Everything posted by RayC
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Elon Musk Sparks Controversy, Calling the UK a ‘Tyrannical Police State’
Got a link for that?
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The Decline of Free Speech: How the UK Became a Third-Class Nation
Of course they threw the evidence out of the car when they were out of sight. What other explanation could there be for anyone driving away hurriedly when they knew that they were being followed by an unmarked van?🤦 We white people in the UK do have it hard. Unlike non-whites we can't play the race card. Funnily enough, during all the millions of encounters that I've had in the UK over the years - whatever the situation, whatever the profession/ personal circumstances of the individuals I've interacted with - I've never personally experienced any anti-white discrimination anywhere in the UK. I guess that I must be the lucky exception.
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The Decline of Free Speech: How the UK Became a Third-Class Nation
As Dos Santos stated, and as is clear from the video, the cars parked on the left-hand side of the street make it impossible not to cross the central line. There was no indication that the van was a police van when Dos Santos realised he was being followed. The video also shows that Dos Santos' car was out of sight when the lights on the police van were switched on and he pulled over at the next junction. How can you know that the couple's colour could not be seen from the police's first vantage point?
- The Decline of Free Speech: How the UK Became a Third-Class Nation
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Elon Musk Sparks Controversy, Calling the UK a ‘Tyrannical Police State’
The UK is clearly not a police state as evidenced by the fact that individuals have freedom of expression and the ability to protest. Note that I said 'protest', not 'riot'. Nor is there a 2-tier (policing) system which discriminates against white people.
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Giorgia Meloni Sparks Controversy with Remarks on Immigration and Sexual Violence in Italy
Meloni heads a coalition government. It's unlikely that she has free rein to implement all the policies she wants to.
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The Decline of Free Speech: How the UK Became a Third-Class Nation
Two sides to every story as the BBC link and attached video makes plain. Sky's analysis suggests that Williams' partner was guilty of driving at 32mph in a 20mph zone. Not good but given that he realised that he was being chased by an unmarked van, quite understandable in the circumstances. Now I'm race baiting. Makes a change for gaslighting I suppose.
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The Decline of Free Speech: How the UK Became a Third-Class Nation
Third time with the gaslighting charge. You're certainly trying to prove that the second of the definitions in the link which I provided is correct! How about the treatment of Bianca Williams and her partner? The use of 'stop and search' where young black males are disproportionately more likely to be stopped? Is that 2-tier justice or solid, common sense policing? Cue, an accusation of 'whataboutery' and a fourth charge of gaslighting. https://news.sky.com/story/uk-riots-what-does-two-tier-policing-mean-and-does-it-exist-13191977
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Europe Braces for Escalation: Germany Mobilizes NATO Troops Amid Putin's Nuclear Threats
Then I imagine that it was a fake. If it wasn't it would have been all over the press and TV.
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Europe Braces for Escalation: Germany Mobilizes NATO Troops Amid Putin's Nuclear Threats
I am usually more than willing to blame Johnson for negative events but there is no evidence to support the notion that he scuppered a Russia - Ukraine agreement, which was " .. initialed and ready to go", for the simple reason that no such agreement ever existed.
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The Decline of Free Speech: How the UK Became a Third-Class Nation
If my arithmetic is correct then the UK would lose approximately 1.5 million people from the workforce. (Figure based on data from gov.uk) Well I confess that I did have you down as a Tory. In my defence, I think that it was an easy mistake to make given that you have taken every opportunity from day 1 of Labour taking office to lambast the government. Nevertheless, I apologise for my error. I completely understand why you might feel insulted by the association. I'm not sure that the US considers itself a 3rd world country.
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The Decline of Free Speech: How the UK Became a Third-Class Nation
"I believe whatever the law is, it should apply equally to both sides" Both sides? There are no sides other than defence and prosecution in the eyes of the law. "Let's see ..." "Let's see ..." "Let's see ..." ... "None will spend a day in jail". So much for waiting to see what happens. Definition of gaslighting: 1. To psychologically manipulate (someone) usually over time so that the victim experiences doub own emotional or mental stability. 2. : to badly mislead or deceive (someone) especially for one's own advantage. (Source: Merriam-Webster) Where am I guilty of meeting either of those definitions? In fact, the person guilty of gaslighting is yourself. Whenever challenged about anything, you almost invariably accuse your opponents of gaslighting in the hope that the charge will eventually stick. "The justice system is ... currently stacked in (my) favour"? Really? I can't say that I've noticed an uptick in my fortunes as a result of the justice system discriminating in my favour. Your sense of grievance shows signs of paranoia.
