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Why I’m laying a 2023 general election – politicalbetting.com

SystemSystem Posts: 11,700
edited March 2022 in General
Why I’m laying a 2023 general election – politicalbetting.com

Marginal Tory MP pleads: no election next year pic.twitter.com/GIIiEUTMlz

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    HeathenerHeathener Posts: 5,341
    Yep
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    TazTaz Posts: 11,294
    I expect the election to be in 2024 and Boris will lead the Tories into it.
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    IanB2IanB2 Posts: 47,408
    Third rate, the best that we’ll ever get from our discredited PM
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    IshmaelZIshmaelZ Posts: 21,830
    I find that Johnson related betting is a shortcut to penury, and I ain't gonna do it no mo'. I agree the lay side of the bet is more attractive but here's a reason not to take it: there are almost certainly worse stories about Johnson out there than the ones we know about. If there is one which he thinks is bound to sink him and bound to come out by 2024 there's a reason to go in 2023 and then do his usual not resigning when anyone with any sense of decency would act in 2024
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    Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 55,534
    Taz said:

    I expect the election to be in 2024 and Boris will lead the Tories into it.

    I think that's probably right and it'll be a Labour minority government after.

    The Tories will have been in charge for 14 years and the economic situation will likely be appalling with a very unpopular PM at the helm.

    It's still possible for Labour to blow it though - and the Tories still have time to junk their leader for someone sensible who could reframe the game.
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    Morris_DancerMorris_Dancer Posts: 61,002
    Good morning, fellow humans.

    Mr. Royale, I'll believe the PCP has the sense to ditch the imbecile when they've done it.
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    HeathenerHeathener Posts: 5,341
    edited March 2022
    IshmaelZ said:

    I find that Johnson related betting is a shortcut to penury, and I ain't gonna do it no mo'. I agree the lay side of the bet is more attractive but here's a reason not to take it: there are almost certainly worse stories about Johnson out there than the ones we know about. If there is one which he thinks is bound to sink him and bound to come out by 2024 there's a reason to go in 2023 and then do his usual not resigning when anyone with any sense of decency would act in 2024

    As a gentle counter to this, it's for this reason that I think it's good to bet on Johnson. If you use your head not your heart there's money to be made out of the slippery sod. He polarises people and causes the markets to over-react. That means there are betting opportunities.

    For a start, even though I can't stand him and his behaviour regularly gets him in trouble, I recognise him to be a dangerous operator. He's a shit but shits are dangerous. That means that when the market thinks he's a goner, it's time to apply the thinking cap and go against the trend. As you may know, for the most part I've suggested on here that he would survive until the 2024 General Election. There are plenty of sound reasons for this, which goes against my wishes, but the markets thought otherwise. That's a betting opportunity.

    I don't think the tory party is in a condition to remove their most successful winner since Thatcher. They can't get beyond that fact, which is almost entirely driven by their Brexit obsessions. Whether what mattered in 2019 will matter in 2024 is another issue and David Canzini's briefing has more than raised eyebrows.

    The long and the short is that my head tells me Johnson will lead the tories into the next General Election which, because of the cost of living crisis and Starmer's strength, will almost certainly be in 2024.

    If you want to bet against Johnson succeeding then I think the election is the one to go for and, perhaps, against him holding his own seat. Otherwise, the money is to be made betting on him surviving the next two years.
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    Morris_DancerMorris_Dancer Posts: 61,002
    F1: writing the pre-race ramble, but there's a rule change anyone betting should know about.

    The Q2 tyres are no longer automatically fitted to the top 10, who instead have a free choice. I think this is something of a backwards step, but there we are. At least they haven't done something totally stupid, like having a sprint 'pretend' race acting as a pointless intermediary between qualifying and the race.
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    HeathenerHeathener Posts: 5,341
    p.s. I wouldn't be that surprised to see Sunak get sacked between now and '24.
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    DecrepiterJohnLDecrepiterJohnL Posts: 24,514
    Boris Johnson was at a Conservative Party fundraising dinner attended by at least one donor with links to Russia on the night Vladimir Putin launched his war in Ukraine.
    https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/boris-johnson-was-at-tory-fundraiser-with-russian-donor-on-night-of-ukraine-invasion-zwmg2snjr (£££)

    The Russian donor at the fundraising event was Lubov Chernukhin, wife of a former Russian deputy finance minister, who has given almost £2m to the Conservative Party since 2012.
    https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/pm-labelled-threat-to-national-security-over-reports-he-attended-tory-fundraising-party-on-night-putin-launched-invasion/ar-AAVh0gi
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    HeathenerHeathener Posts: 5,341

    something of a backwards step

    A metaphor for the whole of F1 as far as I'm concerned.

    In an age when we should be focused on renewable energies and getting back to nature, racing internal combustion engines (however hybridised) around an asphalt track under artificial rules and heaps of sexism and dirty money, is not where the world's soul and vision should be.

    Just my view and I wish you enjoyment of the race, peace and successful betting.

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    IshmaelZIshmaelZ Posts: 21,830
    Heathener said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    I find that Johnson related betting is a shortcut to penury, and I ain't gonna do it no mo'. I agree the lay side of the bet is more attractive but here's a reason not to take it: there are almost certainly worse stories about Johnson out there than the ones we know about. If there is one which he thinks is bound to sink him and bound to come out by 2024 there's a reason to go in 2023 and then do his usual not resigning when anyone with any sense of decency would act in 2024

    As a gentle counter to this, it's for this reason that I think it's good to bet on Johnson. If you use your head not your heart there's money to be made out of the slippery sod. He polarises people and causes the markets to over-react. That means there are betting opportunities.

    For a start, even though I can't stand him and his behaviour regularly gets him in trouble, I recognise him to be a dangerous operator. He's a shit but shits are dangerous. That means that when the market thinks he's a goner, it's time to apply the thinking cap and go against the trend. As you may know, for the most part I've suggested on here that he would survive until the 2024 General Election. There are plenty of sound reasons for this, which goes against my wishes, but the markets thought otherwise. That's a betting opportunity.

    I don't think the tory party is in a condition to remove their most successful winner since Thatcher. They can't get beyond that fact, which is almost entirely driven by their Brexit obsessions. Whether what mattered in 2019 will matter in 2024 is another issue and David Canzini's briefing has more than raised eyebrows.

    The long and the short is that my head tells me Johnson will lead the tories into the next General Election which, because of the cost of living crisis and Starmer's strength, will almost certainly be in 2024.

    If you want to bet against Johnson succeeding then I think the election is the one to go for and, perhaps, against him holding his own seat. Otherwise, the money is to be made betting on him surviving the next two years.
    As I say, been burnt too often

    Ukraine = Brexit could be shaping up to be a Ratner moment, but there have been so many false dawns
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    HeathenerHeathener Posts: 5,341
    edited March 2022
    Two other related markets I'm keeping an eye on are inflation and interest rates.

    Smarkets currently have odds on CPI inflation hitting 7.5% by July. The odds on this don't really attract me.

    I'm looking to see if I can get odds on 10% CPI by end of the year. That's more controversial but there's a hell of a lot of surge upstream. Double-digit inflation would really be a meme changer I suspect. I think you have to go back to 1981 for the last time?

    https://smarkets.com/event/42611472/current-affairs/uk-economy/uk-inflation-to-hit-7-5-by-july
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    IshmaelZIshmaelZ Posts: 21,830
    Heathener said:

    Two other related markets I'm keeping an eye on are inflation and interest rates.

    Smarkets currently have odds on CPI inflation hitting 7.5% by July. The odds on this don't really attract me.

    I'm looking to see if I can get odds on 10% CPI by end of the year. That's more controversial but there's a hell of a lot of surge upstream.

    https://smarkets.com/event/42611472/current-affairs/uk-economy/uk-inflation-to-hit-7-5-by-july

    Yeah 7.5% by July is 1.27. Anyone holding index linked has a proxy for this anyway.
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    moonshinemoonshine Posts: 5,244
    Heathener said:

    Double-digit inflation would really be a meme changer I suspect. I think you have to go back to 1981 for the last time?

    https://smarkets.com/event/42611472/current-affairs/uk-economy/uk-inflation-to-hit-7-5-by-july

    Double digit inflation will not lead to you and your Kremlin paymasters getting softer treatment. We’re diversifying away from dependence on Russian hydrocarbons now regardless.
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    HeathenerHeathener Posts: 5,341
    edited March 2022
    The Right on here won't like this but Boris Johnson is very similar to Vladimir Putin.

    Both share the attempt to recast reality, to warp truth, to generate something from the opposite of what is actually true.

    Here's another example of classic Johnson Putinism. Knowing he is vulnerable to attacks over dirty Russian donations to the tory party, Johnson has upturned the truth to make out it's Keir Starmer who is opening the floodgates to dirty Russian money.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2022/03/19/labour-trying-open-floodgates-russian-political-donations-claims/

    Johnson is a lying shit. An unflushable turd. The nastiest piece of work to be our PM in at least a century. A Putinist.
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    HeathenerHeathener Posts: 5,341
    moonshine said:

    Heathener said:

    Double-digit inflation would really be a meme changer I suspect. I think you have to go back to 1981 for the last time?

    https://smarkets.com/event/42611472/current-affairs/uk-economy/uk-inflation-to-hit-7-5-by-july

    Double digit inflation will not lead to you and your Kremlin paymasters getting softer treatment. .
    As I'm the only one on here suggesting we back Zelensky with a No Fly Zone and stand up to Putin your tiresome playground name calling is sounding ever more shrill.

    Go and whistle to yourself in the corner. Or play with your willy. Whatever it is that keeps you happy in your sad little warped mind.
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    Morris_DancerMorris_Dancer Posts: 61,002
    Betting Post

    F1: it's the first pre-race tosh of the year.

    https://enormo-haddock.blogspot.com/2022/03/bahrain-pre-race-2022.html

    Backed Sainz, hedged, to win at 9, and to be on the podium at 1.83.
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    StuartDicksonStuartDickson Posts: 12,146
    Heathener said:

    Two other related markets I'm keeping an eye on are inflation and interest rates.

    Smarkets currently have odds on CPI inflation hitting 7.5% by July. The odds on this don't really attract me.

    I'm looking to see if I can get odds on 10% CPI by end of the year. That's more controversial but there's a hell of a lot of surge upstream. Double-digit inflation would really be a meme changer I suspect. I think you have to go back to 1981 for the last time?

    https://smarkets.com/event/42611472/current-affairs/uk-economy/uk-inflation-to-hit-7-5-by-july

    The Express had a 9.5% guesstimate on its front page a couple of weeks ago.

    Music was great in the 70s. The economy? Not so much.
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    TazTaz Posts: 11,294

    Taz said:

    I expect the election to be in 2024 and Boris will lead the Tories into it.

    I think that's probably right and it'll be a Labour minority government after.

    The Tories will have been in charge for 14 years and the economic situation will likely be appalling with a very unpopular PM at the helm.

    It's still possible for Labour to blow it though - and the Tories still have time to junk their leader for someone sensible who could reframe the game.
    I just cannot see them doing it now. They had their time and they blinked. The May local elections don’t look like being a disaster for them at the moment as the polls have narrowed.

    The biggest risk for the Tories is the economic situation will be dire and, windfall tax aside, Reeves seems to be pretty competent. Certainly compared to her predecessors and Starmer still leads on Best PM in the polling. I’ve a few quid on Starmer as next PM and I’m quite happy with that.
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    Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 33,143

    Putin is evil. Boris... well, he's flawed. Deeply flawed. But he is not evil.

    The evidence for your claim is weak.
  • Options
    TazTaz Posts: 11,294
    Heathener said:

    moonshine said:

    Heathener said:

    Double-digit inflation would really be a meme changer I suspect. I think you have to go back to 1981 for the last time?

    https://smarkets.com/event/42611472/current-affairs/uk-economy/uk-inflation-to-hit-7-5-by-july

    Double digit inflation will not lead to you and your Kremlin paymasters getting softer treatment. .
    As I'm the only one on here suggesting we back Zelensky with a No Fly Zone and stand up to Putin your tiresome playground name calling is sounding ever more shrill.

    Go and whistle to yourself in the corner. Or play with your willy. Whatever it is that keeps you happy in your sad little warped mind.
    Is there really any need for a comment like ‘play with your Willy’. It’s ridiculous, as ridiculous as your demands for a no fly zone.
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    HeathenerHeathener Posts: 5,341

    Heathener said:

    The Right on here won't like this but Boris Johnson is very similar to Vladimir Putin.

    Both share the attempt to recast reality, to warp truth, to generate something from the opposite of what is actually true.

    Here's another example of classic Johnson Putinism. Knowing he is vulnerable to attacks over dirty Russian donations to the tory party, Johnson has upturned the truth to make out it's Keir Starmer who is opening the floodgates to dirty Russian money.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2022/03/19/labour-trying-open-floodgates-russian-political-donations-claims/

    Johnson is a lying shit. An unflushable turd. The nastiest piece of work to be our PM in at least a century. A Putinist.

    I'm not a Boris fan, but that's a ridiculous comparison. It's also quite a nasty one. If you look at what Putin has done over the last twenty years to his country, there is zero comparison. Putin is evil. Boris... well, he's flawed. Deeply flawed. But he is not evil.
    Well it may have a hint of hyperbole about it, but I do think Boris is evil.

    The UK leaving the EU was predicated on evil lies and there are countless other examples from that macro level to micro ones which aren't so micro if you are the one on the receiving end. I know of people who have been traduced by his lies, smeared into despair and suicidal thoughts. He tramples on people for his own egomania.

