Excellent joke. In the culture wars the trans issue is the NLAW against the clueless tanks of Labour Wokeness
I’ve every sympathy for people with gender dysphoria - like that poor Tory MP - but only men have penises. And any politician that can’t say this is going to suffer, badly, in the looming battles
Can you explain how trans issue belongs in “woke” and “culture war” battles?
Excellent joke. In the culture wars the trans issue is the NLAW against the clueless tanks of Labour Wokeness
I’ve every sympathy for people with gender dysphoria - like that poor Tory MP - but only men have penises. And any politician that can’t say this is going to suffer, badly, in the looming battles
Can you explain how trans issue belongs in “woke” and “culture war” battles?
It’s all identity politics, innit
Or rather, in this case, self-identity politics
No it’s not. 🙂. It’s about rights that don’t fit into your idea of rights. Based on your concept of truth.
Just caught the end of PMQs. For all his lawyerly, considered, forensic, incisive, analytical questioning, SKS is boring as fuck.
Lab need a bit of tub-thumping.
SKS could reel off the most important issues on the planet which everyone is affected by and it would seem as though he was reading through the phone book.
BoJo could read through the phone book and it would seem as though he was addressing the critical matters of state.
Excellent joke. In the culture wars the trans issue is the NLAW against the clueless tanks of Labour Wokeness
I’ve every sympathy for people with gender dysphoria - like that poor Tory MP - but only men have penises. And any politician that can’t say this is going to suffer, badly, in the looming battles
Can you explain how trans issue belongs in “woke” and “culture war” battles?
I've told Leon off before for extending the gruesome term "woke" far broader than is justified. The problem - which for liberals is serious - is trying to enforce and bully a view which is against reason and logic. "Trans issues" - whatever that means - often strays into this e.g. maintaining that sex differences are socially constructed.
If the death penalty was reintroduced here I would emigrate.
I am not sure I would emigrate but I would fight it all the way. It is one of the reasons why I think Priti Patel is unfit to be Home Secretary or PM. Her support for the Death Penalty is very disturbing and to my mind symptomatic of her attitude towards state authority in general.
Would you oppose the death penalty for Putin?
Yes.
I would not at all be upset if someone assassinated him and would agree the world would be a better place without him in it but it should not be a matter of state policy to kill people in cold blood.
Killing in war and to prevent further death is another matter. But once someone has been detained, no matter who they are, state sanctioned murder is not something I can support.
I realise this is a personal view that many would not share but I do see a very clear and well defined distinction between the two circumstances. It is why we do not sanction the murder of prisoners captured in battle.
Excellent joke. In the culture wars the trans issue is the NLAW against the clueless tanks of Labour Wokeness
I’ve every sympathy for people with gender dysphoria - like that poor Tory MP - but only men have penises. And any politician that can’t say this is going to suffer, badly, in the looming battles
Can you explain how trans issue belongs in “woke” and “culture war” battles?
It’s all identity politics, innit
Or rather, in this case, self-identity politics
No it’s not. 🙂. It’s about rights that don’t fit into your idea of rights. Based on your concept of truth.
What specific rights do you think that transsexuals lack?
Interestingly, there is an online poll at the end. “Do you agree?” Now I know online paper polls are voodoo science and self selecting nonetheless the results are fascinating. 7500 votes, 98% agree with the Times writer. Overwhelming
Most people think the trans debate is insane and has gone way too far in favour of self ID. Labour is in the 2% that disagree
No wonder the Tories are exploiting the issue
Combat sports....some biological woman is going to get absolutely brutalised.
AIUI rugby is one of the few sports that has shown some backbone and said No, trans athletes can’t compete in women’s rugby
For obvious reasons. There would be deaths quite quickly
If the death penalty was reintroduced here I would emigrate.
I am not sure I would emigrate but I would fight it all the way. It is one of the reasons why I think Priti Patel is unfit to be Home Secretary or PM. Her support for the Death Penalty is very disturbing and to my mind symptomatic of her attitude towards state authority in general.
Would you oppose the death penalty for Putin?
Yes.
I would not at all be upset if someone assassinated him and would agree the world would be a better place without him in it but it should not be a matter of state policy to kill people in cold blood.
Killing in war and to prevent further death is another matter. But once someone has been detained, no matter who they are, state sanctioned murder is not something I can support.
I realise this is a personal view that many would not share but I do see a very clear and well defined distinction between the two circumstances. It is why we do not sanction the murder of prisoners captured in battle.
That's fair enough, and I'm inclined to agree with you. But I do wonder if I'd feel the same if I was a Ukrainian refugee.
Fridge magnet news. You just know if BJ had found the moral fibre to do that walk of shame he would have been unable to wipe the smirk of his pus.
This is ridiculous. Show me the country where no-one died. I'm sorry for anyone who died or lost someone, but the Tories didn't kill them, covid did.
Yep, it is ridiculous that there are people defending those who made the rules that prevented people seeing their dying relatives, broke those rules and then lied about it.
Thats not what I said. People are angry that their families died. I understand that. I've been very lucky. But the idea that somehow the conservative government is responsible for all those deaths is ridiculous, as it would be to blame Sturgeon in Scotland or Drakeford in Wales, or Macron in France. People seem to ascribe more power to governments than was really there in the face of covid. Across Western Europe death rates are much of a muchness.
Those in No 10 who broke the rules were idiots and should not have done it. But to be clear, they are getting FPNs, the equivalent of a parking ticket or speeding fine. There really needs to be a sense of proportion.
I want Johnson gone as much as the next person. He is a terrible PM. But people need to look at themselves too.
Everybody bent the covid rules. I drove 5 miles to walk in a better area (country tracks, saw nobody). Yet some who did the same were fined. My parents version of the bubble included everyone they wanted to see, just one at time. We all did it.
Who in the context of that tweet is saying the ‘conservative government is responsible for all those deaths’? You seem to be the only person framing it in this way while afaics they (like me) are disgusted by the amoral arseholes who made the the rules for everyone else while gaily breaking them.
I don't think your last line bears any relationship to what actually happened. Even the term 'parties' bears no relation to the pathetic set of colleagues eating a sandwich and having a drink in their place of work. In no sense were they 'gaily breaking them'.
I've also said before that the issue was mainly a civil service one, not a conservative party one. The employees in No 10 don't all change when a government changes, that's what happens in the USA. Of course the culture should come from the top, but we've got shits in charge.
Personally I think the attacks of the justice for covid is very much anti conservative/government. Thats their right, but I think that they are wrong to blame the government for everything when i reality no-one got everything right.
If Germany declares a "gas emergency", then member-states (+EEA) have an obligation to show solidarity and re-route gas supplies to alleviate the emergency.
This potentially has implications for Norway, which may be required to reroute gas to Germany... /1
This would impact NOR supplies to countries like UK and NL.
But it could also directly impact the Netherlands, which may be forced to supply more #Groningen gas to address Germany's emergency
How many of those places are either safer or happier than the countries who don't have it?
Ed March, who rode around the world on a piece-of-shit Honda C90, once said that if he could pick any country in the world to be dumped penniless and devoid of all resources then his first choice would be Iran based on the hospitality he received there. The US was his last pick.
If the death penalty was reintroduced here I would emigrate.
I am not sure I would emigrate but I would fight it all the way. It is one of the reasons why I think Priti Patel is unfit to be Home Secretary or PM. Her support for the Death Penalty is very disturbing and to my mind symptomatic of her attitude towards state authority in general.
Would you oppose the death penalty for Putin?
Yes.
I would not at all be upset if someone assassinated him and would agree the world would be a better place without him in it but it should not be a matter of state policy to kill people in cold blood.
Killing in war and to prevent further death is another matter. But once someone has been detained, no matter who they are, state sanctioned murder is not something I can support.
I realise this is a personal view that many would not share but I do see a very clear and well defined distinction between the two circumstances. It is why we do not sanction the murder of prisoners captured in battle.
I think that's a very balanced view.
The question comes: if the Nuremberg trials occurred today, against similar crimes, would the death sentence be given out? I guess it should not, and the ICC cannot. But imagine if Hitler had lived: would we keep him in jail forever, a focus for all sorts of people? I guess so, but it seems more of an edge case...
If the death penalty was reintroduced here I would emigrate.
I am not sure I would emigrate but I would fight it all the way. It is one of the reasons why I think Priti Patel is unfit to be Home Secretary or PM. Her support for the Death Penalty is very disturbing and to my mind symptomatic of her attitude towards state authority in general.
Would you oppose the death penalty for Putin?
I find this an interesting question because it gets at a contradiction in my own mind. I oppose the death penalty, for a range of reasons both practical and moral. But then, should I also oppose it for Nazi war criminals and the likes of Putin? I suppose, if I want to be logically consistent, I should. But I don't. It's like there's a partition in my brain that says 'This is domestic justice, crimes have been committed by a person and they have been prosecuted and sentenced by the state. I don't believe the state should be able to deprive an individual of their life in this way.' And another partition which says 'These are crimes against all mankind, and so the penalty is death.' That's roughly where I land, though I'm the first to admit that (while I think the distinction is not entirely arbitrary) that it's not an intellectually rigorous conclusion.
I don’t really understand what Johnson is on about. Trying to argue the Tories are tax cutting?
Who believes this rubbish?
Oldies, exempt from NI and expecting an income tax cut.
Yes, but don't forget that there's quite a lot of oldies who live entirely on the state pension; they don't pay income tax, and wouldn't be eligible to pay NI even if not exempt. This group are about to suffer a significant real-terms cut in their income because of inflation, and will struggle with rising energy and food prices. I suspect this will be a problem for the Tories in terms of pensioner votes.
Excellent joke. In the culture wars the trans issue is the NLAW against the clueless tanks of Labour Wokeness
I’ve every sympathy for people with gender dysphoria - like that poor Tory MP - but only men have penises. And any politician that can’t say this is going to suffer, badly, in the looming battles
Can you explain how trans issue belongs in “woke” and “culture war” battles?
It’s all identity politics, innit
Or rather, in this case, self-identity politics
No it’s not. 🙂. It’s about rights that don’t fit into your idea of rights. Based on your concept of truth.
What specific rights do you think that transsexuals lack?
Let’s start with respect and dignity for people who are trans, not use them as a political football as the Primeminister did last night.
That’s one right we can all allow them? Stop using them as a political football.
If the death penalty was reintroduced here I would emigrate.
I am not sure I would emigrate but I would fight it all the way. It is one of the reasons why I think Priti Patel is unfit to be Home Secretary or PM. Her support for the Death Penalty is very disturbing and to my mind symptomatic of her attitude towards state authority in general.
Would you oppose the death penalty for Putin?
Yes.
I would not at all be upset if someone assassinated him and would agree the world would be a better place without him in it but it should not be a matter of state policy to kill people in cold blood.
Killing in war and to prevent further death is another matter. But once someone has been detained, no matter who they are, state sanctioned murder is not something I can support.
I realise this is a personal view that many would not share but I do see a very clear and well defined distinction between the two circumstances. It is why we do not sanction the murder of prisoners captured in battle.
I think that's a very balanced view.
The question comes: if the Nuremberg trials occurred today, against similar crimes, would the death sentence be given out? I guess it should not, and the ICC cannot. But imagine if Hitler had lived: would we keep him in jail forever, a focus for all sorts of people? I guess so, but it seems more of an edge case...
It is interesting how many British and particularly US lawyers were deeply opposed to the Nuremburg trials, not because they didn't think the defendants deserved to die but because it was quite literally rewriting the law based on 'victor's might'. Many eminent US and UK lawyers refused to take part because they thought this sort of retrospective law creation was wrong and even dangerous.
If the death penalty was reintroduced here I would emigrate.
I am not sure I would emigrate but I would fight it all the way. It is one of the reasons why I think Priti Patel is unfit to be Home Secretary or PM. Her support for the Death Penalty is very disturbing and to my mind symptomatic of her attitude towards state authority in general.
Would you oppose the death penalty for Putin?
Yes.
I would not at all be upset if someone assassinated him and would agree the world would be a better place without him in it but it should not be a matter of state policy to kill people in cold blood.
Killing in war and to prevent further death is another matter. But once someone has been detained, no matter who they are, state sanctioned murder is not something I can support.
I realise this is a personal view that many would not share but I do see a very clear and well defined distinction between the two circumstances. It is why we do not sanction the murder of prisoners captured in battle.
I agree. You don't respond to barbarism with barbarism. We should be better than that.
With the situation as it is now, has anyone changed their mind about nuclear power, and Hinkley Point in particular?
Hinkley Point has a strike price of £92.50 per megawatt-hour. And the current price appears to be much higher than that. What is more, nuclear offers us reasonable independence and security as part of a diverse energy supply.
I think I previously saw it as investment in either nuclear power, or renewables, so that investment in nuclear would slow down growth in renewables. And I thought that renewables could deliver a lot more quickly.
I now think that, as long as it isn't an either/or doing both is better than one alone.
Fridge magnet news. You just know if BJ had found the moral fibre to do that walk of shame he would have been unable to wipe the smirk of his pus.
This is ridiculous. Show me the country where no-one died. I'm sorry for anyone who died or lost someone, but the Tories didn't kill them, covid did.
Yep, it is ridiculous that there are people defending those who made the rules that prevented people seeing their dying relatives, broke those rules and then lied about it.
Thats not what I said. People are angry that their families died. I understand that. I've been very lucky. But the idea that somehow the conservative government is responsible for all those deaths is ridiculous, as it would be to blame Sturgeon in Scotland or Drakeford in Wales, or Macron in France. People seem to ascribe more power to governments than was really there in the face of covid. Across Western Europe death rates are much of a muchness.
Those in No 10 who broke the rules were idiots and should not have done it. But to be clear, they are getting FPNs, the equivalent of a parking ticket or speeding fine. There really needs to be a sense of proportion.
I want Johnson gone as much as the next person. He is a terrible PM. But people need to look at themselves too.
Everybody bent the covid rules. I drove 5 miles to walk in a better area (country tracks, saw nobody). Yet some who did the same were fined. My parents version of the bubble included everyone they wanted to see, just one at time. We all did it.
The Conservative Government is responsible for some decisions that led to some people dying who would not otherwise have died. That this does not represent the majority of those who died is immaterial. They need to be held responsible for the deaths which were preventable and which they either caused or failed to prevent through their failings. Comparing with other countries which had their own, often different, failings is no argument.
And no, we didn't 'all do it'. There were millions of people who took the Government at their word and stuck absolutely to the rules. For some like me it was largely easy although not seeing my aged mother for months on end was tough. Many had it far worse but still stuck to the rules. There were countless numbers who were prevented from seeing their loved ones in their final days because of those rules and who now find out that those making the rules were ignoring them. That is indefensible and using the argument of 'oh everyone was doing it' is a playground defence which is both false and offensive given we should expect the people making the rules to abide by them.
I thought when I wrote everyone that it was a mistake. Sure a lot of people stuck religiously to the rules. Far enough. But I'd argue most didn't, not 100%. And sure, you may want to hold people responsible. Fine, as long as you criticize decisions that were taken ONLY using information known AT THE TIME. Its easy to look back now and say that we should have locked down in October 2021, got on with vaccination and we could have saved tens of thousands. But we didn't KNOW that the vaccines were going to be the game changer that they proved and we didn't know that alpha was coming. We do with hindsight.
On the rules, I'd love to know how many people followed them to the absolute letter. And as @Cyclefree remincs us - there was a difference between laws and guidance. There was no law about only exercising for 1 hour a day , for instance. Yet many thought there was.
Just caught the end of PMQs. For all his lawyerly, considered, forensic, incisive, analytical questioning, SKS is boring as fuck.
Lab need a bit of tub-thumping.
SKS could reel off the most important issues on the planet which everyone is affected by and it would seem as though he was reading through the phone book.
BoJo could read through the phone book and it would seem as though he was addressing the critical matters of state.
I couldn't care less whether "Bojo" as you affectionately call him, could read said phone book at 1000 words per minute while riding a unicycle and juggling bottles of nitro-glycerine. The fact remains that other than Corbyn, he is the most unsuitable person ever to have submitted himself to be leader of a serious British political party. His ability to be entertaining is not a necessary characteristic for that post.
Just caught the end of PMQs. For all his lawyerly, considered, forensic, incisive, analytical questioning, SKS is boring as fuck.
Lab need a bit of tub-thumping.
SKS could reel off the most important issues on the planet which everyone is affected by and it would seem as though he was reading through the phone book.
BoJo could read through the phone book and it would seem as though he was addressing the critical matters of state.
Ms Rayner is better at the rabble rousing, SKS at the forensic stuff. A midway position would be good.
If Germany declares a "gas emergency", then member-states (+EEA) have an obligation to show solidarity and re-route gas supplies to alleviate the emergency.
This potentially has implications for Norway, which may be required to reroute gas to Germany... /1
This would impact NOR supplies to countries like UK and NL.
But it could also directly impact the Netherlands, which may be forced to supply more #Groningen gas to address Germany's emergency
A small update from Tallinn. It is bright but a bitter east wind is blowing.
Over 25,000 Ukrainians have come to Tallinn, but although a few are now going on to other places, nevertheless the crisis continues. There are concerns that some of the more Putinist Russian speakers might be "less than welcoming" to Ukrainian refugees, but for the moment the more obnoxious voices are stilled. The May 9th celebration of Soviet victory will not be going ahead in Tallinn, but may yet still take place in Narva, which is a concern to many, but we will see. The pitiful performance of the Russian army does not make even a Putinist heart swell with pride.
