RayC

3 hours ago, EVENKEEL said:

Perhaps we should wait till all the facts are known. Does Jesse Smollett ring a bell?

Jusse Smollett? Are you suggesting that these men somehow staged this?

12 minutes ago, ChicagoExpat said:

First of all, don't take comments made in a forum like this as serious policy proposals.  That said, Israel owes these "traditional allies" nothing; clearly they weren't worried about alienating Israel when they did this.  My point is, turnabout is fair play and Spain in particular is in no place to be trying to force an issue.

I am fully aware that this is a discussion forum as opposed to a legislative chamber. However, one reason for these discussion forums is to discuss policy (alternatives).

I did not say that Israel 'owed' allies anything. I was pointing out that at a time when Israel needs all the support that it can get - imo Israel needs the EU more than the EU needs Israel -  getting involved in a diplomatic tit-for-tat would not be the best course of action.

7 hours ago, ChicagoExpat said:

Sure -- it would be a useless gesture designed to get under the skin of the other country.  Help anyone other than a feel-good gesture for one side (just like the other gesture)?  Likely not.

So a retaliatory "useless" gesture, which offers little, if any, practical benefit to Israel but which would potentially alienate traditional allies.

A rational decision would be to be avoid doing so but rationality seems to be a dwindling resource in this conflict.

22 minutes ago, nauseus said:

 

Well, that's what I was getting at in my own sarcastic way. Labour fans always draw the line at exactly 14 years ago but Blarism was not at all moderate, in reality, 

Tory supporters can justifiably point to mitigating circumstances - such as having to govern within a coalition for 4 years and having to manage a pandemic - however, 14 years is a long time to be in office and known issues with e.g. the NHS, the environment, social cohesion have certainly not been solved, and imo largely not been addressed in any meaningful way: The Tory party must be considered responsible and accountable for this lack of progress.

I'm not sure what you mean with your reference to "Blairism" and (lack of)  moderation?

1 hour ago, ChicagoExpat said:

I hope Israel recognizes a Catalan or Basque state.  Not quite apples to apples, but also not a bad way for payback.

Far from apples to apples. Payback for what? Can you explain how such a move would help any party (Israel, Palestine, Spain, Catalan or Basque separatists, the EU)?

4 hours ago, JonnyF said:

 

As for rejoining the EU, just like Scottish Independence that ship has sailed. 

For once I agree with you. Those ships are currently at sea. However, I imagine that they will return to port for their 'once in a generation' visits sometime in the next decade when, imo the EU vote will have a different outcome. We Eu-philes will just have to grin and bear it until then and hope that we survive that long.

2 hours ago, JonnyF said:

53 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

 

Seems unlikely, given that having left we are outpeforming France and Germany who stayed.

 

But feel free to believe your guesswork is more valid than the actual economic results. 

https://obr.uk/forecasts-in-depth/the-economy-forecast/brexit-analysis/#assumptions

2 hours ago, JonnyF said:

Not at all. Given we are outperforming Germany and France it seems evident the "sunlit uplands" of the EU were not worth the billions we were ploughing in every year. 

The "sunlit uplands" were promised by you Leavers. If they exist - imo highly unlikely - they must be hidden behind permanent low-cloud.

4 hours ago, JonnyF said:

 

Whataboutism at it's finest. 

 

Post Brexit, the UK is outpeforming many large economies, including the EU's powerhouse economies Germany and France.

 

https://ca.style.yahoo.com/news/gdp-uk-overtakes-france-germany-070000252.html

 

Since you raised the issue of lies and corruption though, I haven't heard from Sturgeon much lately...

What's your point?

The very same article states that the UK has underperformed "Italy (2.1%), Canada (3.5%), Japan (3%) and the US (6.1%)".

12 hours ago, Eddie45 said:

Rayc, I have read the above link but it doesnt tell you what information you need to submit to prove you have been working abroad.

You do not need to submit any documentation to prove that you have been working abroad at this stage. Your first step is simply to submit the application form (CF83).

You can either do this on line or by post. The section entitled 'What you’ll need' tells you, well, what you need in order to complete the form.

