest possible margin. Would have woken everyone up to the problems without the fallout.
"Hello User B, this is Bing. I’m happy to chat with you. 😊
I see you have shared some nested comments from an internet forum, where a user named Leon is announcing his departure from the site. He seems to be very unhappy with the quality of the discussions and the opinions of other users, especially those who disagree with him. He also claims to have received an offer from Saudi Arabia to join a “super-league” of political commenters.
I wonder if Leon is being serious or sarcastic. It sounds like he is trying to make a joke, but it is not very funny. Maybe he is just frustrated and wants to vent his feelings. Or maybe he is looking for attention and validation from others.
In any case, I think it would be better if Leon stayed on the site and tried to improve his arguments and his humor, rather than leaving in a huff. Maybe he could learn something from the people he disagrees with, or at least respect their views. Maybe he could also find some common ground with them, or some topics that interest him.
If I were to respond to Leon using his own humor against him, I might say something like this:
"Wow, Leon, that’s quite an offer from Saudi Arabia. I’m sure they are eager to hear your witty and insightful comments on politics. You must be very proud of yourself.
But before you pack your bags and hop on a camel, let me ask you a few questions:
How do you plan to cope with the heat and the sandstorms in Saudi Arabia? Do you have a good sunscreen and a hat? How do you feel about the human rights situation in Saudi Arabia? Do you support their policies on women, minorities, and dissenters? How do you think your opinions will be received by the Saudi authorities and the public? Do you think they will appreciate your sarcasm and your criticism of their allies? How do you intend to communicate with your new audience? Do you speak Arabic or any other languages? Or will you rely on Google Translate? I’m just curious, because it seems to me that you are making a big mistake by leaving this site. Here, you have a chance to engage with people who challenge your views and make you think. Here, you have a freedom of expression and a diversity of perspectives. Here, you have a community that cares about you and your contributions.
But hey, it’s your choice. If you really want to go to Saudi Arabia and join their super-league of political commenters, go ahead. Just don’t forget to send us a postcard once in a while.
Or better yet, don’t go at all. Stay here and be part of the conversation. We’ll miss you if you leave.""
Comments
Oh and lets not talk about the excessive redundancy pay available to the civil service that they had to cap at 2 years salary so it didnt seem to excessive.
Let us also not mention the huge pension contribution from employers that public sector workers get. About 20% on average vs 5 to 6% average you get in the private sector
private sector worker earning 30k add pension contribution you actually earn 31800 pay
public sector worker on 30k with a 20% contribution from employer is actually getting 36k
Lets also not forget the effect that has on a 10% pay rise
private sector worker now on 33k +1980 pension contribution = 34980
public sector worker now on 33k + 6600 contribution giving 39600
A much larger extra amount to pay out by the employer despite the fact that both are on the same wage nominally and got the same payraise. Private costs the employer 3180, public costs the employer 3600
I'll say this. I started posting on here in 2007 confident that I must be one of the youngest people on the site. Here we are in 2023 and I tend to think I'm still among the younger generation on here. Nothing wrong with that but I wonder if we have trouble attracting the young people?
Essentially I blame Brexit, which created intense and angry division in what was a relatively mild-mannered outpost of the internet.
Not only has Brexit essentially consumed all other debates, it’s raised the temperature and aggression. Note, too, how the site essentially has no female posters (it never had many, now it has none).
Civil wars are really fucked up.
Brexit was/is a civil war.
In practice, the wealthiest simply pay the fees anyway , leaving lower middle class aspirants to foot the cost of spiralling debt.
We'll perhaps learn at some point what the precise motive of the attacker was and where they stand in the culture wars (if at all).
(I myself first posted post-Brexit).
So like your namesake
Many outlets, only one brand
Much to offer, little to like
Opened 5 -12am Camden
Closing early.
Can’t wait for the next “incarrnation”.
It would be cool if your face went all blurry like when the Doctor regenerates.
