Politics

[Dr Gloom 21954]

Meanwhile, UKIP's candidate for London mayor is a bloke called Gammon - I shit thee not 

[Rayvin 5223]

1 hour ago, The Fish said:

Why are they fetishising the flag? Is this just another Americanisation?

 

It does seem to have become the new, pathetic virtue signal of the current zeitgeist. It'll be up there with poppies soon.

 

All the more fascinating when you consider that it's being used in lieu of policy as a way of appealing to the red wall from all sides of the spectrum. Literally no one should be won over politically by flags.

[The Fish 10863]

6 minutes ago, Rayvin said:

 

It does seem to have become the new, pathetic virtue signal of the current zeitgeist. It'll be up there with poppies soon.

 

All the more fascinating when you consider that it's being used in lieu of policy as a way of appealing to the red wall from all sides of the spectrum. Literally no one should be won over politically by flags.

Especially as that flag may well be obsolete sooner than later.

[Rayvin 5223]

True enough - although there seems to be a concerted effort coming to drag Sturgeon through the mud at the moment. I've not followed it particularly and I'm sure she hasn't done herself any favours whatever has gone on between her and Salmond, but I don't think the case for independence should be hanging on her competence anyway. And yet the polls seem to be trending back towards the union again.

Edited March 23, 2021 by Rayvin

[Dr Gloom 21954]

sounds like sturgeon is going to live to fight another day, so don't expect the cries for indy ref 2 to die down any time soon

[Dr Gloom 21954]

Dr Gammons has got a weird vibe

 

[Rayvin 5223]

In fairness to UKIP, he's only middling levels of weird - which makes him by far and away the most normal person they've put forward for any election that I can remember.

 

Not all his policies are bad ones in truth but they're also very generic in the main, and almost certainly the 'acceptable face' of more nefarious goals. Not that he's in any danger of actually winning.

Edited March 23, 2021 by Rayvin

[Sonatine 11395]

I just like the fact he's called Gammons 😂

[NJS 4389]

3 hours ago, The Fish said:

Why are they fetishising the flag? Is this just another Americanisation?

The tories have given up on selling policies and now are following Trump in just being a "Values" based party designed to appeal to the old and fuckwitted. 

 

That's why Starmer's focus groups are telling him to fly the flag and not oppose anything police power related like that spy legislation and the latest bill until they realised the women's angle had changed perceptions a bit and forced them to vote against.

 

Problem is its not really working for him and he's going to lose young voters to the greens. 

 

 

[Meenzer 15552]

And a fragmented opposition works very nicely for the Tories under our idiotic voting system. We're familiar with the 1983 election when the Alliance polled >25%, or 2010 when a Labour-LD coalition would have accounted for more than half of the voting electorate, but it's mad thinking that the Labour+Liberal vote was over 50% even when Thatcher first got elected in 1979. This country is home to considerably fewer flag-shaggers than the system allows it to appear.

[Rayvin 5223]

Very much true. But there's just nothing we can do about it principally because the politicians running these parties, even on our side, are more interested in power than they are in meaningful change.

 

There is just no hope of stopping the Tories. Labour could position themselves to the right of Johnson and they'd still not win over Tory voters because, as a collective, they have determined that no matter how shit the Tories are, they will be unwavering. That 40% will stay Tory through thick and thin. And they will win time and time again as a consequence.

Edited March 23, 2021 by Rayvin

[Alex 35097]

They’re the party of racists essentially 

[Rayvin 5223]

True  I'm not even that sure you could call them a party of the wealthy anymore since 'Fuck Business' became their official motto. So yes, it really does just leave racists and people who I will generously assume pay no attention to the news whatsoever.

Edited March 23, 2021 by Rayvin

[ewerk 30642]

On 23/03/2021 at 09:49, Dr Gloom said:

Meanwhile, UKIP's candidate for London mayor is a bloke called Gammon - I shit thee not 

They have history on this.

[Alex 35097]

[Sonatine 11395]

 

[Isegrim 9800]

 

[Rayvin 5223]

A rather less than favourable analysis of Starmer's first year:

 

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/mar/29/keir-starmer-year-labour-poll-ratings

 

There's a lot in there that I agree with, albeit you could still argue that we're in very exceptional times.

Edited March 29, 2021 by Rayvin

[ewerk 30642]

Labour are bound to have political strategists but it seems like the tactic for his first year was simply 'don't be Corbyn'. In some ways becoming leader five years before a general election is a hindrance. It's hard to build momentum so early into a parliament. But overall the criticism that he doesn't seem to stand for anything is fair. Let's hope that when everything settles down he can concentrate on actually opposing the government.

[Rayvin 5223]

Absolutely possible.

 

I suppose if his primary goal for this year is indeed differentiating himself from Corbyn then he has indeed succeeded at that. If he picks up steam from that point on then it will represent a solid foundation, even.

[Dr Gloom 21954]

he has shut down the antisemitism stuff so that's good enough for me, for now. 

[Dr Gloom 21954]

while i'm on the subject, i implore everyone on here who I have ever locked horns with over the past couple of years about the blind spot that exists in the progressive left when it comes to antisemitism to read this: 

 

 

off the top of my head

@Kid Dynamite @Rayvin @Alex @Gemmill @NJS

 

i'm sure there are a few others, who may slipped my mind, and forgive me if i tagged you by mistake. i forget exactly how the debates went down and with whom. 

but this is a really important book by baddiel. it makes a lot of the arguments i laboured to after the labour antisemitism story blew up a lot more convincingly than i could ever hope to. highly recommended 

[NJS 4389]

I haven't read it but I follow him and broadly agree with his arguments. 

[ewerk 30642]

I'm quite happy to have avoided the list of shame.  

[Alex 35097]

The fuck did I do?