Their 'fare share' being a donation to the Trump court fine fund pre-November 24?
Building up military capability in western Europe is the only way to contain Russia. European countries need to become active partners in NATO rather than just the beneficiaries of American protection. The latter may have been an acceptable arrangement to the US when there was no real threat from Russia but now the situation has changed in a number of ways.
When Trump just says things clearly like this, everyone understands. It also sounds good to his supporters. Foreign affairs is one way in which 'the establishment' is failing badly. IE: Ukraine being supported only to the point where there is a war of attrition that they gradually lose, with no end in sight or way out. Yet supporters of the war in Ukraine keep asserting that Trump will 'give up Ukraine' with no evidence to back this up.
Trump's supporters in Congress have blocked further US military support for several months now. That's pretty damn obvious.
A fair point, but I think they are arguing that it is the strategy they are opposed to, given the lack of gains for the past year. The position of Trump is that he is going to find a way of ending the war, which is a contrast to Biden who seems to have no plan.
Every day the Republicans find another talking point to avoid sending aid to Ukraine, without flat out coming and saying that they don't care if a democracy is conquered by a dictatorship, because they no longer value democracy.
It's been months and months and it's always one different excuse after another. First they had to deal with the overall budget first, then it had to be tied to the border, then it had to be bundled up with aid to Israel, then it had to not be, then a loan instead of a grant, now they need a strategy for winning the war, all the time they're going the right way about losing the war.
It's all disingenuous bullshit. There isn't, yet, a majority in Congress opposed to sending aid to Ukraine, but by ducking and weaving from one pettyfogging issue after another the minority can hold it up indefinitely.
Its almost as if there may have been ahem gifts to congressmen from certain foreign sources. Its all very interesting.
I'd almost be relieved if it was as mundane as that they'd been bought, but I think the truth is worse - they don't need to be bought, because they no longer believe in democracy.
If you believe in democracy you have to be prepared to accept that the people might disagree with you and you could lose elections. I don't think the Republicans believe that any more. It's not just Trump, it's also there in things like blocking Obama's Supreme Court pick.
Yes there is certainly the desire in the west especially amongst the young for a strong man dictator. For example i think there would be a substantial number of young people in the west in favour of dissolving Parliament and replacing it with a dictatorship. The times we live in im agraid.
Any polling evidence for this? What do you consider a substantial number? 2m, 200k, 200?
Plenty of polls support this. I am afraid it is true - young people are happy to abandon democracy the same way they are happy to abandon free speech
Okay, I believe you, but it would be good to see one of these polls.
“Younger people more likely to doubt merits of democracy – global poll
International study reveals 42% of people aged 18 to 35 supportive of military rule, against 20% of older respondents”
Deliveroo rider bites off Aldershot customer's thumb
A food delivery driver who bit off a customer's thumb has pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm.
Jenniffer Rocha, 35, attacked the customer in December 2022 near his home in Aldershot in Hampshire.
She was not employed by Deliveroo, but had been working as a "substitute" rider using someone else's account.
The judge at Winchester Crown Court described it as a "serious offence", which could result in a prison sentence.
Deliveroo said it was an "awful incident", adding it had ended the rider's account.
One of the requirements of self employment is that your labour must be substitutable. So unless Deliveroo want to make them employees, they have to allow it. This, of course, is how so many illegal immigrants work for these services - technically the legal rider who owns the account is liable, but good luck ever finding out or enforcing it.
Ah interesting! I think an important unexplored aspect of illegal immigration is to come in very hard on employers like that.
The fact the Commonwealth summit is in mid October and the King needs to attend really should not be an issue. Sunak knows it has been in the diary for months
Indeed. From Sunak's point of view, if he's decided to have an autumn election, any autumn date is as good as any other. But there some dates best avoided for other practical or political reasons:
Avoid: - Any date before mid-October: Parliament would have to be recalled from summer recess to dissolve; conference season would have to be cancelled - reasonable notice required. - 17th Oct - KC about to go to Samoa, could be tricky if it's a hung parliament requiring long negotiation. - 24th Oct - KC in Samoa. - 31st Oct - Halloween: nightmare on Downing St - 7th Nov - two days after the US POTUS election, not a good idea. - 19th Dec - too close to Christmas - 26th Dec - obviously not - 2nd Jan - Er no. - 9th Jan - Christmas/NY would severely restrict campaigning. - 16th Jan - As above, also smacks of last-chance saloon. - 23rd - ditto.
So I reckon it will have to be: 14th, 21st, 28th Nov, or 5th, 12th Dec.
12th December has a degree of symbolism to it - 5 years to the day the Tories won an 80 seat majority.
It's going to be 12th December, isn't it?
This is good analysis. It’s not about 1 day, it’s the 25 campaigning days that can’t overlap a holiday period.
And if you want a cheeky budget, it’s extra few weeks before campaign month to get parliament sitting to pass it. But is there time to see it in household budgets, or better not to have budget, just promise the details in manifesto? Recent Budgets are quite internally contentious for Tories, defence spending needs the limited pot of money, pensioners need it, by the time autumn comes the households hurt by high mortgage deals will ask for it,
Parliament is now due back 2nd September, the six weeks before that you just can’t hold one. You are right to flag up there arn’t that many dates.
However, conferences can go ahead inside campaign month - why not? The only party who would want to cancel conference would be Tories, for despite how much of money it makes for the party, it would just be giving opposition parties too much fantastic election boost.
Thanks. I thought about the conferences issue.
You may right, perhaps they could go ahead during the campaign but I foresee all sorts of balance issues for the broadcasters. Plus, how do the parties juggle being out on the stump and locked away together at their conference? No, I think they'll can the conferences as soon as the GE is called...
...which brings us back to the other issue: Parliament has to be recalled early from summer recess to push the dissolution through.
If Sunak is going to do that he might as well name the day now.
If the conferences and everything with it, is to be canned, that will have to be public knowledge quite early on for the cancellations to happen, and further bookings and arrangements avoided? Before summer recess?
True dat. Hence why I suspect the later autumn dates are favourite.
All could change after a disastrous set of Locals though. If the Tories crash badly, let's see how quickly they all turn on Sunak.
To avoid fall out from the May 2nd elections was one of the reasons for May 2nd General election.
I’m getting mixed messages from PB on what the situation was last time these elections were fought - it’s clear now not the high point of Boris with the Hartlepool win that nearly finished Starmer, these actually a limited set of elections May 2nd where Tories cannot lose the symbolic 1000 seats or anything like that. Even losing the mayor elections isn’t going to be amazingly news worthy sort of with expectations not exceeding them in any shock results.
But it adds to pressure already there from Truss level opinion polling, I think it will result in a vonc after May 2nd. And as HY says, the smart money says Sunak easily survives it, though even more lame dunk like. 100% certain now Rishi leads them into General Election.
There are, including London, 11 mayoral elections. The Tories hold 2, Labour 6, and 3 are new mayoral positions. I think the Conservatives are expected to win 0-1? It will be a powerful message if they win 0.
The PCC elections get little attention. There are 39, I think. Currently Labour hold 8 and Plaid 1. (Wikipedia says there's 1 independent, but I think they're wrong.) So, 30 Conservatives, a huge area of local strength. Could those figures look very bad for the Tories, or might they represent an oasis of successful defences?
The worst it can be is two meaningless mayor losses> -2 up in lights? It’s not even a front page story.
These “local elections” have been bigged up as end of Sunak, when they are nothing of the sort.
But what about all the PCC elections?! People talk of little else round my way. Gripped, they are. Gripped.
Wow ive just seen this on twitter. For those of a sensitive disposition look away.
actually have a take that is even more controversial than this. Not only is it the case that human societies would flourish and people would be happier if women aged 18-40 were banned from the full-time, paid workforce so they could raise children
It is furthermore the case that the net total productivity contribution of women to GDP is negative, and by a very large amount.
i.e. we could be richer by just giving all women a guaranteed lifetime UBI to party/date/go on holiday/do art/hobby science/whatever they like for their entire lives
I have tried to ignore you, but can I just say this new troll is tiresome and means scrolling through the comments means accidentally reading some alt-right garbage designed to divide and inflame. And that adds nothing to the political (or non-political) debate.
I would be intrigued to know how his IP address fares against the spambot checker.
The fact the Commonwealth summit is in mid October and the King needs to attend really should not be an issue. Sunak knows it has been in the diary for months
Indeed. From Sunak's point of view, if he's decided to have an autumn election, any autumn date is as good as any other. But there some dates best avoided for other practical or political reasons:
Avoid: - Any date before mid-October: Parliament would have to be recalled from summer recess to dissolve; conference season would have to be cancelled - reasonable notice required. - 17th Oct - KC about to go to Samoa, could be tricky if it's a hung parliament requiring long negotiation. - 24th Oct - KC in Samoa. - 31st Oct - Halloween: nightmare on Downing St - 7th Nov - two days after the US POTUS election, not a good idea. - 19th Dec - too close to Christmas - 26th Dec - obviously not - 2nd Jan - Er no. - 9th Jan - Christmas/NY would severely restrict campaigning. - 16th Jan - As above, also smacks of last-chance saloon. - 23rd - ditto.
So I reckon it will have to be: 14th, 21st, 28th Nov, or 5th, 12th Dec.
12th December has a degree of symbolism to it - 5 years to the day the Tories won an 80 seat majority.
It's going to be 12th December, isn't it?
This is good analysis. It’s not about 1 day, it’s the 25 campaigning days that can’t overlap a holiday period.
And if you want a cheeky budget, it’s extra few weeks before campaign month to get parliament sitting to pass it. But is there time to see it in household budgets, or better not to have budget, just promise the details in manifesto? Recent Budgets are quite internally contentious for Tories, defence spending needs the limited pot of money, pensioners need it, by the time autumn comes the households hurt by high mortgage deals will ask for it,
Parliament is now due back 2nd September, the six weeks before that you just can’t hold one. You are right to flag up there arn’t that many dates.
However, conferences can go ahead inside campaign month - why not? The only party who would want to cancel conference would be Tories, for despite how much of money it makes for the party, it would just be giving opposition parties too much fantastic election boost.
Thanks. I thought about the conferences issue.
You may right, perhaps they could go ahead during the campaign but I foresee all sorts of balance issues for the broadcasters. Plus, how do the parties juggle being out on the stump and locked away together at their conference? No, I think they'll can the conferences as soon as the GE is called...
...which brings us back to the other issue: Parliament has to be recalled early from summer recess to push the dissolution through.
If Sunak is going to do that he might as well name the day now.
If the conferences and everything with it, is to be canned, that will have to be public knowledge quite early on for the cancellations to happen, and further bookings and arrangements avoided? Before summer recess?
True dat. Hence why I suspect the later autumn dates are favourite.
All could change after a disastrous set of Locals though. If the Tories crash badly, let's see how quickly they all turn on Sunak.
To avoid fall out from the May 2nd elections was one of the reasons for May 2nd General election.
I’m getting mixed messages from PB on what the situation was last time these elections were fought - it’s clear now not the high point of Boris with the Hartlepool win that nearly finished Starmer, these actually a limited set of elections May 2nd where Tories cannot lose the symbolic 1000 seats or anything like that. Even losing the mayor elections isn’t going to be amazingly news worthy sort of with expectations not exceeding them in any shock results.
But it adds to pressure already there from Truss level opinion polling, I think it will result in a vonc after May 2nd. And as HY says, the smart money says Sunak easily survives it, though even more lame dunk like. 100% certain now Rishi leads them into General Election.
There are, including London, 11 mayoral elections. The Tories hold 2, Labour 6, and 3 are new mayoral positions. I think the Conservatives are expected to win 0-1? It will be a powerful message if they win 0.
The PCC elections get little attention. There are 39, I think. Currently Labour hold 8 and Plaid 1. (Wikipedia says there's 1 independent, but I think they're wrong.) So, 30 Conservatives, a huge area of local strength. Could those figures look very bad for the Tories, or might they represent an oasis of successful defences?
The worst it can be is two meaningless mayor losses> -2 up in lights? It’s not even a front page story.
These “local elections” have been bigged up as end of Sunak, when they are nothing of the sort.
They could be the beginning of the bursting of the Reform polling bubble. I expect Reform to do pretty badly, not least because they won’t bother standing in a lot of seats.
I note you have oft predicted bursting of the `reform bubble, and it will happen, Timsy. I 100% agree with you. I am sure everything for reform above 3% will end up voting for the Conservatives.
It is going to happen, but the catalysts will only be the dissolution of parliament and publishing of the manifestos.
Remember how things moved in 2017 and 2019 in just weeks, but only once election called, and campaign month becomes a forced choice election, and support for minor parties like Reforms manifesto of unicorns will get hoovered up. Why? Two reasons. Voters know how serious it is electing government they are stuck with for 5 years hating everyday, so will use their vote wisely in this regard; and FPTP in large constituency’s reduces voter option to just 2 candidates who can win the seat - its Conservative or Starmer or waste your vote nearly everywhere is what it becomes.
But 2017 and 2019 were "surprise" elections. Of course the polls moved, because no one, other than the most politically aware, was expecting them. So the forced choice was forced. We have been talking about an imminent election for months and months. And yet, the polls don't move. Except to the Tories disadvantage.
I say this every night to you now: keep clutching your pearls. You do not know for sure what happens once the campaign starts.
The special magic of FPTP - love it or hate it, you can’t deny its handiwork.
Well. We'll see. For the record I expect the Tories to poll around the 29-30 level. My prediction in the contest was, I think, for a Labour majority of 58. I don't think that gap will be closed by Refuk voters returning "home". But by swing voters and differential turnout. There is no enthusiasm for a Labour government. There is plenty for a non-Tory one. A Labour majority is becoming baked in. Once it is fully accepted the Labour vote will decline. We may be headed for a record low turnout.
Turnout has recovered fairly well from the doldrums of the early 2000s, though not to the levels seen pre 1997, and it would only take an 8-10% drop to get back to 2001 levels, which is only beaten in modern times by 1918, so a record low turnout does seem worth betting on as a possibility.
I suppose that will be something for the Tories to cling to if there is a 1997 result but on 2001 turnout - it could mean they are running 4 years ahead in terms of recovery.
I don't think the Tories will reach the 30% they got in 1997 though.
Their 'fare share' being a donation to the Trump court fine fund pre-November 24?
Building up military capability in western Europe is the only way to contain Russia. European countries need to become active partners in NATO rather than just the beneficiaries of American protection. The latter may have been an acceptable arrangement to the US when there was no real threat from Russia but now the situation has changed in a number of ways.
When Trump just says things clearly like this, everyone understands. It also sounds good to his supporters. Foreign affairs is one way in which 'the establishment' is failing badly. IE: Ukraine being supported only to the point where there is a war of attrition that they gradually lose, with no end in sight or way out. Yet supporters of the war in Ukraine keep asserting that Trump will 'give up Ukraine' with no evidence to back this up.
Trump's supporters in Congress have blocked further US military support for several months now. That's pretty damn obvious.
A fair point, but I think they are arguing that it is the strategy they are opposed to, given the lack of gains for the past year. The position of Trump is that he is going to find a way of ending the war, which is a contrast to Biden who seems to have no plan.
Every day the Republicans find another talking point to avoid sending aid to Ukraine, without flat out coming and saying that they don't care if a democracy is conquered by a dictatorship, because they no longer value democracy.
It's been months and months and it's always one different excuse after another. First they had to deal with the overall budget first, then it had to be tied to the border, then it had to be bundled up with aid to Israel, then it had to not be, then a loan instead of a grant, now they need a strategy for winning the war, all the time they're going the right way about losing the war.
