Election Year or Fear!

[Geoff Parkstone]

You do write some complete bollux these days, GP. You’re in the minority on this issue. So what, get over it and say what you actually believe or just stfu.

Just over two years ago when this thread was started you claimed to have ‘no thoughts’, other than having an immediate, irrelevant and unnecessary pop at both the thread and Swale and I in post #2 of what has since become 5,924. Would that it’d been true but, approaching 6000 posts later you’ve barely shut up, except when you’ve gone ‘awol’ because you’ve had another tantrum over something someone’s said or another breakdown of the forum.

People agree and disagree on forums. That’s the point. What ‘ist verboten’ and who by? Why, if you start attacking others - i.e. me who you’ve perversely implied as being racist - do you expect others not to comment? What you said wasn’t ‘dissent’ it was stupidity and others offering comment isn’t a case of ‘jerking’ (your word) any more than you and Andy constantly consoling each other is. Why are you referring to Ayatollah rA and Ayatollah Swale? What does that even mean?

I’d love a few answers, even though I very much doubt there’ll be any forthcoming, because it would at least stop your current incessant and sometimes offensive nonsense and give you the opportunity to return to who you used to be.

Not wishing to make you feel contrite but I was AWOL due to undergoing cancer treatment , so I will ignore the rest of your diatribe

[ramAnag]

Not wishing to make you feel contrite but I was AWOL due to undergoing cancer treatment , so I will ignore the rest of your diatribe

Well, if that’s the case, then obviously it’s something I’m very sorry to hear and I wish you well. It certainly isn’t what you said at the time and doesn’t account for the myriad number of times you’ve left in a huff over the years.

I do, genuinely, wish you well in the future and especially with any further treatment that may be necessary. Good health is as important as anything and infinitely more important than our little online gathering and quarrels. I understand that, but your situation doesn’t give you licence to indulge in unpleasant and untrue accusations or tasteless and divisive humour imo.

Good luck.

[Andy_Faber]

Well we are well into the 21st century so how about online voting. Got to be lots of ways that can be made more secure. Facial recognition being one.

I think there are reasons for discussing the legitimacy of changes to the system. Farages are just incredibly sour grapes though.

Its a bit like his comments about banning non British citizens from voting, which he's openly saying he means non white British citizens.

For every (non-whites out) Farage there’s an (open borders) Polanski, it appears the least popular politicians atm are those tiptoeing the middle ground tightrope

But we appear to agree there are opportunities to modernise (and make tamper proof)

[ramAnag]

For every (non-whites out) Farage there?‚?’s an (open borders) Polanski, it appears the least popular politicians atm are those tiptoeing the middle ground tightrope

But we appear to agree there are opportunities to modernise (and make tamper proof)

Thankfully there appear to have been far fewer of the ‘non-whites out’ variety in Gorton and Denton, but I honestly can’t see how online voting is going to reduce concerns over the opportunity for interference/coercion.
As far as I know the only place it happens anywhere in the World is Estonia.
It must be infinitely cheaper so one would have thought it would have taken off elsewhere if there weren’t concerns.

[SithHappens]

Not wishing to make you feel contrite but I was AWOL due to undergoing cancer treatment , so I will ignore the rest of your diatribe

Hope you are doing ok.

[SithHappens]

Thankfully there appear to have been far fewer of the ‘non-whites out’ variety in Gorton and Denton, but I honestly can’t see how online voting is going to reduce concerns over the opportunity for interference/coercion.
As far as I know the only place it happens anywhere in the World is Estonia.
It must be infinitely cheaper so one would have thought it would have taken off elsewhere if there weren’t concerns.

It does surprise me. After all I can complete my annual request from the council which enables me to be on the register online, I can request to have a postal vote online.

I did my visa for travel to cape verde with facial recognition online, has to be do able. Sure I guess I could get my wife to look into the cam then I press the vote button but if she's going to let me do that she will vote for who I tell her at the booth?

[swaledale]

So now you’re second guessing / criticising / name calling the reaction of the lived experience of refugees from the Iranian regime. I’ll let them know.

No I'm pointing out the reality. Which is, unless his successor as Supreme leader is a complete change from the one thats been killed, then what is there to rejoice about?

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was 86, a succession plan will already be in place, the Revolutionary Guard are still in power, its early days, so its not exactly clear at this point how or if there will be regime change or if there is, whether that will be to the benefit of the "ordinary" Iranian or Iran as a nation.

So yes anybody rejoicing at this moment in time, given the history of how the US interfering in the Middle East generally turns out, aneeds to think about the bigger picture rather than simply rejoice because one despotic leader has been killed.

