domjg
Member
Posts: 5,106
|
Post by domjg on Jan 27, 2024 13:13:14 GMT
I get weekly blogs from Ian Leslie and the following is a brief excerpt from his analysis of Trump’s continuing appeal to voters. It’s relevant to Europe as well. “ It’s worth discussing immigration specifically. In the US and UK, I often see it classified as a ‘culture war’ issue, along with the implication that it’s somehow undignified to take it seriously. That’s crazy. First, because culture does matter, at least for any nation that regards itself as more than a legal jurisdiction. Second, immigration has material impacts, some of them negative, and saying so shouldn’t be a partisan or ideological move. Third: most voters, wherever they are, regard control or oversight of who is coming in and out the country as one of the most important functions of government. An increase in global migration from poorer countries to richer ones is one of the central geopolitical facts of the age. Neither left or right can shut their eyes and wish it away. Even liberals who view mass immigration as desirable ought to be able to acknowledge its costs and the need for limits and controls. But they find it painfully hard to do so, at least to do so authentically. In the US, this blind spot has allowed the right to take the centre ground.” The key is to focus on the practical, managing side of it, and try to cut out the basic tribal appeals to othering. Keep emotion, especially uninformed emotion out of it. Personally I don't view mass migration as desirable not least because it highlights the depressingly low quality of life in the countries of origin, but nor do I see it as undesirable by definition. It is simply a fact of the modern world that we need to deal with intelligently and objectively.
|
|
steve
Member
Posts: 12,337
|
Post by steve on Jan 27, 2024 13:40:32 GMT
graham None of the shows in your list date from the 60's and 70's most started in the 1990's
|
|
|
Post by graham on Jan 27, 2024 14:09:30 GMT
graham None of the shows in your list date from the 60's and 70's most started in the 1990's Dads Army started in 1968. The Good Life began in April 1975.
|
|
neilj
Member
Posts: 6,085
|
Post by neilj on Jan 27, 2024 14:16:13 GMT
The most recent British sitcom I liked was Ghosts and Afterlife
|
|
|
Post by pete on Jan 27, 2024 14:46:51 GMT
Does every sodding thing have to be about politics.? Can't you let Liverpool FC lovers mourn his leaving and remember the wonderful energetic committed brand of football he gave us ,without giving a fuck about his bloody politics. ? He is a football manager ffs A very political man and his politics is part of him.
|
|
|
Post by pete on Jan 27, 2024 14:49:16 GMT
We shouldn't get too nostalgic though, there were many truly poor sitcoms in the 1960's and 1970's But besides the ones already mentioned these are my favourites of all timr Blackadder Only Fools and Horses The IT Crowd One Foot in the Grave Father Ted Absolutely Fabulous The Royle Family Steptoe and Son No Porridge? Sorry, gonna have to disqualify you.
|
|
|
Post by eotw on Jan 27, 2024 14:54:43 GMT
Robbie Yes Prime Minister was one of the best comedies/satires ever on TV. We still see it occasionally and it still feels relevant. Not a word is out of place and the actors (mainly men but the relatively few women are always cleverer somehow) are absolutely superb. Always interested in politics I read and loved the books as a kid as well as watching the show. Still got them somewhere. Whilst I found Yes Minister/Prime minister very funny at the time, in retrospect I feel it was shows like this (and the narrative it promoted) that nurtured Truss and her Britannia Unchained acolytes feeding their Small Government wet dreams. Remember it was one of Thatcher's favourite shows. Drop the Dead Donkey was a great show.
|
|
neilj
Member
Posts: 6,085
|
Post by neilj on Jan 27, 2024 14:57:25 GMT
We shouldn't get too nostalgic though, there were many truly poor sitcoms in the 1960's and 1970's But besides the ones already mentioned these are my favourites of all timr Blackadder Only Fools and Horses The IT Crowd One Foot in the Grave Father Ted Absolutely Fabulous The Royle Family Steptoe and Son No Porridge? Sorry, gonna have to disqualify you. I also missed out another Ronnie Barker classic, Open all Hours
|
|
domjg
Member
Posts: 5,106
|
Post by domjg on Jan 27, 2024 14:59:37 GMT
Always interested in politics I read and loved the books as a kid as well as watching the show. Still got them somewhere. Whilst I found Yes Minister/Prime minister very funny at the time, in retrospect I feel it was shows like this (and the narrative it promoted) that nurtured Truss and her Britannia Unchained acolytes feeding their Small Government wet dreams. Remember it was one of Thatcher's favourite shows. Drop the Dead Donkey was a great show. I think that's a bit of a stretch. It was satire. Even as a kid I didn't assume it reflected reality .