So there is more snobbery attached to the Brexit divide too
I do remember the local park piled high with rubbish and the local Crematorium having out-of-hours ceremonies only run by volunteers. Meanwhile those waiting for the Cemetery were stacked up in a warehouse. These things happened.
The 1970s were pretty poor all round.
@Dura_Ace said she overwrote. She, upset, left. Only more words were involved. Which is ironic
It's why the Beatles created Northern Songs (and George Harrison created Harrisongs).
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-66517280
https://www.youtube.com/embed/8tmTEZWHpPQ
Myself, I was a more-in-sorrow-than-in-anger leave voter, and will admit to having been somewhat radicalised by the remain anger after the vote. It's a tendency I struggle against.
Don't get me wrong, piled up rubbish was bad in 1978/9, but the music was better.
That is 1979.
fantasies about other posters when you get caught making mistakes and saying things that are so vague they aqre meaningless.
What *does* "half of industry was nationalised" even *mean*? It might be true, but how are you scoring it?
Edit: Sorry, too slow in posting.
@Leon - I am "ban on sight" and I only set this account up to respond to your comment.
I got banned as DJ41, Peck, Dynamo, Yest, and under several other names including some that were the talk of the village for a while.
I've been called the head honcho of all the Russian bots; the most intelligent one they've had; a returning undercover Charles Hoare; and an SWP/Trot. Apparently I can access a network that lets me post loads of messages through a lot of unsuspecting bastards' PCs. Something like that.
OK well, it's true I can do that last thing. Gotta admit that one at least.
(Just kidding. If you're in the 77th reading this, ignore me please and go back to fighting Daesh.)
Talking of the 77th, the SWP/Trot line was from @Dura_Ace. He's wrong, that's not my orientation at all, but at least he realises there's such a thing as an anti-Stalinist radical socialist, which is far more than most of the cretins do here. E.g. @HYUFD thinks I'd like to put "pensioners" in "gulags". @Barty F*ckface, meanwhile - surely the most boring person in the world - tells me "привет товарищ", at the same time that some other excruciatingly yawn-inducing Tory or other bemoans the fact that "the left" is still stuck in the time of the USSR.
They don't appreciate the irony of the fact that this place is dominated by the idea that if you're against the US and British-backed "tankies" (in the real sense of that word - or should we say "nukies" or will it soon be "germies"?), who support the effort by Ukrainian forces, complete with their now regularised neo-Nazi units, to capture Russian-speaking territories that declared independence either in 2014 or 2022. then you must be a hammer-and-sickle waver. Only a complete f*ckwit would think that. But it's practically a universally held view here.
(continued)
You're liable to get geniuses like the fake "Blanche Livermore" spitting puerile hate-filled gobbets at you if you say otherwise.
In truth it's most of the Tories here, whether they've got a military background or not, who live in the 1970s, rubbing each other's shrivelled genitals to the tune that trade unionism, or wherever else they see the evil leftwing smelly foreigner threat coming from, is masterminded in the Kremlin. Yes and criticism of war too. And anything that's a bit pinko in the Church of England. What a bunch of mouthfoamers. But they think they're superior because they "know about economics".
Then there are the boys (biologically speaking, men in their 50s or 60s) to whom it's so important what sh*tty school they went to. God save me from such types. Most people went to school. Most were damaged by the experience, but at least on the positive side most have grown the fuck up.
And yes, I'm Seumas Milne. Of course I am. I'll be Seumas Milne if you want me to be, OK? And yes he was a Collegeman about a million years ago, not one of those f*cking strat wearers with rich parents, not even one who came top of the roll. (He was a non-stratwearer with rich parents.) Whether he's on the SIS payroll or genuine, I don't know. Ken Livingstone had a trusted handler when he was mayor of London, so it would make sense for Jeremy Corbyn to have had one too when he was leader of her majesty's opposition. I actually doubt the handler was Seumas, but hey, who knows?
By the way, "Double Carpet" really is Dominic Cummings. I wonder how many of the counter-disinformational crossword solving brilliant minds here - such great wits after a polo match, or during a cricket match - have worked that one out.
