Off Topic The Politics Thread

Is black ok

 

That comes down to good manners and sensitivity and no one who is white does it deliberately unless it's malicious. But your original statement needs to be pared back significantly. We can't go through life, holding back opinions (absent hate crime) in case it offends someone

 

Certainly not. Are you not able to offer an appraisal of your poor copper to the Police Commissioner?

 

This isn't about opinions though, is it? It's not an opinion whether someone is black or coloured. It's just rude to use a term that you know to be offensive, even if you don't really understand why it is.

 

It is rude. As I said, a matter of good manners. But your original statement about offence was widely drafted, and is the creed of no-platformers. I take it you were intending to address simple, unnecessary name calling and not more

 

I stand by what I said, Goldie. Were you offended by it?

 

Concerned not offended. Greer, Tatchell, Johnson etc have all been no platformed because people were offended by their views, so they stopped them speaking. The objectors quoted what you have stated.

 

No they didn't, it's entirely different. What are you on about? Nothing I have said has been about views or opinions, just about offensive terminology.

 

I was commenting with an air of detached irony. I honestly think that would be a waste of everyone’s time and energy, and if they took it vaguely seriously, possibly public money. I’m sure this dickhead has done everything by the book, with the minimum of effort and commitment. And besides, David Cameron’s Police Commissioners are a complete waste of space.

 

You didn't restrict it to terminology in your original statement. It was broadly drafted.

 

I'm very much in favour of appraisal. I think that victims should be able to assess the police team allocated to them. Doctors and nurses should be appraised by patients. Kids should be able to appraise their teachers. All should be strictly in confidence, and of course, appraisals will can be positive as well as negative.

 

This wouldn’t be appraisal, it would be a complaint. I’m very familiar with appraisal, I’ve been appraised for most of my career, and have appraised others for chunks of it. Like use of metrics and objectives, it has pros and cons.

 

I have done the same in my career, up and down, and found it overwhelmingly helpful. Some people (I don't mean you) are reluctant to put in a complaint, but would willingly give a no holes barred, honest appraisal if invited to do so.

 

Yes. But it's clear from many on here that people don't always know. We can also make genuine mistakes for which we do apologise asap. I haven't referred to anybody as coloured probably for the last 35 years but did not know until some 5 years ago that it was now regarded as offensive. The reason why I haven't is probably because I prefer to be precise when I can. So if I know that someone is Nigerian, West indian, Bangladeshi or an aborigine I will always describe them as such. At least until someone tells me that this causes offence. Amber Rudd should have known better. However if you look at the point she was making, I can see how she slipped up. Pity that Diane Abbott chose deliberately not to see it also.

 

Amber Rudd should have known better, although personally I don’t think she meant or intended to offend anybody, unfortunately the Person she was talking about Dianne (Can’t Add Abacus )Abbot the shadow Home Secretary is a person who’ll play the race card at every opportunity, actually the only thing Abbott does is play the race card, it’s her go to default position even when somebody is trying to defend her.

 

Pot, kettle and......

 

Bloody hell are people still trying to get a pound of flesh from Amber Rudd! That woman's comments from TIG... remember 'Ting' was far worse by about 1000 times yet the usual lot can't drop an innocent mistake from Rudd. One MP who has run ins all the time with Rudd and knows her well said "she just made a mistake"... People need to move on. Corbyn's love for terrorists and problem with jews is far worse.... Could it because she is a Tory that people won't let it drop?

 

Two MPs that I don’t actively dislike.

Jess Philips was subject of a big interview in the Times yesterday. She obviously has her head screwed on and has lived a real life. Very funny as well, and scathing on both May and Corbyn. I somehow doubt that she would be good in a position of responsibility and power, but a great advisor to those who are. She seems to be of no faction or clique.

To my surprise Rory Stewart, who has just been on the radio (and he, sadly, has a face for radio). Calm and very straightforward, and was talking clearly about the votes this week. I like the fact that he has properly thought about his job as Justice Minister, and made clear his objectives to the point of making explicit that he would resign if he fails to deliver certain things. I can’t think of any other ministers who seem to have both accepted personal accountability and understood what they are in post for, at least in public. I have no idea if Stewart is competent.

I’m making a conscious effort to find people in our political classes that I might be able to respect. If I, and we collectively, despise them all, we really do need a revolution, regardless of ****ing Brexit.

Gavin Williamson (or Dickhead to his colleagues) is doing his best to undermine my efforts. He can’t even tell an anecdote properly. Trying to make himself human he described giving his bus fare to an MP he was working for (who asked him how much he had in his pocket) to get membership of the Tory party. We were supposed to wonder and marvel at his commitment, but Nick Robinson (a Tory) responded with “So the Tory Party stole your bus fare and made you walk home?”

 

I heard Tory Huw Merriman recently and he seemed very sensible and reasonable.

 

At last the Brexiteers are coming out in force today to tell May that if she betrays Brexit, democracy will end in this Country. Interesting comments from Raab today discussing the pledged in the Conservative manifesto. He said "we cannot just ignore this". Others are saying if she loses the vote she should fall on her sword. Apparently she is trying to make deals with the ERG telling them to support her then she will quit. I don't see that working after the comments in the Telegraph today.