The Politics Thread 3.0

[Stugene]

Hunt has been a...plonker with his choice of words:



http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... -americans

I like how the mirror do to the Torres what most of the other media do to labour.

Those poor persecuted tories!

[Moggy]

Hunt has been a...plonker with his choice of words:



http://www.theguardian.com/politics/201 ... -americans

What's wrong with that? My local Chinese only opens from 5pm until 11pm and they are shut on Mondays and Tuesdays. I wouldn't mind working those hours....oh wait I now see what he meant.

[Shadow]

What's the deal with the fox hunting pic? Is Cameron on record saying he's never done it?

If he isn't then it's just a picture of a posh guy doing posh things, right? It's not like he's strawberry floating a dead pig's head.

[Moggy]

What's the deal with the fox hunting pic? Is Cameron on record saying he's never done it?

If he isn't then it's just a picture of a posh guy doing posh things, right? It's not like he's strawberry floating a dead pig's head.

It's the Mirror, they will be trying to push a "posh Tory" message and a photo of Cameron fox hunting does just that. As far as I know he has never said that he hadn't done it and he has always seemed pro fox hunting to me.

It's a bit of a non-story but one designed to ensure that the left wing Mirror readers keep hating him. Like when the Sun have a front page of Corbyn not singing the national anthem. Pathetic trivial stuff but enough to enrage certain sections of their readership.

[captain red dog]

Interesting to see the Tories talking about immigration today and making it such a large issue just when things seem to be cooling off a little. I'd have thought they would have kept a bit quiet about it, it seems odd they have made noises about it today with no new policy announcements.

[KK]

They've been in charge for the past 5 strawberry floating years, what have they been doing, shagging pigs?! How have they just woken up to this miraculously. Immigration from outside of the EU is too high, and that's something we have always been in control of.

[KK]

Big rise in German attacks on migrant homes in 2015

The German government says there have been almost 500 attacks on homes intended for asylum seekers this year - three times more than in 2014.

German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere called such violence "shameful". Two-thirds of the attacks were carried out by locals who had no previous criminal record, he said.

Mr de Maiziere called for tough action against those who attacked asylum seekers. Some attacks were on empty buildings, but others targeted hostels already occupied by migrants.

Those responsible "must be made to understand that they are committing unacceptable offences: assault, attempted murder, arson," he said.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-34487562

Not surprised in the slightest actually.

Talking of race/religion hate crimes, there was a very interesting documentary on race in the UK last Monday on BBC3. Worth watching.

[Meep]

The Conservative conference was interesting as Cameron seemed to have devolved into Mr. Nice Guy personality he tried to assume in opposition and when he first got into office. I suspect this is a bid to capture more middle voters as he knows he cannot win without appealing to more centre/left wing people in the next election given his small majority this time around. In the last election the party veered strongly right in order to get out their own vote and take advantage of the flakey nature of Labour supporters who often fail to turn up at the booths in the numbers they do in polls. So now one would assume he has to fiercely back-peddle get back towards the political centre, but so far I have not seen any signs of that in policy; in fact they seem determined to implement the radical right wing agenda they put forth in the last election to the letter, marginal majority be damned. He suppose he must be counting on the Conservative allies in the media being compliant enough to repeat his rhetoric completely uncritically no matter how much it deviates from the behaviour of government.

[Captain Kinopio]

What are the conservative policies that are 'radical right wing'?

Precluding leaving EU Human Rights Act because it seems like they've dropped it.

[KK]

Actually haven't the Conservatives gone and implemented a load of Labour policies.

Interesting polling commissioned by the Evening Standard yesterday that revealed the Mayoral race is neck and neck & Labour have regressed in the polls by electing Khan. Tessa Jowell was way out in front with the public & soundly beating Goldsmith.

[KK]

Express, Mirror, Daily Mail and IB Times reporting the Turkish have shot down a Russian jet that ended up in their air space. Their sources? A few unconfirmed reports on Twitter. I mean for goodness sakes.

[Rocsteady]

I haven't read much about Khan but always got the impression that he was a decent sort. Maybe I missed something.

