TheCat

I checked into the forum. 

 

Best to say, rather than be accused.

12 hours ago, Sephiroth said:

unbelievable  - not only does he pop back up to NOT address a point, he then lies about how often he checks the  forum

"I hadnt checked in on the forum in quite a long time, but had reason to, as am planning a quick trip back later this year...and of course couldn't resist a peek at Sunlit Uplands."

I wonder what "quite a long time" can be defined as? Days? Weeks? Months?

Because dear reader, if we were to take a look at forum IP records I can assure you that Cat is a regular visitor - he just chooses not to post. But mention his name and boom there he is

But yes, there is merit to the argument that there is no-one posting on here which given how much the population loves to grumble about the cost of everything it still collectively won't engage with what it needs to do to start addressing the problems

And I used the Australian trade deal as an example 

Wow...you got me!

Sorry, I didn't think it relevant in my first post in over a year to reference the specific frequency with which I might have accessed the forum. But thankfully,  to keep me honest I've got a fan boy who regular misses me and obviously checks my profile on a regular basis:) 

 

"mentiom his name and boom he is there"...haha..yes, as is the usual custom when someones name is called:)

This is a stunning example of pettiness seph, even for you, and its just spoiling for an arguement. And why I don't miss posting on this forum and many of its toxic discussions. None more so than this one.

Toodle pip!

12 hours ago, Sephiroth said:

 

 

I just cant get me enough of an LTN argument DR...;)

I hadnt checked in on the forum in quite a long time, but had reason to, as am planning a quick trip back later this year...and of course couldn't resist a peek at Sunlit Uplands.

I still have ties, and I wouldn't rule out a Cat 2.0 in years to come. 

Anyway. Hope all well or well enough. Cat's returning to hibernation now.

I'm touched that you're thinking of me.

It must get rather dull to just keep posting to yourself on this thread I suppose.

'Arch Brexiteer'?...Good one:)

Greetings from afar. I'm touched to see that you're still thinking about me DR.

Reason for the touching base is to flag that I think we should all be proud that they have finally made a film out of the dramatic screenplay that is this thread.

I never thought JRM would be the right fit to play me, but I think he did a reasonable job, although he didn't even attempt my accent. While Marina absolutely nails the spiralling anger and futility of an amalgam of the various EDF anti-brexit posters over the years.

I think we're in with a good shot come red carpet awards season with this one.

 

 

 

 

Thought any Irish fans (so most likely Alan on the edf) might enjoy this one in the lead up to next weekend....

We still have Internet in australia😂

And I'm always up for a good brexit argument.

I'll be honest I ran out of time for a party.

Thought I'd check in, and it has seemed very quiet on the current affairs thread since I left! Probably no bad thing I guess!

So....the generally accepted wisdom is that the tories have broken the NHS...

But...

Will labour really do any better?

It needs reform...not just more money....

When the 'news cycle' moves on and the top of the paper websites is now about Ukraine. Its a stark reminder about how utterly ridiculous this priveliged moaning is.

I know diehard remainers like to describe brexit as the greatest act of self harm......but have you seen the reaction to Prince Harry's new book....?

I was thinking maybe "Pizzad Nauseum"....🤣

Some bright spark will finally see the commerical opportunity, and open a pizza joint somewhere on lordship lane....

So....up front....what Clarkson said about megham is horrendous....no question.

I do want to ask though...have similar things been said about right-wing white men in power and we just brush it off?....if they haven't, then okay, but my gut feel is that awful shit gets said about right wingers and we say that's acceptable...

But Meg is black and female....so having a go at her is racist and mysoginistic....not just a case of clarkson being an asshole....

I think it odd that both Cruela and Patel are the children of immigrants and yet both are hostile to immigrants whether refugees or they are fleeing human rights abuses or fleeing countries we have had a hand in bombing. Personally I would welcome all.

 

I don't think either are particularly hostile to immigration overall. They are clearly hostile towards 'illegal' immigration or uncontrolled immigration. Legal , controlled immigration is actually materially increased in recent years (according to migration watch..."There were 122,266 decisions on applications for settlement in the UK in the year ending June 2022, 29% more than in 2019").

In that context, being the children of immigrants makes perfect sense i guess...as one could take the view that 'my parents did it the 'right' way, why should others not do the same?'.....

