Ireland presents a challenge to the narrative that incumbent governments everywhere will get a kicking due to inflation.
Fine Gael, who are currently in coalition with Fianna Fáil and the Greens, have been in government since 2011, but the latest opinion poll puts them in the lead: FG 21% FF 19% SF 20% The three-party coalition is only 5pp down on the 50% they received at the last election (though they didn't stand as a coalition).
This is almost* entirely because SF have managed to upset the public more on immigration than the government have, despite the government response being a total shambles.
Migration is definitely a focus of voters' unhappiness, and it would be an act of self-deception to pretend otherwise.
* FG are also benefiting from Simon Harris replacing Leo Varadkar as Taoiseach. Turns out Varadkar was pretty unpopular. Who knew?
It's funny how Ireland became concerned with immigration the moment they had a slight increase in immigration.
This is not good for Biden. This guy is influential - and relatively neutral
“I just spoke to one of the most respected doctors in the world. He says that it is eminently apparent that @POTUS Biden has lewy body dementia, Parkinson’s and/or Alzheimer’s and that his decline will not be linear. It will accelerate.”
He set himself this test with an early debate and he failed it massively.
FFS quit the stage with dignity Joe.
Before the debate it was all about how Biden spent a week preparing to polish his performance, and how inevitably Trump would say a load of crazy nonsense and lose his rag. The debate was meant to show Biden at his best and Trump at his worst.
Well Trump was awful, but Biden managed to steal the show with the worst debate performance in living memory.
There's another debate planned, and Trump now has no reason to fear it.
Trump has every reason to not do another debate. Why give Biden the opportunity to turn up on one of his better days?
I really dislike Theresa May's politics in many respects, but as a person she seems alright. I like to see former PMs who don't think that the daily grind of politics is beneath them.
One of the reasons I ended up voting for Labour in this election, was for Ed Miliband to be in charge of energy and climate in the next Cabinet. I didn't vote for his local candidate at GE 2015, but I think he has a real interest in this area of policy, and I hope good will come of his time as a Cabinet Minister.
I agree. Whilst her politics are not mine, she comes across as a decent public servant.
Agreed and genuinely pained to see the direction her Party has travelled
I also think this country would have been better off economically had they voted for her Brexit deal.
Whilst I agree about her Brexit version, she really was an awful PM and Home Secretary. She was a Twin set and Pearls version of Patel or Braverman, authoritarian in the extreme and responsible for a huge amount of misery for a lot of innocent people. I was delighted when she fell, even if far less delighted with the choice of successor.
In any traditional Conservative government, May occupies a position similar to Sunak. On the bus, but to the right of that bus.
At the moment, both of them are somewhere on the left, probably hanging on to the outside for grim life. I'm sure some people see that change as a good thing, but I struggle to ee it myself.
No one forced May to send out vans telling immigrants to go home. No one forced her to develop a culture at the Home Office that led to the Windrush scandal. This was all in the Cameron/Coalition years - held up by many to be a period of centralism at least as far as social issues are concerned - and was entirely self inflicted.
My prediction for Theresa May is that she'll spend a few years doing something like Churchwarden of her Church of England Parish (which is a surprisingly big job in a lot of cases), or other pivotal role in the local community.
Our last-but-two churchwarden was the retired Quartermaster-General to the Forces. At one point the diocese decided it wanted to amalgamate our parish with a few neighbouring ones. Lt Gen Sir Retired Quartermaster-General was not having any of it. I don't know exactly what transpired in the negotiations but let's just say we are still a single parish.
15 odd years ago I carefully ensured that the parish I was Deanery Synod rep on was kept well away from the merger plans - did take a bit of work but it's remained that way through 2 further consolidation attempts (the fact it contains over 1/3 of the towns population makes it a difficult argument to combat).
Given that Church attendances are falling, as are the numbers describing themselves as CofE, and consequently costs per parishioner are riser, was that really in the best interests of the organisation?
And Good Morning everyone.
A fork in the road is coming, or may have come.
If the nation (England as a whole) wants a national church, with national coverage, with national duties and obligations then like everything else it will need a proper review of how that will be financed. No different from schools and hospitals, just about 1000 times smaller. It isn't possible for 11 old ladies and a dog to fund ongoing people costs + the million required for the roof of a national treasure.
If the nation doesn't want this, another, and very radical approach is required.
Straw in the wind: The diocese of London has just put on the market a City of London Grade 1 Wren church (St Michael Paternoster).
I'm not sure what sort of straw or what sort of wind.
Here are the details - Grade I listed, 10,000 sq ft of Open Plan offices with Class E business use, on a 125 year lease, by Cannon Street Tube, including a one bed flat. 2 minutes from Cannon Street Tube. Formerly part used as offices for the Bishop of London.
I'm not actually sure whether it is quite all of it.
What's that worth, and how will it cope with "leasehold reform"?
Small straw, soft wind, but it's blowing harder in the remoter and more neglected regions, where management is generally very keen for impoverished PCCs to carry on because they don't want the dilemma of Grade 1 redundant buildings with no proper plan or funding to keep them. A crisis is on the way.
Those who say that Brexit voters now wish the country had voted to stay in neglect the counterfactual that if the vote had been to Remain the clamour to leave now would be larger than before.
That sounds right, although perhaps it wouldn't. Being politicians of honour there is surely no way Farage, Boris, Gove et al would have sought to overturn the results of a referendum without waiting at least a generation.....
ydoethur said: » show previous quotes North Korea was supported by the Soviets, not China, at the time of the invasion. China joined later when MacArthur started threatening to invade them as well.
The South Korean Dictatorship at the time was far nastier and more bloodthirsty than the north and the North Korean invasion was in response to the Souths openly stated aim to invade and conquer it with US aid
Are you already on page two of Putinist talking points?
If Putin´s only friend is now North Korea, I think we can judge a man by that friendship.
I don't support the IRA and happily condemn what they did but I can quite understand why someone growing up in West Belfast in the 50s/60s would join them.
The catholic community was (sorely) provoked.
Unless you can get into the other sides head and see why thy are doing what they are doing (yes Putin took the decision but he couldn't have done it without mass support in Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk, due to a greviance), you end up being a black and white woodentop spouting black and white goodies and baddies views.
Similarly. The German people were also sorely provoked by the west rubbing their noses in it at Versailles. Thats why they voted for Hitler in the first place.
So you think the creation of Poland was another of these 'historic monumental wrong crying out to heaven for vengeance'.
I get the impression that you would prefer it if all the countries between Germany and Russia ceased to exist.
I think that the history of the world is full of examples of areas where two (or more) peoples have successively been badly-treated, with reference to the mirror image actions before by the other side. Ireland is the classic example - it's impossible for any serious observer to deny that there have been faults on both sides. We should condemn military "solutions" like Putin's without trying to obscure the real faults that Ukrainian nationalism produced. In the best cases (e.g. Schleswig-Holstein) the "winners" at any given moment concede that the "losers" have a point and need to be given some leeway - in the case of Schleswig-Holstein by yielding territory where the surviving locals wanted it.
Looking at the exit poll in detail, the Left vote skews young, before falling away among middle aged voters. They poll best among the middle classes (winning a plurality of middle class votes), those with postgraduate qualifications, and living in big cities. As well as among atheists.
RN is pretty consistent among all age groups, until you reach those aged 70+, where it falls away. People without degrees, and in mid-sized towns provide RN with its greatest support, in common with many right wing parties now. 50% of working class voters supported RN, compared to 26% of middle class voters, and 30% of the retired.
Those who say that Brexit voters now wish the country had voted to stay in neglect the counterfactual that if the vote had been to Remain the clamour to leave now would be larger than before.
That sounds right, although perhaps it wouldn't. Being politicians of honour there is surely no way Farage, Boris, Gove et al would have sought to overturn the results of a referendum without waiting at least a generation.....
That's a double counterfactual - like, if there was life on Mars what sort of ice cream would they prefer?
"Outwitted by morons", "beaten by a bus" are not great excuses.
The folk who were beaten by the bus were those that voted for it and now regret it
It is, of course, perfectly possible to support leaving the EU but not support the manner in which it was done. Just like it is possible to support the principle of the NHS but think the way it is run is not right.
There are 2 problems with that statement
The polls show regret that we left
There was no "better" leave. The vote to leave led to BoZo, which led to where we are now.
You can't regret every domino that fell while still claiming the first was a good idea
This election campaign has given us a number of unexpected things, but can anything have been more unexpected than Davey's transformation into a figure of well-judged comic relief?
You get the impression that he, or someone in his team, has looked at all the positive qualities Boris Johnson has as a politician that Ed Davey does not have, and they've managed to successfully narrow that gap more than I could have imagined was possible. It's remarkable.
Those who say that Brexit voters now wish the country had voted to stay in neglect the counterfactual that if the vote had been to Remain the clamour to leave now would be larger than before.
We really needed someone else to go first. Britain's botched exit from the EU has done a good job of dampening any enthusiasm to leave in the other member states. If another country had left instead of us, we might have been saying, "There but for the grace of God..."
Idly wondering if Americans have lasting powers of attorney. If they do, what triggers them, and is withdrawing from the election within the attorney's power?
Not that it's relevant as the wife would presumably be the attorney and she wants to carry on.
Just over 100 years ago there was a similar situation after Woodrow Wilson had a stroke in 1919. His wife Edith played a key role as a gatekeeper "stewardship" during the next 18 months.
There is a very telling clip on the socials going around showing Biden in 2019 and Biden last week side by side. Pretty scary and illustrative stuff.
I am putting my trust in non-linear deterioration, and him being obviously sectionable by mid August And that opens up all sorts of possibilities, not least a pro Harris surge based on relief that she is not quite 60. I also think that being up against a woman (fnaar) would produce a lot of unforced errors from the pussy grabber.
"Outwitted by morons", "beaten by a bus" are not great excuses.
The folk who were beaten by the bus were those that voted for it and now regret it
It is, of course, perfectly possible to support leaving the EU but not support the manner in which it was done. Just like it is possible to support the principle of the NHS but think the way it is run is not right.
There are 2 problems with that statement
The polls show regret that we left
There was no "better" leave. The vote to leave led to BoZo, which led to where we are now.
You can't regret every domino that fell while still claiming the first was a good idea
Oh the poverty of historical determinism! Are you not hoping, like me, that Labour in the end can do better? Like EFTA/EEA or associate status?
Four days left - can Davey go bigger than a bungy jump? What will we see - wing walking on an orange biplane?
To be fair he’s fought a good campaign. The stunts are working. I imagine the campaign team are having fun too - “what can we get him to do next”
Election Day stunts involving light aircraft don’t have a very good record.
Oops I forgot about Farage’s crash. I was just trying to remember stuff that Blue Peter presenters used to do.
@turbotubbs fair point on the stubbornness of the polls. In my view the Lib Dem’s have set themselves a simple set of targets - become the third largest party in Westminster, build back their base of seats in SW by knocking out some of the “blue wall” seats, and get as much free media as they can. I think on those terms the stunts they are doing and the messages they are putting out are in line with hitting those targets. Although you could argues that those targets are pretty unambitious considering the state of the SNP, the state of the tories and the broadcasting obligations during the campaign.
ydoethur said: » show previous quotes North Korea was supported by the Soviets, not China, at the time of the invasion. China joined later when MacArthur started threatening to invade them as well.
The South Korean Dictatorship at the time was far nastier and more bloodthirsty than the north and the North Korean invasion was in response to the Souths openly stated aim to invade and conquer it with US aid
Are you already on page two of Putinist talking points?
If Putin´s only friend is now North Korea, I think we can judge a man by that friendship.
I don't support the IRA and happily condemn what they did but I can quite understand why someone growing up in West Belfast in the 50s/60s would join them.
The catholic community was (sorely) provoked.
Unless you can get into the other sides head and see why thy are doing what they are doing (yes Putin took the decision but he couldn't have done it without mass support in Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk, due to a greviance), you end up being a black and white woodentop spouting black and white goodies and baddies views.
Similarly. The German people were also sorely provoked by the west rubbing their noses in it at Versailles. Thats why they voted for Hitler in the first place.
So you think the creation of Poland was another of these 'historic monumental wrong crying out to heaven for vengeance'.
I get the impression that you would prefer it if all the countries between Germany and Russia ceased to exist.
I think that the history of the world is full of examples of areas where two (or more) peoples have successively been badly-treated, with reference to the mirror image actions before by the other side. Ireland is the classic example - it's impossible for any serious observer to deny that there have been faults on both sides. We should condemn military "solutions" like Putin's without trying to obscure the real faults that Ukrainian nationalism produced. In the best cases (e.g. Schleswig-Holstein) the "winners" at any given moment concede that the "losers" have a point and need to be given some leeway - in the case of Schleswig-Holstein by yielding territory where the surviving locals wanted it.
Schleswig Holstein type referendums in Crimea, Donsetsk and Luhansk Oblasts rather than pontificating about referendums 20 years previously held in the middle of a catastrophic national economic crisis unprecedented since world war 2 might well have avoided a lot of Bloodshed.
Idly wondering if Americans have lasting powers of attorney. If they do, what triggers them, and is withdrawing from the election within the attorney's power?
Not that it's relevant as the wife would presumably be the attorney and she wants to carry on.
Any such exercise (entirely imaginary though it is), would pretty well automatically trigger the 25th Amendment procedure.
Jon Stewart’s debate summary, where he describes Biden as having “Resting 25th Amendment Face”, now has 9m views, most of which will be Democrat-leaning voters.
Ireland presents a challenge to the narrative that incumbent governments everywhere will get a kicking due to inflation.
Fine Gael, who are currently in coalition with Fianna Fáil and the Greens, have been in government since 2011, but the latest opinion poll puts them in the lead: FG 21% FF 19% SF 20% The three-party coalition is only 5pp down on the 50% they received at the last election (though they didn't stand as a coalition).
This is almost* entirely because SF have managed to upset the public more on immigration than the government have, despite the government response being a total shambles.
Migration is definitely a focus of voters' unhappiness, and it would be an act of self-deception to pretend otherwise.
* FG are also benefiting from Simon Harris replacing Leo Varadkar as Taoiseach. Turns out Varadkar was pretty unpopular. Who knew?
It's funny how Ireland became concerned with immigration the moment they had a slight increase in immigration.
Sinn Fein really got on the wrong side of many of their voters. They forgot that many Irish nationalists are socially and economically conservative, and some are devout.
Those who say that Brexit voters now wish the country had voted to stay in neglect the counterfactual that if the vote had been to Remain the clamour to leave now would be larger than before.