    Boris Johnson is evil.
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    JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 39,061
    Heathener said:

    moonshine said:

    Heathener said:

    Double-digit inflation would really be a meme changer I suspect. I think you have to go back to 1981 for the last time?

    https://smarkets.com/event/42611472/current-affairs/uk-economy/uk-inflation-to-hit-7-5-by-july

    Double digit inflation will not lead to you and your Kremlin paymasters getting softer treatment. .
    As I'm the only one on here suggesting we back Zelensky with a No Fly Zone and stand up to Putin your tiresome playground name calling is sounding ever more shrill.

    Go and whistle to yourself in the corner. Or play with your willy. Whatever it is that keeps you happy in your sad little warped mind.
    The problem is your calling for a NFZ does not prove that you're not a Putin troll. What the Russians try to do is sow divisions. By being the only poster (I think) on here calling for an NFZ, you are creating a division.

    Besides, an NFZ might very well play into Russia's hands at the moment. It's a major escalation that gives them an excuse to escalate.
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    JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 39,061
    Heathener said:

    Heathener said:

    The Right on here won't like this but Boris Johnson is very similar to Vladimir Putin.

    Both share the attempt to recast reality, to warp truth, to generate something from the opposite of what is actually true.

    Here's another example of classic Johnson Putinism. Knowing he is vulnerable to attacks over dirty Russian donations to the tory party, Johnson has upturned the truth to make out it's Keir Starmer who is opening the floodgates to dirty Russian money.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2022/03/19/labour-trying-open-floodgates-russian-political-donations-claims/

    Johnson is a lying shit. An unflushable turd. The nastiest piece of work to be our PM in at least a century. A Putinist.

    I'm not a Boris fan, but that's a ridiculous comparison. It's also quite a nasty one. If you look at what Putin has done over the last twenty years to his country, there is zero comparison. Putin is evil. Boris... well, he's flawed. Deeply flawed. But he is not evil.
    Well it may have a hint of hyperbole about it, but I do think Boris is evil.

    The UK leaving the EU was predicated on evil lies and there are countless other examples from that macro level to micro ones which aren't so micro if you are the one on the receiving end. I know of people who have been traduced by his lies, smeared into despair and suicidal thoughts. He tramples on people for his own egomania.

    Boris Johnson is evil.
    If Boris is 'evil', then you need to have another term for the really evil people, such as Putin. Uber-evil? evil-max?

    Your last paragraph is ridiculous.
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    HeathenerHeathener Posts: 5,341
    Taz said:

    Heathener said:

    moonshine said:

    Heathener said:

    Double-digit inflation would really be a meme changer I suspect. I think you have to go back to 1981 for the last time?

    https://smarkets.com/event/42611472/current-affairs/uk-economy/uk-inflation-to-hit-7-5-by-july

    Double digit inflation will not lead to you and your Kremlin paymasters getting softer treatment. .
    As I'm the only one on here suggesting we back Zelensky with a No Fly Zone and stand up to Putin your tiresome playground name calling is sounding ever more shrill.

    Go and whistle to yourself in the corner. Or play with your willy. Whatever it is that keeps you happy in your sad little warped mind.
    Is there really any need for a comment like ‘play with your Willy’.
    I think it's an excellent retort.

    I discovered that the only way to survive on here is not to be reasonable back to the obnoxious right-wingers. You have to fight fire with fire to survive on pb.com.

    It's sad because it's not how I live my life but this is a bear pit of a forum, majority populated by white boomers and older. It's not a forum that is made easy for a gentle female who is interested in betting, especially if they are moderately left of centre.

    As for the No Fly Zone, we should back the President of Ukraine. We are being made to look like fools.
  • Options
    Casino_RoyaleCasino_Royale Posts: 55,534
    Taz said:

    Taz said:

    I expect the election to be in 2024 and Boris will lead the Tories into it.

    I think that's probably right and it'll be a Labour minority government after.

    The Tories will have been in charge for 14 years and the economic situation will likely be appalling with a very unpopular PM at the helm.

    It's still possible for Labour to blow it though - and the Tories still have time to junk their leader for someone sensible who could reframe the game.
    I just cannot see them doing it now. They had their time and they blinked. The May local elections don’t look like being a disaster for them at the moment as the polls have narrowed.

    The biggest risk for the Tories is the economic situation will be dire and, windfall tax aside, Reeves seems to be pretty competent. Certainly compared to her predecessors and Starmer still leads on Best PM in the polling. I’ve a few quid on Starmer as next PM and I’m quite happy with that.
    I think Sunak is a clear lay and that's been one of my biggest betting plays for some time.
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    OldKingColeOldKingCole Posts: 32,047
    Good morning everyone.
    Bright but chilly here, with a cold wind yesterday.

    As far as our PM is concerned I'm about halfway between Ms Heathener and Mr Jessop; I have a nasty suspicion that our PM could easily be 'evil' if events turned against him and he couldn't do his 'greased piglet' act.
    Two or three times in the Commons he's looked to be at least on the verge of a temper tantrum when he's been challenged.
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    MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 50,137
    Scott_xP said:

    Putin is evil. Boris... well, he's flawed. Deeply flawed. But he is not evil.

    The evidence for your claim is weak.
    You have a stupidly low threshold for evil then.

    Evil is bombing civilians out of their own homeland. Stop fucking debasing the word. Twat.
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    HeathenerHeathener Posts: 5,341
    edited March 2022

    Heathener said:

    moonshine said:

    Heathener said:

    Double-digit inflation would really be a meme changer I suspect. I think you have to go back to 1981 for the last time?

    https://smarkets.com/event/42611472/current-affairs/uk-economy/uk-inflation-to-hit-7-5-by-july

    Double digit inflation will not lead to you and your Kremlin paymasters getting softer treatment. .
    As I'm the only one on here suggesting we back Zelensky with a No Fly Zone and stand up to Putin your tiresome playground name calling is sounding ever more shrill.

    Go and whistle to yourself in the corner. Or play with your willy. Whatever it is that keeps you happy in your sad little warped mind.
    The problem is your calling for a NFZ does not prove that you're not a Putin troll.
    No but to be fair there's nothing I can do to disprove it, is there?!!! I'm damned by the Right on here whatever I say.

    Basically they don't like my globalist (non-nationalist) stance so the only way they can get their tiny little brains to respond is to accuse me of being a) a troll and b) a Putin supporter.

    The fact that I'm neither is not something they want to entertain because they can't engage with other truths than their own myopic armchair weltanschauung.

  • Options
    IshmaelZIshmaelZ Posts: 21,830

    Heathener said:

    Heathener said:

    The Right on here won't like this but Boris Johnson is very similar to Vladimir Putin.

    Both share the attempt to recast reality, to warp truth, to generate something from the opposite of what is actually true.

    Here's another example of classic Johnson Putinism. Knowing he is vulnerable to attacks over dirty Russian donations to the tory party, Johnson has upturned the truth to make out it's Keir Starmer who is opening the floodgates to dirty Russian money.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2022/03/19/labour-trying-open-floodgates-russian-political-donations-claims/

    Johnson is a lying shit. An unflushable turd. The nastiest piece of work to be our PM in at least a century. A Putinist.

    I'm not a Boris fan, but that's a ridiculous comparison. It's also quite a nasty one. If you look at what Putin has done over the last twenty years to his country, there is zero comparison. Putin is evil. Boris... well, he's flawed. Deeply flawed. But he is not evil.
    Well it may have a hint of hyperbole about it, but I do think Boris is evil.

    The UK leaving the EU was predicated on evil lies and there are countless other examples from that macro level to micro ones which aren't so micro if you are the one on the receiving end. I know of people who have been traduced by his lies, smeared into despair and suicidal thoughts. He tramples on people for his own egomania.

    Boris Johnson is evil.
    If Boris is 'evil', then you need to have another term for the really evil people, such as Putin. Uber-evil? evil-max?

    Your last paragraph is ridiculous.

    Heathener said:

    Heathener said:

    The Right on here won't like this but Boris Johnson is very similar to Vladimir Putin.

    Both share the attempt to recast reality, to warp truth, to generate something from the opposite of what is actually true.

    Here's another example of classic Johnson Putinism. Knowing he is vulnerable to attacks over dirty Russian donations to the tory party, Johnson has upturned the truth to make out it's Keir Starmer who is opening the floodgates to dirty Russian money.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2022/03/19/labour-trying-open-floodgates-russian-political-donations-claims/

    Johnson is a lying shit. An unflushable turd. The nastiest piece of work to be our PM in at least a century. A Putinist.

    I'm not a Boris fan, but that's a ridiculous comparison. It's also quite a nasty one. If you look at what Putin has done over the last twenty years to his country, there is zero comparison. Putin is evil. Boris... well, he's flawed. Deeply flawed. But he is not evil.
    Well it may have a hint of hyperbole about it, but I do think Boris is evil.

    The UK leaving the EU was predicated on evil lies and there are countless other examples from that macro level to micro ones which aren't so micro if you are the one on the receiving end. I know of people who have been traduced by his lies, smeared into despair and suicidal thoughts. He tramples on people for his own egomania.

    Boris Johnson is evil.
    If Boris is 'evil', then you need to have another term for the really evil people, such as Putin. Uber-evil? evil-max?

    Your last paragraph is ridiculous.
    What a silly remark. There's that guy the Godwin thing is about, and there's literally millions of small time bullies who get through a lifetime of selfishly making life mildly unpleasant for everyone in their ambit, in many cases never actually breaking any law. Both are evil, why shouldn't they be? Evil is not some sort of inverted super power confined to film baddies.
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    TazTaz Posts: 11,294
    Heathener said:

    Taz said:

    Heathener said:

    moonshine said:

    Heathener said:

    Double-digit inflation would really be a meme changer I suspect. I think you have to go back to 1981 for the last time?

    https://smarkets.com/event/42611472/current-affairs/uk-economy/uk-inflation-to-hit-7-5-by-july

    Double digit inflation will not lead to you and your Kremlin paymasters getting softer treatment. .
    As I'm the only one on here suggesting we back Zelensky with a No Fly Zone and stand up to Putin your tiresome playground name calling is sounding ever more shrill.

    Go and whistle to yourself in the corner. Or play with your willy. Whatever it is that keeps you happy in your sad little warped mind.
    Is there really any need for a comment like ‘play with your Willy’.
    I think it's an excellent retort.

    I discovered that the only way to survive on here is not to be reasonable back to the obnoxious right-wingers. You have to fight fire with fire to survive on pb.com.

    It's sad because it's not how I live my life but this is a bear pit of a forum, majority populated by white boomers and older. It's not a forum that is made easy for a gentle female who is interested in betting, especially if they are moderately left of centre.

    As for the No Fly Zone, we should back the President of Ukraine. We are being made to look like fools.
    Nah, such retorts are juvenile and only reflect poorly on the person making them. This really isn’t a bear pit. Far from it.m you have a weird view as to who is right wing here previously accusing many left wingers here of being ‘right wing’. I can only presume you decide people are right wing if they disagree with you.

    We’re backing the president of Ukraine already. Good job too.
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    HeathenerHeathener Posts: 5,341
    Anyway, have a good day everyone. Enjoy the outdoor space if you can. Breathe in the air, which comes free, and be thankful.
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    HeathenerHeathener Posts: 5,341

    Scott_xP said:

    Putin is evil. Boris... well, he's flawed. Deeply flawed. But he is not evil.

    The evidence for your claim is weak.
    You have a stupidly low threshold for evil then.

    Evil is bombing civilians out of their own homeland. Stop fucking debasing the word. Twat.
    Taz, that's an example of exactly what I mean about the bear pit. Marquee Mark: the Mr Obnoxious of pb.com

    Have a g'day everyone. Even you, MM. See, it's called magnanimity. Try it. You'll improve your character.
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    TazTaz Posts: 11,294

    Scott_xP said:
    "Why this >insert event< proves beyond any shadow of a doubt what I already thought"
    There’s an excellent thread on Twitter on this very thing.

    https://twitter.com/cjsnowdon/status/1497553538175614978?s=21
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    TazTaz Posts: 11,294
    Heathener said:

    Anyway, have a good day everyone. Enjoy the outdoor space if you can. Breathe in the air, which comes free, and be thankful.

    My wife is out today so I am off for a cycle ride then back home to watch three episodes of Reilly Ace of Spies.

    Enjoy your day.
  • Options
    FishingFishing Posts: 4,561

    Scott_xP said:

    Putin is evil. Boris... well, he's flawed. Deeply flawed. But he is not evil.

    The evidence for your claim is weak.
    You have a stupidly low threshold for evil then.

    Evil is bombing civilians out of their own homeland. Stop fucking debasing the word. Twat.
    We all know the real reason people on here think he's evil - he delivered the democratic wishes of the British people, then smashed Communism in this country, probably for a generation.

    And they'll never forgive him for either or both of those.
  • Options
    FoxyFoxy Posts: 44,793

    Heathener said:

    Two other related markets I'm keeping an eye on are inflation and interest rates.

    Smarkets currently have odds on CPI inflation hitting 7.5% by July. The odds on this don't really attract me.

    I'm looking to see if I can get odds on 10% CPI by end of the year. That's more controversial but there's a hell of a lot of surge upstream. Double-digit inflation would really be a meme changer I suspect. I think you have to go back to 1981 for the last time?

    https://smarkets.com/event/42611472/current-affairs/uk-economy/uk-inflation-to-hit-7-5-by-july

    The Express had a 9.5% guesstimate on its front page a couple of weeks ago.

    Music was great in the 70s. The economy? Not so much.
    The fuel crisis of 1973 and the one following the Iranian revolution of 1979 were both pretty brutal economically. Those of us old enough to remember what real inflation was like are not keen to see it return.

    It isn't a straight repeat though. We have far less of a manufacturing economy, we have very weak private sector Trade Unions, a much older population, and we have no politicians who support living within our means. It is quite a different cocktail.

