Rayvin

It is the way we're heading. Kind of convenient for those in government who want more control over the populace in general, really. Obviously you could argue that some have a vested interest in keeping this conflict, and terrorism in general, going, by continuing to interfere in the affairs of other countries (and even directly supporting such groups), but that would be tinfoil hat territory, I guess. More left wing craziness. The other really clever thing about it would be that it would mean that those making these decisions had allied themselves to elements of the left who despise religion due to its intolerance, which in turn makes them look more tolerant, and therefore more likely in received public wisdom) that they're acting for the correct reasons. That really is getting into tinfoil hat territory, but at the same time you could argue that something similar happened with multiculturalism, which brought wages crashing down and improved profits at the top. A very left wing ideal with some highly convenient right wing results. I'm not actually saying, for what it's worth, that any of this has happened (although the latter one definitely did happen, just may not have been planned that way) but I think its a bit naive to think that we're entirely victims of fate in this. It's much more likely that this is playing out the way we want it to, than the other way around. Especially considering recent government drives to heighten internet surveillance, etc. And if that's the case, why is it such a stretch to consider that this is something that we have had a hand in causing? Unless this is pure opportunism from our side. I think the key thing for me will be looking at what legislation the government puts through as a result of this new terrorist threat, and what it is then used for aside from terrorism.

Renton, just out of interest, presuming you know that ISIS can't be defeated by airstrikes, and that you feel Islam is the root cause here by far, how would you propose we deal with it? I don't see any way of combating it on our shores other than taking a very hard and divisive line against Muslims. (Other than obviously not bombing people in the middle east and working on diplomatic means for improving the quality of life and educational standards for people who feel that ISIS offers them something). Assuming the latter is out as lefty nonsense, presumably a police state is the answer? Unless you have a middle ground that isn't just going to be a continuation of exactly what's happening as a result of not going far enough?

After last season, you do have some credibility in truth. Just.

Does sound like it was an ISIS inspired attack. That said, no one has officially confirmed it yet to my knowledge. Heaven help us now that we're bombing them too. Although I'll believe that our government is taking this seriously only when attention turns to Saudi.

What does the Fish think?

It's going to be the caning to end all canings IMO. Liverpool are in form and we're falling apart. I fucking hate Liverpool as well, (although it's harder now they have Klopp) but when they win, and the 5th or 6th goal goes in, I don't think I'll even care. This team deserves to get it's ass kicked up and down the field if they play like they have been. I predict that the forward (Cisse or Mitro) will be isolated and useless all game; Gini will disappear; if Tiote's playing his contributions will be giving them the ball variously throughout the game as well as the inevitable foul that gets him booked and sets up one of their goals from the resultant set play; the entire defense will cave under pressure, probably when they realise that Liverpool aren't going to give them the 3 or 4 seconds they need on the ball to make the next pass; Janmaat will start charging forwards to try and force some kind of response only for the move to fall over because no one bothered to go with him, and Liverpool will subsequently counter down the same flank, Sissoko watching drearily as they charge past, all of which will result in another one of the goals we'll concede; and McClaren will come out at the end at an utter loss to explain it all but will commit to bringing the players in an hour early the following day to teach them a lesson that they're too fucking thick/indifferent to understand, thus allowing the whole cycle to repeat.

BBT ran its course but was great back in the day when it genuinely was a fresh show and enjoyable if you had the vaguest handle on contemporary pop culture. Haven't seen the Mindy show... Will try that, and catastrophe. Found myself watching blackadder the other day - have always enjoyed that. Hard to beat the classics.

You're absolutely right. But that has no bearing whatsoever on why we're doing this. 66 Labour MPs voted for it because they think it'll make them look credible and that there will be votes in it. The Tories voted for it at best because our involvement will be significant in international relations management with other foreign powers. Absolutely no one, not even Hillary fucking Benn, thinks that we're doing this because of a moral imperative to combat fucking fascism. If that were true, why aren't we doing that everywhere? If we really cared about terrorism, why don't we just take out Saudi Arabia, the main source of funding and Islamic religious brainwashing? I just wish they'd come out and say it. I could get behind shit like this if someone came out and said 'look, ISIS aren't that big a deal really, but our involvement in a pointless bombing campaign is important for making the UK look credible at the international level in terms of militaristic involvement'. I'd think it was cold, but I could at least accept that governments have to make hard decisions to look after our interests. And probably be grateful that I don't have to do the same thing. I don't think it's about protecting us, because they can't protect us from this. Until Islam moves past this particular phase, which we could enable but are choosing to prevent, there is nothing our governments can do to solve this (without looking like fascists themselves). So we're going to go and blow up some crazed religious fuckwits in Syria, along with the children they will hide behind. Fucking well done everyone. No wonder the whole world despises us...

I had to do something very similar to this, and I very literally just made shit up that I thought people would find interesting. Just because they're on a course with you, doesn't mean they need to know anything more about you than you would tell them off your own bat. I hate all that new age management bollocks.

This thread. HF keeps swinging, regardless of who comes in, and toonotl just cannot for the life of him resist the temptation to dive on his posts. Renton looks like he's about to get sucked back in as well... I reckon all of this has been necessary and cathartic though And we'll be bombing Syria either way.

that is awesome.

That's actually hilarious. We just can't get rid of him.

plagiarism...

What the actual phuck is wrong with that dog...

What would a boycott actually achieve though. He spent money, he has a new manager - there's almost no point now. A sustained campaign for forcing him out, yes, but a boycott for one game isn't going to make a blind bit of difference.

I've been pretty consistent on my dismay that Elliot plays for us. He's a League 1 keeper at best and I have no doubt that Krul would have turned some of these shellackings into more respectable scorelines if not necessarily made any real difference in terms of points. I just think the whole team looks nervous whenever he's playing.

What was the paper on? And kudos, well done.

Fair enough I guess, but I'm pretty sure that all of our absolute canings this season have been with Elliot in goal. Not saying it's all his fault by any stretch, but we look so nervous when he's there...

I think you could look to Eliot and say much the same thing mind... Perhaps Tim organises the defence a lot better than Eliot...

Moyes probably. Wouldn't expect anything really but he would have been a better appointment than McClaren to begin with. Hell no to Rodgers, he's the last thing we need.

I think it's worse now than it was last year. The reality now is that even getting rid of Ashley won't solve anything. Assuming he left tomorrow, it'd be years before we stabilised and cleared the deadwood, years before a new team could be developed, and we'd almost certainly be in the championship for an extended stay. He's actually killed the club IMO. What we're seeing now are death throes.

Any idea what all that was about?

Happy Birthday CT