General News Thread

[Guest Bilo]

1 hour ago, leicsmac said:

The problem with commercial media in that case is that a single point of truth doesn't sell. Oppobrium and controversy do. 

 

Another weakness of such a commercial system.

 

It's become so much more prevalent recently, and yes, such lies incur a debt to the truth and one day that debt is paid. An agency outside much human control, with the laws of physics and microbiology, will see to that. And the cost will be high.

The reason we’re currently swimming in Brexit confusion, Reform UK theatrics, and MAGA performance art is fairly straightforward: the media decided to elevate some… let’s call them “unusually opinionated” individuals, and pretend their ramblings were part of a legitimate national dialogue.

 

Once upon a time, if someone loudly announced discriminatory nonsense in public, the standard responses were laughter, a polite ignoring, or the occasional suggestion to return to their usual dwelling under a rock. Today, however, such characters are awarded panel seats on Question Time or featured clips on GB News, thereby rebranding their unpleasant mutterings as “a valid contribution to the debate.”

 

This, of course, isn’t about “free speech.” It’s about mainstreaming ignorance because editors and producers fear being labelled as “biased.” Instead of calling racism what it is, we get the endless circus of “let’s hear both sides.” No — there aren’t “two sides” to bigotry. There’s simply “don’t be awful to people because of who they are” versus “well, actually…”

 

Meanwhile, social media platforms beam this material into every corner of the internet, because outrage conveniently translates into engagement, which conveniently translates into money. And so, our public conversation gets steered by people who, in more sensible times, might not have been trusted with steering a shopping trolley.

 

The solution isn’t censorship. It’s daylight. It’s ridicule. It’s calmly and repeatedly pointing out that these self-styled “straight talkers” are not courageous truth-tellers, but just… not very clever, and not very kind.

[leicsmac]

17 minutes ago, Bilo said:

The reason we’re currently swimming in Brexit confusion, Reform UK theatrics, and MAGA performance art is fairly straightforward: the media decided to elevate some… let’s call them “unusually opinionated” individuals, and pretend their ramblings were part of a legitimate national dialogue.

 

Once upon a time, if someone loudly announced discriminatory nonsense in public, the standard responses were laughter, a polite ignoring, or the occasional suggestion to return to their usual dwelling under a rock. Today, however, such characters are awarded panel seats on Question Time or featured clips on GB News, thereby rebranding their unpleasant mutterings as “a valid contribution to the debate.”

 

This, of course, isn’t about “free speech.” It’s about mainstreaming ignorance because editors and producers fear being labelled as “biased.” Instead of calling racism what it is, we get the endless circus of “let’s hear both sides.” No — there aren’t “two sides” to bigotry. There’s simply “don’t be awful to people because of who they are” versus “well, actually…”

 

Meanwhile, social media platforms beam this material into every corner of the internet, because outrage conveniently translates into engagement, which conveniently translates into money. And so, our public conversation gets steered by people who, in more sensible times, might not have been trusted with steering a shopping trolley.

 

The solution isn’t censorship. It’s daylight. It’s ridicule. It’s calmly and repeatedly pointing out that these self-styled “straight talkers” are not courageous truth-tellers, but just… not very clever, and not very kind.

Exactly.

 

The only observation I'll add is about the last sentence; in theory sunlight is the best disinfectant, but in practice I'm not sure how well it's working given how folks have been trying to do that with diminishing success of late.

[leicsmac]

2 hours ago, Wymsey said:

It seems like RFK Jr speaks as much controversy as Trump does.

Did get something of a grilling from the Senate committee, which was good. 

 

Of course, the ideas he's pushing are still gaining traction among the populace, which is bad. 

[bovril]

Having lived a long time in South Eastern Europe I'm always impressed at how quaint Britain's political scandals are.

[DennisNedry]

The asylum seeker found guilty of sexual assault is surely the poster boy for Labour's proposals to just deport criminals straight away. Seems mad imprisoning him at the taxpayer's expense. Just get him gone.