We really needed someone else to go first. Britain's botched exit from the EU has done a good job of dampening any enthusiasm to leave in the other member states. If another country had left instead of us, we might have been saying, "There but for the grace of God..."
Indeed. I said at the time that I hoped that other countries would follow us out (I recall Italy and Netherlands being contenders) and the whole EU project collapsing. Unfortunately this didn't happen and we are where we are.
That bloody referendum - it was like being given a shitty stick to grasp with shit at both ends.
Four days left - can Davey go bigger than a bungy jump? What will we see - wing walking on an orange biplane?
To be fair he’s fought a good campaign. The stunts are working. I imagine the campaign team are having fun too - “what can we get him to do next”
How do you define "the stunts are working"? The lib dem polling is not exactly increasing.
But it does seem to be concentrating which is pretty good news for Ed Davey regardless.
Yes, I'm part of the concentration. While saddened not to be voting LD this time, especially after Davey's campaign, I'm sure I'm doing the right thing by voting tactically for Labour. LD next time, promise!
ydoethur said: » show previous quotes North Korea was supported by the Soviets, not China, at the time of the invasion. China joined later when MacArthur started threatening to invade them as well.
The South Korean Dictatorship at the time was far nastier and more bloodthirsty than the north and the North Korean invasion was in response to the Souths openly stated aim to invade and conquer it with US aid
Are you already on page two of Putinist talking points?
If Putin´s only friend is now North Korea, I think we can judge a man by that friendship.
I don't support the IRA and happily condemn what they did but I can quite understand why someone growing up in West Belfast in the 50s/60s would join them.
The catholic community was (sorely) provoked.
Unless you can get into the other sides head and see why thy are doing what they are doing (yes Putin took the decision but he couldn't have done it without mass support in Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk, due to a greviance), you end up being a black and white woodentop spouting black and white goodies and baddies views.
Similarly. The German people were also sorely provoked by the west rubbing their noses in it at Versailles. Thats why they voted for Hitler in the first place.
So you think the creation of Poland was another of these 'historic monumental wrong crying out to heaven for vengeance'.
I get the impression that you would prefer it if all the countries between Germany and Russia ceased to exist.
I think that the history of the world is full of examples of areas where two (or more) peoples have successively been badly-treated, with reference to the mirror image actions before by the other side. Ireland is the classic example - it's impossible for any serious observer to deny that there have been faults on both sides. We should condemn military "solutions" like Putin's without trying to obscure the real faults that Ukrainian nationalism produced. In the best cases (e.g. Schleswig-Holstein) the "winners" at any given moment concede that the "losers" have a point and need to be given some leeway - in the case of Schleswig-Holstein by yielding territory where the surviving locals wanted it.
I and the public know What all school children learn Those to whom evil is done Do evil in return
ydoethur said: » show previous quotes North Korea was supported by the Soviets, not China, at the time of the invasion. China joined later when MacArthur started threatening to invade them as well.
The South Korean Dictatorship at the time was far nastier and more bloodthirsty than the north and the North Korean invasion was in response to the Souths openly stated aim to invade and conquer it with US aid
Are you already on page two of Putinist talking points?
If Putin´s only friend is now North Korea, I think we can judge a man by that friendship.
I don't support the IRA and happily condemn what they did but I can quite understand why someone growing up in West Belfast in the 50s/60s would join them.
The catholic community was (sorely) provoked.
Unless you can get into the other sides head and see why thy are doing what they are doing (yes Putin took the decision but he couldn't have done it without mass support in Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk, due to a greviance), you end up being a black and white woodentop spouting black and white goodies and baddies views.
Similarly. The German people were also sorely provoked by the west rubbing their noses in it at Versailles. Thats why they voted for Hitler in the first place.
So you think the creation of Poland was another of these 'historic monumental wrong crying out to heaven for vengeance'.
I get the impression that you would prefer it if all the countries between Germany and Russia ceased to exist.
I think that the history of the world is full of examples of areas where two (or more) peoples have successively been badly-treated, with reference to the mirror image actions before by the other side. Ireland is the classic example - it's impossible for any serious observer to deny that there have been faults on both sides. We should condemn military "solutions" like Putin's without trying to obscure the real faults that Ukrainian nationalism produced. In the best cases (e.g. Schleswig-Holstein) the "winners" at any given moment concede that the "losers" have a point and need to be given some leeway - in the case of Schleswig-Holstein by yielding territory where the surviving locals wanted it.
Schleswig Holstein type referendums in Crimea, Donsetsk and Luhansk Oblasts rather than pontificating about referendums 20 years previously held in the middle of a catastrophic national economic crisis unprecedented since world war 2 might well have avoided a lot of Bloodshed.
Does Putin seem the kind of man who would tolerate a free and fair referendum?
ydoethur said: » show previous quotes North Korea was supported by the Soviets, not China, at the time of the invasion. China joined later when MacArthur started threatening to invade them as well.
The South Korean Dictatorship at the time was far nastier and more bloodthirsty than the north and the North Korean invasion was in response to the Souths openly stated aim to invade and conquer it with US aid
Are you already on page two of Putinist talking points?
If Putin´s only friend is now North Korea, I think we can judge a man by that friendship.
I don't support the IRA and happily condemn what they did but I can quite understand why someone growing up in West Belfast in the 50s/60s would join them.
The catholic community was (sorely) provoked.
Unless you can get into the other sides head and see why thy are doing what they are doing (yes Putin took the decision but he couldn't have done it without mass support in Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk, due to a greviance), you end up being a black and white woodentop spouting black and white goodies and baddies views.
Similarly. The German people were also sorely provoked by the west rubbing their noses in it at Versailles. Thats why they voted for Hitler in the first place.
So you think the creation of Poland was another of these 'historic monumental wrong crying out to heaven for vengeance'.
I get the impression that you would prefer it if all the countries between Germany and Russia ceased to exist.
I think that the history of the world is full of examples of areas where two (or more) peoples have successively been badly-treated, with reference to the mirror image actions before by the other side. Ireland is the classic example - it's impossible for any serious observer to deny that there have been faults on both sides. We should condemn military "solutions" like Putin's without trying to obscure the real faults that Ukrainian nationalism produced. In the best cases (e.g. Schleswig-Holstein) the "winners" at any given moment concede that the "losers" have a point and need to be given some leeway - in the case of Schleswig-Holstein by yielding territory where the surviving locals wanted it.
It's odd you mention 'Ukrainian nationalism' without mentioning the much bigger problem of Russian nationalism, which produced Putin's imperialist, fascist regime that invades neighbouring countries and does other nasty stuff. It seems like a much larger problem.
Pretty much all votes that have been held shows that Ukraine wants to be a distinct, sovereign country. The way they're fighting all-out against the much larger Russia also indicates that.
And BTW, I don't think Ukrainians have ever treated Russians badly. Ukraine frequently gets treated badly by Russia; from the Holodomor to today's evil.
Forget about Azov and all that rubbish. Concentrate your ire on the Russian fascists.
ydoethur said: » show previous quotes North Korea was supported by the Soviets, not China, at the time of the invasion. China joined later when MacArthur started threatening to invade them as well.
The South Korean Dictatorship at the time was far nastier and more bloodthirsty than the north and the North Korean invasion was in response to the Souths openly stated aim to invade and conquer it with US aid
Are you already on page two of Putinist talking points?
If Putin´s only friend is now North Korea, I think we can judge a man by that friendship.
I don't support the IRA and happily condemn what they did but I can quite understand why someone growing up in West Belfast in the 50s/60s would join them.
The catholic community was (sorely) provoked.
Unless you can get into the other sides head and see why thy are doing what they are doing (yes Putin took the decision but he couldn't have done it without mass support in Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk, due to a greviance), you end up being a black and white woodentop spouting black and white goodies and baddies views.
Similarly. The German people were also sorely provoked by the west rubbing their noses in it at Versailles. Thats why they voted for Hitler in the first place.
So you think the creation of Poland was another of these 'historic monumental wrong crying out to heaven for vengeance'.
I get the impression that you would prefer it if all the countries between Germany and Russia ceased to exist.
I think that the history of the world is full of examples of areas where two (or more) peoples have successively been badly-treated, with reference to the mirror image actions before by the other side. Ireland is the classic example - it's impossible for any serious observer to deny that there have been faults on both sides. We should condemn military "solutions" like Putin's without trying to obscure the real faults that Ukrainian nationalism produced. In the best cases (e.g. Schleswig-Holstein) the "winners" at any given moment concede that the "losers" have a point and need to be given some leeway - in the case of Schleswig-Holstein by yielding territory where the surviving locals wanted it.
The 'real faults that Ukrainian nationalism produced' are trivial compared to those of Russian nationalism and Soviet imperialism.
I really dislike Theresa May's politics in many respects, but as a person she seems alright. I like to see former PMs who don't think that the daily grind of politics is beneath them.
One of the reasons I ended up voting for Labour in this election, was for Ed Miliband to be in charge of energy and climate in the next Cabinet. I didn't vote for his local candidate at GE 2015, but I think he has a real interest in this area of policy, and I hope good will come of his time as a Cabinet Minister.
I agree. Whilst her politics are not mine, she comes across as a decent public servant.
Agreed and genuinely pained to see the direction her Party has travelled
I also think this country would have been better off economically had they voted for her Brexit deal.
Whilst I agree about her Brexit version, she really was an awful PM and Home Secretary. She was a Twin set and Pearls version of Patel or Braverman, authoritarian in the extreme and responsible for a huge amount of misery for a lot of innocent people. I was delighted when she fell, even if far less delighted with the choice of successor.
In any traditional Conservative government, May occupies a position similar to Sunak. On the bus, but to the right of that bus.
At the moment, both of them are somewhere on the left, probably hanging on to the outside for grim life. I'm sure some people see that change as a good thing, but I struggle to ee it myself.
No one forced May to send out vans telling immigrants to go home. No one forced her to develop a culture at the Home Office that led to the Windrush scandal. This was all in the Cameron/Coalition years - held up by many to be a period of centralism at least as far as social issues are concerned - and was entirely self inflicted.
My prediction for Theresa May is that she'll spend a few years doing something like Churchwarden of her Church of England Parish (which is a surprisingly big job in a lot of cases), or other pivotal role in the local community.
Our last-but-two churchwarden was the retired Quartermaster-General to the Forces. At one point the diocese decided it wanted to amalgamate our parish with a few neighbouring ones. Lt Gen Sir Retired Quartermaster-General was not having any of it. I don't know exactly what transpired in the negotiations but let's just say we are still a single parish.
15 odd years ago I carefully ensured that the parish I was Deanery Synod rep on was kept well away from the merger plans - did take a bit of work but it's remained that way through 2 further consolidation attempts (the fact it contains over 1/3 of the towns population makes it a difficult argument to combat).
Given that Church attendances are falling, as are the numbers describing themselves as CofE, and consequently costs per parishioner are riser, was that really in the best interests of the organisation?
And Good Morning everyone.
A fork in the road is coming, or may have come.
If the nation (England as a whole) wants a national church, with national coverage, with national duties and obligations then like everything else it will need a proper review of how that will be financed. No different from schools and hospitals, just about 1000 times smaller. It isn't possible for 11 old ladies and a dog to fund ongoing people costs + the million required for the roof of a national treasure.
If the nation doesn't want this, another, and very radical approach is required.
Straw in the wind: The diocese of London has just put on the market a City of London Grade 1 Wren church (St Michael Paternoster).
I’m no longer a Christian, or indeed a theist of any sort, but I’ve been to our local church several times recently, mostly for funerals. I’m pretty sure, from what I recall of the deceased, that they weren’t churchgoers either. But, as I was once told by a former Bishop of Chelmsford, the Church of England has an obligation to christen, marry or bury any resident of the parish who asks for their services.
The church for millennia has served as the focus for western civilization - all the key steps in a life's journey (christening, marriage, death) mediated by the church. And now we are an ever more secular society we have yet to replace the church. Many of my friends have had church weddings despite not being religious. I am passionately anti religion, and do not belief in any god, so could never make the commitment to my wife in a church, but others have fewer scruples.
Nations are all different. England has a distinctive history. It is perfectly possible if you are French to be a Christian and also approve of the secular, non theist, state with its strict separation. In the same in England you can be a non theist but approve of the establishment of the Church of England, with duties to the entire nation.
I think it is time to decide if this should carry on, properly funded, or go in a new direction. At the moment too much about the funding and the roof depends on 11 old ladies and the dog.
There is a huge question re the fabric of the church. Take my parents village - Shrewton in Wiltshire. One main church (St Mary's) and several others, partly as Shrewton is a classic example of several parishes being combined into one larger village. Is there a need for the all the churchs? Almost certainly not, yet the two smaller ones are historic (some parts are from the 12th century in both Maddestone and Rollestone). How do we maintain them if that is the route?
ydoethur said: » show previous quotes North Korea was supported by the Soviets, not China, at the time of the invasion. China joined later when MacArthur started threatening to invade them as well.
The South Korean Dictatorship at the time was far nastier and more bloodthirsty than the north and the North Korean invasion was in response to the Souths openly stated aim to invade and conquer it with US aid
Are you already on page two of Putinist talking points?
If Putin´s only friend is now North Korea, I think we can judge a man by that friendship.
I don't support the IRA and happily condemn what they did but I can quite understand why someone growing up in West Belfast in the 50s/60s would join them.
The catholic community was (sorely) provoked.
Unless you can get into the other sides head and see why thy are doing what they are doing (yes Putin took the decision but he couldn't have done it without mass support in Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk, due to a greviance), you end up being a black and white woodentop spouting black and white goodies and baddies views.
Similarly. The German people were also sorely provoked by the west rubbing their noses in it at Versailles. Thats why they voted for Hitler in the first place.
So you think the creation of Poland was another of these 'historic monumental wrong crying out to heaven for vengeance'.
I get the impression that you would prefer it if all the countries between Germany and Russia ceased to exist.
I think that the history of the world is full of examples of areas where two (or more) peoples have successively been badly-treated, with reference to the mirror image actions before by the other side. Ireland is the classic example - it's impossible for any serious observer to deny that there have been faults on both sides. We should condemn military "solutions" like Putin's without trying to obscure the real faults that Ukrainian nationalism produced. In the best cases (e.g. Schleswig-Holstein) the "winners" at any given moment concede that the "losers" have a point and need to be given some leeway - in the case of Schleswig-Holstein by yielding territory where the surviving locals wanted it.
It's odd you mention 'Ukrainian nationalism' without mentioning the much bigger problem of Russian nationalism, which produced Putin's imperialist, fascist regime that invades neighbouring countries and does other nasty stuff. It seems like a much larger problem.
