What, Boris has lost David Gauke? I didn't know things were that serious
No critique of the substance?
Who was it said if they attack one personally, it means they have not a single political argument left.”
Putting up implacable enemies of any politician to attack them as if they were neutral, unbiased commentators is a nonsense that unfortunately passes for serious political critique these days.
It would be like having me write an op-ed that began 'I was genuinely excited and hopeful when Sir Keir Starmer took over the Labour Party, but I must now say with regret and sadness that the boring pillock has squandered his potential, he's a useless hypocrite, he thinks people care about his stupid letters, and he couldn't win a stuffed toy at a fairground, let alone a general election...
What do you expect that silly wink thing to add to your posts?
It obviously irritates the pompous quite successfully
No. It's twattish.
Noooo ... you have used my own weapons against me. I will now explode in a puff of
meanwhile illustrates the state of your analytical powers.
What, Boris has lost David Gauke? I didn't know things were that serious
No critique of the substance?
Who was it said if they attack one personally, it means they have not a single political argument left.”
Putting up implacable enemies of any politician to attack them as if they were neutral, unbiased commentators is a nonsense that unfortunately passes for serious political critique these days.
It would be like having me write an op-ed that began 'I was genuinely excited and hopeful when Sir Keir Starmer took over the Labour Party, but I must now say with regret and sadness that the boring pillock has squandered his potential, he's a useless hypocrite, he thinks people care about his stupid letters, and he couldn't win a stuffed toy at a fairground, let alone a general election...
Out of interest, who do you think is qualified to give a neutral and unbiased opinion of Boris and his government?
I'm pretty objective. Often wish I wasn't but I am.
My opinion of this shitshow?
Unrepeatable.
A fairly good rule of thumb is that anyone who thinks they are unbiased is totally biased.
An American relative does pro-bono law work for the NAACP. He gets regular calls about the university Title 9 stuff. Some of the things he sees and hears from people going "I am completely unbiased and objective" would make you howl at the moon.
How memories are short. In December 2018 the hapless and hopeless Mrs May comfortably (63%) won an explicit no-confidence vote among Tory MPs and that was months of endless speculation as to whether the threshold would ever be reached.
The notion that landslide winning PM Johnson is going to be toppled anytime soon by the Parliamentary party is almost barkingly breathtakingly bonkers. HYUFD is absolutely right on this one; in fact, I'd wager he's pretty well impregnable whatever happens until the next election. (BTW I voted Hunt last year).
Boris Johnson might conceivably leave of his own accord, possibly on health grounds. Otherwise, I agree with you.
Wishful thinking.
This isn't remotely the premiership Johnson wanted - no "sunny uplands" and boundless optimism - its going to be years of hard slog needing mastery of facts and command of detail.
So what? If he gets through it he stands an excellent chance of being PM for a decade, the man who got Brexit done, led the nation through the global pandemic and restored us to confidence and prosperity. Not just a PM, but one for the history books.
If you don't think he both visualizes and desires that narrative, then I don't think you realy understand him. I'm sure he'd have loved it to all be easy, but a glance at any of his predecessors will have told him that that's not how the job works.
Boris Johnson's best chance of being a historic PM is by being the one to oversee the dissolution of the UK.
If he wants to go down in history as badly as Lord North who lost the American colonies you mean
That was because we didn't have any allies on the continent...
Boris Johnson is facing a rebellion from scientific advisers who fear that re-opening shops in little more than a week risks a second lockdown by the end of summer.
Members of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) estimate that further loosening of restrictions could lead to the reproduction rate of the virus, known as R, going above 1.
Two regions of the UK have already passed this threshold, at which case numbers begin to grow, according to modelling by Public Health England with the University of Cambridge.
If Trump loses - and I fervently hope he will - the next President will have a hell of a job to undo the damage Trump has already done to the US (see Anne Applebaum’s excellent - if thoroughly depressing - article in The Atlantic). Biden does not seem to be that man though he is certainly better than Trump.
If Trump wins again, God help America, is all I can say.
Off topic: why when the fabled R figure is at or even slightly higher than 1 is easing of the lockdown happening at all? Surely it needs to be well below 1 for us to be at all confident that relaxation won’t lead to exponential growth again?
Because R is below 1.
We've also seen a fall in infection throughout May despite the ending of lockdown and a big increase in economic activity.
R is not below 1. It is above 1 in the North-West and South-West and it is around 1, perhaps slightly under, in other areas. Given that it is an estimate and not a precise calculation, we simply cannot be confident that it is sufficiently below 1 to allow easing, it seems to me.
But as @AlastairMeeks has already said, scientific and health concerns now seem to be taking second place.
If so, why bother imposing all these rules which most people aren’t following anyway? All they are doing is strangling businesses so that we don’t even get the economic advantages of the easing.
Your evidence for those claims about R is ... ?
Whereas it is an established fact that the number of positive cases has been steadily falling throughout May.
As you've been complaining for months about restrictions on businesses for you to now start complaining about reducing those restrictions seems bizarre.
The evidence was an article in the Times which was quoting various people on SAGE.
It isn’t bizarre at all. My position is that when lockdown is lifted it should be lifted fully and that businesses should be free to take whatever steps they can to trade in a reasonably safe manner not have a one-size fit all imposition from the centre of rules which undermine the very purpose of the business.
And that until then there should be continuing support. Otherwise lockdown is simply continuing but in another form.
Lifting lockdown too early and then having to reimpose it if the virus comes back seems daft to me and is also damaging to business.
But others have commented on the R number so I see that the position may not be as simplistic as the article I read implied.
There is plenty of speculation about R and you can find speculation to support pretty much whatever you want.
What is evidence is that new infections have been falling throughout May.
What, Boris has lost David Gauke? I didn't know things were that serious
No critique of the substance?
Who was it said if they attack one personally, it means they have not a single political argument left.”
Putting up implacable enemies of any politician to attack them as if they were neutral, unbiased commentators is a nonsense that unfortunately passes for serious political critique these days.
It would be like having me write an op-ed that began 'I was genuinely excited and hopeful when Sir Keir Starmer took over the Labour Party, but I must now say with regret and sadness that the boring pillock has squandered his potential, he's a useless hypocrite, he thinks people care about his stupid letters, and he couldn't win a stuffed toy at a fairground, let alone a general election...
What do you expect that silly wink thing to add to your posts?
It obviously irritates the pompous quite successfully
No. It's twattish.
Noooo ... you have used my own weapons against me. I will now explode in a puff of
meanwhile illustrates the state of your analytical powers.
Now you've got no chance at that pineapple pizza. I've analysed your posts, and therefore know that it is secretly your favourite.
Why is the North East lumped in with scummy Yorkshire?
Its all the same, its up naffffffh.
There’s also some random bits of Cumbria too for some reason!
Plus northern Nottinghamshire.
For all intents and purposes parts of Derbyshire and North Nottinghamshire are now considered part of the Sheffield City Region and thus (South) Yorkshire.
Having an S postcode is a good guide.
Plus some of the NHS trusts straddle two or three counties.
Indeed, I assumed it was because of the Doncaster & Bassetlaw NHS trust.
Boris Johnson is facing a rebellion from scientific advisers who fear that re-opening shops in little more than a week risks a second lockdown by the end of summer.
Members of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) estimate that further loosening of restrictions could lead to the reproduction rate of the virus, known as R, going above 1.
Two regions of the UK have already passed this threshold, at which case numbers begin to grow, according to modelling by Public Health England with the University of Cambridge.
Raining today in London and footfall 70-80% down on last weekend. If its similar in the rest of the country the rain should bring R right down just in time.
Why is the North East lumped in with scummy Yorkshire?
Its all the same, its up naffffffh.
There’s also some random bits of Cumbria too for some reason!
Plus northern Nottinghamshire.
For all intents and purposes parts of Derbyshire and North Nottinghamshire are now considered part of the Sheffield City Region and thus (South) Yorkshire.
Having an S postcode is a good guide.
Plus some of the NHS trusts straddle two or three counties.
Wait to people see how much of the Yorkshire Dales is now actually Cumbria...
Or how much of Yorkshire is part of Cumbria.
Culminating in Lancashire playing a home game at Sedbergh, historic Yorkshire, present Cumbria.
Why is the North East lumped in with scummy Yorkshire?
Its all the same, its up naffffffh.
There’s also some random bits of Cumbria too for some reason!
Plus northern Nottinghamshire.
For all intents and purposes parts of Derbyshire and North Nottinghamshire are now considered part of the Sheffield City Region and thus (South) Yorkshire.
Having an S postcode is a good guide.
Plus some of the NHS trusts straddle two or three counties.
Wait to people see how much of the Yorkshire Dales is now actually Cumbria...
Or how much of Yorkshire is part of Cumbria.
Culminating in Lancashire playing a home game at Sedbergh, historic Yorkshire, present Cumbria.
The historic border between the West Riding of Yorkshire and Lancaster runs along the top of the moor behind our barn, can see it now as it has stopped raining. We are the last property on the right side of the border, but have a Lancaster postcode... sad.
Boris Johnson is facing a rebellion from scientific advisers who fear that re-opening shops in little more than a week risks a second lockdown by the end of summer.
Members of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) estimate that further loosening of restrictions could lead to the reproduction rate of the virus, known as R, going above 1.
Two regions of the UK have already passed this threshold, at which case numbers begin to grow, according to modelling by Public Health England with the University of Cambridge.
Raining today in London and footfall 70-80% down on last weekend. If its similar in the rest of the country the rain should bring R right down just in time.
Not raining here (Dundee) but very windy once again. Going to do some bracing gardening this afternoon. Am I alone in finding protests in the UK about truly dreadful things in America over which we have no say, no influence and no authority just a bit weird?
Boris Johnson is facing a rebellion from scientific advisers who fear that re-opening shops in little more than a week risks a second lockdown by the end of summer.
Members of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) estimate that further loosening of restrictions could lead to the reproduction rate of the virus, known as R, going above 1.
Two regions of the UK have already passed this threshold, at which case numbers begin to grow, according to modelling by Public Health England with the University of Cambridge.
What, Boris has lost David Gauke? I didn't know things were that serious
No critique of the substance?
Who was it said if they attack one personally, it means they have not a single political argument left.”
Putting up implacable enemies of any politician to attack them as if they were neutral, unbiased commentators is a nonsense that unfortunately passes for serious political critique these days.
It would be like having me write an op-ed that began 'I was genuinely excited and hopeful when Sir Keir Starmer took over the Labour Party, but I must now say with regret and sadness that the boring pillock has squandered his potential, he's a useless hypocrite, he thinks people care about his stupid letters, and he couldn't win a stuffed toy at a fairground, let alone a general election...
Boris Johnson is facing a rebellion from scientific advisers who fear that re-opening shops in little more than a week risks a second lockdown by the end of summer.
Members of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) estimate that further loosening of restrictions could lead to the reproduction rate of the virus, known as R, going above 1.
Two regions of the UK have already passed this threshold, at which case numbers begin to grow, according to modelling by Public Health England with the University of Cambridge.
Raining today in London and footfall 70-80% down on last weekend. If its similar in the rest of the country the rain should bring R right down just in time.
Not raining here (Dundee) but very windy once again. Going to do some bracing gardening this afternoon. Am I alone in finding protests in the UK about truly dreadful things in America over which we have no say, no influence and no authority just a bit weird?
No. Just a bit weird is a flattering description. Imbecilic is a more fitting one.
How memories are short. In December 2018 the hapless and hopeless Mrs May comfortably (63%) won an explicit no-confidence vote among Tory MPs and that was months of endless speculation as to whether the threshold would ever be reached.
The notion that landslide winning PM Johnson is going to be toppled anytime soon by the Parliamentary party is almost barkingly breathtakingly bonkers. HYUFD is absolutely right on this one; in fact, I'd wager he's pretty well impregnable whatever happens until the next election. (BTW I voted Hunt last year).
Boris Johnson might conceivably leave of his own accord, possibly on health grounds. Otherwise, I agree with you.
Wishful thinking.
This isn't remotely the premiership Johnson wanted - no "sunny uplands" and boundless optimism - its going to be years of hard slog needing mastery of facts and command of detail.
So what? If he gets through it he stands an excellent chance of being PM for a decade, the man who got Brexit done, led the nation through the global pandemic and restored us to confidence and prosperity. Not just a PM, but one for the history books.
If you don't think he both visualizes and desires that narrative, then I don't think you realy understand him. I'm sure he'd have loved it to all be easy, but a glance at any of his predecessors will have told him that that's not how the job works.
Boris Johnson's best chance of being a historic PM is by being the one to oversee the dissolution of the UK.
If he wants to go down in history as badly as Lord North who lost the American colonies you mean
That was because we didn't have any allies on the continent...
Boris Johnson is facing a rebellion from scientific advisers who fear that re-opening shops in little more than a week risks a second lockdown by the end of summer.
Members of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) estimate that further loosening of restrictions could lead to the reproduction rate of the virus, known as R, going above 1.
Two regions of the UK have already passed this threshold, at which case numbers begin to grow, according to modelling by Public Health England with the University of Cambridge.
Raining today in London and footfall 70-80% down on last weekend. If its similar in the rest of the country the rain should bring R right down just in time.
Not raining here (Dundee) but very windy once again. Going to do some bracing gardening this afternoon. Am I alone in finding protests in the UK about truly dreadful things in America over which we have no say, no influence and no authority just a bit weird?
I agree we look too much to the US. I think UK society has historically placed USA on a false pedestal, so we are more disappointed and angry than we should be when they are clearly out of order. What baffles me and concerns me far more, is that our ruling elite think the US is still a reliable ally and friend for the next couple of decades - that is a very dangerous assumption to make given stories like a third of Americans have poisoned themselves to ward off covid, the place is going loopy.
On topic, I forgot to mention that Shadsy is offering 50/1 that Trump will be serving a third term on 1 Feb 2025.
I think that's about right.
Those are frighteningly low odds for such an outcome.
Perhaps there is a point to the 2nd Amendment after all. I never thought I would type those words...
Oh, I can see the point in the second Amendment. It's true that it no longer functions in the way intended. Nobody imagines the State will ever need the populace to form an armed militia to beat off a foreign invasion. But citizens do widely perceive the need for arms to protect themselves against other citizens, the State having given up on this in many respects.
I think the right to bear arms was not really to defend against criminals, or even Native Americans, but to be able to resist government tyranny (as seen in the American Revolution). Largely lifted from our own Bill of Rights of 1689, too.
It is ironic then that the gun nuts seem to currently be supporting government tyranny.
How memories are short. In December 2018 the hapless and hopeless Mrs May comfortably (63%) won an explicit no-confidence vote among Tory MPs and that was months of endless speculation as to whether the threshold would ever be reached.
The notion that landslide winning PM Johnson is going to be toppled anytime soon by the Parliamentary party is almost barkingly breathtakingly bonkers. HYUFD is absolutely right on this one; in fact, I'd wager he's pretty well impregnable whatever happens until the next election. (BTW I voted Hunt last year).
Boris Johnson might conceivably leave of his own accord, possibly on health grounds. Otherwise, I agree with you.
Wishful thinking.
This isn't remotely the premiership Johnson wanted - no "sunny uplands" and boundless optimism - its going to be years of hard slog needing mastery of facts and command of detail.
So what? If he gets through it he stands an excellent chance of being PM for a decade, the man who got Brexit done, led the nation through the global pandemic and restored us to confidence and prosperity. Not just a PM, but one for the history books.
If you don't think he both visualizes and desires that narrative, then I don't think you realy understand him. I'm sure he'd have loved it to all be easy, but a glance at any of his predecessors will have told him that that's not how the job works.
Boris Johnson's best chance of being a historic PM is by being the one to oversee the dissolution of the UK.
If he wants to go down in history as badly as Lord North who lost the American colonies you mean
That was because we didn't have any allies on the continent...
The French fought against us alongside the colonists in the War of Independence, just as the French vetoed our entry into the EEC and of course the leader of the EU side in the BREXIT negotiations, Michel Barnier, is French too.
We did have a few German states allied to us in the American Revolutionary War, Brunswick, Hesse and Hanover for example sent troops to fight alongside the British
How memories are short. In December 2018 the hapless and hopeless Mrs May comfortably (63%) won an explicit no-confidence vote among Tory MPs and that was months of endless speculation as to whether the threshold would ever be reached.
The notion that landslide winning PM Johnson is going to be toppled anytime soon by the Parliamentary party is almost barkingly breathtakingly bonkers. HYUFD is absolutely right on this one; in fact, I'd wager he's pretty well impregnable whatever happens until the next election. (BTW I voted Hunt last year).
Boris Johnson might conceivably leave of his own accord, possibly on health grounds. Otherwise, I agree with you.
Wishful thinking.
This isn't remotely the premiership Johnson wanted - no "sunny uplands" and boundless optimism - its going to be years of hard slog needing mastery of facts and command of detail.
