General News Thread

[Parafox]

On 18/05/2026 at 18:41, leicsmac said:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp8pz1k4r2lo

 

Channel 4 with a pretty massive failure in duty of care there. 

 

23 hours ago, StanSP said:

Wow. That's really bad. 

I'm not particularly surprised.

[leicsmac]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd9pzp50npeo

 

Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune has split with the Trump administration over its creation of a $1.7bn (£1.3bn) fund aimed at compensating individuals "unfairly" investigated by previous administrations.

Speaking to reporters, Thune said he was "not a big fan" of the fund, adding that he did not see "a purpose" for it. He is the most high-profile member of Trump's own party to criticise the plan.

Democrats have condemned it as a "slush fund" for Trump's political allies, including some charged or convicted over the 2021 US Capitol riot.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche defended the move on Capitol Hill, saying the compensation was non-partisan and available to anyone. 

 

And now the insurrectionists, as well as getting pardons, will be rewarded financially for their loyalty to the Dear Leader, with taxpayer money. 

[StanSP]

5 hours ago, CosbehFox said:

Burnham’s intiial campaign video is exactly the talking up of this country which I want to see more of. Messages of hope rather than hate 

Didn't Polanski do the same, and still gets shot down? (not by you, but by the brutal media). 

[Foxdiamond]

20 hours ago, Jon the Hat said:

Anyone would think moving in with someone you just met wasn't a great idea.

Never understood why people like this voyeuristic tacky sort of show. 

[CornwallFox]

4 hours ago, StanSP said:

Didn't Polanski do the same, and still gets shot down? (not by you, but by the brutal media). 

The media won't support anybody that doesn't want to let things stay the same. 

Nor will social media that is basically bought and paid for by the same people.

[Jon the Hat]

9 hours ago, Parafox said:

The concerning thing for me is that the mom was amused by the inappropriate comments and attention when she should have been outraged and protective.

Being protective if you are a woman often means playing along with the strange man until he goes away.  Reacting angrily escalates and often leads to worse outcomes.

[Lionator]

The Thomas Massie thing in the US is depressing. He’s very politically different to me but kinda also the same? And yet he gets beaten by Trump’s silly candidate that stands for nothing except Trump 

[st albans fox]

6 hours ago, CornwallFox said:

The media won't support anybody that doesn't want to let things stay the same. 

Nor will social media that is basically bought and paid for by the same people.

Not sure about the social media aspect of that 

social media is generally home to a cesspit of views across the whole spectrum 

it also carries plenty of positive views of all individuals, irrelevant of their politics. 

it can hardly be said to have checks on it ??

[leicsmac]

22 minutes ago, Lionator said:

The Thomas Massie thing in the US is depressing. He’s very politically different to me but kinda also the same? And yet he gets beaten by Trump’s silly candidate that stands for nothing except Trump 

It is a bit depressing, but then that and other recent events show that Trump and his lackeys aren't even bothering with being in any way subtle about the corruption anymore. 

 

Whether that works in generating enough backlash to give the man a long awaited and deserving downfall... well, only time is going to tell there. 

[CornwallFox]

1 hour ago, st albans fox said:

Not sure about the social media aspect of that 

social media is generally home to a cesspit of views across the whole spectrum 

it also carries plenty of positive views of all individuals, irrelevant of their politics. 

it can hardly be said to have checks on it ??

There's a bot army fighting for reform on social media

[st albans fox]

9 minutes ago, CornwallFox said:

There's a bot army fighting for reform on social media

Oh I see where you’re coming from 

yes there are bots from most political groups on SM - some more effective than others 

[CornwallFox]

33 minutes ago, st albans fox said:

Oh I see where you’re coming from 

yes there are bots from most political groups on SM - some more effective than others 

That may be true to a degree but research showed that 90% of online pro reform comments were produced by bots. Huge numbers of social media profiles existing for a fortnight before elections, spewing non stop pro reform spiel and lies about other parties, then disappear into the ether. The same happened around Brexit but it's getting more and more sophisticated. Anybody pretending it's across the political spectrum evenly is not being honest with themselves. 

[BKLFox]

For those previously questioning why we shouldn’t be wary of China and why some of us understand that the worlds not made up of sugar and spice and all things nice.

 

“In his opening remarks at the start of the meeting between Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping, the Chinese president says Moscow and Beijing have deepened "political mutual trust and strategic co-operation", according to Chinese state media. 
 

Xi said the two countries should assist one another's development revitalisation and should promote the construction of a more "just and reasonable" global governance system. 

