General News Thread

[leicsmac]

1 minute ago, danny. said:

I'd agree with that. 

And then society somehow has to arrive at a workable solution, which is in no way as simple as some people appear to think. 

[danny.]

5 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

And then society somehow has to arrive at a workable solution, which is in no way as simple as some people appear to think. 

Not without a massive cultural shift. I hope it gets better, I think it will get worse. 

[leicsmac]

12 minutes ago, danny. said:

Not without a massive cultural shift. I hope it gets better, I think it will get worse. 

Perhaps as inequality increases economically, it likewise increases socially. 

 

So yes, among other issues, it could well get worse. 

[danny.]

1 hour ago, leicsmac said:

Perhaps as inequality increases economically, it likewise increases socially. 

 

So yes, among other issues, it could well get worse. 

I don't think the issue is inequality, but we no doubt have different worldviews on this.

[bovril]

2 hours ago, danny. said:

Eastern European countries (especially some like like Poland and Bulgaria) have much lower rates than Western: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-eurostat-news/w/ddn-20241125-3
 

I believe the UK is around the same level as Sweden.

We also have multiple cases of rapists being let off from punishment from raping girls
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-39305042
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/apr/04/outrage-as-man-walks-free-after-of-13-year-old-girl-in-scotland
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2268395/Adil-Rashid-Paedophile-claimed-Muslim-upbringing-meant-didnt-know-illegal-sex-girl-13.html
the latter being an adult at the time so even more insane -  "Rashid claimed he had been taught in his Islamic faith school that ‘women are no more worthy than a lollipop that has been dropped on the ground’".

And obviously we have known grooming gangs covered up over decades which has caused immeasurable damage to women and girls, for example over 1400 girls in Rotherham alone between '97 and 2013.

Knowing Bulgaria well there is a major issue with domestic abuse that doesn't get reported, but still I feel far more comfortable with my girlfriend walking round Sofia alone than any English city

[leicsmac]

17 minutes ago, danny. said:

I don't think the issue is inequality, but we no doubt have different worldviews on this.

I'm inclined to think that an more inequal world creates an environment where some people are much more likely to think and believe that other people and demographics aren't equal to them and act accordingly to abuse power over them (such as in this case), but I'd be interested to hear other ideas. 

Edited 18 December 2025 by leicsmac

[danny.]

22 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

I'm inclined to think that an more inequal world creates an environment where some people are much more likely to think and believe that other people and demographics aren't equal to them and act accordingly to abuse power over them (such as in this case), but I'd be interested to hear other ideas. 

That makes no sense at all to me, so you are saying rapists rape women and girls they perceive as being economically unequal to them?

[leicsmac]

1 minute ago, danny. said:

That makes no sense at all to me, so you are saying rapists rape women and girls they perceive as being economically unequal to them?

As being socially inequal to them.

 

Which, as mentioned before, could (but only could) be more of a factor in a world where such inequality of any kind is prevalent and accepted. 

[danny.]

Just now, leicsmac said:

As being socially inequal to them.

 

Which, as mentioned before, could (but only could) be more of a factor in a world where such inequality of any kind is prevalent and accepted. 

Well women are definitely socially inequality to men in some cultures. Not so much in Western cultures in the recent past but demographics have and are changing and with that brings different cultural views of women.

[leicsmac]

1 minute ago, danny. said:

Well women are definitely socially inequality to men in some cultures. Not so much in Western cultures in the recent past but demographics have and are changing and with that brings different cultural views of women.

That part of that sentence is having to do some very, very heavy lifting imo. 

 

And I feel now we're approaching the crux of the matter and a proposed solution; some particular demographics of people are apparently more inclined to mistreat women so simply focus on making them no longer part of the equation and that is the whole solution, yes? 

[CornwallFox]

7 hours ago, Trav Le Bleu said:

Sorry to report some terrible news

 

Pork scratchings firm G Simmons & Sons devastated by Walsall fire - BBC News

 

https://share.google/IsOXLmBetF4xxm9Yl

 

This must have smelt AMAZING 

[danny.]

4 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

That part of that sentence is having to do some very, very heavy lifting imo. 

 

And I feel now we're approaching the crux of the matter and a proposed solution; some particular demographics of people are apparently more inclined to mistreat women so simply focus on making them no longer part of the equation and that is the whole solution, yes? 

Really? You don't think huge progress in gender equality has been made in the recent past in social terms? Women have parity in terms of wages and democratic rights now, which is a relatively modern achievement.   

Edited 18 December 2025 by danny.

[leicsmac]

5 minutes ago, danny. said:

Really? You don't think huge progress in gender equality has been made in the recent past in social terms? Women have parity in terms of wages and democratic rights now, which is a relatively modern achievement.   

I'm thinking that it would be very easy for such progress to backslide, and I think that backsliding could happen under almost any current monoculture as equally easily as any other, depending on circumstances.

 

To believe otherwise is to believe some demographics are inherently more likely to be abusers...and that kind of inherent "bad qualities" is a rocky road with rather a lot of rocky history behind it.

 

 

[danny.]

Just now, leicsmac said:

I'm thinking that it would be very easy for such progress to backslide, and I think that backsliding could happen under almost any current monoculture as equally easily as any other, depending on circumstances.

 

To believe otherwise is to believe some demographics are inherently more likely to be abusers...and that kind of inherent "bad qualities" is a rocky road with rather a lot of rocky history behind it.

What factors would cause a monoculture to U-turn in terms of culture, why would that happen without any external factors? Any precedent for that?

