Tonight's election programming

[nige]

I think it was something to do with the meaning of life by the order of absolutely everything, although i didn't read it.

 

[Stephenj]

If you don't like it here it's simple go and live somewhere else.

Ha ha. The irony

 

[the_quick]

I didn't like living in Poland and came to the UK

 

[nige]

Out of the fridge into the freezer.

 

[An Ankoù]

Many people seem to believe that democracy is the ultimate and most perfect way of running a society and that a democratic government is the optimal government
Quote from Rodj but I copied and pasted instead of quoting.


Both Aquinas and Plato thought that democracy was the worst form of tyranny (Aquinas de Regimine Principum C1300) or government (Plato, The Republic C375 BC) Churchill agreed, but couldn't come up with an alternative. I agree with Hailsham in that we don't really have democracy in the UK. He calls our two party system an elective dictatorship- Cohen in the Guardian explains:
https://www.theguardian.com/comment...end-the-institutions-johnson-seeks-to-destroy
If Hailsham/Cohen are right then we should take heart; Aquinas' objection to (true) democracy is that it is much more difficult to overthrow than a tyrannical oligarchy or a monarchy (in his view the most benign). The question is, do we have the heart to do so.

 

[nige]

It's just a division wheel that's why politicians study to go into go into (politics) ie, any part of it.
There is too many of them we should cut down and save money and put it to cheaper home brew kits!.

 

[foxy]

This seems to be based on the way they used to try women accused of witchcraft.

The Titanic is approaching an iceberg. A minority of the crew and passengers want emergency action to turn the ship regardless of the fact that this might spill a few gin-and-tonics; the majority do not want to disrupt their thus-far pleasant and luxurious cruise. What happens? They have a vote and the majority win. The minority issue dire warnings and try to get the majority to see sense. The majority tell them to stop bleating and wait and see how it works out; if they (the majority) were wrong and the ship actually hits the iceberg, then they’ll apologise and allow the minority to gloat.

The sky will not fall, but if elections were run on the surmise that the majority will get it wrong and the minority will get it right, then the winner should actually be the looser.
I do think a small minority don't understand what they are voting for, but most people will look at the agendas and make their own mind up even knowing that election promises never, and never will get fulfilled. In the case of this election I believe that a large majority of the people voted for what they didn't want.

 

[MyQul]

At a pint a night that may take some time.

I plan on living forever

 

[Rodcx500z]

My view and I believe this 100% most off the people do not understand politics me included and vote for the one with the best speil aka Del Boy, imagine an election were nobody voted cloud cukoo land for sure but would it be good to to see the faces of the tv presenters saying nobody voted in this consituancy, can you imagine Westminster the day after they would be like what the f--k, don't sit on the streets protesting thats ******** Just don't vote for anything let them scatch their heads

 

[MyQul]

I see BJ is going for a, Soft as ***** (SAS - remember forumites I came up with it first!) Brexit. He's putting into law no further extensions. So what happens if and when the inevitable happens and he runs into trouble (perhaps over that pesky irish border) and needs another extension? He'll just roll over to whatever any EU demands to 'Get Brexit Done'. ERG say hello to the DUP whilst your under the bus!

 

[the_quick]

Or he will introduce new law to scrap the old law :P

 

[marshbrewer]

Assuming the bill is as reported, I believe the legal position is this;

• The UK leaves at the end of Jan and both the EU & UK enter the transition period
• They have until the end of the year to agree an FTA
• The bill would outlaw the UK asking for or accepting an extension
• Any FTA agreed would then need to be approved by both the EU and UK parliament ( or is it the individual member states as well? In think it usually is)
• If the FTA isn't approved, we automatically revert to WTO + any side deals.

So if BoJo went soft, he would need tie support of parliament to get it to pass.

