Westminster Politics
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik and Imran are here to talk about a frustrating 2 points dropped at Crystal Palace. They then discuss the regeneration of Old Trafford. Finally, Nik is joined by special guest Michael Statham from the Football Oranje podcast - who gives us a more in depth look at our EL opposition FC Twente, and then runs through the (many) Dutch connections currently at United.
The posh version of bots.
'Political Coup'... no doubt about that!
But our 'fixers' must be better than say the Democratic 'fixers' in the US who it appears cant hit the Trump Impeachment Barn door whilst sat on the latch!
Feels more that the right is far better at using social media and other insidious marketing means to drill their message into the masses' brains tbh.
Yeah, good points, mate. My views are very often naive and unworldly. I just tend to think that, having run the world for centuries by means of chicanery, force and the malign influence of their wealth, why would the powers that be suddenly be content to rely on the built-in unpredictability of fair elections? And I wonder if we're merely comforting ourselves with denial if we believe that they would sit back, content to leave the perpetuation of their power to people like us. That's not what history has taught us, not how they have always acted, all glib and trusting notions of 'inevitable progress leading to democracy' aside.
He said he was doing the right thing. I thought the right thing was following the guidance but I guess that only applies to those of us who are unwashed.
I'd call him a Karen but he's got less hair than me to have the hairstyle, the little bald goblin that he is.
I'd call him a Karen but he's got less hair than me to have the hairstyle, the little bald goblin that he is.
The peopl don't care. Outside of this thread most people only care about what the media narrative is, because they'd rather watch Love Island and don't like anything that requires a modicum of research, and since this group of corrupt feckers have all the editors in their pockets they're always going to win.
I'm sure years ago I'd have found this view crazy, but these days it feels anything is possible given what we've seen since 2016.
Brexit put to the pure chance outcome of a referendum doesn't sit well with that view though.
Yes, everyone's 'out of step' except those that think like me! Social media the greatest medium every developed for the transfer of ignorance and development of echo chambers!
It is, but what I could never figure out is why social media has been such a successful medium for the right when it's predominantly used by the young.
What's more incredible now is that the Govt is prioritising saving Cummings over the clarity of its public health messaging, and consequently the public health at large.
Sunak, Hancock, Gove, Raab, etc: Literally more important that Cummings can stay in his role than whether ordinary people die.
'Taking care of your wife and child is not wrong and it's unfair to politicise it' seems to be the line.
Sunak, Hancock, Gove, Raab, etc: Literally more important that Cummings can stay in his role than whether ordinary people die.
'Taking care of your wife and child is not wrong and it's unfair to politicise it' seems to be the line.
I'm surprised that you would ever find the idea crazy, unless I've explained it badly. I'm not talking of some vast, united conspiracy of 'the powers that be' (dreadful, hackneyed, and deservedly ridiculed term); rather, the usual stuff of people acting like Harry Lime in The Third Man - putting their self-interest above every human and humane consideration.
STAY ALERT. CONTROL THE NARRATIVE. SAVE DOM.
I understand what you say, but is that strictly correct? My two daughters (late forties and early fifties) are both avid face-book and twitter users, not exactly youngsters (don't tell them I said so!) they are always telling me what their good friend on twitter or face-book was doing or saying and they repeated it brazenly as though it were true! I've tried pointing out to them that they could be repeating lies or even worse propaganda, "oh dad don't be so stuffy and old fashioned, every one uses social media, to get their message out.... even President Trump!!!!
Nuff said!
STAY ALERT... LABOUR DC EXOCET -INCOMING... DEPLOY COUNTERMEASURES(ANYTHING WILL DO)
I'd recommend Ralph Miliband's work if you haven't read any of his stuff already, Capitalist Democracy in Britain is a good one for explaining how the powerful do not rely on the built-in unpredictability of fair elections as you put it - and I'd dispute that they are "fair", but not because of fraud or stuffing ballot boxes or anything like that, although it would be naive to assume some dodgy stuff does not occur, especially at a local level.
If I remember correctly, Miliband was the scholar who was described as 'hating Britain' by the red-tops et al; funny, that...
This is true. The reality is that you can immerse yourself in as much political analysis as possible, educate yourself to microscopic detail, and your vote counts for just as much as someone’s who doesn’t think beyond reading the sun.
