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Gone but not forgotten – politicalbetting.com

SystemSystem Posts: 12,128
edited October 25 in General
Gone but not forgotten – politicalbetting.com

Today is the second anniversary of the end of the premiership of Liz Truss. I am very fond of Liz Truss and her tenure as Prime Minister because her resignation allowed me to win £500.

Read the full story here

«1345678

Comments

  • TheScreamingEaglesTheScreamingEagles Posts: 119,303
    edited October 25
    Fishing said:

    "I expect that at the next few elections Labour will keep on reminding voters of the Liz Truss interregnum because quite frankly only Radiohead have a worse record than Liz Truss."

    Starmer says, "hold my coat" ...

    He's not spooked the markets, yet.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 54,700
    I’m in the northern Japanese alps. It’s hot
  • LeonLeon Posts: 54,700
    And Christ I need a beer
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 71,154
    It is also two weeks from today that Charles goes past Richard III, who had the shortest reign of any crowned king of England since the Norman conquest.

    (The only King of Scots with a shorter reign was Duncan II in 1094, who lasted seven months.)
  • Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 35,895
    Fishing said:

    only Radiohead have a worse record than Liz Truss

    That's unfair

    Radiohead have several records worse than Liz Truss
  • Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 59,994
    Last sentence was risky.

    Can PB mods ban each other?
  • LeonLeon Posts: 54,700
    Startling fact from Unherd


    “The Brics countries are now a larger part of the global economy than the G7 countries. According to EY, Brics makes up around 36.7% of the global economy on a purchasing power parity basis while the G7 makes up only 27.5%.”

    https://unherd.com/newsroom/brics-pay-threatens-the-western-financial-system/
  • Scott_xP said:

    Fishing said:

    only Radiohead have a worse record than Liz Truss

    That's unfair

    Radiohead have several records worse than Liz Truss
    I put that line in just for you.
  • FishingFishing Posts: 4,948

    Fishing said:

    "I expect that at the next few elections Labour will keep on reminding voters of the Liz Truss interregnum because quite frankly only Radiohead have a worse record than Liz Truss."

    Starmer says, "hold my coat" ...

    He's not spooked the markets, yet.
    Neither did Radiohead that I recall.
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 71,154
    Scott_xP said:

    Fishing said:

    only Radiohead have a worse record than Liz Truss

    That's unfair

    Radiohead have several records worse than Liz Truss
    It also implied that Jemini are better than Radiohead.
  • malcolmgmalcolmg Posts: 43,209
    Leon said:

    Startling fact from Unherd


    “The Brics countries are now a larger part of the global economy than the G7 countries. According to EY, Brics makes up around 36.7% of the global economy on a purchasing power parity basis while the G7 makes up only 27.5%.”

    https://unherd.com/newsroom/brics-pay-threatens-the-western-financial-system/

    They are a pile of shit though, not one of them you would want to visit unless you were at gunpoint.
  • Morris_DancerMorris_Dancer Posts: 61,700
    Good morning, everyone.

    I forget the precise figure but did back (and tip) her to go that year at about 41. It was right after the Budget.
  • FishingFishing Posts: 4,948
    edited October 25
    malcolmg said:

    Leon said:

    Startling fact from Unherd


    “The Brics countries are now a larger part of the global economy than the G7 countries. According to EY, Brics makes up around 36.7% of the global economy on a purchasing power parity basis while the G7 makes up only 27.5%.”

    https://unherd.com/newsroom/brics-pay-threatens-the-western-financial-system/

    They are a pile of shit though, not one of them you would want to visit unless you were at gunpoint.
    Rio is a great city to visit. So is Cape Town.

    Though if you weren't already at gunpoint before you went to either of those cities, you may well be at least once before you leave ...
  • SandraMcSandraMc Posts: 690
    Taz said:

    Leon said:

    And Christ I need a beer

    Hey Leon, I see SKS's language on reparations has changed. He is now open to "non cash" reparations. You absolutely called it.

    It was noticeable yesterday mainstream labour figures like Harriet Harman, Ayesha Hazarika and Paul Mason all came out in favour of reparative justice for our past. Caroline Flint said this morning on GMB they wouldn't get all the money they were demanding as it was 6 times our GDP but didn't rule anything else out.

    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/oct/24/uk-open-to-discussing-non-cash-forms-of-reparatory-justice-for-former-colonies

    It was also interesting to see here that your sparring partner, Kinabalu, and that cash obsessive Anabobs, were claiming this was a debate driven by angry right wingers. The running in this debate and in the media is from the left and those supporting reparatory justice. Those opposing it are just responding to the shakedown.
    Paul Mason mainstream?
  • Fpt

    Cicero said:

    kjh said:

    Leon said:

    Old Dean (Surrey Heath) Council By-Election Result:

    🔶 LDM: 44.7% (New)
    🌳 CON: 31.6% (-27.3)
    ➡️ RFM: 12.4% (New)
    🌹 LAB: 10.9% (-30.2)
    🙋 IND: 0.5% (New)

    Liberal Democrat GAIN from Conservative.
    Changes w/ 2023.

    https://x.com/ElectionMapsUK/status/1849580214952611939

    Whomp whomp

    Labour down THIRTY

    These are quite extraordinary results. The Labour vote is collapsing everywhere
    See my other post. I know the Old Dean very well. I have been involved in the past in umpteen elections here. Organised a few in the 90s/00s. It has always been a Tory/Lab fight. The LDs have never won it. Never made any inroads even in by elections. It is the worst ward in SH for the LDs.

    So something must be happening locally. It is an unprecedented result otherwise.
    The Lib Dems took control of the council and won the Parliamentary seat. This is an example of how once that happens, they consolidate all the anti-Tory vote behind them. Those Tories thinking that the 2024 gains for the Lib Dems will meekly revert to previous Tory loyalties may find that in fact they lose ground as the yellows dig in to their new seats. The county elections next may could see some big shifts in favour of Ed Davey's party as a result.
    The Liberal Democrats stick to seats like shit to a stick.
    And it’s not by magic. It is by chasing every vote. I was recently involved in part of a campaign against the lib dems in a naturally conservative ward. They miss no trick. Neither candidate lived in the ward or anywhere near it, but the lib dem one had managed to get on the parish council, which you only need to live within three miles of the ward to sit on.
    From that point she was the ‘local candidate’ whilst the other candidate was a carpet bagging failed candidate elsewhere (she herself had recently stood in another by election).
    Every leaflet had a picture of a very dodgy bar chart implying that only lib dems could beat the tories, they even put a map of how far away she lived from the ward and how far away the con lived. They both lived more of less the same distance away but they used a large head figure for both candidates and placed one appearing it was in the ward by offsetting the proximity from where they actually lived, and exaggerated the distance for the other candidate by doing the opposite.
    Remember, both candidate didn’t live in the ward and both lived more or less the same distance from the ward.
    Repeated canvassing responses was “I’m voting for the local candidate this time”.
    They will put out more leaflets, knock on more doors, and will say and do anything they think will give them an extra vote.
    Whist cons might just put out a single main leaflet, a letter to voters and a minimal get out the vote on the day.
  • malcolmgmalcolmg Posts: 43,209
    Fishing said:

    malcolmg said:

    Leon said:

    Startling fact from Unherd


    “The Brics countries are now a larger part of the global economy than the G7 countries. According to EY, Brics makes up around 36.7% of the global economy on a purchasing power parity basis while the G7 makes up only 27.5%.”

    https://unherd.com/newsroom/brics-pay-threatens-the-western-financial-system/

    They are a pile of shit though, not one of them you would want to visit unless you were at gunpoint.
    Rio is a great city to visit. So is Cape Town.

    Though if you weren't already at gunpoint before you went to either of those cities, you may well be before you leave ...
    All shit countries though , run by despots , full of nutters and criminals and pretty shit to say the least.
  • Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 59,994
    Scott_xP said:

    Fishing said:

    only Radiohead have a worse record than Liz Truss

    That's unfair

    Radiohead have several records worse than Liz Truss
    You're playing with fire.
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 71,154
    Unthinking headline from a history resource website I subscribe to:

    John F. Kennedy & More Now Live!
  • Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 59,994

    Fpt

    Cicero said:

    kjh said:

    Leon said:

    Old Dean (Surrey Heath) Council By-Election Result:

    🔶 LDM: 44.7% (New)
    🌳 CON: 31.6% (-27.3)
    ➡️ RFM: 12.4% (New)
    🌹 LAB: 10.9% (-30.2)
    🙋 IND: 0.5% (New)

    Liberal Democrat GAIN from Conservative.
    Changes w/ 2023.

    https://x.com/ElectionMapsUK/status/1849580214952611939

    Whomp whomp

    Labour down THIRTY

    These are quite extraordinary results. The Labour vote is collapsing everywhere
    See my other post. I know the Old Dean very well. I have been involved in the past in umpteen elections here. Organised a few in the 90s/00s. It has always been a Tory/Lab fight. The LDs have never won it. Never made any inroads even in by elections. It is the worst ward in SH for the LDs.

