And the BBC is giving a lot of time to American Trump backers, , and is quite hesitant about being critical, in a way that it isn't with other similar foreign leaders (eg Orban).
They are either complying with SKS's unctuous flattery strategy voluntarily or have been told to. The licence (can't remember which spelling variant gives LG83 the arsehole, but if it's that one, LOL) fee funding arrangement ends in 2027 so they can't afford to fall out with the government.
And the BBC is giving a lot of time to American Trump backers, , and is quite hesitant about being critical, in a way that it isn't with other similar foreign leaders (eg Orban).
They are either complying with SKS's unctuous flattery strategy voluntarily or have been told to. The licence (can't remember which spelling variant gives LG83 the arsehole, but if it's that one, LOL) fee funding arrangement ends in 2027 so they can't afford to fall out with the government.
Some context around the Online Safety Bill and Leon's many bans ?
There is something deeply wrong when a law passed with cross-party consensus and endorsed by Britain's most trusted charities has made it impossible to run an internet forum for hamster owners. https://x.com/Sam_Dumitriu/status/1901948965412630655
I've always opposed the Online Safety Act, but I never realised just how mad it was.
Every site that allows users to post content is in scope of the law and is forced to carry out a risk assessment.
Media and stats....were people not watching during COVID....here on PB we ran own daily data dump because they got it wrong basically every day.
Commonly, COVID was reported on the decrease when it was increasing and vice versa because they could get their head around delay in reporting...for 2 f##king years.
Ruth Deyermond @ruthdeyermond.bsky.social · 4m Today's Putin-Trump conversation will be about Russia-US relations and what they each think they can extort from Kyiv, not peace in Ukraine. That can only come with an end to Russian aggression.
The risk, obviously, is that Trump will strike a deal that is unacceptable to Ukraine and Europe. He'll use that rejection to say the Europeans aren't interested in peace, use that as an excuse to abandon NATO, and leave Putin to continue his war in the most favourable of circumstances.
This outcome is what Starmer and Macron are attempting to prevent. Who knows if they can succeed.
But we do seem to have have arrived at an "inflection point", as they say.
The number of books that are going to be written about the Russian infiltration of the US political system will be legion. Especially as its being done in plain sight (Tulsi Gabbard et al).
And the BBC is giving a lot of time to American Trump backers, , and is quite hesitant about being critical, in a way that it isn't with other similar foreign leaders (eg Orban).
They are either complying with SKS's unctuous flattery strategy voluntarily or have been told to. The licence (can't remember which spelling variant gives LG83 the arsehole, but if it's that one, LOL) fee funding arrangement ends in 2027 so they can't afford to fall out with the government.
You are reading conspiracy when rank incompetence makes as much (if not more) sense
I'm not sure what time the vote is due, but reports are there will be about a dozen dissenters/too I'll to attend from Union-SPD-Greens today. I think they can afford to lose up to 30 MPs and still get the 2 thirds majority.
Various MPs from the AfD, the FDP and the Left are still trying to get the Constitutional Court to reject the legislation. There seems to be a case based on parliament not being given enough time to consider it, and the relevant parliamentary committees not being allowed to sit and discuss it. There might be some precedent here, I'll have to look it up, though I think the Verfassungsblog the other day said that there wasn't any real question that the legislation would be all legal and proper if passed.
And the BBC is giving a lot of time to American Trump backers, , and is quite hesitant about being critical, in a way that it isn't with other similar foreign leaders (eg Orban).
They are either complying with SKS's unctuous flattery strategy voluntarily or have been told to. The licence (can't remember which spelling variant gives LG83 the arsehole, but if it's that one, LOL) fee funding arrangement ends in 2027 so they can't afford to fall out with the government.
You are reading conspiracy when rank incompetence makes as much (if not more) sense
I don't think so, since Trump was elected the BBC is showing a lot more respect for what he says, even when clearly mad and/or hostile to Britain's interests.
And the BBC is giving a lot of time to American Trump backers, , and is quite hesitant about being critical, in a way that it isn't with other similar foreign leaders (eg Orban).
They are either complying with SKS's unctuous flattery strategy voluntarily or have been told to. The licence (can't remember which spelling variant gives LG83 the arsehole, but if it's that one, LOL) fee funding arrangement ends in 2027 so they can't afford to fall out with the government.
You are reading conspiracy when rank incompetence makes as much (if not more) sense
I don't think so, since Trump was elected the BBC is showing a lot more respect for what he says, even when clearly mad and/or hostile to Britain's interests.
Ruth Deyermond @ruthdeyermond.bsky.social · 4m Today's Putin-Trump conversation will be about Russia-US relations and what they each think they can extort from Kyiv, not peace in Ukraine. That can only come with an end to Russian aggression.
The risk, obviously, is that Trump will strike a deal that is unacceptable to Ukraine and Europe. He'll use that rejection to say the Europeans aren't interested in peace, use that as an excuse to abandon NATO, and leave Putin to continue his war in the most favourable of circumstances..
And if they accept a deal, the peace agreement will also be used as a reason for the US to pull out of Europe.
Ether way we really have to work on the assumption that Europe is on its own, and should be preparing either for a resumption of the invasion in due course. Because of we don't, it will almost certainly happen; if we do, there is at least a chance that it might not.
Conscription ended in 1960 , with National Service ending in 1963. That is, 65 and 62 years ago.
The Silent Generation were subject to it; the boomers had people around them subject to it when they were young. I'm Gen X, but I had adults around me who had been conscripted when I was growing up (eg to Malaya).
I think the question is a bit of a media-created red herring in that even the armed forces don't like it - they lose more from looking after them for short term conscription than any gain. So if we get to a situwation where it is necessary, it will be necessary.
It will be major expansion of reserves first.
The vast majority of the silent generation wouldn't have done National Service either.
Wikipedia may not be accurate, but it suggests it was phased out in 1957, except for people who were born before 1939 and had deferred. That makes it 85/86+ men, and even if it was all of them, that's only going to be (very approximately) 10% of the over 75s.
My father was one of the last do it. He was in the RAF Education Branch in Aden and, like all of his other interactions with the working class, hated it. The did hand out promotions like crab ointment in the Education Branch though. He made it to Flt. Lt. in 18 months which isn't quite Mordaunt pace but still impressive.
It's hard to see how conscription fits into a 21st century Western fighting force though. It makes a sort of sense of for SMO-style semi-mechanised trench based carnage. For high tech maneuvering/airborne warfare they could backfill a few blanket stacker jobs but that's about it.
Wars will tend to accelerate progress up the ranks. Enoch Powell famously went from Private to Brigadier during WW2.
(I imagine he would be feeling quite vindicated by his US-scepticism if he were still around.)
Gen. Nathan Twining was promoted 22 times from 1916 to 1953. He went from being a Private in the Oregon Nation Guard to a USAF 4 Star and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
One of my uncles went from 'the ranks' to commissioned officer in both World Wars. Fought in France in WWi and East & North Africa in WWII. Described on his tombstone as 'Major', although he'd long since left the Army.
OF-3 and above can use their rank titles after retirement if they've got 15 years in. Apart from cavalry regiments who have their own mad rules that nobody understands but involves horses.
Captain Tom Moore seems to have started using his WWII rank long after he left the Army. However, I suspect other people might have been involved.
Mainwaring: "Oh you’d stick up for him wouldn’t you? You both went to public school didn’t you?" Wilson: "You know sir, I can’t help feeling that you’ve got a bit of a chip on your shoulder about that." Mainwaring: "There’s no chip on my shoulder. I’ll tell you what there is though, three pips and don’t you forget it."
Some context around the Online Safety Bill and Leon's many bans ?
There is something deeply wrong when a law passed with cross-party consensus and endorsed by Britain's most trusted charities has made it impossible to run an internet forum for hamster owners. https://x.com/Sam_Dumitriu/status/1901948965412630655
That hamster owners site was always in trouble when they let the Pet Shop Boys start posting...
Conscription ended in 1960 , with National Service ending in 1963. That is, 65 and 62 years ago.
The Silent Generation were subject to it; the boomers had people around them subject to it when they were young. I'm Gen X, but I had adults around me who had been conscripted when I was growing up (eg to Malaya).
I think the question is a bit of a media-created red herring in that even the armed forces don't like it - they lose more from looking after them for short term conscription than any gain. So if we get to a situwation where it is necessary, it will be necessary.
It will be major expansion of reserves first.
The vast majority of the silent generation wouldn't have done National Service either.
Wikipedia may not be accurate, but it suggests it was phased out in 1957, except for people who were born before 1939 and had deferred. That makes it 85/86+ men, and even if it was all of them, that's only going to be (very approximately) 10% of the over 75s.
My father was one of the last do it. He was in the RAF Education Branch in Aden and, like all of his other interactions with the working class, hated it. The did hand out promotions like crab ointment in the Education Branch though. He made it to Flt. Lt. in 18 months which isn't quite Mordaunt pace but still impressive.
It's hard to see how conscription fits into a 21st century Western fighting force though. It makes a sort of sense of for SMO-style semi-mechanised trench based carnage. For high tech maneuvering/airborne warfare they could backfill a few blanket stacker jobs but that's about it.
Wars will tend to accelerate progress up the ranks. Enoch Powell famously went from Private to Brigadier during WW2.
(I imagine he would be feeling quite vindicated by his US-scepticism if he were still around.)
Gen. Nathan Twining was promoted 22 times from 1916 to 1953. He went from being a Private in the Oregon Nation Guard to a USAF 4 Star and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
One of my uncles went from 'the ranks' to commissioned officer in both World Wars. Fought in France in WWi and East & North Africa in WWII. Described on his tombstone as 'Major', although he'd long since left the Army.
OF-3 and above can use their rank titles after retirement if they've got 15 years in. Apart from cavalry regiments who have their own mad rules that nobody understands but involves horses.
Captain Tom Moore seems to have started using his WWII rank long after he left the Army. However, I suspect other people might have been involved.
Mainwaring: "Oh you’d stick up for him wouldn’t you? You both went to public school didn’t you?" Wilson: "You know sir, I can’t help feeling that you’ve got a bit of a chip on your shoulder about that." Mainwaring: "There’s no chip on my shoulder. I’ll tell you what there is though, three pips and don’t you forget it."
And the BBC is giving a lot of time to American Trump backers, , and is quite hesitant about being critical, in a way that it isn't with other similar foreign leaders (eg Orban).
They are either complying with SKS's unctuous flattery strategy voluntarily or have been told to. The licence (can't remember which spelling variant gives LG83 the arsehole, but if it's that one, LOL) fee funding arrangement ends in 2027 so they can't afford to fall out with the government.
You are reading conspiracy when rank incompetence makes as much (if not more) sense
I don't think so, since Trump was elected the BBC is showing a lot more respect for what he says, even when clearly mad and/or hostile to Britain's interests.
You'll know the Beeb has been nobbled when the News Quiz starts being even-handed to Trump...
Conscription ended in 1960 , with National Service ending in 1963. That is, 65 and 62 years ago.
The Silent Generation were subject to it; the boomers had people around them subject to it when they were young. I'm Gen X, but I had adults around me who had been conscripted when I was growing up (eg to Malaya).
I think the question is a bit of a media-created red herring in that even the armed forces don't like it - they lose more from looking after them for short term conscription than any gain. So if we get to a situwation where it is necessary, it will be necessary.
It will be major expansion of reserves first.
The vast majority of the silent generation wouldn't have done National Service either.
Wikipedia may not be accurate, but it suggests it was phased out in 1957, except for people who were born before 1939 and had deferred. That makes it 85/86+ men, and even if it was all of them, that's only going to be (very approximately) 10% of the over 75s.
My father was one of the last do it. He was in the RAF Education Branch in Aden and, like all of his other interactions with the working class, hated it. The did hand out promotions like crab ointment in the Education Branch though. He made it to Flt. Lt. in 18 months which isn't quite Mordaunt pace but still impressive.
It's hard to see how conscription fits into a 21st century Western fighting force though. It makes a sort of sense of for SMO-style semi-mechanised trench based carnage. For high tech maneuvering/airborne warfare they could backfill a few blanket stacker jobs but that's about it.
Wars will tend to accelerate progress up the ranks. Enoch Powell famously went from Private to Brigadier during WW2.
(I imagine he would be feeling quite vindicated by his US-scepticism if he were still around.)
Gen. Nathan Twining was promoted 22 times from 1916 to 1953. He went from being a Private in the Oregon Nation Guard to a USAF 4 Star and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
One of my uncles went from 'the ranks' to commissioned officer in both World Wars. Fought in France in WWi and East & North Africa in WWII. Described on his tombstone as 'Major', although he'd long since left the Army.
OF-3 and above can use their rank titles after retirement if they've got 15 years in. Apart from cavalry regiments who have their own mad rules that nobody understands but involves horses.
Captain Tom Moore seems to have started using his WWII rank long after he left the Army. However, I suspect other people might have been involved.
Mainwaring: "Oh you’d stick up for him wouldn’t you? You both went to public school didn’t you?" Wilson: "You know sir, I can’t help feeling that you’ve got a bit of a chip on your shoulder about that." Mainwaring: "There’s no chip on my shoulder. I’ll tell you what there is though, three pips and don’t you forget it."
The writing for Dads Army was so good.
(Should that be Dad's, Dads' or Dads?)
It's Dad's Army, apparently (for the TV show at least). I'd have gone for Dads' Army - the army of dads (plural) but it appears it was just (one's own) dad's army.
And the BBC is giving a lot of time to American Trump backers, , and is quite hesitant about being critical, in a way that it isn't with other similar foreign leaders (eg Orban).
They are either complying with SKS's unctuous flattery strategy voluntarily or have been told to. The licence (can't remember which spelling variant gives LG83 the arsehole, but if it's that one, LOL) fee funding arrangement ends in 2027 so they can't afford to fall out with the government.
You are reading conspiracy when rank incompetence makes as much (if not more) sense
I don't think so, since Trump was elected the BBC is showing a lot more respect for what he says, even when clearly mad and/or hostile to Britain's interests.
Much like Labour politicians.
I suppose Ed is unlikely to feature in government so he says what he wants...
This is an account of someone on Twitter of the experience of being "swatted" - that is someone calls out a SWAT team to your address via a hoax call.
This is what Trump's supporters were doing to Court staff where he was being prosecuted before the election. It is now allegedly happening to some Trump types too. An unrolled thread From Twitter:
1/5 @LarryTaunton I was SWATed last night as you can see in these 3 videos.
