General News Thread

[leicsmac]

20 minutes ago, CornwallFox said:

It isn't freedom of speech him and trump want, it's freedom from any laws

To elaborate on this a bit, I reckon what they want is freedom from consequences. They want to be able to abuse their power in peace and treat people as things without being pulled up for it, as those laws world do and seek to do. And they're looking to inspire others to do the same.

 

Needless to say, that cannot happen - and it won't happen. Because, for all the money and power that they have, they are still only human. 

Edited 8 December 2025 by leicsmac

[Trav Le Bleu]

1 minute ago, leicsmac said:

Needless to say, that cannot happen - and it won't happen. Because, for all the money and power that they have, they are still only human. 

 

What about the people who treat them like gods? (Small g)

[leicsmac]

Just now, Trav Le Bleu said:

 

What about the people who treat them like gods? (Small g)

The Earth will disabuse all of them of that notion at some point. Probably abruptly, probably painfully. 

[filthyfox]

Just seen Joey Barton's sentence for putting some nasty words on the internet- you'd get less for slapping someone!

Edited 8 December 2025 by filthyfox

[leicsmac]

33 minutes ago, filthyfox said:

Just seen Joey Barton's sentence for putting some nasty words on the internet- you'd get less for slapping someone!

A suspended sentence and some work in the community helping other people not to be bigots sounds about right to me tbh.

 

Edit: plays rather neatly into the above discussion about some folks wanting freedom from consequences. 

Edited 8 December 2025 by leicsmac

[Dahnsouff]

1 hour ago, Trav Le Bleu said:

What about the people who treat them like gods? (Small g)

The cause of the behaviour is genuinely curious. Some degree of abdication of personal responsibility I assume,  and maybe even a rejection of agency?

(shudder)

 

Then again perhaps this is my secret hubris speaking. 

Edited 8 December 2025 by Dahnsouff

[Tommy G]

30 minutes ago, filthyfox said:

Just seen Joey Barton's sentence for putting some nasty words on the internet- you'd get less for slapping someone!

2025 I'm afraid.

[Trav Le Bleu]

4 minutes ago, Tommy G said:

2025 I'm afraid.

Not for long.

[Jon the Hat]

5 minutes ago, Tommy G said:

2025 I'm afraid.

Andrew Menary KC was keen to talk about where the boundaries lie in the freedom of speech debate.

He told Joey Barton: "Robust debate, satire, mockery and even crude language may fall within permissible free speech.

"But when posts deliberately target individuals with vilifying comparisons to serial killers or false insinuations of paedophilia, designed to humiliate and distress, they forfeit their protection.

"As the jury concluded, your offences exemplify behaviour that is beyond this limit - amounting to a sustained campaign of online abuse that was not mere commentary but targeted, extreme and deliberately harmful."

 

He's an absolute cretin who should be in jail.

[Jon the Hat]

1 minute ago, Trav Le Bleu said:

Not for long.

Something we can all agree on!

[Trav Le Bleu]

3 hours ago, Jon the Hat said:

Andrew Menary KC was keen to talk about where the boundaries lie in the freedom of speech debate.

He told Joey Barton: "Robust debate, satire, mockery and even crude language may fall within permissible free speech.

"But when posts deliberately target individuals with vilifying comparisons to serial killers or false insinuations of paedophilia, designed to humiliate and distress, they forfeit their protection.

"As the jury concluded, your offences exemplify behaviour that is beyond this limit - amounting to a sustained campaign of online abuse that was not mere commentary but targeted, extreme and deliberately harmful."

 

He's an absolute cretin who should be in jail.

I think his history has counted against him. This isn't just about "a couple of media posts". It's chronic. To use a football metaphor, 5 yellows and now he's suspended.

Edited 8 December 2025 by Trav Le Bleu

[Jon the Hat]

23 minutes ago, Trav Le Bleu said:

I think his history has counted against him. This is just about "a couple of media posts". It's chronic. To use a football metaphor, 5 yellows and now he's suspended.

Yep and when he inevitably does it again, he will be banged up.

[Samilktray]

Joey Barton is an absolutely rotten bloke and deserves a life sentence imho 

[CornwallFox]

1 hour ago, filthyfox said:

Just seen Joey Barton's sentence for putting some nasty words on the internet- you'd get less for slapping someone!

He's a scumbag who wrote things that should get anybody in trouble, knowing his platform plays to the type of oiks who might take him seriously and threaten those he acted against. You should get less for slapping someone.

[CornwallFox]

47 minutes ago, Tommy G said:

2025 I'm afraid.

What do you think should happen to somebody that uses a large platform to make the kind of claims he made about others? You like to give your little responses, but never get into any sort of conversation about what should be different. 

[ajthefox]

Woke nonesense. Can't even tell a joke without any structure to 2.5m people about a cycling peado these days without getting in trouble.

[bovril]

1 hour ago, Jon the Hat said:

Andrew Menary KC was keen to talk about where the boundaries lie in the freedom of speech debate.