So what? If he gets through it he stands an excellent chance of being PM for a decade, the man who got Brexit done, led the nation through the global pandemic and restored us to confidence and prosperity. Not just a PM, but one for the history books.
If you don't think he both visualizes and desires that narrative, then I don't think you realy understand him. I'm sure he'd have loved it to all be easy, but a glance at any of his predecessors will have told him that that's not how the job works.
Boris Johnson's best chance of being a historic PM is by being the one to oversee the dissolution of the UK.
If he wants to go down in history as badly as Lord North who lost the American colonies you mean
That was because we didn't have any allies on the continent...
Not really. The American rebels were too strongly supported and we had no vital national interest there. At the end of the day, they would have won independence whether we'd have been fighting in Europe or not.
It might have taken them longer, of course, and we wouldn't have lost other overseas possessions, but I think the outcome would have been the same.
How memories are short. In December 2018 the hapless and hopeless Mrs May comfortably (63%) won an explicit no-confidence vote among Tory MPs and that was months of endless speculation as to whether the threshold would ever be reached.
The notion that landslide winning PM Johnson is going to be toppled anytime soon by the Parliamentary party is almost barkingly breathtakingly bonkers. HYUFD is absolutely right on this one; in fact, I'd wager he's pretty well impregnable whatever happens until the next election. (BTW I voted Hunt last year).
Boris Johnson might conceivably leave of his own accord, possibly on health grounds. Otherwise, I agree with you.
Wishful thinking.
This isn't remotely the premiership Johnson wanted - no "sunny uplands" and boundless optimism - its going to be years of hard slog needing mastery of facts and command of detail.
So what? If he gets through it he stands an excellent chance of being PM for a decade, the man who got Brexit done, led the nation through the global pandemic and restored us to confidence and prosperity. Not just a PM, but one for the history books.
If you don't think he both visualizes and desires that narrative, then I don't think you realy understand him. I'm sure he'd have loved it to all be easy, but a glance at any of his predecessors will have told him that that's not how the job works.
Boris Johnson's best chance of being a historic PM is by being the one to oversee the dissolution of the UK.
If he wants to go down in history as badly as Lord North who lost the American colonies you mean
That was because we didn't have any allies on the continent...
The French fought against us alongside the colonists in the War of Independence, just as the French vetoed our entry into the EEC and of course the leader of the EU side in the BREXIT negotiations, Michel Barnier, is French too.
We did have a few German states allied to us in the American Revolutionary War, Brunswick, Hesse and Hanover for example sent troops to fight alongside the British
We won the Seven Years War because we allied with Prussia against France, but betrayed Prussia after we thought we'd achieved our goal of securing North America by conquering Canada. When France got its revenge, we were effectively alone.
Not raining here (Dundee) but very windy once again. Going to do some bracing gardening this afternoon. Am I alone in finding protests in the UK about truly dreadful things in America over which we have no say, no influence and no authority just a bit weird?
No. Just a bit weird is a flattering description. Imbecilic is a more fitting one.
The British protests essentially say that dicriumination and indifference towards black people is endemic in the UK as well, and the US events are simply the latest example of a general phenomenon. The examples that a couple of us have given here of black drivers being routinely stopped by police and asked to show proof that they have a right to drive their cars are a small illustration. I could give more, but suspect you would either not believe me or dismiss them as anecdotal.
I think the demos are a stretch, because the position in the US is xlearly worse, but they're not imbecilic, and I know two people who have said that it's made them have a think about their own atttitudes and how they might improve them.
Boris Johnson is facing a rebellion from scientific advisers who fear that re-opening shops in little more than a week risks a second lockdown by the end of summer.
Members of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) estimate that further loosening of restrictions could lead to the reproduction rate of the virus, known as R, going above 1.
Two regions of the UK have already passed this threshold, at which case numbers begin to grow, according to modelling by Public Health England with the University of Cambridge.
Raining today in London and footfall 70-80% down on last weekend. If its similar in the rest of the country the rain should bring R right down just in time.
Not raining here (Dundee) but very windy once again. Going to do some bracing gardening this afternoon. Am I alone in finding protests in the UK about truly dreadful things in America over which we have no say, no influence and no authority just a bit weird?
I agree we look too much to the US. I think UK society has historically placed USA on a false pedestal, so we are more disappointed and angry than we should be when they are clearly out of order. What baffles me and concerns me far more, is that our ruling elite think the US is still a reliable ally and friend for the next couple of decades - that is a very dangerous assumption to make given stories like a third of Americans have poisoned themselves to ward off covid, the place is going loopy.
Where is your info that a third have poisoned themselves? I think if a third of Americans dropped dead it would be a news story?
If Trump loses - and I fervently hope he will - the next President will have a hell of a job to undo the damage Trump has already done to the US (see Anne Applebaum’s excellent - if thoroughly depressing - article in The Atlantic). Biden does not seem to be that man though he is certainly better than Trump.
If Trump wins again, God help America, is all I can say.
Off topic: why when the fabled R figure is at or even slightly higher than 1 is easing of the lockdown happening at all? Surely it needs to be well below 1 for us to be at all confident that relaxation won’t lead to exponential growth again?
Because R is below 1.
We've also seen a fall in infection throughout May despite the ending of lockdown and a big increase in economic activity.
R is not below 1. It is above 1 in the North-West and South-West and it is around 1, perhaps slightly under, in other areas. Given that it is an estimate and not a precise calculation, we simply cannot be confident that it is sufficiently below 1 to allow easing, it seems to me.
But as @AlastairMeeks has already said, scientific and health concerns now seem to be taking second place.
If so, why bother imposing all these rules which most people aren’t following anyway? All they are doing is strangling businesses so that we don’t even get the economic advantages of the easing.
Your evidence for those claims about R is ... ?
Whereas it is an established fact that the number of positive cases has been steadily falling throughout May.
As you've been complaining for months about restrictions on businesses for you to now start complaining about reducing those restrictions seems bizarre.
The evidence was an article in the Times which was quoting various people on SAGE.
It isn’t bizarre at all. My position is that when lockdown is lifted it should be lifted fully and that businesses should be free to take whatever steps they can to trade in a reasonably safe manner not have a one-size fit all imposition from the centre of rules which undermine the very purpose of the business.
And that until then there should be continuing support. Otherwise lockdown is simply continuing but in another form.
Lifting lockdown too early and then having to reimpose it if the virus comes back seems daft to me and is also damaging to business.
But others have commented on the R number so I see that the position may not be as simplistic as the article I read implied.
There is plenty of speculation about R and you can find speculation to support pretty much whatever you want.
What is evidence is that new infections have been falling throughout May.
Boris Johnson is facing a rebellion from scientific advisers who fear that re-opening shops in little more than a week risks a second lockdown by the end of summer.
Members of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) estimate that further loosening of restrictions could lead to the reproduction rate of the virus, known as R, going above 1.
Two regions of the UK have already passed this threshold, at which case numbers begin to grow, according to modelling by Public Health England with the University of Cambridge.
Raining today in London and footfall 70-80% down on last weekend. If its similar in the rest of the country the rain should bring R right down just in time.
Not raining here (Dundee) but very windy once again. Going to do some bracing gardening this afternoon. Am I alone in finding protests in the UK about truly dreadful things in America over which we have no say, no influence and no authority just a bit weird?
On topic, I forgot to mention that Shadsy is offering 50/1 that Trump will be serving a third term on 1 Feb 2025.
I think that's about right.
Those are frighteningly low odds for such an outcome.
Perhaps there is a point to the 2nd Amendment after all. I never thought I would type those words...
Oh, I can see the point in the second Amendment. It's true that it no longer functions in the way intended. Nobody imagines the State will ever need the populace to form an armed militia to beat off a foreign invasion. But citizens do widely perceive the need for arms to protect themselves against other citizens, the State having given up on this in many respects.
I think the right to bear arms was not really to defend against criminals, or even Native Americans, but to be able to resist government tyranny (as seen in the American Revolution). Largely lifted from our own Bill of Rights of 1689, too.
It is ironic then that the gun nuts seem to currently be supporting government tyranny.
I'd always thought it was drafted mainly with incursions by the British and French in mind, but whatever its intent, it's an anachronism now.
On topic, I've thought the way Trump gets a de facto third term is if one of the kids runs and wins, I'm thinking Ivanka, because Donald Trump Junior is the worst person in the world named Donald Trump, which is some achievement.
Agreed, that would be the likeliest route. Being the worst Trump might be seen as an advantage, though.
Indeed, might throw Jared Kushner in the mix as the next President.
I'm sure the very fine people who chanted 'Jews will not replace us' will seamlessly transfer their support from Trump to Kushner.
No - he’s both useless and can’t demagogue. Will be deeply involved in the graft, though.
What I find most striking about this is not the ratings, but the low representation of women. 7 of 28 names on here are female, and of those hardly anybody will have heard of 3/4/5 of them. Only Patel has a significant profile. I don't know how this compares with previous cabinets, but I can't recall such a male government.
I'm sure most folk will think this is not a problem, but I don't agree. Women will notice this, if only subconsciously at first. Johnson's "blokeishness" could do with being tempered by some strong women, especially during a health crisis.
I reckon he needs a reshuffle - but where are the strong women?
Not only that but Priti is shortest odds at 3/1 with PP for next cabinet exit.
She seems to be following her independent Israel policy with an independent quarantine and immigration one.
Boris Johnson is facing a rebellion from scientific advisers who fear that re-opening shops in little more than a week risks a second lockdown by the end of summer.
Members of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) estimate that further loosening of restrictions could lead to the reproduction rate of the virus, known as R, going above 1.
Two regions of the UK have already passed this threshold, at which case numbers begin to grow, according to modelling by Public Health England with the University of Cambridge.
Raining today in London and footfall 70-80% down on last weekend. If its similar in the rest of the country the rain should bring R right down just in time.
Not raining here (Dundee) but very windy once again. Going to do some bracing gardening this afternoon. Am I alone in finding protests in the UK about truly dreadful things in America over which we have no say, no influence and no authority just a bit weird?
I agree we look too much to the US. I think UK society has historically placed USA on a false pedestal, so we are more disappointed and angry than we should be when they are clearly out of order. What baffles me and concerns me far more, is that our ruling elite think the US is still a reliable ally and friend for the next couple of decades - that is a very dangerous assumption to make given stories like a third of Americans have poisoned themselves to ward off covid, the place is going loopy.
A third of us voted for an institutionally anti-Semitic party led by crypto-Communist last December, so we can't throw stones.
Boris Johnson is facing a rebellion from scientific advisers who fear that re-opening shops in little more than a week risks a second lockdown by the end of summer.
Members of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) estimate that further loosening of restrictions could lead to the reproduction rate of the virus, known as R, going above 1.
Two regions of the UK have already passed this threshold, at which case numbers begin to grow, according to modelling by Public Health England with the University of Cambridge.
Raining today in London and footfall 70-80% down on last weekend. If its similar in the rest of the country the rain should bring R right down just in time.
Not raining here (Dundee) but very windy once again. Going to do some bracing gardening this afternoon. Am I alone in finding protests in the UK about truly dreadful things in America over which we have no say, no influence and no authority just a bit weird?
I agree we look too much to the US. I think UK society has historically placed USA on a false pedestal, so we are more disappointed and angry than we should be when they are clearly out of order. What baffles me and concerns me far more, is that our ruling elite think the US is still a reliable ally and friend for the next couple of decades - that is a very dangerous assumption to make given stories like a third of Americans have poisoned themselves to ward off covid, the place is going loopy.
Indeed. There are now 2 Americas. At each others throats (sadly literally at times) in what in any other country would be described as low level civil conflict. Which America are we allied with may be a better question to ask.
Boris Johnson is facing a rebellion from scientific advisers who fear that re-opening shops in little more than a week risks a second lockdown by the end of summer.
Members of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) estimate that further loosening of restrictions could lead to the reproduction rate of the virus, known as R, going above 1.
Two regions of the UK have already passed this threshold, at which case numbers begin to grow, according to modelling by Public Health England with the University of Cambridge.
Raining today in London and footfall 70-80% down on last weekend. If its similar in the rest of the country the rain should bring R right down just in time.
Not raining here (Dundee) but very windy once again. Going to do some bracing gardening this afternoon. Am I alone in finding protests in the UK about truly dreadful things in America over which we have no say, no influence and no authority just a bit weird?
I agree we look too much to the US. I think UK society has historically placed USA on a false pedestal, so we are more disappointed and angry than we should be when they are clearly out of order. What baffles me and concerns me far more, is that our ruling elite think the US is still a reliable ally and friend for the next couple of decades - that is a very dangerous assumption to make given stories like a third of Americans have poisoned themselves to ward off covid, the place is going loopy.
I was in favour of Brexit (I may not have let this slip) but increasingly I feel we have more in common with other European nations than we do the US. We confuse ourselves that we are more similar than we are because they speak a form of English. But when you see videos like some of those linked to this week with people standing outside their house with semi-automatic weapons as protestors walk by I think I have absolutely nothing in common with these people at all. In fact I cannot imagine even liking them.
How memories are short. In December 2018 the hapless and hopeless Mrs May comfortably (63%) won an explicit no-confidence vote among Tory MPs and that was months of endless speculation as to whether the threshold would ever be reached.
The notion that landslide winning PM Johnson is going to be toppled anytime soon by the Parliamentary party is almost barkingly breathtakingly bonkers. HYUFD is absolutely right on this one; in fact, I'd wager he's pretty well impregnable whatever happens until the next election. (BTW I voted Hunt last year).
Boris Johnson might conceivably leave of his own accord, possibly on health grounds. Otherwise, I agree with you.
Wishful thinking.
This isn't remotely the premiership Johnson wanted - no "sunny uplands" and boundless optimism - its going to be years of hard slog needing mastery of facts and command of detail.
So what? If he gets through it he stands an excellent chance of being PM for a decade, the man who got Brexit done, led the nation through the global pandemic and restored us to confidence and prosperity. Not just a PM, but one for the history books.
If you don't think he both visualizes and desires that narrative, then I don't think you realy understand him. I'm sure he'd have loved it to all be easy, but a glance at any of his predecessors will have told him that that's not how the job works.
Boris Johnson's best chance of being a historic PM is by being the one to oversee the dissolution of the UK.
If he wants to go down in history as badly as Lord North who lost the American colonies you mean
That was because we didn't have any allies on the continent...
The French fought against us alongside the colonists in the War of Independence, just as the French vetoed our entry into the EEC and of course the leader of the EU side in the BREXIT negotiations, Michel Barnier, is French too.
We did have a few German states allied to us in the American Revolutionary War, Brunswick, Hesse and Hanover for example sent troops to fight alongside the British
We won the Seven Years War because we allied with Prussia against France, but betrayed Prussia after we thought we'd achieved our goal of securing North America by conquering Canada. When France got its revenge, we were effectively alone.
We were alone because in suited no other country to support us - victory in the Seven Years War had made Britain too powerful.
Of course France's revenge achieved little for France beyond ruining its economy and causing revolution within a few years.
Boris Johnson is facing a rebellion from scientific advisers who fear that re-opening shops in little more than a week risks a second lockdown by the end of summer.
Members of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) estimate that further loosening of restrictions could lead to the reproduction rate of the virus, known as R, going above 1.
Two regions of the UK have already passed this threshold, at which case numbers begin to grow, according to modelling by Public Health England with the University of Cambridge.
Raining today in London and footfall 70-80% down on last weekend. If its similar in the rest of the country the rain should bring R right down just in time.
Not raining here (Dundee) but very windy once again. Going to do some bracing gardening this afternoon. Am I alone in finding protests in the UK about truly dreadful things in America over which we have no say, no influence and no authority just a bit weird?
No. Just a bit weird is a flattering description. Imbecilic is a more fitting one.
It's an old tradition though. There were huge protests in Europe when a couple of Anarchists were about to be executed for a murder in Boston almost a century ago, here, in France, and in the Germany where a majority would vote for Adolf Hitler or the Communists five years later.
What, Boris has lost David Gauke? I didn't know things were that serious
No critique of the substance?
Who was it said if they attack one personally, it means they have not a single political argument left.”
Putting up implacable enemies of any politician to attack them as if they were neutral, unbiased commentators is a nonsense that unfortunately passes for serious political critique these days.
It would be like having me write an op-ed that began 'I was genuinely excited and hopeful when Sir Keir Starmer took over the Labour Party, but I must now say with regret and sadness that the boring pillock has squandered his potential, he's a useless hypocrite, he thinks people care about his stupid letters, and he couldn't win a stuffed toy at a fairground, let alone a general election...
What do you expect that silly wink thing to add to your posts?
It obviously irritates the pompous quite successfully
"May signal a joke, flirtation, hidden meaning, or general positivity" it says here, so you may be misusing it.
It's flirtation. That's how I take it anyway.
Is there a raised eyebrow emoji ? That would be useful.
