Election Year or Fear!

[Andy_Faber]

No offence intended at all, AF.

If I compare myself, born in England within yards of the Welsh border, spent my first twenty months in Wales, spent every Christmas, Easter and summer at my grand parents’ in Wales but largely brought up by English parents in Lancashire and have spent virtually all the last half century in Derbyshire. Where should my allegiance lie?

Presumably if Mrs.F has a Derby accent (I haven’t btw) she has been brought up in Derby, so how does she define her allegiance?

It’s complicated, that’s all, but I don’t believe I over focus on Islam-directed intolerance, or that it’s genuinely comparable. It’s just particularly prevalent amongst some in society at the moment and, imo, very unhealthy.

P.S. I support England at all sports and Lancashire cricket btw.

I don't think 'No offence intended' cuts it rA (in life in general), I have no time for those who blight our society at present by being offended by everything, but too many out there excuse genuinely offensive comments/actions with that phrase. I've recently 'released' my previously go-to plumber for using exactly such a phrase

Your allegiance lies where your heart lies rA (and definitely not where your passport or council tax bill locates you). I would asume that you, like me, would tick the English box, but where we differ I believe is that I believe that England should stay as English as Scotland is staying Scottish, and you either aren't bothered or don't see the issue

Its not at all complicated for Mrs F, she's as Scottish as I am a Ram, oh she'll support my support for England in cricket or any other sport where there's no conflict, but there is absolutely no doubt about her allegiance, and it goes beyond sport

Again we differ in that I see what's happened to England as a home for english culture in my lifetime as a crime, spread outwards from London for a good part, whereas you see it as 'progress'. I see the way Scotland has embraced change but retained its culture and customs as a benchmark I wish England had followed

[Geoff Parkstone]

No offence intended at all, AF.

If I compare myself, born in England within yards of the Welsh border, spent my first twenty months in Wales, spent every Christmas, Easter and summer at my grand parents’ in Wales but largely brought up by English parents in Lancashire and have spent virtually all the last half century in Derbyshire. Where should my allegiance lie?

Presumably if Mrs.F has a Derby accent (I haven’t btw) she has been brought up in Derby, so how does she define her allegiance?

It’s complicated, that’s all, but I don’t believe I over focus on Islam-directed intolerance, or that it’s genuinely comparable. It’s just particularly prevalent amongst some in society at the moment and, imo, very unhealthy.

P.S. I support England at all sports and Lancashire cricket btw.

I think that, to use Gen Z speak, you identify as being Islamic rA, as opposed to a quasi Welsh Lancastrian birth identity

[ramAnag]

I don't think 'No offence intended' cuts it rA (in life in general), I have no time for those who blight our society at present by being offended by everything, but too many out there excuse genuinely offensive comments/actions with that phrase. I've recently 'released' my previously go-to plumber for using exactly such a phrase

Your allegiance lies where your heart lies rA (and definitely not where your passport or council tax bill locates you). I would asume that you, like me, would tick the English box, but where we differ I believe is that I believe that England should stay as English as Scotland is staying Scottish, and you either aren't bothered or don't see the issue

Its not at all complicated for Mrs F, she's as Scottish as I am a Ram, oh she'll support my support for England in cricket or any other sport where there's no conflict, but there is absolutely no doubt about her allegiance, and it goes beyond sport

Again we differ in that I see what's happened to England as a home for english culture in my lifetime as a crime, spread outwards from London for a good part, whereas you see it as 'progress'. I see the way Scotland has embraced change but retained its culture and customs as a benchmark I wish England had followed

I’m not sure how we (the English) have lost our culture and customs, AF…maybe you could provide an example otherwise we’ll just have to agree to differ on that one.

There are plenty of Muslims and a variety of migrants in Scotland too, but apparently you think they have ‘embraced change’ in a way we haven’t which also puzzles me.

Coincidentally it’s the German elections today and I’ve just received a video from a friend over there who is dreading the possible impact of the AfD. The video she’s sent seeks to illustrate how many different nationalities the German system depends on to provide the services they need. Very similar to our NHS - and other services - I suppose. Not sure it’s ‘progress’ but, in my view, it’s an example of how multiculturalism can be very positive.

