Brew

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Posts posted by Brew

  1. 2 hours ago, DJ360 said:

    Murphy employs a written version of a 'Scatter Diagram', plotting opinions, policies and attitudes and assigning them more or less to the left or the right.

    I can't, as you'd expect,  agree, I don't think he does anything of the sort.

    Marshall is not unintelligent and an experienced author on some complex topics. Had he meant to create a word based scatter diagram I'm sure he would have said do so in order that we of the great unwashed would  belter  understand it.

    To my mind it was so woolly you have constructed the scatter map theory to aid yourself in interpreting it, it's the only  way it makes sense to you. Try to see it as we see it. no added bells and whistles, no unnecessary interpretations, see it for what it is and give him credit for writing exactly what he meant to write.

    I don't know if he was trying to be satirical, he failed if he was.

  2. 5 minutes ago, Alpha said:

    It might also act as a deterrent against committing crime in the first place.

    It might, it might not,  It's quite difficult to prove either way. ProCon (US), claim each execution prevents between 3 to 18 murders, Amnesty International claim there is no effect . 

    The  methodologies both use for proving their case is at best 'iffy', in both cases they quote from the U.S.

     

    We know we can't prove a negative so that only leaves historical facts, number of past executions v present day murders which cannot allow for changes in society. Any correlation between the two will always be flawed which probably explains why there are endless arguments about it. Capital punishment is supposed to serve two purposes. deterrence and retribution. We can only say for certain it achieves one of those.

    • Like 1
  3. 2 hours ago, letsavagoo said:

    So I can express an opinion (if it’s legal that is) but you’re not sure it’s a ‘right’ to do so. So I withdraw saying ‘have the right’ and say instead ‘should’ reply or ‘must’ reply or whatever term you like. 

     

    Let me explain my pedantry, a 'right' is something enshrined in law. Nottstalgia is privately owned, privately financed and administered by a small group of private individuals so we post only by their good offices and You can use whatever term you like.

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    In my opinion the list is total nonsense, I thought I'd made that clear earlier. The 'academic treatise/claptrap' comment is merely to demonstrate the breadth of postings we see.

     

     

  4.  

    2 hours ago, letsavagoo said:
    6 hours ago, Brew said:

    I said I’m not a fan of it. I have accepted it and the reason it exists. I didn’t say or suggest banning it so you telling me that the people of Nottingham are free to express their opinion is misplaced and unnecessary as I didn’t suggest otherwise.

     

    Even with the best will in the world Lets your comment was by implication disparaging, and that's fine if it's your opinion on the political thread.

    Not sure anyone has a 'right' but we can express our opinions on NS, even the ones decrying political commentary - the same applies to replies.

     

    Whether it's left wing claptrap or an academic treatise we can express an opinion so long as it's legal. Then we're free to read, reply or ignore. 

     

    • Like 1
  5. Interesting but not to sure about corrupt. Undoubted some were but I would hazard a guess most were simply of their time.

    Reading Dickens, Pepys or Trollope etc. even the good guys would not stand up to modern mores and attitudes.

     

    It's easy to condemn over the passage of time, especially from a socialist viewpoint, but judging the societal norms of almost 200 hundred years ago is always going to appear scandalous from wherever you stand.

    • Like 1
  6. 4 hours ago, DJ360 said:

    Sunak is attempting to re-frame largely peaceful protests around Gaza as an 'attack on Democracy', when it is plain to me that the real threat to democracy is this increasingly repressive and increasingly Far Right Govt.

     

    As someone who sees dark forces at play and conspiracy theories I'm surprised you cannot see behind the Gaza protests. Do you truly believe they are spontaneous expressions of popular protests?

    To my mind they are simply too big, too well organised and must cost far more than any protest movement of the modern era.

  7. 2 hours ago, letsavagoo said:

    I’m no fan of the political thread on what is a NOTSTALGIA site and this typifies why. 

    It's been said before, many times, that pure Notts content would have seen  the site run out steam long ago.

    What are the Notts topic?

    Music - no 

    Yu tube clips - no

    word games- no

    Buses, trucks planes and automobiles, etc. etc. .................   no no no

     

    What irks you about politics is the fact you hold your own views and when challenged, or you disagree with the post you, don't like it,(as with some others).

    Occasionally you can't resist and make some quite relevant posts, but if the topic is such an anathema, why?

     

    The people of Notts have opinions on everything under the sun and are free to express them here and elsewhere as and when they choose. We even have a topic on quantum ttheory!

    Like a famous newspaper once said "all human life is here". You don't like it - don't read it.

    • Like 3
  8. 37 minutes ago, DJ360 said:

    But, just what are those values? Based upon careful consideration of his governments, comments, conduct and legislation, it would seem that they include:

    Apart from missing out walking on the grass, parking charges and potholes what is he actually saying? That these things are wrong? That these are things we as a nation should be ashamed of? That the right to a roof over our heads ranks alongside speed limits?