It's all disingenuous bullshit. There isn't, yet, a majority in Congress opposed to sending aid to Ukraine, but by ducking and weaving from one pettyfogging issue after another the minority can hold it up indefinitely.
Its almost as if there may have been ahem gifts to congressmen from certain foreign sources. Its all very interesting.
I'd almost be relieved if it was as mundane as that they'd been bought, but I think the truth is worse - they don't need to be bought, because they no longer believe in democracy.
If you believe in democracy you have to be prepared to accept that the people might disagree with you and you could lose elections. I don't think the Republicans believe that any more. It's not just Trump, it's also there in things like blocking Obama's Supreme Court pick.
Yes there is certainly the desire in the west especially amongst the young for a strong man dictator. For example i think there would be a substantial number of young people in the west in favour of dissolving Parliament and replacing it with a dictatorship. The times we live in im agraid.
Any polling evidence for this? What do you consider a substantial number? 2m, 200k, 200?
Plenty of polls support this. I am afraid it is true - young people are happy to abandon democracy the same way they are happy to abandon free speech
Okay, I believe you, but it would be good to see one of these polls.
“Younger people more likely to doubt merits of democracy – global poll
International study reveals 42% of people aged 18 to 35 supportive of military rule, against 20% of older respondents”
There’s this thing called “google”; you should try it
Yes this is related to the fact that many of the young are economically struggling.
And also because they are considerably stupider than their parents and grandparents. The IQ drop - the Reverse Flynn Effect - is now palpable and affecting human society. I hope the AI hurries up and gets sentient quick
This may be due to the fact the higher iq part of the population aint breeding much now. Dysgenics in action.
Wow ive just seen this on twitter. For those of a sensitive disposition look away.
actually have a take that is even more controversial than this. Not only is it the case that human societies would flourish and people would be happier if women aged 18-40 were banned from the full-time, paid workforce so they could raise children
It is furthermore the case that the net total productivity contribution of women to GDP is negative, and by a very large amount.
i.e. we could be richer by just giving all women a guaranteed lifetime UBI to party/date/go on holiday/do art/hobby science/whatever they like for their entire lives
I have tried to ignore you, but can I just say this new troll is tiresome and means scrolling through the comments means accidentally reading some alt-right garbage designed to divide and inflame. And that adds nothing to the political (or non-political) debate.
I would be intrigued to know how his IP address fares against the spambot checker.
Brian causes so much trouble. It wouldn't surprise me if he's behind both the supposed Kate mystery (didn't she go into hospital around the same time he did?) and the Harry US visa problem. He's got form for negging his family members in the media to protect himself. Nice guy.
He'll be in Samoa? Can't he use videochat? Look what happened on another occasion when an election had to be arranged for a certain slot because a king had a "responsibility" to go off on his jollies - 1950.
Brian will probably soon learn to use videochat if it's Penny who'll be kissing his hands, given that both she and he are into homoeopathic woo.
Wow ive just seen this on twitter. For those of a sensitive disposition look away.
actually have a take that is even more controversial than this. Not only is it the case that human societies would flourish and people would be happier if women aged 18-40 were banned from the full-time, paid workforce so they could raise children
It is furthermore the case that the net total productivity contribution of women to GDP is negative, and by a very large amount.
i.e. we could be richer by just giving all women a guaranteed lifetime UBI to party/date/go on holiday/do art/hobby science/whatever they like for their entire lives
What do women do in the workplace? They get men fired/demoted/overlooked for promotion because it's not "fair" that men take more of the top slots.
I shall be sure to tell my female boss that is all women do in the workplace, and I suspect it will prove to be true I get fired or demoted as a result, for shame. No other possibilities exist.
I adore my female boss. She's the reason I work there. She's 29. I'm 57.
Maybe. Another interpretation is that Trump's entire business model has always been one of never settling an invoice until he really, absolutely has no choice.
You get these people in business. Only worth doing anything for if you're paid in full in advance.
Jack Tramiel, the Auschwitz survivor who founded the Commodore computer company, was famous for elevating this tactic to an startling degree. He would run up huge outstanding debts with suppliers and stall for absolutely as long as possible before telling them "well, I'm not paying this debt in full. But if you take 70% of it I'll give you another big order". Very few told him to get stuffed.
He would routinely drive suppliers into the ground, secure in the knowledge there would always be people willing to deal with him because Commodore was at the time selling in volumes that no-one else, not even Apple or IBM, could match. But you can't get away with that forever, as Tramiel eventually found out.
Deliveroo rider bites off Aldershot customer's thumb
A food delivery driver who bit off a customer's thumb has pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm.
Jenniffer Rocha, 35, attacked the customer in December 2022 near his home in Aldershot in Hampshire.
She was not employed by Deliveroo, but had been working as a "substitute" rider using someone else's account.
The judge at Winchester Crown Court described it as a "serious offence", which could result in a prison sentence.
Deliveroo said it was an "awful incident", adding it had ended the rider's account.
One of the requirements of self employment is that your labour must be substitutable. So unless Deliveroo want to make them employees, they have to allow it. This, of course, is how so many illegal immigrants work for these services - technically the legal rider who owns the account is liable, but good luck ever finding out or enforcing it.
Ah interesting! I think an important unexplored aspect of illegal immigration is to come in very hard on employers like that.
Yes, it needs a sort of supercomplaint. Fines for people who employ people who employ people…
Their 'fare share' being a donation to the Trump court fine fund pre-November 24?
Building up military capability in western Europe is the only way to contain Russia. European countries need to become active partners in NATO rather than just the beneficiaries of American protection. The latter may have been an acceptable arrangement to the US when there was no real threat from Russia but now the situation has changed in a number of ways.
When Trump just says things clearly like this, everyone understands. It also sounds good to his supporters. Foreign affairs is one way in which 'the establishment' is failing badly. IE: Ukraine being supported only to the point where there is a war of attrition that they gradually lose, with no end in sight or way out. Yet supporters of the war in Ukraine keep asserting that Trump will 'give up Ukraine' with no evidence to back this up.
Trump's supporters in Congress have blocked further US military support for several months now. That's pretty damn obvious.
A fair point, but I think they are arguing that it is the strategy they are opposed to, given the lack of gains for the past year. The position of Trump is that he is going to find a way of ending the war, which is a contrast to Biden who seems to have no plan.
Every day the Republicans find another talking point to avoid sending aid to Ukraine, without flat out coming and saying that they don't care if a democracy is conquered by a dictatorship, because they no longer value democracy.
It's been months and months and it's always one different excuse after another. First they had to deal with the overall budget first, then it had to be tied to the border, then it had to be bundled up with aid to Israel, then it had to not be, then a loan instead of a grant, now they need a strategy for winning the war, all the time they're going the right way about losing the war.
It's all disingenuous bullshit. There isn't, yet, a majority in Congress opposed to sending aid to Ukraine, but by ducking and weaving from one pettyfogging issue after another the minority can hold it up indefinitely.
Its almost as if there may have been ahem gifts to congressmen from certain foreign sources. Its all very interesting.
I'd almost be relieved if it was as mundane as that they'd been bought, but I think the truth is worse - they don't need to be bought, because they no longer believe in democracy.
If you believe in democracy you have to be prepared to accept that the people might disagree with you and you could lose elections. I don't think the Republicans believe that any more. It's not just Trump, it's also there in things like blocking Obama's Supreme Court pick.
Yes there is certainly the desire in the west especially amongst the young for a strong man dictator. For example i think there would be a substantial number of young people in the west in favour of dissolving Parliament and replacing it with a dictatorship. The times we live in im agraid.
Any polling evidence for this? What do you consider a substantial number? 2m, 200k, 200?
Plenty of polls support this. I am afraid it is true - young people are happy to abandon democracy the same way they are happy to abandon free speech
Okay, I believe you, but it would be good to see one of these polls.
“Younger people more likely to doubt merits of democracy – global poll
International study reveals 42% of people aged 18 to 35 supportive of military rule, against 20% of older respondents”
Their 'fare share' being a donation to the Trump court fine fund pre-November 24?
Building up military capability in western Europe is the only way to contain Russia. European countries need to become active partners in NATO rather than just the beneficiaries of American protection. The latter may have been an acceptable arrangement to the US when there was no real threat from Russia but now the situation has changed in a number of ways.
When Trump just says things clearly like this, everyone understands. It also sounds good to his supporters. Foreign affairs is one way in which 'the establishment' is failing badly. IE: Ukraine being supported only to the point where there is a war of attrition that they gradually lose, with no end in sight or way out. Yet supporters of the war in Ukraine keep asserting that Trump will 'give up Ukraine' with no evidence to back this up.
Trump's supporters in Congress have blocked further US military support for several months now. That's pretty damn obvious.
A fair point, but I think they are arguing that it is the strategy they are opposed to, given the lack of gains for the past year. The position of Trump is that he is going to find a way of ending the war, which is a contrast to Biden who seems to have no plan.
Every day the Republicans find another talking point to avoid sending aid to Ukraine, without flat out coming and saying that they don't care if a democracy is conquered by a dictatorship, because they no longer value democracy.
It's been months and months and it's always one different excuse after another. First they had to deal with the overall budget first, then it had to be tied to the border, then it had to be bundled up with aid to Israel, then it had to not be, then a loan instead of a grant, now they need a strategy for winning the war, all the time they're going the right way about losing the war.
It's all disingenuous bullshit. There isn't, yet, a majority in Congress opposed to sending aid to Ukraine, but by ducking and weaving from one pettyfogging issue after another the minority can hold it up indefinitely.
Its almost as if there may have been ahem gifts to congressmen from certain foreign sources. Its all very interesting.
I'd almost be relieved if it was as mundane as that they'd been bought, but I think the truth is worse - they don't need to be bought, because they no longer believe in democracy.
If you believe in democracy you have to be prepared to accept that the people might disagree with you and you could lose elections. I don't think the Republicans believe that any more. It's not just Trump, it's also there in things like blocking Obama's Supreme Court pick.
Yes there is certainly the desire in the west especially amongst the young for a strong man dictator. For example i think there would be a substantial number of young people in the west in favour of dissolving Parliament and replacing it with a dictatorship. The times we live in im agraid.
Any polling evidence for this? What do you consider a substantial number? 2m, 200k, 200?
Plenty of polls support this. I am afraid it is true - young people are happy to abandon democracy the same way they are happy to abandon free speech
Okay, I believe you, but it would be good to see one of these polls.
“Younger people more likely to doubt merits of democracy – global poll
International study reveals 42% of people aged 18 to 35 supportive of military rule, against 20% of older respondents”
There’s this thing called “google”; you should try it
Where are the figures for western economies, which is what the OP claimed? This is a global poll, not a poll of western nations.
Oh Jesus fucking Christ go and google
I have. I can find polls that show American youngsters reject capitalism and that western youngsters want to live in socialist economic systems etc etc; yet I can’t find anything to back up the claim that young Westerners prefer dictatorships, which was the claim of the OP.
Wow ive just seen this on twitter. For those of a sensitive disposition look away.
actually have a take that is even more controversial than this. Not only is it the case that human societies would flourish and people would be happier if women aged 18-40 were banned from the full-time, paid workforce so they could raise children
It is furthermore the case that the net total productivity contribution of women to GDP is negative, and by a very large amount.
i.e. we could be richer by just giving all women a guaranteed lifetime UBI to party/date/go on holiday/do art/hobby science/whatever they like for their entire lives
I have tried to ignore you, but can I just say this new troll is tiresome and means scrolling through the comments means accidentally reading some alt-right garbage designed to divide and inflame. And that adds nothing to the political (or non-political) debate.
I would be intrigued to know how his IP address fares against the spambot checker.
He’s infinitely more interesting than YOU
Blah blah blah AI. Blah blah blah paid vacations on your own.
Yes you're a real source of interest and entertainment.
But you're not a Russian troll, which is more than I can say for Truman.
Wow ive just seen this on twitter. For those of a sensitive disposition look away.
actually have a take that is even more controversial than this. Not only is it the case that human societies would flourish and people would be happier if women aged 18-40 were banned from the full-time, paid workforce so they could raise children
It is furthermore the case that the net total productivity contribution of women to GDP is negative, and by a very large amount.
i.e. we could be richer by just giving all women a guaranteed lifetime UBI to party/date/go on holiday/do art/hobby science/whatever they like for their entire lives
What do women do in the workplace? They get men fired/demoted/overlooked for promotion because it's not "fair" that men take more of the top slots.
I shall be sure to tell my female boss that is all women do in the workplace, and I suspect it will prove to be true I get fired or demoted as a result, for shame. No other possibilities exist.
Make that misogynist Russian concern troll.
Misogynist Russian concern troll ah that makes me feel good. A toast to you my friend.
Turnout at US Presidential elections looks historically to be shockingly low if wikipedia is accurate. What more would be needed to get some people to the polls?
Their 'fare share' being a donation to the Trump court fine fund pre-November 24?
Building up military capability in western Europe is the only way to contain Russia. European countries need to become active partners in NATO rather than just the beneficiaries of American protection. The latter may have been an acceptable arrangement to the US when there was no real threat from Russia but now the situation has changed in a number of ways.
When Trump just says things clearly like this, everyone understands. It also sounds good to his supporters. Foreign affairs is one way in which 'the establishment' is failing badly. IE: Ukraine being supported only to the point where there is a war of attrition that they gradually lose, with no end in sight or way out. Yet supporters of the war in Ukraine keep asserting that Trump will 'give up Ukraine' with no evidence to back this up.
Trump's supporters in Congress have blocked further US military support for several months now. That's pretty damn obvious.
A fair point, but I think they are arguing that it is the strategy they are opposed to, given the lack of gains for the past year. The position of Trump is that he is going to find a way of ending the war, which is a contrast to Biden who seems to have no plan.
Every day the Republicans find another talking point to avoid sending aid to Ukraine, without flat out coming and saying that they don't care if a democracy is conquered by a dictatorship, because they no longer value democracy.
It's been months and months and it's always one different excuse after another. First they had to deal with the overall budget first, then it had to be tied to the border, then it had to be bundled up with aid to Israel, then it had to not be, then a loan instead of a grant, now they need a strategy for winning the war, all the time they're going the right way about losing the war.
It's all disingenuous bullshit. There isn't, yet, a majority in Congress opposed to sending aid to Ukraine, but by ducking and weaving from one pettyfogging issue after another the minority can hold it up indefinitely.
Its almost as if there may have been ahem gifts to congressmen from certain foreign sources. Its all very interesting.
I'd almost be relieved if it was as mundane as that they'd been bought, but I think the truth is worse - they don't need to be bought, because they no longer believe in democracy.
If you believe in democracy you have to be prepared to accept that the people might disagree with you and you could lose elections. I don't think the Republicans believe that any more. It's not just Trump, it's also there in things like blocking Obama's Supreme Court pick.
Yes there is certainly the desire in the west especially amongst the young for a strong man dictator. For example i think there would be a substantial number of young people in the west in favour of dissolving Parliament and replacing it with a dictatorship. The times we live in im agraid.
Any polling evidence for this? What do you consider a substantial number? 2m, 200k, 200?
Plenty of polls support this. I am afraid it is true - young people are happy to abandon democracy the same way they are happy to abandon free speech
Okay, I believe you, but it would be good to see one of these polls.
