It's not the "first" time because Fort Vic has been in refit since 2021. That has obviously gone sideways or, more likely, they don't have enough crew to reactivate her.
This has NOTHING to do with money or cuts. That's just what the MoD want everyone to believe in order to get more money. Recall that the FSSP program started in 2015 to deliver 3 ships by 2025.
The only time the tories have acted with any haste in this fiasco was to sell, with all possible immediacy, the two other Sold Support ships (Fort Rosalie and Fort Austin) to Egypt in 2021.
The Fireplace Salesman saw the USMSC special forces support ship and got a bit lovestruck at the sight of big lads with tats so he halted the program in 2017 in order to turn these ships into SF war canoes. Baldy Ben managed to tear himself away from the pie counter in Greggs to restart the effort in 2019 but now, because of reasons, they had to be built by H&W in the Six Counties - a shipyard that hasn't built a naval vessel for 40 odd years and can't find the manual for their TIG welder. Even with the Spaniards doing the difficult bits this is now a very lengthy build process that won't produce any ships until 2031.
This has FUCK ALL to do with a lack of money. It's the natural consequence of mismanagement, indecision and the use of the defence budget for the political aim of industrial welfare. To give the MoD any more money than they currently receive is the same as burning it.
In that case, we'd be better off buying a lot more off the shelf kit from others.
I haven't been impressed by my experiences of MoD project management - well below the standards in energy & transport but the security/novel technology cards are always played to explain this poor performance away.
Say Trump does win the election who do we think will be the GOP nominee in 2028?
One of the sproggs?
You think there'll be an election in 2028?
Many people seem to believe two incompatible things: that the US constitution with its separation of powers is the optimal form of democratic government, and that it all fails if people vote for the wrong person.
This isn't a Republican vs Democrats thing. Both sides have had good and bad presidents. Voting GOP won't bring down democratic government, but voting for Trump will.
Trump led an insurrection against the separated powers in 2021. And openly states that he will take dictatorial powers on day 1 of a second term to simply discard the separated powers.
Hard to argue that Trump won't dismantle the existing democratic system when he says "I will be a dictator on day 1"
Would someone explain to me the practicalities of how Trump would become a dictator?
Historically - as in Nazi Germany - you not only need the backing of a large segment of the population and / or willingness to acquiesce but you also the need the support of the bureaucracy, industrial and military segments to take that step.
Trump does not have the backing of any of those segments. The bureaucracy is against him and, while he can fire the heads of areas, he cannot get rid of the whole Government infrastructure. The finance and commercial interests are also likely to not give their backing. Neither will the military and, even if he did fire the commanders, the rank and file (plus junior officers) would rebel. Plus you have a number of Democrat led states that he would not be able to govern.
The whole idea he could impose a dictatorship even if he wanted to is bonkers.
I don't know if you are including this in Beurocracy, but a cruicial step to Hitler quickly moving from elected Chancellor to dictator required the agreement of the Reichspresident at the time Hindenbug, who signed over in several decrees absolute power to Hitler.
I know but Trump does not have that power and the US system was specifically designed to stop one person being an absolute monarch. Even the SC, despite its composition, would likely balk at any such measures as would probably a lot of Republican-run states.
He just can't do it even if he wanted to.
How would the Supreme Court vote if mobs took the families of the justices hostage? Or if equal force was threatened, less overtly?
Any country can be made into a dictatorship with the consent of a reasonable minority of the governed who are prepared to use violence in its support.
Absolutely. We have seen this happen in numerous tin pot countries and the odd serious country.
Following the last general election, a direct swing of seven percentage points from Conservative to Labour was required for Labour to become the largest party in a hung parliament. The boundary revisions up this target for Labour to a swing of 8.3 percentage points. To gain an overall majority Labour needs a swing of 12.7%, up from 12.0% on the old boundaries. A more difficult task certainly, but perhaps more a matter of degree than of substance. The swing needed is still substantially more than the 10.2% Tony Blair achieved in 1997, and indeed more than double that at any other election since 1945. Any uniform swing from Conservative to Labour of greater than 4.2% and less than 12.7% at the next general election is likely to produce a hung parliament with no one party having an overall majority.
It's an absolute shambles of a piece of analysis / journalism. Tactical voting doesn't seem to have been accounted for, nor the SNP-Lab swing in Scotland. The BBC (and Railings & Thrasher) seem to be stuck in the same two-party state from 1959 when the swingometer was invented. This is not that world.
Labour won a comfortable majority in 2005 with a national lead of under 3%. While I don't expect their vote to be that efficient this year, the idea that they need a lead of 13% for a majority of just 2 is nuts and clearly has been past no sense-checking.
It is completely dishonest of you to break your word like this, having agreed to void it, and I’m confident I’d win any ‘arbitration’ if the judge was fair.
On the other hand I was surprised you agreed to void it so readily in the first place, that was maybe too generous. You realise now that you didn’t have to do that, and wish you hadn’t. Bet regret.
But it leaves me in the position of giving up over two grand because I was banned from here without any reason being given, which doesn’t seem right at all.
How about you both have to pay the forfeit? You both have to kick Bishop Brennan up the arse.
That is ok then. We can believe Trump when he says something because he never lies and January 6th didn't happen.
And in his "I won't be a dictator" comment he restates that he would be a dictator. For 1 day. To do some things impossible to do in 1 day. So he will continue!
I do love the mentality. To prove that no Trump never said he would be a dictator, post a video of him both confirming that he DID say it and that he then reaffirms.
Following the last general election, a direct swing of seven percentage points from Conservative to Labour was required for Labour to become the largest party in a hung parliament. The boundary revisions up this target for Labour to a swing of 8.3 percentage points. To gain an overall majority Labour needs a swing of 12.7%, up from 12.0% on the old boundaries. A more difficult task certainly, but perhaps more a matter of degree than of substance. The swing needed is still substantially more than the 10.2% Tony Blair achieved in 1997, and indeed more than double that at any other election since 1945. Any uniform swing from Conservative to Labour of greater than 4.2% and less than 12.7% at the next general election is likely to produce a hung parliament with no one party having an overall majority.
It's an absolute shambles of a piece of analysis / journalism. Tactical voting doesn't seem to have been accounted for, nor the SNP-Lab swing in Scotland. The BBC (and Railings & Thrasher) seem to be stuck in the same two-party state from 1959 when the swingometer was invented. This is not that world.
Labour won a comfortable majority in 2005 with a national lead of under 3%. While I don't expect their vote to be that efficient this year, the idea that they need a lead of 13% for a majority of just 2 is nuts and clearly has been past no sense-checking.
swing not lead
It's about the same thing given that the Tories had a UK-wide lead of 11.5% in 2019 (or 11.7% in GB).
ah yes. it does show how very inefficient Labour's support seemed to be last time around, I guess.
You would get the same reaction from many on the left, particularly the young. Look at the polling in the US talking about democracy has failed even if you exclude how many of them shut down free speech on campuses.
This is a bit partisan. Unless you think Hague/IDS/Howard and Cameron were secretly pulling Blair/Brown's strings all along.
No-one is more furious with the almost continuous cuts we've experienced since 2010, we've only really started thinking differently in the last 2-3 years, and even then we're not funding it properly, but:
(1) Labour cut defence spending 1945-1949, then boosted it for Korea (2) Conservatives maintained it high until 1957 post Suez (3) Conservatives cut it massively post 1957 & maintained to 1964 (4) Labour cut steadily more from 1964 through to 1970 (5) Labour/Conservatives dilly-dallied in the 70s around detente (6) Conservatives boosted it significantly post 1979 up until 1985 and then trimmed it until 1990 (7) Conservatives did Options for Change & then massively cut it (8) Labour then did the 1998 review and trimmed a bit more in several bites through to 2010, and massively underfunded the DEPPs (9) Conservatives did another big cut post 2010, said they shouldn't do more in 2015, but kept on trimming to balance the books (10) Now, in 2023-4, lots of "oh sh1t" moments & everyone agrees it should go up but no-one knows how to pay for it - and Labour are silent
You would get the same reaction from many on the left, particularly the young. Look at the polling in the US talking about democracy has failed even if you exclude how many of them shut down free speech on campuses.
For that feeble bit of whataboutery to have a teeny bit of resonance, Biden would have to have publicly advocated shutting down ‘free speech on campuses’. Has he?
Can somebody briefly summarise the Jarndyce vs Jarndyce of isam and kinabalu's #betgate for me?
I am loving the drama but I don't really know what it's all about.
They placed a bet between each other.
One or both then thought it was voided but the circumstances are disputed.
One of them now insists the bet remains.
@rcs1000, @TSE, to prevent this happening in future may I request that comments betting either be banned or the money placed in escrow with you by both parties before the bet is sealed. You don't have to (it's not your problem) but it would help.
Can somebody briefly summarise the Jarndyce vs Jarndyce of isam and kinabalu's #betgate for me?
I am loving the drama but I don't really know what it's all about.
They placed a bet between each other.
One or both then thought it was voided but the circumstances are disputed.
One of them now insists the bet remains.
@rcs1000, @TSE, to prevent this happening in future may I request that comments betting either be banned or the money placed in escrow with you by both parties before the bet is sealed. You don't have to (it's not your problem) but it would help.
That much I worked out for myself. What was the bet?
Can somebody briefly summarise the Jarndyce vs Jarndyce of isam and kinabalu's #betgate for me?
I am loving the drama but I don't really know what it's all about.
They placed a bet between each other.
One or both then thought it was voided but the circumstances are disputed.
One of them now insists the bet remains.
@rcs1000, @TSE, to prevent this happening in future may I request that comments betting either be banned or the money placed in escrow with you by both parties before the bet is sealed. You don't have to (it's not your problem) but it would help.
I'm not sure it would be wise for a US resident to start managing third party bets.
On the bet, neither is clearly wrong. Half stakes void, half stakes stand might be about right.
Can somebody briefly summarise the Jarndyce vs Jarndyce of isam and kinabalu's #betgate for me?
I am loving the drama but I don't really know what it's all about.
They placed a bet between each other.
One or both then thought it was voided but the circumstances are disputed.
One of them now insists the bet remains.
@rcs1000, @TSE, to prevent this happening in future may I request that comments betting either be banned or the money placed in escrow with you by both parties before the bet is sealed. You don't have to (it's not your problem) but it would help.
That much I worked out for myself. What was the bet?
"£100 at 3/1 Starmer to be PM after the GE. That's our bet."
You would get the same reaction from many on the left, particularly the young. Look at the polling in the US talking about democracy has failed even if you exclude how many of them shut down free speech on campuses.
You constantly respond to a comment highlighting dangerous right wing anti democratic developments in America by identifying something trivial on the other side as comparable (you did this earlier today with a post about the centre left also being hijacked in response to a comment about the centre right being hijacked. It hasn't). They are not comparable. They could be, but currently they aren't.
There is nothing on the left comparable to Trump at the moment and to keep responding with posts that imply the left want to get rid of democracy or the nutters have taken over the left is crass. That is not to say it hasn't been a threat in the past or won't in the future, but it is not happening currently in the USA or Europe and you appear to make out it is just to deflect from the horrors of Trump.
If it were I would be with you as I was with the threats from the left many decades ago.
I'm not sure it would be wise for a US resident to start managing third party bets...
The bet would be between isam and kinabalu, both British residents. The US resident would just hold the money in trust. Or is somebody going to lay a RICO charge against him?
Can somebody briefly summarise the Jarndyce vs Jarndyce of isam and kinabalu's #betgate for me?
I am loving the drama but I don't really know what it's all about.
They placed a bet between each other.
One or both then thought it was voided but the circumstances are disputed.
One of them now insists the bet remains.
@rcs1000, @TSE, to prevent this happening in future may I request that comments betting either be banned or the money placed in escrow with you by both parties before the bet is sealed. You don't have to (it's not your problem) but it would help.
In the past Peter the Punter has adjudicated betting disputes.
Can somebody briefly summarise the Jarndyce vs Jarndyce of isam and kinabalu's #betgate for me?
I am loving the drama but I don't really know what it's all about.
They placed a bet between each other.
One or both then thought it was voided but the circumstances are disputed.
One of them now insists the bet remains.
@rcs1000, @TSE, to prevent this happening in future may I request that comments betting either be banned or the money placed in escrow with you by both parties before the bet is sealed. You don't have to (it's not your problem) but it would help.
In the past Peter the Punter has adjudicated betting disputes.
Please tell me that he wears the full regalia of a judge while doing so.
Can somebody briefly summarise the Jarndyce vs Jarndyce of isam and kinabalu's #betgate for me?
I am loving the drama but I don't really know what it's all about.
They placed a bet between each other.
One or both then thought it was voided but the circumstances are disputed.
