The Russian proposals – at least something is on the table – politicalbetting.com

dixiedean said:

HYUFD said:

dixiedean said:

HYUFD said:

kyf_100 said:

HYUFD said:

kyf_100 said:

Bournville said:

I'm so tired of this. I'm in my 20s and my entire adult life has been consumed by bitter old Boomers trying to destroy the world before they die. Just fuck off and let us have a chance for once

People complaining about this post ought to realise that people in their 20s have been locked up for 2 years for a disease that hardly affects them, charged through the nose for university tuition (in some cases for little more than 2 years of glorified youtube videos and zoom calls), have watched house prices rise far faster than they could ever save for a deposit, witnessed (mostly) old people vote away their rights to live and work in Europe (if that's your thing), all while being told they're lazy, feckless and overprivileged.

Little wonder they're angry at the old order.

No, those whinging are spoilt brats on the whole (and not all that generation to be fair are whiners, some actually get on with it without complaint).

There are tuition fees now as 20 year olds today are more likely to have been to university than any generation before them, have a longer life expectancy than any generation before them, have more freedom in their private lives than any generation before them and have never had to fight a war.

The fact they might have been less likely to die from Covid than older people is also something they should be grateful for not whinging about and they have no restrictions again now.

20 year olds will also inherit more than any generation from their parents and grandparents too through those same house price rises and many also get help with deposits from their parents and grandparents as well, especially in London and the Home Counties.

As for free movement, plenty of working class 20 year olds voted Leave precisely because there was free movement of unskilled labour undercutting their wages now resolved by the points system we have. Even if middle class 20 year old Remainers find gap yahs take a bit extra paperwork

Ok, boomer.

I ain't no boomer, I am 40. However I respect my elders

Why?
Age confers no moral superiority at all. Nor no need for deference. It's just not having died yet

The most secure and stable societies respect the wisdom and experience of their elders

So why should I listen to you?
You should listen to me.
It's a very reductive attitude.

williamglenn said:

Leon said:

glw said:

Northern_Al said:

I think that's right. While many denizens of PB and Twitter luxuriate in pontificating about who is 'winning', thousands of people are being killed on both sides; although Putin is to blame, that's no consolation for the dead or their families.

Let's be honest - nobody really has a clue who's 'winning' (although Ukraine are winning the propaganda war, at least outside Russia), but the odds favour Russia. For the people of Ukraine, a ceasefire would be helpful. That's not appeasement - it's trying to find a solution to save lives. More talking and less bombing should be the order of the day. Those who wish to just carry on warring from the comfort of their armchairs are just condemning thousands more people to death. In the end, some sort of diplomatic solution is inevitable; the sooner it comes, the quicker the pointless loss of lives can end.

No Russia has lost this. They could totally destroy Ukraine and they will still lose. Consider just this one aspect, the war has prompted Germany to rearm. There is no way in hell that that result could be equated with a victory. Keeping Germnay docile must be damn near the top of Russian strategic objectives. Putin has brought about something previously consider unthinkable, by any normal measure that is a grave strategic failure. And that's on top of the economic catastrophe that is only beginning, and a war that has every propect of making the Soviet war in Afghanistan looking well planned and fought.

Putin's War is already a failure, the only question remaining is how big a failure it will be or will he escalate further to a global war.

Quite so. Imagine pitching this war as "an idea" to the *politburo*.


"So you're saying that on Day 5 of the war Germany will commit to spending 100 billion euro on defence, as a hostile act against Russia?"

Silence

"Er, yes"

Silence. Silence.

Silence.

It is catastrophic in every way for Russia. The only question is whether Putin can drag others into the catastrophe, as he goes down

Perhaps his best bet is just to declare the operation a success and unilaterally pull out.

NickPalmer said:

Leon said:

NickPalmer said:

rottenborough said:

Every day they can't win (and don't forget there must be 80 or 90% of Ukr so far left free) is another day when the economic shit grows for Putin and middle class RU realise this guy is going to totally fuck all their dreams for them and their chilldren.

Betting on middle-class Russians to decide the outcome misunderstands Russia IMO - we meet them, we hear lots about them because they're the usual contacts for journalists in Moscow. But they're not a decisive political force. The Army is, however, and it's conceivable that their losses will reach a stage that the generals think impossible to tolerate any longer. They might push Putin out. But they'd be just as likely to escalate as withdraw.

An honest question

You come across as - shall I say - more accommodating to Russia than most. How much, do you think, does this come from your youthful communism, when you must definitely have been sympathetic to Moscow? Have you asked yourself that? Maybe there is a lingering affection or admiration or loyalty, which goes beyond the facts as they are, now?

This is not a question designed to trip you up. I am genuinely curious. Because I have a couple of famuly members who are similar to you, if not way more extreme than you. One is an old lefty who just can't let go an innate pro-Russia instinct, even tho she admits that Russia is now anything but communist. Yet she still want Russia to "win", somehow...

Intriguing

It's a fair question, but I'd point out that my teenage communism was exactly because of the rise of the democratic western brand epitomised by Berlinguer in Italy and Hermansson in Sweden - they seemed to offer the possibility of getting the ideals of communism without the Soviet dictatorship and oppression that was obvious to me even then. So I was never a Russian sympathiser - you can believe that, since I've been open about my past views when really I didn't need to be. If I'd been a Kremlin stooge 55 years ago, meh, I'd admit it.

Putin seems even from that viewpoint the worst of both worlds - corrupt, oppressive power politics without a trace of the idealism. I've no interest in Russia being great again, a la Trump. Any sympathy I have for Russia in general is an acknowledgement to my mother, who I was very fond of and who was sympathetic to Russian patriotism even though she lived her whole adult life in Britain - her attitude was also shaped by the Russian role in defeating Nazism, and she was scathing about the Nazi collaborators in Ukraine and other neighbouring countries.

What that gives me is not some kind of sympathy for the invasion, which seems to me just czarist brutality, but a vicarious understanding of how (I think) many Russians think. So I won't sign up for any "grind Russia into the dust" camp, but it doesn't make me even faintly approve of what's going on.

Farooq said:

HYUFD said:

dixiedean said:

HYUFD said:

kyf_100 said:

HYUFD said:

kyf_100 said:

Bournville said:

I'm so tired of this. I'm in my 20s and my entire adult life has been consumed by bitter old Boomers trying to destroy the world before they die. Just fuck off and let us have a chance for once

People complaining about this post ought to realise that people in their 20s have been locked up for 2 years for a disease that hardly affects them, charged through the nose for university tuition (in some cases for little more than 2 years of glorified youtube videos and zoom calls), have watched house prices rise far faster than they could ever save for a deposit, witnessed (mostly) old people vote away their rights to live and work in Europe (if that's your thing), all while being told they're lazy, feckless and overprivileged.

Little wonder they're angry at the old order.

No, those whinging are spoilt brats on the whole (and not all that generation to be fair are whiners, some actually get on with it without complaint).

There are tuition fees now as 20 year olds today are more likely to have been to university than any generation before them, have a longer life expectancy than any generation before them, have more freedom in their private lives than any generation before them and have never had to fight a war.

The fact they might have been less likely to die from Covid than older people is also something they should be grateful for not whinging about and they have no restrictions again now.

20 year olds will also inherit more than any generation from their parents and grandparents too through those same house price rises and many also get help with deposits from their parents and grandparents as well, especially in London and the Home Counties.

As for free movement, plenty of working class 20 year olds voted Leave precisely because there was free movement of unskilled labour undercutting their wages now resolved by the points system we have. Even if middle class 20 year old Remainers find gap yahs take a bit extra paperwork

Ok, boomer.

I ain't no boomer, I am 40. However I respect my elders

Why?
Age confers no moral superiority at all. Nor no need for deference. It's just not having died yet

The most secure and stable societies respect the wisdom and experience of their elders

I'm older than you, and I order you to be silent.

