Why Amanda Spielman Deserves her Peerage – politicalbetting.com
The British constitution, much like a badly organised school sports day, has always valued tradition over efficiency. And among the most venerable traditions of our great nation is the appointment of people to the House of Lords not because they have led with honour, wisdom, or humility—but because, well, someone has to keep the red benches warm.
Comments
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First!0
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Sadly my standard Lords reform proposal to prevent ex-MPs and any political donors from getting peerages would not prevent the friends of the 'right' people such as Spielman from getting in.
And whether failure is rewarded with ermine or not, it does seem the case that failure is rewarded in general. Hold a prominent position and even if you are a complete duffer you will get another great post because, well, you held the last one. So just get your foot in the door and all will be well. Like total business failures and fraudsters who inexplicably still manage to become super wealthy after being exposed because somehow losingmillions or even billions still imbues you with the aura of success. Jordan Belfort is still very very wealthy for example.1 -
3rd.
Ruefully nodding along as I read the header.0 -
The difference is that Corbyn never won an election, but imagine if Corbyn had won an election, or even two elections.Stereodog said:
They didn't just keep quiet and put out sycophantic Tweets in praise of Corbyn though. Many openly criticised him and they tried unsuccessfully to force him out. It's not the inability of Congressional Republicans to get rid of Trump that's the worrying thing, it's their silence and open complicity.vik said:
It is similar to the situation in UK Labour during the Corbyn years.StillWaters said:
That is what. I am asking *why*MattW said:
TBH I thought we were clear on this. Apologies if I am repeating.StillWaters said:
That’s what I don’t understand.rottenborough said:
This is also a cancelling of congressional funds which is a total usurp of power byAugustusCarp2 said:
I'm not sure if it's still there, but there used to be a sign in the Bodleian Library saying "Ask Google and get a million answers; ask a Librarian and get one, correct, answer". I fear that shutting down access to sources of objective truth is one of the standard hallmarks of a tyrant, and in my opinion that is what we are seeing right now. Of course, Joe Redneck will say, "Yeah, we don't need libraries, everything is on line now!" and that is exactly the problem - who controls what we see on line?viewcode said:
I'm not joking. I think Musk is evil to do this. How dare he, and how dare Trump empower him to do this. Bastards, both of them. And that's only because the mods wont let me use the proper word for them.Stuartinromford said:
Sash! This used to be a library.viewcode said:
HE's GOING AFTER THE LIBRARIANS. HOW CAN YOU TOLERATE THIS?viewcode said:Reasons why Trump is genuinely evil, part 347 of lots
NEW — After putting all Institute of Museum & Library Services (IMLS) employees on administrative leave Monday, I'm told DOGE is canceling congressionally-appropriated grants to state libraries across the entire country. Libraries are getting notice that funding was canceled as of 4/1.
More here: https://www.everylibrary.org/trump_termination_imls_grants
SOURCE: https://bsky.app/profile/marisakabas.bsky.social/post/3llwdagmsh225
executive etc.
One day I hope this gang will be held properly accountable by the law.
A majority of politicians, especially in the US, go into politics because of power and prestige
But Congress is standing by and letting the executive take all their power with nary a whisper. Is it really just prestige?
Trump turned the GOP into a Trump family operation around a year ago - Laura Trump being the boss iirc, and the ones who were not Trump arselickers were expelled.
He then looted the GOP funds - very likely illegally - to pay for his personal lawyers.
Now he (and Elon) have threatened any Congress (and Senate) who do not kneel under the table and lick-the-boot (to use a polite metaphor) with "primarying", backed up by a $25m campaign budget from Musk.
Primarying is I think the USA version of
"deselection", except that it is putting up an
alternative Trump-local candidate for the
post of the Representative.
If there are any non-Trumpists left, and allegedly there are, they are just shit-
scared.
If you have no power what is the point of being a Congressman or woman?
Lots of Labour MP's hated Corbyn and wished he would disappear, but couldn't do anything about it. So, they just kept their heads down and voted along Party lines.
I mean, imagine if Corbyn had won the election and become Prime Minister. He would have been able to do a lot of crazy things before there would have been an open revolt among Labour MP's.
The open criticism would have disappeared and been replaced by grudging acceptance and open support of Corbyn.
There was a lot of open criticism of Trump before the 2016 election and even during his first term, but his two election victories have given him a lot of power within the GOP. A lot of the Republican Senators and Congresspeople still hate Trump, but are scared to speak out because of the legitimacy granted by his election wins.
In the UK context, there was a lot of internal criticism of Thatcher by Tory moderates, but that criticism disappeared after her multiple election victories. Eventually, there wasn't any open criticism or attempts to stop her from introducing the Community Charge. It was only when it was clear that the country hated her policies and wanted her gone, that the fear of the leader was replaced by the fear of the electorate, and there was an open revolt.7 -
https://x.com/SRuhle/status/1908250911769506289vik said:
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is reportedly looking for a way out of the Trump administration following the Republican president’s disastrous tariff rollout damaged his “credibility,” alleged MSNBC host Stephanie Ruhle on Friday.williamglenn said:I posted this interview yesterday before having had chance to listen to the whole thing but Scott Bessent is probably the best advocate for the Trump administration at the moment. Far more gravitas and experience than JD Vance.
He makes a good case for what Trump is trying to do economically:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLnX1SQfgJI
....
Ruhle suggested that Bessent, who built his $521 million fortune managing massive hedge funds, can’t stomach Trump’s “absurd tariff math,” which some critics have slammed as a “kindergarten-level understanding” of international trade.
According to Ruhle’s sources, Trump is “not listening” to his treasury secretary, “the odd man out” in the president’s inner circle.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/msnbc-host-stephanie-ruhle-alleges-trumps-treasury-sec-looking-for-an-exit-door/
NEW:
Investors may be running for the hills, but Bessent is NOT.
In response to talk that Secretary Bessent is potentially eying an exit to the Fed-
A senior official inside the administration telling me.
“Secretary Bessent is more committed than ever to his role as treasury secretary - he is meeting with the president several times a day and communicating with the rest of the cabinet.
Obviously this week’s market reaction is painful - but this is about an economic reset.
The secretary has no interest in moving to the Fed and his core focus of addressing our crippling debt/deficit”0 -
Translation: "I've tied my wagon to this horse, and it's time to pray."williamglenn said:
https://x.com/SRuhle/status/1908250911769506289vik said:
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is reportedly looking for a way out of the Trump administration following the Republican president’s disastrous tariff rollout damaged his “credibility,” alleged MSNBC host Stephanie Ruhle on Friday.williamglenn said:I posted this interview yesterday before having had chance to listen to the whole thing but Scott Bessent is probably the best advocate for the Trump administration at the moment. Far more gravitas and experience than JD Vance.
He makes a good case for what Trump is trying to do economically:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLnX1SQfgJI
....
Ruhle suggested that Bessent, who built his $521 million fortune managing massive hedge funds, can’t stomach Trump’s “absurd tariff math,” which some critics have slammed as a “kindergarten-level understanding” of international trade.
According to Ruhle’s sources, Trump is “not listening” to his treasury secretary, “the odd man out” in the president’s inner circle.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/msnbc-host-stephanie-ruhle-alleges-trumps-treasury-sec-looking-for-an-exit-door/
NEW:
Investors may be running for the hills, but Bessent is NOT.
In response to talk that Secretary Bessent is potentially eying an exit to the Fed-
A senior official inside the administration telling me.
“Secretary Bessent is more committed than ever to his role as treasury secretary - he is meeting with the president several times a day and communicating with the rest of the cabinet.
Obviously this week’s market reaction is painful - but this is about an economic reset.
The secretary has no interest in moving to the Fed and his core focus of addressing our crippling debt/deficit”0 -
Translation: Bessent has since found out that the Fed is to lose independence on Monday and even if he jumped ship he'd still be working for Trump directly.rcs1000 said:
Translation: "I've tied my wagon to this horse, and it's time to pray."williamglenn said:
https://x.com/SRuhle/status/1908250911769506289vik said:
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is reportedly looking for a way out of the Trump administration following the Republican president’s disastrous tariff rollout damaged his “credibility,” alleged MSNBC host Stephanie Ruhle on Friday.williamglenn said:I posted this interview yesterday before having had chance to listen to the whole thing but Scott Bessent is probably the best advocate for the Trump administration at the moment. Far more gravitas and experience than JD Vance.
He makes a good case for what Trump is trying to do economically:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLnX1SQfgJI
....
Ruhle suggested that Bessent, who built his $521 million fortune managing massive hedge funds, can’t stomach Trump’s “absurd tariff math,” which some critics have slammed as a “kindergarten-level understanding” of international trade.
