Off Topic Political Debate

It has just finished Frenchie. I heard part of it on the radio. Martin Schulz was a very good public speaker in the EU. Parliament, and he came over well on Turkey but he does not have the assuredness which a person can have after 12 years in office - and Merkel comes over very well. To be honest I hate TV. duels - the height of the Americanization of our politics. The problems for the SPD. are in trying to come over as a viable opposition having just spent 8 years as part of the government. I am not optimistic because although Europe needs a change of government in Germany I cannot see it happening. German politics are in a kind of inertia with 6 parties which could well come into the Bundestag and 2 of those have been excluded from any chance of going into a ruling coalition. The CDU/CSU will not rule with the AfD, and the SPD will not rule with Die Linke. Unlike other countries Germany has been ruled by a grand coalition of CDU/CSU and the SPD (like a coalition between the Tories and Labour - possible only here) - any other coalition would probably have to be a 3 way one and I can't see which combinations are possible. We will just try to protect our own vote (Bundnis 90 Die Grünen) and see what happens elsewhere.

 

I have just had a look to see what the French make of the debate, and in truth the only thing they talked about was Turkey. "Germany accuses the Turkish authorities of having detained German citizens, also possessing Turkish nationality for political reasons" is what they picked upon. I think that is a decent enough translation. Also that Merkel wants to put an end to the chance of them joining the EU.

It doesn't seem a lot to fill 90 minutes.

 

The latest U turn appears to be on boundary changes. According to the Times another manifesto pledge has been kicked into the long grass after a detailed look shows that the Tories would not have the advantage they always believed they would have.

 

I sometimes wonder if there is ever any point to debating with Tories on any subject. This little 'gem' happened here yesterday - the Scottish Tories attacked the SNP over the 'state of the NHS'


claiming that
“This is a problem created by the SNP, which continually gets worse. In an organisation the size of the NHS, there will always be a certain number of vacancies. But this now accounts for thousands of nurses, midwives and consultants.
The consequence of that is a huge reduction in the standard of care offered to patients, and a miserable existence for staff left over to pick up the slack. Nothing the SNP government is doing to address this appears to be working. The nationalists have been in charge of health for a decade, and in that time have presided over failure. It’s time for a proper explanation as to why this has been allowed to happen.”

Unfortunately for them, this happened in England on the same day:


40,000 vacancies out of 285,000 nursing positions. So, while the SNHS have an utterly unacceptable 5.2% shortfall, England's runs far higher, yet no mention of that by the Tories. And whilst they are busy calling for the SNP to 'please explain' - what are they doing about their own mess?



and



Driving away prospective nurses and deporting those already here?

Yet another case of the Tory catch-cry "We messed up, you sort it out."

 

https://www.theguardian.com/politic...posed-to-gay-marriage-and-abortion-even-after

And they want this man to be PM

 

DITTO

I wonder where our Rees-Mogg supporters stand on these issues?

 

I know SH has waxed lyrical on the intended boundary changes which will doubtless consolidate and increase the likely number of tory politicians. The Americans have a word for these sorts of shenanigans: Gerrymandering.

 

He certainly is a weird one - the above plus:
*Climate change denier
*Fracking Friend
*Zero hours contract defender
*Against the Human Rights Act
*Bestower of ridiculous names to children

I wonder where he stands on the issue of creationism vs evolution?

 

And now this - although the timing of this compared to his GMB interview makes me wonder about it, the wording couldn't be any better...

 

In fairness, he's not a great argument for evolution, is he?

 

JRM and his ilk are in no way pro life... they are pro birth and that is something else entirely.

These idiots have been emboldened by the elected idiocracy across the pond. It won't happen here. Better bloody not or I'll be exercising my democracy by other means.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/news/2017/sep/07/how-the-aristocracy-preserved-their-power

My French background makes me want to cut their heads off...

Vive la (future) Révolution!

 

Shouldn't Brexit also mean that we reassert our Saxon birthright and throw out these descendents of Norman robbers - after all hereditary aristocracy was an imported thing. We can start by sending the Windsor family back to Hannover.

 

Hmm - but wouldn't we all then be subjected to a DNA test to check our 'Saxonness'?

I'm not sure I would pass muster - having a high percentage of Irish & Scandinavian.

Not to mention 0.1% Wandering Jew...

 

I wouldn't pass muster either BB.

 

Stewart Lee does a great bit on Paul Nuttall and similar views

One of my favourite bits of standup ever.

 

Brilliant

 

As long as it doesn't involve sending them here, given that the French for Channel Islands is Les Iles Anglo-Normandes (as well as Les Iles de la Manche). We already have an issue with space for the projected population increase, without adding any more.

 

You know the majority in the UK feel.