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#51
Gaming HQ / Re: What are you playing? (Red...
Last post by The Minsky Moment - December 22, 2025, 05:10:51 PMQuote from: frunk on December 22, 2025, 10:08:54 AMTactical Breach Wizards - Neat X-Com style combat with a bit of character development and a pretty extensive story. I'll definitely be getting back to this one, as there's more to see with 5.2 hours played. However I got distracted by...
That was a Steam Next Fest (demo) star from early in the year.
#52
Off the Record / Re: The Off Topic Topic
Last post by Sheilbh - December 22, 2025, 05:10:24 PMSeparately this is wild - a sinkhole basically drained a canal in Shropshire. I didn't know we had sinkholes (in my head they happen in Florida 
) but also just the scale:
I think everyone's safe which is good.
) but also just the scale:I think everyone's safe which is good.
#53
Off the Record / Re: What does a TRUMP presiden...
Last post by The Minsky Moment - December 22, 2025, 05:05:29 PMQuote from: Habbaku on December 22, 2025, 04:55:35 PMWeird to see rats willingly move towards a sinking ship.
She's "illegal" - got to appease the King.
#54
Off the Record / Re: Russo-Ukrainian War 2014-2...
Last post by Josquius - December 22, 2025, 05:02:26 PMMaybe 4.
Apparently the guy who claimed to have taken kupiansk embarrassed Putin too much and has disappeared.
Apparently the guy who claimed to have taken kupiansk embarrassed Putin too much and has disappeared.
#55
Off the Record / Re: What does a TRUMP presiden...
Last post by Habbaku - December 22, 2025, 04:55:35 PMQuote from: Syt on December 22, 2025, 08:41:26 AMNicki Minaj is apparently a Trump/Vance fan now
https://apnews.com/article/nicki-minaj-charlie-kirk-erika-kirk-trump-b6f5b45521368447e174f040ae7eab8c
Weird to see rats willingly move towards a sinking ship.
#56
Off the Record / Re: Brexit and the waning days...
Last post by Sheilbh - December 22, 2025, 04:38:41 PMI don't think tax is a kick back 
But that's not quite my point it's almost the other way round - local governments are unable to do things that would drive growth because they don't have the power to raise their own revenue, and without that power they also don't really see any benefits from it. There's a virtuous cycle there. Marseille raises local taxes including a cut of payroll tax - it builds three metros and multiple trams, publicly owned airport, all of which drive growth and productivity increasing their local tax take.
They just get the costs - more roads to maintain, bins to collect etc and the control from central government. I mean take property tax - unreformed because central government needs to do it so stuck to 1991 valuatiaons, but also capped (by central government) with a requirement (imposed by central government) that if you want to raise it more than a certain amount you need to do a local referendum (similar story on business rates). That should be in the democratic control of local authorities - plus some degree of control over income and payroll taxes too. As I say - the one region converging significantly is Scotland. A nation with significant devolution, including over tax.
Again we're already spending more on regional transfers - and have since 1990 than Germany did on reunification. And every single East German region has overtaken the North of England. I don't see any reason to assume that would change if we just keep going or actually redistribute more. In my view because it's not just money - spent on alleviating inquality - but democratic control of revenue raising and spending powers that allowed East German states to make decisions that have boosted their economy. If they want a tram system they can pay for it themselves from their own tax base.
As I say my guess is Manchester - which now has a tram and an integrated bus system - and is doing "well" (ish) wll now basicaly get fuck all from government because it's doing too well. If Manchester had control over its own policies and finances, it'd get the rewards of those good decisions and be able to re-invest in more trams, better connections - maybe work with West Yorkshire on a better connection between two urban hubs that are less than 50 miles away but take two hours to get to.
I'd add that I don't fully mind London dictating what needs to be spent on - I don't really disagree with any of the statutory duties (social care, homelessness etc) or that London funds them. To me that makes sense. Westminster has decided those services are to be delivered by local authorities, it seems appropriate to me that Westminster should fund them. It's the rest.
Edit: I wonder if part of the difference is that you think if there's local control over tax the only way they'd compete is through cutting taxes. Whereas I think higher taxes, for public investment (particularly in transport) would actually be more effective - like cities around the world including all of those French ones that are richer and more productive than similar sized British cities. It's not because they've slashed taxes.
I also think without local ability to raise revenue it will basically always boil down to everyone in the country fighting over small change from Whitehall. Inevitably, having followed the best practice (recommended by a London consultancy), with review by independent experts (who live in London and the South East), the civil service (based in London) will not fund many projects in the North. (This ties to my other suspicion that fundamentally even people in Paris fundamentally like the rest of France if only as a place to holiday, while I really do think a lot of Londoners/South-East genuinely don't really give a fuck/like much of the rest of the country - especially after the Brexit vote.)
But that's not quite my point it's almost the other way round - local governments are unable to do things that would drive growth because they don't have the power to raise their own revenue, and without that power they also don't really see any benefits from it. There's a virtuous cycle there. Marseille raises local taxes including a cut of payroll tax - it builds three metros and multiple trams, publicly owned airport, all of which drive growth and productivity increasing their local tax take.