 

[MyQul]

Assuming the bill is as reported, I believe the legal position is this;

• The UK leaves at the end of Jan and both the EU & UK enter the transition period
• They have until the end of the year to agree an FTA
• The bill would outlaw the UK asking for or accepting an extension
• Any FTA agreed would then need to be approved by both the EU and UK parliament ( or is it the individual member states as well? In think it usually is)
• If the FTA isn't approved, we automatically revert to WTO + any side deals.

So if BoJo went soft, he would need tie support of parliament to get it to pass.

I think your correct. But what happens if we hit bumps in the road? Noone but the ERG beserkers want to crash out with no deal. Also, the only people that are saying we can get a FTA by the end of the year are Conservative politicians. All the experts I've heard on the radio are saying it would be very difficult (reading between the lines almost impossible). If we crash out we wont be getting any deals from the Americans as the house of representatives (well nancy pelosi, earlier this year) have said no deals if the GF agreement is broken (that pesky Irish border again). So we will be forced to go cap in hand to the EU. I think BJ has boxed himself in putting no extension into law.

 

[The Baron]

I think Boris is showing that if the EU do not sort it out it will be a, and you heard it here first a (HEAT a Hard European Alternative Treaty) that will apply to them as well as us and they do not want this anymore than us so is he using this as bargaining power to get it done on time or it will end Hard?

 

[MyQul]

I think Boris is showing that if the EU do not sort it out it will be a, and you heard it here first a (HEAT a Hard European Alternative Treaty) that will apply to them as well as us and they do not want this anymore than us so is he using this as bargaining power to get it done on time or it will end Hard?

I get the impression this is really for domestic consumption. To show all those Labour voters that 'lent' BJ their votes that he's 'getting brexit done'. This is BJ trying to look tough. Most people arent that intersted in politics and just read the headlines at most. So this will come across well. But the UK has be trying the, 'give us what we want or we'll blow our legs off' for three+ years and the EU has just said, meh.

 

[MyQul]

I also think the BBC are buggered. Almost the first thing that came out of BJ's gob after winning the election was to ask aides if it was possible to de-criminalise not paying TV lisence. Then yesterday he made Nicky Morgan culture secretary who has previuosly said that the BBC should be a subscription service like netfix

 

[The Baron]

The BBC have fallen on their sword me thinks as the media has become so powerful they give out such biased reporting on both sides. The beeb did try to paint BJ in a negative mode whenever they got the chance but that aside why should we not have the choice to watch and pay for what we want and not be held to ransom with a out dated and archaic licence.

 

[MyQul]

why should we not have the choice to watch and pay for what we want and not be held to ransom with a out dated and archaic licence.

I deffo agree with this. I choose to pay the Netflix fee because I like to watch nexflix sometimes (and it's cheap). I choose to watch youtube and put up with the adverts.

What if you're to poor to pay the licence fee. You got the 'choice' of either risking a big fine (and going to jail if you dont pay it) or possibly being socially isolated if you decide not to risk it and dont have a TV

 

[marshbrewer]

What if you're to poor to pay the licence fee. You got the 'choice' of either risking a big fine (and going to jail if you dont pay it) or possibly being socially isolated if you decide not to risk it and dont have a TV

But in these days of illegal streaming, and whatnot, surely those too poor to afford a TV Licence / BBC subscription could find other illegal means?

I think making the BBC an encrypted subscription service is just common sense. If everyone loves it, and it's such cracking value, everyone would subscribe. If it isn't, then it's hard to force people to pay for it in pain of imprisonment.

 

[MyQul]

But in these days of illegal streaming, and whatnot, surely those too poor to afford a TV Licence / BBC subscription could find other illegal means?

True (if you of course have the know how - I wouldnt, for e.g.) I dont know the stats for non payment of TV licence (and how many people went to prison for non payment last year for e.g.), but why should you have to risk it, if your too poor to be able to afford it. It's just penalising/criminalising the very poor

Edit: Just for anyone who doesnt know, you dont got to prison for not paying the TV licence. You go to prison for not paying the fines for not paying your TV licence