“Younger people more likely to doubt merits of democracy – global poll
International study reveals 42% of people aged 18 to 35 supportive of military rule, against 20% of older respondents”
There’s this thing called “google”; you should try it
Where are the figures for western economies, which is what the OP claimed? This is a global poll, not a poll of western nations.
Oh Jesus fucking Christ go and google
I have. I can find polls that show American youngsters reject capitalism and that western youngsters want to live in socialist economic systems etc etc; yet I can’t find anything to back up the claim that young Westerners prefer dictatorships, which was the claim of the OP.
Check your facts.
“Young adults have dramatic loss of faith in UK democracy, survey reveals
Report says sidelining of parliament by Tory government has further eroded trust in political system”
I’m in a hammock. Where does PB stand on hammocks? Do we have a consensus?
For me they are pleasant and agreeable but never QUITE as agreeable as they should be. Somehow. And it’s quite hard getting in and out of them without looking a tit
There. That’s my position on hammocks
Hello. Something of a hammock expert myself. Often used by hikers trying to go ultra-lightweight in countries with plenty of trees and/or very rough ground. Think California.
You must lie in them diagonally to get a decent night sleep. Do not attempt to engage in *activities*, even if the straps and hammock are rated for two. You might need to buy another sleeping mat or quilt to fit inside it properly, though you will lose less heat to the ground than in a tent.
It's easy to damage trees with them with extended use. Stripping the bark all the way around a trunk will kill the tree.
Compared with a good solo tent or tarp, hammocks usually end up being heavier. Where do you store your kit? How heavy are the straps? Mossie net? Tarp for rain cover? Do you need a floor length tarp for high winds?
Most importantly, it's tricky to get in and out of them, which makes the whole camping experience a bit awkward, IMO.
Turnout at US Presidential elections looks historically to be shockingly low if wikipedia is accurate. What more would be needed to get some people to the polls?
Raise the stakes by giving the President more power?
Turnout at US Presidential elections looks historically to be shockingly low if wikipedia is accurate. What more would be needed to get some people to the polls?
One free gun for every filled in ballot?
From memory you do have to be careful to compare like with like. Isn’t our turnout percentage of the electoral roll that actually vote? Whereas that one looks like percentage of eligible voters.
Their 'fare share' being a donation to the Trump court fine fund pre-November 24?
Building up military capability in western Europe is the only way to contain Russia. European countries need to become active partners in NATO rather than just the beneficiaries of American protection. The latter may have been an acceptable arrangement to the US when there was no real threat from Russia but now the situation has changed in a number of ways.
When Trump just says things clearly like this, everyone understands. It also sounds good to his supporters. Foreign affairs is one way in which 'the establishment' is failing badly. IE: Ukraine being supported only to the point where there is a war of attrition that they gradually lose, with no end in sight or way out. Yet supporters of the war in Ukraine keep asserting that Trump will 'give up Ukraine' with no evidence to back this up.
Trump's supporters in Congress have blocked further US military support for several months now. That's pretty damn obvious.
A fair point, but I think they are arguing that it is the strategy they are opposed to, given the lack of gains for the past year. The position of Trump is that he is going to find a way of ending the war, which is a contrast to Biden who seems to have no plan.
Every day the Republicans find another talking point to avoid sending aid to Ukraine, without flat out coming and saying that they don't care if a democracy is conquered by a dictatorship, because they no longer value democracy.
It's been months and months and it's always one different excuse after another. First they had to deal with the overall budget first, then it had to be tied to the border, then it had to be bundled up with aid to Israel, then it had to not be, then a loan instead of a grant, now they need a strategy for winning the war, all the time they're going the right way about losing the war.
It's all disingenuous bullshit. There isn't, yet, a majority in Congress opposed to sending aid to Ukraine, but by ducking and weaving from one pettyfogging issue after another the minority can hold it up indefinitely.
Its almost as if there may have been ahem gifts to congressmen from certain foreign sources. Its all very interesting.
I'd almost be relieved if it was as mundane as that they'd been bought, but I think the truth is worse - they don't need to be bought, because they no longer believe in democracy.
If you believe in democracy you have to be prepared to accept that the people might disagree with you and you could lose elections. I don't think the Republicans believe that any more. It's not just Trump, it's also there in things like blocking Obama's Supreme Court pick.
Yes there is certainly the desire in the west especially amongst the young for a strong man dictator. For example i think there would be a substantial number of young people in the west in favour of dissolving Parliament and replacing it with a dictatorship. The times we live in im agraid.
Here's the thing:
People want a strong man dictator who agrees with them. They're not so keen on strong men dictators with different views.
It's fine if they don't like them the can just vote them o...
... Ah I see the issue
Problem is that the population dynamics mean that democracy could come to look to the young like being endlessly outvoted by the old, and then they won't feel like they have a say. So why not take a chance?
The age split in British politics is incredibly dangerous.
O/T A different take on the housing crisis: "Mass-scale housebuilding isn’t necessary – there is already enough housing stock. But we need to learn the wisdom of the last century when it comes to landlordism"
And:
"In terms of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries, the UK has roughly the average number of homes per capita: 468 per 1,000 people in 2019. We have a comparable amount of housing to the Netherlands, Hungary or Canada, and our housing stock far exceeds many more affordable places such as Poland, Slovenia and the Czech Republic."
Turnout at US Presidential elections looks historically to be shockingly low if wikipedia is accurate. What more would be needed to get some people to the polls?
One free fun for every filled in ballot?
From memory you do have to be careful to compare like with like. Isn’t our turnout percentage of the electoral roll that actually vote? Whereas that one looks like percentage of eligible voters.
I did wonder about that, I find it hard to believe it's simply that they are more apathetic, the US sometimes has too much democracy after all, they don't shy away from it (until Trump came along).
Their 'fare share' being a donation to the Trump court fine fund pre-November 24?
Building up military capability in western Europe is the only way to contain Russia. European countries need to become active partners in NATO rather than just the beneficiaries of American protection. The latter may have been an acceptable arrangement to the US when there was no real threat from Russia but now the situation has changed in a number of ways.
When Trump just says things clearly like this, everyone understands. It also sounds good to his supporters. Foreign affairs is one way in which 'the establishment' is failing badly. IE: Ukraine being supported only to the point where there is a war of attrition that they gradually lose, with no end in sight or way out. Yet supporters of the war in Ukraine keep asserting that Trump will 'give up Ukraine' with no evidence to back this up.
Trump's supporters in Congress have blocked further US military support for several months now. That's pretty damn obvious.
A fair point, but I think they are arguing that it is the strategy they are opposed to, given the lack of gains for the past year. The position of Trump is that he is going to find a way of ending the war, which is a contrast to Biden who seems to have no plan.
Every day the Republicans find another talking point to avoid sending aid to Ukraine, without flat out coming and saying that they don't care if a democracy is conquered by a dictatorship, because they no longer value democracy.
It's been months and months and it's always one different excuse after another. First they had to deal with the overall budget first, then it had to be tied to the border, then it had to be bundled up with aid to Israel, then it had to not be, then a loan instead of a grant, now they need a strategy for winning the war, all the time they're going the right way about losing the war.
It's all disingenuous bullshit. There isn't, yet, a majority in Congress opposed to sending aid to Ukraine, but by ducking and weaving from one pettyfogging issue after another the minority can hold it up indefinitely.
Its almost as if there may have been ahem gifts to congressmen from certain foreign sources. Its all very interesting.
I'd almost be relieved if it was as mundane as that they'd been bought, but I think the truth is worse - they don't need to be bought, because they no longer believe in democracy.
If you believe in democracy you have to be prepared to accept that the people might disagree with you and you could lose elections. I don't think the Republicans believe that any more. It's not just Trump, it's also there in things like blocking Obama's Supreme Court pick.
Yes there is certainly the desire in the west especially amongst the young for a strong man dictator. For example i think there would be a substantial number of young people in the west in favour of dissolving Parliament and replacing it with a dictatorship. The times we live in im agraid.
Here's the thing:
People want a strong man dictator who agrees with them. They're not so keen on strong men dictators with different views.
It's fine if they don't like them the can just vote them o...
... Ah I see the issue
Problem is that the population dynamics mean that democracy could come to look to the young like being endlessly outvoted by the old, and then they won't feel like they have a say. So why not take a chance?
The age split in British politics is incredibly dangerous.
And fairly recent.
Will a Labour win, which will need to at least improve their vote share among the old, be the start of a rebalancing, or just a momentary diversion from the trend?
Their 'fare share' being a donation to the Trump court fine fund pre-November 24?
Building up military capability in western Europe is the only way to contain Russia. European countries need to become active partners in NATO rather than just the beneficiaries of American protection. The latter may have been an acceptable arrangement to the US when there was no real threat from Russia but now the situation has changed in a number of ways.
When Trump just says things clearly like this, everyone understands. It also sounds good to his supporters. Foreign affairs is one way in which 'the establishment' is failing badly. IE: Ukraine being supported only to the point where there is a war of attrition that they gradually lose, with no end in sight or way out. Yet supporters of the war in Ukraine keep asserting that Trump will 'give up Ukraine' with no evidence to back this up.
Trump's supporters in Congress have blocked further US military support for several months now. That's pretty damn obvious.
A fair point, but I think they are arguing that it is the strategy they are opposed to, given the lack of gains for the past year. The position of Trump is that he is going to find a way of ending the war, which is a contrast to Biden who seems to have no plan.
Every day the Republicans find another talking point to avoid sending aid to Ukraine, without flat out coming and saying that they don't care if a democracy is conquered by a dictatorship, because they no longer value democracy.
It's been months and months and it's always one different excuse after another. First they had to deal with the overall budget first, then it had to be tied to the border, then it had to be bundled up with aid to Israel, then it had to not be, then a loan instead of a grant, now they need a strategy for winning the war, all the time they're going the right way about losing the war.
It's all disingenuous bullshit. There isn't, yet, a majority in Congress opposed to sending aid to Ukraine, but by ducking and weaving from one pettyfogging issue after another the minority can hold it up indefinitely.
Its almost as if there may have been ahem gifts to congressmen from certain foreign sources. Its all very interesting.
I'd almost be relieved if it was as mundane as that they'd been bought, but I think the truth is worse - they don't need to be bought, because they no longer believe in democracy.
If you believe in democracy you have to be prepared to accept that the people might disagree with you and you could lose elections. I don't think the Republicans believe that any more. It's not just Trump, it's also there in things like blocking Obama's Supreme Court pick.
Yes there is certainly the desire in the west especially amongst the young for a strong man dictator. For example i think there would be a substantial number of young people in the west in favour of dissolving Parliament and replacing it with a dictatorship. The times we live in im agraid.
Any polling evidence for this? What do you consider a substantial number? 2m, 200k, 200?
Plenty of polls support this. I am afraid it is true - young people are happy to abandon democracy the same way they are happy to abandon free speech
Okay, I believe you, but it would be good to see one of these polls.
“Younger people more likely to doubt merits of democracy – global poll
International study reveals 42% of people aged 18 to 35 supportive of military rule, against 20% of older respondents”
There’s this thing called “google”; you should try it
Where are the figures for western economies, which is what the OP claimed? This is a global poll, not a poll of western nations.
Oh Jesus fucking Christ go and google
I have. I can find polls that show American youngsters reject capitalism and that western youngsters want to live in socialist economic systems etc etc; yet I can’t find anything to back up the claim that young Westerners prefer dictatorships, which was the claim of the OP.
Check your facts.
“Young adults have dramatic loss of faith in UK democracy, survey reveals
Report says sidelining of parliament by Tory government has further eroded trust in political system”
Their 'fare share' being a donation to the Trump court fine fund pre-November 24?
Building up military capability in western Europe is the only way to contain Russia. European countries need to become active partners in NATO rather than just the beneficiaries of American protection. The latter may have been an acceptable arrangement to the US when there was no real threat from Russia but now the situation has changed in a number of ways.
When Trump just says things clearly like this, everyone understands. It also sounds good to his supporters. Foreign affairs is one way in which 'the establishment' is failing badly. IE: Ukraine being supported only to the point where there is a war of attrition that they gradually lose, with no end in sight or way out. Yet supporters of the war in Ukraine keep asserting that Trump will 'give up Ukraine' with no evidence to back this up.
Trump's supporters in Congress have blocked further US military support for several months now. That's pretty damn obvious.
A fair point, but I think they are arguing that it is the strategy they are opposed to, given the lack of gains for the past year. The position of Trump is that he is going to find a way of ending the war, which is a contrast to Biden who seems to have no plan.
Every day the Republicans find another talking point to avoid sending aid to Ukraine, without flat out coming and saying that they don't care if a democracy is conquered by a dictatorship, because they no longer value democracy.
It's been months and months and it's always one different excuse after another. First they had to deal with the overall budget first, then it had to be tied to the border, then it had to be bundled up with aid to Israel, then it had to not be, then a loan instead of a grant, now they need a strategy for winning the war, all the time they're going the right way about losing the war.
It's all disingenuous bullshit. There isn't, yet, a majority in Congress opposed to sending aid to Ukraine, but by ducking and weaving from one pettyfogging issue after another the minority can hold it up indefinitely.
Its almost as if there may have been ahem gifts to congressmen from certain foreign sources. Its all very interesting.
I'd almost be relieved if it was as mundane as that they'd been bought, but I think the truth is worse - they don't need to be bought, because they no longer believe in democracy.
If you believe in democracy you have to be prepared to accept that the people might disagree with you and you could lose elections. I don't think the Republicans believe that any more. It's not just Trump, it's also there in things like blocking Obama's Supreme Court pick.
Yes there is certainly the desire in the west especially amongst the young for a strong man dictator. For example i think there would be a substantial number of young people in the west in favour of dissolving Parliament and replacing it with a dictatorship. The times we live in im agraid.
Here's the thing:
People want a strong man dictator who agrees with them. They're not so keen on strong men dictators with different views.
It's fine if they don't like them the can just vote them o...
... Ah I see the issue
Problem is that the population dynamics mean that democracy could come to look to the young like being endlessly outvoted by the old, and then they won't feel like they have a say. So why not take a chance?
The age split in British politics is incredibly dangerous.
Yes since the universal franchise we have never had such a large older demographic voting their interests.
Their 'fare share' being a donation to the Trump court fine fund pre-November 24?
Building up military capability in western Europe is the only way to contain Russia. European countries need to become active partners in NATO rather than just the beneficiaries of American protection. The latter may have been an acceptable arrangement to the US when there was no real threat from Russia but now the situation has changed in a number of ways.
When Trump just says things clearly like this, everyone understands. It also sounds good to his supporters. Foreign affairs is one way in which 'the establishment' is failing badly. IE: Ukraine being supported only to the point where there is a war of attrition that they gradually lose, with no end in sight or way out. Yet supporters of the war in Ukraine keep asserting that Trump will 'give up Ukraine' with no evidence to back this up.
Trump's supporters in Congress have blocked further US military support for several months now. That's pretty damn obvious.
A fair point, but I think they are arguing that it is the strategy they are opposed to, given the lack of gains for the past year. The position of Trump is that he is going to find a way of ending the war, which is a contrast to Biden who seems to have no plan.
Every day the Republicans find another talking point to avoid sending aid to Ukraine, without flat out coming and saying that they don't care if a democracy is conquered by a dictatorship, because they no longer value democracy.
It's been months and months and it's always one different excuse after another. First they had to deal with the overall budget first, then it had to be tied to the border, then it had to be bundled up with aid to Israel, then it had to not be, then a loan instead of a grant, now they need a strategy for winning the war, all the time they're going the right way about losing the war.