Nigelb said:

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida just condemned Russia for its occupation of the southern part of the Kuril Islands.

In this statement in Parliament, he said that the islands are “original territories of Japan”.
https://twitter.com/visegrad24/status/1500827047362449408

biggles said:

kle4 said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

HYUFD said:

Chameleon said:

Aslan said:

Leon said:

CarlottaVance said:

Exc: Ministers have raised concerns about Ireland’s open-door policy to Ukrainian refugees, arguing it creates UK security risk.

Dublin joined EU-wide scheme welcoming refugees for 3 years, via which Ukrainians can travel to UK (Common Travel Area) without biometric checks

Govt source: “Ireland has basically opened the door to everyone in Ukraine, which creates a problem due to the CTA.

“We've seen before with migrants from Albania that they hv come through Dublin, into Belfast & across to the mainland to L'pool. That's created a drug cartel route

Source adds: “It's the Home Office that will get the blame if in three or fives’ years time there are problems with those who come. That’s why the security checks have to be done carefully now.”

Ireland has said it expects to welcome more than 100,000 Ukrainian refugees


https://twitter.com/LOS_Fisher/status/1500964937207795713

We need to end the CTA. Now

100 years after Irish independence, I do wonder why the Irish still get such privileges in the UK. Even more ridiculous than CTA is Irish voting. I have yet to meet an Irish immigrant to the UK that ever started seeing themselves as British, so they are bad at integrating. And when they vote, they usually do so for the interests of Ireland not the UK.

It's an interesting argument - and I'd agree that it's largely true for first and some second gen immigrants, I'm a dual citizen brought up in the (still very large) London Irish community, but the fate of our two countries is indelibly tied together.

We don't even share a head of state or the Commonwealth or EU or NATO with the Republic of Ireland now.

I feel closer to Australians, New Zealanders or Canadians than I do to citizens of the Republic

We share a land border however. And the English language.

And a history of fighting Irishmen!

I was genuinely sad Paisley the elder didn’t make it to the last few years NI politics, just because I feel we missed out on some truly comic “NEVER NEVER NEVER” moments through Brexit. Could have cheered us all up a bit.

DecrepiterJohnL said:

HYUFD said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

HYUFD said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

HYUFD said:

Chameleon said:

Aslan said:

Leon said:

CarlottaVance said:

Exc: Ministers have raised concerns about Ireland’s open-door policy to Ukrainian refugees, arguing it creates UK security risk.

Dublin joined EU-wide scheme welcoming refugees for 3 years, via which Ukrainians can travel to UK (Common Travel Area) without biometric checks

Govt source: “Ireland has basically opened the door to everyone in Ukraine, which creates a problem due to the CTA.

“We've seen before with migrants from Albania that they hv come through Dublin, into Belfast & across to the mainland to L'pool. That's created a drug cartel route

Source adds: “It's the Home Office that will get the blame if in three or fives’ years time there are problems with those who come. That’s why the security checks have to be done carefully now.”

Ireland has said it expects to welcome more than 100,000 Ukrainian refugees


https://twitter.com/LOS_Fisher/status/1500964937207795713

We need to end the CTA. Now

100 years after Irish independence, I do wonder why the Irish still get such privileges in the UK. Even more ridiculous than CTA is Irish voting. I have yet to meet an Irish immigrant to the UK that ever started seeing themselves as British, so they are bad at integrating. And when they vote, they usually do so for the interests of Ireland not the UK.

It's an interesting argument - and I'd agree that it's largely true for first and some second gen immigrants, I'm a dual citizen brought up in the (still very large) London Irish community, but the fate of our two countries is indelibly tied together.

We don't even share a head of state or the Commonwealth or EU or NATO with the Republic of Ireland now.

I feel closer to Australians, New Zealanders or Canadians than I do to citizens of the Republic

We share a land border however. And the English language.

NI does, thanks to the EU and Dublin GB now has a hard border with Ireland in the Irish Sea.

39% of the Irish also speak Irish, Australians and New Zealanders do not speak a language distinct from English as well, nor do Canadians outside Quebec

Fewer than 2% of the population of the Republic of Ireland today speak Irish on a daily basis, and under 10% regularly, outside of the education system.

In April 2016 1,761,420 people in the Republic claimed that they could speak Irish, representing 39.8 per cent of respondents
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Status_of_the_Irish_language

That just means they teach it in school, like French.

dixiedean said:

dixiedean said:

HYUFD said:

dixiedean said:

HYUFD said:

kyf_100 said:

HYUFD said:

kyf_100 said:

Bournville said:

I'm so tired of this. I'm in my 20s and my entire adult life has been consumed by bitter old Boomers trying to destroy the world before they die. Just fuck off and let us have a chance for once

People complaining about this post ought to realise that people in their 20s have been locked up for 2 years for a disease that hardly affects them, charged through the nose for university tuition (in some cases for little more than 2 years of glorified youtube videos and zoom calls), have watched house prices rise far faster than they could ever save for a deposit, witnessed (mostly) old people vote away their rights to live and work in Europe (if that's your thing), all while being told they're lazy, feckless and overprivileged.

Little wonder they're angry at the old order.

No, those whinging are spoilt brats on the whole (and not all that generation to be fair are whiners, some actually get on with it without complaint).

There are tuition fees now as 20 year olds today are more likely to have been to university than any generation before them, have a longer life expectancy than any generation before them, have more freedom in their private lives than any generation before them and have never had to fight a war.

The fact they might have been less likely to die from Covid than older people is also something they should be grateful for not whinging about and they have no restrictions again now.

20 year olds will also inherit more than any generation from their parents and grandparents too through those same house price rises and many also get help with deposits from their parents and grandparents as well, especially in London and the Home Counties.

As for free movement, plenty of working class 20 year olds voted Leave precisely because there was free movement of unskilled labour undercutting their wages now resolved by the points system we have. Even if middle class 20 year old Remainers find gap yahs take a bit extra paperwork

Ok, boomer.

I ain't no boomer, I am 40. However I respect my elders

Why?
Age confers no moral superiority at all. Nor no need for deference. It's just not having died yet

The most secure and stable societies respect the wisdom and experience of their elders

So why should I listen to you?
You should listen to me.
It's a very reductive attitude.

In fact. We'd all be guided by the venerable @JackW .
And be nuked some time last week.

Sunil_Prasannan said:

kle4 said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

HYUFD said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

HYUFD said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

HYUFD said:

Chameleon said:

Aslan said:

Leon said:

CarlottaVance said:

Exc: Ministers have raised concerns about Ireland’s open-door policy to Ukrainian refugees, arguing it creates UK security risk.

Dublin joined EU-wide scheme welcoming refugees for 3 years, via which Ukrainians can travel to UK (Common Travel Area) without biometric checks

Govt source: “Ireland has basically opened the door to everyone in Ukraine, which creates a problem due to the CTA.

“We've seen before with migrants from Albania that they hv come through Dublin, into Belfast & across to the mainland to L'pool. That's created a drug cartel route

Source adds: “It's the Home Office that will get the blame if in three or fives’ years time there are problems with those who come. That’s why the security checks have to be done carefully now.”

Ireland has said it expects to welcome more than 100,000 Ukrainian refugees


https://twitter.com/LOS_Fisher/status/1500964937207795713

We need to end the CTA. Now

100 years after Irish independence, I do wonder why the Irish still get such privileges in the UK. Even more ridiculous than CTA is Irish voting. I have yet to meet an Irish immigrant to the UK that ever started seeing themselves as British, so they are bad at integrating. And when they vote, they usually do so for the interests of Ireland not the UK.

It's an interesting argument - and I'd agree that it's largely true for first and some second gen immigrants, I'm a dual citizen brought up in the (still very large) London Irish community, but the fate of our two countries is indelibly tied together.