|
|
|
Post by mandolinist on Jan 27, 2024 15:37:38 GMT
I can go along with most of the lists produced so far, but open all hours? Loathed it, maybe because I grew up with a corner shop keeping father. I don't know if it counts as a sit-com, but A very peculiar practise was simply brilliant and very funny.
|
|
|
Post by leftieliberal on Jan 27, 2024 16:02:30 GMT
Front page of FT reporting that HS2 considering scrapping first-class seats to maintain passenger capacity: www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-68114165One wonders whether if the Government had decided to scrap first-class seats on all mainline trains back when HS2 was first proposed they would not have needed HS2 in the first place, but then the argument was it was needed for time-saving not increased capacity. Incidentally, I attended an interesting day-long event at the Institute of Physics (I am a member) on tunnelling this week and learned a good deal; I hadn't realised before then that the Elizabeth Line trains were designed without toilets, so if one gets caught short there is no alternative to getting off at the next station, using the station toilets, and catching a later train (except there are no toilets on the stations in the underground section through London). It was also fascinating to hear from the French tunnellers how they are building a ring Metro line around Paris connecting all the suburbs without needing to go into the centre and out again. Meanwhile, in London all we have is Mayor Khan rebranding various orbital bus services as the Superloop (but you need to catch about 8 buses rather than one train to go all the way around. There are no toilets on any London underground trains. I know. But Underground trains don't run on Great Western tracks out to Reading or Great Eastern tracks out to Shenfield. Travel time between the two ends is nearly two hours!
|
|
|
Post by leftieliberal on Jan 27, 2024 16:06:07 GMT
Always interested in politics I read and loved the books as a kid as well as watching the show. Still got them somewhere. Whilst I found Yes Minister/Prime minister very funny at the time, in retrospect I feel it was shows like this (and the narrative it promoted) that nurtured Truss and her Britannia Unchained acolytes feeding their Small Government wet dreams. Remember it was one of Thatcher's favourite shows. Drop the Dead Donkey was a great show. Yes Minister/Yes Prime Minister was so funny because much of it was true.
|
|
steve
Member
Posts: 12,337
|
Post by steve on Jan 27, 2024 16:24:08 GMT
Graham I meant the ones you listed not the favourites
|
|
pjw1961
Member
Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one.
Posts: 8,419
|
Post by pjw1961 on Jan 27, 2024 16:33:44 GMT
I can go along with most of the lists produced so far, but open all hours? Loathed it, maybe because I grew up with a corner shop keeping father. I don't know if it counts as a sit-com, but A very peculiar practise was simply brilliant and very funny. Interesting that. I worked with a young lady years ago whose parents kept a hotel. She told me that they were unable to watch Fawlty Towers with any pleasure because it was too near the truth at times. On the other hand I know colleagues in A&E who watch Casualty to laugh at how ridiculous it is.
|
|
|
Post by graham on Jan 27, 2024 16:36:41 GMT
Graham I meant the ones you listed not the favourites In my reply to another comment I only listed two programmes.
|
|
neilj
Member
Posts: 6,085
|
Post by neilj on Jan 27, 2024 17:41:00 GMT
The Daily Express was one of the biggest cheerleaders for Brexit They also kept banging on about immigration from the EU What on earth did they think would happen when we left the EU...
|
|
steve
Member
Posts: 12,337
|
Post by steve on Jan 27, 2024 18:32:31 GMT
neiljSpain has been trying to get this changed for some time.They still are, it's nothing to do with the 90/180 EU rule this applies to the totality of time in the European union but if you don't move from nation to nation the rules don't apply and the rules set for third nation long term visitors is up to the individual country. The French courts have decided it's unconstitutional in France , the express of course have decided it's the nasty EU. The decision has pissed off the Spanish as they would have much preferred it was a European union wide change. If they didn't want the rules for third party nationals to apply they shouldn't have pushed for national village idiots day. Stupidity has consequences.
|
|
steve
Member
Posts: 12,337
|
Post by steve on Jan 27, 2024 18:34:35 GMT
|
|
|
Post by Mark on Jan 27, 2024 18:46:40 GMT
Sitcoms....I'll give a shout out for Goodnight Sweetheart.
Indeed, I wish they had brought it back after the later one-off special. There would have been so much to explore...
In the past (now 60's rather than 40's), Gary having to explain away why The Beatles and others were becoming famous onthe back of the songs that he "wrote" 20-odd years earlier.
In the present, Gary returning to a world that now had the internet, social media, cameras on phones...and the small matter of a teenage daughter who he cannot tell that he is her time travelling father...
