It's only three decades since Parliament passed the Leeds Supertram Act...
Leeds has a mass transit system: there's an extensive bus network and a pretty decent heavy rail one. There are also roads, by which masses of people do indeed transit.
What there isn't is a tram system. Nor should there be: trams are rubbish. If we're talking a metro then I'd be interested.
Yet another idiot who thinks you can solve an economical malaise by dumping a big shiny taxpayer funded bit of infrastructure on it, like putting a garden gnome on a patch of weeds and expecting it to become a garden.
Leaving aside the abuse, which there really isn't any call for, it is indeed stupid to think that a bit of infrastructure *by itself* will resolve an economic malaise. But it does play a part if done properly and in conjunction with other measures.
It’s really simple - the easiest way to improve the quality of life for people is to offer them more opportunities for work by expanding the options within an x0 minute commute. That has an additional advantage as it also gives employers more options when trying to recruit people.
And the best way of doing that is improving public transport and the best way of doing that is by building a proper metro system
Guess which form of transport in London now has 1.3 million journeys per day, at a cost of less than £1 billion over the last 10 years?
What's the problem with Adolescence. I thought it was amazing. Beyond amazing. Are there some kind of culture war overtones that went over my head. What are the right and left saying (as if it makes any difference, but still...).
13 year old white kid isn't exactly representative of society's problems..in the legacy medias mind it is though..🤔
I doubt the creators of the program did it deliberately - given the actor who plays the father was one of the creators and was always going to star in it, so the race had to match, at least partly.
The question is whether it would have been commissioned by Netflix if the boy was not white, and whether we'd be talking about it if the boy was not white.
small but significant thing I've noticed on Fox Business on days when market is tanking & Trump is president - they only show the Nasdaq ticker in the corner, not the Dow, to give people the impression the market isn't down as much as it actually is (the Dow is currently down more than 1,100 points)
The S&P is a better guide to the US stock market: much more broadly based - and is down nearly three and a half percent.
Why wouldn't it be? The tariff war is still on with China, 10% is a damn sight more than nothing, and a postponement is not a cancellation. Add in all the uncertainty that the in-out / on-off / up-down of tariff rates has caused and why would businesses be looking to invest and employ right now, when they've no idea what their costs will be from one hour to the next?
Everything's down 3% and everything was up yday 8-10% and before that down and before that...
Don't get too tied up with it all.
I can assure you that the core of Trump's support don't have huge stock portfolios.
Well, it's down five percent now.
Yes, day-to-day movements will fluctuate all over in this current chaos. But while Trump carries on as he is doing, mostly down (other than US bond yields).
The central mystery is not why US markets are falling now, it's why they rose so much yesterday.
As long as the US is basically not buying stuff from China, all sorts of businesses are in really quite deep doodoo.
Captains of American Industry- do you still think you can control him?
Yes, the behaviour of traders yesterday is the kind of thing that prevents me from playing the stock market: completely irrational. Which does mean that it should have been a good selling opportunity - but again, only if people behave rationally and not like a flock of spooked or greedy sheep.
What's the problem with Adolescence. I thought it was amazing. Beyond amazing. Are there some kind of culture war overtones that went over my head. What are the right and left saying (as if it makes any difference, but still...).
I haven't watched it, not out of a refusal to do so, but because I don't watch loads of tv. White Lotus and football
The right are saying "How come the show that is supposedly so realistic is showing the perpetrator as a white boy from a loving, two parent family, when the stats show that black children from broken homes are disproportiate offenders?"
The left are saying "This programme is so realistic it should be shown in every school"
Ah interesting. Thanks (and welcome back).
Bonkers. I don't mind if it's shown in every school and what I took away from it was the dangers of peer pressure, social media amplification, and isolation.
I didn't note any race issue, apart from the fact that Stephen Graham is of Jamaican heritage which I suppose both "sides" choose to overlook.
It’s got nothing to do with race. As usual it’s been hijacked by the culture warriors
What's the problem with Adolescence. I thought it was amazing. Beyond amazing. Are there some kind of culture war overtones that went over my head. What are the right and left saying (as if it makes any difference, but still...).
I haven't watched it, not out of a refusal to do so, but because I don't watch loads of tv. White Lotus and football
The right are saying "How come the show that is supposedly so realistic is showing the perpetrator as a white boy from a loving, two parent family, when the stats show that black children from broken homes are disproportiate offenders?"
The left are saying "This programme is so realistic it should be shown in every school"
Ah interesting. Thanks (and welcome back).
Bonkers. I don't mind if it's shown in every school and what I took away from it was the dangers of peer pressure, social media amplification, and isolation.
I didn't note any race issue, apart from the fact that Stephen Graham is of Jamaican heritage which I suppose both "sides" choose to overlook.
It’s got nothing to do with race. As usual it’s been hijacked by the culture warriors
It is time for a Minister for Men (and boys). Things like no screening for prostate cancer need addressing as well as the impact of social media on boys education and socialisation.
Having my first trip in a BYD (an uber in Mexico City). First impressions: very bog standard.
But that’s surely the future of EVs. It’s time they moved on from being luxury toys. One reason I quite like my Renault Zoe (though that’s perhaps a tad too bog standard).
It's only three decades since Parliament passed the Leeds Supertram Act...
Leeds has a mass transit system: there's an extensive bus network and a pretty decent heavy rail one. There are also roads, by which masses of people do indeed transit.
What there isn't is a tram system. Nor should there be: trams are rubbish. If we're talking a metro then I'd be interested.
Yet another idiot who thinks you can solve an economical malaise by dumping a big shiny taxpayer funded bit of infrastructure on it, like putting a garden gnome on a patch of weeds and expecting it to become a garden.
Leaving aside the abuse, which there really isn't any call for, it is indeed stupid to think that a bit of infrastructure *by itself* will resolve an economic malaise. But it does play a part if done properly and in conjunction with other measures.
So what other taxpayer funded infrastructure would you select? A shiny new civic centre? A wool industry heritage museum?
These places have been made economically unviable due to the burden of taxation, overregulation, the high minimum wage, and the scandalous cost of energy. You cannot unwind that with a shiny tram, or (in my opinion) a selection of other accoutrements, however well judged.
I am sorry if I am being unduly harsh, but the issue is a frustrating one. Towns that have expensive transport systems are generally towns that have prospered and can afford them. Correlation does not equal causation.
What's the problem with Adolescence. I thought it was amazing. Beyond amazing. Are there some kind of culture war overtones that went over my head. What are the right and left saying (as if it makes any difference, but still...).
13 year old white kid isn't exactly representative of society's problems..in the legacy medias mind it is though..🤔
The recent rise in employers' National Insurance contributions would have made a less compelling TV drama.
Yes, I know I should. There is so much horror in WWII, and of course, other conflicts. I found Max Hastings' Nemesis and Lord Russell's Knights of Bushido similarly troubling reads.
I recently read "Three Tigers, One Mountain", a really interesting travelogue through Japan, South Korea, Manchuria, China and Taiwan, with a theme of how the 3 cultures feel about each other, particularly in light of 20th Century history. It's quite gruesome in parts, particularly around issues such as "Comfort Women", Unit 731, the Nanking massacre etc. There is an interesting love/hate relationship between the three. I was surprised by how much pro-Japanese feeling there was in Taiwan.
It also gave me pause for thought about our own legacy of Empire, particularly in India, Middle East and Africa, and our own relationship with our former colonial possessions. We were rarely as directly brutal as the Japanese Co-prosperity sphere, though neglect and economic exploitation of local people's was in the same order, and some development similarly beneficial. A lot of the issues around apology, refusal to apologise and compensation are not dissimilar.
The Chinese relationship with Japan is not love-hate. It is hate-hate. For reasons, many of which you seem to have just read about.
Well, it is more complicated than that.
Japan is amongst the most popular places for Chinese and Korean tourists, and vice versa for example, and modern Japanese culture is very popular in China.
It's more complicated, just like the relationship between us and our former colonies.
Of course it's more complicated. But there is a deep-seated antithetical feeling between "China' and "Japan".
Instead of our former colonies perhaps there is a better example closer to home. There is generally a great degree of resentment towards "Great Britain" by "Ireland". All in scare quotes because individually that is often not the case and there are great people flows and exchanges between the two countries. But more broadly, Ireland resents Britain for what it believes are terrible historic and ongoing injustices.
Likewise, more broadly, China is antipathetic towards Japan for those historic injustices and outrages.
I certainly agree that the relationship between Great Britain and Ireland has many similarities to Japan and China. Its a love/hate relationship too. Irish people watch British TV and news, we drink in Irish pubs and love to see the Irish horses, but there is deep historical grievance on both sides alongside.
What's the problem with Adolescence. I thought it was amazing. Beyond amazing. Are there some kind of culture war overtones that went over my head. What are the right and left saying (as if it makes any difference, but still...).
I haven't watched it, not out of a refusal to do so, but because I don't watch loads of tv. White Lotus and football
The right are saying "How come the show that is supposedly so realistic is showing the perpetrator as a white boy from a loving, two parent family, when the stats show that black children from broken homes are disproportiate offenders?"
Incidentally, as per @Cyclefree header the other day, I opposed showing Adolescence in schools. Not least because even intelligent adults often misinterpret it, see below on that header.
I definitely think it should be shown in schools. The dangers and issues it deals with are, as you note, nothing to do with race but all about the challenges facing teenagers and young adults in the age of social media, social media influencers, and the pervasive nature of the internet in their lives.
I wouldn't have thought about race for one moment. It wasn't' immediately clear what race the victim was.
"The Right" have got it wrong on this one. As, I suppose, with so much else.
Yes, I know I should. There is so much horror in WWII, and of course, other conflicts. I found Max Hastings' Nemesis and Lord Russell's Knights of Bushido similarly troubling reads.
I recently read "Three Tigers, One Mountain", a really interesting travelogue through Japan, South Korea, Manchuria, China and Taiwan, with a theme of how the 3 cultures feel about each other, particularly in light of 20th Century history. It's quite gruesome in parts, particularly around issues such as "Comfort Women", Unit 731, the Nanking massacre etc. There is an interesting love/hate relationship between the three. I was surprised by how much pro-Japanese feeling there was in Taiwan.
It also gave me pause for thought about our own legacy of Empire, particularly in India, Middle East and Africa, and our own relationship with our former colonial possessions. We were rarely as directly brutal as the Japanese Co-prosperity sphere, though neglect and economic exploitation of local people's was in the same order, and some development similarly beneficial. A lot of the issues around apology, refusal to apologise and compensation are not dissimilar.
The Chinese relationship with Japan is not love-hate. It is hate-hate. For reasons, many of which you seem to have just read about.
Well, it is more complicated than that.