One of them now insists the bet remains.
@rcs1000, @TSE, to prevent this happening in future may I request that comments betting either be banned or the money placed in escrow with you by both parties before the bet is sealed. You don't have to (it's not your problem) but it would help.
In the past Peter the Punter has adjudicated betting disputes.
Please tell me that he wears the full regalia of a judge while doing so.
I'm not sure it would be wise for a US resident to start managing third party bets...
The bet would be between isam and kinabalu, both British residents. The US resident would just hold the money in trust. Or is somebody going to lay a RICO charge against him?
I can hold the money. Just give me your bank account number, sort code, 3 digit card security code, addresses, Mother's maiden name, name of first pet, school, car and any other relevant details.
Need the full @kinabalu@isam correspondence. Partly cause atm @kinabalu imo clearly in the right based purely on the quotes chosen by @kinabalu. Which seems an unsatisfactory state of affairs.
But mostly for the lolz of pathetically minor drama.
You would get the same reaction from many on the left, particularly the young. Look at the polling in the US talking about democracy has failed even if you exclude how many of them shut down free speech on campuses.
For that feeble bit of whataboutery to have a teeny bit of resonance, Biden would have to have publicly advocated shutting down ‘free speech on campuses’. Has he?
You would get the same reaction from many on the left, particularly the young. Look at the polling in the US talking about democracy has failed even if you exclude how many of them shut down free speech on campuses.
For that feeble bit of whataboutery to have a teeny bit of resonance, Biden would have to have publicly advocated shutting down ‘free speech on campuses’. Has he?
Can somebody briefly summarise the Jarndyce vs Jarndyce of isam and kinabalu's #betgate for me?
I am loving the drama but I don't really know what it's all about.
They placed a bet between each other.
One or both then thought it was voided but the circumstances are disputed.
One of them now insists the bet remains.
@rcs1000, @TSE, to prevent this happening in future may I request that comments betting either be banned or the money placed in escrow with you by both parties before the bet is sealed. You don't have to (it's not your problem) but it would help.
That much I worked out for myself. What was the bet?
I had two open bets when I was banned in Dec 2021; one was laying Kinabalu £100@3/1 that Sir Keir would be PM after the next GE, the other was a spread bet buying the % of Muslims in the 2021 Census for £250 at 5.7 with Robert.
I was annoyed at being banned, with no reason given, for about the 300th time and wanted to void the bets. I have Roberts email so told him so, and he didn’t seem to want to. He said we had a bet and if I didn’t pay, that’s my call. I said we didn’t; the bet hadn’t gone in anyones favour so there was no harm done. Anyway I never heard any more of it. I couldn’t get in touch with Kinabalu as I don’t know who they are in real life and was unable to log in here.
When I was unbanned in August 2023, the bet with Robert had gone my way, but the Scottish census hadn’t been released and we couldn’t know the actual result yet. It would have been about £2k to me. Kinabalu had been saying on here while I was unable to reply that I ‘owed him’ £300. So I emailed all concerned to say I didn’t think it was right that I’d voided a 2k winner and was liable for a £300 loser that I was unable to suggest voiding, so why doesn’t Robert pay Kinabalu £300, saving himself 1.7k, leaving me 1.7k short and Kinabalu happy
Kinabalu said “Happy to keep it, void it or sort out with Robert”, so I assumed that was that. Yesterday he said the bet is still on, because I didn’t reply to his email saying he was happy to void it, which smacks of foul play to me. I obviously wanted out of the bet, and he said he was happy to forget about it.
Need the full @kinabalu@isam correspondence. Partly cause atm @kinabalu imo clearly in the right based purely on the quotes chosen by @kinabalu. Which seems an unsatisfactory state of affairs.
But mostly for the lolz of pathetically minor drama.
I like both of them and I don't really want to trawl thru their comments to do a timeline
Can somebody briefly summarise the Jarndyce vs Jarndyce of isam and kinabalu's #betgate for me?
I am loving the drama but I don't really know what it's all about.
They placed a bet between each other.
One or both then thought it was voided but the circumstances are disputed.
One of them now insists the bet remains.
@rcs1000, @TSE, to prevent this happening in future may I request that comments betting either be banned or the money placed in escrow with you by both parties before the bet is sealed. You don't have to (it's not your problem) but it would help.
Sensible but you might want to set a threshold on that, e.g. "tenner to a charity of your choice if Farage is next Con leader" should be ok if accepted by both parties, without requiring escrow.
Can somebody briefly summarise the Jarndyce vs Jarndyce of isam and kinabalu's #betgate for me?
I am loving the drama but I don't really know what it's all about.
They placed a bet between each other.
One or both then thought it was voided but the circumstances are disputed.
One of them now insists the bet remains.
@rcs1000, @TSE, to prevent this happening in future may I request that comments betting either be banned or the money placed in escrow with you by both parties before the bet is sealed. You don't have to (it's not your problem) but it would help.
Sensible but you might want to set a threshold on that, e.g. "tenner to a charity of your choice if Farage is next Con leader" should be ok if accepted by both parties, without requiring escrow.
That's the only kind of bet that makes sense with anonymous internet usernames imo, but each to their own.
Can somebody briefly summarise the Jarndyce vs Jarndyce of isam and kinabalu's #betgate for me?
I am loving the drama but I don't really know what it's all about.
They placed a bet between each other.
One or both then thought it was voided but the circumstances are disputed.
One of them now insists the bet remains.
@rcs1000, @TSE, to prevent this happening in future may I request that comments betting either be banned or the money placed in escrow with you by both parties before the bet is sealed. You don't have to (it's not your problem) but it would help.
That much I worked out for myself. What was the bet?
I had two open bets when I was banned in Dec 2021; one was laying Kinabalu £100@3/1 that Sir Keir would be PM after the next GE, the other was a spread bet buying the % of Muslims in the 2021 Census for £250 at 5.7 with Robert.
I was annoyed at being banned, with no reason given, for about the 300th time and wanted to void the bets. I have Roberts email so told him so, and he didn’t seem to want to. He said we had a bet and if I didn’t pay, that’s my call. I said we didn’t; the bet hadn’t gone in anyones favour so there was no harm done. Anyway I never heard any more of it. I couldn’t get in touch with Kinabalu as I don’t know who they are in real life and was unable to log in here.
When I was unbanned in August 2023, the bet with Robert had gone my way, but the Scottish census hadn’t been released and we couldn’t know the actual result yet. It would have been about £2k to me. Kinabalu had been saying on here while I was unable to reply that I ‘owed him’ £300. So I emailed all concerned to say I didn’t think it was right that I’d voided a 2k winner and was liable for a £300 loser that I was unable to suggest voiding, so why doesn’t Robert pay Kinabalu £300, saving himself 1.7k, leaving me 1.7k short and Kinabalu happy
Kinabalu said “Happy to keep it, void it or sort out with Robert”, so I assumed that was that. Yesterday he said the bet is still on, because I didn’t reply to his email saying he was happy to void it, which smacks of foul play to me. I obviously wanted out of the bet, and he said he was happy to forget about it.
Actual quote was “ Happy whatever, I mean. We can keep it or we can void it. Your suggestion is also fine by me if it's fine by rcs.”
Can somebody briefly summarise the Jarndyce vs Jarndyce of isam and kinabalu's #betgate for me?
I am loving the drama but I don't really know what it's all about.
They placed a bet between each other.
One or both then thought it was voided but the circumstances are disputed.
One of them now insists the bet remains.
@rcs1000, @TSE, to prevent this happening in future may I request that comments betting either be banned or the money placed in escrow with you by both parties before the bet is sealed. You don't have to (it's not your problem) but it would help.
That much I worked out for myself. What was the bet?
I had two open bets when I was banned in Dec 2021; one was laying Kinabalu £100@3/1 that Sir Keir would be PM after the next GE, the other was a spread bet buying the % of Muslims in the 2021 Census for £250 at 5.7 with Robert.
I was annoyed at being banned, with no reason given, for about the 300th time and wanted to void the bets. I have Roberts email so told him so, and he didn’t seem to want to. He said we had a bet and if I didn’t pay, that’s my call. I said we didn’t; the bet hadn’t gone in anyones favour so there was no harm done. Anyway I never heard any more of it. I couldn’t get in touch with Kinabalu as I don’t know who they are in real life and was unable to log in here.
When I was unbanned in August 2023, the bet with Robert had gone my way, but the Scottish census hadn’t been released and we couldn’t know the actual result yet. It would have been about £2k to me. Kinabalu had been saying on here while I was unable to reply that I ‘owed him’ £300. So I emailed all concerned to say I didn’t think it was right that I’d voided a 2k winner and was liable for a £300 loser that I was unable to suggest voiding, so why doesn’t Robert pay Kinabalu £300, saving himself 1.7k, leaving me 1.7k short and Kinabalu happy
Kinabalu said “Happy to keep it, void it or sort out with Robert”, so I assumed that was that. Yesterday he said the bet is still on, because I didn’t reply to his email saying he was happy to void it, which smacks of foul play to me. I obviously wanted out of the bet, and he said he was happy to forget about it.
@isam by the sounds of it your bet with Robert is still valid. It is only voided if you want to void it from what Robert said to you, so why don't you take that and if the value is uncertain just go for the lowest possible profit that is reasonable and then pay @kinabalu. You will then be in profit, @kinabalu will be in profit. Robert will have lost but he seems happy to accept that from what you have posted.
On another point I am unaware of why you have been banned numerous times, but surely you must have some idea. The ban hammer seems to get used for obvious reasons and there seems to be a lot of leeway.
You would get the same reaction from many on the left, particularly the young. Look at the polling in the US talking about democracy has failed even if you exclude how many of them shut down free speech on campuses.
For that feeble bit of whataboutery to have a teeny bit of resonance, Biden would have to have publicly advocated shutting down ‘free speech on campuses’. Has he?
The Hunter Biden laptop story is also worth mentioning in this context.
That's a lot of words for 'no he hasn't'.
Hang on a sec - Trump has been interviewed saying he will NOT be a dictator. Only in a vox pop with a grassroots supporter has a dictatorship been recommended. So there is no equivalence with 'Biden publicly advocating' anything.
This is a bit partisan. Unless you think Hague/IDS/Howard and Cameron were secretly pulling Blair/Brown's strings all along.
No-one is more furious with the almost continuous cuts we've experienced since 2010, we've only really started thinking differently in the last 2-3 years, and even then we're not funding it properly, but:
(1) Labour cut defence spending 1945-1949, then boosted it for Korea (2) Conservatives maintained it high until 1957 post Suez (3) Conservatives cut it massively post 1957 & maintained to 1964 (4) Labour cut steadily more from 1964 through to 1970 (5) Labour/Conservatives dilly-dallied in the 70s around detente (6) Conservatives boosted it significantly post 1979 up until 1985 and then trimmed it until 1990 (7) Conservatives did Options for Change & then massively cut it (8) Labour then did the 1998 review and trimmed a bit more in several bites through to 2010, and massively underfunded the DEPPs (9) Conservatives did another big cut post 2010, said they shouldn't do more in 2015, but kept on trimming to balance the books (10) Now, in 2023-4, lots of "oh sh1t" moments & everyone agrees it should go up but no-one knows how to pay for it - and Labour are silent
Well, yes, Labour did cut defence spending after 1945, what with the war ending and all.
'Police are investigating the death of seven giant tortoises – all found in a wood.
The Aldabra giant tortoises were found dead and officers are appealing for witnesses.
Two bodies were discovered in a wooded area north-east of Exeter in Devon on 8 January and a further five were found nearby on 12 January.'
That's really sad - they're not common animals at all. (Strictly speaking, Aldabra Giant Tortoise is also a species name - so I'm not quite sure if they are or rather were mature individuals.)
You would get the same reaction from many on the left, particularly the young. Look at the polling in the US talking about democracy has failed even if you exclude how many of them shut down free speech on campuses.
You constantly respond to a comment highlighting dangerous right wing anti democratic developments in America by identifying something trivial on the other side as comparable (you did this earlier today with a post about the centre left also being hijacked in response to a comment about the centre right being hijacked. It hasn't). They are not comparable. They could be, but currently they aren't.
There is nothing on the left comparable to Trump at the moment and to keep responding with posts that imply the left want to get rid of democracy or the nutters have taken over the left is crass. That is not to say it hasn't been a threat in the past or won't in the future, but it is not happening currently in the USA or Europe and you appear to make out it is just to deflect from the horrors of Trump.
If it were I would be with you as I was with the threats from the left many decades ago.
I happen to believe that most of the 'horror' at Trump is pure hyperbole - he didn't ruin US democracy in his first term and he won't if he gets in again.
