This is the union I want to have the choice on whether I want to leave, not have it decided by people like you.
Do the other side of the union, the rUK get a say too? I understand why the EU got so pissed of with the U.K. when I look at the SNP
How well I remember the EU saying that the UK was not allowed to have a referendum on membership.
Currently the rUK has the only say so I’m not sure why you’re pissed off.
The UK EU referendum of 2016 was 41 years after the first EEC referendum in 1975 not a mere 12 years after, ie a genuine generation.
The EU also went out of its way to make the departure terms as tough as possible for the UK.
The 2016 referendum itself in any case did not deliver Brexit, MPs and peers rejected multiple EU Withdrawal Agreements and the UK remained in the EU for over 3 years after the June 2016 Leave vote. Only the Conservative majority in 2019 actually saw the UK leave the EU
Hang on, that's not entirely right.
We COULD have left without an agreement - indeed, the "No Deal Brexit" was a mantra for some on the LEAVE side.
Yes, the 2019 GE created a Parliamentary majority for the Withdrawal Agreement but had it not done so, we could still have walked away if no further extension were agreed with the EU.
Indeed full undiluted sovereignty, the problem as you're highlighting is that the leavers didn't actually want to leave
This is the union I want to have the choice on whether I want to leave, not have it decided by people like you.
Do the other side of the union, the rUK get a say too? I understand why the EU got so pissed of with the U.K. when I look at the SNP
How well I remember the EU saying that the UK was not allowed to have a referendum on membership.
Currently the rUK has the only say so I’m not sure why you’re pissed off.
I wanted a vote to say piss off and stop blaming everything on the English…
I'm quite ashamed that there are 9 American states with lower obesity than the UK. I mean wtf?
Wegovy innit
The Wegovy/Mounjaro etc phenomenon is fascinating.
It's a juxtaposition of the prioritisation of health and wealth such as we saw in the pandemic and marks, to this observer, a potentially significant cultural change.
I've considered it - I'm not called Stodge for no reason - but decided to control my weight the old fashioned way (or try to, I'm a bluff old traditionalist in many ways including my fondness for unhealthy breakfasts at cafes).
The impact these chemicals have had across the economy is incredible - Mrs Stodge (she's called it through being married to me, that's all) tells me EBay and similar are flooded with oversize clothes which are no longer required (she calls them size 18 and upwards, I've no clue) and stores which formerly did well from having niche ranges for "larger" ladies are having to cut back as more go on to the weight-control medications.
However, and this is anecdotally, I've read the medicines are themselves as much of a dependency as tobacco, alcohol, sex, flint knapping, chinese food and Lingfield Park racing and if you come off them, the weight goes back on twice as fast as going off a conventional diet.
That means presumably any interruption of supply means trouble and if you can't pay to stay on the tablets, you're back looking for larger size clothing soon which means money for EBay sellers (and others).
I see a lot of people on these drugs and they are truly remarkeable. One of the major medical advances of my lifetime. Six stone of weightloss in my clinics is not that unusual, often in people who have been yo-yo dieting for years from one fad diet to another.
The improvements in diabetic control are phenomenol, but not restricted to that. Blood pressure, lipids, arthritis all get better and as well as lower risk of heart attacks and strokes the lifetime risks of cancer, cirrhosis and even dementia all improve.
Yes, they are hard to discontinue, but the alternative is a (shortened) life time on a host of other medications instead.
I would recommend starting on a low dose and not ramping it up too quickly. It is important to look at what you continue to eat, smaller portions of the same junk food are not good. Also important to get plenty of exercise so as to not lose lean muscle mass.
There are implications for the rest of the economy too as as well as less demand for plus size clothing there is less desire for other addictions notably alcohol.
This is the union I want to have the choice on whether I want to leave, not have it decided by people like you.
Do the other side of the union, the rUK get a say too? I understand why the EU got so pissed of with the U.K. when I look at the SNP
feel free to feck off any time you wish, holding a country prisoner because you are scared to go it alone is pretty pathetic for the supposed world power.
I hope all is well in Ayrshire overlooking beautiful Arran, home to some members of our family
I think the Scots should be allowed a referendum because the arguments can be made and a decision taken
However, I do think that should if be to remain then that should end the debate for a generation
I'm fairly ambivalent about Scottish independence. If they want a vote, they should have a vote and make a choice.
IF they chose to leave the Union, I'm not one of those numbskulls who would seek to impose terms on an independent Scotland which make Versailles look easy going. I would argue we should do everything we can (with others) to make an independent Scotland work and wish them well.
I'd also offer them a way back if they discovered or realised independence wasn't for them or wasn't working.
This is the union I want to have the choice on whether I want to leave, not have it decided by people like you.
Do the other side of the union, the rUK get a say too? I understand why the EU got so pissed of with the U.K. when I look at the SNP
How well I remember the EU saying that the UK was not allowed to have a referendum on membership.
