Checking clips from Sky News from my noisy gin bar in sultry Seville….


London looks absolutely fucking AMAZING in the dark and the rain, with the crowds outside Buck House, and the royal hearse bringing the dead Queen back to her palace, draped in the Royal Standard. Even the advent of smartphones has helped, you see all these myriad shining lights as people hold up their phones to get a picture, creating yet more atmosphere and sparkle

We joke about it, but these profound images project UK soft power around the world. Priceless

Nigelb said:

IshmaelZ said:

CarlottaVance said:

Flight tracking statistics regarding the final flight of Queen Elizabeth II

In the minute after the transponder of C-17 ZZ177 activated, an unprecedented 6 million people attempted to follow the flight….

70 years after her first flight as Queen aboard the BOAC Argonaut “Atalanta,” Queen Elizabeth II’s final flight is the most tracked flight in Flightradar24 history.

https://twitter.com/flightradar24/status/1569755794375065602

I have flown BOAC which makes me a member of an elderly and diminishing club

And BEA and PanAm

Viscount; BAC 1-11; 727…

I've flown in a 707 and a BAC1-11.

kinabalu said:

Leon said:

kinabalu said:

Leon said:

I queued up to see the Queen Mum lying in state when she karked it. I confess I did it mainly to annoy my lefty friends - and see a bit of history

Queue took 2 hours in the middle of the night. When you get in Westminster Hall the atmos is spellbinding. The huge crown on her coffin glittered in the semi darkness. The guardsmen with their heads bowed. The last empress of India

Magnificent

I would definitely do it for the Q but I suspect the lines will be 15 hours long

Trying to talk your way out of it but I'm not convinced and I doubt Casino is either.

Not convinced of what?!

Your constant projection of your fucking boring tiny Woke fucking mindset is fucking tedious

I queued for the Queen Mum and when she died I didn’t nearly cry. I very nearly DID cry for Her Majesty the Q - she meant a lot to me - and I would totally queue for her, but yes there’s a limit. 15 hours? Two days? Probably not

I will be there in the crowds for the funeral cortège

Well let's see how you feel if you really do join the throng next Monday. Perhaps you will manage to cry but you shouldn't force the tears if they're not there.

Christ, I pity your wife. AND she knows that you’re gay. Jeez

BartholomewRoberts said:

DavidL said:

CarlottaVance said:

Flag of the State of Azerbaijan raised by an Azerbaijani SOF at a captured Armenian position.

We cut the footage as the bodies of 15 Armenian soldiers were in the video.

https://twitter.com/Caucasuswar/status/1569770793541988352

This is just the start. Putin has just screwed this up so badly. Russia is going to lose against Ukraine. Let me say that again. Russia is going to lose to Ukraine. And Russia will start to fall apart. Provinces will break off. Violence and rebellions everywhere. With a frisson of Nukes. Shit.

Good. Best thing that can possibly happen, and will be good for most Russians too.

The problem with Russia is that its a Muscovite Empire that keeps the worst traditions of Empire going. The Provinces are absolutely impoverished and bled dry third world style to keep a standard of living going in Moscow. So long as things are smooth in Moscow, the rest of the country can go to hell in a handcart.

A breakup of the Russian Federation and provinces going independent and being able to sink or swim on their own rather than being drained for Moscow would be a very good thing.

Consider the brave folk of Nenets Autonomous District (which, as everyone knows without checking wikipedia, is a "federal subject of Russia, and an autonomous okrug of Arkhangelsk Oblast"), the only area in the country to vote against Putin's 2020 constitutional reforms.

The confused region/district arrangements make me think we have more in common with Russia than I thought.

eek said:

rcs1000 said:

BartholomewRoberts said:

Andy_JS said:

"Peter Hitchens
@ClarkeMicah

In France it is *illegal* for traders to refuse cash payments in lawful currency. Article 642-3 of the French penal code states that traders cannot “refuse cash payments for the settling of accounts,” and they can be fined up to €150 for doing so. We should copy this .
5:08 PM · Sep 12, 2022"

https://twitter.com/ClarkeMicah/status/1569357341484613633

We absolutely should not.