Boris Johnson is facing a rebellion from scientific advisers who fear that re-opening shops in little more than a week risks a second lockdown by the end of summer.
Members of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) estimate that further loosening of restrictions could lead to the reproduction rate of the virus, known as R, going above 1.
Two regions of the UK have already passed this threshold, at which case numbers begin to grow, according to modelling by Public Health England with the University of Cambridge.
Raining today in London and footfall 70-80% down on last weekend. If its similar in the rest of the country the rain should bring R right down just in time.
Not raining here (Dundee) but very windy once again. Going to do some bracing gardening this afternoon. Am I alone in finding protests in the UK about truly dreadful things in America over which we have no say, no influence and no authority just a bit weird?
I agree we look too much to the US. I think UK society has historically placed USA on a false pedestal, so we are more disappointed and angry than we should be when they are clearly out of order. What baffles me and concerns me far more, is that our ruling elite think the US is still a reliable ally and friend for the next couple of decades - that is a very dangerous assumption to make given stories like a third of Americans have poisoned themselves to ward off covid, the place is going loopy.
A third of us voted for an institutionally anti-Semitic party led by crypto-Communist last December, so we can't throw stones.
Whatever Johnson or Corbyn said, there is no way a third of us would start bathing ourselves or drinking bleach on their advice.
There is a huge and growing gap in the dynamics of the UK and the US, yet we are risking our relationships with our neighbours to pivot towards an isolationalist, ultra religious, deeply divided and increasingly poorly educated country. It may pay off as they are still the most powerful in the world, but it is a huge risk.
On topic, I forgot to mention that Shadsy is offering 50/1 that Trump will be serving a third term on 1 Feb 2025.
I think that's about right.
Those are frighteningly low odds for such an outcome.
Perhaps there is a point to the 2nd Amendment after all. I never thought I would type those words...
Oh, I can see the point in the second Amendment. It's true that it no longer functions in the way intended. Nobody imagines the State will ever need the populace to form an armed militia to beat off a foreign invasion. But citizens do widely perceive the need for arms to protect themselves against other citizens, the State having given up on this in many respects.
I think the right to bear arms was not really to defend against criminals, or even Native Americans, but to be able to resist government tyranny (as seen in the American Revolution). Largely lifted from our own Bill of Rights of 1689, too.
It is ironic then that the gun nuts seem to currently be supporting government tyranny.
I'd always thought it was drafted mainly with incursions by the British and French in mind, but whatever its intent, it's an anachronism now.
It was a mixture of things - the propagandistic image of the American yeoman* farmer, snatching his long rifle** from the wall, to fight the tyrannic government soldiers*** was the inspiration.
The elements were -
- an amateur army could be summoned, instantly, then returned to normal life. - Which could defeat a professional force because of its superior moral nature. - Without creating a standing army.
In fact the American War of Independence was won by Washington constructing and training a conventional army, armed conventionally out of the militias - over a considerable period of time. The Americans started winning, when they had done this.
*The yeoman image bit is important in this - independent, self sustained by industriousness yet exerting power over others.
**https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_rifle - in fact such weapons were pretty useless in battle, and were generally replaced in actual use by conventional military muskets.
***Standing armies being a big Evil Thing in Liberal circles at the time
Not raining here (Dundee) but very windy once again. Going to do some bracing gardening this afternoon. Am I alone in finding protests in the UK about truly dreadful things in America over which we have no say, no influence and no authority just a bit weird?
No. Just a bit weird is a flattering description. Imbecilic is a more fitting one.
The British protests essentially say that dicriumination and indifference towards black people is endemic in the UK as well, and the US events are simply the latest example of a general phenomenon. The examples that a couple of us have given here of black drivers being routinely stopped by police and asked to show proof that they have a right to drive their cars are a small illustration. I could give more, but suspect you would either not believe me or dismiss them as anecdotal.
I think the demos are a stretch, because the position in the US is xlearly worse, but they're not imbecilic, and I know two people who have said that it's made them have a think about their own atttitudes and how they might improve them.
They are certainly not imbecilic as far as the objectives and the cause they are supporting. I would suggest they might turn out to be imbecilic given we are still in the latter stages of a serious epidemic.
Boris Johnson is facing a rebellion from scientific advisers who fear that re-opening shops in little more than a week risks a second lockdown by the end of summer.
Members of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) estimate that further loosening of restrictions could lead to the reproduction rate of the virus, known as R, going above 1.
Two regions of the UK have already passed this threshold, at which case numbers begin to grow, according to modelling by Public Health England with the University of Cambridge.
Raining today in London and footfall 70-80% down on last weekend. If its similar in the rest of the country the rain should bring R right down just in time.
Not raining here (Dundee) but very windy once again. Going to do some bracing gardening this afternoon. Am I alone in finding protests in the UK about truly dreadful things in America over which we have no say, no influence and no authority just a bit weird?
I agree we look too much to the US. I think UK society has historically placed USA on a false pedestal, so we are more disappointed and angry than we should be when they are clearly out of order. What baffles me and concerns me far more, is that our ruling elite think the US is still a reliable ally and friend for the next couple of decades - that is a very dangerous assumption to make given stories like a third of Americans have poisoned themselves to ward off covid, the place is going loopy.
I was in favour of Brexit (I may not have let this slip) but increasingly I feel we have more in common with other European nations than we do the US. We confuse ourselves that we are more similar than we are because they speak a form of English. But when you see videos like some of those linked to this week with people standing outside their house with semi-automatic weapons as protestors walk by I think I have absolutely nothing in common with these people at all. In fact I cannot imagine even liking them.
I commented last week that things have changed markedly since 2016. Back then the world had international trade with few major arguments between the trading blocks. Now the two biggest trading blocks (China and the USA) are a loggerheads and we have left the next largest one.
Not raining here (Dundee) but very windy once again. Going to do some bracing gardening this afternoon. Am I alone in finding protests in the UK about truly dreadful things in America over which we have no say, no influence and no authority just a bit weird?
No. Just a bit weird is a flattering description. Imbecilic is a more fitting one.
The British protests essentially say that dicriumination and indifference towards black people is endemic in the UK as well, and the US events are simply the latest example of a general phenomenon. The examples that a couple of us have given here of black drivers being routinely stopped by police and asked to show proof that they have a right to drive their cars are a small illustration. I could give more, but suspect you would either not believe me or dismiss them as anecdotal.
I think the demos are a stretch, because the position in the US is xlearly worse, but they're not imbecilic, and I know two people who have said that it's made them have a think about their own attitudes and how they might improve them.
Indifference toward all shades of melanin should be welcomed, not condemned. The general tenor of these protests is to foster a sense of injustice and grievance that is corrosive to the individual in which they are fostered, and has a harmfully divisive effect on society in general. It is a road to nowhere. The risibly imported 'trigger' to the protests is not the only objection.
Boris Johnson is facing a rebellion from scientific advisers who fear that re-opening shops in little more than a week risks a second lockdown by the end of summer.
Members of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) estimate that further loosening of restrictions could lead to the reproduction rate of the virus, known as R, going above 1.
Two regions of the UK have already passed this threshold, at which case numbers begin to grow, according to modelling by Public Health England with the University of Cambridge.
Raining today in London and footfall 70-80% down on last weekend. If its similar in the rest of the country the rain should bring R right down just in time.
Not raining here (Dundee) but very windy once again. Going to do some bracing gardening this afternoon. Am I alone in finding protests in the UK about truly dreadful things in America over which we have no say, no influence and no authority just a bit weird?
I agree we look too much to the US. I think UK society has historically placed USA on a false pedestal, so we are more disappointed and angry than we should be when they are clearly out of order. What baffles me and concerns me far more, is that our ruling elite think the US is still a reliable ally and friend for the next couple of decades - that is a very dangerous assumption to make given stories like a third of Americans have poisoned themselves to ward off covid, the place is going loopy.
I was in favour of Brexit (I may not have let this slip) but increasingly I feel we have more in common with other European nations than we do the US. We confuse ourselves that we are more similar than we are because they speak a form of English. But when you see videos like some of those linked to this week with people standing outside their house with semi-automatic weapons as protestors walk by I think I have absolutely nothing in common with these people at all. In fact I cannot imagine even liking them.
Though such things have been a feature of the USA for over a century.
What, Boris has lost David Gauke? I didn't know things were that serious
No critique of the substance?
Who was it said if they attack one personally, it means they have not a single political argument left.”
Putting up implacable enemies of any politician to attack them as if they were neutral, unbiased commentators is a nonsense that unfortunately passes for serious political critique these days.
It would be like having me write an op-ed that began 'I was genuinely excited and hopeful when Sir Keir Starmer took over the Labour Party, but I must now say with regret and sadness that the boring pillock has squandered his potential, he's a useless hypocrite, he thinks people care about his stupid letters, and he couldn't win a stuffed toy at a fairground, let alone a general election...
What do you expect that silly wink thing to add to your posts?
It obviously irritates the pompous quite successfully
"May signal a joke, flirtation, hidden meaning, or general positivity" it says here, so you may be misusing it.
It's flirtation. That's how I take it anyway.
Is there a raised eyebrow emoji ? That would be useful.
This one seems to be the nearest
Sadly it expresses a surprise which I do not feel. A Roger Moore emoji is more what I had in mind....
Boris Johnson is facing a rebellion from scientific advisers who fear that re-opening shops in little more than a week risks a second lockdown by the end of summer.
Members of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) estimate that further loosening of restrictions could lead to the reproduction rate of the virus, known as R, going above 1.
Two regions of the UK have already passed this threshold, at which case numbers begin to grow, according to modelling by Public Health England with the University of Cambridge.
Raining today in London and footfall 70-80% down on last weekend. If its similar in the rest of the country the rain should bring R right down just in time.
Not raining here (Dundee) but very windy once again. Going to do some bracing gardening this afternoon. Am I alone in finding protests in the UK about truly dreadful things in America over which we have no say, no influence and no authority just a bit weird?
I agree we look too much to the US. I think UK society has historically placed USA on a false pedestal, so we are more disappointed and angry than we should be when they are clearly out of order. What baffles me and concerns me far more, is that our ruling elite think the US is still a reliable ally and friend for the next couple of decades - that is a very dangerous assumption to make given stories like a third of Americans have poisoned themselves to ward off covid, the place is going loopy.
Indeed. There are now 2 Americas. At each others throats (sadly literally at times) in what in any other country would be described as low level civil conflict. Which America are we allied with may be a better question to ask.
How memories are short. In December 2018 the hapless and hopeless Mrs May comfortably (63%) won an explicit no-confidence vote among Tory MPs and that was months of endless speculation as to whether the threshold would ever be reached.
The notion that landslide winning PM Johnson is going to be toppled anytime soon by the Parliamentary party is almost barkingly breathtakingly bonkers. HYUFD is absolutely right on this one; in fact, I'd wager he's pretty well impregnable whatever happens until the next election. (BTW I voted Hunt last year).
Boris Johnson might conceivably leave of his own accord, possibly on health grounds. Otherwise, I agree with you.
Wishful thinking.
This isn't remotely the premiership Johnson wanted - no "sunny uplands" and boundless optimism - its going to be years of hard slog needing mastery of facts and command of detail.
So what? If he gets through it he stands an excellent chance of being PM for a decade, the man who got Brexit done, led the nation through the global pandemic and restored us to confidence and prosperity. Not just a PM, but one for the history books.
If you don't think he both visualizes and desires that narrative, then I don't think you realy understand him. I'm sure he'd have loved it to all be easy, but a glance at any of his predecessors will have told him that that's not how the job works.
Boris Johnson's best chance of being a historic PM is by being the one to oversee the dissolution of the UK.
If he wants to go down in history as badly as Lord North who lost the American colonies you mean
That was because we didn't have any allies on the continent...
Portugal?
Number of Portuguese regiments in the American Revolutionary War?
How memories are short. In December 2018 the hapless and hopeless Mrs May comfortably (63%) won an explicit no-confidence vote among Tory MPs and that was months of endless speculation as to whether the threshold would ever be reached.
The notion that landslide winning PM Johnson is going to be toppled anytime soon by the Parliamentary party is almost barkingly breathtakingly bonkers. HYUFD is absolutely right on this one; in fact, I'd wager he's pretty well impregnable whatever happens until the next election. (BTW I voted Hunt last year).
Boris Johnson might conceivably leave of his own accord, possibly on health grounds. Otherwise, I agree with you.
Wishful thinking.
This isn't remotely the premiership Johnson wanted - no "sunny uplands" and boundless optimism - its going to be years of hard slog needing mastery of facts and command of detail.
So what? If he gets through it he stands an excellent chance of being PM for a decade, the man who got Brexit done, led the nation through the global pandemic and restored us to confidence and prosperity. Not just a PM, but one for the history books.
If you don't think he both visualizes and desires that narrative, then I don't think you realy understand him. I'm sure he'd have loved it to all be easy, but a glance at any of his predecessors will have told him that that's not how the job works.
Boris Johnson's best chance of being a historic PM is by being the one to oversee the dissolution of the UK.
If he wants to go down in history as badly as Lord North who lost the American colonies you mean
That was because we didn't have any allies on the continent...
The French fought against us alongside the colonists in the War of Independence, just as the French vetoed our entry into the EEC and of course the leader of the EU side in the BREXIT negotiations, Michel Barnier, is French too.
We did have a few German states allied to us in the American Revolutionary War, Brunswick, Hesse and Hanover for example sent troops to fight alongside the British
We won the Seven Years War because we allied with Prussia against France, but betrayed Prussia after we thought we'd achieved our goal of securing North America by conquering Canada. When France got its revenge, we were effectively alone.
We were alone because in suited no other country to support us - victory in the Seven Years War had made Britain too powerful.
Of course France's revenge achieved little for France beyond ruining its economy and causing revolution within a few years.
Though that did lead to Napoleon emerging within a few decades, who was again finally defeated by Britain and Prussia at Waterloo.
European wars have normally been fought between England or Britain and/or some German states against France and/or Spain. WW1 and WW2 were some of the few occasions we were allied with France against Germany.
In the EU now we have left the balance of power has shifted more from Berlin to Paris
Boris Johnson is facing a rebellion from scientific advisers who fear that re-opening shops in little more than a week risks a second lockdown by the end of summer.
Members of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) estimate that further loosening of restrictions could lead to the reproduction rate of the virus, known as R, going above 1.
Two regions of the UK have already passed this threshold, at which case numbers begin to grow, according to modelling by Public Health England with the University of Cambridge.
Raining today in London and footfall 70-80% down on last weekend. If its similar in the rest of the country the rain should bring R right down just in time.
Not raining here (Dundee) but very windy once again. Going to do some bracing gardening this afternoon. Am I alone in finding protests in the UK about truly dreadful things in America over which we have no say, no influence and no authority just a bit weird?
I agree we look too much to the US. I think UK society has historically placed USA on a false pedestal, so we are more disappointed and angry than we should be when they are clearly out of order. What baffles me and concerns me far more, is that our ruling elite think the US is still a reliable ally and friend for the next couple of decades - that is a very dangerous assumption to make given stories like a third of Americans have poisoned themselves to ward off covid, the place is going loopy.
Where is your info that a third have poisoned themselves? I think if a third of Americans dropped dead it would be a news story?
We have little in common with elements of American and Europe. Culturally and politically it is Australia and New Zealand we have considerably more in common with.
Boris Johnson is facing a rebellion from scientific advisers who fear that re-opening shops in little more than a week risks a second lockdown by the end of summer.
Members of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) estimate that further loosening of restrictions could lead to the reproduction rate of the virus, known as R, going above 1.
Two regions of the UK have already passed this threshold, at which case numbers begin to grow, according to modelling by Public Health England with the University of Cambridge.
Raining today in London and footfall 70-80% down on last weekend. If its similar in the rest of the country the rain should bring R right down just in time.
Not raining here (Dundee) but very windy once again. Going to do some bracing gardening this afternoon. Am I alone in finding protests in the UK about truly dreadful things in America over which we have no say, no influence and no authority just a bit weird?
I agree we look too much to the US. I think UK society has historically placed USA on a false pedestal, so we are more disappointed and angry than we should be when they are clearly out of order. What baffles me and concerns me far more, is that our ruling elite think the US is still a reliable ally and friend for the next couple of decades - that is a very dangerous assumption to make given stories like a third of Americans have poisoned themselves to ward off covid, the place is going loopy.
I was in favour of Brexit (I may not have let this slip) but increasingly I feel we have more in common with other European nations than we do the US. We confuse ourselves that we are more similar than we are because they speak a form of English. But when you see videos like some of those linked to this week with people standing outside their house with semi-automatic weapons as protestors walk by I think I have absolutely nothing in common with these people at all. In fact I cannot imagine even liking them.
Though such things have been a feature of the USA for over a century.
Indeed but whilst politics was dominated by a largely east coast, liberal consensus who set policy and objectives this was something we could ignore. The destruction of that consensus that @David_Herdson has so clearly described by Trump has made these differences stark and troubling. I find people claiming that we have shared values with the US these days offensive. We really don't.