    So something must be happening locally. It is an unprecedented result otherwise.
    The Lib Dems took control of the council and won the Parliamentary seat. This is an example of how once that happens, they consolidate all the anti-Tory vote behind them. Those Tories thinking that the 2024 gains for the Lib Dems will meekly revert to previous Tory loyalties may find that in fact they lose ground as the yellows dig in to their new seats. The county elections next may could see some big shifts in favour of Ed Davey's party as a result.
    The Liberal Democrats stick to seats like shit to a stick.
    And it’s not by magic. It is by chasing every vote. I was recently involved in part of a campaign against the lib dems in a naturally conservative ward. They miss no trick. Neither candidate lived in the ward or anywhere near it, but the lib dem one had managed to get on the parish council, which you only need to live within three miles of the ward to sit on.
    From that point she was the ‘local candidate’ whilst the other candidate was a carpet bagging failed candidate elsewhere (she herself had recently stood in another by election).
    Every leaflet had a picture of a very dodgy bar chart implying that only lib dems could beat the tories, they even put a map of how far away she lived from the ward and how far away the con lived. They both lived more of less the same distance away but they used a large head figure for both candidates and placed one appearing it was in the ward by offsetting the proximity from where they actually lived, and exaggerated the distance for the other candidate by doing the opposite.
    Remember, both candidate didn’t live in the ward and both lived more or less the same distance from the ward.
    Repeated canvassing responses was “I’m voting for the local candidate this time”.
    They will put out more leaflets, knock on more doors, and will say and do anything they think will give them an extra vote.
    Whist cons might just put out a single main leaflet, a letter to voters and a minimal get out the vote on the day.
    So why haven't the Tories learned this yet?

    The bit they can't replicate is the LD activists: they are remarkably resilient at pedantically and relentlessly pounding the streets for their pointless party, and they never give up - despite never going anywhere or achieving anything. Ever.

    It takes a certain sort of obsessive and dedicated person, and it's hard for the grey rinse brigade to replicate that. And I could never be arsed.
  • Rachel Reeves’s pensions tax raid ‘will erode living standards’

    Lord Blunkett warns that plans to add national insurance to employers’ pension contributions are ‘very worrying’ in a letter to The Times


    Rachel Reeves has been warned by the Labour grandee Lord Blunkett that imposing national insurance on employers’ pension contributions risks damaging people’s standard of living in their retirement.

    The chancellor is expected to use her budget on October 30 to announce plans to impose national insurance on employers’ pension contributions as she seeks to balance the books. The measure is expected to raise about £15 billion.

    Blunkett, a former work and pensions secretary, said the move was “very worrying” because it could lead to employers reducing pension contributions. He said that he would “advise strongly against this”.


    https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/reevess-pensions-tax-raid-will-erode-living-standards-pzct7k7td
  • TazTaz Posts: 14,164
    SandraMc said:

    Taz said:

    Leon said:

    And Christ I need a beer

    Hey Leon, I see SKS's language on reparations has changed. He is now open to "non cash" reparations. You absolutely called it.

    It was noticeable yesterday mainstream labour figures like Harriet Harman, Ayesha Hazarika and Paul Mason all came out in favour of reparative justice for our past. Caroline Flint said this morning on GMB they wouldn't get all the money they were demanding as it was 6 times our GDP but didn't rule anything else out.

    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/oct/24/uk-open-to-discussing-non-cash-forms-of-reparatory-justice-for-former-colonies

    It was also interesting to see here that your sparring partner, Kinabalu, and that cash obsessive Anabobs, were claiming this was a debate driven by angry right wingers. The running in this debate and in the media is from the left and those supporting reparatory justice. Those opposing it are just responding to the shakedown.
    Paul Mason mainstream?
    He's not fringe left in the same vein as Zarah Sultana these days, he's very much onside with SKS these days.
  • DecrepiterJohnLDecrepiterJohnL Posts: 27,576
    edited October 25
    40-second video showing the different GOTV messages of Kamala & Trump
    https://www.youtube.com/shorts/YbcoC6hjxMY

    ETA it probably also shows why Trump is winning (or why Kamala is: tbc after bonfire night).
  • LostPasswordLostPassword Posts: 18,080
    DavidL said:

    The Truss episode seems ever more surreal in hindsight, conclusive proof that the Tory hegemony was coming to an end. It is worse than the 45 days that she survived as PM. The Tory membership listened to that bat shit insanity over months and thought, "yes, we'll have some of that." Conclusive proof that they were not fit to govern.

    I feel a bit sorry for Sunak. If the Conservative party membership had chosen him instead I think his Premiership would have been different but it was constantly overshadowed by the Truss fiasco. And now the members are being given another second or even third rate choice. The future existence of the Tories as a major player in UK politics is by no means assured.

    The resilience of their local councillor base in by-elections since the GE suggests that they will get another go if whoever wins out of Jenrick and Badenoch is not successful.
  • DecrepiterJohnLDecrepiterJohnL Posts: 27,576
    edited October 25
    This thread is titled, Gone but not forgotten

    Liz Truss being forgotten at the races (Glorious Goodwood, beginning of August)
    https://x.com/i/status/1819321750846394841
    (45-second video)
  • Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 59,994
    You do wonder what it's like behind the scenes, don't you? Imagine talking to him about a payrise.

    You: Knocks on Sir Keir’s office door “Sir Keir, got a moment? I wanted to talk about my pay…”

    Sir Keir: “Ah, yes, yes, I was expecting this. But I’ll be honest, times are tough, and we’ve really got to manage our finances—”

    You: “Look, I think a 25% raise would really help cover everything going up, you know?”

    Sir Keir: “Twenty...twenty-five? Right, well, look—now, that's a substantial figure. You understand, these things require careful deliberation, balancing budgets, weighing priorities…”

    You: Nods earnestly “Of course, I get it. But with inflation and everything, that 25% is really just to keep up.”

    Sir Keir: Sighs, shifting uncomfortably “Alright, look, perhaps we could consider… perhaps... a modest increase, say… let’s talk about… 18%?”

    You: “Twenty-four.”

    Sir Keir: Pauses, blinking “Twenty-four? Really, I—ah, well, when you put it like that… there are arguments, certainly… but—”

    You: Smiling “Great. And honestly, 25% was where we started the conversation, right?”

    Sir Keir: “Yes, quite, though… it’s… just. Alright, 25%, yes, if it really is essential. But really—”

    You: “Oh, don’t worry, it absolutely is. I appreciate your flexibility, Sir Keir. And could we also consider upgrading my office?”

    Sir Keir: “Upgrading... now, look, I don’t want to set a precedent for endless—”

    You: “It’s just a small upgrade.”

    Sir Keir: Long pause “…Yes. Alright, just… just a few upgrades.”

    You: “And—”

    Sir Keir: Already exhausted “Yes, yes, whatever it is, fine. Just let me… I don’t suppose this will ever come up in a budget meeting?”

  • JohnLilburneJohnLilburne Posts: 6,210

    Fpt

    Cicero said:

    kjh said:

    Leon said:

    Old Dean (Surrey Heath) Council By-Election Result:

    🔶 LDM: 44.7% (New)
    🌳 CON: 31.6% (-27.3)
    ➡️ RFM: 12.4% (New)
    🌹 LAB: 10.9% (-30.2)
    🙋 IND: 0.5% (New)

    Liberal Democrat GAIN from Conservative.
    Changes w/ 2023.

    https://x.com/ElectionMapsUK/status/1849580214952611939

    Whomp whomp

    Labour down THIRTY

    These are quite extraordinary results. The Labour vote is collapsing everywhere
    See my other post. I know the Old Dean very well. I have been involved in the past in umpteen elections here. Organised a few in the 90s/00s. It has always been a Tory/Lab fight. The LDs have never won it. Never made any inroads even in by elections. It is the worst ward in SH for the LDs.

    So something must be happening locally. It is an unprecedented result otherwise.
    The Lib Dems took control of the council and won the Parliamentary seat. This is an example of how once that happens, they consolidate all the anti-Tory vote behind them. Those Tories thinking that the 2024 gains for the Lib Dems will meekly revert to previous Tory loyalties may find that in fact they lose ground as the yellows dig in to their new seats. The county elections next may could see some big shifts in favour of Ed Davey's party as a result.
    The Liberal Democrats stick to seats like shit to a stick.
    And it’s not by magic. It is by chasing every vote. I was recently involved in part of a campaign against the lib dems in a naturally conservative ward. They miss no trick. Neither candidate lived in the ward or anywhere near it, but the lib dem one had managed to get on the parish council, which you only need to live within three miles of the ward to sit on.
    From that point she was the ‘local candidate’ whilst the other candidate was a carpet bagging failed candidate elsewhere (she herself had recently stood in another by election).
    Every leaflet had a picture of a very dodgy bar chart implying that only lib dems could beat the tories, they even put a map of how far away she lived from the ward and how far away the con lived. They both lived more of less the same distance away but they used a large head figure for both candidates and placed one appearing it was in the ward by offsetting the proximity from where they actually lived, and exaggerated the distance for the other candidate by doing the opposite.
    Remember, both candidate didn’t live in the ward and both lived more or less the same distance from the ward.
    Repeated canvassing responses was “I’m voting for the local candidate this time”.
    They will put out more leaflets, knock on more doors, and will say and do anything they think will give them an extra vote.
    Whist cons might just put out a single main leaflet, a letter to voters and a minimal get out the vote on the day.
    So why haven't the Tories learned this yet?

    The bit they can't replicate is the LD activists: they are remarkably resilient at pedantically and relentlessly pounding the streets for their pointless party, and they never give up - despite never going anywhere or achieving anything. Ever.

    It takes a certain sort of obsessive and dedicated person, and it's hard for the grey rinse brigade to replicate that. And I could never be arsed.
    Especially as you can often get on a parish/town council by standing for it, ours very rarely have contested elections
  • Luckyguy1983Luckyguy1983 Posts: 28,231
    DavidL said:

    The Truss episode seems ever more surreal in hindsight, conclusive proof that the Tory hegemony was coming to an end. It is worse than the 45 days that she survived as PM. The Tory membership listened to that bat shit insanity over months and thought, "yes, we'll have some of that." Conclusive proof that they were not fit to govern.