Japan is amongst the most popular places for Chinese and Korean tourists, and vice versa for example, and modern Japanese culture is very popular in China.
It's more nuanced, just like the relationship between us and our former colonies.
My impression is that Japanese rule, in Formosa (as it then was), was not unpopular. It went from being a province of the Chinese empire to a province of the Japanese empire, and Japan was a better ruler.
There was more resentment in Korea, as that was an ancient nation, with its own dynasty.
But, the treatment of the Chinese, and the peoples they conquered from 1931 onwards, was deliberately sadistic.
Yes, I know I should. There is so much horror in WWII, and of course, other conflicts. I found Max Hastings' Nemesis and Lord Russell's Knights of Bushido similarly troubling reads.
I recently read "Three Tigers, One Mountain", a really interesting travelogue through Japan, South Korea, Manchuria, China and Taiwan, with a theme of how the 3 cultures feel about each other, particularly in light of 20th Century history. It's quite gruesome in parts, particularly around issues such as "Comfort Women", Unit 731, the Nanking massacre etc. There is an interesting love/hate relationship between the three. I was surprised by how much pro-Japanese feeling there was in Taiwan.
It also gave me pause for thought about our own legacy of Empire, particularly in India, Middle East and Africa, and our own relationship with our former colonial possessions. We were rarely as directly brutal as the Japanese Co-prosperity sphere, though neglect and economic exploitation of local people's was in the same order, and some development similarly beneficial. A lot of the issues around apology, refusal to apologise and compensation are not dissimilar.
The Chinese relationship with Japan is not love-hate. It is hate-hate. For reasons, many of which you seem to have just read about.
Well, it is more complicated than that.
Japan is amongst the most popular places for Chinese and Korean tourists, and vice versa for example, and modern Japanese culture is very popular in China.
It's more complicated, just like the relationship between us and our former colonies.
Of course it's more complicated. But there is a deep-seated antithetical feeling between "China' and "Japan".
Instead of our former colonies perhaps there is a better example closer to home. There is generally a great degree of resentment towards "Great Britain" by "Ireland". All in scare quotes because individually that is often not the case and there are great people flows and exchanges between the two countries. But more broadly, Ireland resents Britain for what it believes are terrible historic and ongoing injustices.
Likewise, more broadly, China is antipathetic towards Japan for those historic injustices and outrages.
I certainly agree that the relationship between Great Britain and Ireland has many similarities to Japan and China. Its a love/hate relationship too. Irish people watch British TV and news, we drink in Irish pubs and love to see the Irish horses, but there is deep historical grievance on both sides alongside.
I’m not sure there’s any historical grievance on the UK side, beyond the NI unionists. More like blithe ignorance of our history.
What's the problem with Adolescence. I thought it was amazing. Beyond amazing. Are there some kind of culture war overtones that went over my head. What are the right and left saying (as if it makes any difference, but still...).
13 year old white kid isn't exactly representative of society's problems..in the legacy medias mind it is though..🤔
The recent rise in employers' National Insurance contributions would have made a less compelling TV drama.
Agricultural property relief on the other hand. But I suppose Amazon prime already has that covered with the next series of Clarkson’s Farm.
Philippe Sands is awesome, proving lawyers are the best of humanity.
Britain is backing plans for a Nuremberg-style trial of Vladimir Putin in the face of opposition from Donald Trump.
The UK will support proposals at the Council of Europe next month calling for Russians to be prosecuted for “crimes of aggression” during the invasion of Ukraine.
The idea would involve setting up a military tribunal, modelled on the Nazi trials after the Second World War, to prosecute Russian leaders and generals for war crimes.
Some lawyers, including Sir Keir Starmer’s long-time friend Philippe Sands, have suggested the ad hoc court should be established specifically to deal with crimes of aggression, which are defined by the United Nations as “invasion or attack by the armed forces of a state on the territory of another state, or any military occupation”.
Some Western countries, including the UK, have said that Russians should be tried on those grounds for the political decision to invade, not only for war crimes committed on Ukrainian soil once the war began.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague cannot examine the “crime of aggression”, and is not recognised by either Russia or the US.
The plan for a new court to examine crimes of aggression was first suggested in 2022. It was backed by the Ukrainian government and Joe Biden’s administration, which sent funding and American prosecutors to help set it up.
However, Donald Trump withdrew all US involvement in the plan after his inauguration in January, as part of his strategy to be more conciliatory towards Moscow.
Yes, I know I should. There is so much horror in WWII, and of course, other conflicts. I found Max Hastings' Nemesis and Lord Russell's Knights of Bushido similarly troubling reads.
I recently read "Three Tigers, One Mountain", a really interesting travelogue through Japan, South Korea, Manchuria, China and Taiwan, with a theme of how the 3 cultures feel about each other, particularly in light of 20th Century history. It's quite gruesome in parts, particularly around issues such as "Comfort Women", Unit 731, the Nanking massacre etc. There is an interesting love/hate relationship between the three. I was surprised by how much pro-Japanese feeling there was in Taiwan.
It also gave me pause for thought about our own legacy of Empire, particularly in India, Middle East and Africa, and our own relationship with our former colonial possessions. We were rarely as directly brutal as the Japanese Co-prosperity sphere, though neglect and economic exploitation of local people's was in the same order, and some development similarly beneficial. A lot of the issues around apology, refusal to apologise and compensation are not dissimilar.
The Chinese relationship with Japan is not love-hate. It is hate-hate. For reasons, many of which you seem to have just read about.
Well, it is more complicated than that.
Japan is amongst the most popular places for Chinese and Korean tourists, and vice versa for example, and modern Japanese culture is very popular in China.
It's more complicated, just like the relationship between us and our former colonies.
Of course it's more complicated. But there is a deep-seated antithetical feeling between "China' and "Japan".
Instead of our former colonies perhaps there is a better example closer to home. There is generally a great degree of resentment towards "Great Britain" by "Ireland". All in scare quotes because individually that is often not the case and there are great people flows and exchanges between the two countries. But more broadly, Ireland resents Britain for what it believes are terrible historic and ongoing injustices.
Likewise, more broadly, China is antipathetic towards Japan for those historic injustices and outrages.
I certainly agree that the relationship between Great Britain and Ireland has many similarities to Japan and China. Its a love/hate relationship too. Irish people watch British TV and news, we drink in Irish pubs and love to see the Irish horses, but there is deep historical grievance on both sides alongside.
I think it's more a hate/ignorance relationship. They hate us. We are ignorant about them.
Yes, I know I should. There is so much horror in WWII, and of course, other conflicts. I found Max Hastings' Nemesis and Lord Russell's Knights of Bushido similarly troubling reads.
I recently read "Three Tigers, One Mountain", a really interesting travelogue through Japan, South Korea, Manchuria, China and Taiwan, with a theme of how the 3 cultures feel about each other, particularly in light of 20th Century history. It's quite gruesome in parts, particularly around issues such as "Comfort Women", Unit 731, the Nanking massacre etc. There is an interesting love/hate relationship between the three. I was surprised by how much pro-Japanese feeling there was in Taiwan.
It also gave me pause for thought about our own legacy of Empire, particularly in India, Middle East and Africa, and our own relationship with our former colonial possessions. We were rarely as directly brutal as the Japanese Co-prosperity sphere, though neglect and economic exploitation of local people's was in the same order, and some development similarly beneficial. A lot of the issues around apology, refusal to apologise and compensation are not dissimilar.
The Chinese relationship with Japan is not love-hate. It is hate-hate. For reasons, many of which you seem to have just read about.
Well, it is more complicated than that.
Japan is amongst the most popular places for Chinese and Korean tourists, and vice versa for example, and modern Japanese culture is very popular in China.
It's more complicated, just like the relationship between us and our former colonies.
Of course it's more complicated. But there is a deep-seated antithetical feeling between "China' and "Japan".
Instead of our former colonies perhaps there is a better example closer to home. There is generally a great degree of resentment towards "Great Britain" by "Ireland". All in scare quotes because individually that is often not the case and there are great people flows and exchanges between the two countries. But more broadly, Ireland resents Britain for what it believes are terrible historic and ongoing injustices.
Likewise, more broadly, China is antipathetic towards Japan for those historic injustices and outrages.
I certainly agree that the relationship between Great Britain and Ireland has many similarities to Japan and China. Its a love/hate relationship too. Irish people watch British TV and news, we drink in Irish pubs and love to see the Irish horses, but there is deep historical grievance on both sides alongside.
I’m not sure there’s any historical grievance on the UK side, beyond the NI unionists. More like blithe ignorance of our history.
Philippe Sands is awesome, proving lawyers are the best of humanity.
Britain is backing plans for a Nuremberg-style trial of Vladimir Putin in the face of opposition from Donald Trump.
The UK will support proposals at the Council of Europe next month calling for Russians to be prosecuted for “crimes of aggression” during the invasion of Ukraine.
The idea would involve setting up a military tribunal, modelled on the Nazi trials after the Second World War, to prosecute Russian leaders and generals for war crimes.
Some lawyers, including Sir Keir Starmer’s long-time friend Philippe Sands, have suggested the ad hoc court should be established specifically to deal with crimes of aggression, which are defined by the United Nations as “invasion or attack by the armed forces of a state on the territory of another state, or any military occupation”.
Some Western countries, including the UK, have said that Russians should be tried on those grounds for the political decision to invade, not only for war crimes committed on Ukrainian soil once the war began.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague cannot examine the “crime of aggression”, and is not recognised by either Russia or the US.
The plan for a new court to examine crimes of aggression was first suggested in 2022. It was backed by the Ukrainian government and Joe Biden’s administration, which sent funding and American prosecutors to help set it up.
However, Donald Trump withdrew all US involvement in the plan after his inauguration in January, as part of his strategy to be more conciliatory towards Moscow.
Philippe Sands is awesome, proving lawyers are the best of humanity.
Britain is backing plans for a Nuremberg-style trial of Vladimir Putin in the face of opposition from Donald Trump.
The UK will support proposals at the Council of Europe next month calling for Russians to be prosecuted for “crimes of aggression” during the invasion of Ukraine.
The idea would involve setting up a military tribunal, modelled on the Nazi trials after the Second World War, to prosecute Russian leaders and generals for war crimes.
Some lawyers, including Sir Keir Starmer’s long-time friend Philippe Sands, have suggested the ad hoc court should be established specifically to deal with crimes of aggression, which are defined by the United Nations as “invasion or attack by the armed forces of a state on the territory of another state, or any military occupation”.
Some Western countries, including the UK, have said that Russians should be tried on those grounds for the political decision to invade, not only for war crimes committed on Ukrainian soil once the war began.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague cannot examine the “crime of aggression”, and is not recognised by either Russia or the US.