We don't even share a head of state or the Commonwealth or EU or NATO with the Republic of Ireland now.

I feel closer to Australians, New Zealanders or Canadians than I do to citizens of the Republic

We share a land border however. And the English language.

NI does, thanks to the EU and Dublin GB now has a hard border with Ireland in the Irish Sea.

39% of the Irish also speak Irish, Australians and New Zealanders do not speak a language distinct from English as well, nor do Canadians outside Quebec

Fewer than 2% of the population of the Republic of Ireland today speak Irish on a daily basis, and under 10% regularly, outside of the education system.

In April 2016 1,761,420 people in the Republic claimed that they could speak Irish, representing 39.8 per cent of respondents
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Status_of_the_Irish_language

Ability to speak Irish doesn't mean they usually speak it! In the 2016 census, only 74,000 people in the Republic spoke Irish on a daily basis (1.7%).

It's not exactly a conspiracy theory to think that as a matter of national pride perhaps more may claim to be able to speak it than in fact can, perhaps through generous estimation of their own abilities.

I have A grades in GCSE French and German, so I could reasonably "claim" to be able to speak both, but I usually get by in English!

MoonRabbit said:

Zelenskyy day in commons tomorrow, big screen at both ends. 💜🇺🇦🇬🇧

kle4 said:

DecrepiterJohnL said:

HYUFD said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

HYUFD said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

HYUFD said:

Chameleon said:

Aslan said:

Leon said:

CarlottaVance said:

Exc: Ministers have raised concerns about Ireland’s open-door policy to Ukrainian refugees, arguing it creates UK security risk.

Dublin joined EU-wide scheme welcoming refugees for 3 years, via which Ukrainians can travel to UK (Common Travel Area) without biometric checks

Govt source: “Ireland has basically opened the door to everyone in Ukraine, which creates a problem due to the CTA.

“We've seen before with migrants from Albania that they hv come through Dublin, into Belfast & across to the mainland to L'pool. That's created a drug cartel route

Source adds: “It's the Home Office that will get the blame if in three or fives’ years time there are problems with those who come. That’s why the security checks have to be done carefully now.”

Ireland has said it expects to welcome more than 100,000 Ukrainian refugees


https://twitter.com/LOS_Fisher/status/1500964937207795713

We need to end the CTA. Now

100 years after Irish independence, I do wonder why the Irish still get such privileges in the UK. Even more ridiculous than CTA is Irish voting. I have yet to meet an Irish immigrant to the UK that ever started seeing themselves as British, so they are bad at integrating. And when they vote, they usually do so for the interests of Ireland not the UK.

It's an interesting argument - and I'd agree that it's largely true for first and some second gen immigrants, I'm a dual citizen brought up in the (still very large) London Irish community, but the fate of our two countries is indelibly tied together.

We don't even share a head of state or the Commonwealth or EU or NATO with the Republic of Ireland now.

I feel closer to Australians, New Zealanders or Canadians than I do to citizens of the Republic

We share a land border however. And the English language.

NI does, thanks to the EU and Dublin GB now has a hard border with Ireland in the Irish Sea.

39% of the Irish also speak Irish, Australians and New Zealanders do not speak a language distinct from English as well, nor do Canadians outside Quebec

Fewer than 2% of the population of the Republic of Ireland today speak Irish on a daily basis, and under 10% regularly, outside of the education system.

In April 2016 1,761,420 people in the Republic claimed that they could speak Irish, representing 39.8 per cent of respondents
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Status_of_the_Irish_language

That just means they teach it in school, like French.

What's Irish for c'est vrai?

DougSeal said:

Big_G_NorthWales said:

Luckyguy1983 said:

kle4 said:

A repeat message, to the people of Europe:

If you even think about joining NATO we will invade you.
If you are in NATO we probably won't.
Therefore, please stop wanting to join NATO.

8n the future, the EU will have its own defence force, that could defend RUkraine. Of course, I don't see how that's any better for Russia. But I suppose it won't be lead by the US or include the UK. So perhaps its more palatable.

I expect the UK will be very much part of the EU defence planning and indeed a closer relationship all round

Even tonight Boris has been in a conference with Biden - Macron and Scholz

Why would we be part of the EU’s defence planning? We left. Would we expect the EU to be part of the UK’s defence planning? Rocking up to discuss budgets etc in Whitehall? The ERG would do their nut. We’re not in the EU, they’re not in the U.K. Farcical thinking.

And I wish people (well, you and HYUFD mostly) would stop making Johnson the only person in politics who gets called by a familiar name other than his surname. It’s “Johnson, Biden, Macron and Scholz” or “Boris, Joe, Emmanuel and Olaf”. You can’t have it both ways.

Leon said:

Farooq said:

Nigelb said:

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida just condemned Russia for its occupation of the southern part of the Kuril Islands.

In this statement in Parliament, he said that the islands are “original territories of Japan”.
https://twitter.com/visegrad24/status/1500827047362449408

Let the carve-up begin!

It's like the dying Ottoman Empire, all over again. Which bit do you fancy, Sir?

We should ask for the Russian Black Sea Coast near Georgia. Meant to be Edenic

Foxy said:

biggles said:

FrancisUrquhart said:

The Russian Commanders getting knocked off...Once is an Accident, Twice is a Coincidence, Three Times is a Pattern...

Or, indeed, “enemy action”.

Top signals intelligence being passed on, same as the supply convoy ambushes.

Sunil_Prasannan said:

HYUFD said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

HYUFD said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

HYUFD said:

Chameleon said:

Aslan said:

Leon said:

CarlottaVance said:

Exc: Ministers have raised concerns about Ireland’s open-door policy to Ukrainian refugees, arguing it creates UK security risk.

Dublin joined EU-wide scheme welcoming refugees for 3 years, via which Ukrainians can travel to UK (Common Travel Area) without biometric checks

Govt source: “Ireland has basically opened the door to everyone in Ukraine, which creates a problem due to the CTA.

“We've seen before with migrants from Albania that they hv come through Dublin, into Belfast & across to the mainland to L'pool. That's created a drug cartel route

Source adds: “It's the Home Office that will get the blame if in three or fives’ years time there are problems with those who come. That’s why the security checks have to be done carefully now.”

Ireland has said it expects to welcome more than 100,000 Ukrainian refugees


https://twitter.com/LOS_Fisher/status/1500964937207795713

We need to end the CTA. Now

100 years after Irish independence, I do wonder why the Irish still get such privileges in the UK. Even more ridiculous than CTA is Irish voting. I have yet to meet an Irish immigrant to the UK that ever started seeing themselves as British, so they are bad at integrating. And when they vote, they usually do so for the interests of Ireland not the UK.

It's an interesting argument - and I'd agree that it's largely true for first and some second gen immigrants, I'm a dual citizen brought up in the (still very large) London Irish community, but the fate of our two countries is indelibly tied together.

We don't even share a head of state or the Commonwealth or EU or NATO with the Republic of Ireland now.

I feel closer to Australians, New Zealanders or Canadians than I do to citizens of the Republic

We share a land border however. And the English language.

NI does, thanks to the EU and Dublin GB now has a hard border with Ireland in the Irish Sea.

39% of the Irish also speak Irish, Australians and New Zealanders do not speak a language distinct from English as well, nor do Canadians outside Quebec

Fewer than 2% of the population of the Republic of Ireland today speak Irish on a daily basis, and under 10% regularly, outside of the education system.

In April 2016 1,761,420 people in the Republic claimed that they could speak Irish, representing 39.8 per cent of respondents
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Status_of_the_Irish_language

Ability to speak Irish doesn't mean they usually speak it! In the 2016 census, only 74,000 people in the Republic spoke Irish on a daily basis (1.7%).

Nigelb said:

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida just condemned Russia for its occupation of the southern part of the Kuril Islands.