Trying to process my recent trip to Poland and the UK. FWIW, the feelings closer to the battlefield are more nuanced than you might think. Although there is respect and gratitude that the UK has provided critical assistance to Ukraine, there is a clear sense that the UK and the Conservative Party in particular were far too close to the Russian mafia state. The large donations to both the Tories and the Leave campaign are generally seen as a successful attempt by the Putinist state to subvert both the country and the party. While it is accepted that Britain has done many good things, in particular the training of Ukrainian troops and the donation of NLAWS are mentioned, this does not let either Britain or Boris off the hook. Indeed there is astonishment and no little anger about the appointment of Lebedev. "No such thing as an ex-KGB" is the general response and the idea that someone so close to the Putinists can be appointed to the UK Parliament is bewildering to most here.
Obviously the news of some Ukrainian gains is most welcome, because there is a growing sense of contempt, not just for Putin, but the Russian people who can put up with the tyrant. A general view is "Build a wall around them and forget them". The blood curdling threats of anhilliation coming from the Kremlin, or more precisely from the Urals bunker, are simply reinforcing a loathing of the man and indeed his country. The national image of Russia is reaching new lows, and it is easy to understand why. They have never apologised for the destruction they wrought during the occupation, they have never asked for forgiveness and at this point, neither Poles, nor Estonians, nor Latvians, nor Lithuanians are in a very forgiving mood. Indeed Estonia has drastically increased the assistance they are giving to Ukraine. Support for Kaja Kallas, the Liberal Prime Minister has rocketed and the general view is that she has done a good job prepresenting Estonia on the world stage.
As Russia continues to burn its bridges to the civilised world, a growing view in Estonia is "Good Riddance". Not sure this is healthy, albeit that it is completely understandable.
Interesting clarification by Jamie Wallis just now.
"My gender dysphoria" "Will continue to present"
The debate is so complex; interesting to see an example of someone coming out and talking about it as a medical condition.
I hope this calms things down a bit. On both sides.
I fear I must break it to you that Leon will be along shortly to inflame the issue.
It’s not that complex.
The only people obsessed with body parts are the non trans people denying equality to trans people by, wait for it… obsessing about body parts. Being trans is nothing to do with body parts. It’s to do with being a non binary person facing huge levels of abuse and inequality and non acceptance for who they are, and being treated as a political football by media and politicians (and PB posters) who can’t get their head round what non binary is, hence contribute to that abuse and inequality with every dinner gag and PB post.
A small update from Tallinn. It is bright but a bitter east wind is blowing.
Over 25,000 Ukrainians have come to Tallinn, but although a few are now going on to other places, nevertheless the crisis continues. There are concerns that some of the more Putinist Russian speakers might be "less than welcoming" to Ukrainian refugees, but for the moment the more obnoxious voices are stilled. The May 9th celebration of Soviet victory will not be going ahead in Tallinn, but may yet still take place in Narva, which is a concern to many, but we will see. The pitiful performance of the Russian army does not make even a Putinist heart swell with pride.
Trying to process my recent trip to Poland and the UK. FWIW, the feelings closer to the battlefield are more nuanced than you might think. Although there is respect and gratitude that the UK has provided critical assistance to Ukraine, there is a clear sense that the UK and the Conservative Party in particular were far too close to the Russian mafia state. The large donations to both the Tories and the Leave campaign are generally seen as a successful attempt by the Putinist state to subvert both the country and the party. While it is accepted that Britain has done many good things, in particular the training of Ukrainian troops and the donation of NLAWS are mentioned, this does not let either Britain or Boris off the hook. Indeed there is astonishment and no little anger about the appointment of Lebedev. "No such thing as an ex-KGB" is the general response and the idea that someone so close to the Putinists can be appointed to the UK Parliament is bewildering to most here.
Obviously the news of some Ukrainian gains is most welcome, because there is a growing sense of contempt, not just for Putin, but the Russian people who can put up with the tyrant. A general view is "Build a wall around them and forget them". The blood curdling threats of anhilliation coming from the Kremlin, or more precisely from the Urals bunker, are simply reinforcing a loathing of the man and indeed his country. The national image of Russia is reaching new lows, and it is easy to understand why. They have never apologised for the destruction they wrought during the occupation, they have never asked for forgiveness and at this point, neither Poles, nor Estonians, nor Latvians, nor Lithuanians are in a very forgiving mood. Indeed Estonia has drastically increased the assistance they are giving to Ukraine. Support for Kaja Kallas, the Liberal Prime Minister has rocketed and the general view is that she has done a good job prepresenting Estonia on the world stage.
As Russia continues to burn its bridges to the civilised world, a growing view in Estonia is "Good Riddance". Not sure this is healthy, albeit that it is completely understandable.
A huge split is looming in the EU, between the Baltics, Eastern Europe (ex Hungary), Scandinavia (plus UK on the outside) - who are firmly anti-Putin, and France, Belgium (plus Italy and Germany but to a lesser extent) who are much keener to appease Putin
Zelenskyy made this quite clear in a recent speech. Contemptuous of Macron
This is a big move by Poland. And it throws down the gauntlet to their neighbours, Germany:
Poland in the EU@PLPermRepEU Prime Minister @MorawieckiM:
We are presenting the most radical plan in Europe to shun Russian oil, gas and coal.
We will impose a total embargo on Russian coal in April, at the latest in May. Furthermore, we will do our best to abandon Russian oil & gas by the end of the year.
Britain should replicate this. We are economically well placed to do so as we have low dependency on Russian oil and gas. But that should a. encourage some others ( though probably not the heavily dependent Germany and Italy), b. blunt any bullying Russian "reprisals" against Poland.
Wouldn't be surprised if the Czech Republic follows. Despite their big political differences with Poland they seem to have been in lockstep on Putin.
I think we already have, oil by the end of this month and gas by the end of the year. We don't import any coal from Russia.
Not quite true - it was the main source of lump coal for heritage steam engines - but we are only talking about a couple of shiploads a year. It's been the cause of a lot of frustration in the heritage world that we have to ship the stuff from dodgy places because our stupid do-gooders won't let us mine our own (there is a opencast in South Wales about to close because the moronic Welsh Government think its greener to ship the stuff in from abroad instead - it was about the last remaining source of suitable coal for railway locos in the UK).
This is getting out of hand now, this is not a lifestyle issue, these people have something fundamentally wrong with them. Stop defending them, they need counselling.
If the death penalty was reintroduced here I would emigrate.
I am not sure I would emigrate but I would fight it all the way. It is one of the reasons why I think Priti Patel is unfit to be Home Secretary or PM. Her support for the Death Penalty is very disturbing and to my mind symptomatic of her attitude towards state authority in general.
Would you oppose the death penalty for Putin?
Yes.
I would not at all be upset if someone assassinated him and would agree the world would be a better place without him in it but it should not be a matter of state policy to kill people in cold blood.
Killing in war and to prevent further death is another matter. But once someone has been detained, no matter who they are, state sanctioned murder is not something I can support.
I realise this is a personal view that many would not share but I do see a very clear and well defined distinction between the two circumstances. It is why we do not sanction the murder of prisoners captured in battle.
I agree. You don't respond to barbarism with barbarism. We should be better than that.
The other point about the death penalty in general (not discussing specific cases, but I don't need to in this matter) is that it is asking someone to commit murder (in a sense, but a real one) on behalf of the state. And how does one choose? I wouldn't want to be conscripted to do it, but having volunteers is even worse ... perhaps the old English (and German?) partial tradition of it being a hereditary job had some logic to it.
If the death penalty was reintroduced here I would emigrate.
I am not sure I would emigrate but I would fight it all the way. It is one of the reasons why I think Priti Patel is unfit to be Home Secretary or PM. Her support for the Death Penalty is very disturbing and to my mind symptomatic of her attitude towards state authority in general.
Would you oppose the death penalty for Putin?
Yes.
I would not at all be upset if someone assassinated him and would agree the world would be a better place without him in it but it should not be a matter of state policy to kill people in cold blood.
Killing in war and to prevent further death is another matter. But once someone has been detained, no matter who they are, state sanctioned murder is not something I can support.
I realise this is a personal view that many would not share but I do see a very clear and well defined distinction between the two circumstances. It is why we do not sanction the murder of prisoners captured in battle.
I agree. You don't respond to barbarism with barbarism. We should be better than that.
The other point about the death penalty in general (not discussing specific cases, but I don't need to in this matter) is that it is asking someone to commit murder (in a sense, but a real one) on behalf of the state. And how does one choose? I wouldn't want to be conscripted to do it, but having volunteers is even worse ... perhaps the old English (and German?) partial tradition of it being a hereditary job had some logic to it.
If the death penalty was reintroduced here I would emigrate.
I am not sure I would emigrate but I would fight it all the way. It is one of the reasons why I think Priti Patel is unfit to be Home Secretary or PM. Her support for the Death Penalty is very disturbing and to my mind symptomatic of her attitude towards state authority in general.
Would you oppose the death penalty for Putin?
Yes.
I would not at all be upset if someone assassinated him and would agree the world would be a better place without him in it but it should not be a matter of state policy to kill people in cold blood.
Killing in war and to prevent further death is another matter. But once someone has been detained, no matter who they are, state sanctioned murder is not something I can support.
I realise this is a personal view that many would not share but I do see a very clear and well defined distinction between the two circumstances. It is why we do not sanction the murder of prisoners captured in battle.
I agree. You don't respond to barbarism with barbarism. We should be better than that.
The other point about the death penalty in general (not discussing specific cases, but I don't need to in this matter) is that it is asking someone to commit murder (in a sense, but a real one) on behalf of the state. And how does one choose? I wouldn't want to be conscripted to do it, but having volunteers is even worse ... perhaps the old English (and German?) partial tradition of it being a hereditary job had some logic to it.
A small update from Tallinn. It is bright but a bitter east wind is blowing.
Over 25,000 Ukrainians have come to Tallinn, but although a few are now going on to other places, nevertheless the crisis continues. There are concerns that some of the more Putinist Russian speakers might be "less than welcoming" to Ukrainian refugees, but for the moment the more obnoxious voices are stilled. The May 9th celebration of Soviet victory will not be going ahead in Tallinn, but may yet still take place in Narva, which is a concern to many, but we will see. The pitiful performance of the Russian army does not make even a Putinist heart swell with pride.
Trying to process my recent trip to Poland and the UK. FWIW, the feelings closer to the battlefield are more nuanced than you might think. Although there is respect and gratitude that the UK has provided critical assistance to Ukraine, there is a clear sense that the UK and the Conservative Party in particular were far too close to the Russian mafia state. The large donations to both the Tories and the Leave campaign are generally seen as a successful attempt by the Putinist state to subvert both the country and the party. While it is accepted that Britain has done many good things, in particular the training of Ukrainian troops and the donation of NLAWS are mentioned, this does not let either Britain or Boris off the hook. Indeed there is astonishment and no little anger about the appointment of Lebedev. "No such thing as an ex-KGB" is the general response and the idea that someone so close to the Putinists can be appointed to the UK Parliament is bewildering to most here.
Obviously the news of some Ukrainian gains is most welcome, because there is a growing sense of contempt, not just for Putin, but the Russian people who can put up with the tyrant. A general view is "Build a wall around them and forget them". The blood curdling threats of anhilliation coming from the Kremlin, or more precisely from the Urals bunker, are simply reinforcing a loathing of the man and indeed his country. The national image of Russia is reaching new lows, and it is easy to understand why. They have never apologised for the destruction they wrought during the occupation, they have never asked for forgiveness and at this point, neither Poles, nor Estonians, nor Latvians, nor Lithuanians are in a very forgiving mood. Indeed Estonia has drastically increased the assistance they are giving to Ukraine. Support for Kaja Kallas, the Liberal Prime Minister has rocketed and the general view is that she has done a good job prepresenting Estonia on the world stage.
As Russia continues to burn its bridges to the civilised world, a growing view in Estonia is "Good Riddance". Not sure this is healthy, albeit that it is completely understandable.
A huge split is looming in the EU, between the Baltics, Eastern Europe (ex Hungary), Scandinavia (plus UK on the outside) - who are firmly anti-Putin, and France, Belgium (plus Italy and Germany but to a lesser extent) who are much keener to appease Putin
Zelenskyy made this quite clear in a recent speech. Contemptuous of Macron
Potentially massive issue
Particularly if Poland/Slovakia do manage to wean themselves off Russian gas/oil and close down the pipelines into the rest of Europe.
If the death penalty was reintroduced here I would emigrate.
I am not sure I would emigrate but I would fight it all the way. It is one of the reasons why I think Priti Patel is unfit to be Home Secretary or PM. Her support for the Death Penalty is very disturbing and to my mind symptomatic of her attitude towards state authority in general.
Would you oppose the death penalty for Putin?
Yes.
I would not at all be upset if someone assassinated him and would agree the world would be a better place without him in it but it should not be a matter of state policy to kill people in cold blood.
Killing in war and to prevent further death is another matter. But once someone has been detained, no matter who they are, state sanctioned murder is not something I can support.
I realise this is a personal view that many would not share but I do see a very clear and well defined distinction between the two circumstances. It is why we do not sanction the murder of prisoners captured in battle.
I agree. You don't respond to barbarism with barbarism. We should be better than that.
The other point about the death penalty in general (not discussing specific cases, but I don't need to in this matter) is that it is asking someone to commit murder (in a sense, but a real one) on behalf of the state. And how does one choose? I wouldn't want to be conscripted to do it, but having volunteers is even worse ... perhaps the old English (and German?) partial tradition of it being a hereditary job had some logic to it.
Money.
*blinks in surprise ... goes away to consider it*
Hah, what I mean is if you offer enough money someone will do it.
A small update from Tallinn. It is bright but a bitter east wind is blowing.
Over 25,000 Ukrainians have come to Tallinn, but although a few are now going on to other places, nevertheless the crisis continues. There are concerns that some of the more Putinist Russian speakers might be "less than welcoming" to Ukrainian refugees, but for the moment the more obnoxious voices are stilled. The May 9th celebration of Soviet victory will not be going ahead in Tallinn, but may yet still take place in Narva, which is a concern to many, but we will see. The pitiful performance of the Russian army does not make even a Putinist heart swell with pride.
Trying to process my recent trip to Poland and the UK. FWIW, the feelings closer to the battlefield are more nuanced than you might think. Although there is respect and gratitude that the UK has provided critical assistance to Ukraine, there is a clear sense that the UK and the Conservative Party in particular were far too close to the Russian mafia state. The large donations to both the Tories and the Leave campaign are generally seen as a successful attempt by the Putinist state to subvert both the country and the party. While it is accepted that Britain has done many good things, in particular the training of Ukrainian troops and the donation of NLAWS are mentioned, this does not let either Britain or Boris off the hook. Indeed there is astonishment and no little anger about the appointment of Lebedev. "No such thing as an ex-KGB" is the general response and the idea that someone so close to the Putinists can be appointed to the UK Parliament is bewildering to most here.
Obviously the news of some Ukrainian gains is most welcome, because there is a growing sense of contempt, not just for Putin, but the Russian people who can put up with the tyrant. A general view is "Build a wall around them and forget them". The blood curdling threats of anhilliation coming from the Kremlin, or more precisely from the Urals bunker, are simply reinforcing a loathing of the man and indeed his country. The national image of Russia is reaching new lows, and it is easy to understand why. They have never apologised for the destruction they wrought during the occupation, they have never asked for forgiveness and at this point, neither Poles, nor Estonians, nor Latvians, nor Lithuanians are in a very forgiving mood. Indeed Estonia has drastically increased the assistance they are giving to Ukraine. Support for Kaja Kallas, the Liberal Prime Minister has rocketed and the general view is that she has done a good job prepresenting Estonia on the world stage.
As Russia continues to burn its bridges to the civilised world, a growing view in Estonia is "Good Riddance". Not sure this is healthy, albeit that it is completely understandable.
A huge split is looming in the EU, between the Baltics, Eastern Europe (ex Hungary), Scandinavia (plus UK on the outside) - who are firmly anti-Putin, and France, Belgium (plus Italy and Germany but to a lesser extent) who are much keener to appease Putin
Zelenskyy made this quite clear in a recent speech. Contemptuous of Macron
Potentially massive issue
It's brought to the surface an underlying split that has been there even before EU enlargement. Jacques Chirac famously told Poland and the Baltic states to be quiet when Tony Blair wanted to bring them in to EU meetings prior to accession. Without the UK, the EU risks looking like a vehicle for Franco-German interests.
Interesting clarification by Jamie Wallis just now.
"My gender dysphoria" "Will continue to present"
The debate is so complex; interesting to see an example of someone coming out and talking about it as a medical condition.
I hope this calms things down a bit. On both sides.
I fear I must break it to you that Leon will be along shortly to inflame the issue.
It’s not that complex.
The only people obsessed with body parts are the non trans people denying equality to trans people by, wait for it… obsessing about body parts. Being trans is nothing to do with body parts. It’s to do with being a non binary person facing huge levels of abuse and inequality and non acceptance for who they are, and being treated as a political football by media and politicians (and PB posters) who can’t get their head round what non binary is, hence contribute to that abuse and inequality with every dinner gag and PB post.
I am sure the woman raped in hospital by someone who the authorities said was not able to rape her would beg to differ about the importance of certain body parts.
This is not about people wanting to be non binary. It is about the authorities recognising that there are difficult issues which arise from this for the whole of society and just passing laws saying everything is fine and those problems don't exist does not deal with those issues.
One I do notice that got nominated, The Men Who Sell Football (Al Jazeera Investigations), that got zero mainstream coverage, but a proper bit of long form old school undercover investigative journalism, that we really don't see much of these days.
A small update from Tallinn. It is bright but a bitter east wind is blowing.
Over 25,000 Ukrainians have come to Tallinn, but although a few are now going on to other places, nevertheless the crisis continues. There are concerns that some of the more Putinist Russian speakers might be "less than welcoming" to Ukrainian refugees, but for the moment the more obnoxious voices are stilled. The May 9th celebration of Soviet victory will not be going ahead in Tallinn, but may yet still take place in Narva, which is a concern to many, but we will see. The pitiful performance of the Russian army does not make even a Putinist heart swell with pride.
