General News

[leicsmac]

2 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

But in all reflection on the above, big congratulations to Albanese.

 

Like in Canada, the more Anglosphere/OECD nations reject hardcore nationalists, the better.

On the topic:

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy4vz9jed5lo

 

Hardcore nationalist getting pissy that nation with history of that nationalism and how badly it ends understands that and takes measures to safeguard against it.

Edited 3 May 2025 by leicsmac

[WigstonWanderer]

47 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

But in all reflection on the above, big congratulations to Albanese.

 

Like in Canada, the more Anglosphere/OECD nations reject hardcore nationalists, the better.

I’d have preferred a stronger Green vote personally, but well satisfied with what has happened. Hopefully this will finally put paid to the Climate Wars that the conservatives have waged for over decade.

[leicsmac]

1 minute ago, WigstonWanderer said:

I’d have preferred a stronger Green vote personally, but well satisfied with what has happened. Hopefully this will finally put paid to the Climate Wars that the conservatives have waged for over decade.

Hopefully so, but I fear that's an ongoing thing - for a while the UK had such a positive consensus on that matter, but now that looks on very shaky ground.

[WigstonWanderer]

Just now, leicsmac said:

Hopefully so, but I fear that's an ongoing thing - for a while the UK had such a positive consensus on that matter, but now that looks on very shaky ground.

I think the transition to renewables here in Australia should be much easier than over there with such an abundance of sunshine, wind and land. Renewables are falling in price so quickly that most people can potentially save money using solar, batteries, EVs, air-sourced heat pumps, etc. I doubt it will be possible to stop process now with this much momentum.

[leicsmac]

4 minutes ago, WigstonWanderer said:

I think the transition to renewables here in Australia should be much easier than over there with such an abundance of sunshine, wind and land. Renewables are falling in price so quickly that most people can potentially save money using solar, batteries, EVs, air-sourced heat pumps, etc. I doubt it will be possible to stop process now with this much momentum.

That makes sense, the environment is better for it. Here's hoping that you're right on that one.

[WigstonWanderer]

Really good to see a gracious concession speech from Dutton and credit to him for that. This must be one of the best, strongest democracies in the world with a strong, well respected electoral commission and transferable vote system. The only dangers are external interference and the local billionaires, but both seem to have soundly rejected.

[urban.spaceman]

5 hours ago, leicsmac said:

I have no idea why both Labour and (to a lesser extent) the Tories are not absolutely going after Reform/Farage for their ideological alignment with the Trump administration. What's stopping them?

 

Surely "Vote Reform, get Trump" or something along those lines, along with consistently pointing out the obvious links, would be a fair angle to shoot?

 

5 hours ago, Sampson said:

Labour I 100% agree, same with LibDems.

 

Tories purged all the moderates in their party under Johnson and so have only Reform sympathisers left. The likes of Badenoch and Jenrick are Farageists and Trumpists themselves in ideology, so won’t criticise him. Badenoch is openly offering to stand down against Reform in order to position the Tories to be a junior partner in a coalition with Reform.

I was going to reply to you both with my thoughts on this the other day but got distracted and forgot. 
 

I know It’s not ideal but with Trump, I don’t think they have much choice but to adopt the diplomatic strategy they have. Brexit has left us so utterly exposed on the economy and our standing in the world; the Tories decimated our defence and practically everything in the country is broken. We just don’t have the luxury of antagonising Trump given the global economic damage he’s already done nor the insanity of what he’s truly capable of. 
 

The safest option is old fashioned diplomacy, which has been very effective from us and Europe so far - 2 weeks ago Trump was talking about Ukraine having to sign a peace deal that was pretty much written by Russia. But then after Russia had bombed Kyiv, at the Pope’s funeral when Trump wasn’t surrounded by Vance and the other MAGA goblins usually influencing what’s left between his ears, Starmer, Macron and Zelenskyy managed to talk to him together and privately without any of his handlers. Since then he’s signed off on weapons for Ukraine for the first time and they’ve finally signed the mineral deal. 
 

With that in mind I don’t think bringing Trump into the resistance against Farage would be effective at all. 
 