    I feel a bit sorry for Sunak. If the Conservative party membership had chosen him instead I think his Premiership would have been different but it was constantly overshadowed by the Truss fiasco. And now the members are being given another second or even third rate choice. The future existence of the Tories as a major player in UK politics is by no means assured.

    Yawn. Zero analysis, just asinine repetition of Labour talking points.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 70,513
    Leon said:

    Startling fact from Unherd


    “The Brics countries are now a larger part of the global economy than the G7 countries. According to EY, Brics makes up around 36.7% of the global economy on a purchasing power parity basis while the G7 makes up only 27.5%.”

    https://unherd.com/newsroom/brics-pay-threatens-the-western-financial-system/

    Well they do have an awful lot of the world's population.

    But they're not really a thing, given the deep rivalry between China - which has the financial clout to underwrite an alternate currency block - and India.
  • Fpt

    Cicero said:

    kjh said:

    Leon said:

    Old Dean (Surrey Heath) Council By-Election Result:

    🔶 LDM: 44.7% (New)
    🌳 CON: 31.6% (-27.3)
    ➡️ RFM: 12.4% (New)
    🌹 LAB: 10.9% (-30.2)
    🙋 IND: 0.5% (New)

    Liberal Democrat GAIN from Conservative.
    Changes w/ 2023.

    https://x.com/ElectionMapsUK/status/1849580214952611939

    Whomp whomp

    Labour down THIRTY

    These are quite extraordinary results. The Labour vote is collapsing everywhere
    See my other post. I know the Old Dean very well. I have been involved in the past in umpteen elections here. Organised a few in the 90s/00s. It has always been a Tory/Lab fight. The LDs have never won it. Never made any inroads even in by elections. It is the worst ward in SH for the LDs.

    So something must be happening locally. It is an unprecedented result otherwise.
    The Lib Dems took control of the council and won the Parliamentary seat. This is an example of how once that happens, they consolidate all the anti-Tory vote behind them. Those Tories thinking that the 2024 gains for the Lib Dems will meekly revert to previous Tory loyalties may find that in fact they lose ground as the yellows dig in to their new seats. The county elections next may could see some big shifts in favour of Ed Davey's party as a result.
    The Liberal Democrats stick to seats like shit to a stick.
    And it’s not by magic. It is by chasing every vote. I was recently involved in part of a campaign against the lib dems in a naturally conservative ward. They miss no trick. Neither candidate lived in the ward or anywhere near it, but the lib dem one had managed to get on the parish council, which you only need to live within three miles of the ward to sit on.
    From that point she was the ‘local candidate’ whilst the other candidate was a carpet bagging failed candidate elsewhere (she herself had recently stood in another by election).
    Every leaflet had a picture of a very dodgy bar chart implying that only lib dems could beat the tories, they even put a map of how far away she lived from the ward and how far away the con lived. They both lived more of less the same distance away but they used a large head figure for both candidates and placed one appearing it was in the ward by offsetting the proximity from where they actually lived, and exaggerated the distance for the other candidate by doing the opposite.
    Remember, both candidate didn’t live in the ward and both lived more or less the same distance from the ward.
    Repeated canvassing responses was “I’m voting for the local candidate this time”.
    They will put out more leaflets, knock on more doors, and will say and do anything they think will give them an extra vote.
    Whist cons might just put out a single main leaflet, a letter to voters and a minimal get out the vote on the day.
    So why haven't the Tories learned this yet?

    The bit they can't replicate is the LD activists: they are remarkably resilient at pedantically and relentlessly pounding the streets for their pointless party, and they never give up - despite never going anywhere or achieving anything. Ever.

    It takes a certain sort of obsessive and dedicated person, and it's hard for the grey rinse brigade to replicate that. And I could never be arsed.
    But it’s like asking an Anglican why he won’t go door to door to recruit like the Mormons do. They jsut don’t have the hunger.
    In the case above the Tory candidate managed to put together half a dozen activists and did actually match the liberals leaflet for leaflet and comfortably won. But if they hadn’t the local cons would have woke up on Friday morning wondering why they lost a seat that had always voted for them in droves with minimum of effort.
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 70,513
    Trump's best mate has been up to more tricks.

    WSJ reveals that Russia has been providing targeting data to the Houthis for their attacks on ships in the Red Sea.

    Data was passed through members of Iran's IRGC who are embedded with the Houthis.

    https://x.com/KareemRifai/status/1849535436017848643
  • Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 59,994

    DavidL said:

    The Truss episode seems ever more surreal in hindsight, conclusive proof that the Tory hegemony was coming to an end. It is worse than the 45 days that she survived as PM. The Tory membership listened to that bat shit insanity over months and thought, "yes, we'll have some of that." Conclusive proof that they were not fit to govern.

    I feel a bit sorry for Sunak. If the Conservative party membership had chosen him instead I think his Premiership would have been different but it was constantly overshadowed by the Truss fiasco. And now the members are being given another second or even third rate choice. The future existence of the Tories as a major player in UK politics is by no means assured.

    Yawn. Zero analysis, just asinine repetition of Labour talking points.
    Labour might save the Tories from themselves.

    They are doing everything possible to encourage a rapid revival.
  • Fpt

    Cicero said:

    kjh said:

    Leon said:

    Old Dean (Surrey Heath) Council By-Election Result:

    🔶 LDM: 44.7% (New)
    🌳 CON: 31.6% (-27.3)
    ➡️ RFM: 12.4% (New)
    🌹 LAB: 10.9% (-30.2)
    🙋 IND: 0.5% (New)

    Liberal Democrat GAIN from Conservative.
    Changes w/ 2023.

    https://x.com/ElectionMapsUK/status/1849580214952611939

    Whomp whomp

    Labour down THIRTY

    These are quite extraordinary results. The Labour vote is collapsing everywhere
    See my other post. I know the Old Dean very well. I have been involved in the past in umpteen elections here. Organised a few in the 90s/00s. It has always been a Tory/Lab fight. The LDs have never won it. Never made any inroads even in by elections. It is the worst ward in SH for the LDs.

    So something must be happening locally. It is an unprecedented result otherwise.
    The Lib Dems took control of the council and won the Parliamentary seat. This is an example of how once that happens, they consolidate all the anti-Tory vote behind them. Those Tories thinking that the 2024 gains for the Lib Dems will meekly revert to previous Tory loyalties may find that in fact they lose ground as the yellows dig in to their new seats. The county elections next may could see some big shifts in favour of Ed Davey's party as a result.
    The Liberal Democrats stick to seats like shit to a stick.
    And it’s not by magic. It is by chasing every vote. I was recently involved in part of a campaign against the lib dems in a naturally conservative ward. They miss no trick. Neither candidate lived in the ward or anywhere near it, but the lib dem one had managed to get on the parish council, which you only need to live within three miles of the ward to sit on.
    From that point she was the ‘local candidate’ whilst the other candidate was a carpet bagging failed candidate elsewhere (she herself had recently stood in another by election).
    Every leaflet had a picture of a very dodgy bar chart implying that only lib dems could beat the tories, they even put a map of how far away she lived from the ward and how far away the con lived. They both lived more of less the same distance away but they used a large head figure for both candidates and placed one appearing it was in the ward by offsetting the proximity from where they actually lived, and exaggerated the distance for the other candidate by doing the opposite.
    Remember, both candidate didn’t live in the ward and both lived more or less the same distance from the ward.
    Repeated canvassing responses was “I’m voting for the local candidate this time”.
    They will put out more leaflets, knock on more doors, and will say and do anything they think will give them an extra vote.
    Whist cons might just put out a single main leaflet, a letter to voters and a minimal get out the vote on the day.
    So why haven't the Tories learned this yet?

    The bit they can't replicate is the LD activists: they are remarkably resilient at pedantically and relentlessly pounding the streets for their pointless party, and they never give up - despite never going anywhere or achieving anything. Ever.

    It takes a certain sort of obsessive and dedicated person, and it's hard for the grey rinse brigade to replicate that. And I could never be arsed.
    Especially as you can often get on a parish/town council by standing for it, ours very rarely have contested elections
    Yes. Parish councils had always been non party affiliated in my area, then all of a sudden people were getting themselves on, and after being co-opted started putting out literature in the area as the local lib dem or green councillor. It immediately gives the “winning here” message and the labour vote melts away and coalesces around the candidate that might have a shot of beating the Tory.
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 71,154
    edited October 25
    Nigelb said:

    Trump's best mate has been up to more tricks.

    WSJ reveals that Russia has been providing targeting data to the Houthis for their attacks on ships in the Red Sea.

    Data was passed through members of Iran's IRGC who are embedded with the Houthis.

    https://x.com/KareemRifai/status/1849535436017848643

    I utterly despise the man, but I don't see how that involves Elon Musk.
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 48,480
    edited October 25
    malcolmg said:

    Fishing said:

    malcolmg said:

    Leon said:

    Startling fact from Unherd


    “The Brics countries are now a larger part of the global economy than the G7 countries. According to EY, Brics makes up around 36.7% of the global economy on a purchasing power parity basis while the G7 makes up only 27.5%.”

    https://unherd.com/newsroom/brics-pay-threatens-the-western-financial-system/

    They are a pile of shit though, not one of them you would want to visit unless you were at gunpoint.
    Rio is a great city to visit. So is Cape Town.

    Though if you weren't already at gunpoint before you went to either of those cities, you may well be before you leave ...
    All shit countries though , run by despots , full of nutters and criminals and pretty shit to say the least.
    True enough, a busman's holiday for Scots.
  • Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 35,895
    Nigelb said:

    Trump's best mate has been up to more tricks.