Trying to process my recent trip to Poland and the UK. FWIW, the feelings closer to the battlefield are more nuanced than you might think. Although there is respect and gratitude that the UK has provided critical assistance to Ukraine, there is a clear sense that the UK and the Conservative Party in particular were far too close to the Russian mafia state. The large donations to both the Tories and the Leave campaign are generally seen as a successful attempt by the Putinist state to subvert both the country and the party. While it is accepted that Britain has done many good things, in particular the training of Ukrainian troops and the donation of NLAWS are mentioned, this does not let either Britain or Boris off the hook. Indeed there is astonishment and no little anger about the appointment of Lebedev. "No such thing as an ex-KGB" is the general response and the idea that someone so close to the Putinists can be appointed to the UK Parliament is bewildering to most here.
Obviously the news of some Ukrainian gains is most welcome, because there is a growing sense of contempt, not just for Putin, but the Russian people who can put up with the tyrant. A general view is "Build a wall around them and forget them". The blood curdling threats of anhilliation coming from the Kremlin, or more precisely from the Urals bunker, are simply reinforcing a loathing of the man and indeed his country. The national image of Russia is reaching new lows, and it is easy to understand why. They have never apologised for the destruction they wrought during the occupation, they have never asked for forgiveness and at this point, neither Poles, nor Estonians, nor Latvians, nor Lithuanians are in a very forgiving mood. Indeed Estonia has drastically increased the assistance they are giving to Ukraine. Support for Kaja Kallas, the Liberal Prime Minister has rocketed and the general view is that she has done a good job prepresenting Estonia on the world stage.
As Russia continues to burn its bridges to the civilised world, a growing view in Estonia is "Good Riddance". Not sure this is healthy, albeit that it is completely understandable.
A huge split is looming in the EU, between the Baltics, Eastern Europe (ex Hungary), Scandinavia (plus UK on the outside) - who are firmly anti-Putin, and France, Belgium (plus Italy and Germany but to a lesser extent) who are much keener to appease Putin
Zelenskyy made this quite clear in a recent speech. Contemptuous of Macron
Potentially massive issue
It's brought to the surface an underlying split that has been there even before EU enlargement. Jacques Chirac famously told Poland and the Baltic states to be quiet when Tony Blair wanted to bring them in to EU meetings prior to accession.
And all of this even as the EU seeks to punish Poland for its un-democratic blah blah
The Poles will turn around and say Well we’ve taken in 2 million refugees even as Berlin wanted to accept immediate Ukrainian defeat, and Macron was trying to strike a deal with Putin so French firms could continue doing business in Russia
There will be blood and it will be bad. The EU is fundamentally divided on the most important security issue of our time
On the same note I see that the total number of Ukrainian refugees outside Ukraine is now over 4 million. A bewilderingly huge crisis
Interesting clarification by Jamie Wallis just now.
"My gender dysphoria" "Will continue to present"
The debate is so complex; interesting to see an example of someone coming out and talking about it as a medical condition.
I hope this calms things down a bit. On both sides.
I fear I must break it to you that Leon will be along shortly to inflame the issue.
It’s not that complex.
The only people obsessed with body parts are the non trans people denying equality to trans people by, wait for it… obsessing about body parts. Being trans is nothing to do with body parts. It’s to do with being a non binary person facing huge levels of abuse and inequality and non acceptance for who they are, and being treated as a political football by media and politicians (and PB posters) who can’t get their head round what non binary is, hence contribute to that abuse and inequality with every dinner gag and PB post.
I am sure the woman raped in hospital by someone who the authorities said was not able to rape her would beg to differ about the importance of certain body parts.
This is not about people wanting to be non binary. It is about the authorities recognising that there are difficult issues which arise from this for the whole of society and just passing laws saying everything is fine and those problems don't exist does not deal with those issues.
I’m not trans, so can’t be sure what they feel, only suspect it’s non binary people suffering in silence and invisible to us, who actually need our love and respect and support. Which puts a lot of the posts on PB about this into a very unhelpful place, if you see what I mean?
I may better understand, although it never happened to me, when gay people go through a “ fluid phase” with relationships with opposite sex, and feel unhappy in them. I could be wrong, but I should imagine being trans right now is like the feeling the world you are in doesn’t love you. that you feel alive and you love the world, but the world doesn’t love you back or even acknowledge all what you feel. Which is a sad and unhappy place but it’s actually not down to them, but down to all the rest of us to help with it. If that makes any sense to you?
One I do notice that got nominated, The Men Who Sell Football (Al Jazeera Investigations), that got zero mainstream coverage, but a proper bit of long form old school undercover investigative journalism, that we really don't see much of these days.
Steph's Packed Lunch wasn't cancelled, in fact it's on as we speak and I walked past the studio on a lunchtime walk while it was on air on Friday.
Not sure what viewing figures it's getting now. Channel 4 must be comfortable with how it's going but daytime TV is never going to bring in millions.
One I do notice that got nominated, The Men Who Sell Football (Al Jazeera Investigations), that got zero mainstream coverage, but a proper bit of long form old school undercover investigative journalism, that we really don't see much of these days.
Steph's Packed Lunch wasn't cancelled, in fact it's on as we speak and I walked past the studio while it was on air on Friday on a lunchtime walk.
My mistake it was "The Steph Show" show that was canned, and then they brought it back as "Steph's Packed Lunch". It has piss poor viewership. And the point being, not if CH4 think it fills the schedule with some cheap telly, that the fact it is nominated.
Just caught the end of PMQs. For all his lawyerly, considered, forensic, incisive, analytical questioning, SKS is boring as fuck.
Lab need a bit of tub-thumping.
SKS could reel off the most important issues on the planet which everyone is affected by and it would seem as though he was reading through the phone book.
BoJo could read through the phone book and it would seem as though he was addressing the critical matters of state.
I couldn't care less whether "Bojo" as you affectionately call him, could read said phone book at 1000 words per minute while riding a unicycle and juggling bottles of nitro-glycerine. The fact remains that other than Corbyn, he is the most unsuitable person ever to have submitted himself to be leader of a serious British political party. His ability to be entertaining is not a necessary characteristic for that post.
Spot on, Johnson is an inept fool, after 2 1/2 years, most sane people have come to that conclusion
A small update from Tallinn. It is bright but a bitter east wind is blowing.
Over 25,000 Ukrainians have come to Tallinn, but although a few are now going on to other places, nevertheless the crisis continues. There are concerns that some of the more Putinist Russian speakers might be "less than welcoming" to Ukrainian refugees, but for the moment the more obnoxious voices are stilled. The May 9th celebration of Soviet victory will not be going ahead in Tallinn, but may yet still take place in Narva, which is a concern to many, but we will see. The pitiful performance of the Russian army does not make even a Putinist heart swell with pride.
Trying to process my recent trip to Poland and the UK. FWIW, the feelings closer to the battlefield are more nuanced than you might think. Although there is respect and gratitude that the UK has provided critical assistance to Ukraine, there is a clear sense that the UK and the Conservative Party in particular were far too close to the Russian mafia state. The large donations to both the Tories and the Leave campaign are generally seen as a successful attempt by the Putinist state to subvert both the country and the party. While it is accepted that Britain has done many good things, in particular the training of Ukrainian troops and the donation of NLAWS are mentioned, this does not let either Britain or Boris off the hook. Indeed there is astonishment and no little anger about the appointment of Lebedev. "No such thing as an ex-KGB" is the general response and the idea that someone so close to the Putinists can be appointed to the UK Parliament is bewildering to most here.
Obviously the news of some Ukrainian gains is most welcome, because there is a growing sense of contempt, not just for Putin, but the Russian people who can put up with the tyrant. A general view is "Build a wall around them and forget them". The blood curdling threats of anhilliation coming from the Kremlin, or more precisely from the Urals bunker, are simply reinforcing a loathing of the man and indeed his country. The national image of Russia is reaching new lows, and it is easy to understand why. They have never apologised for the destruction they wrought during the occupation, they have never asked for forgiveness and at this point, neither Poles, nor Estonians, nor Latvians, nor Lithuanians are in a very forgiving mood. Indeed Estonia has drastically increased the assistance they are giving to Ukraine. Support for Kaja Kallas, the Liberal Prime Minister has rocketed and the general view is that she has done a good job prepresenting Estonia on the world stage.
As Russia continues to burn its bridges to the civilised world, a growing view in Estonia is "Good Riddance". Not sure this is healthy, albeit that it is completely understandable.
A huge split is looming in the EU, between the Baltics, Eastern Europe (ex Hungary), Scandinavia (plus UK on the outside) - who are firmly anti-Putin, and France, Belgium (plus Italy and Germany but to a lesser extent) who are much keener to appease Putin
Zelenskyy made this quite clear in a recent speech. Contemptuous of Macron
Potentially massive issue
It's brought to the surface an underlying split that has been there even before EU enlargement. Jacques Chirac famously told Poland and the Baltic states to be quiet when Tony Blair wanted to bring them in to EU meetings prior to accession.
And all of this even as the EU seeks to punish Poland for its un-democratic blah blah
The Poles will turn around and say Well we’ve taken in 2 million refugees even as Berlin wanted to accept immediate Ukrainian defeat, and Macron was trying to strike a deal with Putin so French firms could continue doing business in Russia
There will be blood and it will be bad. The EU is fundamentally divided on the most important security issue of our time
On the same note I see that the total number of Ukrainian refugees outside Ukraine is now over 4 million. A bewilderingly huge crisis
This is particularly striking coming from someone who hasn’t predicted EU fissure and rupture previously. Any view on how this will also be inevitably disastrous for Scottish Indy?
If Germany declares a "gas emergency", then member-states (+EEA) have an obligation to show solidarity and re-route gas supplies to alleviate the emergency.
This potentially has implications for Norway, which may be required to reroute gas to Germany... /1
This would impact NOR supplies to countries like UK and NL.
But it could also directly impact the Netherlands, which may be forced to supply more #Groningen gas to address Germany's emergency
My guess is that Norway could fill all its export pipelines to capacity at the same time, if required. Does anyone know?
I don't know, But I would think if its possible they would/are doing it now, if not why not. AIUI Germany, and others have reduced Russian gas imports to the minimum amount specified in the contracts with Germany. but would also like to fill there storage capacity to the max, before next winter for obvious reasons.
Interesting clarification by Jamie Wallis just now.
"My gender dysphoria" "Will continue to present"
The debate is so complex; interesting to see an example of someone coming out and talking about it as a medical condition.
I hope this calms things down a bit. On both sides.
I fear I must break it to you that Leon will be along shortly to inflame the issue.
It’s not that complex.
The only people obsessed with body parts are the non trans people denying equality to trans people by, wait for it… obsessing about body parts. Being trans is nothing to do with body parts. It’s to do with being a non binary person facing huge levels of abuse and inequality and non acceptance for who they are, and being treated as a political football by media and politicians (and PB posters) who can’t get their head round what non binary is, hence contribute to that abuse and inequality with every dinner gag and PB post.
I am sure the woman raped in hospital by someone who the authorities said was not able to rape her would beg to differ about the importance of certain body parts.
This is not about people wanting to be non binary. It is about the authorities recognising that there are difficult issues which arise from this for the whole of society and just passing laws saying everything is fine and those problems don't exist does not deal with those issues.
I’m not trans, so can’t be sure what they feel, only suspect it’s non binary people suffering in silence and invisible to us, who actually need our love and respect and support. Which puts a lot of the posts on PB about this into a very unhelpful place, if you see what I mean?
I may better understand, although it never happened to me, when gay people go through a “ fluid phase” with relationships with opposite sex, and feel unhappy in them. I could be wrong, but I should imagine being trans right now is like the feeling the world you are in doesn’t love you. that you feel alive and you love the world, but the world doesn’t love you back or even acknowledge all what you feel. Which is a sad and unhappy place but it’s actually not down to them, but down to all the rest of us to help with it. If that makes any sense to you?
Straw trans man
(Sorry, couldn’t resist)
As far as I can see, no one on this site - which is socially very liberal - wants to deny love and concern for people with gender dysphoria/a desire to transition. Etc. And out of sheer politeness if someone wants to be called Ms Mrs Miss or whatever then who would say No?
The issue is when trans rights start to trample over other rights, such as the right of women to feel safe from rape in hospital wards, prisons, etc. Or when female sports risk becoming dominated by people born male.
These are very real issues - as we can see from recent stories - and people are now getting angry at how this important argument is constantly closed down with aggressive accusations of “transphobia”. It happens on here
A small update from Tallinn. It is bright but a bitter east wind is blowing.
Over 25,000 Ukrainians have come to Tallinn, but although a few are now going on to other places, nevertheless the crisis continues. There are concerns that some of the more Putinist Russian speakers might be "less than welcoming" to Ukrainian refugees, but for the moment the more obnoxious voices are stilled. The May 9th celebration of Soviet victory will not be going ahead in Tallinn, but may yet still take place in Narva, which is a concern to many, but we will see. The pitiful performance of the Russian army does not make even a Putinist heart swell with pride.
Trying to process my recent trip to Poland and the UK. FWIW, the feelings closer to the battlefield are more nuanced than you might think. Although there is respect and gratitude that the UK has provided critical assistance to Ukraine, there is a clear sense that the UK and the Conservative Party in particular were far too close to the Russian mafia state. The large donations to both the Tories and the Leave campaign are generally seen as a successful attempt by the Putinist state to subvert both the country and the party. While it is accepted that Britain has done many good things, in particular the training of Ukrainian troops and the donation of NLAWS are mentioned, this does not let either Britain or Boris off the hook. Indeed there is astonishment and no little anger about the appointment of Lebedev. "No such thing as an ex-KGB" is the general response and the idea that someone so close to the Putinists can be appointed to the UK Parliament is bewildering to most here.
Obviously the news of some Ukrainian gains is most welcome, because there is a growing sense of contempt, not just for Putin, but the Russian people who can put up with the tyrant. A general view is "Build a wall around them and forget them". The blood curdling threats of anhilliation coming from the Kremlin, or more precisely from the Urals bunker, are simply reinforcing a loathing of the man and indeed his country. The national image of Russia is reaching new lows, and it is easy to understand why. They have never apologised for the destruction they wrought during the occupation, they have never asked for forgiveness and at this point, neither Poles, nor Estonians, nor Latvians, nor Lithuanians are in a very forgiving mood. Indeed Estonia has drastically increased the assistance they are giving to Ukraine. Support for Kaja Kallas, the Liberal Prime Minister has rocketed and the general view is that she has done a good job prepresenting Estonia on the world stage.
As Russia continues to burn its bridges to the civilised world, a growing view in Estonia is "Good Riddance". Not sure this is healthy, albeit that it is completely understandable.
A huge split is looming in the EU, between the Baltics, Eastern Europe (ex Hungary), Scandinavia (plus UK on the outside) - who are firmly anti-Putin, and France, Belgium (plus Italy and Germany but to a lesser extent) who are much keener to appease Putin
Zelenskyy made this quite clear in a recent speech. Contemptuous of Macron
Potentially massive issue
It's brought to the surface an underlying split that has been there even before EU enlargement. Jacques Chirac famously told Poland and the Baltic states to be quiet when Tony Blair wanted to bring them in to EU meetings prior to accession.
And all of this even as the EU seeks to punish Poland for its un-democratic blah blah
The Poles will turn around and say Well we’ve taken in 2 million refugees even as Berlin wanted to accept immediate Ukrainian defeat, and Macron was trying to strike a deal with Putin so French firms could continue doing business in Russia
There will be blood and it will be bad. The EU is fundamentally divided on the most important security issue of our time
On the same note I see that the total number of Ukrainian refugees outside Ukraine is now over 4 million. A bewilderingly huge crisis
This is particularly striking coming from someone who hasn’t predicted EU fissure and rupture previously. Any view on how this will also be inevitably disastrous for Scottish Indy?
interesting thread on future of western military spending. Perhaps Sunak was right to hold off additional billions at this time?
Phillips P. OBrien @PhillipsPOBrien This might be counter-intuitive, but the mediocre (to be kind) performance of the Russian military in Kyiv means that Europe and the USA do not need to rush out and spend billions more right away on their militaries. It means they have a window to plan for the future.
I'd have thought re-armament would be high on Putin's agenda. How long did it take his mentor? Six years, including reoccupation of the Rhineland, which we were content to overlook at the time.
As Putin no doubt says to his well-wishers, "I am in blood stepped in so far, that, should I wade no more, returning were as tedious as go o'er."
There are so many angles to this. Firstly, military equipment nowadays is much more complex than it was eighty years ago, and supply chains are massive and often international - so re-equipping can be expensive and difficult.
On the other hand, much of Russia's problems seem to come from doctrine, leadership and training. This is easier to fix - as Ukraine has done after they solidly lost in 2014.
I do wonder how much Russia's military training and setup is actually a result of a system that does not want a military that can challenge the leadership? If that's the case, it won't change, and the military will be fighting with one hand behind its back whatever equipment they have.
What Russia needs to do is look at Ukraine: how have they gone from being beaten eight years ago, to a much better position today? Some of it is western equipment, but much of it will be training and doctrinal changes within the government and military.
Absent societal changes, none of that is going to make much real difference. And given such changes, the motive to invade their neighbours would very likely not exist.
I as trying to find the essay that was written by an American who'd trained (and trained with) various middle eastern forces.
An efficient flexible army, with knowledge freely shared, and subordinates able to be make decisions for themselves was antithetical to modern authoritarian government. Also that corruption was part of the system and not remediable.
He did acknowledge the difference in performance of some *totalitarian* regimes - his suggestion was that there, the level of control allowed the rulers to stamp out corruption and inefficiency by fiat.
Interesting clarification by Jamie Wallis just now.
