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I don't know how anyone can look at what we did to the Kurds, add in what we did with NAFTA and the TPP, and conclude we would do anything OTHER than screw them over.
The British Brexit facepalm thread
- Thread starter neandermagnon
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It's a New Era...
The current administration has shown little interestin maintaining historical norms domestically or internationally. It's going to take generations to undo the damage to the United States' reputation overseas...and not just in the areas that you know about.
One of the most insidious problems that is going to come up is that this administration hasn't taken the time to fill a LOT of open positions in places like The State Department and USAid...which means that when there's an international confernece and the representatives break up into working groups, there are often no US diplomats in the majority of those rooms. Given that lack, the countries in need of assistance turn to China and Russia, who are only too happy to comply.
This is a seismic shift in the way that foreign policy is conducted, and will be costly in the long run.
The current administration has shown little interestin maintaining historical norms domestically or internationally. It's going to take generations to undo the damage to the United States' reputation overseas...and not just in the areas that you know about.
One of the most insidious problems that is going to come up is that this administration hasn't taken the time to fill a LOT of open positions in places like The State Department and USAid...which means that when there's an international confernece and the representatives break up into working groups, there are often no US diplomats in the majority of those rooms. Given that lack, the countries in need of assistance turn to China and Russia, who are only too happy to comply.
This is a seismic shift in the way that foreign policy is conducted, and will be costly in the long run.
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I'm puzzled by a lot of things I'm hearing about this issue.
for instance, I've heard that the overwhelming majority of people in the UK think Brexit was a mistake and now want to stay. But they would still favor the Conservatives in an election. But if the Conservatives win, they will continue to pursue a Brexit deal. Both Labor and the Liberal Democrats want to put it to the people again, as I understand it.
This seems so out of kilter. I get that there are other issues too that lead people to choose one party or another (and of course there are more than two parties in the UK, which complicates things and make minority coalitions possible), but I've gotten the impression the British people are tired of all the austerity and lack of funding for their public institutions.
I guess it shouldn't surprise me, as we have a similar disconnect over here--with a high percentage of Americans voting for the party that promotes policies that will hurt them.
for instance, I've heard that the overwhelming majority of people in the UK think Brexit was a mistake and now want to stay. But they would still favor the Conservatives in an election. But if the Conservatives win, they will continue to pursue a Brexit deal. Both Labor and the Liberal Democrats want to put it to the people again, as I understand it.
This seems so out of kilter. I get that there are other issues too that lead people to choose one party or another (and of course there are more than two parties in the UK, which complicates things and make minority coalitions possible), but I've gotten the impression the British people are tired of all the austerity and lack of funding for their public institutions.
I guess it shouldn't surprise me, as we have a similar disconnect over here--with a high percentage of Americans voting for the party that promotes policies that will hurt them.
You're pusszled, Roxxmon. Imagine how those of us living here feel about this bollocks.
I just caught BBC Radio 4's news, which indicated the Brexit party are going to oppose Johnson by putting up candidates to challenge seats across the board. That's likely to hit tory majorities, but it will also hit Labour's majorities, too. I have no idea what the result will be.
The only one happy about any of this nonsense is Vladimor Putin.
I just caught BBC Radio 4's news, which indicated the Brexit party are going to oppose Johnson by putting up candidates to challenge seats across the board. That's likely to hit tory majorities, but it will also hit Labour's majorities, too. I have no idea what the result will be.
The only one happy about any of this nonsense is Vladimor Putin.
I've never felt more solidarity with the great people of the United Kingdom then I have the last few years. Soldier on! Either we'll get through this together or we're all doomed anyways.
Okay so the political side of our country is in an utter shambles but at least I can be proud of England nearly winning the rugby world cup. And Wales did pretty damn good too. Massive congratulations to the Springboks for winning the tournament.
If you want to read something inspiring as a break from the Brexit fiasco, here's the story of Siya Kolisi, the first black Springbok's captain after South African rugby's always been so white dominated - the legacy of apartheid. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/50233481 Siya Kolisi was born the day before apartheid was ended and has gone on to captain the Springboks rugby team. When he was a kid his family were so poor he slept on cushions on the living room floor and when he went to his regional rugby trials he wore boxer shorts because he had no other kit.
If you want to read something inspiring as a break from the Brexit fiasco, here's the story of Siya Kolisi, the first black Springbok's captain after South African rugby's always been so white dominated - the legacy of apartheid. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/50233481 Siya Kolisi was born the day before apartheid was ended and has gone on to captain the Springboks rugby team. When he was a kid his family were so poor he slept on cushions on the living room floor and when he went to his regional rugby trials he wore boxer shorts because he had no other kit.
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I would point out that the data you are quoting predates the "new deal" announced by Johnson's government and also that the differences between the two views lie close to the error margins.