In this statement in Parliament, he said that the islands are “original territories of Japan”.
https://twitter.com/visegrad24/status/1500827047362449408

nico679 said:

I think we have to be a bit careful to not fall into a bubble of denial regarding Ukraine’s chances .

The odds remain hugely stacked against them and I fear for what might be unleashed if Putin’s anger reaches boiling point.

MoonRabbit said:

Farooq said:

biggles said:

Farooq said:

HYUFD said:

Bournville said:

I'm so tired of this. I'm in my 20s and my entire adult life has been consumed by bitter old Boomers trying to destroy the world before they die. Just fuck off and let us have a chance for once

Just count yourself damn lucky you did not have to make the sacrifices your great grandparents and great great grandparents had to make in WW1 and WW2 when they were your age to give you the freedoms you enjoy today.

You have never had to fight in a war and probably still will not have to even now

What freedoms did WW1 give us? Presumably the freedom to have another war, hooray.

Freedom from a German dominated Europe… Well, for 20 years.

Well, yes, that's the serious point behind my HYUFD elephant trap. Whatever people think were the positive outcomes of WW1, they're usually wrong. It was just one giant mess. In fact, I'll go as far as to say nobody won.
Even the Bolsheviks, perhaps the ones who benefited most from that period, still had to put in the hard graft in the years following to attain and solidify their position. And I wouldn't exactly call that a win for the world either.

The reflex some people have to lump WW1 and WW2 together as great patriotic victories betrays a shallowness of knowledge and analysis.

Is HY an elephant? Than why the picture of a - what is that, a mule?

See the terms in the header Farooq, there’s an argument we shake hands on those saying thank you Vlad, most generous, and the killing stops, isn’t there?

Chameleon said:

Nigelb said:

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida just condemned Russia for its occupation of the southern part of the Kuril Islands.

In this statement in Parliament, he said that the islands are “original territories of Japan”.
https://twitter.com/visegrad24/status/1500827047362449408

That account tweets a lot of rubbish, but if true, should force a major repositioning of Russian forces.

Leon said:

Bournville said:

turbotubbs said:

Bournville said:

I'm so tired of this. I'm in my 20s and my entire adult life has been consumed by bitter old Boomers trying to destroy the world before they die. Just fuck off and let us have a chance for once

I’m sorry you feel that way. The world of 2022, with smartphones that allow us to see the horror in Ukraine, but also connect us to our friends and family, the Covid vaccines that helped stop the pandemic from killing perhaps 3-5% of the worlds population, and all the other stuff - well ‘boomers’ helped make that world.

Nah, the transistors in those smartphones were invented by the Greatest Generation, and the social media companies that facilitate all the connection were built by Gen Xers.

The dementia-ridden dotards waving the threat of nuclear apocalypse at each other are Boomers.

But it is the fucking Millennials who are stupid enough to obey, because they have tiny penises, no sperm, and are Woke as fuck, in various different ways. And their IQs are way way down, and have continued falling

"IQ rates are dropping in many developed countries and that doesn't bode well for humanity"

https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/iq-rates-are-dropping-many-developed-countries-doesn-t-bode-ncna1008576

Blame your older siblings, and, I am afraid, your own genetic stupidity. You are just much dumber than us. Sorry

Leon said:

NickPalmer said:

Leon said:

NickPalmer said:

rottenborough said:

Every day they can't win (and don't forget there must be 80 or 90% of Ukr so far left free) is another day when the economic shit grows for Putin and middle class RU realise this guy is going to totally fuck all their dreams for them and their chilldren.

Betting on middle-class Russians to decide the outcome misunderstands Russia IMO - we meet them, we hear lots about them because they're the usual contacts for journalists in Moscow. But they're not a decisive political force. The Army is, however, and it's conceivable that their losses will reach a stage that the generals think impossible to tolerate any longer. They might push Putin out. But they'd be just as likely to escalate as withdraw.

An honest question

You come across as - shall I say - more accommodating to Russia than most. How much, do you think, does this come from your youthful communism, when you must definitely have been sympathetic to Moscow? Have you asked yourself that? Maybe there is a lingering affection or admiration or loyalty, which goes beyond the facts as they are, now?

This is not a question designed to trip you up. I am genuinely curious. Because I have a couple of famuly members who are similar to you, if not way more extreme than you. One is an old lefty who just can't let go an innate pro-Russia instinct, even tho she admits that Russia is now anything but communist. Yet she still want Russia to "win", somehow...

Intriguing

It's a fair question, but I'd point out that my teenage communism was exactly because of the rise of the democratic western brand epitomised by Berlinguer in Italy and Hermansson in Sweden - they seemed to offer the possibility of getting the ideals of communism without the Soviet dictatorship and oppression that was obvious to me even then. So I was never a Russian sympathiser - you can believe that, since I've been open about my past views when really I didn't need to be. If I'd been a Kremlin stooge 55 years ago, meh, I'd admit it.

Putin seems even from that viewpoint the worst of both worlds - corrupt, oppressive power politics without a trace of the idealism. I've no interest in Russia being great again, a la Trump. Any sympathy I have for Russia in general is an acknowledgement to my mother, who I was very fond of and who was sympathetic to Russian patriotism even though she lived her whole adult life in Britain - her attitude was also shaped by the Russian role in defeating Nazism, and she was scathing about the Nazi collaborators in Ukraine and other neighbouring countries.

What that gives me is not some kind of sympathy for the invasion, which seems to me just czarist brutality, but a vicarious understanding of how (I think) many Russians think. So I won't sign up for any "grind Russia into the dust" camp, but it doesn't make me even faintly approve of what's going on.

Fascinating. Genuinely. And thankyou

I quite forgot you have this colourful Russian Jewish past, which - I now recall - you have talked of eloquently before

That's fair. We should have a vegan vodka if you ever come to London. PM me if you are in the mood

Foxy said:

kle4 said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

kle4 said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

HYUFD said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

HYUFD said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

HYUFD said:

Chameleon said:

Aslan said:

Leon said:

CarlottaVance said:

Exc: Ministers have raised concerns about Ireland’s open-door policy to Ukrainian refugees, arguing it creates UK security risk.

Dublin joined EU-wide scheme welcoming refugees for 3 years, via which Ukrainians can travel to UK (Common Travel Area) without biometric checks

Govt source: “Ireland has basically opened the door to everyone in Ukraine, which creates a problem due to the CTA.

“We've seen before with migrants from Albania that they hv come through Dublin, into Belfast & across to the mainland to L'pool. That's created a drug cartel route

Source adds: “It's the Home Office that will get the blame if in three or fives’ years time there are problems with those who come. That’s why the security checks have to be done carefully now.”

Ireland has said it expects to welcome more than 100,000 Ukrainian refugees


https://twitter.com/LOS_Fisher/status/1500964937207795713

We need to end the CTA. Now

100 years after Irish independence, I do wonder why the Irish still get such privileges in the UK. Even more ridiculous than CTA is Irish voting. I have yet to meet an Irish immigrant to the UK that ever started seeing themselves as British, so they are bad at integrating. And when they vote, they usually do so for the interests of Ireland not the UK.

It's an interesting argument - and I'd agree that it's largely true for first and some second gen immigrants, I'm a dual citizen brought up in the (still very large) London Irish community, but the fate of our two countries is indelibly tied together.

We don't even share a head of state or the Commonwealth or EU or NATO with the Republic of Ireland now.

I feel closer to Australians, New Zealanders or Canadians than I do to citizens of the Republic

We share a land border however. And the English language.

NI does, thanks to the EU and Dublin GB now has a hard border with Ireland in the Irish Sea.

39% of the Irish also speak Irish, Australians and New Zealanders do not speak a language distinct from English as well, nor do Canadians outside Quebec

Fewer than 2% of the population of the Republic of Ireland today speak Irish on a daily basis, and under 10% regularly, outside of the education system.