    Despite inflation, war, the worst consumer confidence for decades, visible stagflation, China in lockdown etc my equity portfolio is up quite a bit this week. Quite what I should do with it is unclear. The 1973 fuel crisis led to a severe bear market. Are we there again? The 1979 one led to a very long bull market.
  • Options
    TazTaz Posts: 11,294
  • Options
    JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 39,061
    Foxy said:

    Heathener said:

    Two other related markets I'm keeping an eye on are inflation and interest rates.

    Smarkets currently have odds on CPI inflation hitting 7.5% by July. The odds on this don't really attract me.

    I'm looking to see if I can get odds on 10% CPI by end of the year. That's more controversial but there's a hell of a lot of surge upstream. Double-digit inflation would really be a meme changer I suspect. I think you have to go back to 1981 for the last time?

    https://smarkets.com/event/42611472/current-affairs/uk-economy/uk-inflation-to-hit-7-5-by-july

    The Express had a 9.5% guesstimate on its front page a couple of weeks ago.

    Music was great in the 70s. The economy? Not so much.
    The fuel crisis of 1973 and the one following the Iranian revolution of 1979 were both pretty brutal economically. Those of us old enough to remember what real inflation was like are not keen to see it return.

    It isn't a straight repeat though. We have far less of a manufacturing economy, we have very weak private sector Trade Unions, a much older population, and we have no politicians who support living within our means. It is quite a different cocktail.

    Despite inflation, war, the worst consumer confidence for decades, visible stagflation, China in lockdown etc my equity portfolio is up quite a bit this week. Quite what I should do with it is unclear. The 1973 fuel crisis led to a severe bear market. Are we there again? The 1979 one led to a very long bull market.
    "and we have no politicians who support living within our means."

    Yet when they try to ;live within our means', you would be the first to shout 'austerity'.

    'Living within our means' unfortunately means cuts: even with hefty tax rises. Covid and energy prices will see to that.
  • Options
    RazedabodeRazedabode Posts: 2,977
    I like the fact that every now and then Johnson reappears with comments that highlight how totally unfit for office he is.

    He just can’t help himself
  • Options
    state_go_awaystate_go_away Posts: 5,422
    Foxy said:

    Heathener said:

    Two other related markets I'm keeping an eye on are inflation and interest rates.

    Smarkets currently have odds on CPI inflation hitting 7.5% by July. The odds on this don't really attract me.

    I'm looking to see if I can get odds on 10% CPI by end of the year. That's more controversial but there's a hell of a lot of surge upstream. Double-digit inflation would really be a meme changer I suspect. I think you have to go back to 1981 for the last time?

    https://smarkets.com/event/42611472/current-affairs/uk-economy/uk-inflation-to-hit-7-5-by-july

    The Express had a 9.5% guesstimate on its front page a couple of weeks ago.

    Music was great in the 70s. The economy? Not so much.
    The fuel crisis of 1973 and the one following the Iranian revolution of 1979 were both pretty brutal economically. Those of us old enough to remember what real inflation was like are not keen to see it return.

    It isn't a straight repeat though. We have far less of a manufacturing economy, we have very weak private sector Trade Unions, a much older population, and we have no politicians who support living within our means. It is quite a different cocktail.

    Despite inflation, war, the worst consumer confidence for decades, visible stagflation, China in lockdown etc my equity portfolio is up quite a bit this week. Quite what I should do with it is unclear. The 1973 fuel crisis led to a severe bear market. Are we there again? The 1979 one led to a very long bull market.
    I hold some Quilter shares in my portfolio . Its been interesting to see they have gone up (more than others) in recent weeks . As they are financial advisors , i wonder if more people are engaging financial advisors to combat inflation. I am certianly scratching my head to protect my portfolio and hence most of my pension
  • Options
    StuartinromfordStuartinromford Posts: 14,549
    The government's problem- people are likely to be poorer this year and next, which isn't ideal for winning an election. This is from last autumn;

    https://amp.economist.com/britain/2021/10/09/wages-are-rising-in-britain-but-so-are-prices-and-taxes

    and presumably the inflation bulge makes things worse.

    There are bad times just around the corner, and the outlook's absolutely vile.
  • Options
    MattWMattW Posts: 18,701
    Do Ukrainians newly in the UK get a vote?

    *innocent face*
  • Options
    IshmaelZIshmaelZ Posts: 21,830
    Fishing said:

    Scott_xP said:

    Putin is evil. Boris... well, he's flawed. Deeply flawed. But he is not evil.

    The evidence for your claim is weak.
    You have a stupidly low threshold for evil then.

    Evil is bombing civilians out of their own homeland. Stop fucking debasing the word. Twat.
    We all know the real reason people on here think he's evil - he delivered the democratic wishes of the British people, then smashed Communism in this country, probably for a generation.

    And they'll never forgive him for either or both of those.
    He put Nazanin in prison for six years, and almost certainly arranged for the torture and murder of dozens of allies of this country in Afghanistan last year. Arguably that's not evil, just vain silly and lazy, like Ilse Koch. But whatever it is I don't want it governing my country. For reasons which have nothing to do with communism or brexit.
  • Options
    noneoftheabovenoneoftheabove Posts: 20,842

    I like the fact that every now and then Johnson reappears with comments that highlight how totally unfit for office he is.

    He just can’t help himself

    He probably could, if he thought his MPs and voters placed morals and standards higher up their order of priorities, but they don't so he knows he can get away with it.

    The idea that the Ukraine/Brexit comparison will have any impact on his leadership is quite strange. After everything he has said and done, his fans are suddenly going to ditch him over that? Of course not.
  • Options
    ydoethurydoethur Posts: 67,336

    Foxy said:

    Heathener said:

    Two other related markets I'm keeping an eye on are inflation and interest rates.

    Smarkets currently have odds on CPI inflation hitting 7.5% by July. The odds on this don't really attract me.

    I'm looking to see if I can get odds on 10% CPI by end of the year. That's more controversial but there's a hell of a lot of surge upstream. Double-digit inflation would really be a meme changer I suspect. I think you have to go back to 1981 for the last time?

    https://smarkets.com/event/42611472/current-affairs/uk-economy/uk-inflation-to-hit-7-5-by-july

    The Express had a 9.5% guesstimate on its front page a couple of weeks ago.

    Music was great in the 70s. The economy? Not so much.
    The fuel crisis of 1973 and the one following the Iranian revolution of 1979 were both pretty brutal economically. Those of us old enough to remember what real inflation was like are not keen to see it return.

    It isn't a straight repeat though. We have far less of a manufacturing economy, we have very weak private sector Trade Unions, a much older population, and we have no politicians who support living within our means. It is quite a different cocktail.

    Despite inflation, war, the worst consumer confidence for decades, visible stagflation, China in lockdown etc my equity portfolio is up quite a bit this week. Quite what I should do with it is unclear. The 1973 fuel crisis led to a severe bear market. Are we there again? The 1979 one led to a very long bull market.
    I hold some Quilter shares in my portfolio . Its been interesting to see they have gone up (more than others) in recent weeks . As they are financial advisors , i wonder if more people are engaging financial advisors to combat inflation. I am certianly scratching my head to protect my portfolio and hence most of my pension
    Also a good moment to be a financial adviser in light of McCloud. Lots of nifty footwork is about to happen in members of the public sector pension schemes to lock in final salary benefits. (The judgement doesn’t apply to me incidentally as I wasn’t in a PSPS before the cut-off date.)
  • Options
    kjhkjh Posts: 10,670
    Fishing said:

    Scott_xP said:

    Putin is evil. Boris... well, he's flawed. Deeply flawed. But he is not evil.

    The evidence for your claim is weak.
    You have a stupidly low threshold for evil then.

    Evil is bombing civilians out of their own homeland. Stop fucking debasing the word. Twat.
    We all know the real reason people on here think he's evil - he delivered the democratic wishes of the British people, then smashed Communism in this country, probably for a generation.

    And they'll never forgive him for either or both of those.
    I agree strongly with @MarqueeMark. If we equate Boris with Putin we are no different to Boris equating Brexit to Ukrainian for which we were all critical.

    However I don't get your communism point. We didn't have a communism issue and still don't and Boris hasn't done anything to solve a non existing issue. What exactly are you talking about?
  • Options
    JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 39,061
    IshmaelZ said:

    Heathener said:

    Heathener said:

    The Right on here won't like this but Boris Johnson is very similar to Vladimir Putin.

    Both share the attempt to recast reality, to warp truth, to generate something from the opposite of what is actually true.

    Here's another example of classic Johnson Putinism. Knowing he is vulnerable to attacks over dirty Russian donations to the tory party, Johnson has upturned the truth to make out it's Keir Starmer who is opening the floodgates to dirty Russian money.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2022/03/19/labour-trying-open-floodgates-russian-political-donations-claims/

    Johnson is a lying shit. An unflushable turd. The nastiest piece of work to be our PM in at least a century. A Putinist.

    I'm not a Boris fan, but that's a ridiculous comparison. It's also quite a nasty one. If you look at what Putin has done over the last twenty years to his country, there is zero comparison. Putin is evil. Boris... well, he's flawed. Deeply flawed. But he is not evil.
    Well it may have a hint of hyperbole about it, but I do think Boris is evil.

    The UK leaving the EU was predicated on evil lies and there are countless other examples from that macro level to micro ones which aren't so micro if you are the one on the receiving end. I know of people who have been traduced by his lies, smeared into despair and suicidal thoughts. He tramples on people for his own egomania.

    Boris Johnson is evil.
    If Boris is 'evil', then you need to have another term for the really evil people, such as Putin. Uber-evil? evil-max?

    Your last paragraph is ridiculous.

    Heathener said:

    Heathener said:

    The Right on here won't like this but Boris Johnson is very similar to Vladimir Putin.

    Both share the attempt to recast reality, to warp truth, to generate something from the opposite of what is actually true.

    Here's another example of classic Johnson Putinism. Knowing he is vulnerable to attacks over dirty Russian donations to the tory party, Johnson has upturned the truth to make out it's Keir Starmer who is opening the floodgates to dirty Russian money.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2022/03/19/labour-trying-open-floodgates-russian-political-donations-claims/

    Johnson is a lying shit. An unflushable turd. The nastiest piece of work to be our PM in at least a century. A Putinist.

    I'm not a Boris fan, but that's a ridiculous comparison. It's also quite a nasty one. If you look at what Putin has done over the last twenty years to his country, there is zero comparison. Putin is evil. Boris... well, he's flawed. Deeply flawed. But he is not evil.
    Well it may have a hint of hyperbole about it, but I do think Boris is evil.

    The UK leaving the EU was predicated on evil lies and there are countless other examples from that macro level to micro ones which aren't so micro if you are the one on the receiving end. I know of people who have been traduced by his lies, smeared into despair and suicidal thoughts. He tramples on people for his own egomania.

    Boris Johnson is evil.
    If Boris is 'evil', then you need to have another term for the really evil people, such as Putin. Uber-evil? evil-max?

    Your last paragraph is ridiculous.
    What a silly remark. There's that guy the Godwin thing is about, and there's literally millions of small time bullies who get through a lifetime of selfishly making life mildly unpleasant for everyone in their ambit, in many cases never actually breaking any law. Both are evil, why shouldn't they be? Evil is not some sort of inverted super power confined to film baddies.
    I utterly disagree with that. If you term more and more things as 'evil' then the word loses all power and becomes redundant.

    There are deeds and people that are, IMV, 'evil'. For instance, Fred West was evil as both a person and in the deeds he did. If you start saying that anyone you dislike is 'evil', it reduces the crimes of the really bad people.

    "lifetime of selfishly making life mildly unpleasant for everyone in their ambit"

    I'd call that nasty. 'evil' is another level beyond that IMO.
  • Options
    IshmaelZIshmaelZ Posts: 21,830

    IshmaelZ said:

    Heathener said:

    Heathener said:

    The Right on here won't like this but Boris Johnson is very similar to Vladimir Putin.

    Both share the attempt to recast reality, to warp truth, to generate something from the opposite of what is actually true.

    Here's another example of classic Johnson Putinism. Knowing he is vulnerable to attacks over dirty Russian donations to the tory party, Johnson has upturned the truth to make out it's Keir Starmer who is opening the floodgates to dirty Russian money.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2022/03/19/labour-trying-open-floodgates-russian-political-donations-claims/

    Johnson is a lying shit. An unflushable turd. The nastiest piece of work to be our PM in at least a century. A Putinist.

    I'm not a Boris fan, but that's a ridiculous comparison. It's also quite a nasty one. If you look at what Putin has done over the last twenty years to his country, there is zero comparison. Putin is evil. Boris... well, he's flawed. Deeply flawed. But he is not evil.
    Well it may have a hint of hyperbole about it, but I do think Boris is evil.

    The UK leaving the EU was predicated on evil lies and there are countless other examples from that macro level to micro ones which aren't so micro if you are the one on the receiving end. I know of people who have been traduced by his lies, smeared into despair and suicidal thoughts. He tramples on people for his own egomania.

    Boris Johnson is evil.
    If Boris is 'evil', then you need to have another term for the really evil people, such as Putin. Uber-evil? evil-max?

    Your last paragraph is ridiculous.

    Heathener said:

    Heathener said:

    The Right on here won't like this but Boris Johnson is very similar to Vladimir Putin.

    Both share the attempt to recast reality, to warp truth, to generate something from the opposite of what is actually true.

    Here's another example of classic Johnson Putinism. Knowing he is vulnerable to attacks over dirty Russian donations to the tory party, Johnson has upturned the truth to make out it's Keir Starmer who is opening the floodgates to dirty Russian money.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2022/03/19/labour-trying-open-floodgates-russian-political-donations-claims/

    Johnson is a lying shit. An unflushable turd. The nastiest piece of work to be our PM in at least a century. A Putinist.