According to Ruhle’s sources, Trump is “not listening” to his treasury secretary, “the odd man out” in the president’s inner circle.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/msnbc-host-stephanie-ruhle-alleges-trumps-treasury-sec-looking-for-an-exit-door/
NEW:
Investors may be running for the hills, but Bessent is NOT.
In response to talk that Secretary Bessent is potentially eying an exit to the Fed-
A senior official inside the administration telling me.
“Secretary Bessent is more committed than ever to his role as treasury secretary - he is meeting with the president several times a day and communicating with the rest of the cabinet.
Obviously this week’s market reaction is painful - but this is about an economic reset.
The secretary has no interest in moving to the Fed and his core focus of addressing our crippling debt/deficit”0 -
I thought Rubio would be first out of the door.0
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... the House of Lords, throughout the war, did nothing in particular and did it very well ... (WS Gilbert)
Insomniac says good morning.6 -
I trust the "inside sources" more than the "senior official" trying to do damage control.williamglenn said:
https://x.com/SRuhle/status/1908250911769506289vik said:
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is reportedly looking for a way out of the Trump administration following the Republican president’s disastrous tariff rollout damaged his “credibility,” alleged MSNBC host Stephanie Ruhle on Friday.williamglenn said:I posted this interview yesterday before having had chance to listen to the whole thing but Scott Bessent is probably the best advocate for the Trump administration at the moment. Far more gravitas and experience than JD Vance.
He makes a good case for what Trump is trying to do economically:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLnX1SQfgJI
....
Ruhle suggested that Bessent, who built his $521 million fortune managing massive hedge funds, can’t stomach Trump’s “absurd tariff math,” which some critics have slammed as a “kindergarten-level understanding” of international trade.
According to Ruhle’s sources, Trump is “not listening” to his treasury secretary, “the odd man out” in the president’s inner circle.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/msnbc-host-stephanie-ruhle-alleges-trumps-treasury-sec-looking-for-an-exit-door/
NEW:
Investors may be running for the hills, but Bessent is NOT.
In response to talk that Secretary Bessent is potentially eying an exit to the Fed-
A senior official inside the administration telling me.
“Secretary Bessent is more committed than ever to his role as treasury secretary - he is meeting with the president several times a day and communicating with the rest of the cabinet.
Obviously this week’s market reaction is painful - but this is about an economic reset.
The secretary has no interest in moving to the Fed and his core focus of addressing our crippling debt/deficit”
The fact that they feel that they need to do damage control means that the rumours about Bessent's exit are real.0 -
Oh, that's cynical...
0 -
Strangely on topic, Spectator TV has just put up this 10-minute video:-
'No one is fired for failure' – the dysfunction at the heart of Whitehall | Dominic Cummings
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QmPV8yd3iQ3 -
Demonic Cummings also deserves a peerage.DecrepiterJohnL said:Strangely on topic, Spectator TV has just put up this 10-minute video:-
'No one is fired for failure' – the dysfunction at the heart of Whitehall | Dominic Cummings
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QmPV8yd3iQ3 -
How long will it be before the tariffs are walked back ?vik said:
I trust the "inside sources" more than the "senior official" trying to do damage control.williamglenn said:
https://x.com/SRuhle/status/1908250911769506289vik said:
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is reportedly looking for a way out of the Trump administration following the Republican president’s disastrous tariff rollout damaged his “credibility,” alleged MSNBC host Stephanie Ruhle on Friday.williamglenn said:I posted this interview yesterday before having had chance to listen to the whole thing but Scott Bessent is probably the best advocate for the Trump administration at the moment. Far more gravitas and experience than JD Vance.
He makes a good case for what Trump is trying to do economically:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLnX1SQfgJI
....
Ruhle suggested that Bessent, who built his $521 million fortune managing massive hedge funds, can’t stomach Trump’s “absurd tariff math,” which some critics have slammed as a “kindergarten-level understanding” of international trade.
According to Ruhle’s sources, Trump is “not listening” to his treasury secretary, “the odd man out” in the president’s inner circle.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/msnbc-host-stephanie-ruhle-alleges-trumps-treasury-sec-looking-for-an-exit-door/
NEW:
Investors may be running for the hills, but Bessent is NOT.
In response to talk that Secretary Bessent is potentially eying an exit to the Fed-
A senior official inside the administration telling me.
“Secretary Bessent is more committed than ever to his role as treasury secretary - he is meeting with the president several times a day and communicating with the rest of the cabinet.
Obviously this week’s market reaction is painful - but this is about an economic reset.
The secretary has no interest in moving to the Fed and his core focus of addressing our crippling debt/deficit”
The fact that they feel that they need to do damage control means that the rumours about Bessent's exit are real.
No one voted to be poorer - or rather, a lot of Americans did, back in November, but precious few of them would have voted to be poorer, had they realised the full consequences of what they were doing.
1 -
Making Gonorrhoea Untreatable Again ?
https://x.com/HelenBranswell/status/1908612942968352997
Hard to make sense of a lot of the cuts that are happening at #HHS & its agencies. But closing #CDC's STD laboratory at a time when #gonorrhea seems poised to develop resistance to the last reliable drug that can cure it has experts aghast and worried.3 -
Inside job.rcs1000 said:First!
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‘Never trust anybody who spells gonorrhoea correctly on the first attempt’ is a maxim that has served me well in life, I am updating that maxim to ‘never trust anybody who believes in the economic policies of Liz Truss.’ I am convinced an overwhelming number of Tory MPs agree with my updated maxim.Nigelb said:Making Gonorrhoea Untreatable Again ?
https://x.com/HelenBranswell/status/1908612942968352997
Hard to make sense of a lot of the cuts that are happening at #HHS & its agencies. But closing #CDC's STD laboratory at a time when #gonorrhea seems poised to develop resistance to the last reliable drug that can cure it has experts aghast and worried.
https://www1.politicalbetting.com/index.php/archives/2022/10/09/grant-shapps-as-our-next-prime-minister/1 -
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8rg5lp7m8no
The BBC has a handy table listing all countries by share of US imports with the % tariffs each faces. Several countries have an asterisk, when you scroll down you find:
*Tariffs given for these countries are those on the White House website and are 1% higher than those given by the White House on X.1 -
With autocorrect, you really have to go with the Truss test.TheScreamingEagles said:
‘Never trust anybody who spells gonorrhoea correctly on the first attempt’ is a maxim that has served me well in life, I am updating that maxim to ‘never trust anybody who believes in the economic policies of Liz Truss.’ I am convinced an overwhelming number of Tory MPs agree with my updated maxim.Nigelb said:Making Gonorrhoea Untreatable Again ?
https://x.com/HelenBranswell/status/1908612942968352997
Hard to make sense of a lot of the cuts that are happening at #HHS & its agencies. But closing #CDC's STD laboratory at a time when #gonorrhea seems poised to develop resistance to the last reliable drug that can cure it has experts aghast and worried.
https://www1.politicalbetting.com/index.php/archives/2022/10/09/grant-shapps-as-our-next-prime-minister/
Though Trump might now have eclipsed her.1 -
Very good. I was already reaching for my pitchfork - and then I read it!6
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Somehow the second season of The President Trump Show is already boring. Every day new ridiculous plot lines. Unbelievably stupid cartoon villains. Terrible make-up. Nobody can watch 4 years of this drivel.Nigelb said:Making Gonorrhoea Untreatable Again ?
https://x.com/HelenBranswell/status/1908612942968352997
Hard to make sense of a lot of the cuts that are happening at #HHS & its agencies. But closing #CDC's STD laboratory at a time when #gonorrhea seems poised to develop resistance to the last reliable drug that can cure it has experts aghast and worried.
Where are the classic moments? Season 1 had the mystery of Covfefe (still unsolved), the comedy gold of Four Seasons Total Landscaping.6 -
Well done, Robert. Got my day off to an excellent start.0
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@Nigelb
'... Precious few of them would have voted to be poorer, had they realised the full consequences of what they were doing.'
True of Trump, and before we get too sniffy, equally true of Brexit.
I suspect it may well prove true again in respect of Reform, but we'll see,3 -
You define a Chumocracy very well, Kle.kle4 said:Sadly my standard Lords reform proposal to prevent ex-MPs and any political donors from getting peerages would not prevent the friends of the 'right' people such as Spielman from getting in.