     

    You're right i think it's a diatribe, a mishmash of a list that claims intolerance of the arts. theatre and the NHS among other things - by whom? I'm surprised you haven't challenged him for evidence as I'm sure you would had he been a Tory. 

    It's a wishlist of a wannbe radical who from a very comfortable life style does little more than pander to those less articulate and feel disenchanted with life who will cheer him from the sidelines whilst he snipes at the establishment.

    He's the balm that soothes their frustrations and desire to be part of something greater than they are.

     

    Does he offer one word, one single suggestion of a solution to any anything at all? no - and then has the temerity to ask for money.

  9. 1 hour ago, DJ360 said:

    I very much doubt he'll survive the next election, but it makes little difference eitherway.

    A big question for me is not only Gallaway being elected but elected by whom and why, where does his support come from? 

     

    The main plank of his policy seems to be Gaza, - why? What does he think he can do about it. With a high Muslim count in Rochdale did Gaza hold any sway within their community?

     

    Is there an unspoken but growing antisemite trend among voters? Delicate questions, but worth a thought and Galloway has been sacked for antisemitic broadcasts.

     

    Did the dumping of the Labour candidate bring about a backlash?

     

    One thing we can't do is ignore him, he has the wit, the ambition plus £millions, and he can't be thrown out of the chamber by his boss.

     

    59 minutes ago, DJ360 said:

    Rishi Sunak is standing outside Downing Street saying that the newly chosen MP

    Quote from??

  10. It's a shambles of half arsed rhetoric. 

     

    It starts with a somewhat arrogant and slightly hysterical piece by Ashworth (L) Which leads the site admin to say:

     

    "The Conservative Party now find themselves nothing left to sell but the visceral racism and manufactured division of fascism wrapped up in any number of crackpot conspiracy theories"

     

    A quote which in itself is to my mind a crackpot theory.

     

    The Truss/Bannon set is so far out I had to check if it's true, it is, and it's amazing they can spew this garbage with a straight face.

    Bannon led her by the nose throughout cutting across her with leading questions and comments.  We should be grateful and count out blessings she was thrown out on her ear. I'm sure she needs professional help.

    But it worries me more she was elected in the first place. 

     

    One comment I sort of agree with is the failure of the left and centre left (though not only those), to present a decent, strong opposition and  viable alternatives over a long period of time; a sentiment that didn't go down well with other members who presented entirely irrelevant facts in arguments that amounted to a typical left leaning "it's never our fault"

     

    Another quote:

    "Brilliant plan. When fascism rears its ugly head, instead of resisting, blame the left, thus playing into the fascist's narrative."

     

    We can hardly expect the far right to object, he seems to think the left is exempt, so does he expected that only the centre right to do the resisting? Does he not realise the right is rising within the ranks of the working class;  that the right wing influence has pulled Labour away from the absolutism of the Corbyn/Momentum/Militant eras and produced a watered down barrister to lead them?

     

    I can't really get into the rest, it doesn't challenge the history or the root or the reasons of the rise of the right, they simply accept it is as is before descending into frenzied  criticism of the last ten years and present government.

     

    They've simply latched onto a catchy title with which to polish their ego's..

     

     

  11. 7 minutes ago, DJ360 said:

    but HP requirements were 'Do-able'.

     

     

    Col you said 'do-able' and the wider family contributed, good on them.

    I can't remember what the requirements were only that a shop in town was to be the sole supplier of uniforms, sportswear etc and they were expensive. With five kids from 11 to 2 it was never going to happen.  

  12. 30 minutes ago, benjamin1945 said:

    Seems to me that many folk think that because you didnt go to Grammar school you must have failed the 11 plus.........not true.......

     

    That's true in my case Ben but my mam was in floods of tears after reading the demands from Mundella and after much argument with my parents I chose not to go.

  13. 1 minute ago, DJ360 said:

    It is a simple fact, that the existence of fee paying Independents allows a 'win' to be purchased by those who can afford to do so.

    And if Labour did not have a socialist, almost puritanical one size fits all  policy of making everyone fit the same mould, of levelling the playing field by banning grammar schools on the basis of equal opportunity, things may well have turned out differently. But you quite happily say some are more able academically i.e. we are not equal.

     

    You seem to dislike fee paying schools yet you enjoyed a school where parents had to pay considerably more that those of the  secondaries. The principle is the same, only the amount varies and it gave you access to a 'win'

     

    • Upvote 1
  14. We know what 'woke' was just as we once knew what 'queer' and 'gay' meant.

    We have to accept that they now have meaning and connotations entirely different to their origin.

    It grates on me when i hear them and refuse to use them any way  other than in the  proper manner; the same way I refuse to acknowledge or use gender neutral pronouns.

    But then again I'm just a dinosaur who never really learned not to pee into the wind.