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The Decline of Free Speech: How the UK Became a Third-Class Nation
If you want to be pedantic, Islam is a religion. It's difficult to find figures detailing the number of white Muslims, but given that 97% of Muslims live in Asia or Africa, and that those who live outside of those continents are usually of Asian/ African ethnicity, I'd suggest that Islam is overwhelming a non-white religion and for that reason alone, a white supremacist might well be opposed to it. Being an atheist who believes that organised religion - whatever its' favour - has caused more problems than it has solved down the centuries, this is a tricky one for me. The best that I can offer is an AI generated list of the benefits of Islam. (An AI generated list would be the most I could offer for Christianity as well). _----++++++++----------- Islam offers a variety of benefits to individuals and communities, including: Spiritual guidance The Shahada, or Declaration of Faith, helps Muslims affirm their faith and find spiritual guidance. Discipline and mindfulness The practice of Salat, or prayer, five times a day, helps Muslims develop discipline and mindfulness. Social justice and compassion Zakat, or almsgiving, helps Muslims redistribute wealth to those in need, promoting social justice and compassion. Self-discipline, empathy, and gratitude Sawm, or fasting during Ramadan, helps Muslims develop self-discipline, empathy, and gratitude. Unity among Muslims The Hajj pilgrimage strengthens unity among Muslims globally and provides a profound spiritual experience. Optimism Islam encourages Muslims to have a positive outlook on life and to trust in Allah's plan. Morality The Quran encourages Muslims to be kind, humble, and honorable to their parents, and to not commit adultery or kill unjustly. Contribution to human civilization During Islam's golden age from the 9th to the 14th centuries, Muslim achievements in science, technology, and intellectual culture influenced the European Renaissance and the birth of the modern scientific method. ------+++++-----_- However, let's not pretend religious atrocities are the sole preserve of Islam. Buddhists in Burma are killing Rohingya simply for being Muslim, and some nations in Africa and deranged sects in the US kill homosexuals in the name of the Christian God. Yes that's whataboutery ,but as I stated at the start of this section, I don't have much time for any form of organised religion, so please don't ask me to explain away acts of terrorism/ murder done in the name of Islam - or any other religion for that matter - as I can't. Given that the incident involving the Batley school teacher happened when the Tories were in power are you now saying that a 2-tier justice system existed before Labour came to power? I thought all the problems of the UK were of Labour's making? I can understand your skepticism about the Aporia article. I too have my doubts. Most of their research appears to be pseudo-scientific nonsense trying to prove the concept of hereditarianism.
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Boris will be back soon
Nadine, please do yourself a favour and seek help. You're 67. You're too old to cling to a teenage infatuation. Maybe you could start the recovery process by removing the pictures of Boris from your bedroom walls.
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Europe Braces for Escalation: Germany Mobilizes NATO Troops Amid Putin's Nuclear Threats
We disagree completely on the fundamentals of this conflict. With the collapse of the Soviet Union (and the Warsaw Pact), the newly independent states became sovereign nations who were (should have been) free to choose their alliances. Whether Ukraine was corrupt - imo it was and what's left of it may still be - is immaterial. Internal Ukrainian politics should have remained a matter for Ukraine to deal with. Ukraine was clearly looking towards the EU and NATO. No doubt, this met with the US's approval and, perhaps, the CIA lent a 'helping hand'. However, with or without US involvement, the direction of travel was clear: West not East. Also let's not pretend that Russia was standing idly by during this period, and letting events take their course; she was actively interfering in Ukraine's internal affairs. Russia may have had some cause to try to protect the interests of Russian speakers in the Donbass, but that does extend to invading Ukrainian territory. The idea that Russia was worried that NATO had plans to launch an invasion through Ukraine is imo frankly ridiculous. Russia has a legitimate security concern in protecting its' borders but that does not extend to occupying the territory of adjacent sovereign nations. Russia's sphere of influence should be limited to its' own territory and that of the nations who, willingly, wish to align with her. Imo this conflict isn't just about security. It is also about economics. A more Western (EU) orientated Ukraine poses a grave threat to the Russian economy.
