A Political Thread

[Bada-Bing!]

So now next round candidates need at least 33 votes to proceed to the next round. Will be interesting to see how the 30 who voted for the three who dropped out get distributed to the others.

 

[General Melchett]

Boris the only one yet to confirm he'll participate in the TV debates. What's he scared of? If he's PM material then he'd better get used to the spotlight and scrutiny. I really hope the TV channels do proper polling to show what the public think about his performances. I think Gove and Stewart will show him up on the debating front.

Hunt, Raab, Hancock and Javid all sound as dull as dishwater.

 

[Amiga500]

They said they didn't want another coronation but that's essentially what's happening. Keeping him away from the media makes him gaffe proof and a shoe in for the final two in which case he's home and hosed as the membership love him.

Probably a good time to put a few quid on a United Ireland by end of 2020 I'd think.

 

[Amiga500]

They said they didn't want another coronation but that's essentially what's happening. Keeping him away from the media makes him gaffe proof and a shoe in for the final two in which case he's home and hosed as the membership love him.

Probably a good time to put a few quid on a United Ireland by end of 2020 I'd think.

edit: Just checked.

Paddy Power has it at 50/1 before 1st Jan 2020.... but 15/2 before 1st Jan 2024.

 

[Which Tyler]

Ironic: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-48629838
ChangeUK have had to change their name, but still miss the opportunity to call themselves the Democratic Liberals, or even The Remain Party

 

[General Melchett]

The more I think about it the more I'm of the view that BoJo as PM is quickly going to end in tears. He's more of a court jester than a statesman and is bound to mess up. I think it could be a short reign before the ERG turn on him if he doesn't deliver a No deal exit by 31 October.

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

The more I think about it the more I'm of the view that BoJo as PM is quickly going to end in tears. He's more of a court jester than a statesman and is bound to mess up. I think it could be a short reign before the ERG turn on him if he doesn't deliver a No deal exit by 31 October.

He's not even a court jester as that would imply he is just a bit silly. Bojo isn't silly, he has a malicious attitude and is a thoroughly detestable individual, someone who has been brought up constantly being told they are better than everyone else and he acts like it. He plays the buffoon until he gets put under pressure, then the facade drops and he reveals the ******* he is.

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

More oil tankers attacked and again the US blaming Iran but providing no evidence to support their accusation. This is feeling very much like Iraq again with the US fabricating a reason for an invasion. I don't see what Iran could possibly hope to gain from these attacks but I can certainly see what the US or Israel have to gain by carrying them out and then blaming Iran. I've not been a fan of conspiracies but this whole thing absolutely stinks.

 

[Amiga500]

Agreed.

The US hawks want a war and they'll lie their way into getting one.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Didn't the US fake attacks on their ships to justify Vietnam?

 

[McTallshort]

Agreed.

The US hawks want a war and they'll lie their way into getting one.

America cannot afford another war especially with a powerful sovereign nation like Iran. They are applying power but an invasion would not be in American interests. Trump may be a lot of things but hes not a war monger and spoke out against the invasion of Iraq not for moral reasons but financial. Hes a businessman and war is a pointless cost unless your going to get something out of it and all you would get from an invasion of Iran is a large body count and international condemnation

 

[General Melchett]

America cannot afford another war especially with a powerful sovereign nation like Iran. They are applying power but an invasion would not be in American interests. Trump may be a lot of things but hes not a war monger and spoke out against the invasion of Iraq not for moral reasons but financial. Hes a businessman and war is a pointless cost unless your going to get something out of it and all you would get from an invasion of Iran is a large body count and international condemnation

True that Trump has zero agenda when it comes to wars. He sees himself as CEO of America Inc. The people behind the Iran tensions are the Republican hawks like John Bolton. These are the same people who were involved in Iraq. Typically when the regime of an oil rich middle east country don't tow the line then America will look for ways to force them out and replace them with Yes men.

 

[General Melchett]

He's not even a court jester as that would imply he is just a bit silly. Bojo isn't silly, he has a malicious attitude and is a thoroughly detestable individual, someone who has been brought up constantly being told they are better than everyone else and he acts like it. He plays the buffoon until he gets put under pressure, then the facade drops and he reveals the ******* he is.

Yeah well I'd still say he's closer to court jester than statesman. Referring to muslim women wearing a niqab as letterboxes and black people as having 'watermelon smiles' shows him to be a disgusting racist and he should be nowhere near No.10. He even said that in recent times as a politician which is far worse than someone who took a few lines of charlie twenty odd years ago in a previous career.

 

[Which Tyler]

More oil tankers attacked and again the US blaming Iran but providing no evidence to support their accusation. This is feeling very much like Iraq again with the US fabricating a reason for an invasion. I don't see what Iran could possibly hope to gain from these attacks but I can certainly see what the US or Israel have to gain by carrying them out and then blaming Iran. I've not been a fan of conspiracies but this whole thing absolutely stinks.

Did someone mention the Gulf of Tonkin?

 

[General Melchett]

Chuka joins Lib Dems

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-48631116

 

[ncurd]

Been rumored for like a week, probably wanted to make sure the leadership contest was well underway before he came in.

Mixed reaction amongst the membership from what I've seen common take 'should of done it in the first place'

 

[Bada-Bing!]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-48645342

Will be interesting if this lasts and the bill is withdrawn completely or is it just a delaying tactic to make it seem the HK Govt are listening.

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-48645342

Will be interesting if this lasts and the bill is withdrawn completely or is it just a delaying tactic to make it seem the HK Govt are listening.

The central government of China have done similar things before, they let the anger die down and just try to introduce it again in a more roundabout way so there isn't a single issue that people will get angry about. You can guarantee they will still be looking to get that into law.

The real test will be when the agreed one country two systems agreement ends in a few years. By then they could turn around and say HK is fully part of China with no special treatment, and I'm pretty sure that's exactly what will happen.

 

[Bada-Bing!]

The central government of China have done similar things before, they let the anger die down and just try to introduce it again in a more roundabout way so there isn't a single issue that people will get angry about. You can guarantee they will still be looking to get that into law.

The real test will be when the agreed one country two systems agreement ends in a few years. By then they could turn around and say HK is fully part of China with no special treatment, and I'm pretty sure that's exactly what will happen.

That's the thing HK is supposed to be autonomous until 2047 or 50 years after the handover. China is just trying to bring this forward. There are already reported incidents of HK people, who have displeased Beijing disappearing Most likely kidnapped without HK's consent and swallowed up in the mainland Chinese judicial system without due process and thrown in jail. So whether they want this law or not if Beijing wanted someone in HK they will get them regardless of any HK law.

The protests are as much against Xi's authoritarian rule and Beijing increasingly trying to bring the 2047 deadline forward as much as against this extradition bill being passed. I suspect this won't be the last of the protests, which will increase in future years and students using any kind of provocation in terms any laws Beijing increasingly want the HK government to bring it in line with Mainland China's legal system.

This is a radical generation of students who are willing to stand up and protest, but yes what happens when 2047 comes? Who knows? At the moment HK has a legitimate reason to protest but once 2047 comes China will then have total legitimacy to sweep away HK's current legal system and bring it under Mainland China's.

Tiananmen massacre was 30 years ago, but if the protests ever get to that level will Beijing just send in the Tanks to quell dissent? That is the worry for me. I have relatives out there and a few were wise to get British passports for themselves and my cousins. But others haven't and will live and die and in HK come what may. For now a lot of them see the protests as an inconvenience to their daily lives, but they don't want to see the wider picture.

 

[Which Tyler]