Why two plus two may not add up to four – politicalbetting.com
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https://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/latest/news/new-report-reveals-key-role-universitiesturbotubbs said:
You over state the case. We haven't suddenly switched to zero foreign students. Indeed some courses are very successfully recruiting overseas.Mexicanpete said:
I do think there is an existential crisis in the university sector. The domestic students are subsidised by foreign students and we killed that golden goose a couple of years ago. Without student fees, from wherever the come, the sector dies.DecrepiterJohnL said:
The Thatcher government closed all of the small colleges in London University.MattW said:
Workforce is just over 7k, with a 50/50 academic/administrative split.Big_G_NorthWales said:Cardiff University sets out proposals for 400 redundancies
Is there a breakdown of the numbers?
TBH it sounds like a pinprick - although I'm sure various pols will be claiming to have parented kittens.
A few years before I started University in the 1980s, Mrs Thatcher cut the University's central funding by 30% (also Aston, Salford as industrial enthusiast Maggie cut the industrial universities hardest), and they lost some core courses.
https://www.bradford.ac.uk/library/special-collections/our-collections/university-of-bradford-archive/
Now for those on the right of politics who are desperate for exclusively elite universities servicing the few, this can only be good news. For the rest of us it marks a shift away from educating our young people to conquer the World intellectually.
There is a huge problem and its yet another for Starmer's government to tackle. What is University for? Is it about increasing skills and knowledge of the nation? Is it keeping people of the unemployed lists? Is it pointless?
How is it paid for and does that money give value for money?
“The latest figures show the UK higher education sector’s teaching, research and innovation activities had an economic impact of £158 billion. When combined with previous London Economics analysis of the direct spending by the sector and the economic benefit of international students, the total impact across UK HE in 2021/22 was £265 billion. Comparing against the public cost of these activities, London Economics found a cost to benefit ratio of 14 to 1. This means for every £1 of public money invested into UK universities, £14 of economic benefit is generated.”
Although this is from Universities UK.0 -
Also a boost to the balance of payments, which some of the economically illiterate on here are obsessed about.geoffw said:
That is growth, just what our government wantsMalmesbury said:a
Certain universities are addicted to ever increasing numbers of foreign students.carnforth said:
"Killed that golden goose" is rather relative. Yes, 2024 had 16% fewer foreign students than 2023, but it's still 40% higher than, say, 2015.Mexicanpete said:
I do think there is an existential crisis in the university sector. The domestic students are subsidised by foreign students and we killed that golden goose a couple of years ago. Without student fees, from wherever the come, the sector dies.DecrepiterJohnL said:
The Thatcher government closed all of the small colleges in London University.MattW said:
Workforce is just over 7k, with a 50/50 academic/administrative split.Big_G_NorthWales said:Cardiff University sets out proposals for 400 redundancies
Is there a breakdown of the numbers?
TBH it sounds like a pinprick - although I'm sure various pols will be claiming to have parented kittens.
A few years before I started University in the 1980s, Mrs Thatcher cut the University's central funding by 30% (also Aston, Salford as industrial enthusiast Maggie cut the industrial universities hardest), and they lost some core courses.
https://www.bradford.ac.uk/library/special-collections/our-collections/university-of-bradford-archive/0 -
Very, very few students brought in two children, however.carnforth said:
If you pay £20000 a year in fees, but bring two children (cost of schooling £15000) you've not really bought in much money. The University got £20000, but the country didn't. Hence the new rules.Mexicanpete said:Sean_F said:
Perhaps the burden of family migration negates the benefit of overseas students’ fees.Mexicanpete said:
I do think there is an existential crisis in the university sector. The domestic students are subsidised by foreign students and we killed that golden goose a couple of years ago. Without student fees, from wherever the come, the sector dies.DecrepiterJohnL said:
The Thatcher government closed all of the small colleges in London University.MattW said:
Workforce is just over 7k, with a 50/50 academic/administrative split.Big_G_NorthWales said:Cardiff University sets out proposals for 400 redundancies
Is there a breakdown of the numbers?
TBH it sounds like a pinprick - although I'm sure various pols will be claiming to have parented kittens.
A few years before I started University in the 1980s, Mrs Thatcher cut the University's central funding by 30% (also Aston, Salford as industrial enthusiast Maggie cut the industrial universities hardest), and they lost some core courses.
https://www.bradford.ac.uk/library/special-collections/our-collections/university-of-bradford-archive/
Now for those on the right of politics who are desperate for exclusively elite universities servicing the few, this can only be good news. For the rest of us it marks a shift away from educating our young people to conquer the World intellectually.
And, in any event, the number of overseas students is still huge.
I remember when aiming for a balance of trade surplus with Johnny Foreigner nations was regarded as a positive. Now it's "don't come over here with your foreign money".Malmesbury said:a
Certain universities are addicted to ever increasing numbers of foreign students.carnforth said:
"Killed that golden goose" is rather relative. Yes, 2024 had 16% fewer foreign students than 2023, but it's still 40% higher than, say, 2015.Mexicanpete said:
I do think there is an existential crisis in the university sector. The domestic students are subsidised by foreign students and we killed that golden goose a couple of years ago. Without student fees, from wherever the come, the sector dies.DecrepiterJohnL said:
The Thatcher government closed all of the small colleges in London University.MattW said:
Workforce is just over 7k, with a 50/50 academic/administrative split.Big_G_NorthWales said:Cardiff University sets out proposals for 400 redundancies
Is there a breakdown of the numbers?
TBH it sounds like a pinprick - although I'm sure various pols will be claiming to have parented kittens.
A few years before I started University in the 1980s, Mrs Thatcher cut the University's central funding by 30% (also Aston, Salford as industrial enthusiast Maggie cut the industrial universities hardest), and they lost some core courses.
https://www.bradford.ac.uk/library/special-collections/our-collections/university-of-bradford-archive/0 -
Evening PB.
Another day, another day of lunacy on Musk's X. "Jewish Bolsheviks murdered 60 million people" gets 1.4 million views.0 -
Would be the first time ever, France and America have never been at war before. We have been at war with both of course, indeed the French were allies of the American colonists in the Revolutionary War when they sought independence from the British Empire.Leon said:
Is it bad that I want a war between France and America?Burgessian said:"BREAKING: France has discussed with Denmark sending troops to Greenland in response to United States President Donald Trump's repeated threats to annex the Danish territory, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said."
It's a mad world, my masters.
Macron is one of the few people in the world with as big an ego as Trump and France also has one of the biggest NATO armies and an independent nuclear missile deterrent so it is not a guaranteed easy US win.
I doubt anything will come of it though French troops in Greenland might put off the Americans0 -
We haven't got room for that number, if that is a trend that continues Farage PM with either a Reform majority or propped up by the Tories is inevitableMalmesbury said:
Various governments didn’t get sign off from the British public about population growth from emigration of serious fractions of a percent per year.Mexicanpete said:Sean_F said:
Perhaps the burden of family migration negates the benefit of overseas students’ fees.Mexicanpete said:
I do think there is an existential crisis in the university sector. The domestic students are subsidised by foreign students and we killed that golden goose a couple of years ago. Without student fees, from wherever the come, the sector dies.DecrepiterJohnL said:
The Thatcher government closed all of the small colleges in London University.MattW said:
Workforce is just over 7k, with a 50/50 academic/administrative split.Big_G_NorthWales said:Cardiff University sets out proposals for 400 redundancies
Is there a breakdown of the numbers?
TBH it sounds like a pinprick - although I'm sure various pols will be claiming to have parented kittens.
A few years before I started University in the 1980s, Mrs Thatcher cut the University's central funding by 30% (also Aston, Salford as industrial enthusiast Maggie cut the industrial universities hardest), and they lost some core courses.
https://www.bradford.ac.uk/library/special-collections/our-collections/university-of-bradford-archive/
Now for those on the right of politics who are desperate for exclusively elite universities servicing the few, this can only be good news. For the rest of us it marks a shift away from educating our young people to conquer the World intellectually.
And, in any event, the number of overseas students is still huge.
I remember when aiming for a balance of trade surplus with Johnny Foreigner nations was regarded as a positive. Now it's "don't come over here with your foreign money".Malmesbury said:a
Certain universities are addicted to ever increasing numbers of foreign students.carnforth said:
"Killed that golden goose" is rather relative. Yes, 2024 had 16% fewer foreign students than 2023, but it's still 40% higher than, say, 2015.Mexicanpete said:
I do think there is an existential crisis in the university sector. The domestic students are subsidised by foreign students and we killed that golden goose a couple of years ago. Without student fees, from wherever the come, the sector dies.DecrepiterJohnL said:
The Thatcher government closed all of the small colleges in London University.MattW said:
Workforce is just over 7k, with a 50/50 academic/administrative split.Big_G_NorthWales said:Cardiff University sets out proposals for 400 redundancies
Is there a breakdown of the numbers?
TBH it sounds like a pinprick - although I'm sure various pols will be claiming to have parented kittens.
A few years before I started University in the 1980s, Mrs Thatcher cut the University's central funding by 30% (also Aston, Salford as industrial enthusiast Maggie cut the industrial universities hardest), and they lost some core courses.
https://www.bradford.ac.uk/library/special-collections/our-collections/university-of-bradford-archive/
That’s the problem of democracy.
For myself I don’t mind population growth of even 5% a year. But I will insist on building 10 million homes a year, if that’s how you want to roll it. And hospitals. And roads. And if you don’t like that kind of building rate - move to the Chilean desert.0 -
France has not been as wholly craptacular at keeping up their armed forces as we have, but let's not pretend that they could hold Greenland against a US invasion, because that's daft.HYUFD said:
Would be the first time ever, France and America have never been at war before. We have been at war with both of course, indeed the French were allies of the American colonists in the Revolutionary War when they sought independence from the British Empire.Leon said:
Is it bad that I want a war between France and America?Burgessian said:"BREAKING: France has discussed with Denmark sending troops to Greenland in response to United States President Donald Trump's repeated threats to annex the Danish territory, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said."
It's a mad world, my masters.
Macron is one of the few people in the world with as big an eco as Trump and France also has one of the biggest NATO armies and an independent nuclear missile deterrent so it is not a guaranteed easy US win.
I doubt anything will come of it though French troops in Greenland might put off the Americans1 -
Not true. At least one small naval wars. And WW2.HYUFD said:
Would be the first time ever, France and America have never been at war before. We have been at war with both of course, indeed the French were allies of the American colonists in the Revolutionary War when they sought independence from the British Empire.Leon said:
Is it bad that I want a war between France and America?Burgessian said:"BREAKING: France has discussed with Denmark sending troops to Greenland in response to United States President Donald Trump's repeated threats to annex the Danish territory, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said."
It's a mad world, my masters.
Macron is one of the few people in the world with as big an eco as Trump and France also has one of the biggest NATO armies and an independent nuclear missile deterrent so it is not a guaranteed easy US win.
I doubt anything will come of it though French troops in Greenland might put off the Americans2 -
On topic, whilst there are surely some disgruntled former Tories making a probably temporary protest by voting Reform, in 2019 Euro-elections style, those are heavily outnumbered by both those backing Reform as some sort of new and (somehow) ‘ unestablishment’ SDP-redux ‘fresh politics’ party (just as many in the 1980s backed the SDP’s mostly ex-Labour machine retreads as somehow fresh on the scene) and those seeing Reform as a NOTA route to break the whole system. Those latter two groups won’t be wanting to vote for the Tories instead in any sort of hurry.2
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Not as long as you want France to win.Leon said:
Is it bad that I want a war between France and America?Burgessian said:"BREAKING: France has discussed with Denmark sending troops to Greenland in response to United States President Donald Trump's repeated threats to annex the Danish territory, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said."
It's a mad world, my masters.5 -
It's willy waving by both.HYUFD said:
Would be the first time ever, France and America have never been at war before. We have been at war with both of course, indeed the French were allies of the American colonists in the Revolutionary War when they sought independence from the British Empire.Leon said:
Is it bad that I want a war between France and America?Burgessian said:"BREAKING: France has discussed with Denmark sending troops to Greenland in response to United States President Donald Trump's repeated threats to annex the Danish territory, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said."