[leicsmac]

3 minutes ago, danny. said:

What factors would cause a monoculture to U-turn in terms of culture, why would that happen without any external factors? Any precedent for that?

Hundreds of years of different cultures across the world, regardless of dominant ethnic demographic have viewed various other demographics (women in particular) as inherently inferior. Is it really so hard to believe that they might switch to do so again, whether there's external pressures from other cultures or not?

 

I really don't think anyone has much room to be looking down their nose on this one, except at an individual level, but so it goes. 

[leicsmac]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp84pxvp87eo

 

Latest in can't-quite-believe-how-banana-republic....

[Md9]

32 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp84pxvp87eo

 

Latest in can't-quite-believe-how-banana-republic....

Someone just needs to tell him no to something now and again everything will be named after him before his term is up. So weird 

[splinterdream]

3 hours ago, leicsmac said:

I'm inclined to think that an more inequal world creates an environment where some people are much more likely to think and believe that other people and demographics aren't equal to them and act accordingly to abuse power over them (such as in this case), but I'd be interested to hear other ideas. 

I'm inclined to think when you have ideologes who want to constantly highlight our differences with policies, whether it be race, gender or sexual preferences, it will always cause more division.

[leicsmac]

2 minutes ago, splinterdream said:

I'm inclined to think when you have ideologes who want to constantly highlight our differences with policies, whether it be race, gender or sexual preferences, it will always cause more division.

There's something in that. And then you have the power imbalance that often and still exists between those ideologies and demographics that makes it even more complicated to try to balance things without causing more division. 

 

At the end of the day, we're all human, we all have more in common than not, and goodness knows our species has enough problems to care about without making up these dividing lines between ourselves, based on factors that we have no control over.

 

The problem is always the supremacists those who think they are inherently superior. Of whatever type. 

[danny.]

4 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

There's something in that. And then you have the power imbalance that often and still exists between those ideologies and demographics that makes it even more complicated to try to balance things without causing more division. 

 

At the end of the day, we're all human, we all have more in common than not, and goodness knows our species has enough problems to care about without making up these dividing lines between ourselves, based on factors that we have no control over.

 

The problem is always the supremacists those who think they are inherently superior. Of whatever type. 

Doesn’t everyone think that at a level though? No doubt you think you’re superior over Trump and US Republicans and actively seek to draw a dividing line between you and them. Not sure how pragmatic it is to think every belief and ideology is equivalent. 

[Parafox]

1 hour ago, leicsmac said:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp84pxvp87eo

 

Latest in can't-quite-believe-how-banana-republic....

STOP HIM, HE'S INSANE!!

 

But no one will. 'Cos they're scared of him. Ultimate power, he has it. And that's a worry for all of us. 

 

There must be an element in his government that see what we see, but they're so afraid of the consequences of speaking out that they stay silent. And the end result is that DT dictates all of everything.

 

Is there any historical precedent for his style of leadership?

 

Absolutely there is.

 

 

 

[leicsmac]

Just now, danny. said:

Doesn’t everyone think that at a level though? No doubt you think you’re superior over Trump and US Republicans and actively seek to draw a dividing line between you and them. Not sure how pragmatic it is to think every belief and ideology is equivalent. 

No, they don't, and I think that is one of the biggest and most destructive fallacies going, often driven by folks who can't see past the idea of hierarchy - "I believe in the idea of inherent superiority and therefore it is immutably human and everyone else must too".

 

No. 

 

Trump and those who follow him aren't inherently inferior to me or anyone else. They choose their path to be supremacist, as does anyone else. And that matter of choice means absolutely everything. 

 

And yes, trying for that kind of egalitarianism - or as close as we can get is the most pragmatic idea around, because it isn't simply some kind of lofty moral ideal. Long term, it is the only way our species and civilisation survives. 

[danny.]

13 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

No, they don't, and I think that is one of the biggest and most destructive fallacies going, often driven by folks who can't see past the idea of hierarchy - "I believe in the idea of inherent superiority and therefore it is immutably human and everyone else must too".

 

No. 

 

Trump and those who follow him aren't inherently inferior to me or anyone else. They choose their path to be supremacist, as does anyone else. And that matter of choice means absolutely everything. 

 

And yes, trying for that kind of egalitarianism - or as close as we can get is the most pragmatic idea around, because it isn't simply some kind of lofty moral ideal. Long term, it is the only way our species and civilisation survives. 

I missed the word “inherently” so yes that changes what you were saying to be fair. I’m not sure how we got there from the previous discussions but of course I’d agree with that and I’d imagine any reasonable person would. Ideologies aren’t inherent human traits though and are often chosen, or at least followed from parents and other influential members of society. 

[leicsmac]

21 minutes ago, danny. said:

I missed the word “inherently” so yes that changes what you were saying to be fair. I’m not sure how we got there from the previous discussions but of course I’d agree with that and I’d imagine any reasonable person would. Ideologies aren’t inherent human traits though and are often chosen, or at least followed from parents and other influential members of society. 

No disagreement there, particularly on the nature of choice. 

 

You're right in that any reasonable person likely would choose those as goals...but unfortunately I'm not naive and current event evidence shows that there are quite a few people, either through ignorance or malice, who are not that reasonable. And when those people have power, it becomes a problem.

[danny.]

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/horror-moment-killer-walks-back-36422047

 

3 and a half years for killing someone who called him out for queue jumping. About the same as writing a naughty social media post.