It's all disingenuous bullshit. There isn't, yet, a majority in Congress opposed to sending aid to Ukraine, but by ducking and weaving from one pettyfogging issue after another the minority can hold it up indefinitely.
Its almost as if there may have been ahem gifts to congressmen from certain foreign sources. Its all very interesting.
I'd almost be relieved if it was as mundane as that they'd been bought, but I think the truth is worse - they don't need to be bought, because they no longer believe in democracy.
If you believe in democracy you have to be prepared to accept that the people might disagree with you and you could lose elections. I don't think the Republicans believe that any more. It's not just Trump, it's also there in things like blocking Obama's Supreme Court pick.
Yes there is certainly the desire in the west especially amongst the young for a strong man dictator. For example i think there would be a substantial number of young people in the west in favour of dissolving Parliament and replacing it with a dictatorship. The times we live in im agraid.
Here's the thing:
People want a strong man dictator who agrees with them. They're not so keen on strong men dictators with different views.
It's fine if they don't like them the can just vote them o...
... Ah I see the issue
Problem is that the population dynamics mean that democracy could come to look to the young like being endlessly outvoted by the old, and then they won't feel like they have a say. So why not take a chance?
The age split in British politics is incredibly dangerous.
Which will end this time. How will that generation being outvoted for the first time in their lives play out?
Deliveroo rider bites off Aldershot customer's thumb
A food delivery driver who bit off a customer's thumb has pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm.
Jenniffer Rocha, 35, attacked the customer in December 2022 near his home in Aldershot in Hampshire.
She was not employed by Deliveroo, but had been working as a "substitute" rider using someone else's account.
The judge at Winchester Crown Court described it as a "serious offence", which could result in a prison sentence.
Deliveroo said it was an "awful incident", adding it had ended the rider's account.
One of the requirements of self employment is that your labour must be substitutable. So unless Deliveroo want to make them employees, they have to allow it. This, of course, is how so many illegal immigrants work for these services - technically the legal rider who owns the account is liable, but good luck ever finding out or enforcing it.
Ah interesting! I think an important unexplored aspect of illegal immigration is to come in very hard on employers like that.
Yes, it needs a sort of supercomplaint. Fines for people who employ people who employ people…
KYC works by saying that if you don’t do the due diligence and the account you opened for Mrs Miggins turns out to be really for the Admiral General of WhereTheFuckistan - still your problem.
So make Deliveroo responsible for ensuring that their employees aren’t playing such games.
Their 'fare share' being a donation to the Trump court fine fund pre-November 24?
Building up military capability in western Europe is the only way to contain Russia. European countries need to become active partners in NATO rather than just the beneficiaries of American protection. The latter may have been an acceptable arrangement to the US when there was no real threat from Russia but now the situation has changed in a number of ways.
When Trump just says things clearly like this, everyone understands. It also sounds good to his supporters. Foreign affairs is one way in which 'the establishment' is failing badly. IE: Ukraine being supported only to the point where there is a war of attrition that they gradually lose, with no end in sight or way out. Yet supporters of the war in Ukraine keep asserting that Trump will 'give up Ukraine' with no evidence to back this up.
Trump's supporters in Congress have blocked further US military support for several months now. That's pretty damn obvious.
A fair point, but I think they are arguing that it is the strategy they are opposed to, given the lack of gains for the past year. The position of Trump is that he is going to find a way of ending the war, which is a contrast to Biden who seems to have no plan.
Every day the Republicans find another talking point to avoid sending aid to Ukraine, without flat out coming and saying that they don't care if a democracy is conquered by a dictatorship, because they no longer value democracy.
It's been months and months and it's always one different excuse after another. First they had to deal with the overall budget first, then it had to be tied to the border, then it had to be bundled up with aid to Israel, then it had to not be, then a loan instead of a grant, now they need a strategy for winning the war, all the time they're going the right way about losing the war.
It's all disingenuous bullshit. There isn't, yet, a majority in Congress opposed to sending aid to Ukraine, but by ducking and weaving from one pettyfogging issue after another the minority can hold it up indefinitely.
Its almost as if there may have been ahem gifts to congressmen from certain foreign sources. Its all very interesting.
I'd almost be relieved if it was as mundane as that they'd been bought, but I think the truth is worse - they don't need to be bought, because they no longer believe in democracy.
If you believe in democracy you have to be prepared to accept that the people might disagree with you and you could lose elections. I don't think the Republicans believe that any more. It's not just Trump, it's also there in things like blocking Obama's Supreme Court pick.
Yes there is certainly the desire in the west especially amongst the young for a strong man dictator. For example i think there would be a substantial number of young people in the west in favour of dissolving Parliament and replacing it with a dictatorship. The times we live in im agraid.
Any polling evidence for this? What do you consider a substantial number? 2m, 200k, 200?
Plenty of polls support this. I am afraid it is true - young people are happy to abandon democracy the same way they are happy to abandon free speech
Okay, I believe you, but it would be good to see one of these polls.
“Younger people more likely to doubt merits of democracy – global poll
International study reveals 42% of people aged 18 to 35 supportive of military rule, against 20% of older respondents”
There’s this thing called “google”; you should try it
Where are the figures for western economies, which is what the OP claimed? This is a global poll, not a poll of western nations.
Oh Jesus fucking Christ go and google
I have. I can find polls that show American youngsters reject capitalism and that western youngsters want to live in socialist economic systems etc etc; yet I can’t find anything to back up the claim that young Westerners prefer dictatorships, which was the claim of the OP.
Check your facts.
“Young adults have dramatic loss of faith in UK democracy, survey reveals
Report says sidelining of parliament by Tory government has further eroded trust in political system”
Well given on current polls young people will get the Labour government they vote for and only pensioners will stick with the Tories, in 5 years time it may be over 65s getting disillusioned with UK democracy!
I’m in a hammock. Where does PB stand on hammocks? Do we have a consensus?
For me they are pleasant and agreeable but never QUITE as agreeable as they should be. Somehow. And it’s quite hard getting in and out of them without looking a tit
There. That’s my position on hammocks
Hello. Something of a hammock expert myself. Often used by hikers trying to go ultra-lightweight in countries with plenty of trees and/or very rough ground. Think California.
You must lie in them diagonally to get a decent night sleep. Do not attempt to engage in *activities*, even if the straps and hammock are rated for two. You might need to buy another sleeping mat or quilt to fit inside it properly, though you will lose less heat to the ground than in a tent.
It's easy to damage trees with them with extended use. Stripping the bark all the way around a trunk will kill the tree.
Compared with a good solo tent or tarp, hammocks usually end up being heavier. Where do you store your kit? How heavy are the straps? Mossie net? Tarp for rain cover? Do you need a floor length tarp for high winds?
Most importantly, it's tricky to get in and out of them, which makes the whole camping experience a bit awkward, IMO.
THIS is why i always come back to PB, despite my moaning
Their 'fare share' being a donation to the Trump court fine fund pre-November 24?
Building up military capability in western Europe is the only way to contain Russia. European countries need to become active partners in NATO rather than just the beneficiaries of American protection. The latter may have been an acceptable arrangement to the US when there was no real threat from Russia but now the situation has changed in a number of ways.
When Trump just says things clearly like this, everyone understands. It also sounds good to his supporters. Foreign affairs is one way in which 'the establishment' is failing badly. IE: Ukraine being supported only to the point where there is a war of attrition that they gradually lose, with no end in sight or way out. Yet supporters of the war in Ukraine keep asserting that Trump will 'give up Ukraine' with no evidence to back this up.
Trump's supporters in Congress have blocked further US military support for several months now. That's pretty damn obvious.
A fair point, but I think they are arguing that it is the strategy they are opposed to, given the lack of gains for the past year. The position of Trump is that he is going to find a way of ending the war, which is a contrast to Biden who seems to have no plan.
Every day the Republicans find another talking point to avoid sending aid to Ukraine, without flat out coming and saying that they don't care if a democracy is conquered by a dictatorship, because they no longer value democracy.
It's been months and months and it's always one different excuse after another. First they had to deal with the overall budget first, then it had to be tied to the border, then it had to be bundled up with aid to Israel, then it had to not be, then a loan instead of a grant, now they need a strategy for winning the war, all the time they're going the right way about losing the war.
It's all disingenuous bullshit. There isn't, yet, a majority in Congress opposed to sending aid to Ukraine, but by ducking and weaving from one pettyfogging issue after another the minority can hold it up indefinitely.
Its almost as if there may have been ahem gifts to congressmen from certain foreign sources. Its all very interesting.
I'd almost be relieved if it was as mundane as that they'd been bought, but I think the truth is worse - they don't need to be bought, because they no longer believe in democracy.
If you believe in democracy you have to be prepared to accept that the people might disagree with you and you could lose elections. I don't think the Republicans believe that any more. It's not just Trump, it's also there in things like blocking Obama's Supreme Court pick.
Yes there is certainly the desire in the west especially amongst the young for a strong man dictator. For example i think there would be a substantial number of young people in the west in favour of dissolving Parliament and replacing it with a dictatorship. The times we live in im agraid.
Any polling evidence for this? What do you consider a substantial number? 2m, 200k, 200?
Plenty of polls support this. I am afraid it is true - young people are happy to abandon democracy the same way they are happy to abandon free speech
Okay, I believe you, but it would be good to see one of these polls.
“Younger people more likely to doubt merits of democracy – global poll
International study reveals 42% of people aged 18 to 35 supportive of military rule, against 20% of older respondents”
There’s this thing called “google”; you should try it
Where are the figures for western economies, which is what the OP claimed? This is a global poll, not a poll of western nations.
Oh Jesus fucking Christ go and google
I have. I can find polls that show American youngsters reject capitalism and that western youngsters want to live in socialist economic systems etc etc; yet I can’t find anything to back up the claim that young Westerners prefer dictatorships, which was the claim of the OP.
Check your facts.
“Young adults have dramatic loss of faith in UK democracy, survey reveals
Report says sidelining of parliament by Tory government has further eroded trust in political system”
Their 'fare share' being a donation to the Trump court fine fund pre-November 24?
Building up military capability in western Europe is the only way to contain Russia. European countries need to become active partners in NATO rather than just the beneficiaries of American protection. The latter may have been an acceptable arrangement to the US when there was no real threat from Russia but now the situation has changed in a number of ways.
When Trump just says things clearly like this, everyone understands. It also sounds good to his supporters. Foreign affairs is one way in which 'the establishment' is failing badly. IE: Ukraine being supported only to the point where there is a war of attrition that they gradually lose, with no end in sight or way out. Yet supporters of the war in Ukraine keep asserting that Trump will 'give up Ukraine' with no evidence to back this up.
Trump's supporters in Congress have blocked further US military support for several months now. That's pretty damn obvious.
A fair point, but I think they are arguing that it is the strategy they are opposed to, given the lack of gains for the past year. The position of Trump is that he is going to find a way of ending the war, which is a contrast to Biden who seems to have no plan.
Every day the Republicans find another talking point to avoid sending aid to Ukraine, without flat out coming and saying that they don't care if a democracy is conquered by a dictatorship, because they no longer value democracy.
It's been months and months and it's always one different excuse after another. First they had to deal with the overall budget first, then it had to be tied to the border, then it had to be bundled up with aid to Israel, then it had to not be, then a loan instead of a grant, now they need a strategy for winning the war, all the time they're going the right way about losing the war.
It's all disingenuous bullshit. There isn't, yet, a majority in Congress opposed to sending aid to Ukraine, but by ducking and weaving from one pettyfogging issue after another the minority can hold it up indefinitely.
Its almost as if there may have been ahem gifts to congressmen from certain foreign sources. Its all very interesting.
I'd almost be relieved if it was as mundane as that they'd been bought, but I think the truth is worse - they don't need to be bought, because they no longer believe in democracy.
If you believe in democracy you have to be prepared to accept that the people might disagree with you and you could lose elections. I don't think the Republicans believe that any more. It's not just Trump, it's also there in things like blocking Obama's Supreme Court pick.
Yes there is certainly the desire in the west especially amongst the young for a strong man dictator. For example i think there would be a substantial number of young people in the west in favour of dissolving Parliament and replacing it with a dictatorship. The times we live in im agraid.
Any polling evidence for this? What do you consider a substantial number? 2m, 200k, 200?
Plenty of polls support this. I am afraid it is true - young people are happy to abandon democracy the same way they are happy to abandon free speech
Okay, I believe you, but it would be good to see one of these polls.
“Younger people more likely to doubt merits of democracy – global poll
International study reveals 42% of people aged 18 to 35 supportive of military rule, against 20% of older respondents”
Their 'fare share' being a donation to the Trump court fine fund pre-November 24?
Building up military capability in western Europe is the only way to contain Russia. European countries need to become active partners in NATO rather than just the beneficiaries of American protection. The latter may have been an acceptable arrangement to the US when there was no real threat from Russia but now the situation has changed in a number of ways.
When Trump just says things clearly like this, everyone understands. It also sounds good to his supporters. Foreign affairs is one way in which 'the establishment' is failing badly. IE: Ukraine being supported only to the point where there is a war of attrition that they gradually lose, with no end in sight or way out. Yet supporters of the war in Ukraine keep asserting that Trump will 'give up Ukraine' with no evidence to back this up.
Trump's supporters in Congress have blocked further US military support for several months now. That's pretty damn obvious.
A fair point, but I think they are arguing that it is the strategy they are opposed to, given the lack of gains for the past year. The position of Trump is that he is going to find a way of ending the war, which is a contrast to Biden who seems to have no plan.
Every day the Republicans find another talking point to avoid sending aid to Ukraine, without flat out coming and saying that they don't care if a democracy is conquered by a dictatorship, because they no longer value democracy.
It's been months and months and it's always one different excuse after another. First they had to deal with the overall budget first, then it had to be tied to the border, then it had to be bundled up with aid to Israel, then it had to not be, then a loan instead of a grant, now they need a strategy for winning the war, all the time they're going the right way about losing the war.
It's all disingenuous bullshit. There isn't, yet, a majority in Congress opposed to sending aid to Ukraine, but by ducking and weaving from one pettyfogging issue after another the minority can hold it up indefinitely.
Its almost as if there may have been ahem gifts to congressmen from certain foreign sources. Its all very interesting.
I'd almost be relieved if it was as mundane as that they'd been bought, but I think the truth is worse - they don't need to be bought, because they no longer believe in democracy.
If you believe in democracy you have to be prepared to accept that the people might disagree with you and you could lose elections. I don't think the Republicans believe that any more. It's not just Trump, it's also there in things like blocking Obama's Supreme Court pick.
Yes there is certainly the desire in the west especially amongst the young for a strong man dictator. For example i think there would be a substantial number of young people in the west in favour of dissolving Parliament and replacing it with a dictatorship. The times we live in im agraid.
Any polling evidence for this? What do you consider a substantial number? 2m, 200k, 200?
Plenty of polls support this. I am afraid it is true - young people are happy to abandon democracy the same way they are happy to abandon free speech
Okay, I believe you, but it would be good to see one of these polls.
“Younger people more likely to doubt merits of democracy – global poll
International study reveals 42% of people aged 18 to 35 supportive of military rule, against 20% of older respondents”
Their 'fare share' being a donation to the Trump court fine fund pre-November 24?
Building up military capability in western Europe is the only way to contain Russia. European countries need to become active partners in NATO rather than just the beneficiaries of American protection. The latter may have been an acceptable arrangement to the US when there was no real threat from Russia but now the situation has changed in a number of ways.