In April 2016 1,761,420 people in the Republic claimed that they could speak Irish, representing 39.8 per cent of respondents
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Status_of_the_Irish_language

Ability to speak Irish doesn't mean they usually speak it! In the 2016 census, only 74,000 people in the Republic spoke Irish on a daily basis (1.7%).

It's not exactly a conspiracy theory to think that as a matter of national pride perhaps more may claim to be able to speak it than in fact can, perhaps through generous estimation of their own abilities.

I have A grades in GCSE French and German, so I could reasonably "claim" to be able to speak both, but I usually get by in English!

Well I know one word of sanskrit, so as long as I stick to addressing people called Sunil I could claim to speak that.

I have just a few words of Arabic, but they can be used in so many situations that it is close to fluency.

Inshallah, Hallas, and Yalla. (If God wills it, its over, let's go) cover most situations.

LostPassword said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

HYUFD said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

HYUFD said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

HYUFD said:

Chameleon said:

Aslan said:

Leon said:

CarlottaVance said:

Exc: Ministers have raised concerns about Ireland’s open-door policy to Ukrainian refugees, arguing it creates UK security risk.

Dublin joined EU-wide scheme welcoming refugees for 3 years, via which Ukrainians can travel to UK (Common Travel Area) without biometric checks

Govt source: “Ireland has basically opened the door to everyone in Ukraine, which creates a problem due to the CTA.

“We've seen before with migrants from Albania that they hv come through Dublin, into Belfast & across to the mainland to L'pool. That's created a drug cartel route

Source adds: “It's the Home Office that will get the blame if in three or fives’ years time there are problems with those who come. That’s why the security checks have to be done carefully now.”

Ireland has said it expects to welcome more than 100,000 Ukrainian refugees


https://twitter.com/LOS_Fisher/status/1500964937207795713

We need to end the CTA. Now

100 years after Irish independence, I do wonder why the Irish still get such privileges in the UK. Even more ridiculous than CTA is Irish voting. I have yet to meet an Irish immigrant to the UK that ever started seeing themselves as British, so they are bad at integrating. And when they vote, they usually do so for the interests of Ireland not the UK.

It's an interesting argument - and I'd agree that it's largely true for first and some second gen immigrants, I'm a dual citizen brought up in the (still very large) London Irish community, but the fate of our two countries is indelibly tied together.

We don't even share a head of state or the Commonwealth or EU or NATO with the Republic of Ireland now.

I feel closer to Australians, New Zealanders or Canadians than I do to citizens of the Republic

We share a land border however. And the English language.

NI does, thanks to the EU and Dublin GB now has a hard border with Ireland in the Irish Sea.

39% of the Irish also speak Irish, Australians and New Zealanders do not speak a language distinct from English as well, nor do Canadians outside Quebec

Fewer than 2% of the population of the Republic of Ireland today speak Irish on a daily basis, and under 10% regularly, outside of the education system.

In April 2016 1,761,420 people in the Republic claimed that they could speak Irish, representing 39.8 per cent of respondents
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Status_of_the_Irish_language

Ability to speak Irish doesn't mean they usually speak it! In the 2016 census, only 74,000 people in the Republic spoke Irish on a daily basis (1.7%).

There's a dating show on the Irish language TV channel, and it's hilarious because, any young Irish person who is at all fluent in Irish has their arm twisted to go on the show, even if they're in a long-term relationship, because otherwise they'd run out of people who could go on the show. The pool of fluent Irish language speakers is small.

However, it's interesting that Irish language skills seem to be generally quite good. Lots of firms with their European service base in Ireland, employing people with fluency in multiple European languages to provide technical support continent-wide. Perhaps the experience of trying to keep knowledge of the Irish language alive helps Irish children when it comes to learning other languages.

Gallowgate said:

Leon said:

Bournville said:

turbotubbs said:

Bournville said:

I'm so tired of this. I'm in my 20s and my entire adult life has been consumed by bitter old Boomers trying to destroy the world before they die. Just fuck off and let us have a chance for once

I’m sorry you feel that way. The world of 2022, with smartphones that allow us to see the horror in Ukraine, but also connect us to our friends and family, the Covid vaccines that helped stop the pandemic from killing perhaps 3-5% of the worlds population, and all the other stuff - well ‘boomers’ helped make that world.

Nah, the transistors in those smartphones were invented by the Greatest Generation, and the social media companies that facilitate all the connection were built by Gen Xers.

The dementia-ridden dotards waving the threat of nuclear apocalypse at each other are Boomers.

But it is the fucking Millennials who are stupid enough to obey, because they have tiny penises, no sperm, and are Woke as fuck, in various different ways. And their IQs are way way down, and have continued falling

"IQ rates are dropping in many developed countries and that doesn't bode well for humanity"

https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/iq-rates-are-dropping-many-developed-countries-doesn-t-bode-ncna1008576

Blame your older siblings, and, I am afraid, your own genetic stupidity. You are just much dumber than us. Sorry

I generally think you’re the world’s biggest fanny

Farooq said:

HYUFD said:

Cyclefree said:

Aslan said:

Leon said:

CarlottaVance said:

Exc: Ministers have raised concerns about Ireland’s open-door policy to Ukrainian refugees, arguing it creates UK security risk.

Dublin joined EU-wide scheme welcoming refugees for 3 years, via which Ukrainians can travel to UK (Common Travel Area) without biometric checks

Govt source: “Ireland has basically opened the door to everyone in Ukraine, which creates a problem due to the CTA.

“We've seen before with migrants from Albania that they hv come through Dublin, into Belfast & across to the mainland to L'pool. That's created a drug cartel route

Source adds: “It's the Home Office that will get the blame if in three or fives’ years time there are problems with those who come. That’s why the security checks have to be done carefully now.”

Ireland has said it expects to welcome more than 100,000 Ukrainian refugees


https://twitter.com/LOS_Fisher/status/1500964937207795713

We need to end the CTA. Now

100 years after Irish independence, I do wonder why the Irish still get such privileges in the UK. Even more ridiculous than CTA is Irish voting. I have yet to meet an Irish immigrant to the UK that ever started seeing themselves as British, so they are bad at integrating. And when they vote, they usually do so for the interests of Ireland not the UK.

What an ignorant post.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000r370

The Normans, the Vikings, the Saxons, the Huguenots, even the Jews and the Romans and the generations of Britons since, the Victorians, the Georgians etc indeed even the Afro Caribbeans and the immigrants from South Asia did more to create modern Great Britain than the Irish did

I think the peak number of Irish navvies digging canals, railway embankments, tunnels, and so on was about 100,000. Tell me where would modern Britain have been without its water and rail transportation?

Foxy said:

kle4 said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

kle4 said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

HYUFD said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

HYUFD said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

HYUFD said:

Chameleon said:

Aslan said:

Leon said:

CarlottaVance said:

Exc: Ministers have raised concerns about Ireland’s open-door policy to Ukrainian refugees, arguing it creates UK security risk.

Dublin joined EU-wide scheme welcoming refugees for 3 years, via which Ukrainians can travel to UK (Common Travel Area) without biometric checks

Govt source: “Ireland has basically opened the door to everyone in Ukraine, which creates a problem due to the CTA.

“We've seen before with migrants from Albania that they hv come through Dublin, into Belfast & across to the mainland to L'pool. That's created a drug cartel route

Source adds: “It's the Home Office that will get the blame if in three or fives’ years time there are problems with those who come. That’s why the security checks have to be done carefully now.”

Ireland has said it expects to welcome more than 100,000 Ukrainian refugees


https://twitter.com/LOS_Fisher/status/1500964937207795713

We need to end the CTA. Now

100 years after Irish independence, I do wonder why the Irish still get such privileges in the UK. Even more ridiculous than CTA is Irish voting. I have yet to meet an Irish immigrant to the UK that ever started seeing themselves as British, so they are bad at integrating. And when they vote, they usually do so for the interests of Ireland not the UK.