It's a mad world, my masters.
Macron is one of the few people in the world with as big an eco as Trump and France also has one of the biggest NATO armies and an independent nuclear missile deterrent so it is not a guaranteed easy US win.
I doubt anything will come of it though French troops in Greenland might put off the Americans3 -
True but he's managed to throw some crap into the argument in a way that is difficult to find the evidence or scale of the supposed problem...bondegezou said:
Very, very few students brought in two children, however.carnforth said:
If you pay £20000 a year in fees, but bring two children (cost of schooling £15000) you've not really bought in much money. The University got £20000, but the country didn't. Hence the new rules.Mexicanpete said:Sean_F said:
Perhaps the burden of family migration negates the benefit of overseas students’ fees.Mexicanpete said:
I do think there is an existential crisis in the university sector. The domestic students are subsidised by foreign students and we killed that golden goose a couple of years ago. Without student fees, from wherever the come, the sector dies.DecrepiterJohnL said:
The Thatcher government closed all of the small colleges in London University.MattW said:
Workforce is just over 7k, with a 50/50 academic/administrative split.Big_G_NorthWales said:Cardiff University sets out proposals for 400 redundancies
Is there a breakdown of the numbers?
TBH it sounds like a pinprick - although I'm sure various pols will be claiming to have parented kittens.
A few years before I started University in the 1980s, Mrs Thatcher cut the University's central funding by 30% (also Aston, Salford as industrial enthusiast Maggie cut the industrial universities hardest), and they lost some core courses.
https://www.bradford.ac.uk/library/special-collections/our-collections/university-of-bradford-archive/
Now for those on the right of politics who are desperate for exclusively elite universities servicing the few, this can only be good news. For the rest of us it marks a shift away from educating our young people to conquer the World intellectually.
And, in any event, the number of overseas students is still huge.
I remember when aiming for a balance of trade surplus with Johnny Foreigner nations was regarded as a positive. Now it's "don't come over here with your foreign money".Malmesbury said:a
Certain universities are addicted to ever increasing numbers of foreign students.carnforth said:
"Killed that golden goose" is rather relative. Yes, 2024 had 16% fewer foreign students than 2023, but it's still 40% higher than, say, 2015.Mexicanpete said:
I do think there is an existential crisis in the university sector. The domestic students are subsidised by foreign students and we killed that golden goose a couple of years ago. Without student fees, from wherever the come, the sector dies.DecrepiterJohnL said:
The Thatcher government closed all of the small colleges in London University.MattW said:
Workforce is just over 7k, with a 50/50 academic/administrative split.Big_G_NorthWales said:Cardiff University sets out proposals for 400 redundancies
Is there a breakdown of the numbers?
TBH it sounds like a pinprick - although I'm sure various pols will be claiming to have parented kittens.
A few years before I started University in the 1980s, Mrs Thatcher cut the University's central funding by 30% (also Aston, Salford as industrial enthusiast Maggie cut the industrial universities hardest), and they lost some core courses.
https://www.bradford.ac.uk/library/special-collections/our-collections/university-of-bradford-archive/0 -
American TV viewers wouldn't like the casualties thoughLuckyguy1983 said:
France has not been as wholly craptacular at keeping up their armed forces as we have, but let's not pretend that they could hold Greenland against a US invasion, because that's daft.HYUFD said:
Would be the first time ever, France and America have never been at war before. We have been at war with both of course, indeed the French were allies of the American colonists in the Revolutionary War when they sought independence from the British Empire.Leon said:
Is it bad that I want a war between France and America?Burgessian said:"BREAKING: France has discussed with Denmark sending troops to Greenland in response to United States President Donald Trump's repeated threats to annex the Danish territory, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said."
It's a mad world, my masters.
Macron is one of the few people in the world with as big an eco as Trump and France also has one of the biggest NATO armies and an independent nuclear missile deterrent so it is not a guaranteed easy US win.
I doubt anything will come of it though French troops in Greenland might put off the Americans0 -
...
Non deadly but humiliating national pride destroying losses for both parties would work for me.Fairliered said:
Not as long as you want France to win.Leon said:
Is it bad that I want a war between France and America?Burgessian said:"BREAKING: France has discussed with Denmark sending troops to Greenland in response to United States President Donald Trump's repeated threats to annex the Danish territory, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said."
It's a mad world, my masters.1 -
I wouldn't imagine too many of those the rate the French usually run away.HYUFD said:
American TV viewers wouldn't like the casualties thoughLuckyguy1983 said:
France has not been as wholly craptacular at keeping up their armed forces as we have, but let's not pretend that they could hold Greenland against a US invasion, because that's daft.HYUFD said:
Would be the first time ever, France and America have never been at war before. We have been at war with both of course, indeed the French were allies of the American colonists in the Revolutionary War when they sought independence from the British Empire.Leon said:
Is it bad that I want a war between France and America?Burgessian said:"BREAKING: France has discussed with Denmark sending troops to Greenland in response to United States President Donald Trump's repeated threats to annex the Danish territory, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said."
It's a mad world, my masters.
Macron is one of the few people in the world with as big an eco as Trump and France also has one of the biggest NATO armies and an independent nuclear missile deterrent so it is not a guaranteed easy US win.
I doubt anything will come of it though French troops in Greenland might put off the Americans0 -
Professor Sunak gives his first lecture
https://www.instagram.com/stories/rishisunakmp/3555521714386515392/0 -
This is not going to end well, enjoy normalcy whilst we can.WhisperingOracle said:Evening PB.
Another day, another day of lunacy on Musk's X. "Jewish Bolsheviks murdered 60 million people" gets 1.4 million views.0 -
Well, that was funereal. Am glum nowviewcode said:The RedLetterMedia review of Star Trek: Section 31 is up. Their reaction is unfortunately similar to mine: indifference. It's not like it's bad or good, it's just that nobody was interested in the spinoff and it's...meh? Rather sad, really...
Anyway, enjoy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIp8vQxDS-M 1 -
I cannot possibly google that, I'm on the work laptop. Is that an actual tweet????WhisperingOracle said:Evening PB.
Another day, another day of lunacy on Musk's X. "Jewish Bolsheviks murdered 60 million people" gets 1.4 million views.0 -
You and me and my wife but we didn't do Antarctic kayaking but lots of landings on ribsLeon said:
In that case I counter with the Antarctic Peninsula - which is part of the British Antarctic territory and is - without exaggerating - the most spectacularly sublime place on earth. I know because I’ve been there and I almost died there doing Antarctic kayakingTimS said:
Kerguelen?Leon said:
French desolation often means empty places like Lozere and Aveyron. Which are often beautiful and sunny - not the Lancashire moorsrcs1000 said:
There are plenty of parts of the UK that are desolate, like in most countries. It's just that people don't want to live in those places.Leon said:
Yes it’s weirdly and obviously wrong. France went through decades of neurosis about its low population compared to the UK and Germany. It’s one of the recent drivers of modern history. Illiterate Guardian twitsBenpointer said:
Well that's b*ll*cks from the Guardian:Andy_JS said:"UK population exceeds that of France for first time on record, ONS data shows"
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jan/28/uk-population-exceeds-that-of-france-for-first-time-on-record
https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/population?time=1555..latest&showSelectionOnlyInTable=1&country=GBR~FRA
France should be happy with a lower population. It’s one thing that makes France a nicer place to be. Sense of space. Room to breathe. Britain is chocka by contrast - which has real world economic impacts as infrastructure gets ever harder to complete (as someone always lives in the way)
However there is maybe nowhere in France with the noomy sublimity of the Highlands and Islands0 -
They would have the Danish Vikings with themLuckyguy1983 said:
I wouldn't imagine too many of those the rate the French usually run away.HYUFD said:
American TV viewers wouldn't like the casualties thoughLuckyguy1983 said:
France has not been as wholly craptacular at keeping up their armed forces as we have, but let's not pretend that they could hold Greenland against a US invasion, because that's daft.HYUFD said:
Would be the first time ever, France and America have never been at war before. We have been at war with both of course, indeed the French were allies of the American colonists in the Revolutionary War when they sought independence from the British Empire.Leon said:
Is it bad that I want a war between France and America?Burgessian said:"BREAKING: France has discussed with Denmark sending troops to Greenland in response to United States President Donald Trump's repeated threats to annex the Danish territory, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said."
It's a mad world, my masters.
Macron is one of the few people in the world with as big an eco as Trump and France also has one of the biggest NATO armies and an independent nuclear missile deterrent so it is not a guaranteed easy US win.
I doubt anything will come of it though French troops in Greenland might put off the Americans0 -
Is it about how becoming an MP will look good on a CV for a real career?HYUFD said:Professor Sunak gives his first lecture
https://www.instagram.com/stories/rishisunakmp/3555521714386515392/0 -
Isn’t it incredible? I have never been so utterly bewitched by a simple “landscape”Big_G_NorthWales said:
You and me and my wife but we didn't do Antarctic kayaking but lots of landings on ribsLeon said:
In that case I counter with the Antarctic Peninsula - which is part of the British Antarctic territory and is - without exaggerating - the most spectacularly sublime place on earth. I know because I’ve been there and I almost died there doing Antarctic kayakingTimS said:
Kerguelen?Leon said:
French desolation often means empty places like Lozere and Aveyron. Which are often beautiful and sunny - not the Lancashire moorsrcs1000 said:
There are plenty of parts of the UK that are desolate, like in most countries. It's just that people don't want to live in those places.Leon said:
Yes it’s weirdly and obviously wrong. France went through decades of neurosis about its low population compared to the UK and Germany. It’s one of the recent drivers of modern history. Illiterate Guardian twitsBenpointer said:
Well that's b*ll*cks from the Guardian:Andy_JS said:"UK population exceeds that of France for first time on record, ONS data shows"
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jan/28/uk-population-exceeds-that-of-france-for-first-time-on-record
https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/population?time=1555..latest&showSelectionOnlyInTable=1&country=GBR~FRA
France should be happy with a lower population. It’s one thing that makes France a nicer place to be. Sense of space. Room to breathe. Britain is chocka by contrast - which has real world economic impacts as infrastructure gets ever harder to complete (as someone always lives in the way)
However there is maybe nowhere in France with the noomy sublimity of the Highlands and Islands0 -
No but we have had a few polls suggesting a Reform and Tory government could get a majority, even if most suggest a Labour or LD or small majority Labour government.IanB2 said:On topic, whilst there are surely some disgruntled former Tories making a probably temporary protest by voting Reform, in 2019 Euro-elections style, those are heavily outnumbered by both those backing Reform as some sort of new and (somehow) ‘ unestablishment’ SDP-redux ‘fresh politics’ party (just as many in the 1980s backed the SDP’s mostly ex-Labour machine retreads as somehow fresh on the scene) and those seeing Reform as a NOTA route to break the whole system. Those latter two groups won’t be wanting to vote for the Tories instead in any sort of hurry.
So the Tories could still in theory get back into government even with Reform on 20%+, just not a majority Conservative government again0 -
It's a mad world, my masters. Part 3Burgessian said:
It's a mad world, my masters. Part 2Burgessian said:"BREAKING: France has discussed with Denmark sending troops to Greenland in response to United States President Donald Trump's repeated threats to annex the Danish territory, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said."
It's a mad world, my masters.
Elon in action: https://x.com/iam_smx/status/1883977770709258287
Ambassador Caroline Kennedy on cousin RFK, Jr.
https://x.com/JBKSchlossberg/status/18842943844740469000 -
France was one of the allies in WW2, Vichy France only covered southern France, De Gaulle effectively headed the French government in exile and had Vichy head Petain tried and jailed for treason after the War.Carnyx said:
Not true. At least one small naval wars. And WW2.HYUFD said:
Would be the first time ever, France and America have never been at war before. We have been at war with both of course, indeed the French were allies of the American colonists in the Revolutionary War when they sought independence from the British Empire.Leon said:
Is it bad that I want a war between France and America?Burgessian said:"BREAKING: France has discussed with Denmark sending troops to Greenland in response to United States President Donald Trump's repeated threats to annex the Danish territory, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said."
It's a mad world, my masters.
