williamglenn said:

Trump weighs in:

IshmaelZ said:

ping said:

Pulpstar said:

DavidL said:

Rather than asking what it is about religious men that makes them think that their wives can’t think for themselves we should be asking why are they so often pedophiles?
9? That’s perverted. As their wives would tell them if asked.

It shows how disgustingly in thrall to the literal interpretation of Islam the Taliban is, no other nation on earth has an age of consent of 9 (It's the age Aisha/Muhammad consumated their marriage).
Women's views, and the views of the civilised world are an irrelevance to them.
The next lowest is Nigeria at 11.

Just horrific.

These men are medieval. It’s basically a paedo cult.

I strongly doubt paedophilia is more prevalent at one time or place than another. The evidence from our very own inquiry into child abuse suggests that when the opportunity arises, it will pretty much automatically be taken, and that the Christian church is just as much a "paedo cult" if you give it a chance to be. It is of course horrific, but nothing is gained by getting all gutter press headline about it.

isam said:

kinabalu said:

isam said:

kinabalu said:

JosiasJessop said:

Afghanistan is a mess. As are many other countries.

And so is the UK. But on a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is minor political incompetence and 10 is all-out civil/religious war, we're at 1, or 1.5. And the scale is probably exponential.

The news today makes me incredibly glad to have been born in, and living in the, UK. And it makes me more determined for the country to become 0.25 or 0.5, not 2 or 3.

'We' are lucky, folks ...

This is very true and worth remembering sometimes.

Yes it is

Maybe there should be some kind of penalty for first world problem whining? Anyone caught griping online about being addressed by the wrong pronoun, or accusing others of micro aggressions, should have to spend a day fundraising for refugees

Of course you pick examples to suit a political agenda - yours - and thus lose the point of the point.

Ah if you cant see a good point made because you disagree with the examples, you're not half the man I thought you were!

NorthofStoke said:

IanB2 said:

ping said:

Pulpstar said:

DavidL said:

Rather than asking what it is about religious men that makes them think that their wives can’t think for themselves we should be asking why are they so often pedophiles?
9? That’s perverted. As their wives would tell them if asked.

It shows how disgustingly in thrall to the literal interpretation of Islam the Taliban is, no other nation on earth has an age of consent of 9 (It's the age Aisha/Muhammad consumated their marriage).
Women's views, and the views of the civilised world are an irrelevance to them.
The next lowest is Nigeria at 11.

Just horrific.

These men are medieval. It’s basically a paedo cult.

Catholic priests were so much better?

If you don't mind me saying so that is a silly comment.

IanB2 said:

ping said:

Pulpstar said:

DavidL said:

Rather than asking what it is about religious men that makes them think that their wives can’t think for themselves we should be asking why are they so often pedophiles?
9? That’s perverted. As their wives would tell them if asked.

It shows how disgustingly in thrall to the literal interpretation of Islam the Taliban is, no other nation on earth has an age of consent of 9 (It's the age Aisha/Muhammad consumated their marriage).
Women's views, and the views of the civilised world are an irrelevance to them.
The next lowest is Nigeria at 11.

Just horrific.

These men are medieval. It’s basically a paedo cult.

Catholic priests were so much better?

Leon said:

Alistair said:

Leon said:

williamglenn said:

Trump weighs in:

Trump is right. I despise Trump, and believe even the useless, terrible Biden is a better president, but I don’t think he would have permitted this utter debacle in Kabul

He was pushing Biden to withdraw faster.

Indeed. I just think Trump, in his madness, would have made the Taliban hesitate, and if Trump saw it going wrong, he’d have ordered the USAF to bomb the Taliban to atoms

I’m not claiming Trump is a better person or a superior politician, just that his personality is so madly mercurial he makes a worse adversary for fuckers like the Taliban. Biden is predictably weak, and weakened further by Wokeism and Harris

Biden is a fucking disaster for America right now

Aslan said:

Leon said:

Carnyx said:

Leon said:

Carnyx said:

ydoethur said:

kinabalu said:

Mexicanpete said:

HYUFD said:

Major breaking news, Boris and Macron to hold......a virtual G7 summit on Afghanistan.