If traders don't want the security risk of carrying or accepting cash then that should be their prerogative. Take your business elsewhere if you're not happy with that.

Why do people like Hitchens want a big state to micromanage their lives for them? Let people choose what they want to do or accept.

Agree 100%.

Problem with that is that you hit the Sweden problem where those without banking now have serious problems accessing many shops and services because everyone uses cards..


That's not a problem if you have cards, it's a major problem if you don't.

And then you turn up in Linz and the taxi drivers don’t take cards…

Pagan2 said:

BartholomewRoberts said:

Andy_JS said:

"Peter Hitchens
@ClarkeMicah

In France it is *illegal* for traders to refuse cash payments in lawful currency. Article 642-3 of the French penal code states that traders cannot “refuse cash payments for the settling of accounts,” and they can be fined up to €150 for doing so. We should copy this .
5:08 PM · Sep 12, 2022"

https://twitter.com/ClarkeMicah/status/1569357341484613633

We absolutely should not.

If traders don't want the security risk of carrying or accepting cash then that should be their prerogative. Take your business elsewhere if you're not happy with that.

Why do people like Hitchens want a big state to micromanage their lives for them? Let people choose what they want to do or accept.

Because this law while big state keeps the big state out of worse things such as being to track every electronic payment. Sorry you are wrong here this is a little big state rule to prevent worse big state interference. Big state would love every transaction to be electronic and therefore trackable. You are so on the wrong fucking side of it

You don't need to use electronic payments if you don't want to. I have a friend who is a bit nuts in a good way, he sold up his stake in a firm he'd set up in London and moved completely off grid buying a houseboat up North. He lives on his boat with no bank account, no mobile phone, nothing electronic just completely off grid. Cash for everything.

You can still live that lifestyle if you want to, there's no law against it. But if firms decide they don't want his business because of his own choices, no discrimination, and will take custom from those who do want to pay in a safer and more secure manner, then that's their free choice too.

kinabalu said:

turbotubbs said:

kinabalu said:

Sense zero interest in Bake Off on here. Was going to liveblog it - like Ian memorably does with Crufts - but I don't think I'll bother.

Am watching Fake or Fortune and will then do Bake Off.

Hmm ok fair enough. Much better to watch it live imo - but no spoilers from me so you'll be able to simulate.

What is live in the modern streaming world? Sky glass seems about 5 seconds behind normal TV.

Theuniondivvie said:

darkage said:

If Ukraine are ultimately successful, then its support for Ukraine over the past 8 years will be Britain's greatest foreign policy achievement since the second world war. It will outshadow the blunder in Iraq, and undo much of the vast and unnecessary harm caused by Brexit. It will also do a vast amount to restore Britains self confidence in the face of the endless attacks from within.

Any hint as to who are those enemies within?

It is a general problem. Negativity and self hate. The continued war on British history and attempts to destroy all 'heroes' is particularly annoying. Churchill being 'called out' as a villain. It is basically the far left and the useful idiots and fellow travellers that go along with it, in the universities and the 'progressive' middle class; who somehow manage to convince themselves that Britain is a terrible, evil place by just obsessively focussing on negative things about the country and its history, completely losing all sense of perspective. It is the same people who were opposed to NATO, defence spending, nuclear bombs. And, if the war in Ukraine gets bought to a positive conclusion, they will have been proven wrong for once.

Quiet! All of you!

Raiders of the Lost Ark is on Film4!

rcs1000 said:

geoffw said:

Casino_Royale said:

SeaShantyIrish2 said:

Casino_Royale said:

rottenborough said:

Phil Stewart
@phildstewart
·
2h
(Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet in Uzbekistan on Friday and discuss trade as well as sales of Russian fertilizers and mutual food supplies, the Kremlin said on Tuesday.

==

Anyone else pissed off that one of our absolute key Commonwealth countries is dealing with Vlad?

Yes. I understand India always face several ways at once and try and have their cake and eat it. Same way he gives sympathises over HMQ and then tries to whip up a bit of anger for his own benefit over other British monarchs.

Modi is a nationalist and so we shouldn't be surprised he acts like one.

