A Political Thread pt. 2

[Which Tyler]

As far as the NHS goes it's hard to not think that this has been their plan. Underfund it, run it into the ground and then say, look it's not fit for purpose we'll need an insurance based system moving forward.

We've known that was their plan for decades - they've just had a 12-year run into it now, and are seeing the fruits of their labor

 

[McTallshort]

That takes some ********

 

[Bada-Bing!]

There are worse systems but I'd rather a properly funded and supported NHS by a government that cares about it. Not by a government that pretends to care about it but in reality is fundamentally opposed to it on an ideological level.

I recall speaking to one NHS A and E consultant who told me no matter how much money is pored into the NHS it is a bottomless pit and more funding is never ever enough.

Of course a properly funded NHS means either more borrowing even more to plug the gap or higher taxation. 1.25% social care levy - of course that got chucked out by Truss and Kwasi. But no one really complained about that just the 45% tax.

Reminded me of what my old politics teacher used to say. Ask the ordinary person in the street what the issues which will decide how they will vote and they will tell pollsters - "NHS, crime and schooling." But what they are really thinking is "all of this, just as long as it doesn't cost me."

I think we are wedded to the idea of the NHS and although it's a marvellous concept, it was borne out from meeting the needs of the population way back from post 1945.

It clearly needs adapting in some form to meet the needs of 67m plus population and Covid just exposed that it is not really fit for the purposes of a growing and aging population. Allow those better off to opt out and purchase insurance. Of course you need some kind of social insurance. I don't advocate America's market model for healthcare.

That is not even counting Brexit and then also staff shortages.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

That takes some ********

Insane that we can see footage like this basically in real time

It looks like a made-for-TV action movie/show (anyone remember Ultimate Force?) not something that's happening a handful of borders away

 

[Welsh Exile]

I recall speaking to one NHS A and E consultant who told me no matter how much money is pored into the NHS it is a bottomless pit and more funding is never ever enough.

Of course a properly funded NHS means either more borrowing even more to plug the gap or higher taxation. 1.25% social care levy - of course that got chucked out by Truss and Kwasi. But no one really complained about that just the 45% tax.

Reminded me of what my old politics teacher used to say. Ask the ordinary person in the street what the issues which will decide how they will vote and they will tell pollsters - "NHS, crime and schooling." But what they are really thinking is "all of this, just as long as it doesn't cost me."

I think we are wedded to the idea of the NHS and although it's a marvellous concept, it was borne out from meeting the needs of the population way back from post 1945.

It clearly needs adapting in some form to meet the needs of 67m plus population and Covid just exposed that it is not really fit for the purposes of a growing and aging population. Allow those better off to opt out and purchase insurance. Of course you need some kind of social insurance. I don't advocate America's market model for healthcare.

That is not even counting Brexit and then also staff shortages.

And there are plenty of other NHS professionals you could speak to that would say the opposite. I think we are way below other western countries in what we spend on our healthcare system. Even in that article you linked we are well behind Germany for example. But the "NHS is a bottomless pit" rhetoric is something you'll hear churned out time and time again after years upon years of systematic underfunding and being run into the ground. The NHS in the late naughties and early 2010 time was a **** load better than it is now, for example. It wasn't perfect of course but to say "oh well, there's nothing we can do now it's untenable we have e to go private" is something I totally disagree with.

Sadly, the NHS as we know it will be gone in a decade or 2 and like we see with private schools, we'll see a 2 tier health system (we already have one now obviously but will be worse) whereby if you're poor you're ******. At least the Tories will be happy.

 

[Which Tyler]

Good analysis of Russian defensive positions at Beryslav etc - the last route across the Dnipro

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

It's not just America….

34 killed in a mass shooting in Thailand. Not that you can value one life against another, but doubly repellent that 22 of them were children.

18 more massacred in a Mexican town hall.

Closer to home, 3 stabbed on Bishopsgate, literally just around the corner from my office, I had been due to go in today, but changed my mind first thing.

Chuck in a war - bad enough, but would anyone 100% rule out the possibility of going nuclear, cost of living crisis, expensive mortgages, strikes, a hapless PM and government etc and there is really very little good news around at the moment. Even the glorious distraction that is rugby is full of stories about financial collapse and life changing head injuries.

 

[Which Tyler]

Just in case anyone wasn't sure; I have proof that the Ukrainians are the good guys in this:

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

That's an odd take.
Ukraine can absolutely encircle Kherson - there;'s only 1 route across the Dnipro at the moment; if Ukraine control that route, then Kherson is encircled - even if that encirclement is all sat 20km away from the city itself - but obviously, the closer they sit (especially anti-aircraft batteries) then the tighter the noose.

It's not March anymore; and Russia is not, and cannot throw its entire military at Ukraine - unlike Ukraine, who not only can throw their entire military might at Russia, but have massively increased their military might since the invasion started - both in terms of personnel and equipment.

Ukraine ceased to be the underdog, when they had (more or less) halted Russian advances, started getting new recruits out the other end of training, and started getting serious equipment from their allies - AKA, about 3 months ago. Nothing to do with when they started counter attacking, everything to do with when they ceased to be the underdog.

I said fully encircled. Kherson cannot be fully encircled (i.e. near 360 degrees) like Izium and Lyman can. If Russia elects to fight to the death there (hypothetical only given their rate of political deterioration and internal finger pointing) they can get ammo, food and water over the river and dig in for a brutal encounter (as I say, I don't think that will happen) without much option of retreat (unless agreed by both sides). My point simply is it will likely present a different challenge to Ukraine.

