Skip to content

Deluded Florida pensioner chats crap again – politicalbetting.com

1235

Comments

  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 60,011
    Foxy said:

    ydoethur said:

    HYUFD said:

    Roger said:

    An American POV. She's always watchable but if you don't find her so go to the poll at 13 mins on how various countries see the US . 25% of the UK still see them as allies. The figure for the EU is down to just 16%

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-MtRp4LTqc

    Indeed, only in India of the countries polled do a majority, 54%, see the US as an ally at present.

    South Africa, Turkey, as you say the EU, the Ukraine, Switzerland, Russia and China all see the US as even less of an ally than we do. Albeit in one of those nations, Russia, it is slightly viewed more favourably under Trump.

    Brazil and S Korea have a more favourable view of the US than the UK but still less than half favourable
    How can anyone see America as an ally?

    It's not just that Trump is behaving like a greedy bully. The issue is he changes his mind and his policies very frequently according to the state of his medication, who last talked to him, his need to deflect attention from economic and political mistakes he's making and it would seem even how badly his last round of golf went.

    Such a person cannot be depended upon, and therefore isn't an ally.

    The only way to guarantee his focus would be to have compromising material on him or a senior figure in the administration.
    Perhaps our spooks need to nick us a copy of the Epstein Files.

    Has it occurred to you that the the current events are as a result of the current UK government trying to blackmail Trump?

    Accidentally forcing him to try and attack Greenland - has all the marks of a Starmer negotiation.
  • glwglw Posts: 10,681

    Leon said:

    Scott_xP said:

    Fuck these people

    @jorgeliboreiro.bsky.social‬

    Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is now making an explicit link between the US desire to annex Greenland and the continuation of US support for Ukraine.

    "What would happen in Ukraine if the US pulled its support out? The whole thing would collapse," Bessent told Meet The Press.

    The damage these people are doing will take decades to heal. How can anyone trust the US again when it behaves like this to allies?
    What if they don’t care?


    That’s one disturbing rationale. What if they’ve decided that NATO can go fuck itself (ditto Ukraine), and the Europeans are a bunch of expensive effete losers determined to immigrate their nations to death - ergo they are doomed and useless allies now and forever

    What if they’ve therefore decided that American isolationism is the answer - building an impregnable fortress in the wider Americas, which contains all the resources it needs and has all means to defend itself - especially if they can seize the vast mineral wealth and strategic location of Greenland

    In that light the seizure of Greenland makes “sense”. They just don’t care. America must have what it needs for security and fuck Denmark (and Greenland)

    If this is their thinking - rather than just a trumpian flight of lunacy - then it has an internal logic. It is also crazily risky and almost certainly a massive error - every nation, no matter how strong, must have allies and alliances

    Just pointing out that it might not be pure insanity. Eg the death of NATO is possibly seen as a positive by product
    Then, that would be a failure of imagination.

    America has less than 5% of humanity's population, and isn't anything like as invulnerable or omnipotent as it thinks it is.

    They soon will care when they realise such actions leave Americans friendless, their markets smaller, access to products reduced, and - being no longer able or trusted to shape world events - a recipient of the chaos that causes, which it will.
    I wrote this a couple of weeks ago.

    I think a lot of what drives the behaviour of the current US administration, a reversion to US exceptionalism and isolationism, is the slowly dawning realisation that no matter what they do China will surpass them in almost all ways this century, and soon in many areas. So the US is acting up, one last go at exerting their fading power before it becomes ineffective. They actually need more alliances, and multilateralism, to attempt to rein in China, and to a lesser extent Russia and India, but the US is trashing the prospects of that. The rest of the world, particularly the democratic bits, had better learn the lessons and act fast.


    It's even more clear now that the American Century has ended. The only surprising thing is just how rapidly the end came about.
  • MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 36,505
    Dura_Ace said:

    Sandpit said:

    Joint statement by Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom:

    https://x.com/danishmfa/status/2012922660640940328

    TL:DR don’t be an idiot Mr Trump.

    So nothing but words then. Trump will be shitting himself.
    Well, yes he will, but not in response to the ultimatum.
  • BartholomewRobertsBartholomewRoberts Posts: 27,163

    Sandpit said:

    Joint statement by Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom:

    https://x.com/danishmfa/status/2012922660640940328

    TL:DR don’t be an idiot Mr Trump.

    Statement from Ireland:

    Careful now.
    Statement from Switzerland:

    Do as you please, just deposit your money with us when you do it.
  • stodgestodge Posts: 15,906
    Evening all :)

    I am informed Bluesky is a silent desert with the odd shrieking group of pious lefty nutters, acidly bickering with each other and wondering why no one wants to join them.

    By contrast, Twitter is a cacophonous purgatory where the intellectually damned and soulless shout ever more incoherently into the void repeating themselves endlessly in the hope one final re-statement of their view will earn them acknowledgement, recognition, a blessed relief.
  • BartholomewRobertsBartholomewRoberts Posts: 27,163

    Foxy said:

    ydoethur said:

    HYUFD said:

    Roger said:

    An American POV. She's always watchable but if you don't find her so go to the poll at 13 mins on how various countries see the US . 25% of the UK still see them as allies. The figure for the EU is down to just 16%

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-MtRp4LTqc

    Indeed, only in India of the countries polled do a majority, 54%, see the US as an ally at present.

    South Africa, Turkey, as you say the EU, the Ukraine, Switzerland, Russia and China all see the US as even less of an ally than we do. Albeit in one of those nations, Russia, it is slightly viewed more favourably under Trump.

    Brazil and S Korea have a more favourable view of the US than the UK but still less than half favourable
    How can anyone see America as an ally?

    It's not just that Trump is behaving like a greedy bully. The issue is he changes his mind and his policies very frequently according to the state of his medication, who last talked to him, his need to deflect attention from economic and political mistakes he's making and it would seem even how badly his last round of golf went.

    Such a person cannot be depended upon, and therefore isn't an ally.

    The only way to guarantee his focus would be to have compromising material on him or a senior figure in the administration.
    Perhaps our spooks need to nick us a copy of the Epstein Files.

    Has it occurred to you that the the current events are as a result of the current UK government trying to blackmail Trump?

    Accidentally forcing him to try and attack Greenland - has all the marks of a Starmer negotiation.
    If Starmer were negotiating then Denmark would be paying America to take Greenland.
  • Pro_RataPro_Rata Posts: 5,954

    Foxy said:

    ydoethur said:

    HYUFD said:

    Roger said:

    An American POV. She's always watchable but if you don't find her so go to the poll at 13 mins on how various countries see the US . 25% of the UK still see them as allies. The figure for the EU is down to just 16%

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-MtRp4LTqc

    Indeed, only in India of the countries polled do a majority, 54%, see the US as an ally at present.

    South Africa, Turkey, as you say the EU, the Ukraine, Switzerland, Russia and China all see the US as even less of an ally than we do. Albeit in one of those nations, Russia, it is slightly viewed more favourably under Trump.

    Brazil and S Korea have a more favourable view of the US than the UK but still less than half favourable
    How can anyone see America as an ally?

    It's not just that Trump is behaving like a greedy bully. The issue is he changes his mind and his policies very frequently according to the state of his medication, who last talked to him, his need to deflect attention from economic and political mistakes he's making and it would seem even how badly his last round of golf went.

    Such a person cannot be depended upon, and therefore isn't an ally.

    The only way to guarantee his focus would be to have compromising material on him or a senior figure in the administration.
    Perhaps our spooks need to nick us a copy of the Epstein Files.

    Has it occurred to you that the the current events are as a result of the current UK government trying to blackmail Trump?

    Accidentally forcing him to try and attack Greenland - has all the marks of a Starmer negotiation.
    A crazy irony could be, with Trump possibly spinning towards the 25th by megalomaniac actions to distract from Epstein, that the release of the full Epstein files could at some point become the welcome distraction itself.

    Or maybe not.
  • MexicanpeteMexicanpete Posts: 36,505

    Foxy said:

    ydoethur said:

    HYUFD said:

    Roger said:

    An American POV. She's always watchable but if you don't find her so go to the poll at 13 mins on how various countries see the US . 25% of the UK still see them as allies. The figure for the EU is down to just 16%

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-MtRp4LTqc

    Indeed, only in India of the countries polled do a majority, 54%, see the US as an ally at present.

    South Africa, Turkey, as you say the EU, the Ukraine, Switzerland, Russia and China all see the US as even less of an ally than we do. Albeit in one of those nations, Russia, it is slightly viewed more favourably under Trump.

    Brazil and S Korea have a more favourable view of the US than the UK but still less than half favourable
    How can anyone see America as an ally?

    It's not just that Trump is behaving like a greedy bully. The issue is he changes his mind and his policies very frequently according to the state of his medication, who last talked to him, his need to deflect attention from economic and political mistakes he's making and it would seem even how badly his last round of golf went.

    Such a person cannot be depended upon, and therefore isn't an ally.

    The only way to guarantee his focus would be to have compromising material on him or a senior figure in the administration.
    Perhaps our spooks need to nick us a copy of the Epstein Files.

    Has it occurred to you that the the current events are as a result of the current UK government trying to blackmail Trump?

    Accidentally forcing him to try and attack Greenland - has all the marks of a Starmer negotiation.
    Wow, that is incendiary. Do you have a source you could share?
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 60,011

    Foxy said:

    ydoethur said:

    HYUFD said:

    Roger said:

    An American POV. She's always watchable but if you don't find her so go to the poll at 13 mins on how various countries see the US . 25% of the UK still see them as allies. The figure for the EU is down to just 16%

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-MtRp4LTqc

    Indeed, only in India of the countries polled do a majority, 54%, see the US as an ally at present.

    South Africa, Turkey, as you say the EU, the Ukraine, Switzerland, Russia and China all see the US as even less of an ally than we do. Albeit in one of those nations, Russia, it is slightly viewed more favourably under Trump.

    Brazil and S Korea have a more favourable view of the US than the UK but still less than half favourable
    How can anyone see America as an ally?

    It's not just that Trump is behaving like a greedy bully. The issue is he changes his mind and his policies very frequently according to the state of his medication, who last talked to him, his need to deflect attention from economic and political mistakes he's making and it would seem even how badly his last round of golf went.

    Such a person cannot be depended upon, and therefore isn't an ally.

    The only way to guarantee his focus would be to have compromising material on him or a senior figure in the administration.
    Perhaps our spooks need to nick us a copy of the Epstein Files.

    Has it occurred to you that the the current events are as a result of the current UK government trying to blackmail Trump?

    Accidentally forcing him to try and attack Greenland - has all the marks of a Starmer negotiation.
    If Starmer were negotiating then Denmark would be paying America to take Greenland.
    Thought occurs.

    I'll ask my ex-Cabinet Office friend to suggest that Starmer represents *Russia* in the peace talks with Ukraine. Purely a cab rank lawyer, you see.

    Not sure how Putin will react to discovering he's signed away Moscow. But hey....
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 60,011
    stodge said:

    Evening all :)

    I am informed Bluesky is a silent desert with the odd shrieking group of pious lefty nutters, acidly bickering with each other and wondering why no one wants to join them.

    By contrast, Twitter is a cacophonous purgatory where the intellectually damned and soulless shout ever more incoherently into the void repeating themselves endlessly in the hope one final re-statement of their view will earn them acknowledgement, recognition, a blessed relief.

    Social media was "cacophonous purgatory where the intellectually damned and soulless shout ever more incoherently into the void repeating themselves endlessly in the hope one final re-statement of their view will earn them acknowledgement, recognition, a blessed relief" right from the beginning.

    USENET was thus, too.

    Reminds me... must find out if Mary Shafer (NASA) is still around.
  • Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 57,355

    stodge said:

    Evening all :)

    I am informed Bluesky is a silent desert with the odd shrieking group of pious lefty nutters, acidly bickering with each other and wondering why no one wants to join them.

    By contrast, Twitter is a cacophonous purgatory where the intellectually damned and soulless shout ever more incoherently into the void repeating themselves endlessly in the hope one final re-statement of their view will earn them acknowledgement, recognition, a blessed relief.

    Social media was "cacophonous purgatory where the intellectually damned and soulless shout ever more incoherently into the void repeating themselves endlessly in the hope one final re-statement of their view will earn them acknowledgement, recognition, a blessed relief" right from the beginning.

    USENET was thus, too.

    Reminds me... must find out if Mary Shafer (NASA) is still around.
    Am I the only one here who frequented uk.politics.misc?
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 60,011

    Foxy said:

    ydoethur said:

    HYUFD said:

    Roger said:

    An American POV. She's always watchable but if you don't find her so go to the poll at 13 mins on how various countries see the US . 25% of the UK still see them as allies. The figure for the EU is down to just 16%

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-MtRp4LTqc

    Indeed, only in India of the countries polled do a majority, 54%, see the US as an ally at present.

    South Africa, Turkey, as you say the EU, the Ukraine, Switzerland, Russia and China all see the US as even less of an ally than we do. Albeit in one of those nations, Russia, it is slightly viewed more favourably under Trump.

    Brazil and S Korea have a more favourable view of the US than the UK but still less than half favourable
    How can anyone see America as an ally?

    It's not just that Trump is behaving like a greedy bully. The issue is he changes his mind and his policies very frequently according to the state of his medication, who last talked to him, his need to deflect attention from economic and political mistakes he's making and it would seem even how badly his last round of golf went.

    Such a person cannot be depended upon, and therefore isn't an ally.

    The only way to guarantee his focus would be to have compromising material on him or a senior figure in the administration.
    Perhaps our spooks need to nick us a copy of the Epstein Files.

    Has it occurred to you that the the current events are as a result of the current UK government trying to blackmail Trump?

    Accidentally forcing him to try and attack Greenland - has all the marks of a Starmer negotiation.
    Wow, that is incendiary. Do you have a source you could share?
    I sent you a link to a documentary about modern government earlier.
  • Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 41,691
    The EU is considering hitting the US with €93 billion tariffs or restricting American companies from its market in response toTrump’s Greenland threats, the FT reports.
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 60,011

    stodge said:

    Evening all :)

    I am informed Bluesky is a silent desert with the odd shrieking group of pious lefty nutters, acidly bickering with each other and wondering why no one wants to join them.

    By contrast, Twitter is a cacophonous purgatory where the intellectually damned and soulless shout ever more incoherently into the void repeating themselves endlessly in the hope one final re-statement of their view will earn them acknowledgement, recognition, a blessed relief.

    Social media was "cacophonous purgatory where the intellectually damned and soulless shout ever more incoherently into the void repeating themselves endlessly in the hope one final re-statement of their view will earn them acknowledgement, recognition, a blessed relief" right from the beginning.

    USENET was thus, too.

    Reminds me... must find out if Mary Shafer (NASA) is still around.
    Am I the only one here who frequented uk.politics.misc?
    Holy Mary Mother Of God.

