Search found 3845 matches

by Octavious
Fri Mar 22, 2024 10:23 am
Forum: Politics
Topic: Trump v. Biden - How worried should I be?
Replies: 86
Views: 1522

Re: Trump v. Biden - How worried should I be?

The greatest schism in Christianity is between those who include Sundays as part of Lent, and those who do not. I've always been a tad suspicious of those who do... It's one small step from that to burning heretics on bonfires. Alas, they seem to spread themselves in equal proportions across all mai...
by Octavious
Tue Mar 12, 2024 6:29 pm
Forum: Politics
Topic: Trump v. Biden - How worried should I be?
Replies: 86
Views: 1522

Re: Trump v. Biden - How worried should I be?

Why does it matter what Trump believed? His actions were irresponsible regardless. It's matters because I am not in the habit of accepting a narrative that doesn't make sense to me. It matters because it is impossible to understand someone and predict their future behaviour if you don't have a soli...
by Octavious
Tue Mar 12, 2024 7:42 am
Forum: Politics
Topic: Trump v. Biden - How worried should I be?
Replies: 86
Views: 1522

Re: Trump v. Biden - How worried should I be?

I don't buy it. Trump is many things, but he's not an idiot. He also has a long history of cutting and running when things don't work out. His string of bankrupt business ventures don't point to the personality of a man inclined to invest vast amounts of effort into a hopeless enterprise. No, I thin...
by Octavious
Mon Mar 11, 2024 9:54 pm
Forum: Politics
Topic: Trump v. Biden - How worried should I be?
Replies: 86
Views: 1522

Re: Trump v. Biden - How worried should I be?

I've still yet to see a good explanation as to how a few thousand enthusiasts in fancy dress walking through the Capitol building was meant to change the election result. In a country like the US, where every other man and his mother own an impressive amount of personal weaponry, January 6th does no...
by Octavious
Fri Mar 01, 2024 4:54 pm
Forum: Politics
Topic: Yes, Prime Minister
Replies: 10
Views: 334

Re: Yes, Prime Minister

Small difference? It went from a clear majority (45 to 38) in favour of national service to an even clearer majority (48 to 34) against. A 21 point swing is pretty significant in any context, and if error bars are big enough to hide it then it's pointless doing any polling at all. Elections are typi...
by Octavious
Sun Feb 25, 2024 7:34 pm
Forum: Politics
Topic: Yes, Prime Minister
Replies: 10
Views: 334

Re: Yes, Prime Minister

Image
by Octavious
Sun Feb 25, 2024 7:29 pm
Forum: Politics
Topic: Yes, Prime Minister
Replies: 10
Views: 334

Yes, Prime Minister

Some of you may remember the Yes, Prime Minister episode in which it was argued that the wording and ordering of of opinion poll questions can be manipulated to achieve desired outcomes. https://youtu.be/ahgjEjJkZks?si=Je0kDKbFAgF4NcLZ Well, Ipsos have only gone and done it! Results below :-D https:...
by Octavious
Sat Feb 17, 2024 3:34 am
Forum: Politics
Topic: War, what is it good for?
Replies: 985
Views: 87319

Re: War, what is it good for?

I don't for a moment believe that the powers that be in Russia would think twice about murdering Navalny if it was in their best interests, but I'm not at all convinced that it was. The timing of his death, if it was murder, seems a little odd. Why now? It's not as if he's been a threat recently. T...
by Octavious
Fri Feb 16, 2024 11:19 pm
Forum: Politics
Topic: War, what is it good for?
Replies: 985
Views: 87319

Re: War, what is it good for?

Pivoting a bit in response to the news: Navalny's been murdered. Anyone have thoughts on whether this is an important development? Does it say anything meaningful about what's going on inside Russia? Maybe it's not substantively different than the recent status quo (i.e., him being locked away inde...
by Octavious
Wed Feb 14, 2024 5:49 am
Forum: Politics
Topic: War, what is it good for?
Replies: 985
Views: 87319

Re: War, what is it good for?