    I'm not a Boris fan, but that's a ridiculous comparison. It's also quite a nasty one. If you look at what Putin has done over the last twenty years to his country, there is zero comparison. Putin is evil. Boris... well, he's flawed. Deeply flawed. But he is not evil.
    Well it may have a hint of hyperbole about it, but I do think Boris is evil.

    The UK leaving the EU was predicated on evil lies and there are countless other examples from that macro level to micro ones which aren't so micro if you are the one on the receiving end. I know of people who have been traduced by his lies, smeared into despair and suicidal thoughts. He tramples on people for his own egomania.

    Boris Johnson is evil.
    If Boris is 'evil', then you need to have another term for the really evil people, such as Putin. Uber-evil? evil-max?

    Your last paragraph is ridiculous.
    What a silly remark. There's that guy the Godwin thing is about, and there's literally millions of small time bullies who get through a lifetime of selfishly making life mildly unpleasant for everyone in their ambit, in many cases never actually breaking any law. Both are evil, why shouldn't they be? Evil is not some sort of inverted super power confined to film baddies.
    I utterly disagree with that. If you term more and more things as 'evil' then the word loses all power and becomes redundant.

    There are deeds and people that are, IMV, 'evil'. For instance, Fred West was evil as both a person and in the deeds he did. If you start saying that anyone you dislike is 'evil', it reduces the crimes of the really bad people.

    "lifetime of selfishly making life mildly unpleasant for everyone in their ambit"

    I'd call that nasty. 'evil' is another level beyond that IMO.
    I am happy to stick with evil. Nasty is cheese and onion pringles.
  • Options
    noneoftheabovenoneoftheabove Posts: 20,842
    kjh said:

    Fishing said:

    Scott_xP said:

    Putin is evil. Boris... well, he's flawed. Deeply flawed. But he is not evil.

    The evidence for your claim is weak.
    You have a stupidly low threshold for evil then.

    Evil is bombing civilians out of their own homeland. Stop fucking debasing the word. Twat.
    We all know the real reason people on here think he's evil - he delivered the democratic wishes of the British people, then smashed Communism in this country, probably for a generation.

    And they'll never forgive him for either or both of those.
    I agree strongly with @MarqueeMark. If we equate Boris with Putin we are no different to Boris equating Brexit to Ukrainian for which we were all critical.

    However I don't get your communism point. We didn't have a communism issue and still don't and Boris hasn't done anything to solve a non existing issue. What exactly are you talking about?
    Are there even any communists on here at all? I am accused of being a lefty when my favourite politicians are the likes of Ken Clarke, Rory Stewart and Paddy Ashdown. Some people just use communist/lefty as code for anyone who voted remain and dislikes this government.
  • Options
    JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 39,061
    IshmaelZ said:

    Fishing said:

    Scott_xP said:

    Putin is evil. Boris... well, he's flawed. Deeply flawed. But he is not evil.

    The evidence for your claim is weak.
    You have a stupidly low threshold for evil then.

    Evil is bombing civilians out of their own homeland. Stop fucking debasing the word. Twat.
    We all know the real reason people on here think he's evil - he delivered the democratic wishes of the British people, then smashed Communism in this country, probably for a generation.

    And they'll never forgive him for either or both of those.
    He put Nazanin in prison for six years, and almost certainly arranged for the torture and murder of dozens of allies of this country in Afghanistan last year. Arguably that's not evil, just vain silly and lazy, like Ilse Koch. But whatever it is I don't want it governing my country. For reasons which have nothing to do with communism or brexit.
    He did not 'put Nazanin in prison for six years'. Iran did that.

    You are no different to Nick Palmer saying we should not 'poke' Russia into invading Ukraine: you are putting agency on us where we really do not have agency. Iran could - and should - have ignored Boris' remarks; instead they used them as part of their game. But Nazanin was not going to be released until Iran got what they wanted. And then there's the man they have not released...
  • Options
    TazTaz Posts: 11,294

    I like the fact that every now and then Johnson reappears with comments that highlight how totally unfit for office he is.

    He just can’t help himself

    He probably could, if he thought his MPs and voters placed morals and standards higher up their order of priorities, but they don't so he knows he can get away with it.

    The idea that the Ukraine/Brexit comparison will have any impact on his leadership is quite strange. After everything he has said and done, his fans are suddenly going to ditch him over that? Of course not.
    The Ukraine/Brexit comment will simply annoy his enemies while his supporters will gloss over it and most people won’t really be that bothered I suspect. He’s not fit for,the highest office in the land but it is hard to see a politician who is.
  • Options
    state_go_awaystate_go_away Posts: 5,422

    IshmaelZ said:

    Heathener said:

    Heathener said:

    The Right on here won't like this but Boris Johnson is very similar to Vladimir Putin.

    Both share the attempt to recast reality, to warp truth, to generate something from the opposite of what is actually true.

    Here's another example of classic Johnson Putinism. Knowing he is vulnerable to attacks over dirty Russian donations to the tory party, Johnson has upturned the truth to make out it's Keir Starmer who is opening the floodgates to dirty Russian money.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2022/03/19/labour-trying-open-floodgates-russian-political-donations-claims/

    Johnson is a lying shit. An unflushable turd. The nastiest piece of work to be our PM in at least a century. A Putinist.

    I'm not a Boris fan, but that's a ridiculous comparison. It's also quite a nasty one. If you look at what Putin has done over the last twenty years to his country, there is zero comparison. Putin is evil. Boris... well, he's flawed. Deeply flawed. But he is not evil.
    Well it may have a hint of hyperbole about it, but I do think Boris is evil.

    The UK leaving the EU was predicated on evil lies and there are countless other examples from that macro level to micro ones which aren't so micro if you are the one on the receiving end. I know of people who have been traduced by his lies, smeared into despair and suicidal thoughts. He tramples on people for his own egomania.

    Boris Johnson is evil.
    If Boris is 'evil', then you need to have another term for the really evil people, such as Putin. Uber-evil? evil-max?

    Your last paragraph is ridiculous.

    Heathener said:

    Heathener said:

    The Right on here won't like this but Boris Johnson is very similar to Vladimir Putin.

    Both share the attempt to recast reality, to warp truth, to generate something from the opposite of what is actually true.

    Here's another example of classic Johnson Putinism. Knowing he is vulnerable to attacks over dirty Russian donations to the tory party, Johnson has upturned the truth to make out it's Keir Starmer who is opening the floodgates to dirty Russian money.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2022/03/19/labour-trying-open-floodgates-russian-political-donations-claims/

    Johnson is a lying shit. An unflushable turd. The nastiest piece of work to be our PM in at least a century. A Putinist.

    I'm not a Boris fan, but that's a ridiculous comparison. It's also quite a nasty one. If you look at what Putin has done over the last twenty years to his country, there is zero comparison. Putin is evil. Boris... well, he's flawed. Deeply flawed. But he is not evil.
    Well it may have a hint of hyperbole about it, but I do think Boris is evil.

    The UK leaving the EU was predicated on evil lies and there are countless other examples from that macro level to micro ones which aren't so micro if you are the one on the receiving end. I know of people who have been traduced by his lies, smeared into despair and suicidal thoughts. He tramples on people for his own egomania.

    Boris Johnson is evil.
    If Boris is 'evil', then you need to have another term for the really evil people, such as Putin. Uber-evil? evil-max?

    Your last paragraph is ridiculous.
    What a silly remark. There's that guy the Godwin thing is about, and there's literally millions of small time bullies who get through a lifetime of selfishly making life mildly unpleasant for everyone in their ambit, in many cases never actually breaking any law. Both are evil, why shouldn't they be? Evil is not some sort of inverted super power confined to film baddies.
    I utterly disagree with that. If you term more and more things as 'evil' then the word loses all power and becomes redundant.

    There are deeds and people that are, IMV, 'evil'. For instance, Fred West was evil as both a person and in the deeds he did. If you start saying that anyone you dislike is 'evil', it reduces the crimes of the really bad people.

    "lifetime of selfishly making life mildly unpleasant for everyone in their ambit"

    I'd call that nasty. 'evil' is another level beyond that IMO.
    I always think debates to define who or what is evil or even bad are a bit juvenile and medieval even. An alien might think we are all evil for killing other animals and eating them - To an alien that might be just as evil as killing other humans. Its all in the mind and subjective and depends on circumstances. Best just be pragmatic and not categorise imo
  • Options
    JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 39,061
    IshmaelZ said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    Heathener said:

    Heathener said:

    The Right on here won't like this but Boris Johnson is very similar to Vladimir Putin.

    Both share the attempt to recast reality, to warp truth, to generate something from the opposite of what is actually true.

    Here's another example of classic Johnson Putinism. Knowing he is vulnerable to attacks over dirty Russian donations to the tory party, Johnson has upturned the truth to make out it's Keir Starmer who is opening the floodgates to dirty Russian money.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2022/03/19/labour-trying-open-floodgates-russian-political-donations-claims/

    Johnson is a lying shit. An unflushable turd. The nastiest piece of work to be our PM in at least a century. A Putinist.

    I'm not a Boris fan, but that's a ridiculous comparison. It's also quite a nasty one. If you look at what Putin has done over the last twenty years to his country, there is zero comparison. Putin is evil. Boris... well, he's flawed. Deeply flawed. But he is not evil.
    Well it may have a hint of hyperbole about it, but I do think Boris is evil.

    The UK leaving the EU was predicated on evil lies and there are countless other examples from that macro level to micro ones which aren't so micro if you are the one on the receiving end. I know of people who have been traduced by his lies, smeared into despair and suicidal thoughts. He tramples on people for his own egomania.

    Boris Johnson is evil.
    If Boris is 'evil', then you need to have another term for the really evil people, such as Putin. Uber-evil? evil-max?

    Your last paragraph is ridiculous.

    Heathener said:

    Heathener said:

    The Right on here won't like this but Boris Johnson is very similar to Vladimir Putin.

    Both share the attempt to recast reality, to warp truth, to generate something from the opposite of what is actually true.

    Here's another example of classic Johnson Putinism. Knowing he is vulnerable to attacks over dirty Russian donations to the tory party, Johnson has upturned the truth to make out it's Keir Starmer who is opening the floodgates to dirty Russian money.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2022/03/19/labour-trying-open-floodgates-russian-political-donations-claims/

    Johnson is a lying shit. An unflushable turd. The nastiest piece of work to be our PM in at least a century. A Putinist.

    I'm not a Boris fan, but that's a ridiculous comparison. It's also quite a nasty one. If you look at what Putin has done over the last twenty years to his country, there is zero comparison. Putin is evil. Boris... well, he's flawed. Deeply flawed. But he is not evil.
    Well it may have a hint of hyperbole about it, but I do think Boris is evil.

    The UK leaving the EU was predicated on evil lies and there are countless other examples from that macro level to micro ones which aren't so micro if you are the one on the receiving end. I know of people who have been traduced by his lies, smeared into despair and suicidal thoughts. He tramples on people for his own egomania.

    Boris Johnson is evil.
    If Boris is 'evil', then you need to have another term for the really evil people, such as Putin. Uber-evil? evil-max?

    Your last paragraph is ridiculous.
    What a silly remark. There's that guy the Godwin thing is about, and there's literally millions of small time bullies who get through a lifetime of selfishly making life mildly unpleasant for everyone in their ambit, in many cases never actually breaking any law. Both are evil, why shouldn't they be? Evil is not some sort of inverted super power confined to film baddies.
    I utterly disagree with that. If you term more and more things as 'evil' then the word loses all power and becomes redundant.

    There are deeds and people that are, IMV, 'evil'. For instance, Fred West was evil as both a person and in the deeds he did. If you start saying that anyone you dislike is 'evil', it reduces the crimes of the really bad people.

    "lifetime of selfishly making life mildly unpleasant for everyone in their ambit"

    I'd call that nasty. 'evil' is another level beyond that IMO.
    I am happy to stick with evil. Nasty is cheese and onion pringles.
    Then you are a very black-and-white person. Which to be fair, is the way you often post.
  • Options
    MattWMattW Posts: 18,701
    On the No-Fly zone, here's an excellent reality check vid from Military Aviation History as to why it is currently a rather nutty idea, from a practicality point of view.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hob1nbP_UKM

    One problem is that the most heavily contested areas of Ukraine eg Mariupol are many hundreds of km from Nato territory.

    We are not used to NFZ's against near peer enemies, and we do not appreciate the distances.

    Flying cover over Mariupol, for example, from Poland (and we only have access to NATO countries at the Western end of Ukr) is around the same distance as flying air cover over Rome from bases near London.

    Apart from the vulnerable air tankers etc we would be flying over Ukraine, it's not even clear that we have the assets to do it.
  • Options
    state_go_awaystate_go_away Posts: 5,422
    ydoethur said:

    Foxy said:

    Heathener said:

    Two other related markets I'm keeping an eye on are inflation and interest rates.

    Smarkets currently have odds on CPI inflation hitting 7.5% by July. The odds on this don't really attract me.

    I'm looking to see if I can get odds on 10% CPI by end of the year. That's more controversial but there's a hell of a lot of surge upstream. Double-digit inflation would really be a meme changer I suspect. I think you have to go back to 1981 for the last time?

    https://smarkets.com/event/42611472/current-affairs/uk-economy/uk-inflation-to-hit-7-5-by-july

    The Express had a 9.5% guesstimate on its front page a couple of weeks ago.

    Music was great in the 70s. The economy? Not so much.
    The fuel crisis of 1973 and the one following the Iranian revolution of 1979 were both pretty brutal economically. Those of us old enough to remember what real inflation was like are not keen to see it return.

    It isn't a straight repeat though. We have far less of a manufacturing economy, we have very weak private sector Trade Unions, a much older population, and we have no politicians who support living within our means. It is quite a different cocktail.