What I do believe is a real threat to democracy is politicians on one side trying to get the opposition leader banned on grounds that are spurious - Trump hasn't been convicted of insurgency, sedition etc but, to many on here, a trial does not matter, just their own views and what they believe is right. You and others are quite happy to chuck constitutional and legal precedent out of the window just because you believe you are morally right.
As for standing up to threats from the left, you simply would not, you would be one of the acquiescent - maybe not agreeing to it but not really that bothered to do much about it. I have not heard a peep from you condemning speakers being prevented on campus from speaking for example.
Can somebody briefly summarise the Jarndyce vs Jarndyce of isam and kinabalu's #betgate for me?
I am loving the drama but I don't really know what it's all about.
They placed a bet between each other.
One or both then thought it was voided but the circumstances are disputed.
One of them now insists the bet remains.
@rcs1000, @TSE, to prevent this happening in future may I request that comments betting either be banned or the money placed in escrow with you by both parties before the bet is sealed. You don't have to (it's not your problem) but it would help.
That much I worked out for myself. What was the bet?
I had two open bets when I was banned in Dec 2021; one was laying Kinabalu £100@3/1 that Sir Keir would be PM after the next GE, the other was a spread bet buying the % of Muslims in the 2021 Census for £250 at 5.7 with Robert.
I was annoyed at being banned, with no reason given, for about the 300th time and wanted to void the bets. I have Roberts email so told him so, and he didn’t seem to want to. He said we had a bet and if I didn’t pay, that’s my call. I said we didn’t; the bet hadn’t gone in anyones favour so there was no harm done. Anyway I never heard any more of it. I couldn’t get in touch with Kinabalu as I don’t know who they are in real life and was unable to log in here.
When I was unbanned in August 2023, the bet with Robert had gone my way, but the Scottish census hadn’t been released and we couldn’t know the actual result yet. It would have been about £2k to me. Kinabalu had been saying on here while I was unable to reply that I ‘owed him’ £300. So I emailed all concerned to say I didn’t think it was right that I’d voided a 2k winner and was liable for a £300 loser that I was unable to suggest voiding, so why doesn’t Robert pay Kinabalu £300, saving himself 1.7k, leaving me 1.7k short and Kinabalu happy
Kinabalu said “Happy to keep it, void it or sort out with Robert”, so I assumed that was that. Yesterday he said the bet is still on, because I didn’t reply to his email saying he was happy to void it, which smacks of foul play to me. I obviously wanted out of the bet, and he said he was happy to forget about it.
Actual quote was “ Happy whatever, I mean. We can keep it or we can void it. Your suggestion is also fine by me if it's fine by rcs.”
Surely you can find an angle to pin this debacle on Starmer.
Can somebody briefly summarise the Jarndyce vs Jarndyce of isam and kinabalu's #betgate for me?
I am loving the drama but I don't really know what it's all about.
They placed a bet between each other.
One or both then thought it was voided but the circumstances are disputed.
One of them now insists the bet remains.
@rcs1000, @TSE, to prevent this happening in future may I request that comments betting either be banned or the money placed in escrow with you by both parties before the bet is sealed. You don't have to (it's not your problem) but it would help.
That much I worked out for myself. What was the bet?
I had two open bets when I was banned in Dec 2021; one was laying Kinabalu £100@3/1 that Sir Keir would be PM after the next GE, the other was a spread bet buying the % of Muslims in the 2021 Census for £250 at 5.7 with Robert.
I was annoyed at being banned, with no reason given, for about the 300th time and wanted to void the bets. I have Roberts email so told him so, and he didn’t seem to want to. He said we had a bet and if I didn’t pay, that’s my call. I said we didn’t; the bet hadn’t gone in anyones favour so there was no harm done. Anyway I never heard any more of it. I couldn’t get in touch with Kinabalu as I don’t know who they are in real life and was unable to log in here.
When I was unbanned in August 2023, the bet with Robert had gone my way, but the Scottish census hadn’t been released and we couldn’t know the actual result yet. It would have been about £2k to me. Kinabalu had been saying on here while I was unable to reply that I ‘owed him’ £300. So I emailed all concerned to say I didn’t think it was right that I’d voided a 2k winner and was liable for a £300 loser that I was unable to suggest voiding, so why doesn’t Robert pay Kinabalu £300, saving himself 1.7k, leaving me 1.7k short and Kinabalu happy
Kinabalu said “Happy to keep it, void it or sort out with Robert”, so I assumed that was that. Yesterday he said the bet is still on, because I didn’t reply to his email saying he was happy to void it, which smacks of foul play to me. I obviously wanted out of the bet, and he said he was happy to forget about it.
That hobbit out of the Post Office drama can play you in the inevitable ITV adaptation.
Can somebody briefly summarise the Jarndyce vs Jarndyce of isam and kinabalu's #betgate for me?
I am loving the drama but I don't really know what it's all about.
They placed a bet between each other.
One or both then thought it was voided but the circumstances are disputed.
One of them now insists the bet remains.
@rcs1000, @TSE, to prevent this happening in future may I request that comments betting either be banned or the money placed in escrow with you by both parties before the bet is sealed. You don't have to (it's not your problem) but it would help.
That much I worked out for myself. What was the bet?
I had two open bets when I was banned in Dec 2021; one was laying Kinabalu £100@3/1 that Sir Keir would be PM after the next GE, the other was a spread bet buying the % of Muslims in the 2021 Census for £250 at 5.7 with Robert.
I was annoyed at being banned, with no reason given, for about the 300th time and wanted to void the bets. I have Roberts email so told him so, and he didn’t seem to want to. He said we had a bet and if I didn’t pay, that’s my call. I said we didn’t; the bet hadn’t gone in anyones favour so there was no harm done. Anyway I never heard any more of it. I couldn’t get in touch with Kinabalu as I don’t know who they are in real life and was unable to log in here.
When I was unbanned in August 2023, the bet with Robert had gone my way, but the Scottish census hadn’t been released and we couldn’t know the actual result yet. It would have been about £2k to me. Kinabalu had been saying on here while I was unable to reply that I ‘owed him’ £300. So I emailed all concerned to say I didn’t think it was right that I’d voided a 2k winner and was liable for a £300 loser that I was unable to suggest voiding, so why doesn’t Robert pay Kinabalu £300, saving himself 1.7k, leaving me 1.7k short and Kinabalu happy
Kinabalu said “Happy to keep it, void it or sort out with Robert”, so I assumed that was that. Yesterday he said the bet is still on, because I didn’t reply to his email saying he was happy to void it, which smacks of foul play to me. I obviously wanted out of the bet, and he said he was happy to forget about it.
Actual quote was “ Happy whatever, I mean. We can keep it or we can void it. Your suggestion is also fine by me if it's fine by rcs.”
Surely you can find an angle to pin this debacle on Starmer.
Can somebody briefly summarise the Jarndyce vs Jarndyce of isam and kinabalu's #betgate for me?
I am loving the drama but I don't really know what it's all about.
They placed a bet between each other.
One or both then thought it was voided but the circumstances are disputed.
One of them now insists the bet remains.
@rcs1000, @TSE, to prevent this happening in future may I request that comments betting either be banned or the money placed in escrow with you by both parties before the bet is sealed. You don't have to (it's not your problem) but it would help.
In the past Peter the Punter has adjudicated betting disputes.
Please tell me that he wears the full regalia of a judge while doing so.
You would get the same reaction from many on the left, particularly the young. Look at the polling in the US talking about democracy has failed even if you exclude how many of them shut down free speech on campuses.
For that feeble bit of whataboutery to have a teeny bit of resonance, Biden would have to have publicly advocated shutting down ‘free speech on campuses’. Has he?
The Hunter Biden laptop story is also worth mentioning in this context.
That's a lot of words for 'no he hasn't'.
Hang on a sec - Trump has been interviewed saying he will NOT be a dictator. Only in a vox pop with a grassroots supporter has a dictatorship been recommended. So there is no equivalence with 'Biden publicly advocating' anything.
In both interviews he explicitly said he's going to be a dictator for one day, in the latter case re. stopping immigration on the Mexico border and freeing up energy production, both issues that have traditionally been sorted out in one day.
History is of course littered with dictators who have promised to do a teeny bit of dictating until things are sorted out, and who have then reverted back to yer standard politician who bows to democracy.
Can somebody briefly summarise the Jarndyce vs Jarndyce of isam and kinabalu's #betgate for me?
I am loving the drama but I don't really know what it's all about.
They placed a bet between each other.
One or both then thought it was voided but the circumstances are disputed.
One of them now insists the bet remains.
@rcs1000, @TSE, to prevent this happening in future may I request that comments betting either be banned or the money placed in escrow with you by both parties before the bet is sealed. You don't have to (it's not your problem) but it would help.
That much I worked out for myself. What was the bet?
I had two open bets when I was banned in Dec 2021; one was laying Kinabalu £100@3/1 that Sir Keir would be PM after the next GE, the other was a spread bet buying the % of Muslims in the 2021 Census for £250 at 5.7 with Robert.
I was annoyed at being banned, with no reason given, for about the 300th time and wanted to void the bets. I have Roberts email so told him so, and he didn’t seem to want to. He said we had a bet and if I didn’t pay, that’s my call. I said we didn’t; the bet hadn’t gone in anyones favour so there was no harm done. Anyway I never heard any more of it. I couldn’t get in touch with Kinabalu as I don’t know who they are in real life and was unable to log in here.
When I was unbanned in August 2023, the bet with Robert had gone my way, but the Scottish census hadn’t been released and we couldn’t know the actual result yet. It would have been about £2k to me. Kinabalu had been saying on here while I was unable to reply that I ‘owed him’ £300. So I emailed all concerned to say I didn’t think it was right that I’d voided a 2k winner and was liable for a £300 loser that I was unable to suggest voiding, so why doesn’t Robert pay Kinabalu £300, saving himself 1.7k, leaving me 1.7k short and Kinabalu happy
Kinabalu said “Happy to keep it, void it or sort out with Robert”, so I assumed that was that. Yesterday he said the bet is still on, because I didn’t reply to his email saying he was happy to void it, which smacks of foul play to me. I obviously wanted out of the bet, and he said he was happy to forget about it.
@isam by the sounds of it your bet with Robert is still valid. It is only voided if you want to void it from what Robert said to you, so why don't you take that and if the value is uncertain just go for the lowest possible profit that is reasonable and then pay @kinabalu. You will then be in profit, @kinabalu will be in profit. Robert will have lost but he seems happy to accept that from what you have posted.
On another point I am unaware of why you have been banned numerous times, but surely you must have some idea. The ban hammer seems to get used for obvious reasons and there seems to be a lot of leeway.
I think Robert @rcs1000 is a nice guy, he has been cordial with me over the years despite my run ins with the mods, and his Dad. I can’t say hand on heart I would definitely have paid up had I lost, so can’t expect, and don’t want, the money now I have won
What I wanted to avoid was the situation where I give up the winnings but still pay the losses. I explained this to @kinabalu, and he agreed to forget about it. I would have had to wear it if he’d just said ‘No we had a bet and that’s that’ but he didn’t, he said he was happy to void it. I was surprised he did agree so readily, but agree he did
You would get the same reaction from many on the left, particularly the young. Look at the polling in the US talking about democracy has failed even if you exclude how many of them shut down free speech on campuses.
You constantly respond to a comment highlighting dangerous right wing anti democratic developments in America by identifying something trivial on the other side as comparable (you did this earlier today with a post about the centre left also being hijacked in response to a comment about the centre right being hijacked. It hasn't). They are not comparable. They could be, but currently they aren't.
There is nothing on the left comparable to Trump at the moment and to keep responding with posts that imply the left want to get rid of democracy or the nutters have taken over the left is crass. That is not to say it hasn't been a threat in the past or won't in the future, but it is not happening currently in the USA or Europe and you appear to make out it is just to deflect from the horrors of Trump.
If it were I would be with you as I was with the threats from the left many decades ago.
I happen to believe that most of the 'horror' at Trump is pure hyperbole - he didn't ruin US democracy in his first term and he won't if he gets in again.
What I do believe is a real threat to democracy is politicians on one side trying to get the opposition leader banned on grounds that are spurious - Trump hasn't been convicted of insurgency, sedition etc but, to many on here, a trial does not matter, just their own views and what they believe is right. You and others are quite happy to chuck constitutional and legal precedent out of the window just because you believe you are morally right.
As for standing up to threats from the left, you simply would not, you would be one of the acquiescent - maybe not agreeing to it but not really that bothered to do much about it. I have not heard a peep from you condemning speakers being prevented on campus from speaking for example.
The bit you are missing is that if Trump does get banned it will be because a court has found him guilty of insurrection under the Constitution of the United States. These are neither "spurious grounds" nor anti constitutional, nor is it hyperbole to accuse him of overturning democracy when he's tried to overturn a democratically determined result through violence.