Reform’s success this week is depressing, yes, and I do wish Labour could do more to call them out. However, I think they’ll be happy to let their control of Durham council run into the ground as it will inevitably do. UKIP only ever ran one council (Thanet) and they managed to practically bankrupt it after just a year before lost control completely. And they’ll fail again, cos it’s the same idiots with the same stupid ideology. 

[urban.spaceman]

Meanwhile

 

[leicsmac]

1 hour ago, urban.spaceman said:

 

I was going to reply to you both with my thoughts on this the other day but got distracted and forgot. 
 

I know It’s not ideal but with Trump, I don’t think they have much choice but to adopt the diplomatic strategy they have. Brexit has left us so utterly exposed on the economy and our standing in the world; the Tories decimated our defence and practically everything in the country is broken. We just don’t have the luxury of antagonising Trump given the global economic damage he’s already done nor the insanity of what he’s truly capable of. 
 

The safest option is old fashioned diplomacy, which has been very effective from us and Europe so far - 2 weeks ago Trump was talking about Ukraine having to sign a peace deal that was pretty much written by Russia. But then after Russia had bombed Kyiv, at the Pope’s funeral when Trump wasn’t surrounded by Vance and the other MAGA goblins usually influencing what’s left between his ears, Starmer, Macron and Zelenskyy managed to talk to him together and privately without any of his handlers. Since then he’s signed off on weapons for Ukraine for the first time and they’ve finally signed the mineral deal. 
 

With that in mind I don’t think bringing Trump into the resistance against Farage would be effective at all. 
 

Reform’s success this week is depressing, yes, and I do wish Labour could do more to call them out. However, I think they’ll be happy to let their control of Durham council run into the ground as it will inevitably do. UKIP only ever ran one council (Thanet) and they managed to practically bankrupt it after just a year before lost control completely. And they’ll fail again, cos it’s the same idiots with the same stupid ideology. 

You make a strong case here.

 

I guess we'll see how the landscape is in a couple of years, but if Reform do remain as popular with the GE coming up I do think that angle should be pursued then, particularly if Trump (as he no doubt will) has caused a great deal of damage by then.

[leicsmac]

On the subject, the proposed Trump budget plan:

- State Department: -84%
- National Science Foundation: -56%
- EPA: -54%
- HUD (housing): -44%
- Labor: -35%
- Interior: -30%
- Health & Human Services: -26%
- NASA: -24%
- Education: -15%

And here’s what gets a boost:

- Defense: +13% ($113 billion more)
- Homeland Security: +65% (+$42 billion)

Everything from science, housing, health, and the environment slashed, while the military-industrial complex cashes in.

[Parafox]

17 hours ago, urban.spaceman said:

I do like the guy personally but it still irks me that they had the absolute gall to go on global television - a literal Prince and his multimillionaire wife - to tell a billionaire interviewer in the garden of their billionaire friend’s mansion, in the middle of a global pandemic in which billions of people had lost loved ones, or jobs, or homes, to tell us all they’d had a really, really tough time.

 

I mean I know it’s relative but for ****s sake, have a bit of self awareness. 

 

I use to like him, now I'm indifferent.

 

He married a gold-digging nonentity who wanted to be a "princess". That went well, huh?

 

He's now almost estranged from his Dad and the rest of the family. Of course his life is his own and what he chooses to do with it is up to him but he needs to stay out of the British limelight and make his way in America.

 

I believe that if it wasn't for Megan, he'd be a more grounded person.

[Parafox]

2 hours ago, leicsmac said:

On the subject, the proposed Trump budget plan:

- State Department: -84%
- National Science Foundation: -56%
- EPA: -54%
- HUD (housing): -44%
- Labor: -35%
- Interior: -30%
- Health & Human Services: -26%
- NASA: -24%
- Education: -15%

And here’s what gets a boost:

- Defense: +13% ($113 billion more)
- Homeland Security: +65% (+$42 billion)

Everything from science, housing, health, and the environment slashed, while the military-industrial complex cashes in.

 

No-one is really surprised by this, sadly.

 

The weak, vulnerable, poor are being trodden under the boot of the hawkish government that Trump brings. 