Nonetheless it is important that Israel's offences and atrocities are noticed, that attention is called to them, and that they are not forgotten. Whilst I agree, it seems an odd thing to worry about. The one certainty in this conflict is that every offence carried out by an Israeli, both real and i...
by Octavious
Wed Feb 07, 2024 11:29 pm
Forum: Politics
Topic: War, what is it good for?
Replies: 985
Views: 87319

Re: War, what is it good for?

The way the citizens of the West have been infantilized by their governments by banning every bit of Russian news they can find, presumably to prevent it corrupting the plebs, has been truly shocking. You expect strict media control and constant propaganda from the likes of Russia, but you kinda hop...
by Octavious
Wed Feb 07, 2024 1:35 pm
Forum: Politics
Topic: War, what is it good for?
Replies: 985
Views: 87319

Re: War, what is it good for?

That sort of thing, yes
by Octavious
Sun Feb 04, 2024 2:13 pm
Forum: Politics
Topic: War, what is it good for?
Replies: 985
Views: 87319

Re: War, what is it good for?

Not that common, and typically only at certain times of year. This is constant and unrelenting. They are typically young and barefoot because they are not allowed to wear shoes. Less chance of escape that way
by Octavious
Sun Feb 04, 2024 8:22 am
Forum: Politics
Topic: War, what is it good for?
Replies: 985
Views: 87319

Re: War, what is it good for?

So apparently "I Stand with Israel" stickers have started to appear in station toilets in the UK, with razor blades hidden behind them designed to cause injury to anyone who attempts to remove them. Whether or not this is being done by genuine and rather nasty supporters of Israel, or by antisemite...
by Octavious
Sat Feb 03, 2024 4:39 pm
Forum: Politics
Topic: War, what is it good for?
Replies: 985
Views: 87319

Re: War, what is it good for?

So apparently "I Stand with Israel" stickers have started to appear in station toilets in the UK, with razor blades hidden behind them designed to cause injury to anyone who attempts to remove them. Whether or not this is being done by genuine and rather nasty supporters of Israel, or by antisemite...
by Octavious
Fri Feb 02, 2024 1:25 pm
Forum: Politics
Topic: War, what is it good for?
Replies: 985
Views: 87319

Re: War, what is it good for?

So apparently "I Stand with Israel" stickers have started to appear in station toilets in the UK, with razor blades hidden behind them designed to cause injury to anyone who attempts to remove them. Whether or not this is being done by genuine and rather nasty supporters of Israel, or by antisemites...
by Octavious
Mon Jan 29, 2024 2:45 pm
Forum: Politics
Topic: War, what is it good for?
Replies: 985
Views: 87319

Re: War, what is it good for?

For those unfamiliar with the UK's newspapers, the Financial Times is considered to be one of the most reliable newspapers, with a centre to centre-right political stance and a pro-Europe outlook
by Octavious
Mon Jan 29, 2024 2:41 pm
Forum: Politics
Topic: War, what is it good for?
Replies: 985
Views: 87319

Re: War, what is it good for?

It's pretty grim reading. The EU threatening to strip members of voting rights and sabotage members' economies unless they do what they told is extremely disturbing. I am increasingly glad that the UK is no longer a member
by Octavious
Mon Jan 29, 2024 2:36 pm
Forum: Politics
Topic: War, what is it good for?
Replies: 985
Views: 87319

Re: War, what is it good for?

https://twitter.com/FT/status/1751855979665268770?t=u7w-xU6XMvE47pW-LsniXg&s=19 The EU will sabotage Hungary’s economy if Budapest blocks fresh aid to Ukraine at a summit this week, under a confidential plan drawn up by Brussels that marks a significant escalation in the battle between the EU and it...
by Octavious
Fri Jan 26, 2024 6:14 pm
Forum: Politics
Topic: War, what is it good for?
Replies: 985
Views: 87319

Re: War, what is it good for?

I suspect a lot of it is in the marketing. There's nothing that says a murderous terrorist bastard can't be a woman. As far as children go, it depends very much on where you draw the line regarding adulthood. The British army counts a little under 2000 16 and 17 year old in its ranks. A strike on a ...