Macron is one of the few people in the world with as big an eco as Trump and France also has one of the biggest NATO armies and an independent nuclear missile deterrent so it is not a guaranteed easy US win.
I doubt anything will come of it though French troops in Greenland might put off the Americans
0 -
No it’s not. Surely we’ve all learned by now. Trump MEANS what he says - for good or bad. And this time he has surrounded himself with smart, cunning ideologues who fiercely agree - and who know how to do stuffrcs1000 said:
It's willy waving by both.HYUFD said:
Would be the first time ever, France and America have never been at war before. We have been at war with both of course, indeed the French were allies of the American colonists in the Revolutionary War when they sought independence from the British Empire.Leon said:
Is it bad that I want a war between France and America?Burgessian said:"BREAKING: France has discussed with Denmark sending troops to Greenland in response to United States President Donald Trump's repeated threats to annex the Danish territory, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said."
It's a mad world, my masters.
Macron is one of the few people in the world with as big an eco as Trump and France also has one of the biggest NATO armies and an independent nuclear missile deterrent so it is not a guaranteed easy US win.
I doubt anything will come of it though French troops in Greenland might put off the Americans
I can see a Trump reinforcement of the US base combined with threatened tariffs forcing Denmark to back off. Greenland will vote for Indy in April and then Trump will offer $$$ to its 54,900 people to become a kind of frozen Puerto Rico
France won’t do shit. Greenland isn’t even in the EU0 -
Yup, and a very long thread to follow it, too.viewcode said:
I cannot possibly google that, I'm on the work laptop. Is that an actual tweet????WhisperingOracle said:Evening PB.
Another day, another day of lunacy on Musk's X. "Jewish Bolsheviks murdered 60 million people" gets 1.4 million views.
Thousands of very enthusiastic tweets.
https://x.com/LetsGoBrando45/status/1883993353630670944
Awful.0 -
Still not true. Vichy France was all of France - just with part of it occupied pending the war's end (apart from Alsace-Lorraine etc, obviously).HYUFD said:
France was one of the allies in WW2, Vichy France only covered southern France, De Gaulle effectively headed the French government in exile and had Vichy head Petain tried and jailed for treason after the War.Carnyx said:
Not true. At least one small naval wars. And WW2.HYUFD said:
Would be the first time ever, France and America have never been at war before. We have been at war with both of course, indeed the French were allies of the American colonists in the Revolutionary War when they sought independence from the British Empire.Leon said:
Is it bad that I want a war between France and America?Burgessian said:"BREAKING: France has discussed with Denmark sending troops to Greenland in response to United States President Donald Trump's repeated threats to annex the Danish territory, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said."
It's a mad world, my masters.
Macron is one of the few people in the world with as big an eco as Trump and France also has one of the biggest NATO armies and an independent nuclear missile deterrent so it is not a guaranteed easy US win.
I doubt anything will come of it though French troops in Greenland might put off the Americans
0 -
I think if Trump takes the US into a war with France there'll be a price to pay in the mid-terms.HYUFD said:
American TV viewers wouldn't like the casualties thoughLuckyguy1983 said:
France has not been as wholly craptacular at keeping up their armed forces as we have, but let's not pretend that they could hold Greenland against a US invasion, because that's daft.HYUFD said:
Would be the first time ever, France and America have never been at war before. We have been at war with both of course, indeed the French were allies of the American colonists in the Revolutionary War when they sought independence from the British Empire.Leon said:
Is it bad that I want a war between France and America?Burgessian said:"BREAKING: France has discussed with Denmark sending troops to Greenland in response to United States President Donald Trump's repeated threats to annex the Danish territory, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said."
It's a mad world, my masters.
Macron is one of the few people in the world with as big an eco as Trump and France also has one of the biggest NATO armies and an independent nuclear missile deterrent so it is not a guaranteed easy US win.
I doubt anything will come of it though French troops in Greenland might put off the Americans2 -
Face.Leon said:
No it’s not. Surely we’ve all learned by now. Trump MEANS what he says - for good or bad. And this time he has surrounded himself with smart, cunning ideologues who fiercely agree - and who know how to do stuffrcs1000 said:
It's willy waving by both.HYUFD said:
Would be the first time ever, France and America have never been at war before. We have been at war with both of course, indeed the French were allies of the American colonists in the Revolutionary War when they sought independence from the British Empire.Leon said:
Is it bad that I want a war between France and America?Burgessian said:"BREAKING: France has discussed with Denmark sending troops to Greenland in response to United States President Donald Trump's repeated threats to annex the Danish territory, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said."
It's a mad world, my masters.
Macron is one of the few people in the world with as big an eco as Trump and France also has one of the biggest NATO armies and an independent nuclear missile deterrent so it is not a guaranteed easy US win.
I doubt anything will come of it though French troops in Greenland might put off the Americans
I can see a Trump reinforcement of the US base combined with threatened tariffs forcing Denmark to back off. Greenland will vote for Indy in April and then Trump will offer $$$ to its 54,900 people to become a kind of frozen Puerto Rico
France won’t do shit. Greenland isn’t even in the EU
The Danish government will not want to lose face. And the more the US threatens, the more the Danish government loses face by acceding to Trump's terms.
There is a deal to be had here, obviously. But as with Canada, the more the US throws its weight around, the more other parties will wish to demonstrate that they have agency.0 -
Semen?kinabalu said:
Are you seeing the Thames foaming with much blood?Leon said:
How would you feel about a majority Muslim UK? With homosexuality illegal again? Blasphemy laws on the statute books? Sharia law enforced by the state?Malmesbury said:
Various governments didn’t get sign off from the British public about population growth from emigration of serious fractions of a percent per year.Mexicanpete said:Sean_F said:
Perhaps the burden of family migration negates the benefit of overseas students’ fees.Mexicanpete said:
I do think there is an existential crisis in the university sector. The domestic students are subsidised by foreign students and we killed that golden goose a couple of years ago. Without student fees, from wherever the come, the sector dies.DecrepiterJohnL said:
The Thatcher government closed all of the small colleges in London University.MattW said:
Workforce is just over 7k, with a 50/50 academic/administrative split.Big_G_NorthWales said:Cardiff University sets out proposals for 400 redundancies
Is there a breakdown of the numbers?
TBH it sounds like a pinprick - although I'm sure various pols will be claiming to have parented kittens.
A few years before I started University in the 1980s, Mrs Thatcher cut the University's central funding by 30% (also Aston, Salford as industrial enthusiast Maggie cut the industrial universities hardest), and they lost some core courses.
https://www.bradford.ac.uk/library/special-collections/our-collections/university-of-bradford-archive/
Now for those on the right of politics who are desperate for exclusively elite universities servicing the few, this can only be good news. For the rest of us it marks a shift away from educating our young people to conquer the World intellectually.
And, in any event, the number of overseas students is still huge.
I remember when aiming for a balance of trade surplus with Johnny Foreigner nations was regarded as a positive. Now it's "don't come over here with your foreign money".Malmesbury said:a
Certain universities are addicted to ever increasing numbers of foreign students.carnforth said:
"Killed that golden goose" is rather relative. Yes, 2024 had 16% fewer foreign students than 2023, but it's still 40% higher than, say, 2015.Mexicanpete said:
I do think there is an existential crisis in the university sector. The domestic students are subsidised by foreign students and we killed that golden goose a couple of years ago. Without student fees, from wherever the come, the sector dies.DecrepiterJohnL said:
The Thatcher government closed all of the small colleges in London University.MattW said:
Workforce is just over 7k, with a 50/50 academic/administrative split.Big_G_NorthWales said:Cardiff University sets out proposals for 400 redundancies
Is there a breakdown of the numbers?
TBH it sounds like a pinprick - although I'm sure various pols will be claiming to have parented kittens.
A few years before I started University in the 1980s, Mrs Thatcher cut the University's central funding by 30% (also Aston, Salford as industrial enthusiast Maggie cut the industrial universities hardest), and they lost some core courses.
https://www.bradford.ac.uk/library/special-collections/our-collections/university-of-bradford-archive/
That’s the problem of democracy.
For myself I don’t mind population growth of even 5% a year. But I will insist on building 10 million homes a year, if that’s how you want to roll it. And hospitals. And roads. And if you don’t like that kind of building rate - move to the Chilean desert.
Presumably you don’t want that (or maybe you do). At which point you have to admit that this is not just about numbers. It is about the vast cultural change that comes with big numbers0 -
I think I speak for all of PB when I say: all praise Donald Trumprcs1000 said:
Face.Leon said:
No it’s not. Surely we’ve all learned by now. Trump MEANS what he says - for good or bad. And this time he has surrounded himself with smart, cunning ideologues who fiercely agree - and who know how to do stuffrcs1000 said:
It's willy waving by both.HYUFD said:
Would be the first time ever, France and America have never been at war before. We have been at war with both of course, indeed the French were allies of the American colonists in the Revolutionary War when they sought independence from the British Empire.Leon said:
Is it bad that I want a war between France and America?Burgessian said:"BREAKING: France has discussed with Denmark sending troops to Greenland in response to United States President Donald Trump's repeated threats to annex the Danish territory, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said."
It's a mad world, my masters.
Macron is one of the few people in the world with as big an eco as Trump and France also has one of the biggest NATO armies and an independent nuclear missile deterrent so it is not a guaranteed easy US win.
I doubt anything will come of it though French troops in Greenland might put off the Americans
I can see a Trump reinforcement of the US base combined with threatened tariffs forcing Denmark to back off. Greenland will vote for Indy in April and then Trump will offer $$$ to its 54,900 people to become a kind of frozen Puerto Rico
France won’t do shit. Greenland isn’t even in the EU
The Danish government will not want to lose face. And the more the US threatens, the more the Danish government loses face by acceding to Trump's terms.
There is a deal to be had here, obviously. But as with Canada, the more the US throws its weight around, the more other parties will wish to demonstrate that they have agency.
We in the west need him to win these culture wars. He is fighting for our freedom. Fight Fight Fight!!!
I love him
Goodnight from The Goon, Burma0 -
Kind offer but no thanks.Sunil_Prasannan said:
Semen?kinabalu said:
Are you seeing the Thames foaming with much blood?Leon said:
How would you feel about a majority Muslim UK? With homosexuality illegal again? Blasphemy laws on the statute books? Sharia law enforced by the state?Malmesbury said:
Various governments didn’t get sign off from the British public about population growth from emigration of serious fractions of a percent per year.Mexicanpete said:Sean_F said:
Perhaps the burden of family migration negates the benefit of overseas students’ fees.Mexicanpete said:
I do think there is an existential crisis in the university sector. The domestic students are subsidised by foreign students and we killed that golden goose a couple of years ago. Without student fees, from wherever the come, the sector dies.DecrepiterJohnL said:
The Thatcher government closed all of the small colleges in London University.MattW said:
Workforce is just over 7k, with a 50/50 academic/administrative split.Big_G_NorthWales said:Cardiff University sets out proposals for 400 redundancies
Is there a breakdown of the numbers?
TBH it sounds like a pinprick - although I'm sure various pols will be claiming to have parented kittens.
A few years before I started University in the 1980s, Mrs Thatcher cut the University's central funding by 30% (also Aston, Salford as industrial enthusiast Maggie cut the industrial universities hardest), and they lost some core courses.
https://www.bradford.ac.uk/library/special-collections/our-collections/university-of-bradford-archive/
Now for those on the right of politics who are desperate for exclusively elite universities servicing the few, this can only be good news. For the rest of us it marks a shift away from educating our young people to conquer the World intellectually.
And, in any event, the number of overseas students is still huge.
I remember when aiming for a balance of trade surplus with Johnny Foreigner nations was regarded as a positive. Now it's "don't come over here with your foreign money".Malmesbury said:a
Certain universities are addicted to ever increasing numbers of foreign students.carnforth said:
"Killed that golden goose" is rather relative. Yes, 2024 had 16% fewer foreign students than 2023, but it's still 40% higher than, say, 2015.Mexicanpete said:
I do think there is an existential crisis in the university sector. The domestic students are subsidised by foreign students and we killed that golden goose a couple of years ago. Without student fees, from wherever the come, the sector dies.DecrepiterJohnL said:
The Thatcher government closed all of the small colleges in London University.MattW said:
Workforce is just over 7k, with a 50/50 academic/administrative split.Big_G_NorthWales said:Cardiff University sets out proposals for 400 redundancies
Is there a breakdown of the numbers?