It's an interesting argument - and I'd agree that it's largely true for first and some second gen immigrants, I'm a dual citizen brought up in the (still very large) London Irish community, but the fate of our two countries is indelibly tied together.

We don't even share a head of state or the Commonwealth or EU or NATO with the Republic of Ireland now.

I feel closer to Australians, New Zealanders or Canadians than I do to citizens of the Republic

We share a land border however. And the English language.

NI does, thanks to the EU and Dublin GB now has a hard border with Ireland in the Irish Sea.

39% of the Irish also speak Irish, Australians and New Zealanders do not speak a language distinct from English as well, nor do Canadians outside Quebec

Fewer than 2% of the population of the Republic of Ireland today speak Irish on a daily basis, and under 10% regularly, outside of the education system.

In April 2016 1,761,420 people in the Republic claimed that they could speak Irish, representing 39.8 per cent of respondents
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Status_of_the_Irish_language

Ability to speak Irish doesn't mean they usually speak it! In the 2016 census, only 74,000 people in the Republic spoke Irish on a daily basis (1.7%).

It's not exactly a conspiracy theory to think that as a matter of national pride perhaps more may claim to be able to speak it than in fact can, perhaps through generous estimation of their own abilities.

I have A grades in GCSE French and German, so I could reasonably "claim" to be able to speak both, but I usually get by in English!

Well I know one word of sanskrit, so as long as I stick to addressing people called Sunil I could claim to speak that.

I have just a few words of Arabic, but they can be used in so many situations that it is close to fluency.

Inshallah, Hallas, and Yalla. (If God wills it, its over, let's go) cover most situations.

FrancisUrquhart said:

glw said:

nico679 said:

I think we have to be a bit careful to not fall into a bubble of denial regarding Ukraine’s chances .

The odds remain hugely stacked against them and I fear for what might be unleashed if Putin’s anger reaches boiling point.

I don't think many doubt that Russia can terrorise its way to some sort of occupation of all Ukraine. The Russian government might even claim it as a victory, but I think anyone objective will question how they can consider it worth the cost they will pay.

It also seems likely that even if they do occupy the major cities, some sort insurgency is going to be waged upon them for years to come. That will come a significant cost in terms of men and resources. Even the towns / cities they have taken apparently they are having to devote significant resources to try to stop this sort of insurgency tactics already.

How much did 20 years in Afghanistan cost the US / UK? And we weren't under worldwide sanctions and have economies much bigger than Russia.

Gardenwalker said:

I am surprised nobody has mentioned the obscure suggestion that a colony of Varangian English settled on the shore of the Black Sea after the Norman Invasion.

Something like that. I can’t find it on Google, but it’s definitely a thing.

Perhaps we could have that bit.

Chameleon said:

Foxy said:

kle4 said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

kle4 said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

HYUFD said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

HYUFD said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

HYUFD said:

Chameleon said:

Aslan said:

Leon said:

CarlottaVance said:

Exc: Ministers have raised concerns about Ireland’s open-door policy to Ukrainian refugees, arguing it creates UK security risk.

Dublin joined EU-wide scheme welcoming refugees for 3 years, via which Ukrainians can travel to UK (Common Travel Area) without biometric checks

Govt source: “Ireland has basically opened the door to everyone in Ukraine, which creates a problem due to the CTA.

“We've seen before with migrants from Albania that they hv come through Dublin, into Belfast & across to the mainland to L'pool. That's created a drug cartel route

Source adds: “It's the Home Office that will get the blame if in three or fives’ years time there are problems with those who come. That’s why the security checks have to be done carefully now.”

Ireland has said it expects to welcome more than 100,000 Ukrainian refugees


https://twitter.com/LOS_Fisher/status/1500964937207795713

We need to end the CTA. Now

100 years after Irish independence, I do wonder why the Irish still get such privileges in the UK. Even more ridiculous than CTA is Irish voting. I have yet to meet an Irish immigrant to the UK that ever started seeing themselves as British, so they are bad at integrating. And when they vote, they usually do so for the interests of Ireland not the UK.

It's an interesting argument - and I'd agree that it's largely true for first and some second gen immigrants, I'm a dual citizen brought up in the (still very large) London Irish community, but the fate of our two countries is indelibly tied together.

We don't even share a head of state or the Commonwealth or EU or NATO with the Republic of Ireland now.

I feel closer to Australians, New Zealanders or Canadians than I do to citizens of the Republic

We share a land border however. And the English language.

NI does, thanks to the EU and Dublin GB now has a hard border with Ireland in the Irish Sea.

39% of the Irish also speak Irish, Australians and New Zealanders do not speak a language distinct from English as well, nor do Canadians outside Quebec

Fewer than 2% of the population of the Republic of Ireland today speak Irish on a daily basis, and under 10% regularly, outside of the education system.

In April 2016 1,761,420 people in the Republic claimed that they could speak Irish, representing 39.8 per cent of respondents
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Status_of_the_Irish_language

Ability to speak Irish doesn't mean they usually speak it! In the 2016 census, only 74,000 people in the Republic spoke Irish on a daily basis (1.7%).

It's not exactly a conspiracy theory to think that as a matter of national pride perhaps more may claim to be able to speak it than in fact can, perhaps through generous estimation of their own abilities.

I have A grades in GCSE French and German, so I could reasonably "claim" to be able to speak both, but I usually get by in English!

Well I know one word of sanskrit, so as long as I stick to addressing people called Sunil I could claim to speak that.

I have just a few words of Arabic, but they can be used in so many situations that it is close to fluency.

Inshallah, Hallas, and Yalla. (If God wills it, its over, let's go) cover most situations.

I'm a big fan of inshallah - I know a few people working in the UAE and it's very much one of the best polite noes in business culture out there. 'Can you get the repairs done by tuesday' met by 'inshallah, we shall try' very much means 'not a chance mate'.

Gardenwalker said:

I am surprised nobody has mentioned the obscure suggestion that a colony of Varangian English settled on the shore of the Black Sea after the Norman Invasion.

Something like that. I can’t find it on Google, but it’s definitely a thing.

Perhaps we could have that bit.

kle4 said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

kle4 said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

HYUFD said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

HYUFD said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

HYUFD said:

Chameleon said:

Aslan said:

Leon said:

CarlottaVance said:

Exc: Ministers have raised concerns about Ireland’s open-door policy to Ukrainian refugees, arguing it creates UK security risk.

Dublin joined EU-wide scheme welcoming refugees for 3 years, via which Ukrainians can travel to UK (Common Travel Area) without biometric checks

Govt source: “Ireland has basically opened the door to everyone in Ukraine, which creates a problem due to the CTA.

“We've seen before with migrants from Albania that they hv come through Dublin, into Belfast & across to the mainland to L'pool. That's created a drug cartel route

Source adds: “It's the Home Office that will get the blame if in three or fives’ years time there are problems with those who come. That’s why the security checks have to be done carefully now.”

Ireland has said it expects to welcome more than 100,000 Ukrainian refugees


https://twitter.com/LOS_Fisher/status/1500964937207795713

We need to end the CTA. Now

100 years after Irish independence, I do wonder why the Irish still get such privileges in the UK. Even more ridiculous than CTA is Irish voting. I have yet to meet an Irish immigrant to the UK that ever started seeing themselves as British, so they are bad at integrating. And when they vote, they usually do so for the interests of Ireland not the UK.

It's an interesting argument - and I'd agree that it's largely true for first and some second gen immigrants, I'm a dual citizen brought up in the (still very large) London Irish community, but the fate of our two countries is indelibly tied together.