I was in bed, but noticed Ranger, my German shepherd, was on the prowl, his ears up. I heed his instincts.
I then saw a flicker of light on my BR door. Ranger went to investigate, I got my gun…..
And the BBC is giving a lot of time to American Trump backers, , and is quite hesitant about being critical, in a way that it isn't with other similar foreign leaders (eg Orban).
They are either complying with SKS's unctuous flattery strategy voluntarily or have been told to. The licence (can't remember which spelling variant gives LG83 the arsehole, but if it's that one, LOL) fee funding arrangement ends in 2027 so they can't afford to fall out with the government.
"Licence" is non-Trumpistani territories.
Indeed, we license (verb) TV use by issuing a licence (noun), over here.
Over there, they license with a license - or they would, if they had a TV licenc/se
This is an account of someone on Twitter of the experience of being "swatted" - that is someone calls out a SWAT team to your address via a hoax call.
This is what Trump's supporters were doing to Court staff where he was being prosecuted before the election. It is now allegedly happening to some Trump types too. An unrolled thread From Twitter:
1/5 @LarryTaunton I was SWATed last night as you can see in these 3 videos.
I was in bed, but noticed Ranger, my German shepherd, was on the prowl, his ears up. I heed his instincts.
I then saw a flicker of light on my BR door. Ranger went to investigate, I got my gun…..
SWATing has been going on for donkeys years. Its nothing new. It was a trend to call them on Live Steamers. People have of course died from these stunts.
Conscription ended in 1960 , with National Service ending in 1963. That is, 65 and 62 years ago.
The Silent Generation were subject to it; the boomers had people around them subject to it when they were young. I'm Gen X, but I had adults around me who had been conscripted when I was growing up (eg to Malaya).
I think the question is a bit of a media-created red herring in that even the armed forces don't like it - they lose more from looking after them for short term conscription than any gain. So if we get to a situwation where it is necessary, it will be necessary.
It will be major expansion of reserves first.
The vast majority of the silent generation wouldn't have done National Service either.
Wikipedia may not be accurate, but it suggests it was phased out in 1957, except for people who were born before 1939 and had deferred. That makes it 85/86+ men, and even if it was all of them, that's only going to be (very approximately) 10% of the over 75s.
My father was one of the last do it. He was in the RAF Education Branch in Aden and, like all of his other interactions with the working class, hated it. The did hand out promotions like crab ointment in the Education Branch though. He made it to Flt. Lt. in 18 months which isn't quite Mordaunt pace but still impressive.
It's hard to see how conscription fits into a 21st century Western fighting force though. It makes a sort of sense of for SMO-style semi-mechanised trench based carnage. For high tech maneuvering/airborne warfare they could backfill a few blanket stacker jobs but that's about it.
Wars will tend to accelerate progress up the ranks. Enoch Powell famously went from Private to Brigadier during WW2.
(I imagine he would be feeling quite vindicated by his US-scepticism if he were still around.)
Gen. Nathan Twining was promoted 22 times from 1916 to 1953. He went from being a Private in the Oregon Nation Guard to a USAF 4 Star and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
One of my uncles went from 'the ranks' to commissioned officer in both World Wars. Fought in France in WWi and East & North Africa in WWII. Described on his tombstone as 'Major', although he'd long since left the Army.
OF-3 and above can use their rank titles after retirement if they've got 15 years in. Apart from cavalry regiments who have their own mad rules that nobody understands but involves horses.
Captain Tom Moore seems to have started using his WWII rank long after he left the Army. However, I suspect other people might have been involved.
Mainwaring: "Oh you’d stick up for him wouldn’t you? You both went to public school didn’t you?" Wilson: "You know sir, I can’t help feeling that you’ve got a bit of a chip on your shoulder about that." Mainwaring: "There’s no chip on my shoulder. I’ll tell you what there is though, three pips and don’t you forget it."
The writing for Dads Army was so good.
Yes, the characters never became caricatures. Mainwaring in particular is an extraordinarily well drawn character, assisted by Arthur Lowe's subtle performance. On one level ridiculous, pompous and prickly, but also principled and imbued with real dignity. Some very clever stuff around class, too, as you point out. And amid the absurdity a real sense they were fighting for something important, that they represented something worth fighting for. I could watch Dads Army all day long.
Sort-of good news for fans of Roman London artefacts, except the London Museum (formerly the Museum of London) is closed while it moves from Barbican to Smithfield, which will take another 1-3 years.
Conscription ended in 1960 , with National Service ending in 1963. That is, 65 and 62 years ago.
The Silent Generation were subject to it; the boomers had people around them subject to it when they were young. I'm Gen X, but I had adults around me who had been conscripted when I was growing up (eg to Malaya).
I think the question is a bit of a media-created red herring in that even the armed forces don't like it - they lose more from looking after them for short term conscription than any gain. So if we get to a situwation where it is necessary, it will be necessary.
It will be major expansion of reserves first.
The vast majority of the silent generation wouldn't have done National Service either.
Wikipedia may not be accurate, but it suggests it was phased out in 1957, except for people who were born before 1939 and had deferred. That makes it 85/86+ men, and even if it was all of them, that's only going to be (very approximately) 10% of the over 75s.
My father was one of the last do it. He was in the RAF Education Branch in Aden and, like all of his other interactions with the working class, hated it. The did hand out promotions like crab ointment in the Education Branch though. He made it to Flt. Lt. in 18 months which isn't quite Mordaunt pace but still impressive.
It's hard to see how conscription fits into a 21st century Western fighting force though. It makes a sort of sense of for SMO-style semi-mechanised trench based carnage. For high tech maneuvering/airborne warfare they could backfill a few blanket stacker jobs but that's about it.
Wars will tend to accelerate progress up the ranks. Enoch Powell famously went from Private to Brigadier during WW2.
(I imagine he would be feeling quite vindicated by his US-scepticism if he were still around.)
Gen. Nathan Twining was promoted 22 times from 1916 to 1953. He went from being a Private in the Oregon Nation Guard to a USAF 4 Star and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
One of my uncles went from 'the ranks' to commissioned officer in both World Wars. Fought in France in WWi and East & North Africa in WWII. Described on his tombstone as 'Major', although he'd long since left the Army.
OF-3 and above can use their rank titles after retirement if they've got 15 years in. Apart from cavalry regiments who have their own mad rules that nobody understands but involves horses.
Captain Tom Moore seems to have started using his WWII rank long after he left the Army. However, I suspect other people might have been involved.
Mainwaring: "Oh you’d stick up for him wouldn’t you? You both went to public school didn’t you?" Wilson: "You know sir, I can’t help feeling that you’ve got a bit of a chip on your shoulder about that." Mainwaring: "There’s no chip on my shoulder. I’ll tell you what there is though, three pips and don’t you forget it."
The writing for Dads Army was so good.
(Should that be Dad's, Dads' or Dads?)
It's Dad's Army, apparently (for the TV show at least). I'd have gone for Dads' Army - the army of dads (plural) but it appears it was just (one's own) dad's army.
Yes there's a subtle difference there. Both make sense though.
One of the pro Genocide ministers is happy to return to Netanyahu’s cabinet after the genocide re-started.
Congrats to all those in Michigan who supported Trump . I’m sure your fellow Muslims in Gaza appreciate your support for the genocide enabler in the WH .
One of the pro Genocide ministers is happy to return to Netanyahu’s cabinet after the genocide re-started.
Congrats to all those in Michigan who supported Trump . I’m sure your fellow Muslims in Gaza appreciate your support for the genocide enabler in the WH .
The ultimate in pea-brained, self-indulgent "protest" votes.
Conscription ended in 1960 , with National Service ending in 1963. That is, 65 and 62 years ago.
The Silent Generation were subject to it; the boomers had people around them subject to it when they were young. I'm Gen X, but I had adults around me who had been conscripted when I was growing up (eg to Malaya).
I think the question is a bit of a media-created red herring in that even the armed forces don't like it - they lose more from looking after them for short term conscription than any gain. So if we get to a situwation where it is necessary, it will be necessary.
It will be major expansion of reserves first.
The vast majority of the silent generation wouldn't have done National Service either.
Wikipedia may not be accurate, but it suggests it was phased out in 1957, except for people who were born before 1939 and had deferred. That makes it 85/86+ men, and even if it was all of them, that's only going to be (very approximately) 10% of the over 75s.
My father was one of the last do it. He was in the RAF Education Branch in Aden and, like all of his other interactions with the working class, hated it. The did hand out promotions like crab ointment in the Education Branch though. He made it to Flt. Lt. in 18 months which isn't quite Mordaunt pace but still impressive.
It's hard to see how conscription fits into a 21st century Western fighting force though. It makes a sort of sense of for SMO-style semi-mechanised trench based carnage. For high tech maneuvering/airborne warfare they could backfill a few blanket stacker jobs but that's about it.
Wars will tend to accelerate progress up the ranks. Enoch Powell famously went from Private to Brigadier during WW2.
(I imagine he would be feeling quite vindicated by his US-scepticism if he were still around.)
Gen. Nathan Twining was promoted 22 times from 1916 to 1953. He went from being a Private in the Oregon Nation Guard to a USAF 4 Star and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
One of my uncles went from 'the ranks' to commissioned officer in both World Wars. Fought in France in WWi and East & North Africa in WWII. Described on his tombstone as 'Major', although he'd long since left the Army.
OF-3 and above can use their rank titles after retirement if they've got 15 years in. Apart from cavalry regiments who have their own mad rules that nobody understands but involves horses.
Captain Tom Moore seems to have started using his WWII rank long after he left the Army. However, I suspect other people might have been involved.
Mainwaring: "Oh you’d stick up for him wouldn’t you? You both went to public school didn’t you?" Wilson: "You know sir, I can’t help feeling that you’ve got a bit of a chip on your shoulder about that." Mainwaring: "There’s no chip on my shoulder. I’ll tell you what there is though, three pips and don’t you forget it."
The writing for Dads Army was so good.
Yes, the characters never became caricatures. Mainwaring in particular is an extraordinarily well drawn character, assisted by Arthur Lowe's subtle performance. On one level ridiculous, pompous and prickly, but also principled and imbued with real dignity. Some very clever stuff around class, too, as you point out. And amid the absurdity a real sense they were fighting for something important, that they represented something worth fighting for. I could watch Dads Army all day long.
It started strong, the best comedy on British TV but lost its edge and humour as it was kept going far too long.
My Fellow Conservatives should also remember we WON the 1959 General Election on the commitment to end conscription. I was born on Election Day in 1959 and my view has not changed. Conscription was the stupidest policy any Conservative Leader has presented to the Electorate although compulsory Maths for 18 year olds was pretty close. How many people in parliament even know what Quaternions are ?
One of the pro Genocide ministers is happy to return to Netanyahu’s cabinet after the genocide re-started.
Congrats to all those in Michigan who supported Trump . I’m sure your fellow Muslims in Gaza appreciate your support for the genocide enabler in the WH .
The ultimate in pea-brained, self-indulgent "protest" votes.
Winning margin in MI for Dodgy Donald was only 80,000!
Conscription ended in 1960 , with National Service ending in 1963. That is, 65 and 62 years ago.
The Silent Generation were subject to it; the boomers had people around them subject to it when they were young. I'm Gen X, but I had adults around me who had been conscripted when I was growing up (eg to Malaya).
I think the question is a bit of a media-created red herring in that even the armed forces don't like it - they lose more from looking after them for short term conscription than any gain. So if we get to a situwation where it is necessary, it will be necessary.
It will be major expansion of reserves first.
The vast majority of the silent generation wouldn't have done National Service either.
Wikipedia may not be accurate, but it suggests it was phased out in 1957, except for people who were born before 1939 and had deferred. That makes it 85/86+ men, and even if it was all of them, that's only going to be (very approximately) 10% of the over 75s.
My father was one of the last do it. He was in the RAF Education Branch in Aden and, like all of his other interactions with the working class, hated it. The did hand out promotions like crab ointment in the Education Branch though. He made it to Flt. Lt. in 18 months which isn't quite Mordaunt pace but still impressive.
It's hard to see how conscription fits into a 21st century Western fighting force though. It makes a sort of sense of for SMO-style semi-mechanised trench based carnage. For high tech maneuvering/airborne warfare they could backfill a few blanket stacker jobs but that's about it.
Wars will tend to accelerate progress up the ranks. Enoch Powell famously went from Private to Brigadier during WW2.
(I imagine he would be feeling quite vindicated by his US-scepticism if he were still around.)
Gen. Nathan Twining was promoted 22 times from 1916 to 1953. He went from being a Private in the Oregon Nation Guard to a USAF 4 Star and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
One of my uncles went from 'the ranks' to commissioned officer in both World Wars. Fought in France in WWi and East & North Africa in WWII. Described on his tombstone as 'Major', although he'd long since left the Army.
OF-3 and above can use their rank titles after retirement if they've got 15 years in. Apart from cavalry regiments who have their own mad rules that nobody understands but involves horses.
Captain Tom Moore seems to have started using his WWII rank long after he left the Army. However, I suspect other people might have been involved.
Mainwaring: "Oh you’d stick up for him wouldn’t you? You both went to public school didn’t you?" Wilson: "You know sir, I can’t help feeling that you’ve got a bit of a chip on your shoulder about that." Mainwaring: "There’s no chip on my shoulder. I’ll tell you what there is though, three pips and don’t you forget it."
The writing for Dads Army was so good.
Yes, the characters never became caricatures. Mainwaring in particular is an extraordinarily well drawn character, assisted by Arthur Lowe's subtle performance. On one level ridiculous, pompous and prickly, but also principled and imbued with real dignity. Some very clever stuff around class, too, as you point out. And amid the absurdity a real sense they were fighting for something important, that they represented something worth fighting for. I could watch Dads Army all day long.
We laugh at them but there is no doubt that they would have 'died with blood choking in their throats' if the Germans had invaded Warmington On Sea. The episode where the think the attack is on is remarkably good for showing that. The genius choice to have the snobbish but ultimately slightly lower class Captain and his laconic slightly higher class sergeant is one of the best decisions.
Conscription ended in 1960 , with National Service ending in 1963. That is, 65 and 62 years ago.
The Silent Generation were subject to it; the boomers had people around them subject to it when they were young. I'm Gen X, but I had adults around me who had been conscripted when I was growing up (eg to Malaya).
I think the question is a bit of a media-created red herring in that even the armed forces don't like it - they lose more from looking after them for short term conscription than any gain. So if we get to a situwation where it is necessary, it will be necessary.