I don't like Congress or the BJP so I don't know who I'd vote for if I were Indian.

India has been largely aligned if not formally allied with Soviet Union > Russia for a LONG time now. Mainly on account of conflict and war (hot and cold) with Pakistan AND China.

Independent actors, but believing Delhi - Moscow connection is vital for their security.

"We have no eternal allies, and we have no perpetual enemies. Our interests are eternal and perpetual, and those interests it is our duty to follow." - Lord Palmerston

SSI - Not sure I agree entirely with his late lordship, but can see what Pam was driving at. So could Nehru and his successor up to Modi (with individual & political nuances) regardless of domestic differences.

China is a greater threat to India, and Russia can't really do much for them.

You'd think they'd recognise that.

But they do. That is why they side with Russia. There have been border clashes between China and India for many years now.

India are - of course - playing a dangerous game. If (when) Russia were to become a client state of China, they might soon find their flow of weapons drying up.

So? Ukraine has shown they have been buying shitty second-rate crap from Russia for decades.

American/NATO country hardware is what you need to be buying. Even their cast-offs are way better than what Russia is selling. If indeed Russia can deliver. They will be rebuilding their own armies - delivery dates are going to be years, not months. And even that depends on sourcing western chips.

moonshine said:

Tell you who had a bit of a temper. George VI. Didn’t stop him being a national hero. Charles III getting annoyed over ink pots and leaking fountain pens in this week of all weeks is not a big deal. Cut the geezer some slack, none of us would swap places with him.

If I could stay my age I would swap. Never work again, flunkiest everywhere, life of luxury, free healthcare, lots of travel.

NYT - What to Watch in Tuesday’s (Final!) Primary Night

Outside money has poured into New Hampshire heading into Tuesday’s primary as Republicans eye three opportunities to pick up Democratic-held seats, above all that of Senator Maggie Hassan, one of her party’s most vulnerable incumbents.

But the leading G.O.P. candidate for Senate, Don Bolduc, is an election denier with a history of outlandish statements. His closest rival, Chuck Morse, the State Senate president, is playing on fears that nominating Mr. Bolduc could mean squandering a major opening.

Ms. Hassan, a Democrat, narrowly won the seat in 2016. In a 50-50 U.S. Senate, every competitive race has the potential to tip the balance of power.

New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Delaware are all holding primaries on Tuesday. It’s not a big night, but it’s the last round of voting before the November midterm elections.

A competitive [NH] Senate primary
President Biden carried New Hampshire by seven percentage points in 2020, and successful statewide Republican politicians have tended to hew to the center, appealing to independents and conservative Democrats. But Mr. Bolduc, a retired Army general, has not only embraced Mr. Trump’s lie that he won the 2020 presidential election, he has also called Gov. Chris Sununu a “Chinese Communist sympathizer” and questioned whether the United States still needs the F.B.I. (Mr. Sununu has called Mr. Bolduc a conspiracy theorist.) . . .

A scramble for House seats
Republicans in New Hampshire are wrangling over the chance to square off against U.S. Representatives Chris Pappas and Ann McLane Kuster, two Democrats whom Republicans see as vulnerable.

Matt Mowers, who worked in the State Department during the Trump administration, and Karoline Leavitt, who worked in the White House communications office, are the leading candidates in a 10-person field in Mr. Pappas’s First District, which zigzags across much of eastern and southern New Hampshire.

Mr. Mowers, who lost to Mr. Pappas in 2020, earned the endorsements of the House minority leader, Kevin McCarthy, and the minority whip, Steve Scalise. Representative Elise Stefanik of New York, the third-ranking House Republican, is supporting Ms. Leavitt, who once worked for her.

Ms. Leavitt and other Republican contenders have portrayed Mr. Mowers as an establishment tool and criticized him for voting in 2016 in both the New Jersey and New Hampshire primaries. (He voted in New Jersey before moving to New Hampshire to work on Chris Christie’s presidential campaign.) Mr. Mowers has defended himself by channeling Mr. Trump, saying he was being attacked because he had planned to “shake up the status quo.”

In New Hampshire’s Second District, encompassing the rest of the state, seven Republicans are competing to face Ms. Kuster, a longtime adoption lawyer who is seeking her sixth term. . . .