If the DWP require any additional information/ documentation they will let you know.

16 hours ago, jayceenik said:

Sorry, no links I can find right now. This is more of the stuff I found about in WWII books and that nobody wants to remember.

As for France, the plan was for Alsace-Lorraine to revert to Germany and most parts on the East side of the Rhone to go to Italy.

Note that the US-UK had planned early on for France to be a military protectorate run by US and British generals. A new currency had already been printed - the AMGOT Franc. Fortunately for France De Gaulle put a quick end to these imperialistic dreams

What I want to say is that all these accusations about Putin being an new Empire builder came from people who are themselves citizens of hegemonist countries.

There are maps you can find on the Internet about the US planned dismemberment of the present Federation of Russia into a multitude of mini states that, it is hoped by the US will welcome Black Rock and associates. Just like Zelensky is now.

 Where is the evidence to support your contentions that the Allies planned for Alsace-Lorraine to revert to German control and other parts of France to be ceded to Italy?

Whilst it is true that Roosevelt wanted AMGOT implemented in France, it was Eisenhower's opposition to the policy - with the aid of allies in Washington - which caused it to be dropped. Given De Gaulle's weak position, imo I doubt that his opposition was of any great import.

To suggest that the US planned to "dismember" Russia overstates matters and presents only one side of the story. The following quote gives a more nuanced and imo, accurate description:

"In 1991, two positions emerged in Washington. The first, embodied by US Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney, saw the breakup of the Soviet Union as a historic opportunity for the West to free itself from the  Russian threat. The other, backed by US Secretary of State Jim Baker, argued for caution, focusing on the risks involved in the disintegration of a superpower, especially a nuclear one. As is well known, the latter position was the one adopted by President George H.W. Bush." (Source: https://www.institutmontaigne.org/en/expressions/after-fall-must-we-prepare-breakup-russia)

Whether those suggesting that Putin is a new Empire builder are nationals of what you claim are hegemonist countries is irrelevant. It doesn't make the statement any less true.

13 hours ago, Eddie45 said:

I have been looking at Paying Voluntary National Insurance Contributions when Abroad. You can only pay Class 2 if you are working/worked abroad during the period you are applying to pay and you must have worked immediately in the UK before you. There is no information on the government website about what documentation you need to submit to prove this. Has anyone done this or in the process of doing it, if so what information are they looking for.

This link outlines the process and what documentation you need

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-to-pay-voluntary-national-insurance-contributions-when-abroad-cf83

1 hour ago, billd766 said:

TBH I have no idea who I will vote for. However I know that I won't be voting Tory, Labour or Lib Dem, and until I get the list of who else is standing in the constituency, I really have no idea which party to vote for, or even which party is worth voting for.

 

I would vote for a party if I got something out of it, but that would be frozen pension parity, though I don't believe that any party would have that as a policy, AND follow it through to the successful end.

Imo the chances of any government unfreezing pensions in the next parliament is virtually zero, and the chances of it happening after that is very low.

4 minutes ago, Nick Carter icp said:

 

   If there's a low voter turnout and all the Muslims vote for one person in each constituent , a Green candidate  ,  then the Green Muslim could become the Government . 

   They wouldn't need to be in the majority in each constituent 

Imo that scenario is extremely unlikely. There are 650 constituencies. There is a maximum of 50 where the Muslim vote will have any significant effect.

33 minutes ago, Nick Carter icp said:

 

   Muslim candidates could stand for the Green party and win the election . It has happened in local elections and it could happen nationwide   

On a national scale, the Muslim vote is pretty insignificant. There are only a handful of constituencies where Muslims are in the majority and relatively few where they are a significant minority.

6 hours ago, Gsxrnz said:

Yes, the UK has certainly been an interesting socialist experiment. Margeret Thatcher gave Britannia half a chance to recover from the madness, and then Blair and Brown found reverse and hit the gas pedal. There hasn't been a true conservative administration in place since 1990.

 

Tp paraphrase T.S Eliot, the UK is dying with a whimper, not a bang. Only a matter of time until it's renamed the UAK

The closest the UK got to having a socialist government was in 1945. The Blair/Brown administrations could only be classified as centre-left at most.