Currently the rUK has the only say so I’m not sure why you’re pissed off.
I wanted a vote to say piss off and stop blaming everything on the English…
I'm quite ashamed that there are 9 American states with lower obesity than the UK. I mean wtf?
Wegovy innit
The Wegovy/Mounjaro etc phenomenon is fascinating.
It's a juxtaposition of the prioritisation of health and wealth such as we saw in the pandemic and marks, to this observer, a potentially significant cultural change.
I've considered it - I'm not called Stodge for no reason - but decided to control my weight the old fashioned way (or try to, I'm a bluff old traditionalist in many ways including my fondness for unhealthy breakfasts at cafes).
The impact these chemicals have had across the economy is incredible - Mrs Stodge (she's called it through being married to me, that's all) tells me EBay and similar are flooded with oversize clothes which are no longer required (she calls them size 18 and upwards, I've no clue) and stores which formerly did well from having niche ranges for "larger" ladies are having to cut back as more go on to the weight-control medications.
However, and this is anecdotally, I've read the medicines are themselves as much of a dependency as tobacco, alcohol, sex, flint knapping, chinese food and Lingfield Park racing and if you come off them, the weight goes back on twice as fast as going off a conventional diet.
That means presumably any interruption of supply means trouble and if you can't pay to stay on the tablets, you're back looking for larger size clothing soon which means money for EBay sellers (and others).
AIUI the NHS has an emphasis on using the drugs for the transition, and getting people to adopt healthier lifestyles. Heaven knows as a country with perhaps the best and most public exercise infrastructure in the world (ie 140k miles of Public Rights of Way just in England, never mind WSNI) we should be best placed to do it. Plus patients need a significantly high BMI (aiui 35+ ).
Get a dog is probably the best advice.
But I don't follow the drugs and druggies much as I am told I cannot use them for medical reasons, so for me it is the old fashioned way ie diet and exercise.
But, as ever, the public narrative is dominated by the effete wankers of the media.
This is the union I want to have the choice on whether I want to leave, not have it decided by people like you.
Two points. Scotland decided to stay 12 years ago.
Suppose Scotland decided to leave, would its government and the leavers be equally keen on the idea of a vote every 12 years or so about joining the UK again?
There's precisely zero legislation in UK laws about time limits between referendums (unless you count at least 7 years between hypothetical border polls in NI). On your second point I would be quite happy to follow the UK precedent of a party or parties getting a parliamentarty majority for referendums, eg Cameron holding an EU ref on 37% of the vote.
Great. You can have a referendum any time a majority at Westminster votes for it
"We are not here to prepare our children for yesterday's world. Be purposeful with your objectives and remember that Al accelerates everything"
Let me just write that down so I don't forget it.
The empty headed harlot strikes again. Strangely she's not the most repellent member of the Trump clan.
I’m sure she’s not great, and deserves some criticism for her politics, but using language like ‘empty headed harlot’ merely confirms what @Cyclefree has to say about issues of gender here.
Disagree. Every thing we know about her suggests she has always had a transactional relationship with Donald, she was willing to trade sex and incuriousness about his business and political dealings for status and trinkets.
That might give you “Harlot” but it sounds quite business savvy rather than “empty headed”
So according to that table we have a lower GDP per capita than every US state .
Does seem hard to believe , it also on the other hand could highlight that you can’t measure quality of life simply by GDP.
The US does have markedly higher GDP per capita than most other countries, and that gap has grown significantly in recent years. The quality of life counter argument is valid, but not really enough.
The bigger question is: has that gap grown because the Americans are innately more brilliant than us sclerotic lazy Europeans? Has it grown because the US has had much better government policy? Has it happened randomly? Is GDP data hiding reality? Or some other reason?
Looking at the numbers, it’s largely a mixture of culture, gdp data flaws, and “other reason”.
Around half of the growing gap since 2008 is directly down to differential growth in the US oil and gas industry. They’ve had a shale boom. The indirect impact - cheaper domestic feedstocks for industry - isn’t measured but could well close much of the rest.
The remainder, in fact more than 100% of the remainder, is a mixture of US corporate profits growing more rapidly than European ones (corporate profit is a key component of GDP - which is what distorts GDP stats for Ireland and Singapore) which in turn has been put down to the US continental market scale, labour regulations, and capital liquidity; and the higher average labour hours per year for the average worker. That last one is the culture one.
The reason we are behind even the poorest state is simply that the US is a single market so GDP and therefore prices cannot get too differentiated before businesses relocate states. So if the US as a whole is much richer per capita, so will be most of its states.
US income is less equally distributed than UK or European income. But median income metrics are still better there than here. Inflation has eaten into that - the US is no longer a cheaper place to exist than here - but trickle down does exist.
The only financial metric where we punch at or above the US is household wealth.