TBH it sounds like a pinprick - although I'm sure various pols will be claiming to have parented kittens.
A few years before I started University in the 1980s, Mrs Thatcher cut the University's central funding by 30% (also Aston, Salford as industrial enthusiast Maggie cut the industrial universities hardest), and they lost some core courses.
https://www.bradford.ac.uk/library/special-collections/our-collections/university-of-bradford-archive/
That’s the problem of democracy.
For myself I don’t mind population growth of even 5% a year. But I will insist on building 10 million homes a year, if that’s how you want to roll it. And hospitals. And roads. And if you don’t like that kind of building rate - move to the Chilean desert.
Presumably you don’t want that (or maybe you do). At which point you have to admit that this is not just about numbers. It is about the vast cultural change that comes with big numbers1 -
OK, serious question.
In the third Harry Potter book, Hermione gets a time turner to enable her to do more subjects (and also so Harry can do the Petronas charm and fight off the Dementers.)
WHY DOES NO-ONE AT ANY POINT THINK: HMMMM.... THIS TIME TRAVEL LARK WOULD BE REALLY USEFUL IN THE FIGHT AGAINST VOLDEMORT???1 -
In what way is bullying Denmark a part of the culture wars?Leon said:
I think I speak for all of PB when I say: all praise Donald Trumprcs1000 said:
Face.Leon said:
No it’s not. Surely we’ve all learned by now. Trump MEANS what he says - for good or bad. And this time he has surrounded himself with smart, cunning ideologues who fiercely agree - and who know how to do stuffrcs1000 said:
It's willy waving by both.HYUFD said:
Would be the first time ever, France and America have never been at war before. We have been at war with both of course, indeed the French were allies of the American colonists in the Revolutionary War when they sought independence from the British Empire.Leon said:
Is it bad that I want a war between France and America?Burgessian said:"BREAKING: France has discussed with Denmark sending troops to Greenland in response to United States President Donald Trump's repeated threats to annex the Danish territory, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said."
It's a mad world, my masters.
Macron is one of the few people in the world with as big an eco as Trump and France also has one of the biggest NATO armies and an independent nuclear missile deterrent so it is not a guaranteed easy US win.
I doubt anything will come of it though French troops in Greenland might put off the Americans
I can see a Trump reinforcement of the US base combined with threatened tariffs forcing Denmark to back off. Greenland will vote for Indy in April and then Trump will offer $$$ to its 54,900 people to become a kind of frozen Puerto Rico
France won’t do shit. Greenland isn’t even in the EU
The Danish government will not want to lose face. And the more the US threatens, the more the Danish government loses face by acceding to Trump's terms.
There is a deal to be had here, obviously. But as with Canada, the more the US throws its weight around, the more other parties will wish to demonstrate that they have agency.
We in the west need him to win these culture wars. He is fighting for our freedom. Fight Fight Fight!!!
I love him
Goodnight from The Goon, Burma
'Cause here's the thing that pisses me off. If the EU had bullied countries the way that the US currently is, then people would be castigating them.
But because it's Donald Trump, and he's against woke, then it's OK.
No, it's not fucking OK. It's still fucking shitty behaviour.5 -
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quasi-WarHYUFD said:
Would be the first time ever, France and America have never been at war before.Leon said:
Is it bad that I want a war between France and America?Burgessian said:"BREAKING: France has discussed with Denmark sending troops to Greenland in response to United States President Donald Trump's repeated threats to annex the Danish territory, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said."
It's a mad world, my masters.
The Quasi-War[a] was an undeclared war from 1798 to 1800 between the United States and the French First Republic. It was fought almost entirely at sea, primarily in the Caribbean and off the East Coast of the United States, with minor actions in the Indian Ocean and Mediterranean Sea.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Torch
Operation Torch (8–16 November 1942) was an Allied invasion of French North Africa during the Second World War0 -
Nah.Leon said:
No it’s not. Surely we’ve all learned by now. Trump MEANS what he says - for good or bad. And this time he has surrounded himself with smart, cunning ideologues who fiercely agree - and who know how to do stuffrcs1000 said:
It's willy waving by both.HYUFD said:
Would be the first time ever, France and America have never been at war before. We have been at war with both of course, indeed the French were allies of the American colonists in the Revolutionary War when they sought independence from the British Empire.Leon said:
Is it bad that I want a war between France and America?Burgessian said:"BREAKING: France has discussed with Denmark sending troops to Greenland in response to United States President Donald Trump's repeated threats to annex the Danish territory, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said."
It's a mad world, my masters.
Macron is one of the few people in the world with as big an eco as Trump and France also has one of the biggest NATO armies and an independent nuclear missile deterrent so it is not a guaranteed easy US win.
I doubt anything will come of it though French troops in Greenland might put off the Americans
I can see a Trump reinforcement of the US base combined with threatened tariffs forcing Denmark to back off. Greenland will vote for Indy in April and then Trump will offer $$$ to its 54,900 people to become a kind of frozen Puerto Rico
France won’t do shit. Greenland isn’t even in the EU
Half the time (or maybe a bit less) Trump says something bonkers and means it.
The other half of the time he is trolling on an intercontinental scale.
The difficulty is working out which is which.
On this one if France, Denmark and others play hardball I think they'll probably win inasmuch as Trump won't start a war.
I wouldn't bet against the sanctions/bribery/misinformation approach winning over Greenlanders, though.0 -
https://www.harrypotter.com/writing-by-jk-rowling/time-turnerrcs1000 said:OK, serious question.
In the third Harry Potter book, Hermione gets a time turner to enable her to do more subjects (and also so Harry can do the Petronas charm and fight off the Dementers.)
WHY DOES NO-ONE AT ANY POINT THINK: HMMMM.... THIS TIME TRAVEL LARK WOULD BE REALLY USEFUL IN THE FIGHT AGAINST VOLDEMORT???0 -
I think the idea was while you could go into the past and 'bootstrap' certain events (for example, Harry saving his past self from the dementors), you can't actually change it. I think time travel in the original books was meant to be like the film Twelve Monkeys and be compliant with the Grandfather Paradox.rcs1000 said:OK, serious question.
In the third Harry Potter book, Hermione gets a time turner to enable her to do more subjects (and also so Harry can do the Petronas charm and fight off the Dementers.)
WHY DOES NO-ONE AT ANY POINT THINK: HMMMM.... THIS TIME TRAVEL LARK WOULD BE REALLY USEFUL IN THE FIGHT AGAINST VOLDEMORT???
That was before Cursed Child happened, though.0 -
What do Britons think of the renaming of the HMS Agincourt to HMS Achilles, described by Grant Shapps as "woke nonsense"
Don't care: 40%
Don't know: 32%
Wrong to change: 23%
Right to change: 6%
https://x.com/YouGov/status/18842876867705816490 -
He sounds a bit of a heelHYUFD said:What do Britons think of the renaming of the HMS Agincourt to HMS Achilles, described by Grant Shapps as "woke nonsense"
Don't care: 40%
Don't know: 32%
Wrong to change: 23%
Right to change: 6%
https://x.com/YouGov/status/1884287686770581649
1 -
The culprit for the mysterious drones has been revealed:
https://x.com/nicksortor/status/18843051759654916910 -
'was an undeclared war'Sunil_Prasannan said:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quasi-WarHYUFD said:
Would be the first time ever, France and America have never been at war before.Leon said:
Is it bad that I want a war between France and America?Burgessian said:"BREAKING: France has discussed with Denmark sending troops to Greenland in response to United States President Donald Trump's repeated threats to annex the Danish territory, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said."
It's a mad world, my masters.
The Quasi-War[a] was an undeclared war from 1798 to 1800 between the United States and the French First Republic. It was fought almost entirely at sea, primarily in the Caribbean and off the East Coast of the United States, with minor actions in the Indian Ocean and Mediterranean Sea.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Torch
Operation Torch (8–16 November 1942) was an Allied invasion of French North Africa during the Second World War0 -
No, northern France was directly occupied by the Nazis and not under Vichy ruleCarnyx said:
Still not true. Vichy France was all of France - just with part of it occupied pending the war's end (apart from Alsace-Lorraine etc, obviously).HYUFD said:
France was one of the allies in WW2, Vichy France only covered southern France, De Gaulle effectively headed the French government in exile and had Vichy head Petain tried and jailed for treason after the War.Carnyx said:
Not true. At least one small naval wars. And WW2.HYUFD said:
Would be the first time ever, France and America have never been at war before. We have been at war with both of course, indeed the French were allies of the American colonists in the Revolutionary War when they sought independence from the British Empire.Leon said:
Is it bad that I want a war between France and America?Burgessian said:"BREAKING: France has discussed with Denmark sending troops to Greenland in response to United States President Donald Trump's repeated threats to annex the Danish territory, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said."
It's a mad world, my masters.
Macron is one of the few people in the world with as big an eco as Trump and France also has one of the biggest NATO armies and an independent nuclear missile deterrent so it is not a guaranteed easy US win.
I doubt anything will come of it though French troops in Greenland might put off the Americans0 -
What do Britons think of the renaming of Grant Shapps to Michael Green, described by noneoftheabove as "nonsensical whatever he calls himself"HYUFD said:What do Britons think of the renaming of the HMS Agincourt to HMS Achilles, described by Grant Shapps as "woke nonsense"
Don't care: 40%
Don't know: 32%
Wrong to change: 23%
Right to change: 6%
https://x.com/YouGov/status/1884287686770581649
Don't care: 40%
Don't know: 32%
Wrong to change: 23%
Right to change: 6%
https://x.com/YouGov/status/18842876867705816490 -
Biscuits then.Luckyguy1983 said:
Kind offer but no thanks.Sunil_Prasannan said:
Semen?kinabalu said:
Are you seeing the Thames foaming with much blood?Leon said:
How would you feel about a majority Muslim UK? With homosexuality illegal again? Blasphemy laws on the statute books? Sharia law enforced by the state?Malmesbury said:
Various governments didn’t get sign off from the British public about population growth from emigration of serious fractions of a percent per year.Mexicanpete said:Sean_F said:
Perhaps the burden of family migration negates the benefit of overseas students’ fees.Mexicanpete said:
I do think there is an existential crisis in the university sector. The domestic students are subsidised by foreign students and we killed that golden goose a couple of years ago. Without student fees, from wherever the come, the sector dies.DecrepiterJohnL said:
The Thatcher government closed all of the small colleges in London University.MattW said:
Workforce is just over 7k, with a 50/50 academic/administrative split.Big_G_NorthWales said:Cardiff University sets out proposals for 400 redundancies
Is there a breakdown of the numbers?
TBH it sounds like a pinprick - although I'm sure various pols will be claiming to have parented kittens.
A few years before I started University in the 1980s, Mrs Thatcher cut the University's central funding by 30% (also Aston, Salford as industrial enthusiast Maggie cut the industrial universities hardest), and they lost some core courses.
https://www.bradford.ac.uk/library/special-collections/our-collections/university-of-bradford-archive/
Now for those on the right of politics who are desperate for exclusively elite universities servicing the few, this can only be good news. For the rest of us it marks a shift away from educating our young people to conquer the World intellectually.
And, in any event, the number of overseas students is still huge.
I remember when aiming for a balance of trade surplus with Johnny Foreigner nations was regarded as a positive. Now it's "don't come over here with your foreign money".Malmesbury said:a
Certain universities are addicted to ever increasing numbers of foreign students.carnforth said:
"Killed that golden goose" is rather relative. Yes, 2024 had 16% fewer foreign students than 2023, but it's still 40% higher than, say, 2015.Mexicanpete said:
I do think there is an existential crisis in the university sector. The domestic students are subsidised by foreign students and we killed that golden goose a couple of years ago. Without student fees, from wherever the come, the sector dies.DecrepiterJohnL said:
The Thatcher government closed all of the small colleges in London University.MattW said:
Workforce is just over 7k, with a 50/50 academic/administrative split.Big_G_NorthWales said:Cardiff University sets out proposals for 400 redundancies
Is there a breakdown of the numbers?