    I assumed that was going to be this story

    @BlueATLGeorgia

    Breaking: Elon Musk has reportedly been having secret conversations with Vladimir Putin.

    https://x.com/BlueATLGeorgia/status/1849643207904133407

    @michaelsobolik

    Good grief.

    Putin asked Musk to deny Starlink services to Taiwan as a favor to Xi Jinping.

    @elonmusk’s parroting of CCP propaganda about Taiwan takes on an even darker dimension…

    https://x.com/michaelsobolik/status/1849625929288487239
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 70,513
    ydoethur said:

    Nigelb said:

    Trump's best mate has been up to more tricks.

    WSJ reveals that Russia has been providing targeting data to the Houthis for their attacks on ships in the Red Sea.

    Data was passed through members of Iran's IRGC who are embedded with the Houthis.

    https://x.com/KareemRifai/status/1849535436017848643

    I utterly despise the man, but I don't see how that involves Elon Musk.
    Musk is just a new crush.
    Vlad and Don go back years.
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 71,154
    ydoethur said:

    Nigelb said:

    Trump's best mate has been up to more tricks.

    WSJ reveals that Russia has been providing targeting data to the Houthis for their attacks on ships in the Red Sea.

    Data was passed through members of Iran's IRGC who are embedded with the Houthis.

    https://x.com/KareemRifai/status/1849535436017848643

    I utterly despise the man, but I don't see how that involves Elon Musk.
    Scott_xP said:

    Nigelb said:

    Trump's best mate has been up to more tricks.

    I assumed that was going to be this story

    @BlueATLGeorgia

    Breaking: Elon Musk has reportedly been having secret conversations with Vladimir Putin.

    https://x.com/BlueATLGeorgia/status/1849643207904133407

    @michaelsobolik

    Good grief.

    Putin asked Musk to deny Starlink services to Taiwan as a favor to Xi Jinping.

    @elonmusk’s parroting of CCP propaganda about Taiwan takes on an even darker dimension…

    https://x.com/michaelsobolik/status/1849625929288487239
    Ok. Now I do!
  • LeonLeon Posts: 54,700
    I believe l have finally found a pretty japanese town. It’s nothing special. In Europe you’d blink and miss the whole thing. It would probably be the 7th prettiest town in Devon and the 70th in Provence

    But it is pretty. Hida furakawa in the Japanese alps
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 48,480

    malcolmg said:

    Leon said:

    Startling fact from Unherd


    “The Brics countries are now a larger part of the global economy than the G7 countries. According to EY, Brics makes up around 36.7% of the global economy on a purchasing power parity basis while the G7 makes up only 27.5%.”

    https://unherd.com/newsroom/brics-pay-threatens-the-western-financial-system/

    They are a pile of shit though, not one of them you would want to visit unless you were at gunpoint.
    But that's the game they're now playing at, chipping away at the Commonwealth whilst it itself takes potshots at us - all being funded by China - whilst we cry into our soup at how awful and terrible we are (spoiler: we're not)

    Unless we man up and recognise we're in a new age of hard power politics of iron and fire we'll be eaten alive and end up a vassal stage with less freedom and less prosperity.
    The Commonwealth is all but dead. Modi chose to kiss Putins ring rather than the King's when a clash of dates came up.

    The Chinese are going to be in a strong position in the trade war with Trumpistan too.
  • MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 28,190
    Scott_xP said:

    Nigelb said:

    Trump's best mate has been up to more tricks.

    I assumed that was going to be this story

    @BlueATLGeorgia

    Breaking: Elon Musk has reportedly been having secret conversations with Vladimir Putin.

    https://x.com/BlueATLGeorgia/status/1849643207904133407

    @michaelsobolik

    Good grief.

    Putin asked Musk to deny Starlink services to Taiwan as a favor to Xi Jinping.

    @elonmusk’s parroting of CCP propaganda about Taiwan takes on an even darker dimension…

    https://x.com/michaelsobolik/status/1849625929288487239
    It's all going to get very complicated after January 20th.

    I hadn't really considered the Venn diagram of Bond villains raised in Apartheid South Africa and KGB hardman fanbois.
  • TazTaz Posts: 14,164

    Taz said:

    Leon said:

    And Christ I need a beer

    Hey Leon, I see SKS's language on reparations has changed. He is now open to "non cash" reparations. You absolutely called it.

    It was noticeable yesterday mainstream labour figures like Harriet Harman, Ayesha Hazarika and Paul Mason all came out in favour of reparative justice for our past. Caroline Flint said this morning on GMB they wouldn't get all the money they were demanding as it was 6 times our GDP but didn't rule anything else out.

    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/oct/24/uk-open-to-discussing-non-cash-forms-of-reparatory-justice-for-former-colonies

    It was also interesting to see here that your sparring partner, Kinabalu, and that cash obsessive Anabobs, were claiming this was a debate driven by angry right wingers. The running in this debate and in the media is from the left and those supporting reparatory justice. Those opposing it are just responding to the shakedown.
    They know a cuck and a soft touch when they see one.

    He's such a fucking dickhead. Sir Sheer Wanker.
    Well it was predicted yesterday. He can feel virtuous with our money and resources.

    https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/starmer-will-come-around-to-apology-and-cash-for-former-colonies/ar-AA1sNPR5?ocid=entnewsntp&pc=U531&cvid=7aeb9819f3a04682a0f92c23e4e817ac&ei=10
  • Sean_FSean_F Posts: 37,146
    Foxy said:

    malcolmg said:

    Leon said:

    Startling fact from Unherd


    “The Brics countries are now a larger part of the global economy than the G7 countries. According to EY, Brics makes up around 36.7% of the global economy on a purchasing power parity basis while the G7 makes up only 27.5%.”

    https://unherd.com/newsroom/brics-pay-threatens-the-western-financial-system/

    They are a pile of shit though, not one of them you would want to visit unless you were at gunpoint.
    But that's the game they're now playing at, chipping away at the Commonwealth whilst it itself takes potshots at us - all being funded by China - whilst we cry into our soup at how awful and terrible we are (spoiler: we're not)

    Unless we man up and recognise we're in a new age of hard power politics of iron and fire we'll be eaten alive and end up a vassal stage with less freedom and less prosperity.
    The Commonwealth is all but dead. Modi chose to kiss Putins ring rather than the King's when a clash of dates came up.

    The Chinese are going to be in a strong position in the trade war with Trumpistan too.
    They can’t even organise a set of games. It mattered a lot to the Queen, but its time has come and gone.
  • Sean_FSean_F Posts: 37,146

    DavidL said:

    The Truss episode seems ever more surreal in hindsight, conclusive proof that the Tory hegemony was coming to an end. It is worse than the 45 days that she survived as PM. The Tory membership listened to that bat shit insanity over months and thought, "yes, we'll have some of that." Conclusive proof that they were not fit to govern.

    I feel a bit sorry for Sunak. If the Conservative party membership had chosen him instead I think his Premiership would have been different but it was constantly overshadowed by the Truss fiasco. And now the members are being given another second or even third rate choice. The future existence of the Tories as a major player in UK politics is by no means assured.

    Yawn. Zero analysis, just asinine repetition of Labour talking points.
    Labour might save the Tories from themselves.

    They are doing everything possible to encourage a rapid revival.
    An optimist thinks no government could be worse than the last one.

    A pessimist knows that it can.
  • Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 35,895

    Scott_xP said:

    Nigelb said:

    Trump's best mate has been up to more tricks.

    I assumed that was going to be this story

    @BlueATLGeorgia

    Breaking: Elon Musk has reportedly been having secret conversations with Vladimir Putin.

    https://x.com/BlueATLGeorgia/status/1849643207904133407

    @michaelsobolik

    Good grief.

    Putin asked Musk to deny Starlink services to Taiwan as a favor to Xi Jinping.

    @elonmusk’s parroting of CCP propaganda about Taiwan takes on an even darker dimension…

    https://x.com/michaelsobolik/status/1849625929288487239
    It's all going to get very complicated after January 20th.

    I hadn't really considered the Venn diagram of Bond villains raised in Apartheid South Africa and KGB hardman fanbois.
    @whstancil

    So basically Elon Musk is a traitor working with America's enemies, he's also the main funder and proponent of Donald Trump's campaign, and he controls a bunch of our communications and national security infrastructure. And is the richest guy on earth, to boot. Seems bad
  • NigelbNigelb Posts: 70,513
    Ohio Polling:

    Pres:
    Trump (R): 50%
    Harris (D): 43%

    Senate:
    Brown (D): 47%
    Moreno (R): 45%

    Bowling Green U. / Oct 21, 2024 / n=1000

    https://x.com/USA_Polling/status/1849619234168738298
  • LostPasswordLostPassword Posts: 18,080

    You do wonder what it's like behind the scenes, don't you? Imagine talking to him about a payrise...

    That reads exactly like the Dead Ringers impression of him.
  • eekeek Posts: 28,077
    Foxy said:

    malcolmg said:

    Leon said:

    Startling fact from Unherd


    “The Brics countries are now a larger part of the global economy than the G7 countries. According to EY, Brics makes up around 36.7% of the global economy on a purchasing power parity basis while the G7 makes up only 27.5%.”

    https://unherd.com/newsroom/brics-pay-threatens-the-western-financial-system/

    They are a pile of shit though, not one of them you would want to visit unless you were at gunpoint.
    But that's the game they're now playing at, chipping away at the Commonwealth whilst it itself takes potshots at us - all being funded by China - whilst we cry into our soup at how awful and terrible we are (spoiler: we're not)

    Unless we man up and recognise we're in a new age of hard power politics of iron and fire we'll be eaten alive and end up a vassal stage with less freedom and less prosperity.
    The Commonwealth is all but dead. Modi chose to kiss Putins ring rather than the King's when a clash of dates came up.

