leicsmac

Think that applies to the whole situation tbh. The officer had to make a split second decision that the guy presented an immediate capital threat to him or someone else and he made that call, as such officers have to. In this case, however, it turned out to not be the right decision in that the guy didn't pose an immediate capital threat, and he died because of that incorrect decision. I'm not sure that can just be written off as "fog of war" and someone should always answer for the taking of a life that isn't in direct and proven (after the fact) self defence, but at the same time, who would it be whilst remaining fair? Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

That good, huh?

A bit of this and that today: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cpvrwyp0jx3o Mr Blair, ever the political pragmatist. He should be listened to in terms of actually working a problem... https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvgpey03pnno ... but I'm not sure it's "alarmist" for people to present the facts as they are and to say the UK, among other places, is both laughably unprepared and not doing enough to face the future that will be coming if decisive action isn't taken.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c98gv43pjjno So... what's everyone's take on the first 100 days, then?

I would hope it would end up being Europe and quite a few of the Commonwealth nations together, to be honest. The values he's trying to push have no place in modern civilisation and the other developed nations should be doing all they can to make that abundantly clear. The contest is ideological, it is happening in a lot of places, and it is real. And the stakes could not be higher.

So was I (economic pressure played a big part in bringing down the apartheid regime), and I'm not sure how long that difference spoken of here (in social terms anyway) will last, figuratively if not practically. Pardon me for being a mite leery of applying realpolitik to the biggest bully in the playground when he's being extra loathsome, even though he's the biggest bully and the path of least resistance would be to do so.

Better to not do it at all than do it and then flake out immediately, yes. And I wonder how many terrible regimes would still be ruling their countries if other countries followed the bolded axiom to the letter? Apartheid South Africa? Pinochet's Chile? Even worse ones than those two?

I certainly don't disagree about both the cost and time elements of fission power. That being said, I'm struggling to think of a better option that will fill a gap in large and intensive that perhaps renewables aren't able to fill yet in various parts of the world.

There's definitely something in that. To be honest, in the suite of solutions necessary to guarantee the future, the best fit for me has for a long time, been independent off-grid renewables on small scale for towns and villages, and Gen III/IV fission etc for large scale infrastructure.

Unfortunately renewables are like any other generation system in that if there is a single point of failure, they are as vulnerable to that failure as anything else. Including any kind of fossil fuel generation that someone might suggest instead.

As if a government organisation created for the safeguarding of the environment would post this as a good idea. Sickening.

Right. If the US really wanted to conquer Canada, it would be very difficult, if not impossible, to stop them. That being said, history shows that the US, for all its might, has been bested in asymmetrical guerilla warfare more than once before.

And congratulations, Mr Carney. Hopefully a safe pair of hands in a truly difficult situation.

They were, but there's a difference between being tired of a leader and then another leader right next to you with the power to do so actively and enthusiastically talking about your debellatio. That might be the priority discussion.

"In an urban society, everything connects. Each person's needs are fed by the skills of many others. Our lives are woven together in a fabric. But the connections that make society strong also make it vulnerable." The infrastructure that makes up society is too complex and people are too lazy and/or money-grubbing to go beyond single points of failure for more critical systems than we dare think about. And yes, the Earth will happily provide more than enough tests of those critical systems without humans making up more of them along themselves.

Indeed, which is why I mentioned preview of future results, as opposed to causes.

Or rather a preview of what will happen in a great many places if the powers that be don't achieve that mark in time, thanks to increasing extremes of weather destroying infrastructure.

Definite star-is-born vibes about the lad.

American-Chinese killsat melee gets out of control, one or both of them detonate an EMP device as a last blast while both are over the Iberian peninsula. /tinfoilhat

One wonders how a nation went from “We will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist" to this.

I wonder how well basically saying that (presumably) Poilievre is a traitor to his country will go down.

I hope that it's Carney, but then both he and Poilievre seem to be on similar wavelengths regarding the most important issue (the pond life in charge immediately to the south) so there's that.

On the above: https://www.bbc.co.uk/future/article/20250422-usa-scientists-race-to-save-climate-data-before-its-deleted-by-the-trump-administration This is unconscionable.

Yes, it is. And the lean of the politics doing the stymieing is entirely lopsided in one direction for ideological purposes of short-term self-interest, with potentially disastrous consequences. Let's not beat about the bush. The future of our species and civilisation should not be political but the current US administration, along with others of similar ideological bias, is making it so to the detriment of that future.

And it doesn't matter that the NOAA hasn't published it either, apparently. Fairly solid insider information says that this administration is gutting the entire organisation anyway. The betrayal of future generations to their fate is absolutely unreal - except that it is happening. Anyone want to say that it isn't really going to be that bad?