When Trump just says things clearly like this, everyone understands. It also sounds good to his supporters. Foreign affairs is one way in which 'the establishment' is failing badly. IE: Ukraine being supported only to the point where there is a war of attrition that they gradually lose, with no end in sight or way out. Yet supporters of the war in Ukraine keep asserting that Trump will 'give up Ukraine' with no evidence to back this up.
Trump's supporters in Congress have blocked further US military support for several months now. That's pretty damn obvious.
A fair point, but I think they are arguing that it is the strategy they are opposed to, given the lack of gains for the past year. The position of Trump is that he is going to find a way of ending the war, which is a contrast to Biden who seems to have no plan.
Every day the Republicans find another talking point to avoid sending aid to Ukraine, without flat out coming and saying that they don't care if a democracy is conquered by a dictatorship, because they no longer value democracy.
It's been months and months and it's always one different excuse after another. First they had to deal with the overall budget first, then it had to be tied to the border, then it had to be bundled up with aid to Israel, then it had to not be, then a loan instead of a grant, now they need a strategy for winning the war, all the time they're going the right way about losing the war.
It's all disingenuous bullshit. There isn't, yet, a majority in Congress opposed to sending aid to Ukraine, but by ducking and weaving from one pettyfogging issue after another the minority can hold it up indefinitely.
Its almost as if there may have been ahem gifts to congressmen from certain foreign sources. Its all very interesting.
I'd almost be relieved if it was as mundane as that they'd been bought, but I think the truth is worse - they don't need to be bought, because they no longer believe in democracy.
If you believe in democracy you have to be prepared to accept that the people might disagree with you and you could lose elections. I don't think the Republicans believe that any more. It's not just Trump, it's also there in things like blocking Obama's Supreme Court pick.
Yes there is certainly the desire in the west especially amongst the young for a strong man dictator. For example i think there would be a substantial number of young people in the west in favour of dissolving Parliament and replacing it with a dictatorship. The times we live in im agraid.
Any polling evidence for this? What do you consider a substantial number? 2m, 200k, 200?
Plenty of polls support this. I am afraid it is true - young people are happy to abandon democracy the same way they are happy to abandon free speech
Okay, I believe you, but it would be good to see one of these polls.
“Younger people more likely to doubt merits of democracy – global poll
International study reveals 42% of people aged 18 to 35 supportive of military rule, against 20% of older respondents”
There’s this thing called “google”; you should try it
Where are the figures for western economies, which is what the OP claimed? This is a global poll, not a poll of western nations.
Oh Jesus fucking Christ go and google
I have. I can find polls that show American youngsters reject capitalism and that western youngsters want to live in socialist economic systems etc etc; yet I can’t find anything to back up the claim that young Westerners prefer dictatorships, which was the claim of the OP.
Check your facts.
“Young adults have dramatic loss of faith in UK democracy, survey reveals
Report says sidelining of parliament by Tory government has further eroded trust in political system”
Glenn Kessler says there were six Trump bankruptcies: "Trump’s Taj Mahal opened in April 1990 in Atlantic City, but six months later, “defaulted on interest payments to bondholders as his finances went into a tailspin,” The Washington Post’s Robert O’Harrow found. In July 1991, Trump’s Taj Mahal filed for bankruptcy. He could not keep up with debts on two other Atlantic City casinos, and those two properties declared bankruptcy in 1992. A fourth property, the Plaza Hotel in New York, declared bankruptcy in 1992 after amassing debt.
(I recall reading, probably during the 2016 campaign, that he could have been forced into personal bankruptcy after the Atlantic City bankruptcies, but that creditors thought they would get more in the long run by not forcing that. Never checked the details, but that doesn't seem implausible.)
BBC reporter Sonja McLaughlan says that the TMZ video of the woman shopping this past weekend was a Kate Middleton lookalike, and "it's disturbing that newspapers are reporting this as fact."
Perhaps the client media believe if they can keep all this Kate s**** running 'til the election perhaps we will all forget that our mortgage repayments and car insurance have gone through the roof, our schools are falling down, food inflation has been astronomical and the health and social care service is on its knees, and we'll all rally round Kate and vote Conservative.
I think we are all part of the season highlight of The Apprentice, with one team handling Downing St's public relations, and the other one the Royal Family’s.
Their 'fare share' being a donation to the Trump court fine fund pre-November 24?
Building up military capability in western Europe is the only way to contain Russia. European countries need to become active partners in NATO rather than just the beneficiaries of American protection. The latter may have been an acceptable arrangement to the US when there was no real threat from Russia but now the situation has changed in a number of ways.
When Trump just says things clearly like this, everyone understands. It also sounds good to his supporters. Foreign affairs is one way in which 'the establishment' is failing badly. IE: Ukraine being supported only to the point where there is a war of attrition that they gradually lose, with no end in sight or way out. Yet supporters of the war in Ukraine keep asserting that Trump will 'give up Ukraine' with no evidence to back this up.
Trump's supporters in Congress have blocked further US military support for several months now. That's pretty damn obvious.
A fair point, but I think they are arguing that it is the strategy they are opposed to, given the lack of gains for the past year. The position of Trump is that he is going to find a way of ending the war, which is a contrast to Biden who seems to have no plan.
Every day the Republicans find another talking point to avoid sending aid to Ukraine, without flat out coming and saying that they don't care if a democracy is conquered by a dictatorship, because they no longer value democracy.
It's been months and months and it's always one different excuse after another. First they had to deal with the overall budget first, then it had to be tied to the border, then it had to be bundled up with aid to Israel, then it had to not be, then a loan instead of a grant, now they need a strategy for winning the war, all the time they're going the right way about losing the war.
It's all disingenuous bullshit. There isn't, yet, a majority in Congress opposed to sending aid to Ukraine, but by ducking and weaving from one pettyfogging issue after another the minority can hold it up indefinitely.
Its almost as if there may have been ahem gifts to congressmen from certain foreign sources. Its all very interesting.
I'd almost be relieved if it was as mundane as that they'd been bought, but I think the truth is worse - they don't need to be bought, because they no longer believe in democracy.
If you believe in democracy you have to be prepared to accept that the people might disagree with you and you could lose elections. I don't think the Republicans believe that any more. It's not just Trump, it's also there in things like blocking Obama's Supreme Court pick.
Yes there is certainly the desire in the west especially amongst the young for a strong man dictator. For example i think there would be a substantial number of young people in the west in favour of dissolving Parliament and replacing it with a dictatorship. The times we live in im agraid.
Any polling evidence for this? What do you consider a substantial number? 2m, 200k, 200?
Plenty of polls support this. I am afraid it is true - young people are happy to abandon democracy the same way they are happy to abandon free speech
Okay, I believe you, but it would be good to see one of these polls.
“Younger people more likely to doubt merits of democracy – global poll
International study reveals 42% of people aged 18 to 35 supportive of military rule, against 20% of older respondents”
There’s this thing called “google”; you should try it
Where are the figures for western economies, which is what the OP claimed? This is a global poll, not a poll of western nations.
Oh Jesus fucking Christ go and google
I have. I can find polls that show American youngsters reject capitalism and that western youngsters want to live in socialist economic systems etc etc; yet I can’t find anything to back up the claim that young Westerners prefer dictatorships, which was the claim of the OP.
Check your facts.
“Young adults have dramatic loss of faith in UK democracy, survey reveals
Report says sidelining of parliament by Tory government has further eroded trust in political system”
Their 'fare share' being a donation to the Trump court fine fund pre-November 24?
Building up military capability in western Europe is the only way to contain Russia. European countries need to become active partners in NATO rather than just the beneficiaries of American protection. The latter may have been an acceptable arrangement to the US when there was no real threat from Russia but now the situation has changed in a number of ways.
When Trump just says things clearly like this, everyone understands. It also sounds good to his supporters. Foreign affairs is one way in which 'the establishment' is failing badly. IE: Ukraine being supported only to the point where there is a war of attrition that they gradually lose, with no end in sight or way out. Yet supporters of the war in Ukraine keep asserting that Trump will 'give up Ukraine' with no evidence to back this up.
Trump's supporters in Congress have blocked further US military support for several months now. That's pretty damn obvious.
A fair point, but I think they are arguing that it is the strategy they are opposed to, given the lack of gains for the past year. The position of Trump is that he is going to find a way of ending the war, which is a contrast to Biden who seems to have no plan.
Every day the Republicans find another talking point to avoid sending aid to Ukraine, without flat out coming and saying that they don't care if a democracy is conquered by a dictatorship, because they no longer value democracy.
It's been months and months and it's always one different excuse after another. First they had to deal with the overall budget first, then it had to be tied to the border, then it had to be bundled up with aid to Israel, then it had to not be, then a loan instead of a grant, now they need a strategy for winning the war, all the time they're going the right way about losing the war.
It's all disingenuous bullshit. There isn't, yet, a majority in Congress opposed to sending aid to Ukraine, but by ducking and weaving from one pettyfogging issue after another the minority can hold it up indefinitely.
Its almost as if there may have been ahem gifts to congressmen from certain foreign sources. Its all very interesting.
I'd almost be relieved if it was as mundane as that they'd been bought, but I think the truth is worse - they don't need to be bought, because they no longer believe in democracy.
If you believe in democracy you have to be prepared to accept that the people might disagree with you and you could lose elections. I don't think the Republicans believe that any more. It's not just Trump, it's also there in things like blocking Obama's Supreme Court pick.
Yes there is certainly the desire in the west especially amongst the young for a strong man dictator. For example i think there would be a substantial number of young people in the west in favour of dissolving Parliament and replacing it with a dictatorship. The times we live in im agraid.
Any polling evidence for this? What do you consider a substantial number? 2m, 200k, 200?
Plenty of polls support this. I am afraid it is true - young people are happy to abandon democracy the same way they are happy to abandon free speech
Okay, I believe you, but it would be good to see one of these polls.
“Younger people more likely to doubt merits of democracy – global poll
International study reveals 42% of people aged 18 to 35 supportive of military rule, against 20% of older respondents”
There’s this thing called “google”; you should try it
Yet still '57% of respondents aged 18 to 35 felt democracy was preferable to any other form of government'
Indeed, and as I have pointed out that’s a global poll in any case, not a poll of western democracies. All rather different to the original claim, but @Leon ‘s grasp of statistics isn’t the best.
Their 'fare share' being a donation to the Trump court fine fund pre-November 24?
Building up military capability in western Europe is the only way to contain Russia. European countries need to become active partners in NATO rather than just the beneficiaries of American protection. The latter may have been an acceptable arrangement to the US when there was no real threat from Russia but now the situation has changed in a number of ways.
When Trump just says things clearly like this, everyone understands. It also sounds good to his supporters. Foreign affairs is one way in which 'the establishment' is failing badly. IE: Ukraine being supported only to the point where there is a war of attrition that they gradually lose, with no end in sight or way out. Yet supporters of the war in Ukraine keep asserting that Trump will 'give up Ukraine' with no evidence to back this up.
Trump's supporters in Congress have blocked further US military support for several months now. That's pretty damn obvious.
A fair point, but I think they are arguing that it is the strategy they are opposed to, given the lack of gains for the past year. The position of Trump is that he is going to find a way of ending the war, which is a contrast to Biden who seems to have no plan.
Every day the Republicans find another talking point to avoid sending aid to Ukraine, without flat out coming and saying that they don't care if a democracy is conquered by a dictatorship, because they no longer value democracy.
It's been months and months and it's always one different excuse after another. First they had to deal with the overall budget first, then it had to be tied to the border, then it had to be bundled up with aid to Israel, then it had to not be, then a loan instead of a grant, now they need a strategy for winning the war, all the time they're going the right way about losing the war.
It's all disingenuous bullshit. There isn't, yet, a majority in Congress opposed to sending aid to Ukraine, but by ducking and weaving from one pettyfogging issue after another the minority can hold it up indefinitely.
Its almost as if there may have been ahem gifts to congressmen from certain foreign sources. Its all very interesting.
I'd almost be relieved if it was as mundane as that they'd been bought, but I think the truth is worse - they don't need to be bought, because they no longer believe in democracy.
If you believe in democracy you have to be prepared to accept that the people might disagree with you and you could lose elections. I don't think the Republicans believe that any more. It's not just Trump, it's also there in things like blocking Obama's Supreme Court pick.
Yes there is certainly the desire in the west especially amongst the young for a strong man dictator. For example i think there would be a substantial number of young people in the west in favour of dissolving Parliament and replacing it with a dictatorship. The times we live in im agraid.
Any polling evidence for this? What do you consider a substantial number? 2m, 200k, 200?
Plenty of polls support this. I am afraid it is true - young people are happy to abandon democracy the same way they are happy to abandon free speech
Okay, I believe you, but it would be good to see one of these polls.
“Younger people more likely to doubt merits of democracy – global poll
International study reveals 42% of people aged 18 to 35 supportive of military rule, against 20% of older respondents”
There’s this thing called “google”; you should try it
Where are the figures for western economies, which is what the OP claimed? This is a global poll, not a poll of western nations.
Oh Jesus fucking Christ go and google
I have. I can find polls that show American youngsters reject capitalism and that western youngsters want to live in socialist economic systems etc etc; yet I can’t find anything to back up the claim that young Westerners prefer dictatorships, which was the claim of the OP.
Check your facts.
“Young adults have dramatic loss of faith in UK democracy, survey reveals
Report says sidelining of parliament by Tory government has further eroded trust in political system”
That’s nothing like the same as the OP claim, which was they prefer a dictatorship.
Except the brilliant @Truman never said what you claim
He said “a substantial number of young people in the west” would prefer a strongman dictator. As you rightly responded, WHAT constitutes a substantial number is a fairly salient query to this, however taking these polls of global and UK youth i would say there is evidence there might well be a “substantial number” of young Brits who now think “Fuck it, China does OK, so does Abu Dhabi and Singapore, just get a tyrant to fix things”
Indeed some days I think that myself. Don’t we all, from time to time?
Their 'fare share' being a donation to the Trump court fine fund pre-November 24?
Building up military capability in western Europe is the only way to contain Russia. European countries need to become active partners in NATO rather than just the beneficiaries of American protection. The latter may have been an acceptable arrangement to the US when there was no real threat from Russia but now the situation has changed in a number of ways.
When Trump just says things clearly like this, everyone understands. It also sounds good to his supporters. Foreign affairs is one way in which 'the establishment' is failing badly. IE: Ukraine being supported only to the point where there is a war of attrition that they gradually lose, with no end in sight or way out. Yet supporters of the war in Ukraine keep asserting that Trump will 'give up Ukraine' with no evidence to back this up.
Trump's supporters in Congress have blocked further US military support for several months now. That's pretty damn obvious.
A fair point, but I think they are arguing that it is the strategy they are opposed to, given the lack of gains for the past year. The position of Trump is that he is going to find a way of ending the war, which is a contrast to Biden who seems to have no plan.
Every day the Republicans find another talking point to avoid sending aid to Ukraine, without flat out coming and saying that they don't care if a democracy is conquered by a dictatorship, because they no longer value democracy.
It's been months and months and it's always one different excuse after another. First they had to deal with the overall budget first, then it had to be tied to the border, then it had to be bundled up with aid to Israel, then it had to not be, then a loan instead of a grant, now they need a strategy for winning the war, all the time they're going the right way about losing the war.
It's all disingenuous bullshit. There isn't, yet, a majority in Congress opposed to sending aid to Ukraine, but by ducking and weaving from one pettyfogging issue after another the minority can hold it up indefinitely.