TBH it sounds like a pinprick - although I'm sure various pols will be claiming to have parented kittens.
A few years before I started University in the 1980s, Mrs Thatcher cut the University's central funding by 30% (also Aston, Salford as industrial enthusiast Maggie cut the industrial universities hardest), and they lost some core courses.
https://www.bradford.ac.uk/library/special-collections/our-collections/university-of-bradford-archive/
That’s the problem of democracy.
For myself I don’t mind population growth of even 5% a year. But I will insist on building 10 million homes a year, if that’s how you want to roll it. And hospitals. And roads. And if you don’t like that kind of building rate - move to the Chilean desert.
Presumably you don’t want that (or maybe you do). At which point you have to admit that this is not just about numbers. It is about the vast cultural change that comes with big numbers0 -
Those who love chaos and drama are a significant part of the social fabric. Until the chaos and drama hurts them of course.rcs1000 said:
In what way is bullying Denmark a part of the culture wars?Leon said:
I think I speak for all of PB when I say: all praise Donald Trumprcs1000 said:
Face.Leon said:
No it’s not. Surely we’ve all learned by now. Trump MEANS what he says - for good or bad. And this time he has surrounded himself with smart, cunning ideologues who fiercely agree - and who know how to do stuffrcs1000 said:
It's willy waving by both.HYUFD said:
Would be the first time ever, France and America have never been at war before. We have been at war with both of course, indeed the French were allies of the American colonists in the Revolutionary War when they sought independence from the British Empire.Leon said:
Is it bad that I want a war between France and America?Burgessian said:"BREAKING: France has discussed with Denmark sending troops to Greenland in response to United States President Donald Trump's repeated threats to annex the Danish territory, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said."
It's a mad world, my masters.
Macron is one of the few people in the world with as big an eco as Trump and France also has one of the biggest NATO armies and an independent nuclear missile deterrent so it is not a guaranteed easy US win.
I doubt anything will come of it though French troops in Greenland might put off the Americans
I can see a Trump reinforcement of the US base combined with threatened tariffs forcing Denmark to back off. Greenland will vote for Indy in April and then Trump will offer $$$ to its 54,900 people to become a kind of frozen Puerto Rico
France won’t do shit. Greenland isn’t even in the EU
The Danish government will not want to lose face. And the more the US threatens, the more the Danish government loses face by acceding to Trump's terms.
There is a deal to be had here, obviously. But as with Canada, the more the US throws its weight around, the more other parties will wish to demonstrate that they have agency.
We in the west need him to win these culture wars. He is fighting for our freedom. Fight Fight Fight!!!
I love him
Goodnight from The Goon, Burma
'Cause here's the thing that pisses me off. If the EU had bullied countries the way that the US currently is, then people would be castigating them.
But because it's Donald Trump, and he's against woke, then it's OK.
No, it's not fucking OK. It's still fucking shitty behaviour.2 -
While it was occupied, it was still technically part of France: the Vichy regime "allowed" the Nazis to administer. Even after November 1942 when the Germans occupied the whole of the country, it was still technically at the behest of the Petain's French Provisional Government.HYUFD said:
No, northern France was directly occupied by the Nazis and not under Vichy ruleCarnyx said:
Still not true. Vichy France was all of France - just with part of it occupied pending the war's end (apart from Alsace-Lorraine etc, obviously).HYUFD said:
France was one of the allies in WW2, Vichy France only covered southern France, De Gaulle effectively headed the French government in exile and had Vichy head Petain tried and jailed for treason after the War.Carnyx said:
Not true. At least one small naval wars. And WW2.HYUFD said:
Would be the first time ever, France and America have never been at war before. We have been at war with both of course, indeed the French were allies of the American colonists in the Revolutionary War when they sought independence from the British Empire.Leon said:
Is it bad that I want a war between France and America?Burgessian said:"BREAKING: France has discussed with Denmark sending troops to Greenland in response to United States President Donald Trump's repeated threats to annex the Danish territory, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said."
It's a mad world, my masters.
Macron is one of the few people in the world with as big an eco as Trump and France also has one of the biggest NATO armies and an independent nuclear missile deterrent so it is not a guaranteed easy US win.
I doubt anything will come of it though French troops in Greenland might put off the Americans1 -
Nominally merged but in practice, closed. Each small college was merged with a larger one, at the site of the larger one, with all the staff of the larger one and some from the smaller one. There would be a new name, like Queen Mary & Westfield or Royal Holloway and Bedford or the UCL & Royal Free medical school, but now the names have been changed back.bondegezou said:
Merged rather than closed, no?DecrepiterJohnL said:
The Thatcher government closed all of the small colleges in London University.MattW said:
Workforce is just over 7k, with a 50/50 academic/administrative split.Big_G_NorthWales said:Cardiff University sets out proposals for 400 redundancies
Is there a breakdown of the numbers?
TBH it sounds like a pinprick - although I'm sure various pols will be claiming to have parented kittens.
A few years before I started University in the 1980s, Mrs Thatcher cut the University's central funding by 30% (also Aston, Salford as industrial enthusiast Maggie cut the industrial universities hardest), and they lost some core courses.
https://www.bradford.ac.uk/library/special-collections/our-collections/university-of-bradford-archive/
0 -
I thought he was Marshall Pete ?rcs1000 said:
While it was occupied, it was still technically part of France: the Vichy regime "allowed" the Nazis to administer. Even after November 1942 when the Germans occupied the whole of the country, it was still technically at the behest of the Petain's French Provisional Government.HYUFD said:
No, northern France was directly occupied by the Nazis and not under Vichy ruleCarnyx said:
Still not true. Vichy France was all of France - just with part of it occupied pending the war's end (apart from Alsace-Lorraine etc, obviously).HYUFD said:
France was one of the allies in WW2, Vichy France only covered southern France, De Gaulle effectively headed the French government in exile and had Vichy head Petain tried and jailed for treason after the War.Carnyx said:
Not true. At least one small naval wars. And WW2.HYUFD said:
Would be the first time ever, France and America have never been at war before. We have been at war with both of course, indeed the French were allies of the American colonists in the Revolutionary War when they sought independence from the British Empire.Leon said:
Is it bad that I want a war between France and America?Burgessian said:"BREAKING: France has discussed with Denmark sending troops to Greenland in response to United States President Donald Trump's repeated threats to annex the Danish territory, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said."
It's a mad world, my masters.
Macron is one of the few people in the world with as big an eco as Trump and France also has one of the biggest NATO armies and an independent nuclear missile deterrent so it is not a guaranteed easy US win.
I doubt anything will come of it though French troops in Greenland might put off the Americans
0 -
Yes it was administered from Vichy. Who do you think ran the police force (as exemplified by Officer Crabtree in "'Allo, 'Allo")?HYUFD said:
No, northern France was directly occupied by the Nazis and not under Vichy ruleCarnyx said:
Still not true. Vichy France was all of France - just with part of it occupied pending the war's end (apart from Alsace-Lorraine etc, obviously).HYUFD said:
France was one of the allies in WW2, Vichy France only covered southern France, De Gaulle effectively headed the French government in exile and had Vichy head Petain tried and jailed for treason after the War.Carnyx said:
Not true. At least one small naval wars. And WW2.HYUFD said:
Would be the first time ever, France and America have never been at war before. We have been at war with both of course, indeed the French were allies of the American colonists in the Revolutionary War when they sought independence from the British Empire.Leon said:
Is it bad that I want a war between France and America?Burgessian said:"BREAKING: France has discussed with Denmark sending troops to Greenland in response to United States President Donald Trump's repeated threats to annex the Danish territory, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said."
It's a mad world, my masters.
Macron is one of the few people in the world with as big an eco as Trump and France also has one of the biggest NATO armies and an independent nuclear missile deterrent so it is not a guaranteed easy US win.
I doubt anything will come of it though French troops in Greenland might put off the Americans0 -
So bizarre. Why did the Biden Admin lie?!williamglenn said:The culprit for the mysterious drones has been revealed:
https://x.com/nicksortor/status/18843051759654916910 -
Not at all.Leon said:
Is it bad that I want a war between France and America?Burgessian said:"BREAKING: France has discussed with Denmark sending troops to Greenland in response to United States President Donald Trump's repeated threats to annex the Danish territory, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said."
It's a mad world, my masters.0 -
Allez Les bleus when it comes to Rugby.Fairliered said:
Not as long as you want France to win.Leon said:
Is it bad that I want a war between France and America?Burgessian said:"BREAKING: France has discussed with Denmark sending troops to Greenland in response to United States President Donald Trump's repeated threats to annex the Danish territory, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said."
It's a mad world, my masters.0 -
As a fan of the book series having read it growing up this is the least of the inconsistencies. It is, however, a kids book.rcs1000 said:OK, serious question.
In the third Harry Potter book, Hermione gets a time turner to enable her to do more subjects (and also so Harry can do the Petronas charm and fight off the Dementers.)
WHY DOES NO-ONE AT ANY POINT THINK: HMMMM.... THIS TIME TRAVEL LARK WOULD BE REALLY USEFUL IN THE FIGHT AGAINST VOLDEMORT???0 -
From the perspective of the U.S. Navy, the Quasi-War consisted of a series of ship-to-ship actions in U.S. coastal waters and the Caribbean; one of the first was the Capture of La Croyable on 7 July 1798 by Delaware outside Egg Harbor, New Jersey.[23] On 20 November, a pair of French frigates, Insurgente and Volontaire, captured the schooner USS Retaliation, commanded by Lieutenant William Bainbridge; Retaliation was recaptured on 28 June 1799.[24]HYUFD said:
'was an undeclared war'Sunil_Prasannan said:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quasi-WarHYUFD said:
Would be the first time ever, France and America have never been at war before.Leon said:
Is it bad that I want a war between France and America?Burgessian said:"BREAKING: France has discussed with Denmark sending troops to Greenland in response to United States President Donald Trump's repeated threats to annex the Danish territory, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said."
It's a mad world, my masters.
The Quasi-War[a] was an undeclared war from 1798 to 1800 between the United States and the French First Republic. It was fought almost entirely at sea, primarily in the Caribbean and off the East Coast of the United States, with minor actions in the Indian Ocean and Mediterranean Sea.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Torch
Operation Torch (8–16 November 1942) was an Allied invasion of French North Africa during the Second World War
On 9 February 1799, the frigate Constellation captured the French Navy's frigate L'Insurgente. By 1 July, under the command of Decatur, USS United States had been refitted and repaired and embarked on her mission to patrol the South Atlantic coast and West Indies in search of French ships which were preying on American merchant vessels.[25]
On 1 January 1800, a convoy of American merchant ships escorted by USS Experiment fought off an attack by French-allied Haitian privateers near Hispaniola. On 1 February, Constellation severely damaged the French frigate La Vengeance off the coast of Saint Kitts. Silas Talbot led a naval expedition during the Battle of Puerto Plata Harbor in early May, capturing a Spanish army controlled coastal fort and a French corvette.[26] When French troops occupied Curaçao in July, USS Patapsco and USS Merrimack bombarded French positions on the island and landed marines to support the local Dutch troops before the French withdrew. On 12 October, the frigate Boston captured the corvette Le Berceau.[27]
On 25 October, USS Enterprise defeated the French brig Flambeau near Dominica. Enterprise also captured eight privateers and freed eleven U.S. merchant ships from captivity, while Experiment captured the French privateers Deux Amis and Diane and liberated numerous American merchant ships. Although U.S. military losses were light, the French had seized over 2,000 American merchant ships by the time the war ended.[28]1 -
Is he though? Is Trump fighting for us and if he is, who is the "us" for whom Trump fights because it does not seem to be Europe.Leon said:
I think I speak for all of PB when I say: all praise Donald Trumprcs1000 said:
Face.Leon said:
No it’s not. Surely we’ve all learned by now. Trump MEANS what he says - for good or bad. And this time he has surrounded himself with smart, cunning ideologues who fiercely agree - and who know how to do stuffrcs1000 said:
It's willy waving by both.HYUFD said:
Would be the first time ever, France and America have never been at war before. We have been at war with both of course, indeed the French were allies of the American colonists in the Revolutionary War when they sought independence from the British Empire.Leon said:
Is it bad that I want a war between France and America?Burgessian said:"BREAKING: France has discussed with Denmark sending troops to Greenland in response to United States President Donald Trump's repeated threats to annex the Danish territory, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said."
