Original join date: 11/23/2004
Eclectic Connoisseur of all things written, drawn, or imaginatively created.
The pattern in global politics is this... hard-line conservatives who use bigotry and promises that can't be kept due to them being obscene lies manage to win office due to outside influence campaigns, and then once those conservatives get power... those with the reins are too stupid to actually be able to do anything with it other than punch themselves in the face until the liberals in said country take the power back.
X-Books Forum Mutant Tracker/FAQ- Updated every Tuesday.
There are a number of common sense things I would have expected Mrs May's (or David Cameron) government to do IF they had been really committed to implementing the democratic mandate as efficiently as possible....which were not done.
I could cite many examples, but I'll quote the main four:-
1/ I would have expected..given obvious importance to UK of thing going smoothly...that Cabinet would have met right at start of process (i.e. before serving Article 50 notice) for as long as necessary to get complete agreement on what they wanted ultimate UK/ EU relationship to be after exit. Was aim a Canadian free trade type agreement, or Norwegian model, or whatever? If that took Cabinet a week, two weeks, a month of meeting day after day..it should have been done. They had nothing more important to do!
2/ Work on exactly what would happen if we came out without a deal and traded on GATT terms should have been similarly started immediately. For two reasons. First so we had an exact basis for judging what was a "good deal" (i.e. better than no deal) and what was a bad deal (i.e. worse than GATT.) Secondly doing that right at outset would have put a bit more pressure on EU negotiating team...they would know they had to at least offer some improvement on "no deal".
3/ Work should have started on creating cross party teams to work on specific important areas, such as NI/ Ireland border arrangements.
4/ Some one more clued up and dynamic than David Davies should have been put in charge of exit dept.
None of that was rocket science. It should all have been done IF government really wanted exit to be a success. They didn't...they have sabotaged it.
Let me give an analogy for our American friends. If USA had a referendum on Universal Healthcare...and the people wanted just that...what would would happen if Republicans were put in charge of work to implement the decision?? Answer: they would sabotage it, to make it appear the referendum decision was crap....
The referendum decision was crap.
I'm all for democracy and stuff but you don't let mostly uninformed (i mean, come on, how many Brits do know something actually real about how Europe works and how it impacts their country?) and so easily manipulated people to take such an important economical and political decision.
That's irresponsible.
Yes, of course.
And in the months before the vote:-
1/ I read three daily papers including the Times, viewed the Daily Politics program on BBC, and listened to a lot of radio.
2/ Most of my family and friends did similarly.
A lot of people on both sides of the debate took it seriously. Certainly my extended family and close friends took it seriously...and after all that we voted different ways..but large majority of us could see pros and cons on both sides...and certainly there's been no subsequent rancour within the family about voting differently.
If anybody believes that there was an overwhelming reason why it was obvious that there was only one "right" way to vote...then I suspect nothing I can say will alter that certainty. But I do suspect my "doubt" was reached after a more rigorous examination of the relevant facts and arguments than those who are certain their view is correct.
Meanwhile, back in the Colonies:
Man shouts 'Heil Hitler, Heil Trump' during intermission of Baltimore performance of 'Fiddler on the Roof'
A man shouted a pro-Nazi and pro-Trump salute during a performance of “Fiddler on the Roof” at Baltimore’s Hippodrome Theatre on Wednesday night.
Audience member Rich Scherr said the outburst during intermission prompted fears that it was the beginning of a shooting. The man, who had been seated in the balcony, began shouting “Heil Hitler, Heil Trump.” Immediately after that, “People started running,” Scherr said. “I’ll be honest, I was waiting to hear a gunshot. I thought, ‘Here we go.’”
Police were called and security escorted the man out a few minutes later, a police spokeswoman said, and the show continued. But Scherr, 49, said it was hard to focus on the play after that. “My heart was just racing. I didn’t even really pay attention to the second act.” The man was not arrested, a police spokeswoman said.
Avatar: Here's to the late, great Steve Dillon. Best. Punisher. Artist. EVER!
For anyone who thought the US was the only country hiring unqualified people for goverment positions
System error: Japan cybersecurity minister admits he has never used a computer
A Japanese minister in charge of cybersecurity has provoked astonishment by admitting he has never used a computer in his professional life, and appearing confused by the concept of a USB drive.
Yoshitaka Sakurada, 68, is the deputy chief of the government’s cybersecurity strategy office and also the minister in charge of the Olympic and Paralympic Games that Tokyo will host in 2020.
In parliament on Wednesday however, he admitted he doesn’t use computers.“Since the age of 25, I have instructed my employees and secretaries, so I don’t use computers myself,” he said in a response to an opposition question in a lower house session, local media reported.
He also appeared confused by the question when asked about whether USB drives were in use at Japanese nuclear facilities.
His comments were met with incredulity by opposition lawmakers.“It’s unbelievable that someone who has not touched computers is responsible for cybersecurity policies,” said opposition lawmaker Masato Imai.
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And his comments provoked a firestorm online.
“Doesn’t he feel ashamed?” wrote one Twitter user.
“Today any company president uses a PC. He doesn’t even know what a USB is. Holy cow.”
Original join date: 11/23/2004
Eclectic Connoisseur of all things written, drawn, or imaginatively created.
The Cover Contest Weekly Winners ThreadSo much winning!!
"When fascism comes to America it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross." - Sinclair Lewis
“It’s your party and you can cry if you want to.” - Captain Europe
It’s really not, and a Democrat’s are in for a RUDE awakening if they oust Pelosi. She’s been the most effective Democrat at passing Pbama’s agenda and stopping Trump’s. It’s a big tent party with lots of voices and turmoil and she’s been incredibly successful at building consensus among her colleagues. That’s a huge skill and has been a silver lining in a decade of losing for Democrats.
There’s no guarantee the next person can get the votes and consensus. You could literally piss away the majority in the House on impact if the next leader can’t do that. And it’s not easy. Reid couldn’t do it, Schumer couldn’t do it, and Ryan couldn’t do it.. People need to stop acting like it’s given that people will fall in line under the next person. That hasn’t worked out for this party lately.