neilj
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Post by neilj on Mar 25, 2023 12:59:10 GMT
The regime decided it doesn't want media or members of the public at their spring lie fest. Transparent democracy in action. In fairness probably best not to intrude on private grief đ |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 25, 2023 13:45:17 GMT
Identity politics can be awfully corrosive of political discourse. So how come you are always always the one bringing them up? I'm I think this exchange arose from something Star mer said about policy in Scotland. |
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neilj
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Post by neilj on Mar 25, 2023 13:54:08 GMT
So how come you are always always the one bringing them up? I'm I think this exchange arose from something Star mer said about policy in Scotland. What name does he go under here đ |
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Post by jimjam on Mar 25, 2023 14:00:03 GMT
Thanks for the latest Election Maps average Neil.
I stand to be corrected but so far direct Tory 2019 -Lab switchers, has not moved.
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Post by alec on Mar 25, 2023 14:34:06 GMT
Good to see the maggots emerge from the carcass at last, with the unpleasant scenes from these 'concerned citizens' anti-trans demonstrations. Everyone who has concerns around accommodating the tiny number of trans people into society should be very aware that, like it or not, you stand alongside ugly, far right thugs who think aping Nazism is the way forward. I think we should all take stock and consider firstly, that in terms of numbers affected, trans rights affect a terribly small number of individuals, and they will have zero impact on wider society if allowed to live their lives the way they wish. Secondly, where there are potential issues of fairness or protection, we should treat these in the same way we treat the myriad of other issues around fairness and protection, which is to balance the judgement of risk and response, rather than to focus on blanket restrictions on the minority. It's not that difficult. Worth also considering, as hireton has so valiantly pointed out over the years, that the blue touchpaper issues that the right are trying to ignite on this mirror precisely the tactics used against gay people in times gone by, and the world didn't fall apart because we started teaching children that it's OK to be gay. If you are at all concerned about 'safe spaces' for biological women, and get all angsty about how trans rights threaten these, but you've spent your life ignoring the fact that there is an emergency call to the police from a domestic abuse victim every 30 seconds, and that two women a week are killed by their heterosexual male partners, mostly in their own homes, you might wish to ask yourself whether you've got the perspective right here and quite why you are standing alongside black shirted young men giving Nazi salutes worrying about trans issues that will affect almost nobody, driven on my a culture war campaign funded by right wing billionaires with nothing better to offer society except tribal conflict. |
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domjg
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Post by domjg on Mar 25, 2023 14:37:24 GMT
In regards to Ukraine, it does seem that the next couple of months will be critical. This is the window of opportunity for Ukraine a number of analyst were identifying 3/4 months ago. With Russia having now spent its most recent mobilisation with little to show for it, and before it can fully mobilise it military industrial base. Conversely, the Ukraine will shortly be in a position to deploy new weaponry supplied by the West.
Everyone knows a counter-offensive will be launched soon. What's not so clear, is how much Russia has help back in order to defend against it? One of the reasons they haven't managed to take Bakhmut, is probably due to Russia rationing munitions. They may also have been counting on Ukraine withdrawing.
Any likely inpact on UK VI. Well if a successful rout of Russian forces coincides with the locals it may have some marginal affect.
