Salmond said the SNP would be looking to squeeze concessions from a minority Tory government in the event that they were forced to turn to the SNP on an issue-by-issue basis. In such a scenario, the SNP would be looking for an agreement from David Cameron that Scotland would remain in the EU if it voted to do so in a referendum in which the rest of the UK opted to leave.
Hmm....this seems somewhat at odds with Sturgeon's declaration that they would not let the Tories be the government, no matter what.
No, she said they would never forum a coalition with the Tories.
Well, she said they'd "never put the Tories into government". Open to interpretation what exactly that means, admittedly, but I would say some kind of loose confidence-and-supply arrangement that Salmond suggests would constitute putting them in (because, otherwise, the Tories might not have the numbers to form a government at all). Salmond reiterated SNP policy not to enter a UK coalition government led by the Conservatives in the event of a hung parliament. He said: “My preferred option would be to see Labour win but fall around 20-25 seats short of a working majority. I would want the SNP to be able to force Labour to agree not to renew Trident in Scotland, devolve the setting of the minimum wage to Holyrood and agree to give Scotland some responsibility for its own immigration policy.”
Salmond said the SNP would be looking to squeeze concessions from a minority Tory government in the event that they were forced to turn to the SNP on an issue-by-issue basis. In such a scenario, the SNP would be looking for an agreement from David Cameron that Scotland would remain in the EU if it voted to do so in a referendum in which the rest of the UK opted to leave.
...
Doesn't sound like confidence and supply, it sounds like Bill by Bill on a case by case basis.
Just to stoke the fires a little it should be pointed out that public breast feeding is not actually a necessity
When my son was on the milk (breast fed) if we wanted to go somewhere like a restaurant my other half would prepare a couple of bottles before hand via a breast pump. As far as I am aware this has no effect on the nutritional aspects of the milk in anyway.
From my experience most breast feeding women were more than happy to use a pump if it meant they could get to sleep through the night occasionally and let hubby do the 4am feeding duty
I think I may already have told the story of me doing the 4.00 am feed, getting the expressed milk out of the freezer and trying to defrost it in the microwave without removing the cap. Big explosion, screaming child, expressed milk absolutely everywhere and me off that duty from thereon.
Good times.
Spiffing wheeze, Mr. L. I did similar just after we were married when she asked me to mow the front lawn whilst she went out. I'd never mown a lawn before and unintentionally buggered it up a treat, and she brought some of her friends round that very afternoon. That was the last time I have ever had to do any gardening.
Thinking about it, when we came back from honeymoon she did our first lot of ironing and I raised a very mild objection, not a complaint more just pointing out a fault in the nicest possible way, about the fact she had "tram-lined" the creases in the sleeves of one of my work shirts, which were also not properly starched. Thirty-odd years later I am still doing all the ironing.
Hmm... that has me thinking. My better half had a go at cutting the grass once, essentially using the lawnmower as a hoover. I have been cutting the grass ever since.
For the baby I think I was still asleep and it wasn't deliberate (honest).
Back in the 70s when my wife and I were engaged, she was ill one day and I cooked dinner. Suffice it to say we ended up eating fish fingers and a slice of tomato each. From that day on she has never asked me to cook again.
The one exception is the curiously inviolable rule that when cooking on the bbq outside, the man MUST do the cooking. I'm pretty good at that, be it chicken, steak or salmon - just use some mesquite chips (or my favorite Jack Daniels chips) for flavor, a soaked cedar plank for the salmon, and Robert's your mother's brother.
Third YouGov poll in a row with the Greens outpolling the LDs
Further proof if proof were needed that the Chancellor's Autumn Statement has had a negligible impact on the polls.
Well on the face of it that sounds sensible. But if there had been no Statement - maybe the Tories would be on 30. The public, on the basis of this poll, find nothing wrong with the statement.
Further proof if proof were needed that the Chancellor's Autumn Statement has had a negligible impact on the polls.
The measures were relatively few, so perhaps not surprising. Also post-Statement coverage has been relatively evenly split with saving money from the stamp duty changes and fear-mongering about the impact of the further spending cuts perhaps cancelling each other out overall.
However, I don't think we can put its potential effects to bed just yet. The biggest change was the stamp duty one which hits a very narrow, but potentially important, niche of voter. I think a lot of Southern marginals will have home owners who'll disproportionately benefit from the changes compared to the average nationwide voter.