[ramAnag]

I think that, to use Gen Z speak, you identify as being Islamic rA, as opposed to a quasi Welsh Lancastrian birth identity

Oh dear, see the plot has been lost again, GP.

[MadAmster]

TTR, 2008. Georgia decided they wanted to join the EU and NATO as they wanted out from under the Russian Yoke. Putin invades and "changes their minds". 2014, Putin annexes, illegally, the Crimea. UK USA, EU, NATO do nowt other than a bit of mild tut-tutting. Again in 2014, Putin hires the mercenaries of the Wagner Group to take the 4 eastern provinces of Ukraine. 8 years later, Ukraine is sufficiently pi55ed off with Russia that they had frequently stated a wish to join the EU and NATO. What does Putin do? He invades. Today, 3 years later, he still can't take the country.

Enter the Don who seems to have spotted a chance to make a buck in a deal that sees the US receive $500BN worth of precious metals etc that Ukraine has. Putin gets to keep the Crimea and the 4 provinces. Trump gets the minerals he wants. Zelensky gets to live but without NATO protection.

[Trickytreesreds]

TTR, 2008. Georgia decided they wanted to join the EU and NATO as they wanted out from under the Russian Yoke. Putin invades and "changes their minds". 2014, Putin annexes, illegally, the Crimea. UK USA, EU, NATO do nowt other than a bit of mild tut-tutting. Again in 2014, Putin hires the mercenaries of the Wagner Group to take the 4 eastern provinces of Ukraine. 8 years later, Ukraine is sufficiently pi55ed off with Russia that they had frequently stated a wish to join the EU and NATO. What does Putin do? He invades. Today, 3 years later, he still can't take the country.

Enter the Don who seems to have spotted a chance to make a buck in a deal that sees the US receive $500BN worth of precious metals etc that Ukraine has. Putin gets to keep the Crimea and the 4 provinces. Trump gets the minerals he wants. Zelensky gets to live but without NATO protection.

Maddy, don't dismiss the Ukraine as all one sided. It is/was very similar to the Yugoslavian problem. Ethnicities having to live under the control of those they didn't/don't want to. Crimea and the others like the Donbass, wanted to stay part of Russia as they were the majority ethnicity.
Those provinces were always going to kick off if they were dragged into NATO/EU.
Putin used it as the excuse needed.

My point was about the EU and many western politicians pushed it and encouraged it. The back lash was always coming and thats NOT DEFENDING IT.

He's a horrible piece of work is Putin, but the EU etc pushed him into a corner. Lets not forget that.

[MadAmster]

He's a horrible piece of work is Putin, but the EU etc pushed him into a corner. Lets not forget that.

... or you could say the majority of the people in Georgia and in the Ukraine voted in pro European governments and those governments who had campaigned on closer ties to Europe followed the mandate the electorate had given them.

[swaledale]

... or you could say the majority of the people in Georgia and in the Ukraine voted in pro European governments and those governments who had campaigned on closer ties to Europe followed the mandate the electorate had given them.

I see the LBH and Putin apologist is at it again with a very specific slant on history.

[Trickytreesreds]

... or you could say the majority of the people in Georgia and in the Ukraine voted in pro European governments and those governments who had campaigned on closer ties to Europe followed the mandate the electorate had given them.

But again , you've skipped over it. Those regions were trapped in Ukraine and Georgia after the fall of the USSR.
Serbia/ Bosnia/ Croatia/Slovenia etc burst into violence after its fall. They didn't want any of the others ruling over them. So you can talk about mandates all you like, the Donbass/ Crimea have never accepted Ukraine dominance, but put up with it, until they were being dragged into the West.

Folks forget with Russians, that they trust the west very little.
History has taught them that. France/ Germany/ Britain have all inflicted pain on them at some point.
They were only happy with the buffer zone of the iron curtain after WW2. Since that fell, they feel encroached on ever since and the more of those areas join NATO and the EU, the worse they get.

[Trickytreesreds]

I see the LBH and Putin apologist is at it again with a very specific slant on history.

whose the apologist?