Pretty much all votes that have been held shows that Ukraine wants to be a distinct, sovereign country. The way they're fighting all-out against the much larger Russia also indicates that.
And BTW, I don't think Ukrainians have ever treated Russians badly. Ukraine frequently gets treated badly by Russia; from the Holodomor to today's evil.
Forget about Azov and all that rubbish. Concentrate your ire on the Russian fascists.
The UPA did carry out a great many atrocities against Jews and Poles, from 1943-49, but the repression of the Ukrainians, in both Tsarist and Communist times, was far longer lasting, and produced a much higher body count.
Are you not hoping, like me, that Labour in the end can do better? Like EFTA/EEA or associate status?
Of course, I hope, but my expectations are low, and in the context of this entire discussion the definition of "better" will leave a lot to be desired by lots of people
ydoethur said: » show previous quotes North Korea was supported by the Soviets, not China, at the time of the invasion. China joined later when MacArthur started threatening to invade them as well.
The South Korean Dictatorship at the time was far nastier and more bloodthirsty than the north and the North Korean invasion was in response to the Souths openly stated aim to invade and conquer it with US aid
Are you already on page two of Putinist talking points?
If Putin´s only friend is now North Korea, I think we can judge a man by that friendship.
I don't support the IRA and happily condemn what they did but I can quite understand why someone growing up in West Belfast in the 50s/60s would join them.
The catholic community was (sorely) provoked.
Unless you can get into the other sides head and see why thy are doing what they are doing (yes Putin took the decision but he couldn't have done it without mass support in Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk, due to a greviance), you end up being a black and white woodentop spouting black and white goodies and baddies views.
Similarly. The German people were also sorely provoked by the west rubbing their noses in it at Versailles. Thats why they voted for Hitler in the first place.
So you think the creation of Poland was another of these 'historic monumental wrong crying out to heaven for vengeance'.
I get the impression that you would prefer it if all the countries between Germany and Russia ceased to exist.
I think that the history of the world is full of examples of areas where two (or more) peoples have successively been badly-treated, with reference to the mirror image actions before by the other side. Ireland is the classic example - it's impossible for any serious observer to deny that there have been faults on both sides. We should condemn military "solutions" like Putin's without trying to obscure the real faults that Ukrainian nationalism produced. In the best cases (e.g. Schleswig-Holstein) the "winners" at any given moment concede that the "losers" have a point and need to be given some leeway - in the case of Schleswig-Holstein by yielding territory where the surviving locals wanted it.
Schleswig Holstein type referendums in Crimea, Donsetsk and Luhansk Oblasts rather than pontificating about referendums 20 years previously held in the middle of a catastrophic national economic crisis unprecedented since world war 2 might well have avoided a lot of Bloodshed.
Does Putin seem the kind of man who would tolerate a free and fair referendum?
Given that it would almost certainly produced a majority to leave Ukraine, highly likely.
And the rest of Ukraine could at that point have been accepted into Nato pronto and in due course, the EU as it would have been supermajority westward leaning.
I really dislike Theresa May's politics in many respects, but as a person she seems alright. I like to see former PMs who don't think that the daily grind of politics is beneath them.
One of the reasons I ended up voting for Labour in this election, was for Ed Miliband to be in charge of energy and climate in the next Cabinet. I didn't vote for his local candidate at GE 2015, but I think he has a real interest in this area of policy, and I hope good will come of his time as a Cabinet Minister.
I agree. Whilst her politics are not mine, she comes across as a decent public servant.
A mixed bag. She campaigned against institutionalised racism, and for GRC Reform, but was also behind the "Hostile Environment" and Windrush scandal.
Better than most recent Tory Prime Ministers isn't a very high bar.
She was the worst. Her “red line” speech - entirely unwanted - made sure Brexit would be hideously painful and costly
Nah, your hero Farage did that - along with the other Europhobes - when they did not set what Brexit meant for the referendum. A central lie that led to this mess.
As ever with you, it's someone else's fault.
Believe it or not I partly agree with you here
A failure to define Brexit before the referendum WAS a fundamental error, but the responsibility lies not with Farage - he’s a blustering populist who was never in charge and therefore decided nothing. PM Cameron should have imposed this stipulation
The whole vote was a shambolic disgrace. We should have had a formal national discussion about what Brexit might mean on both sides. We should have had a two stage vote. Remain or Leave, then, if Leave - what kind
Cameron fucked the whole thing, just as he fucked the “renegotiations” and then lost the vote with his ineptitude. Quite why @TSE worships him escapes me. A mediocrity
There's zero way Cameron could have defined what Brexit meant. And if he had, then Farage and the Europhobes within the party would have railed against it, whatever it was. He could only give his side of the argument.
I LOL at you calling Cameron inept. I mean, the Europhobes have hardly shone, have they? A bunch of nasty incompetent fuckwits.
You really have become a bitter and twisted sad old man these days JJ. It's a shame as you used to be reasonably sensible.
???
Given what the Europhobes have done to the country and democracy in the country, a little anger is in order.
There is a huge question re the fabric of the church. Take my parents village - Shrewton in Wiltshire. One main church (St Mary's) and several others, partly as Shrewton is a classic example of several parishes being combined into one larger village. Is there a need for the all the churchs? Almost certainly not, yet the two smaller ones are historic (some parts are from the 12th century in both Maddestone and Rollestone). How do we maintain them if that is the route?
The Manse in Colinton that Robert Louis Stevenson visited as a boy is up for sale as the parish is combining
ydoethur said: » show previous quotes North Korea was supported by the Soviets, not China, at the time of the invasion. China joined later when MacArthur started threatening to invade them as well.
The South Korean Dictatorship at the time was far nastier and more bloodthirsty than the north and the North Korean invasion was in response to the Souths openly stated aim to invade and conquer it with US aid
Are you already on page two of Putinist talking points?
If Putin´s only friend is now North Korea, I think we can judge a man by that friendship.
I don't support the IRA and happily condemn what they did but I can quite understand why someone growing up in West Belfast in the 50s/60s would join them.
The catholic community was (sorely) provoked.
Unless you can get into the other sides head and see why thy are doing what they are doing (yes Putin took the decision but he couldn't have done it without mass support in Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk, due to a greviance), you end up being a black and white woodentop spouting black and white goodies and baddies views.
Similarly. The German people were also sorely provoked by the west rubbing their noses in it at Versailles. Thats why they voted for Hitler in the first place.
So you think the creation of Poland was another of these 'historic monumental wrong crying out to heaven for vengeance'.
I get the impression that you would prefer it if all the countries between Germany and Russia ceased to exist.
I think that the history of the world is full of examples of areas where two (or more) peoples have successively been badly-treated, with reference to the mirror image actions before by the other side. Ireland is the classic example - it's impossible for any serious observer to deny that there have been faults on both sides. We should condemn military "solutions" like Putin's without trying to obscure the real faults that Ukrainian nationalism produced. In the best cases (e.g. Schleswig-Holstein) the "winners" at any given moment concede that the "losers" have a point and need to be given some leeway - in the case of Schleswig-Holstein by yielding territory where the surviving locals wanted it.
Schleswig Holstein type referendums in Crimea, Donsetsk and Luhansk Oblasts rather than pontificating about referendums 20 years previously held in the middle of a catastrophic national economic crisis unprecedented since world war 2 might well have avoided a lot of Bloodshed.
Perhaps there should be a referendum on Chechyn independence.
Or do you support referenda only in cases where it might expand Russian territory ?
ydoethur said: » show previous quotes North Korea was supported by the Soviets, not China, at the time of the invasion. China joined later when MacArthur started threatening to invade them as well.
The South Korean Dictatorship at the time was far nastier and more bloodthirsty than the north and the North Korean invasion was in response to the Souths openly stated aim to invade and conquer it with US aid
Are you already on page two of Putinist talking points?
If Putin´s only friend is now North Korea, I think we can judge a man by that friendship.
I don't support the IRA and happily condemn what they did but I can quite understand why someone growing up in West Belfast in the 50s/60s would join them.
The catholic community was (sorely) provoked.
Unless you can get into the other sides head and see why thy are doing what they are doing (yes Putin took the decision but he couldn't have done it without mass support in Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk, due to a greviance), you end up being a black and white woodentop spouting black and white goodies and baddies views.
Similarly. The German people were also sorely provoked by the west rubbing their noses in it at Versailles. Thats why they voted for Hitler in the first place.
So you think the creation of Poland was another of these 'historic monumental wrong crying out to heaven for vengeance'.
I get the impression that you would prefer it if all the countries between Germany and Russia ceased to exist.
I think that the history of the world is full of examples of areas where two (or more) peoples have successively been badly-treated, with reference to the mirror image actions before by the other side. Ireland is the classic example - it's impossible for any serious observer to deny that there have been faults on both sides. We should condemn military "solutions" like Putin's without trying to obscure the real faults that Ukrainian nationalism produced. In the best cases (e.g. Schleswig-Holstein) the "winners" at any given moment concede that the "losers" have a point and need to be given some leeway - in the case of Schleswig-Holstein by yielding territory where the surviving locals wanted it.
It's odd you mention 'Ukrainian nationalism' without mentioning the much bigger problem of Russian nationalism, which produced Putin's imperialist, fascist regime that invades neighbouring countries and does other nasty stuff. It seems like a much larger problem.
Pretty much all votes that have been held shows that Ukraine wants to be a distinct, sovereign country. The way they're fighting all-out against the much larger Russia also indicates that.
And BTW, I don't think Ukrainians have ever treated Russians badly. Ukraine frequently gets treated badly by Russia; from the Holodomor to today's evil.
Forget about Azov and all that rubbish. Concentrate your ire on the Russian fascists.
The UPA did carry out a great many atrocities against Jews and Poles, from 1943-49, but the repression of the Ukrainians, in both Tsarist and Communist times, was far longer lasting, and produced a much higher body count.
The IRA did carry out a great many atrocities but repression by the British in both the 19th and 20th Centuries was far longer lasting, and produced a much higher body count.
Idly wondering if Americans have lasting powers of attorney. If they do, what triggers them, and is withdrawing from the election within the attorney's power?
Not that it's relevant as the wife would presumably be the attorney and she wants to carry on.
Any such exercise (entirely imaginary though it is), would pretty well automatically trigger the 25th Amendment procedure.
Jon Stewart’s debate summary, where he describes Biden as having “Resting 25th Amendment Face”, now has 9m views, most of which will be Democrat-leaning voters.
You know my views on this, as I made them clear the morning after the debate. But Biden is extremely likely to be the candidate unless he decides otherwise (or has a serious medical emergency).
This expresses it quite well. https://x.com/JamesFallows/status/1807477278982455521 Most decisions presidents face are no-win. All options are bad. The prez gets to choose which is least-worst. That's one reason almost all prez look 20 years older after 4 years on the job. (Not Trump, because he didn't deliberate like this.)
The choice now facing Biden—and if he doesn't want to go, no one can push him (he has the pledged delegates)—is IMO the hardest and most important "least-worst" call any prez has faced in decades, through most Americans' lives.
-It's bad if he stays. Bad in the way that matters: stopping Trump. -Would the only thing worse be if he left? Everyone has a theory; absolutely no one can be sure. But the choice has to be made, soon.
This is an enormous-stakes, in-public demonstration of what maxims like "The Buck Stops Here" mean. A choice between bad, and perhaps even worse, that will affect all of our futures and whose rightness will be clear only in retrospect. Be wary of anyone who thinks this is an easy call.
Note that when a pharma succeeds in clinical trials with a new drug, which is likely to be a big seller, they have very little time to get a new factory up and running, and any delay can cost them hundreds of millions.
If Labour do nothing else than they must reform planning so that economically vital infrastructure is built in a timely manner
One can only hope. Like England supporters, LibDems have a psychological armoury that readies us for the inevitable disappointment, but we're ready to enjoy those rare occasions when we get the ball into the net.
Either way, I reckon Davey will get a hero's welcome at the next conference in recognition of his making the best of a potentially poor hand, in a way that Swinson wasn't. The collapse of the Tory vote is of course the enabler, as the LibDem VI remains poor by historical standards and it isn't obvious that his campaign has cut through to many people beyond those seats where LibDems already have the ground game in place? It was much easier for Ashdown to get his education-focused message across as the third-party leader than for today's LibDems pushing their social care policy amid the plethora of other minor party voices.
Idly wondering if Americans have lasting powers of attorney. If they do, what triggers them, and is withdrawing from the election within the attorney's power?
Not that it's relevant as the wife would presumably be the attorney and she wants to carry on.
Just over 100 years ago there was a similar situation after Woodrow Wilson had a stroke in 1919. His wife Edith played a key role as a gatekeeper "stewardship" during the next 18 months.
That's very interesting and she does seem to have been effectively president. Was going to say you couldn't do it these days with tiktok etc, but if they can confine Joe to bed that keeps him out of the public eye.
Unlike in 2019 with the nonsense "I will be PM" stuff, they accepted long ago they'd do well to win 50 seats and have gone all in on that outcome. It seems so far to be working.
At first I thought Davey's campaign was silly but now I realise it's been a masterstroke.
Note that when a pharma succeeds in clinical trials with a new drug, which is likely to be a big seller, they have very little time to get a new factory up and running, and any delay can cost them hundreds of millions.
If Labour do nothing else than they must reform planning so that economically vital infrastructure is built in a timely manner
I'm a supporter of economic development zones where infrastructure such as industrial or logistics development can be pre approved. The other thing that could be done to improve situation both in planning but also other infrastructure would be the ability to pay for quicker decisions or guaranteed timescales. For example I looked after a pub for a pub company which was closed and whilst closed we discovered it needed a new gas meter - there was no way to get it done quickly it just took as long as the network operator wanted and we couldn't use anyone else. When they missed an appointment we just got delayed with no recourse. It was such a frustration as the pub ended up closed for months on end undermining its ability to recover as a business.
This is not good for Biden. This guy is influential - and relatively neutral
“I just spoke to one of the most respected doctors in the world. He says that it is eminently apparent that @POTUS Biden has lewy body dementia, Parkinson’s and/or Alzheimer’s and that his decline will not be linear. It will accelerate.”
Those who say that Brexit voters now wish the country had voted to stay in neglect the counterfactual that if the vote had been to Remain the clamour to leave now would be larger than before.
There is no counterfactual. The fact is Brexit has happened and it has failed. It is a key reason for Starmer likely winning in a few days time in a landslide and for his politics possibly dominating the UK scene for the next ten years.