And whether failure is rewarded with ermine or not, it does seem the case that failure is rewarded in general. Hold a prominent position and even if you are a complete duffer you will get another great post because, well, you held the last one. So just get your foot in the door and all will be well. Like total business failures and fraudsters who inexplicably still manage to become super wealthy after being exposed because somehow losingmillions or even billions still imbues you with the aura of success. Jordan Belfort is still very very wealthy for example.
We were of course saddled with one for the better part of thirteen years, which is why it will take me a while to grow sick of this one, whatever its shortcomings.
I'll let you know when the memory fades sufficiently for me to forgive the Tory Party for what it did to this country.3 -
Yeah, the Trump Show has jumped the shark.kamski said:
Somehow the second season of The President Trump Show is already boring. Every day new ridiculous plot lines. Unbelievably stupid cartoon villains. Terrible make-up. Nobody can watch 4 years of this drivel.Nigelb said:Making Gonorrhoea Untreatable Again ?
https://x.com/HelenBranswell/status/1908612942968352997
Hard to make sense of a lot of the cuts that are happening at #HHS & its agencies. But closing #CDC's STD laboratory at a time when #gonorrhea seems poised to develop resistance to the last reliable drug that can cure it has experts aghast and worried.
Where are the classic moments? Season 1 had the mystery of Covfefe (still unsolved), the comedy gold of Four Seasons Total Landscaping.
Next there will be the introduction of an annoying younger relative as a sidekick.3 -
He's already got JD Vance.Foxy said:
Yeah, the Trump Show has jumped the shark.kamski said:
Somehow the second season of The President Trump Show is already boring. Every day new ridiculous plot lines. Unbelievably stupid cartoon villains. Terrible make-up. Nobody can watch 4 years of this drivel.Nigelb said:Making Gonorrhoea Untreatable Again ?
https://x.com/HelenBranswell/status/1908612942968352997
Hard to make sense of a lot of the cuts that are happening at #HHS & its agencies. But closing #CDC's STD laboratory at a time when #gonorrhea seems poised to develop resistance to the last reliable drug that can cure it has experts aghast and worried.
Where are the classic moments? Season 1 had the mystery of Covfefe (still unsolved), the comedy gold of Four Seasons Total Landscaping.
Next there will be the introduction of an annoying younger relative as a sidekick.1 -
Even as we speak (well, almost) the Liv Miami Golf tournament is taking place at one of Donald Trump's golf courses, so something might emerge from that.kamski said:
Somehow the second season of The President Trump Show is already boring. Every day new ridiculous plot lines. Unbelievably stupid cartoon villains. Terrible make-up. Nobody can watch 4 years of this drivel.Nigelb said:Making Gonorrhoea Untreatable Again ?
https://x.com/HelenBranswell/status/1908612942968352997
Hard to make sense of a lot of the cuts that are happening at #HHS & its agencies. But closing #CDC's STD laboratory at a time when #gonorrhea seems poised to develop resistance to the last reliable drug that can cure it has experts aghast and worried.
Where are the classic moments? Season 1 had the mystery of Covfefe (still unsolved), the comedy gold of Four Seasons Total Landscaping.0 -
Good morning from a chilly tent. Deep frost overnight, yet an extreme risk of wildfire.0
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SEA SPIES Putin ‘plants secret undersea sensors in UK waters to spy on Britain’s nuclear submarines by using oligarch superyachts’
The tyrant's fleets are understood to have been active around the UK for months now
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/34305800/putin-secret-undersea-sensors-uk-spy-nuclear-subs/0 -
I see that if you send $1000 to Trump's spiritual advisor, Paula White, God will assign you a guardian angel. Oh and you will get a crystal glass cross as well.
Nothing corrupt going on here.3 -
Barron "Scrappy Doo" Trump?Foxy said:
Yeah, the Trump Show has jumped the shark.kamski said:
Somehow the second season of The President Trump Show is already boring. Every day new ridiculous plot lines. Unbelievably stupid cartoon villains. Terrible make-up. Nobody can watch 4 years of this drivel.Nigelb said:Making Gonorrhoea Untreatable Again ?
https://x.com/HelenBranswell/status/1908612942968352997
Hard to make sense of a lot of the cuts that are happening at #HHS & its agencies. But closing #CDC's STD laboratory at a time when #gonorrhea seems poised to develop resistance to the last reliable drug that can cure it has experts aghast and worried.
Where are the classic moments? Season 1 had the mystery of Covfefe (still unsolved), the comedy gold of Four Seasons Total Landscaping.
Next there will be the introduction of an annoying younger relative as a sidekick.0 -
My own phalanx of robo-angels are ten times more effective.kjh said:I see that if you send $1000 to Trump's spiritual advisor, Paula White, God will assign you a guardian angel. Oh and you will get a crystal glass cross as well.
Nothing corrupt going on here.
And can be yours for only $499.1 -
Disagree with this.Peter_the_Punter said:@Nigelb
'... Precious few of them would have voted to be poorer, had they realised the full consequences of what they were doing.'
True of Trump, and before we get too sniffy, equally true of Brexit.
I suspect it may well prove true again in respect of Reform, but we'll see,
Plenty of Trump and Brexit supporters voted at least not caring if they would be poorer as long as it sent a message to the libs, not just a precious few.
What would be true is enough Trump and Brexit voters would have switched had they known they would be poorer to ensure that neither could have succeeded electorally.2 -
-
I’m 100% sure. There are certain giveawayskamski said:
However he’s the mod so he can do what he likes! And good luck to him
And BTW a very good morning to everyone from a sunny Almaty, Kazakhstan. The Tien Shan mountains look magnificent, huge snowy peaks looming over the city
Almost surreal. Definitely beautiful0 -
Looked at another way...
Head of Ofsted isn't a job where a peerage is the standard retirement gift. So it's not that.
And, desperate as the Conservatives are for supporters, there are less implausible candidates for elevation as party hacks available.
So: is this yet another ruse by Gove to bring down the British Establishment by highlighting its absurdity? And is Kemi B in in the stunt?
Britain would have been a much simpler place had his Channel 4 series turned into his lifetime vocation.2 -
The content and style has quite the echo of this - https://www1.politicalbetting.com/index.php/archives/2024/11/11/a-british-tradition/.Leon said:This is an unusually articulate header by @rcs1000
It has a certain prose-style, that I recognise. Almost as if he got serious assistance in the writing from somewhere else. Indeed I am sure he did
Note the opening and closing sentences. Good to see that I am not the only world weary cynic around here.1 -
It is ironic to reflect that the only other Head of OFSTED to get a peerage was Stewart Sutherland (1992-1994) the very first one - who was also the only other one never to have worked as a teacher.Stuartinromford said:Looked at another way...
Head of Ofsted isn't a job where a peerage is the standard retirement gift. So it's not that.
And, desperate as the Conservatives are for supporters, there are less implausible candidates for elevation as party hacks available.
So: is this yet another ruse by Gove to bring down the British Establishment by highlighting its absurdity? And is Kemi B in in the stunt?
Britain would have been a much simpler place had his Channel 4 series turned into his lifetime vocation.
He was however a very distinguished academic and had a long track record of successful work in HE.0 -
It’s safe to say that maximisation of income is only one of quite a lot of factors, which drive how people vote, which leaders they support, which revolutions succeed.noneoftheabove said:
Disagree with this.Peter_the_Punter said:@Nigelb
'... Precious few of them would have voted to be poorer, had they realised the full consequences of what they were doing.'
True of Trump, and before we get too sniffy, equally true of Brexit.
I suspect it may well prove true again in respect of Reform, but we'll see,
Plenty of Trump and Brexit supporters voted at least not caring if they would be poorer as long as it sent a message to the libs, not just a precious few.
What would be true is enough Trump and Brexit voters would have switched had they known they would be poorer to ensure that neither could have succeeded electorally.
Many economists don’t get that.3 -
He's on it.Foxy said:
Yeah, the Trump Show has jumped the shark.kamski said:
Somehow the second season of The President Trump Show is already boring. Every day new ridiculous plot lines. Unbelievably stupid cartoon villains. Terrible make-up. Nobody can watch 4 years of this drivel.Nigelb said:Making Gonorrhoea Untreatable Again ?
https://x.com/HelenBranswell/status/1908612942968352997
Hard to make sense of a lot of the cuts that are happening at #HHS & its agencies. But closing #CDC's STD laboratory at a time when #gonorrhea seems poised to develop resistance to the last reliable drug that can cure it has experts aghast and worried.
Where are the classic moments? Season 1 had the mystery of Covfefe (still unsolved), the comedy gold of Four Seasons Total Landscaping.
Next there will be the introduction of an annoying younger relative as a sidekick.