We don't even share a head of state or the Commonwealth or EU or NATO with the Republic of Ireland now.

I feel closer to Australians, New Zealanders or Canadians than I do to citizens of the Republic

We share a land border however. And the English language.

NI does, thanks to the EU and Dublin GB now has a hard border with Ireland in the Irish Sea.

39% of the Irish also speak Irish, Australians and New Zealanders do not speak a language distinct from English as well, nor do Canadians outside Quebec

Fewer than 2% of the population of the Republic of Ireland today speak Irish on a daily basis, and under 10% regularly, outside of the education system.

In April 2016 1,761,420 people in the Republic claimed that they could speak Irish, representing 39.8 per cent of respondents
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Status_of_the_Irish_language

Ability to speak Irish doesn't mean they usually speak it! In the 2016 census, only 74,000 people in the Republic spoke Irish on a daily basis (1.7%).

It's not exactly a conspiracy theory to think that as a matter of national pride perhaps more may claim to be able to speak it than in fact can, perhaps through generous estimation of their own abilities.

I have A grades in GCSE French and German, so I could reasonably "claim" to be able to speak both, but I usually get by in English!

Well I know one word of sanskrit, so as long as I stick to addressing people called Sunil I could claim to speak that.

HYUFD said:

kle4 said:

HYUFD said:

Cyclefree said:

Aslan said:

Leon said:

CarlottaVance said:

Exc: Ministers have raised concerns about Ireland’s open-door policy to Ukrainian refugees, arguing it creates UK security risk.

Dublin joined EU-wide scheme welcoming refugees for 3 years, via which Ukrainians can travel to UK (Common Travel Area) without biometric checks

Govt source: “Ireland has basically opened the door to everyone in Ukraine, which creates a problem due to the CTA.

“We've seen before with migrants from Albania that they hv come through Dublin, into Belfast & across to the mainland to L'pool. That's created a drug cartel route

Source adds: “It's the Home Office that will get the blame if in three or fives’ years time there are problems with those who come. That’s why the security checks have to be done carefully now.”

Ireland has said it expects to welcome more than 100,000 Ukrainian refugees


https://twitter.com/LOS_Fisher/status/1500964937207795713

We need to end the CTA. Now

100 years after Irish independence, I do wonder why the Irish still get such privileges in the UK. Even more ridiculous than CTA is Irish voting. I have yet to meet an Irish immigrant to the UK that ever started seeing themselves as British, so they are bad at integrating. And when they vote, they usually do so for the interests of Ireland not the UK.

What an ignorant post.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000r370

The Normans, the Vikings, the Saxons, the Huguenots, even the Jews and the Romans and the generations of Britons since, the Victorians, the Georgians etc indeed even the Afro Caribbeans and the immigrants from South Asia did more to create modern Great Britain than the Irish did

You cannot tell the story of these islands, and thus this island, without the Irish. Big impact on early christianity here too, IIRC. I'm not sure what your problem is with the Irish that you want to cut them out of the tale.

They had some influence but plenty of other groups had more.

The issue is the Irish have insisted on a hard border in the Irish Sea yet still demand to be part of a CTA with GB prioritising themselves over other European or Australian, Canadian or New Zealand migrants to the UK who we even still share the Queen with unlike them

rottenborough said:

The Russian army is equipped with secure phones that can't work in areas where the Russian army operates.


Christo Grozev
@christogrozev
·
39m

https://twitter.com/christogrozev/status/1500984893563670528

Foxy said:

Chameleon said:

Foxy said:

kle4 said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

kle4 said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

HYUFD said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

HYUFD said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

HYUFD said:

Chameleon said:

Aslan said:

Leon said:

CarlottaVance said:

Exc: Ministers have raised concerns about Ireland’s open-door policy to Ukrainian refugees, arguing it creates UK security risk.

Dublin joined EU-wide scheme welcoming refugees for 3 years, via which Ukrainians can travel to UK (Common Travel Area) without biometric checks

Govt source: “Ireland has basically opened the door to everyone in Ukraine, which creates a problem due to the CTA.

“We've seen before with migrants from Albania that they hv come through Dublin, into Belfast & across to the mainland to L'pool. That's created a drug cartel route

Source adds: “It's the Home Office that will get the blame if in three or fives’ years time there are problems with those who come. That’s why the security checks have to be done carefully now.”

Ireland has said it expects to welcome more than 100,000 Ukrainian refugees


https://twitter.com/LOS_Fisher/status/1500964937207795713

We need to end the CTA. Now

100 years after Irish independence, I do wonder why the Irish still get such privileges in the UK. Even more ridiculous than CTA is Irish voting. I have yet to meet an Irish immigrant to the UK that ever started seeing themselves as British, so they are bad at integrating. And when they vote, they usually do so for the interests of Ireland not the UK.

It's an interesting argument - and I'd agree that it's largely true for first and some second gen immigrants, I'm a dual citizen brought up in the (still very large) London Irish community, but the fate of our two countries is indelibly tied together.

We don't even share a head of state or the Commonwealth or EU or NATO with the Republic of Ireland now.

I feel closer to Australians, New Zealanders or Canadians than I do to citizens of the Republic

We share a land border however. And the English language.

NI does, thanks to the EU and Dublin GB now has a hard border with Ireland in the Irish Sea.

39% of the Irish also speak Irish, Australians and New Zealanders do not speak a language distinct from English as well, nor do Canadians outside Quebec

Fewer than 2% of the population of the Republic of Ireland today speak Irish on a daily basis, and under 10% regularly, outside of the education system.

In April 2016 1,761,420 people in the Republic claimed that they could speak Irish, representing 39.8 per cent of respondents
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Status_of_the_Irish_language

Ability to speak Irish doesn't mean they usually speak it! In the 2016 census, only 74,000 people in the Republic spoke Irish on a daily basis (1.7%).

It's not exactly a conspiracy theory to think that as a matter of national pride perhaps more may claim to be able to speak it than in fact can, perhaps through generous estimation of their own abilities.

I have A grades in GCSE French and German, so I could reasonably "claim" to be able to speak both, but I usually get by in English!

Well I know one word of sanskrit, so as long as I stick to addressing people called Sunil I could claim to speak that.

I have just a few words of Arabic, but they can be used in so many situations that it is close to fluency.

Inshallah, Hallas, and Yalla. (If God wills it, its over, let's go) cover most situations.

I'm a big fan of inshallah - I know a few people working in the UAE and it's very much one of the best polite noes in business culture out there. 'Can you get the repairs done by tuesday' met by 'inshallah, we shall try' very much means 'not a chance mate'.

It works very well in a medical context too:

"This treatment will make you better, Inshallah..."

It always gets a nod and smile.

HYUFD said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

HYUFD said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

HYUFD said:

Chameleon said:

Aslan said:

Leon said:

CarlottaVance said:

Exc: Ministers have raised concerns about Ireland’s open-door policy to Ukrainian refugees, arguing it creates UK security risk.

Dublin joined EU-wide scheme welcoming refugees for 3 years, via which Ukrainians can travel to UK (Common Travel Area) without biometric checks

Govt source: “Ireland has basically opened the door to everyone in Ukraine, which creates a problem due to the CTA.

“We've seen before with migrants from Albania that they hv come through Dublin, into Belfast & across to the mainland to L'pool. That's created a drug cartel route

Source adds: “It's the Home Office that will get the blame if in three or fives’ years time there are problems with those who come. That’s why the security checks have to be done carefully now.”

Ireland has said it expects to welcome more than 100,000 Ukrainian refugees


https://twitter.com/LOS_Fisher/status/1500964937207795713

We need to end the CTA. Now

100 years after Irish independence, I do wonder why the Irish still get such privileges in the UK. Even more ridiculous than CTA is Irish voting. I have yet to meet an Irish immigrant to the UK that ever started seeing themselves as British, so they are bad at integrating. And when they vote, they usually do so for the interests of Ireland not the UK.