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Khao San Road Feels Pinch as European Tourists Hold Off on Bookings - video
Sadly,no. The products you list are still available, but you will need to adjust your cost estimates upwards by a considerable amount😉
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The Decline of Free Speech: How the UK Became a Third-Class Nation
You appear to view everything in 'black and white', 100% or nothing. I've seen fewer reports in the press recently of 'hate speech' related incidents, which is not sufficient to conclude that tough sentencing has had a deterrent effect. That's why I said " .. arguably it has acted as a deterrent". Maybe it has, maybe it hasn't. One thing's for sure, one counter-example isn't enough to reject the premise. You're beginning to sound like a White Supremacist. So free speech on your terms? You get to decide what's acceptable and what's not. Once again, it's all or nothing: Ban Islam in the UK - begs the question, 'How'? - presumably, on the basis that all those that practice the religion are evil? The data doesn't seem to support that premise: https://www.aporiamagazine.com/p/do-british-muslims-commit-less-crime What happened to those little girls was a tragedy. If the perpetrator met with an unfortunate accident, I'd shed no tears.
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The Decline of Free Speech: How the UK Became a Third-Class Nation
Really? No! How on earth you can suggest that premise can be logically derived from my previous comments is beyond me! To state the blindingly obvious, it does not need 100% of individuals to act upon "hurty words" to 'Kill Farage', it only requires one. I imagine that it is impossible to prove categorically that a statement was the direct cause of an event, but if professional psychologists and/or psychiatrists deemed it a contributing factor in the hypothetical example cited above, no doubt Farage's family and friends would derive great comfort from the petitioner stating, "I didn't mean that my words should be taken literally". If you were the petitioner, would you still deny any responsibility and accountability for the event? Wrong about what precisely? Wrt Connolly, I stated previously that I had mixed emotions about her sentence. On the one hand, 31 months seems excessive for a first offence. However, if imposing such a sentence is meant to be a deterrent, it has arguably served that purpose. At the other end of the scale, would a £100 fine and/or 60 hours community service have acted as much of a deterrent to Connolly and others? Doubtful. These comments apply equally to the petitioner calling for Farage's execution. In short, I don't know/ am undecided about what a suitable sentence should be. However, I am certainly not going to lose any sleep over the plight of a self-professed racist. As an aside, you appear to be in favour of absolute free speech and that the speakers/ writers cannot be held responsible for the actions of others. Would you therefore agree those 'mad mullahs', who openly use the more violent verses of the Qur'an, to stir up hatred are guilty of nothing more than spouting 'hurty words' and should bear no responsibility or accountability for any subsequent events?
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The Decline of Free Speech: How the UK Became a Third-Class Nation
Put what to the test? I have deliberately not commented on the length of sentences imposed as I have mixed feelings about them. You argue that these are "just words". What if some deranged maniac tried to act upon this "advice" and try to execute Farage. Should "I didn't think that anyone would take me seriously. I didn't mean that Farage should actually be executed", be an acceptable defence and free the petitioner of all responsibility? My point - and only point - is that words may have consequences and that individuals need to be accountable and responsible for their words.
- The Decline of Free Speech: How the UK Became a Third-Class Nation
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Calls for a New Election Surge Amidst Labour's Challenges
I didn't say anything about Leavers. I made a comment which could, rightly, be interpreted as implying that the 'Vote Leave' campaign were unprofessional, as they hadn't safeguarded their website as securely as they might have done. Based on this one occurrence, I'd conclude that you'd rather not open links to websites, which your anti-virus software suggests might be suspect. Imo a wise precaution. I should consider upgrading my own.
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Calls for a New Election Surge Amidst Labour's Challenges
I'm sure that many Labour supporters are displeased with (some of) Starmer's policies. I'm one of them. For example, I think that increasing employer's NI contributions was a bad move. However, if you look at the heatmap, which shows the number of signatures by constituencies for this petition, the majority of signatories are found in Tory voting constituencies. Correlation on its' own doesn't prove anything but it does give an indication. https://petitionmap.unboxedconsulting.com/?petition=700143
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Calls for a New Election Surge Amidst Labour's Challenges
I don't understand your point. Are you saying that one referendum and that's it? No more referendums ever on changing the electoral system, Scottish independence or rejoining the EU?
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Calls for a New Election Surge Amidst Labour's Challenges
I'm not sure that the result would have been any different but Merkel's actions wrt illegal migration - well intentional as they might have been - have had catastrophic consequences for all of Europe.
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Calls for a New Election Surge Amidst Labour's Challenges
Hypocrisy doesn't appear to be the sole preserve of the Left given the call to rerun the General Election from those on the Right simply because they don't like the result.