    You deserve all of @Dura_Ace's spare medals for going *there*.

    Bet you still have a thousand yard stare.
  • stodgestodge Posts: 15,906
    Back to slightly more serious matters and the hyperbole over Trump, tariffs and Greenland continues.

    We know Trump uses tariffs as a meaningless threat and he will claim walking them back as a product of his own genius. He is the world, the world is him. He enjoys people dancing to this tune - a more adroit response would be "did you say something, Mr President, we weren't listening.".

    Orwell famously postulated a tri-polar world where the three mega-states all believed the same thing and worked together to preserve their own dominance over humanity.

    Where could this all go for us? It seems we find ourselves facing hostility from Washington, Moscow and Beijing simultaenously and yet the Spirit of 2016 continues to vent its hostility toward any kind of relationship with Europe and the EU. Realistically, the biggest recruiting sergeant for a United Europe is proving to be Trump yet this is happening outside the EU, in the very areas (defence and security) which were outside the EU's remit. Will this be the WEU reborn or a new grouping - ETO perhaps?

    Far too early to tell or be certain - the 2028 US Presidential election may show this to be an aberration or it may mark the permanent estrangement of America from Europe. We've been here before a century or more ago.
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 60,011
    edited 7:03PM
    Scott_xP said:

    The EU is considering hitting the US with €93 billion tariffs or restricting American companies from its market in response toTrump’s Greenland threats, the FT reports.

    Good that they are responding. But they are playing on Trump's pitch, by Trump's rules.

    What we need is something that gets in MAGA's face. Something both batshit crazy & funny.
  • Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 41,691

    stodge said:

    Evening all :)

    I am informed Bluesky is a silent desert with the odd shrieking group of pious lefty nutters, acidly bickering with each other and wondering why no one wants to join them.

    By contrast, Twitter is a cacophonous purgatory where the intellectually damned and soulless shout ever more incoherently into the void repeating themselves endlessly in the hope one final re-statement of their view will earn them acknowledgement, recognition, a blessed relief.

    Social media was "cacophonous purgatory where the intellectually damned and soulless shout ever more incoherently into the void repeating themselves endlessly in the hope one final re-statement of their view will earn them acknowledgement, recognition, a blessed relief" right from the beginning.

    USENET was thus, too.

    Reminds me... must find out if Mary Shafer (NASA) is still around.
    Not all that many years ago, despite the rise of video streaming, the single largest block of traffic on the Comcast network was USENET
  • rkrkrkrkrkrk Posts: 9,044
    Eabhal said:

    Consumer boycotts are the best reply to Trump. As we've said before some aren't easy with the big tech companies being practical monopolies. What has been the impact with Canada over the last twelve months? I'd have thought avoiding holidays (vacations?) in the US would be the easiest win. The sort of thing people spend thousands on.

    I would value some practical advice on how to boycott US goods and services. HMG might start by no longer offering banking and consultancy work to the Wall Street and Boston institutions. There's no need for the Government to make a fuss about it - indeed, it would be better if they didn't. All they (and we) need to do is quietly give business to British, European and other companies.

    I know that as a retail customer my ability to swerve US goods and services is limited - I can't go for 100% purity, but I am certainly not visiting the place, buying their food and wine or investing in US companies for the forseeable future.

    Yes, my actions may be pointless, and I might be cutting off my nose to spite my face, but if all I can do is avoid US goods and services then I am going to do it.
    Buy Samsung, not Apple. Buy Adidas not Nike. Buy Barr's Irn Bru not Cola.
    I'm due a new phone and I'm much more likely to go for an S25 versus a pixel 10 or iphone as a result of all this. Difficult to turn down a £200 trade-in bonus though...

    The S&S ISA. 55%ish US stocks. Not sure I should sacrifice what is supposed to be an early retirement pot for what I hope is only a medium term disaster in America.
    I'm selling off some of my US stocks. More because I think there's a tech bubble. No idea what to replace them with. Don't like holding cash.
  • DecrepiterJohnLDecrepiterJohnL Posts: 34,763
    edited 7:06PM
    Bank of England alarm as hedge fund gilt bets hit £100bn
    Sudden economic or financial shock risks triggering ‘fire sales’ in UK bonds, officials warn
    ...
    Chris Coghlan, a Liberal Democrat MP who sits on the select committee, highlighted a warning by the Bank that a small number of predominantly US hedge funds were now responsible for 90pc of all net borrowing.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/01/18/bank-of-england-alarm-as-hedge-fund-gilts-bets-hit-100bn/ (£££)

    ETA partly a Telegraph rehash of a BoE report made timely by a select committee hearing this week.

  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 60,011

    Sandpit said:

    Joint statement by Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom:

    https://x.com/danishmfa/status/2012922660640940328

    TL:DR don’t be an idiot Mr Trump.

    Statement from Ireland:

    Careful now.
    Irish DEFCON 4

    Next up - "Down with this sort of thing"
  • TazTaz Posts: 24,031
    edited 7:11PM

    stodge said:

    Evening all :)

    I am informed Bluesky is a silent desert with the odd shrieking group of pious lefty nutters, acidly bickering with each other and wondering why no one wants to join them.

    By contrast, Twitter is a cacophonous purgatory where the intellectually damned and soulless shout ever more incoherently into the void repeating themselves endlessly in the hope one final re-statement of their view will earn them acknowledgement, recognition, a blessed relief.

    Social media was "cacophonous purgatory where the intellectually damned and soulless shout ever more incoherently into the void repeating themselves endlessly in the hope one final re-statement of their view will earn them acknowledgement, recognition, a blessed relief" right from the beginning.

    USENET was thus, too.

    Reminds me... must find out if Mary Shafer (NASA) is still around.
    Happy days on rec.sport.pro-wrestling sticking up for WCW until it went to shit and uk.media.tv.misc
  • Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 41,691
    rkrkrk said:

    Eabhal said:

    Consumer boycotts are the best reply to Trump. As we've said before some aren't easy with the big tech companies being practical monopolies. What has been the impact with Canada over the last twelve months? I'd have thought avoiding holidays (vacations?) in the US would be the easiest win. The sort of thing people spend thousands on.

    I would value some practical advice on how to boycott US goods and services. HMG might start by no longer offering banking and consultancy work to the Wall Street and Boston institutions. There's no need for the Government to make a fuss about it - indeed, it would be better if they didn't. All they (and we) need to do is quietly give business to British, European and other companies.

    I know that as a retail customer my ability to swerve US goods and services is limited - I can't go for 100% purity, but I am certainly not visiting the place, buying their food and wine or investing in US companies for the forseeable future.

    Yes, my actions may be pointless, and I might be cutting off my nose to spite my face, but if all I can do is avoid US goods and services then I am going to do it.
    Buy Samsung, not Apple. Buy Adidas not Nike. Buy Barr's Irn Bru not Cola.
    I'm due a new phone and I'm much more likely to go for an S25 versus a pixel 10 or iphone as a result of all this. Difficult to turn down a £200 trade-in bonus though...

    The S&S ISA. 55%ish US stocks. Not sure I should sacrifice what is supposed to be an early retirement pot for what I hope is only a medium term disaster in America.
    I'm selling off some of my US stocks. More because I think there's a tech bubble. No idea what to replace them with. Don't like holding cash.
    I saw a comment recently that some of the tech bubble inflation might be due to passive investors. They just buy ETFs which in turn buy Nvidia and AI stocks
  • Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 41,691
    @chrisgeidner.bsky.social‬

    ICE agents at a hotel in St. Paul woke up this morning to news that they’re getting kicked out of their hotel today at noon.

    https://bsky.app/profile/chrisgeidner.bsky.social/post/3mcpl2qc4mk2z
  • Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 41,691
    @mikeysmith

    Readout of call between Starmer and Trump much sterner than usual.

    He told US President “applying tariffs on allies for pursuing the collective security of NATO allies is wrong.”

    https://x.com/mikeysmith/status/2012964571628052878?s=20
  • TazTaz Posts: 24,031
    Scott_xP said:

    @mikeysmith

    Readout of call between Starmer and Trump much sterner than usual.

    He told US President “applying tariffs on allies for pursuing the collective security of NATO allies is wrong.”

    https://x.com/mikeysmith/status/2012964571628052878?s=20

    There’s fire in his belly for sure. That really told Trump.
  • EabhalEabhal Posts: 13,172
    Scott_xP said:

    rkrkrk said:

    Eabhal said:

    Consumer boycotts are the best reply to Trump. As we've said before some aren't easy with the big tech companies being practical monopolies. What has been the impact with Canada over the last twelve months? I'd have thought avoiding holidays (vacations?) in the US would be the easiest win. The sort of thing people spend thousands on.

    I would value some practical advice on how to boycott US goods and services. HMG might start by no longer offering banking and consultancy work to the Wall Street and Boston institutions. There's no need for the Government to make a fuss about it - indeed, it would be better if they didn't. All they (and we) need to do is quietly give business to British, European and other companies.

    I know that as a retail customer my ability to swerve US goods and services is limited - I can't go for 100% purity, but I am certainly not visiting the place, buying their food and wine or investing in US companies for the forseeable future.

    Yes, my actions may be pointless, and I might be cutting off my nose to spite my face, but if all I can do is avoid US goods and services then I am going to do it.
    Buy Samsung, not Apple. Buy Adidas not Nike. Buy Barr's Irn Bru not Cola.
    I'm due a new phone and I'm much more likely to go for an S25 versus a pixel 10 or iphone as a result of all this. Difficult to turn down a £200 trade-in bonus though...

    The S&S ISA. 55%ish US stocks. Not sure I should sacrifice what is supposed to be an early retirement pot for what I hope is only a medium term disaster in America.
    I'm selling off some of my US stocks. More because I think there's a tech bubble. No idea what to replace them with. Don't like holding cash.
    I saw a comment recently that some of the tech bubble inflation might be due to passive investors. They just buy ETFs which in turn buy Nvidia and AI stocks
    Guilty as charged.
  • LostPasswordLostPassword Posts: 21,932

    Leon said:

    Scott_xP said:

    Fuck these people

    @jorgeliboreiro.bsky.social‬

    Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is now making an explicit link between the US desire to annex Greenland and the continuation of US support for Ukraine.

    "What would happen in Ukraine if the US pulled its support out? The whole thing would collapse," Bessent told Meet The Press.

    The damage these people are doing will take decades to heal. How can anyone trust the US again when it behaves like this to allies?
    What if they don’t care?


    That’s one disturbing rationale. What if they’ve decided that NATO can go fuck itself (ditto Ukraine), and the Europeans are a bunch of expensive effete losers determined to immigrate their nations to death - ergo they are doomed and useless allies now and forever

    What if they’ve therefore decided that American isolationism is the answer - building an impregnable fortress in the wider Americas, which contains all the resources it needs and has all means to defend itself - especially if they can seize the vast mineral wealth and strategic location of Greenland

    In that light the seizure of Greenland makes “sense”. They just don’t care. America must have what it needs for security and fuck Denmark (and Greenland)

    If this is their thinking - rather than just a trumpian flight of lunacy - then it has an internal logic. It is also crazily risky and almost certainly a massive error - every nation, no matter how strong, must have allies and alliances

    Just pointing out that it might not be pure insanity. Eg the death of NATO is possibly seen as a positive by product
    Then, that would be a failure of imagination.

    America has less than 5% of humanity's population, and isn't anything like as invulnerable or omnipotent as it thinks it is.

    They soon will care when they realise such actions leave Americans friendless, their markets smaller, access to products reduced, and - being no longer able or trusted to shape world events - a recipient of the chaos that causes, which it will.
    But that's all in the future, and therefore someone else's problem.
    We have to make it clear to America that the future is now. Congress, businesspeople, ordinary Americans. They have to decide if they are happy for Trump to do whatever the hell he wants and cause incalculable damage to their alliances - because they will suffer the consequences.

    For Europeans this isn't about Trump now. It's about whether the rest of America is willing to prevent Trump from trashing America's alliances and trading relationships.
  • Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 41,691
    Taz said:

    Scott_xP said:

    @mikeysmith

    Readout of call between Starmer and Trump much sterner than usual.

    He told US President “applying tariffs on allies for pursuing the collective security of NATO allies is wrong.”

    https://x.com/mikeysmith/status/2012964571628052878?s=20

    There’s fire in his belly for sure. That really told Trump.
    The readout is short on detail, which the lobby have interpreted as "It was an expletive laden shouting match"
  • Can Kate Hoey really be called a “Labour” figure?

    In any case, if she’s joining Reform it’s hardly balancing things out. I think Reform being Tory 2.0 is a losing proposition.
  • Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 41,691
    @katie0martin.ft.com‬

    Deutsche Bank here with the good stuff.
    Game on.

    https://bsky.app/profile/katie0martin.ft.com/post/3mcpsqmprjx25
  • TazTaz Posts: 24,031
    rkrkrk said:

    Eabhal said:

    Consumer boycotts are the best reply to Trump. As we've said before some aren't easy with the big tech companies being practical monopolies. What has been the impact with Canada over the last twelve months? I'd have thought avoiding holidays (vacations?) in the US would be the easiest win. The sort of thing people spend thousands on.

    I would value some practical advice on how to boycott US goods and services. HMG might start by no longer offering banking and consultancy work to the Wall Street and Boston institutions. There's no need for the Government to make a fuss about it - indeed, it would be better if they didn't. All they (and we) need to do is quietly give business to British, European and other companies.

    I know that as a retail customer my ability to swerve US goods and services is limited - I can't go for 100% purity, but I am certainly not visiting the place, buying their food and wine or investing in US companies for the forseeable future.

    Yes, my actions may be pointless, and I might be cutting off my nose to spite my face, but if all I can do is avoid US goods and services then I am going to do it.
    Buy Samsung, not Apple. Buy Adidas not Nike. Buy Barr's Irn Bru not Cola.
    I'm due a new phone and I'm much more likely to go for an S25 versus a pixel 10 or iphone as a result of all this. Difficult to turn down a £200 trade-in bonus though...

    The S&S ISA. 55%ish US stocks. Not sure I should sacrifice what is supposed to be an early retirement pot for what I hope is only a medium term disaster in America.
    I'm selling off some of my US stocks. More because I think there's a tech bubble. No idea what to replace them with. Don't like holding cash.
    US market futures open 11PM our time. 👍

    I’m not fussed about my equity investments. Even if there is a bubble in the magnificent seven that probably means the other 493 stocks have plenty of value to look at.

    Why not look at global, UK, Europe or Japan ? Not advice. Just a suggestion.
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 77,121
    edited 7:18PM
    Dura_Ace said:

    Sandpit said:

    Joint statement by Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom:

    https://x.com/danishmfa/status/2012922660640940328

    TL:DR don’t be an idiot Mr Trump.

    So nothing but words then. Trump will be shitting himself.
    I can imagine being asked to read anything would have that effect on him.
  • TazTaz Posts: 24,031

    Can Kate Hoey really be called a “Labour” figure?