I did see a piece of reporting on the situation in Russia a week or so ago, which had a focus on wives and mothers. The shear pointless loss of life of young men, the pain and sufferings of their relatives, is heart-breaking - Putin is just as much a curse on the people of Russia as he is of those in Ukraine. I really hope he gets what's due to him in this life. Informative post, thanks @lululemonmustdobetter Yes, the familial grief and trauma that result from this war will weigh on both countries potentially for generations, and all so pointless. What a legacy for the little, rat faced street hood from St Petersburg. We should have had the measure of the man right from the get-go with the apartment bombings supposedly carried out by Chechens but almost certainly by the Russian state killing it's own civilians as a pretext for actions in Chechenya. We certainly shouldn't have had a few years later gullible Western politicians like Gerhard Schroeder declaring that Putin was a 'Lupenreiner Demokrat' or GW claiming he could see his soul. I do think that what happens in Ukraine now is very unlikely to have any party political ramifications in the UK. I think most voters probably see both major parties position on this as aligned and it's doesn't affect perception of party competence nor is it for most a top of mind day to day concern of the kind most likely to affect locals. |
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Post by lens on Mar 25, 2023 14:46:43 GMT
Danny - "Its hard to see what Russia has lost." Yes, I guess so. Apart from the loss of half a huge army, the destruction of a large proportion of it's active air force, the loss of the Black Sea fleet flagship plus several other vessels, leading to a loss of sea power dominance, the largest shrinkage of population since WWII, the loss of control over their regional sphere of influence and multiple international partners, an immediate loss of 4% of GDP if Russia's own figures are to be believed, more like 8% under independent analyses, the near total cessation of foreign investment likely leading to a decade of stagnation and decline, the visible humiliation and the exposure of the inadequacies of Russia's fabled military might, leading directly to a loss of fear among former Russian vassal states, a dramatic shift in the Sino-Russian power balance to the permanent detriment of Moscow, a fantastically rapid drive by Europe to divest Russian energy interests, an even more impressive global drive to move to renewables, and the loss of MacDonalds in Moscow, yes, you're right - Russia is doing fine. Very good post! And surely the loss of the Moscow McDonalds must be the hardest to endure....... (  ) (As an aside, I went there when it was very new, probably about 1991. There were two entrances - go in one and you paid dollars, and it was pretty indistinguishable from a McDonalds anywhere else in the world (except for menu in Russian), with similar pricing. Go in the other entrance and you paid in roubles - with a queue stretching for several blocks.) |
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Post by peterbell on Mar 25, 2023 14:51:57 GMT
alec, Rather disappointed by your post above. You seem to suggest that the two issues are mutually exclusive, that if you have concerns re "safe spaces for women then you can't have concerns re sexual harrasment withing marriage. While accepting that it is right to accept transition for those who whose body/mind is different to their birth identity, I can not accept that men who wish to dress as women can enter safe spaces for women. I used to know such a person who still wanted a woman so they do exist. Meanwhile, I would also agree that huge efforts should be made to reduce the level of sex attacks/murder by men on their heterosexual partners. These efforts should start in the schools and should certainly continue by changing the attitude of the police and the law as outlined in the Casey report.
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Post by lens on Mar 25, 2023 15:01:26 GMT
On the renewables front, I remind everyone Russia has just been fighting to take control of the largest european deposits of some of the minerals necessary for the renewables revolution. Plus all the grain growing area he can keep. Still all in play. Danny - whilst Ukraine undoubtably is a source of such minerals, don't overplay their importance. Contrary to a lot of popular belief, a lot of "rare minerals" are not rare at all worldwide. Any recent shortages are far more due to a very rapid increase in demand, swamping current mining etc ability. You can't just switch on or even expand a large mining operation anywhere in a matter of weeks or even months. But it CAN be done, and IS being done - but it takes time. If there's a problem at the moment, it's that whilst production continues to increase, demand is incraesing even more. But that must limit eventually. Think of it like toilet rolls at the beginning of 2012. There never was "a shortage of toilet rolls", toilet rolls were never "a rare item" per se. The problem was some people mass buying to fill up their living rooms, and supermarkets not being able to resupply and restock fast enough. |
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Post by alec on Mar 25, 2023 15:06:12 GMT
peterbell - No, I'm expressly not saying they are exclusive, but merely wondering out loud why suddenly so many are concerned about women's safety that didn't seem so bothered about the far bigger threats to women that occur day in and day out for millennia. These are clearly not mutually exclusive issues, but there is a need for perspective; if we prioritize our concern and efforts into those areas where the risk is greatest, then clearly, trans rights is very much a second order issue. I would also point out the illogicality of this. For the last five decades I've been forced to share public toilets, open changing rooms and every other shared space I've ever been to with men who like having sex with men. Has it been an issue? Not for me. So I think we are overplaying this. There will be cases where people try to abuse their rights, as with the recent Scottish rapist case. That individual case was dealt with on an individual basis, with a risk assessment and a proportionate response. It doesn't mean we should treat all trans people that way, in every circumstance. But we really do need to get our priorities sorted out here.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 25, 2023 15:20:55 GMT
I'm I think this exchange arose from something Star mer said about policy in Scotland. What name does he go under here đ  God ? |
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neilj
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Post by neilj on Mar 25, 2023 15:28:38 GMT
What name does he go under here đ God ? đ |
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steve
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Post by steve on Mar 25, 2023 15:40:18 GMT
My daughter just described me as " the most woke boomer " she knew.