US capital markets provide huge amounts of money to invest in US business. Ours tend also to provide money to invest in the US. If it hasn't gone into domestic property.
Many/most of our best ideas end up as part of US businesses.
Their attitude to failure is also a factor. Trump perhaps the most relevant one today.
I know of a US listed company that spent £1.3bn on a UK investment 4 years ago. The new CEO is about to sell it for half the amount despite the fact it's the best performing in its sector. Share price goes up despite the loss of value.
I do not doubt that she had major mental health issues after her bereavement, but is this what we want?
It's not what WE want, it's what SHE wants that matters
When we are being asked to fund the demands of others, to change the founding constitution of the NHS so that it can kill not just save life, when we are being asked to divert NHS resources to such a purpose, we do get a say.
It is very sad that someone felt that suicide was the only way out. But as a society we have always viewed suicide as a bad thing not something to be encouraged. That is why we have a suicide prevention programme (and its current head has spoken eloquently and thoughtfully about how the AD Bill would adversely affect it). It is why newspapers are urged to speak sensitively about the causes of suicide. It is why campaigners who try and use threats of suicide to get what they want have been criticised for doing so.
When people are in the abyss of despair and I have personal experience of this, they need help not to be told "go ahead". I am glad that should the same situation arise again in my family the psychiatrist would see it as his job to help not to poison.
"We are not here to prepare our children for yesterday's world. Be purposeful with your objectives and remember that Al accelerates everything"
Let me just write that down so I don't forget it.
The empty headed harlot strikes again. Strangely she's not the most repellent member of the Trump clan.
I’m sure she’s not great, and deserves some criticism for her politics, but using language like ‘empty headed harlot’ merely confirms what @Cyclefree has to say about issues of gender here.
I talk about sex. Not gender.
Women are oppressed/discriminated against/attacked and insulted on the basis of their sex.
It's reported that the actress Jean Harlow once asked Margot Asquith whether "t" in her name was pronounced. To which Margot replied"No, it's silent. As in Harlow."
I do not doubt that she had major mental health issues after her bereavement, but is this what we want?
It's not what WE want, it's what SHE wants that matters
She wanted it now, and clearly she wanted it for some time, but if she had been helped through this period of mental crisis it's not unreasonable to expect that she could have emerged out the other side and enjoyed a fulfilling life.
We shouldn't be helping depressed people to kill themselves. It's a counsel of despair darker than that experienced by the suicidal people themselves.
Comments
I expect polling for an independent Scotland will show a huge increase then .
NEW THREAD
The improvements in diabetic control are phenomenol, but not restricted to that. Blood pressure, lipids, arthritis all get better and as well as lower risk of heart attacks and strokes the lifetime risks of cancer, cirrhosis and even dementia all improve.
Yes, they are hard to discontinue, but the alternative is a (shortened) life time on a host of other medications instead.
I would recommend starting on a low dose and not ramping it up too quickly. It is important to look at what you continue to eat, smaller portions of the same junk food are not good. Also important to get plenty of exercise so as to not lose lean muscle mass.
There are implications for the rest of the economy too as as well as less demand for plus size clothing there is less desire for other addictions notably alcohol.
IF they chose to leave the Union, I'm not one of those numbskulls who would seek to impose terms on an independent Scotland which make Versailles look easy going. I would argue we should do everything we can (with others) to make an independent Scotland work and wish them well.
I'd also offer them a way back if they discovered or realised independence wasn't for them or wasn't working.
Get a dog is probably the best advice.
But I don't follow the drugs and druggies much as I am told I cannot use them for medical reasons, so for me it is the old fashioned way ie diet and exercise.
But, as ever, the public narrative is dominated by the effete wankers of the media.
.
I know of a US listed company that spent £1.3bn on a UK investment 4 years ago. The new CEO is about to sell it for half the amount despite the fact it's the best performing in its sector. Share price goes up despite the loss of value.
It is very sad that someone felt that suicide was the only way out. But as a society we have always viewed suicide as a bad thing not something to be encouraged. That is why we have a suicide prevention programme (and its current head has spoken eloquently and thoughtfully about how the AD Bill would adversely affect it). It is why newspapers are urged to speak sensitively about the causes of suicide. It is why campaigners who try and use threats of suicide to get what they want have been criticised for doing so.
When people are in the abyss of despair and I have personal experience of this, they need help not to be told "go ahead". I am glad that should the same situation arise again in my family the psychiatrist would see it as his job to help not to poison.
Women are oppressed/discriminated against/attacked and insulted on the basis of their sex.
It's reported that the actress Jean Harlow once asked Margot Asquith whether "t" in her name was pronounced. To which Margot replied"No, it's silent. As in Harlow."
We shouldn't be helping depressed people to kill themselves. It's a counsel of despair darker than that experienced by the suicidal people themselves.