Can somebody briefly summarise the Jarndyce vs Jarndyce of isam and kinabalu's #betgate for me?
I am loving the drama but I don't really know what it's all about.
They placed a bet between each other.
One or both then thought it was voided but the circumstances are disputed.
One of them now insists the bet remains.
@rcs1000, @TSE, to prevent this happening in future may I request that comments betting either be banned or the money placed in escrow with you by both parties before the bet is sealed. You don't have to (it's not your problem) but it would help.
That much I worked out for myself. What was the bet?
I had two open bets when I was banned in Dec 2021; one was laying Kinabalu £100@3/1 that Sir Keir would be PM after the next GE, the other was a spread bet buying the % of Muslims in the 2021 Census for £250 at 5.7 with Robert.
I was annoyed at being banned, with no reason given, for about the 300th time and wanted to void the bets. I have Roberts email so told him so, and he didn’t seem to want to. He said we had a bet and if I didn’t pay, that’s my call. I said we didn’t; the bet hadn’t gone in anyones favour so there was no harm done. Anyway I never heard any more of it. I couldn’t get in touch with Kinabalu as I don’t know who they are in real life and was unable to log in here.
When I was unbanned in August 2023, the bet with Robert had gone my way, but the Scottish census hadn’t been released and we couldn’t know the actual result yet. It would have been about £2k to me. Kinabalu had been saying on here while I was unable to reply that I ‘owed him’ £300. So I emailed all concerned to say I didn’t think it was right that I’d voided a 2k winner and was liable for a £300 loser that I was unable to suggest voiding, so why doesn’t Robert pay Kinabalu £300, saving himself 1.7k, leaving me 1.7k short and Kinabalu happy
Kinabalu said “Happy to keep it, void it or sort out with Robert”, so I assumed that was that. Yesterday he said the bet is still on, because I didn’t reply to his email saying he was happy to void it, which smacks of foul play to me. I obviously wanted out of the bet, and he said he was happy to forget about it.
That hobbit out of the Post Office drama can play you in the inevitable ITV adaptation.
Can somebody briefly summarise the Jarndyce vs Jarndyce of isam and kinabalu's #betgate for me?
I am loving the drama but I don't really know what it's all about.
They placed a bet between each other.
One or both then thought it was voided but the circumstances are disputed.
One of them now insists the bet remains.
@rcs1000, @TSE, to prevent this happening in future may I request that comments betting either be banned or the money placed in escrow with you by both parties before the bet is sealed. You don't have to (it's not your problem) but it would help.
That much I worked out for myself. What was the bet?
I had two open bets when I was banned in Dec 2021; one was laying Kinabalu £100@3/1 that Sir Keir would be PM after the next GE, the other was a spread bet buying the % of Muslims in the 2021 Census for £250 at 5.7 with Robert.
I was annoyed at being banned, with no reason given, for about the 300th time and wanted to void the bets. I have Roberts email so told him so, and he didn’t seem to want to. He said we had a bet and if I didn’t pay, that’s my call. I said we didn’t; the bet hadn’t gone in anyones favour so there was no harm done. Anyway I never heard any more of it. I couldn’t get in touch with Kinabalu as I don’t know who they are in real life and was unable to log in here.
When I was unbanned in August 2023, the bet with Robert had gone my way, but the Scottish census hadn’t been released and we couldn’t know the actual result yet. It would have been about £2k to me. Kinabalu had been saying on here while I was unable to reply that I ‘owed him’ £300. So I emailed all concerned to say I didn’t think it was right that I’d voided a 2k winner and was liable for a £300 loser that I was unable to suggest voiding, so why doesn’t Robert pay Kinabalu £300, saving himself 1.7k, leaving me 1.7k short and Kinabalu happy
Kinabalu said “Happy to keep it, void it or sort out with Robert”, so I assumed that was that. Yesterday he said the bet is still on, because I didn’t reply to his email saying he was happy to void it, which smacks of foul play to me. I obviously wanted out of the bet, and he said he was happy to forget about it.
That hobbit out of the Post Office drama can play you in the inevitable ITV adaptation.
Can somebody briefly summarise the Jarndyce vs Jarndyce of isam and kinabalu's #betgate for me?
I am loving the drama but I don't really know what it's all about.
Only ultimately works if they give it all to TSE (he being a lawyer).
The legal costs would far outweigh the value of the bets.....
The idea is that he drops tools the moment that value clicks up on his egg-timer, has a good laugh, and goes off for a good drink (NB. his choice, not Dickensian lawyers' choice) to celebrate.
I’m not convinced Trump is likely to be a dictator in the traditional sense. But it is entirely plausible that he weakens respect for US institutions (already ongoing, by the way) to such a degree that a dictatorship eventually becomes inevitable, whether under him or someone more competent and even more malign.
Can somebody briefly summarise the Jarndyce vs Jarndyce of isam and kinabalu's #betgate for me?
I am loving the drama but I don't really know what it's all about.
They placed a bet between each other.
One or both then thought it was voided but the circumstances are disputed.
One of them now insists the bet remains.
@rcs1000, @TSE, to prevent this happening in future may I request that comments betting either be banned or the money placed in escrow with you by both parties before the bet is sealed. You don't have to (it's not your problem) but it would help.
That much I worked out for myself. What was the bet?
I had two open bets when I was banned in Dec 2021; one was laying Kinabalu £100@3/1 that Sir Keir would be PM after the next GE, the other was a spread bet buying the % of Muslims in the 2021 Census for £250 at 5.7 with Robert.
I was annoyed at being banned, with no reason given, for about the 300th time and wanted to void the bets. I have Roberts email so told him so, and he didn’t seem to want to. He said we had a bet and if I didn’t pay, that’s my call. I said we didn’t; the bet hadn’t gone in anyones favour so there was no harm done. Anyway I never heard any more of it. I couldn’t get in touch with Kinabalu as I don’t know who they are in real life and was unable to log in here.
When I was unbanned in August 2023, the bet with Robert had gone my way, but the Scottish census hadn’t been released and we couldn’t know the actual result yet. It would have been about £2k to me. Kinabalu had been saying on here while I was unable to reply that I ‘owed him’ £300. So I emailed all concerned to say I didn’t think it was right that I’d voided a 2k winner and was liable for a £300 loser that I was unable to suggest voiding, so why doesn’t Robert pay Kinabalu £300, saving himself 1.7k, leaving me 1.7k short and Kinabalu happy
Kinabalu said “Happy to keep it, void it or sort out with Robert”, so I assumed that was that. Yesterday he said the bet is still on, because I didn’t reply to his email saying he was happy to void it, which smacks of foul play to me. I obviously wanted out of the bet, and he said he was happy to forget about it.
That hobbit out of the Post Office drama can play you in the inevitable ITV adaptation.
Can somebody briefly summarise the Jarndyce vs Jarndyce of isam and kinabalu's #betgate for me?
I am loving the drama but I don't really know what it's all about.
They placed a bet between each other.
One or both then thought it was voided but the circumstances are disputed.
One of them now insists the bet remains.
@rcs1000, @TSE, to prevent this happening in future may I request that comments betting either be banned or the money placed in escrow with you by both parties before the bet is sealed. You don't have to (it's not your problem) but it would help.
That much I worked out for myself. What was the bet?
I had two open bets when I was banned in Dec 2021; one was laying Kinabalu £100@3/1 that Sir Keir would be PM after the next GE, the other was a spread bet buying the % of Muslims in the 2021 Census for £250 at 5.7 with Robert.
I was annoyed at being banned, with no reason given, for about the 300th time and wanted to void the bets. I have Roberts email so told him so, and he didn’t seem to want to. He said we had a bet and if I didn’t pay, that’s my call. I said we didn’t; the bet hadn’t gone in anyones favour so there was no harm done. Anyway I never heard any more of it. I couldn’t get in touch with Kinabalu as I don’t know who they are in real life and was unable to log in here.
When I was unbanned in August 2023, the bet with Robert had gone my way, but the Scottish census hadn’t been released and we couldn’t know the actual result yet. It would have been about £2k to me. Kinabalu had been saying on here while I was unable to reply that I ‘owed him’ £300. So I emailed all concerned to say I didn’t think it was right that I’d voided a 2k winner and was liable for a £300 loser that I was unable to suggest voiding, so why doesn’t Robert pay Kinabalu £300, saving himself 1.7k, leaving me 1.7k short and Kinabalu happy
Kinabalu said “Happy to keep it, void it or sort out with Robert”, so I assumed that was that. Yesterday he said the bet is still on, because I didn’t reply to his email saying he was happy to void it, which smacks of foul play to me. I obviously wanted out of the bet, and he said he was happy to forget about it.
That hobbit out of the Post Office drama can play you in the inevitable ITV adaptation.
Can somebody briefly summarise the Jarndyce vs Jarndyce of isam and kinabalu's #betgate for me?
I am loving the drama but I don't really know what it's all about.
They placed a bet between each other.
One or both then thought it was voided but the circumstances are disputed.
One of them now insists the bet remains.
@rcs1000, @TSE, to prevent this happening in future may I request that comments betting either be banned or the money placed in escrow with you by both parties before the bet is sealed. You don't have to (it's not your problem) but it would help.
That much I worked out for myself. What was the bet?
I had two open bets when I was banned in Dec 2021; one was laying Kinabalu £100@3/1 that Sir Keir would be PM after the next GE, the other was a spread bet buying the % of Muslims in the 2021 Census for £250 at 5.7 with Robert.
I was annoyed at being banned, with no reason given, for about the 300th time and wanted to void the bets. I have Roberts email so told him so, and he didn’t seem to want to. He said we had a bet and if I didn’t pay, that’s my call. I said we didn’t; the bet hadn’t gone in anyones favour so there was no harm done. Anyway I never heard any more of it. I couldn’t get in touch with Kinabalu as I don’t know who they are in real life and was unable to log in here.
When I was unbanned in August 2023, the bet with Robert had gone my way, but the Scottish census hadn’t been released and we couldn’t know the actual result yet. It would have been about £2k to me. Kinabalu had been saying on here while I was unable to reply that I ‘owed him’ £300. So I emailed all concerned to say I didn’t think it was right that I’d voided a 2k winner and was liable for a £300 loser that I was unable to suggest voiding, so why doesn’t Robert pay Kinabalu £300, saving himself 1.7k, leaving me 1.7k short and Kinabalu happy
Kinabalu said “Happy to keep it, void it or sort out with Robert”, so I assumed that was that. Yesterday he said the bet is still on, because I didn’t reply to his email saying he was happy to void it, which smacks of foul play to me. I obviously wanted out of the bet, and he said he was happy to forget about it.
That hobbit out of the Post Office drama can play you in the inevitable ITV adaptation.
Can somebody briefly summarise the Jarndyce vs Jarndyce of isam and kinabalu's #betgate for me?
I am loving the drama but I don't really know what it's all about.
They placed a bet between each other.
One or both then thought it was voided but the circumstances are disputed.
One of them now insists the bet remains.
@rcs1000, @TSE, to prevent this happening in future may I request that comments betting either be banned or the money placed in escrow with you by both parties before the bet is sealed. You don't have to (it's not your problem) but it would help.
That much I worked out for myself. What was the bet?
I had two open bets when I was banned in Dec 2021; one was laying Kinabalu £100@3/1 that Sir Keir would be PM after the next GE, the other was a spread bet buying the % of Muslims in the 2021 Census for £250 at 5.7 with Robert.
I was annoyed at being banned, with no reason given, for about the 300th time and wanted to void the bets. I have Roberts email so told him so, and he didn’t seem to want to. He said we had a bet and if I didn’t pay, that’s my call. I said we didn’t; the bet hadn’t gone in anyones favour so there was no harm done. Anyway I never heard any more of it. I couldn’t get in touch with Kinabalu as I don’t know who they are in real life and was unable to log in here.
When I was unbanned in August 2023, the bet with Robert had gone my way, but the Scottish census hadn’t been released and we couldn’t know the actual result yet. It would have been about £2k to me. Kinabalu had been saying on here while I was unable to reply that I ‘owed him’ £300. So I emailed all concerned to say I didn’t think it was right that I’d voided a 2k winner and was liable for a £300 loser that I was unable to suggest voiding, so why doesn’t Robert pay Kinabalu £300, saving himself 1.7k, leaving me 1.7k short and Kinabalu happy
Kinabalu said “Happy to keep it, void it or sort out with Robert”, so I assumed that was that. Yesterday he said the bet is still on, because I didn’t reply to his email saying he was happy to void it, which smacks of foul play to me. I obviously wanted out of the bet, and he said he was happy to forget about it.
