General News Thread

[Samilktray]

20 minutes ago, Sampson said:

I think it almost feels a lot longer. Everything pre-pandemic feels like almost a different world to me, so much has changed since. The world changes so much nowadays that there are so many comparison points to look back on. Like the Cameron government and EU and Scotland independence referendums feel about 20 years ago now to me, not only 10.

How do you feel about mushy peas? 

[Sampson]

6 minutes ago, Samilktray said:

How do you feel about mushy peas? 

They’ve always been god tier food tbh. Up there with custard and pepperoni pizza as 10/10 foods.

[JonnyBoy]

1 hour ago, Samilktray said:

Over 5 years since the first Covid lockdown is crazy really. Tried mushy peas for the first time during that lockdown and haven’t looked back since. I have a tin every night for dinner to help me afford to buy a house, just finished tonight’s tin as it happens. 

Only 100 odd tins to go 👍🏻

[leicsmac]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c0qpqkyp948t

 

Trump actually chats with Mamdani in person. Didn't go as expected, shall we say. 

[Zear0]

3 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c0qpqkyp948t

 

Trump actually chats with Mamdani in person. Didn't go as expected, shall we say. 

The desperation of the media for that meeting to decend into a public fight was pretty cringe. 

[leicsmac]

1 minute ago, Zear0 said:

The desperation of the media for that meeting to decend into a public fight was pretty cringe. 

Think it was that and the simple assumption that it was going to, considering how Trump has interacted with ideologically opposed people (or simply anyone who disagrees with him) in the past. 

 

Think it's probably a good thing that Mamdani was able to stem his vitriol, shows that he has the mentality as well as the ground support to hold a high level office. 

[Lionator]

Just to prove how strategically insane and stupid the main European politicians are these days, Merz, Macron and Starmer are now drafting an ‘alternative peace plan’ for Ukraine which is better for Ukraine? 
 

a) why would Russia stop fighting and accept that?

b) why weren’t they doing this anyway, rather than waiting for Trump? 
c) how did we end up with such useless foreign policy politicians? 

[Tommy G]

Beth Rigby has just destroyed Keir in an interview, he looks absolutely on his last legs now. 

[Trav Le Bleu]

5 minutes ago, Lionator said:

 

c) how did we end up with such useless foreign policy politicians? 

Voted for them

[Lionator]

9 minutes ago, Trav Le Bleu said:

Voted for them

Well true, I’m thinking more how did they get into these positions in the first place? Those three politicians are despised on basically every single issue yet we blindly follow them on foreign policy issues. The UK and EU are nowhere near as democratic as we like to think, it’s close to being a liberal dictatorship. Now, the alternative may be worse of course, but they need to actually give us reason to believe in it. 

[Bellend Sebastian]

Daily Mail owner buying the Telegraph titles.

 

Can't wait to have the tsunami of offshore capital funded common sense and traditional values wash over me

[leicsmac]

1 hour ago, Tommy G said:

Beth Rigby has just destroyed Keir in an interview, he looks absolutely on his last legs now. 

Taking this as rote for a minute, Burnham must be considering a move. 

[leicsmac]

1 hour ago, Lionator said:

Just to prove how strategically insane and stupid the main European politicians are these days, Merz, Macron and Starmer are now drafting an ‘alternative peace plan’ for Ukraine which is better for Ukraine? 
 

a) why would Russia stop fighting and accept that?

b) why weren’t they doing this anyway, rather than waiting for Trump? 
c) how did we end up with such useless foreign policy politicians? 

 

1 hour ago, Trav Le Bleu said:

Voted for them

And because the whole system of realpolitik is stupid, reductive and destructive. 

[kenny]

1 hour ago, Tommy G said:

Beth Rigby has just destroyed Keir in an interview, he looks absolutely on his last legs now. 

She is horrible. I don't know why any politician would agree to be interviewed by her.

 

Better with Peston as he uses his 15 minutes of interview time asking the first question, then you can leave.