[leicsmac]

2 minutes ago, bovril said:

Having lived a long time in South Eastern Europe I'm always impressed at how quaint Britain's political scandals are.

Could say the same about East Asia, as well.

 

Their white collar crime goes full-throttle. 

[Wymsey]

1 minute ago, DennisNedry said:

The asylum seeker found guilty of sexual assault is surely the poster boy for Labour's proposals to just deport criminals straight away. Seems mad imprisoning him at the taxpayer's expense. Just get him gone.

And the Southport murders lad (who reportedly assaults prison staff almost daily and has certain perks).

[bovril]

3 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

Could say the same about East Asia, as well.

 

Their white collar crime goes full-throttle. 

Maybe because our corruption is deeper and more hidden people get more disappointed by stuff like the Rayner story. The idea that a politician would resign because they underpaid tax on a flat is almost incomprehensible in the Balkans.

 

 

[leicsmac]

2 minutes ago, bovril said:

Maybe because our corruption is deeper and more hidden people get more disappointed by stuff like the Rayner story. The idea that a politician would resign because they underpaid tax on a flat is almost incomprehensible in the Balkans.

 

 

Maybe so.

 

Elsewhere it's much more "go big or go home" in terms of such things than in the UK.

[Tommy Fresh]

53 minutes ago, Wymsey said:

And the Southport murders lad (who reportedly assaults prison staff almost daily and has certain perks).

I don't get how this is relevant? 

[st albans fox]

1 hour ago, DennisNedry said:

The asylum seeker found guilty of sexual assault is surely the poster boy for Labour's proposals to just deport criminals straight away. Seems mad imprisoning him at the taxpayer's expense. Just get him gone.

Surely that can only happen if he will serve some custodial time wherever he’s deported to ?? 
otherwise where is the justice for those who have been abused? 

[Trav Le Bleu]

That lovely Nadine Dorries has defected to Reform.

 

Former Conservative minister Nadine Dorries defects to Reform UK - BBC News

 

https://share.google/YH6t6LKtza7YbFAz5

 

I didn't realise she was still an MP. Reform should be a perfect fit for her.

 

Edit: she isn't an MP, in which case, not sure how this is a defection.

Edited 4 September 2025 by Trav Le Bleu

[Jon the Hat]

2 hours ago, st albans fox said:

Surely that can only happen if he will serve some custodial time wherever he’s deported to ?? 
otherwise where is the justice for those who have been abused? 

Exactly, if you commit a crime here you serve time here, and then off you pop.  Hopefully the courts will have that power by the time he gets out.

[CornwallFox]

2 hours ago, st albans fox said:

Surely that can only happen if he will serve some custodial time wherever he’s deported to ?? 
otherwise where is the justice for those who have been abused? 

The idea is deport immediately for most crimes. For things like murder you'd do time then be deported.

[urban.spaceman]

7 hours ago, leicsmac said:

Exactly.

 

The only observation I'll add is about the last sentence; in theory sunlight is the best disinfectant, but in practice I'm not sure how well it's working given how folks have been trying to do that with diminishing success of late.

Supposing we hit their brains with a tremendous amount of light that knocks the stupid out of them in a minute? 

[urban.spaceman]

4 hours ago, Wymsey said:

And the Southport murders lad (who reportedly assaults prison staff almost daily and has certain perks).

Born and bred in Wales. 

[Jon the Hat]

14 minutes ago, urban.spaceman said:

Born and bred in Wales. 

2nd generation migrants seem to struggle most to fit in to be honest.  Parents are glad of the safety life in the UK brings, but tend to still live in their own way in thei own communities, whereas their kids have that at home then UK schooling, stuck in between and fitting in neither.  Look at a lot of the coverage re Shamima Begum and how she was ripe to be radicalised.