That hobbit out of the Post Office drama can play you in the inevitable ITV adaptation.
Can somebody briefly summarise the Jarndyce vs Jarndyce of isam and kinabalu's #betgate for me?
I am loving the drama but I don't really know what it's all about.
They placed a bet between each other.
One or both then thought it was voided but the circumstances are disputed.
One of them now insists the bet remains.
@rcs1000, @TSE, to prevent this happening in future may I request that comments betting either be banned or the money placed in escrow with you by both parties before the bet is sealed. You don't have to (it's not your problem) but it would help.
That much I worked out for myself. What was the bet?
I had two open bets when I was banned in Dec 2021; one was laying Kinabalu £100@3/1 that Sir Keir would be PM after the next GE, the other was a spread bet buying the % of Muslims in the 2021 Census for £250 at 5.7 with Robert.
I was annoyed at being banned, with no reason given, for about the 300th time and wanted to void the bets. I have Roberts email so told him so, and he didn’t seem to want to. He said we had a bet and if I didn’t pay, that’s my call. I said we didn’t; the bet hadn’t gone in anyones favour so there was no harm done. Anyway I never heard any more of it. I couldn’t get in touch with Kinabalu as I don’t know who they are in real life and was unable to log in here.
When I was unbanned in August 2023, the bet with Robert had gone my way, but the Scottish census hadn’t been released and we couldn’t know the actual result yet. It would have been about £2k to me. Kinabalu had been saying on here while I was unable to reply that I ‘owed him’ £300. So I emailed all concerned to say I didn’t think it was right that I’d voided a 2k winner and was liable for a £300 loser that I was unable to suggest voiding, so why doesn’t Robert pay Kinabalu £300, saving himself 1.7k, leaving me 1.7k short and Kinabalu happy
Kinabalu said “Happy to keep it, void it or sort out with Robert”, so I assumed that was that. Yesterday he said the bet is still on, because I didn’t reply to his email saying he was happy to void it, which smacks of foul play to me. I obviously wanted out of the bet, and he said he was happy to forget about it.
That hobbit out of the Post Office drama can play you in the inevitable ITV adaptation.
Say Trump does win the election who do we think will be the GOP nominee in 2028?
One of the sproggs?
You think there'll be an election in 2028?
Many people seem to believe two incompatible things: that the US constitution with its separation of powers is the optimal form of democratic government, and that it all fails if people vote for the wrong person.
This isn't a Republican vs Democrats thing. Both sides have had good and bad presidents. Voting GOP won't bring down democratic government, but voting for Trump will.
Trump led an insurrection against the separated powers in 2021. And openly states that he will take dictatorial powers on day 1 of a second term to simply discard the separated powers.
Hard to argue that Trump won't dismantle the existing democratic system when he says "I will be a dictator on day 1"
Would someone explain to me the practicalities of how Trump would become a dictator?
Historically - as in Nazi Germany - you not only need the backing of a large segment of the population and / or willingness to acquiesce but you also the need the support of the bureaucracy, industrial and military segments to take that step.
Trump does not have the backing of any of those segments. The bureaucracy is against him and, while he can fire the heads of areas, he cannot get rid of the whole Government infrastructure. The finance and commercial interests are also likely to not give their backing. Neither will the military and, even if he did fire the commanders, the rank and file (plus junior officers) would rebel. Plus you have a number of Democrat led states that he would not be able to govern.
The whole idea he could impose a dictatorship even if he wanted to is bonkers.
Is it? Suppose that Dan Quayle hadn't told Pence that he didn't have any option but to certify Biden as winner in 2020. Or suppose that the Jan 6th insurrectionists had killed Pence or a Senator or two. Trump was still President at that time.
You would get the same reaction from many on the left, particularly the young. Look at the polling in the US talking about democracy has failed even if you exclude how many of them shut down free speech on campuses.
You constantly respond to a comment highlighting dangerous right wing anti democratic developments in America by identifying something trivial on the other side as comparable (you did this earlier today with a post about the centre left also being hijacked in response to a comment about the centre right being hijacked. It hasn't). They are not comparable. They could be, but currently they aren't.
There is nothing on the left comparable to Trump at the moment and to keep responding with posts that imply the left want to get rid of democracy or the nutters have taken over the left is crass. That is not to say it hasn't been a threat in the past or won't in the future, but it is not happening currently in the USA or Europe and you appear to make out it is just to deflect from the horrors of Trump.
If it were I would be with you as I was with the threats from the left many decades ago.
I happen to believe that most of the 'horror' at Trump is pure hyperbole - he didn't ruin US democracy in his first term and he won't if he gets in again.
What I do believe is a real threat to democracy is politicians on one side trying to get the opposition leader banned on grounds that are spurious - Trump hasn't been convicted of insurgency, sedition etc but, to many on here, a trial does not matter, just their own views and what they believe is right. You and others are quite happy to chuck constitutional and legal precedent out of the window just because you believe you are morally right.
As for standing up to threats from the left, you simply would not, you would be one of the acquiescent - maybe not agreeing to it but not really that bothered to do much about it. I have not heard a peep from you condemning speakers being prevented on campus from speaking for example.
Your para 1: - So Jan 6th didn't happen then? He didn't try and prevent the appointment of Biden?
Your para 3: 'As for standing up to threats from the left, you simply would not, you would be one of the acquiescent' - On what basis do you say that? You appear to know nothing about me. I am not on the left. Throughout my life I have campaigned against the totalitarian left. I have never ever even voted Labour. I have been deeply involved in politics for 50 years so I would thank you not to make assumptions about me. I suspect a lot more involved than you as I was fortunate enough to be able to semi retired at the age of 40 to do so and I am now 69.
Your para 3 again: 'I have not heard a peep from you condemning speakers being prevented on campus from speaking' - Well you have not heard a peep from me on dozens of topics. I'm not here all the time unlike some. Drawing conclusions from what I have not said and not what I have said is irrational.
And after all that you didn't respond to the actual point: Someone points out Trump has done one of his many ridiculous things and you go 'Look there is a left winger dropping litter over there, isn't it awful'.
Without ever saying so (seeing as you seem happy to make assumptions on my political views) you seem mindbogglingly desperate to defend the extreme right and your only mechanism for doing so is to go 'look squirrel'.
Why don't you tell us what your political views really are rather than all this pretence.
Something that bids to become a point of case law comparable to the one about whether it's OK to eat the cabin boy if you get shipwrecked on your Calmac ferry after what Eabhal suggests.
Can somebody briefly summarise the Jarndyce vs Jarndyce of isam and kinabalu's #betgate for me?
I am loving the drama but I don't really know what it's all about.
They placed a bet between each other.
One or both then thought it was voided but the circumstances are disputed.
One of them now insists the bet remains.
@rcs1000, @TSE, to prevent this happening in future may I request that comments betting either be banned or the money placed in escrow with you by both parties before the bet is sealed. You don't have to (it's not your problem) but it would help.
That much I worked out for myself. What was the bet?
I had two open bets when I was banned in Dec 2021; one was laying Kinabalu £100@3/1 that Sir Keir would be PM after the next GE, the other was a spread bet buying the % of Muslims in the 2021 Census for £250 at 5.7 with Robert.
I was annoyed at being banned, with no reason given, for about the 300th time and wanted to void the bets. I have Roberts email so told him so, and he didn’t seem to want to. He said we had a bet and if I didn’t pay, that’s my call. I said we didn’t; the bet hadn’t gone in anyones favour so there was no harm done. Anyway I never heard any more of it. I couldn’t get in touch with Kinabalu as I don’t know who they are in real life and was unable to log in here.
When I was unbanned in August 2023, the bet with Robert had gone my way, but the Scottish census hadn’t been released and we couldn’t know the actual result yet. It would have been about £2k to me. Kinabalu had been saying on here while I was unable to reply that I ‘owed him’ £300. So I emailed all concerned to say I didn’t think it was right that I’d voided a 2k winner and was liable for a £300 loser that I was unable to suggest voiding, so why doesn’t Robert pay Kinabalu £300, saving himself 1.7k, leaving me 1.7k short and Kinabalu happy
Kinabalu said “Happy to keep it, void it or sort out with Robert”, so I assumed that was that. Yesterday he said the bet is still on, because I didn’t reply to his email saying he was happy to void it, which smacks of foul play to me. I obviously wanted out of the bet, and he said he was happy to forget about it.
@isam by the sounds of it your bet with Robert is still valid. It is only voided if you want to void it from what Robert said to you, so why don't you take that and if the value is uncertain just go for the lowest possible profit that is reasonable and then pay @kinabalu. You will then be in profit, @kinabalu will be in profit. Robert will have lost but he seems happy to accept that from what you have posted.
On another point I am unaware of why you have been banned numerous times, but surely you must have some idea. The ban hammer seems to get used for obvious reasons and there seems to be a lot of leeway.
I think Robert @rcs1000 is a nice guy, he has been cordial with me over the years despite my run ins with the mods, and his Dad. I can’t say hand on heart I would definitely have paid up had I lost, so can’t expect, and don’t want, the money now I have won
What I wanted to avoid was the situation where I give up the winnings but still pay the losses. I explained this to @kinabalu, and he agreed to forget about it. I would have had to wear it if he’d just said ‘No we had a bet and that’s that’ but he didn’t, he said he was happy to void it. I was surprised he did agree so readily, but agree he did
OK. So I haven't got a solution then. You could compromise and just take £300 from Robert and give it to Kinabalu (if you lose), but I understand why you don't want to even do that. Or put it down to lessons learnt and cough up the £300 if you lose. Life is too short.
You would get the same reaction from many on the left, particularly the young. Look at the polling in the US talking about democracy has failed even if you exclude how many of them shut down free speech on campuses.
You constantly respond to a comment highlighting dangerous right wing anti democratic developments in America by identifying something trivial on the other side as comparable (you did this earlier today with a post about the centre left also being hijacked in response to a comment about the centre right being hijacked. It hasn't). They are not comparable. They could be, but currently they aren't.
There is nothing on the left comparable to Trump at the moment and to keep responding with posts that imply the left want to get rid of democracy or the nutters have taken over the left is crass. That is not to say it hasn't been a threat in the past or won't in the future, but it is not happening currently in the USA or Europe and you appear to make out it is just to deflect from the horrors of Trump.
If it were I would be with you as I was with the threats from the left many decades ago.
I happen to believe that most of the 'horror' at Trump is pure hyperbole - he didn't ruin US democracy in his first term and he won't if he gets in again.
What I do believe is a real threat to democracy is politicians on one side trying to get the opposition leader banned on grounds that are spurious - Trump hasn't been convicted of insurgency, sedition etc but, to many on here, a trial does not matter, just their own views and what they believe is right. You and others are quite happy to chuck constitutional and legal precedent out of the window just because you believe you are morally right.
As for standing up to threats from the left, you simply would not, you would be one of the acquiescent - maybe not agreeing to it but not really that bothered to do much about it. I have not heard a peep from you condemning speakers being prevented on campus from speaking for example.
I started out with your views. Even after Jan 6th, I wrote it off as Trump's massive narcissism in play rather than a deliberate attempt at a coup, i.e. "a crowd of people has gathered? for me?! I lack the self awareness to understand what I'm saying, so I'll whip the crowd up into a frenzy with my usual rhetoric, bugger the consequences, because I love the attention"
However my views have changed considerably since then. I think key to that was the following paragraph from Trump's Veteran's Day speech in 2023:
"In honor of our great Veterans on Veteran’s Day, we pledge to you that we will root out the Communists, Marxists, Fascists, and Radical Left Thugs that live like vermin within the confines of our Country, lie, steal, and cheat on Elections, and will do anything possible, whether legally or illegally, to destroy America, and the American Dream. The threat from outside forces is far less sinister, dangerous, and grave, than the threat from within. Despite the hatred and anger of the Radical Left Lunatics who want to destroy our Country, we will MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!"
At the risk of rehashing old arguments around Umberto Eco's list, that speech reads as straight up fascism to me. Rooting out internal enemies, vermin, etc. Trump has done plenty of equivocating in the past, "very fine people on both sides" at Charlottesville etc, but it feels like he really is going full fash for his second run at the presidency.
As the saying goes, when someone tells you who they are, believe them.
Good Morning Europe. A little reminder that 80% of the Republican Party just voted for candidates who are hostile to aiding Ukraine. You might want to start getting ready for this….
It’s sad that the Biden administration has discussed the Ukraine war mainly in terms of how much money has been spent on it, using totally bollocks inflated figures for what’s mainly the transfer of obsolete equipment. It’s allowed opposition to form on that basis, that this ‘money’ is much better spent domestically.
But yes, the US is increasingly tilting towards seeing China as the biggest enemy - does Europe have what it takes to defend itself?