This thread has been strung up for lese-majeste and failing to conform to 'This Island Storty' approved patriotic standards.

BartholomewRoberts said:

DavidL said:

BartholomewRoberts said:

DavidL said:

CarlottaVance said:

Flag of the State of Azerbaijan raised by an Azerbaijani SOF at a captured Armenian position.

We cut the footage as the bodies of 15 Armenian soldiers were in the video.

https://twitter.com/Caucasuswar/status/1569770793541988352

This is just the start. Putin has just screwed this up so badly. Russia is going to lose against Ukraine. Let me say that again. Russia is going to lose to Ukraine. And Russia will start to fall apart. Provinces will break off. Violence and rebellions everywhere. With a frisson of Nukes. Shit.

Good. Best thing that can possibly happen, and will be good for most Russians too.

The problem with Russia is that its a Muscovite Empire that keeps the worst traditions of Empire going. The Provinces are absolutely impoverished and bled dry third world style to keep a standard of living going in Moscow. So long as things are smooth in Moscow, the rest of the country can go to hell in a handcart.

A breakup of the Russian Federation and provinces going independent and being able to sink or swim on their own rather than being drained for Moscow would be a very good thing.

I honestly don't think you have thought this through. The collapse of Russia will be terrifying for all of us.

The continuance of Russia isn't any better.

Between Russia continuing under Putin invading its neighbours, or Russia collapsing into various provinces, I'd take a collapse all day any day.

As ever with Russia its the damn nukes that are the problem. Even a chaotic collapse, whilst rife with potential for a lot of terrible things, would be easy to be flippant about without the nuclear issue.

But of course, they've threatened their use simply for the words of others, so they are perhaps finding out that the West felt it had little option but to push back even a bit - they've been to eager to fall back on that threat.

darkage said:

Theuniondivvie said:

darkage said:

If Ukraine are ultimately successful, then its support for Ukraine over the past 8 years will be Britain's greatest foreign policy achievement since the second world war. It will outshadow the blunder in Iraq, and undo much of the vast and unnecessary harm caused by Brexit. It will also do a vast amount to restore Britains self confidence in the face of the endless attacks from within.

Any hint as to who are those enemies within?

It is a general problem. Negativity and self hate. The continued war on British history and attempts to destroy all 'heroes' is particularly annoying. Churchill being 'called out' as a villain. It is basically the far left and the useful idiots and fellow travellers that go along with it, in the universities and the 'progressive' middle class; who somehow manage to convince themselves that Britain is a terrible, evil place by just obsessively focussing on negative things about the country and its history, completely losing all sense of perspective. It is the same people who were opposed to NATO, defence spending, nuclear bombs. And, if the war in Ukraine gets bought to a positive conclusion, they will have been proven wrong for once.

Uncle Jimmy put it rather more succinctly.

IshmaelZ said:

Foxy said:

Mexicanpete said:

I see that ALL the brave Royals will be wearing their full military dress uniforms except the very, very bad one... Harry

Perhaps his Afghan campaign medal on a
dark suit would be an interesting contrast.

Though Andrew saw active service too. Hence the Eighties era joke:

Q: what's the difference between Koo Stark and the Argentine Navy.

A: only one has blown up Andy's chopper.

Ah, that's my coat...

What, you do realise blow jobs are actually suck jobs? Unless you are after some kind of ghastly and agonising urethro-prostate embolism.

A have a poetic licence. Just call me the Lewd Laureate.

solarflare said:

kinabalu said:

wooliedyed said:

kinabalu said:

Sense zero interest in Bake Off on here. Was going to liveblog it - like Ian memorably does with Crufts - but I don't think I'll bother.

Most pointless show on television. This week anyway.

Well it's not meant to have a point. Apart from bringing the nation together in a way that nothing else can. Surprised PB is immune.

I still like it, though I find a little of the charm has been chipped off slightly over the years as the presenting/judging cast have rotated through. And I find the C4 era is a bit too "construct a 3d thing out of cake". I think they've just run out of different cakes to bake, so the challenge is just...build a bigger cake.