Boris Johnson is facing a rebellion from scientific advisers who fear that re-opening shops in little more than a week risks a second lockdown by the end of summer.
Members of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) estimate that further loosening of restrictions could lead to the reproduction rate of the virus, known as R, going above 1.
Two regions of the UK have already passed this threshold, at which case numbers begin to grow, according to modelling by Public Health England with the University of Cambridge.
Raining today in London and footfall 70-80% down on last weekend. If its similar in the rest of the country the rain should bring R right down just in time.
Not raining here (Dundee) but very windy once again. Going to do some bracing gardening this afternoon. Am I alone in finding protests in the UK about truly dreadful things in America over which we have no say, no influence and no authority just a bit weird?
I agree we look too much to the US. I think UK society has historically placed USA on a false pedestal, so we are more disappointed and angry than we should be when they are clearly out of order. What baffles me and concerns me far more, is that our ruling elite think the US is still a reliable ally and friend for the next couple of decades - that is a very dangerous assumption to make given stories like a third of Americans have poisoned themselves to ward off covid, the place is going loopy.
I was in favour of Brexit (I may not have let this slip) but increasingly I feel we have more in common with other European nations than we do the US. We confuse ourselves that we are more similar than we are because they speak a form of English. But when you see videos like some of those linked to this week with people standing outside their house with semi-automatic weapons as protestors walk by I think I have absolutely nothing in common with these people at all. In fact I cannot imagine even liking them.
As a matter of interest - what do you suggest we do when the matter of the Austrian State Treaty comes up? :-)
It's interesting watching clueless people argue with David Paton about statistics.
His Twitter profile should be a mandatory follow for all journalists allowed to ask the government questions. It would cut down on the amount of disinformation we see from the media.
Sadly, though, the main reason for poor statistics reporting in the media is the government reporting of them. The fact that the government is still using the same idiotic reporting date and 7 day average trend line is both lamentable and unrepresentative of the current situation. I'm not saying they should do a Spain and report on yesterday and nothing else, but the report should now move to date of death not date of reporting. The fact that we won't know when the 350 or so deaths reported yesterday actually occured until the ONS report comes out in three weeks is no longer acceptable.
It's quite likely we're recording fewer than 100 community deaths per day at this stage and falling but the picture painted by the official government statistics is completely different and wrong.
Boris Johnson is facing a rebellion from scientific advisers who fear that re-opening shops in little more than a week risks a second lockdown by the end of summer.
Members of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) estimate that further loosening of restrictions could lead to the reproduction rate of the virus, known as R, going above 1.
Two regions of the UK have already passed this threshold, at which case numbers begin to grow, according to modelling by Public Health England with the University of Cambridge.
On topic, I forgot to mention that Shadsy is offering 50/1 that Trump will be serving a third term on 1 Feb 2025.
I think that's about right.
Those are frighteningly low odds for such an outcome.
Perhaps there is a point to the 2nd Amendment after all. I never thought I would type those words...
Oh, I can see the point in the second Amendment. It's true that it no longer functions in the way intended. Nobody imagines the State will ever need the populace to form an armed militia to beat off a foreign invasion. But citizens do widely perceive the need for arms to protect themselves against other citizens, the State having given up on this in many respects.
I think the right to bear arms was not really to defend against criminals, or even Native Americans, but to be able to resist government tyranny (as seen in the American Revolution). Largely lifted from our own Bill of Rights of 1689, too.
It is ironic then that the gun nuts seem to currently be supporting government tyranny.
I'd always thought it was drafted mainly with incursions by the British and French in mind, but whatever its intent, it's an anachronism now.
Especially since then guns fired one round every 30 seconds instead of 30 rounds in 1 second.
How memories are short. In December 2018 the hapless and hopeless Mrs May comfortably (63%) won an explicit no-confidence vote among Tory MPs and that was months of endless speculation as to whether the threshold would ever be reached.
The notion that landslide winning PM Johnson is going to be toppled anytime soon by the Parliamentary party is almost barkingly breathtakingly bonkers. HYUFD is absolutely right on this one; in fact, I'd wager he's pretty well impregnable whatever happens until the next election. (BTW I voted Hunt last year).
Boris Johnson might conceivably leave of his own accord, possibly on health grounds. Otherwise, I agree with you.
Wishful thinking.
This isn't remotely the premiership Johnson wanted - no "sunny uplands" and boundless optimism - its going to be years of hard slog needing mastery of facts and command of detail.
So what? If he gets through it he stands an excellent chance of being PM for a decade, the man who got Brexit done, led the nation through the global pandemic and restored us to confidence and prosperity. Not just a PM, but one for the history books.
If you don't think he both visualizes and desires that narrative, then I don't think you realy understand him. I'm sure he'd have loved it to all be easy, but a glance at any of his predecessors will have told him that that's not how the job works.
Boris Johnson's best chance of being a historic PM is by being the one to oversee the dissolution of the UK.
If he wants to go down in history as badly as Lord North who lost the American colonies you mean
That was because we didn't have any allies on the continent...
The French fought against us alongside the colonists in the War of Independence, just as the French vetoed our entry into the EEC and of course the leader of the EU side in the BREXIT negotiations, Michel Barnier, is French too.
We did have a few German states allied to us in the American Revolutionary War, Brunswick, Hesse and Hanover for example sent troops to fight alongside the British
We won the Seven Years War because we allied with Prussia against France, but betrayed Prussia after we thought we'd achieved our goal of securing North America by conquering Canada. When France got its revenge, we were effectively alone.
We were alone because in suited no other country to support us - victory in the Seven Years War had made Britain too powerful.
Of course France's revenge achieved little for France beyond ruining its economy and causing revolution within a few years.
Though that did lead to Napoleon emerging within a few decades, who was again finally defeated by Britain and Prussia at Waterloo.
European wars have normally been fought between England or Britain and/or some German states against France and/or Spain. WW1 and WW2 were some of the few occasions we were allied with France against Germany.
In the EU now we have left the balance of power has shifted more from Berlin to Paris
Boris Johnson is facing a rebellion from scientific advisers who fear that re-opening shops in little more than a week risks a second lockdown by the end of summer.
Members of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) estimate that further loosening of restrictions could lead to the reproduction rate of the virus, known as R, going above 1.
Two regions of the UK have already passed this threshold, at which case numbers begin to grow, according to modelling by Public Health England with the University of Cambridge.
Raining today in London and footfall 70-80% down on last weekend. If its similar in the rest of the country the rain should bring R right down just in time.
Not raining here (Dundee) but very windy once again. Going to do some bracing gardening this afternoon. Am I alone in finding protests in the UK about truly dreadful things in America over which we have no say, no influence and no authority just a bit weird?
I agree we look too much to the US. I think UK society has historically placed USA on a false pedestal, so we are more disappointed and angry than we should be when they are clearly out of order. What baffles me and concerns me far more, is that our ruling elite think the US is still a reliable ally and friend for the next couple of decades - that is a very dangerous assumption to make given stories like a third of Americans have poisoned themselves to ward off covid, the place is going loopy.
Indeed. There are now 2 Americas. At each others throats (sadly literally at times) in what in any other country would be described as low level civil conflict. Which America are we allied with may be a better question to ask.
On topic, I forgot to mention that Shadsy is offering 50/1 that Trump will be serving a third term on 1 Feb 2025.
I think that's about right.
Those are frighteningly low odds for such an outcome.
Perhaps there is a point to the 2nd Amendment after all. I never thought I would type those words...
Oh, I can see the point in the second Amendment. It's true that it no longer functions in the way intended. Nobody imagines the State will ever need the populace to form an armed militia to beat off a foreign invasion. But citizens do widely perceive the need for arms to protect themselves against other citizens, the State having given up on this in many respects.
I think the right to bear arms was not really to defend against criminals, or even Native Americans, but to be able to resist government tyranny (as seen in the American Revolution). Largely lifted from our own Bill of Rights of 1689, too.
It is ironic then that the gun nuts seem to currently be supporting government tyranny.
I'd always thought it was drafted mainly with incursions by the British and French in mind, but whatever its intent, it's an anachronism now.
I assumed (although I know very little about it) it was due to the high risk of Native American attacks in most frontier zones.
The reference to a ‘militia’ lets out the most logical explanation - that they were needed for hunting animals for food.
Boris Johnson is facing a rebellion from scientific advisers who fear that re-opening shops in little more than a week risks a second lockdown by the end of summer.
Members of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) estimate that further loosening of restrictions could lead to the reproduction rate of the virus, known as R, going above 1.
Two regions of the UK have already passed this threshold, at which case numbers begin to grow, according to modelling by Public Health England with the University of Cambridge.
Raining today in London and footfall 70-80% down on last weekend. If its similar in the rest of the country the rain should bring R right down just in time.
Not raining here (Dundee) but very windy once again. Going to do some bracing gardening this afternoon. Am I alone in finding protests in the UK about truly dreadful things in America over which we have no say, no influence and no authority just a bit weird?
I agree we look too much to the US. I think UK society has historically placed USA on a false pedestal, so we are more disappointed and angry than we should be when they are clearly out of order. What baffles me and concerns me far more, is that our ruling elite think the US is still a reliable ally and friend for the next couple of decades - that is a very dangerous assumption to make given stories like a third of Americans have poisoned themselves to ward off covid, the place is going loopy.
Indeed. There are now 2 Americas. At each others throats (sadly literally at times) in what in any other country would be described as low level civil conflict. Which America are we allied with may be a better question to ask.
Indeed, Hawaii, California, Oregon, Washington State, Illinois, Minnesota and all the North Eastern states of the USA bar New Hampshire and Pennsylvania never voted for George W Bush or Trump
Boris Johnson is facing a rebellion from scientific advisers who fear that re-opening shops in little more than a week risks a second lockdown by the end of summer.
Members of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) estimate that further loosening of restrictions could lead to the reproduction rate of the virus, known as R, going above 1.
Two regions of the UK have already passed this threshold, at which case numbers begin to grow, according to modelling by Public Health England with the University of Cambridge.
Tbh, SAGE have had a terrible crisis. Their advice has been wrong basically at every point.
What do you expect from an organisation that was told what to say by a fifth rate arrogant failed think tank director?
Tbf to Dom he forced their hand on lockdown and tried to do the same for quarantine in January. SAGE were against both and had to be forced into agreeing with the former and still think they were right about the latter. They are clearly a bunch of arrogant dickheads.
Not raining here (Dundee) but very windy once again. Going to do some bracing gardening this afternoon. Am I alone in finding protests in the UK about truly dreadful things in America over which we have no say, no influence and no authority just a bit weird?
No. Just a bit weird is a flattering description. Imbecilic is a more fitting one.
The British protests essentially say that dicriumination and indifference towards black people is endemic in the UK as well, and the US events are simply the latest example of a general phenomenon. The examples that a couple of us have given here of black drivers being routinely stopped by police and asked to show proof that they have a right to drive their cars are a small illustration. I could give more, but suspect you would either not believe me or dismiss them as anecdotal.
I think the demos are a stretch, because the position in the US is xlearly worse, but they're not imbecilic, and I know two people who have said that it's made them have a think about their own attitudes and how they might improve them.
Indifference toward all shades of melanin should be welcomed, not condemned. The general tenor of these protests is to foster a sense of injustice and grievance that is corrosive to the individual in which they are fostered, and has a harmfully divisive effect on society in general. It is a road to nowhere. The risibly imported 'trigger' to the protests is not the only objection.
No, being colour blind is not enough, though clearly better than overt bigotry. Being colour blind means not being willing to accept the history and culture of black people, nor the part of British culture in generating that history.
Boris Johnson is facing a rebellion from scientific advisers who fear that re-opening shops in little more than a week risks a second lockdown by the end of summer.
Members of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) estimate that further loosening of restrictions could lead to the reproduction rate of the virus, known as R, going above 1.
Two regions of the UK have already passed this threshold, at which case numbers begin to grow, according to modelling by Public Health England with the University of Cambridge.
Raining today in London and footfall 70-80% down on last weekend. If its similar in the rest of the country the rain should bring R right down just in time.
Not raining here (Dundee) but very windy once again. Going to do some bracing gardening this afternoon. Am I alone in finding protests in the UK about truly dreadful things in America over which we have no say, no influence and no authority just a bit weird?
No. Just a bit weird is a flattering description. Imbecilic is a more fitting one.
These mass demos in the middle of a pandemic are an example of what I call the Trenton Oldfield effect. Oldfield, some may recall, was the twit who swam into the Thames and nearly got his head chopped off by an oar during the 2012 University Boat Race in a protest against "elitism" and other generalised waffle.
The thought process of these individuals appears to work as follows:
1. I have a grievance and it makes me miserable 2. My grievance is more important than anything else in the world 3. My grievance should also be more important than anything else in the world to everybody else, and if it isn't then they're morally defective and I have not only the right but the obligation to inflict my misery upon them 4. Moreover, since my grievance is paramount then any damage I do by protesting about it is irrelevant and may be disregarded
In Oldfield's case said damage was ruining the apogee of many peoples athletic careers. In the case of the BLM protestors it's actually killing other people, if we make the assumption that the protestors also acknowledge on some level that social distancing and the prohibition of mass gatherings has been mandated to suppress the Plague.
The protestors aren't necessarily actively seeking to cause harm (although the ones that take the chance to lash out at the officers policing demonstrations may be,) but they don't feel any responsibility for the consequences of their actions either. Those consequences simply don't trouble their consciences at all.
It's interesting watching clueless people argue with David Paton about statistics.
His Twitter profile should be a mandatory follow for all journalists allowed to ask the government questions. It would cut down on the amount of disinformation we see from the media.
Sadly, though, the main reason for poor statistics reporting in the media is the government reporting of them. The fact that the government is still using the same idiotic reporting date and 7 day average trend line is both lamentable and unrepresentative of the current situation. I'm not saying they should do a Spain and report on yesterday and nothing else, but the report should now move to date of death not date of reporting. The fact that we won't know when the 350 or so deaths reported yesterday actually occured until the ONS report comes out in three weeks is no longer acceptable.
It's quite likely we're recording fewer than 100 community deaths per day at this stage and falling but the picture painted by the official government statistics is completely different and wrong.
I am introducing a new system - the Malmesbury Reporting Window.
It consists of the 0.5 Planck Time units before the one where my computer actually start to recognise I have pressed enter.
Since nothing can actually happen in a fraction of a Planck Time unit, this means that the rate of infection is zero world wide. Also the rate of death. All death from any cause.
An encouraging development for Biden (and contra to what some on here had previously speculated):
Democrats discover a new team player: Bernie Sanders https://www.politico.com/news/2020/06/06/bernie-sanders-democrats-2020-304277 ... Some of Sanders’ allies, in explaining why they formed outside groups to help elect Biden but declined to go that far for Clinton, said they did not expect Trump to win in 2016.
“Many of us who believed that Donald Trump could win in 2016 also believed that Hillary Clinton would win. And that has proven to not be the case,” said Jeff Weaver, Sanders’ longtime adviser and friend who created America’s Progressive Promise, a pro-Biden super PAC. “I feel a great responsibility having worked in this progressive space for 35 years — my entire adult life — at the side of Bernie Sanders to make sure that we stop what is happening in this country.”...
I expect there is quite a lot of that kind of “fool me once...” sentiment out there about Trump.
How memories are short. In December 2018 the hapless and hopeless Mrs May comfortably (63%) won an explicit no-confidence vote among Tory MPs and that was months of endless speculation as to whether the threshold would ever be reached.
The notion that landslide winning PM Johnson is going to be toppled anytime soon by the Parliamentary party is almost barkingly breathtakingly bonkers. HYUFD is absolutely right on this one; in fact, I'd wager he's pretty well impregnable whatever happens until the next election. (BTW I voted Hunt last year).
Boris Johnson might conceivably leave of his own accord, possibly on health grounds. Otherwise, I agree with you.
Wishful thinking.
This isn't remotely the premiership Johnson wanted - no "sunny uplands" and boundless optimism - its going to be years of hard slog needing mastery of facts and command of detail.
So what? If he gets through it he stands an excellent chance of being PM for a decade, the man who got Brexit done, led the nation through the global pandemic and restored us to confidence and prosperity. Not just a PM, but one for the history books.
If you don't think he both visualizes and desires that narrative, then I don't think you realy understand him. I'm sure he'd have loved it to all be easy, but a glance at any of his predecessors will have told him that that's not how the job works.
Boris Johnson's best chance of being a historic PM is by being the one to oversee the dissolution of the UK.
If he wants to go down in history as badly as Lord North who lost the American colonies you mean
That was because we didn't have any allies on the continent...
The French fought against us alongside the colonists in the War of Independence, just as the French vetoed our entry into the EEC and of course the leader of the EU side in the BREXIT negotiations, Michel Barnier, is French too.
