Anything Political


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Don't know what the rules are in UK but we even in lockdown are entitled to go for medication, grocery shopping and emergencies. We have to fill in a declaration starting name, address, community area and where we are going including what for and name and address of same. It's annoying at the moment because it's 2 days free and 2 days lockdown more or less so nobody knows where they are . Now after 2 days of businesses opening they are closing us all again until 15 when new ruling comes out. Wait for the grumbles again.

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HSR: Col is given a 'free rein to spout his opinions' for exactly the reasons you are, only he does so with more civility.   Recently there have been a couple of attacks on the validity of t

True enough but none quite so 'in your face' or as blatant. To paraphrase Mone "I didn't lie to hide the the fact we're making £60 million and hiding it in a trust, it was to to protect my family

Why do you feel the need to influence others? What is your motivation for so doing? Is it because you think you know better than they? Is it because it feeds your ego if and when you succeed?  Is it b

So today we hear of yet another 'insider job' in which the Tories have used a genuine need for a replacement for School Meals, to dish out yet another lucrative contract..without tender.. to one of their mates.. who.. surprise surprise.. has grabbed the money and delivered an insultingly low level of service.

 

Will they give any money back?  Doubt it.

 

When will people wake up?

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Judging by the rise of 'Militias' throughout the USA since Trump got into power..and the very high level of anger among his more hardcore ( aka thick headed ) supporters...  I fear that the USA is about to deeply regret not doing more to control gun ownership and paramilitary activity.

 

It's not as if the Armed Forces/National Guard/Police can be recruited to oppose and disarm these nut jobs, because I suspect that those very forces have their own share of loonies in their ranks.

 

Discuss.

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Way too complex and involves an in depth analysis of American culture, education and exaggerated patriotism - the last refuge of scoundrels.

It seems to me America is not the land of the free but more the land of the hard of thinking.

Maybe when they stop indoctrinating the kids and start raising the education level to at least the OECD average they will open their eyes and see what the rest of the world sees.

 

Despite the fact the 2nd amendment is just that, an amendment, and can be amended again, to Americans it may as well have been written on tablets of stone and brought down from the mountain.

 

Perhaps they have so little hope of achieving the American dream they will grasp any straw they think will help.

 

 

 

 

 

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It's certainly complex in many ways Jim.  No doubting that.  But if you take a cross section of the extreme Trumpsters, they seem to be a rag bag coalition of malcontents with a broad range of different issues bothering them... ranging from Democrats as 'commies', to Generic mistrust in all Govt, to QAnon and other conspiracy theorists, down to those who are convinced they 'saw' voter fraud, etc. etc.  They are certainly the sharp end of the US far right, and are.. as is always the case, convenient foot soldiers for more obscure power brokers.

 

Even Trump has been a useful idiot for the far right of the Republicans.. but I suppose he became even more of a liability than they expected and most of them are now desperately trying to distance themselves from him, not from principle.. but in order to preserve their electoral chances and funding. Had he won.. they'd all be right up his 'A***'

 

As for the 2nd Amendment.  It is a truly appalling piece of 'law', which effectively ends up being a license for wannabe John Waynes insisting on bearing arms in order to protect themselves from other wannabe John Waynes. The short sightedness involved is epic, the death toll appalling, but it is yet another useful 'Dog Whistle' for those on the right who need to 'Rent a Mob.'

 

It's going to be very dangerous around the Capitol and all state Capitals for the next few days and weeks.  It looks like the National Guard are pretty well 'tooled up' in the Capitol for the Inauguration.  All sensible state legislatures, of whatever colour, would in IMHO,be well advised to ban the carrying of weapons within a certain radius of sensitive State and Federal Govt buildings.  I assume there are emergency powers to prevent this.  If not there should be.

 

Not sure what will happen to the usual crowds for the inauguration. They'd struggle to get a smaller crowd than that attracted by Trump.. but it will surely need to be heavily policed and searched to prevent disruption by extreme and possible armed Trumpers.  I believe that hotels and all Air BnB in Washington have suspended bookings to prevent an influx of Trumpistas, but that of course will also prevent an influx of Democrat supporters...

 

Just touching on 'American Culture'.  I suppose there's not really any such thing.  Just as with most countries, the major population centres tend to be more tolerant and liberal, whereas the rural communities are more parochial and less tolerant, but the size, and the history of the USA seems to exaggerate those differences.  From what I can see, people are born and die in rural America without ever leaving town, or state, much less seeing anything of the World.

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Back to the 'School Meals' scandal.  Compare the viral image of a few rotten bananas, a bit of cheese and a tin of beans as provided by Chartwell  a company owned by a Tory Donor and by all accounts mired in controversy before now..with what Morrisons can provide for 35 quid.. to anybody.  Delivered.

 

https://www.morrisons.com/food-boxes/box/meat-food-box

 

I bought something similar early in the first lockdown and was well impressed with what it contained.  Morrison's are also offering 'school meals' boxes for bulk order as well as a range of boxes from basic to luxury.

 

https://www.morrisons.com/food-boxes/boxes/food-boxes/everyday/all-boxes

 

I don't have shares in Morrison's and rarely shop there, but they show what can actually be achieved  when you aren't just a freeloading spiv given a nice little earner by Boris and his spivs.

 

 

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9 hours ago, DJ360 said:

Not sure what will happen to the usual crowds for the inauguration.

Social distancing will make crowds of law-abiding citizens problematic. The far right in horns and war paint will have no problem.

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11 hours ago, DJ360 said:

Back to the 'School Meals' scandal.

 

It's an embarrassement and a national disgrace that in 2021 we need to give food to feed hungry children.

 

There can be no argument that the ingedients shown are not fit for purpose or that Chartwells, as part of the largest catering company in the world,  have been embroiled in scandals relating to the service they provide.

 

The Tory donations are an irrelevance, many Labour controlled councils have contracts with them and at least two (Croyden and Lewisham), have recently extended the term, one for at least a year and one for 10 years. I don't believe political donations made by a private individual have any bearing.

 

Col presupposed they would not refund any money, apparently they will.

 

 

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Cancel the SKY subscription. Don't pay £50 per month for the latest iPhone & give up the fags. That way if you have kids you will be able to feed them yourself without expecting anyone else to pay to feed them for you.

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There are people like that CF and we've all seen them but I suspect they are a minority. I simply think it wrong that ordinary folk are in such dire straits, probably through no fault of their own, they need assistance to feed themselves.

Ignoring the political conspiracy bit DJ360 is right to think the comapany are well and truly extracting the urine and trying to screw the public purse for all they can, sadly there seems to be litttle to no checks or balance by the powers that be to monitor them.

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Being a single parent myself a few years ago struggling to bring up my two kids was very difficult in many ways including financial issues.

I never claimed benefits just worked full time & a second job at the weekends to make ends meet.

Before anyone suggests I have an axe to grind, well I don't, I brought my kids up through my own endeavours with no handouts.

Both kids grew up with decent jobs nowadays, hard work pays.

Many young parents don't have a clue, usually brought up on benefits as children themselves.

The cycle of benefit dependence needs to be broken.

 

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Well put Catfan, you present an admirable case

More power to your elbow. A deserving case of pride in your children and independence and self reliance. 

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And you should be quite rightly proud of doing so however times and situations change. True the benefits roundabout can self perpetuate and there are those who really know how to work the system.   But we mustn't throw the baby out with the bath water. Punishing the genuine cases, which I'm convinced are the majority, to deny the greedy and profane is just plain wrong.

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