    Despite inflation, war, the worst consumer confidence for decades, visible stagflation, China in lockdown etc my equity portfolio is up quite a bit this week. Quite what I should do with it is unclear. The 1973 fuel crisis led to a severe bear market. Are we there again? The 1979 one led to a very long bull market.
    I hold some Quilter shares in my portfolio . Its been interesting to see they have gone up (more than others) in recent weeks . As they are financial advisors , i wonder if more people are engaging financial advisors to combat inflation. I am certianly scratching my head to protect my portfolio and hence most of my pension
    Also a good moment to be a financial adviser in light of McCloud. Lots of nifty footwork is about to happen in members of the public sector pension schemes to lock in final salary benefits. (The judgement doesn’t apply to me incidentally as I wasn’t in a PSPS before the cut-off date.)
    yes as a fellow late joiner to a defined benefit scheme I am more relaxed in a weird way that i dont have to go through all that !
  • Options
    FoxyFoxy Posts: 44,793

    Foxy said:

    Heathener said:

    Two other related markets I'm keeping an eye on are inflation and interest rates.

    Smarkets currently have odds on CPI inflation hitting 7.5% by July. The odds on this don't really attract me.

    I'm looking to see if I can get odds on 10% CPI by end of the year. That's more controversial but there's a hell of a lot of surge upstream. Double-digit inflation would really be a meme changer I suspect. I think you have to go back to 1981 for the last time?

    https://smarkets.com/event/42611472/current-affairs/uk-economy/uk-inflation-to-hit-7-5-by-july

    The Express had a 9.5% guesstimate on its front page a couple of weeks ago.

    Music was great in the 70s. The economy? Not so much.
    The fuel crisis of 1973 and the one following the Iranian revolution of 1979 were both pretty brutal economically. Those of us old enough to remember what real inflation was like are not keen to see it return.

    It isn't a straight repeat though. We have far less of a manufacturing economy, we have very weak private sector Trade Unions, a much older population, and we have no politicians who support living within our means. It is quite a different cocktail.

    Despite inflation, war, the worst consumer confidence for decades, visible stagflation, China in lockdown etc my equity portfolio is up quite a bit this week. Quite what I should do with it is unclear. The 1973 fuel crisis led to a severe bear market. Are we there again? The 1979 one led to a very long bull market.
    "and we have no politicians who support living within our means."

    Yet when they try to ;live within our means', you would be the first to shout 'austerity'.

    'Living within our means' unfortunately means cuts: even with hefty tax rises. Covid and energy prices will see to that.
    If you have followed my postings over the last decade you would have noticed that I have always supported balanced budgets and sound money. I have consistently opposed a structural deficit, and living beyond our means.

    You seem to have me confused with some other poster.
  • Options
    SouthamObserverSouthamObserver Posts: 38,966

    I like the fact that every now and then Johnson reappears with comments that highlight how totally unfit for office he is.

    He just can’t help himself

    He probably could, if he thought his MPs and voters placed morals and standards higher up their order of priorities, but they don't so he knows he can get away with it.

    The idea that the Ukraine/Brexit comparison will have any impact on his leadership is quite strange. After everything he has said and done, his fans are suddenly going to ditch him over that? Of course not.

    Johnson has fewer fans than he used to, though. My guess is that speeches like the one he made yesterday make tactical voting against the Tories much more likely.

  • Options
    kjhkjh Posts: 10,670
    kjh said:

    Fishing said:

    Scott_xP said:

    Putin is evil. Boris... well, he's flawed. Deeply flawed. But he is not evil.

    The evidence for your claim is weak.
    You have a stupidly low threshold for evil then.

    Evil is bombing civilians out of their own homeland. Stop fucking debasing the word. Twat.
    We all know the real reason people on here think he's evil - he delivered the democratic wishes of the British people, then smashed Communism in this country, probably for a generation.

    And they'll never forgive him for either or both of those.
    I agree strongly with @MarqueeMark. If we equate Boris with Putin we are no different to Boris equating Brexit to Ukrainian for which we were all critical.

    However I don't get your communism point. We didn't have a communism issue and still don't and Boris hasn't done anything to solve a non existing issue. What exactly are you talking about?
    Just dawned on me, are you talking about Corbyn. Don't think Boris sorted that. Think Corbyn did that himself. As many have commented, what a choice we had, Boris or Corbyn. I think most feel that Boris's best ally was Corbyn. I would also put much of the (many) failures of Remain on Corbyn who was (intentionally) useless.
  • Options
    noneoftheabovenoneoftheabove Posts: 20,842
    Taz said:

    I like the fact that every now and then Johnson reappears with comments that highlight how totally unfit for office he is.

    He just can’t help himself

    He probably could, if he thought his MPs and voters placed morals and standards higher up their order of priorities, but they don't so he knows he can get away with it.

    The idea that the Ukraine/Brexit comparison will have any impact on his leadership is quite strange. After everything he has said and done, his fans are suddenly going to ditch him over that? Of course not.
    The Ukraine/Brexit comment will simply annoy his enemies while his supporters will gloss over it and most people won’t really be that bothered I suspect. He’s not fit for,the highest office in the land but it is hard to see a politician who is.
    The "they are all like that" is a great shield for Boris. It is of course untrue, as with the discussion on evil, there are shades of incompetent and corrupt, and they are not all as bad as our PM.
  • Options
    ThomasNasheThomasNashe Posts: 5,008

    Heathener said:

    The Right on here won't like this but Boris Johnson is very similar to Vladimir Putin.

    Both share the attempt to recast reality, to warp truth, to generate something from the opposite of what is actually true.

    Here's another example of classic Johnson Putinism. Knowing he is vulnerable to attacks over dirty Russian donations to the tory party, Johnson has upturned the truth to make out it's Keir Starmer who is opening the floodgates to dirty Russian money.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2022/03/19/labour-trying-open-floodgates-russian-political-donations-claims/

    Johnson is a lying shit. An unflushable turd. The nastiest piece of work to be our PM in at least a century. A Putinist.

    I'm not a Boris fan, but that's a ridiculous comparison. It's also quite a nasty one. If you look at what Putin has done over the last twenty years to his country, there is zero comparison. Putin is evil. Boris... well, he's flawed. Deeply flawed. But he is not evil.

    (And starting off a post with terms like 'The Right on here won't like it...' is also a bad idea, as you are already framing the reaction to your post. "Of course, you say that, you're on the Right!')
    I’m on the left, and I also think it’s total bollox for pretty much the reasons you state.
  • Options
    DecrepiterJohnLDecrepiterJohnL Posts: 24,514

    Foxy said:

    Heathener said:

    Two other related markets I'm keeping an eye on are inflation and interest rates.

    Smarkets currently have odds on CPI inflation hitting 7.5% by July. The odds on this don't really attract me.

    I'm looking to see if I can get odds on 10% CPI by end of the year. That's more controversial but there's a hell of a lot of surge upstream. Double-digit inflation would really be a meme changer I suspect. I think you have to go back to 1981 for the last time?

    https://smarkets.com/event/42611472/current-affairs/uk-economy/uk-inflation-to-hit-7-5-by-july

    The Express had a 9.5% guesstimate on its front page a couple of weeks ago.

    Music was great in the 70s. The economy? Not so much.
    The fuel crisis of 1973 and the one following the Iranian revolution of 1979 were both pretty brutal economically. Those of us old enough to remember what real inflation was like are not keen to see it return.

    It isn't a straight repeat though. We have far less of a manufacturing economy, we have very weak private sector Trade Unions, a much older population, and we have no politicians who support living within our means. It is quite a different cocktail.

    Despite inflation, war, the worst consumer confidence for decades, visible stagflation, China in lockdown etc my equity portfolio is up quite a bit this week. Quite what I should do with it is unclear. The 1973 fuel crisis led to a severe bear market. Are we there again? The 1979 one led to a very long bull market.
    "and we have no politicians who support living within our means."

    Yet when they try to ;live within our means', you would be the first to shout 'austerity'.

    'Living within our means' unfortunately means cuts: even with hefty tax rises. Covid and energy prices will see to that.
    Economic growth ruled out again? Growth is the natural state of the economy and it is easier to "live within our means" if we have more "means".
  • Options
    JohnLilburneJohnLilburne Posts: 6,016

    ydoethur said:

    Foxy said:

    Heathener said:

    Two other related markets I'm keeping an eye on are inflation and interest rates.

    Smarkets currently have odds on CPI inflation hitting 7.5% by July. The odds on this don't really attract me.

    I'm looking to see if I can get odds on 10% CPI by end of the year. That's more controversial but there's a hell of a lot of surge upstream. Double-digit inflation would really be a meme changer I suspect. I think you have to go back to 1981 for the last time?

    https://smarkets.com/event/42611472/current-affairs/uk-economy/uk-inflation-to-hit-7-5-by-july

    The Express had a 9.5% guesstimate on its front page a couple of weeks ago.

    Music was great in the 70s. The economy? Not so much.
    The fuel crisis of 1973 and the one following the Iranian revolution of 1979 were both pretty brutal economically. Those of us old enough to remember what real inflation was like are not keen to see it return.

    It isn't a straight repeat though. We have far less of a manufacturing economy, we have very weak private sector Trade Unions, a much older population, and we have no politicians who support living within our means. It is quite a different cocktail.

    Despite inflation, war, the worst consumer confidence for decades, visible stagflation, China in lockdown etc my equity portfolio is up quite a bit this week. Quite what I should do with it is unclear. The 1973 fuel crisis led to a severe bear market. Are we there again? The 1979 one led to a very long bull market.
    I hold some Quilter shares in my portfolio . Its been interesting to see they have gone up (more than others) in recent weeks . As they are financial advisors , i wonder if more people are engaging financial advisors to combat inflation. I am certianly scratching my head to protect my portfolio and hence most of my pension
    Also a good moment to be a financial adviser in light of McCloud. Lots of nifty footwork is about to happen in members of the public sector pension schemes to lock in final salary benefits. (The judgement doesn’t apply to me incidentally as I wasn’t in a PSPS before the cut-off date.)
    yes as a fellow late joiner to a defined benefit scheme I am more relaxed in a weird way that i dont have to go through all that !
    I am just covered by McCloud but it looks like I will just get to choose between Alpha and Nuvos for the period up to this month. What I don't understand though is the potential effect of the failure to review contributions - I have heard that members have effectively been over-contributing but haven't heard what, if anything, will be done about it.
  • Options
    NigelbNigelb Posts: 62,792
    Delivering on the promises of Brexit was at the top of the list. “If you don’t think that’s a priority you shouldn’t be here,” Canzini said.…

    If every again a PB Tory bores on about ‘remoaners obsessed with Brexit’, they can fuck right off.
  • Options
    TazTaz Posts: 11,294

    Taz said:

    I like the fact that every now and then Johnson reappears with comments that highlight how totally unfit for office he is.

    He just can’t help himself

    He probably could, if he thought his MPs and voters placed morals and standards higher up their order of priorities, but they don't so he knows he can get away with it.

    The idea that the Ukraine/Brexit comparison will have any impact on his leadership is quite strange. After everything he has said and done, his fans are suddenly going to ditch him over that? Of course not.
    The Ukraine/Brexit comment will simply annoy his enemies while his supporters will gloss over it and most people won’t really be that bothered I suspect. He’s not fit for,the highest office in the land but it is hard to see a politician who is.
    The "they are all like that" is a great shield for Boris. It is of course untrue, as with the discussion on evil, there are shades of incompetent and corrupt, and they are not all as bad as our PM.
    Of course not all politicians are like Johnson, I am not saying they are. My local MP is excellent. I wouldn’t mark him down as PM material,either. I just cannot see anyone who is natural PM material.
  • Options
    JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 39,061

    Foxy said:

    Heathener said:

    Two other related markets I'm keeping an eye on are inflation and interest rates.

    Smarkets currently have odds on CPI inflation hitting 7.5% by July. The odds on this don't really attract me.

    I'm looking to see if I can get odds on 10% CPI by end of the year. That's more controversial but there's a hell of a lot of surge upstream. Double-digit inflation would really be a meme changer I suspect. I think you have to go back to 1981 for the last time?

    https://smarkets.com/event/42611472/current-affairs/uk-economy/uk-inflation-to-hit-7-5-by-july

    The Express had a 9.5% guesstimate on its front page a couple of weeks ago.

    Music was great in the 70s. The economy? Not so much.
    The fuel crisis of 1973 and the one following the Iranian revolution of 1979 were both pretty brutal economically. Those of us old enough to remember what real inflation was like are not keen to see it return.

    It isn't a straight repeat though. We have far less of a manufacturing economy, we have very weak private sector Trade Unions, a much older population, and we have no politicians who support living within our means. It is quite a different cocktail.

    Despite inflation, war, the worst consumer confidence for decades, visible stagflation, China in lockdown etc my equity portfolio is up quite a bit this week. Quite what I should do with it is unclear. The 1973 fuel crisis led to a severe bear market. Are we there again? The 1979 one led to a very long bull market.
    "and we have no politicians who support living within our means."

    Yet when they try to ;live within our means', you would be the first to shout 'austerity'.

    'Living within our means' unfortunately means cuts: even with hefty tax rises. Covid and energy prices will see to that.
    Economic growth ruled out again? Growth is the natural state of the economy and it is easier to "live within our means" if we have more "means".
    We won't get economic growth at the levels we need. Although good growth may help.
  • Options
    JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 39,061
    Foxy said:

    Foxy said:

    Heathener said:

    Two other related markets I'm keeping an eye on are inflation and interest rates.

    Smarkets currently have odds on CPI inflation hitting 7.5% by July. The odds on this don't really attract me.