This is at least as significant a political sea change as Le Pen being on the brink of power in France.
ydoethur said: » show previous quotes North Korea was supported by the Soviets, not China, at the time of the invasion. China joined later when MacArthur started threatening to invade them as well.
The South Korean Dictatorship at the time was far nastier and more bloodthirsty than the north and the North Korean invasion was in response to the Souths openly stated aim to invade and conquer it with US aid
Are you already on page two of Putinist talking points?
If Putin´s only friend is now North Korea, I think we can judge a man by that friendship.
I don't support the IRA and happily condemn what they did but I can quite understand why someone growing up in West Belfast in the 50s/60s would join them.
The catholic community was (sorely) provoked.
Unless you can get into the other sides head and see why thy are doing what they are doing (yes Putin took the decision but he couldn't have done it without mass support in Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk, due to a greviance), you end up being a black and white woodentop spouting black and white goodies and baddies views.
Similarly. The German people were also sorely provoked by the west rubbing their noses in it at Versailles. Thats why they voted for Hitler in the first place.
So you think the creation of Poland was another of these 'historic monumental wrong crying out to heaven for vengeance'.
I get the impression that you would prefer it if all the countries between Germany and Russia ceased to exist.
I think that the history of the world is full of examples of areas where two (or more) peoples have successively been badly-treated, with reference to the mirror image actions before by the other side. Ireland is the classic example - it's impossible for any serious observer to deny that there have been faults on both sides. We should condemn military "solutions" like Putin's without trying to obscure the real faults that Ukrainian nationalism produced. In the best cases (e.g. Schleswig-Holstein) the "winners" at any given moment concede that the "losers" have a point and need to be given some leeway - in the case of Schleswig-Holstein by yielding territory where the surviving locals wanted it.
It's odd you mention 'Ukrainian nationalism' without mentioning the much bigger problem of Russian nationalism, which produced Putin's imperialist, fascist regime that invades neighbouring countries and does other nasty stuff. It seems like a much larger problem.
Pretty much all votes that have been held shows that Ukraine wants to be a distinct, sovereign country. The way they're fighting all-out against the much larger Russia also indicates that.
And BTW, I don't think Ukrainians have ever treated Russians badly. Ukraine frequently gets treated badly by Russia; from the Holodomor to today's evil.
Forget about Azov and all that rubbish. Concentrate your ire on the Russian fascists.
The UPA did carry out a great many atrocities against Jews and Poles, from 1943-49, but the repression of the Ukrainians, in both Tsarist and Communist times, was far longer lasting, and produced a much higher body count.
The IRA did carry out a great many atrocities but repression by the British in both the 19th and 20th Centuries was far longer lasting, and produced a much higher body count.
Even in 1943-49, the level of killing by the Soviet security forces far exceeded that that of the UPA, not to mention, they deported almost the entire Polish population of Western Ukraine.
The British security forces did not come close to matching the IRA's body count, in the Troubles, so your analogy fails
I’m on the boat to Dinard! I’m going to have eleventy BILLION cancale oysters
...It seems a shame,' the Walrus said, To play them such a trick, After we've brought them out so far, And made them trot so quick!' The Carpenter said nothing but The butter's spread too thick!'
I weep for you,' the Walrus said: I deeply sympathize.' With sobs and tears he sorted out Those of the largest size, Holding his pocket-handkerchief Before his streaming eyes.
O Oysters,' said the Carpenter, You've had a pleasant run! Shall we be trotting home again?' But answer came there none — And this was scarcely odd, because They'd eaten every one."
Unlike in 2019 with the nonsense "I will be PM" stuff, they accepted long ago they'd do well to win 50 seats and have gone all in on that outcome. It seems so far to be working.
At first I thought Davey's campaign was silly but now I realise it's been a masterstroke.
Needs to step up a tad now we’re in the last week.
Davey’s final stunt somehow needs to get across the tactical vote message.
Dropping a tactical nuke would be too obvious and a bit dangerous, and I’m not sure how big the Lib Dem arsenal is.
How about Davey does the world’s longest bar (chart) crawl, one pint in every seat the Lib Dems believe - backed up by statistical evidence presented in graphical form - they are the main challenger to the Tories.
Another pretty damning argument from Bill Ackman (he’s a billionaire finance dude who does some TV punditry etc)
“keep finding articles today which say dismissively that Biden had a bad debate, but, the articles go on to say, so did Obama and others and they were able to recover and win the office.
The issue, however, was not that @POTUS Biden had a bad debate. Rather, in just a few minutes, the entire world, including all of our enemies became definitively aware, if they were not already, that the President of the United States is not fit for office, let alone a second term.
This is not just an issue of Biden’s fitness for office. It is an issue of national security.
We know from the rally the day after the debate that Biden is still capable of reading from a teleprompter. But being president of the United States requires more than reading words written by others. Leadership requires world class executive function, which in Biden’s case is clearly profoundly impaired.
If China invades Taiwan tomorrow, how comfortable do you feel with our Commander in Chief?
I would not be surprised that the DNC called for an early debate because it was concerned that Biden was deteriorating rapidly and sooner was better than later. It figured that with a friendly moderator, no @RobertKennedyJr, no audience, silenced microphones, and six days of prep at Camp David, he could make it through, or as @FLOTUS Jill Biden explained: ‘Joe you did such a great job! You answered every question!’
Some of a president’s most important decisions must come when he is awakened at 3am when disaster or a threat emerges suddenly. Our enemies will strike when we are most vulnerable.
How is this not incredibly frightening?
Now explain to me how anyone can continue to support Biden for a second term.”
Given that it would almost certainly produced a majority to leave Ukraine, highly likely.
And the rest of Ukraine could at that point have been accepted into Nato pronto and in due course, the EU as it would have been supermajority westward leaning.
You know full well that Putin will not accept any part of Ukraine in NATO or the EU. His idea of peace in a rump-Ukraine is a Ukraine that has disarmed, and where he gets a veto on the government.
I really dislike Theresa May's politics in many respects, but as a person she seems alright. I like to see former PMs who don't think that the daily grind of politics is beneath them.
One of the reasons I ended up voting for Labour in this election, was for Ed Miliband to be in charge of energy and climate in the next Cabinet. I didn't vote for his local candidate at GE 2015, but I think he has a real interest in this area of policy, and I hope good will come of his time as a Cabinet Minister.
I agree. Whilst her politics are not mine, she comes across as a decent public servant.
Agreed and genuinely pained to see the direction her Party has travelled
I also think this country would have been better off economically had they voted for her Brexit deal.
Whilst I agree about her Brexit version, she really was an awful PM and Home Secretary. She was a Twin set and Pearls version of Patel or Braverman, authoritarian in the extreme and responsible for a huge amount of misery for a lot of innocent people. I was delighted when she fell, even if far less delighted with the choice of successor.
In any traditional Conservative government, May occupies a position similar to Sunak. On the bus, but to the right of that bus.
At the moment, both of them are somewhere on the left, probably hanging on to the outside for grim life. I'm sure some people see that change as a good thing, but I struggle to ee it myself.
No one forced May to send out vans telling immigrants to go home. No one forced her to develop a culture at the Home Office that led to the Windrush scandal. This was all in the Cameron/Coalition years - held up by many to be a period of centralism at least as far as social issues are concerned - and was entirely self inflicted.
My prediction for Theresa May is that she'll spend a few years doing something like Churchwarden of her Church of England Parish (which is a surprisingly big job in a lot of cases), or other pivotal role in the local community.
Our last-but-two churchwarden was the retired Quartermaster-General to the Forces. At one point the diocese decided it wanted to amalgamate our parish with a few neighbouring ones. Lt Gen Sir Retired Quartermaster-General was not having any of it. I don't know exactly what transpired in the negotiations but let's just say we are still a single parish.
15 odd years ago I carefully ensured that the parish I was Deanery Synod rep on was kept well away from the merger plans - did take a bit of work but it's remained that way through 2 further consolidation attempts (the fact it contains over 1/3 of the towns population makes it a difficult argument to combat).
Given that Church attendances are falling, as are the numbers describing themselves as CofE, and consequently costs per parishioner are riser, was that really in the best interests of the organisation?
And Good Morning everyone.
A fork in the road is coming, or may have come.
If the nation (England as a whole) wants a national church, with national coverage, with national duties and obligations then like everything else it will need a proper review of how that will be financed. No different from schools and hospitals, just about 1000 times smaller. It isn't possible for 11 old ladies and a dog to fund ongoing people costs + the million required for the roof of a national treasure.
If the nation doesn't want this, another, and very radical approach is required.
Straw in the wind: The diocese of London has just put on the market a City of London Grade 1 Wren church (St Michael Paternoster).
I’m no longer a Christian, or indeed a theist of any sort, but I’ve been to our local church several times recently, mostly for funerals. I’m pretty sure, from what I recall of the deceased, that they weren’t churchgoers either. But, as I was once told by a former Bishop of Chelmsford, the Church of England has an obligation to christen, marry or bury any resident of the parish who asks for their services.
The church for millennia has served as the focus for western civilization - all the key steps in a life's journey (christening, marriage, death) mediated by the church. And now we are an ever more secular society we have yet to replace the church. Many of my friends have had church weddings despite not being religious. I am passionately anti religion, and do not belief in any god, so could never make the commitment to my wife in a church, but others have fewer scruples.
Nations are all different. England has a distinctive history. It is perfectly possible if you are French to be a Christian and also approve of the secular, non theist, state with its strict separation. In the same in England you can be a non theist but approve of the establishment of the Church of England, with duties to the entire nation.
I think it is time to decide if this should carry on, properly funded, or go in a new direction. At the moment too much about the funding and the roof depends on 11 old ladies and the dog.
There is a huge question re the fabric of the church. Take my parents village - Shrewton in Wiltshire. One main church (St Mary's) and several others, partly as Shrewton is a classic example of several parishes being combined into one larger village. Is there a need for the all the churchs? Almost certainly not, yet the two smaller ones are historic (some parts are from the 12th century in both Maddestone and Rollestone). How do we maintain them if that is the route?
More than one policy solution is available. For decades we have muddled between them pragmatically. With ancient buildings this can be done for ages, but not for ever. It's just like all building maintenance - schools and hospitals etc.
Solution 1: Treat the national church and buildings as a single issue to be nationally funded because we want both
2: Treat the buildings as a national treasure and resource and fund the good ones. Disestablish the church/ministry bit, let it sink or swim
3: Decide we don't care about either and let the churches mostly fall down; the residual faithful to meet in a carpet warehouse.
I really dislike Theresa May's politics in many respects, but as a person she seems alright. I like to see former PMs who don't think that the daily grind of politics is beneath them.
One of the reasons I ended up voting for Labour in this election, was for Ed Miliband to be in charge of energy and climate in the next Cabinet. I didn't vote for his local candidate at GE 2015, but I think he has a real interest in this area of policy, and I hope good will come of his time as a Cabinet Minister.
I agree. Whilst her politics are not mine, she comes across as a decent public servant.
Agreed and genuinely pained to see the direction her Party has travelled
I also think this country would have been better off economically had they voted for her Brexit deal.
Whilst I agree about her Brexit version, she really was an awful PM and Home Secretary. She was a Twin set and Pearls version of Patel or Braverman, authoritarian in the extreme and responsible for a huge amount of misery for a lot of innocent people. I was delighted when she fell, even if far less delighted with the choice of successor.
In any traditional Conservative government, May occupies a position similar to Sunak. On the bus, but to the right of that bus.
At the moment, both of them are somewhere on the left, probably hanging on to the outside for grim life. I'm sure some people see that change as a good thing, but I struggle to ee it myself.
No one forced May to send out vans telling immigrants to go home. No one forced her to develop a culture at the Home Office that led to the Windrush scandal. This was all in the Cameron/Coalition years - held up by many to be a period of centralism at least as far as social issues are concerned - and was entirely self inflicted.
My prediction for Theresa May is that she'll spend a few years doing something like Churchwarden of her Church of England Parish (which is a surprisingly big job in a lot of cases), or other pivotal role in the local community.
Our last-but-two churchwarden was the retired Quartermaster-General to the Forces. At one point the diocese decided it wanted to amalgamate our parish with a few neighbouring ones. Lt Gen Sir Retired Quartermaster-General was not having any of it. I don't know exactly what transpired in the negotiations but let's just say we are still a single parish.
15 odd years ago I carefully ensured that the parish I was Deanery Synod rep on was kept well away from the merger plans - did take a bit of work but it's remained that way through 2 further consolidation attempts (the fact it contains over 1/3 of the towns population makes it a difficult argument to combat).
Given that Church attendances are falling, as are the numbers describing themselves as CofE, and consequently costs per parishioner are riser, was that really in the best interests of the organisation?
And Good Morning everyone.
A fork in the road is coming, or may have come.
If the nation (England as a whole) wants a national church, with national coverage, with national duties and obligations then like everything else it will need a proper review of how that will be financed. No different from schools and hospitals, just about 1000 times smaller. It isn't possible for 11 old ladies and a dog to fund ongoing people costs + the million required for the roof of a national treasure.
If the nation doesn't want this, another, and very radical approach is required.
Straw in the wind: The diocese of London has just put on the market a City of London Grade 1 Wren church (St Michael Paternoster).
That's not be used as a parish church for a long time, it was leased to the Mission to Seafarers in 1968 and they handed it back in 2017.
Yes. Few of the nearly 40 City churches are used in the conventional way. However they are an amazing example of a vital function of the Church of England: custodian of a collective national historic building trust which put together is greater than Oxford, Cambridge, York, Stamford and twenty other great towns all put together. (The old 2 volume Betjeman lists 4000 churches and there are fine ones omitted. Some have already been destroyed).
Which is a crucial reason why a new approach is needed, not salami slicing of both the function and the historic treasure. I am sure Oxford can do without Wadham, and Cambridge can do without Pembroke but as a policy it won't do.
I've been trying to call how this one will go since around 199x , and I still have no idea of the likely outcome.
London Diocese is either a good or not-good example, since it is firmly standing on its own 2 feet but is non-typical and other Dioceses have taken decades to pick up the model, absord it, and work what is applicable and what is not; I have no idea how far they have gone yet with it.
London Diocese currently has 200 vicars in training at present, plus has been establishing new communities at the rate of something like 30 * a year for a long time. Either way, they are competent.
Lots of interesting strategic stuff going on in the wider CofE, with quite heavy funding.
Currently I'm reflecting on how I can try and pivot some of the small % of the current development funding - £2.4m - being put into "making church more inclusive for disabled people" in York Province (area N of Manchester-Sheffield line plus Notts) over the next 3 years into inclusive mobility aid parking and getting parishes to focus on the anti-wheelchair barriers on footpaths stopping people getting to church or churchyards.