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To follow up on what Waylander said, I think the main issue with the polls is the Remain/Leave results are presented as if they add up to 100%. But a lot of people actually say that they don't know. Here's a discussion of this issue in polls trying to assess whether people support Johnson's Brexit plan:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-50123223
Basically the don't know answers are far bigger than the swing either way, and there's no way to know which way (or whether) they would vote.
How the election will go is another issue... the latest polling I've seen has the conservatives on the largest vote share, but it's the specific swings in marginal seats that will matter.
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True, and elections nearly always are decided by those people who can't make up their own minds, or who are reluctant to state their leanings, until the day of. There's also that issue where some people may deliberately lie to pollsters when the issue is emotionally charged.
So, wait, the Brexit people are a real party too? I thought the Conservatives were the party that approved of Brexit. Looking it up, I see it is (I always thought of it as a dissenting movement within the Conservatives), which puzzles me even more. One-issue parties don't get that kind of traction in the US. Though we've been stagnated with our two parties for most of our history, so to be successful our fringes have to work from within one or the other. Sadly, this doesn't mean fringes can't be highly successful in a two-party system, as we've found out.
Yeah, we live in puzzling times. And while the old saying is that misery loves company, I'm sad the political confusion is not confined to my own country.
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The Brexit Party reject Johnson's deal as leaving us too close to the EU. They appear to want a "no deal" exit. Difficult to tell how much traction they will get, the argument of "vote Brexit, get Corbyn" seems to have resonance with some of them.
If I look at the news this last week, it's a bit disconcerting to see the different ways in which Russia is apparently involved in Brexit. And even that doesn't seem to generate much push-back. Why is it that their propaganda machine appears to work so well in western elections? There was a time when the mere hint of Russian involvement was enough to send everybody scurrying in the opposite direction.
And the fact that the Prime Minister's name is "Boris" is another thing to make one go "hmm" regarding Russian interference.
And the fact that the Prime Minister's name is "Boris" is another thing to make one go "hmm" regarding Russian interference.
His name is Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson. Man of the people, dontchya know.
"de Pfeffel???"
Besides that fact that "de Pfeffel" sounds like a name the Python crew would use in a skit, nope "Alexander Boris" doesn't sound Russian at all...
I have a funny story. My kids like to ask google various random facts. This happened the other day.
One kid: okay google, tell me about Boris Johnson.
Google: According to Wikipedia, Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson...
My kids: **fall about in absolute hysterics, drowning out everything that google says**
After they calm down...
One kid: okay google, what's Boris Johnson's name?
Google: According to Wikipedia, Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson...
My kids: **fall about in absolute hysterics all over again**
I'm not 100% sure that google is pronouncing "de Pfeffel" correctly but it does sound bloody hilarious the way google says it. My google's set to a British accent, in case anyone has a google and wants to try it out.
Note: I do teach my kids not to laugh at people's names however BoJo's not averse to making stupid childish racist jokes about people so I'll make an exception in allowing my kids to laugh at BoJo and his name as much as they want.
While we're on the subject of names though, the person who was leader of UKIP until just a week or so ago is called Richard Braine. I think the New Scientist calls this nominative determinism.
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Oh, joy. Boris went out to meet some of those caught up in the floods for nothing more than a photo op and a woman told him with scathing tone, but exquisite politeness to get lost.
Had it been me, I would not have been able to stop myself from using the sort of language my mother would disapprove of.
Had it been me, I would not have been able to stop myself from using the sort of language my mother would disapprove of.
One of the more depressing things about the upcoming election is that the Tories are actually only the 3rd worst party on the ballot paper. Obviously there's Farage and his Brexit party, but UKIP are even worse. I was wondering what their point was seeing as the Brexit party now exists but it seems they're running a crusade against LGBT+ people and wish to reverse all the legislation that protects LGBT+ people. Their policies appear to be this and drastically limiting immigration. I'm wondering if there's a remote, unihabited Scottish island that we can send the UKIP homophobes to, which everyone can never ever go to. They get their gay-free island without any immigration and everyone else gets rid of them. Win win!
Also, apparently people are getting totally rat-arsed in a drinking game whereby you drink every time BoJo tells a lie. It's also joked* that Corbyn is warning people not to play it due to putting the NHS under even more stress.
*though it could be true, never can tell nowadays..
Also, apparently people are getting totally rat-arsed in a drinking game whereby you drink every time BoJo tells a lie. It's also joked* that Corbyn is warning people not to play it due to putting the NHS under even more stress.
*though it could be true, never can tell nowadays..
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Well, this could be unpleasant for the UK, Brexit or no? World's largest printer of money is running out of money
NBC News said:
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Wait, what? A UK company lost the GOVERNMENT bid to print new UK-only passports to...a GERMAN...an EU company? That's rich.