Cortese's Corner - The Off-Topic Chat Thread

Must resist urge to renew WoW subscription. Gah.

 

I'm not terribly concerned as to how we look, as long as the situation is resolved. China could come out of it smelling of roses as far as I'm concerned. Political point scoring can take a back seat.

 

Wasn't meaning it that way. Just the way we come across with empty threats.

 

Fair enough Beef. The thing is, there's only empty threats that we can throw. We won't get involved in sanctions because cutting of their gas export will shag us, which it won't America. So we'll just wave our fist a bit and hope for the best.

 

Was there a hot elf you were hoping to nail?

 

@Telegraph: Video: Pope accidentally says f*** during blessing after mixing up his Italian http://t.co/8ZXgc6wN8W

 

@BBCBreaking: Russian troops on military exercises on Ukraine's borders ordered to return to their bases by President Putin, spokesman says

 

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/03/uk-seeks-russia-harm-city-london-document

"The picture of the document was taken by the freelance photographer Steve Back, who specialises in spotting secret documents carried openly by officials entering Downing Street."

How can I get that job?! Steve Back, you are my new idol.

 

Couldn't disagree more to be honest. As bad as any celebrity paparazzi except slightly more dangerous. Sitting around waiting to catch people out? That's a pitiful job.

 

No way. Paparazzi are interested in exposing people's private lives. This, on the other hand, is justifiably in the public interest. Government transparency, man. We've gotta get it one way or another.

 

So you want to know secret information yet to be discussed prior to a meeting under these circumstances? I'm quite sure Putin does too.

Absolute transparency is absolutely ridiculous.

 

And surely we should allow them to be transparent rather than trying to sneak pictures? Being transparent about something like this only helps one person and that's Putin.

 

You think this meeting was being kept secret from Putin? They'll have been on the phone to him. This isn't the Cold War; we're all trying to satisfy all parties and protect our economic interests, not secretly plotting against one another.

We do have some right to know what position our government intends to take and why, though obviously transparency can't ever be absolute.

 

Yes, but surely the government has the right to be able to tell us what that position is as and when meetings have taken place? As opposed to some twerp hiding in a bush trying to long lens photograph a document?

 

Nile Ranger found not guilty of rape.

 

More of an obligation, really. And one which I'm sure you realise they have previously overlooked.

Anyway, I'm sure any proper top-secret documents which could compromise our safety in the wrong hands would not be waved around outside Number 10 anyway. I've never heard of a journalist actually leaking things that we really wouldn't want leaked.

 

Eric Abidal apparently admitted to hospital, rumoured to be related to taking bad/expired medication.

 

Obligation when it comes to delicate military/foreign policy? Hmmm....I dunno. I'm old fashioned in that sense and don't think we should be privy to all information. What if we're in a military situation and Mr Long Lens snaps that? Should that get published too? I realise that's possibly an extreme example, but not a million miles off this. I just think both as a job and as a policy it's pretty derisable.

 

That's a different situation. I really hope our politicians wouldn't be walking around with top-secret documents out in the open in such a scenario. I really doubt they'd be holding their top-secret meetings at Downing Street anyway.

I don't think this situation is nearly as delicate as you think it is. He's not releasing information which could harm our relations with Russia, and our economy as a result. Edward Snowden leaked private information too, you know, and it was far more damaging to his government than this. Was that bad?

 

But going back to your original point about it being in some way a good job - this politician was hardly waving it around in the open. My question is where do we draw the line. As it happens, this information could genuinely weaken our bargaining hand with Russia. Of course Putin knows we'll not go further than sanctions, but there's no point giving him all the information to hand. Yes we'll have talked to him but we won't have told him everything we want, or are willing to do.