There tends to be a natural human focus on "people we can see here already, not the ones we can't see who can't get here", which the vision of what a church is for should stand against. I need to work out how to remind them. There was a blatant example of that at iirc St Margaret's Altrincham earlier this year, when there were loud complaints in the Manchester Press about "driving 200m extra to church", whilst missing that the 1/3 of the parish previously stranded beyond a busy strategic A-road now had a pedestrian crossing and could now walk there.
* Counting them is complex - it may be a new style of service, a different language congregation, a whole new church, or something else.
The 8 most likely Ref seats are probably Clacton, Ashfield, Castle Point, Boston & Skegness, Basildon South & Thurrock East, Hornchurch & Upminster, Great Yarmouth, Herne Bay & Sandwich, but they'll probably only win 2 or 3 of them imo.
The reason the Democrats will lose under Biden is they’ve lost their USP. “Dont make this man President again, he is unfit for the role.”
Biden is unfit for the role (in a different way, but still unfit).
If he stays they lose.
How much harm has been done to how many because of the vanity of individuals, I wonder?
A character in a book I read recently said something like, "pride is the only sin."
The alternative argument is Harold Lauder's "We are taught that pride and hate are the two chief sins. I prefer to treat them as the cardinal virtues." I expect that attitude is more widespread among leaders than we might like to think.
I really dislike Theresa May's politics in many respects, but as a person she seems alright. I like to see former PMs who don't think that the daily grind of politics is beneath them.
One of the reasons I ended up voting for Labour in this election, was for Ed Miliband to be in charge of energy and climate in the next Cabinet. I didn't vote for his local candidate at GE 2015, but I think he has a real interest in this area of policy, and I hope good will come of his time as a Cabinet Minister.
I agree. Whilst her politics are not mine, she comes across as a decent public servant.
A mixed bag. She campaigned against institutionalised racism, and for GRC Reform, but was also behind the "Hostile Environment" and Windrush scandal.
Better than most recent Tory Prime Ministers isn't a very high bar.
She was the worst. Her “red line” speech - entirely unwanted - made sure Brexit would be hideously painful and costly
Nah, your hero Farage did that - along with the other Europhobes - when they did not set what Brexit meant for the referendum. A central lie that led to this mess.
As ever with you, it's someone else's fault.
Believe it or not I partly agree with you here
A failure to define Brexit before the referendum WAS a fundamental error, but the responsibility lies not with Farage - he’s a blustering populist who was never in charge and therefore decided nothing. PM Cameron should have imposed this stipulation
The whole vote was a shambolic disgrace. We should have had a formal national discussion about what Brexit might mean on both sides. We should have had a two stage vote. Remain or Leave, then, if Leave - what kind
Cameron fucked the whole thing, just as he fucked the “renegotiations” and then lost the vote with his ineptitude. Quite why @TSE worships him escapes me. A mediocrity
There's zero way Cameron could have defined what Brexit meant. And if he had, then Farage and the Europhobes within the party would have railed against it, whatever it was. He could only give his side of the argument.
I LOL at you calling Cameron inept. I mean, the Europhobes have hardly shone, have they? A bunch of nasty incompetent fuckwits.
You really have become a bitter and twisted sad old man these days JJ. It's a shame as you used to be reasonably sensible.
???
Given what the Europhobes have done to the country and democracy in the country, a little anger is in order.
But bitter and twisted? Nah. That's projection.
Everyone on PB is Twitter and Bisted. Its what we do, we just do it in different places
Unlike in 2019 with the nonsense "I will be PM" stuff, they accepted long ago they'd do well to win 50 seats and have gone all in on that outcome. It seems so far to be working.
At first I thought Davey's campaign was silly but now I realise it's been a masterstroke.
Needs to step up a tad now we’re in the last week.
Davey’s final stunt somehow needs to get across the tactical vote message.
Dropping a tactical nuke would be too obvious and a bit dangerous, and I’m not sure how big the Lib Dem arsenal is.
How about Davey does the world’s longest bar (chart) crawl, one pint in every seat the Lib Dems believe - backed up by statistical evidence presented in graphical form - they are the main challenger to the Tories.
Isn’t that what he’s doing? More or less, anyway. He’s travelling from John O’ Groats to Lands End, visiting every winnable constituency en route. Or something like that.
I’m on the boat to Dinard! I’m going to have eleventy BILLION cancale oysters
...It seems a shame,' the Walrus said, To play them such a trick, After we've brought them out so far, And made them trot so quick!' The Carpenter said nothing but The butter's spread too thick!'
I weep for you,' the Walrus said: I deeply sympathize.' With sobs and tears he sorted out Those of the largest size, Holding his pocket-handkerchief Before his streaming eyes.
O Oysters,' said the Carpenter, You've had a pleasant run! Shall we be trotting home again?' But answer came there none — And this was scarcely odd, because They'd eaten every one."
That should have been rewritten for PB as @DougSeal and the Flint Knapper.
Another pretty damning argument from Bill Ackman (he’s a billionaire finance dude who does some TV punditry etc)
“keep finding articles today which say dismissively that Biden had a bad debate, but, the articles go on to say, so did Obama and others and they were able to recover and win the office.
The issue, however, was not that @POTUS Biden had a bad debate. Rather, in just a few minutes, the entire world, including all of our enemies became definitively aware, if they were not already, that the President of the United States is not fit for office, let alone a second term.
This is not just an issue of Biden’s fitness for office. It is an issue of national security.
We know from the rally the day after the debate that Biden is still capable of reading from a teleprompter. But being president of the United States requires more than reading words written by others. Leadership requires world class executive function, which in Biden’s case is clearly profoundly impaired.
If China invades Taiwan tomorrow, how comfortable do you feel with our Commander in Chief?
I would not be surprised that the DNC called for an early debate because it was concerned that Biden was deteriorating rapidly and sooner was better than later. It figured that with a friendly moderator, no @RobertKennedyJr, no audience, silenced microphones, and six days of prep at Camp David, he could make it through, or as @FLOTUS Jill Biden explained: ‘Joe you did such a great job! You answered every question!’
Some of a president’s most important decisions must come when he is awakened at 3am when disaster or a threat emerges suddenly. Our enemies will strike when we are most vulnerable.
How is this not incredibly frightening?
Now explain to me how anyone can continue to support Biden for a second term.”
This engineering failure would embarrass North Korea.
This is apparently what was supposed to be a STATIC FIRE TEST today of a Tianlong-3 first stage by China's Space Pioneer. That's catastrophic, not static. Firm was targeting an orbital launch in the coming months.. https://x.com/AJ_FI/status/1807339807640518690
Impressive bang as it comes back to earth, though.
I’m on the boat to Dinard! I’m going to have eleventy BILLION cancale oysters
...It seems a shame,' the Walrus said, To play them such a trick, After we've brought them out so far, And made them trot so quick!' The Carpenter said nothing but The butter's spread too thick!'
I weep for you,' the Walrus said: I deeply sympathize.' With sobs and tears he sorted out Those of the largest size, Holding his pocket-handkerchief Before his streaming eyes.
O Oysters,' said the Carpenter, You've had a pleasant run! Shall we be trotting home again?' But answer came there none — And this was scarcely odd, because They'd eaten every one."
That should have been rewritten for PB as @DougSeal and the Flint Knapper.
The 8 most likely Ref seats are probably Clacton, Ashfield, Castle Point, Boston & Skegness, Basildon South & Thurrock East, Hornchurch & Upminster, Great Yarmouth, Herne Bay & Sandwich, but they'll probably only win 2 or 3 of them imo.
Currently, they are favourites to win only one (Clacton) I think?
I really dislike Theresa May's politics in many respects, but as a person she seems alright. I like to see former PMs who don't think that the daily grind of politics is beneath them.
One of the reasons I ended up voting for Labour in this election, was for Ed Miliband to be in charge of energy and climate in the next Cabinet. I didn't vote for his local candidate at GE 2015, but I think he has a real interest in this area of policy, and I hope good will come of his time as a Cabinet Minister.
I agree. Whilst her politics are not mine, she comes across as a decent public servant.
Agreed and genuinely pained to see the direction her Party has travelled
I also think this country would have been better off economically had they voted for her Brexit deal.
Whilst I agree about her Brexit version, she really was an awful PM and Home Secretary. She was a Twin set and Pearls version of Patel or Braverman, authoritarian in the extreme and responsible for a huge amount of misery for a lot of innocent people. I was delighted when she fell, even if far less delighted with the choice of successor.
In any traditional Conservative government, May occupies a position similar to Sunak. On the bus, but to the right of that bus.
At the moment, both of them are somewhere on the left, probably hanging on to the outside for grim life. I'm sure some people see that change as a good thing, but I struggle to ee it myself.
No one forced May to send out vans telling immigrants to go home. No one forced her to develop a culture at the Home Office that led to the Windrush scandal. This was all in the Cameron/Coalition years - held up by many to be a period of centralism at least as far as social issues are concerned - and was entirely self inflicted.
My prediction for Theresa May is that she'll spend a few years doing something like Churchwarden of her Church of England Parish (which is a surprisingly big job in a lot of cases), or other pivotal role in the local community.
Our last-but-two churchwarden was the retired Quartermaster-General to the Forces. At one point the diocese decided it wanted to amalgamate our parish with a few neighbouring ones. Lt Gen Sir Retired Quartermaster-General was not having any of it. I don't know exactly what transpired in the negotiations but let's just say we are still a single parish.
15 odd years ago I carefully ensured that the parish I was Deanery Synod rep on was kept well away from the merger plans - did take a bit of work but it's remained that way through 2 further consolidation attempts (the fact it contains over 1/3 of the towns population makes it a difficult argument to combat).
Given that Church attendances are falling, as are the numbers describing themselves as CofE, and consequently costs per parishioner are riser, was that really in the best interests of the organisation?
And Good Morning everyone.
A fork in the road is coming, or may have come.
If the nation (England as a whole) wants a national church, with national coverage, with national duties and obligations then like everything else it will need a proper review of how that will be financed. No different from schools and hospitals, just about 1000 times smaller. It isn't possible for 11 old ladies and a dog to fund ongoing people costs + the million required for the roof of a national treasure.
If the nation doesn't want this, another, and very radical approach is required.
Straw in the wind: The diocese of London has just put on the market a City of London Grade 1 Wren church (St Michael Paternoster).
That's not be used as a parish church for a long time, it was leased to the Mission to Seafarers in 1968 and they handed it back in 2017.
Yes. Few of the nearly 40 City churches are used in the conventional way. However they are an amazing example of a vital function of the Church of England: custodian of a collective national historic building trust which put together is greater than Oxford, Cambridge, York, Stamford and twenty other great towns all put together. (The old 2 volume Betjeman lists 4000 churches and there are fine ones omitted. Some have already been destroyed).
Which is a crucial reason why a new approach is needed, not salami slicing of both the function and the historic treasure. I am sure Oxford can do without Wadham, and Cambridge can do without Pembroke but as a policy it won't do.
I've been trying to call how this one will go since around 199x , and I still have no idea of the likely outcome.
London Diocese is either a good or not-good example, since it is firmly standing on its own 2 feet but is non-typical and other Dioceses have taken decades to pick up the model, absord it, and work what is applicable and what is not; I have no idea how far they have gone yet with it.
London Diocese currently has 200 vicars in training at present, plus has been establishing new communities at the rate of something like 30 * a year for a long time. Either way, they are competent.
Lots of interesting strategic stuff going on in the wider CofE, with quite heavy funding.
Currently I'm reflecting on how I can try and pivot some of the small % of the current development funding - £2.4m - being put into "making church more inclusive for disabled people" in York Province (area N of Manchester-Sheffield line plus Notts) over the next 3 years into inclusive mobility aid parking and getting parishes to focus on the anti-wheelchair barriers on footpaths stopping people getting to church or churchyards.
There tends to be a natural human focus on "people we can see here already, not the ones we can't see who can't get here", which the vision of what a church is for should stand against. I need to work out how to remind them. There was a blatant example of that at iirc St Margaret's Altrincham earlier this year, when there were loud complaints in the Manchester Press about "driving 200m extra to church", whilst missing that the 1/3 of the parish previously stranded beyond a busy strategic A-road now had a pedestrian crossing and could now walk there. **
* Counting them is complex - it may be a new style of service, a different language congregation, a whole new church, or something else.
** Yes, it was all mediated and discussed via a local media kerfuffle about "cycle lanes" despite there being about six other important angles, which eventually hit the Daily Mail in the usual " furious locals something something something" lobotomised style, as Manchester expands its active / public travel Bee Network throughout the area.
Another pretty damning argument from Bill Ackman (he’s a billionaire finance dude who does some TV punditry etc)
“keep finding articles today which say dismissively that Biden had a bad debate, but, the articles go on to say, so did Obama and others and they were able to recover and win the office.
The issue, however, was not that @POTUS Biden had a bad debate. Rather, in just a few minutes, the entire world, including all of our enemies became definitively aware, if they were not already, that the President of the United States is not fit for office, let alone a second term.
This is not just an issue of Biden’s fitness for office. It is an issue of national security.
We know from the rally the day after the debate that Biden is still capable of reading from a teleprompter. But being president of the United States requires more than reading words written by others. Leadership requires world class executive function, which in Biden’s case is clearly profoundly impaired.
If China invades Taiwan tomorrow, how comfortable do you feel with our Commander in Chief?
I would not be surprised that the DNC called for an early debate because it was concerned that Biden was deteriorating rapidly and sooner was better than later. It figured that with a friendly moderator, no @RobertKennedyJr, no audience, silenced microphones, and six days of prep at Camp David, he could make it through, or as @FLOTUS Jill Biden explained: ‘Joe you did such a great job! You answered every question!’
Some of a president’s most important decisions must come when he is awakened at 3am when disaster or a threat emerges suddenly. Our enemies will strike when we are most vulnerable.
How is this not incredibly frightening?
Now explain to me how anyone can continue to support Biden for a second term.”
I do think that one of the reasons the Dems are refusing to stop Biden rerunning is any suggestion that he is unfit for office in the future would beg the question - is he fit now? And then the issue becomes the 25th Amendment. I think it may be correct that the 25th should be invoked, but that creates its own problems...
Another pretty damning argument from Bill Ackman (he’s a billionaire finance dude who does some TV punditry etc)
“keep finding articles today which say dismissively that Biden had a bad debate, but, the articles go on to say, so did Obama and others and they were able to recover and win the office.
The issue, however, was not that @POTUS Biden had a bad debate. Rather, in just a few minutes, the entire world, including all of our enemies became definitively aware, if they were not already, that the President of the United States is not fit for office, let alone a second term.