    The Chinese are going to be in a strong position in the trade war with Trumpistan too.
    Hardly surprising. Trump will impose tariffs on the EU which will suddenly make dealing with China look a better (and easier) option than dealing with the US.
  • ohnotnowohnotnow Posts: 3,707
    Scott_xP said:

    Nigelb said:

    Trump's best mate has been up to more tricks.

    I assumed that was going to be this story

    @BlueATLGeorgia

    Breaking: Elon Musk has reportedly been having secret conversations with Vladimir Putin.

    https://x.com/BlueATLGeorgia/status/1849643207904133407

    @michaelsobolik

    Good grief.

    Putin asked Musk to deny Starlink services to Taiwan as a favor to Xi Jinping.

    @elonmusk’s parroting of CCP propaganda about Taiwan takes on an even darker dimension…

    https://x.com/michaelsobolik/status/1849625929288487239
    Given how badly Musk needs the chips from TSMC - I don't think he'd mess around with comms there. He might be a pr*ck, but he's also a pr*ck who craves GPU's.
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 48,480
    Sean_F said:

    Foxy said:

    malcolmg said:

    Leon said:

    Startling fact from Unherd


    “The Brics countries are now a larger part of the global economy than the G7 countries. According to EY, Brics makes up around 36.7% of the global economy on a purchasing power parity basis while the G7 makes up only 27.5%.”

    https://unherd.com/newsroom/brics-pay-threatens-the-western-financial-system/

    They are a pile of shit though, not one of them you would want to visit unless you were at gunpoint.
    But that's the game they're now playing at, chipping away at the Commonwealth whilst it itself takes potshots at us - all being funded by China - whilst we cry into our soup at how awful and terrible we are (spoiler: we're not)

    Unless we man up and recognise we're in a new age of hard power politics of iron and fire we'll be eaten alive and end up a vassal stage with less freedom and less prosperity.
    The Commonwealth is all but dead. Modi chose to kiss Putins ring rather than the King's when a clash of dates came up.

    The Chinese are going to be in a strong position in the trade war with Trumpistan too.
    They can’t even organise a set of games. It mattered a lot to the Queen, but its time has come and gone.
    It's a bit hard to see the point of it. As a transition from empire it was not going to last. Country after country is re-appraising colonial history, and rarely in ways that PB Tories would like. Take the smash hit film RRR for example:

    https://youtu.be/f_vbAtFSEc0?feature=shared
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 71,154
    Sean_F said:

    DavidL said:

    The Truss episode seems ever more surreal in hindsight, conclusive proof that the Tory hegemony was coming to an end. It is worse than the 45 days that she survived as PM. The Tory membership listened to that bat shit insanity over months and thought, "yes, we'll have some of that." Conclusive proof that they were not fit to govern.

    I feel a bit sorry for Sunak. If the Conservative party membership had chosen him instead I think his Premiership would have been different but it was constantly overshadowed by the Truss fiasco. And now the members are being given another second or even third rate choice. The future existence of the Tories as a major player in UK politics is by no means assured.

    Yawn. Zero analysis, just asinine repetition of Labour talking points.
    Labour might save the Tories from themselves.

    They are doing everything possible to encourage a rapid revival.
    An optimist thinks no government could be worse than the last one.

    A pessimist knows that it can.
    Quite early for Leibniz.
  • SandpitSandpit Posts: 54,328
    edited October 25
    Well Pakistan won’t be reviewing that one!

    Who thought that 267 might be close to a good score from England.
  • bondegezoubondegezou Posts: 10,696
    Sean_F said:

    malcolmg said:

    Leon said:

    Startling fact from Unherd


    “The Brics countries are now a larger part of the global economy than the G7 countries. According to EY, Brics makes up around 36.7% of the global economy on a purchasing power parity basis while the G7 makes up only 27.5%.”

    https://unherd.com/newsroom/brics-pay-threatens-the-western-financial-system/

    They are a pile of shit though, not one of them you would want to visit unless you were at gunpoint.
    But that's the game they're now playing at, chipping away at the Commonwealth whilst it itself takes potshots at us - all being funded by China - whilst we cry into our soup at how awful and terrible we are (spoiler: we're not)

    Unless we man up and recognise we're in a new age of hard power politics of iron and fire we'll be eaten alive and end up a vassal stage with less freedom and less prosperity.
    China, Russia, India, Israel, the USA, France, all play according to big boys’ rules. They aren’t impressed by handwringing or apologies. They don’t agonise over the past. Our own leaders are simply abject.
    Do you want the UK to be more like Russia and Israel? Should we invade Ireland? Or more like China?
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 71,154
    Sandpit said:

    Well Pakistan won’t be reviewing that one!

    Who thought that 267 might be close to a good score from England.

    India are doing worse...
  • StillWatersStillWaters Posts: 8,095
    Foxy said:

    Sean_F said:

    Foxy said:

    malcolmg said:

    Leon said:

    Startling fact from Unherd


    “The Brics countries are now a larger part of the global economy than the G7 countries. According to EY, Brics makes up around 36.7% of the global economy on a purchasing power parity basis while the G7 makes up only 27.5%.”

    https://unherd.com/newsroom/brics-pay-threatens-the-western-financial-system/

    They are a pile of shit though, not one of them you would want to visit unless you were at gunpoint.
    But that's the game they're now playing at, chipping away at the Commonwealth whilst it itself takes potshots at us - all being funded by China - whilst we cry into our soup at how awful and terrible we are (spoiler: we're not)

    Unless we man up and recognise we're in a new age of hard power politics of iron and fire we'll be eaten alive and end up a vassal stage with less freedom and less prosperity.
    The Commonwealth is all but dead. Modi chose to kiss Putins ring rather than the King's when a clash of dates came up.

    The Chinese are going to be in a strong position in the trade war with Trumpistan too.
    They can’t even organise a set of games. It mattered a lot to the Queen, but its time has come and gone.
    It's a bit hard to see the point of it. As a transition from empire it was not going to last. Country after country is re-appraising colonial history, and rarely in ways that PB Tories would like. Take the smash hit film RRR for example:


    https://youtu.be/f_vbAtFSEc0?
    feature=shared
    It used to be a channel whereby emerging countries had their voice heard at the highest levels internationally (via the UK). In the changing environment they would rather cosy up with China or Russia

  • Morris_DancerMorris_Dancer Posts: 61,700
    Away from Labour's gimpish approach to reparations, some more interesting news: some lost Silk road cities have been rediscovered.

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c238kv8ddeyo
  • TazTaz Posts: 14,164
    Scott_xP said:

    Nigelb said:

    Trump's best mate has been up to more tricks.

    I assumed that was going to be this story

    @BlueATLGeorgia

    Breaking: Elon Musk has reportedly been having secret conversations with Vladimir Putin.

    https://x.com/BlueATLGeorgia/status/1849643207904133407

    @michaelsobolik

    Good grief.

    Putin asked Musk to deny Starlink services to Taiwan as a favor to Xi Jinping.

    @elonmusk’s parroting of CCP propaganda about Taiwan takes on an even darker dimension…

    https://x.com/michaelsobolik/status/1849625929288487239
    "Reportedly" being the operative word here.
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 48,480

    Foxy said:

    Sean_F said:

    Foxy said:

    malcolmg said:

    Leon said:

    Startling fact from Unherd


    “The Brics countries are now a larger part of the global economy than the G7 countries. According to EY, Brics makes up around 36.7% of the global economy on a purchasing power parity basis while the G7 makes up only 27.5%.”

    https://unherd.com/newsroom/brics-pay-threatens-the-western-financial-system/

    They are a pile of shit though, not one of them you would want to visit unless you were at gunpoint.
    But that's the game they're now playing at, chipping away at the Commonwealth whilst it itself takes potshots at us - all being funded by China - whilst we cry into our soup at how awful and terrible we are (spoiler: we're not)

    Unless we man up and recognise we're in a new age of hard power politics of iron and fire we'll be eaten alive and end up a vassal stage with less freedom and less prosperity.
    The Commonwealth is all but dead. Modi chose to kiss Putins ring rather than the King's when a clash of dates came up.

    The Chinese are going to be in a strong position in the trade war with Trumpistan too.
    They can’t even organise a set of games. It mattered a lot to the Queen, but its time has come and gone.
    It's a bit hard to see the point of it. As a transition from empire it was not going to last. Country after country is re-appraising colonial history, and rarely in ways that PB Tories would like. Take the smash hit film RRR for example:

    https://youtu.be/f_vbAtFSEc0?feature=shared
    That does not mean that the 're-appraisal' is a more accurate rendition of history than the one favoured by the 'PB Tories' you dislike. Or a positive move for this country. Or even theirs.

    Far too many lefties see everything that is wrong in the world as being our fault. It's a self-hatred that acknowledges all our sins, but ignores or diminishes any good we have done.
    Sure. Revisionist history can be as bad as the hagiographic history that it tears down.

    I am quite willing to accept the positives of British Imperialism, but simply not willing to ignore the massive crimes of empire too.

