Off Topic Politics Thread

  • Please bear with us on the new site integration and fixing any known bugs over the coming days. If you can not log in please try resetting your password and check your spam box. If you have tried these steps and are still struggling email [email protected] with your username/registered email address
  • Log in now to remove adverts - no adverts at all to registered members!
Archers Road said:
Why are people convinced Harris would be a disaster? I don't know much about her, but have heard her chances dismissed without any explanation as to why.
Click to expand...

Unpopular in swing states.

Similar issue to Hilary Clinton.

She would certainly be more concise than Biden and more professional than Trump, but it will be very hard for her to win.
 
OFWAT are set to allow water companies to increase bills by, 20%, on average, for the next five years.
A shameful decision, given that the water companies, despite being massively in debt, are still paying out massive dividends.
Should be a law stopping utility companies, that are in debt, from paying dividends to shareholders or bonuses to their bosses/employees, especially when they have willingly underinvested in maintaining the infrastructure of their business.
Maybe if shareholders were held personally responsible for the spillage of sewage into the waterways, something might change.
 
  • Like
Reactions: All_Southampton_FC
San Tejón said:
OFWAT are set to allow water companies to increase bills by, 20%, on average, for the next five years.
A shameful decision, given that the water companies, despite being massively in debt, are still paying out massive dividends.
Should be a law stopping utility companies, that are in debt, from paying dividends to shareholders or bonuses to their bosses/employees, especially when they have willingly underinvested in maintaining the infrastructure of their business.
Maybe if shareholders were held personally responsible for the spillage of sewage into the waterways, something might change.
Click to expand...
I think it’s 20% over 5 years. Not 20% per year. They still want more
 
Gregm1988 said:
My question was sort of rhetorical because clearly Os is suggesting that socialism is what we now have - which is basically just the panicked spewing of a bunch of right wing types. Suggests not reading their manifesto at all. And only getting a view on it from right wing sources alone. Which tracks to be honest.

As to the bit about destruction of human spirit and levelling mankind to death - well that’s hyperbole. And probably cherry picking of what is considered “socialism” (hence why someone asked for a definition because no doubt Os’s definition is either vague or absolutely bananas. Or both).

Because several of the countries at the top of the global happiness index have “social democrat” governments with a strong favouring of left wing / centre left politics (and I mean actual left and centre left - not what right wing types like the lotus eaters call left wing. Those lot claim our last government was left wing or Le Pen’s party is left wing). But I guess those will not count for…reasons. And then we’d have to focus on Cuba, Maoist China and the USSR. Which his statement would be true for - but are certainly not what we are going to be getting anything even slightly close to from Starmer. Notice how you kind of need to have no elections to implement stuff like that
Click to expand...
So I presume this is his 'reply'?

"It’s a quote from a famous commencement speech which took place at Harvard University in 1978.
The speaker, Alexandr Solzhenitsyn, was in exile from the Soviet Union.
In his speech Solzhenitsyn gave a dire warning to the West about the perils of liberalism eventually leading to socialism and eventually communism.
Worth a listen"

Different time, different context and only his theory from the point of view of a Soviet dissident. No relevance to today
I wonder what he thought the West should do? Be less liberal?

Ironic, given that Russia was a Feudal State and that led to "Socialism" which led to "Communism"
 
  • Like
Reactions: ......loading......
shoot_spiderman said:
So I presume this is his 'reply'?

"It’s a quote from a famous commencement speech which took place at Harvard University in 1978.
The speaker, Alexandr Solzhenitsyn, was in exile from the Soviet Union.
In his speech Solzhenitsyn gave a dire warning to the West about the perils of liberalism eventually leading to socialism and eventually communism.
Worth a listen"

Different time, different context and only his theory from the point of view of a Soviet dissident. No relevance to today
I wonder what he thought the West should do? Be less liberal?

Ironic, given that Russia was a Feudal State and that led to "Socialism" which led to "Communism"
Click to expand...
One day in the life of Ivan Denysovich is a great book, but Solzhenitsyn’s own politics are all about Tsarism and Russian nationalism. Not someone I would listen to on the state of Western politics.
 
  • Like
Reactions: StJabbo1 and shoot_spiderman
......loading...... said:
One day in the life of Ivan Denysovich is a great book, but Solzhenitsyn’s own politics are all about Tsarism and Russian nationalism. Not someone I would listen to on the state of Western politics.
Click to expand...
I would also guess that this would be the sort of clickbait a right wing site would want to post and it’s followers would want to quote

Do I believe O searched for quotes by Solzhenitsyn? Unlikely I think
 
  • Like
Reactions: ......loading......
shoot_spiderman said:
So I presume this is his 'reply'?