I'm not sure whether to be flattered or insulted!
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steve
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Post by steve on Mar 25, 2023 15:44:23 GMT
The scumbag regime latest ploy to make asylum seekers lives even more difficult. Prison ships! youtu.be/rdPmwPWae7E |
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Post by davwel on Mar 25, 2023 16:12:58 GMT
I wonder if the SNP leadership election has done some good for the NE.
There is a mention in our "evening" paper of announcements in Aberdeen next week about the Acorn scheme and Carbon Capture & Storage. Could the devious CON UK Gov have been storing this up, as a way of deflecting attention from any publicity going to a new SNP leader. Just like they have saved up giving pay rises to NHS staff so they can claim a major change in pensions is/was needed to stop the top consultants leaving - and hope that nobody notices that NHS consultants are a tiny number in the top earners benefiting from Hunt`s tax give-away.
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Post by barbara on Mar 25, 2023 16:57:29 GMT
Good to see the maggots emerge from the carcass at last, with the unpleasant scenes from these 'concerned citizens' anti-trans demonstrations. Everyone who has concerns around accommodating the tiny number of trans people into society should be very aware that, like it or not, you stand alongside ugly, far right thugs who think aping Nazism is the way forward. I think we should all take stock and consider firstly, that in terms of numbers affected, trans rights affect a terribly small number of individuals, and they will have zero impact on wider society if allowed to live their lives the way they wish. Secondly, where there are potential issues of fairness or protection, we should treat these in the same way we treat the myriad of other issues around fairness and protection, which is to balance the judgement of risk and response, rather than to focus on blanket restrictions on the minority. It's not that difficult. Worth also considering, as hireton has so valiantly pointed out over the years, that the blue touchpaper issues that the right are trying to ignite on this mirror precisely the tactics used against gay people in times gone by, and the world didn't fall apart because we started teaching children that it's OK to be gay. If you are at all concerned about 'safe spaces' for biological women, and get all angsty about how trans rights threaten these, but you've spent your life ignoring the fact that there is an emergency call to the police from a domestic abuse victim every 30 seconds, and that two women a week are killed by their heterosexual male partners, mostly in their own homes, you might wish to ask yourself whether you've got the perspective right here and quite why you are standing alongside black shirted young men giving Nazi salutes worrying about trans issues that will affect almost nobody, driven on my a culture war campaign funded by right wing billionaires with nothing better to offer society except tribal conflict. It's astonishing the number of people who have previously shown no interest in the abuse of women by heterosexual men are obsessed with the minute chance of a trans woman invading the space of women to commit acts of assault. Try and focus on the main issue, which is not transwomen but the everyday control, assaults and abuse of women by men who don't try to pass themselves off as women. Jeez, talk about missing the real issue while being obsessed with your own prejudices. |
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Post by davwel on Mar 25, 2023 17:13:14 GMT
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Post by mercian on Mar 25, 2023 17:39:09 GMT
I wonder if an attack by Russia on say Finland, which would be defended by an air force partly from NATO countries, would be seen as an attack on NATO? It's a good move anyway as it shows that attitudes to Russia are hardening further still. Finland is now effectively a member of NATO - The NATO member countries signed Finland's Accession Protocol on 5 July 2022, and Finland became an invitee to NATO - (23Mar) President of the Republic Sauli Niinistö decided that Finland would commit itself to NATO valtioneuvosto.fi/en/finland-and-natoTurkey had been holding up the ratification process but recently conceded:
Turkeyâs president says he will support Finlandâs bid to join NATOwww.pbs.org/newshour/world/turkeys-president-says-he-will-support-finlands-bid-to-join-natoHence Finland would be covered by Article 5: "any attack on a NATO member in Europe or North America âshall be considered an attack against them all.â"NB I think Hungary still need to formally ratify Finland's accession for Finland to 'officially' be a full NATO member but, post the shift in Turkey's approval, Finland will already covered by NATO's umbrella. www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/news_212945.htmok Sweden then. And yes I do know that they've applied as well. |
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Post by peterbell on Mar 25, 2023 17:46:40 GMT
Reuters reporting that TASS have stated that Russia are to base tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus. Also sending 10 planes capable of carrying these weapons to Belarus.