This is not just an issue of Biden’s fitness for office. It is an issue of national security.
We know from the rally the day after the debate that Biden is still capable of reading from a teleprompter. But being president of the United States requires more than reading words written by others. Leadership requires world class executive function, which in Biden’s case is clearly profoundly impaired.
If China invades Taiwan tomorrow, how comfortable do you feel with our Commander in Chief?
I would not be surprised that the DNC called for an early debate because it was concerned that Biden was deteriorating rapidly and sooner was better than later. It figured that with a friendly moderator, no @RobertKennedyJr, no audience, silenced microphones, and six days of prep at Camp David, he could make it through, or as @FLOTUS Jill Biden explained: ‘Joe you did such a great job! You answered every question!’
Some of a president’s most important decisions must come when he is awakened at 3am when disaster or a threat emerges suddenly. Our enemies will strike when we are most vulnerable.
How is this not incredibly frightening?
Now explain to me how anyone can continue to support Biden for a second term.”
This engineering failure would embarrass North Korea.
This is apparently what was supposed to be a STATIC FIRE TEST today of a Tianlong-3 first stage by China's Space Pioneer. That's catastrophic, not static. Firm was targeting an orbital launch in the coming months.. https://x.com/AJ_FI/status/1807339807640518690
Impressive bang as it comes back to earth, though.
As Scott Manley said: the static test became a dynamic test.
I bet they also didn't have a self-destruct system on board, or a range safety crew to fire it even if it did.
A big oops. I can't remember that ever having happened before.
(In a static test, one, more or all of the rocket's engines are fired with the rocket anchored down.)
Another pretty damning argument from Bill Ackman (he’s a billionaire finance dude who does some TV punditry etc)
“keep finding articles today which say dismissively that Biden had a bad debate, but, the articles go on to say, so did Obama and others and they were able to recover and win the office.
The issue, however, was not that @POTUS Biden had a bad debate. Rather, in just a few minutes, the entire world, including all of our enemies became definitively aware, if they were not already, that the President of the United States is not fit for office, let alone a second term.
This is not just an issue of Biden’s fitness for office. It is an issue of national security.
We know from the rally the day after the debate that Biden is still capable of reading from a teleprompter. But being president of the United States requires more than reading words written by others. Leadership requires world class executive function, which in Biden’s case is clearly profoundly impaired.
If China invades Taiwan tomorrow, how comfortable do you feel with our Commander in Chief?
I would not be surprised that the DNC called for an early debate because it was concerned that Biden was deteriorating rapidly and sooner was better than later. It figured that with a friendly moderator, no @RobertKennedyJr, no audience, silenced microphones, and six days of prep at Camp David, he could make it through, or as @FLOTUS Jill Biden explained: ‘Joe you did such a great job! You answered every question!’
Some of a president’s most important decisions must come when he is awakened at 3am when disaster or a threat emerges suddenly. Our enemies will strike when we are most vulnerable.
How is this not incredibly frightening?
Now explain to me how anyone can continue to support Biden for a second term.”
I do think that one of the reasons the Dems are refusing to stop Biden rerunning is any suggestion that he is unfit for office in the future would beg the question - is he fit now? And then the issue becomes the 25th Amendment. I think it may be correct that the 25th should be invoked, but that creates its own problems...
Everyone can see the problem; Leon's posts are just waffly statements of the obvious. The problem they, and by extension we, have is the lack of a realisable plan B. Hopefully they are working on one.
I really dislike Theresa May's politics in many respects, but as a person she seems alright. I like to see former PMs who don't think that the daily grind of politics is beneath them.
One of the reasons I ended up voting for Labour in this election, was for Ed Miliband to be in charge of energy and climate in the next Cabinet. I didn't vote for his local candidate at GE 2015, but I think he has a real interest in this area of policy, and I hope good will come of his time as a Cabinet Minister.
I agree. Whilst her politics are not mine, she comes across as a decent public servant.
A mixed bag. She campaigned against institutionalised racism, and for GRC Reform, but was also behind the "Hostile Environment" and Windrush scandal.
Better than most recent Tory Prime Ministers isn't a very high bar.
She was the worst. Her “red line” speech - entirely unwanted - made sure Brexit would be hideously painful and costly
Nah, your hero Farage did that - along with the other Europhobes - when they did not set what Brexit meant for the referendum. A central lie that led to this mess.
As ever with you, it's someone else's fault.
Believe it or not I partly agree with you here
A failure to define Brexit before the referendum WAS a fundamental error, but the responsibility lies not with Farage - he’s a blustering populist who was never in charge and therefore decided nothing. PM Cameron should have imposed this stipulation
The whole vote was a shambolic disgrace. We should have had a formal national discussion about what Brexit might mean on both sides. We should have had a two stage vote. Remain or Leave, then, if Leave - what kind
Cameron fucked the whole thing, just as he fucked the “renegotiations” and then lost the vote with his ineptitude. Quite why @TSE worships him escapes me. A mediocrity
There's zero way Cameron could have defined what Brexit meant. And if he had, then Farage and the Europhobes within the party would have railed against it, whatever it was. He could only give his side of the argument.
I LOL at you calling Cameron inept. I mean, the Europhobes have hardly shone, have they? A bunch of nasty incompetent fuckwits.
You really have become a bitter and twisted sad old man these days JJ. It's a shame as you used to be reasonably sensible.
???
Given what the Europhobes have done to the country and democracy in the country, a little anger is in order.
But bitter and twisted? Nah. That's projection.
Why should I be bitter and twisted. I pretty much got what I wanted and am still delighted compared to how things would have been if we had stayed in. I spite of the efforts of teh politicians on both sides deocracy is far stronger in this country than many parts of your beloved EU. It is you who have degenerated into a sad old moaner.
If Rishi Sunak hadn’t got into bed with Suella Braverman, which was her price for his leadership, and IF he had tacked central and attacked the Far Right instead from the outset I don’t think this would have been the catastrophic result it’s likely to be. I don’t think Sunak was a bad Chancellor. They should have laid into Reform long ago.
John Redwood in his inimitable fashion is claiming the truth is the opposite of this, but what else do you expect from him?
Reform seemed irrelevant until very recently. A year ago, they were polling 4-5%.
Reform is just a new name for what was already an electoral force within the conservative goverment and the key reason it couldn't govern or legislate. Reform didn't spring into existance out of nothing. In fact I see it as a retreat for the populist movement. It failed in its attemt to take over the conservative party from within after 2019. Now it is shuffling to another party, where it will slowly shrink into insignificance, due to the extreme high age of its supporters. Populism cannot govern... it can get elected on the back of high emotion and divisive politics, but it falters as soon as it is in office as the last many years have shown in the UK.
Reform's age profile is in line with that of the voters generally, if the polls are to be believed. It's the Conservatives who skew towards the elderly.
I really dislike Theresa May's politics in many respects, but as a person she seems alright. I like to see former PMs who don't think that the daily grind of politics is beneath them.
One of the reasons I ended up voting for Labour in this election, was for Ed Miliband to be in charge of energy and climate in the next Cabinet. I didn't vote for his local candidate at GE 2015, but I think he has a real interest in this area of policy, and I hope good will come of his time as a Cabinet Minister.
I agree. Whilst her politics are not mine, she comes across as a decent public servant.
A mixed bag. She campaigned against institutionalised racism, and for GRC Reform, but was also behind the "Hostile Environment" and Windrush scandal.
Better than most recent Tory Prime Ministers isn't a very high bar.
She was the worst. Her “red line” speech - entirely unwanted - made sure Brexit would be hideously painful and costly
Nah, your hero Farage did that - along with the other Europhobes - when they did not set what Brexit meant for the referendum. A central lie that led to this mess.
As ever with you, it's someone else's fault.
Believe it or not I partly agree with you here
A failure to define Brexit before the referendum WAS a fundamental error, but the responsibility lies not with Farage - he’s a blustering populist who was never in charge and therefore decided nothing. PM Cameron should have imposed this stipulation
The whole vote was a shambolic disgrace. We should have had a formal national discussion about what Brexit might mean on both sides. We should have had a two stage vote. Remain or Leave, then, if Leave - what kind
Cameron fucked the whole thing, just as he fucked the “renegotiations” and then lost the vote with his ineptitude. Quite why @TSE worships him escapes me. A mediocrity
There's zero way Cameron could have defined what Brexit meant. And if he had, then Farage and the Europhobes within the party would have railed against it, whatever it was. He could only give his side of the argument.
I LOL at you calling Cameron inept. I mean, the Europhobes have hardly shone, have they? A bunch of nasty incompetent fuckwits.
You really have become a bitter and twisted sad old man these days JJ. It's a shame as you used to be reasonably sensible.
???
Given what the Europhobes have done to the country and democracy in the country, a little anger is in order.
But bitter and twisted? Nah. That's projection.
Everyone on PB is Twitter and Bisted. Its what we do, we just do it in different places
In other news, this was St Malo last night
(Snip)
Here's a question for PBers: I attended a party a few weeks ago. I bet some of you can guess what this photo is of, and might even work out exactly where I was standing when I took it...
This engineering failure would embarrass North Korea.
This is apparently what was supposed to be a STATIC FIRE TEST today of a Tianlong-3 first stage by China's Space Pioneer. That's catastrophic, not static. Firm was targeting an orbital launch in the coming months.. https://x.com/AJ_FI/status/1807339807640518690
Impressive bang as it comes back to earth, though.
Rocket make big boom! 🚀
Did no-one realise that, for a static test fire, you’re supposed to have the rocket bolted down to the pad?
The 8 most likely Ref seats are probably Clacton, Ashfield, Castle Point, Boston & Skegness, Basildon South & Thurrock East, Hornchurch & Upminster, Great Yarmouth, Herne Bay & Sandwich, but they'll probably only win 2 or 3 of them imo.
Currently, they are favourites to win only one (Clacton) I think?
A reminder of how bonkers this election, and the surrounding prediction industry is: Electoral Calculus current range for Reform is 5-89 seats. (the 89 is down from 99 last week).
I really dislike Theresa May's politics in many respects, but as a person she seems alright. I like to see former PMs who don't think that the daily grind of politics is beneath them.
One of the reasons I ended up voting for Labour in this election, was for Ed Miliband to be in charge of energy and climate in the next Cabinet. I didn't vote for his local candidate at GE 2015, but I think he has a real interest in this area of policy, and I hope good will come of his time as a Cabinet Minister.
I agree. Whilst her politics are not mine, she comes across as a decent public servant.
A mixed bag. She campaigned against institutionalised racism, and for GRC Reform, but was also behind the "Hostile Environment" and Windrush scandal.
Better than most recent Tory Prime Ministers isn't a very high bar.
She was the worst. Her “red line” speech - entirely unwanted - made sure Brexit would be hideously painful and costly
Nah, your hero Farage did that - along with the other Europhobes - when they did not set what Brexit meant for the referendum. A central lie that led to this mess.
As ever with you, it's someone else's fault.
Believe it or not I partly agree with you here
A failure to define Brexit before the referendum WAS a fundamental error, but the responsibility lies not with Farage - he’s a blustering populist who was never in charge and therefore decided nothing. PM Cameron should have imposed this stipulation
The whole vote was a shambolic disgrace. We should have had a formal national discussion about what Brexit might mean on both sides. We should have had a two stage vote. Remain or Leave, then, if Leave - what kind
Cameron fucked the whole thing, just as he fucked the “renegotiations” and then lost the vote with his ineptitude. Quite why @TSE worships him escapes me. A mediocrity
There's zero way Cameron could have defined what Brexit meant. And if he had, then Farage and the Europhobes within the party would have railed against it, whatever it was. He could only give his side of the argument.
I LOL at you calling Cameron inept. I mean, the Europhobes have hardly shone, have they? A bunch of nasty incompetent fuckwits.
You really have become a bitter and twisted sad old man these days JJ. It's a shame as you used to be reasonably sensible.
???
Given what the Europhobes have done to the country and democracy in the country, a little anger is in order.
But bitter and twisted? Nah. That's projection.
Everyone on PB is Twitter and Bisted. Its what we do, we just do it in different places
In other news, this was St Malo last night
(Snip)
Here's a question for PBers: I attended a party a few weeks ago. I bet some of you can guess what this photo is of, and might even work out exactly where I was standing when I took it...
I really dislike Theresa May's politics in many respects, but as a person she seems alright. I like to see former PMs who don't think that the daily grind of politics is beneath them.
One of the reasons I ended up voting for Labour in this election, was for Ed Miliband to be in charge of energy and climate in the next Cabinet. I didn't vote for his local candidate at GE 2015, but I think he has a real interest in this area of policy, and I hope good will come of his time as a Cabinet Minister.
I agree. Whilst her politics are not mine, she comes across as a decent public servant.
A mixed bag. She campaigned against institutionalised racism, and for GRC Reform, but was also behind the "Hostile Environment" and Windrush scandal.
Better than most recent Tory Prime Ministers isn't a very high bar.
She was the worst. Her “red line” speech - entirely unwanted - made sure Brexit would be hideously painful and costly
Nah, your hero Farage did that - along with the other Europhobes - when they did not set what Brexit meant for the referendum. A central lie that led to this mess.
As ever with you, it's someone else's fault.
Believe it or not I partly agree with you here
A failure to define Brexit before the referendum WAS a fundamental error, but the responsibility lies not with Farage - he’s a blustering populist who was never in charge and therefore decided nothing. PM Cameron should have imposed this stipulation
The whole vote was a shambolic disgrace. We should have had a formal national discussion about what Brexit might mean on both sides. We should have had a two stage vote. Remain or Leave, then, if Leave - what kind
Cameron fucked the whole thing, just as he fucked the “renegotiations” and then lost the vote with his ineptitude. Quite why @TSE worships him escapes me. A mediocrity
There's zero way Cameron could have defined what Brexit meant. And if he had, then Farage and the Europhobes within the party would have railed against it, whatever it was. He could only give his side of the argument.
I LOL at you calling Cameron inept. I mean, the Europhobes have hardly shone, have they? A bunch of nasty incompetent fuckwits.
You really have become a bitter and twisted sad old man these days JJ. It's a shame as you used to be reasonably sensible.
???
Given what the Europhobes have done to the country and democracy in the country, a little anger is in order.
But bitter and twisted? Nah. That's projection.
Everyone on PB is Twitter and Bisted. Its what we do, we just do it in different places
In other news, this was St Malo last night
(Snip)
Here's a question for PBers: I attended a party a few weeks ago. I bet some of you can guess what this photo is of, and might even work out exactly where I was standing when I took it...
ydoethur said: » show previous quotes North Korea was supported by the Soviets, not China, at the time of the invasion. China joined later when MacArthur started threatening to invade them as well.
