Election Year or Fear!

[ramAnag]

Remember item 5 of things that might prompt me to wield the banhammer? It was the cover-all ‘anyone who pisses me off’. This has. rA and I might have our differences but he deserves more respect than crap like that, you’ve overstepped the mark so clean up your act pronto

Thanks AF. Appreciated but unnecessary from my point of view. Insults from Tricky are par for the course and ‘water off a duck’s back’ as far as I’m concerned. I think most of the forum recognise his tendency towards emotive hyperbole. Last week I think it was MA ‘screaming’ and, generally speaking, accusations of ‘screaming’, ‘crying’ or ‘blubbing’ etc actually simply translate to disagreeing with him.

Ironically the only person who has made comparisons with the Nazis recently is Tricky himself…but more seriously…I recognise the appropriateness of sometimes attaching video clips, the music thread and contentious moments in matches being obvious examples.
What concerns me is the dubious practice of repeatedly attaching countless examples of extreme - or at least right wing - political ‘videos’ to posts. No one else, on either side of the political spectrum, does this - preferring to articulate their own arguments - and although he is correct that no one is forced to watch them, imo it is not an appropriate use of the forum.

Little doubt that he ruined the Forest forum, wouldn’t like it to happen here too.

[swaledale]

I'm not suggesting that the criticism of Johnson et al was not reasonable to raise but rather "what's fit for the goose is fit for the gander" should apply. If a forum member has negative observations about Starmer he or she should be allowed to voice them. This should be a politically neutral site.

Didn't suggest that considered negative observations from a persons point of view were an issue, it's the mindless repetition of negative and often false views pushed by certain sections of the media and internet that is both boring and unnecessary.

One can tell the people who step back consider an issue and then voice an opinion, that's very different from parroting whatever some other right wing grifter has said as if its gospel.

I echo RA's very sensible observations but I maintain, if nobody responded to these inane posts (which is why I rarely bother to do so) then they would cease.

[MadAmster]

...meanwhile, back in Amsterdam, all is quiet on the Nieuw Western front. Last night went off without incident in that area.

Following the rioting of last week, the police (there were 800 there Thursday night plus 400 ME aka riot police) who had had 2 very long days stated they needed a break. The Mayor of Amsterdam suspended the right of protest/demonstration for a few days as, due to the cops being knackered, she couldn't guarantee safety for the protestors or any counter protestors or joe public caught in the middle. Sensible.

A group of pro Palestinian protestors followed the rules and applied to hold a protest on Dam Square. As the protest ban was due to expire today, they were told they could hold their protest on a patch of land close to the Westergasfabriek. 300 to 400 appeared... on Dam Square. Several were arrested for having their faces covered, something which was included in the protest ban. More were arrested for refusing to leave the Square. To bring en earlt end to proceedings the police contacted the Amsterdam Council bus department, hired a fleet of buses which duly arrived and the protestors were herded onto the buses and driven to the Westergasfabriek to continue their protest. Once there they decided they didn't wish to protest there so they all went home.

Meanwhile, the political rhetoric is calming down and, especially Ministers in the right wing coalition and left wing politicians in general, are now pushing the fact that very many Moroccan Muslims are actually integral parts of society. It is a small number of younger people, many of them born in the Netherlands who feel they don't have a voice, don't have a chance in life... it is those few, some of whom are in the "Mocro Mafia", a Moroccan drugs gang whose violence in the drugs world knows no bounds, the rest simply don't see any chance of ever being a success in the country of their birth.

It's only the odd politician, such as Wilders, still pushing the "all Moroccans are bad, all Muslims are bad" narrative. Talk shows are featuring Muslims with a migration background and they are talking sense. One, a Law Student named Yassin, was very eloquent last night on one show I saw. There was another, mid 20s, who acts as a street coach advocating the same. That it's a minority causing the trouble. Countless stallholders on markets and their customers are doing the same, condemning the violence.

As bad as it was, it might just be the start of taking positive action to stop the alienation these young uns feel and and maybe pull them back into the fold. We shall see.

[swaledale]

...meanwhile, back in Amsterdam, all is quiet on the Nieuw Western front. Last night went off without incident in that area.

Following the rioting of last week, the police (there were 800 there Thursday night plus 400 ME aka riot police) who had had 2 very long days stated they needed a break. The Mayor of Amsterdam suspended the right of protest/demonstration for a few days as, due to the cops being knackered, she couldn't guarantee safety for the protestors or any counter protestors or joe public caught in the middle. Sensible.