Some of them will have realised the financial benefits already, but a lot will only really notice it when they - or friends - get round to moving. The housing market traditionally picks up in Spring; maybe there'll be a delayed effect. Of course, it will be impossible to use polling to tease out such an effect from the many other variables that will change. And the effect may be narrow, falling under the national polling radar (though perhaps picked up by constituency level polling). Finally, it's possible this might already be happening with churn between groups underlying a relatively static topline. Who knows...
Long story short, I think it's possible there'll be a delayed, incremental impact but it'll be impossible ever be sure.
Re: the news items that seems to have captured the attention: breast-feeding and Bahrain bases... I cannot fathom how these issues task anyone.
Breast-feeding in public is something that seems obviously up to the individual to decide. I happen to think it's a bit immodest. If the chromosomal jigsaw had gone differently, such that I was the one having to decide, I wouldn't do it in public. I'm a bit old-fashioned. But that goes for a lot of other things that people do in public that I find a little tacky, too. Nonetheless, it's still clearly a matter of individual choice, in the same way that I reserve the right to make my own individual judgement about its propriety. It shouldn't be regulated by the state (though I personally would let private places do as they please regarding it, and they'd mostly probably let the market decide).
As for Bahrain, my understanding is that we're effectively getting a base built free of charge, with only running costs to fund. Given that we currently make use of US facilities there - presumably paying for the privilege - it seems a no-brainer. Getting it for almost free is even better. Though the reported £15million cost is a drop in the military ocean, every little helps.
I have got to the point I am skipping every post containing the word "breast". This is uncharacteristic behaviour for me but even I have a limit.
So you're not keeping abreast of the discussion? :-)
Careful you don't make another boob
mere titillation..
I remember a comedy line some years back where Mary Whitehouse allegedly turned her radio off in disgust and complained about the phrase "tits like coconuts." The executive wrote back to say that if she'd kept listening, she would have heard "tits like coconuts, and sparrows like breadcrumbs"
sounds a bit like the story about a tired and emotional Irish playwright shouting a greeting across a Dublin park to a lady ornithologist. Hey Missus, how your great tits.
I though that Britain withdrew from east of suez because of lack of money, these days there is even a bigger lack of money and the price of oil has dropped almost 50%, so why build a base and with what money?
Why? Because the Americans want a base there and don't want to pay for it. What money? Where does any of it come from?
I don't think the Americans are short of military bases in the Middle East. Your anti-Americanism is clouding your brain from common sense again.
No, they aren't, and they're very costly to build, maintain and man. How is it common sense for us to build a new military base anywhere with the present state of the public finances? My realism about the danger posed by America's attempt to militarily forestall its natural decline is sensible, borne out by facts, and fits with my over all world view. Your soft spot for Uncle Sam is wholly inconsistent with yours.
In all likelihood the US will have relative decline from the rest of the world. But this will be not from the US doing badly. It will be the rest of the world catching up, based on adapting the US's "Washington Consensus" of property rights and free trade. The two big things that could prevent this development are (1) China getting stuck in a middle income trap because they refuse to democratise and (2) explosive economic growth coming from a technology boom, which would almost certainly be driven by the United States (and California specifically).
Not 'will have' -is having. Nor will it be stopped by any ridiculous TED lecture theme or an Ambrose Evans-Pritchard-esque wishful thinking disaster falling on China. Demography is destiny. America will have to accept its new place in the world pecking order, just as Britain did. Only the evidence suggests it is prepared to disrupt the world order in order to hang on to its hegemony, inflicting huge material and human damage on both its enemies and its allies. If we could all adopt the sensible stand of Germany -not deliberately aggravating the US but at the same time trying not to burn bridges with the East, and maintaining a sensible distance where possible, this very dangerous era in world affairs would end quicker. Instead we're playing bully's sidekick.
Third YouGov poll in a row with the Greens outpolling the LDs
Further proof if proof were needed that the Chancellor's Autumn Statement has had a negligible impact on the polls.
Really, Mr. Putney, I am surprised that you of all people should have forgotten the wisdom of this site from 2009/early-2010. If you will cast your mind back to that period you may recall that the consensus amongst the wise on this site was that it took about fourteen days for an event to be reflected in the polls. It is, therefore, probably too soon to know whether the Autumn statement has had any effect.