This is what happens when people spend nearly 10 years refusing to engage with the underlying reasons why someone like Trump has become popular in the US.
FPT You keep making this comment @Andy_JS but how exactly are you meant to engage with the fact that some people are deplorable shitheads who would rather live in a fascist dictatorship than a free democracy where the other guys may win elections from time to time?
For those of us who value democracy, we need to keep making the case for democracy and defeating its enemies, not engaging with those who want to destroy it. The US President was for the better part of a century the Leader of the Free World, that some in America don't want to live in a Free World anymore is deplorable but it means they need to be defeated.
Governments around the world are now trying to imitate the UK Rwanda policy for tackling illegal people trafficking. This bill must be as legally robust as possible - and the right course is to adopt the amendments.
Say Trump does win the election who do we think will be the GOP nominee in 2028?
One of the sproggs?
You think there'll be an election in 2028?
Many people seem to believe two incompatible things: that the US constitution with its separation of powers is the optimal form of democratic government, and that it all fails if people vote for the wrong person.
This isn't a Republican vs Democrats thing. Both sides have had good and bad presidents. Voting GOP won't bring down democratic government, but voting for Trump will.
Trump led an insurrection against the separated powers in 2021. And openly states that he will take dictatorial powers on day 1 of a second term to simply discard the separated powers.
Hard to argue that Trump won't dismantle the existing democratic system when he says "I will be a dictator on day 1"
Would someone explain to me the practicalities of how Trump would become a dictator?
Historically - as in Nazi Germany - you not only need the backing of a large segment of the population and / or willingness to acquiesce but you also the need the support of the bureaucracy, industrial and military segments to take that step.
Trump does not have the backing of any of those segments. The bureaucracy is against him and, while he can fire the heads of areas, he cannot get rid of the whole Government infrastructure. The finance and commercial interests are also likely to not give their backing. Neither will the military and, even if he did fire the commanders, the rank and file (plus junior officers) would rebel. Plus you have a number of Democrat led states that he would not be able to govern.
The whole idea he could impose a dictatorship even if he wanted to is bonkers.
Is it? Suppose that Dan Quayle hadn't told Pence that he didn't have any option but to certify Biden as winner in 2020. Or suppose that the Jan 6th insurrectionists had killed Pence or a Senator or two. Trump was still President at that time.
Good Morning Europe. A little reminder that 80% of the Republican Party just voted for candidates who are hostile to aiding Ukraine. You might want to start getting ready for this….
It’s sad that the Biden administration has discussed the Ukraine war mainly in terms of how much money has been spent on it, using totally bollocks inflated figures for what’s mainly the transfer of obsolete equipment. It’s allowed opposition to form on that basis, that this ‘money’ is much better spent domestically.
But yes, the US is increasingly tilting towards seeing China as the biggest enemy - does Europe have what it takes to defend itself?
This is what happens when people spend nearly 10 years refusing to engage with the underlying reasons why someone like Trump has become popular in the US.
FPT You keep making this comment @Andy_JS but how exactly are you meant to engage with the fact that some people are deplorable shitheads who would rather live in a fascist dictatorship than a free democracy where the other guys may win elections from time to time?
For those of us who value democracy, we need to keep making the case for democracy and defeating its enemies, not engaging with those who want to destroy it. The US President was for the better part of a century the Leader of the Free World, that some in America don't want to live in a Free World anymore is deplorable but it means they need to be defeated.
Leave aside the abstracts and the politics; the central point is right: if Trump wins, Nato becomes functionally defunct. That's something that Europe, including the UK, needs to be ready for on 20 Jan 2025.
Can somebody briefly summarise the Jarndyce vs Jarndyce of isam and kinabalu's #betgate for me?
I am loving the drama but I don't really know what it's all about.
They placed a bet between each other.
One or both then thought it was voided but the circumstances are disputed.
One of them now insists the bet remains.
@rcs1000, @TSE, to prevent this happening in future may I request that comments betting either be banned or the money placed in escrow with you by both parties before the bet is sealed. You don't have to (it's not your problem) but it would help.
That much I worked out for myself. What was the bet?
I had two open bets when I was banned in Dec 2021; one was laying Kinabalu £100@3/1 that Sir Keir would be PM after the next GE, the other was a spread bet buying the % of Muslims in the 2021 Census for £250 at 5.7 with Robert.
I was annoyed at being banned, with no reason given, for about the 300th time and wanted to void the bets. I have Roberts email so told him so, and he didn’t seem to want to. He said we had a bet and if I didn’t pay, that’s my call. I said we didn’t; the bet hadn’t gone in anyones favour so there was no harm done. Anyway I never heard any more of it. I couldn’t get in touch with Kinabalu as I don’t know who they are in real life and was unable to log in here.
When I was unbanned in August 2023, the bet with Robert had gone my way, but the Scottish census hadn’t been released and we couldn’t know the actual result yet. It would have been about £2k to me. Kinabalu had been saying on here while I was unable to reply that I ‘owed him’ £300. So I emailed all concerned to say I didn’t think it was right that I’d voided a 2k winner and was liable for a £300 loser that I was unable to suggest voiding, so why doesn’t Robert pay Kinabalu £300, saving himself 1.7k, leaving me 1.7k short and Kinabalu happy
Kinabalu said “Happy to keep it, void it or sort out with Robert”, so I assumed that was that. Yesterday he said the bet is still on, because I didn’t reply to his email saying he was happy to void it, which smacks of foul play to me. I obviously wanted out of the bet, and he said he was happy to forget about it.
That hobbit out of the Post Office drama can play you in the inevitable ITV adaptation.
Say Trump does win the election who do we think will be the GOP nominee in 2028?
One of the sproggs?
I fear (hope I am wrong) that if Trump wins - BTW he will - all bets are off as to the putative election of 2028. There is too much of the 1930s about all this, especially WRT to capture of 30-40% of a nation's population by a charismatic populist intimidating charlatan.
Say Trump does win the election who do we think will be the GOP nominee in 2028?
One of the sproggs?
You think there'll be an election in 2028?
Many people seem to believe two incompatible things: that the US constitution with its separation of powers is the optimal form of democratic government, and that it all fails if people vote for the wrong person.
Who on Earth thinks that the US constitution with its separation of powers is the optimal form of democratic government?
Well, OK, Americans think that, but they're fed propaganda about the wonders of the constitution from birth. The limitations of the US constitution have been obvious to everyone else, however.
Good Morning Europe. A little reminder that 80% of the Republican Party just voted for candidates who are hostile to aiding Ukraine. You might want to start getting ready for this….
It’s sad that the Biden administration has discussed the Ukraine war mainly in terms of how much money has been spent on it, using totally bollocks inflated figures for what’s mainly the transfer of obsolete equipment. It’s allowed opposition to form on that basis, that this ‘money’ is much better spent domestically.
But yes, the US is increasingly tilting towards seeing China as the biggest enemy - does Europe have what it takes to defend itself?
This is what happens when people spend nearly 10 years refusing to engage with the underlying reasons why someone like Trump has become popular in the US.
FPT You keep making this comment @Andy_JS but how exactly are you meant to engage with the fact that some people are deplorable shitheads who would rather live in a fascist dictatorship than a free democracy where the other guys may win elections from time to time?
For those of us who value democracy, we need to keep making the case for democracy and defeating its enemies, not engaging with those who want to destroy it. The US President was for the better part of a century the Leader of the Free World, that some in America don't want to live in a Free World anymore is deplorable but it means they need to be defeated.
Leave aside the abstracts and the politics; the central point is right: if Trump wins, Nato becomes functionally defunct. That's something that Europe, including the UK, needs to be ready for on 20 Jan 2025.
Given this, what I find perplexing is why so many Tories - most recently Jake Berry on Peston last week - are backing Trump for the US presidency. His foreign policy runs directly contrary to the UK's most important security interests.
Good Morning Europe. A little reminder that 80% of the Republican Party just voted for candidates who are hostile to aiding Ukraine. You might want to start getting ready for this….
It’s sad that the Biden administration has discussed the Ukraine war mainly in terms of how much money has been spent on it, using totally bollocks inflated figures for what’s mainly the transfer of obsolete equipment. It’s allowed opposition to form on that basis, that this ‘money’ is much better spent domestically.
But yes, the US is increasingly tilting towards seeing China as the biggest enemy - does Europe have what it takes to defend itself?
This is what happens when people spend nearly 10 years refusing to engage with the underlying reasons why someone like Trump has become popular in the US.
FPT You keep making this comment @Andy_JS but how exactly are you meant to engage with the fact that some people are deplorable shitheads who would rather live in a fascist dictatorship than a free democracy where the other guys may win elections from time to time?
For those of us who value democracy, we need to keep making the case for democracy and defeating its enemies, not engaging with those who want to destroy it. The US President was for the better part of a century the Leader of the Free World, that some in America don't want to live in a Free World anymore is deplorable but it means they need to be defeated.
Leave aside the abstracts and the politics; the central point is right: if Trump wins, Nato becomes functionally defunct. That's something that Europe, including the UK, needs to be ready for on 20 Jan 2025.
Some people are starting to at least think about that now, even if we are slow in action.
The unthinkable bit is what might happen to the global economy and trade if the US goes down the dictator route.
To follow up on this morning's car insurance chat, apparently there's a huge difference between averaging the five lowest quotes (data from confused.com via the Guardian this morning) and actual price paid. Only the ABI has the actual price paid, and they reckon car insurance inflation in 2023 was 21%, rather than the 58% quoted in Guardian.
I was just quoted £263 for this year's renewal, which is down from £285 last year, so the inflation is clearly not uniform. Old car probably helps, if the talk about high repair costs on more modern car designs is true.
Can somebody briefly summarise the Jarndyce vs Jarndyce of isam and kinabalu's #betgate for me?
I am loving the drama but I don't really know what it's all about.
They placed a bet between each other.
One or both then thought it was voided but the circumstances are disputed.
One of them now insists the bet remains.
@rcs1000, @TSE, to prevent this happening in future may I request that comments betting either be banned or the money placed in escrow with you by both parties before the bet is sealed. You don't have to (it's not your problem) but it would help.
That much I worked out for myself. What was the bet?
I had two open bets when I was banned in Dec 2021; one was laying Kinabalu £100@3/1 that Sir Keir would be PM after the next GE, the other was a spread bet buying the % of Muslims in the 2021 Census for £250 at 5.7 with Robert.
I was annoyed at being banned, with no reason given, for about the 300th time and wanted to void the bets. I have Roberts email so told him so, and he didn’t seem to want to. He said we had a bet and if I didn’t pay, that’s my call. I said we didn’t; the bet hadn’t gone in anyones favour so there was no harm done. Anyway I never heard any more of it. I couldn’t get in touch with Kinabalu as I don’t know who they are in real life and was unable to log in here.
When I was unbanned in August 2023, the bet with Robert had gone my way, but the Scottish census hadn’t been released and we couldn’t know the actual result yet. It would have been about £2k to me. Kinabalu had been saying on here while I was unable to reply that I ‘owed him’ £300. So I emailed all concerned to say I didn’t think it was right that I’d voided a 2k winner and was liable for a £300 loser that I was unable to suggest voiding, so why doesn’t Robert pay Kinabalu £300, saving himself 1.7k, leaving me 1.7k short and Kinabalu happy
Kinabalu said “Happy to keep it, void it or sort out with Robert”, so I assumed that was that. Yesterday he said the bet is still on, because I didn’t reply to his email saying he was happy to void it, which smacks of foul play to me. I obviously wanted out of the bet, and he said he was happy to forget about it.
@isam by the sounds of it your bet with Robert is still valid. It is only voided if you want to void it from what Robert said to you, so why don't you take that and if the value is uncertain just go for the lowest possible profit that is reasonable and then pay @kinabalu. You will then be in profit, @kinabalu will be in profit. Robert will have lost but he seems happy to accept that from what you have posted.
On another point I am unaware of why you have been banned numerous times, but surely you must have some idea. The ban hammer seems to get used for obvious reasons and there seems to be a lot of leeway.
I think Robert @rcs1000 is a nice guy, he has been cordial with me over the years despite my run ins with the mods, and his Dad. I can’t say hand on heart I would definitely have paid up had I lost, so can’t expect, and don’t want, the money now I have won
What I wanted to avoid was the situation where I give up the winnings but still pay the losses. I explained this to @kinabalu, and he agreed to forget about it. I would have had to wear it if he’d just said ‘No we had a bet and that’s that’ but he didn’t, he said he was happy to void it. I was surprised he did agree so readily, but agree he did
Chin-up, Starmer might not be PM after the election - 'events, dear boy'.
Say Trump does win the election who do we think will be the GOP nominee in 2028?
One of the sproggs?