It will be major expansion of reserves first.
My dad was preparing to do National Service and they cancelled it just before he was about to do it. He'd been in the cadets as preparation.
Conscription ended in 1960 , with National Service ending in 1963. That is, 65 and 62 years ago.
The Silent Generation were subject to it; the boomers had people around them subject to it when they were young. I'm Gen X, but I had adults around me who had been conscripted when I was growing up (eg to Malaya).
I think the question is a bit of a media-created red herring in that even the armed forces don't like it - they lose more from looking after them for short term conscription than any gain. So if we get to a situwation where it is necessary, it will be necessary.
It will be major expansion of reserves first.
The vast majority of the silent generation wouldn't have done National Service either.
Wikipedia may not be accurate, but it suggests it was phased out in 1957, except for people who were born before 1939 and had deferred. That makes it 85/86+ men, and even if it was all of them, that's only going to be (very approximately) 10% of the over 75s.
My father was one of the last do it. He was in the RAF Education Branch in Aden and, like all of his other interactions with the working class, hated it. The did hand out promotions like crab ointment in the Education Branch though. He made it to Flt. Lt. in 18 months which isn't quite Mordaunt pace but still impressive.
It's hard to see how conscription fits into a 21st century Western fighting force though. It makes a sort of sense of for SMO-style semi-mechanised trench based carnage. For high tech maneuvering/airborne warfare they could backfill a few blanket stacker jobs but that's about it.
Wars will tend to accelerate progress up the ranks. Enoch Powell famously went from Private to Brigadier during WW2.
(I imagine he would be feeling quite vindicated by his US-scepticism if he were still around.)
Gen. Nathan Twining was promoted 22 times from 1916 to 1953. He went from being a Private in the Oregon Nation Guard to a USAF 4 Star and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
One of my uncles went from 'the ranks' to commissioned officer in both World Wars. Fought in France in WWi and East & North Africa in WWII. Described on his tombstone as 'Major', although he'd long since left the Army.
OF-3 and above can use their rank titles after retirement if they've got 15 years in. Apart from cavalry regiments who have their own mad rules that nobody understands but involves horses.
Captain Tom Moore seems to have started using his WWII rank long after he left the Army. However, I suspect other people might have been involved.
Mainwaring: "Oh you’d stick up for him wouldn’t you? You both went to public school didn’t you?" Wilson: "You know sir, I can’t help feeling that you’ve got a bit of a chip on your shoulder about that." Mainwaring: "There’s no chip on my shoulder. I’ll tell you what there is though, three pips and don’t you forget it."
The writing for Dads Army was so good.
Yes, the characters never became caricatures. Mainwaring in particular is an extraordinarily well drawn character, assisted by Arthur Lowe's subtle performance. On one level ridiculous, pompous and prickly, but also principled and imbued with real dignity. Some very clever stuff around class, too, as you point out. And amid the absurdity a real sense they were fighting for something important, that they represented something worth fighting for. I could watch Dads Army all day long.
It started strong, the best comedy on British TV but lost its edge and humour as it was kept going far too long.
My Fellow Conservatives should also remember we WON the 1959 General Election on the commitment to end conscription. I was born on Election Day in 1959 and my view has not changed. Conscription was the stupidest policy any Conservative Leader has presented to the Electorate although compulsory Maths for 18 year olds was pretty close. How many people in parliament even know what Quaternions are ?
That was the first GE at which I voted. I don't recall that as a policy; we all expected/hoped that National Service would end before long. I kept going as a student for a couple more years and was relieved when it ended before my studies did.
One of the pro Genocide ministers is happy to return to Netanyahu’s cabinet after the genocide re-started.
Congrats to all those in Michigan who supported Trump . I’m sure your fellow Muslims in Gaza appreciate your support for the genocide enabler in the WH .
The ultimate in pea-brained, self-indulgent "protest" votes.
Lot of young women staring at me in Sao paolo terminal 3. But then this is Brazil, isn’t it? women are so liberated sexually they feel able to express their lust. Quite openly
I’m used to be being ogled but this is a new league
Should've gone to Specsavers.
Them and you.
Seriously, though. I thought you were in your sixties? No? The Daniel Craig of PB, and even he's only in his fifties.
LatAm are now offering to helicopter me to Montevideo. Might be the only way to avoid a riot on the plane.
Every single women is offering hard folding money to the checkin desk just to be “near” me. Absurd
You have been warned about licking your eyebrows in public.
Conscription ended in 1960 , with National Service ending in 1963. That is, 65 and 62 years ago.
The Silent Generation were subject to it; the boomers had people around them subject to it when they were young. I'm Gen X, but I had adults around me who had been conscripted when I was growing up (eg to Malaya).
I think the question is a bit of a media-created red herring in that even the armed forces don't like it - they lose more from looking after them for short term conscription than any gain. So if we get to a situwation where it is necessary, it will be necessary.
It will be major expansion of reserves first.
The vast majority of the silent generation wouldn't have done National Service either.
Wikipedia may not be accurate, but it suggests it was phased out in 1957, except for people who were born before 1939 and had deferred. That makes it 85/86+ men, and even if it was all of them, that's only going to be (very approximately) 10% of the over 75s.
My father was one of the last do it. He was in the RAF Education Branch in Aden and, like all of his other interactions with the working class, hated it. The did hand out promotions like crab ointment in the Education Branch though. He made it to Flt. Lt. in 18 months which isn't quite Mordaunt pace but still impressive.
It's hard to see how conscription fits into a 21st century Western fighting force though. It makes a sort of sense of for SMO-style semi-mechanised trench based carnage. For high tech maneuvering/airborne warfare they could backfill a few blanket stacker jobs but that's about it.
Wars will tend to accelerate progress up the ranks. Enoch Powell famously went from Private to Brigadier during WW2.
(I imagine he would be feeling quite vindicated by his US-scepticism if he were still around.)
Gen. Nathan Twining was promoted 22 times from 1916 to 1953. He went from being a Private in the Oregon Nation Guard to a USAF 4 Star and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
One of my uncles went from 'the ranks' to commissioned officer in both World Wars. Fought in France in WWi and East & North Africa in WWII. Described on his tombstone as 'Major', although he'd long since left the Army.
OF-3 and above can use their rank titles after retirement if they've got 15 years in. Apart from cavalry regiments who have their own mad rules that nobody understands but involves horses.
Captain Tom Moore seems to have started using his WWII rank long after he left the Army. However, I suspect other people might have been involved.
Mainwaring: "Oh you’d stick up for him wouldn’t you? You both went to public school didn’t you?" Wilson: "You know sir, I can’t help feeling that you’ve got a bit of a chip on your shoulder about that." Mainwaring: "There’s no chip on my shoulder. I’ll tell you what there is though, three pips and don’t you forget it."
The writing for Dads Army was so good.
Yes, the characters never became caricatures. Mainwaring in particular is an extraordinarily well drawn character, assisted by Arthur Lowe's subtle performance. On one level ridiculous, pompous and prickly, but also principled and imbued with real dignity. Some very clever stuff around class, too, as you point out. And amid the absurdity a real sense they were fighting for something important, that they represented something worth fighting for. I could watch Dads Army all day long.
Lowe even played Mainwaring's "apparently" Northern, working class brother in one episode!
The guy behind me on this plane is now actually practising on his drum kit
Hope not a euphemism?
Sadly not. He’s the most annoyingly noisy Uruguayan on a plane with a few of them, but I thought he’d peaked when he played his phone game at full volume with accompanying whoops and squeals
(He is about 26 years old btw)
But then he got out his mini drum kit. No joke
If there is a plane crash in the Andes he will be immediately killed and eaten even if we have plenty of sandwiches and pot noodles
Conscription ended in 1960 , with National Service ending in 1963. That is, 65 and 62 years ago.
The Silent Generation were subject to it; the boomers had people around them subject to it when they were young. I'm Gen X, but I had adults around me who had been conscripted when I was growing up (eg to Malaya).
I think the question is a bit of a media-created red herring in that even the armed forces don't like it - they lose more from looking after them for short term conscription than any gain. So if we get to a situwation where it is necessary, it will be necessary.
It will be major expansion of reserves first.
The vast majority of the silent generation wouldn't have done National Service either.
Wikipedia may not be accurate, but it suggests it was phased out in 1957, except for people who were born before 1939 and had deferred. That makes it 85/86+ men, and even if it was all of them, that's only going to be (very approximately) 10% of the over 75s.
My father was one of the last do it. He was in the RAF Education Branch in Aden and, like all of his other interactions with the working class, hated it. The did hand out promotions like crab ointment in the Education Branch though. He made it to Flt. Lt. in 18 months which isn't quite Mordaunt pace but still impressive.
It's hard to see how conscription fits into a 21st century Western fighting force though. It makes a sort of sense of for SMO-style semi-mechanised trench based carnage. For high tech maneuvering/airborne warfare they could backfill a few blanket stacker jobs but that's about it.
Wars will tend to accelerate progress up the ranks. Enoch Powell famously went from Private to Brigadier during WW2.
(I imagine he would be feeling quite vindicated by his US-scepticism if he were still around.)
Gen. Nathan Twining was promoted 22 times from 1916 to 1953. He went from being a Private in the Oregon Nation Guard to a USAF 4 Star and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
One of my uncles went from 'the ranks' to commissioned officer in both World Wars. Fought in France in WWi and East & North Africa in WWII. Described on his tombstone as 'Major', although he'd long since left the Army.
OF-3 and above can use their rank titles after retirement if they've got 15 years in. Apart from cavalry regiments who have their own mad rules that nobody understands but involves horses.
Captain Tom Moore seems to have started using his WWII rank long after he left the Army. However, I suspect other people might have been involved.
Mainwaring: "Oh you’d stick up for him wouldn’t you? You both went to public school didn’t you?" Wilson: "You know sir, I can’t help feeling that you’ve got a bit of a chip on your shoulder about that." Mainwaring: "There’s no chip on my shoulder. I’ll tell you what there is though, three pips and don’t you forget it."
The writing for Dads Army was so good.
Yes, the characters never became caricatures. Mainwaring in particular is an extraordinarily well drawn character, assisted by Arthur Lowe's subtle performance. On one level ridiculous, pompous and prickly, but also principled and imbued with real dignity. Some very clever stuff around class, too, as you point out. And amid the absurdity a real sense they were fighting for something important, that they represented something worth fighting for. I could watch Dads Army all day long.
We laugh at them but there is no doubt that they would have 'died with blood choking in their throats' if the Germans had invaded Warmington On Sea. The episode where the think the attack is on is remarkably good for showing that. The genius choice to have the snobbish but ultimately slightly lower class Captain and his laconic slightly higher class sergeant is one of the best decisions.
"All great British comedies are about the class structure": discuss
Media and stats....were people not watching during COVID....here on PB we ran own daily data dump because they got it wrong basically every day.
Commonly, COVID was reported on the decrease when it was increasing and vice versa because they could get their head around delay in reporting...for 2 f##king years.
As I recall it took quite a while for some here to work out Murder Tuesday.
And the BBC is giving a lot of time to American Trump backers, , and is quite hesitant about being critical, in a way that it isn't with other similar foreign leaders (eg Orban).
They are either complying with SKS's unctuous flattery strategy voluntarily or have been told to. The licence (can't remember which spelling variant gives LG83 the arsehole, but if it's that one, LOL) fee funding arrangement ends in 2027 so they can't afford to fall out with the government.
You are reading conspiracy when rank incompetence makes as much (if not more) sense
I don't think so, since Trump was elected the BBC is showing a lot more respect for what he says, even when clearly mad and/or hostile to Britain's interests.
Neither the BBC nor the Guardian are going for Trump and his internal coup and attack on the rule of law in a truly full on way. I sense the mainstream media are under instructions, especially the BBC.
Here is an example of the BBC not going full on, giving the story of an executive coup is quietist terms, but not telling lies either:
Previous presidents, both Democratic and Republican, have frequently complained of being hampered by low-level judges that issue sweeping rulings undermining their policy-making efforts. Some have questioned their authority to do so. In the months ahead, Trump may be the one who pushes this conflict to a more definitive resolution.
The guy behind me on this plane is now actually practising on his drum kit
Hope not a euphemism?
Sadly not. He’s the most annoyingly noisy Uruguayan on a plane with a few of them, but I thought he’d peaked when he played his phone game at full volume with accompanying whoops and squeals
(He is about 26 years old btw)
But then he got out his mini drum kit. No joke
If there is a plane crash in the Andes he will be immediately killed and eaten even if we have plenty of sandwiches and pot noodles
In my experience it is unfortunately very common across Latin America on public transport. Airpods don't seem to have made it there yet. So it become a battle as people turn up the volume on their phone to hear it over others who are also listening to audio out of the phone speakers until everybody is on max volume.
Completely off topic, but at the weekend I went to see NeZha 2 (pronounced, roughly, 'Nerjar'), the animated Chinese film that is blitzing the all-time box office list, and is now up to fifth on the highest-grossers list, just behind Titanic. The film has only been out for eight weeks.
I was looking forward to sniffing out clunky propaganda moments, but - despite the Little Pinks on the Chinese internet lauding the film's patriotism - there really aren't any. In truth, it's a superb movie. In the subtitled version, it's easy to follow plotlines (based loosely on Chinese mythology) and the visuals are richly impressive on the big screen. It's funny and moving too, and concludes with an extended battle sequence that (apparently) features 200 million individually rendered characters (AI did its bit, along with 4,000 animators). For scale, just imagine the whole population of Brazil beating the shit out of each other.
But there was one surprising element of the film worth commenting on. The takeaway message was pretty much: do your own thing; follow your heart; ignore the advice of elderly pontificators. That's in part aligned with a key theme in mythology throughout the world - cheeky rebels good, musty authority bad - but there is more to it than that, and the message has really resonated with Chinese Gen Zs, who have embraced the film enthusiastically. After the early-life prison tariff that is the Chinese education system, so many have reached their early 20s with nothing - high rents, no jobs, zero expectations. The film obviously has official backing, so the censors must have got wind of the discontent amongst this demographic and allowed the film to sound this note of solidarity with the audience. This an unsual change and a potentially hopeful moment. And even if it isn't, it's an effing great piece of cinema.
@rcs1000 random minor bug discovery - If I go to https://www.politicalbetting.com/ (note not ww1 or similar just www which is what browsers default to if you go to politicalbetting.com) I get an expired SSL certificate warning.
