leicsmac

No idea sadly, perhaps went off to make an absolute wedge in the City and so didn't have any more time to spend with us lot. We didn't agree on much in terms of worldview but his intellect and knowledge base I respected hugely.

And this is just one corollary of the world being engulfed in "truth" that could result in dire consequences.

Kopfkino (one of the smartest people I've seen on a forum, here or otherwise, shame he's not about anymore), had it right over five years ago about a recent topic of discussion here. "If everyone is seeing different messages then accountability is gone and public debate dead."

US looking to ban Tiktok for Chinese government association. US Tiktokers migrate en masse to another even more Chinese social media platform, RedNote. Highly amusing cultural exchange worth a thousand diplomats between US and Chinese citizens occurs. "... the world is not wholly divided into countries. The world is not divided between East and West. You are American, I am Iranian, we don’t know each other, but we talk together and we understand each other perfectly." - Marjane Satrapi

Yep. We live in interesting times. Well, Kissinger got one so at least it would continue that tradition.

He'll torpedo it, not for the right reasons but, because as is his wont, he won't give up anything that's "his" easily. Even when it's really not.

And Rubio pretty much stating that runaway nationalism rather than international cooperation is the way to solve the world's current problems. Quelle surprise.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwyp3750y3po US President-elect Donald Trump will be consulted on the UK's deal to hand over the Chagos Islands, where there is a joint US-UK military base, to Mauritius. The UK announced in October it would cede sovereignty of the archipelago in the Indian Ocean, but maintain control of the base on the largest island Diego Garcia under a 99-year lease. Efforts to get the treaty signed before Trump's inauguration on Monday had been made, the BBC understands, and it had been expected the Mauritian cabinet would approve the deal on Wednesday. The deal had already been greenlit by the Biden administration but the UK prime minister's office on Wednesday said the incoming Trump government would now "consider" the deal. I would have thought that keeping hold of the CIA tortu-, sorry, "black site" would be enough for the US and their Conservative/Reform sycophants. Evidently the idea of empire dies hard.

As per above, we'll see if the threats apply equally to both sides. If so, then fair enough, but I'm not exactly holding my breath here.

Tbh ser, the answer to it all is pretty simple and obvious, and it's beginning to make its presence felt already. To be succinct: no one wins, "smart" or "dumb". What the individual thinks of that is, naturally, up to them.

Yes, very grim reading. And, from what it looks like, Palmer is likewise herself culpable.

I hope not, I would hope that our generation can place the accountability and so the penalty for it squarely where it belongs. And tbf, not all of those responsible are old now, either. I think that will largely depend on whether or not the incoming administration will allow the Israelis to violate it pretty much at they please. I guess we'll find out.

On a different topic, having a serious broken pedestal moment with the stuff that's been revealed about Neil Gaiman. https://www.vulture.com/article/neil-gaiman-allegations-controversy-amanda-palmer-sandman-madoc.html (Not an easy read, be warned.) One of my favourite authors, and worked with Terry Pratchett too. I'm damn sure that Pterry knew nothing about this, because he wouldn't have let it lie if he had.

So it would seem. It's unfortunate that the majority only come to the conclusion that there are much more important things when it's much too late.

And what's the way that conclusion ends? "... and that's the way the world ends. Not with a bang, but with a whimper."

That could be true (timeline is not exactly certain on such things, after all), but regardless they do seem remarkably unconcerned with their own legacies and the fate of their children and grandchildren, if they have any.

Which makes the decision to do so for them much easier right now, it's true. It doesn't, however, change the fact that every single country either pays now in mitigation, preparation and change, or pays much, much more, in money and lives, later. The decision is bloody hard, but it does have to be made.

Unsurprising. A couple of observations: - I reckon the term "ignorer" is more accurate than "denier". "Denier" implies that the position based on ignorance of the laws of thermodynamics might, however unlikely, in fact be legit, which is patently bollocks. - nice of these people to coalesce into a single organisation that makes its position and personnel clear. When (not if) things go horribly wrong if these people are able to shape political policy, then it makes it easy to point them out to the screaming mob looking to hold those responsible accountable in their own way.

I can imagine that Yoon isn't too happy with them, yes.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cg45zqz225vo South Korea's Yoon Suk Yeol has become the country's first sitting president to be arrested, ending a weeks-long standoff between investigators and his personal security. Yoon, whose failed attempt to impose martial law plunged the country into turmoil and saw him impeached by parliament, is being investigated on charges of insurrection. He is, however, still technically the president as a constitutional court has to decide whether his impeachment is valid. Investigators used ladders and wirecutters in the freezing cold to get to Yoon, whose Presidential Security Service (PSS) personnel had erected barricades in a bid to thwart his arrest. A (relatively) fledgling democracy leading the way in terms of dealing with those who violate its principles, and showing the older representatives of those values how it's done. Who would have thought it? Well done.

Oh, and he's an antivaxxer too.

Hegseth is pretty much exactly as you'd expect a Trump appointee to be. And McMullin projecting hard with his accusations of hypocrisy wrt drinking and extra marital affairs from other members of Congress. Speak for yourself, mate.

Right now I'd agree, but as per above a lot can happen in the next 4 and a bit years - for good and for bad. The UK (and by extension the world) desperately needs those with long term plans and the motivation to put them into action in power, rather than the social media driven short term self interest that appears to currently be in the ascendancy.

At this point, I would very much care to direct inquisitive folks to the Wiki entry for the Fermi Paradox. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fermi_paradox It has a wealth of fascinating information on this topic.

The LA wildfires are estimated to have caused around 200 billion pounds worth of damage. And that's just one set of fires, in one location, on a scale that might even be considered relatively small compared to what may eventuate in the future.