They just get the costs - more roads to maintain, bins to collect etc and the control from central government. I mean take property tax - unreformed because central government needs to do it so stuck to 1991 valuatiaons, but also capped (by central government) with a requirement (imposed by central government) that if you want to raise it more than a certain amount you need to do a local referendum (similar story on business rates). That should be in the democratic control of local authorities - plus some degree of control over income and payroll taxes too. As I say - the one region converging significantly is Scotland. A nation with significant devolution, including over tax.
Again we're already spending more on regional transfers - and have since 1990 than Germany did on reunification. And every single East German region has overtaken the North of England. I don't see any reason to assume that would change if we just keep going or actually redistribute more. In my view because it's not just money - spent on alleviating inquality - but democratic control of revenue raising and spending powers that allowed East German states to make decisions that have boosted their economy. If they want a tram system they can pay for it themselves from their own tax base.
As I say my guess is Manchester - which now has a tram and an integrated bus system - and is doing "well" (ish) wll now basicaly get fuck all from government because it's doing too well. If Manchester had control over its own policies and finances, it'd get the rewards of those good decisions and be able to re-invest in more trams, better connections - maybe work with West Yorkshire on a better connection between two urban hubs that are less than 50 miles away but take two hours to get to.
I'd add that I don't fully mind London dictating what needs to be spent on - I don't really disagree with any of the statutory duties (social care, homelessness etc) or that London funds them. To me that makes sense. Westminster has decided those services are to be delivered by local authorities, it seems appropriate to me that Westminster should fund them. It's the rest.
Edit: I wonder if part of the difference is that you think if there's local control over tax the only way they'd compete is through cutting taxes. Whereas I think higher taxes, for public investment (particularly in transport) would actually be more effective - like cities around the world including all of those French ones that are richer and more productive than similar sized British cities. It's not because they've slashed taxes.
I also think without local ability to raise revenue it will basically always boil down to everyone in the country fighting over small change from Whitehall. Inevitably, having followed the best practice (recommended by a London consultancy), with review by independent experts (who live in London and the South East), the civil service (based in London) will not fund many projects in the North. (This ties to my other suspicion that fundamentally even people in Paris fundamentally like the rest of France if only as a place to holiday, while I really do think a lot of Londoners/South-East genuinely don't really give a fuck/like much of the rest of the country - especially after the Brexit vote.)
#57
Off the Record / Re: What are your favorite Chr...
Last post by The Minsky Moment - December 22, 2025, 04:24:37 PMWarren Wolf - Christmas Vibes
Jimmy Smith - Christmas Cookin'
Lou Rawls
Jimmy Smith - Christmas Cookin'
Lou Rawls
#58
Off the Record / Re: Brexit and the waning days...
Last post by Josquius - December 22, 2025, 04:22:00 PMMaybe that's the thing there.
I just don't believe that local governments are uninterested in growth because they don't get straight tax kick backs from this.
By the same logic, since property taxes are where they do make their money, they should be building housing like crazy.... But they aren't.
Local governments in cities do care about growth. They want what is best for their people - both idealistically and because this is what will get them reelected.
As I say I'm very much down with local governments getting more power over spending. But we need to keep funding the poorer areas of the country from the richer areas.
We need to do this more in fact so we can actually close the gap as Germany did.
On civil service.... There are big centres in Newcastle and Leeds I know. I assume other large cities too.
There's definitely a bit of a problem though in lower ranking work tending to be heavier outside London with it basically been a unwritten rule career climbers have to be in London. This is a big problem.
I just don't believe that local governments are uninterested in growth because they don't get straight tax kick backs from this.
By the same logic, since property taxes are where they do make their money, they should be building housing like crazy.... But they aren't.
Local governments in cities do care about growth. They want what is best for their people - both idealistically and because this is what will get them reelected.
As I say I'm very much down with local governments getting more power over spending. But we need to keep funding the poorer areas of the country from the richer areas.
We need to do this more in fact so we can actually close the gap as Germany did.
On civil service.... There are big centres in Newcastle and Leeds I know. I assume other large cities too.
There's definitely a bit of a problem though in lower ranking work tending to be heavier outside London with it basically been a unwritten rule career climbers have to be in London. This is a big problem.
#59
Off the Record / Re: Russo-Ukrainian War 2014-2...
Last post by Zoupa - December 22, 2025, 03:59:59 PMThird general this year lol.
Today I saw the first video of russians attacking Ukrainian positions while on horseback. It ended as you might expect. You feel for the horses.
Today I saw the first video of russians attacking Ukrainian positions while on horseback. It ended as you might expect. You feel for the horses.
#60
Off the Record / Re: Dead Pool 2025
Last post by Maladict - December 22, 2025, 03:29:21 PMIt will forever be my first association with Chris Rea, even though none of it happened.