Politics British Politics

[Cron]

Be prepared to be very disappointed if you expect anything other than huff, puff and shite. The calibre of the modern politician is poor in most instances and the reporting will be equally poor and, I expect, divisive. Still, at least we don't have anyone over here as batshit mental as MTG from over the other side of the pond.

Hopefully.

 

[muck]

It's not just the "calibre" of the modern politician, nor is it really a matter of ideology. It's a matter of bureaucracy and the systemic calcification of the Western system of governance. The right-wing narrative of the deep state does have a true core in that the government is constantly being undermined by its underbelly; they're just mistakenly attributing the undermining to nefarious intent and ideological opposition. But you just can't reform an organisation if your reform requires personal sacrifice from the people who'll have to implement said reform.

 

[TheKiwi]

The cult of the "expert" in which governance is delegated to subject matter "experts" who can recommend all sorts of things that no government would ever be able to recommend themselves. And it is then implemented with "we're following the experts advice, surely you don't doubt the science". It's almost at the point where the "experts" represent a modern form of the clerisy, a religion you dare not critique least you be accused of heresy.,

Coupled with the hollowing out of political parties (most parties have only a fraction of the membership they would have had in the 1960's or earlier) so that the politician's elected have very little in common with their constituents and there is no counterbalance to prevent a small clique of those from the extreme left or right of the political spectrum taking control of even major parties (hence for example the Corbyn takeover of the British Labour party or the level of control exhibited by the evangelicals over the Republicans).

 

[Fluff]

The cult of the "expert" in which governance is delegated to subject matter "experts" who can recommend all sorts of things that no government would ever be able to recommend themselves. And it is then implemented with "we're following the experts advice, surely you don't doubt the science". It's almost at the point where the "experts" represent a modern form of the clerisy, a religion you dare not critique least you be accused of heresy.,

Coupled with the hollowing out of political parties (most parties have only a fraction of the membership they would have had in the 1960's or earlier) so that the politician's elected have very little in common with their constituents and there is no counterbalance to prevent a small clique of those from the extreme left or right of the political spectrum taking control of even major parties (hence for example the Corbyn takeover of the British Labour party or the level of control exhibited by the evangelicals over the Republicans).

The expert bit is very true. What disappoints, is when the expert says each house needs 5 waste bins, no-one gets a fag packet out, and says right 50M homes, so we need 250m bins. all delivered next year. No thought to how many bins are made, or what the bin factory does for the 9 years until the next order for bins. you can replace bins with warships, tanks, road sweepers, etc.

Likewise they dont seem to model the economy, or the effects of policies, let 1M immigrants in per year, even at 4 per house thats 250,000 houses, 50 doctors surgeries, etc. Have they approved any new Towns in the last 20 years? There seems to be some assumption that 'someone' will sort all these 'minor' details out. They are the government FFS.

 

[muck]

British prime minister Sunak has announced that if re-elected, he will reintroduce compulsory military service in Britain. (Source)

 

[Jake84]

Interesting stance and something I was against some mere twenty years ago but we live in a whole different world now.

Good on him, I am convinced spending 12 months in a barracks wouldn’t hurt our TikTok youth nowadays but good luck with that in the degenerate West.

The Swiss and Israelis do it. I can think of countries doing far worse these days.

 

[muck]

I can't believe that Sunak was stupid enough to walk into a blunder as big as leaving the D-Day remembrance festivities early.

 

[uktabber]

Hmmm, that surprises you, what a putz he is!!

 

[Redav]

https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/reform-uk-overtakes-pm-sunaks-conservatives-opinion-poll-2024-06-13/

 

[muck]

I was so hoping I'd never have to see Farage's face again.

 

[Fluff]

I can't believe that Sunak was stupid enough to walk into a blunder as big as leaving the D-Day remembrance festivities early.

For me, its the lack of political intelligence. Leave, and do a canned TV interview(Could have been done on the Eurostar on the way home) or stay, and be seen on the evening news, stood next to Joe and Macron, and the brave chaps. Who could make such a choice? Clearly, his advisors shared his time, nice compromise.....

 

[Fluff]

I was so hoping I'd never have to see Farage's face again.

He has just overtaken the conservatives. Expect more extreme promises from Rishi.....

 

[Fluff]

Farage just asked to be included in the leaders debate, as he has higher poling than one of the leaders that is in it.....

His ability to present, his timing, etc, is very good, especially compared to the 2 wooden men, we have....

 

[muck]

I'll never understand how Farage politically survived getting his family EU passports one day after the referendum.

 

[muck]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...Ukraine-partitioned-negotiations-Kremlin.html

Well, well, well.

 

[Musashi]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...Ukraine-partitioned-negotiations-Kremlin.html

Well, well, well.

I don't like this old hypocrite, but you cannot accuse the Czech president of being anti-Ukrainian and he said something similar to some extent a few months ago.

Czech president calls Ukraineâs hopes of regaining occupied territories naïve

Czech President Petr Pavel believes it is naïve to think that Ukraine will be able to regain the occupied territories from Russia âin the foreseeable future.â After all, Russia will not just give them back.

www.pravda.com.ua

The thing is, the European NATO members have not produced what they have already given to Ukraine and we are on the path for disarming ourselves.
The only country with a good equipment reserve is the USA, but its goal is weakening Russia rather than Ukraine winning the war.
No matter how much equipment we will donate to Ukraine in the future, our societies are not ready for sending our troops there and the Ukraine's demographic situation is catastrophic. As the RuZZians destroyed many Ukrainian power plants, we should get prepared for many more refugees this winter.

 

[Jake84]

Yeah, Peter Pavel is literally NATO man and general in Europe and his stance for Ukraine was crystal clear. I don’t like this giving up lands / negotiating thing either, but not only the lost territories will not be given back, the war of attrition will keep on going.

Defeatism or realism?

 

[uktabber]

"Hold Fast" should be the words of the day!!

 

[muck]

Labour won 410 seats. A 170 seat majority. Keir Starmer will be the next British prime minister, and he can basically do anything with that big of a majority. Even inner-party rivalries (like about Gaza) won't bring that government down, he can safely ignore the wings. The Tories really done F***ed up bad here. If the polls were to be believed, a majority of Brits wants tougher immigration laws and an end to the woke nonsense. Yet still they voted Labour. Imagine that.

 

[Fluff]

Labour won 410 seats. A 170 seat majority. Keir Starmer will be the next British prime minister, and he can basically do anything with that big of a majority. Even inner-party rivalries (like about Gaza) won't bring that government down, he can safely ignore the wings. The Tories really done F***ed up bad here. If the polls were to be believed, a majority of Brits wants tougher immigration laws and an end to the woke nonsense. Yet still they voted Labour. Imagine that.

Conservatives made such a mess, this was unavoidable. Con lost the vote, labour just sat still, made no commitments, to win. Chunk of con vote went to reform. We will see what labour do, main restraint on them is to win next election. Their main weak points are immigration, and what’s a woman. I also trust the population, that we swap from one side to another, to basically muddle through, without too much change.