He told Joey Barton: "Robust debate, satire, mockery and even crude language may fall within permissible free speech.

"But when posts deliberately target individuals with vilifying comparisons to serial killers or false insinuations of paedophilia, designed to humiliate and distress, they forfeit their protection.

"As the jury concluded, your offences exemplify behaviour that is beyond this limit - amounting to a sustained campaign of online abuse that was not mere commentary but targeted, extreme and deliberately harmful."

 

He's an absolute cretin who should be in jail.

another early 2010s outspoken British atheist turns out to be a right wing bigot 

[Miquel The Work Geordie]

Wonder if the people complaining about that sentence would change their stance if someone with millions of followers was repeatedly insinuating they were a peadophile? I'd guess yes tbh

[WigstonWanderer]

8 hours ago, Jon the Hat said:

Do you really think our relationship with EU leaders is worse than it was before Brexit?  It absolutely isn't.  There might be some bickering around defense spending, but the EU will find they need BAE Systems and others pretty soon, just as much as we need French defence suppliers.  Remember again the EU is not Europe, and we have NATO (even ignoring the idiot over the pond) and plenty of other reasons to remain close to our European friends without being in the EU.

Jon, you’re going to have to stop saying “we” soon. You’ll soon have been here in Oz long enough to qualify for the operation - remove brain, insert meat pie  Face it, you’re an Aussie now. (Doesn’t apply for the cricket I’m afraid).

[filthyfox]

33 minutes ago, ajthefox said:

Woke nonesense. Can't even tell a joke without any structure to 2.5m people about a cycling peado these days without getting in trouble.

You're about to get murdered here, mate. (Ps...  that was a JOKE)

[Tommy G]

58 minutes ago, CornwallFox said:

What do you think should happen to somebody that uses a large platform to make the kind of claims he made about others? You like to give your little responses, but never get into any sort of conversation about what should be different. 

He got a fair sentence for what he did. My point was we see time and time again, weak sentences for people that commit serious crimes - Rape, GBH, Robbery, Firearm offences etc but we then see OTT sentences for people that post stuff online - before you come crying to me I realise in the case of JB it was a bit more than just a few things posted online - I think generally, ''these days'' meaning my reference to 2025, it can be a bit disproportionate. One of the reasons is prison capacity probably. 

 

FYI anyone can give responses on here, there isn't a right to reply on every point made - we aren't in court, this is a forum to discuss footie and tittle tattle about current affairs or birds you fancy off the telly, it's not that deep. So apologies if I don't come back to you on every point raised. 

 

 

[Leicesterpool]

Barton guilty but allowed to walk the streets, no doubt he will still get work though.

[CornwallFox]

14 minutes ago, Tommy G said:

He got a fair sentence for what he did. My point was we see time and time again, weak sentences for people that commit serious crimes - Rape, GBH, Robbery, Firearm offences etc but we then see OTT sentences for people that post stuff online - before you come crying to me I realise in the case of JB it was a bit more than just a few things posted online - I think generally, ''these days'' meaning my reference to 2025, it can be a bit disproportionate. One of the reasons is prison capacity probably. 

 

FYI anyone can give responses on here, there isn't a right to reply on every point made - we aren't in court, this is a forum to discuss footie and tittle tattle about current affairs or birds you fancy off the telly, it's not that deep. So apologies if I don't come back to you on every point raised. 

 

 

That's a fair response Tommy. I don't expect you to answer my every question my little fox friend, I'm glad you did on this occasion though. I think broadly the sentencing guidelines are fair, I think reporting can be an issue as you tend to get a skewed picture when people say x crime got x sentence but you've no idea of the backstory, mitigations etc. 

Edited 8 December 2025 by CornwallFox

[Jon the Hat]

26 minutes ago, WigstonWanderer said:

Jon, you’re going to have to stop saying “we” soon. You’ll soon have been here in Oz long enough to qualify for the operation - remove brain, insert meat pie  Face it, you’re an Aussie now. (Doesn’t apply for the cricket I’m afraid).

My Citizenship test isn't till January, so it will be a few more months until I get to stand up and swear allegiance.  I think though, if I start thinking too much about Australian politics I might go completely mad...

 

Meanwhile I had a 50:50 sporting weekend... City win, Cricket shockingly poor, Wildcats last second 1 point defeat from 20 point lead and finally Lando wining the F1 Championship. I need a lie down!

[Tommy G]

36 minutes ago, CornwallFox said:

That's a fair response Tommy. I don't expect you to answer my every question my little fox friend, I'm glad you did on this occasion though. I think broadly the sentencing guidelines are fair, I think reporting can be an issue as you tend to get a skewed picture when people say x crime got x sentence but you've no idea of the backstory, mitigations etc. 

I don't really care about the ''back story'' if there is rape or stabbing involved. It's just a general frustration that serious crime doesn't get the sentences it deserves, just a general point and not a hill I want to die on tbh.