"It’s a quote from a famous commencement speech which took place at Harvard University in 1978.
The speaker, Alexandr Solzhenitsyn, was in exile from the Soviet Union.
In his speech Solzhenitsyn gave a dire warning to the West about the perils of liberalism eventually leading to socialism and eventually communism.
Worth a listen"

Different time, different context and only his theory from the point of view of a Soviet dissident. No relevance to today
I wonder what he thought the West should do? Be less liberal?

Ironic, given that Russia was a Feudal State and that led to "Socialism" which led to "Communism"
Click to expand...
Was Omar Sherrif in it?
 
  • Like
Reactions: shoot_spiderman and Archers Road
......loading...... said:
One day in the life of Ivan Denysovich is a great book, but Solzhenitsyn’s own politics are all about Tsarism and Russian nationalism. Not someone I would listen to on the state of Western politics.
Click to expand...
But it’s someone all of the people in this kind of right wing grifter-sphere all listen to. Because he aligns perfectly with their arguments regardless of context.
 
  • Like
Reactions: shoot_spiderman
......loading...... said:
One day in the life of Ivan Denysovich is a great book, but Solzhenitsyn’s own politics are all about Tsarism and Russian nationalism. Not someone I would listen to on the state of Western politics.
Click to expand...


Solzhenitsyn despised the West anyway, and having been forcibly deported from Russia in 1974, he returned there when his Soviet citizenship was restored. He was absolutely excoriating when speaking on the state of US culture, spirituality and values.

Almost all Russians are nationalistic btw, that's always been as true of her rebels and dissidents as it has of her leaders.
 
  • Like
Reactions: shoot_spiderman, ChilcoSaint and StJabbo1
Archers Road said:
Why are people convinced Harris would be a disaster? I don't know much about her, but have heard her chances dismissed without any explanation as to why.
Click to expand...

Put it this way - she’s the American equivalent of Dianne Abbott. Except I would argue that Abbott is actually more competent. (Jesus)
 
All_Southampton_FC said:
It's so cringe watching Biden.
I don't know enough about US politics, but the choices of Trump or Biden is utterly horrendous. It's like living in dystopia.

Realistically, how long can the democrats leave it before swapping Joe Biden with a new candidate? No idea how it works, how much time will that process take? Anyway, if it's even remotely possible, to me, that's surely the favourable/ sensible option for the democrats; remove Biden and replace him with someone who can string a sentence together and preferably be under the age of 70 (no offence to you oldies on here!).
Click to expand...
Genuine question here, folks! A few of you talk about US politics all the time so please could somebody shed some light? Like, realistically, how long can the democrats leave it before they have to stick with Biden or is already too late?
 
San Tejón said:
OFWAT are set to allow water companies to increase bills by, 20%, on average, for the next five years.
A shameful decision, given that the water companies, despite being massively in debt, are still paying out massive dividends.
Should be a law stopping utility companies, that are in debt, from paying dividends to shareholders or bonuses to their bosses/employees, especially when they have willingly underinvested in maintaining the infrastructure of their business.
Maybe if shareholders were held personally responsible for the spillage of sewage into the waterways, something might change.
Click to expand...
I thought there were rules to stop companies with poor economic and environmental records from paying dividends?

They just need to be brought back into public ownership.
 
All_Southampton_FC said:
Genuine question here, folks! A few of you talk about US politics all the time so please could somebody shed some light? Like, realistically, how long can the democrats leave it before they have to stick with Biden or is already too late?
Click to expand...
The candidate is officially chosen at the Democratic National Convention in August (I think it's around the 20th).

I assume that's it although it's possible there's some other substitution process that could come into play after that. I guess they have measures in place in case someone dies or something, but I don't think that's ever been needed.
 
  • Like
Reactions: All_Southampton_FC
All_Southampton_FC said:
Genuine question here, folks! A few of you talk about US politics all the time so please could somebody shed some light? Like, realistically, how long can the democrats leave it before they have to stick with Biden or is already too late?
Click to expand...

From what I understand, existing funding raised by Biden can only be transferred to Harris. Otherwise the funding cannot be used for anyone else. I assume this is adding a further twist.
 
  • Like
Reactions: All_Southampton_FC
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back