It's an interesting argument - and I'd agree that it's largely true for first and some second gen immigrants, I'm a dual citizen brought up in the (still very large) London Irish community, but the fate of our two countries is indelibly tied together.

We don't even share a head of state or the Commonwealth or EU or NATO with the Republic of Ireland now.

I feel closer to Australians, New Zealanders or Canadians than I do to citizens of the Republic

We share a land border however. And the English language.

NI does, thanks to the EU and Dublin GB now has a hard border with Ireland in the Irish Sea.

39% of the Irish also speak Irish, Australians and New Zealanders do not speak a language distinct from English as well, nor do Canadians outside Quebec

Fewer than 2% of the population of the Republic of Ireland today speak Irish on a daily basis, and under 10% regularly, outside of the education system.

In April 2016 1,761,420 people in the Republic claimed that they could speak Irish, representing 39.8 per cent of respondents
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Status_of_the_Irish_language

Gardenwalker said:

I am surprised nobody has mentioned the obscure suggestion that a colony of Varangian English settled on the shore of the Black Sea after the Norman Invasion.

Something like that. I can’t find it on Google, but it’s definitely a thing.

Perhaps we could have that bit.

HYUFD said:

kle4 said:

HYUFD said:

Cyclefree said:

Aslan said:

Leon said:

CarlottaVance said:

Exc: Ministers have raised concerns about Ireland’s open-door policy to Ukrainian refugees, arguing it creates UK security risk.

Dublin joined EU-wide scheme welcoming refugees for 3 years, via which Ukrainians can travel to UK (Common Travel Area) without biometric checks

Govt source: “Ireland has basically opened the door to everyone in Ukraine, which creates a problem due to the CTA.

“We've seen before with migrants from Albania that they hv come through Dublin, into Belfast & across to the mainland to L'pool. That's created a drug cartel route

Source adds: “It's the Home Office that will get the blame if in three or fives’ years time there are problems with those who come. That’s why the security checks have to be done carefully now.”

Ireland has said it expects to welcome more than 100,000 Ukrainian refugees


https://twitter.com/LOS_Fisher/status/1500964937207795713

We need to end the CTA. Now

100 years after Irish independence, I do wonder why the Irish still get such privileges in the UK. Even more ridiculous than CTA is Irish voting. I have yet to meet an Irish immigrant to the UK that ever started seeing themselves as British, so they are bad at integrating. And when they vote, they usually do so for the interests of Ireland not the UK.

What an ignorant post.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000r370

The Normans, the Vikings, the Saxons, the Huguenots, even the Jews and the Romans and the generations of Britons since, the Victorians, the Georgians etc indeed even the Afro Caribbeans and the immigrants from South Asia did more to create modern Great Britain than the Irish did

You cannot tell the story of these islands, and thus this island, without the Irish. Big impact on early christianity here too, IIRC. I'm not sure what your problem is with the Irish that you want to cut them out of the tale.

They had some influence but plenty of other groups had more.

The issue is the Irish have insisted on a hard border in the Irish Sea yet still demand to be part of a CTA with GB prioritising themselves over other European or Australian, Canadian or New Zealand migrants to the UK who we even still share the Queen with unlike them

Sunil_Prasannan said:

HYUFD said:

kle4 said:

HYUFD said:

Cyclefree said:

Aslan said:

Leon said:

CarlottaVance said:

Exc: Ministers have raised concerns about Ireland’s open-door policy to Ukrainian refugees, arguing it creates UK security risk.

Dublin joined EU-wide scheme welcoming refugees for 3 years, via which Ukrainians can travel to UK (Common Travel Area) without biometric checks

Govt source: “Ireland has basically opened the door to everyone in Ukraine, which creates a problem due to the CTA.

“We've seen before with migrants from Albania that they hv come through Dublin, into Belfast & across to the mainland to L'pool. That's created a drug cartel route

Source adds: “It's the Home Office that will get the blame if in three or fives’ years time there are problems with those who come. That’s why the security checks have to be done carefully now.”

Ireland has said it expects to welcome more than 100,000 Ukrainian refugees


https://twitter.com/LOS_Fisher/status/1500964937207795713

We need to end the CTA. Now

100 years after Irish independence, I do wonder why the Irish still get such privileges in the UK. Even more ridiculous than CTA is Irish voting. I have yet to meet an Irish immigrant to the UK that ever started seeing themselves as British, so they are bad at integrating. And when they vote, they usually do so for the interests of Ireland not the UK.

What an ignorant post.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000r370

The Normans, the Vikings, the Saxons, the Huguenots, even the Jews and the Romans and the generations of Britons since, the Victorians, the Georgians etc indeed even the Afro Caribbeans and the immigrants from South Asia did more to create modern Great Britain than the Irish did

You cannot tell the story of these islands, and thus this island, without the Irish. Big impact on early christianity here too, IIRC. I'm not sure what your problem is with the Irish that you want to cut them out of the tale.

They had some influence but plenty of other groups had more.

The issue is the Irish have insisted on a hard border in the Irish Sea yet still demand to be part of a CTA with GB prioritising themselves over other European or Australian, Canadian or New Zealand migrants to the UK who we even still share the Queen with unlike them

At the 2016 Census, there were 103,000 UK citizens living in the Republic.

HYUFD said:

Sunil_Prasannan said:

HYUFD said:

kle4 said:

HYUFD said:

Cyclefree said:

Aslan said:

Leon said:

CarlottaVance said:

Exc: Ministers have raised concerns about Ireland’s open-door policy to Ukrainian refugees, arguing it creates UK security risk.

Dublin joined EU-wide scheme welcoming refugees for 3 years, via which Ukrainians can travel to UK (Common Travel Area) without biometric checks

Govt source: “Ireland has basically opened the door to everyone in Ukraine, which creates a problem due to the CTA.

“We've seen before with migrants from Albania that they hv come through Dublin, into Belfast & across to the mainland to L'pool. That's created a drug cartel route

Source adds: “It's the Home Office that will get the blame if in three or fives’ years time there are problems with those who come. That’s why the security checks have to be done carefully now.”

Ireland has said it expects to welcome more than 100,000 Ukrainian refugees


https://twitter.com/LOS_Fisher/status/1500964937207795713

We need to end the CTA. Now

100 years after Irish independence, I do wonder why the Irish still get such privileges in the UK. Even more ridiculous than CTA is Irish voting. I have yet to meet an Irish immigrant to the UK that ever started seeing themselves as British, so they are bad at integrating. And when they vote, they usually do so for the interests of Ireland not the UK.

What an ignorant post.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000r370

The Normans, the Vikings, the Saxons, the Huguenots, even the Jews and the Romans and the generations of Britons since, the Victorians, the Georgians etc indeed even the Afro Caribbeans and the immigrants from South Asia did more to create modern Great Britain than the Irish did

You cannot tell the story of these islands, and thus this island, without the Irish. Big impact on early christianity here too, IIRC. I'm not sure what your problem is with the Irish that you want to cut them out of the tale.

They had some influence but plenty of other groups had more.

The issue is the Irish have insisted on a hard border in the Irish Sea yet still demand to be part of a CTA with GB prioritising themselves over other European or Australian, Canadian or New Zealand migrants to the UK who we even still share the Queen with unlike them

At the 2016 Census, there were 103,000 UK citizens living in the Republic.

So less than 1% of the UK population

Richard_Tyndall said:

Gardenwalker said:

I am surprised nobody has mentioned the obscure suggestion that a colony of Varangian English settled on the shore of the Black Sea after the Norman Invasion.

Something like that. I can’t find it on Google, but it’s definitely a thing.

Perhaps we could have that bit.

I think that was one of the tidbits mentioned in The Last King English King by Julian Rathbone. A truly wondrous book.