"My gender dysphoria" "Will continue to present"
The debate is so complex; interesting to see an example of someone coming out and talking about it as a medical condition.
I hope this calms things down a bit. On both sides.
I fear I must break it to you that Leon will be along shortly to inflame the issue.
It’s not that complex.
The only people obsessed with body parts are the non trans people denying equality to trans people by, wait for it… obsessing about body parts. Being trans is nothing to do with body parts. It’s to do with being a non binary person facing huge levels of abuse and inequality and non acceptance for who they are, and being treated as a political football by media and politicians (and PB posters) who can’t get their head round what non binary is, hence contribute to that abuse and inequality with every dinner gag and PB post.
I am sure the woman raped in hospital by someone who the authorities said was not able to rape her would beg to differ about the importance of certain body parts.
This is not about people wanting to be non binary. It is about the authorities recognising that there are difficult issues which arise from this for the whole of society and just passing laws saying everything is fine and those problems don't exist does not deal with those issues.
I’m not trans, so can’t be sure what they feel, only suspect it’s non binary people suffering in silence and invisible to us, who actually need our love and respect and support. Which puts a lot of the posts on PB about this into a very unhelpful place, if you see what I mean?
I may better understand, although it never happened to me, when gay people go through a “ fluid phase” with relationships with opposite sex, and feel unhappy in them. I could be wrong, but I should imagine being trans right now is like the feeling the world you are in doesn’t love you. that you feel alive and you love the world, but the world doesn’t love you back or even acknowledge all what you feel. Which is a sad and unhappy place but it’s actually not down to them, but down to all the rest of us to help with it. If that makes any sense to you?
Straw trans man
(Sorry, couldn’t resist)
As far as I can see, no one on this site - which is socially very liberal - wants to deny love and concern for people with gender dysphoria/a desire to transition. Etc. And out of sheer politeness if someone wants to be called Ms Mrs Miss or whatever then who would say No?
The issue is when trans rights start to trample over other rights, such as the right of women to feel safe from rape in hospital wards, prisons, etc. Or when female sports risk becoming dominated by people born male.
These are very real issues - as we can see from recent stories - and people are now getting angry at how this important argument is constantly closed down with aggressive accusations of “transphobia”. It happens on here
AS in real life. You either bend to the will of the TRA's and accept completely without question or you are a hater who wants to deny trans people the right to exist. Bizarre.
Interesting clarification by Jamie Wallis just now.
"My gender dysphoria" "Will continue to present"
The debate is so complex; interesting to see an example of someone coming out and talking about it as a medical condition.
I hope this calms things down a bit. On both sides.
I fear I must break it to you that Leon will be along shortly to inflame the issue.
It’s not that complex.
The only people obsessed with body parts are the non trans people denying equality to trans people by, wait for it… obsessing about body parts. Being trans is nothing to do with body parts. It’s to do with being a non binary person facing huge levels of abuse and inequality and non acceptance for who they are, and being treated as a political football by media and politicians (and PB posters) who can’t get their head round what non binary is, hence contribute to that abuse and inequality with every dinner gag and PB post.
I am sure the woman raped in hospital by someone who the authorities said was not able to rape her would beg to differ about the importance of certain body parts.
This is not about people wanting to be non binary. It is about the authorities recognising that there are difficult issues which arise from this for the whole of society and just passing laws saying everything is fine and those problems don't exist does not deal with those issues.
I’m not trans, so can’t be sure what they feel, only suspect it’s non binary people suffering in silence and invisible to us, who actually need our love and respect and support. Which puts a lot of the posts on PB about this into a very unhelpful place, if you see what I mean?
I may better understand, although it never happened to me, when gay people go through a “ fluid phase” with relationships with opposite sex, and feel unhappy in them. I could be wrong, but I should imagine being trans right now is like the feeling the world you are in doesn’t love you. that you feel alive and you love the world, but the world doesn’t love you back or even acknowledge all what you feel. Which is a sad and unhappy place but it’s actually not down to them, but down to all the rest of us to help with it. If that makes any sense to you?
Straw trans man
(Sorry, couldn’t resist)
As far as I can see, no one on this site - which is socially very liberal - wants to deny love and concern for people with gender dysphoria/a desire to transition. Etc. And out of sheer politeness if someone wants to be called Ms Mrs Miss or whatever then who would say No?
The issue is when trans rights start to trample over other rights, such as the right of women to feel safe from rape in hospital wards, prisons, etc. Or when female sports risk becoming dominated by people born male.
These are very real issues - as we can see from recent stories - and people are now getting angry at how this important argument is constantly closed down with aggressive accusations of “transphobia”. It happens on here
The “rape in hospital, trample on other rights” is preciscisly the “reefer madness” you are getting wrong. It makes you come across unwilling to understand and help because all every trans person wants is to rape people in hospitals. Do you see what I mean 🤷♀️
What we can actually do to help is stop the misconception of the “can a women have a penis” question, so that question is never heard ever again. Stop tarring every trans and non binary person with “there was a rape in hospital” on the basis that you don’t actually believe it’s fair or helpful to do that.
One I do notice that got nominated, The Men Who Sell Football (Al Jazeera Investigations), that got zero mainstream coverage, but a proper bit of long form old school undercover investigative journalism, that we really don't see much of these days.
Steph's Packed Lunch wasn't cancelled, in fact it's on as we speak and I walked past the studio while it was on air on Friday on a lunchtime walk.
My mistake it was "The Steph Show" show that was canned, and then they brought it back as "Steph's Packed Lunch". It has piss poor viewership. And the point being, not if CH4 think it fills the schedule with some cheap telly, that the fact it is nominated.
At one stage the viewership was so low as to technically be zero viewers.
I have caught a bit of it a few times. I quite liked her on BBC Breakfast. It isn't very good.
Interesting clarification by Jamie Wallis just now.
"My gender dysphoria" "Will continue to present"
The debate is so complex; interesting to see an example of someone coming out and talking about it as a medical condition.
I hope this calms things down a bit. On both sides.
I fear I must break it to you that Leon will be along shortly to inflame the issue.
It’s not that complex.
The only people obsessed with body parts are the non trans people denying equality to trans people by, wait for it… obsessing about body parts. Being trans is nothing to do with body parts. It’s to do with being a non binary person facing huge levels of abuse and inequality and non acceptance for who they are, and being treated as a political football by media and politicians (and PB posters) who can’t get their head round what non binary is, hence contribute to that abuse and inequality with every dinner gag and PB post.
I am sure the woman raped in hospital by someone who the authorities said was not able to rape her would beg to differ about the importance of certain body parts.
This is not about people wanting to be non binary. It is about the authorities recognising that there are difficult issues which arise from this for the whole of society and just passing laws saying everything is fine and those problems don't exist does not deal with those issues.
I’m not trans, so can’t be sure what they feel, only suspect it’s non binary people suffering in silence and invisible to us, who actually need our love and respect and support. Which puts a lot of the posts on PB about this into a very unhelpful place, if you see what I mean?
I may better understand, although it never happened to me, when gay people go through a “ fluid phase” with relationships with opposite sex, and feel unhappy in them. I could be wrong, but I should imagine being trans right now is like the feeling the world you are in doesn’t love you. that you feel alive and you love the world, but the world doesn’t love you back or even acknowledge all what you feel. Which is a sad and unhappy place but it’s actually not down to them, but down to all the rest of us to help with it. If that makes any sense to you?
Straw trans man
(Sorry, couldn’t resist)
As far as I can see, no one on this site - which is socially very liberal - wants to deny love and concern for people with gender dysphoria/a desire to transition. Etc. And out of sheer politeness if someone wants to be called Ms Mrs Miss or whatever then who would say No?
The issue is when trans rights start to trample over other rights, such as the right of women to feel safe from rape in hospital wards, prisons, etc. Or when female sports risk becoming dominated by people born male.
These are very real issues - as we can see from recent stories - and people are now getting angry at how this important argument is constantly closed down with aggressive accusations of “transphobia”. It happens on here
The “rape in hospital, trample on other rights” is preciscisly the “reefer madness” you are getting wrong. It makes you come across unwilling to understand and help because all every trans person wants is to rape people in hospitals. Do you see what I mean 🤷♀️
What we can actually do to help is stop the misconception of the “can a women have a penis” question, so that question is never heard ever again. Stop tarring every trans and non binary person with “there was a rape in hospital” on the basis that you don’t actually believe it’s fair or helpful to do that.
If the death penalty was reintroduced here I would emigrate.
I am not sure I would emigrate but I would fight it all the way. It is one of the reasons why I think Priti Patel is unfit to be Home Secretary or PM. Her support for the Death Penalty is very disturbing and to my mind symptomatic of her attitude towards state authority in general.
Would you oppose the death penalty for Putin?
Yes.
I would not at all be upset if someone assassinated him and would agree the world would be a better place without him in it but it should not be a matter of state policy to kill people in cold blood.
Killing in war and to prevent further death is another matter. But once someone has been detained, no matter who they are, state sanctioned murder is not something I can support.
I realise this is a personal view that many would not share but I do see a very clear and well defined distinction between the two circumstances. It is why we do not sanction the murder of prisoners captured in battle.
I think that's a very balanced view.
The question comes: if the Nuremberg trials occurred today, against similar crimes, would the death sentence be given out? I guess it should not, and the ICC cannot. But imagine if Hitler had lived: would we keep him in jail forever, a focus for all sorts of people? I guess so, but it seems more of an edge case...
It is interesting how many British and particularly US lawyers were deeply opposed to the Nuremburg trials, not because they didn't think the defendants deserved to die but because it was quite literally rewriting the law based on 'victor's might'. Many eminent US and UK lawyers refused to take part because they thought this sort of retrospective law creation was wrong and even dangerous.
Interesting also (I'm fresh from watching Turning Point 9/11 and The War on Terror) that several US prosecutors resigned from the Guantanamo and related AQ trials process for the various they believe violations (albeit passed into law by successive PsOTUS) of justice and in particular habeas corpus.
A small update from Tallinn. It is bright but a bitter east wind is blowing.
Over 25,000 Ukrainians have come to Tallinn, but although a few are now going on to other places, nevertheless the crisis continues. There are concerns that some of the more Putinist Russian speakers might be "less than welcoming" to Ukrainian refugees, but for the moment the more obnoxious voices are stilled. The May 9th celebration of Soviet victory will not be going ahead in Tallinn, but may yet still take place in Narva, which is a concern to many, but we will see. The pitiful performance of the Russian army does not make even a Putinist heart swell with pride.
Trying to process my recent trip to Poland and the UK. FWIW, the feelings closer to the battlefield are more nuanced than you might think. Although there is respect and gratitude that the UK has provided critical assistance to Ukraine, there is a clear sense that the UK and the Conservative Party in particular were far too close to the Russian mafia state. The large donations to both the Tories and the Leave campaign are generally seen as a successful attempt by the Putinist state to subvert both the country and the party. While it is accepted that Britain has done many good things, in particular the training of Ukrainian troops and the donation of NLAWS are mentioned, this does not let either Britain or Boris off the hook. Indeed there is astonishment and no little anger about the appointment of Lebedev. "No such thing as an ex-KGB" is the general response and the idea that someone so close to the Putinists can be appointed to the UK Parliament is bewildering to most here.
Obviously the news of some Ukrainian gains is most welcome, because there is a growing sense of contempt, not just for Putin, but the Russian people who can put up with the tyrant. A general view is "Build a wall around them and forget them". The blood curdling threats of anhilliation coming from the Kremlin, or more precisely from the Urals bunker, are simply reinforcing a loathing of the man and indeed his country. The national image of Russia is reaching new lows, and it is easy to understand why. They have never apologised for the destruction they wrought during the occupation, they have never asked for forgiveness and at this point, neither Poles, nor Estonians, nor Latvians, nor Lithuanians are in a very forgiving mood. Indeed Estonia has drastically increased the assistance they are giving to Ukraine. Support for Kaja Kallas, the Liberal Prime Minister has rocketed and the general view is that she has done a good job prepresenting Estonia on the world stage.
As Russia continues to burn its bridges to the civilised world, a growing view in Estonia is "Good Riddance". Not sure this is healthy, albeit that it is completely understandable.
A huge split is looming in the EU, between the Baltics, Eastern Europe (ex Hungary), Scandinavia (plus UK on the outside) - who are firmly anti-Putin, and France, Belgium (plus Italy and Germany but to a lesser extent) who are much keener to appease Putin
Zelenskyy made this quite clear in a recent speech. Contemptuous of Macron
Potentially massive issue
It's brought to the surface an underlying split that has been there even before EU enlargement. Jacques Chirac famously told Poland and the Baltic states to be quiet when Tony Blair wanted to bring them in to EU meetings prior to accession.
And all of this even as the EU seeks to punish Poland for its un-democratic blah blah
The Poles will turn around and say Well we’ve taken in 2 million refugees even as Berlin wanted to accept immediate Ukrainian defeat, and Macron was trying to strike a deal with Putin so French firms could continue doing business in Russia
There will be blood and it will be bad. The EU is fundamentally divided on the most important security issue of our time
On the same note I see that the total number of Ukrainian refugees outside Ukraine is now over 4 million. A bewilderingly huge crisis
This is particularly striking coming from someone who hasn’t predicted EU fissure and rupture previously. Any view on how this will also be inevitably disastrous for Scottish Indy?
Interesting clarification by Jamie Wallis just now.
"My gender dysphoria" "Will continue to present"
The debate is so complex; interesting to see an example of someone coming out and talking about it as a medical condition.
I hope this calms things down a bit. On both sides.
I fear I must break it to you that Leon will be along shortly to inflame the issue.
It’s not that complex.
The only people obsessed with body parts are the non trans people denying equality to trans people by, wait for it… obsessing about body parts. Being trans is nothing to do with body parts. It’s to do with being a non binary person facing huge levels of abuse and inequality and non acceptance for who they are, and being treated as a political football by media and politicians (and PB posters) who can’t get their head round what non binary is, hence contribute to that abuse and inequality with every dinner gag and PB post.
I am sure the woman raped in hospital by someone who the authorities said was not able to rape her would beg to differ about the importance of certain body parts.
This is not about people wanting to be non binary. It is about the authorities recognising that there are difficult issues which arise from this for the whole of society and just passing laws saying everything is fine and those problems don't exist does not deal with those issues.
I’m not trans, so can’t be sure what they feel, only suspect it’s non binary people suffering in silence and invisible to us, who actually need our love and respect and support. Which puts a lot of the posts on PB about this into a very unhelpful place, if you see what I mean?
I may better understand, although it never happened to me, when gay people go through a “ fluid phase” with relationships with opposite sex, and feel unhappy in them. I could be wrong, but I should imagine being trans right now is like the feeling the world you are in doesn’t love you. that you feel alive and you love the world, but the world doesn’t love you back or even acknowledge all what you feel. Which is a sad and unhappy place but it’s actually not down to them, but down to all the rest of us to help with it. If that makes any sense to you?
Straw trans man
(Sorry, couldn’t resist)
As far as I can see, no one on this site - which is socially very liberal - wants to deny love and concern for people with gender dysphoria/a desire to transition. Etc. And out of sheer politeness if someone wants to be called Ms Mrs Miss or whatever then who would say No?
The issue is when trans rights start to trample over other rights, such as the right of women to feel safe from rape in hospital wards, prisons, etc. Or when female sports risk becoming dominated by people born male.
These are very real issues - as we can see from recent stories - and people are now getting angry at how this important argument is constantly closed down with aggressive accusations of “transphobia”. It happens on here
The “rape in hospital, trample on other rights” is preciscisly the “reefer madness” you are getting wrong. It makes you come across unwilling to understand and help because all every trans person wants is to rape people in hospitals. Do you see what I mean 🤷♀️
What we can actually do to help is stop the misconception of the “can a women have a penis” question, so that question is never heard ever again. Stop tarring every trans and non binary person with “there was a rape in hospital” on the basis that you don’t actually believe it’s fair or helpful to do that.
Interesting clarification by Jamie Wallis just now.
"My gender dysphoria" "Will continue to present"
The debate is so complex; interesting to see an example of someone coming out and talking about it as a medical condition.
I hope this calms things down a bit. On both sides.
I fear I must break it to you that Leon will be along shortly to inflame the issue.
It’s not that complex.
The only people obsessed with body parts are the non trans people denying equality to trans people by, wait for it… obsessing about body parts. Being trans is nothing to do with body parts. It’s to do with being a non binary person facing huge levels of abuse and inequality and non acceptance for who they are, and being treated as a political football by media and politicians (and PB posters) who can’t get their head round what non binary is, hence contribute to that abuse and inequality with every dinner gag and PB post.
I am sure the woman raped in hospital by someone who the authorities said was not able to rape her would beg to differ about the importance of certain body parts.
This is not about people wanting to be non binary. It is about the authorities recognising that there are difficult issues which arise from this for the whole of society and just passing laws saying everything is fine and those problems don't exist does not deal with those issues.
I’m not trans, so can’t be sure what they feel, only suspect it’s non binary people suffering in silence and invisible to us, who actually need our love and respect and support. Which puts a lot of the posts on PB about this into a very unhelpful place, if you see what I mean?
I may better understand, although it never happened to me, when gay people go through a “ fluid phase” with relationships with opposite sex, and feel unhappy in them. I could be wrong, but I should imagine being trans right now is like the feeling the world you are in doesn’t love you. that you feel alive and you love the world, but the world doesn’t love you back or even acknowledge all what you feel. Which is a sad and unhappy place but it’s actually not down to them, but down to all the rest of us to help with it. If that makes any sense to you?
Straw trans man
(Sorry, couldn’t resist)
As far as I can see, no one on this site - which is socially very liberal - wants to deny love and concern for people with gender dysphoria/a desire to transition. Etc. And out of sheer politeness if someone wants to be called Ms Mrs Miss or whatever then who would say No?