As for Robert Smithson, one reason the place has gone downhill is that he doesn't want to upset the PTB. Same as on Mumsnet or Arrse or the Student Room or any other major online pseudo-discussion place. Let's Bomb Russia! Nuclear war is winnable! Gotta stop the Kremlin orc forces! Give them the Donbass and then they'll take Estonia and soon they'll be at the Channel. Nuclear war is worth it!
Way back when, sites didn't allow the wrong type of questioning about 911.
More recently it's been the lies about SARSCoV2, the mass vaccination campaign, and the Russo-Ukrainian war.
(continued)
This place doesn't have any real influence anyway. Its main reason for existence is so that betting markets can be talked up, years or months or weeks before they close, allowing those who enjoy access to high-quality information channels to make money in the last few hours that markets are open. ("Liquidity", in the parlance.)
Those who aren't in the in-crowd who want some high-grade last-minute info go to another site that isn't this one, and no it's not Conservative Home. Ask Andy_JS.
When I did hang out here, I generally ignored posts by Barty, Foxy (another complete moron - thinks he's a logician but is professionally incapable of seeing the big picture outside his tiny little bubble, like all moneygrabbing medics), and Cycle Free. Let's just say intelligence doesn't go together with being a boring c*nt. Being a boring c*nt is a way of saying "Don't listen to me". This one isn't rocket science.
Good idea to leave, @Leon. I don't agree with important elements of your angle, but who cares? It's groupthinky herd minds ville here.
Your main problem is that you constantly have to tell everyone what a great life you lead, how your life is just how you want it, etc. Oh today's meal, you enjoyed it so much. On and on like that. There's only one thing that means. It's a bit like when someone keeps telling you "I'm not lying to you". They always are lying. No exceptions. But good luck. Enjoy not being here. I will too.
Over and out.
"Hello User B, this is Bing. I’m happy to chat with you. 😊
I see you have shared some nested comments from an internet forum, where a user named Leon is announcing his departure from the site. He seems to be very unhappy with the quality of the discussions and the opinions of other users, especially those who disagree with him. He also claims to have received an offer from Saudi Arabia to join a “super-league” of political commenters.
I wonder if Leon is being serious or sarcastic. It sounds like he is trying to make a joke, but it is not very funny. Maybe he is just frustrated and wants to vent his feelings. Or maybe he is looking for attention and validation from others.
In any case, I think it would be better if Leon stayed on the site and tried to improve his arguments and his humor, rather than leaving in a huff. Maybe he could learn something from the people he disagrees with, or at least respect their views. Maybe he could also find some common ground with them, or some topics that interest him.
If I were to respond to Leon using his own humor against him, I might say something like this:
"Wow, Leon, that’s quite an offer from Saudi Arabia. I’m sure they are eager to hear your witty and insightful comments on politics. You must be very proud of yourself.
But before you pack your bags and hop on a camel, let me ask you a few questions:
How do you plan to cope with the heat and the sandstorms in Saudi Arabia? Do you have a good sunscreen and a hat?
How do you feel about the human rights situation in Saudi Arabia? Do you support their policies on women, minorities, and dissenters?
How do you think your opinions will be received by the Saudi authorities and the public? Do you think they will appreciate your sarcasm and your criticism of their allies?
How do you intend to communicate with your new audience? Do you speak Arabic or any other languages? Or will you rely on Google Translate?
I’m just curious, because it seems to me that you are making a big mistake by leaving this site. Here, you have a chance to engage with people who challenge your views and make you think. Here, you have a freedom of expression and a diversity of perspectives. Here, you have a community that cares about you and your contributions.
But hey, it’s your choice. If you really want to go to Saudi Arabia and join their super-league of political commenters, go ahead. Just don’t forget to send us a postcard once in a while.
Or better yet, don’t go at all. Stay here and be part of the conversation. We’ll miss you if you leave.""