leicsmac

Nah, it was to do with climate change and whether or not the issue lay with those trying to communicate the message, those choosing not to listen to it, or those who think it isn't an issue at all. I would like to believe that this is a world where you can present cogent arguments that will sway people 99/100, but looking around all I see is the very idea of truth - even measured by the best metrics possible at the present time - being subverted, the result being a situation where it isn't possible to invalidate someone or prove yourself right when the very method by which we do it is open to question, and a massive talking shop, which is the way very bad things may happen.

You are a fvcking gift to this forum, Alf.

It could well be patronising, but in return I would say that the counterpoint of the idea of a human being having viewpoints entirely sovereign and not affected by any other agencies is idealistic to the point of being naive. And to be honest, I think the viewpoints are of equal value whether or not they are arrived at through sovereign cognition or outside influence anyway - either way they're harmful when turned into policy. Ditto the Reform UK stance on environmental issues, come to that. WRT the canvasser, others have made the counterpoints here before I have. Ah, we've been here before when discussing another topic, mon ami. AFAIC if things do end up going to hell in a handbasket as a result of negative policy being implemented, then personally I'm going to do my best to state for the record that the lions share of responsibility for that lies with those who did it and those who let it happen, as opposed to those who tried to stop it happening - as ineffective as they may have been or appeared to be.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1335nj316lo https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-06-29/uk-election-pro-russian-facebook-pages-coordinating/104038246 It is pretty much a matter of fact that effort to boost the profile of Reform UK on social media originating from Russia has been occurring. It's hardly a big intuitive leap to then think that this causes an increase in popularity for them as people are encouraged to share...questionable views that they wouldn't otherwise share and back Reform who are likewise backing those views, including by putting up signs indicating that other people should vote for them. I would be interested in directly seeing what this "evidence" consists of and whether or not it entirely exonerates both Farage and his party from the claims being made, especially as this one man isn't the only one having claims leveled against him. Their stance is anti-migration of most types, and that migration (given simple demographic figures) will be made up of different ehtnicities (and skin colours), which will as a matter of course disadvantage them. The official Reform Party policy is to limit migration in a similar fashion. It's just a bit funny to see the Express going after Reform UK when on this matter their platforms are roughly aligned, NB. It's good to have you around again - even though we disagree on the events of January 6th 2021 in the US being a coup attempt or not.

Farage: "Nobody has fought harder against the far-right in British politics than me". My goodness, he really wants to be Trump so badly, doesn't he? The bombast, the blatant lie dressed up as injured innocence, all of it. Daily Express run a story about Reform canvassers racist comments regarding Rishi Sunak. Considering their usual stance towards people of different skin colour that aren't the "right type", that's some next level hypocrisy there.

Russian bots hard at work on social media, evidently.

Tbf I can understand this apathy, but with greatest respect, voting decisions other people make can and do end up pivoting on everyone in the end, so I'm not sure how possible it is to just try to focus on oneself and think as an island.

... all I'm saying is that if Fox likes continual humiliation and spending lots of money to do so...well, there are other, better value options.

... and the Americans look seemingly bent on putting an executive leader into the White House that thinks there isn't a problem at all. Is there any explanation for this at all that isn't batshit or purely based on destructive self interest?

The ones I'm on are doing the job for the most part right now, but it's still deeply aggravating. Tbf this was me last week when the other antihistamines I tried didn't work as well as I thought and I wasn't prepared.

It is monumentally depressing, which is why I wish more people would look further than the figurehead and to policy (or policy that isn't directly linked to short term self interest such as the economy, anyway).

Think the Saffers are certainly capable of overcoming their hoodoo this time round. They are a match for India in practically every department. Will they? Guess it'll come down to the day.

Given what's going on in France and Germany, I can see the argument tbh. Pardon the cynicism, I just hope that they're right about it.

Autocracies around the world must be pointing and laughing at the choices offered in the UK and US right now. (And in some cases, sticking their oar in a bit to try to encourage candidates that would encourage that selfsame autocracy). Still, look past the figureheads and the policy differences are clear. I wish more people did.

Yeah, it is time. This team has proven itself well in the past but it's time for new faces.

Were this eight years ago and the situation less delineated, I would agree with this more. But the events of 2016 drew the lines pretty starkly and as such now when someone tells me who they are (or even drops heavy hints so they can hide behind the "out of context", "that's not what I meant" excuse) I'm inclined to believe them. I was Stateside for the first part of the Trump presidency, and that rather embodied it. Perhaps that's rather uncharitable of me to not really give the benefit of any doubt, but again the events of the last eight years (including a few notable ones) have rather changed my view on that score, along with the fact that it is a truth that Reform are the only vaguely major party not taking the single most important long-term issue in any way seriously either - which would be enough for me to bollock them for their betrayal of the future without any of this.

Yeah, too big an ask on this pitch against this spin attack.

172, then. India reasonable favourites, strong start is critical.

Well, yeah. Entities like that just convince those who are of a particular opinion to go masks-off.

Should have posted this earlier myself, it's brilliant.

... and then he makes me look very stupid.

Jordan just stops short of looking very stupid there.

People not qualifying their remarks on important issues is deeply frustrating, I hear you there Peaky.

The mask slips. When it comes to ethnonationalists like that, it almost always does.

That's true. I just wish their platform was one I could universally agree with.