So I am sure they can all rest easy in Kabul tonight
https://twitter.com/DarrenGBNews/status/1427310517849399296?s=20

Come on HYUFD give Boris a break.

Remember cometh the hour, cometh the man.

I think he should get out there pronto and charm the Taliban into a gibbering wreck with his comedy. It's not too late.

I still think we should send Gavin Williamson, Nick Gibb, Amanda Spielman and the DfE out there to handle logistics for the Taleban.

They'll be reduced to picking up rocks to throw inside about a week.

I'd be worried about the rock supply being disrupted. Even in the Stan.

OMG OMFFFFG the Ancient Athenian Agora

If the Parthenon disappoints (and it does, despite its sublimity) the Agora is the opposite. OK it probably helped I was half cut on three big ouzos and it was the perfect time of day - 6pm, the Attic sun setting… but it is stunning

The most perfect Greek temple in the world. Hephaestus. The stoa where stoicism started. The arches where Socrates and Plato and Aristotle argued. The Acropolis glowing above (by far the best view of it). The olive groves where democracy was born. The bloody bidet of Pericles, or something

Honestly, a genius place, in the true sense. Athens is amazing now the fucking tourists are all dead

Thank you!

No, thank YOU. I wouldn’t have gone if you hadn’t raved about it. I’ve been all over the world and I find it easy to be blasé. But, wow

Especially now, with so few tourists, despite the glories of high summer

If you ever do it I recommend you do it just how I did it. Uber to the Acropolis, have lunch first. Boozy. Greek salad. Taramasalata. Perhaps in the museum (I didn’t go there but the restaurant is said to be fab)

Then slog up the Parthenon in the high high heat. Treat it as a pilgrimage, where the suffering is the point. Get to the top. Say, OK, this is a bit shit, but whatever, it’s also amazing. Admire a karyatid and some coffering. Spot Glenn Close in a hat (I did)

Then, slightly shrugging, walk down the other side, the shadier more interesting side. Past the oldest churches. Have several soothing ouzos in a charming taverna (there are many). Then go to the Agora nearby and basically have an orgasm at the density of beautiful history in a place that looks like an idealised painting of Ancient Greece

Oh yes. Oh yes.

I am now jealous. I properly discovered ancient Stoic philosophy over the last 12 months and I now think it is the best attempt at religion ever achieved.

isam said:

kinabalu said:

isam said:

kinabalu said:

isam said:

kinabalu said:

JosiasJessop said:

Afghanistan is a mess. As are many other countries.

And so is the UK. But on a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is minor political incompetence and 10 is all-out civil/religious war, we're at 1, or 1.5. And the scale is probably exponential.

The news today makes me incredibly glad to have been born in, and living in the, UK. And it makes me more determined for the country to become 0.25 or 0.5, not 2 or 3.

'We' are lucky, folks ...

This is very true and worth remembering sometimes.

Yes it is

Maybe there should be some kind of penalty for first world problem whining? Anyone caught griping online about being addressed by the wrong pronoun, or accusing others of micro aggressions, should have to spend a day fundraising for refugees

Of course you pick examples to suit a political agenda - yours - and thus lose the point of the point.

Ah if you cant see a good point made because you disagree with the examples, you're not half the man I thought you were!

No the point is deep and fundamental and has zero to do with political orientation. You cheapened it in a way I'd never have done. THAT's the sort of man I am. A man who would never cheapen deep and fundamental points.

Oh no! Unable to make light of any given situation... not a quarter of the man I thought

isam said:

kinabalu said:

JosiasJessop said:

Afghanistan is a mess. As are many other countries.

And so is the UK. But on a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is minor political incompetence and 10 is all-out civil/religious war, we're at 1, or 1.5. And the scale is probably exponential.

The news today makes me incredibly glad to have been born in, and living in the, UK. And it makes me more determined for the country to become 0.25 or 0.5, not 2 or 3.