Thinking about it, when we came back from honeymoon she did our first lot of ironing and I raised a very mild objection, not a complaint more just pointing out a fault in the nicest possible way, about the fact she had "tram-lined" the creases in the sleeves of one of my work shirts, which were also not properly starched. Thirty-odd years later I am still doing all the ironing.
Ironing is very relaxing though. Probably the least unpleasant of all housework tasks.
I know this may be heresy, but in my experience men are better at ironing than women......
Thinking about it, when we came back from honeymoon she did our first lot of ironing and I raised a very mild objection, not a complaint more just pointing out a fault in the nicest possible way, about the fact she had "tram-lined" the creases in the sleeves of one of my work shirts, which were also not properly starched. Thirty-odd years later I am still doing all the ironing.
Ironing is very relaxing though. Probably the least unpleasant of all housework tasks.
I know this may be heresy, but in my experience men are better at ironing than women......
For the ultimate in chauvinism you should remove the last 4 words.
Blimey, is Boobgate STILL in the news? Even by the impressive standards of faux outrage which the media have become expert at, it's a humdinger of a nonsense story.
For the record: Claridges is a jolly good hotel to meet up for a coffee or tea for an informal business meeting in the most delightful surroundings. It's not cheap, but it's incredibly good value compared with hiring a meeting room for an hour or two.
I think you will find the same thing happening all over the country in less exhalted and less bigoted locations where I have certainly seen businessmen chatting at one table over MacAirs, nursing mothers invisibly breastfeeding at another, maiden aunts sipping tea at another and me reading my Kindle at another. We all manage to survive.
I would have to see the arguments for building a new military base, hear the counter-arguments, and then make up my mind. If all you had was realism about American over-extension posing a danger, I would wholly agree with you. But you go beyond that: your anti-Americanism causes you to believe all sorts of silly things, with your belief that the British Empire was less oppressive than US dominance post-45, and your belief they murdered thousands of their own citizens on 9/11 the most obvious.
My support for the United States is entirely consistent with my world view. I am a classical liberal. The USA has done more for expanding liberal rights, democracy, free trade and independent judiciaries than any other nation that has ever existed. Just look at what happened to West Germany versus East Germany. South Korea versus North Korea. Taiwan versus mainland China. Poland versus Belarus. Where the British Empire made conquests and annexed the territory, the US does its best to set them up a free, democratic nations. Yes, there are times when this fails, but the overall trend is very clear.
I'm afraid you're mis-remembering our argument. I was comparing the British dominated 19th century world economy with the American dominated 20th. In terms of individual policies each must be seen within the context of their respective eras. But in terms of overall trends, one was marked by peace, prosperity, and unprecedented economic development, and the other marked by economic calamity, war, and unprecedented bloodshed. The facts speak for themselves, and they don't support your case.
I don't really want to go over 9-11, but I don't believe the non-standard account because I *want* to -what maniac would want to live in that world? I believe it because it is the only explanation that makes scientific sense. Your disbelief that they would 'murder thousands of their own citizens' is hardly consistent with their the utter lack of compunction in doing similar to hundreds of thousands in Iraq alone.
As for your last, I think you'll have to do a little better than 'beats a Communist Dictatorship'.
LuckyGuy1983 At least the US have taken action where necessary, against the Nazis, the Japanese, the Communists, the Taliban, ISIS etc There foreign policy has not always been perfect, but I would rather they were top dog than anyone else
TSE The fact Jeremy Thorpe had encounters with rentboys is probably the least surprising news of the week, although it would have been more shocking before the legalisation of homosexuality.
Thinking about it, when we came back from honeymoon she did our first lot of ironing and I raised a very mild objection, not a complaint more just pointing out a fault in the nicest possible way, about the fact she had "tram-lined" the creases in the sleeves of one of my work shirts, which were also not properly starched. Thirty-odd years later I am still doing all the ironing.
Ironing is very relaxing though. Probably the least unpleasant of all housework tasks.
I know this may be heresy, but in my experience men are better at ironing than women......
Many (most?) ex-Forces men iron their own shirts. They know where the creases need to be and wives can never get it quite right.
Not sure if the crabs can be included in that statement judging by how scruffy they always look.