    I'm looking to see if I can get odds on 10% CPI by end of the year. That's more controversial but there's a hell of a lot of surge upstream. Double-digit inflation would really be a meme changer I suspect. I think you have to go back to 1981 for the last time?

    https://smarkets.com/event/42611472/current-affairs/uk-economy/uk-inflation-to-hit-7-5-by-july

    The Express had a 9.5% guesstimate on its front page a couple of weeks ago.

    Music was great in the 70s. The economy? Not so much.
    The fuel crisis of 1973 and the one following the Iranian revolution of 1979 were both pretty brutal economically. Those of us old enough to remember what real inflation was like are not keen to see it return.

    It isn't a straight repeat though. We have far less of a manufacturing economy, we have very weak private sector Trade Unions, a much older population, and we have no politicians who support living within our means. It is quite a different cocktail.

    Despite inflation, war, the worst consumer confidence for decades, visible stagflation, China in lockdown etc my equity portfolio is up quite a bit this week. Quite what I should do with it is unclear. The 1973 fuel crisis led to a severe bear market. Are we there again? The 1979 one led to a very long bull market.
    "and we have no politicians who support living within our means."

    Yet when they try to ;live within our means', you would be the first to shout 'austerity'.

    'Living within our means' unfortunately means cuts: even with hefty tax rises. Covid and energy prices will see to that.
    If you have followed my postings over the last decade you would have noticed that I have always supported balanced budgets and sound money. I have consistently opposed a structural deficit, and living beyond our means.

    You seem to have me confused with some other poster.
    Fair enough, apols.
  • Options
    IshmaelZIshmaelZ Posts: 21,830

    Heathener said:

    The Right on here won't like this but Boris Johnson is very similar to Vladimir Putin.

    Both share the attempt to recast reality, to warp truth, to generate something from the opposite of what is actually true.

    Here's another example of classic Johnson Putinism. Knowing he is vulnerable to attacks over dirty Russian donations to the tory party, Johnson has upturned the truth to make out it's Keir Starmer who is opening the floodgates to dirty Russian money.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2022/03/19/labour-trying-open-floodgates-russian-political-donations-claims/

    Johnson is a lying shit. An unflushable turd. The nastiest piece of work to be our PM in at least a century. A Putinist.

    I'm not a Boris fan, but that's a ridiculous comparison. It's also quite a nasty one. If you look at what Putin has done over the last twenty years to his country, there is zero comparison. Putin is evil. Boris... well, he's flawed. Deeply flawed. But he is not evil.

    (And starting off a post with terms like 'The Right on here won't like it...' is also a bad idea, as you are already framing the reaction to your post. "Of course, you say that, you're on the Right!')
    I’m on the left, and I also think it’s total bollox for pretty much the reasons you state.
    Well, you are just wrong. There are degrees of things. Jaffa cakes are nice. Dom Perignon 2012 is nice.
  • Options
    NigelbNigelb Posts: 62,792
    claims Mariupol women and children forcibly sent to Russia

    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/20/ukraine-crisis-claims-mariupol-women-and-children-forcibly-sent-to-russia
    Authorities in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol have said Russian troops have forcibly deported several thousand residents to Russia, as reports emerged that Russian forces bombed an art school in the city where 400 people were taking shelter.

    “Over the past week, several thousand Mariupol residents were deported on to the Russian territory,” the city council said in a statement on its Telegram channel late on Saturday.

    “The occupiers illegally took people from the Livoberezhniy district and from the shelter in the sports club building, where more than a thousand people (mostly women and children) were hiding from the constant bombing.”…
  • Options
    state_go_awaystate_go_away Posts: 5,422

    ydoethur said:

    Foxy said:

    Heathener said:

    Two other related markets I'm keeping an eye on are inflation and interest rates.

    Smarkets currently have odds on CPI inflation hitting 7.5% by July. The odds on this don't really attract me.

    I'm looking to see if I can get odds on 10% CPI by end of the year. That's more controversial but there's a hell of a lot of surge upstream. Double-digit inflation would really be a meme changer I suspect. I think you have to go back to 1981 for the last time?

    https://smarkets.com/event/42611472/current-affairs/uk-economy/uk-inflation-to-hit-7-5-by-july

    The Express had a 9.5% guesstimate on its front page a couple of weeks ago.

    Music was great in the 70s. The economy? Not so much.
    The fuel crisis of 1973 and the one following the Iranian revolution of 1979 were both pretty brutal economically. Those of us old enough to remember what real inflation was like are not keen to see it return.

    It isn't a straight repeat though. We have far less of a manufacturing economy, we have very weak private sector Trade Unions, a much older population, and we have no politicians who support living within our means. It is quite a different cocktail.

    Despite inflation, war, the worst consumer confidence for decades, visible stagflation, China in lockdown etc my equity portfolio is up quite a bit this week. Quite what I should do with it is unclear. The 1973 fuel crisis led to a severe bear market. Are we there again? The 1979 one led to a very long bull market.
    I hold some Quilter shares in my portfolio . Its been interesting to see they have gone up (more than others) in recent weeks . As they are financial advisors , i wonder if more people are engaging financial advisors to combat inflation. I am certianly scratching my head to protect my portfolio and hence most of my pension
    Also a good moment to be a financial adviser in light of McCloud. Lots of nifty footwork is about to happen in members of the public sector pension schemes to lock in final salary benefits. (The judgement doesn’t apply to me incidentally as I wasn’t in a PSPS before the cut-off date.)
    yes as a fellow late joiner to a defined benefit scheme I am more relaxed in a weird way that i dont have to go through all that !
    I am just covered by McCloud but it looks like I will just get to choose between Alpha and Nuvos for the period up to this month. What I don't understand though is the potential effect of the failure to review contributions - I have heard that members have effectively been over-contributing but haven't heard what, if anything, will be done about it.
    if you are in the civil service then I think they are running at the moment Teams courses by CSP to clarify things - book your self on one I woudl advise
  • Options
    ThomasNasheThomasNashe Posts: 5,008

    IshmaelZ said:

    Heathener said:

    Heathener said:

    The Right on here won't like this but Boris Johnson is very similar to Vladimir Putin.

    Both share the attempt to recast reality, to warp truth, to generate something from the opposite of what is actually true.

    Here's another example of classic Johnson Putinism. Knowing he is vulnerable to attacks over dirty Russian donations to the tory party, Johnson has upturned the truth to make out it's Keir Starmer who is opening the floodgates to dirty Russian money.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2022/03/19/labour-trying-open-floodgates-russian-political-donations-claims/

    Johnson is a lying shit. An unflushable turd. The nastiest piece of work to be our PM in at least a century. A Putinist.

    I'm not a Boris fan, but that's a ridiculous comparison. It's also quite a nasty one. If you look at what Putin has done over the last twenty years to his country, there is zero comparison. Putin is evil. Boris... well, he's flawed. Deeply flawed. But he is not evil.
    Well it may have a hint of hyperbole about it, but I do think Boris is evil.

    The UK leaving the EU was predicated on evil lies and there are countless other examples from that macro level to micro ones which aren't so micro if you are the one on the receiving end. I know of people who have been traduced by his lies, smeared into despair and suicidal thoughts. He tramples on people for his own egomania.

    Boris Johnson is evil.
    If Boris is 'evil', then you need to have another term for the really evil people, such as Putin. Uber-evil? evil-max?

    Your last paragraph is ridiculous.

    Heathener said:

    Heathener said:

    The Right on here won't like this but Boris Johnson is very similar to Vladimir Putin.

    Both share the attempt to recast reality, to warp truth, to generate something from the opposite of what is actually true.

    Here's another example of classic Johnson Putinism. Knowing he is vulnerable to attacks over dirty Russian donations to the tory party, Johnson has upturned the truth to make out it's Keir Starmer who is opening the floodgates to dirty Russian money.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2022/03/19/labour-trying-open-floodgates-russian-political-donations-claims/

    Johnson is a lying shit. An unflushable turd. The nastiest piece of work to be our PM in at least a century. A Putinist.

    I'm not a Boris fan, but that's a ridiculous comparison. It's also quite a nasty one. If you look at what Putin has done over the last twenty years to his country, there is zero comparison. Putin is evil. Boris... well, he's flawed. Deeply flawed. But he is not evil.
    Well it may have a hint of hyperbole about it, but I do think Boris is evil.

    The UK leaving the EU was predicated on evil lies and there are countless other examples from that macro level to micro ones which aren't so micro if you are the one on the receiving end. I know of people who have been traduced by his lies, smeared into despair and suicidal thoughts. He tramples on people for his own egomania.

    Boris Johnson is evil.
    If Boris is 'evil', then you need to have another term for the really evil people, such as Putin. Uber-evil? evil-max?

    Your last paragraph is ridiculous.
    What a silly remark. There's that guy the Godwin thing is about, and there's literally millions of small time bullies who get through a lifetime of selfishly making life mildly unpleasant for everyone in their ambit, in many cases never actually breaking any law. Both are evil, why shouldn't they be? Evil is not some sort of inverted super power confined to film baddies.
    I utterly disagree with that. If you term more and more things as 'evil' then the word loses all power and becomes redundant.

    There are deeds and people that are, IMV, 'evil'. For instance, Fred West was evil as both a person and in the deeds he did. If you start saying that anyone you dislike is 'evil', it reduces the crimes of the really bad people.

    "lifetime of selfishly making life mildly unpleasant for everyone in their ambit"

    I'd call that nasty. 'evil' is another level beyond that IMO.
    I think it was said of F.R.Leavis that he’d so exhausted his stock of vituperative language on his academic rivals that he simply had no words left to describe Stalin.
  • Options
    FoxyFoxy Posts: 44,793

    kjh said:

    Fishing said:

    Scott_xP said:

    Putin is evil. Boris... well, he's flawed. Deeply flawed. But he is not evil.

    The evidence for your claim is weak.
    You have a stupidly low threshold for evil then.

    Evil is bombing civilians out of their own homeland. Stop fucking debasing the word. Twat.
    We all know the real reason people on here think he's evil - he delivered the democratic wishes of the British people, then smashed Communism in this country, probably for a generation.

    And they'll never forgive him for either or both of those.
    I agree strongly with @MarqueeMark. If we equate Boris with Putin we are no different to Boris equating Brexit to Ukrainian for which we were all critical.

    However I don't get your communism point. We didn't have a communism issue and still don't and Boris hasn't done anything to solve a non existing issue. What exactly are you talking about?
    Are there even any communists on here at all? I am accused of being a lefty when my favourite politicians are the likes of Ken Clarke, Rory Stewart and Paddy Ashdown. Some people just use communist/lefty as code for anyone who voted remain and dislikes this government.
    I don't think there are any Communists left really, including on here, though @NickPalmer is quite open about his youthful euro-communism.

    There are a variety of leftists in the world, and some who are more radical than the Communists. The left is a buffet of different and often incompatable ideas.
  • Options
    CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 59,787

    . What should worry any intelligent Tory - if there are any left

    That’ll win ‘em over!

    Keep it up.
  • Options
    DecrepiterJohnLDecrepiterJohnL Posts: 24,514

    Heathener said:

    The Right on here won't like this but Boris Johnson is very similar to Vladimir Putin.

    Both share the attempt to recast reality, to warp truth, to generate something from the opposite of what is actually true.

    Here's another example of classic Johnson Putinism. Knowing he is vulnerable to attacks over dirty Russian donations to the tory party, Johnson has upturned the truth to make out it's Keir Starmer who is opening the floodgates to dirty Russian money.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2022/03/19/labour-trying-open-floodgates-russian-political-donations-claims/

    Johnson is a lying shit. An unflushable turd. The nastiest piece of work to be our PM in at least a century. A Putinist.

    I'm not a Boris fan, but that's a ridiculous comparison. It's also quite a nasty one. If you look at what Putin has done over the last twenty years to his country, there is zero comparison. Putin is evil. Boris... well, he's flawed. Deeply flawed. But he is not evil.

    (And starting off a post with terms like 'The Right on here won't like it...' is also a bad idea, as you are already framing the reaction to your post. "Of course, you say that, you're on the Right!')
    I’m on the left, and I also think it’s total bollox for pretty much the reasons you state.
    It is also counter-productive because it allows Boris's defenders to ignore the original charge, which was that Boris is "recasting reality" and "upturning the truth" to divert from his own culpability by claiming it is Labour that will open the floodgates to Russian donations.
    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2022/03/19/labour-trying-open-floodgates-russian-political-donations-claims/ (£££)
  • Options
    Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 33,143
    Nigelb said:

    Delivering on the promises of Brexit was at the top of the list. “If you don’t think that’s a priority you shouldn’t be here,” Canzini said.…

    If every again a PB Tory bores on about ‘remoaners obsessed with Brexit’, they can fuck right off.

    The irony of that comment is that they haven't delivered on the "promise" of Brexit at all

    They are delivering the reality of Brexit, a never ending shitshow
  • Options
    IshmaelZIshmaelZ Posts: 21,830

    IshmaelZ said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    Heathener said:

    Heathener said:

    The Right on here won't like this but Boris Johnson is very similar to Vladimir Putin.

    Both share the attempt to recast reality, to warp truth, to generate something from the opposite of what is actually true.

    Here's another example of classic Johnson Putinism. Knowing he is vulnerable to attacks over dirty Russian donations to the tory party, Johnson has upturned the truth to make out it's Keir Starmer who is opening the floodgates to dirty Russian money.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2022/03/19/labour-trying-open-floodgates-russian-political-donations-claims/

    Johnson is a lying shit. An unflushable turd. The nastiest piece of work to be our PM in at least a century. A Putinist.