Was looking at placing a bet on Britain voting to leave the EU but noticed the odds have been shortening for quite some time now - not worth risking money when 2/1 is best price. Even the Brits working over here have doubts about remaining in which is what has begun swaying me to the opinion that the public may well vote to leave. And I'm not sure I'd be too upset at that.

Had always identified very much as someone who is pro-EU but there are an awful lot of flaws in the current set up. Flaws that Cameron's 'reforms' will do absolutely nothing to solve. An overwhelming percentage of the money given centres around the CAP and keeping money flowing to the poorer nations within the union - which still generally refuse to house any great number of refugees - which aren't bad policies inherently but should be open to far greater scrutiny.

As should the whole of the EU. The current set up is quite shockingly undemocratic. I think some people on the left sometimes purposefully overlook the structure of the EU because many of the rulings - particularly those that come from the ECJ - chime with their worldview. At least, that's what I've been guilty of doing in the past. I do wonder if laws begun to be passed that swung the other way, which may be happening: most notably in the deregulation laws present in the abominable TTIP, would the same people begin to change their minds on the institution?

The levels of wastefulness are appalling, I don't want to get into specfics while still working here but you wouldn't believe the amount of money squandered on evidently unncessary programs. Single units are spending incredible amounts of money and resources to pretend they're vital to the EU remaining functional. And it's all only going one way, towards ever increasing expansion.

I like the idea of a united Europe but looking at the quantity of money spent and democratic deficit inherent in the current set-up, there should be better and more effective ways to help the poorest in Europe, maintain close economic ties, and aid the refugees still coming over in massive numbers.

[Captain Kinopio]

Express, Mirror, Daily Mail and IB Times reporting the Turkish have shot down a Russian jet that ended up in their air space. Their sources? A few unconfirmed reports on Twitter. I mean for goodness sakes.

Hold on to your butts

[Grumpy David]

The levels of wastefulness are appalling, I don't want to get into specfics while still working here but you wouldn't believe the amount of money squandered on evidently unncessary programs. Single units are spending incredible amounts of money and resources to pretend they're vital to the EU remaining functional. And it's all only going one way, towards ever increasing expansion.

You work for the EU?

Considering no accountant has been willing to sign off the accounts for the last 25 years, I think it's safe to assume the EU puts FIFA corruption to shame. And that no one would be remotely surprised to discover the big fat bloated mess that is the EU wastes money on a continental level.

Better off out.

[Rocsteady]

Yeah, for now - not a permanent role. I think it's one thing to read about it being alluded to in news reports and another to see it first hand.

[mcjihge2]

What are the conservative policies that are 'radical right wing'?

Precluding leaving EU Human Rights Act because it seems like they've dropped it.

Systemically dismantling the NHS. Destruction of the welfare state. Marginalisation of pensioners. You cant deny that the conservatives have come out with some truly scummy politics lately. A past Tory chancellor died today, unfortunate it wasnt the current one.

[Captain Kinopio]

What are the conservative policies that are 'radical right wing'?

Precluding leaving EU Human Rights Act because it seems like they've dropped it.

Systemically dismantling the NHS. Destruction of the welfare state. Marginalisation of pensioners. You cant deny that the conservatives have come out with some truly scummy politics lately. A past Tory chancellor died today, unfortunate it wasnt the current one.

Hmmm those don't sound like Tory policies.

Did they not promise more money to the NHS than Labour anyway?

Also accusing someone of being scummy and saying it's unfortunate they're not dead in the same statement seems a bit off.

[mcjihge2]

Did they not promise more money to the NHS than Labour anyway?

Labour? I didnt mention them.

Also accusing someone of being scummy and saying it's unfortunate they're not dead in the same statement seems a bit off.

OK, youve got me there, but im not a democratically elected political party. I stand by my point.

[Captain Kinopio]

I guess it was just a natural response to compare one of their policies I didn't mean to make any assumptions about your political allegiances.

My main point though was not seeing how anything they're doing could be construed as systematically dismantling the NHS.

[Shadow]

I think the new proposals for working conditions for doctors are an attempt to make the NHS look untenable. It might not be an immediate thing, but by making the career of an NHS doctor be so unnatractive, they're effectively placing a time bomb in the foundations of he NHS.