'We' are lucky, folks ...

This is very true and worth remembering sometimes.

Yes it is

Maybe there should be some kind of penalty for first world problem whining? Anyone caught griping online about being addressed by the wrong pronoun, or accusing others of micro aggressions, should have to spend a day fundraising for refugees

Charles said:

IshmaelZ said:

ping said:

Pulpstar said:

DavidL said:

Rather than asking what it is about religious men that makes them think that their wives can’t think for themselves we should be asking why are they so often pedophiles?
9? That’s perverted. As their wives would tell them if asked.

It shows how disgustingly in thrall to the literal interpretation of Islam the Taliban is, no other nation on earth has an age of consent of 9 (It's the age Aisha/Muhammad consumated their marriage).
Women's views, and the views of the civilised world are an irrelevance to them.
The next lowest is Nigeria at 11.

Just horrific.

These men are medieval. It’s basically a paedo cult.

I strongly doubt paedophilia is more prevalent at one time or place than another. The evidence from our very own inquiry into child abuse suggests that when the opportunity arises, it will pretty much automatically be taken, and that the Christian church is just as much a "paedo cult" if you give it a chance to be. It is of course horrific, but nothing is gained by getting all gutter press headline about it.

Presumably the age of consent is because they don’t want to implicitly criticise Mohamed. Are there many cases of marriage at that age?

Leon said:

The lawyer for the sex slaver Shamima Begum posted a tweet saying “the boys are back in town” as the Taliban retook Kabul

Why do we tolerate these people for a moment? They are either Nazis or Nazi sympathisers. They loathe us even as they exploit our freedoms. They laugh at us as they plot to kill us

Enough

https://twitter.com/jadaz76/status/1427284437952258051?s=21

IshmaelZ said:

Aslan said:

IshmaelZ said:

NorthofStoke said:

IshmaelZ said:

ping said:

Pulpstar said:

DavidL said:

Rather than asking what it is about religious men that makes them think that their wives can’t think for themselves we should be asking why are they so often pedophiles?
9? That’s perverted. As their wives would tell them if asked.

It shows how disgustingly in thrall to the literal interpretation of Islam the Taliban is, no other nation on earth has an age of consent of 9 (It's the age Aisha/Muhammad consumated their marriage).
Women's views, and the views of the civilised world are an irrelevance to them.
The next lowest is Nigeria at 11.

Just horrific.

These men are medieval. It’s basically a paedo cult.

I strongly doubt paedophilia is more prevalent at one time or place than another. The evidence from our very own inquiry into child abuse suggests that when the opportunity arises, it will pretty much automatically be taken, and that the Christian church is just as much a "paedo cult" if you give it a chance to be. It is of course horrific, but nothing is gained by getting all gutter press headline about it.

There is surely a huge difference between individuals transgressing against the doctrine of their religion albeit with institutional cover-ups versus a doctrine of paedophilia enforced by violence and the def facto government? Severe sexual repression in common I agree.

Not really, the end result's the same. Who knows, praps legalising the 9 year olds takes the pressure off the 5 y.o.s?

And I'm doubtful about theories of sexual repression. I think on the whole if people want it, they are getting it, and getting the precise flavour of it they want. Isn't that rather the point we are both making?

The idea that the same amount of pedophilia happens in a theocracy that openly defends it and a society that tries, even if often badly, to eliminate it, is one of the most stupid arguments I have heard on the internet.

Funny you should mention that. The reason I adhere to PB is the extraordinarily high general level of intelligence of the regular posters here. There's only three contributors that I classify as positively stupid, and you, I regret to say, are one of them. I wouldn't usually mention this, but you started it.

That's that out of the way.

An intelligent and informed analysis of the findings of the IICSA findings, or the news generally, suggests that sex with underage children is exactly as available in this country as it is anywhere else. Have you taken the trouble to inform yourself of the extent to which males avail themselves of the opportunity to marry 9 year olds, where it is legal to do so? Thought not.

It must be embarrassing, being you.