    In any case, if she’s joining Reform it’s hardly balancing things out. I think Reform being Tory 2.0 is a losing proposition.

    In the red wall, so do I.
  • SandyRentoolSandyRentool Posts: 24,218

    stodge said:

    Evening all :)

    I am informed Bluesky is a silent desert with the odd shrieking group of pious lefty nutters, acidly bickering with each other and wondering why no one wants to join them.

    By contrast, Twitter is a cacophonous purgatory where the intellectually damned and soulless shout ever more incoherently into the void repeating themselves endlessly in the hope one final re-statement of their view will earn them acknowledgement, recognition, a blessed relief.

    Social media was "cacophonous purgatory where the intellectually damned and soulless shout ever more incoherently into the void repeating themselves endlessly in the hope one final re-statement of their view will earn them acknowledgement, recognition, a blessed relief" right from the beginning.

    USENET was thus, too.

    Reminds me... must find out if Mary Shafer (NASA) is still around.
    Am I the only one here who frequented uk.politics.misc?
    I suspect that you visit plenty of websites that the rest of us stay clear of.
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 77,121
    I am wondering exactly what deal Kyren Wilson has struck with Satan to get this amount of luck.
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 77,121

    stodge said:

    Evening all :)

    I am informed Bluesky is a silent desert with the odd shrieking group of pious lefty nutters, acidly bickering with each other and wondering why no one wants to join them.

    By contrast, Twitter is a cacophonous purgatory where the intellectually damned and soulless shout ever more incoherently into the void repeating themselves endlessly in the hope one final re-statement of their view will earn them acknowledgement, recognition, a blessed relief.

    Social media was "cacophonous purgatory where the intellectually damned and soulless shout ever more incoherently into the void repeating themselves endlessly in the hope one final re-statement of their view will earn them acknowledgement, recognition, a blessed relief" right from the beginning.

    USENET was thus, too.

    Reminds me... must find out if Mary Shafer (NASA) is still around.
    Am I the only one here who frequented uk.politics.misc?
    I suspect that you visit plenty of websites that the rest of us stay clear of.
    Beggars can't be choo-choosers?
  • TazTaz Posts: 24,031
    edited 7:24PM
    ydoethur said:

    Dura_Ace said:

    Sandpit said:

    Joint statement by Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom:

    https://x.com/danishmfa/status/2012922660640940328

    TL:DR don’t be an idiot Mr Trump.

    So nothing but words then. Trump will be shitting himself.
    I can imagine being asked to read anything would have that effect on him.
    Starmer saying to him ‘Have I ever mentioned about my Fathers job’ and wanting to discuss it with him.
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 54,783
    Scott_xP said:

    rkrkrk said:

    Eabhal said:

    Consumer boycotts are the best reply to Trump. As we've said before some aren't easy with the big tech companies being practical monopolies. What has been the impact with Canada over the last twelve months? I'd have thought avoiding holidays (vacations?) in the US would be the easiest win. The sort of thing people spend thousands on.

    I would value some practical advice on how to boycott US goods and services. HMG might start by no longer offering banking and consultancy work to the Wall Street and Boston institutions. There's no need for the Government to make a fuss about it - indeed, it would be better if they didn't. All they (and we) need to do is quietly give business to British, European and other companies.

    I know that as a retail customer my ability to swerve US goods and services is limited - I can't go for 100% purity, but I am certainly not visiting the place, buying their food and wine or investing in US companies for the forseeable future.

    Yes, my actions may be pointless, and I might be cutting off my nose to spite my face, but if all I can do is avoid US goods and services then I am going to do it.
    Buy Samsung, not Apple. Buy Adidas not Nike. Buy Barr's Irn Bru not Cola.
    I'm due a new phone and I'm much more likely to go for an S25 versus a pixel 10 or iphone as a result of all this. Difficult to turn down a £200 trade-in bonus though...

    The S&S ISA. 55%ish US stocks. Not sure I should sacrifice what is supposed to be an early retirement pot for what I hope is only a medium term disaster in America.
    I'm selling off some of my US stocks. More because I think there's a tech bubble. No idea what to replace them with. Don't like holding cash.
    I saw a comment recently that some of the tech bubble inflation might be due to passive investors. They just buy ETFs which in turn buy Nvidia and AI stocks
    Yes there is a case for "momentum" investing, but it tends to end at some point.
  • Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 65,221
    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    Scott_xP said:

    Fuck these people

    @jorgeliboreiro.bsky.social‬

    Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is now making an explicit link between the US desire to annex Greenland and the continuation of US support for Ukraine.

    "What would happen in Ukraine if the US pulled its support out? The whole thing would collapse," Bessent told Meet The Press.

    The damage these people are doing will take decades to heal. How can anyone trust the US again when it behaves like this to allies?
    What if they don’t care?


    That’s one disturbing rationale. What if they’ve decided that NATO can go fuck itself (ditto Ukraine), and the Europeans are a bunch of expensive effete losers determined to immigrate their nations to death - ergo they are doomed and useless allies now and forever

    What if they’ve therefore decided that American isolationism is the answer - building an impregnable fortress in the wider Americas, which contains all the resources it needs and has all means to defend itself - especially if they can seize the vast mineral wealth and strategic location of Greenland

    In that light the seizure of Greenland makes “sense”. They just don’t care. America must have what it needs for security and fuck Denmark (and Greenland)

    If this is their thinking - rather than just a trumpian flight of lunacy - then it has an internal logic. It is also crazily risky and almost certainly a massive error - every nation, no matter how strong, must have allies and alliances

    Just pointing out that it might not be pure insanity. Eg the death of NATO is possibly seen as a positive by product
    Then, that would be a failure of imagination.

    America has less than 5% of humanity's population, and isn't anything like as invulnerable or omnipotent as it thinks it is.

    They soon will care when they realise such actions leave Americans friendless, their markets smaller, access to products reduced, and - being no longer able or trusted to shape world events - a recipient of the chaos that causes, which it will.
    Technology may be about to render all this very arguable
    How?
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 60,011
    Taz said:

    stodge said:

    Evening all :)

    I am informed Bluesky is a silent desert with the odd shrieking group of pious lefty nutters, acidly bickering with each other and wondering why no one wants to join them.

    By contrast, Twitter is a cacophonous purgatory where the intellectually damned and soulless shout ever more incoherently into the void repeating themselves endlessly in the hope one final re-statement of their view will earn them acknowledgement, recognition, a blessed relief.

    Social media was "cacophonous purgatory where the intellectually damned and soulless shout ever more incoherently into the void repeating themselves endlessly in the hope one final re-statement of their view will earn them acknowledgement, recognition, a blessed relief" right from the beginning.

    USENET was thus, too.

    Reminds me... must find out if Mary Shafer (NASA) is still around.
    Happy days on rec.sport.pro-wrestling sticking up for WCW until it went to shit and uk.media.tv.misc
    When the world was young, and the stars were bright.
  • TazTaz Posts: 24,031
    EU preparing up to $93 billion of tariffs on US goods.

    https://x.com/kobeissiletter/status/2012961913005629697?s=61

    Just before market futures open, just ahead of Davos and the US markets are shut tomorrow.

    Interesting.

    https://x.com/kobeissiletter/status/2012961913005629697?s=61
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 77,121
    edited 7:29PM
    Taz said:

    ydoethur said:

    Dura_Ace said:

    Sandpit said:

    Joint statement by Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom:

    https://x.com/danishmfa/status/2012922660640940328

    TL:DR don’t be an idiot Mr Trump.

    So nothing but words then. Trump will be shitting himself.
    I can imagine being asked to read anything would have that effect on him.
    Starmer saying to him ‘Have I ever mentioned about my Fathers job’ and wanting to discuss it with him.
    Prime Minister, when I said we needed to get tooled up to deal with Trump's threats to Greenland...
  • Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 65,221
    glw said:

    Leon said:

    Scott_xP said:

    Fuck these people

    @jorgeliboreiro.bsky.social‬

    Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is now making an explicit link between the US desire to annex Greenland and the continuation of US support for Ukraine.

    "What would happen in Ukraine if the US pulled its support out? The whole thing would collapse," Bessent told Meet The Press.

    The damage these people are doing will take decades to heal. How can anyone trust the US again when it behaves like this to allies?
    What if they don’t care?


    That’s one disturbing rationale. What if they’ve decided that NATO can go fuck itself (ditto Ukraine), and the Europeans are a bunch of expensive effete losers determined to immigrate their nations to death - ergo they are doomed and useless allies now and forever

    What if they’ve therefore decided that American isolationism is the answer - building an impregnable fortress in the wider Americas, which contains all the resources it needs and has all means to defend itself - especially if they can seize the vast mineral wealth and strategic location of Greenland

    In that light the seizure of Greenland makes “sense”. They just don’t care. America must have what it needs for security and fuck Denmark (and Greenland)

    If this is their thinking - rather than just a trumpian flight of lunacy - then it has an internal logic. It is also crazily risky and almost certainly a massive error - every nation, no matter how strong, must have allies and alliances

    Just pointing out that it might not be pure insanity. Eg the death of NATO is possibly seen as a positive by product
    Then, that would be a failure of imagination.

    America has less than 5% of humanity's population, and isn't anything like as invulnerable or omnipotent as it thinks it is.

    They soon will care when they realise such actions leave Americans friendless, their markets smaller, access to products reduced, and - being no longer able or trusted to shape world events - a recipient of the chaos that causes, which it will.
    I wrote this a couple of weeks ago.

    I think a lot of what drives the behaviour of the current US administration, a reversion to US exceptionalism and isolationism, is the slowly dawning realisation that no matter what they do China will surpass them in almost all ways this century, and soon in many areas. So the US is acting up, one last go at exerting their fading power before it becomes ineffective. They actually need more alliances, and multilateralism, to attempt to rein in China, and to a lesser extent Russia and India, but the US is trashing the prospects of that. The rest of the world, particularly the democratic bits, had better learn the lessons and act fast.


    It's even more clear now that the American Century has ended. The only surprising thing is just how rapidly the end came about.
    China is in just as much trouble as America and well past its demographic peak. It isn't on course to rule the world.

    But, the most dangerous beast is a wounded one.
  • BarnesianBarnesian Posts: 9,656
    rkrkrk said:

    Eabhal said:

    Consumer boycotts are the best reply to Trump. As we've said before some aren't easy with the big tech companies being practical monopolies. What has been the impact with Canada over the last twelve months? I'd have thought avoiding holidays (vacations?) in the US would be the easiest win. The sort of thing people spend thousands on.

    I would value some practical advice on how to boycott US goods and services. HMG might start by no longer offering banking and consultancy work to the Wall Street and Boston institutions. There's no need for the Government to make a fuss about it - indeed, it would be better if they didn't. All they (and we) need to do is quietly give business to British, European and other companies.

    I know that as a retail customer my ability to swerve US goods and services is limited - I can't go for 100% purity, but I am certainly not visiting the place, buying their food and wine or investing in US companies for the forseeable future.

    Yes, my actions may be pointless, and I might be cutting off my nose to spite my face, but if all I can do is avoid US goods and services then I am going to do it.
    Buy Samsung, not Apple. Buy Adidas not Nike. Buy Barr's Irn Bru not Cola.
    I'm due a new phone and I'm much more likely to go for an S25 versus a pixel 10 or iphone as a result of all this. Difficult to turn down a £200 trade-in bonus though...

    The S&S ISA. 55%ish US stocks. Not sure I should sacrifice what is supposed to be an early retirement pot for what I hope is only a medium term disaster in America.
    I'm selling off some of my US stocks. More because I think there's a tech bubble. No idea what to replace them with. Don't like holding cash.
    RR. and BA. ?
  • DopermeanDopermean Posts: 2,105
    isam said:

    isam said:

    I am deeply concerned that so many Reform voters don't see this for what it is.

    They seem to think Trump can do no wrong, and if anyone opposes him then that's a sign that he himself must be supported.

    I did vote Reform in 2024, but have never been all in on Trump, and probably won’t vote Reform next time anyway. I liked that he tore up the rule book and gave the centrists/lefty can’t do’s a kick up the arse, but his response to the film directors death recently woke me up to what a crass person he is. Now it seems like he is getting crazier every day.

    Not that it would cross his mind, but he has put Farage in a bit of a muddle now. Laying Reform most seats at 2 seems even better than before, I think it’s been a bad week for them

    EDIT It’s 2.1 now, predictable drift
    There is more rejoicing in heaven etc etc
    To be honest even though I voted and campaigned for UKIP/Leave, and have been on the Farage side of politics for a decade or so, what I wanted was for the establishment to listen, and change their ways on immigration rather than actually have Farage as PM. It’s probably true that he is best as leader of a pressure group. I would have happily stayed in the EU if Cameron would have done anything meaningful about immigration. After the event, lots of people pointed out that there was a way of doing so whilst staying in the EU, but that just proved the point that the establishment were not interested in listening.

    I don’t really follow US politics, but it seems to me the same happened there; the establishment refused to listen to the concerns of ordinary people, so we end up with chaos. It is the equivalent of workers going on strike when the bosses won’t play fair. The centrist/liberal elite were tin eared and pushed their luck a bit too far by insulting their opponents. The results were Brexit (revenge of the fruitcakes and racists), POTUS Trump (revenge of the deplorables) and possibly PM Farage (revenge of the right wing thugs)

    So I wouldn’t say I was a sinner who has repented. Sometimes you have to resort to a kind of political terrorism if the people in charge won’t listen
    Alternatively "useful easily swayed idiots" who've voted to destroy the lives of the majority at the behest of a tiny number of deranged billionaires.
  • vinovino Posts: 200
    isam said:

    isam said:

    I am deeply concerned that so many Reform voters don't see this for what it is.

    They seem to think Trump can do no wrong, and if anyone opposes him then that's a sign that he himself must be supported.

    I did vote Reform in 2024, but have never been all in on Trump, and probably won’t vote Reform next time anyway. I liked that he tore up the rule book and gave the centrists/lefty can’t do’s a kick up the arse, but his response to the film directors death recently woke me up to what a crass person he is. Now it seems like he is getting crazier every day.

    Not that it would cross his mind, but he has put Farage in a bit of a muddle now. Laying Reform most seats at 2 seems even better than before, I think it’s been a bad week for them

    EDIT It’s 2.1 now, predictable drift
    There is more rejoicing in heaven etc etc
    To be honest even though I voted and campaigned for UKIP/Leave, and have been on the Farage side of politics for a decade or so, what I wanted was for the establishment to listen, and change their ways on immigration rather than actually have Farage as PM. It’s probably true that he is best as leader of a pressure group. I would have happily stayed in the EU if Cameron would have done anything meaningful about immigration. After the event, lots of people pointed out that there was a way of doing so whilst staying in the EU, but that just proved the point that the establishment were not interested in listening.