    If we should be proud of what our ancestors did, should we also not be a bit of ashamed on their behalf too?
  • moonshinemoonshine Posts: 5,690
    Foxy said:

    Sean_F said:

    Foxy said:

    malcolmg said:

    Leon said:

    Startling fact from Unherd


    “The Brics countries are now a larger part of the global economy than the G7 countries. According to EY, Brics makes up around 36.7% of the global economy on a purchasing power parity basis while the G7 makes up only 27.5%.”

    https://unherd.com/newsroom/brics-pay-threatens-the-western-financial-system/

    They are a pile of shit though, not one of them you would want to visit unless you were at gunpoint.
    But that's the game they're now playing at, chipping away at the Commonwealth whilst it itself takes potshots at us - all being funded by China - whilst we cry into our soup at how awful and terrible we are (spoiler: we're not)

    Unless we man up and recognise we're in a new age of hard power politics of iron and fire we'll be eaten alive and end up a vassal stage with less freedom and less prosperity.
    The Commonwealth is all but dead. Modi chose to kiss Putins ring rather than the King's when a clash of dates came up.

    The Chinese are going to be in a strong position in the trade war with Trumpistan too.
    They can’t even organise a set of games. It mattered a lot to the Queen, but its time has come and gone.
    It's a bit hard to see the point of it. As a transition from empire it was not going to last. Country after country is re-appraising colonial history, and rarely in ways that PB Tories would like. Take the smash hit film RRR for example:

    https://youtu.be/f_vbAtFSEc0?feature=shared
    Or… our dear departed queen had it right. That without making the effort to bring the ex colonies together as part of an inclusive trade and cultural exchange grouping, they would fall into the lap of geopolitical wronguns.

    Not very trendy to see 1st Jan 1973 as a calamitous strategic mistake from a foreign policy perspective. But it deserves reappraisal in light of the recent bifurcation of the world, with commonwealth heavy hitters siding with the bad guys.
  • DecrepiterJohnLDecrepiterJohnL Posts: 27,576
    ohnotnow said:

    Scott_xP said:

    Nigelb said:

    Trump's best mate has been up to more tricks.

    I assumed that was going to be this story

    @BlueATLGeorgia

    Breaking: Elon Musk has reportedly been having secret conversations with Vladimir Putin.

    https://x.com/BlueATLGeorgia/status/1849643207904133407

    @michaelsobolik

    Good grief.

    Putin asked Musk to deny Starlink services to Taiwan as a favor to Xi Jinping.

    @elonmusk’s parroting of CCP propaganda about Taiwan takes on an even darker dimension…

    https://x.com/michaelsobolik/status/1849625929288487239
    Given how badly Musk needs the chips from TSMC - I don't think he'd mess around with comms there. He might be a pr*ck, but he's also a pr*ck who craves GPU's.
    Musk is also aligning himself with Donald Trump, who has been railing against China for decades. It is his one true, constant, foundational, political creed.
  • SandpitSandpit Posts: 54,328
    Taz said:

    Scott_xP said:

    Nigelb said:

    Trump's best mate has been up to more tricks.

    I assumed that was going to be this story

    @BlueATLGeorgia

    Breaking: Elon Musk has reportedly been having secret conversations with Vladimir Putin.

    https://x.com/BlueATLGeorgia/status/1849643207904133407

    @michaelsobolik

    Good grief.

    Putin asked Musk to deny Starlink services to Taiwan as a favor to Xi Jinping.

    @elonmusk’s parroting of CCP propaganda about Taiwan takes on an even darker dimension…

    https://x.com/michaelsobolik/status/1849625929288487239
    "Reportedly" being the operative word here.
    Well of course Russia and China don’t want Starlink services in Taiwan, but is there any evidence that the company is actually trying to deny service there?
  • “Gone but not forgotten” - Labour’s political competence?
  • DavidLDavidL Posts: 53,706
    Sandpit said:

    Well Pakistan won’t be reviewing that one!

    Who thought that 267 might be close to a good score from England.

    Looks like it will be fairly even on the first innings with Pakistan batting last. We need a much more solid performance from England in the third innings. Plenty of time, don't feel the need to hit every ball for 4. That sort of thing.
  • algarkirkalgarkirk Posts: 12,360
    Nigelb said:

    Leon said:

    Startling fact from Unherd


    “The Brics countries are now a larger part of the global economy than the G7 countries. According to EY, Brics makes up around 36.7% of the global economy on a purchasing power parity basis while the G7 makes up only 27.5%.”

    https://unherd.com/newsroom/brics-pay-threatens-the-western-financial-system/

    Well they do have an awful lot of the world's population.

    But they're not really a thing, given the deep rivalry between China - which has the financial clout to underwrite an alternate currency block - and India.
    Despite the awfulness of some of the regimes in BRICS, their prosperity is a good thing. Unless you believe the world's cake is a fixed thing and you can only increase yours by stealing or diminishing others, the big world trade slogan for peace and prosperity is "Prosperous neighbours make good customers".
  • SandpitSandpit Posts: 54,328

    Re the headline: In my 6 months of 'garden leave' before retirement, I liked to remind colleagues from time to time that I was "forgotten but not gone".

    My wife’s boss just retired after more than 20 years with the company. He’s still on some sort of formal gardening leave, and says he’s shocked that no-one calls him for anything.
  • CookieCookie Posts: 13,585
    algarkirk said:

    Nigelb said:

    Leon said:

    Startling fact from Unherd


    “The Brics countries are now a larger part of the global economy than the G7 countries. According to EY, Brics makes up around 36.7% of the global economy on a purchasing power parity basis while the G7 makes up only 27.5%.”

    https://unherd.com/newsroom/brics-pay-threatens-the-western-financial-system/

    Well they do have an awful lot of the world's population.

    But they're not really a thing, given the deep rivalry between China - which has the financial clout to underwrite an alternate currency block - and India.
    Despite the awfulness of some of the regimes in BRICS, their prosperity is a good thing. Unless you believe the world's cake is a fixed thing and you can only increase yours by stealing or diminishing others, the big world trade slogan for peace and prosperity is "Prosperous neighbours make good customers".
    I'd also slightly question the validity of the PPP measure for comparisons of this sort.
  • DecrepiterJohnLDecrepiterJohnL Posts: 27,576
    Sean_F said:

    Foxy said:

    Sean_F said:

    Foxy said:

    malcolmg said:

    Leon said:

    Startling fact from Unherd


    “The Brics countries are now a larger part of the global economy than the G7 countries. According to EY, Brics makes up around 36.7% of the global economy on a purchasing power parity basis while the G7 makes up only 27.5%.”

    https://unherd.com/newsroom/brics-pay-threatens-the-western-financial-system/

    They are a pile of shit though, not one of them you would want to visit unless you were at gunpoint.
    But that's the game they're now playing at, chipping away at the Commonwealth whilst it itself takes potshots at us - all being funded by China - whilst we cry into our soup at how awful and terrible we are (spoiler: we're not)

    Unless we man up and recognise we're in a new age of hard power politics of iron and fire we'll be eaten alive and end up a vassal stage with less freedom and less prosperity.
    The Commonwealth is all but dead. Modi chose to kiss Putins ring rather than the King's when a clash of dates came up.

    The Chinese are going to be in a strong position in the trade war with Trumpistan too.
    They can’t even organise a set of games. It mattered a lot to the Queen, but its time has come and gone.
    It's a bit hard to see the point of it. As a transition from empire it was not going to last. Country after country is re-appraising colonial history, and rarely in ways that PB Tories would like. Take the smash hit film RRR for example:

    https://youtu.be/f_vbAtFSEc0?feature=shared
    There are a small number of countries with which we have ties of friendship, but the sooner we relearn that most countries relationships with each other are entirely transactional, something our leaders once perfectly well understood, the better.
    It is partly a generational thing. We think of the Queen's 70 years as head of the Commonwealth but forget most of the emerging leaders of the newly independent countries were of similar vintage. Robert Mugabe was just two years older than HMQ, for instance, as was Kenneth Kuanda.
  • TheuniondivvieTheuniondivvie Posts: 41,798
    Sean_F said:

    malcolmg said:

    Leon said:

    Startling fact from Unherd


    “The Brics countries are now a larger part of the global economy than the G7 countries. According to EY, Brics makes up around 36.7% of the global economy on a purchasing power parity basis while the G7 makes up only 27.5%.”

    https://unherd.com/newsroom/brics-pay-threatens-the-western-financial-system/

    They are a pile of shit though, not one of them you would want to visit unless you were at gunpoint.
    But that's the game they're now playing at, chipping away at the Commonwealth whilst it itself takes potshots at us - all being funded by China - whilst we cry into our soup at how awful and terrible we are (spoiler: we're not)

    Unless we man up and recognise we're in a new age of hard power politics of iron and fire we'll be eaten alive and end up a vassal stage with less freedom and less prosperity.
    China, Russia, India, Israel, the USA, France, all play according to big boys’ rules. They aren’t impressed by handwringing or apologies. They don’t agonise over the past. Our own leaders are simply abject.
    Why oh why can’t the UK be more like (checks notes) China, Russia and Israel, and its leaders like Xi, Putin and Netanyahu?

  • Morning, PB.

    The BRICS are dominating global social media, partly through actual events, and partly through bots.

    I don't think I've seen this extent of non-Western alliance since the Cold War.

    The West has some thinking to do.
  • DecrepiterJohnLDecrepiterJohnL Posts: 27,576
    Sandpit said:

    Re the headline: In my 6 months of 'garden leave' before retirement, I liked to remind colleagues from time to time that I was "forgotten but not gone".

    My wife’s boss just retired after more than 20 years with the company. He’s still on some sort of formal gardening leave, and says he’s shocked that no-one calls him for anything.
    No-one's irreplaceable. What is worse is that as soon as the boss's gardening leave ends, they will be blaming him for every disaster and misfortune for the next few months or years. Ask Liz Truss (see, we are back on topic).
  • DavidL said:

    The Truss episode seems ever more surreal in hindsight, conclusive proof that the Tory hegemony was coming to an end. It is worse than the 45 days that she survived as PM. The Tory membership listened to that bat shit insanity over months and thought, "yes, we'll have some of that." Conclusive proof that they were not fit to govern.