The issue is when trans rights start to trample over other rights, such as the right of women to feel safe from rape in hospital wards, prisons, etc. Or when female sports risk becoming dominated by people born male.
These are very real issues - as we can see from recent stories - and people are now getting angry at how this important argument is constantly closed down with aggressive accusations of “transphobia”. It happens on here
AS in real life. You either bend to the will of the TRA's and accept completely without question or you are a hater who wants to deny trans people the right to exist. Bizarre.
It’s how the extreme TRAs have managed to get all of society to this crazy place. At every stage, anyone who objects has been labelled as a “transphobe” and, often, successfully cancelled
It’s only because J K Rowling is J K Rowling that she has managed to survive. Plenty of people at her publishers wanted to cancel her
I do suspect we might be near the tipping point, however. And it could be women’s sports that does it
Just caught the end of PMQs. For all his lawyerly, considered, forensic, incisive, analytical questioning, SKS is boring as fuck.
Lab need a bit of tub-thumping.
SKS could reel off the most important issues on the planet which everyone is affected by and it would seem as though he was reading through the phone book.
BoJo could read through the phone book and it would seem as though he was addressing the critical matters of state.
I couldn't care less whether "Bojo" as you affectionately call him, could read said phone book at 1000 words per minute while riding a unicycle and juggling bottles of nitro-glycerine. The fact remains that other than Corbyn, he is the most unsuitable person ever to have submitted himself to be leader of a serious British political party. His ability to be entertaining is not a necessary characteristic for that post.
A small update from Tallinn. It is bright but a bitter east wind is blowing.
Over 25,000 Ukrainians have come to Tallinn, but although a few are now going on to other places, nevertheless the crisis continues. There are concerns that some of the more Putinist Russian speakers might be "less than welcoming" to Ukrainian refugees, but for the moment the more obnoxious voices are stilled. The May 9th celebration of Soviet victory will not be going ahead in Tallinn, but may yet still take place in Narva, which is a concern to many, but we will see. The pitiful performance of the Russian army does not make even a Putinist heart swell with pride.
Trying to process my recent trip to Poland and the UK. FWIW, the feelings closer to the battlefield are more nuanced than you might think. Although there is respect and gratitude that the UK has provided critical assistance to Ukraine, there is a clear sense that the UK and the Conservative Party in particular were far too close to the Russian mafia state. The large donations to both the Tories and the Leave campaign are generally seen as a successful attempt by the Putinist state to subvert both the country and the party. While it is accepted that Britain has done many good things, in particular the training of Ukrainian troops and the donation of NLAWS are mentioned, this does not let either Britain or Boris off the hook. Indeed there is astonishment and no little anger about the appointment of Lebedev. "No such thing as an ex-KGB" is the general response and the idea that someone so close to the Putinists can be appointed to the UK Parliament is bewildering to most here.
Obviously the news of some Ukrainian gains is most welcome, because there is a growing sense of contempt, not just for Putin, but the Russian people who can put up with the tyrant. A general view is "Build a wall around them and forget them". The blood curdling threats of anhilliation coming from the Kremlin, or more precisely from the Urals bunker, are simply reinforcing a loathing of the man and indeed his country. The national image of Russia is reaching new lows, and it is easy to understand why. They have never apologised for the destruction they wrought during the occupation, they have never asked for forgiveness and at this point, neither Poles, nor Estonians, nor Latvians, nor Lithuanians are in a very forgiving mood. Indeed Estonia has drastically increased the assistance they are giving to Ukraine. Support for Kaja Kallas, the Liberal Prime Minister has rocketed and the general view is that she has done a good job prepresenting Estonia on the world stage.
As Russia continues to burn its bridges to the civilised world, a growing view in Estonia is "Good Riddance". Not sure this is healthy, albeit that it is completely understandable.
A huge split is looming in the EU, between the Baltics, Eastern Europe (ex Hungary), Scandinavia (plus UK on the outside) - who are firmly anti-Putin, and France, Belgium (plus Italy and Germany but to a lesser extent) who are much keener to appease Putin
Zelenskyy made this quite clear in a recent speech. Contemptuous of Macron
Potentially massive issue
It's brought to the surface an underlying split that has been there even before EU enlargement. Jacques Chirac famously told Poland and the Baltic states to be quiet when Tony Blair wanted to bring them in to EU meetings prior to accession.
And all of this even as the EU seeks to punish Poland for its un-democratic blah blah
The Poles will turn around and say Well we’ve taken in 2 million refugees even as Berlin wanted to accept immediate Ukrainian defeat, and Macron was trying to strike a deal with Putin so French firms could continue doing business in Russia
There will be blood and it will be bad. The EU is fundamentally divided on the most important security issue of our time
On the same note I see that the total number of Ukrainian refugees outside Ukraine is now over 4 million. A bewilderingly huge crisis
This is particularly striking coming from someone who hasn’t predicted EU fissure and rupture previously. Any view on how this will also be inevitably disastrous for Scottish Indy?
Your desire for attention is poignant and forlorn
Lol, diagnostician heal thyself.
Indeed, I see a bit of myself in you. Take that as you will
The difference is that you’re a monomaniac. Your only issue is Indy, really. Makes you a commenter of limited interest whenever things stray too far from that subject
By contrast, I have a million views on a billion subjects, often completely contradictory, yet uttered on the same day
Interesting clarification by Jamie Wallis just now.
"My gender dysphoria" "Will continue to present"
The debate is so complex; interesting to see an example of someone coming out and talking about it as a medical condition.
I hope this calms things down a bit. On both sides.
I fear I must break it to you that Leon will be along shortly to inflame the issue.
It’s not that complex.
The only people obsessed with body parts are the non trans people denying equality to trans people by, wait for it… obsessing about body parts. Being trans is nothing to do with body parts. It’s to do with being a non binary person facing huge levels of abuse and inequality and non acceptance for who they are, and being treated as a political football by media and politicians (and PB posters) who can’t get their head round what non binary is, hence contribute to that abuse and inequality with every dinner gag and PB post.
I am sure the woman raped in hospital by someone who the authorities said was not able to rape her would beg to differ about the importance of certain body parts.
This is not about people wanting to be non binary. It is about the authorities recognising that there are difficult issues which arise from this for the whole of society and just passing laws saying everything is fine and those problems don't exist does not deal with those issues.
I’m not trans, so can’t be sure what they feel, only suspect it’s non binary people suffering in silence and invisible to us, who actually need our love and respect and support. Which puts a lot of the posts on PB about this into a very unhelpful place, if you see what I mean?
I may better understand, although it never happened to me, when gay people go through a “ fluid phase” with relationships with opposite sex, and feel unhappy in them. I could be wrong, but I should imagine being trans right now is like the feeling the world you are in doesn’t love you. that you feel alive and you love the world, but the world doesn’t love you back or even acknowledge all what you feel. Which is a sad and unhappy place but it’s actually not down to them, but down to all the rest of us to help with it. If that makes any sense to you?
Straw trans man
(Sorry, couldn’t resist)
As far as I can see, no one on this site - which is socially very liberal - wants to deny love and concern for people with gender dysphoria/a desire to transition. Etc. And out of sheer politeness if someone wants to be called Ms Mrs Miss or whatever then who would say No?
The issue is when trans rights start to trample over other rights, such as the right of women to feel safe from rape in hospital wards, prisons, etc. Or when female sports risk becoming dominated by people born male.
These are very real issues - as we can see from recent stories - and people are now getting angry at how this important argument is constantly closed down with aggressive accusations of “transphobia”. It happens on here
AS in real life. You either bend to the will of the TRA's and accept completely without question or you are a hater who wants to deny trans people the right to exist. Bizarre.
Is Starmer not being treated the same by the other side of the debate? In my opinion he is. Unless he parrots the exact words desired he is assumed to be against.
Both sides are taking with us or against us positions, which just turns off the majority from both camps.
Personally I don't know enough about life being trans, or the details of intersex births or indeed the current legal framework which I would need to understand clearly before taking a view.
Interesting clarification by Jamie Wallis just now.
"My gender dysphoria" "Will continue to present"
The debate is so complex; interesting to see an example of someone coming out and talking about it as a medical condition.
I hope this calms things down a bit. On both sides.
I fear I must break it to you that Leon will be along shortly to inflame the issue.
It’s not that complex.
The only people obsessed with body parts are the non trans people denying equality to trans people by, wait for it… obsessing about body parts. Being trans is nothing to do with body parts. It’s to do with being a non binary person facing huge levels of abuse and inequality and non acceptance for who they are, and being treated as a political football by media and politicians (and PB posters) who can’t get their head round what non binary is, hence contribute to that abuse and inequality with every dinner gag and PB post.
I am sure the woman raped in hospital by someone who the authorities said was not able to rape her would beg to differ about the importance of certain body parts.
This is not about people wanting to be non binary. It is about the authorities recognising that there are difficult issues which arise from this for the whole of society and just passing laws saying everything is fine and those problems don't exist does not deal with those issues.
I’m not trans, so can’t be sure what they feel, only suspect it’s non binary people suffering in silence and invisible to us, who actually need our love and respect and support. Which puts a lot of the posts on PB about this into a very unhelpful place, if you see what I mean?
I may better understand, although it never happened to me, when gay people go through a “ fluid phase” with relationships with opposite sex, and feel unhappy in them. I could be wrong, but I should imagine being trans right now is like the feeling the world you are in doesn’t love you. that you feel alive and you love the world, but the world doesn’t love you back or even acknowledge all what you feel. Which is a sad and unhappy place but it’s actually not down to them, but down to all the rest of us to help with it. If that makes any sense to you?
Straw trans man
(Sorry, couldn’t resist)
As far as I can see, no one on this site - which is socially very liberal - wants to deny love and concern for people with gender dysphoria/a desire to transition. Etc. And out of sheer politeness if someone wants to be called Ms Mrs Miss or whatever then who would say No?
The issue is when trans rights start to trample over other rights, such as the right of women to feel safe from rape in hospital wards, prisons, etc. Or when female sports risk becoming dominated by people born male.
These are very real issues - as we can see from recent stories - and people are now getting angry at how this important argument is constantly closed down with aggressive accusations of “transphobia”. It happens on here
The “rape in hospital, trample on other rights” is preciscisly the “reefer madness” you are getting wrong. It makes you come across unwilling to understand and help because all every trans person wants is to rape people in hospitals. Do you see what I mean 🤷♀️
What we can actually do to help is stop the misconception of the “can a women have a penis” question, so that question is never heard ever again. Stop tarring every trans and non binary person with “there was a rape in hospital” on the basis that you don’t actually believe it’s fair or helpful to do that.
You’re just too incoherent to debate with. Sorry
I’m disappointed in you if that’s all you can come back with Leon. I sense you are very much up for a fight with people pushing rights at you, and ways you must behave and conform at you that you just don’t accept. But you are not seeing the lost and unloved beyond the battlefield looking to you for help.
Interesting clarification by Jamie Wallis just now.
"My gender dysphoria" "Will continue to present"
The debate is so complex; interesting to see an example of someone coming out and talking about it as a medical condition.
I hope this calms things down a bit. On both sides.
I fear I must break it to you that Leon will be along shortly to inflame the issue.
It’s not that complex.
The only people obsessed with body parts are the non trans people denying equality to trans people by, wait for it… obsessing about body parts. Being trans is nothing to do with body parts. It’s to do with being a non binary person facing huge levels of abuse and inequality and non acceptance for who they are, and being treated as a political football by media and politicians (and PB posters) who can’t get their head round what non binary is, hence contribute to that abuse and inequality with every dinner gag and PB post.
I am sure the woman raped in hospital by someone who the authorities said was not able to rape her would beg to differ about the importance of certain body parts.
This is not about people wanting to be non binary. It is about the authorities recognising that there are difficult issues which arise from this for the whole of society and just passing laws saying everything is fine and those problems don't exist does not deal with those issues.
I’m not trans, so can’t be sure what they feel, only suspect it’s non binary people suffering in silence and invisible to us, who actually need our love and respect and support. Which puts a lot of the posts on PB about this into a very unhelpful place, if you see what I mean?
I may better understand, although it never happened to me, when gay people go through a “ fluid phase” with relationships with opposite sex, and feel unhappy in them. I could be wrong, but I should imagine being trans right now is like the feeling the world you are in doesn’t love you. that you feel alive and you love the world, but the world doesn’t love you back or even acknowledge all what you feel. Which is a sad and unhappy place but it’s actually not down to them, but down to all the rest of us to help with it. If that makes any sense to you?
I am not in any way arguing that Non binary folks should be ostracised, joked about or attacked. I am saying that there need to be agreed sets of rules which all parts of reasonable society - and I would include everyone on here for example in that description - are comfortable with which prevent discrimination for everyone and protect the vulnerable. Just as we have those sorts of rules to govern, for example, male behaviour. That set of rules does not yet exist and their development is being hindered by the reaction of some vocal members of the Trans community who see any restriction or rules as an assault on them personally.
The hospital should not have been able to spend a year denying there was someone capable of raping a woman on the ward because of their Trans-policy . Nor should the prison have been able/forced to admit a sex offender into a women's prison where they were then able to commit further rapes. These are systemic failings which need to be addressed and proper policies put in place.
At the same time it is unfair to say to those born female that they will no longer be competitive in women's sport because we allow those born male and with the associated advantages to take part as female. It makes a mockery of women's sport and one might as will say there is no longer any such thing and just have men and women competing equally. Except of course it won't be equal.
I am not saying that there are any easy answers to these issues but the reaction from the Trans-lobby which shouts down any attempt to discuss or resolve these issues (Heathener on here being a good example of this) means that we are going to see ongoing discord and the usual nasty fringes taking advantages of this.
Was it Alistair Meeks who called him "The Max Bialystock of the legal profession?"
From wikipedia...
"Max Bialystock is described as selfish, arrogant, fiery, impatient, sardonic, mischievous, witty, cultured, fun, bullying, logical, charismatic, intimidating, popular and fast-talking - a man who is only interested in making money"
Alistair does always like to see the best in people :-)
Interesting clarification by Jamie Wallis just now.
"My gender dysphoria" "Will continue to present"
The debate is so complex; interesting to see an example of someone coming out and talking about it as a medical condition.
I hope this calms things down a bit. On both sides.
I fear I must break it to you that Leon will be along shortly to inflame the issue.
It’s not that complex.
The only people obsessed with body parts are the non trans people denying equality to trans people by, wait for it… obsessing about body parts. Being trans is nothing to do with body parts. It’s to do with being a non binary person facing huge levels of abuse and inequality and non acceptance for who they are, and being treated as a political football by media and politicians (and PB posters) who can’t get their head round what non binary is, hence contribute to that abuse and inequality with every dinner gag and PB post.
I am sure the woman raped in hospital by someone who the authorities said was not able to rape her would beg to differ about the importance of certain body parts.
This is not about people wanting to be non binary. It is about the authorities recognising that there are difficult issues which arise from this for the whole of society and just passing laws saying everything is fine and those problems don't exist does not deal with those issues.
The difficulties come when entirely legitimate concerns are either handwaved, or branded as hate speech.
With the situation as it is now, has anyone changed their mind about nuclear power, and Hinkley Point in particular?
Hinkley Point has a strike price of £92.50 per megawatt-hour. And the current price appears to be much higher than that. What is more, nuclear offers us reasonable independence and security as part of a diverse energy supply.
Interesting clarification by Jamie Wallis just now.
"My gender dysphoria" "Will continue to present"
The debate is so complex; interesting to see an example of someone coming out and talking about it as a medical condition.
I hope this calms things down a bit. On both sides.
I fear I must break it to you that Leon will be along shortly to inflame the issue.
It’s not that complex.
The only people obsessed with body parts are the non trans people denying equality to trans people by, wait for it… obsessing about body parts. Being trans is nothing to do with body parts. It’s to do with being a non binary person facing huge levels of abuse and inequality and non acceptance for who they are, and being treated as a political football by media and politicians (and PB posters) who can’t get their head round what non binary is, hence contribute to that abuse and inequality with every dinner gag and PB post.
I am sure the woman raped in hospital by someone who the authorities said was not able to rape her would beg to differ about the importance of certain body parts.
This is not about people wanting to be non binary. It is about the authorities recognising that there are difficult issues which arise from this for the whole of society and just passing laws saying everything is fine and those problems don't exist does not deal with those issues.
I’m not trans, so can’t be sure what they feel, only suspect it’s non binary people suffering in silence and invisible to us, who actually need our love and respect and support. Which puts a lot of the posts on PB about this into a very unhelpful place, if you see what I mean?
I may better understand, although it never happened to me, when gay people go through a “ fluid phase” with relationships with opposite sex, and feel unhappy in them. I could be wrong, but I should imagine being trans right now is like the feeling the world you are in doesn’t love you. that you feel alive and you love the world, but the world doesn’t love you back or even acknowledge all what you feel. Which is a sad and unhappy place but it’s actually not down to them, but down to all the rest of us to help with it. If that makes any sense to you?
Straw trans man
(Sorry, couldn’t resist)
As far as I can see, no one on this site - which is socially very liberal - wants to deny love and concern for people with gender dysphoria/a desire to transition. Etc. And out of sheer politeness if someone wants to be called Ms Mrs Miss or whatever then who would say No?
The issue is when trans rights start to trample over other rights, such as the right of women to feel safe from rape in hospital wards, prisons, etc. Or when female sports risk becoming dominated by people born male.
These are very real issues - as we can see from recent stories - and people are now getting angry at how this important argument is constantly closed down with aggressive accusations of “transphobia”. It happens on here
AS in real life. You either bend to the will of the TRA's and accept completely without question or you are a hater who wants to deny trans people the right to exist. Bizarre.
Is Starmer not being treated the same by the other side of the debate? In my opinion he is. Unless he parrots the exact words desired he is assumed to be against.
