General News Thread

[leicsmac]

1 hour ago, Trav Le Bleu said:

Ainit bruh!

Another example of that thing that anyone with a modicum of sense warned about coming true:

 

(Separation of church and state, anyone?)

 

Edited 8 September 2025 by leicsmac

[StanSP]

Popped out for a walk earlier - saw a tradesman's van drive by.

 

They had an England flag flying off the back of it. It almost makes me want to use them less . Only because of how the flag has been weaponised and appropriated. They might be the best carpenters ever but it also tells me a lot about them too...

[MaidstoneFox]

13 minutes ago, StanSP said:

Popped out for a walk earlier - saw a tradesman's van drive by.

 

They had an England flag flying off the back of it. It almost makes me want to use them less . Only because of how the flag has been weaponised and appropriated. They might be the best carpenters ever but it also tells me a lot about them too...

If it wasn't in the news, i wouldn't know that flags and roundabout painting were a thing. I've not seen anything in 'west Maidstone'.

[Clogger_]

16 minutes ago, StanSP said:

Popped out for a walk earlier - saw a tradesman's van drive by.

 

They had an England flag flying off the back of it. It almost makes me want to use them less . Only because of how the flag has been weaponised and appropriated. They might be the best carpenters ever but it also tells me a lot about them too...

Hard avoid

[Tommy G]

20 minutes ago, StanSP said:

Popped out for a walk earlier - saw a tradesman's van drive by.

 

They had an England flag flying off the back of it. It almost makes me want to use them less . Only because of how the flag has been weaponised and appropriated. They might be the best carpenters ever but it also tells me a lot about them too...

I don't think it automatically means they are racist far right - but I can see your thinking, I'm not in a minority position (yet) to comment really on how it must feel, but I'm going to lob my opinion out there that there are probably quite a few tradies that will happily don the St George flag 

[StanSP]

29 minutes ago, Tommy G said:

I don't think it automatically means they are racist far right - but I can see your thinking, I'm not in a minority position (yet) to comment really on how it must feel, but I'm going to lob my opinion out there that there are probably quite a few tradies that will happily don the St George flag 

Nah I know it doesn't automatically mean that. And part of me feels bad to have that pre-judgement.

 

But my first thought was 'what's the point?' why have the flag? What's made him feel the need to do it? 

[Greg2607]

Not all flag flyers are far right racists..... But all far right racists are flag flyers.  And therein lies the problem. 

[MPH]

Concerned about the shooting of Israelis in Jerusalem. Terrible crime of course, but I’m very concerned that Netentahu  will use this to target Palestinians living within the border of Israel.  He’s clearly in buggrit mode as his career and health start to wind down..

[Foxdiamond]

50 minutes ago, Greg2607 said:

Not all flag flyers are far right racists..... But all far right racists are flag flyers.  And therein lies the problem. 

That the English were not all that concerned with waving flags in the past allowed the far right to claim. Great shame really. 

[Greg2607]

2 minutes ago, Foxdiamond said:

That the English were not all that concerned with waving flags in the past allowed the far right to claim. Great shame really. 

speaking personally... I've always associated more with the Union Jack than the Cross of St-George.  Although i'm English.... I'd see myself as British.   

 

For World-Cups etc... fair enough... but for everything else.... it's not a thing for me. Given that my family name goes back to the 1200's in England, I should feel more "English"... 

 

but quite honestly, I don't particularly like the version of England that we have recently become. 

 

it's too divisive, selfish, self serving and that attitude is being driven by a very specific demographic in our population. The Racists and the Bigots. 

 

 

[Zear0]

3 minutes ago, Greg2607 said:

speaking personally... I've always associated more with the Union Jack than the Cross of St-George.  Although i'm English.... I'd see myself as British.   

 

For World-Cups etc... fair enough... but for everything else.... it's not a thing for me. Given that my family name goes back to the 1200's in England, I should feel more "English"... 

 

but quite honestly, I don't particularly like the version of England that we have recently become. 

 

it's too divisive, selfish, self serving and that attitude is being driven by a very specific demographic in our population. The Racists and the Bigots. 

 

 

So you're saying you were one of Prince Louis' invading Normans?  Get out of here Frenchy.

[urban.spaceman]

32 minutes ago, Greg2607 said:

speaking personally... I've always associated more with the Union Jack than the Cross of St-George.  Although i'm English.... I'd see myself as British.   

 

For World-Cups etc... fair enough... but for everything else.... it's not a thing for me. Given that my family name goes back to the 1200's in England, I should feel more "English"... 

 

but quite honestly, I don't particularly like the version of England that we have recently become. 

 

it's too divisive, selfish, self serving and that attitude is being driven by a very specific demographic in our population. The Racists and the Bigots. 

 

 

My gran has spent decades learning her ancestry and has found records going back to the 1500s; then she sent off her DNA and was shocked to learn her ancestry was 60% Scandinavian. 

 

BLOODY VIKINGS!

 

[Foxdiamond]

1 hour ago, Greg2607 said:

speaking personally... I've always associated more with the Union Jack than the Cross of St-George.  Although i'm English.... I'd see myself as British.   

 

For World-Cups etc... fair enough... but for everything else.... it's not a thing for me. Given that my family name goes back to the 1200's in England, I should feel more "English"... 

 

but quite honestly, I don't particularly like the version of England that we have recently become. 