    I don’t really follow US politics, but it seems to me the same happened there; the establishment refused to listen to the concerns of ordinary people, so we end up with chaos. It is the equivalent of workers going on strike when the bosses won’t play fair. The centrist/liberal elite were tin eared and pushed their luck a bit too far by insulting their opponents. The results were Brexit (revenge of the fruitcakes and racists), POTUS Trump (revenge of the deplorables) and possibly PM Farage (revenge of the right wing thugs)

    So I wouldn’t say I was a sinner who has repented. Sometimes you have to resort to a kind of political terrorism if the people in charge won’t listen
    Agree entirely - but "They" are still not listening.
  • TazTaz Posts: 24,031
    ydoethur said:

    stodge said:

    Evening all :)

    I am informed Bluesky is a silent desert with the odd shrieking group of pious lefty nutters, acidly bickering with each other and wondering why no one wants to join them.

    By contrast, Twitter is a cacophonous purgatory where the intellectually damned and soulless shout ever more incoherently into the void repeating themselves endlessly in the hope one final re-statement of their view will earn them acknowledgement, recognition, a blessed relief.

    Social media was "cacophonous purgatory where the intellectually damned and soulless shout ever more incoherently into the void repeating themselves endlessly in the hope one final re-statement of their view will earn them acknowledgement, recognition, a blessed relief" right from the beginning.

    USENET was thus, too.

    Reminds me... must find out if Mary Shafer (NASA) is still around.
    Am I the only one here who frequented uk.politics.misc?
    I suspect that you visit plenty of websites that the rest of us stay clear of.
    Beggars can't be choo-choosers?
    As Keith Chegwin said when he became tee-total, ‘Cheggers can’t be Boozers’.
  • Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 65,221
    Taz said:

    EU preparing up to $93 billion of tariffs on US goods.

    https://x.com/kobeissiletter/status/2012961913005629697?s=61

    Just before market futures open, just ahead of Davos and the US markets are shut tomorrow.

    Interesting.

    https://x.com/kobeissiletter/status/2012961913005629697?s=61

    Good. They need to be hit where it hurts.

    The best hope is to hit Trump badly enough in the midterms in a way that greatly complicates his room for manoeuvre.
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 77,121
    Hello, is that Mr Higgins' agent?

    I'll take 10% of any prize money.

    No, I am not Russian mafia or a dodgy criminal posing as a journalist.
  • rottenboroughrottenborough Posts: 69,581
    Aaron Rupar
    @atrupar

    Ted Cruz: "When it comes to Greenland, I want to commend President Trump for being single-mindedly focused on America first ... I believe it is overwhelmingly in America's national interest to acquire Greenland ... the whole history of America has been a history of acquiring new lands and new territories"

    https://x.com/atrupar/status/2012908000231505937
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 60,011
    Taz said:

    ydoethur said:

    Dura_Ace said:

    Sandpit said:

    Joint statement by Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom:

    https://x.com/danishmfa/status/2012922660640940328

    TL:DR don’t be an idiot Mr Trump.

    So nothing but words then. Trump will be shitting himself.
    I can imagine being asked to read anything would have that effect on him.
    Starmer saying to him ‘Have I ever mentioned about my Fathers job’ and wanting to discuss it with him.
    Look, I know the Geneva Convention has been trashed, but there are limits on what is Done and Not Done, you know.

    That's just not cricket.
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 60,011

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    Scott_xP said:

    Fuck these people

    @jorgeliboreiro.bsky.social‬

    Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is now making an explicit link between the US desire to annex Greenland and the continuation of US support for Ukraine.

    "What would happen in Ukraine if the US pulled its support out? The whole thing would collapse," Bessent told Meet The Press.

    The damage these people are doing will take decades to heal. How can anyone trust the US again when it behaves like this to allies?
    What if they don’t care?


    That’s one disturbing rationale. What if they’ve decided that NATO can go fuck itself (ditto Ukraine), and the Europeans are a bunch of expensive effete losers determined to immigrate their nations to death - ergo they are doomed and useless allies now and forever

    What if they’ve therefore decided that American isolationism is the answer - building an impregnable fortress in the wider Americas, which contains all the resources it needs and has all means to defend itself - especially if they can seize the vast mineral wealth and strategic location of Greenland

    In that light the seizure of Greenland makes “sense”. They just don’t care. America must have what it needs for security and fuck Denmark (and Greenland)

    If this is their thinking - rather than just a trumpian flight of lunacy - then it has an internal logic. It is also crazily risky and almost certainly a massive error - every nation, no matter how strong, must have allies and alliances

    Just pointing out that it might not be pure insanity. Eg the death of NATO is possibly seen as a positive by product
    Then, that would be a failure of imagination.

    America has less than 5% of humanity's population, and isn't anything like as invulnerable or omnipotent as it thinks it is.

    They soon will care when they realise such actions leave Americans friendless, their markets smaller, access to products reduced, and - being no longer able or trusted to shape world events - a recipient of the chaos that causes, which it will.
    Technology may be about to render all this very arguable
    How?
    1) Steal Underpants
    2) AI Crypto NFT Novel Space Launch Tech Server Farm Timeshare
    3) Profit
  • viewcodeviewcode Posts: 27,342
    Leon said:

    viewcode said:

    Leon said:

    viewcode said:

    Taz said:

    Foxy said:

    Foxy said:

    kle4 said:

    nico67 said:

    Apparently Farage is under the weather and couldn’t make LK .

    Yes right ! Obviously he didn’t want answer uncomfortable questions about his relationship with Trump .

    It is his usual 'duck and cover' approach when Trump is being particularly egregious. Not that Trump is massively popular with Reform voters, but he is more popular than with other voters, and going silent (or sticking to careful written statements) about being pro-Trump in such moments usually allows things to blow over.

    He won't be able to get away with ducking things like that on this or other issues forever, when he is in with a shot of being PM.

    If he's lucky though it won't hurt him until after he's already in office. It took a long time for Corbyn's unchanging views on foreign affairs to have any impact at all.
    One party stands out in this table. It seems a fair number of Reform voters are Trump bootlickers:


    It is really interesting that Reform is so out of line on this. 39% "strongly oppose". If the bulk of Reform's support is from former Tories, then they must have had their minds melted in the journey across.
    I think about half of the Reform vote is from weathy older Shire voters not unlike the Tories, but the other half is from those swapping various MAGA conspiracy theories on Social Media.

    All parties are coalitions, but this doesn't seem a natural fit in the long term. Farage knows this and its one reason that he won't criticize Trump.
    You seriously think about 14.5% of the country are swapping MAGA conspiracy stories online 🙄
    Last night one of my Tweets about Greenland went viral, I'd say about 40% of the replies are MAGA bullshit by Brits.

    https://x.com/TSEofPB/status/2012566644493627792

    I get replies like these as well.

    Go live in Pakistan then bro

    https://x.com/Frank6awa/status/2012661929332920536

    Get fucked. I'd rather not support the Fouth Reich, you fucking Nazi

    https://x.com/HashMan10600431/status/2012629647645671488

    Any brit who defends and supports immigrants is a traitor.

    Any brit who defends and supports immigrants is a traitor.
    I'd forgotten you still had a Twitter account. Can't be fun, given that it is chock full of nutters. Have you thought of migrating to Bluesky and going on Matt Wardman's Political Betting starter pack?

    https://x.com/TSEofPB/
    https://bsky.app/starter-pack/mattwardman.bsky.social/3lfk4fvp5yv26
    https://bsky.app/profile/mattwardman.bsky.social
    lol, bless
    "chock full of nutters".
    Whereas Bluesky is a silent desert with the odd shrieking group of pious lefty nutters, acidly bickering with each other and wondering why no one wants to join them

    Think I prefer the unruly crowds and fun
    Each to their own.
  • DecrepiterJohnLDecrepiterJohnL Posts: 34,763
    Land Rover driver who killed university professor avoids jail
    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/01/16/land-rover-driver-killed-university-professor-avoids-jail/ (£££)

    It is not the driver avoiding prison that interests me but that a death in 2022 has taken more than three years to reach court.

    The appreciation from the University of York is inspiring:-
    He left school at 17 without any A-levels and worked as a professional fisherman, eventually owning his own boat.

    The money he earnt from fishing funded his passion for travel. It was while travelling that he became curious about living systems in the natural world, particularly in the marine environment. This inspired him to write a letter to Portsmouth Polytechnic at the age of 26 and convinced them to offer him a place to study Biological Science. He had not studied biology since the age of 13 and initially struggled but he persevered and graduated with a First-class degree.

    In 1987 Simon was offered a PhD position at Pennsylvania State University under the supervision of Professor Daniel Cosgrove, publishing 5 ground-breaking papers based on his discovery of plant cell wall modifying proteins called expansins.

    In 1994, after a short period as a postdoc at Penn State, Simon’s career at the University of York began. His pioneering work on plant cell walls formed the basis of a prestigious Royal Society Fellowship. Simon was subsequently appointed to a CNAP Chair in Materials Biology in 2001. His knowledge of plant cell walls laid an excellent foundation to developing innovative technologies for unlocking the sugars from the matrix polysaccharides in plant cell walls for the production of biofuels and chemicals, and recently, the production of sustainable textiles.

    He was keen to see the research in CNAP translated for the benefit of society and his work played a key role in the centre being awarded a Queen’s Anniversary Prize in 2005 and the establishment of the Biorenewables Development Centre in 2010.

    https://www.york.ac.uk/biology/about/news/2022/in-memory-professor-simon-mcqueen-mason/
  • Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 65,221

    Aaron Rupar
    @atrupar

    Ted Cruz: "When it comes to Greenland, I want to commend President Trump for being single-mindedly focused on America first ... I believe it is overwhelmingly in America's national interest to acquire Greenland ... the whole history of America has been a history of acquiring new lands and new territories"

    https://x.com/atrupar/status/2012908000231505937

    I put Ted Cruz in the same category as Robert Jenrick.
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 77,121

    Aaron Rupar
    @atrupar

    Ted Cruz: "When it comes to Greenland, I want to commend President Trump for being single-mindedly focused on America first ... I believe it is overwhelmingly in America's national interest to acquire Greenland ... the whole history of America has been a history of acquiring new lands and new territories"

    https://x.com/atrupar/status/2012908000231505937

    I put Ted Cruz in the same category as Robert Jenrick.
    Trump was actually right in his description of Cruz. 'Lying Ted' fits him pretty well.
  • Land Rover driver who killed university professor avoids jail
    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/01/16/land-rover-driver-killed-university-professor-avoids-jail/ (£££)

    It is not the driver avoiding prison that interests me but that a death in 2022 has taken more than three years to reach court.

    The appreciation from the University of York is inspiring:-
    He left school at 17 without any A-levels and worked as a professional fisherman, eventually owning his own boat.

    The money he earnt from fishing funded his passion for travel. It was while travelling that he became curious about living systems in the natural world, particularly in the marine environment. This inspired him to write a letter to Portsmouth Polytechnic at the age of 26 and convinced them to offer him a place to study Biological Science. He had not studied biology since the age of 13 and initially struggled but he persevered and graduated with a First-class degree.

    In 1987 Simon was offered a PhD position at Pennsylvania State University under the supervision of Professor Daniel Cosgrove, publishing 5 ground-breaking papers based on his discovery of plant cell wall modifying proteins called expansins.

    In 1994, after a short period as a postdoc at Penn State, Simon’s career at the University of York began. His pioneering work on plant cell walls formed the basis of a prestigious Royal Society Fellowship. Simon was subsequently appointed to a CNAP Chair in Materials Biology in 2001. His knowledge of plant cell walls laid an excellent foundation to developing innovative technologies for unlocking the sugars from the matrix polysaccharides in plant cell walls for the production of biofuels and chemicals, and recently, the production of sustainable textiles.

    He was keen to see the research in CNAP translated for the benefit of society and his work played a key role in the centre being awarded a Queen’s Anniversary Prize in 2005 and the establishment of the Biorenewables Development Centre in 2010.

    https://www.york.ac.uk/biology/about/news/2022/in-memory-professor-simon-mcqueen-mason/

    We urgently need minimum sentences for motoring offences that result in fatalities. The whole 'kill someone with a car and get away with it' nonsense is well out of hand now.
  • LostPasswordLostPassword Posts: 21,932

    glw said:

    Leon said:

    Scott_xP said:

    Fuck these people

    @jorgeliboreiro.bsky.social‬

    Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is now making an explicit link between the US desire to annex Greenland and the continuation of US support for Ukraine.

    "What would happen in Ukraine if the US pulled its support out? The whole thing would collapse," Bessent told Meet The Press.

    The damage these people are doing will take decades to heal. How can anyone trust the US again when it behaves like this to allies?
    What if they don’t care?


    That’s one disturbing rationale. What if they’ve decided that NATO can go fuck itself (ditto Ukraine), and the Europeans are a bunch of expensive effete losers determined to immigrate their nations to death - ergo they are doomed and useless allies now and forever

    What if they’ve therefore decided that American isolationism is the answer - building an impregnable fortress in the wider Americas, which contains all the resources it needs and has all means to defend itself - especially if they can seize the vast mineral wealth and strategic location of Greenland

    In that light the seizure of Greenland makes “sense”. They just don’t care. America must have what it needs for security and fuck Denmark (and Greenland)

    If this is their thinking - rather than just a trumpian flight of lunacy - then it has an internal logic. It is also crazily risky and almost certainly a massive error - every nation, no matter how strong, must have allies and alliances

    Just pointing out that it might not be pure insanity. Eg the death of NATO is possibly seen as a positive by product
    Then, that would be a failure of imagination.

    America has less than 5% of humanity's population, and isn't anything like as invulnerable or omnipotent as it thinks it is.

    They soon will care when they realise such actions leave Americans friendless, their markets smaller, access to products reduced, and - being no longer able or trusted to shape world events - a recipient of the chaos that causes, which it will.
    I wrote this a couple of weeks ago.

    I think a lot of what drives the behaviour of the current US administration, a reversion to US exceptionalism and isolationism, is the slowly dawning realisation that no matter what they do China will surpass them in almost all ways this century, and soon in many areas. So the US is acting up, one last go at exerting their fading power before it becomes ineffective. They actually need more alliances, and multilateralism, to attempt to rein in China, and to a lesser extent Russia and India, but the US is trashing the prospects of that. The rest of the world, particularly the democratic bits, had better learn the lessons and act fast.


    It's even more clear now that the American Century has ended. The only surprising thing is just how rapidly the end came about.
    China is in just as much trouble as America and well past its demographic peak. It isn't on course to rule the world.

    But, the most dangerous beast is a wounded one.
    The combined population of the US, NATO/EU, Japan & South Korea is something like 900m, so if it were not for Trump there would be a great chance of the "West" enduring the period of maximum Chinese strength.

    But divided we may fall.

