A great and statesmanlike speech, and one that any American with an international outlook would surely listen to and cringe over. It will surely take years, perhaps decades, before anyone trusts the US as a dependable ally again. Sure, they'll have the military might and funds to purse wars and missions, but how readily will any other nation go in with America, with proof now that America's allies really are treated like the poodles that some warned about at the time of the second Iraq war.
Special Afghanistan QT on, pretty painful viewing. To a point I share Stainsey’s cynicism about the reaction to this, it’s the humiliation driving it rather than the possible fate of many Afghans, I suspect. Priti Patel turned in circles this morning trying to distinguish between ‘good’ asylum seekers from Afghanistan who arrive via ‘regular’ routes and those ‘bad’ ones who come in a boat over the channel (which is the fault of the French, Dutch and Belgians, apparently) and who can still theoretically be sent back to Kabul. Then she admitted that there are no ‘regular’ routes out of the country, even if you have a visa you can’t get to the airport. The only way out in the future is if we negotiate a deal with the Taliban to let people on our list leave, doubtless in return for payment.
Levelling Up: In the early 1980s the average CEO pay was about 20 times that of the national median wage. The most wealthy 1% owned about 6% of the nation’s wealth, a percentage that had fallen steadily from 18% in 1918. In 2020 CEO pay was 120 times bigger*, meaning the average CEO had to turn up to work for 3 days until they out earned their workers. In 2021 the top 1% had 23% of the wealth. Still, we get to vote every few years. So that’s nice. * this is the most modest estimate I have seen. Some are twice as high as this and then some. But this is gross enough for me.
And social mobility in the UK is at its lowest since the 70s ! Meaning that if you are born into a social class the chances are higher now that you will stay in that class. Yet still there are some who believe in capitalist myths such as 'everyone can make it' or in so called trickle down theories. The myth will also be pedalled that capitalism = freedom, but the hidden text is that this is only for some at the expense of the many.
please log in to view this image BREAKING - Dominic Raab has been injured leaving Downing St in a series of accidents that he says "no one could have seen coming"
Raab “PM said I could stay on holiday [while Afghanistan collapsed]”. Source: Sunday Times. I reckon his mum had probably written him a note too. The last thing we need is a Foreign Secretary who can exercise his own judgement and analyse and respond to grave situations regardless of personal inconvenience. General Lord Richards, previous Chief of the Defence Staff, admirably clear on the wireless this morning. The withdrawal was a disaster in humanitarian and military terms, there is no strategy in place from any western government going forward, we can now only operate to get dependents, Afghans who have worked for us, people who will likely be executed by the fundamentalists and our own citizens out of Afghanistan with the permission and cooperation of the Taliban, who we were trying to defeat a few weeks ago. He reckons that the self imposed deadline for finishing the evacuation has to be extended to prevent more deaths at the airport but this can only be done if the Taliban lets us.
All true, but I suspect that, if the Taliban prevent the evacuation of British personnel, their allies and American personnel and their allies, they will be hammered with air strikes. Best Taliban strategy would be to take the "win" and wait out the evacuation.