And the BBC is giving a lot of time to American Trump backers, , and is quite hesitant about being critical, in a way that it isn't with other similar foreign leaders (eg Orban).
They are either complying with SKS's unctuous flattery strategy voluntarily or have been told to. The licence (can't remember which spelling variant gives LG83 the arsehole, but if it's that one, LOL) fee funding arrangement ends in 2027 so they can't afford to fall out with the government.
You are reading conspiracy when rank incompetence makes as much (if not more) sense
I don't think so, since Trump was elected the BBC is showing a lot more respect for what he says, even when clearly mad and/or hostile to Britain's interests.
Neither the BBC nor the Guardian are going for Trump and his internal coup and attack on the rule of law in a truly full on way. I sense the mainstream media are under instructions, especially the BBC.
Here is an example of the BBC not going full on, giving the story of an executive coup is quietist terms, but not telling lies either:
Previous presidents, both Democratic and Republican, have frequently complained of being hampered by low-level judges that issue sweeping rulings undermining their policy-making efforts. Some have questioned their authority to do so. In the months ahead, Trump may be the one who pushes this conflict to a more definitive resolution.
The guy behind me on this plane is now actually practising on his drum kit
Hope not a euphemism?
Sadly not. He’s the most annoyingly noisy Uruguayan on a plane with a few of them, but I thought he’d peaked when he played his phone game at full volume with accompanying whoops and squeals
(He is about 26 years old btw)
But then he got out his mini drum kit. No joke
If there is a plane crash in the Andes he will be immediately killed and eaten even if we have plenty of sandwiches and pot noodles
A loud, extrovert, show-off popinjay on Leon's aircraft?
No free pass on hate speech just because you have a hamster!
I can't tell if you are being sarcastic here.
I am. Although I'm not as down on the OSA as most here. I think there might be some excessive caution going on (understandable with a new law) which will be corrected once it's been in for a while and the practical implications become clearer.
Perhaps some amendments around the due diligence will be necessary. You don't want it to become so onerous to run an online forum that nobody in their right mind does it. If this transpires to be the case it will fail the cost/benefit test.
But as things stand, based on what I know and my own assessment of "free speech vs harm caused by an unfettered internet" it passes that test.
Conscription ended in 1960 , with National Service ending in 1963. That is, 65 and 62 years ago.
The Silent Generation were subject to it; the boomers had people around them subject to it when they were young. I'm Gen X, but I had adults around me who had been conscripted when I was growing up (eg to Malaya).
I think the question is a bit of a media-created red herring in that even the armed forces don't like it - they lose more from looking after them for short term conscription than any gain. So if we get to a situwation where it is necessary, it will be necessary.
It will be major expansion of reserves first.
The vast majority of the silent generation wouldn't have done National Service either.
Wikipedia may not be accurate, but it suggests it was phased out in 1957, except for people who were born before 1939 and had deferred. That makes it 85/86+ men, and even if it was all of them, that's only going to be (very approximately) 10% of the over 75s.
My father was one of the last do it. He was in the RAF Education Branch in Aden and, like all of his other interactions with the working class, hated it. The did hand out promotions like crab ointment in the Education Branch though. He made it to Flt. Lt. in 18 months which isn't quite Mordaunt pace but still impressive.
It's hard to see how conscription fits into a 21st century Western fighting force though. It makes a sort of sense of for SMO-style semi-mechanised trench based carnage. For high tech maneuvering/airborne warfare they could backfill a few blanket stacker jobs but that's about it.
Wars will tend to accelerate progress up the ranks. Enoch Powell famously went from Private to Brigadier during WW2.
(I imagine he would be feeling quite vindicated by his US-scepticism if he were still around.)
Gen. Nathan Twining was promoted 22 times from 1916 to 1953. He went from being a Private in the Oregon Nation Guard to a USAF 4 Star and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
One of my uncles went from 'the ranks' to commissioned officer in both World Wars. Fought in France in WWi and East & North Africa in WWII. Described on his tombstone as 'Major', although he'd long since left the Army.
OF-3 and above can use their rank titles after retirement if they've got 15 years in. Apart from cavalry regiments who have their own mad rules that nobody understands but involves horses.
Captain Tom Moore seems to have started using his WWII rank long after he left the Army. However, I suspect other people might have been involved.
Mainwaring: "Oh you’d stick up for him wouldn’t you? You both went to public school didn’t you?" Wilson: "You know sir, I can’t help feeling that you’ve got a bit of a chip on your shoulder about that." Mainwaring: "There’s no chip on my shoulder. I’ll tell you what there is though, three pips and don’t you forget it."
The writing for Dads Army was so good.
Yes, the characters never became caricatures. Mainwaring in particular is an extraordinarily well drawn character, assisted by Arthur Lowe's subtle performance. On one level ridiculous, pompous and prickly, but also principled and imbued with real dignity. Some very clever stuff around class, too, as you point out. And amid the absurdity a real sense they were fighting for something important, that they represented something worth fighting for. I could watch Dads Army all day long.
We laugh at them but there is no doubt that they would have 'died with blood choking in their throats' if the Germans had invaded Warmington On Sea. The episode where the think the attack is on is remarkably good for showing that. The genius choice to have the snobbish but ultimately slightly lower class Captain and his laconic slightly higher class sergeant is one of the best decisions.
The best sitcoms had proper depth to multiple characters. There are at least 5 or 6 three dimensional characters in Dad’s Army before you get into the more thinly drawn ones.
I feel quite similar about Allo-Allo, but not so much for three dimensional characters- most are deliberately absurd and stereotypical- but for the depth and diversity of the stereotypes.
Among the French characters in particular we have so many recognisable types: the harassed but benign Rene, the grating-voiced matriarch Edith, the pompous pillar of the community M. Alfonse, the saucy maids - and each of those two represent slightly different French archetypes - and the 1968-coded resistance fighter. And there are several very stereotypical yet each very different versions of Germanness on display.
It's lazy ... much like the Frank Gardner one we were talking about.
Their material consists of a quote from one person from a group of 4 interviewed in a local park. I think it's one of the costs of having a prominent, noisy MP. No analysis to back it up, or thinking about overall demographics, or realising that with generally lower living costs here the pressure is perhaps likely to be on expensive places.
We had it when the Graun took a picture of three shops being refurbed in the square, ignored all the others, and ran a story about delapidated town centres.
And again when Novara came and did some public interviews at the times when everybody is at work.
Some context around the Online Safety Bill and Leon's many bans ?
There is something deeply wrong when a law passed with cross-party consensus and endorsed by Britain's most trusted charities has made it impossible to run an internet forum for hamster owners. https://x.com/Sam_Dumitriu/status/1901948965412630655
I've always opposed the Online Safety Act, but I never realised just how mad it was.
Every site that allows users to post content is in scope of the law and is forced to carry out a risk assessment.
It's lazy ... much like the Frank Gardner one we were talking about.
Their material consists of a quote from one person from a group of 4 interviewed in a local park. I think it's one of the costs of having a prominent, noisy MP. No analysis to back it up, or thinking about overall demographics, or realising that with generally lower living costs here the pressure is perhaps likely to be on expensive places.
We had it when the Graun took a picture of three shops being refurbed in the square, ignored all the others, and ran a story about delapidated town centres.
And again when Novara came and did some public interviews at the times when everybody is at work.
No free pass on hate speech just because you have a hamster!
I can't tell if you are being sarcastic here.
I am. Although I'm not as down on the OSA as most here. I think there might be some excessive caution going on (understandable with a new law) which will be corrected once it's been in for a while and the practical implications become clearer.
Perhaps some amendments around the due diligence will be necessary. You don't want it to become so onerous to run an online forum that nobody in their right mind does it. If this transpires to be the case it will fail the cost/benefit test.
But as things stand, based on what I know and my own assessment of "free speech vs harm caused by an unfettered internet" it passes that test.
It does absolutely nothing to stop the real problems online.
Farcebook, Twatter, Instagram and TikTok will be promoting all the worst shit.
Meanwhile innocuous fora that don’t have hate promoting algorithms shut down because their amateur owners can’t take the risk….
Conscription ended in 1960 , with National Service ending in 1963. That is, 65 and 62 years ago.
The Silent Generation were subject to it; the boomers had people around them subject to it when they were young. I'm Gen X, but I had adults around me who had been conscripted when I was growing up (eg to Malaya).
I think the question is a bit of a media-created red herring in that even the armed forces don't like it - they lose more from looking after them for short term conscription than any gain. So if we get to a situwation where it is necessary, it will be necessary.
It will be major expansion of reserves first.
The vast majority of the silent generation wouldn't have done National Service either.
Wikipedia may not be accurate, but it suggests it was phased out in 1957, except for people who were born before 1939 and had deferred. That makes it 85/86+ men, and even if it was all of them, that's only going to be (very approximately) 10% of the over 75s.
My father was one of the last do it. He was in the RAF Education Branch in Aden and, like all of his other interactions with the working class, hated it. The did hand out promotions like crab ointment in the Education Branch though. He made it to Flt. Lt. in 18 months which isn't quite Mordaunt pace but still impressive.
It's hard to see how conscription fits into a 21st century Western fighting force though. It makes a sort of sense of for SMO-style semi-mechanised trench based carnage. For high tech maneuvering/airborne warfare they could backfill a few blanket stacker jobs but that's about it.
Wars will tend to accelerate progress up the ranks. Enoch Powell famously went from Private to Brigadier during WW2.
(I imagine he would be feeling quite vindicated by his US-scepticism if he were still around.)
Gen. Nathan Twining was promoted 22 times from 1916 to 1953. He went from being a Private in the Oregon Nation Guard to a USAF 4 Star and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
One of my uncles went from 'the ranks' to commissioned officer in both World Wars. Fought in France in WWi and East & North Africa in WWII. Described on his tombstone as 'Major', although he'd long since left the Army.
OF-3 and above can use their rank titles after retirement if they've got 15 years in. Apart from cavalry regiments who have their own mad rules that nobody understands but involves horses.
Captain Tom Moore seems to have started using his WWII rank long after he left the Army. However, I suspect other people might have been involved.
Mainwaring: "Oh you’d stick up for him wouldn’t you? You both went to public school didn’t you?" Wilson: "You know sir, I can’t help feeling that you’ve got a bit of a chip on your shoulder about that." Mainwaring: "There’s no chip on my shoulder. I’ll tell you what there is though, three pips and don’t you forget it."
The writing for Dads Army was so good.
Yes, the characters never became caricatures. Mainwaring in particular is an extraordinarily well drawn character, assisted by Arthur Lowe's subtle performance. On one level ridiculous, pompous and prickly, but also principled and imbued with real dignity. Some very clever stuff around class, too, as you point out. And amid the absurdity a real sense they were fighting for something important, that they represented something worth fighting for. I could watch Dads Army all day long.
We laugh at them but there is no doubt that they would have 'died with blood choking in their throats' if the Germans had invaded Warmington On Sea. The episode where the think the attack is on is remarkably good for showing that. The genius choice to have the snobbish but ultimately slightly lower class Captain and his laconic slightly higher class sergeant is one of the best decisions.
"All great British comedies are about the class structure": discuss
The only 2 exceptions I can think of feature non-British characters: Father Ted and Allo Allo.
Even a Sci-fi comedy like Red Dwarf is about the class system.
A row has broken out ahead of the Boat Race after three Cambridge rowers were blocked from competing amid what has been branded “a desperate ploy from Oxford to gain an upper hand in the most slimy way”.
Three post-graduate teacher training students – one of them a former Under-23 world champion – have been ruled ineligible for the men’s and women’s races less than a month before the annual showdown on the Thames between Britain’s oldest universities.
Conscription ended in 1960 , with National Service ending in 1963. That is, 65 and 62 years ago.
The Silent Generation were subject to it; the boomers had people around them subject to it when they were young. I'm Gen X, but I had adults around me who had been conscripted when I was growing up (eg to Malaya).
I think the question is a bit of a media-created red herring in that even the armed forces don't like it - they lose more from looking after them for short term conscription than any gain. So if we get to a situwation where it is necessary, it will be necessary.
It will be major expansion of reserves first.
The vast majority of the silent generation wouldn't have done National Service either.
Wikipedia may not be accurate, but it suggests it was phased out in 1957, except for people who were born before 1939 and had deferred. That makes it 85/86+ men, and even if it was all of them, that's only going to be (very approximately) 10% of the over 75s.
My father was one of the last do it. He was in the RAF Education Branch in Aden and, like all of his other interactions with the working class, hated it. The did hand out promotions like crab ointment in the Education Branch though. He made it to Flt. Lt. in 18 months which isn't quite Mordaunt pace but still impressive.
It's hard to see how conscription fits into a 21st century Western fighting force though. It makes a sort of sense of for SMO-style semi-mechanised trench based carnage. For high tech maneuvering/airborne warfare they could backfill a few blanket stacker jobs but that's about it.
Wars will tend to accelerate progress up the ranks. Enoch Powell famously went from Private to Brigadier during WW2.
(I imagine he would be feeling quite vindicated by his US-scepticism if he were still around.)
Gen. Nathan Twining was promoted 22 times from 1916 to 1953. He went from being a Private in the Oregon Nation Guard to a USAF 4 Star and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
One of my uncles went from 'the ranks' to commissioned officer in both World Wars. Fought in France in WWi and East & North Africa in WWII. Described on his tombstone as 'Major', although he'd long since left the Army.
OF-3 and above can use their rank titles after retirement if they've got 15 years in. Apart from cavalry regiments who have their own mad rules that nobody understands but involves horses.
Captain Tom Moore seems to have started using his WWII rank long after he left the Army. However, I suspect other people might have been involved.
Mainwaring: "Oh you’d stick up for him wouldn’t you? You both went to public school didn’t you?" Wilson: "You know sir, I can’t help feeling that you’ve got a bit of a chip on your shoulder about that." Mainwaring: "There’s no chip on my shoulder. I’ll tell you what there is though, three pips and don’t you forget it."
The writing for Dads Army was so good.
Yes, the characters never became caricatures. Mainwaring in particular is an extraordinarily well drawn character, assisted by Arthur Lowe's subtle performance. On one level ridiculous, pompous and prickly, but also principled and imbued with real dignity. Some very clever stuff around class, too, as you point out. And amid the absurdity a real sense they were fighting for something important, that they represented something worth fighting for. I could watch Dads Army all day long.