    I feel a bit sorry for Sunak. If the Conservative party membership had chosen him instead I think his Premiership would have been different but it was constantly overshadowed by the Truss fiasco. And now the members are being given another second or even third rate choice. The future existence of the Tories as a major player in UK politics is by no means assured.

    Yawn. Zero analysis, just asinine repetition of Labour talking points.
    In what way are they “Labour talking points?” They are *everyone other than you* talking points. This is politics - you have to be able to perceive your position via the majority or you are sunk.

    It isn’t David’s fault that he is a Tory supporter with political antennae and you don’t have them.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 54,700
    Foxy said:

    Sean_F said:

    Foxy said:

    malcolmg said:

    Leon said:

    Startling fact from Unherd


    “The Brics countries are now a larger part of the global economy than the G7 countries. According to EY, Brics makes up around 36.7% of the global economy on a purchasing power parity basis while the G7 makes up only 27.5%.”

    https://unherd.com/newsroom/brics-pay-threatens-the-western-financial-system/

    They are a pile of shit though, not one of them you would want to visit unless you were at gunpoint.
    But that's the game they're now playing at, chipping away at the Commonwealth whilst it itself takes potshots at us - all being funded by China - whilst we cry into our soup at how awful and terrible we are (spoiler: we're not)

    Unless we man up and recognise we're in a new age of hard power politics of iron and fire we'll be eaten alive and end up a vassal stage with less freedom and less prosperity.
    The Commonwealth is all but dead. Modi chose to kiss Putins ring rather than the King's when a clash of dates came up.

    The Chinese are going to be in a strong position in the trade war with Trumpistan too.
    They can’t even organise a set of games. It mattered a lot to the Queen, but its time has come and gone.
    It's a bit hard to see the point of it. As a transition from empire it was not going to last. Country after country is re-appraising colonial history, and rarely in ways that PB Tories would like. Take the smash hit film RRR for example:

    https://youtu.be/f_vbAtFSEc0?feature=shared
    Same is happening to France. Except they aren’t handing over entire chunks of sovereign territory to China. They are too sensible
  • MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 28,190
    ydoethur said:

    Sean_F said:

    DavidL said:

    The Truss episode seems ever more surreal in hindsight, conclusive proof that the Tory hegemony was coming to an end. It is worse than the 45 days that she survived as PM. The Tory membership listened to that bat shit insanity over months and thought, "yes, we'll have some of that." Conclusive proof that they were not fit to govern.

    I feel a bit sorry for Sunak. If the Conservative party membership had chosen him instead I think his Premiership would have been different but it was constantly overshadowed by the Truss fiasco. And now the members are being given another second or even third rate choice. The future existence of the Tories as a major player in UK politics is by no means assured.

    Yawn. Zero analysis, just asinine repetition of Labour talking points.
    Labour might save the Tories from themselves.

    They are doing everything possible to encourage a rapid revival.
    An optimist thinks no government could be worse than the last one.

    A pessimist knows that it can.
    Quite early for Leibniz.
    The chocolate biscuit that can think for itself.
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 71,154

    ydoethur said:

    Sean_F said:

    DavidL said:

    The Truss episode seems ever more surreal in hindsight, conclusive proof that the Tory hegemony was coming to an end. It is worse than the 45 days that she survived as PM. The Tory membership listened to that bat shit insanity over months and thought, "yes, we'll have some of that." Conclusive proof that they were not fit to govern.

    I feel a bit sorry for Sunak. If the Conservative party membership had chosen him instead I think his Premiership would have been different but it was constantly overshadowed by the Truss fiasco. And now the members are being given another second or even third rate choice. The future existence of the Tories as a major player in UK politics is by no means assured.

    Yawn. Zero analysis, just asinine repetition of Labour talking points.
    Labour might save the Tories from themselves.

    They are doing everything possible to encourage a rapid revival.
    An optimist thinks no government could be worse than the last one.

    A pessimist knows that it can.
    Quite early for Leibniz.
    The chocolate biscuit that can think for itself.
    very Candide of you. That's a high Voltaire-ge comment.
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 34,586
    Sandpit said:

    Re the headline: In my 6 months of 'garden leave' before retirement, I liked to remind colleagues from time to time that I was "forgotten but not gone".

    My wife’s boss just retired after more than 20 years with the company. He’s still on some sort of formal gardening leave, and says he’s shocked that no-one calls him for anything.
    Tbh Sandpit, it's a bit of a sad way to go. My situation was as a programme manager, I finished a large IT migration with 6 months to go and there were no programmes less than a couple of years duration needing a manager. I did a few independent reviews for othe PMs but generally PMs don't like having someone else check their work, so I was at home and free to do as I wished.
  • LeonLeon Posts: 54,700
    Scott_xP said:

    Scott_xP said:

    Nigelb said:

    Trump's best mate has been up to more tricks.

    I assumed that was going to be this story

    @BlueATLGeorgia

    Breaking: Elon Musk has reportedly been having secret conversations with Vladimir Putin.

    https://x.com/BlueATLGeorgia/status/1849643207904133407

    @michaelsobolik

    Good grief.

    Putin asked Musk to deny Starlink services to Taiwan as a favor to Xi Jinping.

    @elonmusk’s parroting of CCP propaganda about Taiwan takes on an even darker dimension…

    https://x.com/michaelsobolik/status/1849625929288487239
    It's all going to get very complicated after January 20th.

    I hadn't really considered the Venn diagram of Bond villains raised in Apartheid South Africa and KGB hardman fanbois.
    @whstancil

    So basically Elon Musk is a traitor working with America's enemies, he's also the main funder and proponent of Donald Trump's campaign, and he controls a bunch of our communications and national security infrastructure. And is the richest guy on earth, to boot. Seems bad
    I suspect this is a desperate load of bollocks confected by the democrats in fear of Trump winning. Recall they suppressed lab leak - the origins of a global pandemic, arguably the most important peacetime FACT in history - to help Biden
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 71,154
    Leon said:

    Scott_xP said:

    Scott_xP said:

    Nigelb said:

    Trump's best mate has been up to more tricks.

    I assumed that was going to be this story

    @BlueATLGeorgia

    Breaking: Elon Musk has reportedly been having secret conversations with Vladimir Putin.

    https://x.com/BlueATLGeorgia/status/1849643207904133407

    @michaelsobolik

    Good grief.

    Putin asked Musk to deny Starlink services to Taiwan as a favor to Xi Jinping.

    @elonmusk’s parroting of CCP propaganda about Taiwan takes on an even darker dimension…

    https://x.com/michaelsobolik/status/1849625929288487239
    It's all going to get very complicated after January 20th.

    I hadn't really considered the Venn diagram of Bond villains raised in Apartheid South Africa and KGB hardman fanbois.
    @whstancil

    So basically Elon Musk is a traitor working with America's enemies, he's also the main funder and proponent of Donald Trump's campaign, and he controls a bunch of our communications and national security infrastructure. And is the richest guy on earth, to boot. Seems bad
    I suspect this is a desperate load of bollocks confected by the democrats in fear of Trump winning. Recall they suppressed lab leak - the origins of a global pandemic, arguably the most important peacetime FACT in history - to help Biden
    Could somebody please ship me out a new irony meter?
  • bondegezoubondegezou Posts: 10,696
    Sean_F said:

    Sean_F said:

    malcolmg said:

    Leon said:

    Startling fact from Unherd


    “The Brics countries are now a larger part of the global economy than the G7 countries. According to EY, Brics makes up around 36.7% of the global economy on a purchasing power parity basis while the G7 makes up only 27.5%.”

    https://unherd.com/newsroom/brics-pay-threatens-the-western-financial-system/

    They are a pile of shit though, not one of them you would want to visit unless you were at gunpoint.
    But that's the game they're now playing at, chipping away at the Commonwealth whilst it itself takes potshots at us - all being funded by China - whilst we cry into our soup at how awful and terrible we are (spoiler: we're not)

    Unless we man up and recognise we're in a new age of hard power politics of iron and fire we'll be eaten alive and end up a vassal stage with less freedom and less prosperity.
    China, Russia, India, Israel, the USA, France, all play according to big boys’ rules. They aren’t impressed by handwringing or apologies. They don’t agonise over the past. Our own leaders are simply abject.
    Do you want the UK to be more like Russia and Israel? Should we invade Ireland? Or more like China?
    What I would like is for the UK’s political class to wake up to the fact that the world is a cold, hard, place; that no country of any significance gives a damn about human rights or international law if these things conflict with reason of state. That nobody is impressed because you give apologies for the past. That relations between states are mostly transactional.
    None of those things are true. Ideas of human rights, while contested in detail, are widespread in the most significant countries in the world. Most countries follow international law most of the time. Relations between states often reflect long-standing ties of culture and trade. Apologies can help heal divisions.

    Is Russia a better place because they’re playing “according to big boys’ rules”? Is Israel? Is China?
  • StillWatersStillWaters Posts: 8,095

    Foxy said:

    Foxy said:

    Sean_F said:

    Foxy said:

    malcolmg said:

    Leon said:

    Startling fact from Unherd


    “The Brics countries are now a larger part of the global economy than the G7 countries. According to EY, Brics makes up around 36.7% of the global economy on a purchasing power parity basis while the G7 makes up only 27.5%.”

    https://unherd.com/newsroom/brics-pay-threatens-the-western-financial-system/

    They are a pile of shit though, not one of them you would want to visit unless you were at gunpoint.
    But that's the game they're now playing at, chipping away at the Commonwealth whilst it itself takes potshots at us - all being funded by China - whilst we cry into our soup at how awful and terrible we are (spoiler: we're not)

    Unless we man up and recognise we're in a new age of hard power politics of iron and fire we'll be eaten alive and end up a vassal stage with less freedom and less prosperity.
    The Commonwealth is all but dead. Modi chose to kiss Putins ring rather than the King's when a clash of dates came up.

