General News Thread

[Trav Le Bleu]

32 minutes ago, MaidstoneFox said:

Juicy real estate deals sketched in for rebuilding Gaza.

Golf course ain't gonna build itself!

[danny.]

4 hours ago, Mickyblueeyes said:

Yes but I don’t get it ?

You said Judaism and Islam were the only two ancient monotheistic religions. You omitted Christianity which is 600 years older than Islam. 

[Mickyblueeyes]

44 minutes ago, danny. said:

You said Judaism and Islam were the only two ancient monotheistic religions. You omitted Christianity which is 600 years older than Islam. 

Ah, get you.
 

General chat dives into theology - I wonder if this stays up.

 

Judaism and Islam (alongside Zorastorism (as someone mentioned) and also Sikhism actually) is the truest form of monotheistic faiths - there may be others but those are the ones I know. Just the one god and everything else is discarded (tawhid, ik Onkar, Adoni Echad etc.)That’s why Judaism and Islam are often referred to as the clearest examples of strict monotheism (from the Abrahamic faiths) while Christianity is sometimes seen as a more complex or qualified form due to its trinity doctrine. The trinity can cause confusion unlike the concept of one god in the others. 

 

My opinion and the opinion of other theologians (I am not a theologian by the way but enjoy reading about multiple faiths)  Christianity in the main, through the trinity doctrine falls short of the very definition of monotheism. I should add there are differing views on the trinity, some Christian’s don’t believe in it from my understanding snd do hold stronger monotheistic views - it’s a complex subject. 
 

Didnt mean one sentence to become a theological debate and thought the understanding around the 3 faiths were pretty well documented. Very difficult subject to articulate and not cause offence (which is not my intention) but wanted to set out my comment (as you raised it) and the common ground between two faiths who do share a identical view. 

 

Edited 9 October 2025 by Mickyblueeyes

[leicsmac]

8 hours ago, st albans fox said:

Would you have any level of veto ?  say two or three members of the six needing to veto for it to be valid ?  If you have no veto system and work on a straight majority of the GA then you effectively have a world parliament and as a western liberal democracy we may not be too happy with what is decided and we have to abide by. 

 

8 hours ago, blabyboy said:

Really good question.

Your suggestion sounds more promising than the current implication. As there are 15 in total with 5 permanent members, I think a passing 8 majority is good enough. It should encourage the permanent members to more actively engage with the non-permanent ones and as they swap every 2 yes, gives opportunities to reset. Atm, the permanent members can afford to be lazy knowing just one of them can block anything - not really an incentive for discussion and compromises.

 

I'd remove the Abstention option, this would force the UK to be a bit more assertive in our choices, and China too.

 

Wrt your point about a world parliament and Western democracies not taking too kindly to it... We are implicitly dictated by the U.S presently anyway, so I see it as a bit of a facade - a pretence at choice for the casual public viewer. It's a sad state of affairs at the moment all round really. 

 

Interesting discussion. 

 

Personally I think the veto system has run its course for similar reasons described here, but seeing as the five veto wielders likely think differently just getting rid of it first up likely wouldn't go down well. 

 

Perhaps a third option exists, for instance keeping the veto, but one veto is not enough to block a proposal - there has to be at least two, instead. Keep the abstention option to allow a little more flexibility in that case, but just one "no" is not enough to stop something going through. That would at least require more talking and cooperation as part of it all.

[st albans fox]

8 hours ago, blabyboy said:

Really good question.

Your suggestion sounds more promising than the current implication. As there are 15 in total with 5 permanent members, I think a passing 8 majority is good enough. It should encourage the permanent members to more actively engage with the non-permanent ones and as they swap every 2 yes, gives opportunities to reset. Atm, the permanent members can afford to be lazy knowing just one of them can block anything - not really an incentive for discussion and compromises.

 

I'd remove the Abstention option, this would force the UK to be a bit more assertive in our choices, and China too.

 

Wrt your point about a world parliament and Western democracies not taking too kindly to it... We are implicitly dictated by the U.S presently anyway, so I see it as a bit of a facade - a pretence at choice for the casual public viewer. It's a sad state of affairs at the moment all round really. 

 

 

10 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

 

Interesting discussion. 

 

Personally I think the veto system has run its course for similar reasons described here, but seeing as the five veto wielders likely think differently just getting rid of it first up likely wouldn't go down well. 

 

Perhaps a third option exists, for instance keeping the veto, but one veto is not enough to block a proposal - there has to be at least two, instead. Keep the abstention option to allow a little more flexibility in that case, but just one "no" is not enough to stop something going through. That would at least require more talking and cooperation as part of it all.

If you’re going to make a change then I think Mac’s is a better option. A straight majority in the SC is open to huge political manipulation that the liberal west wouldn’t like.  That’s clearly a view based on centuries of colonial imperialism! But I’m not embarrassed to state that I believe in liberal democracy and imo, risking having autocratic regimes dictate what we must do is not up for discussion. 

[CornwallFox]

50 minutes ago, st albans fox said:

 

If you’re going to make a change then I think Mac’s is a better option. A straight majority in the SC is open to huge political manipulation that the liberal west wouldn’t like.  That’s clearly a view based on centuries of colonial imperialism! But I’m not embarrassed to state that I believe in liberal democracy and imo, risking having autocratic regimes dictate what we must do is not up for discussion. 