 

And Trump and his acolytes don't care.

 

Anyone reasonable person who watched the clip of the Trump cabinet meeting should be appalled.

[urban.spaceman]

2 hours ago, leicsmac said:

- Health & Human Services: -26%

Great, now he only has “epts of a plan” for healthcare.

[leicsmac]

11 minutes ago, Parafox said:

 

No-one is really surprised by this, sadly.

 

The weak, vulnerable, poor are being trodden under the boot of the hawkish government that Trump brings. 

 

And Trump and his acolytes don't care.

 

Anyone reasonable person who watched the clip of the Trump cabinet meeting should be appalled.

People who like to carry water for him by saying things like "it's not that bad, you're overreacting" might be.

 

3 minutes ago, urban.spaceman said:

Great, now he only has “epts of a plan” for healthcare.

Giving him a lot of the benefit of the doubt by implying there's even that much of a plan tbh.

[urban.spaceman]

2 hours ago, leicsmac said:

You make a strong case here.

 

I guess we'll see how the landscape is in a couple of years, but if Reform do remain as popular with the GE coming up I do think that angle should be pursued then, particularly if Trump (as he no doubt will) has caused a great deal of damage by then.

Trump should (should) be out of office by the next election (hopefully sooner) and Reform will be a few years into displaying their utter incompetence in office as well as their deeply sinister and unworkable policies. Furthermore, Labour’s policies will have finally gone through parliament and become laws (very few have done so thus far) and very soon there should be a noticeable improvement on people’s living conditions and the country as a whole. 

[Parafox]

18 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

People who like to carry water for him by saying things like "it's not that bad, you're overreacting" might be.

 

Assuming you mean the MAGA supporters, why would they be surprised?

[leicsmac]

1 hour ago, urban.spaceman said:

Trump should (should) be out of office by the next election (hopefully sooner) and Reform will be a few years into displaying their utter incompetence in office as well as their deeply sinister and unworkable policies. Furthermore, Labour’s policies will have finally gone through parliament and become laws (very few have done so thus far) and very soon there should be a noticeable improvement on people’s living conditions and the country as a whole. 

I really hope that you're right in that's how it plays out.

 

1 hour ago, Parafox said:

 

Assuming you mean the MAGA supporters, why would they be surprised?

I mean the ones trying to put a veneer of respectability on it, possibly for the benefit of audiences outside the US (rather than the hardcore ones who wouldn't bother as you say, they're totally at home with the human cost of what he's doing).

[Lionator]

The big question, will Ukraine attack Russia’s victory day parade? They have the chance to take out Putin and Xi Jinping if they get it right. 

[Zear0]

10 minutes ago, Lionator said:

The big question, will Ukraine attack Russia’s victory day parade? They have the chance to take out Putin and Xi Jinping if they get it right. 

One of the few things they could do that would almost certainly result in a big bomb being launched in retaliation so probably not. 

[leicsmac]

16 minutes ago, Zear0 said:

One of the few things they could do that would almost certainly result in a big bomb being launched in retaliation so probably not. 

Yes, there's a reason decapitation strikes are frowned upon by practically all nations.

[Zear0]

8 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

Yes, there's a reason decapitation strikes are frowned upon by practically all nations.

Only permitted when spreading democracy. 

[leicsmac]

46 minutes ago, Zear0 said:

Only permitted when spreading democracy. 

Ah, yes. And only then when the subject is not likely to retaliate in any withering way.

[Md9]

1 hour ago, Lionator said:

The big question, will Ukraine attack Russia’s victory day parade? They have the chance to take out Putin and Xi Jinping if they get it right. 

Is putin even going to be there as there was some bits online saying he will only be there remotely or something like that 

[Trav Le Bleu]

6 hours ago, leicsmac said:

 

- Education: -15%

And here’s what gets a boost:

- Defense: +13% ($113 billion more)
 

Just what America needs.

 

Stupid people with guns.

[Md9]

17 minutes ago, Trav Le Bleu said:

Just what America needs.

 

Stupid people with guns.

I’m sure they have plenty of them already