Its almost as if there may have been ahem gifts to congressmen from certain foreign sources. Its all very interesting.
I'd almost be relieved if it was as mundane as that they'd been bought, but I think the truth is worse - they don't need to be bought, because they no longer believe in democracy.
If you believe in democracy you have to be prepared to accept that the people might disagree with you and you could lose elections. I don't think the Republicans believe that any more. It's not just Trump, it's also there in things like blocking Obama's Supreme Court pick.
Yes there is certainly the desire in the west especially amongst the young for a strong man dictator. For example i think there would be a substantial number of young people in the west in favour of dissolving Parliament and replacing it with a dictatorship. The times we live in im agraid.
Any polling evidence for this? What do you consider a substantial number? 2m, 200k, 200?
Plenty of polls support this. I am afraid it is true - young people are happy to abandon democracy the same way they are happy to abandon free speech
Okay, I believe you, but it would be good to see one of these polls.
“Younger people more likely to doubt merits of democracy – global poll
International study reveals 42% of people aged 18 to 35 supportive of military rule, against 20% of older respondents”
There’s this thing called “google”; you should try it
Where are the figures for western economies, which is what the OP claimed? This is a global poll, not a poll of western nations.
Oh Jesus fucking Christ go and google
I have. I can find polls that show American youngsters reject capitalism and that western youngsters want to live in socialist economic systems etc etc; yet I can’t find anything to back up the claim that young Westerners prefer dictatorships, which was the claim of the OP.
Check your facts.
“Young adults have dramatic loss of faith in UK democracy, survey reveals
Report says sidelining of parliament by Tory government has further eroded trust in political system”
Well given on current polls young people will get the Labour government they vote for and only pensioners will stick with the Tories, in 5 years time it may be over 65s getting disillusioned with UK democracy!
No chance Starmer will take on boomers. Look at the hysterical reaction to the NICs cut - "A tax cut for millennials, not for hardworking retired BTL landlords! HUNT IS A DISGRACE"
Their 'fare share' being a donation to the Trump court fine fund pre-November 24?
Building up military capability in western Europe is the only way to contain Russia. European countries need to become active partners in NATO rather than just the beneficiaries of American protection. The latter may have been an acceptable arrangement to the US when there was no real threat from Russia but now the situation has changed in a number of ways.
When Trump just says things clearly like this, everyone understands. It also sounds good to his supporters. Foreign affairs is one way in which 'the establishment' is failing badly. IE: Ukraine being supported only to the point where there is a war of attrition that they gradually lose, with no end in sight or way out. Yet supporters of the war in Ukraine keep asserting that Trump will 'give up Ukraine' with no evidence to back this up.
Trump's supporters in Congress have blocked further US military support for several months now. That's pretty damn obvious.
A fair point, but I think they are arguing that it is the strategy they are opposed to, given the lack of gains for the past year. The position of Trump is that he is going to find a way of ending the war, which is a contrast to Biden who seems to have no plan.
Every day the Republicans find another talking point to avoid sending aid to Ukraine, without flat out coming and saying that they don't care if a democracy is conquered by a dictatorship, because they no longer value democracy.
It's been months and months and it's always one different excuse after another. First they had to deal with the overall budget first, then it had to be tied to the border, then it had to be bundled up with aid to Israel, then it had to not be, then a loan instead of a grant, now they need a strategy for winning the war, all the time they're going the right way about losing the war.
It's all disingenuous bullshit. There isn't, yet, a majority in Congress opposed to sending aid to Ukraine, but by ducking and weaving from one pettyfogging issue after another the minority can hold it up indefinitely.
Its almost as if there may have been ahem gifts to congressmen from certain foreign sources. Its all very interesting.
I'd almost be relieved if it was as mundane as that they'd been bought, but I think the truth is worse - they don't need to be bought, because they no longer believe in democracy.
If you believe in democracy you have to be prepared to accept that the people might disagree with you and you could lose elections. I don't think the Republicans believe that any more. It's not just Trump, it's also there in things like blocking Obama's Supreme Court pick.
Yes there is certainly the desire in the west especially amongst the young for a strong man dictator. For example i think there would be a substantial number of young people in the west in favour of dissolving Parliament and replacing it with a dictatorship. The times we live in im agraid.
Here's the thing:
People want a strong man dictator who agrees with them. They're not so keen on strong men dictators with different views.
It's fine if they don't like them the can just vote them o...
... Ah I see the issue
Problem is that the population dynamics mean that democracy could come to look to the young like being endlessly outvoted by the old, and then they won't feel like they have a say. So why not take a chance?
The age split in British politics is incredibly dangerous.
See the notion of "the last generation" in China.
Good to see young people saying f*** you to the system. Even if they aren't doing it exactly the way I'd choose if I had my way. *Shakes stick*.
Last year, a video went viral in China showing a young man who refused to be taken into a quarantine camp being warned by police that his punishment would affect his family for three generations. He coolly retorted: “We are the last generation, thank you.”
The phrase became a popular online meme and the hashtag #thelastgeneration generated millions of comments before it was censored. Many said the abuse of rights under draconian Covid policies had put them off having children.
“In this country, to love your child is to never let him be born in the first place,” read one comment."
Their 'fare share' being a donation to the Trump court fine fund pre-November 24?
Building up military capability in western Europe is the only way to contain Russia. European countries need to become active partners in NATO rather than just the beneficiaries of American protection. The latter may have been an acceptable arrangement to the US when there was no real threat from Russia but now the situation has changed in a number of ways.
When Trump just says things clearly like this, everyone understands. It also sounds good to his supporters. Foreign affairs is one way in which 'the establishment' is failing badly. IE: Ukraine being supported only to the point where there is a war of attrition that they gradually lose, with no end in sight or way out. Yet supporters of the war in Ukraine keep asserting that Trump will 'give up Ukraine' with no evidence to back this up.
Trump's supporters in Congress have blocked further US military support for several months now. That's pretty damn obvious.
A fair point, but I think they are arguing that it is the strategy they are opposed to, given the lack of gains for the past year. The position of Trump is that he is going to find a way of ending the war, which is a contrast to Biden who seems to have no plan.
Every day the Republicans find another talking point to avoid sending aid to Ukraine, without flat out coming and saying that they don't care if a democracy is conquered by a dictatorship, because they no longer value democracy.
It's been months and months and it's always one different excuse after another. First they had to deal with the overall budget first, then it had to be tied to the border, then it had to be bundled up with aid to Israel, then it had to not be, then a loan instead of a grant, now they need a strategy for winning the war, all the time they're going the right way about losing the war.
It's all disingenuous bullshit. There isn't, yet, a majority in Congress opposed to sending aid to Ukraine, but by ducking and weaving from one pettyfogging issue after another the minority can hold it up indefinitely.
Its almost as if there may have been ahem gifts to congressmen from certain foreign sources. Its all very interesting.
I'd almost be relieved if it was as mundane as that they'd been bought, but I think the truth is worse - they don't need to be bought, because they no longer believe in democracy.
If you believe in democracy you have to be prepared to accept that the people might disagree with you and you could lose elections. I don't think the Republicans believe that any more. It's not just Trump, it's also there in things like blocking Obama's Supreme Court pick.
Yes there is certainly the desire in the west especially amongst the young for a strong man dictator. For example i think there would be a substantial number of young people in the west in favour of dissolving Parliament and replacing it with a dictatorship. The times we live in im agraid.
Any polling evidence for this? What do you consider a substantial number? 2m, 200k, 200?
Plenty of polls support this. I am afraid it is true - young people are happy to abandon democracy the same way they are happy to abandon free speech
Okay, I believe you, but it would be good to see one of these polls.
“Younger people more likely to doubt merits of democracy – global poll
International study reveals 42% of people aged 18 to 35 supportive of military rule, against 20% of older respondents”
There’s this thing called “google”; you should try it
Yes this is related to the fact that many of the young are economically struggling.
And also because they are considerably stupider than their parents and grandparents. The IQ drop - the Reverse Flynn Effect - is now palpable and affecting human society. I hope the AI hurries up and gets sentient quick
This may be due to the fact the higher iq part of the population aint breeding much now. Dysgenics in action.
Their 'fare share' being a donation to the Trump court fine fund pre-November 24?
Building up military capability in western Europe is the only way to contain Russia. European countries need to become active partners in NATO rather than just the beneficiaries of American protection. The latter may have been an acceptable arrangement to the US when there was no real threat from Russia but now the situation has changed in a number of ways.
When Trump just says things clearly like this, everyone understands. It also sounds good to his supporters. Foreign affairs is one way in which 'the establishment' is failing badly. IE: Ukraine being supported only to the point where there is a war of attrition that they gradually lose, with no end in sight or way out. Yet supporters of the war in Ukraine keep asserting that Trump will 'give up Ukraine' with no evidence to back this up.
Trump's supporters in Congress have blocked further US military support for several months now. That's pretty damn obvious.
A fair point, but I think they are arguing that it is the strategy they are opposed to, given the lack of gains for the past year. The position of Trump is that he is going to find a way of ending the war, which is a contrast to Biden who seems to have no plan.
Every day the Republicans find another talking point to avoid sending aid to Ukraine, without flat out coming and saying that they don't care if a democracy is conquered by a dictatorship, because they no longer value democracy.
It's been months and months and it's always one different excuse after another. First they had to deal with the overall budget first, then it had to be tied to the border, then it had to be bundled up with aid to Israel, then it had to not be, then a loan instead of a grant, now they need a strategy for winning the war, all the time they're going the right way about losing the war.
It's all disingenuous bullshit. There isn't, yet, a majority in Congress opposed to sending aid to Ukraine, but by ducking and weaving from one pettyfogging issue after another the minority can hold it up indefinitely.
Its almost as if there may have been ahem gifts to congressmen from certain foreign sources. Its all very interesting.
I'd almost be relieved if it was as mundane as that they'd been bought, but I think the truth is worse - they don't need to be bought, because they no longer believe in democracy.
If you believe in democracy you have to be prepared to accept that the people might disagree with you and you could lose elections. I don't think the Republicans believe that any more. It's not just Trump, it's also there in things like blocking Obama's Supreme Court pick.
Yes there is certainly the desire in the west especially amongst the young for a strong man dictator. For example i think there would be a substantial number of young people in the west in favour of dissolving Parliament and replacing it with a dictatorship. The times we live in im agraid.
Any polling evidence for this? What do you consider a substantial number? 2m, 200k, 200?
Plenty of polls support this. I am afraid it is true - young people are happy to abandon democracy the same way they are happy to abandon free speech
Okay, I believe you, but it would be good to see one of these polls.
“Younger people more likely to doubt merits of democracy – global poll
International study reveals 42% of people aged 18 to 35 supportive of military rule, against 20% of older respondents”
There’s this thing called “google”; you should try it
Where are the figures for western economies, which is what the OP claimed? This is a global poll, not a poll of western nations.
Oh Jesus fucking Christ go and google
I have. I can find polls that show American youngsters reject capitalism and that western youngsters want to live in socialist economic systems etc etc; yet I can’t find anything to back up the claim that young Westerners prefer dictatorships, which was the claim of the OP.
Check your facts.
“Young adults have dramatic loss of faith in UK democracy, survey reveals
Report says sidelining of parliament by Tory government has further eroded trust in political system”
That’s nothing like the same as the OP claim, which was they prefer a dictatorship.
Except the brilliant @Truman never said what you claim
He said “a substantial number of young people in the west” would prefer a strongman dictator. As you rightly responded, WHAT constitutes a substantial number is a fairly salient query to this, however taking these polls of global and UK youth i would say there is evidence there might well be a “substantial number” of young Brits who now think “Fuck it, China does OK, so does Abu Dhabi and Singapore, just get a tyrant to fix things”
Indeed some days I think that myself. Don’t we all, from time to time?
An unquantified number of youngsters, that an anonymous bloke on the internet claims is “substantial”, might fancy a strongman dictator, when the mood takes them, on some days, in an unidentified western nation, at an indeterminate point in the future.
Their 'fare share' being a donation to the Trump court fine fund pre-November 24?
Building up military capability in western Europe is the only way to contain Russia. European countries need to become active partners in NATO rather than just the beneficiaries of American protection. The latter may have been an acceptable arrangement to the US when there was no real threat from Russia but now the situation has changed in a number of ways.
When Trump just says things clearly like this, everyone understands. It also sounds good to his supporters. Foreign affairs is one way in which 'the establishment' is failing badly. IE: Ukraine being supported only to the point where there is a war of attrition that they gradually lose, with no end in sight or way out. Yet supporters of the war in Ukraine keep asserting that Trump will 'give up Ukraine' with no evidence to back this up.
Trump's supporters in Congress have blocked further US military support for several months now. That's pretty damn obvious.
A fair point, but I think they are arguing that it is the strategy they are opposed to, given the lack of gains for the past year. The position of Trump is that he is going to find a way of ending the war, which is a contrast to Biden who seems to have no plan.
Every day the Republicans find another talking point to avoid sending aid to Ukraine, without flat out coming and saying that they don't care if a democracy is conquered by a dictatorship, because they no longer value democracy.
It's been months and months and it's always one different excuse after another. First they had to deal with the overall budget first, then it had to be tied to the border, then it had to be bundled up with aid to Israel, then it had to not be, then a loan instead of a grant, now they need a strategy for winning the war, all the time they're going the right way about losing the war.
It's all disingenuous bullshit. There isn't, yet, a majority in Congress opposed to sending aid to Ukraine, but by ducking and weaving from one pettyfogging issue after another the minority can hold it up indefinitely.
Its almost as if there may have been ahem gifts to congressmen from certain foreign sources. Its all very interesting.
I'd almost be relieved if it was as mundane as that they'd been bought, but I think the truth is worse - they don't need to be bought, because they no longer believe in democracy.
If you believe in democracy you have to be prepared to accept that the people might disagree with you and you could lose elections. I don't think the Republicans believe that any more. It's not just Trump, it's also there in things like blocking Obama's Supreme Court pick.
Yes there is certainly the desire in the west especially amongst the young for a strong man dictator. For example i think there would be a substantial number of young people in the west in favour of dissolving Parliament and replacing it with a dictatorship. The times we live in im agraid.
Any polling evidence for this? What do you consider a substantial number? 2m, 200k, 200?
Plenty of polls support this. I am afraid it is true - young people are happy to abandon democracy the same way they are happy to abandon free speech
Okay, I believe you, but it would be good to see one of these polls.
“Younger people more likely to doubt merits of democracy – global poll
International study reveals 42% of people aged 18 to 35 supportive of military rule, against 20% of older respondents”
There’s this thing called “google”; you should try it
Where are the figures for western economies, which is what the OP claimed? This is a global poll, not a poll of western nations.
Oh Jesus fucking Christ go and google
I have. I can find polls that show American youngsters reject capitalism and that western youngsters want to live in socialist economic systems etc etc; yet I can’t find anything to back up the claim that young Westerners prefer dictatorships, which was the claim of the OP.
Check your facts.
“Young adults have dramatic loss of faith in UK democracy, survey reveals
Report says sidelining of parliament by Tory government has further eroded trust in political system”
Turnout at US Presidential elections looks historically to be shockingly low if wikipedia is accurate. What more would be needed to get some people to the polls?
One free fun for every filled in ballot?
From memory you do have to be careful to compare like with like. Isn’t our turnout percentage of the electoral roll that actually vote? Whereas that one looks like percentage of eligible voters.
I did wonder about that, I find it hard to believe it's simply that they are more apathetic, the US sometimes has too much democracy after all, they don't shy away from it (until Trump came along).
