General News Thread

[Robo61]

3 hours ago, splinterdream said:

Leave who to their fate? I agree with asylum, I dont agree with how its being handled. There should be no legal aid to appeal, it should only be sought in the first safe Country, and there may be an application to seek asylum to another country from that safe country, we must treat people coming over in boats as illegal migrants 

I could get on board with that, but it requires a huge amount of world wide diplomacy, which currently there is very little appetite for.  How do you propose the governments goes about seeking agreements to take a share of refugees from 1st safe countries, given that most of these are currently not on our continent. 

[MC Prussian]

5 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

And what happens when that cultural and tribal chauvinism combines with power (either through raw strength, technology, institutional control or a combination of the three)?

You lost me at "chauvinism" (and others probably, too).

 

The TDS in this thread is astonishing, as it is in most media outlets. Anything just to put that particular spin on it, and to divert from other, more pertinent issues in one's own country.

[Robo61]

3 hours ago, hejammy said:

So what you describe is a forced marriage, arranged marriages are those who people of the families introduce the man to the women (or visa versa) and then it's upto them. 

Didn't the King have an arranged marriage?

[leicsmac]

1 minute ago, MC Prussian said:

You lost me at "chauvinism" (and others probably, too).

 

The TDS in this thread is astonishing, as it is in most media outlets. Anything just to put that particular spin on it, and to divert from other, more pertinent issues in one's own country.

Please don't use the use of that one word (and some invented reference to a man not mentioned in this discussion so far at all) as an excuse to say nothing. 

 

I'll rephrase; What happens when when that belief in cultural and tribal superiority (no matter the culture or tribe) combines with power and the means of access to those deemed "inferior"?

 

It's a valid question that deserves an answer. 

[danny.]

28 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

Please don't use the use of that one word (and some invented reference to a man not mentioned in this discussion so far at all) as an excuse to say nothing. 

 

I'll rephrase; What happens when when that belief in cultural and tribal superiority (no matter the culture or tribe) combines with power and the means of access to those deemed "inferior"?

 

It's a valid question that deserves an answer. 

Do you believe all cultures are equal?

[leicsmac]

1 minute ago, danny. said:

Do you believe all cultures are equal?

 

On 29/12/2025 at 13:32, leicsmac said:

I'm more inclined to think that belief in cultural supremacy tends to go from that to rather horrible ethnic cleansing and history clearly shows it not only goes there often it often goes there fast. Whichever "culture" is doing it tends to be mostly irrelevant. 

 

Total cultural egalitarianism is likely a fools errand, but if it's a choice between making the effort there and the alternative above...

That's about it, really. 

 

We either at least strive for that kind of equity, or we accept (and therefore are at least partly responsible for) a great deal of horrible things happening. 

[danny.]

Thanks, but that isn't what I asked. It's just a binary answer. 

[leicsmac]

6 minutes ago, danny. said:

Thanks, but that isn't what I asked. It's just a binary answer. 

It's all the answer I'm inclined to give because the issue is much more than a simple dichotomy anyway. 

 

And given the question in that original post that I asked first has not been answered (a question I have asked multiple times to multiple people who appear to think the same way), it seems I may not be the only one appearing to be evasive here.  

Edited 31 December 2025 by leicsmac

[danny.]

Just now, leicsmac said:

It's all the answer I'm inclined to give because the Issue is much more than a simple dichotomy anyway. 

 

And given the question in that original post that I asked first has not been answered (a question I have asked multiple times to multiple people who appear to think the same way), it seems I may not be the only one appearing to be evasive here.  

You're absolutely not obligated to answer anything on here!

[leicsmac]

3 minutes ago, danny. said:

You're absolutely not obligated to answer anything on here!

Absolutely. 

 

For my part, I'm really looking for additional understanding. I believe, with good reason I hope, that these sentiments of cultural and tribal supremacy (rather than coexistence as much as is possible) don't lead anywhere good at all and I really want to hear from someone, anyone, about why they might think otherwise, given current and historical evidence. 

[Trav Le Bleu]

1 hour ago, MC Prussian said:

You lost me at "chauvinism" (and others probably, too).

 

The TDS in this thread is astonishing, as it is in most media outlets. Anything just to put that particular spin on it, and to divert from other, more pertinent issues in one's own country.

Tax deducted at source?

Edited 31 December 2025 by Trav Le Bleu

[danny.]

11 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

Absolutely. 

 

For my part, I'm really looking for additional understanding. I believe, with good reason I hope, that these sentiments of cultural and tribal supremacy (rather than coexistence as much as is possible) don't lead anywhere good at all and I really want to hear from someone, anyone, about why they might think otherwise, given current and historical evidence. 