A group of pro Palestinian protestors followed the rules and applied to hold a protest on Dam Square. As the protest ban was due to expire today, they were told they could hold their protest on a patch of land close to the Westergasfabriek. 300 to 400 appeared... on Dam Square. Several were arrested for having their faces covered, something which was included in the protest ban. More were arrested for refusing to leave the Square. To bring en earlt end to proceedings the police contacted the Amsterdam Council bus department, hired a fleet of buses which duly arrived and the protestors were herded onto the buses and driven to the Westergasfabriek to continue their protest. Once there they decided they didn't wish to protest there so they all went home.

Meanwhile, the political rhetoric is calming down and, especially Ministers in the right wing coalition and left wing politicians in general, are now pushing the fact that very many Moroccan Muslims are actually integral parts of society. It is a small number of younger people, many of them born in the Netherlands who feel they don't have a voice, don't have a chance in life... it is those few, some of whom are in the "Mocro Mafia", a Moroccan drugs gang whose violence in the drugs world knows no bounds, the rest simply don't see any chance of ever being a success in the country of their birth.

It's only the odd politician, such as Wilders, still pushing the "all Moroccans are bad, all Muslims are bad" narrative. Talk shows are featuring Muslims with a migration background and they are talking sense. One, a Law Student named Yassin, was very eloquent last night on one show I saw. There was another, mid 20s, who acts as a street coach advocating the same. That it's a minority causing the trouble. Countless stallholders on markets and their customers are doing the same, condemning the violence.

As bad as it was, it might just be the start of taking positive action to stop the alienation these young uns feel and and maybe pull them back into the fold. We shall see.

The right win play book relies upon using peoples valid concerns to divide and stoke up prejudice, yet when in power they offer few if any solutions. I see Italy are having issues with their Albania off shoring idea.

[MadAmster]

The right win play book relies upon using peoples valid concerns to divide and stoke up prejudice, yet when in power they offer few if any solutions. I see Italy are having issues with their Albania off shoring idea.

During a recent visit to the Uganda, the Dutch minister for trade and development, Reinette Klever, said the cabinet was exploring the idea and that Uganda was “not averse” to it. Klever said she'd spoken to to a Minister.

Uganda’s foreign affairs minister said the country was willing to contemplate the possibility. “We are open to any discussions”. 24 hours later another Minister, the one Klever said she'd spoken to, denied he'd spoken to her about it.

Last week a Junior Finance Minister resigned because the "Commons" wanted him to disclose exactly how many shares and stock holdings he had and where.

Today, another Junior Minister has resigned over the way the Cabinet is handling the riots around the Macabbi supporters and local youths.

I said when the agreement was reached to form this coalition a couple of months back that it wouldn't last a year. Two resignations already, an immigration Minister who is unable to answer MPs questions on her intended policy budget with regard to WHAT she intends to achieve, HOW she's going to do it and WHEN we will see results.

I don't think this bunch of jokers will be proving me wrong.

[swaledale]

Meanwhile over in the US, the pantomime is being cast! Its going to end in tears that's for sure.

[MadAmster]

It seems yesterday's resignation was of a female legal eagle who was charged with sorting out the mess caused by a scandal whereby more than 4000 people were accused of benefits fraud, forced to pay back 1000s they didn't have. That led to some bankruptcies, jail, divorces, kids being forcibly taken into care and a few suicides. She is a member of the NSC party.

It seems that at one Cabinet meeting on Monday several PVV Ministers uttered some particularly nasty and racist remarks. The Junior Minister is of Moroccan descent. Former Lawyer, former prosecutor, former judge. She decided to resign over the comments. Cue panic and an all day meeting of the full Cabinet incl. all ministers, both Junior and Senior. all secretaries of state, the PM and the leaders of all 4 coalition parties. NSC received certain guarantees from the other coalition parties so didn't pull the plug on the coalition.

The coalition survived this fiasco but it won't last much longer.

[Trickytreesreds]

Meanwhile back home, our chancellor has been caught out again being "economic" with the truth.
During her career at the Bank of Scotland, as an economist.
Lying on the CV that she has since deleted ‘economist’ from her LinkedIn profile work experience and changed it to ‘retail banking’ during her time at the bank in 2006-9.
Andy would have a field day with her, after she was busted for plagiarising other work into her book.

Seems shes economical with the truth as well. A fine career ahead.

[Trickytreesreds]

Meanwhile back home, our chancellor has been caught out again being "economic" with the truth.
During her career at the Bank of Scotland, as an economist.
Lying on the CV that she has since deleted ?economist? from her LinkedIn profile work experience and changed it to ?retail banking? during her time at the bank in 2006-9.
Andy would have a field day with her, after she was busted for plagiarising other work into her book.

Seems shes economical with the truth as well. A fine career ahead.

This gets funnier. Claims to have been an economist at the Halifax, but in actual fact worked in the complaints dept.
How this lot threw mud over lying escapes me

[SithHappens]

I see our Nige is stirring the hornets nest again over Southport.