Yes the actual bakery isn't improving but the prog hasn't debauched itself as almost invariably happens with successful TV of this type after a few years. Eg Strictly, X Factor, Phil & Kirstie etc. Paul Hollywood has an ego, you can sense that, but he keeps it in check on the show.

DavidL said:

BartholomewRoberts said:

DavidL said:

CarlottaVance said:

Flag of the State of Azerbaijan raised by an Azerbaijani SOF at a captured Armenian position.

We cut the footage as the bodies of 15 Armenian soldiers were in the video.

https://twitter.com/Caucasuswar/status/1569770793541988352

This is just the start. Putin has just screwed this up so badly. Russia is going to lose against Ukraine. Let me say that again. Russia is going to lose to Ukraine. And Russia will start to fall apart. Provinces will break off. Violence and rebellions everywhere. With a frisson of Nukes. Shit.

Good. Best thing that can possibly happen, and will be good for most Russians too.

The problem with Russia is that its a Muscovite Empire that keeps the worst traditions of Empire going. The Provinces are absolutely impoverished and bled dry third world style to keep a standard of living going in Moscow. So long as things are smooth in Moscow, the rest of the country can go to hell in a handcart.

A breakup of the Russian Federation and provinces going independent and being able to sink or swim on their own rather than being drained for Moscow would be a very good thing.

I honestly don't think you have thought this through. The collapse of Russia will be terrifying for all of us.

Unfortunately there is a deep human instinct to try and find simple answers to very complex and intractable problems.

kle4 said:

Leon said:

Checking clips from Sky News from my noisy gin bar in sultry Seville….


London looks absolutely fucking AMAZING in the dark and the rain, with the crowds outside Buck House, and the royal hearse bringing the dead Queen back to her palace, draped in the Royal Standard. Even the advent of smartphones has helped, you see all these myriad shining lights as people hold up their phones to get a picture, creating yet more atmosphere and sparkle

We joke about it, but these profound images project UK soft power around the world. Priceless

I don't get as sentimental about it, and am naturally wary of overextrapolation, but I think it is generally a good thing for the UK that things here get more focus elsewhere than they perhaps should.

It's like how our media obsess over american political and cultural minutiae, which signifies their cultural dominance over us. We punch above our weight in attention, for better and for worse.

We are very good at selling ourselves. Without even realising

The New York Times’ obsessive critiques of Brexit Britain are of course a kind of fanfic. The truest snub would be if they didn’t care and didn’t publish anything. But oh, My god they care. They are now - and this is happening in other countries as well - publishing op-ed articles as to why We should abolish the monarchy. Lol. Fuck off. But it’s nice they are so concerned

This thread has become Prince Charles's fountain pen

darkage said:

DavidL said:

BartholomewRoberts said:

DavidL said:

CarlottaVance said:

Flag of the State of Azerbaijan raised by an Azerbaijani SOF at a captured Armenian position.

We cut the footage as the bodies of 15 Armenian soldiers were in the video.

https://twitter.com/Caucasuswar/status/1569770793541988352

This is just the start. Putin has just screwed this up so badly. Russia is going to lose against Ukraine. Let me say that again. Russia is going to lose to Ukraine. And Russia will start to fall apart. Provinces will break off. Violence and rebellions everywhere. With a frisson of Nukes. Shit.

Good. Best thing that can possibly happen, and will be good for most Russians too.

The problem with Russia is that its a Muscovite Empire that keeps the worst traditions of Empire going. The Provinces are absolutely impoverished and bled dry third world style to keep a standard of living going in Moscow. So long as things are smooth in Moscow, the rest of the country can go to hell in a handcart.

A breakup of the Russian Federation and provinces going independent and being able to sink or swim on their own rather than being drained for Moscow would be a very good thing.

I honestly don't think you have thought this through. The collapse of Russia will be terrifying for all of us.

Unfortunately there is a deep human instinct to try and find simple answers to very complex and intractable problems.