The first is Kimberly Guilfoyle, who may or may not still be Don Jr.’s fiancé, who was tapped to serve as ambassador to Greece. The president-elect has also nominated Charles Kusher, the father of Jared Kushner, as U.S. ambassador to France. Billionaire Massad Boulos, the father-in-law of Tiffany Trump, was appointed a senior adviser on Arab and Middle Eastern affairs.
https://archive.is/20241223160142/https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/trump-appointments-family-tv-hosts-billionaires-1235212536/#selection-1629.100-1645.105
Not one I've tracked in detail, though.2 -
Good morning, everyone.
F1: next podcast will contain a section explaining why the race was so boring... On the plus side, I didn't have a bundle of highlights to try and remember.2 -
Was it that that slice of the Brexit/Trump vote didn't care about getting poorer, or that they didn't believe it was possible? In which case, they were sadly mistaken.noneoftheabove said:
Disagree with this.Peter_the_Punter said:@Nigelb
'... Precious few of them would have voted to be poorer, had they realised the full consequences of what they were doing.'
True of Trump, and before we get too sniffy, equally true of Brexit.
I suspect it may well prove true again in respect of Reform, but we'll see,
Plenty of Trump and Brexit supporters voted at least not caring if they would be poorer as long as it sent a message to the libs, not just a precious few.
What would be true is enough Trump and Brexit voters would have switched had they known they would be poorer to ensure that neither could have succeeded electorally.
In the case of Brexit, there were a lot of supporters who were so comfortable (retired homeowners) that they could afford to send a cultural message. But they needed the downtrodden and desperate slice of the electorate to get to 52%.0 -
I get it, Sean.Sean_F said:
It’s safe to say that maximisation of income is only one of quite a lot of factors, which drive how people vote, which leaders they support, which revolutions succeed.noneoftheabove said:
Disagree with this.Peter_the_Punter said:@Nigelb
'... Precious few of them would have voted to be poorer, had they realised the full consequences of what they were doing.'
True of Trump, and before we get too sniffy, equally true of Brexit.
I suspect it may well prove true again in respect of Reform, but we'll see,
Plenty of Trump and Brexit supporters voted at least not caring if they would be poorer as long as it sent a message to the libs, not just a precious few.
What would be true is enough Trump and Brexit voters would have switched had they known they would be poorer to ensure that neither could have succeeded electorally.
Many economists don’t get that.
I have a friend in Florida who is a Trump supporter, as is his wife. They hate 'students and liberals'. They are comfortable and secure, and can afford to indulge their prejudices.2 -
That doesn't read like a disagreement so much as a qualification, which i would agree with.noneoftheabove said:
Disagree with this.Peter_the_Punter said:@Nigelb
'... Precious few of them would have voted to be poorer, had they realised the full consequences of what they were doing.'
True of Trump, and before we get too sniffy, equally true of Brexit.
I suspect it may well prove true again in respect of Reform, but we'll see,
Plenty of Trump and Brexit supporters voted at least not caring if they would be poorer as long as it sent a message to the libs, not just a precious few.
What would be true is enough Trump and Brexit voters would have switched had they known they would be poorer to ensure that neither could have succeeded electorally.1 -
More they don't think their choices and actions have consequences. Mostly they still think that The most striking thing about MAGA to me, beyond its nastiness, is the self indulgence of everyone concerned.noneoftheabove said:
Disagree with this.Peter_the_Punter said:@Nigelb
'... Precious few of them would have voted to be poorer, had they realised the full consequences of what they were doing.'
True of Trump, and before we get too sniffy, equally true of Brexit.
I suspect it may well prove true again in respect of Reform, but we'll see,
Plenty of Trump and Brexit supporters voted at least not caring if they would be poorer as long as it sent a message to the libs, not just a precious few.
What would be true is enough Trump and Brexit voters would have switched had they known they would be poorer to ensure that neither could have succeeded electorally.2 -
They are likely to come out of the Trump Experiment still prejudiced, but bitter - and poorer.Peter_the_Punter said:
I get it, Sean.Sean_F said:
It’s safe to say that maximisation of income is only one of quite a lot of factors, which drive how people vote, which leaders they support, which revolutions succeed.noneoftheabove said:
Disagree with this.Peter_the_Punter said:@Nigelb
'... Precious few of them would have voted to be poorer, had they realised the full consequences of what they were doing.'
True of Trump, and before we get too sniffy, equally true of Brexit.
I suspect it may well prove true again in respect of Reform, but we'll see,
Plenty of Trump and Brexit supporters voted at least not caring if they would be poorer as long as it sent a message to the libs, not just a precious few.
What would be true is enough Trump and Brexit voters would have switched had they known they would be poorer to ensure that neither could have succeeded electorally.
Many economists don’t get that.
I have a friend in Florida who is a Trump supporter, as is his wife. They hate 'students and liberals'. They are comfortable and secure, and can afford to indulge their prejudices.3 -
Israel really seems to have gone a bit mental. Presumably these are two Labour MPs who are not Labour Friends of Israel and therefore have not accepted the Israeli dollar (shekel).
I’m sure Bibi is quaking in his boots after facing the watery wrath of David Lammy.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn9133z2v30o
3 -
Oh, when it all goes nipples up, it will not be his fault.MarqueeMark said:
They are likely to come out of the Trump Experiment still prejudiced, but bitter - and poorer.Peter_the_Punter said:
I get it, Sean.Sean_F said:
It’s safe to say that maximisation of income is only one of quite a lot of factors, which drive how people vote, which leaders they support, which revolutions succeed.noneoftheabove said:
Disagree with this.Peter_the_Punter said:@Nigelb
'... Precious few of them would have voted to be poorer, had they realised the full consequences of what they were doing.'
True of Trump, and before we get too sniffy, equally true of Brexit.
I suspect it may well prove true again in respect of Reform, but we'll see,
Plenty of Trump and Brexit supporters voted at least not caring if they would be poorer as long as it sent a message to the libs, not just a precious few.
What would be true is enough Trump and Brexit voters would have switched had they known they would be poorer to ensure that neither could have succeeded electorally.
Many economists don’t get that.
I have a friend in Florida who is a Trump supporter, as is his wife. They hate 'students and liberals'. They are comfortable and secure, and can afford to indulge their prejudices.0 -
The header is a bit over generalised. Yes, there are a number of people in the Lords who should not be there. There are too many. The channels for appointment are too constricted.
OTOH it has never been a rational institution, as organic developments of a Burkean nature, continuing for (+ or - depending how you count it) 800 years or so won't be.
Compare this non elected ancient institution with the way in which, at this very moment, the non elected Trump appointments are getting on in the USA.
The HoL ameliorates arbitrary elected power, and does so without putting Wisconsin cheese on its head and waving a chainsaw. Its religious members are neither murderous sociopaths nor snake oil salesmen.
Over the years I have known several members, varying from very old money to new Labour. All are decent, kind, thoughtful, loyal and moderate. On balance I would give them more powers than they have, but not much more.3 -
They'll have to chalk it up as another win for Soros...Peter_the_Punter said:
Oh, when it all goes nipples up, it will not be his fault.MarqueeMark said:
They are likely to come out of the Trump Experiment still prejudiced, but bitter - and poorer.Peter_the_Punter said:
I get it, Sean.Sean_F said:
It’s safe to say that maximisation of income is only one of quite a lot of factors, which drive how people vote, which leaders they support, which revolutions succeed.noneoftheabove said:
Disagree with this.Peter_the_Punter said:@Nigelb
'... Precious few of them would have voted to be poorer, had they realised the full consequences of what they were doing.'
True of Trump, and before we get too sniffy, equally true of Brexit.
I suspect it may well prove true again in respect of Reform, but we'll see,
Plenty of Trump and Brexit supporters voted at least not caring if they would be poorer as long as it sent a message to the libs, not just a precious few.
What would be true is enough Trump and Brexit voters would have switched had they known they would be poorer to ensure that neither could have succeeded electorally.
Many economists don’t get that.
I have a friend in Florida who is a Trump supporter, as is his wife. They hate 'students and liberals'. They are comfortable and secure, and can afford to indulge their prejudices.1 -
One of the neat bits of distraction Farage has pulled throughout his career. We all direct our attention on the dispossessed slice of his support, but that's just the icing on the cake. His core vote is extremely comfortable.FF43 said:
More they don't think their choices and actions have consequences. Mostly they still think that The most striking thing about MAGA to me, beyond its nastiness, is the self indulgence of everyone concerned.noneoftheabove said:
Disagree with this.Peter_the_Punter said:@Nigelb
'... Precious few of them would have voted to be poorer, had they realised the full consequences of what they were doing.'
True of Trump, and before we get too sniffy, equally true of Brexit.