 

it's too divisive, selfish, self serving and that attitude is being driven by a very specific demographic in our population. The Racists and the Bigots. 

 

 

Interesting about the Union flag when you look at the 1966 World Cup. Almost all England games the Union flag in evidence rather than St George's Cross. Looking at my own family certainly English on my paternal side but a mix of English, Scots and Irish on maternal side. I feel both English and British. In the past happy to leave see Union flag on public buildings etc. For example I remember visiting Lincoln Castle which happened to be 23 April. St George's flag that day but otherwise the Union flag.  Great shame that everybody living in England cannot feel comfortable when they see the flag except when the football team is playing 

[Foxdiamond]

2 hours ago, Zear0 said:

So you're saying you were one of Prince Louis' invading Normans?  Get out of here Frenchy.

De La Zouch spells it out

[StanSP]

10 minutes ago, Foxdiamond said:

Interesting about the Union flag when you look at the 1966 World Cup. Almost all England games the Union flag in evidence rather than St George's Cross. Looking at my own family certainly English on my paternal side but a mix of English, Scots and Irish on maternal side. I feel both English and British. In the past happy to leave see Union flag on public buildings etc. For example I remember visiting Lincoln Castle which happened to be 23 April. St George's flag that day but otherwise the Union flag.  Great shame that everybody living in England cannot feel comfortable when they see the flag except when the football team is playing 

It's ironic because I don't mind seeing the cross on flags or buildings before this latest debacle. 

 

But now it has taken on, there's a different light that it's being seen in. I'm willing to bet that before this far right nonsense took hold, no one could have cared or batted an eyelid that there were so many around. 

[Greg2607]

14 minutes ago, Foxdiamond said:

De La Zouch spells it out

relatively confident i'm not a descendent of that family.... the family name originates from a tiny village near Congleton that literally now has a post office and nothing else. 

 

turns out i'm a Manc. 

[Foxdiamond]

9 minutes ago, Greg2607 said:

relatively confident i'm not a descendent of that family.... the family name originates from a tiny village near Congleton that literally now has a post office and nothing else. 

 

turns out i'm a Manc. 

Only thing I know about Congleton is my Dad did his army motorcycle course there in ww2 

[CosbehFox]

1 hour ago, Foxdiamond said:

Interesting about the Union flag when you look at the 1966 World Cup. Almost all England games the Union flag in evidence rather than St George's Cross. Looking at my own family certainly English on my paternal side but a mix of English, Scots and Irish on maternal side. I feel both English and British. In the past happy to leave see Union flag on public buildings etc. For example I remember visiting Lincoln Castle which happened to be 23 April. St George's flag that day but otherwise the Union flag.  Great shame that everybody living in England cannot feel comfortable when they see the flag except when the football team is playing 

You can go as late as the 1990 World Cup and England fans are carrying Union Jack. 

[Super_horns]

French Government imploding .

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c5yqgnzw759t

[Spudulike]

17 minutes ago, Super_horns said:

French Government imploding .

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c5yqgnzw759t

The French people have lost confidence in the political system with the Government detached from the public.

 

Sounds familiar. 

[bovril]

4 hours ago, Greg2607 said:

speaking personally... I've always associated more with the Union Jack than the Cross of St-George.  Although i'm English.... I'd see myself as British.   

 

For World-Cups etc... fair enough... but for everything else.... it's not a thing for me. Given that my family name goes back to the 1200's in England, I should feel more "English"... 

 

but quite honestly, I don't particularly like the version of England that we have recently become. 

 

it's too divisive, selfish, self serving and that attitude is being driven by a very specific demographic in our population. The Racists and the Bigots. 

 

 

I'm definitely way more English than British. British feels more like a political construct to me, more related to empire and aggressive protestantism. 

 

I get a bit depressed how little the English seem to know or care about England and its history. Especially the flag waving roundabout painters. Totally ignorant of most of our literature, art, architecture, history, and especially our identity as an intrinsically European nation. Too busy wanting to be 'global Britain' I guess. Maybe dissolving the union would improve things but it'd probably just end up like Russia, an angry and materially and culturally impoverished nation nostalgic for former glories. Half way there already. 

[Super_horns]

21 minutes ago, Spudulike said:

The French people have lost confidence in the political system with the Government detached from the public.

 

Sounds familiar. 

Doesn’t seem that long ago since the last election they had .

[Spudulike]

4 hours ago, Greg2607 said:

speaking personally... I've always associated more with the Union Jack than the Cross of St-George.  Although i'm English.... I'd see myself as British.   

 

For World-Cups etc... fair enough... but for everything else.... it's not a thing for me. Given that my family name goes back to the 1200's in England, I should feel more "English"... 

 

but quite honestly, I don't particularly like the version of England that we have recently become. 

 

it's too divisive, selfish, self serving and that attitude is being driven by a very specific demographic in our population. The Racists and the Bigots. 

 

 

There's probably a name given to bigot accusers.

[MaidstoneFox]

Then they came for Tom Hanks.

 

Now I'm angry. 

[The Bear]

2 minutes ago, MaidstoneFox said:

Then they came for Tom Hanks.

 

Now I'm angry. 

He's definitely some type of weirdo in private, either religious or sexual. Just look at his reactions to Ricky Gervais Golden Globe roasts. Plus he was friends with Epstein too IIRC.