Both sides are taking with us or against us positions, which just turns off the majority from both camps.
Personally I don't know enough about life being trans, or the details of intersex births or indeed the current legal framework which I would need to understand clearly before taking a view.
Not really. Starmer is not at risk of losing his job for not having a view. He is hardly in the same position as Maya Forstater or many other GC women who have lost their livelihoods as a consequence. He is just being asked his view and not really giving an answer. His position pleases neither side and that is his problem. His fence sitting.
Some Tories rapidly back-pedalling on transphobia.
What a woke party!
This Tory MP is about to become a woman with a penis. Surely - as Starmer was so terribly wrong accepting such a monstrosity - the Big Dog will have to condemn this deviant and expel him from the party?
Considering the modernist approach of Cameron in accepting LD proposals on gay marriage and rights its really shameful that the Tory party has collapsed into the sewer like this so spectacularly.
If it was a moral crusade I could at least understand it. But it isn't. They have no real view on women with willies, they just think they can whip up the issue in the minds of voters they sneeringly consider to be small-minded idiots.
Not every person with gender dysphoria transitions. He says he has had a medical diagnosis. He may transition and appears to want to. If he does, good luck to him. It is a long journey. I - as most fair minded people I hope - would accept him as a transwoman: a man who has transitioned legally (and possibly also surgically) to being legally a woman. But what he has explicitly not said is that he is at this moment a woman.
Interesting clarification by Jamie Wallis just now.
"My gender dysphoria" "Will continue to present"
The debate is so complex; interesting to see an example of someone coming out and talking about it as a medical condition.
I hope this calms things down a bit. On both sides.
I fear I must break it to you that Leon will be along shortly to inflame the issue.
It’s not that complex.
The only people obsessed with body parts are the non trans people denying equality to trans people by, wait for it… obsessing about body parts. Being trans is nothing to do with body parts. It’s to do with being a non binary person facing huge levels of abuse and inequality and non acceptance for who they are, and being treated as a political football by media and politicians (and PB posters) who can’t get their head round what non binary is, hence contribute to that abuse and inequality with every dinner gag and PB post.
I am sure the woman raped in hospital by someone who the authorities said was not able to rape her would beg to differ about the importance of certain body parts.
This is not about people wanting to be non binary. It is about the authorities recognising that there are difficult issues which arise from this for the whole of society and just passing laws saying everything is fine and those problems don't exist does not deal with those issues.
I’m not trans, so can’t be sure what they feel, only suspect it’s non binary people suffering in silence and invisible to us, who actually need our love and respect and support. Which puts a lot of the posts on PB about this into a very unhelpful place, if you see what I mean?
I may better understand, although it never happened to me, when gay people go through a “ fluid phase” with relationships with opposite sex, and feel unhappy in them. I could be wrong, but I should imagine being trans right now is like the feeling the world you are in doesn’t love you. that you feel alive and you love the world, but the world doesn’t love you back or even acknowledge all what you feel. Which is a sad and unhappy place but it’s actually not down to them, but down to all the rest of us to help with it. If that makes any sense to you?
Straw trans man
(Sorry, couldn’t resist)
As far as I can see, no one on this site - which is socially very liberal - wants to deny love and concern for people with gender dysphoria/a desire to transition. Etc. And out of sheer politeness if someone wants to be called Ms Mrs Miss or whatever then who would say No?
The issue is when trans rights start to trample over other rights, such as the right of women to feel safe from rape in hospital wards, prisons, etc. Or when female sports risk becoming dominated by people born male.
These are very real issues - as we can see from recent stories - and people are now getting angry at how this important argument is constantly closed down with aggressive accusations of “transphobia”. It happens on here
The “rape in hospital, trample on other rights” is preciscisly the “reefer madness” you are getting wrong. It makes you come across unwilling to understand and help because all every trans person wants is to rape people in hospitals. Do you see what I mean 🤷♀️
What we can actually do to help is stop the misconception of the “can a women have a penis” question, so that question is never heard ever again. Stop tarring every trans and non binary person with “there was a rape in hospital” on the basis that you don’t actually believe it’s fair or helpful to do that.
That is as stupid a reply as if you were to claim there is no need to protect people from male rapists because not all males are rapists. We have laws and systems in place to protect the vulnerable from that tiny minority who do want to commit horrible acts. We have single sex hospital wards not because all men are rapists or perverts but because we know there is a sad small minority who would take advantage or behave inappropriately. YOur argument would seem to be that none of this is necessary.
Interesting clarification by Jamie Wallis just now.
"My gender dysphoria" "Will continue to present"
The debate is so complex; interesting to see an example of someone coming out and talking about it as a medical condition.
I hope this calms things down a bit. On both sides.
I fear I must break it to you that Leon will be along shortly to inflame the issue.
It’s not that complex.
The only people obsessed with body parts are the non trans people denying equality to trans people by, wait for it… obsessing about body parts. Being trans is nothing to do with body parts. It’s to do with being a non binary person facing huge levels of abuse and inequality and non acceptance for who they are, and being treated as a political football by media and politicians (and PB posters) who can’t get their head round what non binary is, hence contribute to that abuse and inequality with every dinner gag and PB post.
I am sure the woman raped in hospital by someone who the authorities said was not able to rape her would beg to differ about the importance of certain body parts.
This is not about people wanting to be non binary. It is about the authorities recognising that there are difficult issues which arise from this for the whole of society and just passing laws saying everything is fine and those problems don't exist does not deal with those issues.
I’m not trans, so can’t be sure what they feel, only suspect it’s non binary people suffering in silence and invisible to us, who actually need our love and respect and support. Which puts a lot of the posts on PB about this into a very unhelpful place, if you see what I mean?
I may better understand, although it never happened to me, when gay people go through a “ fluid phase” with relationships with opposite sex, and feel unhappy in them. I could be wrong, but I should imagine being trans right now is like the feeling the world you are in doesn’t love you. that you feel alive and you love the world, but the world doesn’t love you back or even acknowledge all what you feel. Which is a sad and unhappy place but it’s actually not down to them, but down to all the rest of us to help with it. If that makes any sense to you?
Straw trans man
(Sorry, couldn’t resist)
As far as I can see, no one on this site - which is socially very liberal - wants to deny love and concern for people with gender dysphoria/a desire to transition. Etc. And out of sheer politeness if someone wants to be called Ms Mrs Miss or whatever then who would say No?
The issue is when trans rights start to trample over other rights, such as the right of women to feel safe from rape in hospital wards, prisons, etc. Or when female sports risk becoming dominated by people born male.
These are very real issues - as we can see from recent stories - and people are now getting angry at how this important argument is constantly closed down with aggressive accusations of “transphobia”. It happens on here
The “rape in hospital, trample on other rights” is preciscisly the “reefer madness” you are getting wrong. It makes you come across unwilling to understand and help because all every trans person wants is to rape people in hospitals. Do you see what I mean 🤷♀️
What we can actually do to help is stop the misconception of the “can a women have a penis” question, so that question is never heard ever again. Stop tarring every trans and non binary person with “there was a rape in hospital” on the basis that you don’t actually believe it’s fair or helpful to do that.
Interesting clarification by Jamie Wallis just now.
"My gender dysphoria" "Will continue to present"
The debate is so complex; interesting to see an example of someone coming out and talking about it as a medical condition.
I hope this calms things down a bit. On both sides.
I fear I must break it to you that Leon will be along shortly to inflame the issue.
It’s not that complex.
The only people obsessed with body parts are the non trans people denying equality to trans people by, wait for it… obsessing about body parts. Being trans is nothing to do with body parts. It’s to do with being a non binary person facing huge levels of abuse and inequality and non acceptance for who they are, and being treated as a political football by media and politicians (and PB posters) who can’t get their head round what non binary is, hence contribute to that abuse and inequality with every dinner gag and PB post.
I am sure the woman raped in hospital by someone who the authorities said was not able to rape her would beg to differ about the importance of certain body parts.
This is not about people wanting to be non binary. It is about the authorities recognising that there are difficult issues which arise from this for the whole of society and just passing laws saying everything is fine and those problems don't exist does not deal with those issues.
I’m not trans, so can’t be sure what they feel, only suspect it’s non binary people suffering in silence and invisible to us, who actually need our love and respect and support. Which puts a lot of the posts on PB about this into a very unhelpful place, if you see what I mean?
I may better understand, although it never happened to me, when gay people go through a “ fluid phase” with relationships with opposite sex, and feel unhappy in them. I could be wrong, but I should imagine being trans right now is like the feeling the world you are in doesn’t love you. that you feel alive and you love the world, but the world doesn’t love you back or even acknowledge all what you feel. Which is a sad and unhappy place but it’s actually not down to them, but down to all the rest of us to help with it. If that makes any sense to you?
Straw trans man
(Sorry, couldn’t resist)
As far as I can see, no one on this site - which is socially very liberal - wants to deny love and concern for people with gender dysphoria/a desire to transition. Etc. And out of sheer politeness if someone wants to be called Ms Mrs Miss or whatever then who would say No?
The issue is when trans rights start to trample over other rights, such as the right of women to feel safe from rape in hospital wards, prisons, etc. Or when female sports risk becoming dominated by people born male.
These are very real issues - as we can see from recent stories - and people are now getting angry at how this important argument is constantly closed down with aggressive accusations of “transphobia”. It happens on here
AS in real life. You either bend to the will of the TRA's and accept completely without question or you are a hater who wants to deny trans people the right to exist. Bizarre.
It’s how the extreme TRAs have managed to get all of society to this crazy place. At every stage, anyone who objects has been labelled as a “transphobe” and, often, successfully cancelled
It’s only because J K Rowling is J K Rowling that she has managed to survive. Plenty of people at her publishers wanted to cancel her
I do suspect we might be near the tipping point, however. And it could be women’s sports that does it
I hope you are refreshed this morning Leon. I hope you had an good evening
Emily Bridges in the cycling world will be the really interesting one. Before she transitioned she was far from mediocre, unless the tall US Swimmer.
Interesting clarification by Jamie Wallis just now.
"My gender dysphoria" "Will continue to present"
The debate is so complex; interesting to see an example of someone coming out and talking about it as a medical condition.
I hope this calms things down a bit. On both sides.
I fear I must break it to you that Leon will be along shortly to inflame the issue.
It’s not that complex.
The only people obsessed with body parts are the non trans people denying equality to trans people by, wait for it… obsessing about body parts. Being trans is nothing to do with body parts. It’s to do with being a non binary person facing huge levels of abuse and inequality and non acceptance for who they are, and being treated as a political football by media and politicians (and PB posters) who can’t get their head round what non binary is, hence contribute to that abuse and inequality with every dinner gag and PB post.
I am sure the woman raped in hospital by someone who the authorities said was not able to rape her would beg to differ about the importance of certain body parts.
This is not about people wanting to be non binary. It is about the authorities recognising that there are difficult issues which arise from this for the whole of society and just passing laws saying everything is fine and those problems don't exist does not deal with those issues.
I’m not trans, so can’t be sure what they feel, only suspect it’s non binary people suffering in silence and invisible to us, who actually need our love and respect and support. Which puts a lot of the posts on PB about this into a very unhelpful place, if you see what I mean?
I may better understand, although it never happened to me, when gay people go through a “ fluid phase” with relationships with opposite sex, and feel unhappy in them. I could be wrong, but I should imagine being trans right now is like the feeling the world you are in doesn’t love you. that you feel alive and you love the world, but the world doesn’t love you back or even acknowledge all what you feel. Which is a sad and unhappy place but it’s actually not down to them, but down to all the rest of us to help with it. If that makes any sense to you?
I am not in any way arguing that Non binary folks should be ostracised, joked about or attacked. I am saying that there need to be agreed sets of rules which all parts of reasonable society - and I would include everyone on here for example in that description - are comfortable with which prevent discrimination for everyone and protect the vulnerable. Just as we have those sorts of rules to govern, for example, male behaviour. That set of rules does not yet exist and their development is being hindered by the reaction of some vocal members of the Trans community who see any restriction or rules as an assault on them personally.
The hospital should not have been able to spend a year denying there was someone capable of raping a woman on the ward because of their Trans-policy . Nor should the prison have been able/forced to admit a sex offender into a women's prison where they were then able to commit further rapes. These are systemic failings which need to be addressed and proper policies put in place.
At the same time it is unfair to say to those born female that they will no longer be competitive in women's sport because we allow those born male and with the associated advantages to take part as female. It makes a mockery of women's sport and one might as will say there is no longer any such thing and just have men and women competing equally. Except of course it won't be equal.
I am not saying that there are any easy answers to these issues but the reaction from the Trans-lobby which shouts down any attempt to discuss or resolve these issues (Heathener on here being a good example of this) means that we are going to see ongoing discord and the usual nasty fringes taking advantages of this.
Some serious confusion here. Most trans people are, by definition, not non-binary - they were born in one gender, identify as the other, and want to live as the other to the highest degree possible. The idea that gender is not binary but exists on a continuum is a problem for them, because if that's the case, why do they need to transition at all? Grouping trans and non-binarys together is common among the activist community, but -insofar as I can tell - utterly unhelpful to most trans people.
If the death penalty was reintroduced here I would emigrate.
I am not sure I would emigrate but I would fight it all the way. It is one of the reasons why I think Priti Patel is unfit to be Home Secretary or PM. Her support for the Death Penalty is very disturbing and to my mind symptomatic of her attitude towards state authority in general.
Would you oppose the death penalty for Putin?
Yes.
I would not at all be upset if someone assassinated him and would agree the world would be a better place without him in it but it should not be a matter of state policy to kill people in cold blood.
Killing in war and to prevent further death is another matter. But once someone has been detained, no matter who they are, state sanctioned murder is not something I can support.
I realise this is a personal view that many would not share but I do see a very clear and well defined distinction between the two circumstances. It is why we do not sanction the murder of prisoners captured in battle.
I think that's a very balanced view.
The question comes: if the Nuremberg trials occurred today, against similar crimes, would the death sentence be given out? I guess it should not, and the ICC cannot. But imagine if Hitler had lived: would we keep him in jail forever, a focus for all sorts of people? I guess so, but it seems more of an edge case...
It is interesting how many British and particularly US lawyers were deeply opposed to the Nuremburg trials, not because they didn't think the defendants deserved to die but because it was quite literally rewriting the law based on 'victor's might'. Many eminent US and UK lawyers refused to take part because they thought this sort of retrospective law creation was wrong and even dangerous.
I have sympathy with Churchill's view that leading Nazis should have just been summarily shot, as an act of war.
I have no issue with US GI's summarily executing guards at Dachau, and similar incidents.
Interesting clarification by Jamie Wallis just now.
"My gender dysphoria" "Will continue to present"
The debate is so complex; interesting to see an example of someone coming out and talking about it as a medical condition.
I hope this calms things down a bit. On both sides.
I fear I must break it to you that Leon will be along shortly to inflame the issue.
It’s not that complex.
The only people obsessed with body parts are the non trans people denying equality to trans people by, wait for it… obsessing about body parts. Being trans is nothing to do with body parts. It’s to do with being a non binary person facing huge levels of abuse and inequality and non acceptance for who they are, and being treated as a political football by media and politicians (and PB posters) who can’t get their head round what non binary is, hence contribute to that abuse and inequality with every dinner gag and PB post.
I am sure the woman raped in hospital by someone who the authorities said was not able to rape her would beg to differ about the importance of certain body parts.
This is not about people wanting to be non binary. It is about the authorities recognising that there are difficult issues which arise from this for the whole of society and just passing laws saying everything is fine and those problems don't exist does not deal with those issues.
I’m not trans, so can’t be sure what they feel, only suspect it’s non binary people suffering in silence and invisible to us, who actually need our love and respect and support. Which puts a lot of the posts on PB about this into a very unhelpful place, if you see what I mean?
I may better understand, although it never happened to me, when gay people go through a “ fluid phase” with relationships with opposite sex, and feel unhappy in them. I could be wrong, but I should imagine being trans right now is like the feeling the world you are in doesn’t love you. that you feel alive and you love the world, but the world doesn’t love you back or even acknowledge all what you feel. Which is a sad and unhappy place but it’s actually not down to them, but down to all the rest of us to help with it. If that makes any sense to you?
Straw trans man
(Sorry, couldn’t resist)
As far as I can see, no one on this site - which is socially very liberal - wants to deny love and concern for people with gender dysphoria/a desire to transition. Etc. And out of sheer politeness if someone wants to be called Ms Mrs Miss or whatever then who would say No?
The issue is when trans rights start to trample over other rights, such as the right of women to feel safe from rape in hospital wards, prisons, etc. Or when female sports risk becoming dominated by people born male.
These are very real issues - as we can see from recent stories - and people are now getting angry at how this important argument is constantly closed down with aggressive accusations of “transphobia”. It happens on here
AS in real life. You either bend to the will of the TRA's and accept completely without question or you are a hater who wants to deny trans people the right to exist. Bizarre.
Is Starmer not being treated the same by the other side of the debate? In my opinion he is. Unless he parrots the exact words desired he is assumed to be against.
Both sides are taking with us or against us positions, which just turns off the majority from both camps.
Personally I don't know enough about life being trans, or the details of intersex births or indeed the current legal framework which I would need to understand clearly before taking a view.
Not really. Starmer is not at risk of losing his job for not having a view. He is hardly in the same position as Maya Forstater or many other GC women who have lost their livelihoods as a consequence. He is just being asked his view and not really giving an answer. His position pleases neither side and that is his problem. His fence sitting.
There is a non trivial chance he does not become PM over this issue, which will result in him being sacked.
A small update from Tallinn. It is bright but a bitter east wind is blowing.