I suspect it may well prove true again in respect of Reform, but we'll see,
Plenty of Trump and Brexit supporters voted at least not caring if they would be poorer as long as it sent a message to the libs, not just a precious few.
What would be true is enough Trump and Brexit voters would have switched had they known they would be poorer to ensure that neither could have succeeded electorally.1 -
Nice to read something so eloquenly written. A perfect read for a sunny Sunday morning0
-
I thought Soros was the cause of all Global market crashes?MarqueeMark said:
They'll have to chalk it up as another win for Soros...Peter_the_Punter said:
Oh, when it all goes nipples up, it will not be his fault.MarqueeMark said:
They are likely to come out of the Trump Experiment still prejudiced, but bitter - and poorer.Peter_the_Punter said:
I get it, Sean.Sean_F said:
It’s safe to say that maximisation of income is only one of quite a lot of factors, which drive how people vote, which leaders they support, which revolutions succeed.noneoftheabove said:
Disagree with this.Peter_the_Punter said:@Nigelb
'... Precious few of them would have voted to be poorer, had they realised the full consequences of what they were doing.'
True of Trump, and before we get too sniffy, equally true of Brexit.
I suspect it may well prove true again in respect of Reform, but we'll see,
Plenty of Trump and Brexit supporters voted at least not caring if they would be poorer as long as it sent a message to the libs, not just a precious few.
What would be true is enough Trump and Brexit voters would have switched had they known they would be poorer to ensure that neither could have succeeded electorally.
Many economists don’t get that.
I have a friend in Florida who is a Trump supporter, as is his wife. They hate 'students and liberals'. They are comfortable and secure, and can afford to indulge their prejudices.
0 -
I think yesterday's news about Norris, and earlier the snouts in trough for freebies are gifts to Reform as they seem to confirm that the political classes in the UK are totally and irremediably corrupt . This may be unfair but it's easy to see why many feel this way.0
-
This oversimplifies a complex situation. The impossible aspect of the 2016 referendum was that the EU was too many things. It was both a very excellent trade and customs association but also an ever closer political union.Stuartinromford said:
Was it that that slice of the Brexit/Trump vote didn't care about getting poorer, or that they didn't believe it was possible? In which case, they were sadly mistaken.noneoftheabove said:
Disagree with this.Peter_the_Punter said:@Nigelb
'... Precious few of them would have voted to be poorer, had they realised the full consequences of what they were doing.'
True of Trump, and before we get too sniffy, equally true of Brexit.
I suspect it may well prove true again in respect of Reform, but we'll see,
Plenty of Trump and Brexit supporters voted at least not caring if they would be poorer as long as it sent a message to the libs, not just a precious few.
What would be true is enough Trump and Brexit voters would have switched had they known they would be poorer to ensure that neither could have succeeded electorally.
In the case of Brexit, there were a lot of supporters who were so comfortable (retired homeowners) that they could afford to send a cultural message. But they needed the downtrodden and desperate slice of the electorate to get to 52%.
IMHO most people wanted the first, and most people didn't want the second. And this I suggest is true of loads of people on both sides who felt they had to pretend otherwise.
Only Brexit, followed by a Swiss/Norway type deal offered a reasonable balance between the two. This is still the case and should be pursued expeditiously.7 -
It's feeling a bit like post-2016 Alasatir Meeks this morning on here with his regular articles entitled - and I paraphrase only slightly - 'leavers are dreadful oiks, barely human, and I simply loathe them'.4
-
And?...Cookie said:It's feeling a bit like post-2016 Alasatir Meeks this morning on here with his regular articles entitled - and I paraphrase only slightly - 'leavers are dreadful oiks, barely human, and I simply loathe them'.
0 -
This applies across the board.algarkirk said:
This oversimplifies a complex situation. The impossible aspect of the 2016 referendum was that the EU was too many things. It was both a very excellent trade and customs association but also an ever closer political union.Stuartinromford said:
Was it that that slice of the Brexit/Trump vote didn't care about getting poorer, or that they didn't believe it was possible? In which case, they were sadly mistaken.noneoftheabove said:
Disagree with this.Peter_the_Punter said:@Nigelb
'... Precious few of them would have voted to be poorer, had they realised the full consequences of what they were doing.'
True of Trump, and before we get too sniffy, equally true of Brexit.
I suspect it may well prove true again in respect of Reform, but we'll see,
Plenty of Trump and Brexit supporters voted at least not caring if they would be poorer as long as it sent a message to the libs, not just a precious few.
What would be true is enough Trump and Brexit voters would have switched had they known they would be poorer to ensure that neither could have succeeded electorally.
In the case of Brexit, there were a lot of supporters who were so comfortable (retired homeowners) that they could afford to send a cultural message. But they needed the downtrodden and desperate slice of the electorate to get to 52%.
IMHO most people wanted the first, and most people didn't want the second. And this I suggest is true of loads of people on both sides who felt they had to pretend otherwise.
Only Brexit, followed by a Swiss/Norway type deal offered a reasonable balance between the two. This is still the case and should be pursued expeditiously.
It's why the weakest argument against any independence movement is "you'll be worse off economically", because economics is not what drives arguments in favour of independence.
At it's most extreme, take someone like Ona Judge, who was a household slave who escaped George Washington's family, to live poor, but free. To a modern economist, that was an irrational choice, as she would have been better off, in material terms, as a slave to the Washingtons than as a free black woman (and that was a point she conceded in interviews).
It's simply that material comfort is not the only thing that matters to people - of all political persuasions.
5 -
Really, people voted Trump becauae the perceived the alternative as worse. That'sall there is to it. Trump was seen as less out of touch and less extreme than the Democrats.Cookie said:It's feeling a bit like post-2016 Alasatir Meeks this morning on here with his regular articles entitled - and I paraphrase only slightly - 'leavers are dreadful oiks, barely human, and I simply loathe them'.
This article, written after his win in 2016, is still relevant - I think it provudes one of the best explanations I've read of the mindset ofTrump voters - written by an urban Dem but one from, and sympathetic to, red America.
https://www.cracked.com/blog/6-reasons-trumps-rise-that-no-one-talks-about
People who vote ways that you don't are not,by and large, comic book villains and you don't really understand much by treating them as such.7 -
Morning all.
I was at a gig last night expecting an evening of culture and entertainment but it all turned a bit political
The first band played a song dedicated to "keeping Reform out at the local elections"
This was followed by the next act singing her pandemic anthem "Fuck the Tories"
The headliners shied away from any contemporary political commentary relying instead on their back catalogue, when Thatcher was in power and Edinburgh was the AIDS capital of Europe0 -
Mark Carney compares Trumpski torching the US economy to Brexit
https://x.com/liberal_party/status/19086437643040441322 -
deleted0
-
I'd call that a bit of a nothingburger. Sun Newspaper suddenly discovers something that everyone else new already!DecrepiterJohnL said:SEA SPIES Putin ‘plants secret undersea sensors in UK waters to spy on Britain’s nuclear submarines by using oligarch superyachts’
The tyrant's fleets are understood to have been active around the UK for months now
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/34305800/putin-secret-undersea-sensors-uk-spy-nuclear-subs/
I enjoyed:
"special attachments allowing them to rest at the bottom of the sea"
ie feet.
The Times piece it is borrowed from has a touch more.
It will be interesting to see what HI Sutton says, if anything.1 -
Did you pay to attend, or did they pay you?Scott_xP said:Morning all.
I was at a gig last night expecting an evening of culture and entertainment but it all turned a bit political
The first band played a song dedicated to "keeping Reform out at the local elections"
This was followed by the next act singing her pandemic anthem "Fuck the Tories"
The headliners shied away from any contemporary political commentary relying instead on their back catalogue, when Thatcher was in power and Edinburgh was the AIDS capital of Europe3 -
A more extreme and common version is how "liberators" of countries are revered even after their disastrous peacetime leadership has cost prosperity and even millions of lives. Mao in China, Mugabe in Zimbabwe, Stalin (and even now, Putin) in Russia, to name but three or four.Sean_F said:
This applies across the board.algarkirk said:
This oversimplifies a complex situation. The impossible aspect of the 2016 referendum was that the EU was too many things. It was both a very excellent trade and customs association but also an ever closer political union.Stuartinromford said:
Was it that that slice of the Brexit/Trump vote didn't care about getting poorer, or that they didn't believe it was possible? In which case, they were sadly mistaken.noneoftheabove said:
Disagree with this.Peter_the_Punter said:@Nigelb
'... Precious few of them would have voted to be poorer, had they realised the full consequences of what they were doing.'
