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#1

Off the Record / Re: 2024 US Presidential Elect...

Last post by Oexmelin - Today at 02:21:59 PM

My sense is that it's, once again, the media focusing on something stupid rather than something important.

#2

Off the Record / Re: Israel-Hamas War 2023

Last post by Barrister - Today at 02:17:12 PM

I think it's obvious the aim of the protesters is not to influence Israel's foreign policy, but rather the US'. And that's a far more realistic expectation.

But is it their aim?  And even if it is, is that aim that realistic?

Like I said I can see how university protests might try to modify university policies ala BDS - but I'm not so sure how it would influence Joe Biden in the White House.

#3

Off the Record / Re: Brexit and the waning days...

Last post by Sheilbh - Today at 02:14:09 PM

From Sky and confirmed by other press

Johnson turned away from polling station after forgetting photo ID
By Paul Kelso, business correspondent

Boris Johnson was turned away from a polling station when trying to vote in the local elections after forgetting to bring acceptable photo ID.

Sky News understands polling station staff were forced to turn the former prime minister away after he initially failed to comply with legislation he introduced while he was in Downing Street.

Mr Johnson, who introduced the Elections Act requiring photo ID in 2022, was attempting to cast his ballot in South Oxfordshire, where a police and crime commissioner for the Thames Valley is being selected.

In England, passports, driving licences, blue badges and certain local travel cards are accepted forms of voter ID.

A spokesman for Mr Johnson did not deny he had failed to bring ID, but did say he'd managed to vote today.

Make sure you don't make the same mistake if you haven't voted yet - we've got a full list of acceptable ID in this post.

Incidentally it's the most I've seen someone actually check an ID which was a bit weird.

#4

Off the Record / Re: Israel-Hamas War 2023

Last post by Razgovory - Today at 02:13:41 PM

The funny thing is that Otto is aligning himself with Pro-Pals.  They both want to punish Democrats and Genocide Joe. 

Oh well, when Trump is elected (it looks like he will be), and he cracks down on the far left and Muslims I will remind them that they asked for this.  It's Nader all over again.  Perhaps in the coming civil war they undertake martyrdom operations for us.

#5

Off the Record / Re: Israel-Hamas War 2023

Last post by celedhring - Today at 02:11:11 PM

I think it's obvious the aim of the protesters is not to influence Israel's foreign policy, but rather the US'. And that's a far more realistic expectation.

#6

Off the Record / Re: 2024 US Presidential Elect...

Last post by Barrister - Today at 02:11:04 PM

Any thoughts on Trump sleeping during his criminal trial?

So look - I've obviously never been on trial before, but I spend a lot of my life in courtrooms.

Most of that time is as a lawyer.  There I'm in the middle of the action.  I'm either on my feet asking questions/making submissions, or I'm listening carefully as the other side is doing the same.  That's a very "high energy" time.

But I've spent a not insignificant amount of time just sitting in courtrooms too, where I have no direct involvement.  I'm either waiting for my case to be called, or trying to observe someone else.  And those times can be very, very boring, and I've had to fight off nodding off - and I'm not in my 70s.

No idea if being on trial yourself is closer to being a lawyer, or being a pure observer.

I will note I don't think I've ever seen an Accused person nod off, but then again most crimes tend to be committed by the young.

[It's hard to come up with compelling theater for a protest aimed at another country's foreign policy.]

#7

Off the Record / Re: Israel-Hamas War 2023

Last post by Barrister - Today at 01:59:27 PM

Yeah.  I mean letting yourself be arrested for riding at the front of the bus while black is great political theatre, same as chaining yourself to an old growth tree you're trying to prevent being logged - there's a clear connection between what you're doing and your cause, even if it might be against the law.

It's hard to come up with compelling theater for a protest aimed at another country's foreign policy.  Israel's government certainly is not going to influenced by what a handful of students at Columbia University are doing.  The Vietnam era protests were different in that respect - everyone in the 18-22 age group had a direct personal stake in the prosecution of the war and there were on campus connections like ROTC.

Presumably the model is the South African divestment campaign but that was a longer, more patient effort that didn't (as I recall) involve physical occupation of buildings.  And while the ANC had a militant wing, it didn't carry out anything like Oct 7.

For sure.

If occupying a college campus could, say, stop the Russian aggression in Ukraine I would do so in a second.  I don't think it would, so I don't.

So I'm old enough (49) that I remember the anti-apartheid efforts of the 1980s, but even though I was a politically precocious child, I was still a child, and I have trouble remembering to what level the western anti-apartheid efforts were driven by university protests in the west.

Obviously the direct equivalent between western efforts to sanction apartheid South Africa, and efforts against Israel, are the BDS movement (boycott, divest, sanction - which I know you know).  That's a movement that's been going on for (quickly googles) almost 20 years now.

To the extent campus protest are to prompt universities to support BDS there's at least a tenuous connection there.  Not sure though how preventing access to various spaces unless you adopt the correct ideological position (anti-zionism at best, pro-Hamas at worst) is all that connected to BDS.

#8

Off the Record / Re: Israel-Hamas War 2023

Last post by Oexmelin - Today at 01:48:50 PM

Only Trump can stand up to the Bolshevik.

#9

Off the Record / Re: Brexit and the waning days...

Last post by Josquius - Today at 01:40:47 PM

I voted mostly Labour though green for local councillor as I recognised the address and felt why not. Let's support him so he doesn't come last

Unrelated to local elections but saw this yesterday and got me thinking on the topic of phasing out gas boilers  a lot.

I have heard of some experiments locally in the area...but it is mystifying we aren't doing this more as it sounds so tried and tested. Why are we putting so much into air source heat pumps when we've so many disused mines we can be using in many parts of the country- as the guy here says, heavily parts that could really use cheaper energy and are more likely to be susceptible to anti-green populist nonsense.

Never would go past fear of earthquakes. Just build nuclear.

Using mine shafts that are already there?

Nuclear wouldn't really help with this.

#10

Off the Record / Re: Israel-Hamas War 2023

Last post by Barrister - Today at 01:37:01 PM

Unfortunately when Joe caved to the Hamastan left (and note by the way, you can still find interviews where they say they aren't voting for Joe, his caving accomplished nothing but making pro-Israel voters like myself turn their back on him), he told me he wasn't willing to stand up for Israel and prevent the outcome I laid out. Only a return to Republican rule can set things right. The far left must be punished.

I can certainly argue aspects of Biden's presidency wrt Israel, but he certainly hasn't "caved to the Hamastan left" and his government is giving significant support to Israel.

Joe Biden is definitely not a representative of the far-left (as you point out the far left is quite unhappy with the Biden presidency wrt Israel).

I can not for the life of me understand why or how voting for Trump would "punish" the far left, whereas on the other hand I can see a lot of really important reasons why voting for Trump would be incredibly harmful to democracy in the USA.