Over 25,000 Ukrainians have come to Tallinn, but although a few are now going on to other places, nevertheless the crisis continues. There are concerns that some of the more Putinist Russian speakers might be "less than welcoming" to Ukrainian refugees, but for the moment the more obnoxious voices are stilled. The May 9th celebration of Soviet victory will not be going ahead in Tallinn, but may yet still take place in Narva, which is a concern to many, but we will see. The pitiful performance of the Russian army does not make even a Putinist heart swell with pride.
Trying to process my recent trip to Poland and the UK. FWIW, the feelings closer to the battlefield are more nuanced than you might think. Although there is respect and gratitude that the UK has provided critical assistance to Ukraine, there is a clear sense that the UK and the Conservative Party in particular were far too close to the Russian mafia state. The large donations to both the Tories and the Leave campaign are generally seen as a successful attempt by the Putinist state to subvert both the country and the party. While it is accepted that Britain has done many good things, in particular the training of Ukrainian troops and the donation of NLAWS are mentioned, this does not let either Britain or Boris off the hook. Indeed there is astonishment and no little anger about the appointment of Lebedev. "No such thing as an ex-KGB" is the general response and the idea that someone so close to the Putinists can be appointed to the UK Parliament is bewildering to most here.
Obviously the news of some Ukrainian gains is most welcome, because there is a growing sense of contempt, not just for Putin, but the Russian people who can put up with the tyrant. A general view is "Build a wall around them and forget them". The blood curdling threats of anhilliation coming from the Kremlin, or more precisely from the Urals bunker, are simply reinforcing a loathing of the man and indeed his country. The national image of Russia is reaching new lows, and it is easy to understand why. They have never apologised for the destruction they wrought during the occupation, they have never asked for forgiveness and at this point, neither Poles, nor Estonians, nor Latvians, nor Lithuanians are in a very forgiving mood. Indeed Estonia has drastically increased the assistance they are giving to Ukraine. Support for Kaja Kallas, the Liberal Prime Minister has rocketed and the general view is that she has done a good job prepresenting Estonia on the world stage.
As Russia continues to burn its bridges to the civilised world, a growing view in Estonia is "Good Riddance". Not sure this is healthy, albeit that it is completely understandable.
A huge split is looming in the EU, between the Baltics, Eastern Europe (ex Hungary), Scandinavia (plus UK on the outside) - who are firmly anti-Putin, and France, Belgium (plus Italy and Germany but to a lesser extent) who are much keener to appease Putin
Zelenskyy made this quite clear in a recent speech. Contemptuous of Macron
Potentially massive issue
It's brought to the surface an underlying split that has been there even before EU enlargement. Jacques Chirac famously told Poland and the Baltic states to be quiet when Tony Blair wanted to bring them in to EU meetings prior to accession.
And all of this even as the EU seeks to punish Poland for its un-democratic blah blah
The Poles will turn around and say Well we’ve taken in 2 million refugees even as Berlin wanted to accept immediate Ukrainian defeat, and Macron was trying to strike a deal with Putin so French firms could continue doing business in Russia
There will be blood and it will be bad. The EU is fundamentally divided on the most important security issue of our time
On the same note I see that the total number of Ukrainian refugees outside Ukraine is now over 4 million. A bewilderingly huge crisis
This is particularly striking coming from someone who hasn’t predicted EU fissure and rupture previously. Any view on how this will also be inevitably disastrous for Scottish Indy?
Your desire for attention is poignant and forlorn
Lol, diagnostician heal thyself.
Indeed, I see a bit of myself in you. Take that as you will
The difference is that you’re a monomaniac. Your only issue is Indy, really. Makes you a commenter of limited interest whenever things stray too far from that subject
By contrast, I have a million views on a billion subjects, often completely contradictory, yet uttered on the same day
I can’t be arsed going through my last 100 posts so I’m bloody sure you won’t, but I’ll take a bet that less than 10% of them relate to Indy, and by the same measure I’m pretty sure more than 10% of yours will be prating on about the trans woke culture wars that obsess you. Your trouble is that you’re a serial monomaniac.
Just caught the end of PMQs. For all his lawyerly, considered, forensic, incisive, analytical questioning, SKS is boring as fuck.
Lab need a bit of tub-thumping.
SKS could reel off the most important issues on the planet which everyone is affected by and it would seem as though he was reading through the phone book.
BoJo could read through the phone book and it would seem as though he was addressing the critical matters of state.
I couldn't care less whether "Bojo" as you affectionately call him, could read said phone book at 1000 words per minute while riding a unicycle and juggling bottles of nitro-glycerine. The fact remains that other than Corbyn, he is the most unsuitable person ever to have submitted himself to be leader of a serious British political party. His ability to be entertaining is not a necessary characteristic for that post.
Oh but it is. As we have seen. In 2019.
Tories win elections, Bears shit in the woods, what's new, the system and the media are skewed towards that end, but that does not make him a suitable leader of any country, the man is an embarrassment, and it is to the detriment of Tory MPs, that they did not have the spine to finish him off
How many of those places are either safer or happier than the countries who don't have it?
Ed March, who rode around the world on a piece-of-shit Honda C90, once said that if he could pick any country in the world to be dumped penniless and devoid of all resources then his first choice would be Iran based on the hospitality he received there. The US was his last pick.
My sister motor biked through Iran and said the same thing. I have a couple of Iranian friends and they (hardly scientific) are kind, polite, and delightful. Both have also (rarely but noticeably) been caught in a lie. Not one that affected me at all. It made me wonder if there's a culture of politeness there that permits lying as a social lubricant. But again, it's a sample size of 2.
Presumably those who chipped in will get their money back ?
Guido is right, this was a worthy cause as well.
I don't think so. I think when you contribute to his crowd funding, the small print says that should situation change, they can move the money to other campaigns of their choosing.
Can a woman have a penis? Well a Tory MP is about to, so I guess yes?
We dealt with this yesterday. And the answer was put here - "Females (the female sex) do not have penises. Only the male sex does. There are some men who have gender dysphoria and who get a Gender Recognition Certificate. Legally, they are treated as women for most (though not all) purposes and since the majority do not surgically transition there are people who are legally women who have penises (but who remain of the male sex). In the same way, in the opposite direction, there are women who transition to men who remain biologically female. This is important to realise because it affects the health care they will need since some diseases are correlated to your biological sex."
So it has nothing to do with Tory MPs. Men who transition to women but retain their male bodies are legally women with penises. But the female sex does not have penises. This is not hard to understand.
Most gay people don't molest children, didn't stop the Sun claiming it as such
Or indeed Lady Thatcher
Right, I'm going to take this one. Gay people are not paedophiles.
But some paedophiles did claim to be gay in order to get access to children in childrens' homes. And were not challenged by the authorities despite suspicions and despite allegations by those children of what was happening to them because they didn't want to be seen as homophobic.
Not the Sun saying it. Or Lady Thatcher. Or my invention. But set out in the report on the child abuse scandal In Islington children's homes.
And that is precisely the concern in the trans issue. Not that genuine trans people will assault women but that predators will claim to be trans in order to do so knowing that they can get access and will not face challenge from the soft-headed. As has already happened.
If the death penalty was reintroduced here I would emigrate.
I am not sure I would emigrate but I would fight it all the way. It is one of the reasons why I think Priti Patel is unfit to be Home Secretary or PM. Her support for the Death Penalty is very disturbing and to my mind symptomatic of her attitude towards state authority in general.
Would you oppose the death penalty for Putin?
Yes.
I would not at all be upset if someone assassinated him and would agree the world would be a better place without him in it but it should not be a matter of state policy to kill people in cold blood.
Killing in war and to prevent further death is another matter. But once someone has been detained, no matter who they are, state sanctioned murder is not something I can support.
I realise this is a personal view that many would not share but I do see a very clear and well defined distinction between the two circumstances. It is why we do not sanction the murder of prisoners captured in battle.
I think that's a very balanced view.
The question comes: if the Nuremberg trials occurred today, against similar crimes, would the death sentence be given out? I guess it should not, and the ICC cannot. But imagine if Hitler had lived: would we keep him in jail forever, a focus for all sorts of people? I guess so, but it seems more of an edge case...
It is interesting how many British and particularly US lawyers were deeply opposed to the Nuremburg trials, not because they didn't think the defendants deserved to die but because it was quite literally rewriting the law based on 'victor's might'. Many eminent US and UK lawyers refused to take part because they thought this sort of retrospective law creation was wrong and even dangerous.
I have sympathy with Churchill's view that leading Nazis should have just been summarily shot, as an act of war.
I have no issue with US GI's summarily executing guards at Dachau, and similar incidents.
What about Soviet troops raping hundreds of thousands if not millions of German women, from 8 to 80?
White outrage about Will Smith’s slap is rooted in anti-Blackness. It’s inequality in plain sight
So all those on here criticising Will Smith are racist. That's you told.
These people must literally be shaking with anger and rage from the moment they get up to the moment they go to bed, absolutely everything around them is racist and rooted in anti-Blackness.
If the death penalty was reintroduced here I would emigrate.
I am not sure I would emigrate but I would fight it all the way. It is one of the reasons why I think Priti Patel is unfit to be Home Secretary or PM. Her support for the Death Penalty is very disturbing and to my mind symptomatic of her attitude towards state authority in general.
Would you oppose the death penalty for Putin?
Yes.
I would not at all be upset if someone assassinated him and would agree the world would be a better place without him in it but it should not be a matter of state policy to kill people in cold blood.
Killing in war and to prevent further death is another matter. But once someone has been detained, no matter who they are, state sanctioned murder is not something I can support.
I realise this is a personal view that many would not share but I do see a very clear and well defined distinction between the two circumstances. It is why we do not sanction the murder of prisoners captured in battle.
I think that's a very balanced view.
The question comes: if the Nuremberg trials occurred today, against similar crimes, would the death sentence be given out? I guess it should not, and the ICC cannot. But imagine if Hitler had lived: would we keep him in jail forever, a focus for all sorts of people? I guess so, but it seems more of an edge case...
It is interesting how many British and particularly US lawyers were deeply opposed to the Nuremburg trials, not because they didn't think the defendants deserved to die but because it was quite literally rewriting the law based on 'victor's might'. Many eminent US and UK lawyers refused to take part because they thought this sort of retrospective law creation was wrong and even dangerous.
I have sympathy with Churchill's view that leading Nazis should have just been summarily shot, as an act of war.
I have no issue with US GI's summarily executing guards at Dachau, and similar incidents.
It is of interest to note that many of the actions that the Nazis were tried for at Nuremberg were illegal in German law *under the Nazis*.
If the death penalty was reintroduced here I would emigrate.
I am not sure I would emigrate but I would fight it all the way. It is one of the reasons why I think Priti Patel is unfit to be Home Secretary or PM. Her support for the Death Penalty is very disturbing and to my mind symptomatic of her attitude towards state authority in general.
Would you oppose the death penalty for Putin?
Yes.
I would not at all be upset if someone assassinated him and would agree the world would be a better place without him in it but it should not be a matter of state policy to kill people in cold blood.
Killing in war and to prevent further death is another matter. But once someone has been detained, no matter who they are, state sanctioned murder is not something I can support.
I realise this is a personal view that many would not share but I do see a very clear and well defined distinction between the two circumstances. It is why we do not sanction the murder of prisoners captured in battle.
I think that's a very balanced view.
The question comes: if the Nuremberg trials occurred today, against similar crimes, would the death sentence be given out? I guess it should not, and the ICC cannot. But imagine if Hitler had lived: would we keep him in jail forever, a focus for all sorts of people? I guess so, but it seems more of an edge case...
It is interesting how many British and particularly US lawyers were deeply opposed to the Nuremburg trials, not because they didn't think the defendants deserved to die but because it was quite literally rewriting the law based on 'victor's might'. Many eminent US and UK lawyers refused to take part because they thought this sort of retrospective law creation was wrong and even dangerous.
I have sympathy with Churchill's view that leading Nazis should have just been summarily shot, as an act of war.
I have no issue with US GI's summarily executing guards at Dachau, and similar incidents.
There was a great documentary the name or provenance of which I have no idea. It described how a British Army Captain was present at the liberation of one of the concentration camps. He and his troops set about helping the inmates and also they rounded up the camp guards. One of his soldiers came up to him and said they needed to bring water from a nearby well for the inmates who were badly dehydrated. The captain turned to the former guards and told them to go and help get the water. One refused, at which point the captain without hesitation or comment immediately drew his personal weapon and shot him dead. The rest of the guards went to help get the water.
A small update from Tallinn. It is bright but a bitter east wind is blowing.
Over 25,000 Ukrainians have come to Tallinn, but although a few are now going on to other places, nevertheless the crisis continues. There are concerns that some of the more Putinist Russian speakers might be "less than welcoming" to Ukrainian refugees, but for the moment the more obnoxious voices are stilled. The May 9th celebration of Soviet victory will not be going ahead in Tallinn, but may yet still take place in Narva, which is a concern to many, but we will see. The pitiful performance of the Russian army does not make even a Putinist heart swell with pride.
Trying to process my recent trip to Poland and the UK. FWIW, the feelings closer to the battlefield are more nuanced than you might think. Although there is respect and gratitude that the UK has provided critical assistance to Ukraine, there is a clear sense that the UK and the Conservative Party in particular were far too close to the Russian mafia state. The large donations to both the Tories and the Leave campaign are generally seen as a successful attempt by the Putinist state to subvert both the country and the party. While it is accepted that Britain has done many good things, in particular the training of Ukrainian troops and the donation of NLAWS are mentioned, this does not let either Britain or Boris off the hook. Indeed there is astonishment and no little anger about the appointment of Lebedev. "No such thing as an ex-KGB" is the general response and the idea that someone so close to the Putinists can be appointed to the UK Parliament is bewildering to most here.
Obviously the news of some Ukrainian gains is most welcome, because there is a growing sense of contempt, not just for Putin, but the Russian people who can put up with the tyrant. A general view is "Build a wall around them and forget them". The blood curdling threats of anhilliation coming from the Kremlin, or more precisely from the Urals bunker, are simply reinforcing a loathing of the man and indeed his country. The national image of Russia is reaching new lows, and it is easy to understand why. They have never apologised for the destruction they wrought during the occupation, they have never asked for forgiveness and at this point, neither Poles, nor Estonians, nor Latvians, nor Lithuanians are in a very forgiving mood. Indeed Estonia has drastically increased the assistance they are giving to Ukraine. Support for Kaja Kallas, the Liberal Prime Minister has rocketed and the general view is that she has done a good job prepresenting Estonia on the world stage.
As Russia continues to burn its bridges to the civilised world, a growing view in Estonia is "Good Riddance". Not sure this is healthy, albeit that it is completely understandable.
A huge split is looming in the EU, between the Baltics, Eastern Europe (ex Hungary), Scandinavia (plus UK on the outside) - who are firmly anti-Putin, and France, Belgium (plus Italy and Germany but to a lesser extent) who are much keener to appease Putin
Zelenskyy made this quite clear in a recent speech. Contemptuous of Macron
Potentially massive issue
It's brought to the surface an underlying split that has been there even before EU enlargement. Jacques Chirac famously told Poland and the Baltic states to be quiet when Tony Blair wanted to bring them in to EU meetings prior to accession.
And all of this even as the EU seeks to punish Poland for its un-democratic blah blah
The Poles will turn around and say Well we’ve taken in 2 million refugees even as Berlin wanted to accept immediate Ukrainian defeat, and Macron was trying to strike a deal with Putin so French firms could continue doing business in Russia
There will be blood and it will be bad. The EU is fundamentally divided on the most important security issue of our time
On the same note I see that the total number of Ukrainian refugees outside Ukraine is now over 4 million. A bewilderingly huge crisis
This is particularly striking coming from someone who hasn’t predicted EU fissure and rupture previously. Any view on how this will also be inevitably disastrous for Scottish Indy?
Your desire for attention is poignant and forlorn
Lol, diagnostician heal thyself.
Indeed, I see a bit of myself in you. Take that as you will
The difference is that you’re a monomaniac. Your only issue is Indy, really. Makes you a commenter of limited interest whenever things stray too far from that subject
By contrast, I have a million views on a billion subjects, often completely contradictory, yet uttered on the same day
On the contrary, I'd say Union Divvie and Stewart Dickson have both shown a lot more range as posters recently than the Indie issue. TUD even forgets to be coldly contemptuous of the rest of us sometimes. It's good.
Interesting clarification by Jamie Wallis just now.
"My gender dysphoria" "Will continue to present"
The debate is so complex; interesting to see an example of someone coming out and talking about it as a medical condition.
I hope this calms things down a bit. On both sides.
I fear I must break it to you that Leon will be along shortly to inflame the issue.
It’s not that complex.
The only people obsessed with body parts are the non trans people denying equality to trans people by, wait for it… obsessing about body parts. Being trans is nothing to do with body parts. It’s to do with being a non binary person facing huge levels of abuse and inequality and non acceptance for who they are, and being treated as a political football by media and politicians (and PB posters) who can’t get their head round what non binary is, hence contribute to that abuse and inequality with every dinner gag and PB post.
I am sure the woman raped in hospital by someone who the authorities said was not able to rape her would beg to differ about the importance of certain body parts.
This is not about people wanting to be non binary. It is about the authorities recognising that there are difficult issues which arise from this for the whole of society and just passing laws saying everything is fine and those problems don't exist does not deal with those issues.
I’m not trans, so can’t be sure what they feel, only suspect it’s non binary people suffering in silence and invisible to us, who actually need our love and respect and support. Which puts a lot of the posts on PB about this into a very unhelpful place, if you see what I mean?
I may better understand, although it never happened to me, when gay people go through a “ fluid phase” with relationships with opposite sex, and feel unhappy in them. I could be wrong, but I should imagine being trans right now is like the feeling the world you are in doesn’t love you. that you feel alive and you love the world, but the world doesn’t love you back or even acknowledge all what you feel. Which is a sad and unhappy place but it’s actually not down to them, but down to all the rest of us to help with it. If that makes any sense to you?
