leicsmac

I'm still looking for a good explanation as to how laissez-faire economics would lead to decreased inequality and thus a better society when it has shown us the Gilded Age and the 1980s, among other times.

And regrettably to add to the ecological trouble, the decision to further open the North Sea to exploitation. (Unless it can be proven that whatever is extracted is not used in any direct power generation/emission causing capacity whatsoever.)

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3r7xr94ln8o US President Donald Trump has defended special envoy Steve Witkoff as doing the "standard thing" after a leaked recording appeared to show him advising a Russian official on how to appeal to the president. Yes. Standard.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1e48e5p8dlo The UK point of view of the ongoing sixth big mass extinction event.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cr4dl19npv5o Brazil's Supreme Court has ordered that right-wing former president Jair Bolsonaro begin serving his prison sentence of 27 years and three months for plotting a coup after he lost the last election. Justice Alexandre de Moraes on Tuesday ruled that the case had reached its final judgement and that no further appeals were possible. Bolsonaro, 70, was found guilty of leading a conspiracy aimed at keeping him in power after he lost the 2022 election to his left-wing rival, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Note to the US: this is how you do things when a losing incumbent attempts to incite overthrow of a free and fair election. Not elect him again four years later.

I can understand this point of view tbh, especially given the calibre of politicians at the present time. With that being said, there is only one "side" who is mass producing scientific misinformation to the degree it is having, and will have much more, adverse effects on both human lives and human future, both in the US and across the world - to the degree of causing wholly unnecessary suffering and death. That is a critical difference because of the sheer degree of consequences that result, IMO.

Errrr... things like the Earth is round (oblate spheroid) and when flip a coin it will land heads, tails or edge?

In other news, good to see that Farage considers casual bigotry at school as just that - "playground banter". Mind you, in the time and place that he grew up, he likely didn't know any differently.

I'm presuming that it's the legal teams doing all the talking right now rather than much being made public. In any case, even the bloke who highlighted the issue in the memo in the first instance is now on record as saying "I can't think of any matter on which I agree with Donald Trump", so at least he's likely not ideological.

Would agree with the consensus here - given the way the first match played out, they're taking a massive gamble by only relying on their own self confidence. If it doesn't work in the next match, then the backlash will be brutal, and as much as I like this team, it will be entirely justified.

Yeah, their reasons are almost entirely cynical as described here, but on this one it's very much the results rather than the intent that matter.

Ha! Well, there are plenty of legit criticisms to level at the Chinese government. The way they are handing this particular matter, both home and abroad, isn't one of them.

One other takeaway from this COP is China quietly making sustainable deals in the background. If anyone is going to guarantee the future, it appears to be them, and if with it they win the prize of global primacy (as may happen), then they will have earned it.

They punch above their weight in both cricket and rugby. Shame they're shocking at football.

And that means addressing them on their turf, fair point.

I'm certainly not asking for it to be ignored, for the reasons stated here. It should, however, have a level of attention proportionate to its importance, rather than vastly above it.

Just goes to show how effective it is to sell a message via social media these days and how perception is outranking fact. An issue that in real terms of effect economically and physically is maybe just about in the top five in terms of importance has become a lightning rod so powerful a party leads the polls based solely upon it.

I'd ask every nation around the land size of the UK to look to Korea in terms of public transport infrastructure tbh. It's one thing they get absolutely right.

And, pardon for repeating, but that mindset is inimical to and therefore unacceptable for any kind of decent future at all. The advertised idea that such "geopolitics" is the most pragmatic idea when it appears to completely ignore the need for global unity as a necessity on quite a few issues is both tragic and laughable. That being said, I'm also inclined to think that if this deal goes ahead, Putin will not play toy soldiers for a while at least. But that's only because the economic and manpower damage that's been done to Russia is severe enough to give him pause.

If we're accepting that as inevitable (and that's entirely possible), then we're likewise probably accepting the downfall of global civilisation into a few isolated enclaves, probably within the lifetimes of most contributors here, as inevitable. Might Makes Right nationalism will not survive the challenges that lie ahead. That is obvious. So, with that in mind, I guess it's up to everyone to choose their path.

... is there a reason they're particularly vulnerable in this situation? The very idea that such malice is even seen as "realism" is a big reason why it keeps going on, with all the associated consequences. And, quite aside from that, Might Makes Right will only end awfully for everyone. That is an inevitability.

When you get to longer format matches, Littler seems pretty much invulnerable except to Humphries every so often. Even when he starts slow, the format allows him to click into form and then he just seems to win multiple legs on the spin without effort.

If the government think we're bloody idiots on this one, the private railway companies must think we're utterly gargantuan idiots, given what they've been able to cream from the public over the last few decades.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crk7mk5k3yjo Lawmakers and judiciary in North Dakota decide that a woman is legally obliged to carry her rapists baby to term if she doesn't know she's pregnant within six weeks of it happening. Next up for those advocating for this: the same thing to be implemented nationwide, along with guaranteed visitation rights for the rapist, presumably.

This England team is clinical.