Typical Kremlin posturing or are they raising the stakes. Would not be surprising as it looks as though they may well loose much of the land they have taken since 2014. Their recent attempts to move forward seem to have completely stalled with the loss of huge numbers of men and armaments. The imminent counterattack by Ukraine is likely to remove the land bridge in the east of the country and it only remains to destroy the Kerch bridge again and Russian troops would be without supplies. I read yesterday that Russian civilians have been advised to prepare to leave Crimea. This ties in with what I saw on the Prigozhin video I referred to on here in the past couple of days.
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Post by leftieliberal on Mar 25, 2023 17:47:20 GMT
More 'dirty tricks' from the Met Police: www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/mar/25/police-england-wales-deleting-outcomes-misconduct-hearings"The Metropolitan police was one of the worst offenders. This newspaper found records of 31 officers dealing with misconduct hearings that occurred or were publicised during the period of late November to 16 March, roughly a quarter of the number listed nationwide. However, only 17 of those were still listed on the Metâs website on 16 March, when our analysis was carried out. The 14 purged or unreleased misconduct cases included many involving serious criminal misconduct, including that of serial rapist David Carrick." |
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steve
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Post by steve on Mar 25, 2023 17:57:18 GMT
@davwell
I think Leila Nathoo's family is from Mauritius, I've no idea where in the UK she might be from , you can't really blame her for where the BBC studios are located.
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steve
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Post by steve on Mar 25, 2023 17:59:00 GMT
leftieliberalDoesn't look like they were alone. "An analysis of misconduct trials at 43 forces found the vast majority were either failing to publicise cases, despite a legal obligation to do so, or deleting misconduct cases from their websites after 28 days"
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Post by mercian on Mar 25, 2023 18:01:35 GMT
Any likely inpact on UK VI. Well if a successful rout of Russian forces coincides with the locals it may have some marginal affect.
A nuke might have some effect too. |
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Mr Poppy
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Post by Mr Poppy on Mar 25, 2023 18:20:44 GMT
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steve
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Post by steve on Mar 25, 2023 18:24:40 GMT
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Post by chrisc on Mar 25, 2023 18:31:16 GMT
Identity politics can be awfully corrosive of political discourse. It seems obvious too that the more atomised the expression of identities , the more likely there will be conflicting interests between them. On Gender-the sporting bodies seem to demonstrate that where lawmakers can focus precisely on a single issue-like the integrity and credibility of female competitive sport-the easier it is to arrive at appropriate conclusions and regulation. gesture politics
noun British
"political actions or positions taken chiefly to gain publicity or influence public opinion, typically requiring little effort or having no significant impact."