We laugh at them but there is no doubt that they would have 'died with blood choking in their throats' if the Germans had invaded Warmington On Sea. The episode where the think the attack is on is remarkably good for showing that. The genius choice to have the snobbish but ultimately slightly lower class Captain and his laconic slightly higher class sergeant is one of the best decisions.
"All great British comedies are about the class structure": discuss
Yes: To the Manor Born, Fawlty Towers, The Good Life, Keeping Up Appearences, Rising Damp
Tribes rather than class: Porridge, Father Ted, Allo Allo, Detectorists
It's lazy ... much like the Frank Gardner one we were talking about.
Their material consists of a quote from one person from a group of 4 interviewed in a local park. I think it's one of the costs of having a prominent, noisy MP. No analysis to back it up, or thinking about overall demographics, or realising that with generally lower living costs here the pressure is perhaps likely to be on expensive places.
We had it when the Graun took a picture of three shops being refurbed in the square, ignored all the others, and ran a story about delapidated town centres.
And again when Novara came and did some public interviews at the times when everybody is at work.
It's lazy ... much like the Frank Gardner one we were talking about.
Their material consists of a quote from one person from a group of 4 interviewed in a local park. I think it's one of the costs of having a prominent, noisy MP. No analysis to back it up, or thinking about overall demographics, or realising that with generally lower living costs here the pressure is perhaps likely to be on expensive places.
We had it when the Graun took a picture of three shops being refurbed in the square, ignored all the others, and ran a story about delapidated town centres.
And again when Novara came and did some public interviews at the times when everybody is at work.
Conscription ended in 1960 , with National Service ending in 1963. That is, 65 and 62 years ago.
The Silent Generation were subject to it; the boomers had people around them subject to it when they were young. I'm Gen X, but I had adults around me who had been conscripted when I was growing up (eg to Malaya).
I think the question is a bit of a media-created red herring in that even the armed forces don't like it - they lose more from looking after them for short term conscription than any gain. So if we get to a situwation where it is necessary, it will be necessary.
It will be major expansion of reserves first.
The vast majority of the silent generation wouldn't have done National Service either.
Wikipedia may not be accurate, but it suggests it was phased out in 1957, except for people who were born before 1939 and had deferred. That makes it 85/86+ men, and even if it was all of them, that's only going to be (very approximately) 10% of the over 75s.
My father was one of the last do it. He was in the RAF Education Branch in Aden and, like all of his other interactions with the working class, hated it. The did hand out promotions like crab ointment in the Education Branch though. He made it to Flt. Lt. in 18 months which isn't quite Mordaunt pace but still impressive.
It's hard to see how conscription fits into a 21st century Western fighting force though. It makes a sort of sense of for SMO-style semi-mechanised trench based carnage. For high tech maneuvering/airborne warfare they could backfill a few blanket stacker jobs but that's about it.
Wars will tend to accelerate progress up the ranks. Enoch Powell famously went from Private to Brigadier during WW2.
(I imagine he would be feeling quite vindicated by his US-scepticism if he were still around.)
Gen. Nathan Twining was promoted 22 times from 1916 to 1953. He went from being a Private in the Oregon Nation Guard to a USAF 4 Star and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
One of my uncles went from 'the ranks' to commissioned officer in both World Wars. Fought in France in WWi and East & North Africa in WWII. Described on his tombstone as 'Major', although he'd long since left the Army.
OF-3 and above can use their rank titles after retirement if they've got 15 years in. Apart from cavalry regiments who have their own mad rules that nobody understands but involves horses.
Captain Tom Moore seems to have started using his WWII rank long after he left the Army. However, I suspect other people might have been involved.
Mainwaring: "Oh you’d stick up for him wouldn’t you? You both went to public school didn’t you?" Wilson: "You know sir, I can’t help feeling that you’ve got a bit of a chip on your shoulder about that." Mainwaring: "There’s no chip on my shoulder. I’ll tell you what there is though, three pips and don’t you forget it."
The writing for Dads Army was so good.
Yes, the characters never became caricatures. Mainwaring in particular is an extraordinarily well drawn character, assisted by Arthur Lowe's subtle performance. On one level ridiculous, pompous and prickly, but also principled and imbued with real dignity. Some very clever stuff around class, too, as you point out. And amid the absurdity a real sense they were fighting for something important, that they represented something worth fighting for. I could watch Dads Army all day long.
We laugh at them but there is no doubt that they would have 'died with blood choking in their throats' if the Germans had invaded Warmington On Sea. The episode where the think the attack is on is remarkably good for showing that. The genius choice to have the snobbish but ultimately slightly lower class Captain and his laconic slightly higher class sergeant is one of the best decisions.
"All great British comedies are about the class structure": discuss
The only 2 exceptions I can think of feature non-British characters: Father Ted and Allo Allo.
Even a Sci-fi comedy like Red Dwarf is about the class system.
The Detectorists (which is great) maybe? Gavin and Stacey (which isn’t).
It's lazy ... much like the Frank Gardner one we were talking about.
Their material consists of a quote from one person from a group of 4 interviewed in a local park. I think it's one of the costs of having a prominent, noisy MP. No analysis to back it up, or thinking about overall demographics, or realising that with generally lower living costs here the pressure is perhaps likely to be on expensive places.
We had it when the Graun took a picture of three shops being refurbed in the square, ignored all the others, and ran a story about delapidated town centres.
And again when Novara came and did some public interviews at the times when everybody is at work.
Completely off topic, but at the weekend I went to see NeZha 2 (pronounced, roughly, 'Nerjar'), the animated Chinese film that is blitzing the all-time box office list, and is now up to fifth on the highest-grossers list, just behind Titanic. The film has only been out for eight weeks.
I was looking forward to sniffing out clunky propaganda moments, but - despite the Little Pinks on the Chinese internet lauding the film's patriotism - there really aren't any. In truth, it's a superb movie. In the subtitled version, it's easy to follow plotlines (based loosely on Chinese mythology) and the visuals are richly impressive on the big screen. It's funny and moving too, and concludes with an extended battle sequence that (apparently) features 200 million individually rendered characters (AI did its bit, along with 4,000 animators). For scale, just imagine the whole population of Brazil beating the shit out of each other.
But there was one surprising element of the film worth commenting on. The takeaway message was pretty much: do your own thing; follow your heart; ignore the advice of elderly pontificators. That's in part aligned with a key theme in mythology throughout the world - cheeky rebels good, musty authority bad - but there is more to it than that, and the message has really resonated with Chinese Gen Zs, who have embraced the film enthusiastically. After the early-life prison tariff that is the Chinese education system, so many have reached their early 20s with nothing - high rents, no jobs, zero expectations. The film obviously has official backing, so the censors must have got wind of the discontent amongst this demographic and allowed the film to sound this note of solidarity with the audience. This an unsual change and a potentially hopeful moment. And even if it isn't, it's an effing great piece of cinema.
Conscription ended in 1960 , with National Service ending in 1963. That is, 65 and 62 years ago.
The Silent Generation were subject to it; the boomers had people around them subject to it when they were young. I'm Gen X, but I had adults around me who had been conscripted when I was growing up (eg to Malaya).
I think the question is a bit of a media-created red herring in that even the armed forces don't like it - they lose more from looking after them for short term conscription than any gain. So if we get to a situwation where it is necessary, it will be necessary.
It will be major expansion of reserves first.
The vast majority of the silent generation wouldn't have done National Service either.
Wikipedia may not be accurate, but it suggests it was phased out in 1957, except for people who were born before 1939 and had deferred. That makes it 85/86+ men, and even if it was all of them, that's only going to be (very approximately) 10% of the over 75s.
My father was one of the last do it. He was in the RAF Education Branch in Aden and, like all of his other interactions with the working class, hated it. The did hand out promotions like crab ointment in the Education Branch though. He made it to Flt. Lt. in 18 months which isn't quite Mordaunt pace but still impressive.
It's hard to see how conscription fits into a 21st century Western fighting force though. It makes a sort of sense of for SMO-style semi-mechanised trench based carnage. For high tech maneuvering/airborne warfare they could backfill a few blanket stacker jobs but that's about it.
Wars will tend to accelerate progress up the ranks. Enoch Powell famously went from Private to Brigadier during WW2.
(I imagine he would be feeling quite vindicated by his US-scepticism if he were still around.)
Gen. Nathan Twining was promoted 22 times from 1916 to 1953. He went from being a Private in the Oregon Nation Guard to a USAF 4 Star and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
One of my uncles went from 'the ranks' to commissioned officer in both World Wars. Fought in France in WWi and East & North Africa in WWII. Described on his tombstone as 'Major', although he'd long since left the Army.
OF-3 and above can use their rank titles after retirement if they've got 15 years in. Apart from cavalry regiments who have their own mad rules that nobody understands but involves horses.
Captain Tom Moore seems to have started using his WWII rank long after he left the Army. However, I suspect other people might have been involved.
Mainwaring: "Oh you’d stick up for him wouldn’t you? You both went to public school didn’t you?" Wilson: "You know sir, I can’t help feeling that you’ve got a bit of a chip on your shoulder about that." Mainwaring: "There’s no chip on my shoulder. I’ll tell you what there is though, three pips and don’t you forget it."
The writing for Dads Army was so good.
Yes, the characters never became caricatures. Mainwaring in particular is an extraordinarily well drawn character, assisted by Arthur Lowe's subtle performance. On one level ridiculous, pompous and prickly, but also principled and imbued with real dignity. Some very clever stuff around class, too, as you point out. And amid the absurdity a real sense they were fighting for something important, that they represented something worth fighting for. I could watch Dads Army all day long.
Mainwaring is pompous, but at heart, decent.
Especially, when you see him apologise to Godfrey, after criticising his conscientious objection, in WWI.
Conscription ended in 1960 , with National Service ending in 1963. That is, 65 and 62 years ago.
The Silent Generation were subject to it; the boomers had people around them subject to it when they were young. I'm Gen X, but I had adults around me who had been conscripted when I was growing up (eg to Malaya).
I think the question is a bit of a media-created red herring in that even the armed forces don't like it - they lose more from looking after them for short term conscription than any gain. So if we get to a situwation where it is necessary, it will be necessary.
It will be major expansion of reserves first.
The vast majority of the silent generation wouldn't have done National Service either.
Wikipedia may not be accurate, but it suggests it was phased out in 1957, except for people who were born before 1939 and had deferred. That makes it 85/86+ men, and even if it was all of them, that's only going to be (very approximately) 10% of the over 75s.
My father was one of the last do it. He was in the RAF Education Branch in Aden and, like all of his other interactions with the working class, hated it. The did hand out promotions like crab ointment in the Education Branch though. He made it to Flt. Lt. in 18 months which isn't quite Mordaunt pace but still impressive.
It's hard to see how conscription fits into a 21st century Western fighting force though. It makes a sort of sense of for SMO-style semi-mechanised trench based carnage. For high tech maneuvering/airborne warfare they could backfill a few blanket stacker jobs but that's about it.
Wars will tend to accelerate progress up the ranks. Enoch Powell famously went from Private to Brigadier during WW2.
(I imagine he would be feeling quite vindicated by his US-scepticism if he were still around.)
Gen. Nathan Twining was promoted 22 times from 1916 to 1953. He went from being a Private in the Oregon Nation Guard to a USAF 4 Star and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
One of my uncles went from 'the ranks' to commissioned officer in both World Wars. Fought in France in WWi and East & North Africa in WWII. Described on his tombstone as 'Major', although he'd long since left the Army.
OF-3 and above can use their rank titles after retirement if they've got 15 years in. Apart from cavalry regiments who have their own mad rules that nobody understands but involves horses.
Captain Tom Moore seems to have started using his WWII rank long after he left the Army. However, I suspect other people might have been involved.
Mainwaring: "Oh you’d stick up for him wouldn’t you? You both went to public school didn’t you?" Wilson: "You know sir, I can’t help feeling that you’ve got a bit of a chip on your shoulder about that." Mainwaring: "There’s no chip on my shoulder. I’ll tell you what there is though, three pips and don’t you forget it."
The writing for Dads Army was so good.
Yes, the characters never became caricatures. Mainwaring in particular is an extraordinarily well drawn character, assisted by Arthur Lowe's subtle performance. On one level ridiculous, pompous and prickly, but also principled and imbued with real dignity. Some very clever stuff around class, too, as you point out. And amid the absurdity a real sense they were fighting for something important, that they represented something worth fighting for. I could watch Dads Army all day long.
We laugh at them but there is no doubt that they would have 'died with blood choking in their throats' if the Germans had invaded Warmington On Sea. The episode where the think the attack is on is remarkably good for showing that. The genius choice to have the snobbish but ultimately slightly lower class Captain and his laconic slightly higher class sergeant is one of the best decisions.
"All great British comedies are about the class structure": discuss
Maybe less so now. Peep Show for instance has some class elements to it but most of the characters inhabit a broad middle class space and I'd say that class isn't really central to the programme.
A row has broken out ahead of the Boat Race after three Cambridge rowers were blocked from competing amid what has been branded “a desperate ploy from Oxford to gain an upper hand in the most slimy way”.
Three post-graduate teacher training students – one of them a former Under-23 world champion – have been ruled ineligible for the men’s and women’s races less than a month before the annual showdown on the Thames between Britain’s oldest universities.
One of the pro Genocide ministers is happy to return to Netanyahu’s cabinet after the genocide re-started.
Congrats to all those in Michigan who supported Trump . I’m sure your fellow Muslims in Gaza appreciate your support for the genocide enabler in the WH .
Hamas literally just had to hand over the hostages and dead bodies and this wouldn't be happening. Why aren't you blaming Hamas?
Donald Trump once offered a MAGA newcomer his bed while she was feeling unwell, but told her to keep it a secret from Melania, according to a new bombshell book.
The president made the offer aboard his personal jet in 2023, when Florida Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna, 35, was pregnant.
“If you need a bed to lay down in, there’s one here on the plane. If you feel sick and you need to lay there, you can lay on it,” Trump reportedly told Luna.
“Just don’t tell Melania. She doesn’t like other women on my bed,” he joked.
Conscription ended in 1960 , with National Service ending in 1963. That is, 65 and 62 years ago.
The Silent Generation were subject to it; the boomers had people around them subject to it when they were young. I'm Gen X, but I had adults around me who had been conscripted when I was growing up (eg to Malaya).
I think the question is a bit of a media-created red herring in that even the armed forces don't like it - they lose more from looking after them for short term conscription than any gain. So if we get to a situwation where it is necessary, it will be necessary.
It will be major expansion of reserves first.