It's a mad world, my masters.
Macron is one of the few people in the world with as big an eco as Trump and France also has one of the biggest NATO armies and an independent nuclear missile deterrent so it is not a guaranteed easy US win.
I doubt anything will come of it though French troops in Greenland might put off the Americans
I can see a Trump reinforcement of the US base combined with threatened tariffs forcing Denmark to back off. Greenland will vote for Indy in April and then Trump will offer $$$ to its 54,900 people to become a kind of frozen Puerto Rico
France won’t do shit. Greenland isn’t even in the EU
The Danish government will not want to lose face. And the more the US threatens, the more the Danish government loses face by acceding to Trump's terms.
There is a deal to be had here, obviously. But as with Canada, the more the US throws its weight around, the more other parties will wish to demonstrate that they have agency.
We in the west need him to win these culture wars. He is fighting for our freedom. Fight Fight Fight!!!
I love him
Goodnight from The Goon, Burma0 -
Leon is just being a plonker tonight.DecrepiterJohnL said:
Is he though? Is Trump fighting for us and if he is, who is the "us" for whom Trump fights because it does not seem to be Europe.Leon said:
I think I speak for all of PB when I say: all praise Donald Trumprcs1000 said:
Face.Leon said:
No it’s not. Surely we’ve all learned by now. Trump MEANS what he says - for good or bad. And this time he has surrounded himself with smart, cunning ideologues who fiercely agree - and who know how to do stuffrcs1000 said:
It's willy waving by both.HYUFD said:
Would be the first time ever, France and America have never been at war before. We have been at war with both of course, indeed the French were allies of the American colonists in the Revolutionary War when they sought independence from the British Empire.Leon said:
Is it bad that I want a war between France and America?Burgessian said:"BREAKING: France has discussed with Denmark sending troops to Greenland in response to United States President Donald Trump's repeated threats to annex the Danish territory, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said."
It's a mad world, my masters.
Macron is one of the few people in the world with as big an eco as Trump and France also has one of the biggest NATO armies and an independent nuclear missile deterrent so it is not a guaranteed easy US win.
I doubt anything will come of it though French troops in Greenland might put off the Americans
I can see a Trump reinforcement of the US base combined with threatened tariffs forcing Denmark to back off. Greenland will vote for Indy in April and then Trump will offer $$$ to its 54,900 people to become a kind of frozen Puerto Rico
France won’t do shit. Greenland isn’t even in the EU
The Danish government will not want to lose face. And the more the US threatens, the more the Danish government loses face by acceding to Trump's terms.
There is a deal to be had here, obviously. But as with Canada, the more the US throws its weight around, the more other parties will wish to demonstrate that they have agency.
We in the west need him to win these culture wars. He is fighting for our freedom. Fight Fight Fight!!!
I love him
Goodnight from The Goon, Burma
A little bit more than usual.1 -
HYUFD would claim that the war in Malaya up to 1960 wasn't a war. Or that the Falklands wasn't a war. But many, many good people died or were injured in body and mind in those wars.Sunil_Prasannan said:
From the perspective of the U.S. Navy, the Quasi-War consisted of a series of ship-to-ship actions in U.S. coastal waters and the Caribbean; one of the first was the Capture of La Croyable on 7 July 1798 by Delaware outside Egg Harbor, New Jersey.[23] On 20 November, a pair of French frigates, Insurgente and Volontaire, captured the schooner USS Retaliation, commanded by Lieutenant William Bainbridge; Retaliation was recaptured on 28 June 1799.[24]HYUFD said:
'was an undeclared war'Sunil_Prasannan said:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quasi-WarHYUFD said:
Would be the first time ever, France and America have never been at war before.Leon said:
Is it bad that I want a war between France and America?Burgessian said:"BREAKING: France has discussed with Denmark sending troops to Greenland in response to United States President Donald Trump's repeated threats to annex the Danish territory, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said."
It's a mad world, my masters.
The Quasi-War[a] was an undeclared war from 1798 to 1800 between the United States and the French First Republic. It was fought almost entirely at sea, primarily in the Caribbean and off the East Coast of the United States, with minor actions in the Indian Ocean and Mediterranean Sea.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Torch
Operation Torch (8–16 November 1942) was an Allied invasion of French North Africa during the Second World War
On 9 February 1799, the frigate Constellation captured the French Navy's frigate L'Insurgente. By 1 July, under the command of Decatur, USS United States had been refitted and repaired and embarked on her mission to patrol the South Atlantic coast and West Indies in search of French ships which were preying on American merchant vessels.[25]
On 1 January 1800, a convoy of American merchant ships escorted by USS Experiment fought off an attack by French-allied Haitian privateers near Hispaniola. On 1 February, Constellation severely damaged the French frigate La Vengeance off the coast of Saint Kitts. Silas Talbot led a naval expedition during the Battle of Puerto Plata Harbor in early May, capturing a Spanish army controlled coastal fort and a French corvette.[26] When French troops occupied Curaçao in July, USS Patapsco and USS Merrimack bombarded French positions on the island and landed marines to support the local Dutch troops before the French withdrew. On 12 October, the frigate Boston captured the corvette Le Berceau.[27]
On 25 October, USS Enterprise defeated the French brig Flambeau near Dominica. Enterprise also captured eight privateers and freed eleven U.S. merchant ships from captivity, while Experiment captured the French privateers Deux Amis and Diane and liberated numerous American merchant ships. Although U.S. military losses were light, the French had seized over 2,000 American merchant ships by the time the war ended.[28]
Also: the privateers were not pirates. They had explicit authorization from their governments. That's the definition of a privateer - making war on the enemy, only for profit and at no cost to the state.0 -
... But... We'll always have Paris, right?rcs1000 said:
While it was occupied, it was still technically part of France: the Vichy regime "allowed" the Nazis to administer. Even after November 1942 when the Germans occupied the whole of the country, it was still technically at the behest of the Petain's French Provisional Government.HYUFD said:
No, northern France was directly occupied by the Nazis and not under Vichy ruleCarnyx said:
Still not true. Vichy France was all of France - just with part of it occupied pending the war's end (apart from Alsace-Lorraine etc, obviously).HYUFD said:
France was one of the allies in WW2, Vichy France only covered southern France, De Gaulle effectively headed the French government in exile and had Vichy head Petain tried and jailed for treason after the War.Carnyx said:
Not true. At least one small naval wars. And WW2.HYUFD said:
Would be the first time ever, France and America have never been at war before. We have been at war with both of course, indeed the French were allies of the American colonists in the Revolutionary War when they sought independence from the British Empire.Leon said:
Is it bad that I want a war between France and America?Burgessian said:"BREAKING: France has discussed with Denmark sending troops to Greenland in response to United States President Donald Trump's repeated threats to annex the Danish territory, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said."
It's a mad world, my masters.
Macron is one of the few people in the world with as big an eco as Trump and France also has one of the biggest NATO armies and an independent nuclear missile deterrent so it is not a guaranteed easy US win.
I doubt anything will come of it though French troops in Greenland might put off the Americans0 -
I see that woke'paranoia has gone so far that even renaming HMS Agincourt, to HMS Achilles, is now "woke", according to genius Grant Shapps.
Homeric Greece - the centre of the woke takeover.2 -
Did they lie? Or just not say anything?Leon said:
So bizarre. Why did the Biden Admin lie?!williamglenn said:The culprit for the mysterious drones has been revealed:
https://x.com/nicksortor/status/1884305175965491691
1 -
An absolute WAG would be that they were testing anti-drone technologies, which required secrecy. Perhaps because they did not want third parties (and foreign government agents...) observing what they were doing to or around the drones.Leon said:
So bizarre. Why did the Biden Admin lie?!williamglenn said:The culprit for the mysterious drones has been revealed:
https://x.com/nicksortor/status/1884305175965491691
But that's just a guess.3 -
We also need to factor in voters will vote for something you couldn’t even guess they would vote for. There’s probably a lot of Lab 2015, Brexit 2016, Corbyn 2017, Boris 2019, Farage 2024 voters out there. None of the above option could be Reform, Green, or Man in Monkey suit depending on place and time. None of the above as in none of established parties with spells in power in recent decades, can currently get a good vote without offering sane policy - though I suspect there’s a glass ceiling on getting away with that. I’m thinking of the left in France, 5 star in Italy, Afd Germany, Reform UK and Trump in US. Though the more serious 5 star become to having distinct ideology, they are becoming centre left. 5 Star remind me of a comedian or TV presenter who bring out a single promising no album, just the one off very funny single, which is such a big hit they bring out an album to cash in on popularity. I don’t see Trump as heir to the historical GOP, he is no heir of Reagan or Bush, it’s something very different that’s hijacked one of only two runners in race, and got lucky historic crash in incomes lamed the other runner. Trump doesn’t offer good government. He will engineer his own loss of the house in 2 years if not earlier, perhaps even lose the Senate too. And two years later MAGA finally meets its Waterloo on the simple basis by then it will finally be asked, what is it you are going to deliver and how?algarkirk said:
In the olden days of not long ago it was just about possible to lump together most votes into centre right or centre left - just two groups in recent years this being Con v Lab/LD/SNP/PC/Green.No_Offence_Alan said:
The poll quoted in the LD's GE 2024 review suggested that LD voters were the most likely to be tactical voters and Con/Reform the least likely. Which suggests just lumping Tory and Reform votes together will not work.TimS said:
I would say 14% is way in excess of the Lib Dem core vote, which is closer to 5-6% as we saw in the late coalition and early Corbyn years. MUch as it pains me to admit.DougSeal said:
I increasingly get the impression that all parties listed here are now attracting little more than their core vote.SouthamObserver said:
And yet ...CharlieShark said:Talking of yougov:
YouGov@YouGov
·
24m
Disapproval in the government reaches its highest level since the election
Approve: 16% (-4 from 18-20 Jan)
Disapprove: 64% (+4)
Net: -48 (-8)
Latest YouGov Westminster voting intention (26-27 Jan)
Lab: 27% (+1 from 20-21 Jan)
Ref: 23% (-1)
Con: 22% (=)
Lib Dem: 14% (=)
Green: 9% (=)
SNP: 3% (=)
The Green core vote may be even smaller. 3% perhaps? I would take the 8% LD excess over core vote and distribute about 4% to tactical voting, 4% to NOTA and centrist Tories. And take the 6% excess for the Greens and allocate it 4% to disgruntled BJO lefties, and 2% to vaguely NOTA voters who are in mid-term mode.
I don't think this convenient two group identity is remotely correct or possible now, and I think this is probably a product of the Brexit years.
So what does have any use? I think Lab+Con v All others (SPLORG) is a useful measure of the crisis the two party system may be in.
I think Con v Lab/LD/SNP is a specific but incomplete indicator of a traditional division.
But neither Greens nor Reform fit properly in a two team formation.
Reform are not Right, Centre Right, Radical Right or Extreme Right in any sense at all. And Greens are not Centre Left.
This needs thought. Someone cleverer than I should write an article. My starting point is that everyone (apart from Greens possibly, but certainly including Reform) are different versions of post WWII social democracy. WRT that starting point, what distinguishes them?
Bottom line question in politics is, make something you want then try selling it, or ask people what they want then sell that promise to them. Either way, you still have to deliver when in power hence Waterloo awaits all Emperors and Empires.0 -
(a) probably too short term - being able to go back a few hours at mostrcs1000 said:OK, serious question.
In the third Harry Potter book, Hermione gets a time turner to enable her to do more subjects (and also so Harry can do the Petronas charm and fight off the Dementers.)
WHY DOES NO-ONE AT ANY POINT THINK: HMMMM.... THIS TIME TRAVEL LARK WOULD BE REALLY USEFUL IN THE FIGHT AGAINST VOLDEMORT???