    It's going to be dammed hard, and first we need to see off Russia pdq.
  • viewcodeviewcode Posts: 27,342

    "... the whole history of America has been a history of acquiring new lands and new territories..."

    ...to boldly invade where no-one has invaded before.

    (sings "woo-woo" song)

  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 77,121
    edited 7:42PM

    Land Rover driver who killed university professor avoids jail
    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/01/16/land-rover-driver-killed-university-professor-avoids-jail/ (£££)

    It is not the driver avoiding prison that interests me but that a death in 2022 has taken more than three years to reach court.

    The appreciation from the University of York is inspiring:-
    He left school at 17 without any A-levels and worked as a professional fisherman, eventually owning his own boat.

    The money he earnt from fishing funded his passion for travel. It was while travelling that he became curious about living systems in the natural world, particularly in the marine environment. This inspired him to write a letter to Portsmouth Polytechnic at the age of 26 and convinced them to offer him a place to study Biological Science. He had not studied biology since the age of 13 and initially struggled but he persevered and graduated with a First-class degree.

    In 1987 Simon was offered a PhD position at Pennsylvania State University under the supervision of Professor Daniel Cosgrove, publishing 5 ground-breaking papers based on his discovery of plant cell wall modifying proteins called expansins.

    In 1994, after a short period as a postdoc at Penn State, Simon’s career at the University of York began. His pioneering work on plant cell walls formed the basis of a prestigious Royal Society Fellowship. Simon was subsequently appointed to a CNAP Chair in Materials Biology in 2001. His knowledge of plant cell walls laid an excellent foundation to developing innovative technologies for unlocking the sugars from the matrix polysaccharides in plant cell walls for the production of biofuels and chemicals, and recently, the production of sustainable textiles.

    He was keen to see the research in CNAP translated for the benefit of society and his work played a key role in the centre being awarded a Queen’s Anniversary Prize in 2005 and the establishment of the Biorenewables Development Centre in 2010.

    https://www.york.ac.uk/biology/about/news/2022/in-memory-professor-simon-mcqueen-mason/

    We urgently need minimum sentences for motoring offences that result in fatalities. The whole 'kill someone with a car and get away with it' nonsense is well out of hand now.
    Does it matter what the sentence is when it's taking 3-4 years for cases to be heard?
  • LostPasswordLostPassword Posts: 21,932

    Taz said:

    EU preparing up to $93 billion of tariffs on US goods.

    https://x.com/kobeissiletter/status/2012961913005629697?s=61

    Just before market futures open, just ahead of Davos and the US markets are shut tomorrow.

    Interesting.

    https://x.com/kobeissiletter/status/2012961913005629697?s=61

    Good. They need to be hit where it hurts.

    The best hope is to hit Trump badly enough in the midterms in a way that greatly complicates his room for manoeuvre.
    It's nearly a year until a new Congress would take over. That's too long.

    We need the current Congress to act.
  • TazTaz Posts: 24,031

    Taz said:

    EU preparing up to $93 billion of tariffs on US goods.

    https://x.com/kobeissiletter/status/2012961913005629697?s=61

    Just before market futures open, just ahead of Davos and the US markets are shut tomorrow.

    Interesting.

    https://x.com/kobeissiletter/status/2012961913005629697?s=61

    Good. They need to be hit where it hurts.

    The best hope is to hit Trump badly enough in the midterms in a way that greatly complicates his room for manoeuvre.
    It is also being reported in the FT Europe could also threaten to restrict US companies’ market access in run-up to crunch talks at Davos.

    With Trump you seem to have to escalate to de-escalate.

  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 54,783

    glw said:

    Leon said:

    Scott_xP said:

    Fuck these people

    @jorgeliboreiro.bsky.social‬

    Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is now making an explicit link between the US desire to annex Greenland and the continuation of US support for Ukraine.

    "What would happen in Ukraine if the US pulled its support out? The whole thing would collapse," Bessent told Meet The Press.

    The damage these people are doing will take decades to heal. How can anyone trust the US again when it behaves like this to allies?
    What if they don’t care?


    That’s one disturbing rationale. What if they’ve decided that NATO can go fuck itself (ditto Ukraine), and the Europeans are a bunch of expensive effete losers determined to immigrate their nations to death - ergo they are doomed and useless allies now and forever

    What if they’ve therefore decided that American isolationism is the answer - building an impregnable fortress in the wider Americas, which contains all the resources it needs and has all means to defend itself - especially if they can seize the vast mineral wealth and strategic location of Greenland

    In that light the seizure of Greenland makes “sense”. They just don’t care. America must have what it needs for security and fuck Denmark (and Greenland)

    If this is their thinking - rather than just a trumpian flight of lunacy - then it has an internal logic. It is also crazily risky and almost certainly a massive error - every nation, no matter how strong, must have allies and alliances

    Just pointing out that it might not be pure insanity. Eg the death of NATO is possibly seen as a positive by product
    Then, that would be a failure of imagination.

    America has less than 5% of humanity's population, and isn't anything like as invulnerable or omnipotent as it thinks it is.

    They soon will care when they realise such actions leave Americans friendless, their markets smaller, access to products reduced, and - being no longer able or trusted to shape world events - a recipient of the chaos that causes, which it will.
    I wrote this a couple of weeks ago.

    I think a lot of what drives the behaviour of the current US administration, a reversion to US exceptionalism and isolationism, is the slowly dawning realisation that no matter what they do China will surpass them in almost all ways this century, and soon in many areas. So the US is acting up, one last go at exerting their fading power before it becomes ineffective. They actually need more alliances, and multilateralism, to attempt to rein in China, and to a lesser extent Russia and India, but the US is trashing the prospects of that. The rest of the world, particularly the democratic bits, had better learn the lessons and act fast.


    It's even more clear now that the American Century has ended. The only surprising thing is just how rapidly the end came about.
    China is in just as much trouble as America and well past its demographic peak. It isn't on course to rule the world.

    But, the most dangerous beast is a wounded one.
    It doesn't look like that to me.

    Pretty much all developed and middle income countries are past their demographic peak, in the absence of immigration.

    China leads on the industries of the future, and thse don't usually need vast numbers of unskilled workers. I wouldn't want to live under the Chinese government, but in terms of economic and trade power it looks likely to dominate.
  • TazTaz Posts: 24,031

    Labour’s non-dom gamble backfired – now it wants them back
    Calls for a global investor visa as officials seek ways to stem the flow of rich people moving abroad

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/01/17/labour-urged-to-woo-back-wealthy-after-non-dom-disaster/ (£££)

    Rachel Reeves done buggered things up again, as can be clearly seen from the article's graph showing the rich fleeing Britain.


    But we were told by the ‘wealth tax now’ brigade they weren’t leaving and they wanted to pay more tax 🤔

    Meanwhile for a not inconsiderable sum you can see Gary Stevenson on tour.

    There’s money to be made in this for sure.

    https://au.thinkable.events/gary-stevenson-tour-ticket-sale/#garytickets
  • EabhalEabhal Posts: 13,172
    edited 7:47PM

    Land Rover driver who killed university professor avoids jail
    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/01/16/land-rover-driver-killed-university-professor-avoids-jail/ (£££)

    It is not the driver avoiding prison that interests me but that a death in 2022 has taken more than three years to reach court.

    The appreciation from the University of York is inspiring:-
    He left school at 17 without any A-levels and worked as a professional fisherman, eventually owning his own boat.

    The money he earnt from fishing funded his passion for travel. It was while travelling that he became curious about living systems in the natural world, particularly in the marine environment. This inspired him to write a letter to Portsmouth Polytechnic at the age of 26 and convinced them to offer him a place to study Biological Science. He had not studied biology since the age of 13 and initially struggled but he persevered and graduated with a First-class degree.

    In 1987 Simon was offered a PhD position at Pennsylvania State University under the supervision of Professor Daniel Cosgrove, publishing 5 ground-breaking papers based on his discovery of plant cell wall modifying proteins called expansins.

    In 1994, after a short period as a postdoc at Penn State, Simon’s career at the University of York began. His pioneering work on plant cell walls formed the basis of a prestigious Royal Society Fellowship. Simon was subsequently appointed to a CNAP Chair in Materials Biology in 2001. His knowledge of plant cell walls laid an excellent foundation to developing innovative technologies for unlocking the sugars from the matrix polysaccharides in plant cell walls for the production of biofuels and chemicals, and recently, the production of sustainable textiles.

    He was keen to see the research in CNAP translated for the benefit of society and his work played a key role in the centre being awarded a Queen’s Anniversary Prize in 2005 and the establishment of the Biorenewables Development Centre in 2010.

    https://www.york.ac.uk/biology/about/news/2022/in-memory-professor-simon-mcqueen-mason/

    His excuse for the hit and run is such obvious bollocks. Blamed the guy for cycling "too fast", but also thought he'd hit a tree - which you'd assume was stationary unless it Treebeard. 400 miles on a failed MOT too. This stuff is infuriating - though to be fair he did get a 3-year driving ban, which is (remarkably) the same as the Liverpool lunatic who ran down hundreds of people deliberately.
  • BartholomewRobertsBartholomewRoberts Posts: 27,163
    edited 7:50PM

    Land Rover driver who killed university professor avoids jail
    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/01/16/land-rover-driver-killed-university-professor-avoids-jail/ (£££)

    It is not the driver avoiding prison that interests me but that a death in 2022 has taken more than three years to reach court.

    The appreciation from the University of York is inspiring:-
    He left school at 17 without any A-levels and worked as a professional fisherman, eventually owning his own boat.

    The money he earnt from fishing funded his passion for travel. It was while travelling that he became curious about living systems in the natural world, particularly in the marine environment. This inspired him to write a letter to Portsmouth Polytechnic at the age of 26 and convinced them to offer him a place to study Biological Science. He had not studied biology since the age of 13 and initially struggled but he persevered and graduated with a First-class degree.

    In 1987 Simon was offered a PhD position at Pennsylvania State University under the supervision of Professor Daniel Cosgrove, publishing 5 ground-breaking papers based on his discovery of plant cell wall modifying proteins called expansins.

    In 1994, after a short period as a postdoc at Penn State, Simon’s career at the University of York began. His pioneering work on plant cell walls formed the basis of a prestigious Royal Society Fellowship. Simon was subsequently appointed to a CNAP Chair in Materials Biology in 2001. His knowledge of plant cell walls laid an excellent foundation to developing innovative technologies for unlocking the sugars from the matrix polysaccharides in plant cell walls for the production of biofuels and chemicals, and recently, the production of sustainable textiles.

    He was keen to see the research in CNAP translated for the benefit of society and his work played a key role in the centre being awarded a Queen’s Anniversary Prize in 2005 and the establishment of the Biorenewables Development Centre in 2010.

    https://www.york.ac.uk/biology/about/news/2022/in-memory-professor-simon-mcqueen-mason/

    We urgently need minimum sentences for motoring offences that result in fatalities. The whole 'kill someone with a car and get away with it' nonsense is well out of hand now.
    Unless there's more to it than reads, this bit here seems counter-intuitive.

    Judge Melville said: “You were in the middle of your manoeuvre when [Prof McQueen-Mason] came around the corner. He couldn’t avoid you and you collided.

    If you're going around a corner then you should be going at a speed in which you can stop depending upon what you see as you go around. If you can't avoid someone who is already in middle of a manoeuvre when you go around a corner, then surely you're going too fast?

    As tragic as that might be.

    Nearly 400 miles on a failed MOT is utterly inexcusable.
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 60,011
    Eabhal said:

    Land Rover driver who killed university professor avoids jail
    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/01/16/land-rover-driver-killed-university-professor-avoids-jail/ (£££)

    It is not the driver avoiding prison that interests me but that a death in 2022 has taken more than three years to reach court.

    The appreciation from the University of York is inspiring:-
    He left school at 17 without any A-levels and worked as a professional fisherman, eventually owning his own boat.

    The money he earnt from fishing funded his passion for travel. It was while travelling that he became curious about living systems in the natural world, particularly in the marine environment. This inspired him to write a letter to Portsmouth Polytechnic at the age of 26 and convinced them to offer him a place to study Biological Science. He had not studied biology since the age of 13 and initially struggled but he persevered and graduated with a First-class degree.

    In 1987 Simon was offered a PhD position at Pennsylvania State University under the supervision of Professor Daniel Cosgrove, publishing 5 ground-breaking papers based on his discovery of plant cell wall modifying proteins called expansins.

    In 1994, after a short period as a postdoc at Penn State, Simon’s career at the University of York began. His pioneering work on plant cell walls formed the basis of a prestigious Royal Society Fellowship. Simon was subsequently appointed to a CNAP Chair in Materials Biology in 2001. His knowledge of plant cell walls laid an excellent foundation to developing innovative technologies for unlocking the sugars from the matrix polysaccharides in plant cell walls for the production of biofuels and chemicals, and recently, the production of sustainable textiles.

    He was keen to see the research in CNAP translated for the benefit of society and his work played a key role in the centre being awarded a Queen’s Anniversary Prize in 2005 and the establishment of the Biorenewables Development Centre in 2010.

    https://www.york.ac.uk/biology/about/news/2022/in-memory-professor-simon-mcqueen-mason/

    His excuse for the hit and run is such obvious bollocks. Blamed the guy for cycling "too fast", but also thought he'd hit a tree - which you'd assume was stationary unless it Treebeard. 400 miles on a failed MOT too. This stuff is infuriating - though to be fair he did get a 3-year driving ban, which is (remarkably) the same as the Liverpool lunatic who ran down hundreds of people deliberately.
    On the Liverpool guy - given he seemed to be "a font of misplaced rage"*, how is he ever going to be safe on the road, shot of a head shrinking miracle?

    *Bit telling he got kicked out of the Marines for fighting.
  • DavidLDavidL Posts: 57,365

    Labour’s non-dom gamble backfired – now it wants them back
    Calls for a global investor visa as officials seek ways to stem the flow of rich people moving abroad

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/01/17/labour-urged-to-woo-back-wealthy-after-non-dom-disaster/ (£££)

    Rachel Reeves done buggered things up again, as can be clearly seen from the article's graph showing the rich fleeing Britain.


    How many billions in lost VAT, Employers NI and IT for employees has this lunacy cost us? Plus the damage to the housing market, especially in London. Plus the lost investment opportunities. Just beyond stupid driven by ideology and ignorance.
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 54,783
    edited 7:52PM

    Labour’s non-dom gamble backfired – now it wants them back
    Calls for a global investor visa as officials seek ways to stem the flow of rich people moving abroad

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/01/17/labour-urged-to-woo-back-wealthy-after-non-dom-disaster/ (£££)

    Rachel Reeves done buggered things up again, as can be clearly seen from the article's graph showing the rich fleeing Britain.


