Sephiroth

Beyond disgraceful but entirely in keeping with this clueless, feckless, moral-free bunch of shysters https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/aug/19/guards-at-kabul-embassy-told-they-are-ineligible-for-uk-protection?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other In the words of someone else from today: ?The Govt wants to free itself from the shackles of the EU, flex its newly-independent muscles, and to evade (and row back from) its international commitments. Yet, somehow it seems to expect its influence not to be diminished.?

Aye - lived locally to me in Sussex his sitcom 15 stories high is an under appreciated gem

yep - but then we go back to the fundamentals of this whole venture. Should we have gone in the first place? How long do we commit to staying? After 20 years do you just say "well, forever if necessary?". If our problem is the way a country treats it's women are we going to tackle other big countries? Of course not What the UK can do now (now that it was ignored in this) the one thing it is sovereign over, is decide how it treats refugees from Afghanistan - and that's not looking good is it?

It's a big ugly, no easy-wins situation, with horrific consequences currently unfolding I don't think blaming Biden for implementing the deal Trump did twith he Taliban is quite the gotcha people who make the comment think it is. I'm not absolving Biden of anything - but let's not pretend Trump would somehow be doing better

Whooooosh

It?s not healthy is what I?m saying. And bad things will come of it

It would appear that no, people don?t care anymore Why that is remains a mystery given what is transpiring versus what people were complaining about in 2016 Still brits be brits. Outward appearance: Cuppa tea. Mustn?t grumble Actuality: silent, seething, endless unhappiness and victimhood

I see Nando?s have more than 10% of restaurants shut today because of ?supply issues? Supply issues not affecting their branches in Ireland Wonder what those supply issues are

This one stood the test of time Santerme Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > karter Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > and what would happen if ALL troops left > > Afghanistan? The people need protecting but > > stamping out the Taliban? An impossible task. > > If all troops left > > It would be Saigon all over again with helicopters > collecting the last one's out from the roofs

Absolute scenes ???? Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Well that?s because Ireland, like Belgium, is > opposed to any vaccine war as they realise what > the long term effect will be on inward investment > into the republic. Got to say, all this vaccine > stuff is exposing all the things that the long > term critics of the EU said - inefficiency, > unaccountability, over bureaucratic and dancing to > the tune of the French and Germans. I certainly > feel less bad about our decision to leave than I > did a year ago.

Some of the nonsense spouted earlier this year still makes me gasp Trolley Snatcha Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > The successful vaccine rollout has made Brexit all > worthwhile. Imagine still being in the EU, and sat > squabbling with all the other countries about who > gets how much of the available vaccine- no > thanks. > > We should vaccine every single person in the > country, including both shots of the Pfizer > vaccine, before we even consider looking beyond > our borders to help others. For once, we need to > look after ourselves, because if we dont this > illness and death (which is getting boring now), > will chug on for god knows how much longer.

Permanent you say? Not just teething troubles then https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/aug/10/emergency-brexit-powers-for-lorry-queues-to-be-made-permanent?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

"Given the concerns about supply chains, jobs, prices etc, this continued obsession about getting the vaccine a couple of weeks early is flimsy at best and just downright weird. In no way does it constitute any kind of genuine benefit" This from December stands up well I think (now that 6 EU countries have overtaken UK with double-jab rates)

"Many business people in the north-east tell me the only way to improve the situation is to go back into the single market." - CEO of North East England Chamber of Commerce https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/aug/09/no-strategic-plan-brexit-james-ramsbotham-north-east-chamber-of-commerce plus talk of Army on the streets to get food delivered to supermarkets The only country to deliberately slap itself in the face

Amazing how Cummings keeps saying how dumb and doltish all of the Brexit mps are - yet won?t draw a line between that and the idea itself (because it would mean? yep)

Someone posited that he is another version of Peter North from Leave Alliance Brainyish self-regarding nerds whose lack of empathy for others cause them to be rejected by peers so they are gaining revenge with all of this toxic nonsense

Imagine being on same side as Rees Mogg on, well, anything But on this specifically? proper Comical Ali/ doublethink stuff https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/aberdeen/3333961/businesses-face-brexit-chaos-despite-rees-mogg-great-success-claim/

I?d be beyond amazed to the point of stupefaction if boris was genuinely interested in levelling up anywhere. Maybe as an intellectual exercise that would make him popular But the detail is way beyond him As is the fact they the other B word has scuppered any possible chance of having the money/logistics to do it. (Oops)

The opening ceremony doesn't seem to have impressed global audience - but they did play musical themes from Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest amongst other games - so I was pleased to see that at least

You're going to have to do better than that if you want people to not mention the other B word - Remainer this, Leaver that! ;-)

I can understand the sentiment to keep this thread free of the other B word and agree that there are plenty of other threads for that conversation to continue (teeny caveat = they ARE inextricably linked. I'll leave it there. But it's true. That being said I'll try) I've long contested that Johnson is so out of his depth, and taking the country and his party out of their depths that not only will he not contest next election, but that election will happen sooner than people think. I believe one of ???? last posts was berating me about this very claim. It might happen - he might stumble on until 2024 and contest that election but I already think the wheels are starting to come off, just a little bit for now - but perceptively so. (This very thread bears testament to this fact I think) Starmer and Labour are (correctly) criticised for not giving us any kind of narrative or plan. But it's blindingly obvious this govt have a vacuum where a purpose should be But never underestimate voters capacity to not want to admit a mistake if it makes them look bad

The cardboard beds to discourage athletes having sex - that's weird tho right? edit: just googled to find a link to story and found this - so looks like the story was "bunk" https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2021/07/20/olympics-anti-sex-beds-athletes/

some friends are able to put all that to one side and are ridiculously excited about the whole thing but I think you put it very well Cat Do we think it will make it through to completion? (the whole olympics - not the opening ceremony)

Blimey - even the horror that is Toby Young has recanted (only up to a point of course) https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/in-defence-of-footballers-taking-the-knee "Before the television presenter Guto Harri took the knee live on air ? which cost him his job at GB News last week ? he explained that his understanding of the gesture had changed. Having initially thought of it as political with a capital ?p?, he now realised that in the eyes of most people, including England?s young football players, it is simply a way of expressing your opposition to racism, as well as solidarity with its victims. It is not an expression of support for the Black Lives Matter organisation or its more controversial aims. In retrospect, that seems pretty obvious. Professional footballers, who tend to be multi-millionaires, drive expensive cars and have young children, do not want to end capitalism, defund the police or dismantle the nuclear family. But like Guto, I had difficulty getting past my initial reaction to seeing them taking the knee because in my mind the gesture is linked to BLM ? an impression reinforced by Premier League players wearing BLM badges on their shirts last year and football clubs unfurling huge banners in their stadiums saying ?Black Lives Matter?. However, I now accept that when players start taking the knee again in a few weeks? time ? the first Championship game is on 6 August ? it will not be because they?re rabid neo-Marxists."

to be fair to the app, it's doing what it's supposed to, no? What's lacking is any support for people who have to isolate, or for the companies/organisations who have to do without them. All happening as we fully open with rising infections The app isn't the problem Still, world beating vaccination thanks to not being in the EU and all that what what!!