But in terms of overall trends, one was marked by peace, prosperity, and unprecedented economic development, and the other marked by economic calamity, war, and unprecedented bloodshed. The facts speak for themselves, and they don't support your case.
The two wars you're talking about came about after periods when the US retracted from the world during isolationist periods - exactly the sort of position you are advocating now. The US stepped up to the plate in the early 1940s, saved Europe from the hell of autocratic German and then Russian domination, and set up a world order where the number of democracies and living standards rocketed.
The only possible way you could consider the 19th Century a time of peace and prosperity is if you don't give a damn about the hundreds of millions of black and brown people that were kept at basic subsistence - in many countries directly due to British rule. Just go and look some GDP tables for the 19th Century versus the post-1945 America era. The only 'facts' you listen to are the ones that back up your own anti-American prejudices.
That's prosperity. If you want to look at "peace", how about when the British Empire twice went to war with China for the right to sell them opium? When we were done, did we do what the Americans do, set up a democratic independent state and leave? No, of course not. We forced upon them unequal treaties where we grabbed sovereign territory as treaty ports, demanded we set their drug policy for them so that our merchants can get rich, and made Britons in China unaccountable to Chinese law. Alternatively you can look at our aggressive war against the Maratha polity, where we broke an emerging Indian state in order to expand our oppressive tax policies in Bengal even further. Also see the wars we waged against the Sikhs for similar reasons. Then, of course, there were our wars against the Xhosa and the Zulus so we could clear them off the productive land and award it to white people. These are the "facts" you speak of?
Your disbelief that they would 'murder thousands of their own citizens' is hardly consistent with their the utter lack of compunction in doing similar to hundreds of thousands in Iraq alone.
The Americans have not killed hundreds of thousands in Iraq. That many have died in the war, but most of them have died because of Islamic militants or tribal militias that went on rampages, either directly killing them or destroying the infrastructure that the Americans have repeatedly tried to build in the country. Again, your sheer anti-American prejudice shows a ridiculous interpretation of the facts.
Why don't you give me an example of another country that, having spent billions of dollars and thousands of lives to occupy another country after a war, set up a liberal democracy and then left?
From the Sunday Times story by the former BBC chap
They did not hear from Meighan, who knew the full truth but told me that gun charges against him were dropped in return for his silence. Nor did they know about the MI5/police file on Thorpe, which never left the Scotland Yard safe.
On the day of the not-guilty verdicts, while Thorpe celebrated with his family and friends, a BBC dispatch rider arrived at my home bearing a letter from the head of BBC news. It ordered me to destroy every copy of my untransmitted film about the background to the case immediately.
Fascinating and pretty damning - the first half leaves you a bit torn, feeling a bit sorry for him due to the fact that his life could've been ruined due to his sexuality, but incredulous about the lengths the establishment would go to ensure the name of "one of us" wasn't besmirched. In context, there was overwhelming evidence that he was gay, but he wasn't investigated as after the Vassell affair it was thought that any arrest would make the public think all MPs might be security risks after that it seems it kept being flagged up every time he was security vetted, but friends would pull strings or different investigations wouldn't talk to each other and dismiss allegations as unsubstantited. Makes one wonder what else might have disappeared over the years because it was inconvenient.
Then the latter part gets very corrupt and unpleasant - the Liberals and Steel don't come out of it very well. Then there's Meighan who states that he told the police everything and was told to change his statement.
Also "within the context of the relative eras" is an absolute joke, given that the shift from an era of colonialism and empire to one of independent self-determination was entirely due to the Americans in the first place. Churchill, for all his virtues, wanted to continue to keep India under British subjugation, for Christ's sake.
From the Sunday Times story by the former BBC chap
They did not hear from Meighan, who knew the full truth but told me that gun charges against him were dropped in return for his silence. Nor did they know about the MI5/police file on Thorpe, which never left the Scotland Yard safe.
On the day of the not-guilty verdicts, while Thorpe celebrated with his family and friends, a BBC dispatch rider arrived at my home bearing a letter from the head of BBC news. It ordered me to destroy every copy of my untransmitted film about the background to the case immediately.