Straw trans man
(Sorry, couldn’t resist)
As far as I can see, no one on this site - which is socially very liberal - wants to deny love and concern for people with gender dysphoria/a desire to transition. Etc. And out of sheer politeness if someone wants to be called Ms Mrs Miss or whatever then who would say No?
The issue is when trans rights start to trample over other rights, such as the right of women to feel safe from rape in hospital wards, prisons, etc. Or when female sports risk becoming dominated by people born male.
These are very real issues - as we can see from recent stories - and people are now getting angry at how this important argument is constantly closed down with aggressive accusations of “transphobia”. It happens on here
The “rape in hospital, trample on other rights” is preciscisly the “reefer madness” you are getting wrong. It makes you come across unwilling to understand and help because all every trans person wants is to rape people in hospitals. Do you see what I mean 🤷♀️
What we can actually do to help is stop the misconception of the “can a women have a penis” question, so that question is never heard ever again. Stop tarring every trans and non binary person with “there was a rape in hospital” on the basis that you don’t actually believe it’s fair or helpful to do that.
Maybe you should try reading what he says again, instead of instructing people what they must think. You're outrageous.
How many of those places are either safer or happier than the countries who don't have it?
Ed March, who rode around the world on a piece-of-shit Honda C90, once said that if he could pick any country in the world to be dumped penniless and devoid of all resources then his first choice would be Iran based on the hospitality he received there. The US was his last pick.
My sister motor biked through Iran and said the same thing. I have a couple of Iranian friends and they (hardly scientific) are kind, polite, and delightful. Both have also (rarely but noticeably) been caught in a lie. Not one that affected me at all. It made me wonder if there's a culture of politeness there that permits lying as a social lubricant. But again, it's a sample size of 2.
A small update from Tallinn. It is bright but a bitter east wind is blowing.
Over 25,000 Ukrainians have come to Tallinn, but although a few are now going on to other places, nevertheless the crisis continues. There are concerns that some of the more Putinist Russian speakers might be "less than welcoming" to Ukrainian refugees, but for the moment the more obnoxious voices are stilled. The May 9th celebration of Soviet victory will not be going ahead in Tallinn, but may yet still take place in Narva, which is a concern to many, but we will see. The pitiful performance of the Russian army does not make even a Putinist heart swell with pride.
Trying to process my recent trip to Poland and the UK. FWIW, the feelings closer to the battlefield are more nuanced than you might think. Although there is respect and gratitude that the UK has provided critical assistance to Ukraine, there is a clear sense that the UK and the Conservative Party in particular were far too close to the Russian mafia state. The large donations to both the Tories and the Leave campaign are generally seen as a successful attempt by the Putinist state to subvert both the country and the party. While it is accepted that Britain has done many good things, in particular the training of Ukrainian troops and the donation of NLAWS are mentioned, this does not let either Britain or Boris off the hook. Indeed there is astonishment and no little anger about the appointment of Lebedev. "No such thing as an ex-KGB" is the general response and the idea that someone so close to the Putinists can be appointed to the UK Parliament is bewildering to most here.
Obviously the news of some Ukrainian gains is most welcome, because there is a growing sense of contempt, not just for Putin, but the Russian people who can put up with the tyrant. A general view is "Build a wall around them and forget them". The blood curdling threats of anhilliation coming from the Kremlin, or more precisely from the Urals bunker, are simply reinforcing a loathing of the man and indeed his country. The national image of Russia is reaching new lows, and it is easy to understand why. They have never apologised for the destruction they wrought during the occupation, they have never asked for forgiveness and at this point, neither Poles, nor Estonians, nor Latvians, nor Lithuanians are in a very forgiving mood. Indeed Estonia has drastically increased the assistance they are giving to Ukraine. Support for Kaja Kallas, the Liberal Prime Minister has rocketed and the general view is that she has done a good job prepresenting Estonia on the world stage.
As Russia continues to burn its bridges to the civilised world, a growing view in Estonia is "Good Riddance". Not sure this is healthy, albeit that it is completely understandable.
A huge split is looming in the EU, between the Baltics, Eastern Europe (ex Hungary), Scandinavia (plus UK on the outside) - who are firmly anti-Putin, and France, Belgium (plus Italy and Germany but to a lesser extent) who are much keener to appease Putin
Zelenskyy made this quite clear in a recent speech. Contemptuous of Macron
Potentially massive issue
It's brought to the surface an underlying split that has been there even before EU enlargement. Jacques Chirac famously told Poland and the Baltic states to be quiet when Tony Blair wanted to bring them in to EU meetings prior to accession.
And all of this even as the EU seeks to punish Poland for its un-democratic blah blah
The Poles will turn around and say Well we’ve taken in 2 million refugees even as Berlin wanted to accept immediate Ukrainian defeat, and Macron was trying to strike a deal with Putin so French firms could continue doing business in Russia
There will be blood and it will be bad. The EU is fundamentally divided on the most important security issue of our time
On the same note I see that the total number of Ukrainian refugees outside Ukraine is now over 4 million. A bewilderingly huge crisis
This is particularly striking coming from someone who hasn’t predicted EU fissure and rupture previously. Any view on how this will also be inevitably disastrous for Scottish Indy?
Your desire for attention is poignant and forlorn
Lol, diagnostician heal thyself.
Indeed, I see a bit of myself in you. Take that as you will
The difference is that you’re a monomaniac. Your only issue is Indy, really. Makes you a commenter of limited interest whenever things stray too far from that subject
By contrast, I have a million views on a billion subjects, often completely contradictory, yet uttered on the same day
On the contrary, I'd say Union Divvie and Stewart Dickson have both shown a lot more range as posters recently than the Indie issue. TUD even forgets to be coldly contemptuous of the rest of us sometimes. It's good.
Comments
Or rather, in this case, self-identity politics
Lab need a bit of tub-thumping.
SKS could reel off the most important issues on the planet which everyone is affected by and it would seem as though he was reading through the phone book.
BoJo could read through the phone book and it would seem as though he was addressing the critical matters of state.
BBC News - Five killed in latest deadly attack in Israel
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-60902330
I would not at all be upset if someone assassinated him and would agree the world would be a better place without him in it but it should not be a matter of state policy to kill people in cold blood.
Killing in war and to prevent further death is another matter. But once someone has been detained, no matter who they are, state sanctioned murder is not something I can support.
I realise this is a personal view that many would not share but I do see a very clear and well defined distinction between the two circumstances. It is why we do not sanction the murder of prisoners captured in battle.
If it's four, that's... half of them.
Which is consistent with the theory that it makes no difference.
What was your point again?
* US and China
** The above, plus Iran and Saudi Arabia
For obvious reasons. There would be deaths quite quickly
I've also said before that the issue was mainly a civil service one, not a conservative party one. The employees in No 10 don't all change when a government changes, that's what happens in the USA. Of course the culture should come from the top, but we've got shits in charge.
Personally I think the attacks of the justice for covid is very much anti conservative/government. Thats their right, but I think that they are wrong to blame the government for everything when i reality no-one got everything right.
This potentially has implications for Norway, which may be required to reroute gas to Germany... /1
This would impact NOR supplies to countries like UK and NL.
But it could also directly impact the Netherlands, which may be forced to supply more #Groningen gas to address Germany's emergency
Hmmmm...🧐
See the EU security of gas supply regulation: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv:OJ.L_.2017.280.01.0001.01.ENG&toc=OJ:L:2017:280:TOC…
/n
https://twitter.com/remkorteweg/status/1509126693679771652
The question comes: if the Nuremberg trials occurred today, against similar crimes, would the death sentence be given out? I guess it should not, and the ICC cannot. But imagine if Hitler had lived: would we keep him in jail forever, a focus for all sorts of people? I guess so, but it seems more of an edge case...
That’s one right we can all allow them? Stop using them as a political football.
"My gender dysphoria"
"Will continue to present"
The debate is so complex; interesting to see an example of someone coming out and talking about it as a medical condition.
I hope this calms things down a bit. On both sides.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roberta_Cowell
I think I previously saw it as investment in either nuclear power, or renewables, so that investment in nuclear would slow down growth in renewables. And I thought that renewables could deliver a lot more quickly.
I now think that, as long as it isn't an either/or doing both is better than one alone.
On the rules, I'd love to know how many people followed them to the absolute letter. And as @Cyclefree remincs us - there was a difference between laws and guidance. There was no law about only exercising for 1 hour a day , for instance. Yet many thought there was.
Or just a man with gender dysphoria?
Edit: at the moment he "wants to be" trans.
Over 25,000 Ukrainians have come to Tallinn, but although a few are now going on to other places, nevertheless the crisis continues. There are concerns that some of the more Putinist Russian speakers might be "less than welcoming" to Ukrainian refugees, but for the moment the more obnoxious voices are stilled. The May 9th celebration of Soviet victory will not be going ahead in Tallinn, but may yet still take place in Narva, which is a concern to many, but we will see. The pitiful performance of the Russian army does not make even a Putinist heart swell with pride.
Trying to process my recent trip to Poland and the UK. FWIW, the feelings closer to the battlefield are more nuanced than you might think. Although there is respect and gratitude that the UK has provided critical assistance to Ukraine, there is a clear sense that the UK and the Conservative Party in particular were far too close to the Russian mafia state. The large donations to both the Tories and the Leave campaign are generally seen as a successful attempt by the Putinist state to subvert both the country and the party. While it is accepted that Britain has done many good things, in particular the training of Ukrainian troops and the donation of NLAWS are mentioned, this does not let either Britain or Boris off the hook. Indeed there is astonishment and no little anger about the appointment of Lebedev. "No such thing as an ex-KGB" is the general response and the idea that someone so close to the Putinists can be appointed to the UK Parliament is bewildering to most here.
Obviously the news of some Ukrainian gains is most welcome, because there is a growing sense of contempt, not just for Putin, but the Russian people who can put up with the tyrant. A general view is "Build a wall around them and forget them". The blood curdling threats of anhilliation coming from the Kremlin, or more precisely from the Urals bunker, are simply reinforcing a loathing of the man and indeed his country. The national image of Russia is reaching new lows, and it is easy to understand why. They have never apologised for the destruction they wrought during the occupation, they have never asked for forgiveness and at this point, neither Poles, nor Estonians, nor Latvians, nor Lithuanians are in a very forgiving mood. Indeed Estonia has drastically increased the assistance they are giving to Ukraine. Support for Kaja Kallas, the Liberal Prime Minister has rocketed and the general view is that she has done a good job prepresenting Estonia on the world stage.
As Russia continues to burn its bridges to the civilised world, a growing view in Estonia is "Good Riddance". Not sure this is healthy, albeit that it is completely understandable.
It is interesting that he describes himself as having a diagnosis of gender dysphoria and as wanting to be trans rather than being trans.
The only people obsessed with body parts are the non trans people denying equality to trans people by, wait for it… obsessing about body parts. Being trans is nothing to do with body parts. It’s to do with being a non binary person facing huge levels of abuse and inequality and non acceptance for who they are, and being treated as a political football by media and politicians (and PB posters) who can’t get their head round what non binary is, hence contribute to that abuse and inequality with every dinner gag and PB post.
Zelenskyy made this quite clear in a recent speech. Contemptuous of Macron
Potentially massive issue
It's been the cause of a lot of frustration in the heritage world that we have to ship the stuff from dodgy places because our stupid do-gooders won't let us mine our own (there is a opencast in South Wales about to close because the moronic Welsh Government think its greener to ship the stuff in from abroad instead - it was about the last remaining source of suitable coal for railway locos in the UK).
Time to stop normalising being a Tory.
All comes down to Nordstream.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_natural_gas_pipelines
This is not about people wanting to be non binary. It is about the authorities recognising that there are difficult issues which arise from this for the whole of society and just passing laws saying everything is fine and those problems don't exist does not deal with those issues.
BAFTA TV AWARDS 2022: NOMINATIONS
Daytime - Steph’s Packed Lunch (isn't that the show that got 0 viewers at one point and quickly cancelled? )
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-10666969/BAFTA-TV-Awards-Sin-leads-nominations-11-gongs.html
One I do notice that got nominated, The Men Who Sell Football (Al Jazeera Investigations), that got zero mainstream coverage, but a proper bit of long form old school undercover investigative journalism, that we really don't see much of these days.
And all of this even as the EU seeks to punish Poland for its un-democratic blah blah
The Poles will turn around and say Well we’ve taken in 2 million refugees even as Berlin wanted to accept immediate Ukrainian defeat, and Macron was trying to strike a deal with Putin so French firms could continue doing business in Russia
There will be blood and it will be bad. The EU is fundamentally divided on the most important security issue of our time
On the same note I see that the total number of Ukrainian refugees outside Ukraine is now over 4 million. A bewilderingly huge crisis
I may better understand, although it never happened to me, when gay people go through a “ fluid phase” with relationships with opposite sex, and feel unhappy in them. I could be wrong, but I should imagine being trans right now is like the feeling the world you are in doesn’t love you. that you feel alive and you love the world, but the world doesn’t love you back or even acknowledge all what you feel. Which is a sad and unhappy place but it’s actually not down to them, but down to all the rest of us to help with it. If that makes any sense to you?
Not sure what viewing figures it's getting now. Channel 4 must be comfortable with how it's going but daytime TV is never going to bring in millions.
(Sorry, couldn’t resist)
As far as I can see, no one on this site - which is socially very liberal - wants to deny love and concern for people with gender dysphoria/a desire to transition. Etc. And out of sheer politeness if someone wants to be called Ms Mrs Miss or whatever then who would say No?
The issue is when trans rights start to trample over other rights, such as the right of women to feel safe from rape in hospital wards, prisons, etc. Or when female sports risk becoming dominated by people born male.
These are very real issues - as we can see from recent stories - and people are now getting angry at how this important argument is constantly closed down with aggressive accusations of “transphobia”. It happens on here
An efficient flexible army, with knowledge freely shared, and subordinates able to be make decisions for themselves was antithetical to modern authoritarian government. Also that corruption was part of the system and not remediable.
He did acknowledge the difference in performance of some *totalitarian* regimes - his suggestion was that there, the level of control allowed the rulers to stamp out corruption and inefficiency by fiat.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2022/03/29/nus-fresh-anti-semitism-row-contentious-tweets-new-president/
What we can actually do to help is stop the misconception of the “can a women have a penis” question, so that question is never heard ever again. Stop tarring every trans and non binary person with “there was a rape in hospital” on the basis that you don’t actually believe it’s fair or helpful to do that.
I have caught a bit of it a few times. I quite liked her on BBC Breakfast. It isn't very good.
https://order-order.com/2022/03/30/jolyon-loses-again-before-reaching-court/
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/consumer-affairs/april-will-bad-finances-rishi-sunaks-policies-mean-going-get/
It’s only because J K Rowling is J K Rowling that she has managed to survive. Plenty of people at her publishers wanted to cancel her
I do suspect we might be near the tipping point, however. And it could be women’s sports that does it
The difference is that you’re a monomaniac. Your only issue is Indy, really. Makes you a commenter of limited interest whenever things stray too far from that subject
By contrast, I have a million views on a billion subjects, often completely contradictory, yet uttered on the same day
Both sides are taking with us or against us positions, which just turns off the majority from both camps.
Personally I don't know enough about life being trans, or the details of intersex births or indeed the current legal framework which I would need to understand clearly before taking a view.
What are you actually fighting for?
The hospital should not have been able to spend a year denying there was someone capable of raping a woman on the ward because of their Trans-policy . Nor should the prison have been able/forced to admit a sex offender into a women's prison where they were then able to commit further rapes. These are systemic failings which need to be addressed and proper policies put in place.
At the same time it is unfair to say to those born female that they will no longer be competitive in women's sport because we allow those born male and with the associated advantages to take part as female. It makes a mockery of women's sport and one might as will say there is no longer any such thing and just have men and women competing equally. Except of course it won't be equal.
I am not saying that there are any easy answers to these issues but the reaction from the Trans-lobby which shouts down any attempt to discuss or resolve these issues (Heathener on here being a good example of this) means that we are going to see ongoing discord and the usual nasty fringes taking advantages of this.
"Max Bialystock is described as selfish, arrogant, fiery, impatient, sardonic, mischievous, witty, cultured, fun, bullying, logical, charismatic, intimidating, popular and fast-talking - a man who is only interested in making money"
Alistair does always like to see the best in people :-)
Emily Bridges in the cycling world will be the really interesting one. Before she transitioned she was far from mediocre, unless the tall US Swimmer.
Guido is right, this was a worthy cause as well.
I have no issue with US GI's summarily executing guards at Dachau, and similar incidents.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/mar/29/white-outrage-about-will-smiths-slap-is-rooted-in-anti-blackness-its-inequality-in-plain-sight
White outrage about Will Smith’s slap is rooted in anti-Blackness. It’s inequality in plain sight
So all those on here criticising Will Smith are racist. That's you told.
So it has nothing to do with Tory MPs. Men who transition to women but retain their male bodies are legally women with penises. But the female sex does not have penises. This is not hard to understand. Right, I'm going to take this one. Gay people are not paedophiles.
But some paedophiles did claim to be gay in order to get access to children in childrens' homes. And were not challenged by the authorities despite suspicions and despite allegations by those children of what was happening to them because they didn't want to be seen as homophobic.
Not the Sun saying it. Or Lady Thatcher. Or my invention. But set out in the report on the child abuse scandal In Islington children's homes.
And that is precisely the concern in the trans issue. Not that genuine trans people will assault women but that predators will claim to be trans in order to do so knowing that they can get access and will not face challenge from the soft-headed. As has already happened.
This was supposed to be a parody...
Doc Brown "Everybody's Racist"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrK_HVGOnUo