The plan for a new court to examine crimes of aggression was first suggested in 2022. It was backed by the Ukrainian government and Joe Biden’s administration, which sent funding and American prosecutors to help set it up.
However, Donald Trump withdrew all US involvement in the plan after his inauguration in January, as part of his strategy to be more conciliatory towards Moscow.
Yes, I know I should. There is so much horror in WWII, and of course, other conflicts. I found Max Hastings' Nemesis and Lord Russell's Knights of Bushido similarly troubling reads.
I recently read "Three Tigers, One Mountain", a really interesting travelogue through Japan, South Korea, Manchuria, China and Taiwan, with a theme of how the 3 cultures feel about each other, particularly in light of 20th Century history. It's quite gruesome in parts, particularly around issues such as "Comfort Women", Unit 731, the Nanking massacre etc. There is an interesting love/hate relationship between the three. I was surprised by how much pro-Japanese feeling there was in Taiwan.
It also gave me pause for thought about our own legacy of Empire, particularly in India, Middle East and Africa, and our own relationship with our former colonial possessions. We were rarely as directly brutal as the Japanese Co-prosperity sphere, though neglect and economic exploitation of local people's was in the same order, and some development similarly beneficial. A lot of the issues around apology, refusal to apologise and compensation are not dissimilar.
The Chinese relationship with Japan is not love-hate. It is hate-hate. For reasons, many of which you seem to have just read about.
Well, it is more complicated than that.
Japan is amongst the most popular places for Chinese and Korean tourists, and vice versa for example, and modern Japanese culture is very popular in China.
It's more complicated, just like the relationship between us and our former colonies.
Of course it's more complicated. But there is a deep-seated antithetical feeling between "China' and "Japan".
Instead of our former colonies perhaps there is a better example closer to home. There is generally a great degree of resentment towards "Great Britain" by "Ireland". All in scare quotes because individually that is often not the case and there are great people flows and exchanges between the two countries. But more broadly, Ireland resents Britain for what it believes are terrible historic and ongoing injustices.
Likewise, more broadly, China is antipathetic towards Japan for those historic injustices and outrages.
I certainly agree that the relationship between Great Britain and Ireland has many similarities to Japan and China. Its a love/hate relationship too. Irish people watch British TV and news, we drink in Irish pubs and love to see the Irish horses, but there is deep historical grievance on both sides alongside.
I think it's more a hate/ignorance relationship. They hate us. We are ignorant about them.
Total crap. "They" don't hate "us" and many of "them" know that many many of "us" are descended from "them".
Yes, I know I should. There is so much horror in WWII, and of course, other conflicts. I found Max Hastings' Nemesis and Lord Russell's Knights of Bushido similarly troubling reads.
I recently read "Three Tigers, One Mountain", a really interesting travelogue through Japan, South Korea, Manchuria, China and Taiwan, with a theme of how the 3 cultures feel about each other, particularly in light of 20th Century history. It's quite gruesome in parts, particularly around issues such as "Comfort Women", Unit 731, the Nanking massacre etc. There is an interesting love/hate relationship between the three. I was surprised by how much pro-Japanese feeling there was in Taiwan.
It also gave me pause for thought about our own legacy of Empire, particularly in India, Middle East and Africa, and our own relationship with our former colonial possessions. We were rarely as directly brutal as the Japanese Co-prosperity sphere, though neglect and economic exploitation of local people's was in the same order, and some development similarly beneficial. A lot of the issues around apology, refusal to apologise and compensation are not dissimilar.
The Chinese relationship with Japan is not love-hate. It is hate-hate. For reasons, many of which you seem to have just read about.
Well, it is more complicated than that.
Japan is amongst the most popular places for Chinese and Korean tourists, and vice versa for example, and modern Japanese culture is very popular in China.
It's more complicated, just like the relationship between us and our former colonies.
Of course it's more complicated. But there is a deep-seated antithetical feeling between "China' and "Japan".
Instead of our former colonies perhaps there is a better example closer to home. There is generally a great degree of resentment towards "Great Britain" by "Ireland". All in scare quotes because individually that is often not the case and there are great people flows and exchanges between the two countries. But more broadly, Ireland resents Britain for what it believes are terrible historic and ongoing injustices.
Likewise, more broadly, China is antipathetic towards Japan for those historic injustices and outrages.
I certainly agree that the relationship between Great Britain and Ireland has many similarities to Japan and China. Its a love/hate relationship too. Irish people watch British TV and news, we drink in Irish pubs and love to see the Irish horses, but there is deep historical grievance on both sides alongside.
I think it's more a hate/ignorance relationship. They hate us. We are ignorant about them.
I don't think they hate us. My wife and I went to Dublin for a holiday a few years ago. The guides were quite chatty and friendly. The companies weren't averse to receiving our money as tourists so I'm sure they don't despise us that much. It's the old old story. It's a hundred years at least since partition and people now are not responsible for any of it. I think it's a case of a good story from the past to build a tourist industry over.
It's only three decades since Parliament passed the Leeds Supertram Act...
Leeds has a mass transit system: there's an extensive bus network and a pretty decent heavy rail one. There are also roads, by which masses of people do indeed transit.
What there isn't is a tram system. Nor should there be: trams are rubbish. If we're talking a metro then I'd be interested.
Trams are not rubbish. At a price below x per mile.
Everything is rubbish when it reaches a high enough price.
It's only three decades since Parliament passed the Leeds Supertram Act...
Leeds has a mass transit system: there's an extensive bus network and a pretty decent heavy rail one. There are also roads, by which masses of people do indeed transit.
What there isn't is a tram system. Nor should there be: trams are rubbish. If we're talking a metro then I'd be interested.
Trams are not rubbish. At a price below x per mile.
Everything is rubbish when it reaches a high enough price.
Until enough time has passed, the cost of it is forgotten, and the utility remains.
IMV with infrastructure, in the long term, it is rubbish if it is specced, or built, to be rubbish.
Yes, I know I should. There is so much horror in WWII, and of course, other conflicts. I found Max Hastings' Nemesis and Lord Russell's Knights of Bushido similarly troubling reads.
I recently read "Three Tigers, One Mountain", a really interesting travelogue through Japan, South Korea, Manchuria, China and Taiwan, with a theme of how the 3 cultures feel about each other, particularly in light of 20th Century history. It's quite gruesome in parts, particularly around issues such as "Comfort Women", Unit 731, the Nanking massacre etc. There is an interesting love/hate relationship between the three. I was surprised by how much pro-Japanese feeling there was in Taiwan.
It also gave me pause for thought about our own legacy of Empire, particularly in India, Middle East and Africa, and our own relationship with our former colonial possessions. We were rarely as directly brutal as the Japanese Co-prosperity sphere, though neglect and economic exploitation of local people's was in the same order, and some development similarly beneficial. A lot of the issues around apology, refusal to apologise and compensation are not dissimilar.
The Chinese relationship with Japan is not love-hate. It is hate-hate. For reasons, many of which you seem to have just read about.
Well, it is more complicated than that.
Japan is amongst the most popular places for Chinese and Korean tourists, and vice versa for example, and modern Japanese culture is very popular in China.
It's more complicated, just like the relationship between us and our former colonies.
Of course it's more complicated. But there is a deep-seated antithetical feeling between "China' and "Japan".
Instead of our former colonies perhaps there is a better example closer to home. There is generally a great degree of resentment towards "Great Britain" by "Ireland". All in scare quotes because individually that is often not the case and there are great people flows and exchanges between the two countries. But more broadly, Ireland resents Britain for what it believes are terrible historic and ongoing injustices.
Likewise, more broadly, China is antipathetic towards Japan for those historic injustices and outrages.
I certainly agree that the relationship between Great Britain and Ireland has many similarities to Japan and China. Its a love/hate relationship too. Irish people watch British TV and news, we drink in Irish pubs and love to see the Irish horses, but there is deep historical grievance on both sides alongside.
I think it's more a hate/ignorance relationship. They hate us. We are ignorant about them.
I don't think they hate us. My wife and I went to Dublin for a holiday a few years ago. The guides were quite chatty and friendly. The companies weren't averse to receiving our money as tourists so I'm sure they don't despise us that much. It's the old old story. It's a hundred years at least since partition and people now are not responsible for any of it. I think it's a case of a good story from the past to build a tourist industry over.
Of course they don't hate us individually but "Ireland" historically and today maintains a grievance against us for ills perpetrated in the past.
It's only three decades since Parliament passed the Leeds Supertram Act...
Leeds has a mass transit system: there's an extensive bus network and a pretty decent heavy rail one. There are also roads, by which masses of people do indeed transit.
What there isn't is a tram system. Nor should there be: trams are rubbish. If we're talking a metro then I'd be interested.
Trams are not rubbish. At a price below x per mile.
Everything is rubbish when it reaches a high enough price.
Trams are aesthetically nice. They make cities look more sophisticated and European. Like cobbles, outdoor cafes and church bells.
What's the problem with Adolescence. I thought it was amazing. Beyond amazing. Are there some kind of culture war overtones that went over my head. What are the right and left saying (as if it makes any difference, but still...).
I haven't watched it, not out of a refusal to do so, but because I don't watch loads of tv. White Lotus and football
The right are saying "How come the show that is supposedly so realistic is showing the perpetrator as a white boy from a loving, two parent family, when the stats show that black children from broken homes are disproportiate offenders?"
Philippe Sands is awesome, proving lawyers are the best of humanity.
Britain is backing plans for a Nuremberg-style trial of Vladimir Putin in the face of opposition from Donald Trump.
The UK will support proposals at the Council of Europe next month calling for Russians to be prosecuted for “crimes of aggression” during the invasion of Ukraine.
The idea would involve setting up a military tribunal, modelled on the Nazi trials after the Second World War, to prosecute Russian leaders and generals for war crimes.
Some lawyers, including Sir Keir Starmer’s long-time friend Philippe Sands, have suggested the ad hoc court should be established specifically to deal with crimes of aggression, which are defined by the United Nations as “invasion or attack by the armed forces of a state on the territory of another state, or any military occupation”.
Some Western countries, including the UK, have said that Russians should be tried on those grounds for the political decision to invade, not only for war crimes committed on Ukrainian soil once the war began.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague cannot examine the “crime of aggression”, and is not recognised by either Russia or the US.
The plan for a new court to examine crimes of aggression was first suggested in 2022. It was backed by the Ukrainian government and Joe Biden’s administration, which sent funding and American prosecutors to help set it up.
However, Donald Trump withdrew all US involvement in the plan after his inauguration in January, as part of his strategy to be more conciliatory towards Moscow.
Yes, I know I should. There is so much horror in WWII, and of course, other conflicts. I found Max Hastings' Nemesis and Lord Russell's Knights of Bushido similarly troubling reads.
