Sephiroth

"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!!

One can choose to believe Cummings. or Johnson But it only illustrates how shabby and shaky the whole Brexit thing was and is And to believe that yes, THEY were all fools and untrustworthy knaves, but MY vision for Brexit is way more honourable and will benefit the country... well - that is a very Cummings-like position to adopt isn't it? Meanwhile Johnson and Frost barking away with the same mantra re NI protocol again as if nothing has changed in 5 years - pure madness

one doesn't have to like, trust, respect, have any truck with Cummings - I don't But the texts he is publishing - you couldn't honestly say Johnson is unlikely to have said those things ie it is possible for them both to be complete shits

it's not something you hear from many other countries is it? And if we are to believe Cummings latest revelations, we should count ourselves lucky we only have 130k dead

he's been popping 'is little head into a couple of threads every month or so for a little while now

Seabo - have you mixed up your threads?

It?s strong and heartfelt. I object to unhinged - Comparing pro and anti Brexit economists as equal - that?s unhinged What have I said that?s unhinged?

No one forced you to use the silly phrase sweetie - you just? did

Keano - are you the person who just a few days ago was asking what the phrase meant? Who has educated you? Did they charge? Seek a refund

"Ha. Well a a very foolish comment. And certainly not one I'd advocate. " a foolish comment that millions believed (they still do) but to be clear, this is a leaver saying millions didn't know what they voted for, not a remainer

Not only does Cat ignore the whole point about no credible economists supporting brexit, he then professes to be ignorant of DD's "''There will be no downside to Brexit, only a considerable upside'' Where is this quote from?" How can anyone get through last 5 years and not be aware of this and other promises (like Dan Hannan's "no-one is saying we will be outside Single Market or Customs Union") Cat's vacuous, Cummings-lite "we intelligentsia can see a bright future beyond the ken of mere mortals" schtick wouldn't muster 5% of a Brexit vote - it needed 10s of millions of people believing guff form Davis and Hannan and (still!) Johnson et al The whole thing was and remains a fatal house built on sand Never mind Cat's (slight, qualified, but nonetheless real) steps backward on the "taking the knee debate" - should he and I both make it another couple of decades in this life, he will never ever ever ever have been more wrong about any single thing ever and as before when "agree to disagree" nonsense has been proposed, I reject it. Because there is no disagreeing with the reality. This is too important to too many lives and livelihoods It was a lie, remains a lie and will be a lie for evermore - and if he (and others) can't see the poison and lies that sustain the whole thing (whilst openly ignorant of the lies that led us here), there can be no "agree to disagree".

False equivalence. There is no body of reapected economists supporting leave Ditto vaccines Ditto climate change Ditto tobacco

It?s just a shame that all the losers will be the people who were conned into voting for Brexit isn?t it? (And yes they were conned - fishermen, Northern Ireland unionists, etc) https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idUSKBN29415G If you voted Brexit and don?t feel conned, your time will come The rest is all high-minded theory - like communism. Would be great only none is doing it right One can?t argue with a true believer