Raab does know how to make a phone call after all. Here he is ordering room service... please log in to view this image
Now the colour of a football shirt is deemed not PC enough Where does this **** end Next thing you know a team only one ethnicity is allowed to play for will be thought of as racist No more Maori all blacks Racist on two fronts Football: No more All Whites? NZ Football eye change to name 23 Aug, 2021 08:15 AM4 minutes to read please log in to view this image The All Whites name came about during the team's qualifying run ahead of the 1982 World Cup. Photosport RNZ The All Whites could be no more. New Zealand Football (NZF) are contemplating dropping the All Whites moniker for the men's national team. The potential change is part of a wider process NZF is going through to ensure they are up to the mark when it comes to cultural inclusivity. It comes on the back of the heightened worldwide awareness around racism and racial inequality, and the name's potentially racist connotations, and RNZ understands the national body began gauging feedback on the potential change more than six months ago. NZF chief executive Andrew Pragnell declined an interview, with the organisation instead issuing a short statement. "As with many other national bodies, New Zealand Football is on a journey around cultural inclusivity and respecting the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. "As part of our Delivery and Sustainability Project announced last year, we are in the process of working with stakeholders across the game, as well as people from outside football, looking at all areas of the organisation to make sure they are fit for purpose in 2021 and beyond. "It is too early in the process to speak about any outcomes but this is an important piece of work as we strive to be the most inclusive sport in Aotearoa." Whatever happens, the history of the name means the potential change is likely to be polarising with New Zealand football fans, along with past and current players. The All Whites name came about during the team's qualifying run ahead of the 1982 World Cup in Spain. The team had predominantly worn white shirts and socks with black shorts but after coming onto the pitch or their third qualifying match away to Taiwan in a full white playing kit, the moniker was coined and swiftly adopted. That 1982 team, of course, famously went on to earn New Zealand a place at the football World Cup for the first time. The name and full white kit are also closely associated with the team that qualified for the 2010 World Cup, where they earned plaudits around the world for going unbeaten in their three group matches. Several major sports teams have changed their name in recent years due to their potentially racial connotations, most notably in the US. American Football franchise Washington dropped the Redskins moniker, while the Major League Baseball side from Cleveland was no longer known as the Indians - both changes made because of the names' ties to Native American culture. In New Zealand, the Crusaders rugby team didn't change their name but did change their logo in 2019 after questions were raised about the appropriateness of the name due to its reference to the religious wars between the Muslims and Christians in the Middle Ages. The current situation with New Zealand Football was also not the first time they had considered dropping the All Whites name. In 2009, former chief executive Michael Glading proposed the team's alternative black strip should become their primary strip and the moniker should also be cast aside. Glading pitched the idea prior to the All Whites successful qualification for the 2010 World Cup. He told RNZ the idea was more about standing out from other nations with an all-black kit and creating a new history for the team, rather than any racists connotations the name had. "At the time, I felt it would create a point of difference in the world of football. There were no international [football] teams playing in black. "I realised it would mean throwing away the moniker of 'All Whites' but, nevertheless, I thought we should try and stand out from the crowd a little. "Some of the players liked idea but unfortunately the whole board were dead against it, so it was turned down flat. In fact, some people thought I'd lost my marbles … they thought we'd be throwing away the history [of the name]. "In the end, it got scuppered so fast it never got much momentum."
Whilst I love my country for many reasons, I do often find myself depressed at how **** it has become. Currently holidaying down on the south coast and visited Bournemouth for the day and my god, part of the centre is like a derelict ghost town with boarded up and abandoned shops, graffiti riddled piss stained walls and more homeless than you can wave a ****ty stick at. The beach front isn’t much better with its abundance of over priced ice cream stalls, crappy merch stalls and expensive amusement arcades. It’s disgusting that successive governments, both Tory and Labour, have let these type of towns become what they have now become. Also paying £185 for a family of 5 to visit Paultons Park tomorrow hasn’t helped my bleak mood
It's the same at many seaside resorts, last summer devastated many seasonal businesses and restrictions since then finished many off. Similar in town where lots of good small businesses have gone through no fault of their own...
True mate. It really is sad and depressing to see what was probably once a place of interest and business now in ruin and stagnation.
Not one thing Staines but just the dismal tide. Very sad state of affairs. I still love my country for many reasons but today I prefer to only look forward to the odd visit back to the U.K. because there is a limit on how much we can all absorb
How was Paultons Park? Improve your mood. In my experience every country has ****hole towns. We and the US tend to have identikit, photocopied ones where you can’t tell where in the country you are as everything looks the same. Governments and poverty to blame, but sometimes you can spot the opposite trend, but that usually involves gentrification.
Funnily enough I’m still here (from 10am) and only just managed to get on the WiFi that has been **** all day. Finally decided my days of roller coasters and the like are numbered, as I felt sick after doing one in the first hour, while the kids went in the fastest and loopiest ones they could find, laughing at my inadequacies as they went. Finally got the courage an hour ago to have another go, in the more sedate chair swings, and almost vomited into my mouth. So my value per ride has been about £19 per ride…..terrific !! Oh of course the burgers, chips, drinks and ice creams came to about £80 so all in all a pretty expensive day. And me and the Mrs had our obligatory row so not much changed. Don’t you just love holidays