Putin, in his opening comments, said that Russia-China relations are at an unprecedented level, Reuters reports.

 

Relations between China and Russia have continued to improve and now reached the highest level of strategic partnership, he says.

Xi says both countries will closely maintain strategic communication and exchange on all levels, and will strengthen each other's support.

 

The two countries continue to strengthen the friendship between their armed forces and to expand their joint military exercises, the statement said. “
 

 

[leicsmac]

12 minutes ago, BKLFox said:

For those previously questioning why we shouldn’t be wary of China and why some of us understand that the worlds not made up of sugar and spice and all things nice.

 

 

“In his opening remarks at the start of the meeting between Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping, the Chinese president says Moscow and Beijing have deepened "political mutual trust and strategic co-operation", according to Chinese state media. 
 

Xi said the two countries should assist one another's development revitalisation and should promote the construction of a more "just and reasonable" global governance system. 

Putin, in his opening comments, said that Russia-China relations are at an unprecedented level, Reuters reports.

 

Relations between China and Russia have continued to improve and now reached the highest level of strategic partnership, he says.

Xi says both countries will closely maintain strategic communication and exchange on all levels, and will strengthen each other's support.

 

The two countries continue to strengthen the friendship between their armed forces and to expand their joint military exercises, the statement said. “
 

 

... and the reception between the US and China last week wasn't full of similar promises of togetherness? 

 

If people are saying the UK shouldn't be wary of China they are mistaken, but the point is that the UK should be wary of all the top tier powers right now. All of them are playing the nationalist realpolitik game very hard at the moment. (The main difference being that the Chinese, unlike the US and Russia, tend for the time being to keep most of their brutality inhouse).

 

And yes, the world at that level is incredibly dirty, but then if those with the capability don't believe in and work towards a cleaner world, then it doesn't end well. So the jaded cynicism about it all really helps no one. 

Edited 20 May by leicsmac

[Trav Le Bleu]

3 hours ago, CornwallFox said:

There's a bot army fighting for reform on social media

 

2 hours ago, st albans fox said:

Oh I see where you’re coming from 

yes there are bots from most political groups on SM - some more effective than others 

Vote for *bzzt* Farage!

 

He *whirr* will drill for oil.

 

Oil is imp*dzzt*ortant to survival.

 

More oil! *DING!*

[CosbehFox]

16 hours ago, StanSP said:

Didn't Polanski do the same, and still gets shot down? (not by you, but by the brutal media). 

Wouldn't disagree but Polanski has directly attacked the same media. Burnham by comparison is a smoother, more experienced politician (although I just read he's put the bloke who was behind Corbyn's advance to Labour leader as his campaign manager). 

 

Personally for me, (but I really can't see it), you could have John Smith into Blair esque progression from Starmer to Burnham. 

[Lionator]

3 hours ago, BKLFox said:

For those previously questioning why we shouldn’t be wary of China and why some of us understand that the worlds not made up of sugar and spice and all things nice.

 

 

“In his opening remarks at the start of the meeting between Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping, the Chinese president says Moscow and Beijing have deepened "political mutual trust and strategic co-operation", according to Chinese state media. 
 

Xi said the two countries should assist one another's development revitalisation and should promote the construction of a more "just and reasonable" global governance system. 

Putin, in his opening comments, said that Russia-China relations are at an unprecedented level, Reuters reports.

 

Relations between China and Russia have continued to improve and now reached the highest level of strategic partnership, he says.

Xi says both countries will closely maintain strategic communication and exchange on all levels, and will strengthen each other's support.

 

The two countries continue to strengthen the friendship between their armed forces and to expand their joint military exercises, the statement said. “
 

 

My retort would be that China will do business with anyone that benefits it, it essentially has no enemies though I guess the USA are ‘adversaries’. It’s such a unique country where its policies basically benefit every country on earth. I’d actually argue the more dependent Russia becomes on China, the weaker it looks and the better it is for us. 

[CornwallFox]

1 hour ago, Lionator said:

My retort would be that China will do business with anyone that benefits it, it essentially has no enemies though I guess the USA are ‘adversaries’. It’s such a unique country where its policies basically benefit every country on earth. I’d actually argue the more dependent Russia becomes on China, the weaker it looks and the better it is for us. 

I'm pretty sure the west only has any real suspicion of China because of our friendships with the US. Without the US influence we'd be working much more closely with them. Unlike the US they seem to be more confident of themselves - they know their a superpower and don't need to constantly dominate everybody to prove it.