    That graph ends in 2024. The number plateaus after Reeves takes charge, the decline being under the Tory government, particularly after 2016.
  • BartholomewRobertsBartholomewRoberts Posts: 27,163
    DavidL said:

    Labour’s non-dom gamble backfired – now it wants them back
    Calls for a global investor visa as officials seek ways to stem the flow of rich people moving abroad

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/01/17/labour-urged-to-woo-back-wealthy-after-non-dom-disaster/ (£££)

    Rachel Reeves done buggered things up again, as can be clearly seen from the article's graph showing the rich fleeing Britain.


    How many billions in lost VAT, Employers NI and IT for employees has this lunacy cost us? Plus the damage to the housing market, especially in London. Plus the lost investment opportunities. Just beyond stupid driven by ideology and ignorance.
    Define "damage to the housing market".
  • BartholomewRobertsBartholomewRoberts Posts: 27,163
    Ratters said:

    Labour’s non-dom gamble backfired – now it wants them back
    Calls for a global investor visa as officials seek ways to stem the flow of rich people moving abroad

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/01/17/labour-urged-to-woo-back-wealthy-after-non-dom-disaster/ (£££)

    Rachel Reeves done buggered things up again, as can be clearly seen from the article's graph showing the rich fleeing Britain.


    The graph showing them fleeing Britain during the preceding Tory term in change? Particularly after 2016?

    Wonder if any major political events happened back then. Nevermind, must be Labour's fault.
    I suspect John was completely aware of the dates on the chart.
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 54,783
    DavidL said:

    Labour’s non-dom gamble backfired – now it wants them back
    Calls for a global investor visa as officials seek ways to stem the flow of rich people moving abroad

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/01/17/labour-urged-to-woo-back-wealthy-after-non-dom-disaster/ (£££)

    Rachel Reeves done buggered things up again, as can be clearly seen from the article's graph showing the rich fleeing Britain.


    How many billions in lost VAT, Employers NI and IT for employees has this lunacy cost us? Plus the damage to the housing market, especially in London. Plus the lost investment opportunities. Just beyond stupid driven by ideology and ignorance.
    Did you look at the X axis?
  • malcolmgmalcolmg Posts: 45,698

    Land Rover driver who killed university professor avoids jail
    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/01/16/land-rover-driver-killed-university-professor-avoids-jail/ (£££)

    It is not the driver avoiding prison that interests me but that a death in 2022 has taken more than three years to reach court.

    The appreciation from the University of York is inspiring:-
    He left school at 17 without any A-levels and worked as a professional fisherman, eventually owning his own boat.

    The money he earnt from fishing funded his passion for travel. It was while travelling that he became curious about living systems in the natural world, particularly in the marine environment. This inspired him to write a letter to Portsmouth Polytechnic at the age of 26 and convinced them to offer him a place to study Biological Science. He had not studied biology since the age of 13 and initially struggled but he persevered and graduated with a First-class degree.

    In 1987 Simon was offered a PhD position at Pennsylvania State University under the supervision of Professor Daniel Cosgrove, publishing 5 ground-breaking papers based on his discovery of plant cell wall modifying proteins called expansins.

    In 1994, after a short period as a postdoc at Penn State, Simon’s career at the University of York began. His pioneering work on plant cell walls formed the basis of a prestigious Royal Society Fellowship. Simon was subsequently appointed to a CNAP Chair in Materials Biology in 2001. His knowledge of plant cell walls laid an excellent foundation to developing innovative technologies for unlocking the sugars from the matrix polysaccharides in plant cell walls for the production of biofuels and chemicals, and recently, the production of sustainable textiles.

    He was keen to see the research in CNAP translated for the benefit of society and his work played a key role in the centre being awarded a Queen’s Anniversary Prize in 2005 and the establishment of the Biorenewables Development Centre in 2010.

    https://www.york.ac.uk/biology/about/news/2022/in-memory-professor-simon-mcqueen-mason/

    We urgently need minimum sentences for motoring offences that result in fatalities. The whole 'kill someone with a car and get away with it' nonsense is well out of hand now.
    Surely depends who was at fault , if some idiot jumps in front of you , what minimum sentence do you give the traumatised driver.
  • LostPasswordLostPassword Posts: 21,932

    Land Rover driver who killed university professor avoids jail
    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/01/16/land-rover-driver-killed-university-professor-avoids-jail/ (£££)

    It is not the driver avoiding prison that interests me but that a death in 2022 has taken more than three years to reach court.

    The appreciation from the University of York is inspiring:-
    He left school at 17 without any A-levels and worked as a professional fisherman, eventually owning his own boat.

    The money he earnt from fishing funded his passion for travel. It was while travelling that he became curious about living systems in the natural world, particularly in the marine environment. This inspired him to write a letter to Portsmouth Polytechnic at the age of 26 and convinced them to offer him a place to study Biological Science. He had not studied biology since the age of 13 and initially struggled but he persevered and graduated with a First-class degree.

    In 1987 Simon was offered a PhD position at Pennsylvania State University under the supervision of Professor Daniel Cosgrove, publishing 5 ground-breaking papers based on his discovery of plant cell wall modifying proteins called expansins.

    In 1994, after a short period as a postdoc at Penn State, Simon’s career at the University of York began. His pioneering work on plant cell walls formed the basis of a prestigious Royal Society Fellowship. Simon was subsequently appointed to a CNAP Chair in Materials Biology in 2001. His knowledge of plant cell walls laid an excellent foundation to developing innovative technologies for unlocking the sugars from the matrix polysaccharides in plant cell walls for the production of biofuels and chemicals, and recently, the production of sustainable textiles.

    He was keen to see the research in CNAP translated for the benefit of society and his work played a key role in the centre being awarded a Queen’s Anniversary Prize in 2005 and the establishment of the Biorenewables Development Centre in 2010.

    https://www.york.ac.uk/biology/about/news/2022/in-memory-professor-simon-mcqueen-mason/

    We urgently need minimum sentences for motoring offences that result in fatalities. The whole 'kill someone with a car and get away with it' nonsense is well out of hand now.
    Unless there's more to it than reads, this bit here seems counter-intuitive.

    Judge Melville said: “You were in the middle of your manoeuvre when [Prof McQueen-Mason] came around the corner. He couldn’t avoid you and you collided.

    If you're going around a corner then you should be going at a speed in which you can stop depending upon what you see as you go around. If you can't avoid someone who is already in middle of a manoeuvre when you go around a corner, then surely you're going too fast?

    As tragic as that might be.

    Nearly 400 miles on a failed MOT is utterly inexcusable.
    There are certain manoeuvres that you shouldn't do too close to corners where you'd be expecting people to come round those corners.

    You shouldn't do a three-point turn too close to a corner, for example.
  • LostPasswordLostPassword Posts: 21,932

    Ratters said:

    Labour’s non-dom gamble backfired – now it wants them back
    Calls for a global investor visa as officials seek ways to stem the flow of rich people moving abroad

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/01/17/labour-urged-to-woo-back-wealthy-after-non-dom-disaster/ (£££)

    Rachel Reeves done buggered things up again, as can be clearly seen from the article's graph showing the rich fleeing Britain.


    The graph showing them fleeing Britain during the preceding Tory term in change? Particularly after 2016?

    Wonder if any major political events happened back then. Nevermind, must be Labour's fault.
    I suspect John was completely aware of the dates on the chart.
    I assumed sarcasm.
  • MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 57,283

    Labour’s non-dom gamble backfired – now it wants them back
    Calls for a global investor visa as officials seek ways to stem the flow of rich people moving abroad

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/01/17/labour-urged-to-woo-back-wealthy-after-non-dom-disaster/ (£££)

    Rachel Reeves done buggered things up again, as can be clearly seen from the article's graph showing the rich fleeing Britain.


    So. Fucking. Obvious.

    The idiots who were happy to wave off the money at Heathrow now having to eat crow to get them back - or start closing hospitals.
  • DavidLDavidL Posts: 57,365
    edited 7:59PM

    DavidL said:

    Labour’s non-dom gamble backfired – now it wants them back
    Calls for a global investor visa as officials seek ways to stem the flow of rich people moving abroad

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/01/17/labour-urged-to-woo-back-wealthy-after-non-dom-disaster/ (£££)

    Rachel Reeves done buggered things up again, as can be clearly seen from the article's graph showing the rich fleeing Britain.


    How many billions in lost VAT, Employers NI and IT for employees has this lunacy cost us? Plus the damage to the housing market, especially in London. Plus the lost investment opportunities. Just beyond stupid driven by ideology and ignorance.
    Define "damage to the housing market".

    DavidL said:

    Labour’s non-dom gamble backfired – now it wants them back
    Calls for a global investor visa as officials seek ways to stem the flow of rich people moving abroad

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/01/17/labour-urged-to-woo-back-wealthy-after-non-dom-disaster/ (£££)

    Rachel Reeves done buggered things up again, as can be clearly seen from the article's graph showing the rich fleeing Britain.


    How many billions in lost VAT, Employers NI and IT for employees has this lunacy cost us? Plus the damage to the housing market, especially in London. Plus the lost investment opportunities. Just beyond stupid driven by ideology and ignorance.
    Define "damage to the housing market".
    See the recent article in the Spectator by Sean Thomas linked to yesterday. Basically, a market that was already flat at best has been swamped with a lot of high value properties resulting in collapse in values in prestigious parts of London. He said:

    "In Kensington and Chelsea, the drop was 16.5 per cent. In the City of London, prices have plummeted by 18 per cent. Meanwhile Londoners are now more likely to take a loss on a sale than property owners anywhere else in the UK."
    https://spectator.com/article/the-london-property-market-might-be-about-to-implode/

    I accept that some deflation of the London bubble is not necessarily a bad thing but drops like this are disastrous for those affected and will imperil banking covenants for many small or medium sized businesses.
  • BartholomewRobertsBartholomewRoberts Posts: 27,163

    Land Rover driver who killed university professor avoids jail
    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/01/16/land-rover-driver-killed-university-professor-avoids-jail/ (£££)

    It is not the driver avoiding prison that interests me but that a death in 2022 has taken more than three years to reach court.

    The appreciation from the University of York is inspiring:-
    He left school at 17 without any A-levels and worked as a professional fisherman, eventually owning his own boat.

    The money he earnt from fishing funded his passion for travel. It was while travelling that he became curious about living systems in the natural world, particularly in the marine environment. This inspired him to write a letter to Portsmouth Polytechnic at the age of 26 and convinced them to offer him a place to study Biological Science. He had not studied biology since the age of 13 and initially struggled but he persevered and graduated with a First-class degree.

    In 1987 Simon was offered a PhD position at Pennsylvania State University under the supervision of Professor Daniel Cosgrove, publishing 5 ground-breaking papers based on his discovery of plant cell wall modifying proteins called expansins.

    In 1994, after a short period as a postdoc at Penn State, Simon’s career at the University of York began. His pioneering work on plant cell walls formed the basis of a prestigious Royal Society Fellowship. Simon was subsequently appointed to a CNAP Chair in Materials Biology in 2001. His knowledge of plant cell walls laid an excellent foundation to developing innovative technologies for unlocking the sugars from the matrix polysaccharides in plant cell walls for the production of biofuels and chemicals, and recently, the production of sustainable textiles.

    He was keen to see the research in CNAP translated for the benefit of society and his work played a key role in the centre being awarded a Queen’s Anniversary Prize in 2005 and the establishment of the Biorenewables Development Centre in 2010.

    https://www.york.ac.uk/biology/about/news/2022/in-memory-professor-simon-mcqueen-mason/

    We urgently need minimum sentences for motoring offences that result in fatalities. The whole 'kill someone with a car and get away with it' nonsense is well out of hand now.
    Unless there's more to it than reads, this bit here seems counter-intuitive.

    Judge Melville said: “You were in the middle of your manoeuvre when [Prof McQueen-Mason] came around the corner. He couldn’t avoid you and you collided.

    If you're going around a corner then you should be going at a speed in which you can stop depending upon what you see as you go around. If you can't avoid someone who is already in middle of a manoeuvre when you go around a corner, then surely you're going too fast?

    As tragic as that might be.

    Nearly 400 miles on a failed MOT is utterly inexcusable.
    There are certain manoeuvres that you shouldn't do too close to corners where you'd be expecting people to come round those corners.

    You shouldn't do a three-point turn too close to a corner, for example.
    Indeed. From the description, it sounded to me like he was reversing around the corner, which is perfectly legal though. Not sure though.

    Either way, general rule is you should be able to stop in the distance you can see.
  • Big_G_NorthWalesBig_G_NorthWales Posts: 68,855

    Land Rover driver who killed university professor avoids jail
    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/01/16/land-rover-driver-killed-university-professor-avoids-jail/ (£££)

    It is not the driver avoiding prison that interests me but that a death in 2022 has taken more than three years to reach court.

    The appreciation from the University of York is inspiring:-
    He left school at 17 without any A-levels and worked as a professional fisherman, eventually owning his own boat.

    The money he earnt from fishing funded his passion for travel. It was while travelling that he became curious about living systems in the natural world, particularly in the marine environment. This inspired him to write a letter to Portsmouth Polytechnic at the age of 26 and convinced them to offer him a place to study Biological Science. He had not studied biology since the age of 13 and initially struggled but he persevered and graduated with a First-class degree.

    In 1987 Simon was offered a PhD position at Pennsylvania State University under the supervision of Professor Daniel Cosgrove, publishing 5 ground-breaking papers based on his discovery of plant cell wall modifying proteins called expansins.

    In 1994, after a short period as a postdoc at Penn State, Simon’s career at the University of York began. His pioneering work on plant cell walls formed the basis of a prestigious Royal Society Fellowship. Simon was subsequently appointed to a CNAP Chair in Materials Biology in 2001. His knowledge of plant cell walls laid an excellent foundation to developing innovative technologies for unlocking the sugars from the matrix polysaccharides in plant cell walls for the production of biofuels and chemicals, and recently, the production of sustainable textiles.

    He was keen to see the research in CNAP translated for the benefit of society and his work played a key role in the centre being awarded a Queen’s Anniversary Prize in 2005 and the establishment of the Biorenewables Development Centre in 2010.

    https://www.york.ac.uk/biology/about/news/2022/in-memory-professor-simon-mcqueen-mason/

    We urgently need minimum sentences for motoring offences that result in fatalities. The whole 'kill someone with a car and get away with it' nonsense is well out of hand now.
    Unless there's more to it than reads, this bit here seems counter-intuitive.

    Judge Melville said: “You were in the middle of your manoeuvre when [Prof McQueen-Mason] came around the corner. He couldn’t avoid you and you collided.

    If you're going around a corner then you should be going at a speed in which you can stop depending upon what you see as you go around. If you can't avoid someone who is already in middle of a manoeuvre when you go around a corner, then surely you're going too fast?

    As tragic as that might be.

    Nearly 400 miles on a failed MOT is utterly inexcusable.
    There are certain manoeuvres that you shouldn't do too close to corners where you'd be expecting people to come round those corners.