(b) rules against creating temporal paradoxes
(c) they all get destroyed in the fifth book
(d) it would make a really boring story0 -
Local CDU politician has his throat slit by 23-year-old migrant from Guinea:
https://www.nzz.ch/international/gewalttat-in-brandenburg-migrant-soll-cdu-mitglied-ermordet-haben-ld.18683200 -
So the US government's gist is 'No UFOs here; all benign and explainable' and everyone is perfectly happy to accept it. That must be a first.Leon said:
So bizarre. Why did the Biden Admin lie?!williamglenn said:The culprit for the mysterious drones has been revealed:
https://x.com/nicksortor/status/18843051759654916912 -
I remember when I was teaching, there was always a moronic student in the class...Nigelb said:
Leon is just being a plonker tonight.DecrepiterJohnL said:
Is he though? Is Trump fighting for us and if he is, who is the "us" for whom Trump fights because it does not seem to be Europe.Leon said:
I think I speak for all of PB when I say: all praise Donald Trumprcs1000 said:
Face.Leon said:
No it’s not. Surely we’ve all learned by now. Trump MEANS what he says - for good or bad. And this time he has surrounded himself with smart, cunning ideologues who fiercely agree - and who know how to do stuffrcs1000 said:
It's willy waving by both.HYUFD said:
Would be the first time ever, France and America have never been at war before. We have been at war with both of course, indeed the French were allies of the American colonists in the Revolutionary War when they sought independence from the British Empire.Leon said:
Is it bad that I want a war between France and America?Burgessian said:"BREAKING: France has discussed with Denmark sending troops to Greenland in response to United States President Donald Trump's repeated threats to annex the Danish territory, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said."
It's a mad world, my masters.
Macron is one of the few people in the world with as big an eco as Trump and France also has one of the biggest NATO armies and an independent nuclear missile deterrent so it is not a guaranteed easy US win.
I doubt anything will come of it though French troops in Greenland might put off the Americans
I can see a Trump reinforcement of the US base combined with threatened tariffs forcing Denmark to back off. Greenland will vote for Indy in April and then Trump will offer $$$ to its 54,900 people to become a kind of frozen Puerto Rico
France won’t do shit. Greenland isn’t even in the EU
The Danish government will not want to lose face. And the more the US threatens, the more the Danish government loses face by acceding to Trump's terms.
There is a deal to be had here, obviously. But as with Canada, the more the US throws its weight around, the more other parties will wish to demonstrate that they have agency.
We in the west need him to win these culture wars. He is fighting for our freedom. Fight Fight Fight!!!
I love him
Goodnight from The Goon, Burma
A little bit more than usual.
0 -
Because the worst possible crime is to tell someone that they can’t go on doing something they’re used to doing.rcs1000 said:
In what way is bullying Denmark a part of the culture wars?Leon said:
I think I speak for all of PB when I say: all praise Donald Trumprcs1000 said:
Face.Leon said:
No it’s not. Surely we’ve all learned by now. Trump MEANS what he says - for good or bad. And this time he has surrounded himself with smart, cunning ideologues who fiercely agree - and who know how to do stuffrcs1000 said:
It's willy waving by both.HYUFD said:
Would be the first time ever, France and America have never been at war before. We have been at war with both of course, indeed the French were allies of the American colonists in the Revolutionary War when they sought independence from the British Empire.Leon said:
Is it bad that I want a war between France and America?Burgessian said:"BREAKING: France has discussed with Denmark sending troops to Greenland in response to United States President Donald Trump's repeated threats to annex the Danish territory, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said."
It's a mad world, my masters.
Macron is one of the few people in the world with as big an eco as Trump and France also has one of the biggest NATO armies and an independent nuclear missile deterrent so it is not a guaranteed easy US win.
I doubt anything will come of it though French troops in Greenland might put off the Americans
I can see a Trump reinforcement of the US base combined with threatened tariffs forcing Denmark to back off. Greenland will vote for Indy in April and then Trump will offer $$$ to its 54,900 people to become a kind of frozen Puerto Rico
France won’t do shit. Greenland isn’t even in the EU
The Danish government will not want to lose face. And the more the US threatens, the more the Danish government loses face by acceding to Trump's terms.
There is a deal to be had here, obviously. But as with Canada, the more the US throws its weight around, the more other parties will wish to demonstrate that they have agency.
We in the west need him to win these culture wars. He is fighting for our freedom. Fight Fight Fight!!!
I love him
Goodnight from The Goon, Burma
'Cause here's the thing that pisses me off. If the EU had bullied countries the way that the US currently is, then people would be castigating them.
But because it's Donald Trump, and he's against woke, then it's OK.
No, it's not fucking OK. It's still fucking shitty behaviour.
Anything else pales in comparison, obviously.0 -
Three possibilities spring to mind:-Leon said:
So bizarre. Why did the Biden Admin lie?!williamglenn said:The culprit for the mysterious drones has been revealed:
https://x.com/nicksortor/status/1884305175965491691- Because the "for research" drones were supposed to be secret
- Because it is hard to prove a negative – that not a single hobbyist drone was a foreign spy
- Because it is in their nature
0 - Because the "for research" drones were supposed to be secret
-
When it comes at the expense of celebrating Henry Vths great victory of course it isWhisperingOracle said:I see that woke'paranoia has gone so far that even renaming HMS Agincourt, to HMS Achilles, is now "woke", according to genius Grant Shapps.
Homeric Greece - the centre of the woke takeover.0 -
The PlanTaz said:
Allez Les bleus when it comes to Rugby.Fairliered said:
Not as long as you want France to win.Leon said:
Is it bad that I want a war between France and America?Burgessian said:"BREAKING: France has discussed with Denmark sending troops to Greenland in response to United States President Donald Trump's repeated threats to annex the Danish territory, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said."
It's a mad world, my masters.
1) Starmer, Trumps new bestie, persuaded him to invade Greenland anyway.
2) While France is distracted by war in Greenland, we do what we always do. Invade France.
3) 25 seconds later (allowing 20 seconds for gem to surrender), we invade the US in conjunction with Canada.
4) proclaim the second British Empire in the Whitehouse ballroom. And crown Charlie as Emperor.
Should be good for 40% in the polls…0 -
Jim Acosta announces CNN departure: ‘Don’t give in to the fear’
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2025/jan/28/jim-acosta-leaves-cnn0 -
Or these were alien scout ships and Trump, being an artificial life form who takes orders from the aliens by telepathy, is making us drop our guard before the invasion.DecrepiterJohnL said:
Three possibilities spring to mind:-Leon said:
So bizarre. Why did the Biden Admin lie?!williamglenn said:The culprit for the mysterious drones has been revealed:
https://x.com/nicksortor/status/1884305175965491691- Because the "for research" drones were supposed to be secret
- Because it is hard to prove a negative – that not a single hobbyist drone was a foreign spy
- Because it is in their nature
3 - Because the "for research" drones were supposed to be secret
-
They should have renamed it HMS Malvinas for the giggles.WhisperingOracle said:I see that woke'paranoia has gone so far that even renaming HMS Agincourt, to HMS Achilles, is now "woke", according to genius Grant Shapps.
Homeric Greece - the centre of the woke takeover.1 -
No the Nazis invaded France and occupied the country when it was defeated, Petain was just a Nazi puppet who only directly ruled southern France. The victorious allies of course only ever recognised the de Gaulle government in exile in London as the French government throughout WW2 and after WW2 de Gaulle's government tried and jailed Petain for treasonrcs1000 said:
While it was occupied, it was still technically part of France: the Vichy regime "allowed" the Nazis to administer. Even after November 1942 when the Germans occupied the whole of the country, it was still technically at the behest of the Petain's French Provisional Government.HYUFD said:
No, northern France was directly occupied by the Nazis and not under Vichy ruleCarnyx said:
Still not true. Vichy France was all of France - just with part of it occupied pending the war's end (apart from Alsace-Lorraine etc, obviously).HYUFD said:
France was one of the allies in WW2, Vichy France only covered southern France, De Gaulle effectively headed the French government in exile and had Vichy head Petain tried and jailed for treason after the War.Carnyx said:
Not true. At least one small naval wars. And WW2.HYUFD said:
Would be the first time ever, France and America have never been at war before. We have been at war with both of course, indeed the French were allies of the American colonists in the Revolutionary War when they sought independence from the British Empire.Leon said:
Is it bad that I want a war between France and America?Burgessian said:"BREAKING: France has discussed with Denmark sending troops to Greenland in response to United States President Donald Trump's repeated threats to annex the Danish territory, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said."
It's a mad world, my masters.
Macron is one of the few people in the world with as big an eco as Trump and France also has one of the biggest NATO armies and an independent nuclear missile deterrent so it is not a guaranteed easy US win.
I doubt anything will come of it though French troops in Greenland might put off the Americans0 -
After all the raised blood pressure on here last week about Assisted Dying the Commons Committee has today heard evidence from Chris Whitty (and others) - and there doesn't appear to be a single post on here about it.
Maybe everyone has lost interest - but if anyone is still interested here's the link to the BBC's report on today's evidence. 50 witnesses are giving evidence this week.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cge72eyzjl9o0 -
On topic who says 2 +2 = 4 anyway?
a= 2
a = b
a2 = ab
a2-b2 = ab-b2
(a+b)(a-b) = b(a-b)
a+b =b
4 = 2
2 -
Right now though it might not be a bad idea to be a little less abrasive towards our French allies.HYUFD said:
When it comes at the expense of celebrating Henry Vths great victory of course it isWhisperingOracle said:I see that woke'paranoia has gone so far that even renaming HMS Agincourt, to HMS Achilles, is now "woke", according to genius Grant Shapps.
Homeric Greece - the centre of the woke takeover.0 -
In Operation Torch, US forces directly fought Vichy French forces in North Africa.HYUFD said:
No the Nazis invaded France and occupied the country when it was defeated, Petain was just a Nazi puppet who only directly ruled the France. The victorious allies of course only ever recognised the de Gaulle government in exile in London as the French government throughout WW2 and after WW2 de Gaulle's government tried and jailed Petain for treasonrcs1000 said:
While it was occupied, it was still technically part of France: the Vichy regime "allowed" the Nazis to administer. Even after November 1942 when the Germans occupied the whole of the country, it was still technically at the behest of the Petain's French Provisional Government.HYUFD said:
No, northern France was directly occupied by the Nazis and not under Vichy ruleCarnyx said:
Still not true. Vichy France was all of France - just with part of it occupied pending the war's end (apart from Alsace-Lorraine etc, obviously).HYUFD said:
France was one of the allies in WW2, Vichy France only covered southern France, De Gaulle effectively headed the French government in exile and had Vichy head Petain tried and jailed for treason after the War.Carnyx said:
Not true. At least one small naval wars. And WW2.HYUFD said:
Would be the first time ever, France and America have never been at war before. We have been at war with both of course, indeed the French were allies of the American colonists in the Revolutionary War when they sought independence from the British Empire.Leon said:
Is it bad that I want a war between France and America?Burgessian said:"BREAKING: France has discussed with Denmark sending troops to Greenland in response to United States President Donald Trump's repeated threats to annex the Danish territory, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said."
It's a mad world, my masters.
Macron is one of the few people in the world with as big an eco as Trump and France also has one of the biggest NATO armies and an independent nuclear missile deterrent so it is not a guaranteed easy US win.
I doubt anything will come of it though French troops in Greenland might put off the Americans
George Washington commanded the Virginia Militia against the French too, albeit before the declaration of Independence.2 -
During "Torch", at Casablanca, USS Massachusetts engaged in a gun duel with the French battleship Jean Bart.Foxy said:
In Operation Torch, US forces directly fought Vichy French forces in North Africa.HYUFD said:
No the Nazis invaded France and occupied the country when it was defeated, Petain was just a Nazi puppet who only directly ruled the France. The victorious allies of course only ever recognised the de Gaulle government in exile in London as the French government throughout WW2 and after WW2 de Gaulle's government tried and jailed Petain for treasonrcs1000 said:
While it was occupied, it was still technically part of France: the Vichy regime "allowed" the Nazis to administer. Even after November 1942 when the Germans occupied the whole of the country, it was still technically at the behest of the Petain's French Provisional Government.HYUFD said:
No, northern France was directly occupied by the Nazis and not under Vichy ruleCarnyx said:
Still not true. Vichy France was all of France - just with part of it occupied pending the war's end (apart from Alsace-Lorraine etc, obviously).HYUFD said:
France was one of the allies in WW2, Vichy France only covered southern France, De Gaulle effectively headed the French government in exile and had Vichy head Petain tried and jailed for treason after the War.Carnyx said:
Not true. At least one small naval wars. And WW2.HYUFD said:
Would be the first time ever, France and America have never been at war before. We have been at war with both of course, indeed the French were allies of the American colonists in the Revolutionary War when they sought independence from the British Empire.Leon said:
Is it bad that I want a war between France and America?Burgessian said:"BREAKING: France has discussed with Denmark sending troops to Greenland in response to United States President Donald Trump's repeated threats to annex the Danish territory, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said."