Fascinating and pretty damning - the first half leaves you a bit torn, feeling a bit sorry for him due to the fact that his life could've been ruined due to his sexuality, but incredulous about the lengths the establishment would go to ensure the name of "one of us" wasn't besmirched. In context, there was overwhelming evidence that he was gay, but he wasn't investigated as after the Vassell affair it was thought that any arrest would make the public think all MPs might be security risks after that it seems it kept being flagged up every time he was security vetted, but friends would pull strings or different investigations wouldn't talk to each other and dismiss allegations as unsubstantited. Makes one wonder what else might have disappeared over the years because it was inconvenient.
Then the latter part gets very corrupt and unpleasant - the Liberals and Steel don't come out of it very well. Then there's Meighan who states that he told the police everything and was told to change his statement.
Third YouGov poll in a row with the Greens outpolling the LDs
Further proof if proof were needed that the Chancellor's Autumn Statement has had a negligible impact on the polls.
Really, Mr. Putney, I am surprised that you of all people should have forgotten the wisdom of this site from 2009/early-2010. If you will cast your mind back to that period you may recall that the consensus amongst the wise on this site was that it took about fourteen days for an event to be reflected in the polls. It is, therefore, probably too soon to know whether the Autumn statement has had any effect.
Fair enough, I bow to your better memory and I will happily wait a further 10 days or thereabouts before deciding whether or not the Autumn Statement has or has not had any measurable impact on the public's political assessment.
The Conservatives have pulled ahead of Labour in the eyes of voters in Scotland, according to an exclusive poll for The Telegraph.
The ICM Wisdom Index survey...
Yeah, it's a subsample of the Wisdom Index. (rolls eyes) Can we talk about AV?
Time was that the invoking of a Caledonian sub sample was cause for a two week ban on PB. A draconian measure, you might say, but one that kept the punters in line.
Milkgate is a candidate for the worst non-story in the history of the internet, although it has serious competition.
Whatever one's personal view on the issue, it does once again go to show the gulf that exists between people with differing opinions in this country, something you can't imagine in many other European countries.
From the Sunday Times story by the former BBC chap
They did not hear from Meighan, who knew the full truth but told me that gun charges against him were dropped in return for his silence. Nor did they know about the MI5/police file on Thorpe, which never left the Scotland Yard safe.
On the day of the not-guilty verdicts, while Thorpe celebrated with his family and friends, a BBC dispatch rider arrived at my home bearing a letter from the head of BBC news. It ordered me to destroy every copy of my untransmitted film about the background to the case immediately.
Fascinating and pretty damning - the first half leaves you a bit torn, feeling a bit sorry for him due to the fact that his life could've been ruined due to his sexuality, but incredulous about the lengths the establishment would go to ensure the name of "one of us" wasn't besmirched. In context, there was overwhelming evidence that he was gay, but he wasn't investigated as after the Vassell affair it was thought that any arrest would make the public think all MPs might be security risks after that it seems it kept being flagged up every time he was security vetted, but friends would pull strings or different investigations wouldn't talk to each other and dismiss allegations as unsubstantited. Makes one wonder what else might have disappeared over the years because it was inconvenient.
Then the latter part gets very corrupt and unpleasant - the Liberals and Steel don't come out of it very well. Then there's Meighan who states that he told the police everything and was told to change his statement.
The whole Thorpe affair is most interesting in terms of it being evidence of the fact that cover-ups were going on at the highest levels in the 1970s, which is most pertinent in relation to other cases rather than this one itself.
Well done to Tom Mangold for patiently waiting 35 years in order to broadcast his radio documentary on Jeremy Thorpe.
Nice warning shot across the Establishment's bow.
Plenty more from where this came from, I think the BBC are saying.
I used to think Stephen Fry's character in the film Gosford Park was totally OTT, but after hearing some of the policemen being interviewed on Mangold's radio programme I'm not so sure.
@AndyJS The "establishment" has always found ways to cover up for it's own. The lines between "national" and "self" interest can become so blurred that it becomes routine.
My Dad always ironed his own shirts after my Mum's one attempt to iron one his uniform shirts ended in disaster when they were first married.... I have always HATED ironing. My sister laughingly told me that just after I got married, my mother was worrying about my dislike of ironing and how I would have to finally get the hang of ironing fitaloon's shirts. Apparently my Dad told my Mum not worry as her inability to iron his shirts had never been an issue in the twenty five years they had been married. Anyhoos, it all worked out in the wash, twenty five years later fitaloon still does the ironing on a Sunday, preferable while watching F1 or whatever sport is on the TV. Result.