A world council would need to be the general assembly, not the security council.

[st albans fox]

7 minutes ago, CornwallFox said:

A world council would need to be the general assembly, not the security council.

Understand this 

But

 

there’s no way that Russia, china or USA would agree to their vote being of the same value as the Solomon Islands 

The super powers aren’t indulging in this so it’s a non starter 

[Zear0]

Nobel peace prize to a Venezuelan 

[leicsmac]

10 minutes ago, Zear0 said:

Nobel peace prize to a Venezuelan 

The meltdown on "Truth" Social will be entertaining, I'm sure. 

[Parafox]

11 hours ago, Free Falling Foxes said:

Then get treatment?

Didn't work with the covid testing did it?

[Lionator]

To be fair if it keeps him engaged in de-escalating wars in pursuit of it, it’s probably best to wait 4 years until giving him the prize 

[Parafox]

5 minutes ago, Lionator said:

To be fair if it keeps him engaged in de-escalating wars in pursuit of it, it’s probably best to wait 4 years until giving him the prize 

The 20 wars he has ended so far, apparently.

[Free Falling Foxes]

38 minutes ago, Parafox said:

Didn't work with the covid testing did it?

Ironically, this was more pronounced in the same demographic as the TB cases.

 

Surely it's clear? In the case of TB treatment nowadays, it is very treatable.

 

Sadly, in days gone past, it was an absolute killer. My family on my mother's side, was absolutely decimated by it. My Mother herself only just survived, but with a massively impaired lung function.

 

If you fall into one of these risk groups, you risk yourself and others - as demonstrated in the piece I originally linked to.

 

There is a free test available in this area because of the heightened risk in these parts for a reason.

[RoboFox]

2 hours ago, Parafox said:

The 20 wars he has ended so far, apparently.

Especially the brutal conflict between Aber-baijan and Albania. So much peace there now. 

 

 

[Trav Le Bleu]

16 minutes ago, RoboFox said:

Especially the brutal conflict between Aber-baijan and Albania. So much peace there now. 

 

 

The most peace ever and ever will be.

[Dahnsouff]

5 hours ago, Zear0 said:

Nobel peace prize to a Venezuelan 

Poor old Donny, always the bridesmaid 

[Md9]

7 hours ago, Lionator said:

To be fair if it keeps him engaged in de-escalating wars in pursuit of it, it’s probably best to wait 4 years until giving him the prize 

Wonder what it was that made him not win it . Threatening to make Canada the 51st state several times , continuously say he wants to take over Greenland or the fact he is an absolute fruitcake that doesn’t like anyone other than himself or a million other things I am sure he has done 

[Parafox]

5 hours ago, RoboFox said:

Especially the brutal conflict between Aber-baijan and Albania. So much peace there now. 

 

 

 

5 hours ago, Trav Le Bleu said:

The most peace ever and ever will be.

 

A beautiful, big beautiful peace.

[Salisbury Fox]

3 minutes ago, Md9 said:

Wonder what it was that made him not win it . Threatening to make Canada the 51st state several times , continuously say he wants to take over Greenland or the fact he is an absolute fruitcake that doesn’t like anyone other than himself or a million other things I am sure he has done 

I may be wrong but I’m sure I read that the Nobel committee sits in January and so it was unlikely he would even have a chance this year. If true, he will be hoping to get it next year.

[Md9]

4 minutes ago, Salisbury Fox said:

I may be wrong but I’m sure I read that the Nobel committee sits in January and so it was unlikely he would even have a chance this year. If true, he will be hoping to get it next year.

He will be hoping to get it every year for the rest of his life I’m sure but he is a massive tool so hopefully that’s one thing he can’t buy and cries all the way to his grave about not getting it 

[worthosoriginals]

9 hours ago, leicsmac said:

The meltdown on "Truth" Social will be entertaining, I'm sure. 

Stacks of his trade mark exclamation marks after his tantrum about the injustice id bet.

[st albans fox]

1 hour ago, Salisbury Fox said:

I may be wrong but I’m sure I read that the Nobel committee sits in January and so it was unlikely he would even have a chance this year. If true, he will be hoping to get it next year.

I think that names must be put forward in January but the decision is msde later.  I mean he didn’t take office until the  end of Jan so how he could have been nominated doesn’t make any sense.  

[Parafox]

31 minutes ago, st albans fox said:

I think that names must be put forward in January but the decision is msde later.  I mean he didn’t take office until the  end of Jan so how he could have been nominated doesn’t make any sense.  

Trump gets it done, by hook or by CROOK.

[Livid]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c20v52z8d83o
 

Three years for manslaughter, out in what two ?
 

Getting tough on knife crime then.

 

’Combat Knife…..used with severe force’ 

 

just getting tired of these kids killing and getting a slap in the wrist. 

[Lionator]

48 minutes ago, Livid said:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c20v52z8d83o
 

Three years for manslaughter, out in what two ?
 

Getting tough on knife crime then.

 

’Combat Knife…..used with severe force’ 

 

just getting tired of these kids killing and getting a slap in the wrist. 

Would be a consolation if prison was truly rehabilitative so that this person could learn how to control their emotions and impulses but sadly it’s not. Might as well just let him walk free.