    I'm not a Boris fan, but that's a ridiculous comparison. It's also quite a nasty one. If you look at what Putin has done over the last twenty years to his country, there is zero comparison. Putin is evil. Boris... well, he's flawed. Deeply flawed. But he is not evil.
    Well it may have a hint of hyperbole about it, but I do think Boris is evil.

    The UK leaving the EU was predicated on evil lies and there are countless other examples from that macro level to micro ones which aren't so micro if you are the one on the receiving end. I know of people who have been traduced by his lies, smeared into despair and suicidal thoughts. He tramples on people for his own egomania.

    Boris Johnson is evil.
    If Boris is 'evil', then you need to have another term for the really evil people, such as Putin. Uber-evil? evil-max?

    Your last paragraph is ridiculous.

    Heathener said:

    Heathener said:

    The Right on here won't like this but Boris Johnson is very similar to Vladimir Putin.

    Both share the attempt to recast reality, to warp truth, to generate something from the opposite of what is actually true.

    Here's another example of classic Johnson Putinism. Knowing he is vulnerable to attacks over dirty Russian donations to the tory party, Johnson has upturned the truth to make out it's Keir Starmer who is opening the floodgates to dirty Russian money.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2022/03/19/labour-trying-open-floodgates-russian-political-donations-claims/

    Johnson is a lying shit. An unflushable turd. The nastiest piece of work to be our PM in at least a century. A Putinist.

    I'm not a Boris fan, but that's a ridiculous comparison. It's also quite a nasty one. If you look at what Putin has done over the last twenty years to his country, there is zero comparison. Putin is evil. Boris... well, he's flawed. Deeply flawed. But he is not evil.
    Well it may have a hint of hyperbole about it, but I do think Boris is evil.

    The UK leaving the EU was predicated on evil lies and there are countless other examples from that macro level to micro ones which aren't so micro if you are the one on the receiving end. I know of people who have been traduced by his lies, smeared into despair and suicidal thoughts. He tramples on people for his own egomania.

    Boris Johnson is evil.
    If Boris is 'evil', then you need to have another term for the really evil people, such as Putin. Uber-evil? evil-max?

    Your last paragraph is ridiculous.
    What a silly remark. There's that guy the Godwin thing is about, and there's literally millions of small time bullies who get through a lifetime of selfishly making life mildly unpleasant for everyone in their ambit, in many cases never actually breaking any law. Both are evil, why shouldn't they be? Evil is not some sort of inverted super power confined to film baddies.
    I utterly disagree with that. If you term more and more things as 'evil' then the word loses all power and becomes redundant.

    There are deeds and people that are, IMV, 'evil'. For instance, Fred West was evil as both a person and in the deeds he did. If you start saying that anyone you dislike is 'evil', it reduces the crimes of the really bad people.

    "lifetime of selfishly making life mildly unpleasant for everyone in their ambit"

    I'd call that nasty. 'evil' is another level beyond that IMO.
    I am happy to stick with evil. Nasty is cheese and onion pringles.
    Then you are a very black-and-white person. Which to be fair, is the way you often post.
    Shit, logic circuits seem to be down in many areas this morning. I am arguing that there are different degrees of evil. That is plainly a shades of grey position and the opposite of a black and white position
  • Options
    Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 33,143
    The context for Boris Johnson's comments today is a significant decline in his electoral appeal among Leave voters: the Conservative share of the Leave vote has fallen from 74% in December 2019 to 54%, a far sharper fall than among Conservative Remainers.

    https://ukandeu.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/UKICE-British-Politics-after-Brexit.pdf https://twitter.com/DrAlanWager/status/1505279491526074372/photo/1
  • Options
    NigelbNigelb Posts: 62,792
    Donetsk separatists used as cannon fodder, and worse.

    https://twitter.com/EuromaidanPress/status/1505443286353391617
    Russian handlers of the occupied part of Donetsk Oblast announced another wave of mobilization among locals, raising the mobilization age to 65 years. - Gen.Staff.
    Ukraine's Main Directorate of Intelligence says that Russian units formed from mobilized Donbas locals have extremely low combat training, discipline, morale. PoWs from such units say that the Russians use them as "live bait" - an advanced echelon of reconnaissance by combat.
    "On March 16-17, one of such subunits comprising 250-300 "mobilized" Donbas locals lost about 200 troops on the Mykolaiv axis, according to Ukraine's intel.
  • Options
    MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 50,137
    Heathener said:

    Scott_xP said:

    Putin is evil. Boris... well, he's flawed. Deeply flawed. But he is not evil.

    The evidence for your claim is weak.
    You have a stupidly low threshold for evil then.

    Evil is bombing civilians out of their own homeland. Stop fucking debasing the word. Twat.
    Taz, that's an example of exactly what I mean about the bear pit. Marquee Mark: the Mr Obnoxious of pb.com

    Have a g'day everyone. Even you, MM. See, it's called magnanimity. Try it. You'll improve your character.
    Hey, I'm not the one who said "some people will survive after a nuclear war". You know, the one you want to embrace by calling for a NFZ over Ukraine.

    If you want obnoxious....
  • Options
    JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 39,061
    IshmaelZ said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    Heathener said:

    Heathener said:

    The Right on here won't like this but Boris Johnson is very similar to Vladimir Putin.

    Both share the attempt to recast reality, to warp truth, to generate something from the opposite of what is actually true.

    Here's another example of classic Johnson Putinism. Knowing he is vulnerable to attacks over dirty Russian donations to the tory party, Johnson has upturned the truth to make out it's Keir Starmer who is opening the floodgates to dirty Russian money.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2022/03/19/labour-trying-open-floodgates-russian-political-donations-claims/

    Johnson is a lying shit. An unflushable turd. The nastiest piece of work to be our PM in at least a century. A Putinist.

    I'm not a Boris fan, but that's a ridiculous comparison. It's also quite a nasty one. If you look at what Putin has done over the last twenty years to his country, there is zero comparison. Putin is evil. Boris... well, he's flawed. Deeply flawed. But he is not evil.
    Well it may have a hint of hyperbole about it, but I do think Boris is evil.

    The UK leaving the EU was predicated on evil lies and there are countless other examples from that macro level to micro ones which aren't so micro if you are the one on the receiving end. I know of people who have been traduced by his lies, smeared into despair and suicidal thoughts. He tramples on people for his own egomania.

    Boris Johnson is evil.
    If Boris is 'evil', then you need to have another term for the really evil people, such as Putin. Uber-evil? evil-max?

    Your last paragraph is ridiculous.

    Heathener said:

    Heathener said:

    The Right on here won't like this but Boris Johnson is very similar to Vladimir Putin.

    Both share the attempt to recast reality, to warp truth, to generate something from the opposite of what is actually true.

    Here's another example of classic Johnson Putinism. Knowing he is vulnerable to attacks over dirty Russian donations to the tory party, Johnson has upturned the truth to make out it's Keir Starmer who is opening the floodgates to dirty Russian money.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2022/03/19/labour-trying-open-floodgates-russian-political-donations-claims/

    Johnson is a lying shit. An unflushable turd. The nastiest piece of work to be our PM in at least a century. A Putinist.

    I'm not a Boris fan, but that's a ridiculous comparison. It's also quite a nasty one. If you look at what Putin has done over the last twenty years to his country, there is zero comparison. Putin is evil. Boris... well, he's flawed. Deeply flawed. But he is not evil.
    Well it may have a hint of hyperbole about it, but I do think Boris is evil.

    The UK leaving the EU was predicated on evil lies and there are countless other examples from that macro level to micro ones which aren't so micro if you are the one on the receiving end. I know of people who have been traduced by his lies, smeared into despair and suicidal thoughts. He tramples on people for his own egomania.

    Boris Johnson is evil.
    If Boris is 'evil', then you need to have another term for the really evil people, such as Putin. Uber-evil? evil-max?

    Your last paragraph is ridiculous.
    What a silly remark. There's that guy the Godwin thing is about, and there's literally millions of small time bullies who get through a lifetime of selfishly making life mildly unpleasant for everyone in their ambit, in many cases never actually breaking any law. Both are evil, why shouldn't they be? Evil is not some sort of inverted super power confined to film baddies.
    I utterly disagree with that. If you term more and more things as 'evil' then the word loses all power and becomes redundant.

    There are deeds and people that are, IMV, 'evil'. For instance, Fred West was evil as both a person and in the deeds he did. If you start saying that anyone you dislike is 'evil', it reduces the crimes of the really bad people.

    "lifetime of selfishly making life mildly unpleasant for everyone in their ambit"

    I'd call that nasty. 'evil' is another level beyond that IMO.
    I am happy to stick with evil. Nasty is cheese and onion pringles.
    Then you are a very black-and-white person. Which to be fair, is the way you often post.
    Shit, logic circuits seem to be down in many areas this morning. I am arguing that there are different degrees of evil. That is plainly a shades of grey position and the opposite of a black and white position
    No. You are expanding 'evil' so much that there is no grey zone between evil and not-evil.

    I've met a few people in life who I would call nasty: a couple in my professional life, and one or two in my personal life. I have only ever met one person who I would call genuinely 'evil'. Sadly AFAIAA he never ended up in jail, but never mind.
  • Options
    CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 59,787
    Curious……

    Last month, NI civil servants took advice from someone – Whitehall says the EU – to harden the Irish Sea border, but didn't tell their minister. Firms lost money after GB loads were arbitrarily turned back by secretly altered rules - with no compensation.

    For two government departments to blame each other for a major policy change, as here, is highly unusual - but not unheard of. But for two departments to say that their ministers had no role in the policy is remarkable. It means no one is democratically accountable for this.


    https://twitter.com/SJAMcBride/status/1505086409543200769
  • Options
    FoxyFoxy Posts: 44,793

    ydoethur said:

    Foxy said:

    Heathener said:

    Two other related markets I'm keeping an eye on are inflation and interest rates.

    Smarkets currently have odds on CPI inflation hitting 7.5% by July. The odds on this don't really attract me.

    I'm looking to see if I can get odds on 10% CPI by end of the year. That's more controversial but there's a hell of a lot of surge upstream. Double-digit inflation would really be a meme changer I suspect. I think you have to go back to 1981 for the last time?

    https://smarkets.com/event/42611472/current-affairs/uk-economy/uk-inflation-to-hit-7-5-by-july

    The Express had a 9.5% guesstimate on its front page a couple of weeks ago.

    Music was great in the 70s. The economy? Not so much.
    The fuel crisis of 1973 and the one following the Iranian revolution of 1979 were both pretty brutal economically. Those of us old enough to remember what real inflation was like are not keen to see it return.

    It isn't a straight repeat though. We have far less of a manufacturing economy, we have very weak private sector Trade Unions, a much older population, and we have no politicians who support living within our means. It is quite a different cocktail.

    Despite inflation, war, the worst consumer confidence for decades, visible stagflation, China in lockdown etc my equity portfolio is up quite a bit this week. Quite what I should do with it is unclear. The 1973 fuel crisis led to a severe bear market. Are we there again? The 1979 one led to a very long bull market.
    I hold some Quilter shares in my portfolio . Its been interesting to see they have gone up (more than others) in recent weeks . As they are financial advisors , i wonder if more people are engaging financial advisors to combat inflation. I am certianly scratching my head to protect my portfolio and hence most of my pension
    Also a good moment to be a financial adviser in light of McCloud. Lots of nifty footwork is about to happen in members of the public sector pension schemes to lock in final salary benefits. (The judgement doesn’t apply to me incidentally as I wasn’t in a PSPS before the cut-off date.)
    yes as a fellow late joiner to a defined benefit scheme I am more relaxed in a weird way that i dont have to go through all that !
    I am just covered by McCloud but it looks like I will just get to choose between Alpha and Nuvos for the period up to this month. What I don't understand though is the potential effect of the failure to review contributions - I have heard that members have effectively been over-contributing but haven't heard what, if anything, will be done about it.
    McLeod is a real headache. I am fairly sure that I will be better off under the 1994 scheme (Final salary) rather than 2015 (career average earnings) so should have my years in the latter credited to the former, but it does mean recalculating my income tax for several years because of the annual allowance taper, potentially landing me with a big tax bill.

  • Options
    JohnLilburneJohnLilburne Posts: 6,016

    ydoethur said:

    Foxy said:

    Heathener said:

    Two other related markets I'm keeping an eye on are inflation and interest rates.

    Smarkets currently have odds on CPI inflation hitting 7.5% by July. The odds on this don't really attract me.

    I'm looking to see if I can get odds on 10% CPI by end of the year. That's more controversial but there's a hell of a lot of surge upstream. Double-digit inflation would really be a meme changer I suspect. I think you have to go back to 1981 for the last time?

    https://smarkets.com/event/42611472/current-affairs/uk-economy/uk-inflation-to-hit-7-5-by-july

    The Express had a 9.5% guesstimate on its front page a couple of weeks ago.

    Music was great in the 70s. The economy? Not so much.
    The fuel crisis of 1973 and the one following the Iranian revolution of 1979 were both pretty brutal economically. Those of us old enough to remember what real inflation was like are not keen to see it return.

    It isn't a straight repeat though. We have far less of a manufacturing economy, we have very weak private sector Trade Unions, a much older population, and we have no politicians who support living within our means. It is quite a different cocktail.