True of Trump, and before we get too sniffy, equally true of Brexit.
I suspect it may well prove true again in respect of Reform, but we'll see,
Plenty of Trump and Brexit supporters voted at least not caring if they would be poorer as long as it sent a message to the libs, not just a precious few.
What would be true is enough Trump and Brexit voters would have switched had they known they would be poorer to ensure that neither could have succeeded electorally.
In the case of Brexit, there were a lot of supporters who were so comfortable (retired homeowners) that they could afford to send a cultural message. But they needed the downtrodden and desperate slice of the electorate to get to 52%.
IMHO most people wanted the first, and most people didn't want the second. And this I suggest is true of loads of people on both sides who felt they had to pretend otherwise.
Only Brexit, followed by a Swiss/Norway type deal offered a reasonable balance between the two. This is still the case and should be pursued expeditiously.
It's why the weakest argument against any independence movement is "you'll be worse off economically", because economics is not what drives arguments in favour of independence.
At it's most extreme, take someone like Ona Judge, who was a household slave who escaped George Washington's family, to live poor, but free. To a modern economist, that was an irrational choice, as she would have been better off, in material terms, as a slave to the Washingtons than as a free black woman (and that was a point she conceded in interviews).
It's simply that material comfort is not the only thing that matters to people - of all political persuasions.3 -
Good morning
Glorious morning here in Llandudno and far too lovely to be disturbed by the idiotic antics of Trump
Our son and daughter in law with their 3 children, 13, 11 and 3, are off to Cwm Idwal walk with only mobile use in an emergency
https://eryri.gov.wales/walk/cwm-idwal/0 -
Odd, given he's not very keen on ever closer union with his own next door neighbour.Scott_xP said:Mark Carney compares Trumpski torching the US economy to Brexit
https://x.com/liberal_party/status/1908643764304044132
8 -
The Republic of Ireland presents a happier example. In the debates about the merits of Independence many Irishmen argued that the country would be economically worse off, and this proved to be true for the best part of a century.DecrepiterJohnL said:
A more extreme and common version is how "liberators" of countries are revered even after their disastrous peacetime leadership has cost prosperity and even millions of lives. Mao in China, Mugabe in Zimbabwe, Stalin (and even now, Putin) in Russia, to name but three or four.Sean_F said:
This applies across the board.algarkirk said:
This oversimplifies a complex situation. The impossible aspect of the 2016 referendum was that the EU was too many things. It was both a very excellent trade and customs association but also an ever closer political union.Stuartinromford said:
Was it that that slice of the Brexit/Trump vote didn't care about getting poorer, or that they didn't believe it was possible? In which case, they were sadly mistaken.noneoftheabove said:
Disagree with this.Peter_the_Punter said:@Nigelb
'... Precious few of them would have voted to be poorer, had they realised the full consequences of what they were doing.'
True of Trump, and before we get too sniffy, equally true of Brexit.
I suspect it may well prove true again in respect of Reform, but we'll see,
Plenty of Trump and Brexit supporters voted at least not caring if they would be poorer as long as it sent a message to the libs, not just a precious few.
What would be true is enough Trump and Brexit voters would have switched had they known they would be poorer to ensure that neither could have succeeded electorally.
In the case of Brexit, there were a lot of supporters who were so comfortable (retired homeowners) that they could afford to send a cultural message. But they needed the downtrodden and desperate slice of the electorate to get to 52%.
IMHO most people wanted the first, and most people didn't want the second. And this I suggest is true of loads of people on both sides who felt they had to pretend otherwise.
Only Brexit, followed by a Swiss/Norway type deal offered a reasonable balance between the two. This is still the case and should be pursued expeditiously.
It's why the weakest argument against any independence movement is "you'll be worse off economically", because economics is not what drives arguments in favour of independence.
At it's most extreme, take someone like Ona Judge, who was a household slave who escaped George Washington's family, to live poor, but free. To a modern economist, that was an irrational choice, as she would have been better off, in material terms, as a slave to the Washingtons than as a free black woman (and that was a point she conceded in interviews).
It's simply that material comfort is not the only thing that matters to people - of all political persuasions.
Things changed of course when it joined the EU, but that's another story, and another argument.3 -
The least surprising comment in all this chaosScott_xP said:Mark Carney compares Trumpski torching the US economy to Brexit
https://x.com/liberal_party/status/1908643764304044132
In the meantime Starmer is taking the benefit of Brexit by prioritising trade deals with the US, India and Australia1 -
Lammy has turned out to be a Jobsworth. Emily Thornberry would have been a much better choiceTheuniondivvie said:Israel really seems to have gone a bit mental. Presumably these are two Labour MPs who are not Labour Friends of Israel and therefore have not accepted the Israeli dollar (shekel).
I’m sure Bibi is quaking in his boots after facing the watery wrath of David Lammy.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn9133z2v30o0 -
Actually I agree with youRoger said:
Lammy has turned out to be a Jobsworth. Emily Thornberry would have been a much better choiceTheuniondivvie said:Israel really seems to have gone a bit mental. Presumably these are two Labour MPs who are not Labour Friends of Israel and therefore have not accepted the Israeli dollar (shekel).
I’m sure Bibi is quaking in his boots after facing the watery wrath of David Lammy.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn9133z2v30o0 -
Yes, that's substantially correct, and for the avoidance of doubt I should restate that as well as favoring the trade associations I also favored closer political Union. I did however regret that the Remain side was not more forthcoming and open about this.algarkirk said:
This oversimplifies a complex situation. The impossible aspect of the 2016 referendum was that the EU was too many things. It was both a very excellent trade and customs association but also an ever closer political union.Stuartinromford said:
Was it that that slice of the Brexit/Trump vote didn't care about getting poorer, or that they didn't believe it was possible? In which case, they were sadly mistaken.noneoftheabove said:
Disagree with this.Peter_the_Punter said:@Nigelb
'... Precious few of them would have voted to be poorer, had they realised the full consequences of what they were doing.'
True of Trump, and before we get too sniffy, equally true of Brexit.
I suspect it may well prove true again in respect of Reform, but we'll see,
Plenty of Trump and Brexit supporters voted at least not caring if they would be poorer as long as it sent a message to the libs, not just a precious few.
What would be true is enough Trump and Brexit voters would have switched had they known they would be poorer to ensure that neither could have succeeded electorally.
In the case of Brexit, there were a lot of supporters who were so comfortable (retired homeowners) that they could afford to send a cultural message. But they needed the downtrodden and desperate slice of the electorate to get to 52%.
IMHO most people wanted the first, and most people didn't want the second. And this I suggest is true of loads of people on both sides who felt they had to pretend otherwise.
Only Brexit, followed by a Swiss/Norway type deal offered a reasonable balance between the two. This is still the case and should be pursued expeditiously.1 -
Anyway EDF have awarded us with free electricity from 8.00am to noon today so the washing machine, dishwasher and dryer are working overtime !!!!!2
-
Whilst making untold billions in the process to pay Lib protestors to drown out patriotic MAGA Congressmen at town hall events.eek said:
I thought Soros was the cause of all Global market crashes?MarqueeMark said:
They'll have to chalk it up as another win for Soros...Peter_the_Punter said:
Oh, when it all goes nipples up, it will not be his fault.MarqueeMark said:
They are likely to come out of the Trump Experiment still prejudiced, but bitter - and poorer.Peter_the_Punter said:
I get it, Sean.Sean_F said:
It’s safe to say that maximisation of income is only one of quite a lot of factors, which drive how people vote, which leaders they support, which revolutions succeed.noneoftheabove said:
Disagree with this.Peter_the_Punter said:@Nigelb
'... Precious few of them would have voted to be poorer, had they realised the full consequences of what they were doing.'
True of Trump, and before we get too sniffy, equally true of Brexit.
I suspect it may well prove true again in respect of Reform, but we'll see,
Plenty of Trump and Brexit supporters voted at least not caring if they would be poorer as long as it sent a message to the libs, not just a precious few.
What would be true is enough Trump and Brexit voters would have switched had they known they would be poorer to ensure that neither could have succeeded electorally.
Many economists don’t get that.