I recently read "Three Tigers, One Mountain", a really interesting travelogue through Japan, South Korea, Manchuria, China and Taiwan, with a theme of how the 3 cultures feel about each other, particularly in light of 20th Century history. It's quite gruesome in parts, particularly around issues such as "Comfort Women", Unit 731, the Nanking massacre etc. There is an interesting love/hate relationship between the three. I was surprised by how much pro-Japanese feeling there was in Taiwan.
It also gave me pause for thought about our own legacy of Empire, particularly in India, Middle East and Africa, and our own relationship with our former colonial possessions. We were rarely as directly brutal as the Japanese Co-prosperity sphere, though neglect and economic exploitation of local people's was in the same order, and some development similarly beneficial. A lot of the issues around apology, refusal to apologise and compensation are not dissimilar.
The Chinese relationship with Japan is not love-hate. It is hate-hate. For reasons, many of which you seem to have just read about.
Well, it is more complicated than that.
Japan is amongst the most popular places for Chinese and Korean tourists, and vice versa for example, and modern Japanese culture is very popular in China.
It's more complicated, just like the relationship between us and our former colonies.
Of course it's more complicated. But there is a deep-seated antithetical feeling between "China' and "Japan".
Instead of our former colonies perhaps there is a better example closer to home. There is generally a great degree of resentment towards "Great Britain" by "Ireland". All in scare quotes because individually that is often not the case and there are great people flows and exchanges between the two countries. But more broadly, Ireland resents Britain for what it believes are terrible historic and ongoing injustices.
Likewise, more broadly, China is antipathetic towards Japan for those historic injustices and outrages.
I certainly agree that the relationship between Great Britain and Ireland has many similarities to Japan and China. Its a love/hate relationship too. Irish people watch British TV and news, we drink in Irish pubs and love to see the Irish horses, but there is deep historical grievance on both sides alongside.
I think it's more a hate/ignorance relationship. They hate us. We are ignorant about them.
Total crap. "They" don't hate "us" and many of "them" know that many many of "us" are descended from "them".
What about the Occupied Territories. Shouldn't we just get out?
It's only three decades since Parliament passed the Leeds Supertram Act...
Leeds has a mass transit system: there's an extensive bus network and a pretty decent heavy rail one. There are also roads, by which masses of people do indeed transit.
What there isn't is a tram system. Nor should there be: trams are rubbish. If we're talking a metro then I'd be interested.
Yet another idiot who thinks you can solve an economical malaise by dumping a big shiny taxpayer funded bit of infrastructure on it, like putting a garden gnome on a patch of weeds and expecting it to become a garden.
Leaving aside the abuse, which there really isn't any call for, it is indeed stupid to think that a bit of infrastructure *by itself* will resolve an economic malaise. But it does play a part if done properly and in conjunction with other measures.
It’s really simple - the easiest way to improve the quality of life for people is to offer them more opportunities for work by expanding the options within an x0 minute commute. That has an additional advantage as it also gives employers more options when trying to recruit people.
And the best way of doing that is improving public transport and the best way of doing that is by building a proper metro system
Guess which form of transport in London now has 1.3 million journeys per day, at a cost of less than £1 billion over the last 10 years?
Bicycle. There'd be even more with no infrastructure changes if poor driving was effectively policed.
What's the problem with Adolescence. I thought it was amazing. Beyond amazing. Are there some kind of culture war overtones that went over my head. What are the right and left saying (as if it makes any difference, but still...).
I haven't watched it, not out of a refusal to do so, but because I don't watch loads of tv. White Lotus and football
The right are saying "How come the show that is supposedly so realistic is showing the perpetrator as a white boy from a loving, two parent family, when the stats show that black children from broken homes are disproportiate offenders?"
It's only three decades since Parliament passed the Leeds Supertram Act...
Leeds has a mass transit system: there's an extensive bus network and a pretty decent heavy rail one. There are also roads, by which masses of people do indeed transit.
What there isn't is a tram system. Nor should there be: trams are rubbish. If we're talking a metro then I'd be interested.
Yet another idiot who thinks you can solve an economical malaise by dumping a big shiny taxpayer funded bit of infrastructure on it, like putting a garden gnome on a patch of weeds and expecting it to become a garden.
Leaving aside the abuse, which there really isn't any call for, it is indeed stupid to think that a bit of infrastructure *by itself* will resolve an economic malaise. But it does play a part if done properly and in conjunction with other measures.
It’s really simple - the easiest way to improve the quality of life for people is to offer them more opportunities for work by expanding the options within an x0 minute commute. That has an additional advantage as it also gives employers more options when trying to recruit people.
And the best way of doing that is improving public transport and the best way of doing that is by building a proper metro system
Guess which form of transport in London now has 1.3 million journeys per day, at a cost of less than £1 billion over the last 10 years?
Bicycle. There'd be even more with no infrastructure changes if poor driving was effectively policed.
Infrastructure really makes a difference though. The transformation of Paris from a city where bikes were rare to something not far off Amsterdam is quite something, and all down to infrastructure changes.
It's only three decades since Parliament passed the Leeds Supertram Act...
Leeds has a mass transit system: there's an extensive bus network and a pretty decent heavy rail one. There are also roads, by which masses of people do indeed transit.
What there isn't is a tram system. Nor should there be: trams are rubbish. If we're talking a metro then I'd be interested.
Trams are not rubbish. At a price below x per mile.
Everything is rubbish when it reaches a high enough price.
Until enough time has passed, the cost of it is forgotten, and the utility remains.
IMV with infrastructure, in the long term, it is rubbish if it is specced, or built, to be rubbish.
It’s a special kind of rubbish if it is so expensive that you can’t the votes to pay for it.
Other European nations have trams because they can build them for less than 3 trillion pounds an inch.
If they had U.K. costs for trams, they wouldn’t have them either.
Let’s do something so insane that we reduce the cost of trams in the U.K. to that of a hell hole like… Barcelona?
Yes, I know I should. There is so much horror in WWII, and of course, other conflicts. I found Max Hastings' Nemesis and Lord Russell's Knights of Bushido similarly troubling reads.
I recently read "Three Tigers, One Mountain", a really interesting travelogue through Japan, South Korea, Manchuria, China and Taiwan, with a theme of how the 3 cultures feel about each other, particularly in light of 20th Century history. It's quite gruesome in parts, particularly around issues such as "Comfort Women", Unit 731, the Nanking massacre etc. There is an interesting love/hate relationship between the three. I was surprised by how much pro-Japanese feeling there was in Taiwan.
It also gave me pause for thought about our own legacy of Empire, particularly in India, Middle East and Africa, and our own relationship with our former colonial possessions. We were rarely as directly brutal as the Japanese Co-prosperity sphere, though neglect and economic exploitation of local people's was in the same order, and some development similarly beneficial. A lot of the issues around apology, refusal to apologise and compensation are not dissimilar.
The Chinese relationship with Japan is not love-hate. It is hate-hate. For reasons, many of which you seem to have just read about.
Well, it is more complicated than that.
Japan is amongst the most popular places for Chinese and Korean tourists, and vice versa for example, and modern Japanese culture is very popular in China.
It's more complicated, just like the relationship between us and our former colonies.
Of course it's more complicated. But there is a deep-seated antithetical feeling between "China' and "Japan".
Instead of our former colonies perhaps there is a better example closer to home. There is generally a great degree of resentment towards "Great Britain" by "Ireland". All in scare quotes because individually that is often not the case and there are great people flows and exchanges between the two countries. But more broadly, Ireland resents Britain for what it believes are terrible historic and ongoing injustices.
Likewise, more broadly, China is antipathetic towards Japan for those historic injustices and outrages.
I certainly agree that the relationship between Great Britain and Ireland has many similarities to Japan and China. Its a love/hate relationship too. Irish people watch British TV and news, we drink in Irish pubs and love to see the Irish horses, but there is deep historical grievance on both sides alongside.
I think it's more a hate/ignorance relationship. They hate us. We are ignorant about them.
I don't think they hate us. My wife and I went to Dublin for a holiday a few years ago. The guides were quite chatty and friendly. The companies weren't averse to receiving our money as tourists so I'm sure they don't despise us that much. It's the old old story. It's a hundred years at least since partition and people now are not responsible for any of it. I think it's a case of a good story from the past to build a tourist industry over.
Yes, that's my experience of travelling in Ireland, and the Irish people I have met elsewhere.
"Irish-Americans" are a different kettle of fish entirely.
It's only three decades since Parliament passed the Leeds Supertram Act...
Leeds has a mass transit system: there's an extensive bus network and a pretty decent heavy rail one. There are also roads, by which masses of people do indeed transit.
What there isn't is a tram system. Nor should there be: trams are rubbish. If we're talking a metro then I'd be interested.
Trams are not rubbish. At a price below x per mile.
Everything is rubbish when it reaches a high enough price.
Until enough time has passed, the cost of it is forgotten, and the utility remains.
IMV with infrastructure, in the long term, it is rubbish if it is specced, or built, to be rubbish.
It’s a special kind of rubbish if it is so expensive that you can’t the votes to pay for it.
Other European nations have trams because they can build them for less than 3 trillion pounds an inch.
If they had U.K. costs for trams, they wouldn’t have them either.
Let’s do something so insane that we reduce the cost of trams in the U.K. to that of a hell hole like… Barcelona?
Until you edited that, it was quite a weird comment....
What's the problem with Adolescence. I thought it was amazing. Beyond amazing. Are there some kind of culture war overtones that went over my head. What are the right and left saying (as if it makes any difference, but still...).
I haven't watched it, not out of a refusal to do so, but because I don't watch loads of tv. White Lotus and football
The right are saying "How come the show that is supposedly so realistic is showing the perpetrator as a white boy from a loving, two parent family, when the stats show that black children from broken homes are disproportiate offenders?"
What's the problem with Adolescence. I thought it was amazing. Beyond amazing. Are there some kind of culture war overtones that went over my head. What are the right and left saying (as if it makes any difference, but still...).
I haven't watched it, not out of a refusal to do so, but because I don't watch loads of tv. White Lotus and football
The right are saying "How come the show that is supposedly so realistic is showing the perpetrator as a white boy from a loving, two parent family, when the stats show that black children from broken homes are disproportiate offenders?"
Incidentally, as per @Cyclefree header the other day, I opposed showing Adolescence in schools. Not least because even intelligent adults often misinterpret it, see below on that header.
I definitely think it should be shown in schools. The dangers and issues it deals with are, as you note, nothing to do with race but all about the challenges facing teenagers and young adults in the age of social media, social media influencers, and the pervasive nature of the internet in their lives.
I wouldn't have thought about race for one moment. It wasn't' immediately clear what race the victim was.
"The Right" have got it wrong on this one. As, I suppose, with so much else.
