What Do You Think Today?

[Avatar]

Terrible tragedy.

--A

[Kizza]

Point 1 for today: When religion and law are not kept separate by the state, then the doorway to chaos is left open to suck people in.

In Indonesia this week, the caning (83 whacks each) of the two men caught in a homosexual relationship they were having in private, and then the heterosexual married couple who were publicly whipped for holding hands in public...... all driven by religious "laws". Nuts.

Is that really teaching a quality outcome? Is it coaching tomorrows leaders?

Thought 1 for the day: I am constantly disappointed by people who ignore history.

[Avatar]

So, almost everybody huh?

--A

[peter]

Odd, but with all the backing and froing of the past week or so it is Jeremy Corbyn who is beginning to look like the "Strong and Stable" option in this UK election choice. Theresa May's S&S mantra, so oft repeated it became almost embarrassing was always inviting fate to throw in a couple of curlers and it duly obliged. Corbyn on the other hand is dull - dull and steady (think Angela Merkel with a red tie) - and in many ways that's what you want in a politician and (dare I say) a leader. Gosh, I'd love to see all of those disloyal bastards who tried to oust him as leader have to pucker up and kiss ass if by some miracle he did manage to pull it off.

[I'm Murrin]

I was pretty sure his speech where he talked about UK foreign policy being partially to blame for terrorist attacks to cost him the election - not that I disagree, but because it was obvious how the papers would spin it and the public react. So far, though, I've seen less negative reaction than I expected, though I still think it'll hurt him among some groups. Labour's gap has started closing much faster in the polls, and as Theresa May herself said, she only needs to lose 6 seats for Corbyn to be in number 10...

[Kizza]

Speaking of the media, I am concerned about Kim Jong-un and the media pumping up his tyres about how he is giving the US and Trump the schizers. . . . .

Proper naughty that UK media:
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/20 ... mmigration

By and large I am no Trump fan, it is essentially a personality thing... I don't like his personality.
But I must admit, I think the term "Fake News" is a beauty.

[Avatar]

The extent to which the media has become an active, if not complicit, participant in so much is very interesting...as businesses, it's almost as if it's become their job to tell their readers what they want to hear...so many implications.

--A

[peter]

On the UK foreign policy comments, Corbyn has covered his back to a degree by citing that it is the vacuum of power left following military interventions into which these radical groups can flow to which he was referring as being in part responsible for these acts. This point has been made by many others across the political spectrum before and therefore puts him to a degree at least, in line with the broad thinking of the establishment.

[Kizza]

Corbyn is playing the same poll driven game.
The media measures the pollie who is being polled.
The media influences the punter who registers the poll.

It will take an unshakeable belief in a panacea for a brave pollie to stand the test of a media which is willing to dig up crap the said pollie may have done in the backroom of a pub in their uni days. (Hence why I am no politician)

Besides, I felt the word panacea needed a run today.

Any chance Gamera can make a comeback to sort out North Koreas monster?

[peter]

Alas the panaceatic vision took a hammering yesterday in the form of a radio show meltdown that will possibly cost him more than the figure he was struggling to find. On the latter - more chance of Godzilla than Gamera: he's way to busy prepping up the economy in the Cayman Islands!

[Avatar]

(Hence why I am no politician)

Shades of a misspent youth?

Besides, I felt the word panacea needed a run today.

It's a good word.

--A

[peter]

Interesting headlines in today's papers that if taken en masse have shades of the establishment forces gathering against the thorn that threatens to pierce it in the side. The Mail runs with a secret plan they say they have uncovered for Labour to allow in thousands of low end immigrants to take jobs from UK working class people (in direct opposition to what they say they will do publicly). The Express stokes the immigrant fear by saying it will be a summer of immigration chaos. The Telegraph runs with the same immigration story as The Mail while The Times leads with a 'shock poll' result predicting Tory loss of 20 seats and uses the Corbyn radio interview faux Pas to reintroduce the idea that Labour is rife with anti-Semitism. Last but not least The Independent run with the interview with Tory Health Minister Jeremy Hunt, that a bad Brexit deal will cause damage to the NHS.

Each one of these stories represents a 'nudge' to the public to eschew a Labour vote and instead put an X in the Tory box on June 8th. In toto they demonstrate that the establishment is quietly bricking it that all the gains they have made in the last 30 years since Thatcher are about to be snatched away from them by a politician who actually cares about the rank and file of this country.

[Kizza]

(Hence why I am no politician)

Shades of a misspent youth?

Besides, I felt the word panacea needed a run today.

It's a good word.

--A

There was rock and roll there waiting to be enjoyed and had.

[Kizza]

... In toto they demonstrate that the establishment is quietly bricking it ...

and if they aren't they should be!

Coffee tasted better today... Is that because my footy team won?

[peter]

When you're smiling (when you're smiling) your taste buds smile with you!

[Avatar]

Is that because my footy team won?

What team?

--A

[Kizza]

When you're smiling (when you're smiling) your taste buds smile with you!

New South Wales won game 1 of the best of three rugby league State of Origin series. . . . NSW have won 1 series in the last 11 or 12 years.

[peter]

After years of denigrating Corbyn the UK media is discovering that the British people have minds of their own and just might not be as easy to lead by the nose as their establishment masters thought. The newspaper headlines continue their daily diatribe against him, but over the shop counter I hear that it is having very little effect. People are pissed - particularly older voters who feel both unfairly stigmatized and angry at the policy of pitting young against old, in equal measure. Corbyn is unlikely to win, perhaps even to break the Tory majority, but even if he doesn't it won't be because Rupert Murdoch and Lord Rothermere don't want him to, and for that my fellow countrymen will have earned both my respect and my gratitude.

On an unrelated issue I think the quality of political interviewing in this election has been deplorable! The interviews I have seen have been almost without exception, insulting and pointless. The interviewers have focused on issues of little significance rather than look at the policies, and have rarely if ever even allowed their subjects even half a sentence before interrupting with some shouted or insulting comment. Worst offenders were Jeremy Paxman who has become an almost charicature​ of himself with his grandstanding and phony shock, and Andrew Neil who sits himself on the edge of his chair to direct half an hour of mainly pointless insult at who ever happens to be in front of him.

[Kizza]

Bloody awful stories out of Britain at the moment. Sincerely sending you all the best and warmest of wishes.

[Avatar]

Until your last 2 posts, I'd assumed you were in Britain.

--A