The vast majority of the silent generation wouldn't have done National Service either.
Wikipedia may not be accurate, but it suggests it was phased out in 1957, except for people who were born before 1939 and had deferred. That makes it 85/86+ men, and even if it was all of them, that's only going to be (very approximately) 10% of the over 75s.
My father was one of the last do it. He was in the RAF Education Branch in Aden and, like all of his other interactions with the working class, hated it. The did hand out promotions like crab ointment in the Education Branch though. He made it to Flt. Lt. in 18 months which isn't quite Mordaunt pace but still impressive.
It's hard to see how conscription fits into a 21st century Western fighting force though. It makes a sort of sense of for SMO-style semi-mechanised trench based carnage. For high tech maneuvering/airborne warfare they could backfill a few blanket stacker jobs but that's about it.
Wars will tend to accelerate progress up the ranks. Enoch Powell famously went from Private to Brigadier during WW2.
(I imagine he would be feeling quite vindicated by his US-scepticism if he were still around.)
Gen. Nathan Twining was promoted 22 times from 1916 to 1953. He went from being a Private in the Oregon Nation Guard to a USAF 4 Star and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
One of my uncles went from 'the ranks' to commissioned officer in both World Wars. Fought in France in WWi and East & North Africa in WWII. Described on his tombstone as 'Major', although he'd long since left the Army.
OF-3 and above can use their rank titles after retirement if they've got 15 years in. Apart from cavalry regiments who have their own mad rules that nobody understands but involves horses.
Captain Tom Moore seems to have started using his WWII rank long after he left the Army. However, I suspect other people might have been involved.
Mainwaring: "Oh you’d stick up for him wouldn’t you? You both went to public school didn’t you?" Wilson: "You know sir, I can’t help feeling that you’ve got a bit of a chip on your shoulder about that." Mainwaring: "There’s no chip on my shoulder. I’ll tell you what there is though, three pips and don’t you forget it."
The writing for Dads Army was so good.
Yes, the characters never became caricatures. Mainwaring in particular is an extraordinarily well drawn character, assisted by Arthur Lowe's subtle performance. On one level ridiculous, pompous and prickly, but also principled and imbued with real dignity. Some very clever stuff around class, too, as you point out. And amid the absurdity a real sense they were fighting for something important, that they represented something worth fighting for. I could watch Dads Army all day long.
We laugh at them but there is no doubt that they would have 'died with blood choking in their throats' if the Germans had invaded Warmington On Sea. The episode where the think the attack is on is remarkably good for showing that. The genius choice to have the snobbish but ultimately slightly lower class Captain and his laconic slightly higher class sergeant is one of the best decisions.
"All great British comedies are about the class structure": discuss
Maybe less so now. Peep Show for instance has some class elements to it but most of the characters inhabit a broad middle class space and I'd say that class isn't really central to the programme.
It's lazy ... much like the Frank Gardner one we were talking about.
Their material consists of a quote from one person from a group of 4 interviewed in a local park. I think it's one of the costs of having a prominent, noisy MP. No analysis to back it up, or thinking about overall demographics, or realising that with generally lower living costs here the pressure is perhaps likely to be on expensive places.
We had it when the Graun took a picture of three shops being refurbed in the square, ignored all the others, and ran a story about delapidated town centres.
And again when Novara came and did some public interviews at the times when everybody is at work.
It's lazy ... much like the Frank Gardner one we were talking about.
Their material consists of a quote from one person from a group of 4 interviewed in a local park. I think it's one of the costs of having a prominent, noisy MP. No analysis to back it up, or thinking about overall demographics, or realising that with generally lower living costs here the pressure is perhaps likely to be on expensive places.
We had it when the Graun took a picture of three shops being refurbed in the square, ignored all the others, and ran a story about delapidated town centres.
And again when Novara came and did some public interviews at the times when everybody is at work.
No free pass on hate speech just because you have a hamster!
I can't tell if you are being sarcastic here.
I am. Although I'm not as down on the OSA as most here. I think there might be some excessive caution going on (understandable with a new law) which will be corrected once it's been in for a while and the practical implications become clearer.
Perhaps some amendments around the due diligence will be necessary. You don't want it to become so onerous to run an online forum that nobody in their right mind does it. If this transpires to be the case it will fail the cost/benefit test.
But as things stand, based on what I know and my own assessment of "free speech vs harm caused by an unfettered internet" it passes that test.
It does absolutely nothing to stop the real problems online.
Farcebook, Twatter, Instagram and TikTok will be promoting all the worst shit.
Meanwhile innocuous fora that don’t have hate promoting algorithms shut down because their amateur owners can’t take the risk….
Yes, I know you think this. And you may be right. Let's see how it pans out. But as of now I'm not ready to join the PB consensus that it's a monstrosity.
Conscription ended in 1960 , with National Service ending in 1963. That is, 65 and 62 years ago.
The Silent Generation were subject to it; the boomers had people around them subject to it when they were young. I'm Gen X, but I had adults around me who had been conscripted when I was growing up (eg to Malaya).
I think the question is a bit of a media-created red herring in that even the armed forces don't like it - they lose more from looking after them for short term conscription than any gain. So if we get to a situwation where it is necessary, it will be necessary.
It will be major expansion of reserves first.
The vast majority of the silent generation wouldn't have done National Service either.
Wikipedia may not be accurate, but it suggests it was phased out in 1957, except for people who were born before 1939 and had deferred. That makes it 85/86+ men, and even if it was all of them, that's only going to be (very approximately) 10% of the over 75s.
My father was one of the last do it. He was in the RAF Education Branch in Aden and, like all of his other interactions with the working class, hated it. The did hand out promotions like crab ointment in the Education Branch though. He made it to Flt. Lt. in 18 months which isn't quite Mordaunt pace but still impressive.
It's hard to see how conscription fits into a 21st century Western fighting force though. It makes a sort of sense of for SMO-style semi-mechanised trench based carnage. For high tech maneuvering/airborne warfare they could backfill a few blanket stacker jobs but that's about it.
Wars will tend to accelerate progress up the ranks. Enoch Powell famously went from Private to Brigadier during WW2.
(I imagine he would be feeling quite vindicated by his US-scepticism if he were still around.)
Gen. Nathan Twining was promoted 22 times from 1916 to 1953. He went from being a Private in the Oregon Nation Guard to a USAF 4 Star and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
One of my uncles went from 'the ranks' to commissioned officer in both World Wars. Fought in France in WWi and East & North Africa in WWII. Described on his tombstone as 'Major', although he'd long since left the Army.
OF-3 and above can use their rank titles after retirement if they've got 15 years in. Apart from cavalry regiments who have their own mad rules that nobody understands but involves horses.
Captain Tom Moore seems to have started using his WWII rank long after he left the Army. However, I suspect other people might have been involved.
Mainwaring: "Oh you’d stick up for him wouldn’t you? You both went to public school didn’t you?" Wilson: "You know sir, I can’t help feeling that you’ve got a bit of a chip on your shoulder about that." Mainwaring: "There’s no chip on my shoulder. I’ll tell you what there is though, three pips and don’t you forget it."
The writing for Dads Army was so good.
Yes, the characters never became caricatures. Mainwaring in particular is an extraordinarily well drawn character, assisted by Arthur Lowe's subtle performance. On one level ridiculous, pompous and prickly, but also principled and imbued with real dignity. Some very clever stuff around class, too, as you point out. And amid the absurdity a real sense they were fighting for something important, that they represented something worth fighting for. I could watch Dads Army all day long.
We laugh at them but there is no doubt that they would have 'died with blood choking in their throats' if the Germans had invaded Warmington On Sea. The episode where the think the attack is on is remarkably good for showing that. The genius choice to have the snobbish but ultimately slightly lower class Captain and his laconic slightly higher class sergeant is one of the best decisions.
"All great British comedies are about the class structure": discuss
Yes: To the Manor Born, Fawlty Towers, The Good Life, Keeping Up Appearences, Rising Damp
Tribes rather than class: Porridge, Father Ted, Allo Allo, Detectorists
Conscription ended in 1960 , with National Service ending in 1963. That is, 65 and 62 years ago.
The Silent Generation were subject to it; the boomers had people around them subject to it when they were young. I'm Gen X, but I had adults around me who had been conscripted when I was growing up (eg to Malaya).
I think the question is a bit of a media-created red herring in that even the armed forces don't like it - they lose more from looking after them for short term conscription than any gain. So if we get to a situwation where it is necessary, it will be necessary.
It will be major expansion of reserves first.
The vast majority of the silent generation wouldn't have done National Service either.
Wikipedia may not be accurate, but it suggests it was phased out in 1957, except for people who were born before 1939 and had deferred. That makes it 85/86+ men, and even if it was all of them, that's only going to be (very approximately) 10% of the over 75s.
My father was one of the last do it. He was in the RAF Education Branch in Aden and, like all of his other interactions with the working class, hated it. The did hand out promotions like crab ointment in the Education Branch though. He made it to Flt. Lt. in 18 months which isn't quite Mordaunt pace but still impressive.
It's hard to see how conscription fits into a 21st century Western fighting force though. It makes a sort of sense of for SMO-style semi-mechanised trench based carnage. For high tech maneuvering/airborne warfare they could backfill a few blanket stacker jobs but that's about it.
Wars will tend to accelerate progress up the ranks. Enoch Powell famously went from Private to Brigadier during WW2.
(I imagine he would be feeling quite vindicated by his US-scepticism if he were still around.)
Gen. Nathan Twining was promoted 22 times from 1916 to 1953. He went from being a Private in the Oregon Nation Guard to a USAF 4 Star and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
One of my uncles went from 'the ranks' to commissioned officer in both World Wars. Fought in France in WWi and East & North Africa in WWII. Described on his tombstone as 'Major', although he'd long since left the Army.
OF-3 and above can use their rank titles after retirement if they've got 15 years in. Apart from cavalry regiments who have their own mad rules that nobody understands but involves horses.
Captain Tom Moore seems to have started using his WWII rank long after he left the Army. However, I suspect other people might have been involved.
Mainwaring: "Oh you’d stick up for him wouldn’t you? You both went to public school didn’t you?" Wilson: "You know sir, I can’t help feeling that you’ve got a bit of a chip on your shoulder about that." Mainwaring: "There’s no chip on my shoulder. I’ll tell you what there is though, three pips and don’t you forget it."
The writing for Dads Army was so good.
Yes, the characters never became caricatures. Mainwaring in particular is an extraordinarily well drawn character, assisted by Arthur Lowe's subtle performance. On one level ridiculous, pompous and prickly, but also principled and imbued with real dignity. Some very clever stuff around class, too, as you point out. And amid the absurdity a real sense they were fighting for something important, that they represented something worth fighting for. I could watch Dads Army all day long.
We laugh at them but there is no doubt that they would have 'died with blood choking in their throats' if the Germans had invaded Warmington On Sea. The episode where the think the attack is on is remarkably good for showing that. The genius choice to have the snobbish but ultimately slightly lower class Captain and his laconic slightly higher class sergeant is one of the best decisions.
"All great British comedies are about the class structure": discuss
Maybe less so now. Peep Show for instance has some class elements to it but most of the characters inhabit a broad middle class space and I'd say that class isn't really central to the programme.
Likewise the Inbetweeners
Isn't the whole setup of the Inbetweeners being the posh one has to go to a comp because his Dad stop paying the private school fees and lots of the gags are about him being posh / out of touch with his briefcase, school trips to shitty British seaside resorts rather than ski trips, etc?
Conscription ended in 1960 , with National Service ending in 1963. That is, 65 and 62 years ago.
The Silent Generation were subject to it; the boomers had people around them subject to it when they were young. I'm Gen X, but I had adults around me who had been conscripted when I was growing up (eg to Malaya).
I think the question is a bit of a media-created red herring in that even the armed forces don't like it - they lose more from looking after them for short term conscription than any gain. So if we get to a situwation where it is necessary, it will be necessary.
It will be major expansion of reserves first.
The vast majority of the silent generation wouldn't have done National Service either.
Wikipedia may not be accurate, but it suggests it was phased out in 1957, except for people who were born before 1939 and had deferred. That makes it 85/86+ men, and even if it was all of them, that's only going to be (very approximately) 10% of the over 75s.
My father was one of the last do it. He was in the RAF Education Branch in Aden and, like all of his other interactions with the working class, hated it. The did hand out promotions like crab ointment in the Education Branch though. He made it to Flt. Lt. in 18 months which isn't quite Mordaunt pace but still impressive.
It's hard to see how conscription fits into a 21st century Western fighting force though. It makes a sort of sense of for SMO-style semi-mechanised trench based carnage. For high tech maneuvering/airborne warfare they could backfill a few blanket stacker jobs but that's about it.
Wars will tend to accelerate progress up the ranks. Enoch Powell famously went from Private to Brigadier during WW2.
(I imagine he would be feeling quite vindicated by his US-scepticism if he were still around.)
Gen. Nathan Twining was promoted 22 times from 1916 to 1953. He went from being a Private in the Oregon Nation Guard to a USAF 4 Star and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
One of my uncles went from 'the ranks' to commissioned officer in both World Wars. Fought in France in WWi and East & North Africa in WWII. Described on his tombstone as 'Major', although he'd long since left the Army.
OF-3 and above can use their rank titles after retirement if they've got 15 years in. Apart from cavalry regiments who have their own mad rules that nobody understands but involves horses.
Captain Tom Moore seems to have started using his WWII rank long after he left the Army. However, I suspect other people might have been involved.
Mainwaring: "Oh you’d stick up for him wouldn’t you? You both went to public school didn’t you?" Wilson: "You know sir, I can’t help feeling that you’ve got a bit of a chip on your shoulder about that." Mainwaring: "There’s no chip on my shoulder. I’ll tell you what there is though, three pips and don’t you forget it."
The writing for Dads Army was so good.
Yes, the characters never became caricatures. Mainwaring in particular is an extraordinarily well drawn character, assisted by Arthur Lowe's subtle performance. On one level ridiculous, pompous and prickly, but also principled and imbued with real dignity. Some very clever stuff around class, too, as you point out. And amid the absurdity a real sense they were fighting for something important, that they represented something worth fighting for. I could watch Dads Army all day long.
Mainwaring is pompous, but at heart, decent.
Especially, when you see him apologise to Godfrey, after criticising his conscientious objection, in WWI.
I've not seen that episode. I need to do a binge watch when my wife is away!
It's lazy ... much like the Frank Gardner one we were talking about.