We did have a few German states allied to us in the American Revolutionary War, Brunswick, Hesse and Hanover for example sent troops to fight alongside the British
We won the Seven Years War because we allied with Prussia against France, but betrayed Prussia after we thought we'd achieved our goal of securing North America by conquering Canada. When France got its revenge, we were effectively alone.
We were alone because in suited no other country to support us - victory in the Seven Years War had made Britain too powerful.
Of course France's revenge achieved little for France beyond ruining its economy and causing revolution within a few years.
Though that did lead to Napoleon emerging within a few decades, who was again finally defeated by Britain and Prussia at Waterloo.
European wars have normally been fought between England or Britain and/or some German states against France and/or Spain. WW1 and WW2 were some of the few occasions we were allied with France against Germany.
In the EU now we have left the balance of power has shifted more from Berlin to Paris
Boris Johnson is facing a rebellion from scientific advisers who fear that re-opening shops in little more than a week risks a second lockdown by the end of summer.
Members of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) estimate that further loosening of restrictions could lead to the reproduction rate of the virus, known as R, going above 1.
Two regions of the UK have already passed this threshold, at which case numbers begin to grow, according to modelling by Public Health England with the University of Cambridge.
Raining today in London and footfall 70-80% down on last weekend. If its similar in the rest of the country the rain should bring R right down just in time.
Not raining here (Dundee) but very windy once again. Going to do some bracing gardening this afternoon. Am I alone in finding protests in the UK about truly dreadful things in America over which we have no say, no influence and no authority just a bit weird?
I agree we look too much to the US. I think UK society has historically placed USA on a false pedestal, so we are more disappointed and angry than we should be when they are clearly out of order. What baffles me and concerns me far more, is that our ruling elite think the US is still a reliable ally and friend for the next couple of decades - that is a very dangerous assumption to make given stories like a third of Americans have poisoned themselves to ward off covid, the place is going loopy.
I was in favour of Brexit (I may not have let this slip) but increasingly I feel we have more in common with other European nations than we do the US. We confuse ourselves that we are more similar than we are because they speak a form of English. But when you see videos like some of those linked to this week with people standing outside their house with semi-automatic weapons as protestors walk by I think I have absolutely nothing in common with these people at all. In fact I cannot imagine even liking them.
As a matter of interest - what do you suggest we do when the matter of the Austrian State Treaty comes up? :-)
Why should it come up? Its an historical anachronism. Trump is planning to remove the last US troop from Germany completing the withdrawal of the US from mainline Europe. We are in the fortunate position of being a quiet backwater of less and less significance in world affairs. We should take advantage.
Boris Johnson is facing a rebellion from scientific advisers who fear that re-opening shops in little more than a week risks a second lockdown by the end of summer.
Members of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) estimate that further loosening of restrictions could lead to the reproduction rate of the virus, known as R, going above 1.
Two regions of the UK have already passed this threshold, at which case numbers begin to grow, according to modelling by Public Health England with the University of Cambridge.
Raining today in London and footfall 70-80% down on last weekend. If its similar in the rest of the country the rain should bring R right down just in time.
Not raining here (Dundee) but very windy once again. Going to do some bracing gardening this afternoon. Am I alone in finding protests in the UK about truly dreadful things in America over which we have no say, no influence and no authority just a bit weird?
No. Just a bit weird is a flattering description. Imbecilic is a more fitting one.
These mass demos in the middle of a pandemic are an example of what I call the Trenton Oldfield effect. Oldfield, some may recall, was the twit who swam into the Thames and nearly got his head chopped off by an oar during the 2012 University Boat Race in a protest against "elitism" and other generalised waffle.
The thought process of these individuals appears to work as follows:
1. I have a grievance and it makes me miserable 2. My grievance is more important than anything else in the world 3. My grievance should also be more important than anything else in the world to everybody else, and if it isn't then they're morally defective and I have not only the right but the obligation to inflict my misery upon them 4. Moreover, since my grievance is paramount then any damage I do by protesting about it is irrelevant and may be disregarded
In Oldfield's case said damage was ruining the apogee of many peoples athletic careers. In the case of the BLM protestors it's actually killing other people, if we make the assumption that the protestors also acknowledge on some level that social distancing and the prohibition of mass gatherings has been mandated to suppress the Plague.
The protestors aren't necessarily actively seeking to cause harm (although the ones that take the chance to lash out at the officers policing demonstrations may be,) but they don't feel any responsibility for the consequences of their actions either. Those consequences simply don't trouble their consciences at all.
How memories are short. In December 2018 the hapless and hopeless Mrs May comfortably (63%) won an explicit no-confidence vote among Tory MPs and that was months of endless speculation as to whether the threshold would ever be reached.
The notion that landslide winning PM Johnson is going to be toppled anytime soon by the Parliamentary party is almost barkingly breathtakingly bonkers. HYUFD is absolutely right on this one; in fact, I'd wager he's pretty well impregnable whatever happens until the next election. (BTW I voted Hunt last year).
Boris Johnson might conceivably leave of his own accord, possibly on health grounds. Otherwise, I agree with you.
Wishful thinking.
This isn't remotely the premiership Johnson wanted - no "sunny uplands" and boundless optimism - its going to be years of hard slog needing mastery of facts and command of detail.
So what? If he gets through it he stands an excellent chance of being PM for a decade, the man who got Brexit done, led the nation through the global pandemic and restored us to confidence and prosperity. Not just a PM, but one for the history books.
If you don't think he both visualizes and desires that narrative, then I don't think you realy understand him. I'm sure he'd have loved it to all be easy, but a glance at any of his predecessors will have told him that that's not how the job works.
Boris Johnson's best chance of being a historic PM is by being the one to oversee the dissolution of the UK.
If he wants to go down in history as badly as Lord North who lost the American colonies you mean
That was because we didn't have any allies on the continent...
The French fought against us alongside the colonists in the War of Independence, just as the French vetoed our entry into the EEC and of course the leader of the EU side in the BREXIT negotiations, Michel Barnier, is French too.
We did have a few German states allied to us in the American Revolutionary War, Brunswick, Hesse and Hanover for example sent troops to fight alongside the British
We won the Seven Years War because we allied with Prussia against France, but betrayed Prussia after we thought we'd achieved our goal of securing North America by conquering Canada. When France got its revenge, we were effectively alone.
We were alone because in suited no other country to support us - victory in the Seven Years War had made Britain too powerful.
Of course France's revenge achieved little for France beyond ruining its economy and causing revolution within a few years.
Though that did lead to Napoleon emerging within a few decades, who was again finally defeated by Britain and Prussia at Waterloo.
European wars have normally been fought between England or Britain and/or some German states against France and/or Spain. WW1 and WW2 were some of the few occasions we were allied with France against Germany.
In the EU now we have left the balance of power has shifted more from Berlin to Paris
Boris Johnson is facing a rebellion from scientific advisers who fear that re-opening shops in little more than a week risks a second lockdown by the end of summer.
Members of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) estimate that further loosening of restrictions could lead to the reproduction rate of the virus, known as R, going above 1.
Two regions of the UK have already passed this threshold, at which case numbers begin to grow, according to modelling by Public Health England with the University of Cambridge.
Raining today in London and footfall 70-80% down on last weekend. If its similar in the rest of the country the rain should bring R right down just in time.
Not raining here (Dundee) but very windy once again. Going to do some bracing gardening this afternoon. Am I alone in finding protests in the UK about truly dreadful things in America over which we have no say, no influence and no authority just a bit weird?
I agree we look too much to the US. I think UK society has historically placed USA on a false pedestal, so we are more disappointed and angry than we should be when they are clearly out of order. What baffles me and concerns me far more, is that our ruling elite think the US is still a reliable ally and friend for the next couple of decades - that is a very dangerous assumption to make given stories like a third of Americans have poisoned themselves to ward off covid, the place is going loopy.
I doubt Johnson and his confedracy of dunces are the team to implement the necessary and long overdue strategic decoupling from the US.
How memories are short. In December 2018 the hapless and hopeless Mrs May comfortably (63%) won an explicit no-confidence vote among Tory MPs and that was months of endless speculation as to whether the threshold would ever be reached.
The notion that landslide winning PM Johnson is going to be toppled anytime soon by the Parliamentary party is almost barkingly breathtakingly bonkers. HYUFD is absolutely right on this one; in fact, I'd wager he's pretty well impregnable whatever happens until the next election. (BTW I voted Hunt last year).
Boris Johnson might conceivably leave of his own accord, possibly on health grounds. Otherwise, I agree with you.
Wishful thinking.
This isn't remotely the premiership Johnson wanted - no "sunny uplands" and boundless optimism - its going to be years of hard slog needing mastery of facts and command of detail.
So what? If he gets through it he stands an excellent chance of being PM for a decade, the man who got Brexit done, led the nation through the global pandemic and restored us to confidence and prosperity. Not just a PM, but one for the history books.
If you don't think he both visualizes and desires that narrative, then I don't think you realy understand him. I'm sure he'd have loved it to all be easy, but a glance at any of his predecessors will have told him that that's not how the job works.
Boris Johnson's best chance of being a historic PM is by being the one to oversee the dissolution of the UK.
If he wants to go down in history as badly as Lord North who lost the American colonies you mean
That was because we didn't have any allies on the continent...
Portugal?
Number of Portuguese regiments in the American Revolutionary War?
Boris Johnson is facing a rebellion from scientific advisers who fear that re-opening shops in little more than a week risks a second lockdown by the end of summer.
Members of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) estimate that further loosening of restrictions could lead to the reproduction rate of the virus, known as R, going above 1.
Two regions of the UK have already passed this threshold, at which case numbers begin to grow, according to modelling by Public Health England with the University of Cambridge.
Raining today in London and footfall 70-80% down on last weekend. If its similar in the rest of the country the rain should bring R right down just in time.
Not raining here (Dundee) but very windy once again. Going to do some bracing gardening this afternoon. Am I alone in finding protests in the UK about truly dreadful things in America over which we have no say, no influence and no authority just a bit weird?
Boris Johnson is facing a rebellion from scientific advisers who fear that re-opening shops in little more than a week risks a second lockdown by the end of summer.
Members of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) estimate that further loosening of restrictions could lead to the reproduction rate of the virus, known as R, going above 1.
Two regions of the UK have already passed this threshold, at which case numbers begin to grow, according to modelling by Public Health England with the University of Cambridge.
Raining today in London and footfall 70-80% down on last weekend. If its similar in the rest of the country the rain should bring R right down just in time.
Not raining here (Dundee) but very windy once again. Going to do some bracing gardening this afternoon. Am I alone in finding protests in the UK about truly dreadful things in America over which we have no say, no influence and no authority just a bit weird?
I agree we look too much to the US. I think UK society has historically placed USA on a false pedestal, so we are more disappointed and angry than we should be when they are clearly out of order. What baffles me and concerns me far more, is that our ruling elite think the US is still a reliable ally and friend for the next couple of decades - that is a very dangerous assumption to make given stories like a third of Americans have poisoned themselves to ward off covid, the place is going loopy.
I was in favour of Brexit (I may not have let this slip) but increasingly I feel we have more in common with other European nations than we do the US. We confuse ourselves that we are more similar than we are because they speak a form of English. But when you see videos like some of those linked to this week with people standing outside their house with semi-automatic weapons as protestors walk by I think I have absolutely nothing in common with these people at all. In fact I cannot imagine even liking them.
As a matter of interest - what do you suggest we do when the matter of the Austrian State Treaty comes up? :-)
Why should it come up? Its an historical anachronism. Trump is planning to remove the last US troop from Germany completing the withdrawal of the US from mainline Europe. We are in the fortunate position of being a quiet backwater of less and less significance in world affairs. We should take advantage.
On that basis you should support the Scottish independence and nuclear disarmament.
Boris Johnson is facing a rebellion from scientific advisers who fear that re-opening shops in little more than a week risks a second lockdown by the end of summer.
Members of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) estimate that further loosening of restrictions could lead to the reproduction rate of the virus, known as R, going above 1.
Two regions of the UK have already passed this threshold, at which case numbers begin to grow, according to modelling by Public Health England with the University of Cambridge.
Raining today in London and footfall 70-80% down on last weekend. If its similar in the rest of the country the rain should bring R right down just in time.
Not raining here (Dundee) but very windy once again. Going to do some bracing gardening this afternoon. Am I alone in finding protests in the UK about truly dreadful things in America over which we have no say, no influence and no authority just a bit weird?
No. Just a bit weird is a flattering description. Imbecilic is a more fitting one.
These mass demos in the middle of a pandemic are an example of what I call the Trenton Oldfield effect. Oldfield, some may recall, was the twit who swam into the Thames and nearly got his head chopped off by an oar during the 2012 University Boat Race in a protest against "elitism" and other generalised waffle.
The thought process of these individuals appears to work as follows:
1. I have a grievance and it makes me miserable 2. My grievance is more important than anything else in the world 3. My grievance should also be more important than anything else in the world to everybody else, and if it isn't then they're morally defective and I have not only the right but the obligation to inflict my misery upon them 4. Moreover, since my grievance is paramount then any damage I do by protesting about it is irrelevant and may be disregarded
In Oldfield's case said damage was ruining the apogee of many peoples athletic careers. In the case of the BLM protestors it's actually killing other people, if we make the assumption that the protestors also acknowledge on some level that social distancing and the prohibition of mass gatherings has been mandated to suppress the Plague.
The protestors aren't necessarily actively seeking to cause harm (although the ones that take the chance to lash out at the officers policing demonstrations may be,) but they don't feel any responsibility for the consequences of their actions either. Those consequences simply don't trouble their consciences at all.
1. I have a grievance and it makes me miserable 2. My grievance is more important than anything else in the world 3. My grievance should also be more important than anything else in the world to everybody else, and if it isn't then they're morally defective and I have not only the right but the obligation to inflict my misery upon them 4. Moreover, since my grievance is paramount then any damage I do by protesting about it is irrelevant and may be disregarded
Boris Johnson is facing a rebellion from scientific advisers who fear that re-opening shops in little more than a week risks a second lockdown by the end of summer.
Members of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) estimate that further loosening of restrictions could lead to the reproduction rate of the virus, known as R, going above 1.
Two regions of the UK have already passed this threshold, at which case numbers begin to grow, according to modelling by Public Health England with the University of Cambridge.
Raining today in London and footfall 70-80% down on last weekend. If its similar in the rest of the country the rain should bring R right down just in time.
Not raining here (Dundee) but very windy once again. Going to do some bracing gardening this afternoon. Am I alone in finding protests in the UK about truly dreadful things in America over which we have no say, no influence and no authority just a bit weird?
I agree we look too much to the US. I think UK society has historically placed USA on a false pedestal, so we are more disappointed and angry than we should be when they are clearly out of order. What baffles me and concerns me far more, is that our ruling elite think the US is still a reliable ally and friend for the next couple of decades - that is a very dangerous assumption to make given stories like a third of Americans have poisoned themselves to ward off covid, the place is going loopy.
I was in favour of Brexit (I may not have let this slip) but increasingly I feel we have more in common with other European nations than we do the US. We confuse ourselves that we are more similar than we are because they speak a form of English. But when you see videos like some of those linked to this week with people standing outside their house with semi-automatic weapons as protestors walk by I think I have absolutely nothing in common with these people at all. In fact I cannot imagine even liking them.
As a matter of interest - what do you suggest we do when the matter of the Austrian State Treaty comes up? :-)
Why should it come up? Its an historical anachronism. Trump is planning to remove the last US troop from Germany completing the withdrawal of the US from mainline Europe. We are in the fortunate position of being a quiet backwater of less and less significance in world affairs. We should take advantage.
It legally binds the signatories (among other things) to never allow any kind of union between Austria and Germany. Revoking it would have... interesting effects...
On topic, I forgot to mention that Shadsy is offering 50/1 that Trump will be serving a third term on 1 Feb 2025.
I think that's about right.
Those are frighteningly low odds for such an outcome.
Perhaps there is a point to the 2nd Amendment after all. I never thought I would type those words...
Oh, I can see the point in the second Amendment. It's true that it no longer functions in the way intended. Nobody imagines the State will ever need the populace to form an armed militia to beat off a foreign invasion. But citizens do widely perceive the need for arms to protect themselves against other citizens, the State having given up on this in many respects.
I think the right to bear arms was not really to defend against criminals, or even Native Americans, but to be able to resist government tyranny (as seen in the American Revolution). Largely lifted from our own Bill of Rights of 1689, too.
It is ironic then that the gun nuts seem to currently be supporting government tyranny.
I'd always thought it was drafted mainly with incursions by the British and French in mind, but whatever its intent, it's an anachronism now.
Especially since then guns fired one round every 30 seconds instead of 30 rounds in 1 second.
If I were feeling pedantic I would point out it was every 20 seconds.
