leicsmac

I didn't know of those two, I'll have to check them out. The sentiment about the internet is spot on. I'm not sure what solution wouldn't end up worse than the problem though - the Chinese and the like clearly have their way of dealing with it which appears to work for them, but that's inimical to the kind of society folks in the West expect, so...

More standoff related drama in Korea overnight. Rather unnecessary, really: Yoon isn't going anywhere and his supporter base in dwindling. Of course he'll try to gum up the process in the name of self preservation, but going for the arrest now and messing it up just feeds into his "fvcking commie oppression!" narrative.

And, as per above, it confers great power to do things quickly. That can be good...or as we're seeing now, rather bad.

And this is why people saying that this new wave of social media manipulation is no different from manipulation in the past are wrong. The very worst, most effective thing that the new utilisers of places like Twitter have managed to do is to convince people that those looking to use it as a tool are all the same - the projection of the "other side" being as ruthless powermongers as themselves gives the general public just enough apathy and reduces just enough pushback that they can gain the power that they need. And want. It's selling a comfortable, lazy lie for their own self-interested ends, we're seeing it in democratic results in a lot of places, and the stakes for the future are as high as they can possibly be.

Safer in general terms of violence and increased life expectancy? Yes, statistically. The potential, indeed the inevitability, of a much less stable world just around the corner where those things are massively increased and reduced respectively? Also yes. Both things can be and are true IMO. And it's up to those willing to offer their time and effort to do what they can to ensure that potential doesn't become reality. It will be difficult - perhaps even impossible. But the alternative is, to me, simply unconscionable for any decent member of our species.

By the very nature of your work you've done more than most to make this world a better place and have earned the opportunity to lay down your burden more than most, mon ami.

.... and those that are not? Pardon for pressing the point, but there seems to be many issues right now where it's a vogue to talk about the problems and ineffective solutions (as accurate as it may be) rather than actual workable answers. Edit: don't get me wrong, I understand the argument made, it's just not so simply solved.

Beyond media soundbites and things that don't involve massively hypocritical restrictions of civil liberties, that is.

I don't disagree, but I was curious to know what would be more effective.

When your objective is power at any cost, then the ends justify any means. Nothing such folks would do would come as a surprise to me.

... I'm a little curious about what should be done given that the key word in that first sentence is "suspected", and the last time I checked the UK was a civilised nation of laws where the state punishment tends to follow a conviction in a court of law?

And a US citizen and 10 year army veteran who turned that way too, apparently.

The suspect accused of driving a truck through a crowd on Bourbon street in New Orleans, killing 10 people and injuring at least 36, has been identified as 42-year-old Shamsud Din Jabbar, according to two federal officials who spoke to BBC's US partner, CBS News. The FBI confirmed earlier today the incident is being treated as an "act of terrorism" and the perpetrator was killed after the attack. Well, shit. Another death-worshipping fascist gets his moment in the sun at the worst possible time.

I'd rather not accept the incoming consequences as a fait accompli tbh, given how severe they may well be.

Quite apart from the moral complications, wealth disparity of the degree we're seeing today is simply incompatible with civilisational survival in the future. The very best case scenario would be The Expanse where even the oxygen you breathe comes at a price. The worst is...well, that's been discussed before. Something has to change or events far bigger than our species will take it out of our hands.

Another car related mass casualty incident, this time in New Orleans.

It's rather sad, really.

This may well be true. Mitigation is still going to include changing how we generate energy and going for net zero though. Or this current generation of humanity are still going to be responsible for the consequences future ones suffer simply because we could have done more and didn't.

On a personal level, hopefully getting onto the property ladder. On a nonpersonal level, simply seeing a sign that the next decade or two won't become firstly very difficult and then in some cases terminally difficult, first for people in far-flung places and marginalised communities, and then for everyone. In short, a sign that we're not following the timeline of Years and Years just a little later.

Were he still alive, you could ask Sir Alf Ramsey.

And exactly the same might be said of his burgeoning (and only just beginning) interference in the UK political process. It will only end horribly. For the UK, Germany, the US, and the entire human species.

Personally I've got no horse in that particular race, but I know a lot of folks do.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckg8dg3ke40o Climate change has brought record-breaking heat this year, and with it extreme weather, from hurricanes to month-long droughts. This year is expected to be the hottest on record, and new research shows that people around the world experienced an additional 41 days of dangerous heat due to climate change. Researchers from the World Weather Attribution (WWA) group at Imperial College and Climate Central said the study shows "we are living in a dangerous new era". A sobering analysis of this year. And a reminder that if not enough is done, this will just be the beginning.

In all honesty though, I expected more negative commentary about Sadiq Khan getting a gong than Southgate considering the mess he apparently made of London under his watch.

Right, but see above.