Cautious optimism possibly, though in the absence of any apparent pan as to what happens now even that is probably premature.

Meanwhile the impact of this action on the economy and security of the wider world remains to be seen.

I hope thats a simple enough explanantion for you.

[swaledale]

Come on AF, in an (Internet version) circle jerk, which this forum has become, dissent ist verboten. One has to become progressively extreme to make a dissenting point and then get attacked by the jerkers who perpetually agree with each other to feel self-important. Not that I care, it's just a forum but I wonder when Trump will send troops in to take Ayatullah rA and Ayatullah Swal out??

Have you been drinking?

Let me correct you. How is dissent forbidden? In fact I have on occasion agreed with you and in fact in the other post recognised that I had got something wrong.

You don't have to be extreme to make a point, just lucid and factual.

If you make a clearly racist "joke", thats up to you, but don't be surprised if you get called out for it.

RA and I often disgaree actually, just that we manage to do that, either disappearing in a huff, or resorting to insults or when shown to be wrong, claiming "lived experience" without evidence to back it up.

If you can't make an argument based on facts and actual evidence, or your response is to make attacks on either the source, the spelling or the grammar, then that suggests you have no argument to make.

[SithHappens]

So what's Jenrick apparantly revealing about Rachel Reeves tomorrow?

[ramAnag]

So what's Jenrick apparantly revealing about Rachel Reeves tomorrow?

Was she involved in a cash for favours scandal as Housing minister about six years ago? Oh no, that was someone else.
Hang on…wasn’t it Robert Jenrick?

Maybe she broke the travel restriction rules during Covid? No…sorry. Think that may have been the very same Mr. Jenrick too.

God knows what Ms. Reeves has done then. Maybe she’s the mystery Labour defector that Farage promised two months ago.

[SithHappens]

Was she involved in a cash for favours scandal as Housing minister about six years ago? Oh no, that was someone else.
Hang on…wasn’t it Robert Jenrick?

Maybe she broke the travel restriction rules during Covid? No…sorry. Think that may have been the very same Mr. Jenrick too.

God knows what Ms. Reeves has done then. Maybe she’s the mystery Labour defector that Farage promised two months ago.

Its to do with her friendship with someone called Arshad Katana who apparently has some very questionable views.

Labour have apparently suspended him abd said she was unaware of his posts.

https://x.com/RobertJenrick/status/2028387011137089598?s=20

If its true its not the best look to be fair. Had a Google myself and could find very little about him.

[Ram Pant]

The policies of Khamenei were enforced by the Revolutionary Guard, the Army, the Police and a militia who ride round on motor bikes/scooters. All of the above are well armed and there's around 300K of them. They and their supporters/family, according to a Dutch journalist who's lived in Iran for the past 25 years and has returned to NL until the battle is over, number some 8M. That's one "side". The other "side" is around 85M mostly unarmed people.

Outnumbered 10 to 1 but with armaments the ordinary folk don't have, the RG etc might have been promised immunity by Trump but, as yet, not by the 85M. Ig the regime's "enforcers" do lay down their arms, are they really going to be safe? I'd say not. The moment the US/Israeli "whatever it is" stopsm the RG et al will go out looking for those currently out in the streets dancing.

Trump and Netanyahu don't seem to have an exit strategy. The ordinary Iranians are not going to get any kind of freedom, IMO.

[Geoff Parkstone]

The policies of Khamenei were enforced by the Revolutionary Guard, the Army, the Police and a militia who ride round on motor bikes/scooters. All of the above are well armed and there's around 300K of them. They and their supporters/family, according to a Dutch journalist who's lived in Iran for the past 25 years and has returned to NL until the battle is over, number some 8M. That's one "side". The other "side" is around 85M mostly unarmed people.

Outnumbered 10 to 1 but with armaments the ordinary folk don't have, the RG etc might have been promised immunity by Trump but, as yet, not by the 85M. Ig the regime's "enforcers" do lay down their arms, are they really going to be safe? I'd say not. The moment the US/Israeli "whatever it is" stopsm the RG et al will go out looking for those currently out in the streets dancing.

Trump and Netanyahu don't seem to have an exit strategy. The ordinary Iranians are not going to get any kind of freedom, IMO.

I hope you are wrong but fear you arent
I

[Geoff Parkstone]

Hope you are doing ok.

Thanks: 1-0 up at half time...

[Geoff Parkstone]

I hope you are wrong but fear you arent
I

So whilst Wolves have left us with our incompetence record, it seems Ayatollah Arafi has beaten out Liz Truss for shortest spell as leader, having reportedly been taken out within a day of appointment. maybe RP's succession presumption is a tad flawed if US Israeli intelligence can work that fast