    You shouldn't do a three-point turn too close to a corner, for example.
    Good evening

    Please do not mention roundabouts !!!!!
  • BartholomewRobertsBartholomewRoberts Posts: 27,163
    DavidL said:

    DavidL said:

    Labour’s non-dom gamble backfired – now it wants them back
    Calls for a global investor visa as officials seek ways to stem the flow of rich people moving abroad

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/01/17/labour-urged-to-woo-back-wealthy-after-non-dom-disaster/ (£££)

    Rachel Reeves done buggered things up again, as can be clearly seen from the article's graph showing the rich fleeing Britain.


    How many billions in lost VAT, Employers NI and IT for employees has this lunacy cost us? Plus the damage to the housing market, especially in London. Plus the lost investment opportunities. Just beyond stupid driven by ideology and ignorance.
    Define "damage to the housing market".

    DavidL said:

    Labour’s non-dom gamble backfired – now it wants them back
    Calls for a global investor visa as officials seek ways to stem the flow of rich people moving abroad

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/01/17/labour-urged-to-woo-back-wealthy-after-non-dom-disaster/ (£££)

    Rachel Reeves done buggered things up again, as can be clearly seen from the article's graph showing the rich fleeing Britain.


    How many billions in lost VAT, Employers NI and IT for employees has this lunacy cost us? Plus the damage to the housing market, especially in London. Plus the lost investment opportunities. Just beyond stupid driven by ideology and ignorance.
    Define "damage to the housing market".
    See the recent article in the Spectator by Sean Thomas linked to yesterday. Basically, a market that was already flat at best has been swamped with a lot of high value properties resulting in collapse in values in prestigious parts of London. He said:

    "In Kensington and Chelsea, the drop was 16.5 per cent. In the City of London, prices have plummeted by 18 per cent. Meanwhile Londoners are now more likely to take a loss on a sale than property owners anywhere else in the UK."
    https://spectator.com/article/the-london-property-market-might-be-about-to-implode/

    I accept that some deflation of the London bubble is not necessarily a bad thing but drops like this are disastrous for those affected and will imperil banking covenants for many small or medium sized businesses.
    Seems like good news. I'm not seeing any damage.

    For those who need to pay for the cost of properties, some of the heat of costs coming down is a good thing.

    What's the damage there?
  • Land Rover driver who killed university professor avoids jail
    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/01/16/land-rover-driver-killed-university-professor-avoids-jail/ (£££)

    It is not the driver avoiding prison that interests me but that a death in 2022 has taken more than three years to reach court.

    The appreciation from the University of York is inspiring:-
    He left school at 17 without any A-levels and worked as a professional fisherman, eventually owning his own boat.

    The money he earnt from fishing funded his passion for travel. It was while travelling that he became curious about living systems in the natural world, particularly in the marine environment. This inspired him to write a letter to Portsmouth Polytechnic at the age of 26 and convinced them to offer him a place to study Biological Science. He had not studied biology since the age of 13 and initially struggled but he persevered and graduated with a First-class degree.

    In 1987 Simon was offered a PhD position at Pennsylvania State University under the supervision of Professor Daniel Cosgrove, publishing 5 ground-breaking papers based on his discovery of plant cell wall modifying proteins called expansins.

    In 1994, after a short period as a postdoc at Penn State, Simon’s career at the University of York began. His pioneering work on plant cell walls formed the basis of a prestigious Royal Society Fellowship. Simon was subsequently appointed to a CNAP Chair in Materials Biology in 2001. His knowledge of plant cell walls laid an excellent foundation to developing innovative technologies for unlocking the sugars from the matrix polysaccharides in plant cell walls for the production of biofuels and chemicals, and recently, the production of sustainable textiles.

    He was keen to see the research in CNAP translated for the benefit of society and his work played a key role in the centre being awarded a Queen’s Anniversary Prize in 2005 and the establishment of the Biorenewables Development Centre in 2010.

    https://www.york.ac.uk/biology/about/news/2022/in-memory-professor-simon-mcqueen-mason/

    We urgently need minimum sentences for motoring offences that result in fatalities. The whole 'kill someone with a car and get away with it' nonsense is well out of hand now.
    Unless there's more to it than reads, this bit here seems counter-intuitive.

    Judge Melville said: “You were in the middle of your manoeuvre when [Prof McQueen-Mason] came around the corner. He couldn’t avoid you and you collided.

    If you're going around a corner then you should be going at a speed in which you can stop depending upon what you see as you go around. If you can't avoid someone who is already in middle of a manoeuvre when you go around a corner, then surely you're going too fast?

    As tragic as that might be.

    Nearly 400 miles on a failed MOT is utterly inexcusable.
    I'm assuming from the description that Land Rover guy was attempting something that required him to move rapidly toward the corner on the cyclist's side of the road. Reversing round the corner in order to turn, maybe.

    It's only expected that people slow down enough to be able to stop before stationery obstructions. If said obstruction is coming at you at speed, well...
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 77,121
    Perhaps I was a bit previous on this Higgins revival...
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 60,011
    edited 8:03PM

    Labour’s non-dom gamble backfired – now it wants them back
    Calls for a global investor visa as officials seek ways to stem the flow of rich people moving abroad

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/01/17/labour-urged-to-woo-back-wealthy-after-non-dom-disaster/ (£££)

    Rachel Reeves done buggered things up again, as can be clearly seen from the article's graph showing the rich fleeing Britain.


    So. Fucking. Obvious.

    The idiots who were happy to wave off the money at Heathrow now having to eat crow to get them back - or start closing hospitals.
    Build the island airport. Use concrete caison technology - see Troll B - to get it done quickly.

    Turn Heathrow into a new town. Zillions of homes and businesses, with utilities and transport already there....

    And no, birds don't make airports next to, or on the sea, impossible,
  • ydoethurydoethur Posts: 77,121

    Land Rover driver who killed university professor avoids jail
    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/01/16/land-rover-driver-killed-university-professor-avoids-jail/ (£££)

    It is not the driver avoiding prison that interests me but that a death in 2022 has taken more than three years to reach court.

    The appreciation from the University of York is inspiring:-
    He left school at 17 without any A-levels and worked as a professional fisherman, eventually owning his own boat.

    The money he earnt from fishing funded his passion for travel. It was while travelling that he became curious about living systems in the natural world, particularly in the marine environment. This inspired him to write a letter to Portsmouth Polytechnic at the age of 26 and convinced them to offer him a place to study Biological Science. He had not studied biology since the age of 13 and initially struggled but he persevered and graduated with a First-class degree.

    In 1987 Simon was offered a PhD position at Pennsylvania State University under the supervision of Professor Daniel Cosgrove, publishing 5 ground-breaking papers based on his discovery of plant cell wall modifying proteins called expansins.

    In 1994, after a short period as a postdoc at Penn State, Simon’s career at the University of York began. His pioneering work on plant cell walls formed the basis of a prestigious Royal Society Fellowship. Simon was subsequently appointed to a CNAP Chair in Materials Biology in 2001. His knowledge of plant cell walls laid an excellent foundation to developing innovative technologies for unlocking the sugars from the matrix polysaccharides in plant cell walls for the production of biofuels and chemicals, and recently, the production of sustainable textiles.

    He was keen to see the research in CNAP translated for the benefit of society and his work played a key role in the centre being awarded a Queen’s Anniversary Prize in 2005 and the establishment of the Biorenewables Development Centre in 2010.

    https://www.york.ac.uk/biology/about/news/2022/in-memory-professor-simon-mcqueen-mason/

    We urgently need minimum sentences for motoring offences that result in fatalities. The whole 'kill someone with a car and get away with it' nonsense is well out of hand now.
    Unless there's more to it than reads, this bit here seems counter-intuitive.

    Judge Melville said: “You were in the middle of your manoeuvre when [Prof McQueen-Mason] came around the corner. He couldn’t avoid you and you collided.

    If you're going around a corner then you should be going at a speed in which you can stop depending upon what you see as you go around. If you can't avoid someone who is already in middle of a manoeuvre when you go around a corner, then surely you're going too fast?

    As tragic as that might be.

    Nearly 400 miles on a failed MOT is utterly inexcusable.
    There are certain manoeuvres that you shouldn't do too close to corners where you'd be expecting people to come round those corners.

    You shouldn't do a three-point turn too close to a corner, for example.
    Good evening

    Please do not mention roundabouts !!!!!
    Indeed no, we don't want to be going round in circles on that any more.
  • BartholomewRobertsBartholomewRoberts Posts: 27,163

    Land Rover driver who killed university professor avoids jail
    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/01/16/land-rover-driver-killed-university-professor-avoids-jail/ (£££)

    It is not the driver avoiding prison that interests me but that a death in 2022 has taken more than three years to reach court.

    The appreciation from the University of York is inspiring:-
    He left school at 17 without any A-levels and worked as a professional fisherman, eventually owning his own boat.

    The money he earnt from fishing funded his passion for travel. It was while travelling that he became curious about living systems in the natural world, particularly in the marine environment. This inspired him to write a letter to Portsmouth Polytechnic at the age of 26 and convinced them to offer him a place to study Biological Science. He had not studied biology since the age of 13 and initially struggled but he persevered and graduated with a First-class degree.

    In 1987 Simon was offered a PhD position at Pennsylvania State University under the supervision of Professor Daniel Cosgrove, publishing 5 ground-breaking papers based on his discovery of plant cell wall modifying proteins called expansins.

    In 1994, after a short period as a postdoc at Penn State, Simon’s career at the University of York began. His pioneering work on plant cell walls formed the basis of a prestigious Royal Society Fellowship. Simon was subsequently appointed to a CNAP Chair in Materials Biology in 2001. His knowledge of plant cell walls laid an excellent foundation to developing innovative technologies for unlocking the sugars from the matrix polysaccharides in plant cell walls for the production of biofuels and chemicals, and recently, the production of sustainable textiles.

    He was keen to see the research in CNAP translated for the benefit of society and his work played a key role in the centre being awarded a Queen’s Anniversary Prize in 2005 and the establishment of the Biorenewables Development Centre in 2010.

    https://www.york.ac.uk/biology/about/news/2022/in-memory-professor-simon-mcqueen-mason/

    We urgently need minimum sentences for motoring offences that result in fatalities. The whole 'kill someone with a car and get away with it' nonsense is well out of hand now.
    Unless there's more to it than reads, this bit here seems counter-intuitive.

    Judge Melville said: “You were in the middle of your manoeuvre when [Prof McQueen-Mason] came around the corner. He couldn’t avoid you and you collided.

    If you're going around a corner then you should be going at a speed in which you can stop depending upon what you see as you go around. If you can't avoid someone who is already in middle of a manoeuvre when you go around a corner, then surely you're going too fast?

    As tragic as that might be.

    Nearly 400 miles on a failed MOT is utterly inexcusable.
    I'm assuming from the description that Land Rover guy was attempting something that required him to move rapidly toward the corner on the cyclist's side of the road. Reversing round the corner in order to turn, maybe.

    It's only expected that people slow down enough to be able to stop before stationery obstructions. If said obstruction is coming at you at speed, well...
    Reversing around corners is a legal manoeuvre. Indeed it was a part of my practical test.
  • MalmesburyMalmesbury Posts: 60,011

    DavidL said:

    DavidL said:

    Labour’s non-dom gamble backfired – now it wants them back
    Calls for a global investor visa as officials seek ways to stem the flow of rich people moving abroad

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/01/17/labour-urged-to-woo-back-wealthy-after-non-dom-disaster/ (£££)

    Rachel Reeves done buggered things up again, as can be clearly seen from the article's graph showing the rich fleeing Britain.


    How many billions in lost VAT, Employers NI and IT for employees has this lunacy cost us? Plus the damage to the housing market, especially in London. Plus the lost investment opportunities. Just beyond stupid driven by ideology and ignorance.
    Define "damage to the housing market".

    DavidL said:

    Labour’s non-dom gamble backfired – now it wants them back
    Calls for a global investor visa as officials seek ways to stem the flow of rich people moving abroad

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/01/17/labour-urged-to-woo-back-wealthy-after-non-dom-disaster/ (£££)

    Rachel Reeves done buggered things up again, as can be clearly seen from the article's graph showing the rich fleeing Britain.


    How many billions in lost VAT, Employers NI and IT for employees has this lunacy cost us? Plus the damage to the housing market, especially in London. Plus the lost investment opportunities. Just beyond stupid driven by ideology and ignorance.
    Define "damage to the housing market".
    See the recent article in the Spectator by Sean Thomas linked to yesterday. Basically, a market that was already flat at best has been swamped with a lot of high value properties resulting in collapse in values in prestigious parts of London. He said:

    "In Kensington and Chelsea, the drop was 16.5 per cent. In the City of London, prices have plummeted by 18 per cent. Meanwhile Londoners are now more likely to take a loss on a sale than property owners anywhere else in the UK."
    https://spectator.com/article/the-london-property-market-might-be-about-to-implode/

    I accept that some deflation of the London bubble is not necessarily a bad thing but drops like this are disastrous for those affected and will imperil banking covenants for many small or medium sized businesses.
    Seems like good news. I'm not seeing any damage.

    For those who need to pay for the cost of properties, some of the heat of costs coming down is a good thing.

    What's the damage there?
    The next big fail will be in property. Especially commercial property.

    Who cares you say - well, guess what the banks are up to their eyeballs in? When a few developers go down.... And construction has been in a recession, in some parts of the country, for a while.
  • DavidLDavidL Posts: 57,365
    Foxy said:

    DavidL said:

    Labour’s non-dom gamble backfired – now it wants them back
    Calls for a global investor visa as officials seek ways to stem the flow of rich people moving abroad

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/01/17/labour-urged-to-woo-back-wealthy-after-non-dom-disaster/ (£££)

    Rachel Reeves done buggered things up again, as can be clearly seen from the article's graph showing the rich fleeing Britain.


    How many billions in lost VAT, Employers NI and IT for employees has this lunacy cost us? Plus the damage to the housing market, especially in London. Plus the lost investment opportunities. Just beyond stupid driven by ideology and ignorance.
    Did you look at the X axis?
    Belatedly! But my understanding is that the number of non doms has continued to fall, hence the change in government policy.
  • Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 41,691
    @jorgeliboreiro.bsky.social‬

    🚨 Just in: António Costa has decided to convene an extraordinary meeting of EU leaders to address a Trump's 10% tariff announcement.

    Costa says his consultations with other leaders demonstrated a "readiness to defend ourselves against any form of coercion".

    https://bsky.app/profile/jorgeliboreiro.bsky.social/post/3mcpw7lmchc2g
  • EabhalEabhal Posts: 13,172
    edited 8:04PM

    Eabhal said:

    Land Rover driver who killed university professor avoids jail
    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/01/16/land-rover-driver-killed-university-professor-avoids-jail/ (£££)

    It is not the driver avoiding prison that interests me but that a death in 2022 has taken more than three years to reach court.

