General News

[Lionator]

5 hours ago, Super_horns said:

Well will all those people they want to work be able to find it if they are cutting jobs?

This is the thing, most jobs will be at dreadful entry level wages, working in factories, care or hospitality (physically most taxing). But then forgetting that most people on PIP already work and have PIP as a top up. So people won’t have enough to live on regardless. And then their health will decline further because they can’t feed themselves, they’ll need the nhs more and hey presto you end up costing the state more money in the first place.

 

All this is, is about balancing some short term nonsense books to get (+2 points) in the polls. They should be more honest. This was supported by a brief campaign by the Westminster power brokers in gaslighting the worst off in society to justify it. The narrative then strengthens based on very little real world evidence.

 

Meanwhile the Westminster media machine moves on as if nothing happened, dipping their toe in the next complex topic that they know absolutely nothing about (one week it’s Ukraine then silence, then it’s benefits, this week house building and the economy). It’s vile. 

[Lionator]

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/03/23/starmer-ukraine-peacekeeping-plan-political-theatre/
 

Shock horror the army briefing against Starmer’s idea to send troops to Ukraine because it was always insane. 

[kenny]

1 hour ago, Lionator said:

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/03/23/starmer-ukraine-peacekeeping-plan-political-theatre/
 

Shock horror the army briefing against Starmer’s idea to send troops to Ukraine because it was always insane. 

Ukraine have enough troops in fairness. If Ukraine had air superiority they could probably take Moscow. As it's stands the air is a wildest of drones and neither side dare fly aircraft near the frontline.

[Jon the Hat]

1 hour ago, Lionator said:

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/03/23/starmer-ukraine-peacekeeping-plan-political-theatre/
 

Shock horror the army briefing against Starmer’s idea to send troops to Ukraine because it was always insane. 

You seriously think Starmer was going to put British troops on the ground?  When Putin says no NATO troops?  

[Lionator]

3 minutes ago, Jon the Hat said:

You seriously think Starmer was going to put British troops on the ground?  When Putin says no NATO troops?  

He’s been saying so for the past few weeks albeit wanting an American air cover. I’ve called it out as madness on here and get called a Russian apologist 🤷🏻‍♀️ over 50% of the population want us to put boots on the ground in Ukraine too based upon the latest Savanta, clearly they’re either idiots or haven’t been made aware of the full gravity of such thing. 

[Lionator]

Last week it was “let’s get disabled people back into work”.

 

This week it’s “AI is the most efficient use of resources for jobs”

 

So which is it Keir?

[leicsmac]

13 minutes ago, Lionator said:

Last week it was “let’s get disabled people back into work”.

 

This week it’s “AI is the most efficient use of resources for jobs”

 

So which is it Keir?

It can be both and not be mutually exclusive.

 

It's perfectly possible to employ people of all different demographics while using AI as an adjutant to make the resources within those jobs more efficient.

 

And while it's a good idea to hold the current government feet to the fire to keep them as honest as possible, it should be pointed out that the current high polling alternatives are...rather worse across the board, as we've seen in the last decade and is abundantly clear from Reforms counterparts across the pond.

[Lionator]

1 hour ago, leicsmac said:

It can be both and not be mutually exclusive.

 

It's perfectly possible to employ people of all different demographics while using AI as an adjutant to make the resources within those jobs more efficient.

 

And while it's a good idea to hold the current government feet to the fire to keep them as honest as possible, it should be pointed out that the current high polling alternatives are...rather worse across the board, as we've seen in the last decade and is abundantly clear from Reforms counterparts across the pond.

The whole political system just feels completely broken. I feel completely helpless and hopeless. 

Edited 24 March by Lionator

[leicsmac]

38 minutes ago, Lionator said:

The whole political system just feels completely broken. I feel completely helpless and hopeless. 

That is entirely understandable. There's so many "big" problems that, given the accessibility of information, we are now inundated by.

 

Honestly don't know the best way to deal with that.

[Bilo]

4 hours ago, Lionator said:

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/03/23/starmer-ukraine-peacekeeping-plan-political-theatre/
 

Shock horror the army briefing against Starmer’s idea to send troops to Ukraine because it was always insane. 

It surely makes more sense to beef up defences in NATO allies that border Ukraine, namely Poland and Romania. 

[davieG]

44 minutes ago, Lionator said:

The whole political system just feels completely broken. I feel completely helpless and hopeless. 

I felt like that 30 years ago and nothing has changed my mind. That's why I flip between being nonpartisan and apolitical when I used to be so interested.

 

I guess it's the classic 'familiarity breeds contempt'

[Sampson]

11 minutes ago, davieG said:

I felt like that 30 years ago and nothing has changed my mind. That's why I flip between being nonpartisan and apolitical when I used to be so interested.

 

I guess it's the classic 'familiarity breeds contempt'

I do feel this is different though. Regardless of whether you were Tory or Labour before, I don’t remember so much support in UK, Europe, US and the rest of the west for dismantling the institutions and checks and balances that have held up liberal democracy in the west since WW2. 

[bovril]

1 hour ago, Sampson said:

I do feel this is different though. Regardless of whether you were Tory or Labour before, I don’t remember so much support in UK, Europe, US and the rest of the west for dismantling the institutions and checks and balances that have held up liberal democracy in the west since WW2. 

It's been trending this way a while especially in the 'war on terror' period where I remember plenty of executive orders and bending of the rules.