    Despite inflation, war, the worst consumer confidence for decades, visible stagflation, China in lockdown etc my equity portfolio is up quite a bit this week. Quite what I should do with it is unclear. The 1973 fuel crisis led to a severe bear market. Are we there again? The 1979 one led to a very long bull market.
    I hold some Quilter shares in my portfolio . Its been interesting to see they have gone up (more than others) in recent weeks . As they are financial advisors , i wonder if more people are engaging financial advisors to combat inflation. I am certianly scratching my head to protect my portfolio and hence most of my pension
    Also a good moment to be a financial adviser in light of McCloud. Lots of nifty footwork is about to happen in members of the public sector pension schemes to lock in final salary benefits. (The judgement doesn’t apply to me incidentally as I wasn’t in a PSPS before the cut-off date.)
    yes as a fellow late joiner to a defined benefit scheme I am more relaxed in a weird way that i dont have to go through all that !
    I am just covered by McCloud but it looks like I will just get to choose between Alpha and Nuvos for the period up to this month. What I don't understand though is the potential effect of the failure to review contributions - I have heard that members have effectively been over-contributing but haven't heard what, if anything, will be done about it.
    if you are in the civil service then I think they are running at the moment Teams courses by CSP to clarify things - book your self on one I woudl advise
    Thanks, I attended one during lockdown but they hadn't come up with the remedy then, I will look out for another one. I found this on the failure to review contributions, looks like it is in litigation https://www.civilserviceworld.com/professions/article/high-court-bid-seeks-2-cut-in-civil-service-pension-contributions
  • Options
    IshmaelZIshmaelZ Posts: 21,830
    Nigelb said:

    Donetsk separatists used as cannon fodder, and worse.

    https://twitter.com/EuromaidanPress/status/1505443286353391617
    Russian handlers of the occupied part of Donetsk Oblast announced another wave of mobilization among locals, raising the mobilization age to 65 years. - Gen.Staff.
    Ukraine's Main Directorate of Intelligence says that Russian units formed from mobilized Donbas locals have extremely low combat training, discipline, morale. PoWs from such units say that the Russians use them as "live bait" - an advanced echelon of reconnaissance by combat.
    "On March 16-17, one of such subunits comprising 250-300 "mobilized" Donbas locals lost about 200 troops on the Mykolaiv axis, according to Ukraine's intel.

    This was Hitler's endgame, enlisting 15 year olds and 75 year olds

    I think as a general principle the expression "cannon fodder" needs examining. Some UK bloke was complaining that he went to Ukraine to fight but they wanted to sent him on a cannon fodder suicide mission instead. What sort of fire fight is there which is not also a cannon fodder suicide mission? Consider Saving P R, first 30 minutes. FF or CFSM or both?
  • Options
    state_go_awaystate_go_away Posts: 5,422
    edited March 2022
    On pensions , most people like to consolidate them if they have worked for a few employers . Personally i quite like the varied nature of them and treat them almost like a curious collection ! I have defined benefits ones (two types) , a DC top up to a DB one, two workplace invested contribution ones - in a balanced mix not under my control , a SIPP (when self employed) that i enjoy making investment decisions on , the state pension of course and other investments in ISAs that are effectively pensions for me . Its a bit chaotic but i like that . Looking forward to choosing which to draw on first when retirement draws nearer!
  • Options
    FoxyFoxy Posts: 44,793
    Scott_xP said:

    The context for Boris Johnson's comments today is a significant decline in his electoral appeal among Leave voters: the Conservative share of the Leave vote has fallen from 74% in December 2019 to 54%, a far sharper fall than among Conservative Remainers.

    https://ukandeu.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/UKICE-British-Politics-after-Brexit.pdf https://twitter.com/DrAlanWager/status/1505279491526074372/photo/1

    I am not surprised. Conservative voting Remainers have already decided that being a Remainer is less important than being a Tory. Tory Leavers haven't yet had to choose.
  • Options
    NigelbNigelb Posts: 62,792

    IshmaelZ said:

    Heathener said:

    Heathener said:

    The Right on here won't like this but Boris Johnson is very similar to Vladimir Putin.

    Both share the attempt to recast reality, to warp truth, to generate something from the opposite of what is actually true.

    Here's another example of classic Johnson Putinism. Knowing he is vulnerable to attacks over dirty Russian donations to the tory party, Johnson has upturned the truth to make out it's Keir Starmer who is opening the floodgates to dirty Russian money.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2022/03/19/labour-trying-open-floodgates-russian-political-donations-claims/

    Johnson is a lying shit. An unflushable turd. The nastiest piece of work to be our PM in at least a century. A Putinist.

    I'm not a Boris fan, but that's a ridiculous comparison. It's also quite a nasty one. If you look at what Putin has done over the last twenty years to his country, there is zero comparison. Putin is evil. Boris... well, he's flawed. Deeply flawed. But he is not evil.
    Well it may have a hint of hyperbole about it, but I do think Boris is evil.

    The UK leaving the EU was predicated on evil lies and there are countless other examples from that macro level to micro ones which aren't so micro if you are the one on the receiving end. I know of people who have been traduced by his lies, smeared into despair and suicidal thoughts. He tramples on people for his own egomania.

    Boris Johnson is evil.
    If Boris is 'evil', then you need to have another term for the really evil people, such as Putin. Uber-evil? evil-max?

    Your last paragraph is ridiculous.

    Heathener said:

    Heathener said:

    The Right on here won't like this but Boris Johnson is very similar to Vladimir Putin.

    Both share the attempt to recast reality, to warp truth, to generate something from the opposite of what is actually true.

    Here's another example of classic Johnson Putinism. Knowing he is vulnerable to attacks over dirty Russian donations to the tory party, Johnson has upturned the truth to make out it's Keir Starmer who is opening the floodgates to dirty Russian money.

    https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2022/03/19/labour-trying-open-floodgates-russian-political-donations-claims/

    Johnson is a lying shit. An unflushable turd. The nastiest piece of work to be our PM in at least a century. A Putinist.

    I'm not a Boris fan, but that's a ridiculous comparison. It's also quite a nasty one. If you look at what Putin has done over the last twenty years to his country, there is zero comparison. Putin is evil. Boris... well, he's flawed. Deeply flawed. But he is not evil.
    Well it may have a hint of hyperbole about it, but I do think Boris is evil.

    The UK leaving the EU was predicated on evil lies and there are countless other examples from that macro level to micro ones which aren't so micro if you are the one on the receiving end. I know of people who have been traduced by his lies, smeared into despair and suicidal thoughts. He tramples on people for his own egomania.

    Boris Johnson is evil.
    If Boris is 'evil', then you need to have another term for the really evil people, such as Putin. Uber-evil? evil-max?

    Your last paragraph is ridiculous.
    What a silly remark. There's that guy the Godwin thing is about, and there's literally millions of small time bullies who get through a lifetime of selfishly making life mildly unpleasant for everyone in their ambit, in many cases never actually breaking any law. Both are evil, why shouldn't they be? Evil is not some sort of inverted super power confined to film baddies.
    "lifetime of selfishly making life mildly unpleasant for everyone in their ambit"

    I'd call that nasty. 'evil' is another level beyond that IMO.
    Fair point, but given the entire country in in his ambit, it’s a very good argument for booting out Boris at the first opportunity.
  • Options
    ThomasNasheThomasNashe Posts: 5,008

    Curious……

    Last month, NI civil servants took advice from someone – Whitehall says the EU – to harden the Irish Sea border, but didn't tell their minister. Firms lost money after GB loads were arbitrarily turned back by secretly altered rules - with no compensation.

    For two government departments to blame each other for a major policy change, as here, is highly unusual - but not unheard of. But for two departments to say that their ministers had no role in the policy is remarkable. It means no one is democratically accountable for this.


    https://twitter.com/SJAMcBride/status/1505086409543200769

    Tbf, they’re quite used to governing without an actual government.
  • Options
    FishingFishing Posts: 4,561
    edited March 2022
    IshmaelZ said:

    Fishing said:

    Scott_xP said:

    Putin is evil. Boris... well, he's flawed. Deeply flawed. But he is not evil.

    The evidence for your claim is weak.
    You have a stupidly low threshold for evil then.

    Evil is bombing civilians out of their own homeland. Stop fucking debasing the word. Twat.
    We all know the real reason people on here think he's evil - he delivered the democratic wishes of the British people, then smashed Communism in this country, probably for a generation.

    And they'll never forgive him for either or both of those.
    He put Nazanin in prison for six years, and almost certainly arranged for the torture and murder of dozens of allies of this country in Afghanistan last year. Arguably that's not evil, just vain silly and lazy, like Ilse Koch. But whatever it is I don't want it governing my country. For reasons which have nothing to do with communism or brexit.
    If you want to argue that Johnson is (often) silly and (usually) lazy, I agree.

    But to say he's evil is wrong.
  • Options
    TazTaz Posts: 11,294
    Foxy said:

    ydoethur said:

    Foxy said:

    Heathener said:

    Two other related markets I'm keeping an eye on are inflation and interest rates.

    Smarkets currently have odds on CPI inflation hitting 7.5% by July. The odds on this don't really attract me.

    I'm looking to see if I can get odds on 10% CPI by end of the year. That's more controversial but there's a hell of a lot of surge upstream. Double-digit inflation would really be a meme changer I suspect. I think you have to go back to 1981 for the last time?

    https://smarkets.com/event/42611472/current-affairs/uk-economy/uk-inflation-to-hit-7-5-by-july

    The Express had a 9.5% guesstimate on its front page a couple of weeks ago.

    Music was great in the 70s. The economy? Not so much.
    The fuel crisis of 1973 and the one following the Iranian revolution of 1979 were both pretty brutal economically. Those of us old enough to remember what real inflation was like are not keen to see it return.

    It isn't a straight repeat though. We have far less of a manufacturing economy, we have very weak private sector Trade Unions, a much older population, and we have no politicians who support living within our means. It is quite a different cocktail.

    Despite inflation, war, the worst consumer confidence for decades, visible stagflation, China in lockdown etc my equity portfolio is up quite a bit this week. Quite what I should do with it is unclear. The 1973 fuel crisis led to a severe bear market. Are we there again? The 1979 one led to a very long bull market.
    I hold some Quilter shares in my portfolio . Its been interesting to see they have gone up (more than others) in recent weeks . As they are financial advisors , i wonder if more people are engaging financial advisors to combat inflation. I am certianly scratching my head to protect my portfolio and hence most of my pension
    Also a good moment to be a financial adviser in light of McCloud. Lots of nifty footwork is about to happen in members of the public sector pension schemes to lock in final salary benefits. (The judgement doesn’t apply to me incidentally as I wasn’t in a PSPS before the cut-off date.)
    yes as a fellow late joiner to a defined benefit scheme I am more relaxed in a weird way that i dont have to go through all that !
    I am just covered by McCloud but it looks like I will just get to choose between Alpha and Nuvos for the period up to this month. What I don't understand though is the potential effect of the failure to review contributions - I have heard that members have effectively been over-contributing but haven't heard what, if anything, will be done about it.
    McLeod is a real headache. I am fairly sure that I will be better off under the 1994 scheme (Final salary) rather than 2015 (career average earnings) so should have my years in the latter credited to the former, but it does mean recalculating my income tax for several years because of the annual allowance taper, potentially landing me with a big tax bill.

    My wife is in a similar position in the NHS and will be better off under the final salary scheme.

    However she says she doesn’t have to make a decision until she draws the pension which, for the final salary scheme she’s looking in the next four years.

    I’ll have to mention a potential tax liability to her as she’s not mentioned it.
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    Ok this is anecdata but it’s something I’ve picked up talking to various Leave voters. There’ll always be, what, a third(?) of the population who will champion Brexit no matter what and will always be vociferously anti-EU.

    But if those who voted Leave who aren’t viscerally anti-EU but bought the rhetoric of the Leave campaigns and who haven’t received their unicorns yet abandon the collective self-imposed omertà then this low-level, quiet, ‘Brexit is a mistake’ feeling could become something stronger:

    ‘On which subject I recently had an interesting encounter with a Remainer British expat who was visiting his Brexiter friends in assorted home counties havens. To his surprise, he found that most of them were admitting in private but could not bring themselves to say so publicly: “Brexit is a catastrophe.”’

    https://www.theguardian.com/business/commentisfree/2022/mar/20/war-has-highlighted-the-geopolitical-folly-of-britains-departure-from-the-eu
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    turbotubbsturbotubbs Posts: 15,296
    IshmaelZ said:

    Fishing said:

    Scott_xP said:

    Putin is evil. Boris... well, he's flawed. Deeply flawed. But he is not evil.

    The evidence for your claim is weak.
    You have a stupidly low threshold for evil then.

    Evil is bombing civilians out of their own homeland. Stop fucking debasing the word. Twat.
    We all know the real reason people on here think he's evil - he delivered the democratic wishes of the British people, then smashed Communism in this country, probably for a generation.

    And they'll never forgive him for either or both of those.
    He put Nazanin in prison for six years, and almost certainly arranged for the torture and murder of dozens of allies of this country in Afghanistan last year. Arguably that's not evil, just vain silly and lazy, like Ilse Koch. But whatever it is I don't want it governing my country. For reasons which have nothing to do with communism or brexit.
    The Iranian regime imprisoned Nazanin and the other gentlemen, not Johnson. His comments clearly were unhelpful, but we’ve seen the real reason just this week - the money we owed.
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    MattWMattW Posts: 18,701

    Heathener said:

    Scott_xP said:

    Putin is evil. Boris... well, he's flawed. Deeply flawed. But he is not evil.

    The evidence for your claim is weak.
    You have a stupidly low threshold for evil then.

    Evil is bombing civilians out of their own homeland. Stop fucking debasing the word. Twat.
    Taz, that's an example of exactly what I mean about the bear pit. Marquee Mark: the Mr Obnoxious of pb.com

    Have a g'day everyone. Even you, MM. See, it's called magnanimity. Try it. You'll improve your character.
    Hey, I'm not the one who said "some people will survive after a nuclear war". You know, the one you want to embrace by calling for a NFZ over Ukraine.

    If you want obnoxious....
    Mark is like a butterfly ... soft and gentle as a sigh ...

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUmqSUx8W8Y

    (Except that the silly old bugger went for Moths, which would not make a good sitcom title. I can't find a vid of the titles in 10s, unfortunately.)
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