Daveyboy1961 said:

Floater said:

kinabalu said:

Jon Snow has just referred to David Milligram.

Such a lightweight .......

I prefer my politicians to be metric, like milliband, rather than imperial, like Foot.

IshmaelZ said:

Leon said:

IshmaelZ said:

Aslan said:

IshmaelZ said:

NorthofStoke said:

IshmaelZ said:

ping said:

Pulpstar said:

DavidL said:

Rather than asking what it is about religious men that makes them think that their wives can’t think for themselves we should be asking why are they so often pedophiles?
9? That’s perverted. As their wives would tell them if asked.

It shows how disgustingly in thrall to the literal interpretation of Islam the Taliban is, no other nation on earth has an age of consent of 9 (It's the age Aisha/Muhammad consumated their marriage).
Women's views, and the views of the civilised world are an irrelevance to them.
The next lowest is Nigeria at 11.

Just horrific.

These men are medieval. It’s basically a paedo cult.

I strongly doubt paedophilia is more prevalent at one time or place than another. The evidence from our very own inquiry into child abuse suggests that when the opportunity arises, it will pretty much automatically be taken, and that the Christian church is just as much a "paedo cult" if you give it a chance to be. It is of course horrific, but nothing is gained by getting all gutter press headline about it.

There is surely a huge difference between individuals transgressing against the doctrine of their religion albeit with institutional cover-ups versus a doctrine of paedophilia enforced by violence and the def facto government? Severe sexual repression in common I agree.

Not really, the end result's the same. Who knows, praps legalising the 9 year olds takes the pressure off the 5 y.o.s?

And I'm doubtful about theories of sexual repression. I think on the whole if people want it, they are getting it, and getting the precise flavour of it they want. Isn't that rather the point we are both making?

The idea that the same amount of pedophilia happens in a theocracy that openly defends it and a society that tries, even if often badly, to eliminate it, is one of the most stupid arguments I have heard on the internet.

Funny you should mention that. The reason I adhere to PB is the extraordinarily high general level of intelligence of the regular posters here. There's only three contributors that I classify as positively stupid, and you, I regret to say, are one of them. I wouldn't usually mention this, but you started it.

That's that out of the way.

An intelligent and informed analysis of the findings of the IICSA findings, or the news generally, suggests that sex with underage children is exactly as available in this country as it is anywhere else. Have you taken the trouble to inform yourself of the extent to which males avail themselves of the opportunity to marry 9 year olds, where it is legal to do so? Thought not.

It must be embarrassing, being you.

Hmm. Got to demur here. A society which explicitly makes pedophilia legal will have more of it. How is that even controversial? Most countries/societies make sex with underage children, let alone pre-pubescent children, a serious crime. The man boy love of Ancient Greece was not the free-for-all we presume, many disapproved and it always skirted legality.

The question is whether any Islamic society - or any other - does actively approve. I suggest ISIS came pretty close to saying “anything goes” with women and girls, as we saw from the legitimised sex slavery of the Yazidi girls, so the Taliban may not be far behind

Disagree. I bet (not that I'd be prepared to put it to the test, so regard it as a dickless bet if you will) that if I wanted sex with a 9 year old girl tonight and set off with £100 in my pocket to make it happen, it would be no harder nor easier in London than in Kabul.

another_richard said:

Has this been mentioned yet ?

An academic is suing Leeds Beckett University after she was dropped from her advisory role over tweets calling a mixed-race man a “house negro”, alleging the decision was discriminatory because of her belief in critical race theory and Black radicalism.

The university ended its association with the academic adviser Aysha Khanom after accusing her of “racist language” in relation to tweets using the terms “house negro” and “coconut” – the former in a question.

In what is believed to be the first case of its kind, Khanom is arguing that critical race theory and Black radicalism are protected beliefs under the Equality Act. Critical race theory says race is a social construct used to oppress people of colour and which begets systemic racism.