I asked this question of a famous US elections expert when he was on some BBC programme, I think before the 1996 election, back when you had to phone questions in, rather than email or text them.
Part of the answer he gave was that the Federal government is pretty distant from a lot of people.
I also think that the electoral college has an impact. It would be hard to think of a system that was better designed to depress turnout, as voting in lots of states is essentially pointless. Is there really any point in voting in California, New York or Texas? And so, unsurprisingly, we see that turnout is lower in those states than in Florida, Pennsylvania, Michigan or Wisconsin.
The turnout in Pennsylvania was a very respectable 76.5% in 2020.
Their 'fare share' being a donation to the Trump court fine fund pre-November 24?
Building up military capability in western Europe is the only way to contain Russia. European countries need to become active partners in NATO rather than just the beneficiaries of American protection. The latter may have been an acceptable arrangement to the US when there was no real threat from Russia but now the situation has changed in a number of ways.
When Trump just says things clearly like this, everyone understands. It also sounds good to his supporters. Foreign affairs is one way in which 'the establishment' is failing badly. IE: Ukraine being supported only to the point where there is a war of attrition that they gradually lose, with no end in sight or way out. Yet supporters of the war in Ukraine keep asserting that Trump will 'give up Ukraine' with no evidence to back this up.
Trump's supporters in Congress have blocked further US military support for several months now. That's pretty damn obvious.
A fair point, but I think they are arguing that it is the strategy they are opposed to, given the lack of gains for the past year. The position of Trump is that he is going to find a way of ending the war, which is a contrast to Biden who seems to have no plan.
Every day the Republicans find another talking point to avoid sending aid to Ukraine, without flat out coming and saying that they don't care if a democracy is conquered by a dictatorship, because they no longer value democracy.
It's been months and months and it's always one different excuse after another. First they had to deal with the overall budget first, then it had to be tied to the border, then it had to be bundled up with aid to Israel, then it had to not be, then a loan instead of a grant, now they need a strategy for winning the war, all the time they're going the right way about losing the war.
It's all disingenuous bullshit. There isn't, yet, a majority in Congress opposed to sending aid to Ukraine, but by ducking and weaving from one pettyfogging issue after another the minority can hold it up indefinitely.
Its almost as if there may have been ahem gifts to congressmen from certain foreign sources. Its all very interesting.
I'd almost be relieved if it was as mundane as that they'd been bought, but I think the truth is worse - they don't need to be bought, because they no longer believe in democracy.
If you believe in democracy you have to be prepared to accept that the people might disagree with you and you could lose elections. I don't think the Republicans believe that any more. It's not just Trump, it's also there in things like blocking Obama's Supreme Court pick.
Yes there is certainly the desire in the west especially amongst the young for a strong man dictator. For example i think there would be a substantial number of young people in the west in favour of dissolving Parliament and replacing it with a dictatorship. The times we live in im agraid.
Any polling evidence for this? What do you consider a substantial number? 2m, 200k, 200?
Plenty of polls support this. I am afraid it is true - young people are happy to abandon democracy the same way they are happy to abandon free speech
Okay, I believe you, but it would be good to see one of these polls.
“Younger people more likely to doubt merits of democracy – global poll
International study reveals 42% of people aged 18 to 35 supportive of military rule, against 20% of older respondents”
There’s this thing called “google”; you should try it
Where are the figures for western economies, which is what the OP claimed? This is a global poll, not a poll of western nations.
Oh Jesus fucking Christ go and google
I have. I can find polls that show American youngsters reject capitalism and that western youngsters want to live in socialist economic systems etc etc; yet I can’t find anything to back up the claim that young Westerners prefer dictatorships, which was the claim of the OP.
Check your facts.
“Young adults have dramatic loss of faith in UK democracy, survey reveals
Report says sidelining of parliament by Tory government has further eroded trust in political system”
That’s nothing like the same as the OP claim, which was they prefer a dictatorship.
Except the brilliant @Truman never said what you claim
He said “a substantial number of young people in the west” would prefer a strongman dictator. As you rightly responded, WHAT constitutes a substantial number is a fairly salient query to this, however taking these polls of global and UK youth i would say there is evidence there might well be a “substantial number” of young Brits who now think “Fuck it, China does OK, so does Abu Dhabi and Singapore, just get a tyrant to fix things”
Indeed some days I think that myself. Don’t we all, from time to time?
Their 'fare share' being a donation to the Trump court fine fund pre-November 24?
Building up military capability in western Europe is the only way to contain Russia. European countries need to become active partners in NATO rather than just the beneficiaries of American protection. The latter may have been an acceptable arrangement to the US when there was no real threat from Russia but now the situation has changed in a number of ways.
When Trump just says things clearly like this, everyone understands. It also sounds good to his supporters. Foreign affairs is one way in which 'the establishment' is failing badly. IE: Ukraine being supported only to the point where there is a war of attrition that they gradually lose, with no end in sight or way out. Yet supporters of the war in Ukraine keep asserting that Trump will 'give up Ukraine' with no evidence to back this up.
Trump's supporters in Congress have blocked further US military support for several months now. That's pretty damn obvious.
A fair point, but I think they are arguing that it is the strategy they are opposed to, given the lack of gains for the past year. The position of Trump is that he is going to find a way of ending the war, which is a contrast to Biden who seems to have no plan.
Every day the Republicans find another talking point to avoid sending aid to Ukraine, without flat out coming and saying that they don't care if a democracy is conquered by a dictatorship, because they no longer value democracy.
It's been months and months and it's always one different excuse after another. First they had to deal with the overall budget first, then it had to be tied to the border, then it had to be bundled up with aid to Israel, then it had to not be, then a loan instead of a grant, now they need a strategy for winning the war, all the time they're going the right way about losing the war.
It's all disingenuous bullshit. There isn't, yet, a majority in Congress opposed to sending aid to Ukraine, but by ducking and weaving from one pettyfogging issue after another the minority can hold it up indefinitely.
Its almost as if there may have been ahem gifts to congressmen from certain foreign sources. Its all very interesting.
I'd almost be relieved if it was as mundane as that they'd been bought, but I think the truth is worse - they don't need to be bought, because they no longer believe in democracy.
If you believe in democracy you have to be prepared to accept that the people might disagree with you and you could lose elections. I don't think the Republicans believe that any more. It's not just Trump, it's also there in things like blocking Obama's Supreme Court pick.
Yes there is certainly the desire in the west especially amongst the young for a strong man dictator. For example i think there would be a substantial number of young people in the west in favour of dissolving Parliament and replacing it with a dictatorship. The times we live in im agraid.
Any polling evidence for this? What do you consider a substantial number? 2m, 200k, 200?
Plenty of polls support this. I am afraid it is true - young people are happy to abandon democracy the same way they are happy to abandon free speech
Okay, I believe you, but it would be good to see one of these polls.
“Younger people more likely to doubt merits of democracy – global poll
International study reveals 42% of people aged 18 to 35 supportive of military rule, against 20% of older respondents”
There’s this thing called “google”; you should try it
Where are the figures for western economies, which is what the OP claimed? This is a global poll, not a poll of western nations.
Oh Jesus fucking Christ go and google
I have. I can find polls that show American youngsters reject capitalism and that western youngsters want to live in socialist economic systems etc etc; yet I can’t find anything to back up the claim that young Westerners prefer dictatorships, which was the claim of the OP.
Check your facts.
“Young adults have dramatic loss of faith in UK democracy, survey reveals
Report says sidelining of parliament by Tory government has further eroded trust in political system”
That’s nothing like the same as the OP claim, which was they prefer a dictatorship.
Except the brilliant @Truman never said what you claim
He said “a substantial number of young people in the west” would prefer a strongman dictator. As you rightly responded, WHAT constitutes a substantial number is a fairly salient query to this, however taking these polls of global and UK youth i would say there is evidence there might well be a “substantial number” of young Brits who now think “Fuck it, China does OK, so does Abu Dhabi and Singapore, just get a tyrant to fix things”
Indeed some days I think that myself. Don’t we all, from time to time?
An unquantified number of youngsters, that an anonymous bloke on the internet claims is “substantial”, might fancy a strongman dictator, when the mood takes them, on some days, in an unidentified western nation, at an indeterminate point in the future.
Glad we cleared that up.
You were the one misquoting him to claim a pointless victory in this debate. Stop it
Turnout at US Presidential elections looks historically to be shockingly low if wikipedia is accurate. What more would be needed to get some people to the polls?
One free fun for every filled in ballot?
From memory you do have to be careful to compare like with like. Isn’t our turnout percentage of the electoral roll that actually vote? Whereas that one looks like percentage of eligible voters.
I did wonder about that, I find it hard to believe it's simply that they are more apathetic, the US sometimes has too much democracy after all, they don't shy away from it (until Trump came along).
I asked this question of a famous US elections expert when he was on some BBC programme, I think before the 1996 election, back when you had to phone questions in, rather than email or text them.
Part of the answer he gave was that the Federal government is pretty distant from a lot of people.
I also think that the electoral college has an impact. It would be hard to think of a system that was better designed to depress turnout, as voting in lots of states is essentially pointless. Is there really any point in voting in California, New York or Texas? And so, unsurprisingly, we see that turnout is lower in those states than in Florida, Pennsylvania, Michigan or Wisconsin.
The turnout in Pennsylvania was a very respectable 76.5% in 2020.
It's interesting that there are it appears a few areas which had high turnout despite not being at all close, like Vermont or Washington. But possibly that's a demographics matter.
Their 'fare share' being a donation to the Trump court fine fund pre-November 24?
Building up military capability in western Europe is the only way to contain Russia. European countries need to become active partners in NATO rather than just the beneficiaries of American protection. The latter may have been an acceptable arrangement to the US when there was no real threat from Russia but now the situation has changed in a number of ways.
When Trump just says things clearly like this, everyone understands. It also sounds good to his supporters. Foreign affairs is one way in which 'the establishment' is failing badly. IE: Ukraine being supported only to the point where there is a war of attrition that they gradually lose, with no end in sight or way out. Yet supporters of the war in Ukraine keep asserting that Trump will 'give up Ukraine' with no evidence to back this up.
Trump's supporters in Congress have blocked further US military support for several months now. That's pretty damn obvious.
A fair point, but I think they are arguing that it is the strategy they are opposed to, given the lack of gains for the past year. The position of Trump is that he is going to find a way of ending the war, which is a contrast to Biden who seems to have no plan.
Every day the Republicans find another talking point to avoid sending aid to Ukraine, without flat out coming and saying that they don't care if a democracy is conquered by a dictatorship, because they no longer value democracy.
It's been months and months and it's always one different excuse after another. First they had to deal with the overall budget first, then it had to be tied to the border, then it had to be bundled up with aid to Israel, then it had to not be, then a loan instead of a grant, now they need a strategy for winning the war, all the time they're going the right way about losing the war.
It's all disingenuous bullshit. There isn't, yet, a majority in Congress opposed to sending aid to Ukraine, but by ducking and weaving from one pettyfogging issue after another the minority can hold it up indefinitely.
Its almost as if there may have been ahem gifts to congressmen from certain foreign sources. Its all very interesting.
I'd almost be relieved if it was as mundane as that they'd been bought, but I think the truth is worse - they don't need to be bought, because they no longer believe in democracy.
If you believe in democracy you have to be prepared to accept that the people might disagree with you and you could lose elections. I don't think the Republicans believe that any more. It's not just Trump, it's also there in things like blocking Obama's Supreme Court pick.
Yes there is certainly the desire in the west especially amongst the young for a strong man dictator. For example i think there would be a substantial number of young people in the west in favour of dissolving Parliament and replacing it with a dictatorship. The times we live in im agraid.
Here's the thing:
People want a strong man dictator who agrees with them. They're not so keen on strong men dictators with different views.
It's fine if they don't like them the can just vote them o...
... Ah I see the issue
Problem is that the population dynamics mean that democracy could come to look to the young like being endlessly outvoted by the old, and then they won't feel like they have a say. So why not take a chance?
The age split in British politics is incredibly dangerous.
See the notion of "the last generation" in China.
Good to see young people saying f*** you to the system. Even if they aren't doing it exactly the way I'd choose if I had my way. *Shakes stick*.
Last year, a video went viral in China showing a young man who refused to be taken into a quarantine camp being warned by police that his punishment would affect his family for three generations. He coolly retorted: “We are the last generation, thank you.”
The phrase became a popular online meme and the hashtag #thelastgeneration generated millions of comments before it was censored. Many said the abuse of rights under draconian Covid policies had put them off having children.
“In this country, to love your child is to never let him be born in the first place,” read one comment."
If you get punished across generations for activities the authorities do not like then every child born is just another risk of raising someone who will see you end up in jail.
The fact the Commonwealth summit is in mid October and the King needs to attend really should not be an issue. Sunak knows it has been in the diary for months
Indeed. From Sunak's point of view, if he's decided to have an autumn election, any autumn date is as good as any other. But there some dates best avoided for other practical or political reasons:
Avoid: - Any date before mid-October: Parliament would have to be recalled from summer recess to dissolve; conference season would have to be cancelled - reasonable notice required. - 17th Oct - KC about to go to Samoa, could be tricky if it's a hung parliament requiring long negotiation. - 24th Oct - KC in Samoa. - 31st Oct - Halloween: nightmare on Downing St - 7th Nov - two days after the US POTUS election, not a good idea. - 19th Dec - too close to Christmas - 26th Dec - obviously not - 2nd Jan - Er no. - 9th Jan - Christmas/NY would severely restrict campaigning. - 16th Jan - As above, also smacks of last-chance saloon. - 23rd - ditto.
So I reckon it will have to be: 14th, 21st, 28th Nov, or 5th, 12th Dec.
12th December has a degree of symbolism to it - 5 years to the day the Tories won an 80 seat majority.
It's going to be 12th December, isn't it?
This is good analysis. It’s not about 1 day, it’s the 25 campaigning days that can’t overlap a holiday period.
And if you want a cheeky budget, it’s extra few weeks before campaign month to get parliament sitting to pass it. But is there time to see it in household budgets, or better not to have budget, just promise the details in manifesto? Recent Budgets are quite internally contentious for Tories, defence spending needs the limited pot of money, pensioners need it, by the time autumn comes the households hurt by high mortgage deals will ask for it,
Parliament is now due back 2nd September, the six weeks before that you just can’t hold one. You are right to flag up there arn’t that many dates.
However, conferences can go ahead inside campaign month - why not? The only party who would want to cancel conference would be Tories, for despite how much of money it makes for the party, it would just be giving opposition parties too much fantastic election boost.
Thanks. I thought about the conferences issue.
You may right, perhaps they could go ahead during the campaign but I foresee all sorts of balance issues for the broadcasters. Plus, how do the parties juggle being out on the stump and locked away together at their conference? No, I think they'll can the conferences as soon as the GE is called...
...which brings us back to the other issue: Parliament has to be recalled early from summer recess to push the dissolution through.
If Sunak is going to do that he might as well name the day now.
If the conferences and everything with it, is to be canned, that will have to be public knowledge quite early on for the cancellations to happen, and further bookings and arrangements avoided? Before summer recess?
True dat. Hence why I suspect the later autumn dates are favourite.
All could change after a disastrous set of Locals though. If the Tories crash badly, let's see how quickly they all turn on Sunak.
To avoid fall out from the May 2nd elections was one of the reasons for May 2nd General election.
