leicsmac

It's like that article Peaky posted a couple of days ago - he views it all as a glorified real estate deal. The idea that he might have to extend empathy to living, breathing human beings that haven't paid him or kowtowed to him is alien to him.

It would be a massive blow for the UK justice system if she was found innocent on appeal, given the degree of profile of the case.

I hope that it can, but if it doesn't, it's a matter of necessity that those responsible answer for the consequences.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/03/us/politics/musk-federal-government.html In Elon Musk’s first two weeks in government, his lieutenants gained access to closely held financial and data systems, casting aside career officials who warned that they were defying protocols. They moved swiftly to shutter specific programs — and even an entire agency that had come into Mr. Musk’s cross hairs. They bombarded federal employees with messages suggesting they were lazy and encouraging them to leave their jobs. Empowered by President Trump, Mr. Musk is waging a largely unchecked war against the federal bureaucracy — one that has already had far-reaching consequences. Mr. Musk’s aggressive incursions into at least half a dozen government agencies have challenged congressional authority and potentially breached civil service protections. Yep, this administration have definitely learned from their errors last time round. And given that private individuals have access to the sensitive personal data of countless federal employees and schoolchildren using federal aid programs, I'm not sure that's a good thing.

Absolutely. If the current US administration make Starmer choose between them and the rest of the world (and that may essentially end up being the choice, perhaps barring Israel), then he'd better be ready for that choice and to make the right choice.

@Jattdogg kudos to your compatriots for leading the backlash. I can imagine there wasn't much that could unite the nation behind Trudeau right now

From what I know, it's an extension of Hanlon's. "Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by incompetence, but any sufficiently advanced incompetence is indistinguishable from malice." In any case, the man himself may be incompetent, but he has backers and followers who are very competent, very driven and very malicious. And that has connotations for a great many people in a great many places.

Sadly, the current climate has emboldened the bigots as they figure they are in the ascendant in terms of power once again. It's unfortunate that it may well end up taking effort - and I fear blood on the floor - to convince them otherwise.

I wish that I could say that I was surprised and that it would just be this on the horizon...but sadly I can say neither as the first would be a lie and I'm pretty sure the second isn't true.

https://www.medpagetoday.com/opinion/faustfiles/114043 Science research related, not exactly good news. The CDC has instructed its scientists to retract or pause the publication of any research manuscript being considered by any medical or scientific journal, not merely its own internal periodicals, Inside Medicine has learned. The move aims to ensure that no "forbidden terms" appear in the work. The policy includes manuscripts that are in the revision stages at journal (but not officially accepted) and those already accepted for publication but not yet live. In the order, CDC researchers were instructed to remove references to or mentions of a list of forbidden terms: "Gender, transgender, pregnant person, pregnant people, LGBT, transsexual, non-binary, nonbinary, assigned male at birth, assigned female at birth, biologically male, biologically female," according to an email sent to CDC employees (see below)."

Hopefully they will be able to give clarity and if necessary take relevant action soon. Eight years is more than enough prep time, thankfully.

So, for the record, I tried. Probably best to keep it all to one thread anyway.

Right. But then Clarks Law comes into play. “any sufficiently advanced incompetence is indistinguishable from malice.”

I think that's incredibly astute. It explains his actions perfectly, and just how limited they are but how negative they can be.

GB News and the Daily Fail turning their ire upon the Scandinavian nations at the moment with very carefully cherry picked overstating, it would appear. I never knew closing social inequality through economic and social models that result in overall quality of life figures the rest of the world envy was such a threat. Still, I guess such ideas are anathema to the social Darwinists and ethnonationalists.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn93797z2dpo A really good look at the state of one area of government operations that has always been personally important to me and (IMO) vital to our continued survival. Whether it's public, private or both, for the sake of $$$ or scientific discovery or both, let's get out there. Quickly. NB. And don't be so foolhardy as to neglect Earth observation programs, too. We need to know how our planet is changing and how fast, because it is.

Something of a respectable scoreline in the end.

Good to see Lowe has a personality to match the shit haircut then. Damn good player though, when Ireland play like this you wonder why they always go missing in latter stages of World Cups.

Not entirely sure why that penalty was given tbh. Didn't seem to any kind of pushing related offence from the line out. Finicky refereeing.

Pretty damn good defence from England to go in five points up here.

That had been coming tbf.

At an everyday practical level, this is all correct, there's plenty of evidence. However, on a long term global level, to say nothing of the cultural osmosis that means... interesting US-centric political viewpoints are, taking on increased popularity in the UK (look at the % of Reform polling whose policy platform is basically Trump policy platform for the UK, with all that entails), I think that's a rather different matter that is worthy of consideration.

Think we did once upon a time, but then I think it was decided having all news/pol stuff in one thread (mostly) along with all the associated bickering was easier in terms of moderation. It's an unfortunate fact, however, that the decisions made over there are going to affect us all - mostly negatively.

Only if it's a ploy for the next step to look like the scene with the corrupt police chief in Man on Fire.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckg0m79gm10o In case it isn't already immediately obvious and hasn't been for a long time, you're either kissing Trumps' arse or you're in his way, with all the consequences that entails. He and his self-interested lackeys do not do subtlety, nuance or any kind of middle ground. The UK government and diplomatic corps should acknowledge this and act accordingly.