Boris Johnson is facing a rebellion from scientific advisers who fear that re-opening shops in little more than a week risks a second lockdown by the end of summer.
Members of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) estimate that further loosening of restrictions could lead to the reproduction rate of the virus, known as R, going above 1.
Two regions of the UK have already passed this threshold, at which case numbers begin to grow, according to modelling by Public Health England with the University of Cambridge.
Raining today in London and footfall 70-80% down on last weekend. If its similar in the rest of the country the rain should bring R right down just in time.
Not raining here (Dundee) but very windy once again. Going to do some bracing gardening this afternoon. Am I alone in finding protests in the UK about truly dreadful things in America over which we have no say, no influence and no authority just a bit weird?
I agree we look too much to the US. I think UK society has historically placed USA on a false pedestal, so we are more disappointed and angry than we should be when they are clearly out of order. What baffles me and concerns me far more, is that our ruling elite think the US is still a reliable ally and friend for the next couple of decades - that is a very dangerous assumption to make given stories like a third of Americans have poisoned themselves to ward off covid, the place is going loopy.
I was in favour of Brexit (I may not have let this slip) but increasingly I feel we have more in common with other European nations than we do the US. We confuse ourselves that we are more similar than we are because they speak a form of English. But when you see videos like some of those linked to this week with people standing outside their house with semi-automatic weapons as protestors walk by I think I have absolutely nothing in common with these people at all. In fact I cannot imagine even liking them.
Though such things have been a feature of the USA for over a century.
Indeed but whilst politics was dominated by a largely east coast, liberal consensus who set policy and objectives this was something we could ignore. The destruction of that consensus that @David_Herdson has so clearly described by Trump has made these differences stark and troubling. I find people claiming that we have shared values with the US these days offensive. We really don't.
It must be remembered that it is extremists, from all sides, who receive the most publicity.
Aspects such as electoral choice of government, rule of law, freedom of speech and free market economies are still shared values.
Even if such things are threatened by the extremists of all sides.
Boris Johnson is facing a rebellion from scientific advisers who fear that re-opening shops in little more than a week risks a second lockdown by the end of summer.
Members of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) estimate that further loosening of restrictions could lead to the reproduction rate of the virus, known as R, going above 1.
Two regions of the UK have already passed this threshold, at which case numbers begin to grow, according to modelling by Public Health England with the University of Cambridge.
Raining today in London and footfall 70-80% down on last weekend. If its similar in the rest of the country the rain should bring R right down just in time.
Not raining here (Dundee) but very windy once again. Going to do some bracing gardening this afternoon. Am I alone in finding protests in the UK about truly dreadful things in America over which we have no say, no influence and no authority just a bit weird?
We have no say, no influence and no authority in a 'special relationship' which so many Brits seem to think is a thing (particularly since Brexit)? Who'd have thunk?
How memories are short. In December 2018 the hapless and hopeless Mrs May comfortably (63%) won an explicit no-confidence vote among Tory MPs and that was months of endless speculation as to whether the threshold would ever be reached.
The notion that landslide winning PM Johnson is going to be toppled anytime soon by the Parliamentary party is almost barkingly breathtakingly bonkers. HYUFD is absolutely right on this one; in fact, I'd wager he's pretty well impregnable whatever happens until the next election. (BTW I voted Hunt last year).
Boris Johnson might conceivably leave of his own accord, possibly on health grounds. Otherwise, I agree with you.
Wishful thinking.
This isn't remotely the premiership Johnson wanted - no "sunny uplands" and boundless optimism - its going to be years of hard slog needing mastery of facts and command of detail.
So what? If he gets through it he stands an excellent chance of being PM for a decade, the man who got Brexit done, led the nation through the global pandemic and restored us to confidence and prosperity. Not just a PM, but one for the history books.
If you don't think he both visualizes and desires that narrative, then I don't think you realy understand him. I'm sure he'd have loved it to all be easy, but a glance at any of his predecessors will have told him that that's not how the job works.
Boris Johnson's best chance of being a historic PM is by being the one to oversee the dissolution of the UK.
If he wants to go down in history as badly as Lord North who lost the American colonies you mean
That was because we didn't have any allies on the continent...
The French fought against us alongside the colonists in the War of Independence, just as the French vetoed our entry into the EEC and of course the leader of the EU side in the BREXIT negotiations, Michel Barnier, is French too.
We did have a few German states allied to us in the American Revolutionary War, Brunswick, Hesse and Hanover for example sent troops to fight alongside the British
We won the Seven Years War because we allied with Prussia against France, but betrayed Prussia after we thought we'd achieved our goal of securing North America by conquering Canada. When France got its revenge, we were effectively alone.
We were alone because in suited no other country to support us - victory in the Seven Years War had made Britain too powerful.
Of course France's revenge achieved little for France beyond ruining its economy and causing revolution within a few years.
Though that did lead to Napoleon emerging within a few decades, who was again finally defeated by Britain and Prussia at Waterloo.
European wars have normally been fought between England or Britain and/or some German states against France and/or Spain. WW1 and WW2 were some of the few occasions we were allied with France against Germany.
In the EU now we have left the balance of power has shifted more from Berlin to Paris
Crimea War - France & UK versus Russia.
Germany stayed out of that one.
Notably before the Act of Union in 1707, in the Hundred Years War and after in the Jacobite rebellions, the Scots tended to be allied with the French against England
Boris Johnson is facing a rebellion from scientific advisers who fear that re-opening shops in little more than a week risks a second lockdown by the end of summer.
Members of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) estimate that further loosening of restrictions could lead to the reproduction rate of the virus, known as R, going above 1.
Two regions of the UK have already passed this threshold, at which case numbers begin to grow, according to modelling by Public Health England with the University of Cambridge.
Raining today in London and footfall 70-80% down on last weekend. If its similar in the rest of the country the rain should bring R right down just in time.
Not raining here (Dundee) but very windy once again. Going to do some bracing gardening this afternoon. Am I alone in finding protests in the UK about truly dreadful things in America over which we have no say, no influence and no authority just a bit weird?
No. Just a bit weird is a flattering description. Imbecilic is a more fitting one.
These mass demos in the middle of a pandemic are an example of what I call the Trenton Oldfield effect. Oldfield, some may recall, was the twit who swam into the Thames and nearly got his head chopped off by an oar during the 2012 University Boat Race in a protest against "elitism" and other generalised waffle.
The thought process of these individuals appears to work as follows:
1. I have a grievance and it makes me miserable 2. My grievance is more important than anything else in the world 3. My grievance should also be more important than anything else in the world to everybody else, and if it isn't then they're morally defective and I have not only the right but the obligation to inflict my misery upon them 4. Moreover, since my grievance is paramount then any damage I do by protesting about it is irrelevant and may be disregarded
In Oldfield's case said damage was ruining the apogee of many peoples athletic careers. In the case of the BLM protestors it's actually killing other people, if we make the assumption that the protestors also acknowledge on some level that social distancing and the prohibition of mass gatherings has been mandated to suppress the Plague.
The protestors aren't necessarily actively seeking to cause harm (although the ones that take the chance to lash out at the officers policing demonstrations may be,) but they don't feel any responsibility for the consequences of their actions either. Those consequences simply don't trouble their consciences at all.
The primacy of "feelings" - actually, the primacy of the immediate wants of the person in question - is an interesting story by itself.
As is the discussion of rational decision making with people who believe in it. Their responses are instructive and entertaining.
Boris Johnson is facing a rebellion from scientific advisers who fear that re-opening shops in little more than a week risks a second lockdown by the end of summer.
Members of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) estimate that further loosening of restrictions could lead to the reproduction rate of the virus, known as R, going above 1.
Two regions of the UK have already passed this threshold, at which case numbers begin to grow, according to modelling by Public Health England with the University of Cambridge.
Tbh, SAGE have had a terrible crisis. Their advice has been wrong basically at every point.
What do you expect from an organisation that was told what to say by a fifth rate arrogant failed think tank director?
Tbf to Dom he forced their hand on lockdown and tried to do the same for quarantine in January. SAGE were against both and had to be forced into agreeing with the former and still think they were right about the latter. They are clearly a bunch of arrogant dickheads.
The disregard of testing was another thing the 'experts' are to blame for.
An encouraging development for Biden (and contra to what some on here had previously speculated):
Democrats discover a new team player: Bernie Sanders https://www.politico.com/news/2020/06/06/bernie-sanders-democrats-2020-304277 ... Some of Sanders’ allies, in explaining why they formed outside groups to help elect Biden but declined to go that far for Clinton, said they did not expect Trump to win in 2016.
“Many of us who believed that Donald Trump could win in 2016 also believed that Hillary Clinton would win. And that has proven to not be the case,” said Jeff Weaver, Sanders’ longtime adviser and friend who created America’s Progressive Promise, a pro-Biden super PAC. “I feel a great responsibility having worked in this progressive space for 35 years — my entire adult life — at the side of Bernie Sanders to make sure that we stop what is happening in this country.”...
I expect there is quite a lot of that kind of “fool me once...” sentiment out there about Trump.
Yep, easy to forget that Trump was to some extent an unknown quantity, particularly the quantity that suggested he could be POTUS. We all know about him now.
Boris Johnson is facing a rebellion from scientific advisers who fear that re-opening shops in little more than a week risks a second lockdown by the end of summer.
Members of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) estimate that further loosening of restrictions could lead to the reproduction rate of the virus, known as R, going above 1.
Two regions of the UK have already passed this threshold, at which case numbers begin to grow, according to modelling by Public Health England with the University of Cambridge.
Raining today in London and footfall 70-80% down on last weekend. If its similar in the rest of the country the rain should bring R right down just in time.
Not raining here (Dundee) but very windy once again. Going to do some bracing gardening this afternoon. Am I alone in finding protests in the UK about truly dreadful things in America over which we have no say, no influence and no authority just a bit weird?
I agree we look too much to the US. I think UK society has historically placed USA on a false pedestal, so we are more disappointed and angry than we should be when they are clearly out of order. What baffles me and concerns me far more, is that our ruling elite think the US is still a reliable ally and friend for the next couple of decades - that is a very dangerous assumption to make given stories like a third of Americans have poisoned themselves to ward off covid, the place is going loopy.
I was in favour of Brexit (I may not have let this slip) but increasingly I feel we have more in common with other European nations than we do the US. We confuse ourselves that we are more similar than we are because they speak a form of English. But when you see videos like some of those linked to this week with people standing outside their house with semi-automatic weapons as protestors walk by I think I have absolutely nothing in common with these people at all. In fact I cannot imagine even liking them.
Though such things have been a feature of the USA for over a century.
Indeed but whilst politics was dominated by a largely east coast, liberal consensus who set policy and objectives this was something we could ignore. The destruction of that consensus that @David_Herdson has so clearly described by Trump has made these differences stark and troubling. I find people claiming that we have shared values with the US these days offensive. We really don't.
It must be remembered that it is extremists, from all sides, who receive the most publicity.
Aspects such as electoral choice of government, rule of law, freedom of speech and free market economies are still shared values.
Even if such things are threatened by the extremists of all sides.
But a body politic that can choose someone like Trump is not one that is easy for us to relate to whether of the left or the right.
Not raining here (Dundee) but very windy once again. Going to do some bracing gardening this afternoon. Am I alone in finding protests in the UK about truly dreadful things in America over which we have no say, no influence and no authority just a bit weird?
No. Just a bit weird is a flattering description. Imbecilic is a more fitting one.
The British protests essentially say that dicriumination and indifference towards black people is endemic in the UK as well, and the US events are simply the latest example of a general phenomenon. The examples that a couple of us have given here of black drivers being routinely stopped by police and asked to show proof that they have a right to drive their cars are a small illustration. I could give more, but suspect you would either not believe me or dismiss them as anecdotal.
I think the demos are a stretch, because the position in the US is xlearly worse, but they're not imbecilic, and I know two people who have said that it's made them have a think about their own attitudes and how they might improve them.
Indifference toward all shades of melanin should be welcomed, not condemned. The general tenor of these protests is to foster a sense of injustice and grievance that is corrosive to the individual in which they are fostered, and has a harmfully divisive effect on society in general. It is a road to nowhere. The risibly imported 'trigger' to the protests is not the only objection.
No, being colour blind is not enough, though clearly better than overt bigotry. Being colour blind means not being willing to accept the history and culture of black people, nor the part of British culture in generating that history.
No, it is enough - not just enough, essential. If somebody remains beholden to an inherited sense of loss, sorrow, and anger, it will poison their life. Telling black people that they've started life with a handicap is simply an appalling and counterproductive thing to do.
On topic, I forgot to mention that Shadsy is offering 50/1 that Trump will be serving a third term on 1 Feb 2025.
I think that's about right.
Those are frighteningly low odds for such an outcome.
Perhaps there is a point to the 2nd Amendment after all. I never thought I would type those words...
Oh, I can see the point in the second Amendment. It's true that it no longer functions in the way intended. Nobody imagines the State will ever need the populace to form an armed militia to beat off a foreign invasion. But citizens do widely perceive the need for arms to protect themselves against other citizens, the State having given up on this in many respects.
I think the right to bear arms was not really to defend against criminals, or even Native Americans, but to be able to resist government tyranny (as seen in the American Revolution). Largely lifted from our own Bill of Rights of 1689, too.
It is ironic then that the gun nuts seem to currently be supporting government tyranny.
I'd always thought it was drafted mainly with incursions by the British and French in mind, but whatever its intent, it's an anachronism now.
Especially since then guns fired one round every 30 seconds instead of 30 rounds in 1 second.
If I were feeling pedantic I would point out it was every 20 seconds.
Boris Johnson is facing a rebellion from scientific advisers who fear that re-opening shops in little more than a week risks a second lockdown by the end of summer.
Members of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) estimate that further loosening of restrictions could lead to the reproduction rate of the virus, known as R, going above 1.
Two regions of the UK have already passed this threshold, at which case numbers begin to grow, according to modelling by Public Health England with the University of Cambridge.
Tbh, SAGE have had a terrible crisis. Their advice has been wrong basically at every point.
What do you expect from an organisation that was told what to say by a fifth rate arrogant failed think tank director?
Tbf to Dom he forced their hand on lockdown and tried to do the same for quarantine in January. SAGE were against both and had to be forced into agreeing with the former and still think they were right about the latter. They are clearly a bunch of arrogant dickheads.
The disregard of testing was another thing the 'experts' are to blame for.
Yes, betting on Chinese antibody tests is another SAGE wheeze. I still haven't figured out what kind of testing regime they could have done with antibody tests that only give a positive result two or three weeks after recovery.
Honestly, a cold hard look at their performance throughout the crisis shows just how awful the advice has been and it puts into context the poor early decision making from the government and the decisions taken now which has basically ignored their advice.
How memories are short. In December 2018 the hapless and hopeless Mrs May comfortably (63%) won an explicit no-confidence vote among Tory MPs and that was months of endless speculation as to whether the threshold would ever be reached.
The notion that landslide winning PM Johnson is going to be toppled anytime soon by the Parliamentary party is almost barkingly breathtakingly bonkers. HYUFD is absolutely right on this one; in fact, I'd wager he's pretty well impregnable whatever happens until the next election. (BTW I voted Hunt last year).
Boris Johnson might conceivably leave of his own accord, possibly on health grounds. Otherwise, I agree with you.
Wishful thinking.
This isn't remotely the premiership Johnson wanted - no "sunny uplands" and boundless optimism - its going to be years of hard slog needing mastery of facts and command of detail.
So what? If he gets through it he stands an excellent chance of being PM for a decade, the man who got Brexit done, led the nation through the global pandemic and restored us to confidence and prosperity. Not just a PM, but one for the history books.
If you don't think he both visualizes and desires that narrative, then I don't think you realy understand him. I'm sure he'd have loved it to all be easy, but a glance at any of his predecessors will have told him that that's not how the job works.
Boris Johnson's best chance of being a historic PM is by being the one to oversee the dissolution of the UK.
If he wants to go down in history as badly as Lord North who lost the American colonies you mean
That was because we didn't have any allies on the continent...
The French fought against us alongside the colonists in the War of Independence, just as the French vetoed our entry into the EEC and of course the leader of the EU side in the BREXIT negotiations, Michel Barnier, is French too.
We did have a few German states allied to us in the American Revolutionary War, Brunswick, Hesse and Hanover for example sent troops to fight alongside the British
We won the Seven Years War because we allied with Prussia against France, but betrayed Prussia after we thought we'd achieved our goal of securing North America by conquering Canada. When France got its revenge, we were effectively alone.
We were alone because in suited no other country to support us - victory in the Seven Years War had made Britain too powerful.
Of course France's revenge achieved little for France beyond ruining its economy and causing revolution within a few years.
Though that did lead to Napoleon emerging within a few decades, who was again finally defeated by Britain and Prussia at Waterloo.
European wars have normally been fought between England or Britain and/or some German states against France and/or Spain. WW1 and WW2 were some of the few occasions we were allied with France against Germany.