Thinking about it, when we came back from honeymoon she did our first lot of ironing and I raised a very mild objection, not a complaint more just pointing out a fault in the nicest possible way, about the fact she had "tram-lined" the creases in the sleeves of one of my work shirts, which were also not properly starched. Thirty-odd years later I am still doing all the ironing.
Ironing is very relaxing though. Probably the least unpleasant of all housework tasks.
I know this may be heresy, but in my experience men are better at ironing than women......
Many (most?) ex-Forces men iron their own shirts. They know where the creases need to be and wives can never get it quite right.
Not sure if the crabs can be included in that statement judging by how scruffy they always look.
The whole Thorpe affair is most interesting in terms of it being evidence of the fact that cover-ups were going on at the highest levels in the 1970s, which is most pertinent in relation to other cases rather than this one itself.
The Mail has a (not very flattering) article about Mr Mellor. Among other things they mention that he's still a Privy Councillor. I wonder what powers/perks are associated with that?
Daily Mirror @DailyMirror 2m2 minutes ago George Osborne's doomsday Autumn Statement haunted by ghost of Britain's Great Depression http://mirr.im/1z997QW
Mirror still going with 1930's depression theme.
The Mirror is a comic, who can forget when they smeared British soldiers.
As Ken Clarke said many years ago, the Mirror is read by morons
The Mirror makes the Express look like a model of impartiality.
Right, off for the night now. Good evening to you.
Daily Mirror @DailyMirror 2m2 minutes ago George Osborne's doomsday Autumn Statement haunted by ghost of Britain's Great Depression http://mirr.im/1z997QW
Mirror still going with 1930's depression theme.
The Mirror is a comic, who can forget when they smeared British soldiers.
As Ken Clarke said many years ago, the Mirror is read by morons
The Mirror makes the Express look like a model of impartiality.
Right, off for the night now. Good evening to you.
Comments
Salmond reiterated SNP policy not to enter a UK coalition government led by the Conservatives in the event of a hung parliament. He said: “My preferred option would be to see Labour win but fall around 20-25 seats short of a working majority. I would want the SNP to be able to force Labour to agree not to renew Trident in Scotland, devolve the setting of the minimum wage to Holyrood and agree to give Scotland some responsibility for its own immigration policy.”
Salmond said the SNP would be looking to squeeze concessions from a minority Tory government in the event that they were forced to turn to the SNP on an issue-by-issue basis. In such a scenario, the SNP would be looking for an agreement from David Cameron that Scotland would remain in the EU if it voted to do so in a referendum in which the rest of the UK opted to leave.
...
Doesn't sound like confidence and supply, it sounds like Bill by Bill on a case by case basis.
The one exception is the curiously inviolable rule that when cooking on the bbq outside, the man MUST do the cooking. I'm pretty good at that, be it chicken, steak or salmon - just use some mesquite chips (or my favorite Jack Daniels chips) for flavor, a soaked cedar plank for the salmon, and Robert's your mother's brother.
However, I don't think we can put its potential effects to bed just yet. The biggest change was the stamp duty one which hits a very narrow, but potentially important, niche of voter. I think a lot of Southern marginals will have home owners who'll disproportionately benefit from the changes compared to the average nationwide voter.
Some of them will have realised the financial benefits already, but a lot will only really notice it when they - or friends - get round to moving. The housing market traditionally picks up in Spring; maybe there'll be a delayed effect. Of course, it will be impossible to use polling to tease out such an effect from the many other variables that will change. And the effect may be narrow, falling under the national polling radar (though perhaps picked up by constituency level polling). Finally, it's possible this might already be happening with churn between groups underlying a relatively static topline. Who knows...
Long story short, I think it's possible there'll be a delayed, incremental impact but it'll be impossible ever be sure.
Re: the news items that seems to have captured the attention: breast-feeding and Bahrain bases... I cannot fathom how these issues task anyone.
Breast-feeding in public is something that seems obviously up to the individual to decide. I happen to think it's a bit immodest. If the chromosomal jigsaw had gone differently, such that I was the one having to decide, I wouldn't do it in public. I'm a bit old-fashioned. But that goes for a lot of other things that people do in public that I find a little tacky, too. Nonetheless, it's still clearly a matter of individual choice, in the same way that I reserve the right to make my own individual judgement about its propriety. It shouldn't be regulated by the state (though I personally would let private places do as they please regarding it, and they'd mostly probably let the market decide).