I can give you some examples, some niche, some from recent history and some quite widespread even today. Some cultures practise cannibalism, some practise slavery, in some when a husband dies he is cremated and his wife burned alive with him, in others if a woman is raped she is then executed for being an adulterer. For me, I would regards those cultures as less than others that do not practise those things.

[leicsmac]

3 minutes ago, danny. said:

I can give you some examples, some niche, some from recent history and some quite widespread even today. Some cultures practise cannibalism, some practise slavery, in some when a husband dies he is cremated and his wife burned alive with him, in others if a woman is raped she is then executed for being an adulterer. For me, I would regards those cultures as less than others that do not practise those things.

Right, and what's currently giving me (and perhaps some other people) some conniptions is addressing those particular areas of culture (which themselves are mostly based on the idea of tribal/cultural supremacy; you don't eat, enslave or burn alive someone you consider your equal, after all) without ending up with what the pilgrim Americans did to the native Americans, the Nazis did to... well, a lot of people, and what the current Afghan and Russian governments, to name but two, are doing to various groups right now.

 

It's that very belief in superiority that drives them, as it does for some of those people who seek to stop them, apparently. That very sentiment itself is the problem, and there's so much death and suffering that has been done - is still being done - in its name. 

[CornwallFox]

1 hour ago, danny. said:

Thanks, but that isn't what I asked. It's just a binary answer. 

Beware anybody claiming there's a binary answer to anything about humanity

[bovril]

Happy New Year you gen news mad lads. Peace and good will to all even Europhobes and tankies. Go have a beer! 

[leicsmac]

6 minutes ago, bovril said:

Happy New Year you gen news mad lads. Peace and good will to all even Europhobes and tankies. Go have a beer! 

Beer first, wine next, whisky just in time for the clock striking twelve. 

 

I might regret this decision in the morning. 

[leicsmac]

And yes, peace and goodwill everywhere.

 

"...let us not be blind to our differences--but let us also direct attention to our common interests and to the means by which those differences can be resolved. And if we cannot end now our differences, at least we can help make the world safe for diversity. For, in the final analysis, our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children's future. And we are all mortal."

[Dahnsouff]

Coffee, Wine, Whisky

Happy New Year to all, not a single demographic knowingly excluded.

[bovril]

11 minutes ago, Dahnsouff said:

Coffee, Wine, Whisky

Happy New Year to all, not a single demographic knowingly excluded.

This is unacceptable Sinophobia

[Dahnsouff]

1 minute ago, bovril said:

This is unacceptable Sinophobia

Its true. I am ashamed.

[Zear0]

28 minutes ago, Dahnsouff said:

Coffee, Wine, Whisky

Happy New Year to all, not a single demographic knowingly excluded.

Hell of a cocktail. 

[Dr Marco]

I'm off down the boozer

 

[MPH]

Fox what it’s worth, in the  United States, at the stroke of midnight, a ball is dropped from a height onto the floor.

 

 

its known as ‘the ball drop’.

 

 

” its ten minutes until the ball drop” , ect…

Edited 31 December 2025 by MPH

[Guest Umbungo78]

5 hours ago, leicsmac said:

Absolutely. 

 

For my part, I'm really looking for additional understanding. I believe, with good reason I hope, that these sentiments of cultural and tribal supremacy (rather than coexistence as much as is possible) don't lead anywhere good at all and I really want to hear from someone, anyone, about why they might think otherwise, given current and historical 

There are beliefs that are not compatible with western values. Marrying within the family, which we know is proven to lead to increased birth defects. Or mutilation of children through circumcision even though we are all apparently born in gods image (who snipped his bits) to honour killings for not wanting to marry a relative. It's not tribal supremecy, it's just common sense. Which it seems too many people are blind to see in their rush to appease. 

[leicsmac]

5 minutes ago, Umbungo78 said:

There are beliefs that are not compatible with western values. Marrying within the family, which we know is proven to lead to increased birth defects. Or mutilation of children through circumcision even though we are all apparently born in gods image (who snipped his bits) to honour killings for not wanting to marry a relative. It's not tribal supremecy, it's just common sense. Which it seems too many people are blind to see in their rush to appease. 

As much as that is a point to be made, it was also made above, and the reply to it still stands imo:

 

5 hours ago, leicsmac said:

Right, and what's currently giving me (and perhaps some other people) some conniptions is addressing those particular areas of culture (which themselves are mostly based on the idea of tribal/cultural supremacy; you don't eat, enslave or burn alive someone you consider your equal, after all) without ending up with what the pilgrim Americans did to the native Americans, the Nazis did to... well, a lot of people, and what the current Afghan and Russian governments, to name but two, are doing to various groups right now.

 

It's that very belief in superiority that drives them, as it does for some of those people who seek to stop them, apparently. That very sentiment itself is the problem, and there's so much death and suffering that has been done - is still being done - in its name.