[Dahnsouff]

53 minutes ago, Lionator said:

Well true, I’m thinking more how did they get into these positions in the first place? Those three politicians are despised on basically every single issue yet we blindly follow them on foreign policy issues. The UK and EU are nowhere near as democratic as we like to think, it’s close to being a liberal dictatorship. Now, the alternative may be worse of course, but they need to actually give us reason to believe in it. 

Because politics of all stripes has become the domain of the self interested and not those interested in service and the greater good.

 

Recommendation is don't hold your breath for better.

 

 

[BKLFox]

1 hour ago, Lionator said:

Just to prove how strategically insane and stupid the main European politicians are these days, Merz, Macron and Starmer are now drafting an ‘alternative peace plan’ for Ukraine which is better for Ukraine? 
 

a) why would Russia stop fighting and accept that?

b) why weren’t they doing this anyway, rather than waiting for Trump? 
c) how did we end up with such useless foreign policy politicians? 

Biggest winner of the 28point ‘peace’ plan is the US of A

[Dahnsouff]

1 hour ago, Lionator said:

Just to prove how strategically insane and stupid the main European politicians are these days, Merz, Macron and Starmer are now drafting an ‘alternative peace plan’ for Ukraine which is better for Ukraine? 
 

a) why would Russia stop fighting and accept that?

b) why weren’t they doing this anyway, rather than waiting for Trump? 
c) how did we end up with such useless foreign policy politicians? 

They are not stupid, they are impotent. The return of 'might is right' has returned and Trump is only too happy to remove the mask.

[Dahnsouff]

2 minutes ago, BKLFox said:

Biggest winner of the 28point ‘peace’ plan is the US of A

Full agree. Any outcome for the US here is a domestic win as he gets to reduce defence spending in the area, either by ending another war (This guy should get an award or something..) and cutting foreign spending, not that domestic Joe's will benefit. Or alternatively playing the 'well we tried' card, blame  Ukraine and Europe and then cut spending.

[leicsmac]

10 minutes ago, Dahnsouff said:

They are not stupid, they are impotent. The return of 'might is right' has returned and Trump is only too happy to remove the mask.

True. 

 

As mentioned before, the only rather cold comfort I can offer is that attitude ends only one way - with everyone losing, including the power mongering sociopaths that people like Trump embody. 

 

There's no way that they "win" - not for any length of time anyway. 

[Dahnsouff]

Just now, leicsmac said:

True. 

 

As mentioned before, the only rather cold comfort I can offer is that attitude ends only one way - with everyone losing, including the power mongering sociopaths that people like Trump embody. 

 

There's no way that they "win" - not for any length of time anyway. 

They don't win longer term I agree, but it is frustrating that such people are protected by The Prisoners Dilemma made policy.

[Sampson]

2 hours ago, Lionator said:

Well true, I’m thinking more how did they get into these positions in the first place? Those three politicians are despised on basically every single issue yet we blindly follow them on foreign policy issues. The UK and EU are nowhere near as democratic as we like to think, it’s close to being a liberal dictatorship. Now, the alternative may be worse of course, but they need to actually give us reason to believe in it. 

I’m sorry but what does this even mean? Why is it like a liberal dictatorship? Why do we mostly follow them on geopolitical issues? I’m really unsure what your trying to get at here, it feels like weirdly coded language.
 

The overwhelming majority of British people fervently support Ukraine because they are uncontroversially the defenders in this war, and most of us think it’s frightening that one European country should just be allowed to invade another like that, iirc Europe has had a pretty long, scarring and bloody history with things like that. On the flip side it’s obvious Trump just doesn’t care at best, if not is much more on Russia’s side than Ukraine’s. It’s obvious though that Europe doesn’t have the military to defend itself and is too reliant on the US, I hope we ween ourself off US support and UK, France, Germany, Poland and the rest of Western and Central Europe create a military alliance which can hold up against US, China and Russia, and I’d love for the UK to break off from its over reliance on the US, but it’s not going to happen overnight, so this peace treaty thing is obviously just optics. It probably won’t achieve much but I think it’s good to see us looking different from the US in this world, I just hope we take military build up seriously.