As for Bahrain, my understanding is that we're effectively getting a base built free of charge, with only running costs to fund. Given that we currently make use of US facilities there - presumably paying for the privilege - it seems a no-brainer. Getting it for almost free is even better. Though the reported £15million cost is a drop in the military ocean, every little helps.
I wouldn't dare!
I don't really want to go over 9-11, but I don't believe the non-standard account because I *want* to -what maniac would want to live in that world? I believe it because it is the only explanation that makes scientific sense. Your disbelief that they would 'murder thousands of their own citizens' is hardly consistent with their the utter lack of compunction in doing similar to hundreds of thousands in Iraq alone.
As for your last, I think you'll have to do a little better than 'beats a Communist Dictatorship'.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2863814/Willie-Whitelaw-ordered-police-scrap-inquiry-VIP-child-sex-abuse-ring-Police-launch-probe-sensational-new-cover-claims.html
Tick...Tick...Tick....
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-
Not sure if the crabs can be included in that statement judging by how scruffy they always look.
The only possible way you could consider the 19th Century a time of peace and prosperity is if you don't give a damn about the hundreds of millions of black and brown people that were kept at basic subsistence - in many countries directly due to British rule. Just go and look some GDP tables for the 19th Century versus the post-1945 America era. The only 'facts' you listen to are the ones that back up your own anti-American prejudices.
That's prosperity. If you want to look at "peace", how about when the British Empire twice went to war with China for the right to sell them opium? When we were done, did we do what the Americans do, set up a democratic independent state and leave? No, of course not. We forced upon them unequal treaties where we grabbed sovereign territory as treaty ports, demanded we set their drug policy for them so that our merchants can get rich, and made Britons in China unaccountable to Chinese law. Alternatively you can look at our aggressive war against the Maratha polity, where we broke an emerging Indian state in order to expand our oppressive tax policies in Bengal even further. Also see the wars we waged against the Sikhs for similar reasons. Then, of course, there were our wars against the Xhosa and the Zulus so we could clear them off the productive land and award it to white people. These are the "facts" you speak of? The Americans have not killed hundreds of thousands in Iraq. That many have died in the war, but most of them have died because of Islamic militants or tribal militias that went on rampages, either directly killing them or destroying the infrastructure that the Americans have repeatedly tried to build in the country. Again, your sheer anti-American prejudice shows a ridiculous interpretation of the facts.
Why don't you give me an example of another country that, having spent billions of dollars and thousands of lives to occupy another country after a war, set up a liberal democracy and then left?
Fascinating and pretty damning - the first half leaves you a bit torn, feeling a bit sorry for him due to the fact that his life could've been ruined due to his sexuality, but incredulous about the lengths the establishment would go to ensure the name of "one of us" wasn't besmirched. In context, there was overwhelming evidence that he was gay, but he wasn't investigated as after the Vassell affair it was thought that any arrest would make the public think all MPs might be security risks after that it seems it kept being flagged up every time he was security vetted, but friends would pull strings or different investigations wouldn't talk to each other and dismiss allegations as unsubstantited. Makes one wonder what else might have disappeared over the years because it was inconvenient.
Then the latter part gets very corrupt and unpleasant - the Liberals and Steel don't come out of it very well. Then there's Meighan who states that he told the police everything and was told to change his statement.
I also notice Michael Crick has flagged up that Thorpe's legal team may have buried the Cyril Smith story as it could've prejudiced his trial. http://blogs.channel4.com/michael-crick-on-politics/thorpe-dilemma-liberal-democrats/4629
Just ask Stuart Dickson.
Plenty more from where this came from, I think the BBC are saying.
The "establishment" has always found ways to cover up for it's own.
The lines between "national" and "self" interest can become so blurred that it becomes routine.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2862965/How-grasping-Mellor-millions-Hectoring-emails-vicious-court-cases-failed-companies-lucrative-deals-Arabs-spectacular-falling-Prince-Andrew-s-glamorous-ex-Amanda-Staveley.html
Right, off for the night now. Good evening to you.
Right, off for the night now. Good evening to you.