If that is your view, then you have to accept that, objectively, it is not 'the right' that is out on some 'culture war' limb, it's you. A moderate view would be that people should watch the TV drama they want to watch. It is a fringe view that kids should be trooped into the school hall to watch a violent drama because it imparts such a profound moral, and that not having watched it should lead to an attempted mugging on the BBC Breakfast sofa.
Yes, I know I should. There is so much horror in WWII, and of course, other conflicts. I found Max Hastings' Nemesis and Lord Russell's Knights of Bushido similarly troubling reads.
I recently read "Three Tigers, One Mountain", a really interesting travelogue through Japan, South Korea, Manchuria, China and Taiwan, with a theme of how the 3 cultures feel about each other, particularly in light of 20th Century history. It's quite gruesome in parts, particularly around issues such as "Comfort Women", Unit 731, the Nanking massacre etc. There is an interesting love/hate relationship between the three. I was surprised by how much pro-Japanese feeling there was in Taiwan.
It also gave me pause for thought about our own legacy of Empire, particularly in India, Middle East and Africa, and our own relationship with our former colonial possessions. We were rarely as directly brutal as the Japanese Co-prosperity sphere, though neglect and economic exploitation of local people's was in the same order, and some development similarly beneficial. A lot of the issues around apology, refusal to apologise and compensation are not dissimilar.
The Chinese relationship with Japan is not love-hate. It is hate-hate. For reasons, many of which you seem to have just read about.
Well, it is more complicated than that.
Japan is amongst the most popular places for Chinese and Korean tourists, and vice versa for example, and modern Japanese culture is very popular in China.
It's more complicated, just like the relationship between us and our former colonies.
Of course it's more complicated. But there is a deep-seated antithetical feeling between "China' and "Japan".
Instead of our former colonies perhaps there is a better example closer to home. There is generally a great degree of resentment towards "Great Britain" by "Ireland". All in scare quotes because individually that is often not the case and there are great people flows and exchanges between the two countries. But more broadly, Ireland resents Britain for what it believes are terrible historic and ongoing injustices.
Likewise, more broadly, China is antipathetic towards Japan for those historic injustices and outrages.
I certainly agree that the relationship between Great Britain and Ireland has many similarities to Japan and China. Its a love/hate relationship too. Irish people watch British TV and news, we drink in Irish pubs and love to see the Irish horses, but there is deep historical grievance on both sides alongside.
I think it's more a hate/ignorance relationship. They hate us. We are ignorant about them.
Total crap. "They" don't hate "us" and many of "them" know that many many of "us" are descended from "them".
What about the Occupied Territories. Shouldn't we just get out?
There are a large number of people in the Republic that are quite happy for the UK to keep the Six Counties. Reunification is not quite as popular as many of "us" think
What's the problem with Adolescence. I thought it was amazing. Beyond amazing. Are there some kind of culture war overtones that went over my head. What are the right and left saying (as if it makes any difference, but still...).
I haven't watched it, not out of a refusal to do so, but because I don't watch loads of tv. White Lotus and football
The right are saying "How come the show that is supposedly so realistic is showing the perpetrator as a white boy from a loving, two parent family, when the stats show that black children from broken homes are disproportiate offenders?"
What's the problem with Adolescence. I thought it was amazing. Beyond amazing. Are there some kind of culture war overtones that went over my head. What are the right and left saying (as if it makes any difference, but still...).
I haven't watched it, not out of a refusal to do so, but because I don't watch loads of tv. White Lotus and football
The right are saying "How come the show that is supposedly so realistic is showing the perpetrator as a white boy from a loving, two parent family, when the stats show that black children from broken homes are disproportiate offenders?"
Yes, I know I should. There is so much horror in WWII, and of course, other conflicts. I found Max Hastings' Nemesis and Lord Russell's Knights of Bushido similarly troubling reads.
I recently read "Three Tigers, One Mountain", a really interesting travelogue through Japan, South Korea, Manchuria, China and Taiwan, with a theme of how the 3 cultures feel about each other, particularly in light of 20th Century history. It's quite gruesome in parts, particularly around issues such as "Comfort Women", Unit 731, the Nanking massacre etc. There is an interesting love/hate relationship between the three. I was surprised by how much pro-Japanese feeling there was in Taiwan.
It also gave me pause for thought about our own legacy of Empire, particularly in India, Middle East and Africa, and our own relationship with our former colonial possessions. We were rarely as directly brutal as the Japanese Co-prosperity sphere, though neglect and economic exploitation of local people's was in the same order, and some development similarly beneficial. A lot of the issues around apology, refusal to apologise and compensation are not dissimilar.
The Chinese relationship with Japan is not love-hate. It is hate-hate. For reasons, many of which you seem to have just read about.
Well, it is more complicated than that.
Japan is amongst the most popular places for Chinese and Korean tourists, and vice versa for example, and modern Japanese culture is very popular in China.
It's more complicated, just like the relationship between us and our former colonies.
Of course it's more complicated. But there is a deep-seated antithetical feeling between "China' and "Japan".
Instead of our former colonies perhaps there is a better example closer to home. There is generally a great degree of resentment towards "Great Britain" by "Ireland". All in scare quotes because individually that is often not the case and there are great people flows and exchanges between the two countries. But more broadly, Ireland resents Britain for what it believes are terrible historic and ongoing injustices.
Likewise, more broadly, China is antipathetic towards Japan for those historic injustices and outrages.
I certainly agree that the relationship between Great Britain and Ireland has many similarities to Japan and China. Its a love/hate relationship too. Irish people watch British TV and news, we drink in Irish pubs and love to see the Irish horses, but there is deep historical grievance on both sides alongside.
I think it's more a hate/ignorance relationship. They hate us. We are ignorant about them.
I don't think they hate us. My wife and I went to Dublin for a holiday a few years ago. The guides were quite chatty and friendly. The companies weren't averse to receiving our money as tourists so I'm sure they don't despise us that much. It's the old old story. It's a hundred years at least since partition and people now are not responsible for any of it. I think it's a case of a good story from the past to build a tourist industry over.
Of course they don't hate us individually but "Ireland" historically and today maintains a grievance against us for ills perpetrated in the past.
In the words of the great Vic and Bob, "they wouldn't let it lie"
Yes, I know I should. There is so much horror in WWII, and of course, other conflicts. I found Max Hastings' Nemesis and Lord Russell's Knights of Bushido similarly troubling reads.
I recently read "Three Tigers, One Mountain", a really interesting travelogue through Japan, South Korea, Manchuria, China and Taiwan, with a theme of how the 3 cultures feel about each other, particularly in light of 20th Century history. It's quite gruesome in parts, particularly around issues such as "Comfort Women", Unit 731, the Nanking massacre etc. There is an interesting love/hate relationship between the three. I was surprised by how much pro-Japanese feeling there was in Taiwan.
It also gave me pause for thought about our own legacy of Empire, particularly in India, Middle East and Africa, and our own relationship with our former colonial possessions. We were rarely as directly brutal as the Japanese Co-prosperity sphere, though neglect and economic exploitation of local people's was in the same order, and some development similarly beneficial. A lot of the issues around apology, refusal to apologise and compensation are not dissimilar.
The Chinese relationship with Japan is not love-hate. It is hate-hate. For reasons, many of which you seem to have just read about.
Well, it is more complicated than that.
Japan is amongst the most popular places for Chinese and Korean tourists, and vice versa for example, and modern Japanese culture is very popular in China.
It's more complicated, just like the relationship between us and our former colonies.
Of course it's more complicated. But there is a deep-seated antithetical feeling between "China' and "Japan".
Instead of our former colonies perhaps there is a better example closer to home. There is generally a great degree of resentment towards "Great Britain" by "Ireland". All in scare quotes because individually that is often not the case and there are great people flows and exchanges between the two countries. But more broadly, Ireland resents Britain for what it believes are terrible historic and ongoing injustices.
Likewise, more broadly, China is antipathetic towards Japan for those historic injustices and outrages.
I certainly agree that the relationship between Great Britain and Ireland has many similarities to Japan and China. Its a love/hate relationship too. Irish people watch British TV and news, we drink in Irish pubs and love to see the Irish horses, but there is deep historical grievance on both sides alongside.
I think it's more a hate/ignorance relationship. They hate us. We are ignorant about them.
I don't think they hate us. My wife and I went to Dublin for a holiday a few years ago. The guides were quite chatty and friendly. The companies weren't averse to receiving our money as tourists so I'm sure they don't despise us that much. It's the old old story. It's a hundred years at least since partition and people now are not responsible for any of it. I think it's a case of a good story from the past to build a tourist industry over.
Yes, that's my experience of travelling in Ireland, and the Irish people I have met elsewhere.
"Irish-Americans" are a different kettle of fish entirely.
I always find it amusing that many so-called Irish-Americans are a lot less Irish than me (I consider myself English with part Irish ancestry). A friend of mine told me recently that he was chastised by an American (Irish-American) woman in New York for "putting on an Irish accent". He told her he had always spoken like that. He is from Cork.
What's the problem with Adolescence. I thought it was amazing. Beyond amazing. Are there some kind of culture war overtones that went over my head. What are the right and left saying (as if it makes any difference, but still...).
I haven't watched it, not out of a refusal to do so, but because I don't watch loads of tv. White Lotus and football
The right are saying "How come the show that is supposedly so realistic is showing the perpetrator as a white boy from a loving, two parent family, when the stats show that black children from broken homes are disproportiate offenders?"
Philippe Sands is awesome, proving lawyers are the best of humanity.
Britain is backing plans for a Nuremberg-style trial of Vladimir Putin in the face of opposition from Donald Trump.
The UK will support proposals at the Council of Europe next month calling for Russians to be prosecuted for “crimes of aggression” during the invasion of Ukraine.
The idea would involve setting up a military tribunal, modelled on the Nazi trials after the Second World War, to prosecute Russian leaders and generals for war crimes.
Some lawyers, including Sir Keir Starmer’s long-time friend Philippe Sands, have suggested the ad hoc court should be established specifically to deal with crimes of aggression, which are defined by the United Nations as “invasion or attack by the armed forces of a state on the territory of another state, or any military occupation”.
Some Western countries, including the UK, have said that Russians should be tried on those grounds for the political decision to invade, not only for war crimes committed on Ukrainian soil once the war began.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague cannot examine the “crime of aggression”, and is not recognised by either Russia or the US.
The plan for a new court to examine crimes of aggression was first suggested in 2022. It was backed by the Ukrainian government and Joe Biden’s administration, which sent funding and American prosecutors to help set it up.
However, Donald Trump withdrew all US involvement in the plan after his inauguration in January, as part of his strategy to be more conciliatory towards Moscow.