You think there'll be an election in 2028?
Many people seem to believe two incompatible things: that the US constitution with its separation of powers is the optimal form of democratic government, and that it all fails if people vote for the wrong person.
While others believe entirely compatible things, like that democracy is precious and fragile, and that it can fail if people elect someone willing to destroy it.
The price of liberty is eternal vigilance. Don't elect those who aspire to be dictators.
To follow up on this morning's car insurance chat, apparently there's a huge difference between averaging the five lowest quotes (data from confused.com via the Guardian this morning) and actual price paid. Only the ABI has the actual price paid, and they reckon car insurance inflation in 2023 was 21%, rather than the 58% quoted in Guardian.
I was just quoted £263 for this year's renewal, which is down from £285 last year, so the inflation is clearly not uniform. Old car probably helps, if the talk about high repair costs on more modern car designs is true.
Every year, without fail, I get a cheaper quote from a cursory scan of MoneySupermarket* than from my existing insurer, whoever that might be. If it's more than a tenner saving, I move, if not I can't be bothered.
Say Trump does win the election who do we think will be the GOP nominee in 2028?
One of the sproggs?
You think there'll be an election in 2028?
Many people seem to believe two incompatible things: that the US constitution with its separation of powers is the optimal form of democratic government, and that it all fails if people vote for the wrong person.
Who on Earth thinks that the US constitution with its separation of powers is the optimal form of democratic government?
Well, OK, Americans think that, but they're fed propaganda about the wonders of the constitution from birth. The limitations of the US constitution have been obvious to everyone else, however.
The US has too many elected powers competing. Two elected houses and president. Plus of course state governors as a lesser issue, and the particular powers of the SCOTUS, with its weird politicised construction.
This both allows stuff to be blocked and horse traded etc and gives a direct route to an extreme demagogue to become POTUS.
Compared with which we have exactly one supreme elected body, which overrides all else, and courts, not politically appointed, among whose jobs is to remind parliament and government that at each moment the law is the custodian of 800 years of what other parliaments and judges have done and goes deeper than any superficial Act of Parliament.
Good Morning Europe. A little reminder that 80% of the Republican Party just voted for candidates who are hostile to aiding Ukraine. You might want to start getting ready for this….
It’s sad that the Biden administration has discussed the Ukraine war mainly in terms of how much money has been spent on it, using totally bollocks inflated figures for what’s mainly the transfer of obsolete equipment. It’s allowed opposition to form on that basis, that this ‘money’ is much better spent domestically.
But yes, the US is increasingly tilting towards seeing China as the biggest enemy - does Europe have what it takes to defend itself?
This is what happens when people spend nearly 10 years refusing to engage with the underlying reasons why someone like Trump has become popular in the US.
FPT You keep making this comment @Andy_JS but how exactly are you meant to engage with the fact that some people are deplorable shitheads who would rather live in a fascist dictatorship than a free democracy where the other guys may win elections from time to time?
For those of us who value democracy, we need to keep making the case for democracy and defeating its enemies, not engaging with those who want to destroy it. The US President was for the better part of a century the Leader of the Free World, that some in America don't want to live in a Free World anymore is deplorable but it means they need to be defeated.
Leave aside the abstracts and the politics; the central point is right: if Trump wins, Nato becomes functionally defunct. That's something that Europe, including the UK, needs to be ready for on 20 Jan 2025.
Given this, what I find perplexing is why so many Tories - most recently Jake Berry on Peston last week - are backing Trump for the US presidency. His foreign policy runs directly contrary to the UK's most important security interests.
Whisper it, but some of them aren't very bright.
Or they assume that by prostrating themselves before the Great I Am, he will protect them. Which he won't, of course.
But mostly, if you think that Woke (pompous criticism of bad words) is worse than Trump or Putin, you're not very bright.
Say Trump does win the election who do we think will be the GOP nominee in 2028?
One of the sproggs?
You think there'll be an election in 2028?
Many people seem to believe two incompatible things: that the US constitution with its separation of powers is the optimal form of democratic government, and that it all fails if people vote for the wrong person.
While others believe entirely compatible things, like that democracy is precious and fragile, and that it can fail if people elect someone willing to destroy it.
The price of liberty is eternal vigilance. Don't elect those who aspire to be dictators.
I suggest it is harder to elect a dictator when that person has to have the backing of 325 others, also elected, most of whom so far, even if a bit useless, are not remotely bad people. Yes, there are counter examples but......
Good Morning Europe. A little reminder that 80% of the Republican Party just voted for candidates who are hostile to aiding Ukraine. You might want to start getting ready for this….
It’s sad that the Biden administration has discussed the Ukraine war mainly in terms of how much money has been spent on it, using totally bollocks inflated figures for what’s mainly the transfer of obsolete equipment. It’s allowed opposition to form on that basis, that this ‘money’ is much better spent domestically.
But yes, the US is increasingly tilting towards seeing China as the biggest enemy - does Europe have what it takes to defend itself?
This is what happens when people spend nearly 10 years refusing to engage with the underlying reasons why someone like Trump has become popular in the US.
FPT You keep making this comment @Andy_JS but how exactly are you meant to engage with the fact that some people are deplorable shitheads who would rather live in a fascist dictatorship than a free democracy where the other guys may win elections from time to time?
For those of us who value democracy, we need to keep making the case for democracy and defeating its enemies, not engaging with those who want to destroy it. The US President was for the better part of a century the Leader of the Free World, that some in America don't want to live in a Free World anymore is deplorable but it means they need to be defeated.
Leave aside the abstracts and the politics; the central point is right: if Trump wins, Nato becomes functionally defunct. That's something that Europe, including the UK, needs to be ready for on 20 Jan 2025.
Some people are starting to at least think about that now, even if we are slow in action.
The unthinkable bit is what might happen to the global economy and trade if the US goes down the dictator route.
Probably not very much, initially. Business carries on regardless. Trump is fond of tariffs, which is something he thinks he understands (he doesn't).
Ironically, I'd be (indeed, I am) more worried about the States defaulting on its debt with a gridlocked democracy than a dictatorship.
As with all dictatorships, the economy would atrophy as resources get allocated less efficiently and corruption grows but that'd be a medium-term problem. It's not as if the US is a shining light of financial equality as it is.
Say Trump does win the election who do we think will be the GOP nominee in 2028?
One of the sproggs?
You think there'll be an election in 2028?
Many people seem to believe two incompatible things: that the US constitution with its separation of powers is the optimal form of democratic government, and that it all fails if people vote for the wrong person.
While others believe entirely compatible things, like that democracy is precious and fragile, and that it can fail if people elect someone willing to destroy it.
The price of liberty is eternal vigilance. Don't elect those who aspire to be dictators.
Totally agree.
I was reflecting on the fragility of democracy the other day and wondering what would happen in the UK, if the PM of the day decided he or she wasn't going to ask HRH to dissolve parliament at the end of 5 years but instead passed a law to the effect that elections could be postponed indefinitely.
What would stop that happening? Parliament is sovereign after all.
To follow up on this morning's car insurance chat, apparently there's a huge difference between averaging the five lowest quotes (data from confused.com via the Guardian this morning) and actual price paid. Only the ABI has the actual price paid, and they reckon car insurance inflation in 2023 was 21%, rather than the 58% quoted in Guardian.
I was just quoted £263 for this year's renewal, which is down from £285 last year, so the inflation is clearly not uniform. Old car probably helps, if the talk about high repair costs on more modern car designs is true.
Every year, without fail, I get a cheaper quote from a cursory scan of MoneySupermarket* than from my existing insurer, whoever that might be. If it's more than a tenner saving, I move, if not I can't be bothered.
(*Other aggregators are available.)
Every year without fail I've ended up changing insurers.
Sometimes I've had my existing insurer offer a lower quote than the renewal quote they gave, and be the same price as the lowest price from someone else. As a point of principle, if they're tied, I'll go with the someone else since my existing insurer would have ripped me off had I not done the comparison, so that's a point against them.
When I changed my car last month though was the closest to being exception, I bought the car so had to chnge insurance and was given 24 hours of insurance to drive away from the dealer plus a quote if I wanted a year's insurance from them. I went on the comparison site and the lowest quote was tied with the quote I'd been given up-front by the dealer. Since they'd given me the joint lowest one up-front, no messing around, I stuck with the dealer.
Remarkably the cost for my brand new car was only a few quid different from the best renewal quote I'd had for my 13 year old car.
Good Morning Europe. A little reminder that 80% of the Republican Party just voted for candidates who are hostile to aiding Ukraine. You might want to start getting ready for this….
It’s sad that the Biden administration has discussed the Ukraine war mainly in terms of how much money has been spent on it, using totally bollocks inflated figures for what’s mainly the transfer of obsolete equipment. It’s allowed opposition to form on that basis, that this ‘money’ is much better spent domestically.
But yes, the US is increasingly tilting towards seeing China as the biggest enemy - does Europe have what it takes to defend itself?
This is what happens when people spend nearly 10 years refusing to engage with the underlying reasons why someone like Trump has become popular in the US.
FPT You keep making this comment @Andy_JS but how exactly are you meant to engage with the fact that some people are deplorable shitheads who would rather live in a fascist dictatorship than a free democracy where the other guys may win elections from time to time?
For those of us who value democracy, we need to keep making the case for democracy and defeating its enemies, not engaging with those who want to destroy it. The US President was for the better part of a century the Leader of the Free World, that some in America don't want to live in a Free World anymore is deplorable but it means they need to be defeated.
Leave aside the abstracts and the politics; the central point is right: if Trump wins, Nato becomes functionally defunct. That's something that Europe, including the UK, needs to be ready for on 20 Jan 2025.
Given this, what I find perplexing is why so many Tories - most recently Jake Berry on Peston last week - are backing Trump for the US presidency. His foreign policy runs directly contrary to the UK's most important security interests.
Trump's foreign policy is to retreat behind a wall of impenetrable armaments - that's not dissimilar to the way Biden has been going too. As far as the UK is concerned, is this worse for us than the 'liberal interventionism' era? Iraq cost us billions, and did it make the Middle East any more secure, or advance UK interests? Our support for the Maidan protests removing the Russian-backed President and installing a Western-backed Government - what was the outcome there?
If we look back at the Trump era, it's actually quite blissful foreign policy-wise, because we weren't continually asked to spend money and lives being the sidekick. Now, here we are again in Yemen.
Say Trump does win the election who do we think will be the GOP nominee in 2028?
One of the sproggs?
You think there'll be an election in 2028?
Many people seem to believe two incompatible things: that the US constitution with its separation of powers is the optimal form of democratic government, and that it all fails if people vote for the wrong person.
While others believe entirely compatible things, like that democracy is precious and fragile, and that it can fail if people elect someone willing to destroy it.
The price of liberty is eternal vigilance. Don't elect those who aspire to be dictators.
Agree but sadly easier said than done. Whilst America has had some scary moments in the past (McCarthyism, Wallace) I don't think any of those were a threat to the democracy (although I could be ignorant of my history). I am sure @TheKitchenCabinet thinks I am over reacting but I think Trump is the scariest thing for American democracy since the Civil War.
Good Morning Europe. A little reminder that 80% of the Republican Party just voted for candidates who are hostile to aiding Ukraine. You might want to start getting ready for this….
It’s sad that the Biden administration has discussed the Ukraine war mainly in terms of how much money has been spent on it, using totally bollocks inflated figures for what’s mainly the transfer of obsolete equipment. It’s allowed opposition to form on that basis, that this ‘money’ is much better spent domestically.
But yes, the US is increasingly tilting towards seeing China as the biggest enemy - does Europe have what it takes to defend itself?
This is what happens when people spend nearly 10 years refusing to engage with the underlying reasons why someone like Trump has become popular in the US.
FPT You keep making this comment @Andy_JS but how exactly are you meant to engage with the fact that some people are deplorable shitheads who would rather live in a fascist dictatorship than a free democracy where the other guys may win elections from time to time?
For those of us who value democracy, we need to keep making the case for democracy and defeating its enemies, not engaging with those who want to destroy it. The US President was for the better part of a century the Leader of the Free World, that some in America don't want to live in a Free World anymore is deplorable but it means they need to be defeated.
Leave aside the abstracts and the politics; the central point is right: if Trump wins, Nato becomes functionally defunct. That's something that Europe, including the UK, needs to be ready for on 20 Jan 2025.
Given this, what I find perplexing is why so many Tories - most recently Jake Berry on Peston last week - are backing Trump for the US presidency. His foreign policy runs directly contrary to the UK's most important security interests.
Indeed. Only 3 options, as far as I can see:
1. He's not thought it through. 2. He doesn't believe the evidence in front of him. 3. He is not interested in Britain's security interests, as most of us see them.