In the EU now we have left the balance of power has shifted more from Berlin to Paris
On topic, I forgot to mention that Shadsy is offering 50/1 that Trump will be serving a third term on 1 Feb 2025.
I think that's about right.
Those are frighteningly low odds for such an outcome.
Perhaps there is a point to the 2nd Amendment after all. I never thought I would type those words...
Oh, I can see the point in the second Amendment. It's true that it no longer functions in the way intended. Nobody imagines the State will ever need the populace to form an armed militia to beat off a foreign invasion. But citizens do widely perceive the need for arms to protect themselves against other citizens, the State having given up on this in many respects.
I think the right to bear arms was not really to defend against criminals, or even Native Americans, but to be able to resist government tyranny (as seen in the American Revolution). Largely lifted from our own Bill of Rights of 1689, too.
It is ironic then that the gun nuts seem to currently be supporting government tyranny.
I'd always thought it was drafted mainly with incursions by the British and French in mind, but whatever its intent, it's an anachronism now.
Especially since then guns fired one round every 30 seconds instead of 30 rounds in 1 second.
If I were feeling pedantic I would point out it was every 20 seconds.
Thank goodness you are not.
While she is a charming young lady, feeling Pedantic would be a breach of social distancing.
So as a responsible person I am not going to do it.
How memories are short. In December 2018 the hapless and hopeless Mrs May comfortably (63%) won an explicit no-confidence vote among Tory MPs and that was months of endless speculation as to whether the threshold would ever be reached.
The notion that landslide winning PM Johnson is going to be toppled anytime soon by the Parliamentary party is almost barkingly breathtakingly bonkers. HYUFD is absolutely right on this one; in fact, I'd wager he's pretty well impregnable whatever happens until the next election. (BTW I voted Hunt last year).
Boris Johnson might conceivably leave of his own accord, possibly on health grounds. Otherwise, I agree with you.
Wishful thinking.
This isn't remotely the premiership Johnson wanted - no "sunny uplands" and boundless optimism - its going to be years of hard slog needing mastery of facts and command of detail.
So what? If he gets through it he stands an excellent chance of being PM for a decade, the man who got Brexit done, led the nation through the global pandemic and restored us to confidence and prosperity. Not just a PM, but one for the history books.
If you don't think he both visualizes and desires that narrative, then I don't think you realy understand him. I'm sure he'd have loved it to all be easy, but a glance at any of his predecessors will have told him that that's not how the job works.
Boris Johnson's best chance of being a historic PM is by being the one to oversee the dissolution of the UK.
If he wants to go down in history as badly as Lord North who lost the American colonies you mean
That was because we didn't have any allies on the continent...
The French fought against us alongside the colonists in the War of Independence, just as the French vetoed our entry into the EEC and of course the leader of the EU side in the BREXIT negotiations, Michel Barnier, is French too.
We did have a few German states allied to us in the American Revolutionary War, Brunswick, Hesse and Hanover for example sent troops to fight alongside the British
We won the Seven Years War because we allied with Prussia against France, but betrayed Prussia after we thought we'd achieved our goal of securing North America by conquering Canada. When France got its revenge, we were effectively alone.
We were alone because in suited no other country to support us - victory in the Seven Years War had made Britain too powerful.
Of course France's revenge achieved little for France beyond ruining its economy and causing revolution within a few years.
Though that did lead to Napoleon emerging within a few decades, who was again finally defeated by Britain and Prussia at Waterloo.
European wars have normally been fought between England or Britain and/or some German states against France and/or Spain. WW1 and WW2 were some of the few occasions we were allied with France against Germany.
In the EU now we have left the balance of power has shifted more from Berlin to Paris
Boris Johnson is facing a rebellion from scientific advisers who fear that re-opening shops in little more than a week risks a second lockdown by the end of summer.
Members of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) estimate that further loosening of restrictions could lead to the reproduction rate of the virus, known as R, going above 1.
Two regions of the UK have already passed this threshold, at which case numbers begin to grow, according to modelling by Public Health England with the University of Cambridge.
Raining today in London and footfall 70-80% down on last weekend. If its similar in the rest of the country the rain should bring R right down just in time.
Not raining here (Dundee) but very windy once again. Going to do some bracing gardening this afternoon. Am I alone in finding protests in the UK about truly dreadful things in America over which we have no say, no influence and no authority just a bit weird?
I agree we look too much to the US. I think UK society has historically placed USA on a false pedestal, so we are more disappointed and angry than we should be when they are clearly out of order. What baffles me and concerns me far more, is that our ruling elite think the US is still a reliable ally and friend for the next couple of decades - that is a very dangerous assumption to make given stories like a third of Americans have poisoned themselves to ward off covid, the place is going loopy.
I was in favour of Brexit (I may not have let this slip) but increasingly I feel we have more in common with other European nations than we do the US. We confuse ourselves that we are more similar than we are because they speak a form of English. But when you see videos like some of those linked to this week with people standing outside their house with semi-automatic weapons as protestors walk by I think I have absolutely nothing in common with these people at all. In fact I cannot imagine even liking them.
As a matter of interest - what do you suggest we do when the matter of the Austrian State Treaty comes up? :-)
Why should it come up? Its an historical anachronism. Trump is planning to remove the last US troop from Germany completing the withdrawal of the US from mainline Europe. We are in the fortunate position of being a quiet backwater of less and less significance in world affairs. We should take advantage.
On that basis you should support the Scottish independence and nuclear disarmament.
I do not support Scottish Independence and never will. Nuclear disarmament is something I am more open about, especially if the money was redirected to improving our conventional capability. The need for a strategic nuclear capability (as opposed to tactical capability) really ended in 1989.
I was in favour of Brexit (I may not have let this slip) but increasingly I feel we have more in common with other European nations than we do the US. We confuse ourselves that we are more similar than we are because they speak a form of English. But when you see videos like some of those linked to this week with people standing outside their house with semi-automatic weapons as protestors walk by I think I have absolutely nothing in common with these people at all. In fact I cannot imagine even liking them.
Boris Johnson is facing a rebellion from scientific advisers who fear that re-opening shops in little more than a week risks a second lockdown by the end of summer.
Members of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) estimate that further loosening of restrictions could lead to the reproduction rate of the virus, known as R, going above 1.
Two regions of the UK have already passed this threshold, at which case numbers begin to grow, according to modelling by Public Health England with the University of Cambridge.
Raining today in London and footfall 70-80% down on last weekend. If its similar in the rest of the country the rain should bring R right down just in time.
Not raining here (Dundee) but very windy once again. Going to do some bracing gardening this afternoon. Am I alone in finding protests in the UK about truly dreadful things in America over which we have no say, no influence and no authority just a bit weird?
I agree we look too much to the US. I think UK society has historically placed USA on a false pedestal, so we are more disappointed and angry than we should be when they are clearly out of order. What baffles me and concerns me far more, is that our ruling elite think the US is still a reliable ally and friend for the next couple of decades - that is a very dangerous assumption to make given stories like a third of Americans have poisoned themselves to ward off covid, the place is going loopy.
I was in favour of Brexit (I may not have let this slip) but increasingly I feel we have more in common with other European nations than we do the US. We confuse ourselves that we are more similar than we are because they speak a form of English. But when you see videos like some of those linked to this week with people standing outside their house with semi-automatic weapons as protestors walk by I think I have absolutely nothing in common with these people at all. In fact I cannot imagine even liking them.
As a matter of interest - what do you suggest we do when the matter of the Austrian State Treaty comes up? :-)
Why should it come up? Its an historical anachronism. Trump is planning to remove the last US troop from Germany completing the withdrawal of the US from mainline Europe. We are in the fortunate position of being a quiet backwater of less and less significance in world affairs. We should take advantage.
On that basis you should support the Scottish independence and nuclear disarmament.
I do not support Scottish Independence and never will. Nuclear disarmament is something I am more open about, especially if the money was redirected to improving our conventional capability. The need for a strategic nuclear capability (as opposed to tactical capability) really ended in 1989.
As long as Russia has nuclear weapons so should we (Sir Humphrey of course famously said the same about France)
How memories are short. In December 2018 the hapless and hopeless Mrs May comfortably (63%) won an explicit no-confidence vote among Tory MPs and that was months of endless speculation as to whether the threshold would ever be reached.
The notion that landslide winning PM Johnson is going to be toppled anytime soon by the Parliamentary party is almost barkingly breathtakingly bonkers. HYUFD is absolutely right on this one; in fact, I'd wager he's pretty well impregnable whatever happens until the next election. (BTW I voted Hunt last year).
Boris Johnson might conceivably leave of his own accord, possibly on health grounds. Otherwise, I agree with you.
Wishful thinking.
This isn't remotely the premiership Johnson wanted - no "sunny uplands" and boundless optimism - its going to be years of hard slog needing mastery of facts and command of detail.
So what? If he gets through it he stands an excellent chance of being PM for a decade, the man who got Brexit done, led the nation through the global pandemic and restored us to confidence and prosperity. Not just a PM, but one for the history books.
If you don't think he both visualizes and desires that narrative, then I don't think you realy understand him. I'm sure he'd have loved it to all be easy, but a glance at any of his predecessors will have told him that that's not how the job works.
Boris Johnson's best chance of being a historic PM is by being the one to oversee the dissolution of the UK.
If he wants to go down in history as badly as Lord North who lost the American colonies you mean
That was because we didn't have any allies on the continent...
The French fought against us alongside the colonists in the War of Independence, just as the French vetoed our entry into the EEC and of course the leader of the EU side in the BREXIT negotiations, Michel Barnier, is French too.
We did have a few German states allied to us in the American Revolutionary War, Brunswick, Hesse and Hanover for example sent troops to fight alongside the British
We won the Seven Years War because we allied with Prussia against France, but betrayed Prussia after we thought we'd achieved our goal of securing North America by conquering Canada. When France got its revenge, we were effectively alone.
We were alone because in suited no other country to support us - victory in the Seven Years War had made Britain too powerful.
Of course France's revenge achieved little for France beyond ruining its economy and causing revolution within a few years.
Though that did lead to Napoleon emerging within a few decades, who was again finally defeated by Britain and Prussia at Waterloo.
European wars have normally been fought between England or Britain and/or some German states against France and/or Spain. WW1 and WW2 were some of the few occasions we were allied with France against Germany.
In the EU now we have left the balance of power has shifted more from Berlin to Paris
Boris Johnson is facing a rebellion from scientific advisers who fear that re-opening shops in little more than a week risks a second lockdown by the end of summer.
Members of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) estimate that further loosening of restrictions could lead to the reproduction rate of the virus, known as R, going above 1.
Two regions of the UK have already passed this threshold, at which case numbers begin to grow, according to modelling by Public Health England with the University of Cambridge.
Raining today in London and footfall 70-80% down on last weekend. If its similar in the rest of the country the rain should bring R right down just in time.
Not raining here (Dundee) but very windy once again. Going to do some bracing gardening this afternoon. Am I alone in finding protests in the UK about truly dreadful things in America over which we have no say, no influence and no authority just a bit weird?
I agree we look too much to the US. I think UK society has historically placed USA on a false pedestal, so we are more disappointed and angry than we should be when they are clearly out of order. What baffles me and concerns me far more, is that our ruling elite think the US is still a reliable ally and friend for the next couple of decades - that is a very dangerous assumption to make given stories like a third of Americans have poisoned themselves to ward off covid, the place is going loopy.
I was in favour of Brexit (I may not have let this slip) but increasingly I feel we have more in common with other European nations than we do the US. We confuse ourselves that we are more similar than we are because they speak a form of English. But when you see videos like some of those linked to this week with people standing outside their house with semi-automatic weapons as protestors walk by I think I have absolutely nothing in common with these people at all. In fact I cannot imagine even liking them.
As a matter of interest - what do you suggest we do when the matter of the Austrian State Treaty comes up? :-)
Why should it come up? Its an historical anachronism. Trump is planning to remove the last US troop from Germany completing the withdrawal of the US from mainline Europe. We are in the fortunate position of being a quiet backwater of less and less significance in world affairs. We should take advantage.
On that basis you should support the Scottish independence and nuclear disarmament.
I do not support Scottish Independence and never will. Nuclear disarmament is something I am more open about, especially if the money was redirected to improving our conventional capability. The need for a strategic nuclear capability (as opposed to tactical capability) really ended in 1989.
Boris Johnson is facing a rebellion from scientific advisers who fear that re-opening shops in little more than a week risks a second lockdown by the end of summer.
Members of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) estimate that further loosening of restrictions could lead to the reproduction rate of the virus, known as R, going above 1.
Two regions of the UK have already passed this threshold, at which case numbers begin to grow, according to modelling by Public Health England with the University of Cambridge.
Raining today in London and footfall 70-80% down on last weekend. If its similar in the rest of the country the rain should bring R right down just in time.
Not raining here (Dundee) but very windy once again. Going to do some bracing gardening this afternoon. Am I alone in finding protests in the UK about truly dreadful things in America over which we have no say, no influence and no authority just a bit weird?
I agree we look too much to the US. I think UK society has historically placed USA on a false pedestal, so we are more disappointed and angry than we should be when they are clearly out of order. What baffles me and concerns me far more, is that our ruling elite think the US is still a reliable ally and friend for the next couple of decades - that is a very dangerous assumption to make given stories like a third of Americans have poisoned themselves to ward off covid, the place is going loopy.
I was in favour of Brexit (I may not have let this slip) but increasingly I feel we have more in common with other European nations than we do the US. We confuse ourselves that we are more similar than we are because they speak a form of English. But when you see videos like some of those linked to this week with people standing outside their house with semi-automatic weapons as protestors walk by I think I have absolutely nothing in common with these people at all. In fact I cannot imagine even liking them.
As a matter of interest - what do you suggest we do when the matter of the Austrian State Treaty comes up? :-)
Why should it come up? Its an historical anachronism. Trump is planning to remove the last US troop from Germany completing the withdrawal of the US from mainline Europe. We are in the fortunate position of being a quiet backwater of less and less significance in world affairs. We should take advantage.
It legally binds the signatories (among other things) to never allow any kind of union between Austria and Germany. Revoking it would have... interesting effects...
Is there any threat of a new Anschluss? I think that there would be some resistance to that given the already dominant position Germany has in the EU but ultimately its not our problem.
Boris Johnson is facing a rebellion from scientific advisers who fear that re-opening shops in little more than a week risks a second lockdown by the end of summer.
Members of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) estimate that further loosening of restrictions could lead to the reproduction rate of the virus, known as R, going above 1.
Two regions of the UK have already passed this threshold, at which case numbers begin to grow, according to modelling by Public Health England with the University of Cambridge.
Raining today in London and footfall 70-80% down on last weekend. If its similar in the rest of the country the rain should bring R right down just in time.
Not raining here (Dundee) but very windy once again. Going to do some bracing gardening this afternoon. Am I alone in finding protests in the UK about truly dreadful things in America over which we have no say, no influence and no authority just a bit weird?
I agree we look too much to the US. I think UK society has historically placed USA on a false pedestal, so we are more disappointed and angry than we should be when they are clearly out of order. What baffles me and concerns me far more, is that our ruling elite think the US is still a reliable ally and friend for the next couple of decades - that is a very dangerous assumption to make given stories like a third of Americans have poisoned themselves to ward off covid, the place is going loopy.
I was in favour of Brexit (I may not have let this slip) but increasingly I feel we have more in common with other European nations than we do the US. We confuse ourselves that we are more similar than we are because they speak a form of English. But when you see videos like some of those linked to this week with people standing outside their house with semi-automatic weapons as protestors walk by I think I have absolutely nothing in common with these people at all. In fact I cannot imagine even liking them.
Though such things have been a feature of the USA for over a century.
Indeed but whilst politics was dominated by a largely east coast, liberal consensus who set policy and objectives this was something we could ignore. The destruction of that consensus that @David_Herdson has so clearly described by Trump has made these differences stark and troubling. I find people claiming that we have shared values with the US these days offensive. We really don't.
It must be remembered that it is extremists, from all sides, who receive the most publicity.
Aspects such as electoral choice of government, rule of law, freedom of speech and free market economies are still shared values.
Even if such things are threatened by the extremists of all sides.
But a body politic that can choose someone like Trump is not one that is easy for us to relate to whether of the left or the right.
While at the same time the Democrats have chosen people as unsuitable as Clinton and Biden.
Not to mention an increasing gerontocracy throughout US politics.
Its an astonishing failure of the political system - whether it is permanent the next decade will show.
What I find most striking about this is not the ratings, but the low representation of women. 7 of 28 names on here are female, and of those hardly anybody will have heard of 3/4/5 of them. Only Patel has a significant profile. I don't know how this compares with previous cabinets, but I can't recall such a male government.
I'm sure most folk will think this is not a problem, but I don't agree. Women will notice this, if only subconsciously at first. Johnson's "blokeishness" could do with being tempered by some strong women, especially during a health crisis.