[Trav Le Bleu]

2 hours ago, Lionator said:

My retort would be that China will do business with anyone that benefits it, it essentially has no enemies though I guess the USA are ‘adversaries’. It’s such a unique country where its policies basically benefit every country on earth. I’d actually argue the more dependent Russia becomes on China, the weaker it looks and the better it is for us. 

Except many of it's own people.

[MPH]

4 hours ago, Lionator said:

My retort would be that China will do business with anyone that benefits it, it essentially has no enemies though I guess the USA are ‘adversaries’. It’s such a unique country where its policies basically benefit every country on earth. I’d actually argue the more dependent Russia becomes on China, the weaker it looks and the better it is for us. 

 

 

to be fair China are playing a very smart game.. they continue to grow politically, economically and militarily all whilst being relatively untouched by every one around them.  They even got Trump to come out in public and Tell Taiwan not to declare independence.

 

its ll very clever.

[MPH]

8 hours ago, leicsmac said:

... and the reception between the US and China last week wasn't full of similar promises of togetherness? 

 

If people are saying the UK shouldn't be wary of China they are mistaken, but the point is that the UK should be wary of all the top tier powers right now. All of them are playing the nationalist realpolitik game very hard at the moment. (The main difference being that the Chinese, unlike the US and Russia, tend for the time being to keep most of their brutality inhouse).

 

And yes, the world at that level is incredibly dirty, but then if those with the capability don't believe in and work towards a cleaner world, then it doesn't end well. So the jaded cynicism about it all really helps no one. 

 

hmm… there were also warnings to Trump about Americas decline and little comments about keeping the relationship “generally stable”… Warnings about Taiwan… you’ll get no sort of warnings like that about Putin or Russia and I’d be surprised if he mentions Ukraine at all to Putin.. if he does, he probably won’t be critical of Russias involvement .. Xi has never publicly criticized Russias invasion of Ukraine, yet have publicly and repeatedly been critical of Trumps invasion into Iran.

[Lionator]

3 hours ago, Trav Le Bleu said:

Except many of it's own people.

The living standard of the average Chinese person has grown exponentially over the last 30 years and makes what we have look silly, all within the parameters of a gigantic population. We know there are ethnic groups that are discriminated against and where human rights are abused, and of course that’s dreadful, and should be called out. But also what can you actually do?

[leicsmac]

34 minutes ago, MPH said:

 

hmm… there were also warnings to Trump about Americas decline and little comments about keeping the relationship “generally stable”… Warnings about Taiwan… you’ll get no sort of warnings like that about Putin or Russia and I’d be surprised if he mentions Ukraine at all to Putin.. if he does, he probably won’t be critical of Russias involvement .. Xi has never publicly criticized Russias invasion of Ukraine, yet have publicly and repeatedly been critical of Trumps invasion into Iran.

No disagreement there. 

 

My point was more that people judging the US and the Chinese (for instance) by different standards in terms of realpolitik at the moment are perhaps a bit mistaken. 

[Zear0]

Think the imprisonment of over a million Uyghurs, separation of over 100k children from parents for “re-education” and the forced sterilisation of them to wipe out their race is slightly more than discrimination. Slightly odd to read posters here thinking the Chinese government are not all bad but I have an idea as to why the political left are more sympathetic to the Chinese when what they’re doing is up their with what Israel is up to.

[leicsmac]

3 hours ago, Trav Le Bleu said:

Except many of it's own people.

 

18 minutes ago, Lionator said:

The living standard of the average Chinese person has grown exponentially over the last 30 years and makes what we have look silly, all within the parameters of a gigantic population. We know there are ethnic groups that are discriminated against and where human rights are abused, and of course that’s dreadful, and should be called out. But also what can you actually do?

 

7 minutes ago, Zear0 said:

Think the imprisonment of over a million Uyghurs, separation of over 100k children from parents for “re-education” and the forced sterilisation of them to wipe out their race is slightly more than discrimination. Slightly odd to read posters here thinking the Chinese government are not all bad but I have an idea as to why the political left are more sympathetic to the Chinese when what they’re doing is up their with what Israel is up to.

It's a tricky one. They clearly operate by a system where the individual (or even the group) is subject to the will of the many, and quite often that system is expressed in brutal and oppressive fashion and on a big scale, which of course is no role model for a forward looking state. 

 

At the same time, such acts of brutality don't really appear to be worse in terms of scale and brutality and overall human death and suffering than those of the other leading states over the last few decades, and it appears it all comes down to what name you want your oppression done in, and who benefits from it. (That last part is important, imo.)