    The Chinese are going to be in a strong position in the trade war with Trumpistan too.
    They can’t even organise a set of games. It mattered a lot to the Queen, but its time has come and gone.
    It's a bit hard to see the point of it. As a transition from empire it was not going to last. Country after country is re-appraising colonial history, and rarely in ways that PB Tories would like. Take the smash hit film RRR for example:

    https://youtu.be/f_vbAtFSEc0?feature=shared
    That does not mean that the 're-appraisal' is a more accurate rendition of history than the one favoured by the 'PB Tories' you dislike. Or a positive move for this country. Or even theirs.

    Far too many lefties see everything that is wrong in the world as being our fault. It's a self-hatred that acknowledges all our sins, but ignores or diminishes any good we have done.
    Sure. Revisionist history can be as bad as the hagiographic history that it tears down.

    I am quite willing to accept the positives of British Imperialism, but simply not willing to ignore the massive crimes of empire too.

    If we should be proud of what our ancestors did, should we also not be a bit of ashamed on their behalf too?
    Indeed. But we see a lot of concentration on the shame and not on the pride. when, for instance, did you say anything positive about the Victorian age or the British Empire?

    Too many people on the left see nationalism and imperialism as bad. When it is us, at least. They seem perfectly happy with Indian nationalism or Russian imperialism. I wouldn't necessarily put you in that camp,
    but it certainly explains many left and Labour figures. Corbyn, for one.

    And the death of the Commonwealth will not leave a vacuum; it will be filled with other groupings such as BRICS. Which, whilst it is the country's choice, is not a good thing.
    BRICS isn’t a think. It’s an acronym dreamt up by a Goldman Sachs analyst. It’s just an equivalent to the G7. Russia, China and India are rivals not allies
  • MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 28,190
    ydoethur said:

    ydoethur said:

    Sean_F said:

    DavidL said:

    The Truss episode seems ever more surreal in hindsight, conclusive proof that the Tory hegemony was coming to an end. It is worse than the 45 days that she survived as PM. The Tory membership listened to that bat shit insanity over months and thought, "yes, we'll have some of that." Conclusive proof that they were not fit to govern.

    I feel a bit sorry for Sunak. If the Conservative party membership had chosen him instead I think his Premiership would have been different but it was constantly overshadowed by the Truss fiasco. And now the members are being given another second or even third rate choice. The future existence of the Tories as a major player in UK politics is by no means assured.

    Yawn. Zero analysis, just asinine repetition of Labour talking points.
    Labour might save the Tories from themselves.

    They are doing everything possible to encourage a rapid revival.
    An optimist thinks no government could be worse than the last one.

    A pessimist knows that it can.
    Quite early for Leibniz.
    The chocolate biscuit that can think for itself.
    very Candide of you. That's a high Voltaire-ge comment.
    You Kant be serious!
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 71,154

    ydoethur said:

    ydoethur said:

    Sean_F said:

    DavidL said:

    The Truss episode seems ever more surreal in hindsight, conclusive proof that the Tory hegemony was coming to an end. It is worse than the 45 days that she survived as PM. The Tory membership listened to that bat shit insanity over months and thought, "yes, we'll have some of that." Conclusive proof that they were not fit to govern.

    I feel a bit sorry for Sunak. If the Conservative party membership had chosen him instead I think his Premiership would have been different but it was constantly overshadowed by the Truss fiasco. And now the members are being given another second or even third rate choice. The future existence of the Tories as a major player in UK politics is by no means assured.

    Yawn. Zero analysis, just asinine repetition of Labour talking points.
    Labour might save the Tories from themselves.

    They are doing everything possible to encourage a rapid revival.
    An optimist thinks no government could be worse than the last one.

    A pessimist knows that it can.
    Quite early for Leibniz.
    The chocolate biscuit that can think for itself.
    very Candide of you. That's a high Voltaire-ge comment.
    You Kant be serious!
    Categorically.

    But if you want some humour, I'll try to Russell up some puns.
  • nico679nico679 Posts: 6,200
    So Musk who has US government contracts has been having secret conversations with Putin .

    Isn’t this a security risk ?

    And how much more power will Musk yield if Trump wins?

    And yet some clueless Tory politicians continue to allegedly support Ukraine whilst at the same time want Trump to win .

  • TazTaz Posts: 14,164
    Sandpit said:

    Re the headline: In my 6 months of 'garden leave' before retirement, I liked to remind colleagues from time to time that I was "forgotten but not gone".

    My wife’s boss just retired after more than 20 years with the company. He’s still on some sort of formal gardening leave, and says he’s shocked that no-one calls him for anything.
    We are all just a number if we work for a company. No one is indispensible. Businesses very quickly adapt.
  • SandpitSandpit Posts: 54,328


    Morning, PB.

    The BRICS are dominating global social media, partly through actual events, and partly through bots.

    I don't think I've seen this extent of non-Western alliance since the Cold War.

    The West has some thinking to do.

    100%.

    It’s a failure of statecraft by the West, led by Biden, that’s allowed this grouping to emerge in the first place.

    To see China, India, Brazil, Russia, and a bunch of OPEC states, in the same place, plotting primarily to undermine the US$ as the global reserve currency, could be the biggest story of the next decade. These countries either have huge populations or oil wealth, and see themselves as the dominant economies of the 21st Century.

    From the UK perspective, certainly more effort should have been put in to keeping India on side.
  • MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 28,190
    ydoethur said:

    Leon said:

    Scott_xP said:

    Scott_xP said:

    Nigelb said:

    Trump's best mate has been up to more tricks.

    I assumed that was going to be this story

    @BlueATLGeorgia

    Breaking: Elon Musk has reportedly been having secret conversations with Vladimir Putin.

    https://x.com/BlueATLGeorgia/status/1849643207904133407

    @michaelsobolik

    Good grief.

    Putin asked Musk to deny Starlink services to Taiwan as a favor to Xi Jinping.

    @elonmusk’s parroting of CCP propaganda about Taiwan takes on an even darker dimension…

    https://x.com/michaelsobolik/status/1849625929288487239
    It's all going to get very complicated after January 20th.

    I hadn't really considered the Venn diagram of Bond villains raised in Apartheid South Africa and KGB hardman fanbois.
    @whstancil

    So basically Elon Musk is a traitor working with America's enemies, he's also the main funder and proponent of Donald Trump's campaign, and he controls a bunch of our communications and national security infrastructure. And is the richest guy on earth, to boot. Seems bad
    I suspect this is a desperate load of bollocks confected by the democrats in fear of Trump winning. Recall they suppressed lab leak - the origins of a global pandemic, arguably the most important peacetime FACT in history - to help Biden
    Could somebody please ship me out a new irony meter?
    I haven't found one with an adequate enough scale for this place.
  • moonshinemoonshine Posts: 5,690
    Leon said:

    Scott_xP said:

    Scott_xP said:

    Nigelb said:

    Trump's best mate has been up to more tricks.

    I assumed that was going to be this story

    @BlueATLGeorgia

    Breaking: Elon Musk has reportedly been having secret conversations with Vladimir Putin.

    https://x.com/BlueATLGeorgia/status/1849643207904133407

    @michaelsobolik

    Good grief.

    Putin asked Musk to deny Starlink services to Taiwan as a favor to Xi Jinping.

    @elonmusk’s parroting of CCP propaganda about Taiwan takes on an even darker dimension…

    https://x.com/michaelsobolik/status/1849625929288487239
    It's all going to get very complicated after January 20th.

    I hadn't really considered the Venn diagram of Bond villains raised in Apartheid South Africa and KGB hardman fanbois.
    @whstancil

    So basically Elon Musk is a traitor working with America's enemies, he's also the main funder and proponent of Donald Trump's campaign, and he controls a bunch of our communications and national security infrastructure. And is the richest guy on earth, to boot. Seems bad
    I suspect this is a desperate load of bollocks confected by the democrats in fear of Trump winning. Recall they suppressed lab leak - the origins of a global pandemic, arguably the most important peacetime FACT in history - to help Biden
    Something about Elon causes people to completely take leave of their mental faculties. Was there ever a time when people recognised that all human beings are flawed but deserving of judgement in the round? All this tribalism for its own sake is so tedious.
  • bondegezoubondegezou Posts: 10,696
    Sean_F said:

    algarkirk said:

    Nigelb said:

    Leon said:

    Startling fact from Unherd


    “The Brics countries are now a larger part of the global economy than the G7 countries. According to EY, Brics makes up around 36.7% of the global economy on a purchasing power parity basis while the G7 makes up only 27.5%.”

    https://unherd.com/newsroom/brics-pay-threatens-the-western-financial-system/

    Well they do have an awful lot of the world's population.

    But they're not really a thing, given the deep rivalry between China - which has the financial clout to underwrite an alternate currency block - and India.
    Despite the awfulness of some of the regimes in BRICS, their prosperity is a good thing. Unless you believe the world's cake is a fixed thing and you can only increase yours by stealing or diminishing others, the big world trade slogan for peace and prosperity is "Prosperous neighbours make good customers".
    When I was born, 55% of the world’s people lived in absolute poverty. Now, it is 8%. That is undeniably a good thing.
    And it has come about through international cooperation and trade, within a system of international law. All things you deride.
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