It's only three decades since Parliament passed the Leeds Supertram Act...
Leeds has a mass transit system: there's an extensive bus network and a pretty decent heavy rail one. There are also roads, by which masses of people do indeed transit.
What there isn't is a tram system. Nor should there be: trams are rubbish. If we're talking a metro then I'd be interested.
Trams are not rubbish. At a price below x per mile.
Everything is rubbish when it reaches a high enough price.
Trams are aesthetically nice. They make cities look more sophisticated and European. Like cobbles, outdoor cafes and church bells.
I misread that for a moment and inadvertently replaced replaced the "m" with an "n" in the word "trams". Made the sentence quite interesting.
It's only three decades since Parliament passed the Leeds Supertram Act...
Leeds has a mass transit system: there's an extensive bus network and a pretty decent heavy rail one. There are also roads, by which masses of people do indeed transit.
What there isn't is a tram system. Nor should there be: trams are rubbish. If we're talking a metro then I'd be interested.
Trams are not rubbish. At a price below x per mile.
Everything is rubbish when it reaches a high enough price.
No, I agree with the original post. Trams have to follow tram lines. Buses don’t. So have buses.
What's the problem with Adolescence. I thought it was amazing. Beyond amazing. Are there some kind of culture war overtones that went over my head. What are the right and left saying (as if it makes any difference, but still...).
I haven't watched it, not out of a refusal to do so, but because I don't watch loads of tv. White Lotus and football
The right are saying "How come the show that is supposedly so realistic is showing the perpetrator as a white boy from a loving, two parent family, when the stats show that black children from broken homes are disproportiate offenders?"
It helps of course to form your opinion of the drama without the inconvenience of having to watch it.
A number of commentators both here and in the legacy media do that, not least Badenoch.
But why should she watch it simply to inform herself about issues like toxic masculinity ?
The whole ‘why haven’t you watched this’ gotcha is bonkers.
I haven’t seen it as I don’t have Netflix. If I did I’d have probably given it a go
There are multiple other sources of information on misogyny, not least the actual experience of daily life.
It was typical of her ineptness and consumption of right wing Social Media that she waded into arguments about the drama. She raised it first, and doesn't seem to have done her homework since.
The combination of half baked opinion derived from Social Media, thin skin and aggressiveness is pretty characteristic of her leadership. It's why she gets it wrong so often.
What's the problem with Adolescence. I thought it was amazing. Beyond amazing. Are there some kind of culture war overtones that went over my head. What are the right and left saying (as if it makes any difference, but still...).
I haven't watched it, not out of a refusal to do so, but because I don't watch loads of tv. White Lotus and football
The right are saying "How come the show that is supposedly so realistic is showing the perpetrator as a white boy from a loving, two parent family, when the stats show that black children from broken homes are disproportiate offenders?"
It helps of course to form your opinion of the drama without the inconvenience of having to watch it.
A number of commentators both here and in the legacy media do that, not least Badenoch.
But why should she watch it simply to inform herself about issues like toxic masculinity ?
The whole ‘why haven’t you watched this’ gotcha is bonkers.
I haven’t seen it as I don’t have Netflix. If I did I’d have probably given it a go
I watched it as I am a sucker for a miniseries bingewatch. Not sure it should be held up as a totem though. I was more perturbed by the chaos in the classrooms. They obviously have deteriorated a lot in 5 years!!!
What's the problem with Adolescence. I thought it was amazing. Beyond amazing. Are there some kind of culture war overtones that went over my head. What are the right and left saying (as if it makes any difference, but still...).
I haven't watched it, not out of a refusal to do so, but because I don't watch loads of tv. White Lotus and football
The right are saying "How come the show that is supposedly so realistic is showing the perpetrator as a white boy from a loving, two parent family, when the stats show that black children from broken homes are disproportiate offenders?"
'Officials at the Cabinet Office - headed by Pat McFadden - are being told today that 2,100 of their 6,500 jobs will be cut or moved to other parts of government over the next two years. Along with other reforms, the Cabinet Office says the cuts will save £110m a year by 2028.'
What's the problem with Adolescence. I thought it was amazing. Beyond amazing. Are there some kind of culture war overtones that went over my head. What are the right and left saying (as if it makes any difference, but still...).
I haven't watched it, not out of a refusal to do so, but because I don't watch loads of tv. White Lotus and football
The right are saying "How come the show that is supposedly so realistic is showing the perpetrator as a white boy from a loving, two parent family, when the stats show that black children from broken homes are disproportiate offenders?"
It helps of course to form your opinion of the drama without the inconvenience of having to watch it.
A number of commentators both here and in the legacy media do that, not least Badenoch.
But why should she watch it simply to inform herself about issues like toxic masculinity ?
The whole ‘why haven’t you watched this’ gotcha is bonkers.
I haven’t seen it as I don’t have Netflix. If I did I’d have probably given it a go
The fact that you haven’t immediately subscribed to Netflix to watch it, means you are a Toxic Incel Terrorist supporter of Andrew Tate.
If you have watched it, you are Woke Man Hating Terrorist.
As I have been married for many years I am certainly an Incel these days and probably as I drift through my remaining years on earth until oblivion beckons. C’est La Vie.
I wouldn’t even know who Andrew Tate was had the BBC not banged on about him repeatedly.
What's the problem with Adolescence. I thought it was amazing. Beyond amazing. Are there some kind of culture war overtones that went over my head. What are the right and left saying (as if it makes any difference, but still...).
I haven't watched it, not out of a refusal to do so, but because I don't watch loads of tv. White Lotus and football
The right are saying "How come the show that is supposedly so realistic is showing the perpetrator as a white boy from a loving, two parent family, when the stats show that black children from broken homes are disproportiate offenders?"
It's only three decades since Parliament passed the Leeds Supertram Act...
Leeds has a mass transit system: there's an extensive bus network and a pretty decent heavy rail one. There are also roads, by which masses of people do indeed transit.
What there isn't is a tram system. Nor should there be: trams are rubbish. If we're talking a metro then I'd be interested.
Horses for courses to mix a metaphor. One tram can take the same number of passengers as five buses. So if you have a route requiring that number of buses you are better off with a tram to avoid congestion, particularly if you can go off road for part of the journey.
It's only three decades since Parliament passed the Leeds Supertram Act...
Leeds has a mass transit system: there's an extensive bus network and a pretty decent heavy rail one. There are also roads, by which masses of people do indeed transit.
What there isn't is a tram system. Nor should there be: trams are rubbish. If we're talking a metro then I'd be interested.
Trams are not rubbish. At a price below x per mile.
Everything is rubbish when it reaches a high enough price.
Trams are aesthetically nice. They make cities look more sophisticated and European. Like cobbles, outdoor cafes and church bells.
I misread that for a moment and inadvertently replaced replaced the "m" with an "n" in the word "trams". Made the sentence quite interesting.
Surefire way to inject a bit of Euro sophistication into a city.
It's only three decades since Parliament passed the Leeds Supertram Act...
Leeds has a mass transit system: there's an extensive bus network and a pretty decent heavy rail one. There are also roads, by which masses of people do indeed transit.
What there isn't is a tram system. Nor should there be: trams are rubbish. If we're talking a metro then I'd be interested.
Horses for courses to mix a metaphor. One tram can take the same number of passengers as five buses. So if you have a route requiring that number of buses you are better off with a tram to avoid congestion, particularly if you can go off road for part of the journey.
What's the problem with Adolescence. I thought it was amazing. Beyond amazing. Are there some kind of culture war overtones that went over my head. What are the right and left saying (as if it makes any difference, but still...).
I haven't watched it, not out of a refusal to do so, but because I don't watch loads of tv. White Lotus and football
The right are saying "How come the show that is supposedly so realistic is showing the perpetrator as a white boy from a loving, two parent family, when the stats show that black children from broken homes are disproportiate offenders?"
It helps of course to form your opinion of the drama without the inconvenience of having to watch it.
A number of commentators both here and in the legacy media do that, not least Badenoch.
The 'everyone must watch so and so' brigade are slightly annoying, as it assumes a particular immunity; by definition no-one who hasn't seen it can say 'no they need not' without being asked 'how do you know if you haven't seen it?'.
The reality of course is that no-one on the entire planet has watched much or read much in comparison to the totality of the trillions and trillions of hours worth and pages there are to be seen and read.
'Officials at the Cabinet Office - headed by Pat McFadden - are being told today that 2,100 of their 6,500 jobs will be cut or moved to other parts of government over the next two years. Along with other reforms, the Cabinet Office says the cuts will save £110m a year by 2028.'
It's only three decades since Parliament passed the Leeds Supertram Act...
Leeds has a mass transit system: there's an extensive bus network and a pretty decent heavy rail one. There are also roads, by which masses of people do indeed transit.
What there isn't is a tram system. Nor should there be: trams are rubbish. If we're talking a metro then I'd be interested.
Trams are not rubbish. At a price below x per mile.
Everything is rubbish when it reaches a high enough price.
No, I agree with the original post. Trams have to follow tram lines. Buses don’t. So have buses.
On Reform can anyone explain why they seem to be unaffected by Trump's antics ?
Because we have quite possibly the world's shittest Government, the Tories aren't yet trusted, and people realise we need to get shot of them yesterday regardless of their dislike or otherwise of a foreign potentate or two?
It is true they are not brilliant and their comms are absolutely shocking. Waiting lists down but who knew? 24,000 illegals removed, but who knew? But they have a long way still to fall to reach the dizzying descent of your girl.
What's the problem with Adolescence. I thought it was amazing. Beyond amazing. Are there some kind of culture war overtones that went over my head. What are the right and left saying (as if it makes any difference, but still...).
I haven't watched it, not out of a refusal to do so, but because I don't watch loads of tv. White Lotus and football
The right are saying "How come the show that is supposedly so realistic is showing the perpetrator as a white boy from a loving, two parent family, when the stats show that black children from broken homes are disproportiate offenders?"
Incidentally, as per @Cyclefree header the other day, I opposed showing Adolescence in schools. Not least because even intelligent adults often misinterpret it, see below on that header.
The narrative now is more Badenoch's refusal to watch and her subsequent angry analysis of something she has never seen. She reminds me of Jasper Carrot's "nutter on the bus" over her response (Islamic terrorism, race switching the guilty and anything else tangential she can think of) to this story.
Yes, I know I should. There is so much horror in WWII, and of course, other conflicts. I found Max Hastings' Nemesis and Lord Russell's Knights of Bushido similarly troubling reads.
I recently read "Three Tigers, One Mountain", a really interesting travelogue through Japan, South Korea, Manchuria, China and Taiwan, with a theme of how the 3 cultures feel about each other, particularly in light of 20th Century history. It's quite gruesome in parts, particularly around issues such as "Comfort Women", Unit 731, the Nanking massacre etc. There is an interesting love/hate relationship between the three. I was surprised by how much pro-Japanese feeling there was in Taiwan.