Indeed, which is why too many people are looking for "stability" in Russia as a simplistic answer.

darkage said:

Theuniondivvie said:

darkage said:

If Ukraine are ultimately successful, then its support for Ukraine over the past 8 years will be Britain's greatest foreign policy achievement since the second world war. It will outshadow the blunder in Iraq, and undo much of the vast and unnecessary harm caused by Brexit. It will also do a vast amount to restore Britains self confidence in the face of the endless attacks from within.

Any hint as to who are those enemies within?

It is a general problem. Negativity and self hate. The continued war on British history and attempts to destroy all 'heroes' is particularly annoying. Churchill being 'called out' as a villain. It is basically the far left and the useful idiots and fellow travellers that go along with it, in the universities and the 'progressive' middle class; who somehow manage to convince themselves that Britain is a terrible, evil place by just obsessively focussing on negative things about the country and its history, completely losing all sense of perspective. It is the same people who were opposed to NATO, defence spending, nuclear bombs. And, if the war in Ukraine gets bought to a positive conclusion, they will have been proven wrong for once.

In the league table of hatred from the global left we are generally 3rd:

1 USA
2 Israel
3 UK and the alleged evil legacy of the British Empire.

Even Putin and Xi get excused as they are an enemy of the US led west, as the IRA were championed and Scottish nationalism is now championed as an enemy of 3 and as Islamic extremism is excused as an enemy of 2

darkage said:

Theuniondivvie said:

darkage said:

If Ukraine are ultimately successful, then its support for Ukraine over the past 8 years will be Britain's greatest foreign policy achievement since the second world war. It will outshadow the blunder in Iraq, and undo much of the vast and unnecessary harm caused by Brexit. It will also do a vast amount to restore Britains self confidence in the face of the endless attacks from within.

Any hint as to who are those enemies within?

It is a general problem. Negativity and self hate. The continued war on British history and attempts to destroy all 'heroes' is particularly annoying. Churchill being 'called out' as a villain. It is basically the far left and the useful idiots and fellow travellers that go along with it, in the universities and the 'progressive' middle class; who somehow manage to convince themselves that Britain is a terrible, evil place by just obsessively focussing on negative things about the country and its history, completely losing all sense of perspective. It is the same people who were opposed to NATO, defence spending, nuclear bombs. And, if the war in Ukraine gets bought to a positive conclusion, they will have been proven wrong for once.

Are you saying they were proved right the rest of the time?

Leon said:

kle4 said:

Leon said:

Checking clips from Sky News from my noisy gin bar in sultry Seville….


London looks absolutely fucking AMAZING in the dark and the rain, with the crowds outside Buck House, and the royal hearse bringing the dead Queen back to her palace, draped in the Royal Standard. Even the advent of smartphones has helped, you see all these myriad shining lights as people hold up their phones to get a picture, creating yet more atmosphere and sparkle

We joke about it, but these profound images project UK soft power around the world. Priceless

I don't get as sentimental about it, and am naturally wary of overextrapolation, but I think it is generally a good thing for the UK that things here get more focus elsewhere than they perhaps should.

It's like how our media obsess over american political and cultural minutiae, which signifies their cultural dominance over us. We punch above our weight in attention, for better and for worse.

We are very good at selling ourselves. Without even realising

The New York Times’ obsessive critiques of Brexit Britain are of course a kind of fanfic. The truest snub would be if they didn’t care and didn’t publish anything. But oh, My god they care. They are now - and this is happening in other countries as well - publishing op-ed articles as to why We should abolish the monarchy. Lol. Fuck off. But it’s nice they are so concerned

They just want us to love them and pat them on the head but they're SUCH a disappointment.

Casino_Royale said:

geoffw said:

Casino_Royale said:

SeaShantyIrish2 said:

Casino_Royale said:

rottenborough said:

Phil Stewart
@phildstewart
·
2h
(Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet in Uzbekistan on Friday and discuss trade as well as sales of Russian fertilizers and mutual food supplies, the Kremlin said on Tuesday.

==

Anyone else pissed off that one of our absolute key Commonwealth countries is dealing with Vlad?

Yes. I understand India always face several ways at once and try and have their cake and eat it. Same way he gives sympathises over HMQ and then tries to whip up a bit of anger for his own benefit over other British monarchs.

Modi is a nationalist and so we shouldn't be surprised he acts like one.