The legal claim has been supported by many antiracist organisations and academics in an open letter. It was penned by Kehinde Andrews, a professor of Black studies at Birmingham City University, and accuses Leeds Beckett of censoring “central concepts in Black intellectual thought”.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/aug/16/uk-academic-sues-university-losing-role-critical-race-theory-row-leeds-beckett

This thread has suffered a sudden batting collapse

NickPalmer said:

A small acknowledgement to Jeremy Hunt (my local MP). I raised an issue about a group of female vets and nurses working for a British charity in Kabul and asked him to try to get them included in the evacuation plans. He responded in 10 minutes flat and said he'd take it up with Raab.

Credit where it's due.

another_richard said:

RochdalePioneers said:

JosiasJessop said:

RochdalePioneers said:

So are we going to take in Afghan refugees then? Or are we going to have smirking Priti announce that we don't want to take in these terrorists.

So what's your answer to the problem? Please give us a fully-considered view on what the government should be doing. Numbers and details preferred.

Do as Defence Secretary and "cos I'm a Soldier" Ben Wallace suggests for starters. If they worked for us then they and their families. Then we as part of the international community are going to have to take responsibility for the refugees our actions have created.

We need to take tens of thousands like the Americans and Canadians. We did this. We are responsible.

Responsible for what ?

We gave lives and money to give the Afghans a chance to build a modern country.

Yet they made no effort to keep it and accepted the Taliban instead.

LostPassword said:

Everyone was slating England's batting after the First Test, and taking consolation in our bowling, but the two points at which this match went wrong for England were to do with the bowling. Choosing to bowl and taking only three wickets on the first day, and allowing India to score an unbeaten 89 for their second-innings ninth wicket this morning.

The team is in a bad way.

Leon said:

NickPalmer said:

A small acknowledgement to Jeremy Hunt (my local MP). I raised an issue about a group of female vets and nurses working for a British charity in Kabul and asked him to try to get them included in the evacuation plans. He responded in 10 minutes flat and said he'd take it up with Raab.

Credit where it's due.

Jeremy Hunt is one of the few politicians, from all sides, that has elevated his reputation since the beginning of Covid. And now beyond.

The inability of Boris to include people like him in the govt is a serious blemish. Also, I don’t get it. Boris’ USP is meant to be “fuck it I have no ideology I just recruit the best” - this is one reason I thought he might be a good PM. So why isn’t he doing it now?

kinabalu said:

isam said:

kinabalu said:

isam said:

kinabalu said:

isam said:

kinabalu said:

JosiasJessop said:

Afghanistan is a mess. As are many other countries.

And so is the UK. But on a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is minor political incompetence and 10 is all-out civil/religious war, we're at 1, or 1.5. And the scale is probably exponential.

The news today makes me incredibly glad to have been born in, and living in the, UK. And it makes me more determined for the country to become 0.25 or 0.5, not 2 or 3.

'We' are lucky, folks ...

This is very true and worth remembering sometimes.

Yes it is

Maybe there should be some kind of penalty for first world problem whining? Anyone caught griping online about being addressed by the wrong pronoun, or accusing others of micro aggressions, should have to spend a day fundraising for refugees

Of course you pick examples to suit a political agenda - yours - and thus lose the point of the point.

Ah if you cant see a good point made because you disagree with the examples, you're not half the man I thought you were!

No the point is deep and fundamental and has zero to do with political orientation. You cheapened it in a way I'd never have done. THAT's the sort of man I am. A man who would never cheapen deep and fundamental points.

Oh no! Unable to make light of any given situation... not a quarter of the man I thought

Sounds like I'm the incredible shrinking man in your eyes. Worse things to be.

RochdalePioneers said:

another_richard said:

RochdalePioneers said:

JosiasJessop said:

RochdalePioneers said:

So are we going to take in Afghan refugees then? Or are we going to have smirking Priti announce that we don't want to take in these terrorists.

So what's your answer to the problem? Please give us a fully-considered view on what the government should be doing. Numbers and details preferred.

Do as Defence Secretary and "cos I'm a Soldier" Ben Wallace suggests for starters. If they worked for us then they and their families. Then we as part of the international community are going to have to take responsibility for the refugees our actions have created.