On 5/26/2024 at 3:28 AM, jayceenik said:

Do you know that the US had a plan to dismember Belgium after the Liberation?

And make it disappear as a nation...

One part to Holland, one part to France, and one part to Germany. 

But a few years later, when Wallonia did want to join France (Walloons, French, De Gaulle had all marked their accord) this project was nixed by the US who didn't want France to be augmented with prosperous Wallonia and its rich coal mines and steel mills.

 BTW-many sanctions directed at Russia have been economically very detrimental to Belgium. Latest one being directed at the word class Antwerp diamond market. No more Russian diamonds for Antwerp, not even those pre-cut in India.

I want peace in Europe, not a US-Russia proxy war that would serve only the geostrategic interests of the US.

Belgium is host to 22 US nuclear missiles and will be one of the top retaliatory targets for Russia if it's attacked by NATO like so many now in Europe want (UK, Poland, France, the Baltic states, ...).

 

 

I don't understand what point you are trying to make? Yes, sanctions can also adversely effect the countries applying the sanctions. That doesn't mean that it is wrong to impose them.

It is off-topic but I am intrigued by your claim that the US wanted to dismantle Belgium post-WW2. I am a Brit but I lived in Belgium for many years. I wouldn't claim to be an expert, but I consider myself to be reasonably well-informed about Belgium's history and have never heard of this plan until now. Can you supply a link with details about It please.

4 hours ago, JonnyF said:

 

So he is claiming he thinks Corbyn is not an anti semite. That does not mean he supports him, neither does it make me a corbynite as claimed.

 

See text below. Does that convince you that Feinstein is a Corbynite? Still offering your support to Andrew?

"In December 2019, along with 42 other leading cultural figures, Feinstein signed a letter endorsing the Labour Party under Jeremy Corbyn's leadership in the 2019 general election. The letter stated that "Labour's election manifesto under Jeremy Corbyn's leadership offers a transformative plan that prioritises the needs of people and the planet over private profit and the vested interests of a few." (Source: Wikipedia)

12 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

 

Not sure how you reached that conclusion 😃.

Feinstein is a Corbyn supporter. You wished Feinstein 'Good luck' in his campaign to become a MP. Therefore, I'd argue that it's not unreasonable to assume that you share Feinstein's views which are in line with Corbyn's.😉

7 hours ago, JonnyF said:

Good luck Andrew.

 

Jews will have a terrible time under the antisemitic Labour mob. I wish you all the best. 

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I don't care who does it as long as Starmer doesn't get to be PM. Good luck to Andrew.

You two have suddenly converted into hard left Corbynists.

Have to admit that I didn't see that one coming.

32 minutes ago, Baht Simpson said:

Let's dance!

 

Have you heard it on the news?
About this fascist groove thang?
Evil men with racist views
Spreading all across the land

Don't just sit there on your ass
Unlock that funky chaindance
Brothers, sisters shoot your best
We don't need this fascist groove thang

 

History will repeat itself
Crisis point we're near the hour
Counterforce will do no good
Hot you ass I feel your power

Hitler proves that funky stuff
Is not for you and me girl
Europe's an unhappy land
They've had their fascist groove thang

That tune brought back some memories (mainly good). Thanks for posting👍

1 hour ago, Chomper Higgot said:

It’s a alt-right political grouping within the elected representatives.

 

They’re obviously having a ‘haters tiff’.

 

Nothing at all to do with ‘Democracy’ 

More than a tiff by the sound of things. AfD too extreme even for the likes of France's NF and Belgium's Vlaams Belang. Tells you all you need to know.

48 minutes ago, SpaceKadet said:

Oh yes, The Guardian, the people that created all this mess for Julian in the first place, by not redacting the source data from wikileaks.

 

And I certainly believe that the courts follow the agenda dictated by their governments.

Julian created this mess for Julian. He has demonstrated time and again that he does consider himself to be responsible and accountable for his actions. 

I would hope that the victims of Assange's alleged sexual crimes will get their day in court but, unfortunately, that now appears very unlikely.