Their material consists of a quote from one person from a group of 4 interviewed in a local park. I think it's one of the costs of having a prominent, noisy MP. No analysis to back it up, or thinking about overall demographics, or realising that with generally lower living costs here the pressure is perhaps likely to be on expensive places.
We had it when the Graun took a picture of three shops being refurbed in the square, ignored all the others, and ran a story about delapidated town centres.
And again when Novara came and did some public interviews at the times when everybody is at work.
Very weird. Massive drop in employment rate in Ashfield since 2021- otherwise was actually doing quite well. Anyone local know why?
Isn't this just an example of the wider issue that there are areas of the UK that have rapidly increasingly economic inactivity.
The Held Back areas voting Reform.
Meaning they are going to be held back because, well, voting Reform...
I was in Grimsby last week for a funeral. Looking around the mourners, I suspect many voted for Boris. Even more for Farage.
Ironically, the only obvious growth area there is in 3-4 bedroom Executive houses. A truly massive boom. Where these executives are going to come from is a mystery.
Conscription ended in 1960 , with National Service ending in 1963. That is, 65 and 62 years ago.
The Silent Generation were subject to it; the boomers had people around them subject to it when they were young. I'm Gen X, but I had adults around me who had been conscripted when I was growing up (eg to Malaya).
I think the question is a bit of a media-created red herring in that even the armed forces don't like it - they lose more from looking after them for short term conscription than any gain. So if we get to a situwation where it is necessary, it will be necessary.
It will be major expansion of reserves first.
The vast majority of the silent generation wouldn't have done National Service either.
Wikipedia may not be accurate, but it suggests it was phased out in 1957, except for people who were born before 1939 and had deferred. That makes it 85/86+ men, and even if it was all of them, that's only going to be (very approximately) 10% of the over 75s.
My father was one of the last do it. He was in the RAF Education Branch in Aden and, like all of his other interactions with the working class, hated it. The did hand out promotions like crab ointment in the Education Branch though. He made it to Flt. Lt. in 18 months which isn't quite Mordaunt pace but still impressive.
It's hard to see how conscription fits into a 21st century Western fighting force though. It makes a sort of sense of for SMO-style semi-mechanised trench based carnage. For high tech maneuvering/airborne warfare they could backfill a few blanket stacker jobs but that's about it.
Wars will tend to accelerate progress up the ranks. Enoch Powell famously went from Private to Brigadier during WW2.
(I imagine he would be feeling quite vindicated by his US-scepticism if he were still around.)
Gen. Nathan Twining was promoted 22 times from 1916 to 1953. He went from being a Private in the Oregon Nation Guard to a USAF 4 Star and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
One of my uncles went from 'the ranks' to commissioned officer in both World Wars. Fought in France in WWi and East & North Africa in WWII. Described on his tombstone as 'Major', although he'd long since left the Army.
OF-3 and above can use their rank titles after retirement if they've got 15 years in. Apart from cavalry regiments who have their own mad rules that nobody understands but involves horses.
Captain Tom Moore seems to have started using his WWII rank long after he left the Army. However, I suspect other people might have been involved.
Mainwaring: "Oh you’d stick up for him wouldn’t you? You both went to public school didn’t you?" Wilson: "You know sir, I can’t help feeling that you’ve got a bit of a chip on your shoulder about that." Mainwaring: "There’s no chip on my shoulder. I’ll tell you what there is though, three pips and don’t you forget it."
The writing for Dads Army was so good.
Yes, the characters never became caricatures. Mainwaring in particular is an extraordinarily well drawn character, assisted by Arthur Lowe's subtle performance. On one level ridiculous, pompous and prickly, but also principled and imbued with real dignity. Some very clever stuff around class, too, as you point out. And amid the absurdity a real sense they were fighting for something important, that they represented something worth fighting for. I could watch Dads Army all day long.
We laugh at them but there is no doubt that they would have 'died with blood choking in their throats' if the Germans had invaded Warmington On Sea. The episode where the think the attack is on is remarkably good for showing that. The genius choice to have the snobbish but ultimately slightly lower class Captain and his laconic slightly higher class sergeant is one of the best decisions.
"All great British comedies are about the class structure": discuss
Maybe less so now. Peep Show for instance has some class elements to it but most of the characters inhabit a broad middle class space and I'd say that class isn't really central to the programme.
Likewise the Inbetweeners
Isn't the whole setup of the Inbetweeners being the posh one has to go to a comp because his Dad stop paying the private school fees and lots of the gags are about him being posh / out of touch with his briefcase, school trips to shitty British seaside resorts rather than ski trips, etc?
I always saw it as an upper to lower middle class move rather than anything more drastic
It's lazy ... much like the Frank Gardner one we were talking about.
Their material consists of a quote from one person from a group of 4 interviewed in a local park. I think it's one of the costs of having a prominent, noisy MP. No analysis to back it up, or thinking about overall demographics, or realising that with generally lower living costs here the pressure is perhaps likely to be on expensive places.
We had it when the Graun took a picture of three shops being refurbed in the square, ignored all the others, and ran a story about delapidated town centres.
And again when Novara came and did some public interviews at the times when everybody is at work.
Very weird. Massive drop in employment rate in Ashfield since 2021- otherwise was actually doing quite well. Anyone local know why?
Isn't this just an example of the wider issue that there are areas of the UK that have rapidly increasingly economic inactivity.
The Held Back areas voting Reform.
Meaning they are going to be held back because, well, voting Reform...
I was in Grimsby last week for a funeral. Looking around the mourners, I suspect many voted for Boris. Even more for Farage.
Ironically, the only obvious growth area there is in 3-4 bedroom Executive houses. A truly massive boom. Where these executives are going to come from is a mystery.
The money is in “executive” houses because who is going to pay the premium price of a new build unless it at least pretends to be a premium good.
And reality is any new house is going to increase housing supply by 1 house even if that house is a small 2 bedroom terrace at the very bottom of the market
Conscription ended in 1960 , with National Service ending in 1963. That is, 65 and 62 years ago.
The Silent Generation were subject to it; the boomers had people around them subject to it when they were young. I'm Gen X, but I had adults around me who had been conscripted when I was growing up (eg to Malaya).
I think the question is a bit of a media-created red herring in that even the armed forces don't like it - they lose more from looking after them for short term conscription than any gain. So if we get to a situwation where it is necessary, it will be necessary.
It will be major expansion of reserves first.
The vast majority of the silent generation wouldn't have done National Service either.
Wikipedia may not be accurate, but it suggests it was phased out in 1957, except for people who were born before 1939 and had deferred. That makes it 85/86+ men, and even if it was all of them, that's only going to be (very approximately) 10% of the over 75s.
My father was one of the last do it. He was in the RAF Education Branch in Aden and, like all of his other interactions with the working class, hated it. The did hand out promotions like crab ointment in the Education Branch though. He made it to Flt. Lt. in 18 months which isn't quite Mordaunt pace but still impressive.
It's hard to see how conscription fits into a 21st century Western fighting force though. It makes a sort of sense of for SMO-style semi-mechanised trench based carnage. For high tech maneuvering/airborne warfare they could backfill a few blanket stacker jobs but that's about it.
Wars will tend to accelerate progress up the ranks. Enoch Powell famously went from Private to Brigadier during WW2.
(I imagine he would be feeling quite vindicated by his US-scepticism if he were still around.)
Gen. Nathan Twining was promoted 22 times from 1916 to 1953. He went from being a Private in the Oregon Nation Guard to a USAF 4 Star and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
One of my uncles went from 'the ranks' to commissioned officer in both World Wars. Fought in France in WWi and East & North Africa in WWII. Described on his tombstone as 'Major', although he'd long since left the Army.
OF-3 and above can use their rank titles after retirement if they've got 15 years in. Apart from cavalry regiments who have their own mad rules that nobody understands but involves horses.
Captain Tom Moore seems to have started using his WWII rank long after he left the Army. However, I suspect other people might have been involved.
Mainwaring: "Oh you’d stick up for him wouldn’t you? You both went to public school didn’t you?" Wilson: "You know sir, I can’t help feeling that you’ve got a bit of a chip on your shoulder about that." Mainwaring: "There’s no chip on my shoulder. I’ll tell you what there is though, three pips and don’t you forget it."
The writing for Dads Army was so good.
Yes, the characters never became caricatures. Mainwaring in particular is an extraordinarily well drawn character, assisted by Arthur Lowe's subtle performance. On one level ridiculous, pompous and prickly, but also principled and imbued with real dignity. Some very clever stuff around class, too, as you point out. And amid the absurdity a real sense they were fighting for something important, that they represented something worth fighting for. I could watch Dads Army all day long.
We laugh at them but there is no doubt that they would have 'died with blood choking in their throats' if the Germans had invaded Warmington On Sea. The episode where the think the attack is on is remarkably good for showing that. The genius choice to have the snobbish but ultimately slightly lower class Captain and his laconic slightly higher class sergeant is one of the best decisions.
"All great British comedies are about the class structure": discuss
Maybe less so now. Peep Show for instance has some class elements to it but most of the characters inhabit a broad middle class space and I'd say that class isn't really central to the programme.
Likewise the Inbetweeners
Isn't the whole setup of the Inbetweeners being the posh one has to go to a comp because his Dad stop paying the private school fees and lots of the gags are about him being posh / out of touch with his briefcase, school trips to shitty British seaside resorts rather than ski trips, etc?
I always saw it as an upper to lower middle class move rather than anything more drastic
Well yes, but the lower middle class see him as a posho. And he starts off himself seeing himself better than them and especially working class e.g. the work experience episode.
IMO, the setup does revolve around differences in perception and reality in class.
Conscription ended in 1960 , with National Service ending in 1963. That is, 65 and 62 years ago.
The Silent Generation were subject to it; the boomers had people around them subject to it when they were young. I'm Gen X, but I had adults around me who had been conscripted when I was growing up (eg to Malaya).
I think the question is a bit of a media-created red herring in that even the armed forces don't like it - they lose more from looking after them for short term conscription than any gain. So if we get to a situwation where it is necessary, it will be necessary.
It will be major expansion of reserves first.
The vast majority of the silent generation wouldn't have done National Service either.
Wikipedia may not be accurate, but it suggests it was phased out in 1957, except for people who were born before 1939 and had deferred. That makes it 85/86+ men, and even if it was all of them, that's only going to be (very approximately) 10% of the over 75s.
My father was one of the last do it. He was in the RAF Education Branch in Aden and, like all of his other interactions with the working class, hated it. The did hand out promotions like crab ointment in the Education Branch though. He made it to Flt. Lt. in 18 months which isn't quite Mordaunt pace but still impressive.
It's hard to see how conscription fits into a 21st century Western fighting force though. It makes a sort of sense of for SMO-style semi-mechanised trench based carnage. For high tech maneuvering/airborne warfare they could backfill a few blanket stacker jobs but that's about it.
Wars will tend to accelerate progress up the ranks. Enoch Powell famously went from Private to Brigadier during WW2.
(I imagine he would be feeling quite vindicated by his US-scepticism if he were still around.)
Gen. Nathan Twining was promoted 22 times from 1916 to 1953. He went from being a Private in the Oregon Nation Guard to a USAF 4 Star and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
One of my uncles went from 'the ranks' to commissioned officer in both World Wars. Fought in France in WWi and East & North Africa in WWII. Described on his tombstone as 'Major', although he'd long since left the Army.
OF-3 and above can use their rank titles after retirement if they've got 15 years in. Apart from cavalry regiments who have their own mad rules that nobody understands but involves horses.
Captain Tom Moore seems to have started using his WWII rank long after he left the Army. However, I suspect other people might have been involved.
Mainwaring: "Oh you’d stick up for him wouldn’t you? You both went to public school didn’t you?" Wilson: "You know sir, I can’t help feeling that you’ve got a bit of a chip on your shoulder about that." Mainwaring: "There’s no chip on my shoulder. I’ll tell you what there is though, three pips and don’t you forget it."
The writing for Dads Army was so good.
Yes, the characters never became caricatures. Mainwaring in particular is an extraordinarily well drawn character, assisted by Arthur Lowe's subtle performance. On one level ridiculous, pompous and prickly, but also principled and imbued with real dignity. Some very clever stuff around class, too, as you point out. And amid the absurdity a real sense they were fighting for something important, that they represented something worth fighting for. I could watch Dads Army all day long.
We laugh at them but there is no doubt that they would have 'died with blood choking in their throats' if the Germans had invaded Warmington On Sea. The episode where the think the attack is on is remarkably good for showing that. The genius choice to have the snobbish but ultimately slightly lower class Captain and his laconic slightly higher class sergeant is one of the best decisions.
"All great British comedies are about the class structure": discuss
Maybe less so now. Peep Show for instance has some class elements to it but most of the characters inhabit a broad middle class space and I'd say that class isn't really central to the programme.
Big Suse was clearly several social strata above the rest of them and Super Hans existed completely exterior to the continuum of the British class system. The only genuine w/c characters I can recall were Big Mad Andy, Wadey and Trojan.
Conscription ended in 1960 , with National Service ending in 1963. That is, 65 and 62 years ago.
The Silent Generation were subject to it; the boomers had people around them subject to it when they were young. I'm Gen X, but I had adults around me who had been conscripted when I was growing up (eg to Malaya).
I think the question is a bit of a media-created red herring in that even the armed forces don't like it - they lose more from looking after them for short term conscription than any gain. So if we get to a situwation where it is necessary, it will be necessary.
It will be major expansion of reserves first.
The vast majority of the silent generation wouldn't have done National Service either.
Wikipedia may not be accurate, but it suggests it was phased out in 1957, except for people who were born before 1939 and had deferred. That makes it 85/86+ men, and even if it was all of them, that's only going to be (very approximately) 10% of the over 75s.
My father was one of the last do it. He was in the RAF Education Branch in Aden and, like all of his other interactions with the working class, hated it. The did hand out promotions like crab ointment in the Education Branch though. He made it to Flt. Lt. in 18 months which isn't quite Mordaunt pace but still impressive.
It's hard to see how conscription fits into a 21st century Western fighting force though. It makes a sort of sense of for SMO-style semi-mechanised trench based carnage. For high tech maneuvering/airborne warfare they could backfill a few blanket stacker jobs but that's about it.
Wars will tend to accelerate progress up the ranks. Enoch Powell famously went from Private to Brigadier during WW2.
(I imagine he would be feeling quite vindicated by his US-scepticism if he were still around.)