I reckon he needs a reshuffle - but where are the strong women?
It also tells us that ConHome readers, like the rest of us, have no idea who half the cabinet are or what they do. Who or what is Simon Hart? And I live in Wales!
What, Boris has lost David Gauke? I didn't know things were that serious
No critique of the substance?
Who was it said if they attack one personally, it means they have not a single political argument left.”
Putting up implacable enemies of any politician to attack them as if they were neutral, unbiased commentators is a nonsense that unfortunately passes for serious political critique these days.
It would be like having me write an op-ed that began 'I was genuinely excited and hopeful when Sir Keir Starmer took over the Labour Party, but I must now say with regret and sadness that the boring pillock has squandered his potential, he's a useless hypocrite, he thinks people care about his stupid letters, and he couldn't win a stuffed toy at a fairground, let alone a general election...
Out of interest, who do you think is qualified to give a neutral and unbiased opinion of Boris and his government?
I'm pretty objective. Often wish I wasn't but I am.
My opinion of this shitshow?
Unrepeatable.
Without commenting on if you are objective, I do think in general people are pretty bad at assessing their own objectivity.
Boris Johnson is facing a rebellion from scientific advisers who fear that re-opening shops in little more than a week risks a second lockdown by the end of summer.
Members of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) estimate that further loosening of restrictions could lead to the reproduction rate of the virus, known as R, going above 1.
Two regions of the UK have already passed this threshold, at which case numbers begin to grow, according to modelling by Public Health England with the University of Cambridge.
Raining today in London and footfall 70-80% down on last weekend. If its similar in the rest of the country the rain should bring R right down just in time.
Not raining here (Dundee) but very windy once again. Going to do some bracing gardening this afternoon. Am I alone in finding protests in the UK about truly dreadful things in America over which we have no say, no influence and no authority just a bit weird?
I agree we look too much to the US. I think UK society has historically placed USA on a false pedestal, so we are more disappointed and angry than we should be when they are clearly out of order. What baffles me and concerns me far more, is that our ruling elite think the US is still a reliable ally and friend for the next couple of decades - that is a very dangerous assumption to make given stories like a third of Americans have poisoned themselves to ward off covid, the place is going loopy.
I was in favour of Brexit (I may not have let this slip) but increasingly I feel we have more in common with other European nations than we do the US. We confuse ourselves that we are more similar than we are because they speak a form of English. But when you see videos like some of those linked to this week with people standing outside their house with semi-automatic weapons as protestors walk by I think I have absolutely nothing in common with these people at all. In fact I cannot imagine even liking them.
As a matter of interest - what do you suggest we do when the matter of the Austrian State Treaty comes up? :-)
Why should it come up? Its an historical anachronism. Trump is planning to remove the last US troop from Germany completing the withdrawal of the US from mainline Europe. We are in the fortunate position of being a quiet backwater of less and less significance in world affairs. We should take advantage.
On that basis you should support the Scottish independence and nuclear disarmament.
I do not support Scottish Independence and never will. Nuclear disarmament is something I am more open about, especially if the money was redirected to improving our conventional capability. The need for a strategic nuclear capability (as opposed to tactical capability) really ended in 1989.
When you say "never will", do you mean that you would fight against it even after losing a referendum?
Not raining here (Dundee) but very windy once again. Going to do some bracing gardening this afternoon. Am I alone in finding protests in the UK about truly dreadful things in America over which we have no say, no influence and no authority just a bit weird?
No. Just a bit weird is a flattering description. Imbecilic is a more fitting one.
The British protests essentially say that dicriumination and indifference towards black people is endemic in the UK as well, and the US events are simply the latest example of a general phenomenon. The examples that a couple of us have given here of black drivers being routinely stopped by police and asked to show proof that they have a right to drive their cars are a small illustration. I could give more, but suspect you would either not believe me or dismiss them as anecdotal.
I think the demos are a stretch, because the position in the US is xlearly worse, but they're not imbecilic, and I know two people who have said that it's made them have a think about their own attitudes and how they might improve them.
Indifference toward all shades of melanin should be welcomed, not condemned. The general tenor of these protests is to foster a sense of injustice and grievance that is corrosive to the individual in which they are fostered, and has a harmfully divisive effect on society in general. It is a road to nowhere. The risibly imported 'trigger' to the protests is not the only objection.
No, being colour blind is not enough, though clearly better than overt bigotry. Being colour blind means not being willing to accept the history and culture of black people, nor the part of British culture in generating that history.
No, it is enough - not just enough, essential. If somebody remains beholden to an inherited sense of loss, sorrow, and anger, it will poison their life. Telling black people that they've started life with a handicap is simply an appalling and counterproductive thing to do.
Have you ever talked to young black people in London or other cities? For many, what poisons their life is that they are eternally under suspicion, and this manifests itself most explicitly with police behaviour, as they are frequently stopped and questioned when they are hanging around with their mates. This doesn't happen with middle class white kids. Granted it's not as bad as it was in the eighties, but there's a long way still to go. Even if they don't start their life with a handicap, they are treated differently as they grow up.
Virtually every racist I've ever met has proclaimed that they are "colour blind".
Boris Johnson is facing a rebellion from scientific advisers who fear that re-opening shops in little more than a week risks a second lockdown by the end of summer.
Members of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) estimate that further loosening of restrictions could lead to the reproduction rate of the virus, known as R, going above 1.
Two regions of the UK have already passed this threshold, at which case numbers begin to grow, according to modelling by Public Health England with the University of Cambridge.
Raining today in London and footfall 70-80% down on last weekend. If its similar in the rest of the country the rain should bring R right down just in time.
Not raining here (Dundee) but very windy once again. Going to do some bracing gardening this afternoon. Am I alone in finding protests in the UK about truly dreadful things in America over which we have no say, no influence and no authority just a bit weird?
I agree we look too much to the US. I think UK society has historically placed USA on a false pedestal, so we are more disappointed and angry than we should be when they are clearly out of order. What baffles me and concerns me far more, is that our ruling elite think the US is still a reliable ally and friend for the next couple of decades - that is a very dangerous assumption to make given stories like a third of Americans have poisoned themselves to ward off covid, the place is going loopy.
I was in favour of Brexit (I may not have let this slip) but increasingly I feel we have more in common with other European nations than we do the US. We confuse ourselves that we are more similar than we are because they speak a form of English. But when you see videos like some of those linked to this week with people standing outside their house with semi-automatic weapons as protestors walk by I think I have absolutely nothing in common with these people at all. In fact I cannot imagine even liking them.
As a matter of interest - what do you suggest we do when the matter of the Austrian State Treaty comes up? :-)
Why should it come up? Its an historical anachronism. Trump is planning to remove the last US troop from Germany completing the withdrawal of the US from mainline Europe. We are in the fortunate position of being a quiet backwater of less and less significance in world affairs. We should take advantage.
It legally binds the signatories (among other things) to never allow any kind of union between Austria and Germany. Revoking it would have... interesting effects...
Is there any threat of a new Anschluss? I think that there would be some resistance to that given the already dominant position Germany has in the EU but ultimately its not our problem.
The joke is that the EU is quite possibly a breach of the treaty already.
How long before Russia brings this up for mischief making. purposes?
Revoking it (and the others treaties that specify similar) would restart the occupation of German and Austria!
What, Boris has lost David Gauke? I didn't know things were that serious
No critique of the substance?
Who was it said if they attack one personally, it means they have not a single political argument left.”
Putting up implacable enemies of any politician to attack them as if they were neutral, unbiased commentators is a nonsense that unfortunately passes for serious political critique these days.
It would be like having me write an op-ed that began 'I was genuinely excited and hopeful when Sir Keir Starmer took over the Labour Party, but I must now say with regret and sadness that the boring pillock has squandered his potential, he's a useless hypocrite, he thinks people care about his stupid letters, and he couldn't win a stuffed toy at a fairground, let alone a general election...
Out of interest, who do you think is qualified to give a neutral and unbiased opinion of Boris and his government?
I'm pretty objective. Often wish I wasn't but I am.
My opinion of this shitshow?
Unrepeatable.
Without commenting on if you are objective, I do think in general people are pretty bad at assessing their own objectivity.
I agree. You have to be freakishly objective in order to look at yourself objectively.
What I find most striking about this is not the ratings, but the low representation of women. 7 of 28 names on here are female, and of those hardly anybody will have heard of 3/4/5 of them. Only Patel has a significant profile. I don't know how this compares with previous cabinets, but I can't recall such a male government.
I'm sure most folk will think this is not a problem, but I don't agree. Women will notice this, if only subconsciously at first. Johnson's "blokeishness" could do with being tempered by some strong women, especially during a health crisis.
I reckon he needs a reshuffle - but where are the strong women?
It also tells us that ConHome readers, like the rest of us, have no idea who half the cabinet are or what they do. Who or what is Simon Hart? And I live in Wales!
Comments
An American relative does pro-bono law work for the NAACP. He gets regular calls about the university Title 9 stuff. Some of the things he sees and hears from people going "I am completely unbiased and objective" would make you howl at the moon.
Boris Johnson is facing a rebellion from scientific advisers who fear that re-opening shops in little more than a week risks a second lockdown by the end of summer.
Members of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) estimate that further loosening of restrictions could lead to the reproduction rate of the virus, known as R, going above 1.
Two regions of the UK have already passed this threshold, at which case numbers begin to grow, according to modelling by Public Health England with the University of Cambridge.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/coronavirus-letting-shops-reopen-risks-new-lockdown-advisers-warn-johnson-nxn206r09
What is evidence is that new infections have been falling throughout May.
https://twitter.com/cricketwyvern/status/1269210807281299457
Now what the government's strategy seems to be is a steady reduction in restrictions seeing what effect each stage has.
So far that has been working as the easing of restrictions and the increase in economic activity has happened alongside a reduction in new infections.
That strategy seems both more beneficial and less risky than an all or nothing lifting of lockdown.
Whether the order in which the government is easing restrictions is the best one is another question.
Culminating in Lancashire playing a home game at Sedbergh, historic Yorkshire, present Cumbria.
Am I alone in finding protests in the UK about truly dreadful things in America over which we have no say, no influence and no authority just a bit weird?
It is ironic then that the gun nuts seem to currently be supporting government tyranny.
We did have a few German states allied to us in the American Revolutionary War, Brunswick, Hesse and Hanover for example sent troops to fight alongside the British
It might have taken them longer, of course, and we wouldn't have lost other overseas possessions, but I think the outcome would have been the same.
I think the demos are a stretch, because the position in the US is xlearly worse, but they're not imbecilic, and I know two people who have said that it's made them have a think about their own atttitudes and how they might improve them.
https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/downloads/csv/coronavirus-cases_latest.csv
Will be deeply involved in the graft, though.
I'm sure most folk will think this is not a problem, but I don't agree. Women will notice this, if only subconsciously at first. Johnson's "blokeishness" could do with being tempered by some strong women, especially during a health crisis.
I reckon he needs a reshuffle - but where are the strong women?
Not only that but Priti is shortest odds at 3/1 with PP for next cabinet exit.
She seems to be following her independent Israel policy with an independent quarantine and immigration one.
Which America are we allied with may be a better question to ask.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/things-are-about-to-get-even-worse-for-boris-johnson-q08g30mbx?shareToken=0cfaae06ecfc96137ffa939c43dfe83f
Of course France's revenge achieved little for France beyond ruining its economy and causing revolution within a few years.
There is a huge and growing gap in the dynamics of the UK and the US, yet we are risking our relationships with our neighbours to pivot towards an isolationalist, ultra religious, deeply divided and increasingly poorly educated country. It may pay off as they are still the most powerful in the world, but it is a huge risk.
The elements were -
- an amateur army could be summoned, instantly, then returned to normal life.
- Which could defeat a professional force because of its superior moral nature.
- Without creating a standing army.
In fact the American War of Independence was won by Washington constructing and training a conventional army, armed conventionally out of the militias - over a considerable period of time. The Americans started winning, when they had done this.
*The yeoman image bit is important in this - independent, self sustained by industriousness yet exerting power over others.
**https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_rifle - in fact such weapons were pretty useless in battle, and were generally replaced in actual use by conventional military muskets.
***Standing armies being a big Evil Thing in Liberal circles at the time
Now the two biggest trading blocks (China and the USA) are a loggerheads and we have left the next largest one.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrorism_in_the_United_States
A Roger Moore emoji is more what I had in mind....
European wars have normally been fought between England or Britain and/or some German states against France and/or Spain. WW1 and WW2 were some of the few occasions we were allied with France against Germany.
In the EU now we have left the balance of power has shifted more from Berlin to Paris
Sadly, though, the main reason for poor statistics reporting in the media is the government reporting of them. The fact that the government is still using the same idiotic reporting date and 7 day average trend line is both lamentable and unrepresentative of the current situation. I'm not saying they should do a Spain and report on yesterday and nothing else, but the report should now move to date of death not date of reporting. The fact that we won't know when the 350 or so deaths reported yesterday actually occured until the ONS report comes out in three weeks is no longer acceptable.
It's quite likely we're recording fewer than 100 community deaths per day at this stage and falling but the picture painted by the official government statistics is completely different and wrong.
The reference to a ‘militia’ lets out the most logical explanation - that they were needed for hunting animals for food.
The thought process of these individuals appears to work as follows:
1. I have a grievance and it makes me miserable
2. My grievance is more important than anything else in the world
3. My grievance should also be more important than anything else in the world to everybody else, and if it isn't then they're morally defective and I have not only the right but the obligation to inflict my misery upon them
4. Moreover, since my grievance is paramount then any damage I do by protesting about it is irrelevant and may be disregarded
In Oldfield's case said damage was ruining the apogee of many peoples athletic careers. In the case of the BLM protestors it's actually killing other people, if we make the assumption that the protestors also acknowledge on some level that social distancing and the prohibition of mass gatherings has been mandated to suppress the Plague.
The protestors aren't necessarily actively seeking to cause harm (although the ones that take the chance to lash out at the officers policing demonstrations may be,) but they don't feel any responsibility for the consequences of their actions either. Those consequences simply don't trouble their consciences at all.
It consists of the 0.5 Planck Time units before the one where my computer actually start to recognise I have pressed enter.
Since nothing can actually happen in a fraction of a Planck Time unit, this means that the rate of infection is zero world wide. Also the rate of death. All death from any cause.
I await my Nobel Prize.
Democrats discover a new team player: Bernie Sanders
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/06/06/bernie-sanders-democrats-2020-304277
... Some of Sanders’ allies, in explaining why they formed outside groups to help elect Biden but declined to go that far for Clinton, said they did not expect Trump to win in 2016.
“Many of us who believed that Donald Trump could win in 2016 also believed that Hillary Clinton would win. And that has proven to not be the case,” said Jeff Weaver, Sanders’ longtime adviser and friend who created America’s Progressive Promise, a pro-Biden super PAC. “I feel a great responsibility having worked in this progressive space for 35 years — my entire adult life — at the side of Bernie Sanders to make sure that we stop what is happening in this country.”...
I expect there is quite a lot of that kind of “fool me once...” sentiment out there about Trump.
1. I have a grievance and it makes me miserable
2. My grievance is more important than anything else in the world
3. My grievance should also be more important than anything else in the world to everybody else, and if it isn't then they're morally defective and I have not only the right but the obligation to inflict my misery upon them
4. Moreover, since my grievance is paramount then any damage I do by protesting about it is irrelevant and may be disregarded
Sounds like the UKIP manifesto.
Aspects such as electoral choice of government, rule of law, freedom of speech and free market economies are still shared values.
Even if such things are threatened by the extremists of all sides.
Notably before the Act of Union in 1707, in the Hundred Years War and after in the Jacobite rebellions, the Scots tended to be allied with the French against England
As is the discussion of rational decision making with people who believe in it. Their responses are instructive and entertaining.
Honestly, a cold hard look at their performance throughout the crisis shows just how awful the advice has been and it puts into context the poor early decision making from the government and the decisions taken now which has basically ignored their advice.
So as a responsible person I am not going to do it.
Not to mention an increasing gerontocracy throughout US politics.
Its an astonishing failure of the political system - whether it is permanent the next decade will show.
I'm sure most folk will think this is not a problem, but I don't agree. Women will notice this, if only subconsciously at first. Johnson's "blokeishness" could do with being tempered by some strong women, especially during a health crisis.
I reckon he needs a reshuffle - but where are the strong women?
It also tells us that ConHome readers, like the rest of us, have no idea who
half the cabinet are or what they do. Who or what is Simon Hart? And I live in Wales!
Virtually every racist I've ever met has proclaimed that they are "colour blind".
How long before Russia brings this up for mischief making.
purposes?
Revoking it (and the others treaties that specify similar) would restart the occupation of German and Austria!
half the cabinet are or what they do. Who or what is Simon Hart? And I live in Wales!
Bring back May to the Cabinet!