This is why mass media lying is so effective
Keir Starmer is a bit quiet, isn't he?
Yep, and he was subject to a dogwhistle anti-Semitic attack in the Daily Mail during the 2015 campaign in an attempt to discredit his son Ed to which no one batted an eyelid, a few years before the press had a change of heart and decided anti-Semitism was bad after all.
There's obviously always been lies, corruption, backhanders, cronyism, manipulation of the message etc...You were talking about outright election-rigging, which I found harder to believe.
Fair point on Facebook, I would associate it older generations and you've reminded me about my mother-in-law forwarding bs Indian Covid cures.
Was thinking more of twitter.
'Cos, obviously, Ed - for all his undoubted good intentions - was a major threat to the gravy train...
If there was any doubt about how much sway Cummings has in Westminster now, you just have to look at the litany of Government Ministers currently falling over themselves on Twitter making tits of themselves excusing his actions.
Yep. And I doubt they're doing it because of personal affection for Cummings.
I think it genuinely comes down to morales and hypocrisy. Scandals and fake news generally hurt the left because the left hold their own to accounts whereas for the right it’s a team sport and they can overlook scandals and corruption by their own because they genuinely couldn’t care less if it doesn’t as long as it doesn’t effect them. It’s a point scoring thing for them.
He is. Ian Blackford may be insufferable at times but he and the SNP are typically far better at holding the government to account and taking action that will get them in the news than Labour are. For instance, I've just seen on Twitter that Blackford has written to the Cabinet Secretary demanding an explanation for Cummings' actions. It wasn't unusual to see this happen under Corbyn's leadership, either.
No doubt. The almost identical phrasing of the tweets, "Protecting your wife and child", "trying to politicize the situation", suggests there's a briefing from No 10. on circling the wagons
Presumably the many people in similar situations who actually did what the government asked aren't good parents.
This coming from the actual attorney general.
We put them there. The joke is on us.
We have turned into America. It isn't apathy. The other side must not win, no matter the cost.
Never really believed that Cummings had so much control over PM and the tory party....until now. Amazing that this is the hill they want to die on.
He must have something on them, all of this for an aide?
It's almost impressive just how bad their response to this is. Of all the lies to pick you defend Cummings with 'well if you actually loved your relatives YOU would break lockdown rules too'
When they still get away with it we'll truly know how fecked we are.
When they still get away with it we'll truly know how fecked we are.
I'm still taken aback by the rallying around Cummings. It's so brazen and Orwellian. Why not just offer a token apology, concede it was wrong but rally round him on the basis that they do not believe it is a resigning issue. That to me makes so much more sense. They'd look like hypocrites for the stance taken re Ferguson but it would be much easier to spin why his case was different and therefore incomparable. And to be honest I imagine people would care a lot less. What is especially infuriating about this is the attempt to even dismiss it as an issue.
I think young people are wiser to social media and are harder to sway. You should see the things my parents send to me because they have seen it online.
The effect of SM on the older generation is more profound.
Completely agree, the doubling down is even more damning. I don't know if its some sort of 5D chess strategy that they think they can pull off. Don't know what the strategy is though, its some alternative facts Trumpian level shit now, maybe they want to polarise their base more.
Or a warning signal to adversarial journalists on their aggressive style of government to know that they're all willing to say stupid shit and get away with it because their base will eat up whatever they dish out. Would be interesting to see what line the Mail, the Sun take on it.
Exactly what is the point in continuing with this? For now Labour should be going after the thing that Boris is now weakest on and that is the lifting of the lockdown. Boris's 'baby steps' are unravelling but most importantly its about looking to the future. People are still frightened about the future, at some point they will want their pound of flesh, but right now attacking the government about what one of its 'backroom boys' has or hasn't done is ludicrous. For the first time in ages there is a potential breach in what the PM can control from No.10.
Starmer was on the right track when he pressed Boris for a strategic plan for lifting the lockdown, because he, like we, all know the 'best laid plans'... etc. and 'no plan ever survives the first contact with the enemy .. and so on, it means this is the time when slip ups are difficult to control and to change direction. Starmer has to get a grip of his shadow front bench, like Boris has with his cabinet and start pulling in the same direction, not firing off at targets which have already passed by.
Two of my cousins couldn't attend their father's burial. These people take us for the mugs that we are.