I understand the further consideration of asylum seekers, and that is obviously a different situation. I suspect most of the political and societiel 'outrage' over the boats is around the perception (rightly or wrongly) that many aren't genuine asylum seekers escaping persecution, but are 'queue jumpers' not doing things through the normal channels....

My own view is that rather than expensive, populist, gesture politics (like the Rwanda plan)....the government should invest in capacity to process asylum applications quickly, and invest in ability to enforce removal for those cases which are deemed not genuine....

I'm great friends with 25 letters of the alphabet.

I don't know Y.

Sorry Cat, but you dismissing ''there will be no downside'' doesn't magically make it go away. As stupid as you think it was to say that, it was oft repeated and millions believed it.

Tbf you can hardly blame them for something they didn't say and don't believe.

 

Nice swerve on this though DR...:)

Brexit deregulation v single market access.

Only going to be one winner

 

Deregulation?

Not sure on your point, as would prefer tkbhear an argument as opposed to a fait accompli.....

.

Amazing how the headline has moved from enticing someone to read the article, to being the article itself......

Case in point...this forum...people post links for the headline...without reading.....

Why have we gone this way?

Fair enough...as I've always said...my opinions are my own....why other people voted how they did and who they listened to to reach their decision is their business.

If you've an issue with people voting leave because they thought there would be no downsides. Then please take it up with those people.

But you are probably right that many were taken in by exaggerated and misleading headlines, and those same people are now probably being taken in once again by the exaggerated and misleading headlines blaming the dire state of the UK economy of brexit. Where really brexit has been largely an economic irrelevance relative to the major economic shocks the country has suffered in recent years.

'Considerable'?

Probably worth making a couple of points:

- definitely a negative. No debate on that.

However...

- unlikely to be a huge to surprise to most 'sensible' (make of that what you will) brexit supporters. Early 'trade friction' was always a reasonable expectation. (Please don't come at me with the 'there are no downsides' quote, I previously agreed that was an absolute load of cr@p)

- so its less than 3 percent per annum food inflation, with an impact on the cost of living for low earners of ~1% over 2 years....so less than 0.5%pa....

In the context of overall inflation rates....not really moving the needle much it would seem.....

Well...looks like i won't be the only rugby loving australian who will be leaving these shores in the next couple of months....

Re. the ''I'm always asked about my accent'' takes.

It is indeed common to ask someone where their accent is from, it's an easy conversation ice-breaker.

The difference is, if you're white, there's rarely the follow-up question of ''Yes, but where did you originally come from?''...

 

If a black person has a foreign accent which they are asked about, and they respond with the country where they developed said accent, it would seem very strange for someone to then ask where they are originally from?

Akin to asking what football team someone supports, being given the answer, then following up with 'but what team do you REALLY support?'

I know many like to paint Britain is a racist hellhole, and that was message you were seemingly trying to convey?....but you've probably tried a lite too hard on this occasion methinks..

At the risk of venturing into the 'verboten' of daring to question someone's 'lived experience' of racism....

Yes, the comments/questions were wrong, and i make no change to my view on that, but can't help but feel like this is being milked a bit now...

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/dec/01/buckingham-palace-encounter-with-susan-hussey-like-an-interrogation-says-charity-boss

Interrogation?

abuse?

Windrush?

Pressure to renounce citizenship?

Really?

Bit of hoopla at the moment about a royal aide asking a black Briton where she was 'really' from?

Different people will view this with differing degrees of severity as an offensive act, but overall, for me, its no doubt a real kick in the teeth and potentially quite upsetting for anyone who was born and raised here to be asked, based solely on how on how they look.

Sometimes of course people may have genuine curiosity if someone is 'obviously' from another part of the world....and invariably people from other parts of the world are proud of that fact and (in my experience) enjoy being asked about their heritage...

But when I say 'obviously', I mean things like accents, not skin colour.

So if in a situation where one wants to take an interest in whoever you might be talking to, I will often ask 'where is your accent from?'.....the question applies to people of all colours, I often ask it of Europeans, and I also very often get asked it myself....

Any other approaches people take to asking other people about themselves? (not just in the context of where they are from....could be anything..i.e. You look like you used to play rugby?..."no im just fat"....or "congratulations, when is the baby due?....'no im just fat") while balancing off against human tendancy to make presumptions sometimes.....