The South Korean Dictatorship at the time was far nastier and more bloodthirsty than the north and the North Korean invasion was in response to the Souths openly stated aim to invade and conquer it with US aid
Are you already on page two of Putinist talking points?
If Putin´s only friend is now North Korea, I think we can judge a man by that friendship.
I don't support the IRA and happily condemn what they did but I can quite understand why someone growing up in West Belfast in the 50s/60s would join them.
The catholic community was (sorely) provoked.
Unless you can get into the other sides head and see why thy are doing what they are doing (yes Putin took the decision but he couldn't have done it without mass support in Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk, due to a greviance), you end up being a black and white woodentop spouting black and white goodies and baddies views.
Similarly. The German people were also sorely provoked by the west rubbing their noses in it at Versailles. Thats why they voted for Hitler in the first place.
So you think the creation of Poland was another of these 'historic monumental wrong crying out to heaven for vengeance'.
I get the impression that you would prefer it if all the countries between Germany and Russia ceased to exist.
I think that the history of the world is full of examples of areas where two (or more) peoples have successively been badly-treated, with reference to the mirror image actions before by the other side. Ireland is the classic example - it's impossible for any serious observer to deny that there have been faults on both sides. We should condemn military "solutions" like Putin's without trying to obscure the real faults that Ukrainian nationalism produced. In the best cases (e.g. Schleswig-Holstein) the "winners" at any given moment concede that the "losers" have a point and need to be given some leeway - in the case of Schleswig-Holstein by yielding territory where the surviving locals wanted it.
I and the public know What all school children learn Those to whom evil is done Do evil in return
Clearly not true.
Otherwise where is the vengeance wreaked on men by women when they have had the opportunity to do so?
Another pretty damning argument from Bill Ackman (he’s a billionaire finance dude who does some TV punditry etc)
“keep finding articles today which say dismissively that Biden had a bad debate, but, the articles go on to say, so did Obama and others and they were able to recover and win the office.
The issue, however, was not that @POTUS Biden had a bad debate. Rather, in just a few minutes, the entire world, including all of our enemies became definitively aware, if they were not already, that the President of the United States is not fit for office, let alone a second term.
This is not just an issue of Biden’s fitness for office. It is an issue of national security.
We know from the rally the day after the debate that Biden is still capable of reading from a teleprompter. But being president of the United States requires more than reading words written by others. Leadership requires world class executive function, which in Biden’s case is clearly profoundly impaired.
If China invades Taiwan tomorrow, how comfortable do you feel with our Commander in Chief?
I would not be surprised that the DNC called for an early debate because it was concerned that Biden was deteriorating rapidly and sooner was better than later. It figured that with a friendly moderator, no @RobertKennedyJr, no audience, silenced microphones, and six days of prep at Camp David, he could make it through, or as @FLOTUS Jill Biden explained: ‘Joe you did such a great job! You answered every question!’
Some of a president’s most important decisions must come when he is awakened at 3am when disaster or a threat emerges suddenly. Our enemies will strike when we are most vulnerable.
How is this not incredibly frightening?
Now explain to me how anyone can continue to support Biden for a second term.”
I do think that one of the reasons the Dems are refusing to stop Biden rerunning is any suggestion that he is unfit for office in the future would beg the question - is he fit now? And then the issue becomes the 25th Amendment. I think it may be correct that the 25th should be invoked, but that creates its own problems...
Everyone can see the problem; Leon's posts are just waffly statements of the obvious. The problem they, and by extension we, have is the lack of a realisable plan B. Hopefully they are working on one.
I mean reasonable plan B would have been to allow a primary to happen. This conference would have been a great big Ode to Biden, congratulating him for saving American democracy from Trump in 2020 and doing an okay job as POTUS (from the view of Democrats) on policy. It would have been his swansong, and then he could have passed the torch onto a successor. The Dems refused to do that - that is part of the reason so many people are both shocked and angry, because this has been clear for so long and the party still didn't do its duty to the country and (arguably) the world.
The only thing to do now is Biden should resign and retire - Kamala becomes POTUS and Biden releases his delegates at the conference and then the conference sorts it out. That will be messy - but it will be less messy than losing to Trump. That could lead to any number of people becoming the nominee - from Newsom to (sigh) Clinton - but at the moment that seems less risky then the risk of continuing to run Biden.
This engineering failure would embarrass North Korea.
This is apparently what was supposed to be a STATIC FIRE TEST today of a Tianlong-3 first stage by China's Space Pioneer. That's catastrophic, not static. Firm was targeting an orbital launch in the coming months.. https://x.com/AJ_FI/status/1807339807640518690
Impressive bang as it comes back to earth, though.
As Scott Manley said: the static test became a dynamic test.
I bet they also didn't have a self-destruct system on board, or a range safety crew to fire it even if it did.
A big oops. I can't remember that ever having happened before.
(In a static test, one, more or all of the rocket's engines are fired with the rocket anchored down.)
Another pretty damning argument from Bill Ackman (he’s a billionaire finance dude who does some TV punditry etc)
“keep finding articles today which say dismissively that Biden had a bad debate, but, the articles go on to say, so did Obama and others and they were able to recover and win the office.
The issue, however, was not that @POTUS Biden had a bad debate. Rather, in just a few minutes, the entire world, including all of our enemies became definitively aware, if they were not already, that the President of the United States is not fit for office, let alone a second term.
This is not just an issue of Biden’s fitness for office. It is an issue of national security.
We know from the rally the day after the debate that Biden is still capable of reading from a teleprompter. But being president of the United States requires more than reading words written by others. Leadership requires world class executive function, which in Biden’s case is clearly profoundly impaired.
If China invades Taiwan tomorrow, how comfortable do you feel with our Commander in Chief?
I would not be surprised that the DNC called for an early debate because it was concerned that Biden was deteriorating rapidly and sooner was better than later. It figured that with a friendly moderator, no @RobertKennedyJr, no audience, silenced microphones, and six days of prep at Camp David, he could make it through, or as @FLOTUS Jill Biden explained: ‘Joe you did such a great job! You answered every question!’
Some of a president’s most important decisions must come when he is awakened at 3am when disaster or a threat emerges suddenly. Our enemies will strike when we are most vulnerable.
How is this not incredibly frightening?
Now explain to me how anyone can continue to support Biden for a second term.”
I do think that one of the reasons the Dems are refusing to stop Biden rerunning is any suggestion that he is unfit for office in the future would beg the question - is he fit now? And then the issue becomes the 25th Amendment. I think it may be correct that the 25th should be invoked, but that creates its own problems...
Everyone can see the problem; Leon's posts are just waffly statements of the obvious. The problem they, and by extension we, have is the lack of a realisable plan B. Hopefully they are working on one.
Except that YET AGAIN I was saying all this about a year before everyone else on PB - Biden is senile and getting worse. With honourable exceptions - like @kle4 and @Luckyguy1983 - everyone else on PB was saying Nah shut up, you’re a trumpite, he’s just got a stutter
One day soon I will dig up these excruciatingly embarrassing remarks
"The reason for this proliferation of "triangulaires"? The high turnout. To make it to the run-off, a candidate needs to secure at least 12.5% of registered voters. So, the more voters, the more chances of a candidate to go through to the second round."
I thought this was a moment of innumeracy from the BBC - but then read it again. I'd been assuming it was 12.5% of the votes, not if the voters... a much higher bar...
This engineering failure would embarrass North Korea.
This is apparently what was supposed to be a STATIC FIRE TEST today of a Tianlong-3 first stage by China's Space Pioneer. That's catastrophic, not static. Firm was targeting an orbital launch in the coming months.. https://x.com/AJ_FI/status/1807339807640518690
Impressive bang as it comes back to earth, though.
Rocket make big boom! 🚀
Did no-one realise that, for a static test fire, you’re supposed to have the rocket bolted down to the pad?
ydoethur said: » show previous quotes North Korea was supported by the Soviets, not China, at the time of the invasion. China joined later when MacArthur started threatening to invade them as well.
The South Korean Dictatorship at the time was far nastier and more bloodthirsty than the north and the North Korean invasion was in response to the Souths openly stated aim to invade and conquer it with US aid
Are you already on page two of Putinist talking points?
If Putin´s only friend is now North Korea, I think we can judge a man by that friendship.
I don't support the IRA and happily condemn what they did but I can quite understand why someone growing up in West Belfast in the 50s/60s would join them.
The catholic community was (sorely) provoked.
Unless you can get into the other sides head and see why thy are doing what they are doing (yes Putin took the decision but he couldn't have done it without mass support in Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk, due to a greviance), you end up being a black and white woodentop spouting black and white goodies and baddies views.
Similarly. The German people were also sorely provoked by the west rubbing their noses in it at Versailles. Thats why they voted for Hitler in the first place.
So you think the creation of Poland was another of these 'historic monumental wrong crying out to heaven for vengeance'.
I get the impression that you would prefer it if all the countries between Germany and Russia ceased to exist.
I think that the history of the world is full of examples of areas where two (or more) peoples have successively been badly-treated, with reference to the mirror image actions before by the other side. Ireland is the classic example - it's impossible for any serious observer to deny that there have been faults on both sides. We should condemn military "solutions" like Putin's without trying to obscure the real faults that Ukrainian nationalism produced. In the best cases (e.g. Schleswig-Holstein) the "winners" at any given moment concede that the "losers" have a point and need to be given some leeway - in the case of Schleswig-Holstein by yielding territory where the surviving locals wanted it.
The 'real faults that Ukrainian nationalism produced' are trivial compared to those of Russian nationalism and Soviet imperialism.
As the CNN poll on the eve of the invasion showed, such plebiscites wouldn’t have got Putin territory. Which is why he didn’t call for them.
Incidentally, there's currently a little low pressure system forecast to whip itself across the south of Britain early on Friday, potentially creating a rain in Downing Street test on Friday morning for the new PM.
"I am assured that a new dawn has broken, even though the rain clouds above us obscure that fact."
Another pretty damning argument from Bill Ackman (he’s a billionaire finance dude who does some TV punditry etc)
“keep finding articles today which say dismissively that Biden had a bad debate, but, the articles go on to say, so did Obama and others and they were able to recover and win the office.
The issue, however, was not that @POTUS Biden had a bad debate. Rather, in just a few minutes, the entire world, including all of our enemies became definitively aware, if they were not already, that the President of the United States is not fit for office, let alone a second term.
This is not just an issue of Biden’s fitness for office. It is an issue of national security.
We know from the rally the day after the debate that Biden is still capable of reading from a teleprompter. But being president of the United States requires more than reading words written by others. Leadership requires world class executive function, which in Biden’s case is clearly profoundly impaired.
If China invades Taiwan tomorrow, how comfortable do you feel with our Commander in Chief?
I would not be surprised that the DNC called for an early debate because it was concerned that Biden was deteriorating rapidly and sooner was better than later. It figured that with a friendly moderator, no @RobertKennedyJr, no audience, silenced microphones, and six days of prep at Camp David, he could make it through, or as @FLOTUS Jill Biden explained: ‘Joe you did such a great job! You answered every question!’
Some of a president’s most important decisions must come when he is awakened at 3am disaster or a threat emerges suddenly. Our enemies will strike when we are most vulnerable.
How is this not incredibly frightening?
Now explain to me how anyone can continue to support Biden for a second term.”
I do think that one of the reasons the Dems are refusing to stop Biden rerunning is any suggestion that he is unfit for office in the future would beg the question - is he fit now? And then the issue becomes the 25th Amendment. I think it may be correct that the 25th should be invoked, but that creates its own problems...
Everyone can see the problem; Leon's posts are just waffly statements of the obvious. The problem they, and by extension we, have is the lack of a realisable plan B. Hopefully they are working on one.
Except that YET AGAIN I was saying all this about a year before everyone else on PB - Biden is senile and getting worse. With honourable exceptions - like @kle4 and @Luckyguy1983 - everyone else on PB was saying Nah shut up, you’re a trumpite, he’s just got a stutter
One day soon I will dig up these excruciatingly embarrassing remarks
They've been gaslighting us about Biden since the primary when at one point Bernie was doing well there was a coordinated attack on Sanders supporters about them making fun of people with a stutter
The NYT is reporting that Biden is relying heavily for advice on his son, Hunter Biden, as Joe regards his son - the convicted villain and crack addict - as “the smartest man I know”
That’s it in a nutshell isn’t it. The democrats are saying the choice in 2024 is a country run by a convicted felon Trump, and a country run by another convicted felon, Hunter Biden, who is also a crack addict with a gun problem, but it’s ok because he’ll be working alongside Jill Biden a retired au pair, as the president himself will be juddering in a corner shouting “bomb China bomb China” and they don’t know whether to ignore him
This engineering failure would embarrass North Korea.
This is apparently what was supposed to be a STATIC FIRE TEST today of a Tianlong-3 first stage by China's Space Pioneer. That's catastrophic, not static. Firm was targeting an orbital launch in the coming months.. https://x.com/AJ_FI/status/1807339807640518690
Impressive bang as it comes back to earth, though.
As Scott Manley said: the static test became a dynamic test.
I bet they also didn't have a self-destruct system on board, or a range safety crew to fire it even if it did.
A big oops. I can't remember that ever having happened before.
(In a static test, one, more or all of the rocket's engines are fired with the rocket anchored down.)
At a guess, the attachment points for the bolts ripple failed.
This was the “Totally not a clone of Falcon 9” rocket, incidentally.
The NYT is reporting that Biden is relying heavily for advice on his son, Hunter Biden, as Joe regards his son - the convicted villain and crack addict - as “the smartest man I know”
That’s it in a nutshell isn’t it. The democrats are saying the choice in 2024 is a country run by a convicted felon Trump, and a country run by another convicted felon, Hunter Biden, who is also a crack addict with a gun problem, but it’s ok because he’ll be working alongside Jill Biden a retired au pair, as the president himself will be juddering in a corner shouting “bomb China bomb China” and they don’t know whether to ignore him
The 8 most likely Ref seats are probably Clacton, Ashfield, Castle Point, Boston & Skegness, Basildon South & Thurrock East, Hornchurch & Upminster, Great Yarmouth, Herne Bay & Sandwich, but they'll probably only win 2 or 3 of them imo.
Currently, they are favourites to win only one (Clacton) I think?
I don't know, I can't find the pages for constituency betting, but one might have thought they'd be favourites in Ashfield as well.