I’m getting mixed messages from PB on what the situation was last time these elections were fought - it’s clear now not the high point of Boris with the Hartlepool win that nearly finished Starmer, these actually a limited set of elections May 2nd where Tories cannot lose the symbolic 1000 seats or anything like that. Even losing the mayor elections isn’t going to be amazingly news worthy sort of with expectations not exceeding them in any shock results.
But it adds to pressure already there from Truss level opinion polling, I think it will result in a vonc after May 2nd. And as HY says, the smart money says Sunak easily survives it, though even more lame dunk like. 100% certain now Rishi leads them into General Election.
There are, including London, 11 mayoral elections. The Tories hold 2, Labour 6, and 3 are new mayoral positions. I think the Conservatives are expected to win 0-1? It will be a powerful message if they win 0.
The PCC elections get little attention. There are 39, I think. Currently Labour hold 8 and Plaid 1. (Wikipedia says there's 1 independent, but I think they're wrong.) So, 30 Conservatives, a huge area of local strength. Could those figures look very bad for the Tories, or might they represent an oasis of successful defences?
The worst it can be is two meaningless mayor losses> -2 up in lights? It’s not even a front page story.
These “local elections” have been bigged up as end of Sunak, when they are nothing of the sort.
But what about all the PCC elections?! People talk of little else round my way. Gripped, they are. Gripped.
Don't you just "love" extended "debate" between "Leon" and "Truman"????
The fact the Commonwealth summit is in mid October and the King needs to attend really should not be an issue. Sunak knows it has been in the diary for months
Indeed. From Sunak's point of view, if he's decided to have an autumn election, any autumn date is as good as any other. But there some dates best avoided for other practical or political reasons:
Avoid: - Any date before mid-October: Parliament would have to be recalled from summer recess to dissolve; conference season would have to be cancelled - reasonable notice required. - 17th Oct - KC about to go to Samoa, could be tricky if it's a hung parliament requiring long negotiation. - 24th Oct - KC in Samoa. - 31st Oct - Halloween: nightmare on Downing St - 7th Nov - two days after the US POTUS election, not a good idea. - 19th Dec - too close to Christmas - 26th Dec - obviously not - 2nd Jan - Er no. - 9th Jan - Christmas/NY would severely restrict campaigning. - 16th Jan - As above, also smacks of last-chance saloon. - 23rd - ditto.
So I reckon it will have to be: 14th, 21st, 28th Nov, or 5th, 12th Dec.
12th December has a degree of symbolism to it - 5 years to the day the Tories won an 80 seat majority.
It's going to be 12th December, isn't it?
This is good analysis. It’s not about 1 day, it’s the 25 campaigning days that can’t overlap a holiday period.
And if you want a cheeky budget, it’s extra few weeks before campaign month to get parliament sitting to pass it. But is there time to see it in household budgets, or better not to have budget, just promise the details in manifesto? Recent Budgets are quite internally contentious for Tories, defence spending needs the limited pot of money, pensioners need it, by the time autumn comes the households hurt by high mortgage deals will ask for it,
Parliament is now due back 2nd September, the six weeks before that you just can’t hold one. You are right to flag up there arn’t that many dates.
However, conferences can go ahead inside campaign month - why not? The only party who would want to cancel conference would be Tories, for despite how much of money it makes for the party, it would just be giving opposition parties too much fantastic election boost.
Thanks. I thought about the conferences issue.
You may right, perhaps they could go ahead during the campaign but I foresee all sorts of balance issues for the broadcasters. Plus, how do the parties juggle being out on the stump and locked away together at their conference? No, I think they'll can the conferences as soon as the GE is called...
...which brings us back to the other issue: Parliament has to be recalled early from summer recess to push the dissolution through.
If Sunak is going to do that he might as well name the day now.
If the conferences and everything with it, is to be canned, that will have to be public knowledge quite early on for the cancellations to happen, and further bookings and arrangements avoided? Before summer recess?
True dat. Hence why I suspect the later autumn dates are favourite.
All could change after a disastrous set of Locals though. If the Tories crash badly, let's see how quickly they all turn on Sunak.
To avoid fall out from the May 2nd elections was one of the reasons for May 2nd General election.
I’m getting mixed messages from PB on what the situation was last time these elections were fought - it’s clear now not the high point of Boris with the Hartlepool win that nearly finished Starmer, these actually a limited set of elections May 2nd where Tories cannot lose the symbolic 1000 seats or anything like that. Even losing the mayor elections isn’t going to be amazingly news worthy sort of with expectations not exceeding them in any shock results.
But it adds to pressure already there from Truss level opinion polling, I think it will result in a vonc after May 2nd. And as HY says, the smart money says Sunak easily survives it, though even more lame dunk like. 100% certain now Rishi leads them into General Election.
There are, including London, 11 mayoral elections. The Tories hold 2, Labour 6, and 3 are new mayoral positions. I think the Conservatives are expected to win 0-1? It will be a powerful message if they win 0.
The PCC elections get little attention. There are 39, I think. Currently Labour hold 8 and Plaid 1. (Wikipedia says there's 1 independent, but I think they're wrong.) So, 30 Conservatives, a huge area of local strength. Could those figures look very bad for the Tories, or might they represent an oasis of successful defences?
The worst it can be is two meaningless mayor losses> -2 up in lights? It’s not even a front page story.
These “local elections” have been bigged up as end of Sunak, when they are nothing of the sort.
But what about all the PCC elections?! People talk of little else round my way. Gripped, they are. Gripped.
Don't you just "love" extended "debate" between "Leon" and "Truman"????
"The hobbitses are nice!" "No, they make us walk in nasty sun, my precious" "But they saved us!" "No. We saved us." "They are our friends" "WE HAVE NO FRIENDS"
"It seems an unelected head of state is in effect damaging democracy by restricting the dates Sunak (an unelected PM), can hold an election by being out of the country.
But one thing is clear, as has been for a long time, no May election"
Turnout at US Presidential elections looks historically to be shockingly low if wikipedia is accurate. What more would be needed to get some people to the polls?
Well 2020 saw a sharp rise in turnout, so how’s about running the same two old and massively divisive candidates again this year?
"It seems an unelected head of state is in effect damaging democracy by restricting the dates Sunak (an unelected PM), can hold an election by being out of the country.
But one thing is clear, as has been for a long time, no May election"
Slight re-write
An elected Head of State would have exactly the same constraints, of course.
The fact the Commonwealth summit is in mid October and the King needs to attend really should not be an issue. Sunak knows it has been in the diary for months
Indeed. From Sunak's point of view, if he's decided to have an autumn election, any autumn date is as good as any other. But there some dates best avoided for other practical or political reasons:
Avoid: - Any date before mid-October: Parliament would have to be recalled from summer recess to dissolve; conference season would have to be cancelled - reasonable notice required. - 17th Oct - KC about to go to Samoa, could be tricky if it's a hung parliament requiring long negotiation. - 24th Oct - KC in Samoa. - 31st Oct - Halloween: nightmare on Downing St - 7th Nov - two days after the US POTUS election, not a good idea. - 19th Dec - too close to Christmas - 26th Dec - obviously not - 2nd Jan - Er no. - 9th Jan - Christmas/NY would severely restrict campaigning. - 16th Jan - As above, also smacks of last-chance saloon. - 23rd - ditto.
So I reckon it will have to be: 14th, 21st, 28th Nov, or 5th, 12th Dec.
12th December has a degree of symbolism to it - 5 years to the day the Tories won an 80 seat majority.
It's going to be 12th December, isn't it?
This is good analysis. It’s not about 1 day, it’s the 25 campaigning days that can’t overlap a holiday period.
And if you want a cheeky budget, it’s extra few weeks before campaign month to get parliament sitting to pass it. But is there time to see it in household budgets, or better not to have budget, just promise the details in manifesto? Recent Budgets are quite internally contentious for Tories, defence spending needs the limited pot of money, pensioners need it, by the time autumn comes the households hurt by high mortgage deals will ask for it,
Parliament is now due back 2nd September, the six weeks before that you just can’t hold one. You are right to flag up there arn’t that many dates.
However, conferences can go ahead inside campaign month - why not? The only party who would want to cancel conference would be Tories, for despite how much of money it makes for the party, it would just be giving opposition parties too much fantastic election boost.
Thanks. I thought about the conferences issue.
You may right, perhaps they could go ahead during the campaign but I foresee all sorts of balance issues for the broadcasters. Plus, how do the parties juggle being out on the stump and locked away together at their conference? No, I think they'll can the conferences as soon as the GE is called...
...which brings us back to the other issue: Parliament has to be recalled early from summer recess to push the dissolution through.
If Sunak is going to do that he might as well name the day now.
If the conferences and everything with it, is to be canned, that will have to be public knowledge quite early on for the cancellations to happen, and further bookings and arrangements avoided? Before summer recess?
True dat. Hence why I suspect the later autumn dates are favourite.
All could change after a disastrous set of Locals though. If the Tories crash badly, let's see how quickly they all turn on Sunak.
To avoid fall out from the May 2nd elections was one of the reasons for May 2nd General election.
I’m getting mixed messages from PB on what the situation was last time these elections were fought - it’s clear now not the high point of Boris with the Hartlepool win that nearly finished Starmer, these actually a limited set of elections May 2nd where Tories cannot lose the symbolic 1000 seats or anything like that. Even losing the mayor elections isn’t going to be amazingly news worthy sort of with expectations not exceeding them in any shock results.
But it adds to pressure already there from Truss level opinion polling, I think it will result in a vonc after May 2nd. And as HY says, the smart money says Sunak easily survives it, though even more lame dunk like. 100% certain now Rishi leads them into General Election.
There are, including London, 11 mayoral elections. The Tories hold 2, Labour 6, and 3 are new mayoral positions. I think the Conservatives are expected to win 0-1? It will be a powerful message if they win 0.
The PCC elections get little attention. There are 39, I think. Currently Labour hold 8 and Plaid 1. (Wikipedia says there's 1 independent, but I think they're wrong.) So, 30 Conservatives, a huge area of local strength. Could those figures look very bad for the Tories, or might they represent an oasis of successful defences?
The worst it can be is two meaningless mayor losses> -2 up in lights? It’s not even a front page story.
These “local elections” have been bigged up as end of Sunak, when they are nothing of the sort.
But what about all the PCC elections?! People talk of little else round my way. Gripped, they are. Gripped.
Don't you just "love" extended "debate" between "Leon" and "Truman"????
"The hobbitses are nice!" "No, they make us walk in nasty sun, my precious" "But they saved us!" "No. We saved us." "They are our friends" "WE HAVE NO FRIENDS"
Except one is probably being generated hence the weird turns of phrase.
Comments
I would be intrigued to know how his IP address fares against the spambot checker.
https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-8060/CBP-8060.pdf
I suppose that will be something for the Tories to cling to if there is a 1997 result but on 2001 turnout - it could mean they are running 4 years ahead in terms of recovery.
I don't think the Tories will reach the 30% they got in 1997 though.
He'll be in Samoa? Can't he use videochat? Look what happened on another occasion when an election had to be arranged for a certain slot because a king had a "responsibility" to go off on his jollies - 1950.
Brian will probably soon learn to use videochat if it's Penny who'll be kissing his hands, given that both she and he are into homoeopathic woo.
She's 29. I'm 57.
He would routinely drive suppliers into the ground, secure in the knowledge there would always be people willing to deal with him because Commodore was at the time selling in volumes that no-one else, not even Apple or IBM, could match. But you can't get away with that forever, as Tramiel eventually found out.
Check your facts.
Yes you're a real source of interest and entertainment.
But you're not a Russian troll, which is more than I can say for Truman.
Report says sidelining of parliament by Tory government has further eroded trust in political system”
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/apr/10/young-adults-loss-of-faith-in-uk-democracy-survey
You must lie in them diagonally to get a decent night sleep. Do not attempt to engage in *activities*, even if the straps and hammock are rated for two. You might need to buy another sleeping mat or quilt to fit inside it properly, though you will lose less heat to the ground than in a tent.
It's easy to damage trees with them with extended use. Stripping the bark all the way around a trunk will kill the tree.
Compared with a good solo tent or tarp, hammocks usually end up being heavier. Where do you store your kit? How heavy are the straps? Mossie net? Tarp for rain cover? Do you need a floor length tarp for high winds?
Most importantly, it's tricky to get in and out of them, which makes the whole camping experience a bit awkward, IMO.
From memory you do have to be careful to compare like with like. Isn’t our turnout percentage of the electoral roll that actually vote? Whereas that one looks like percentage of eligible voters.
The age split in British politics is incredibly dangerous.
Over the last 25 years, there has not just been a constant surplus of homes per household, but the ratio has been modestly growing
Will a Labour win, which will need to at least improve their vote share among the old, be the start of a rebalancing, or just a momentary diversion from the trend?
How will that generation being outvoted for the first time in their lives play out?
So make Deliveroo responsible for ensuring that their employees aren’t playing such games.
Gracias!
dictatorship.
PolitiFact uncovered two more bankruptcies filed after 1992, totaling six. Trump Hotels and Casinos Resorts filed for bankruptcy again in 2004, after accruing about $1.8 billion in debt. Trump Entertainment Resorts also declared bankruptcy in 2009, after being hit hard during the 2008 recession."
source$: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2016/live-updates/general-election/real-time-fact-checking-and-analysis-of-the-first-presidential-debate/fact-check-has-trump-declared-bankruptcy-four-or-six-times/
(I recall reading, probably during the 2016 campaign, that he could have been forced into personal bankruptcy after the Atlantic City bankruptcies, but that creditors thought they would get more in the long run by not forcing that. Never checked the details, but that doesn't seem implausible.)
He said “a substantial number of young people in the west” would prefer a strongman dictator. As you rightly responded, WHAT constitutes a substantial number is a fairly salient query to this, however taking these polls of global and UK youth i would say there is evidence there might well be a “substantial number” of young Brits who now think “Fuck it, China does OK, so does Abu Dhabi and Singapore, just get a tyrant to fix things”
Indeed some days I think that myself. Don’t we all, from time to time?
Not worth the risk.
Good to see young people saying f*** you to the system. Even if they aren't doing it exactly the way I'd choose if I had my way. *Shakes stick*.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jan/20/the-last-generation-young-chinese-people-vow-not-to-have-children
"“The last generation”
Last year, a video went viral in China showing a young man who refused to be taken into a quarantine camp being warned by police that his punishment would affect his family for three generations. He coolly retorted: “We are the last generation, thank you.”
The phrase became a popular online meme and the hashtag #thelastgeneration generated millions of comments before it was censored. Many said the abuse of rights under draconian Covid policies had put them off having children.
“In this country, to love your child is to never let him be born in the first place,” read one comment."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Todd_Young
nation, at an indeterminate point in the future.
Glad we cleared that up.
Part of the answer he gave was that the Federal government is pretty distant from a lot of people.
I also think that the electoral college has an impact. It would be hard to think of a system that was better designed to depress turnout, as voting in lots of states is essentially pointless. Is there really any point in voting in California, New York or Texas? And so, unsurprisingly, we see that turnout is lower in those states than in Florida, Pennsylvania, Michigan or Wisconsin.
The turnout in Pennsylvania was a very respectable 76.5% in 2020.
One might almost think it one of your alter egos.
If so, then mark the date. March 2024. The world entirely changed in the month of March, 2024
It is still IF, however
"No, they make us walk in nasty sun, my precious"
"But they saved us!"
"No. We saved us."
"They are our friends"
"WE HAVE NO FRIENDS"
But one thing is clear, as has been for a long time, no May election"
Slight re-write