Gen. Nathan Twining was promoted 22 times from 1916 to 1953. He went from being a Private in the Oregon Nation Guard to a USAF 4 Star and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
One of my uncles went from 'the ranks' to commissioned officer in both World Wars. Fought in France in WWi and East & North Africa in WWII. Described on his tombstone as 'Major', although he'd long since left the Army.
OF-3 and above can use their rank titles after retirement if they've got 15 years in. Apart from cavalry regiments who have their own mad rules that nobody understands but involves horses.
Captain Tom Moore seems to have started using his WWII rank long after he left the Army. However, I suspect other people might have been involved.
Mainwaring: "Oh you’d stick up for him wouldn’t you? You both went to public school didn’t you?" Wilson: "You know sir, I can’t help feeling that you’ve got a bit of a chip on your shoulder about that." Mainwaring: "There’s no chip on my shoulder. I’ll tell you what there is though, three pips and don’t you forget it."
The writing for Dads Army was so good.
Yes, the characters never became caricatures. Mainwaring in particular is an extraordinarily well drawn character, assisted by Arthur Lowe's subtle performance. On one level ridiculous, pompous and prickly, but also principled and imbued with real dignity. Some very clever stuff around class, too, as you point out. And amid the absurdity a real sense they were fighting for something important, that they represented something worth fighting for. I could watch Dads Army all day long.
We laugh at them but there is no doubt that they would have 'died with blood choking in their throats' if the Germans had invaded Warmington On Sea. The episode where the think the attack is on is remarkably good for showing that. The genius choice to have the snobbish but ultimately slightly lower class Captain and his laconic slightly higher class sergeant is one of the best decisions.
"All great British comedies are about the class structure": discuss
Maybe less so now. Peep Show for instance has some class elements to it but most of the characters inhabit a broad middle class space and I'd say that class isn't really central to the programme.
Likewise the Inbetweeners
Isn't the whole setup of the Inbetweeners being the posh one has to go to a comp because his Dad stop paying the private school fees and lots of the gags are about him being posh / out of touch with his briefcase, school trips to shitty British seaside resorts rather than ski trips, etc?
I always saw it as an upper to lower middle class move rather than anything more drastic
Well yes, but the lower middle class see him as a posho. And he starts off himself seeing himself better than them and especially working class e.g. the work experience episode.
IMO, the setup does revolve around differences in perception and reality around class.
Interesting the vocabulary used, even on PB when the nuances between upper middle class, lower middle class, upper class and working class are taken as read although PB would not see the like of the ding-dong if anyone was asked to define the parameters of any of them.
Remarkably telling new ad from VoteVets targeting vulnerable House Rs. The spot focuses solely on Musk cutting VA services. it doesn't once mention Trump
Conscription ended in 1960 , with National Service ending in 1963. That is, 65 and 62 years ago.
The Silent Generation were subject to it; the boomers had people around them subject to it when they were young. I'm Gen X, but I had adults around me who had been conscripted when I was growing up (eg to Malaya).
I think the question is a bit of a media-created red herring in that even the armed forces don't like it - they lose more from looking after them for short term conscription than any gain. So if we get to a situwation where it is necessary, it will be necessary.
It will be major expansion of reserves first.
The vast majority of the silent generation wouldn't have done National Service either.
Wikipedia may not be accurate, but it suggests it was phased out in 1957, except for people who were born before 1939 and had deferred. That makes it 85/86+ men, and even if it was all of them, that's only going to be (very approximately) 10% of the over 75s.
My father was one of the last do it. He was in the RAF Education Branch in Aden and, like all of his other interactions with the working class, hated it. The did hand out promotions like crab ointment in the Education Branch though. He made it to Flt. Lt. in 18 months which isn't quite Mordaunt pace but still impressive.
It's hard to see how conscription fits into a 21st century Western fighting force though. It makes a sort of sense of for SMO-style semi-mechanised trench based carnage. For high tech maneuvering/airborne warfare they could backfill a few blanket stacker jobs but that's about it.
Wars will tend to accelerate progress up the ranks. Enoch Powell famously went from Private to Brigadier during WW2.
(I imagine he would be feeling quite vindicated by his US-scepticism if he were still around.)
Gen. Nathan Twining was promoted 22 times from 1916 to 1953. He went from being a Private in the Oregon Nation Guard to a USAF 4 Star and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
One of my uncles went from 'the ranks' to commissioned officer in both World Wars. Fought in France in WWi and East & North Africa in WWII. Described on his tombstone as 'Major', although he'd long since left the Army.
OF-3 and above can use their rank titles after retirement if they've got 15 years in. Apart from cavalry regiments who have their own mad rules that nobody understands but involves horses.
Captain Tom Moore seems to have started using his WWII rank long after he left the Army. However, I suspect other people might have been involved.
Mainwaring: "Oh you’d stick up for him wouldn’t you? You both went to public school didn’t you?" Wilson: "You know sir, I can’t help feeling that you’ve got a bit of a chip on your shoulder about that." Mainwaring: "There’s no chip on my shoulder. I’ll tell you what there is though, three pips and don’t you forget it."
The writing for Dads Army was so good.
Yes, the characters never became caricatures. Mainwaring in particular is an extraordinarily well drawn character, assisted by Arthur Lowe's subtle performance. On one level ridiculous, pompous and prickly, but also principled and imbued with real dignity. Some very clever stuff around class, too, as you point out. And amid the absurdity a real sense they were fighting for something important, that they represented something worth fighting for. I could watch Dads Army all day long.
We laugh at them but there is no doubt that they would have 'died with blood choking in their throats' if the Germans had invaded Warmington On Sea. The episode where the think the attack is on is remarkably good for showing that. The genius choice to have the snobbish but ultimately slightly lower class Captain and his laconic slightly higher class sergeant is one of the best decisions.
"All great British comedies are about the class structure": discuss
Maybe less so now. Peep Show for instance has some class elements to it but most of the characters inhabit a broad middle class space and I'd say that class isn't really central to the programme.
Big Suse was clearly several social strata above the rest of them and Super Hans existed completely exterior to the continuum of the British class system. The only genuine w/c characters I can recall were Big Mad Andy, Wadey and Trojan.
Big Suse in real life is also several social strata above most people these days...Lady Frederick Windsor....
Comments
What are the odds the Kemi will start blaming Mr Starmer for it?
I'd say 4-1 on.
Commonly, COVID was reported on the decrease when it was increasing and vice versa because they could get their head around delay in reporting...for 2 f##king years.
This outcome is what Starmer and Macron are attempting to prevent. Who knows if they can succeed.
But we do seem to have have arrived at an "inflection point", as they say.
The number of books that are going to be written about the Russian infiltration of the US political system will be legion. Especially as its being done in plain sight (Tulsi Gabbard et al).
Various MPs from the AfD, the FDP and the Left are still trying to get the Constitutional Court to reject the legislation. There seems to be a case based on parliament not being given enough time to consider it, and the relevant parliamentary committees not being allowed to sit and discuss it. There might be some precedent here, I'll have to look it up, though I think the Verfassungsblog the other day said that there wasn't any real question that the legislation would be all legal and proper if passed.
Israel's Renewed Gaza Offensive Exposes Netanyahu's Real Goal: Political Survival Through Endless War
https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2025-03-18/ty-article/.premium/israels-renewed-gaza-offensive-exposes-netanyahus-goal-political-survival-through-war/00000195-a83b-d922-af9d-be3f58640000
Ether way we really have to work on the assumption that Europe is on its own, and should be preparing either for a resumption of the invasion in due course.
Because of we don't, it will almost certainly happen; if we do, there is at least a chance that it might not.
This is what Trump's supporters were doing to Court staff where he was being prosecuted before the election. It is now allegedly happening to some Trump types too. An unrolled thread From Twitter:
1/5 @LarryTaunton
I was SWATed last night as you can see in these 3 videos.
I was in bed, but noticed Ranger, my German shepherd, was on the prowl, his ears up. I heed his instincts.
I then saw a flicker of light on my BR door. Ranger went to investigate, I got my gun…..
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1901637235801256212.html
Over there, they license with a license - or they would, if they had a TV licenc/se
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cq5z9x70dldo
Sort-of good news for fans of Roman London artefacts, except the London Museum (formerly the Museum of London) is closed while it moves from Barbican to Smithfield, which will take another 1-3 years.
Congrats to all those in Michigan who supported Trump . I’m sure your fellow Muslims in Gaza appreciate your support for the genocide enabler in the WH .
BTW, I wonder if they'll be entitled to claim Delay Repay from NASA?
My Fellow Conservatives should also remember we WON the 1959 General Election on the commitment to end conscription. I was born on Election Day in 1959 and my view has not changed. Conscription was the stupidest policy any Conservative Leader has presented to the Electorate although compulsory Maths for 18 year olds was pretty close. How many people in parliament even know what Quaternions are ?
I'd be interested to check.
It is a Sky News story
(He is about 26 years old btw)
But then he got out his mini drum kit. No joke
If there is a plane crash in the Andes he will be immediately killed and eaten even if we have plenty of sandwiches and pot noodles
Here is an example of the BBC not going full on, giving the story of an executive coup is quietist terms, but not telling lies either:
Previous presidents, both Democratic and Republican, have frequently complained of being hampered by low-level judges that issue sweeping rulings undermining their policy-making efforts. Some have questioned their authority to do so. In the months ahead, Trump may be the one who pushes this conflict to a more definitive resolution.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c9wpek7p0kno
I was looking forward to sniffing out clunky propaganda moments, but - despite the Little Pinks on the Chinese internet lauding the film's patriotism - there really aren't any. In truth, it's a superb movie. In the subtitled version, it's easy to follow plotlines (based loosely on Chinese mythology) and the visuals are richly impressive on the big screen. It's funny and moving too, and concludes with an extended battle sequence that (apparently) features 200 million individually rendered characters (AI did its bit, along with 4,000 animators). For scale, just imagine the whole population of Brazil beating the shit out of each other.
But there was one surprising element of the film worth commenting on. The takeaway message was pretty much: do your own thing; follow your heart; ignore the advice of elderly pontificators. That's in part aligned with a key theme in mythology throughout the world - cheeky rebels good, musty authority bad - but there is more to it than that, and the message has really resonated with Chinese Gen Zs, who have embraced the film enthusiastically. After the early-life prison tariff that is the Chinese education system, so many have reached their early 20s with nothing - high rents, no jobs, zero expectations. The film obviously has official backing, so the censors must have got wind of the discontent amongst this demographic and allowed the film to sound this note of solidarity with the audience. This an unsual change and a potentially hopeful moment. And even if it isn't, it's an effing great piece of cinema.
Wonder how they will report that?
Perhaps some amendments around the due diligence will be necessary. You don't want it to become so onerous to run an online forum that nobody in their right mind does it. If this transpires to be the case it will fail the cost/benefit test.
But as things stand, based on what I know and my own assessment of "free speech vs harm caused by an unfettered internet" it passes that test.
I feel quite similar about Allo-Allo, but not so much for three dimensional characters- most are deliberately absurd and stereotypical- but for the depth and diversity of the stereotypes.
Among the French characters in particular we have so many recognisable types: the harassed but benign Rene, the grating-voiced matriarch Edith, the pompous pillar of the community M. Alfonse, the saucy maids - and each of those two represent slightly different French archetypes - and the 1968-coded resistance fighter. And there are several very stereotypical yet each very different versions of Germanness on display.
It's lazy ... much like the Frank Gardner one we were talking about.
Their material consists of a quote from one person from a group of 4 interviewed in a local park. I think it's one of the costs of having a prominent, noisy MP. No analysis to back it up, or thinking about overall demographics, or realising that with generally lower living costs here the pressure is perhaps likely to be on expensive places.
We had it when the Graun took a picture of three shops being refurbed in the square, ignored all the others, and ran a story about delapidated town centres.
And again when Novara came and did some public interviews at the times when everybody is at work.
Then they characterise their sample as typical.
Something must be done. This costs nothing (to the government), so we will do this.
A pile of pointless paperwork. The main effect is to create a barrier to entry for small sites. As usual, the big corporates will be least affected.
As will the actual scumbags.
Economic inactivity 31.3% ages 16 to 64
https://www.ons.gov.uk/visualisations/labourmarketlocal/E07000170/
Farcebook, Twatter, Instagram and TikTok will be promoting all the worst shit.
Meanwhile innocuous fora that don’t have hate promoting algorithms shut down because their amateur owners can’t take the risk….
Even a Sci-fi comedy like Red Dwarf is about the class system.
Three post-graduate teacher training students – one of them a former Under-23 world champion – have been ruled ineligible for the men’s and women’s races less than a month before the annual showdown on the Thames between Britain’s oldest universities.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/rowing/2025/03/18/boat-race-feud-oxford-cambridge-rowers/
Tribes rather than class: Porridge, Father Ted, Allo Allo, Detectorists
No: Fleabag
Gavin and Stacey (which isn’t).
See also Trump's America.
Especially, when you see him apologise to Godfrey, after criticising his conscientious objection, in WWI.
The actual story:
https://www.thedailybeast.com/dont-tell-melania-trump-once-offered-rising-maga-star-his-bed/
Donald Trump once offered a MAGA newcomer his bed while she was feeling unwell, but told her to keep it a secret from Melania, according to a new bombshell book.
The president made the offer aboard his personal jet in 2023, when Florida Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna, 35, was pregnant.
“If you need a bed to lay down in, there’s one here on the plane. If you feel sick and you need to lay there, you can lay on it,” Trump reportedly told Luna.
“Just don’t tell Melania. She doesn’t like other women on my bed,” he joked.
The employment rate in the UK has been steady at around 75% since 2019.
He got the distinct impression that for a lot of people, in some deprived areas, new jobs and businesses were not wanted.
Meaning they are going to be held back because, well, voting Reform...
I was in Grimsby last week for a funeral. Looking around the mourners, I suspect many voted for Boris. Even more for Farage.
Ironically, the only obvious growth area there is in 3-4 bedroom Executive houses. A truly massive boom. Where these executives are going to come from is a mystery.
And reality is any new house is going to increase housing supply by 1 house even if that house is a small 2 bedroom terrace at the very bottom of the market
Much more about the hopelessness of all young British life. Cheerfully
IMO, the setup does revolve around differences in perception and reality in class.
Remarkably telling new ad from VoteVets targeting vulnerable House Rs. The spot focuses solely on Musk cutting VA services. it doesn't once mention Trump
https://x.com/samstein/status/1901976514335260769