This is not gesture politics and you are selectively quoting only the trans and not the DSD section. DSD athletes are clearly highly relevant and in some events contributed all three medal winners at Olympic and world championships. Personally I donât have an issue with that, but addressing the issue is clearly not gesture politics. It is a genuine live question right now. The move to address trans athletes inclusion is clearly done as the WAC suspect that the same issue as exists now with XY female DSD athletes will arise in the future as trans athletes - rightly - become more numerous, relevant and participative in top level sport. Personally I think the current testosterone limits (set at similar levels for DSD and trans athletes) were a nice balance between inclusion and fairness. Caster Semenya, for example, was still competitive once her testosterone level was reduced. She probably still had an advantage from having higher testosterone during puberty but it brought this advantage into the same order of magnitude as other athleteâs biological and environmental benefits. The previous DSD levels for elite DSD XY chromosome women - like Semenya - nicely dovetailed with the clinical targets male to female trans non athletes look to for a full (chemical) transition. So a nice symmetry. Personally, I would have been comfortable with no testosterone limits for DSD athletes and a low limit for trans athletes. But donât kid yourself by thinking that this decision does not have major implications for who wins gold medals or that balancing everyoneâs rights is easy in this area. Still even though I have academic expertise in the field of testosterone and sport, as a cis and not at all athletic male I am aware that I donât have âskinâ in this game when I state my personal - not professional - view that the previous regulations lowering testosterone and still allowing DSD and trans athletes to compete was a reasonable balance. However, it would be naive to think that Seb Coeâs ideas are not shaped by a significant groundswell of concern amongst female athletes in this area who clearly do have skin in this game, both with regards to DSD athletes now and trans athletes in the future. However, again letâs get this in perspective as others have stated. Most discrimination against trans people is not related to elite sport or female only spaces arguments. Unlike the International Olympic Committee, I donât think competing in elite sport is a human right. However, not being beaten up or discriminated in applying for jobs is. And of course I echo otherâs views that biological male on female violence is a far more important issue people should be focussing on. Interestingly that is also a testosterone-driven issue of course, but in a different wayâŠâŠ |
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domjg
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Post by domjg on Mar 25, 2023 18:31:42 GMT
Reuters reporting that TASS have stated that Russia are to base tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus. Also sending 10 planes capable of carrying these weapons to Belarus. Typical Kremlin posturing or are they raising the stakes. Would not be surprising as it looks as though they may well loose much of the land they have taken since 2014. Their recent attempts to move forward seem to have completely stalled with the loss of huge numbers of men and armaments. The imminent counterattack by Ukraine is likely to remove the land bridge in the east of the country and it only remains to destroy the Kerch bridge again and Russian troops would be without supplies. I read yesterday that Russian civilians have been advised to prepare to leave Crimea. This ties in with what I saw on the Prigozhin video I referred to on here in the past couple of days. China have already made clear to them never to use nukes of any kind and the US have already promised a massive conventional response if they use a tactical nuke in Ukraine. All they may have left eventually is to keep us guessing about that gap between rhetoric and what they'd really be prepared to do if properly cornered. Fold like a deck chair would be my guess while squawking about how wronged they've been. |
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Mr Poppy
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Post by Mr Poppy on Mar 25, 2023 18:39:19 GMT
Most of the shift in this R&W tracker has been from 'Worsen' to 'Stay the same' but the situation is likely to improve later this year (eg petrol prices should be dropping quickly already; Energy prices will drop from July; etc). The bigger shift that is coming might be a bit too late for much benefit in May's LEs but note how closely the following tracker correlates to VI:
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oldnat
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Post by oldnat on Mar 25, 2023 18:41:29 GMT
China have already made clear to them never to use nukes of any kind and the US have already promised a massive conventional response if they use a tactical nuke in Ukraine. All they may have left eventually is to keep us guessing about that gap between rhetoric and what they'd really be prepared to do if properly cornered. Fold like a deck chair would be my guess while sqwauking about how wronged they've been. |
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Post by Mark on Mar 25, 2023 18:51:33 GMT
Reuters reporting that TASS have stated that Russia are to base tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus. Also sending 10 planes capable of carrying these weapons to Belarus. Typical Kremlin posturing or are they raising the stakes. Would not be surprising as it looks as though they may well loose much of the land they have taken since 2014. Their recent attempts to move forward seem to have completely stalled with the loss of huge numbers of men and armaments. The imminent counterattack by Ukraine is likely to remove the land bridge in the east of the country and it only remains to destroy the Kerch bridge again and Russian troops would be without supplies. I read yesterday that Russian civilians have been advised to prepare to leave Crimea. This ties in with what I saw on the Prigozhin video I referred to on here in the past couple of days. Jesus! Escalation much? Even if this just posturing, thee is only one way this could be viewed. I must admit, this makes me nervous. I certainly wouldn't like to be living in Poland right now. |
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