It also gave me pause for thought about our own legacy of Empire, particularly in India, Middle East and Africa, and our own relationship with our former colonial possessions. We were rarely as directly brutal as the Japanese Co-prosperity sphere, though neglect and economic exploitation of local people's was in the same order, and some development similarly beneficial. A lot of the issues around apology, refusal to apologise and compensation are not dissimilar.
The Chinese relationship with Japan is not love-hate. It is hate-hate. For reasons, many of which you seem to have just read about.
Well, it is more complicated than that.
Japan is amongst the most popular places for Chinese and Korean tourists, and vice versa for example, and modern Japanese culture is very popular in China.
It's more complicated, just like the relationship between us and our former colonies.
Of course it's more complicated. But there is a deep-seated antithetical feeling between "China' and "Japan".
Instead of our former colonies perhaps there is a better example closer to home. There is generally a great degree of resentment towards "Great Britain" by "Ireland". All in scare quotes because individually that is often not the case and there are great people flows and exchanges between the two countries. But more broadly, Ireland resents Britain for what it believes are terrible historic and ongoing injustices.
Likewise, more broadly, China is antipathetic towards Japan for those historic injustices and outrages.
I certainly agree that the relationship between Great Britain and Ireland has many similarities to Japan and China. Its a love/hate relationship too. Irish people watch British TV and news, we drink in Irish pubs and love to see the Irish horses, but there is deep historical grievance on both sides alongside.
I think it's more a hate/ignorance relationship. They hate us. We are ignorant about them.
Total crap. "They" don't hate "us" and many of "them" know that many many of "us" are descended from "them".
What about the Occupied Territories. Shouldn't we just get out?
There are a large number of people in the Republic that are quite happy for the UK to keep the Six Counties. Reunification is not quite as popular as many of "us" think
Radical Right Lunatics won the Irish Republic election in 2024, Radical Left Lunatics won the Northern Irish (Westminster) election in 2024.
On Reform can anyone explain why they seem to be unaffected by Trump's antics ?
Because we have quite possibly the world's shittest Government, the Tories aren't yet trusted, and people realise we need to get shot of them yesterday regardless of their dislike or otherwise of a foreign potentate or two?
It is true they are not brilliant and their comms are absolutely shocking. Waiting lists down but who knew? 24,000 illegals removed, but who knew? But they have a long way still to fall to reach the dizzying descent of your girl.
In terms of the NHS waiting lists I was surprised how little attention the media gave it . There was good news on waiting lists , extra appointments and cancer treatment. As for Reform they’re just saying yes to any policies that poll well with the public without a clue as to how any would be delivered .
The Republican-led House just passed a bill that would require people prove they were U.S. citizens when they registered to vote, 220-208, with four Democrats joining Republicans. The bill, which is unlikely to make it through the Senate, echoes an executive order President Trump signed last month as part of his push to tighten voting laws tied to debunked claims of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election.
What's the problem with Adolescence. I thought it was amazing. Beyond amazing. Are there some kind of culture war overtones that went over my head. What are the right and left saying (as if it makes any difference, but still...).
I haven't watched it, not out of a refusal to do so, but because I don't watch loads of tv. White Lotus and football
The right are saying "How come the show that is supposedly so realistic is showing the perpetrator as a white boy from a loving, two parent family, when the stats show that black children from broken homes are disproportiate offenders?"
What's the problem with Adolescence. I thought it was amazing. Beyond amazing. Are there some kind of culture war overtones that went over my head. What are the right and left saying (as if it makes any difference, but still...).
I haven't watched it, not out of a refusal to do so, but because I don't watch loads of tv. White Lotus and football
The right are saying "How come the show that is supposedly so realistic is showing the perpetrator as a white boy from a loving, two parent family, when the stats show that black children from broken homes are disproportiate offenders?"
It helps of course to form your opinion of the drama without the inconvenience of having to watch it.
A number of commentators both here and in the legacy media do that, not least Badenoch.
But why should she watch it simply to inform herself about issues like toxic masculinity ?
The whole ‘why haven’t you watched this’ gotcha is bonkers.
I haven’t seen it as I don’t have Netflix. If I did I’d have probably given it a go
The fact that you haven’t immediately subscribed to Netflix to watch it, means you are a Toxic Incel Terrorist supporter of Andrew Tate.
If you have watched it, you are Woke Man Hating Terrorist.
As I have been married for many years I am certainly an Incel these days and probably as I drift through my remaining years on earth until oblivion beckons. C’est La Vie.
I wouldn’t even know who Andrew Tate was had the BBC not banged on about him repeatedly.
Nigel Farage says let private water companies go bust.
Nigel is still a Thatcherite after all?
I don't think the great woman would agree. She despised fascists. His apologist views on Putin would disgust her
I meant in terms of letting water companies (and their shareholders) go bust. Wasn't that always the ideological end point of Thatcherism? Let the market decide if a company was viable or not, rather than the government (tax payer) keeping it going.
On his views over Trump, Putin, Russia, etc... Then yes. The Iron lady would indeed be appalled!
Aaron Rupar @atrupar · 1h Bondi: "Within the next 24 hours you're going to be seeing another huge arrest on a Tesla dealership, president. And that person will be looking at at least 20 years in prison with no negotiations."
Discussing PMQs. As Lord Callaghan notes, in his day and up to then, the Prime Minister would deflect questions to the relevant departmental minister and only answer wider policy questions. It was Mrs Thatcher who changed this, as part of the concentration of power at Number 10.
On Reform can anyone explain why they seem to be unaffected by Trump's antics ?
Because we have quite possibly the world's shittest Government, the Tories aren't yet trusted, and people realise we need to get shot of them yesterday regardless of their dislike or otherwise of a foreign potentate or two?
It is true they are not brilliant and their comms are absolutely shocking. Waiting lists down but who knew? 24,000 illegals removed, but who knew? But they have a long way still to fall to reach the dizzying descent of your girl.
In terms of the NHS waiting lists I was surprised how little attention the media gave it . There was good news on waiting lists , extra appointments and cancer treatment. As for Reform they’re just saying yes to any policies that poll well with the public without a clue as to how any would be delivered .
Aaron Rupar @atrupar · 1h Bondi: "Within the next 24 hours you're going to be seeing another huge arrest on a Tesla dealership, president. And that person will be looking at at least 20 years in prison with no negotiations."
On Reform can anyone explain why they seem to be unaffected by Trump's antics ?
Because we have quite possibly the world's shittest Government, the Tories aren't yet trusted, and people realise we need to get shot of them yesterday regardless of their dislike or otherwise of a foreign potentate or two?
It is true they are not brilliant and their comms are absolutely shocking. Waiting lists down but who knew? 24,000 illegals removed, but who knew? But they have a long way still to fall to reach the dizzying descent of your girl.
In terms of the NHS waiting lists I was surprised how little attention the media gave it . There was good news on waiting lists , extra appointments and cancer treatment. As for Reform they’re just saying yes to any policies that poll well with the public without a clue as to how any would be delivered .
The trouble with NHS waiting lists is that shouting too loudly risks angering those still struggling for GP appointments.
On Reform can anyone explain why they seem to be unaffected by Trump's antics ?
Because we have quite possibly the world's shittest Government, the Tories aren't yet trusted, and people realise we need to get shot of them yesterday regardless of their dislike or otherwise of a foreign potentate or two?
It is true they are not brilliant and their comms are absolutely shocking. Waiting lists down but who knew? 24,000 illegals removed, but who knew? But they have a long way still to fall to reach the dizzying descent of your girl.
In terms of the NHS waiting lists I was surprised how little attention the media gave it . There was good news on waiting lists , extra appointments and cancer treatment. As for Reform they’re just saying yes to any policies that poll well with the public without a clue as to how any would be delivered .
The trouble with NHS waiting lists is that shouting too loudly risks angering those still struggling for GP appointments.
Besides which the drops in waiting lists are less than 0.5% hardly worth shouting about
Aaron Rupar @atrupar · 1h Bondi: "Within the next 24 hours you're going to be seeing another huge arrest on a Tesla dealership, president. And that person will be looking at at least 20 years in prison with no negotiations."
Aaron Rupar @atrupar · 1h Bondi: "Within the next 24 hours you're going to be seeing another huge arrest on a Tesla dealership, president. And that person will be looking at at least 20 years in prison with no negotiations."
He was only appointed last July, and I think he's toast if the claims are true, as may be the Eligibility Checker. His SM posts may not have been found because they were on Linkedin. He's a poetic chap.
eg 2019:
"Boris and Davis and May; one lies, one’s thick, one’s grey. These terrible crooks; so different in looks; should not have the final say."
eg 2012:
“Donald Trump looks like a bulldog who, before commencing to lick piss off a nettle, has carefully scraped his bum-hair forward over his head like a tsunami breaking on the rock of his gruff, canine brow.”
“I don’t need to watch Casualty to know what's going on in the NHS,” said Kemi Badenoch, when she was asked on the BBC if she had watched Adolescence yet.
The presenters could not believe what they had heard. “Why would you not want to know what people are talking about?”
Badenoch replied that the issues of toxic masculinity and smartphone use are ”important issues and they are issues that I’ve been talking about for some time”. She reminded her interviewers: “It’s a fictional series.”
“You’re comparing Adolescence with Casualty: did you really mean to say that?” A surprising question from a BBC presenter, implying that a Netflix series is more important than a mere BBC soap opera.
Badenoch really did mean to say that, and she is quite right too.
On Reform can anyone explain why they seem to be unaffected by Trump's antics ?
Because we have quite possibly the world's shittest Government, the Tories aren't yet trusted, and people realise we need to get shot of them yesterday regardless of their dislike or otherwise of a foreign potentate or two?
It is true they are not brilliant and their comms are absolutely shocking. Waiting lists down but who knew? 24,000 illegals removed, but who knew? But they have a long way still to fall to reach the dizzying descent of your girl.
In terms of the NHS waiting lists I was surprised how little attention the media gave it . There was good news on waiting lists , extra appointments and cancer treatment. As for Reform they’re just saying yes to any policies that poll well with the public without a clue as to how any would be delivered .
The trouble with NHS waiting lists is that shouting too loudly risks angering those still struggling for GP appointments.
Besides which the drops in waiting lists are less than 0.5% hardly worth shouting about
The fact they're not increasing is achievement enough. But largely down to the prior government, I'd guess. Too soon for Streeting's influence to show.
On Reform can anyone explain why they seem to be unaffected by Trump's antics ?
Because we have quite possibly the world's shittest Government, the Tories aren't yet trusted, and people realise we need to get shot of them yesterday regardless of their dislike or otherwise of a foreign potentate or two?