We need to take tens of thousands like the Americans and Canadians. We did this. We are responsible.

Responsible for what ?

We gave lives and money to give the Afghans a chance to build a modern country.

Yet they made no effort to keep it and accepted the Taliban instead.

That's right. We have no responsibilities at all. And the people fleeing the Taliban are doing so having accepted the Taliban.

You keep telling yourself whatever you need to keep justifying your total lack of empathy for others.

Aslan said:

Leon said:

IshmaelZ said:

Aslan said:

IshmaelZ said:

NorthofStoke said:

IshmaelZ said:

ping said:

Pulpstar said:

DavidL said:

Rather than asking what it is about religious men that makes them think that their wives can’t think for themselves we should be asking why are they so often pedophiles?
9? That’s perverted. As their wives would tell them if asked.

It shows how disgustingly in thrall to the literal interpretation of Islam the Taliban is, no other nation on earth has an age of consent of 9 (It's the age Aisha/Muhammad consumated their marriage).
Women's views, and the views of the civilised world are an irrelevance to them.
The next lowest is Nigeria at 11.

Just horrific.

These men are medieval. It’s basically a paedo cult.

I strongly doubt paedophilia is more prevalent at one time or place than another. The evidence from our very own inquiry into child abuse suggests that when the opportunity arises, it will pretty much automatically be taken, and that the Christian church is just as much a "paedo cult" if you give it a chance to be. It is of course horrific, but nothing is gained by getting all gutter press headline about it.

There is surely a huge difference between individuals transgressing against the doctrine of their religion albeit with institutional cover-ups versus a doctrine of paedophilia enforced by violence and the def facto government? Severe sexual repression in common I agree.

Not really, the end result's the same. Who knows, praps legalising the 9 year olds takes the pressure off the 5 y.o.s?

And I'm doubtful about theories of sexual repression. I think on the whole if people want it, they are getting it, and getting the precise flavour of it they want. Isn't that rather the point we are both making?

The idea that the same amount of pedophilia happens in a theocracy that openly defends it and a society that tries, even if often badly, to eliminate it, is one of the most stupid arguments I have heard on the internet.

Funny you should mention that. The reason I adhere to PB is the extraordinarily high general level of intelligence of the regular posters here. There's only three contributors that I classify as positively stupid, and you, I regret to say, are one of them. I wouldn't usually mention this, but you started it.

That's that out of the way.

An intelligent and informed analysis of the findings of the IICSA findings, or the news generally, suggests that sex with underage children is exactly as available in this country as it is anywhere else. Have you taken the trouble to inform yourself of the extent to which males avail themselves of the opportunity to marry 9 year olds, where it is legal to do so? Thought not.

It must be embarrassing, being you.

Hmm. Got to demur here. A society which explicitly makes pedophilia legal will have more of it. How is that even controversial? Most countries/societies make sex with underage children, let alone pre-pubescent children, a serious crime. The man boy love of Ancient Greece was not the free-for-all we presume, many disapproved and it always skirted legality.

The question is whether any Islamic society - or any other - does actively approve. I suggest ISIS came pretty close to saying “anything goes” with women and girls, as we saw from the legitimised sex slavery of the Yazidi girls, so the Taliban may not be far behind

I would disagree with this. Islam, even in the variety practiced by ISIS and the Taliban (and both are different from each other) is a deeply legalistic, rules based system. The female slaves they had fell under specific conditions, determined by Mohammed in the Quran and the Hadith. For one, they needed to be either acquired via one's own participation in a battle (as war booty) and divided up equally between those who had a claim, or alternatively purchased from someone who had (hence the horrific auctions). For two, they could not be people of the book, a protected class in the Koran describing Jews and Christians, unless they had been deemed to refuse protection of Islam. This is why the Yazidis were so overwhelmingly the victims, as they were classed as pagans and thus unprotected, deserving the same treatment as Arab pagans that Mohammed and his generals enslaved. (Mohammed himself distributed slaves to followers, according to authentic Muslim texts).