I don't like Congress or the BJP so I don't know who I'd vote for if I were Indian.

India has been largely aligned if not formally allied with Soviet Union > Russia for a LONG time now. Mainly on account of conflict and war (hot and cold) with Pakistan AND China.

Independent actors, but believing Delhi - Moscow connection is vital for their security.

"We have no eternal allies, and we have no perpetual enemies. Our interests are eternal and perpetual, and those interests it is our duty to follow." - Lord Palmerston

SSI - Not sure I agree entirely with his late lordship, but can see what Pam was driving at. So could Nehru and his successor up to Modi (with individual & political nuances) regardless of domestic differences.

China is a greater threat to India, and Russia can't really do much for them.

You'd think they'd recognise that.

But they do. That is why they side with Russia. There have been border clashes between China and India for many years now.

But, the West is now their best bet.

It is, but Modi's main schtick is anti-colonialism so he can't see it. Looking through a glass darkly.

@Phil asked earlier today

"How is the Cass review relevant to a court case on the validity of the charitable status of the LGB alliance?"

On the assumption that this was a genuine question, I will attempt to answer.

The court case has to determine two matters:-

1. Does the charity Mermaids have the legal standing to bring a claim at all? This is the most important question because if it does not - and the bar is very high indeed - none of the rest of its claims matter.

2. Can it establish that LGB Alliance are in breach of their charitable objects and charity law?

Both issues are being reviewed at the same time.

As part of this LGB Alliance are stating that they are concerned about young lesbians and whether they are being wrongly categorised as trans and made subject to treatment. Mermaids are disputing this. The Cass Interim Report is relevant to this issue because it deals with the question of how children with gender issues are being treated, whether some of those concerns may in fact relate to their sexuality rather than any gender issues and the effect of Mermaids' advocacy on how clinics like the Tavistock have operated. And by implication on young lesbians.

Hence the questioning about this topic. If the judge thought this irrelevant, he would have stopped the questioning. What is interesting is that in their answers Mermaids say that they have not really reviewed the Cass Report because they are not experts on health. This is a bit odd because it appears to conflict with other public statements they have made about the health treatment to be given to children. It is, however, early stages in the case.

The case is interesting for a large number of reasons, not all of them related to the trans issue.

Hope that helps.

JACK_W said:

Nigelb said:

Viscount; BAC 1-11; 727…

A noble old bird.

I do like a good Viscount ...

Good to have you back MIlord... I mean Mr. W

geoffw said:

Casino_Royale said:

geoffw said:

Casino_Royale said:

SeaShantyIrish2 said:

Casino_Royale said:

rottenborough said:

Phil Stewart
@phildstewart
·
2h
(Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet in Uzbekistan on Friday and discuss trade as well as sales of Russian fertilizers and mutual food supplies, the Kremlin said on Tuesday.

==

Anyone else pissed off that one of our absolute key Commonwealth countries is dealing with Vlad?

Yes. I understand India always face several ways at once and try and have their cake and eat it. Same way he gives sympathises over HMQ and then tries to whip up a bit of anger for his own benefit over other British monarchs.

Modi is a nationalist and so we shouldn't be surprised he acts like one.

I don't like Congress or the BJP so I don't know who I'd vote for if I were Indian.

India has been largely aligned if not formally allied with Soviet Union > Russia for a LONG time now. Mainly on account of conflict and war (hot and cold) with Pakistan AND China.

Independent actors, but believing Delhi - Moscow connection is vital for their security.

"We have no eternal allies, and we have no perpetual enemies. Our interests are eternal and perpetual, and those interests it is our duty to follow." - Lord Palmerston

SSI - Not sure I agree entirely with his late lordship, but can see what Pam was driving at. So could Nehru and his successor up to Modi (with individual & political nuances) regardless of domestic differences.

China is a greater threat to India, and Russia can't really do much for them.

You'd think they'd recognise that.

But they do. That is why they side with Russia. There have been border clashes between China and India for many years now.

But, the West is now their best bet.

It is, but Modi's main schtick is anti-colonialism so he can't see it. Looking through a glass darkly.

Modi is also anti China even if not anti Putin