I have a friend in Florida who is a Trump supporter, as is his wife. They hate 'students and liberals'. They are comfortable and secure, and can afford to indulge their prejudices.0 -
How is Starmer's post Brexit "deal" with the US going? Ten percent on all imports from the UK compared to zip in the other direction.Big_G_NorthWales said:
The least surprising comment in all this chaosScott_xP said:Mark Carney compares Trumpski torching the US economy to Brexit
https://x.com/liberal_party/status/1908643764304044132
In the meantime Starmer is taking the benefit of Brexit by prioritising trade deals with the US, India and Australia
The art of the deal.0 -
Agree about Thornberry. She has been conspicuously both loyal to the government that overlooked her and a sane spokesperson on the media about foreign matters especially. Time her St George flag error was put into the past.Roger said:
Lammy has turned out to be a Jobsworth. Emily Thornberry would have been a much better choiceTheuniondivvie said:Israel really seems to have gone a bit mental. Presumably these are two Labour MPs who are not Labour Friends of Israel and therefore have not accepted the Israeli dollar (shekel).
I’m sure Bibi is quaking in his boots after facing the watery wrath of David Lammy.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn9133z2v30o0 -
Quite a lotta paraphrasing going on I’d say.Cookie said:It's feeling a bit like post-2016 Alasatir Meeks this morning on here with his regular articles entitled - and I paraphrase only slightly - 'leavers are dreadful oiks, barely human, and I simply loathe them'.
Plenty of, er, strong opinion presented as objective analysis of course, such as those PBers (and I paraphrase not at all) who regard supporters of Scottish Indy as deluded, anti-English, blood & soil nationalists.
I am objective, you are subjective, they are mad (to paraphrase).1 -
Trevor Philips on Sky just now
Darren Jones openly admits to him that the tariffs at 10% ARE a Brexit dividend0 -
Well it seems Darren Jones on Sky confirms it is a Brexit dividedMexicanpete said:
How is Starmer's post Brexit "deal" with the US going? Ten percent on all imports from the UK compared to zip in the other direction.Big_G_NorthWales said:
The least surprising comment in all this chaosScott_xP said:Mark Carney compares Trumpski torching the US economy to Brexit
https://x.com/liberal_party/status/1908643764304044132
In the meantime Starmer is taking the benefit of Brexit by prioritising trade deals with the US, India and Australia
The art of the deal.
And you do not mention the 20% on the EU0 -
I'm not sure. He's as bull-headed as he is foolish.Nigelb said:
How long will it be before the tariffs are walked back ?vik said:
I trust the "inside sources" more than the "senior official" trying to do damage control.williamglenn said:
https://x.com/SRuhle/status/1908250911769506289vik said:
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is reportedly looking for a way out of the Trump administration following the Republican president’s disastrous tariff rollout damaged his “credibility,” alleged MSNBC host Stephanie Ruhle on Friday.williamglenn said:I posted this interview yesterday before having had chance to listen to the whole thing but Scott Bessent is probably the best advocate for the Trump administration at the moment. Far more gravitas and experience than JD Vance.
He makes a good case for what Trump is trying to do economically:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLnX1SQfgJI
....
Ruhle suggested that Bessent, who built his $521 million fortune managing massive hedge funds, can’t stomach Trump’s “absurd tariff math,” which some critics have slammed as a “kindergarten-level understanding” of international trade.
According to Ruhle’s sources, Trump is “not listening” to his treasury secretary, “the odd man out” in the president’s inner circle.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/msnbc-host-stephanie-ruhle-alleges-trumps-treasury-sec-looking-for-an-exit-door/
NEW:
Investors may be running for the hills, but Bessent is NOT.
In response to talk that Secretary Bessent is potentially eying an exit to the Fed-
A senior official inside the administration telling me.
“Secretary Bessent is more committed than ever to his role as treasury secretary - he is meeting with the president several times a day and communicating with the rest of the cabinet.
Obviously this week’s market reaction is painful - but this is about an economic reset.
The secretary has no interest in moving to the Fed and his core focus of addressing our crippling debt/deficit”
The fact that they feel that they need to do damage control means that the rumours about Bessent's exit are real.
No one voted to be poorer - or rather, a lot of Americans did, back in November, but precious few of them would have voted to be poorer, had they realised the full consequences of what they were doing.
When Mr Chump did it first time around - in I think 2018 - they did not come significantly back down again until Mr Biden was in.
(I can't easily find a graph of average tariff rate over time with a clear scale.)0 -
I used to work with the sound guy. He offered to put me on the guest listAnneJGP said:
Did you pay to attend, or did they pay you?Scott_xP said:Morning all.
I was at a gig last night expecting an evening of culture and entertainment but it all turned a bit political
The first band played a song dedicated to "keeping Reform out at the local elections"
This was followed by the next act singing her pandemic anthem "Fuck the Tories"
The headliners shied away from any contemporary political commentary relying instead on their back catalogue, when Thatcher was in power and Edinburgh was the AIDS capital of Europe
The Mackenzies in full flow
Big John can barely walk these days, but he can still shred with the best
1 -
The Net Zero programme working the way it should, then. The more solar panels and wind farms, the more frequent these events will be.Big_G_NorthWales said:Anyway EDF have awarded us with free electricity from 8.00am to noon today so the washing machine, dishwasher and dryer are working overtime !!!!!
Someone should point this out to the Leader of the Opposition. And to the other leader of the opposition.1 -
Are you of all people really criticising others for banging on about battles long lost?Scott_xP said:Morning all.
I was at a gig last night expecting an evening of culture and entertainment but it all turned a bit political
The first band played a song dedicated to "keeping Reform out at the local elections"
This was followed by the next act singing her pandemic anthem "Fuck the Tories"
The headliners shied away from any contemporary political commentary relying instead on their back catalogue, when Thatcher was in power and Edinburgh was the AIDS capital of Europe0 -
Show me where she has rowed back on her St. George flag error.algarkirk said:
Agree about Thornberry. She has been conspicuously both loyal to the government that overlooked her and a sane spokesperson on the media about foreign matters especially. Time her St George flag error was put into the past.Roger said:
Lammy has turned out to be a Jobsworth. Emily Thornberry would have been a much better choiceTheuniondivvie said:Israel really seems to have gone a bit mental. Presumably these are two Labour MPs who are not Labour Friends of Israel and therefore have not accepted the Israeli dollar (shekel).
I’m sure Bibi is quaking in his boots after facing the watery wrath of David Lammy.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn9133z2v30o0 -
Yes, I think the markets are being rather optimistic that the tariffs will be dropped in weeks or months.MattW said:
I'm not sure. He's as bull-headed as he is foolish.Nigelb said:
How long will it be before the tariffs are walked back ?vik said:
I trust the "inside sources" more than the "senior official" trying to do damage control.williamglenn said:
https://x.com/SRuhle/status/1908250911769506289vik said:
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is reportedly looking for a way out of the Trump administration following the Republican president’s disastrous tariff rollout damaged his “credibility,” alleged MSNBC host Stephanie Ruhle on Friday.williamglenn said:I posted this interview yesterday before having had chance to listen to the whole thing but Scott Bessent is probably the best advocate for the Trump administration at the moment. Far more gravitas and experience than JD Vance.
He makes a good case for what Trump is trying to do economically:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLnX1SQfgJI
....
Ruhle suggested that Bessent, who built his $521 million fortune managing massive hedge funds, can’t stomach Trump’s “absurd tariff math,” which some critics have slammed as a “kindergarten-level understanding” of international trade.
According to Ruhle’s sources, Trump is “not listening” to his treasury secretary, “the odd man out” in the president’s inner circle.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/msnbc-host-stephanie-ruhle-alleges-trumps-treasury-sec-looking-for-an-exit-door/
NEW:
Investors may be running for the hills, but Bessent is NOT.
In response to talk that Secretary Bessent is potentially eying an exit to the Fed-
A senior official inside the administration telling me.
“Secretary Bessent is more committed than ever to his role as treasury secretary - he is meeting with the president several times a day and communicating with the rest of the cabinet.
Obviously this week’s market reaction is painful - but this is about an economic reset.
The secretary has no interest in moving to the Fed and his core focus of addressing our crippling debt/deficit”
The fact that they feel that they need to do damage control means that the rumours about Bessent's exit are real.
No one voted to be poorer - or rather, a lot of Americans did, back in November, but precious few of them would have voted to be poorer, had they realised the full consequences of what they were doing.
When Mr Chump did it first time around - in I think 2018 - they did not come significantly back down again until Mr Biden was in.
(I can't easily find a graph of average tariff rate over time with a clear scale.)
I note that I was the only one in the PB predictions contest to predict negative growth in the USA, just 10 weeks ago. Life comes at you fast nowadays.2 -
I had a lot of time for Darren Jones, however you have just proved he is a stupid as the rest of them.Big_G_NorthWales said:Trevor Philips on Sky just now
Darren Jones openly admits to him that the tariffs at 10% ARE a Brexit dividend
Being done over by Trump to the tune of 10% instead of 20% does not correspond to a win to compensate for losing frictionless trade with our largest trading partner. This does not constitute a Brexit win.