So much to explore...such a wasted opportunity!
|
|
|
Post by Mark on Jan 27, 2024 18:51:01 GMT
. (double post)
|
|
|
Post by graham on Jan 27, 2024 19:48:51 GMT
Scottish Westminster Voting Intention:
LAB: 36% (+3) SNP: 33% (-4) CON: 16% (-2) LDM: 7% (=) RFM: 4% (New)
Via @norstatgroup, 22-25 Changes w/12 - 15 June 2023
|
|
|
Post by graham on Jan 27, 2024 19:50:11 GMT
George Galloway has announced he will stand in the Rochdale by election.
|
|
|
Post by mercian on Jan 27, 2024 19:52:32 GMT
"And thank you for your usual patronising nonsense. You miscast yourself in your Dad's Army list. Pomposity was a Captain Mainwaring characteristic. robbiealive"Capt Mainwaring is always characterised as pompous & Pooterish. In fact he was a v brave soul, always the first to be put himself in danger. You should be more respectful of decent, courageous men like Mainwaring. A true British patriot of the old school." I didn't say it was his only characteristic. I make no comment on whether you share his other qualities.
|
|
patrickbrian
Member
These things seem small and undistinguishable, like far off mountains turned into clouds
Posts: 306
|
Post by patrickbrian on Jan 27, 2024 19:53:18 GMT
I am disappointed, though not surprised, that no-one has mentioned "The Brittas Empire" - perhaps a dry run for the admittedly much better US "Parks and Recreation". I may have been the only person who liked it! It starred the guy who played the hologram in "Red Dwarf" - which really should be on the list.
|
|
|
Post by James E on Jan 27, 2024 20:05:51 GMT
Westminster Voting Intention:
LAB: 42% (+2) CON: 27% (=) LDM: 10% (+1) RFM: 10% (=) GRN: 6% (=) SNP: 3% (=)
Via @opiniumresearch , 24-26 Jan. Changes w/ 10-12 Jan.
15 points is just above the norm for a Labour lead with Opinium.All their polls in the past year have been in the range of 10-18 points.
|
|
|
Post by mercian on Jan 27, 2024 20:23:15 GMT
We shouldn't get too nostalgic though, there were many truly poor sitcoms in the 1960's and 1970's But besides the ones already mentioned these are my favourites of all timr Blackadder Only Fools and Horses The IT Crowd One Foot in the Grave Father Ted Absolutely Fabulous The Royle Family Steptoe and Son Porridge Open All Hours
|
|
|
Post by moby on Jan 27, 2024 20:23:52 GMT
www.theguardian.com/world/2024/jan/27/revealed-uk-granted-asylum-to-rwandan-refugees-while-arguing-country-was-safe'Four Rwandans were granted refugee status in the UK over “well-founded” fears of persecution at the same time as the government was arguing in court and parliament that the east African country was a safe place to send asylum seekers. An investigation by the Observer and the campaign group Led by Donkeys reveals for the first time details of Home Office decisions on Rwandans who have been given asylum in the past four months, claiming they were at risk from the regime.'
|
|
neilj
Member
Posts: 6,085
|
Post by neilj on Jan 27, 2024 20:52:31 GMT
Scottish Westminster Voting Intention: LAB: 36% (+3) SNP: 33% (-4) CON: 16% (-2) LDM: 7% (=) RFM: 4% (New) Via @norstatgroup, 22-25 Changes w/12 - 15 June 2023 Seat Projection @electionmapsuk Projection under Nowcast Seat Model: LAB: 31 (+30) SNP: 15 (-33) CON: 6 (=) LDM: 5 (+3) Changes w/ GE2019 Notionals
|
|
|
Post by jib on Jan 27, 2024 20:58:33 GMT
We shouldn't get too nostalgic though, there were many truly poor sitcoms in the 1960's and 1970's But besides the ones already mentioned these are my favourites of all timr Blackadder Only Fools and Horses The IT Crowd One Foot in the Grave Father Ted Absolutely Fabulous The Royle Family Steptoe and Son Porridge Open All Hours To the Manor Born (1979). Although I must have watched the endless repeats.
|
|
|
Post by crossbat11 on Jan 27, 2024 21:03:00 GMT
JamesE beat me to the draw, but here's the full Opinium twitter link that gives some interesting sub data to this latest Opinium poll. For instance Labour now lead on what are usually Tory strengths like housebuilding, house prices, immigration and handing of the economy. Quite a jump in Starmer's personal approval ratings too. Sunak's are static.
|
|