Another pretty damning argument from Bill Ackman (he’s a billionaire finance dude who does some TV punditry etc)
“keep finding articles today which say dismissively that Biden had a bad debate, but, the articles go on to say, so did Obama and others and they were able to recover and win the office.
The issue, however, was not that @POTUS Biden had a bad debate. Rather, in just a few minutes, the entire world, including all of our enemies became definitively aware, if they were not already, that the President of the United States is not fit for office, let alone a second term.
This is not just an issue of Biden’s fitness for office. It is an issue of national security.
We know from the rally the day after the debate that Biden is still capable of reading from a teleprompter. But being president of the United States requires more than reading words written by others. Leadership requires world class executive function, which in Biden’s case is clearly profoundly impaired.
If China invades Taiwan tomorrow, how comfortable do you feel with our Commander in Chief?
I would not be surprised that the DNC called for an early debate because it was concerned that Biden was deteriorating rapidly and sooner was better than later. It figured that with a friendly moderator, no @RobertKennedyJr, no audience, silenced microphones, and six days of prep at Camp David, he could make it through, or as @FLOTUS Jill Biden explained: ‘Joe you did such a great job! You answered every question!’
Some of a president’s most important decisions must come when he is awakened at 3am when disaster or a threat emerges suddenly. Our enemies will strike when we are most vulnerable.
How is this not incredibly frightening?
Now explain to me how anyone can continue to support Biden for a second term.”
I do think that one of the reasons the Dems are refusing to stop Biden rerunning is any suggestion that he is unfit for office in the future would beg the question - is he fit now? And then the issue becomes the 25th Amendment. I think it may be correct that the 25th should be invoked, but that creates its own problems...
Everyone can see the problem; Leon's posts are just waffly statements of the obvious. The problem they, and by extension we, have is the lack of a realisable plan B. Hopefully they are working on one.
Except that YET AGAIN I was saying all this about a year before everyone else on PB - Biden is senile and getting worse. With honourable exceptions - like @kle4 and @Luckyguy1983 - everyone else on PB was saying Nah shut up, you’re a trumpite, he’s just got a stutter
One day soon I will dig up these excruciatingly embarrassing remarks
Wait, I thought you *already* had a 'spreadsheet' made by an 'algorithm', and were just waiting for the right moment to publish? Surely you weren't telling porkies? Would be very disappointing.
If the democrats proceed with Biden they are basically saying
1. It’s ok to lie about the most serious things in politics: like the mental state of the president
2. We think it’s ok to lie even when everyone knows we’re lying so we will do it again
3. We seriously want you to vote for a demented President because that’s more important than the security of the USA
4. We are too feeble to tell an old man to retire
5. For the next four years the country will be run by retired nanny Jill Biden and maybe her friend in the coffee shop
If the Republicans proceed with Trump they are basically saying:
1. It's OK for the president to lie about absolutely everything. 2. Who probably is actually insane. 3. Who has led an insurrection against the democratic institutions of his country. 4. Who has plausibly been in the pay of a country hostile to the United States 5. Who has a realistic possibility of being a convicted felon.
Comments
RN is pretty consistent among all age groups, until you reach those aged 70+, where it falls away. People without degrees, and in mid-sized towns provide RN with its greatest support, in common with many right wing parties now. 50% of working class voters supported RN, compared to 26% of middle class voters, and 30% of the retired.
Ensemble leads among voters aged over 70.
The polls show regret that we left
There was no "better" leave. The vote to leave led to BoZo, which led to where we are now.
You can't regret every domino that fell while still claiming the first was a good idea
Biden is unfit for the role (in a different way, but still unfit).
If he stays they lose.
You get the impression that he, or someone in his team, has looked at all the positive qualities Boris Johnson has as a politician that Ed Davey does not have, and they've managed to successfully narrow that gap more than I could have imagined was possible. It's remarkable.
If you want to go historically, Poland has a stronger claim to the area than Germany (likewise Lithuania, which formed a nation with Poland).
Unpicking maps by history is deeply unwise, however.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edith_Wilson
And that opens up all sorts of possibilities, not least a pro Harris surge based on relief that she is not quite 60. I also think that being up against a woman (fnaar) would produce a lot of unforced errors from the pussy grabber.
@turbotubbs fair point on the stubbornness of the polls. In my view the Lib Dem’s have set themselves a simple set of targets - become the third largest party in Westminster, build back their base of seats in SW by knocking out some of the “blue wall” seats, and get as much free media as they can. I think on those terms the stunts they are doing and the messages they are putting out are in line with hitting those targets. Although you could argues that those targets are pretty unambitious considering the state of the SNP, the state of the tories and the broadcasting obligations during the campaign.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SJr44m-w1Y
That bloody referendum - it was like being given a shitty stick to grasp with shit at both ends.
What all school children learn
Those to whom evil is done
Do evil in return
Pretty much all votes that have been held shows that Ukraine wants to be a distinct, sovereign country. The way they're fighting all-out against the much larger Russia also indicates that.
And BTW, I don't think Ukrainians have ever treated Russians badly. Ukraine frequently gets treated badly by Russia; from the Holodomor to today's evil.
Forget about Azov and all that rubbish. Concentrate your ire on the Russian fascists.
And the rest of Ukraine could at that point have been accepted into Nato pronto and in due course, the EU as it would have been supermajority westward leaning.
Given what the Europhobes have done to the country and democracy in the country, a little anger is in order.
But bitter and twisted? Nah. That's projection.
Or do you support referenda only in cases where it might expand Russian territory ?
But Biden is extremely likely to be the candidate unless he decides otherwise (or has a serious medical emergency).
This expresses it quite well.
https://x.com/JamesFallows/status/1807477278982455521
Most decisions presidents face are no-win. All options are bad. The prez gets to choose which is least-worst. That's one reason almost all prez look 20 years older after 4 years on the job. (Not Trump, because he didn't deliberate like this.)
The choice now facing Biden—and if he doesn't want to go, no one can push him (he has the pledged delegates)—is IMO the hardest and most important "least-worst" call any prez has faced in decades, through most Americans' lives.
-It's bad if he stays. Bad in the way that matters: stopping Trump.
-Would the only thing worse be if he left? Everyone has a theory; absolutely no one can be sure. But the choice has to be made, soon.
This is an enormous-stakes, in-public demonstration of what maxims like "The Buck Stops Here" mean. A choice between bad, and perhaps even worse, that will affect all of our futures and whose rightness will be clear only in retrospect. Be wary of anyone who thinks this is an easy call.
Either way, I reckon Davey will get a hero's welcome at the next conference in recognition of his making the best of a potentially poor hand, in a way that Swinson wasn't. The collapse of the Tory vote is of course the enabler, as the LibDem VI remains poor by historical standards and it isn't obvious that his campaign has cut through to many people beyond those seats where LibDems already have the ground game in place? It was much easier for Ashdown to get his education-focused message across as the third-party leader than for today's LibDems pushing their social care policy amid the plethora of other minor party voices.
This is at least as significant a political sea change as Le Pen being on the brink of power in France.
The British security forces did not come close to matching the IRA's body count, in the Troubles, so your analogy fails
To play them such a trick,
After we've brought them out so far,
And made them trot so quick!'
The Carpenter said nothing but
The butter's spread too thick!'
I weep for you,' the Walrus said:
I deeply sympathize.'
With sobs and tears he sorted out
Those of the largest size,
Holding his pocket-handkerchief
Before his streaming eyes.
O Oysters,' said the Carpenter,
You've had a pleasant run!
Shall we be trotting home again?'
But answer came there none —
And this was scarcely odd, because
They'd eaten every one."
Davey’s final stunt somehow needs to get across the tactical vote message.
Dropping a tactical nuke would be too obvious and a bit dangerous, and I’m not sure how big the Lib Dem arsenal is.
How about Davey does the world’s longest bar (chart) crawl, one pint in every seat the Lib Dems believe - backed up by statistical evidence presented in graphical form - they are the main challenger to the Tories.
“keep finding articles today which say dismissively that Biden had a bad debate, but, the articles go on to say, so did Obama and others and they were able to recover and win the office.
The issue, however, was not that @POTUS Biden had a bad debate. Rather, in just a few minutes, the entire world, including all of our enemies became definitively aware, if they were not already, that the President of the United States is not fit for office, let alone a second term.
This is not just an issue of Biden’s fitness for office. It is an issue of national security.
We know from the rally the day after the debate that Biden is still capable of reading from a teleprompter. But being president of the United States requires more than reading words written by others. Leadership requires world class executive function, which in Biden’s case is clearly profoundly impaired.
If China invades Taiwan tomorrow, how comfortable do you feel with our Commander in Chief?
I would not be surprised that the DNC called for an early debate because it was concerned that Biden was deteriorating rapidly and sooner was better than later. It figured that with a friendly moderator, no @RobertKennedyJr, no audience, silenced microphones, and six days of prep at Camp David, he could make it through, or as @FLOTUS Jill Biden explained: ‘Joe you did such a great job! You answered every question!’
Some of a president’s most important decisions must come when he is awakened at 3am when disaster or a threat emerges suddenly. Our enemies will strike when we are most vulnerable.
How is this not incredibly frightening?
Now explain to me how anyone can continue to support Biden for a second term.”
https://x.com/billackman/status/1807154336080056686?s=46&t=bulOICNH15U6kB0MwE6Lfw
How badly will the Supreme Court fuck it up ?
Solution 1: Treat the national church and buildings as a single issue to be nationally funded because we want both
2: Treat the buildings as a national treasure and resource and fund the good ones. Disestablish the church/ministry bit, let it sink or swim
3: Decide we don't care about either and let the churches mostly fall down; the residual faithful to meet in a carpet warehouse.
London Diocese is either a good or not-good example, since it is firmly standing on its own 2 feet but is non-typical and other Dioceses have taken decades to pick up the model, absord it, and work what is applicable and what is not; I have no idea how far they have gone yet with it.
London Diocese currently has 200 vicars in training at present, plus has been establishing new communities at the rate of something like 30 * a year for a long time. Either way, they are competent.
Lots of interesting strategic stuff going on in the wider CofE, with quite heavy funding.
Currently I'm reflecting on how I can try and pivot some of the small % of the current development funding - £2.4m - being put into "making church more inclusive for disabled people" in York Province (area N of Manchester-Sheffield line plus Notts) over the next 3 years into inclusive mobility aid parking and getting parishes to focus on the anti-wheelchair barriers on footpaths stopping people getting to church or churchyards.
There tends to be a natural human focus on "people we can see here already, not the ones we can't see who can't get here", which the vision of what a church is for should stand against. I need to work out how to remind them. There was a blatant example of that at iirc St Margaret's Altrincham earlier this year, when there were loud complaints in the Manchester Press about "driving 200m extra to church", whilst missing that the 1/3 of the parish previously stranded beyond a busy strategic A-road now had a pedestrian crossing and could now walk there.
* Counting them is complex - it may be a new style of service, a different language congregation, a whole new church, or something else.
Everyone on PB is Twitter and Bisted. Its what we do, we just do it in different places
In other news, this was St Malo last night
Or something like that.
Any Dem there or in the Senate would then have to justify supporting someone who is clearly not capable of being President.
This is apparently what was supposed to be a STATIC FIRE TEST today of a Tianlong-3 first stage by China's Space Pioneer. That's catastrophic, not static. Firm was targeting an orbital launch in the coming months..
https://x.com/AJ_FI/status/1807339807640518690
Impressive bang as it comes back to earth, though.
From the Independent. Any idea which poll they are referring to?
https://x.com/AdamBienkov/status/1807695758931505461
I bet they also didn't have a self-destruct system on board, or a range safety crew to fire it even if it did.
A big oops. I can't remember that ever having happened before.
(In a static test, one, more or all of the rocket's engines are fired with the rocket anchored down.)
1. It’s ok to lie about the most serious things in politics: like the mental state of the president
2. We think it’s ok to lie even when everyone knows we’re lying so we will do it again
3. We seriously want you to vote for a demented President because that’s more important than the security of the USA
4. We are too feeble to tell an old man to retire
5. For the next four years the country will be run by retired nanny Jill Biden and maybe her friend in the coffee shop
Quite a few ham-hued bonces like match heads ready to ignite. Mostly men I assume.
Did no-one realise that, for a static test fire, you’re supposed to have the rocket bolted down to the pad?
I think the answer is 2!
Chesham, Maidenhead, Horsham, Yeovil, East Hants, Epsom, Stratford, Kenilworth, South Shropshire, Exmouth, Chichester, Witney, Tewkesbury, Reigate, Salisbury, SW Herts, Runnymede, Montgomeryshire, Torbay, North Cotswolds.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1807696939825148394
https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/general-election-polls-date-latest-news-rishi-sunak-keir-starmer-pmsj20vx3
I'm still waiting for wake boarding or a visit to a naturist colony. That lasts will teach the *&^%$£ journos.
Otherwise where is the vengeance wreaked on men by women when they have had the opportunity to do so?
Did he bet on himself?
The only thing to do now is Biden should resign and retire - Kamala becomes POTUS and Biden releases his delegates at the conference and then the conference sorts it out. That will be messy - but it will be less messy than losing to Trump. That could lead to any number of people becoming the nominee - from Newsom to (sigh) Clinton - but at the moment that seems less risky then the risk of continuing to run Biden.
One day soon I will dig up these excruciatingly embarrassing remarks
To make it to the run-off, a candidate needs to secure at least 12.5% of registered voters. So, the more voters, the more chances of a candidate to go through to the second round."
I thought this was a moment of innumeracy from the BBC - but then read it again. I'd been assuming it was 12.5% of the votes, not if the voters... a much higher bar...
Bolt science
https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2022/02/europe/russia-ukraine-crisis-poll-intl/index.html?cid=ios_app
"I am assured that a new dawn has broken, even though the rain clouds above us obscure that fact."
Keir Starmer’s campaign route today – Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire – is a good indication that Labour believes the polls.
That’s it in a nutshell isn’t it. The democrats are saying the choice in 2024 is a country run by a convicted felon Trump, and a country run by another convicted felon, Hunter Biden, who is also a crack addict with a gun problem, but it’s ok because he’ll be working alongside Jill Biden a retired au pair, as the president himself will be juddering in a corner shouting “bomb China bomb China” and they don’t know whether to ignore him
This was the “Totally not a clone of Falcon 9” rocket, incidentally.
1. It's OK for the president to lie about absolutely everything.
2. Who probably is actually insane.
3. Who has led an insurrection against the democratic institutions of his country.
4. Who has plausibly been in the pay of a country hostile to the United States
5. Who has a realistic possibility of being a convicted felon.