It is true they are not brilliant and their comms are absolutely shocking. Waiting lists down but who knew? 24,000 illegals removed, but who knew? But they have a long way still to fall to reach the dizzying descent of your girl.
In terms of the NHS waiting lists I was surprised how little attention the media gave it . There was good news on waiting lists , extra appointments and cancer treatment. As for Reform they’re just saying yes to any policies that poll well with the public without a clue as to how any would be delivered .
The trouble with NHS waiting lists is that shouting too loudly risks angering those still struggling for GP appointments.
Besides which the drops in waiting lists are less than 0.5% hardly worth shouting about
The fact they're not increasing is achievement enough. But largely down to the prior government, I'd guess. Too soon for Streeting's influence to show.
Doesn't really matter who it is down to they need to drop quicker, 24k out of 7 mill is a drop in the ocean on the whole
“I don’t need to watch Casualty to know what's going on in the NHS,” said Kemi Badenoch, when she was asked on the BBC if she had watched Adolescence yet.
The presenters could not believe what they had heard. “Why would you not want to know what people are talking about?”
Badenoch replied that the issues of toxic masculinity and smartphone use are ”important issues and they are issues that I’ve been talking about for some time”. She reminded her interviewers: “It’s a fictional series.”
“You’re comparing Adolescence with Casualty: did you really mean to say that?” A surprising question from a BBC presenter, implying that a Netflix series is more important than a mere BBC soap opera.
Badenoch really did mean to say that, and she is quite right too.
It's getting near the point where trade between the two just near-enough stops. Presumably that will also involve China not buying any more US bonds and probably continuing to wind down its current stock, which will put upwards pressure on interest rates.
I don't think Trump has any idea of the value of the US dollar as the global reserve, and the extent to which he's risking that status with his current policies.
No of possibilities with Trump. 1. Hes a russian asset bent on destroying the united states. 2. Its all about the grift hence the constant pumping and crashing of markets to enrich himself. 3. Hes a genuine moron.
I think its a combination of 2 and 3 though cant discount 1.
On Reform can anyone explain why they seem to be unaffected by Trump's antics ?
Because we have quite possibly the world's shittest Government, the Tories aren't yet trusted, and people realise we need to get shot of them yesterday regardless of their dislike or otherwise of a foreign potentate or two?
It is true they are not brilliant and their comms are absolutely shocking. Waiting lists down but who knew? 24,000 illegals removed, but who knew? But they have a long way still to fall to reach the dizzying descent of your girl.
In terms of the NHS waiting lists I was surprised how little attention the media gave it . There was good news on waiting lists , extra appointments and cancer treatment. As for Reform they’re just saying yes to any policies that poll well with the public without a clue as to how any would be delivered .
The trouble with NHS waiting lists is that shouting too loudly risks angering those still struggling for GP appointments.
Besides which the drops in waiting lists are less than 0.5% hardly worth shouting about
The fact they're not increasing is achievement enough. But largely down to the prior government, I'd guess. Too soon for Streeting's influence to show.
Mostly it's resolving the strikes, but also a big push from management. Considering that this was the worst flu season for some years, any reduction in the elective waiting list is a success.
Not much to do with Streetings posturing, and a reorganisation and mass sackings at NHS England and ICBs is a major distraction. My Trust is also planning 3% redundancies too.
On Reform can anyone explain why they seem to be unaffected by Trump's antics ?
Because we have quite possibly the world's shittest Government, the Tories aren't yet trusted, and people realise we need to get shot of them yesterday regardless of their dislike or otherwise of a foreign potentate or two?
It is true they are not brilliant and their comms are absolutely shocking. Waiting lists down but who knew? 24,000 illegals removed, but who knew? But they have a long way still to fall to reach the dizzying descent of your girl.
Well, it they talked about it people might notice it wasn't true:
Comments
The question is whether it would have been commissioned by Netflix if the boy was not white, and whether we'd be talking about it if the boy was not white.
market abuserssalt of the earth investors have locked in their profits. So it doesn't matter. Job done.But that’s surely the future of EVs. It’s time they moved on from being luxury toys. One reason I quite like my Renault Zoe (though that’s perhaps a tad too bog standard).
These places have been made economically unviable due to the burden of taxation, overregulation, the high minimum wage, and the scandalous cost of energy. You cannot unwind that with a shiny tram, or (in my opinion) a selection of other accoutrements, however well judged.
I am sorry if I am being unduly harsh, but the issue is a frustrating one. Towns that have expensive transport systems are generally towns that have prospered and can afford them. Correlation does not equal causation.
I wouldn't have thought about race for one moment. It wasn't' immediately clear what race the victim was.
"The Right" have got it wrong on this one. As, I suppose, with so much else.
There was more resentment in Korea, as that was an ancient nation, with its own dynasty.
But, the treatment of the Chinese, and the peoples they conquered from 1931 onwards, was deliberately sadistic.
But I suppose Amazon prime already has that covered with the next series of Clarkson’s Farm.
Britain is backing plans for a Nuremberg-style trial of Vladimir Putin in the face of opposition from Donald Trump.
The UK will support proposals at the Council of Europe next month calling for Russians to be prosecuted for “crimes of aggression” during the invasion of Ukraine.
The idea would involve setting up a military tribunal, modelled on the Nazi trials after the Second World War, to prosecute Russian leaders and generals for war crimes.
Some lawyers, including Sir Keir Starmer’s long-time friend Philippe Sands, have suggested the ad hoc court should be established specifically to deal with crimes of aggression, which are defined by the United Nations as “invasion or attack by the armed forces of a state on the territory of another state, or any military occupation”.
Some Western countries, including the UK, have said that Russians should be tried on those grounds for the political decision to invade, not only for war crimes committed on Ukrainian soil once the war began.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague cannot examine the “crime of aggression”, and is not recognised by either Russia or the US.
The plan for a new court to examine crimes of aggression was first suggested in 2022. It was backed by the Ukrainian government and Joe Biden’s administration, which sent funding and American prosecutors to help set it up.
However, Donald Trump withdrew all US involvement in the plan after his inauguration in January, as part of his strategy to be more conciliatory towards Moscow.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/04/10/britain-backs-nuremberg-style-russia-trial-trump-opposition/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FTGZ6BnVIlo&list=PLqvRmwLTWUzTAKYqaNOO6FaBuf6ONrim1&index=8
The 1996 Democratic Party convention doing the Macarena.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHRysTfaMi4
Everything is rubbish when it reaches a high enough price.
IMV with infrastructure, in the long term, it is rubbish if it is specced, or built, to be rubbish.
There'd be even more with no infrastructure changes if poor driving was effectively policed.
https://x.com/andrewdoyle_com/status/1910369573825634602?s=61
Other European nations have trams because they can build them for less than 3 trillion pounds an inch.
If they had U.K. costs for trams, they wouldn’t have them either.
Let’s do something so insane that we reduce the cost of trams in the U.K. to that of a hell hole like… Barcelona?
"Irish-Americans" are a different kettle of fish entirely.
A number of commentators both here and in the legacy media do that, not least Badenoch.
The whole ‘why haven’t you watched this’ gotcha is bonkers.
I haven’t seen it as I don’t have Netflix. If I did I’d have probably given it a go
Have you ever seen a Commie drink a glass of water?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c07883y07nko
If you have watched it, you are Woke Man Hating Terrorist.
Well hanged!
It was typical of her ineptness and consumption of right wing Social Media that she waded into arguments about the drama. She raised it first, and doesn't seem to have done her homework since.
https://youtu.be/z_mLyVvFzmY?si=HIjZgxwacskgVGmm
The combination of half baked opinion derived from Social Media, thin skin and aggressiveness is pretty characteristic of her leadership. It's why she gets it wrong so often.
Especially if they eat crisps or apples loudly near me, whistle, or play music on the bus without headphones.
The older I get the more I realise Victor Meldrew is a hero not a figure of fun.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c62ggm3g8eyo
I wouldn’t even know who Andrew Tate was had the BBC not banged on about him repeatedly.
"You deserve to lose every single penny."
Nigel Farage says let private water companies go bust.
The reality of course is that no-one on the entire planet has watched much or read much in comparison to the totality of the trillions and trillions of hours worth and pages there are to be seen and read.
@MaxFlugrath
·
22h
And this election control power grab isn’t just in Trump’s executive order.
It’s also in the SAVE Act, a massive voter suppression bill Congressional Republicans are trying to ram through the House tomorrow.
https://x.com/MaxFlugrath/status/1910043839978500529
NY Times blog
On his views over Trump, Putin, Russia, etc... Then yes. The Iron lady would indeed be appalled!
Starmer politicised it
He called it a documentary, and said that it should be shown in schools
What other fictional propaganda does he want to pretend is real and spread by diktat?
@atrupar
·
1h
Bondi: "Within the next 24 hours you're going to be seeing another huge arrest on a Tesla dealership, president. And that person will be looking at at least 20 years in prison with no negotiations."
https://x.com/atrupar/status/1910380119509651626
Spout populist shit to get votes.
eg 2019:
"Boris and Davis and May;
one lies, one’s thick, one’s grey.
These terrible crooks;
so different in looks;
should not have the final say."
eg 2012:
“Donald Trump looks like a bulldog who, before commencing to lick piss off a nettle, has carefully scraped his bum-hair forward over his head like a tsunami breaking on the rock of his gruff, canine brow.”
eg https://archive.is/20250410160300/https://www.thetimes.com/article/78bf9b12-1cbf-4caa-b08e-42b0adf0d140#selection-1577.183-1577.319
“I don’t need to watch Casualty to know what's going on in the NHS,” said Kemi Badenoch, when she was asked on the BBC if she had watched Adolescence yet.
The presenters could not believe what they had heard. “Why would you not want to know what people are talking about?”
Badenoch replied that the issues of toxic masculinity and smartphone use are ”important issues and they are issues that I’ve been talking about for some time”. She reminded her interviewers: “It’s a fictional series.”
“You’re comparing Adolescence with Casualty: did you really mean to say that?” A surprising question from a BBC presenter, implying that a Netflix series is more important than a mere BBC soap opera.
Badenoch really did mean to say that, and she is quite right too.
- John Rentoul
I believe fiction is part of the National Curriculum because of the themes raised.
Shakespeare was quite the fiction writing propagandist.
Sometimes the media can be very silly.
Not much to do with Streetings posturing, and a reorganisation and mass sackings at NHS England and ICBs is a major distraction. My Trust is also planning 3% redundancies too.
https://www.tiktok.com/@itvpolitics/video/7483505842088709399
Who knows what he meant
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/clyw8jw11jwo.amp
"Has the government really 'returned' 24,000 people?"