Our steelworks, JLR factories and Scotch whisky distilleries are still being closed or mothballed. So I'll give you that similarity with Brexit.0 -
I was surprised Darren Jones so openly declared it a Brexit dividend, but I would suggest to Labour supporters that Starmer, Reeves, and the cabinet are moving to worldwide trade deals at a pace that would be impressive if Starmer was a conservative PMMexicanpete said:
I had a lot of time for Darren Jones, however you have just proved he is a stupid as the rest of them.Big_G_NorthWales said:Trevor Philips on Sky just now
Darren Jones openly admits to him that the tariffs at 10% ARE a Brexit dividend
Being done over by Trump to the tune of 10% instead of 20% does not correspond to a win to compensate for losing frictionless trade with the our largest trading partner. This does not constitute a Brexit win.
Our steelworks, JLR factories and Scotch whisky distilleries are still being closed or mothballed. So I'll give you that similarity with Brexit.1 -
Having worked around the House of Lords for years I think that ex MPs actually make the most effective Peers. They know the legislative process, are willing to serve on Committees, actually show up and put work in. It's the celebrities and business people who get given peerages that are the waste of space.kle4 said:Sadly my standard Lords reform proposal to prevent ex-MPs and any political donors from getting peerages would not prevent the friends of the 'right' people such as Spielman from getting in.
And whether failure is rewarded with ermine or not, it does seem the case that failure is rewarded in general. Hold a prominent position and even if you are a complete duffer you will get another great post because, well, you held the last one. So just get your foot in the door and all will be well. Like total business failures and fraudsters who inexplicably still manage to become super wealthy after being exposed because somehow losingmillions or even billions still imbues you with the aura of success. Jordan Belfort is still very very wealthy for example.3 -
1
-
ON topic - some will say it’s unfair to judge the House of Lords by the calibre of its members. That’s like judging Glastonbury by the state of the toilets—technically accurate, but missing the point. The Lords isn’t there to lead or innovate or represent. It’s there to exist, immovably, like a stately ghost with an expense account.
And in that spectral drawing room of ceremonial irrelevance, Amanda Spielman isn’t a misfit—she’s practically furniture. The kind that insists you remove your shoes before sitting, quotes Ofsted reports at dinner, and still believes phonics can fix poverty. Her critics cry foul, but that’s only because they haven’t realised the game was abandoned mid-play decades ago.
Look at the recent appointments. We’ve gone from bishops and war heroes to whatever floated past a minister’s WhatsApp at 2am. One minute you’re at a party holding a tray of canapés; the next, you’re Baroness Vol-au-Vent of Southwark. Spielman, at least, has the distinction of failing upwards in a recognisable direction—education, that most British of oxymorons.
So let’s not clutch our pearls. Let’s hand her the ermine, the title, the right to nap through bills on cybercrime. She belongs. Not despite her record—but because of it. In a chamber increasingly defined by its theatrical pointlessness, her appointment is less a scandal and more a reassuring reminder: the great British tradition of rewarding confident mediocrity is alive and well.4 -
...
Remember we had comprehensive reciprocal trade deals across the World as part of the EU. It is interesting as Starmer is sending trade missions to St Kitts and Nevis, Canada and Mexico are looking for comprehensive agreements with the EU to counteract Trump.Big_G_NorthWales said:
I was surprised Darren Jones so openly declared it a Brexit dividend, but I would suggest to Labour supporters that Starmer, Reeves, and the cabinet are moving to worldwide trade deals at a pace that would be impressive if Starmer was a conservative PMMexicanpete said:
I had a lot of time for Darren Jones, however you have just proved he is a stupid as the rest of them.Big_G_NorthWales said:Trevor Philips on Sky just now
Darren Jones openly admits to him that the tariffs at 10% ARE a Brexit dividend
Being done over by Trump to the tune of 10% instead of 20% does not correspond to a win to compensate for losing frictionless trade with the our largest trading partner. This does not constitute a Brexit win.
Our steelworks, JLR factories and Scotch whisky distilleries are still being closed or mothballed. So I'll give you that similarity with Brexit.0 -
Most Lords have achieved success in business, law, academia, the media, science, sport, culture, education, religion, politics etc. Even if the success of some like Spielman is debatable.
Having an appointed second chamber also often leads to better debates focused on the facts not point scoring as is often the case in the elected Commons. Focused on revising not making legislation0 -
Not true, tariffs increased under the Biden administration.MattW said:
I'm not sure. He's as bull-headed as he is foolish.Nigelb said:
How long will it be before the tariffs are walked back ?vik said:
I trust the "inside sources" more than the "senior official" trying to do damage control.williamglenn said:
https://x.com/SRuhle/status/1908250911769506289vik said:
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is reportedly looking for a way out of the Trump administration following the Republican president’s disastrous tariff rollout damaged his “credibility,” alleged MSNBC host Stephanie Ruhle on Friday.williamglenn said:I posted this interview yesterday before having had chance to listen to the whole thing but Scott Bessent is probably the best advocate for the Trump administration at the moment. Far more gravitas and experience than JD Vance.
He makes a good case for what Trump is trying to do economically:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLnX1SQfgJI
....
Ruhle suggested that Bessent, who built his $521 million fortune managing massive hedge funds, can’t stomach Trump’s “absurd tariff math,” which some critics have slammed as a “kindergarten-level understanding” of international trade.
According to Ruhle’s sources, Trump is “not listening” to his treasury secretary, “the odd man out” in the president’s inner circle.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/msnbc-host-stephanie-ruhle-alleges-trumps-treasury-sec-looking-for-an-exit-door/
NEW:
Investors may be running for the hills, but Bessent is NOT.
In response to talk that Secretary Bessent is potentially eying an exit to the Fed-
A senior official inside the administration telling me.
“Secretary Bessent is more committed than ever to his role as treasury secretary - he is meeting with the president several times a day and communicating with the rest of the cabinet.
Obviously this week’s market reaction is painful - but this is about an economic reset.
The secretary has no interest in moving to the Fed and his core focus of addressing our crippling debt/deficit”
The fact that they feel that they need to do damage control means that the rumours about Bessent's exit are real.
No one voted to be poorer - or rather, a lot of Americans did, back in November, but precious few of them would have voted to be poorer, had they realised the full consequences of what they were doing.
When Mr Chump did it first time around - in I think 2018 - they did not come significantly back down again until Mr Biden was in.
(I can't easily find a graph of average tariff rate over time with a clear scale.)
He kept many of the trump tariffs from 2016-20 and added some of his own
https://x.com/danobrien20/status/1907369341827371394?s=610 -
AI war on PB via proxies1
-
I wonder if this makes the possibility of a few individual trade deals more likely.Nigelb said:
How long will it be before the tariffs are walked back ?vik said:
I trust the "inside sources" more than the "senior official" trying to do damage control.williamglenn said:
https://x.com/SRuhle/status/1908250911769506289vik said:
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is reportedly looking for a way out of the Trump administration following the Republican president’s disastrous tariff rollout damaged his “credibility,” alleged MSNBC host Stephanie Ruhle on Friday.williamglenn said:I posted this interview yesterday before having had chance to listen to the whole thing but Scott Bessent is probably the best advocate for the Trump administration at the moment. Far more gravitas and experience than JD Vance.
He makes a good case for what Trump is trying to do economically:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLnX1SQfgJI
....
Ruhle suggested that Bessent, who built his $521 million fortune managing massive hedge funds, can’t stomach Trump’s “absurd tariff math,” which some critics have slammed as a “kindergarten-level understanding” of international trade.
According to Ruhle’s sources, Trump is “not listening” to his treasury secretary, “the odd man out” in the president’s inner circle.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/msnbc-host-stephanie-ruhle-alleges-trumps-treasury-sec-looking-for-an-exit-door/
NEW:
Investors may be running for the hills, but Bessent is NOT.
In response to talk that Secretary Bessent is potentially eying an exit to the Fed-
A senior official inside the administration telling me.
“Secretary Bessent is more committed than ever to his role as treasury secretary - he is meeting with the president several times a day and communicating with the rest of the cabinet.
Obviously this week’s market reaction is painful - but this is about an economic reset.
The secretary has no interest in moving to the Fed and his core focus of addressing our crippling debt/deficit”
The fact that they feel that they need to do damage control means that the rumours about Bessent's exit are real.
No one voted to be poorer - or rather, a lot of Americans did, back in November, but precious few of them would have voted to be poorer, had they realised the full consequences of what they were doing.
Trump needs to show he is behaving reasonably and practically, even if he isn't.
1