I explained Lysychansk as another kind of example and would compare it to how Russia were able to take Sievierodonetsk largely through the front door (at likely enormous cost and with Lysychansk still in Ukrainian hands) and I think if Russia maintains a full desire to fight this war there will be times Ukraine may be forced into street fighting / urban warfare in more densely populated areas (mainly Donetsk). Their success in the north east and Kherson is absolutely fantastic but is in very rural areas that I would imagine lends itself to encirclements. Literally towns that are 10-15 miles infront of the next town to the rear.

I actually take it back on troop numbers, I simply can't evidence that Russia has more currently in Ukraine so you were right to query that. Even if we put Ukraine at just 500k I think it's highly debatable Russia's rag tag alliance exceeds that, even with their 200k (seems they cant even raise the full 300k without a months delay!) and rumoured secret mobilisations since May.

Ukrainian intelligence: Russia began covert mobilization back in May

Russia has been conducting covert mobilization since May, when signs appeared that its forces had failed to achieve the tasks set for the invasion, including capturing Kyiv, according to Vadym Skibitsky, a deputy head of Ukraine's military intelligence. Russian dictator

kyivindependent.com

Wagner and Chechen numbers seem to be both in low four figures and I'd like to think a lot of the menfolk in Russian areas were able to get out of Dodge before they could be put in a position be conscripted.

Even though I've consistently been proven wrong and too pessimistic I don't think it is reasonable to conclude Ukraine were favourites 3 months ago against Russia when Russia had a lot less than 20% of their armed forces deployed. If Putin had mobilised his rumoured 1 million back in the summer when he still had some jets, copters and tanks to play with I think things would have been very grave.

Now the only hope of achieving their aims seems to be if Russian factories start churning out tanks, jets and copters (something sanctions on components reportedly should be making difficult???).

 

[BrokenWing]

It's not just America….

34 killed in a mass shooting in Thailand. Not that you can value one life against another, but doubly repellent that 22 of them were children.

18 more massacred in a Mexican town hall.

Closer to home, 3 stabbed on Bishopsgate, literally just around the corner from my office, I had been due to go in today, but changed my mind first thing.

Chuck in a war - bad enough, but would anyone 100% rule out the possibility of going nuclear, cost of living crisis, expensive mortgages, strikes, a hapless PM and government etc and there is really very little good news around at the moment. Even the glorious distraction that is rugby is full of stories about financial collapse and life changing head injuries.

It's not really about valuing one life over another in my opinion, it's more that kids haven't even had the chance to do something that could come close to justifying taking their lives.

I've just read about the one on Bishopsgate, phone snatching that the guy resisted and passers by tried to help.

 

[Bruce_ma gooshvili]

The language getting used by Putin's stooges against the senior officers in the military (likening them to scum and criminals) is getting so heated that I'd like to think some in the military are thinking about a coup purely out of self preservation.

Russian-installed Ukraine official pours scorn on Putin's generals, defence minister

A Russian-installed official in Ukraine poured scorn on Moscow's generals on Thursday and suggested its defence minister should shoot himself because of failures in the Ukraine conflict, in a highly rare public rebuke of the Kremlin's top brass.

www.reuters.com

Kadyrov and that guy heading Wagner seem like full-on nutters. If Putin decides to go full despot and elevate extremists over his defence secretary then I'd be very nervous if I was a senior military figure.

 

[die_mole]

really not prepared for Russia to step up the invasion again. Hearing the stories of the children and families that have to live through this is heartbreaking. Putin subjecting his men and the people of Ukraine to this for a needless war is so cruel.

 

[Gavin]

The anti-growth coalition is the new woke warriors, high court judges, single mothers, people on benefits, asylum seekers, junior doctors, train drivers.....

Conservative party following their plan of focusing on a particular part of society to demonise

 

[Which Tyler]

I said fully encircled. Kherson cannot be fully encircled (i.e. near 360 degrees) like Izium and Lyman can. If Russia elects to fight to the death there (hypothetical only given their rate of political deterioration and internal finger pointing) they can get ammo, food and water over the river and dig in for a brutal encounter (as I say, I don't think that will happen) without much option of retreat (unless agreed by both sides). My point simply is it will likely present a different challenge to Ukraine.

But that's the thing - If Russia loses control of the bridge at Beryslav - they can't. They just can't.
They may not be "encircled" as in Ukraine being capable of making a human chain right around the city - but they'd be encircled as in besieged, trapped, unable to resupply, incapable of get fresh men in and injured men out. That's the bit that matters.

 

[Which Tyler]

Voters will have a clear choice. Stability with David Cameron, or chaos with Ed Milliband...

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

Voters will have a clear choice. Stability with David Cameron, or chaos with Ed Milliband...

I mean Cameron may have almost torn the country apart but did you SEE Milliband try to eat a sandwich!? Plus why support a Milliband when you can support a kiloband?

 

[McTallshort]

 

[Gavin]

Listening to LBC today discussing interest rates and mortgages made me do my own calculations.

Now I pay about £500 p/m on a 2..15% fixed term deal until next October.

The best deal I can find for remortgaging now would offer me £750 p/m on a 6.00% fixed term deal.

The experts on LBC said they could see interest rates reaching 10% by June next year which would lead to £1,000 p/m repayments.

Obviously this is all speculation but based on experts (though we all know the UK doesn't like experts).

There could be a serious housing crash, especially when you consider I have a small mortgage due to it being cheaper in NI

 

[Which Tyler]

Please, please, please can that mean he NEEDS thoughts and prayers

 

[McTallshort]