Good Morning Europe. A little reminder that 80% of the Republican Party just voted for candidates who are hostile to aiding Ukraine. You might want to start getting ready for this….
It’s sad that the Biden administration has discussed the Ukraine war mainly in terms of how much money has been spent on it, using totally bollocks inflated figures for what’s mainly the transfer of obsolete equipment. It’s allowed opposition to form on that basis, that this ‘money’ is much better spent domestically.
But yes, the US is increasingly tilting towards seeing China as the biggest enemy - does Europe have what it takes to defend itself?
This is what happens when people spend nearly 10 years refusing to engage with the underlying reasons why someone like Trump has become popular in the US.
FPT You keep making this comment @Andy_JS but how exactly are you meant to engage with the fact that some people are deplorable shitheads who would rather live in a fascist dictatorship than a free democracy where the other guys may win elections from time to time?
For those of us who value democracy, we need to keep making the case for democracy and defeating its enemies, not engaging with those who want to destroy it. The US President was for the better part of a century the Leader of the Free World, that some in America don't want to live in a Free World anymore is deplorable but it means they need to be defeated.
Leave aside the abstracts and the politics; the central point is right: if Trump wins, Nato becomes functionally defunct. That's something that Europe, including the UK, needs to be ready for on 20 Jan 2025.
Apart from checking the UK/French nuclear match box isn't damp and putting in some orders for hardware it isn't possible in 12 months to get ready a defence alliance without its senior member. It's like asking how the Axis works without Germany or the Warsaw pact without Russia.
Comments
I haven't been impressed by my experiences of MoD project management - well below the standards in energy & transport but the security/novel technology cards are always played to explain this poor performance away.
https://youtu.be/TI0TfaIpr9s
https://x.com/mikesington/status/1746984604362522717?s=61&t=LYVEHh2mqFy1oUJAdCfe-Q
I do love the mentality. To prove that no Trump never said he would be a dictator, post a video of him both confirming that he DID say it and that he then reaffirms.
I am loving the drama but I don't really know what it's all about.
it does show how very inefficient Labour's support seemed to be last time around, I guess.
No-one is more furious with the almost continuous cuts we've experienced since 2010, we've only really started thinking differently in the last 2-3 years, and even then we're not funding it properly, but:
(1) Labour cut defence spending 1945-1949, then boosted it for Korea
(2) Conservatives maintained it high until 1957 post Suez
(3) Conservatives cut it massively post 1957 & maintained to 1964
(4) Labour cut steadily more from 1964 through to 1970
(5) Labour/Conservatives dilly-dallied in the 70s around detente
(6) Conservatives boosted it significantly post 1979 up until 1985 and then trimmed it until 1990
(7) Conservatives did Options for Change & then massively cut it
(8) Labour then did the 1998 review and trimmed a bit more in several bites through to 2010, and massively underfunded the DEPPs
(9) Conservatives did another big cut post 2010, said they shouldn't do more in 2015, but kept on trimming to balance the books
(10) Now, in 2023-4, lots of "oh sh1t" moments & everyone agrees it should go up but no-one knows how to pay for it - and Labour are silent
- They placed a bet between each other.
- One or both then thought it was voided but the circumstances are disputed.
- One of them now insists the bet remains.
@rcs1000, @TSE, to prevent this happening in future may I request that comments betting either be banned or the money placed in escrow with you by both parties before the bet is sealed. You don't have to (it's not your problem) but it would help.On the bet, neither is clearly wrong. Half stakes void, half stakes stand might be about right.
https://vf.politicalbetting.com/discussion/comment/4657796#Comment_4657796
There is nothing on the left comparable to Trump at the moment and to keep responding with posts that imply the left want to get rid of democracy or the nutters have taken over the left is crass. That is not to say it hasn't been a threat in the past or won't in the future, but it is not happening currently in the USA or Europe and you appear to make out it is just to deflect from the horrors of Trump.
If it were I would be with you as I was with the threats from the left many decades ago.
Now that doesn't suggest a recipe for improvement.
But mostly for the lolz of pathetically minor drama.
https://www.reuters.com/legal/biden-administration-asks-us-supreme-court-block-order-curbing-social-media-2023-09-14/
The Hunter Biden laptop story is also worth mentioning in this context.
I was annoyed at being banned, with no reason given, for about the 300th time and wanted to void the bets. I have Roberts email so told him so, and he didn’t seem to want to. He said we
had a bet and if I didn’t pay, that’s my call. I said we didn’t; the bet hadn’t gone in anyones favour
so there was no harm done. Anyway I never heard any more of it. I couldn’t get in touch with Kinabalu as I don’t know who they are in real life and was unable to log in here.
When I was unbanned in August 2023, the bet with Robert had gone my way, but the Scottish census hadn’t been released and we couldn’t know the actual result yet. It would have been about £2k to me. Kinabalu had been saying on here while I was unable to reply that I ‘owed him’ £300. So I emailed all concerned to say I didn’t think it was right that I’d voided a 2k winner and was liable for a £300 loser that I was unable to suggest voiding, so why doesn’t Robert pay Kinabalu £300, saving himself 1.7k, leaving me 1.7k short and Kinabalu happy
Kinabalu said “Happy to keep it, void it or sort out with Robert”, so I assumed that was that. Yesterday he said the bet is still on, because I didn’t reply to his email saying he was happy to void it, which smacks of foul play to me. I obviously wanted out of the bet, and he said he was happy to forget about it.
On another point I am unaware of why you have been banned numerous times, but surely you must have some idea. The ban hammer seems to get used for obvious reasons and there seems to be a lot of leeway.
Blair, Brown and New Labour increased defence spending last time (your point 8) according to the link below, possibly because Tony Blair loved a foreign war.
https://www.statista.com/statistics/547441/military-expenditure-total-uk/
Totally shocked I am.
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/jan/16/aldabra-giant-tortoises-found-dead-woodland-near-exeter
'Police are investigating the death of seven giant tortoises – all found in a wood.
The Aldabra giant tortoises were found dead and officers are appealing for witnesses.
Two bodies were discovered in a wooded area north-east of Exeter in Devon on 8 January and a further five were found nearby on 12 January.'
That's really sad - they're not common animals at all. (Strictly speaking, Aldabra Giant Tortoise is also a species name - so I'm not quite sure if they are or rather were mature individuals.)
What I do believe is a real threat to democracy is politicians on one side trying to get the opposition leader banned on grounds that are spurious - Trump hasn't been convicted of insurgency, sedition etc but, to many on here, a trial does not matter, just their own views and what they believe is right. You and others are quite happy to chuck constitutional and legal precedent out of the window just because you believe you are morally right.
As for standing up to threats from the left, you simply would not, you would be one of the acquiescent - maybe not agreeing to it but not really that bothered to do much about it. I have not heard a peep from you condemning speakers being prevented on campus from speaking for example.
Vote Rishi, vote for change!
History is of course littered with dictators who have promised to do a teeny bit of dictating until things are sorted out, and who have then reverted back to yer standard politician who bows to democracy.
What I wanted to avoid was the situation where I give up the winnings but still pay the losses. I explained this to @kinabalu, and he agreed to forget about it. I would have had to wear it if he’d just said ‘No we had a bet and that’s that’ but he didn’t, he said he was happy to void it. I was surprised he did agree so readily, but agree he did
I don’t really want to test this out though.
Whichever the board finds the more plausible representation of their persona wins?
"A president who’d been voted out demanded his vice president break the law to help him hold onto power, and because he didn’t, a mob outside erected a gallows"
https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/dan-quayle-talked-mike-pence-rejecting-trump-what-story-n1279406
Seriously how could anybody support Trump knowing what we do about him?
(a decomposed snail in a bottle that was being shipped to Islay on a Calmac Ferry that sank etc etc)
Your para 3: 'As for standing up to threats from the left, you simply would not, you would be one of the acquiescent' - On what basis do you say that? You appear to know nothing about me. I am not on the left. Throughout my life I have campaigned against the totalitarian left. I have never ever even voted Labour. I have been deeply involved in politics for 50 years so I would thank you not to make assumptions about me. I suspect a lot more involved than you as I was fortunate enough to be able to semi retired at the age of 40 to do so and I am now 69.
Your para 3 again: 'I have not heard a peep from you condemning speakers being prevented on campus from speaking' - Well you have not heard a peep from me on dozens of topics. I'm not here all the time unlike some. Drawing conclusions from what I have not said and not what I have said is irrational.
And after all that you didn't respond to the actual point: Someone points out Trump has done one of his many ridiculous things and you go 'Look there is a left winger dropping litter over there, isn't it awful'.
Without ever saying so (seeing as you seem happy to make assumptions on my political views) you seem mindbogglingly desperate to defend the extreme right and your only mechanism for doing so is to go 'look squirrel'.
Why don't you tell us what your political views really are rather than all this pretence.
However my views have changed considerably since then. I think key to that was the following paragraph from Trump's Veteran's Day speech in 2023:
"In honor of our great Veterans on Veteran’s Day, we pledge to you that we will root out the Communists, Marxists, Fascists, and Radical Left Thugs that live like vermin within the confines of our Country, lie, steal, and cheat on Elections, and will do anything possible, whether legally or illegally, to destroy America, and the American Dream. The threat from outside forces is far less sinister, dangerous, and grave, than the threat from within. Despite the hatred and anger of the Radical Left Lunatics who want to destroy our Country, we will MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!"
At the risk of rehashing old arguments around Umberto Eco's list, that speech reads as straight up fascism to me. Rooting out internal enemies, vermin, etc. Trump has done plenty of equivocating in the past, "very fine people on both sides" at Charlottesville etc, but it feels like he really is going full fash for his second run at the presidency.
As the saying goes, when someone tells you who they are, believe them.
For those of us who value democracy, we need to keep making the case for democracy and defeating its enemies, not engaging with those who want to destroy it. The US President was for the better part of a century the Leader of the Free World, that some in America don't want to live in a Free World anymore is deplorable but it means they need to be defeated.
That's a powerful motivation. The problem is that experience shows it is no way to run a country.
Well, OK, Americans think that, but they're fed propaganda about the wonders of the constitution from birth. The limitations of the US constitution have been obvious to everyone else, however.
The unthinkable bit is what might happen to the global economy and trade if the US goes down the dictator route.
I was just quoted £263 for this year's renewal, which is down from £285 last year, so the inflation is clearly not uniform. Old car probably helps, if the talk about high repair costs on more modern car designs is true.
The price of liberty is eternal vigilance. Don't elect those who aspire to be dictators.
(*Other aggregators are available.)
This both allows stuff to be blocked and horse traded etc and gives a direct route to an extreme demagogue to become POTUS.
Compared with which we have exactly one supreme elected body, which overrides all else, and courts, not politically appointed, among whose jobs is to remind parliament and government that at each moment the law is the custodian of 800 years of what other parliaments and judges have done and goes deeper than any superficial Act of Parliament.
Or they assume that by prostrating themselves before the Great I Am, he will protect them. Which he won't, of course.
But mostly, if you think that Woke (pompous criticism of bad words) is worse than Trump or Putin, you're not very bright.
Ironically, I'd be (indeed, I am) more worried about the States defaulting on its debt with a gridlocked democracy than a dictatorship.
As with all dictatorships, the economy would atrophy as resources get allocated less efficiently and corruption grows but that'd be a medium-term problem. It's not as if the US is a shining light of financial equality as it is.
I was reflecting on the fragility of democracy the other day and wondering what would happen in the UK, if the PM of the day decided he or she wasn't going to ask HRH to dissolve parliament at the end of 5 years but instead passed a law to the effect that elections could be postponed indefinitely.
What would stop that happening? Parliament is sovereign after all.
Sometimes I've had my existing insurer offer a lower quote than the renewal quote they gave, and be the same price as the lowest price from someone else. As a point of principle, if they're tied, I'll go with the someone else since my existing insurer would have ripped me off had I not done the comparison, so that's a point against them.
When I changed my car last month though was the closest to being exception, I bought the car so had to chnge insurance and was given 24 hours of insurance to drive away from the dealer plus a quote if I wanted a year's insurance from them. I went on the comparison site and the lowest quote was tied with the quote I'd been given up-front by the dealer. Since they'd given me the joint lowest one up-front, no messing around, I stuck with the dealer.
Remarkably the cost for my brand new car was only a few quid different from the best renewal quote I'd had for my 13 year old car.
If we look back at the Trump era, it's actually quite blissful foreign policy-wise, because we weren't continually asked to spend money and lives being the sidekick. Now, here we are again in Yemen.
1. He's not thought it through.
2. He doesn't believe the evidence in front of him.
3. He is not interested in Britain's security interests, as most of us see them.
These are not mutually exclusive.
What would count as readiness?