[Trav Le Bleu]

3 hours ago, Jon the Hat said:

2nd generation migrants seem to struggle most to fit in to be honest.  Parents are glad of the safety life in the UK brings, but tend to still live in their own way in thei own communities, whereas their kids have that at home then UK schooling, stuck in between and fitting in neither.  Look at a lot of the coverage re Shamima Begum and how she was ripe to be radicalised.

Yeah, they go to school, get the abuse and also don't appreciate how much worse life was for their parents. They might even serve as translators (showing the importance of learning the language of any country you want to live in - and British ex-pats can be just as guilty) and so therefore end up doing the household admin.

 

It's not an excuse, but it is a cause.

[CosbehFox]

10 hours ago, Wymsey said:

And the Southport murders lad (who reportedly assaults prison staff almost daily and has certain perks).

He was born in the UK

[Guest Bilo]

God, this was satisfying.

 

Sit down with a beer and enjoy. 

 

You're welcome.

 

 

[StanSP]

6 hours ago, Jon the Hat said:

2nd generation migrants seem to struggle most to fit in to be honest.

Maybe because they were hurled with abuse during their own (young) lives, similar or even worse to the scale we see today! 

 

Speak to most ethnic minorities in their 20s/30s/40s and they'll have many stories of their parents being chased down the streets after school, running home just to avoid it, being racially targeted at football matches, spat at, kicked, punched, graffiti on their shop windows, met with signs saying 'no blacks, Irish...'. 

 

Can you see why they fight a losing battle? 

 

'THEY DON'T INTEGRATE!!!'

 

It's not fvcking made easy that's why!! 

 

'they should do more to join in and get involved with the community'. 

 

Maybe they already do but you (the racists, not specifically you JTH) perhaps don't want to mix in theirs either because you think it's all bombs and sex crimes and criminal activity. There's no obligation to, of course. It's not a must. But trying to get someone involved in your own community only helps if it's a welcoming and friendly one or if there's mutual respect on either side. 

 

Far-right think everyone is a bad egg, without even giving them a hint of a chance to join in to the English community. 

 

What's even more amusing is that sometimes the shops or establishments they've created when they've migrated here is actually part of the community!! They're in the heart of it! So ironically they've possibly done more to be in the community than any far-right racist 'patriot' has in their life, who shuns away people regardless of background/culture compared to an immigrant who's overcome all the adversity and hatred and still tried to, wait for it, integrate... 

Edited 5 September 2025 by StanSP

[StanSP]

2 hours ago, Trav Le Bleu said:

Yeah, they go to school, get the abuse and also don't appreciate how much worse life was for their parents.

Yes we bloody well do. 

[Trav Le Bleu]

4 minutes ago, StanSP said:

Yes we bloody well do. 

You do. I think a lot don't, even if only it's because their parents shield them from it.

 

Is it so unusual that kids don't often appreciate their parents until later in life, sometimes after the mistakes they make that their parents avoided? And here I'm talking about all kids, not just immigrants.

 

I don't think anyone can really know what someone else has gone through without going through it themselves, no matter how empathetic.

[Dr The Singh]

6 hours ago, Jon the Hat said:

2nd generation migrants seem to struggle most to fit in to be honest.  Parents are glad of the safety life in the UK brings, but tend to still live in their own way in thei own communities, whereas their kids have that at home then UK schooling, stuck in between and fitting in neither.  Look at a lot of the coverage re Shamima Begum and how she was ripe to be radicalised.

Agree pal, but it also depends on the generation.  Peeps in 70', 80's, 90's, were subject to racism.

 

Im my case, I want accepted as a Brit/English here and in the punjab wasn't accepted there, they called me foreign monkey.

[st albans fox]

8 hours ago, CornwallFox said:

The idea is deport immediately for most crimes. For things like murder you'd do time then be deported.

Isn’t that a charter to commit whatever crimes you want to if you think your asylum claim is unlikely to succeed ??