[Trav Le Bleu]

3 hours ago, Lionator said:

Last week it was “let’s get disabled people back into work”.

 

This week it’s “AI is the most efficient use of resources for jobs”

 

So which is it Keir?

Indeed, back into all those jobs that computers and robots are doing.

 

All hail the technocracy!

[Spiritwalker]

6 hours ago, Lionator said:

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/03/23/starmer-ukraine-peacekeeping-plan-political-theatre/
 

Shock horror the army briefing against Starmer’s idea to send troops to Ukraine because it was always insane. 

Surely the top brass would have briefed him on the viability of it before he announced anything.

[Lionator]

2 hours ago, Sampson said:

I do feel this is different though. Regardless of whether you were Tory or Labour before, I don’t remember so much support in UK, Europe, US and the rest of the west for dismantling the institutions and checks and balances that have held up liberal democracy in the west since WW2. 

What if the current form of liberal democracy isn’t working for people anymore? 

[Lionator]

45 minutes ago, Spiritwalker said:

Surely the top brass would have briefed him on the viability of it before he announced anything.

The whole purpose of that article was saying that he got carried away and said stuff without doing it. It’s classic Labour under Starmer, say something to give you a (+2) in the opinion polls and worry about the impact later on.

[Sampson]

32 minutes ago, Lionator said:

What if the current form of liberal democracy isn’t working for people anymore? 

What do you mean “current form”? I’m talking about basic ideas of separation of powers with separate authorities and a civil service, ideas the governments and leaders have to obey the law just like everyone else, rights of protest and criticism of government and international institutions designed to make countries work together. I think economic ideals and capitalism have stopped working since 2008, but that’s very different from liberal democracy and it’s a poor excuse to beg for authoritarianism and nationalism.
 

The alternative is authoritarianism and nationalism and a wholly centralised form of governance which means giving 1 or 2 person at the top of a country absolute power to do what they like and giving those countries the power to invade and dictate what they like to smaller countries . And if that stops working, well then good luck trying to get that changed without getting yourself thrown in prison, kicked out and banished from the country or worse. 

Edited 24 March by Sampson

[leicsmac]

6 minutes ago, Sampson said:

What do you mean “current form”? I’m talking about basic ideas of separation of powers with separate authorities and a civil service, rights of protest and criticism of government and international institutions designed to make countries work together. I think economic ideals and capitalism have stopped working since 2008, but that’s very different from liberal democracy.
 

The alternative is authoritarianism and nationalism and a wholly centralised form of governance which means giving 1 or 2 person at the top of a country absolute power to do what they like and giving those countries the power to invade and dictate what they like to smaller countries . And if that stops working, well then good luck trying to get that changed without getting yourself thrown in prison, kicked out and banished from the country or worse. 

And to add to this, that form of government and action is utterly incompatible with the survival of civilisation in the longish term anyway.

[leicsmac]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4g0718g3jwo

 

Greenland's politicians have condemned plans for high-profile US visits, in the wake of President Donald Trump's threats to take over the island.

Second Lady Usha Vance will make a cultural visit this week, and a separate trip is expected from Trump's National Security Adviser Mike Waltz.

Outgoing Greenlandic Prime Minister Mute Egede described the plan as aggressive, and said the duo had not been invited for meetings. Meanwhile, the island's likely next leader accused the US of showing a lack of respect.

 

Those last three words pretty much sum up the current US administration.

[Md9]

22 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4g0718g3jwo

 

Greenland's politicians have condemned plans for high-profile US visits, in the wake of President Donald Trump's threats to take over the island.

Second Lady Usha Vance will make a cultural visit this week, and a separate trip is expected from Trump's National Security Adviser Mike Waltz.

Outgoing Greenlandic Prime Minister Mute Egede described the plan as aggressive, and said the duo had not been invited for meetings. Meanwhile, the island's likely next leader accused the US of showing a lack of respect.

 

Those last three words pretty much sum up the current US administration.

Vance sending his wife because he knows no one out side of America like him no doubt. Shame they just don’t block them all entering the country with the way they have been talking about them 

 

[Jon the Hat]

1 hour ago, Spiritwalker said:

Surely the top brass would have briefed him on the viability of it before he announced anything.

It was never a serious suggestion, just a negotiation tactic.

[leicsmac]

20 minutes ago, Md9 said:

Vance sending his wife because he knows no one out side of America like him no doubt. Shame they just don’t block them all entering the country with the way they have been talking about them 

 

They would be well within their rights to refuse them permission to land.

[Trav Le Bleu]

53 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4g0718g3jwo

 

Greenland's politicians have condemned plans for high-profile US visits, in the wake of President Donald Trump's threats to take over the island.

Second Lady Usha Vance will make a cultural visit this week, and a separate trip is expected from Trump's National Security Adviser Mike Waltz.

Outgoing Greenlandic Prime Minister Mute Egede described the plan as aggressive, and said the duo had not been invited for meetings. Meanwhile, the island's likely next leader accused the US of showing a lack of respect.

 

Those last three words pretty much sum up the current US administration.

Since when has Second Lady been a thing.

 

Surely it's the equivalent of a visit from Mr Reeves, whoever he is?

[Md9]

12 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

They would be well within their rights to refuse them permission to land.

With all of the nonsense going on they should do it really wind them up more. Every time they talk it’s just crap that comes out of their mouths