    The appreciation from the University of York is inspiring:-
    He left school at 17 without any A-levels and worked as a professional fisherman, eventually owning his own boat.

    The money he earnt from fishing funded his passion for travel. It was while travelling that he became curious about living systems in the natural world, particularly in the marine environment. This inspired him to write a letter to Portsmouth Polytechnic at the age of 26 and convinced them to offer him a place to study Biological Science. He had not studied biology since the age of 13 and initially struggled but he persevered and graduated with a First-class degree.

    In 1987 Simon was offered a PhD position at Pennsylvania State University under the supervision of Professor Daniel Cosgrove, publishing 5 ground-breaking papers based on his discovery of plant cell wall modifying proteins called expansins.

    In 1994, after a short period as a postdoc at Penn State, Simon’s career at the University of York began. His pioneering work on plant cell walls formed the basis of a prestigious Royal Society Fellowship. Simon was subsequently appointed to a CNAP Chair in Materials Biology in 2001. His knowledge of plant cell walls laid an excellent foundation to developing innovative technologies for unlocking the sugars from the matrix polysaccharides in plant cell walls for the production of biofuels and chemicals, and recently, the production of sustainable textiles.

    He was keen to see the research in CNAP translated for the benefit of society and his work played a key role in the centre being awarded a Queen’s Anniversary Prize in 2005 and the establishment of the Biorenewables Development Centre in 2010.

    https://www.york.ac.uk/biology/about/news/2022/in-memory-professor-simon-mcqueen-mason/

    His excuse for the hit and run is such obvious bollocks. Blamed the guy for cycling "too fast", but also thought he'd hit a tree - which you'd assume was stationary unless it Treebeard. 400 miles on a failed MOT too. This stuff is infuriating - though to be fair he did get a 3-year driving ban, which is (remarkably) the same as the Liverpool lunatic who ran down hundreds of people deliberately.
    On the Liverpool guy - given he seemed to be "a font of misplaced rage"*, how is he ever going to be safe on the road, shot of a head shrinking miracle?

    *Bit telling he got kicked out of the Marines for fighting.
    Well quite. If that doesn't warrant a life ban, nothing will. It's a bizarre tolerance for behaviour that wouldn't be acceptable in any other circumstance other than driving, and puts his interests far above all those who also use the roads.
  • LostPasswordLostPassword Posts: 21,932

    Land Rover driver who killed university professor avoids jail
    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/01/16/land-rover-driver-killed-university-professor-avoids-jail/ (£££)

    It is not the driver avoiding prison that interests me but that a death in 2022 has taken more than three years to reach court.

    The appreciation from the University of York is inspiring:-
    He left school at 17 without any A-levels and worked as a professional fisherman, eventually owning his own boat.

    The money he earnt from fishing funded his passion for travel. It was while travelling that he became curious about living systems in the natural world, particularly in the marine environment. This inspired him to write a letter to Portsmouth Polytechnic at the age of 26 and convinced them to offer him a place to study Biological Science. He had not studied biology since the age of 13 and initially struggled but he persevered and graduated with a First-class degree.

    In 1987 Simon was offered a PhD position at Pennsylvania State University under the supervision of Professor Daniel Cosgrove, publishing 5 ground-breaking papers based on his discovery of plant cell wall modifying proteins called expansins.

    In 1994, after a short period as a postdoc at Penn State, Simon’s career at the University of York began. His pioneering work on plant cell walls formed the basis of a prestigious Royal Society Fellowship. Simon was subsequently appointed to a CNAP Chair in Materials Biology in 2001. His knowledge of plant cell walls laid an excellent foundation to developing innovative technologies for unlocking the sugars from the matrix polysaccharides in plant cell walls for the production of biofuels and chemicals, and recently, the production of sustainable textiles.

    He was keen to see the research in CNAP translated for the benefit of society and his work played a key role in the centre being awarded a Queen’s Anniversary Prize in 2005 and the establishment of the Biorenewables Development Centre in 2010.

    https://www.york.ac.uk/biology/about/news/2022/in-memory-professor-simon-mcqueen-mason/

    We urgently need minimum sentences for motoring offences that result in fatalities. The whole 'kill someone with a car and get away with it' nonsense is well out of hand now.
    Unless there's more to it than reads, this bit here seems counter-intuitive.

    Judge Melville said: “You were in the middle of your manoeuvre when [Prof McQueen-Mason] came around the corner. He couldn’t avoid you and you collided.

    If you're going around a corner then you should be going at a speed in which you can stop depending upon what you see as you go around. If you can't avoid someone who is already in middle of a manoeuvre when you go around a corner, then surely you're going too fast?

    As tragic as that might be.

    Nearly 400 miles on a failed MOT is utterly inexcusable.
    There are certain manoeuvres that you shouldn't do too close to corners where you'd be expecting people to come round those corners.

    You shouldn't do a three-point turn too close to a corner, for example.
    Good evening

    Please do not mention roundabouts !!!!!
    Round-a-what now?

    I think there are a few in Clonakilty, but they are a quare lot that far east.
  • BarnesianBarnesian Posts: 9,656
    edited 8:05PM
    What is the betting on the US futures market when they open in three hours time?
    I anticipate a sale of US Treasuries and a reluctance to buy new UST issues necessitating a rise in US interest rates and a fall in the US stock market. If the futures market also anticipates this, there could be a big correction. Trump may have bitten off more than he realised.
  • Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 41,691
    @GuidoFawkes

    BREAKING: Tory MP Andrew Rosindell defects to Reform.
  • BartholomewRobertsBartholomewRoberts Posts: 27,163

    DavidL said:

    DavidL said:

    Labour’s non-dom gamble backfired – now it wants them back
    Calls for a global investor visa as officials seek ways to stem the flow of rich people moving abroad

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/01/17/labour-urged-to-woo-back-wealthy-after-non-dom-disaster/ (£££)

    Rachel Reeves done buggered things up again, as can be clearly seen from the article's graph showing the rich fleeing Britain.


    How many billions in lost VAT, Employers NI and IT for employees has this lunacy cost us? Plus the damage to the housing market, especially in London. Plus the lost investment opportunities. Just beyond stupid driven by ideology and ignorance.
    Define "damage to the housing market".

    DavidL said:

    Labour’s non-dom gamble backfired – now it wants them back
    Calls for a global investor visa as officials seek ways to stem the flow of rich people moving abroad

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/01/17/labour-urged-to-woo-back-wealthy-after-non-dom-disaster/ (£££)

    Rachel Reeves done buggered things up again, as can be clearly seen from the article's graph showing the rich fleeing Britain.


    How many billions in lost VAT, Employers NI and IT for employees has this lunacy cost us? Plus the damage to the housing market, especially in London. Plus the lost investment opportunities. Just beyond stupid driven by ideology and ignorance.
    Define "damage to the housing market".
    See the recent article in the Spectator by Sean Thomas linked to yesterday. Basically, a market that was already flat at best has been swamped with a lot of high value properties resulting in collapse in values in prestigious parts of London. He said:

    "In Kensington and Chelsea, the drop was 16.5 per cent. In the City of London, prices have plummeted by 18 per cent. Meanwhile Londoners are now more likely to take a loss on a sale than property owners anywhere else in the UK."
    https://spectator.com/article/the-london-property-market-might-be-about-to-implode/

    I accept that some deflation of the London bubble is not necessarily a bad thing but drops like this are disastrous for those affected and will imperil banking covenants for many small or medium sized businesses.
    Seems like good news. I'm not seeing any damage.

    For those who need to pay for the cost of properties, some of the heat of costs coming down is a good thing.

    What's the damage there?
    The next big fail will be in property. Especially commercial property.

    Who cares you say - well, guess what the banks are up to their eyeballs in? When a few developers go down.... And construction has been in a recession, in some parts of the country, for a while.
    Buyer beware. All investments can go down as well as up.

    If a developer goes belly up then the land is still available and their assets can be sold to someone else, potentially for pennies on the pound. It doesn't eradicate their assets.

    The problem in this country is our planning system leads to an oligopoly of only having a few developers. There's no shortage of skilled people able to work in construction - nearly 10% of the workforce does.

    Liberalise planning, let any firm build instead of only those with consent and you eradicate both the value of land banks and the reason to hold them.
  • kle4kle4 Posts: 100,500
    I utterly hate this kind of attitude, where being able to be friendly with political opponents is not only seen as undesirable, but nefarious.

    I've seen people I respect even make the 'they pretend to oppose each other' argument because politicians can get along, which I think is just plain mad - anyone who's ever met, well, people, will know that sometimes you can dislike people on your own side, and get along with people not on your side. There are limits, sure, but there's nothing wrong with being 'pally' with opponents as a principle, and it's sociopathic to suggest it is.

    As someone who entered politics 18 months ago, I’ve been shocked at just how pally and cosy politicians from legacy parties are with each other in green rooms.

    It’s telling.

    They laugh at how ill informed they think voters are, catch up like all friends, then go on panels and pretend to oppose each other.

    It’s why nothing changes whether people vote Tory or Labour.

    They’re globalist, open borders Britain-hating traitors.

    Which is why they post stuff like this from the BBC, who of course are in the same boat.

    I find it sickening.

    They are the establishment.

    They must be cleared out.

    Soon, they will be.

    https://nitter.poast.org/ZiaYusufUK/status/2012861561514205418#m
  • DecrepiterJohnLDecrepiterJohnL Posts: 34,763

    Land Rover driver who killed university professor avoids jail
    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/01/16/land-rover-driver-killed-university-professor-avoids-jail/ (£££)

    It is not the driver avoiding prison that interests me but that a death in 2022 has taken more than three years to reach court.

    The appreciation from the University of York is inspiring:-
    He left school at 17 without any A-levels and worked as a professional fisherman, eventually owning his own boat.

    The money he earnt from fishing funded his passion for travel. It was while travelling that he became curious about living systems in the natural world, particularly in the marine environment. This inspired him to write a letter to Portsmouth Polytechnic at the age of 26 and convinced them to offer him a place to study Biological Science. He had not studied biology since the age of 13 and initially struggled but he persevered and graduated with a First-class degree.

    In 1987 Simon was offered a PhD position at Pennsylvania State University under the supervision of Professor Daniel Cosgrove, publishing 5 ground-breaking papers based on his discovery of plant cell wall modifying proteins called expansins.

    In 1994, after a short period as a postdoc at Penn State, Simon’s career at the University of York began. His pioneering work on plant cell walls formed the basis of a prestigious Royal Society Fellowship. Simon was subsequently appointed to a CNAP Chair in Materials Biology in 2001. His knowledge of plant cell walls laid an excellent foundation to developing innovative technologies for unlocking the sugars from the matrix polysaccharides in plant cell walls for the production of biofuels and chemicals, and recently, the production of sustainable textiles.

    He was keen to see the research in CNAP translated for the benefit of society and his work played a key role in the centre being awarded a Queen’s Anniversary Prize in 2005 and the establishment of the Biorenewables Development Centre in 2010.

    https://www.york.ac.uk/biology/about/news/2022/in-memory-professor-simon-mcqueen-mason/

    We urgently need minimum sentences for motoring offences that result in fatalities. The whole 'kill someone with a car and get away with it' nonsense is well out of hand now.
    Unless there's more to it than reads, this bit here seems counter-intuitive.

    Judge Melville said: “You were in the middle of your manoeuvre when [Prof McQueen-Mason] came around the corner. He couldn’t avoid you and you collided.

    If you're going around a corner then you should be going at a speed in which you can stop depending upon what you see as you go around. If you can't avoid someone who is already in middle of a manoeuvre when you go around a corner, then surely you're going too fast?

    As tragic as that might be.

    Nearly 400 miles on a failed MOT is utterly inexcusable.
    There are certain manoeuvres that you shouldn't do too close to corners where you'd be expecting people to come round those corners.

    You shouldn't do a three-point turn too close to a corner, for example.
    One of my bugbears is that since 3-point turns and reversing round a corner were removed from the driving test, they no longer need to be taught, and the corollary is that, of course, this means that also not taught are appropriate times and places to do them.
  • CatManCatMan Posts: 3,612

    stodge said:

    Evening all :)

    I am informed Bluesky is a silent desert with the odd shrieking group of pious lefty nutters, acidly bickering with each other and wondering why no one wants to join them.

    By contrast, Twitter is a cacophonous purgatory where the intellectually damned and soulless shout ever more incoherently into the void repeating themselves endlessly in the hope one final re-statement of their view will earn them acknowledgement, recognition, a blessed relief.

    Social media was "cacophonous purgatory where the intellectually damned and soulless shout ever more incoherently into the void repeating themselves endlessly in the hope one final re-statement of their view will earn them acknowledgement, recognition, a blessed relief" right from the beginning.

    USENET was thus, too.

    Reminds me... must find out if Mary Shafer (NASA) is still around.
    Am I the only one here who frequented uk.politics.misc?
    No, I remember being on there, and other groups. Happy days....
  • rkrkrkrkrkrk Posts: 9,044
    DavidL said:

    Foxy said:

    DavidL said:

    Labour’s non-dom gamble backfired – now it wants them back
    Calls for a global investor visa as officials seek ways to stem the flow of rich people moving abroad

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/01/17/labour-urged-to-woo-back-wealthy-after-non-dom-disaster/ (£££)

    Rachel Reeves done buggered things up again, as can be clearly seen from the article's graph showing the rich fleeing Britain.


    How many billions in lost VAT, Employers NI and IT for employees has this lunacy cost us? Plus the damage to the housing market, especially in London. Plus the lost investment opportunities. Just beyond stupid driven by ideology and ignorance.
    Did you look at the X axis?
    Belatedly! But my understanding is that the number of non doms has continued to fall, hence the change in government policy.
    Actual data suggests the fears are overblown, revenues holding up well.

    https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/aug/14/wealthy-non-doms-exiting-uk-overblown-hmrc?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other
  • TazTaz Posts: 24,031

    Ratters said:

    Labour’s non-dom gamble backfired – now it wants them back
    Calls for a global investor visa as officials seek ways to stem the flow of rich people moving abroad

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/01/17/labour-urged-to-woo-back-wealthy-after-non-dom-disaster/ (£££)

    Rachel Reeves done buggered things up again, as can be clearly seen from the article's graph showing the rich fleeing Britain.


    The graph showing them fleeing Britain during the preceding Tory term in change? Particularly after 2016?

    Wonder if any major political events happened back then. Nevermind, must be Labour's fault.
    I suspect John was completely aware of the dates on the chart.
    It’s also specifically non doms. The wealthy have been leaving, non-doms are a sub section of them, and with that their taxes go

    The previous govt also targetted non doms. No votes to be lost in bashing them, like bankers and landlords.

    Also worth bearing in mind there were major changes to non-dom status to make it less attractive. The implication on here is Brexit.

    Let’s face it, we just don’t want them here. Or give the impression we don’t.
Sign In or Register to comment.