It's a mad world, my masters.
Macron is one of the few people in the world with as big an eco as Trump and France also has one of the biggest NATO armies and an independent nuclear missile deterrent so it is not a guaranteed easy US win.
I doubt anything will come of it though French troops in Greenland might put off the Americans
George Washington commanded the Virginia Militia against the French too, albeit before the declaration of Independence.0 -
They're relying on the fact that Trump fans think the Biden was always lying, while Trump is always truthful.Stark_Dawning said:
So the US government's gist is 'No UFOs here; all benign and explainable' and everyone is perfectly happy to accept it. That must be a first.Leon said:
So bizarre. Why did the Biden Admin lie?!williamglenn said:The culprit for the mysterious drones has been revealed:
https://x.com/nicksortor/status/1884305175965491691
I still think they may have been China.
0 -
With the De Gaulle French government in exile opposed to the Vichy French forces.Foxy said:
In Operation Torch, US forces directly fought Vichy French forces in North Africa.HYUFD said:
No the Nazis invaded France and occupied the country when it was defeated, Petain was just a Nazi puppet who only directly ruled the France. The victorious allies of course only ever recognised the de Gaulle government in exile in London as the French government throughout WW2 and after WW2 de Gaulle's government tried and jailed Petain for treasonrcs1000 said:
While it was occupied, it was still technically part of France: the Vichy regime "allowed" the Nazis to administer. Even after November 1942 when the Germans occupied the whole of the country, it was still technically at the behest of the Petain's French Provisional Government.HYUFD said:
No, northern France was directly occupied by the Nazis and not under Vichy ruleCarnyx said:
Still not true. Vichy France was all of France - just with part of it occupied pending the war's end (apart from Alsace-Lorraine etc, obviously).HYUFD said:
France was one of the allies in WW2, Vichy France only covered southern France, De Gaulle effectively headed the French government in exile and had Vichy head Petain tried and jailed for treason after the War.Carnyx said:
Not true. At least one small naval wars. And WW2.HYUFD said:
Would be the first time ever, France and America have never been at war before. We have been at war with both of course, indeed the French were allies of the American colonists in the Revolutionary War when they sought independence from the British Empire.Leon said:
Is it bad that I want a war between France and America?Burgessian said:"BREAKING: France has discussed with Denmark sending troops to Greenland in response to United States President Donald Trump's repeated threats to annex the Danish territory, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said."
It's a mad world, my masters.
Macron is one of the few people in the world with as big an eco as Trump and France also has one of the biggest NATO armies and an independent nuclear missile deterrent so it is not a guaranteed easy US win.
I doubt anything will come of it though French troops in Greenland might put off the Americans
George Washington commanded the Virginia Militia against the French too, albeit before the declaration of Independence.
What Washington did under British command before the US Declaration of Independence does not count0 -
What;s wrong with the name "Agincourt"?WhisperingOracle said:I see that woke'paranoia has gone so far that even renaming HMS Agincourt, to HMS Achilles, is now "woke", according to genius Grant Shapps.
Homeric Greece - the centre of the woke takeover.0 -
Sort of. The extent to which De Gaulle's "official" French government was taken seriously by the Allied leadership is a question for the historians.HYUFD said:
No the Nazis invaded France and occupied the country when it was defeated, Petain was just a Nazi puppet who only directly ruled southern France. The victorious allies of course only ever recognised the de Gaulle government in exile in London as the French government throughout WW2 and after WW2 de Gaulle's government tried and jailed Petain for treasonrcs1000 said:
While it was occupied, it was still technically part of France: the Vichy regime "allowed" the Nazis to administer. Even after November 1942 when the Germans occupied the whole of the country, it was still technically at the behest of the Petain's French Provisional Government.HYUFD said:
No, northern France was directly occupied by the Nazis and not under Vichy ruleCarnyx said:
Still not true. Vichy France was all of France - just with part of it occupied pending the war's end (apart from Alsace-Lorraine etc, obviously).HYUFD said:
France was one of the allies in WW2, Vichy France only covered southern France, De Gaulle effectively headed the French government in exile and had Vichy head Petain tried and jailed for treason after the War.Carnyx said:
Not true. At least one small naval wars. And WW2.HYUFD said:
Would be the first time ever, France and America have never been at war before. We have been at war with both of course, indeed the French were allies of the American colonists in the Revolutionary War when they sought independence from the British Empire.Leon said:
Is it bad that I want a war between France and America?Burgessian said:"BREAKING: France has discussed with Denmark sending troops to Greenland in response to United States President Donald Trump's repeated threats to annex the Danish territory, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said."
It's a mad world, my masters.
Macron is one of the few people in the world with as big an eco as Trump and France also has one of the biggest NATO armies and an independent nuclear missile deterrent so it is not a guaranteed easy US win.
I doubt anything will come of it though French troops in Greenland might put off the Americans1 -
What next, rename Waterloo station Hastings?glw said:
Right now though it might not be a bad idea to be a little less abrasive towards our French allies.HYUFD said:
When it comes at the expense of celebrating Henry Vths great victory of course it isWhisperingOracle said:I see that woke'paranoia has gone so far that even renaming HMS Agincourt, to HMS Achilles, is now "woke", according to genius Grant Shapps.
Homeric Greece - the centre of the woke takeover.
The French have no problem offending Austrians with Austerlitz station0 -
Mona Lisa to be moved as part of major Louvre overhaul
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cde9r0xgk67o
Buried in this non-story is the Brexit unbenefit of having to pay more than official Europeans to see French art.1 -
It probably doesn't fit Starmer's plans for Anglo-French naval co-operation.Sunil_Prasannan said:
What;s wrong with the name "Agincourt"?WhisperingOracle said:I see that woke'paranoia has gone so far that even renaming HMS Agincourt, to HMS Achilles, is now "woke", according to genius Grant Shapps.
Homeric Greece - the centre of the woke takeover.0 -
Its French?Sunil_Prasannan said:
What;s wrong with the name "Agincourt"?WhisperingOracle said:I see that woke'paranoia has gone so far that even renaming HMS Agincourt, to HMS Achilles, is now "woke", according to genius Grant Shapps.
Homeric Greece - the centre of the woke takeover.0 -
Even if those figures are somewhat exaggerated it is indisputable that Universities are one of our more successful export industries and a source of much of the innovation in this country. No government can be indifferent to the prospects for the sector but they can be a bit selective in what they seek to help.bondegezou said:
https://www.universitiesuk.ac.uk/latest/news/new-report-reveals-key-role-universitiesturbotubbs said:
You over state the case. We haven't suddenly switched to zero foreign students. Indeed some courses are very successfully recruiting overseas.Mexicanpete said:
I do think there is an existential crisis in the university sector. The domestic students are subsidised by foreign students and we killed that golden goose a couple of years ago. Without student fees, from wherever the come, the sector dies.DecrepiterJohnL said:
The Thatcher government closed all of the small colleges in London University.MattW said:
Workforce is just over 7k, with a 50/50 academic/administrative split.Big_G_NorthWales said:Cardiff University sets out proposals for 400 redundancies
Is there a breakdown of the numbers?
TBH it sounds like a pinprick - although I'm sure various pols will be claiming to have parented kittens.
A few years before I started University in the 1980s, Mrs Thatcher cut the University's central funding by 30% (also Aston, Salford as industrial enthusiast Maggie cut the industrial universities hardest), and they lost some core courses.
https://www.bradford.ac.uk/library/special-collections/our-collections/university-of-bradford-archive/
Now for those on the right of politics who are desperate for exclusively elite universities servicing the few, this can only be good news. For the rest of us it marks a shift away from educating our young people to conquer the World intellectually.
There is a huge problem and its yet another for Starmer's government to tackle. What is University for? Is it about increasing skills and knowledge of the nation? Is it keeping people of the unemployed lists? Is it pointless?
How is it paid for and does that money give value for money?
“The latest figures show the UK higher education sector’s teaching, research and innovation activities had an economic impact of £158 billion. When combined with previous London Economics analysis of the direct spending by the sector and the economic benefit of international students, the total impact across UK HE in 2021/22 was £265 billion. Comparing against the public cost of these activities, London Economics found a cost to benefit ratio of 14 to 1. This means for every £1 of public money invested into UK universities, £14 of economic benefit is generated.”
Although this is from Universities UK.3 -
It's wrong to name a ship for a land battle.Sunil_Prasannan said:
What;s wrong with the name "Agincourt"?WhisperingOracle said:I see that woke'paranoia has gone so far that even renaming HMS Agincourt, to HMS Achilles, is now "woke", according to genius Grant Shapps.
Homeric Greece - the centre of the woke takeover.
HMS Trafalgar would be suitable though.1 -
It's a new submarine, it's not like renaming a well known landmark which has carried the name for ages.HYUFD said:
What next, rename Waterloo station Hastings?glw said:
Right now though it might not be a bad idea to be a little less abrasive towards our French allies.HYUFD said:
When it comes at the expense of celebrating Henry Vths great victory of course it isWhisperingOracle said:I see that woke'paranoia has gone so far that even renaming HMS Agincourt, to HMS Achilles, is now "woke", according to genius Grant Shapps.
Homeric Greece - the centre of the woke takeover.
The French have no problem offending Austrians with Austerlitz station0 -
On universities, foreign students and the immigration statistics.
PBers should be aware that there are any number of non-traditional institutions where students can study for degrees and get visas. It is not just the names you recognise from your own UCAS form of 20 years ago.2 -
Nope, the French name is Azincourt.noneoftheabove said:
Its French?Sunil_Prasannan said:
What;s wrong with the name "Agincourt"?WhisperingOracle said:I see that woke'paranoia has gone so far that even renaming HMS Agincourt, to HMS Achilles, is now "woke", according to genius Grant Shapps.
Homeric Greece - the centre of the woke takeover.0 -
I came across this on the BBC website -
There are on average more than 6,000 PhDs in STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) coming out of Chinese universities every month. In the US it is more like 2,000-3,000, in the UK it is 1,500.
We have a population roughly 5% that of China so turning out 20%-25% of the STEM PhDs China does every month isn’t bad is it? I mean not all of them are awarded to U.K. students but nevertheless…
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0rq0vyd549o1 -
Wasn’t Achilles a bit errr… chummy with his best buddy Patroclus? Sharing a blanket on cold nights etc…WhisperingOracle said:I see that woke'paranoia has gone so far that even renaming HMS Agincourt, to HMS Achilles, is now "woke", according to genius Grant Shapps.
Homeric Greece - the centre of the woke takeover.
I know the one remaining tradition of the Royal Navy (no Rum, no Lash), but isn’t that a bit Woke?0 -
HMS Nile?Foxy said:
It's wrong to name a ship for a land battle.Sunil_Prasannan said:
What;s wrong with the name "Agincourt"?WhisperingOracle said:I see that woke'paranoia has gone so far that even renaming HMS Agincourt, to HMS Achilles, is now "woke", according to genius Grant Shapps.
Homeric Greece - the centre of the woke takeover.
HMS Trafalgar would be suitable though.
HMS St Vincent?0 -
Are we dividing by zero again? Thought that was banned by the ancients.DavidL said:On topic who says 2 +2 = 4 anyway?
a= 2
a = b
a2 = ab
a2-b2 = ab-b2
(a+b)(a-b) = b(a-b)
a+b =b
4 = 2
0
This discussion has been closed.