 

im with you on your point B though, was the same with the pandemic and it feels very much the same with AI - why are we not planning this? Why are we not planning and letting the public know for the potentially economic and civilization ending issues of AI? Even if it’s a 0.1% chance we should plan for it and be sending “in case of emergency” pamphlets explaining the dangers through every door.

Edited 22 November 2025 by Sampson

[BKLFox]

27 minutes ago, Dahnsouff said:

Full agree. Any outcome for the US here is a domestic win as he gets to reduce defence spending in the area, either by ending another war (This guy should get an award or something..) and cutting foreign spending, not that domestic Joe's will benefit. Or alternatively playing the 'well we tried' card, blame  Ukraine and Europe and then cut spending.

I particularly look at points 12 & 14 whereby the US led rebuilding & investing of UKE will be funded by seized Russian assets & the European £/€…however 50% of investment profits & an unmentioned % of extracted minerals and natural resources will go to the US..there will be few feet on the ground from the US but very many hands in there.

 

& yes @leicsmac I get this will only be enjoyed for a short time as the end is nigh.

[CornwallFox]

1 hour ago, leicsmac said:

Taking this as rote for a minute, Burnham must be considering a move. 

My dad is lost to GB news/reform but even he has mentioned liking Andy Burnham. Worth a try if starmar can't stem the tide 🤣

I happen to think starmar is a pretty honest guy trying to do what's best for the country but has had some failures (economically) and been battered by right wing media and just hasn't been able to get a message out that sticks. The winter fuel fiasco pretty much screwed them from day one. If they'd just put the point of no winter fuel payment where it is now to start with they wouldn't have made such a mess. 

I don't think they're doing too badly overall but I don't think 99% of people could tell you anything they've done beyond the handful of things the media and social media has battered them over.

Edited 22 November 2025 by CornwallFox

[CornwallFox]

1 hour ago, kenny said:

She is horrible. I don't know why any politician would agree to be interviewed by her.

 

Better with Peston as he uses his 15 minutes of interview time asking the first question, then you can leave.

The issue I have with journalists today is no matter who they talk to, and no matter what the issue, whatever the interviewee , they just automatically put the opposing argument in a way that makes the interviewee look silly, even if they're right to start with. 

 

This isn't about the starmar interview, I haven't seen it and no idea what happened, just an observation about interviews in general. 

 

Surely they should be there so the interviewee can explain their policy and what they think the various pros are and why they've made that choice, then yes some push back and challenge, but in a sensible way. Instead interviewers now don't give any pretty opportunity for explanation or nuance. It gives zero help to the public and simply builds on that feeling politicians can't be trusted when I'm not sure that's true in most cases.

[CornwallFox]

1 hour ago, Sampson said:

I’m sorry but what does this even mean? Why is it like a liberal dictatorship? Why do we mostly follow them on geopolitical issues? I’m really unsure what your trying to get at here, it feels like weirdly coded language.
 

The overwhelming majority of British people fervently support Ukraine because they are uncontroversially the defenders in this war, and most of us think it’s frightening that one European country should just be allowed to invade another like that, iirc Europe has had a pretty long, scarring and bloody history with things like that. It’s obvious that Europe doesn’t have the military to defend itself and is too reliant on the US, I hope we ween ourself off US support and UK, France, Germany, Poland and the rest of Western and Central Europe create a military alliance which can hold up against US, China and Russia, and I’d love for the UK to break off from its over reliance on the US, but it’s not going to happen overnight, so this peace treaty thing is obviously just optics. It probably won’t achieve much but I think it’s good to see us looking different from the US in this world, I just hope we take military build up seriously.

 

im with you on your point B though, was the same with the pandemic and it feels very much the same with AI - why are we not planning this? Why are we not planning and letting the public know for the potentially economic and civilization ending issues of AI? Even if it’s a 0.1% chance we should plan for it and be sending “in case of emergency” pamphlets explaining the dangers through every door.

Just protection from Russia imo.

China is zero threat militarily. 

There's one country that goes around the world threatening or attacking anybody it doesn't agree with, and that isn't China.

Edited 22 November 2025 by CornwallFox