herfiehandbag

"America" was the official name of Adolph Hitler's personal train! Just saying...

There are a number of other factors in play. Traditional politics in Thailand was, for many years dominated by a number of political clans, each wielding immense influence, and each working to advance it's own influence, the access to the states coffers and the powers of patronage and wealth distribution that brought with it. Each clan had it's supporters within the military. Neither the politicians nor the military were remotely interested in serving the country or it's people. That rather changed with Pheu Thai, which formed a movement which had pretensions to represent a relatively broad front of political views. That movement was changed into a more traditional "clan", partly by the intervention of the military (at no doubt the bidding of political influence), and partly by the hubris of it's leaders. MFP is another, more popular such movement. The thing about these movements is that whilst their parties can be banned and dissolved, the movements themselves do not go away. The Senate is an attempt to re-establish the primacy of these clans, a chamber where influence and peddling of loyalties can continue as before, ultimately calling the shots in government.

That is what it essentially boils down to, yes.

Yes, he also "owns" the Supreme Court, which has decided, effectively, to abrogate the United States Constitution by granting the President of the United States (by which they mean Trump) vaguely worded but effectively all encompassing immunity. This immunity will end up being applied to all his cases. That was the intent of the court - as one very distinguished critic of the judgement said, they decided on the immunity to grant Trump, and then wrote a judgement supporting that decision, a judgement which was totally opposed to one of the absolute fundamentals of the Constitution,no one is above the law. The legal system has been smashed - all the judiciary and prosecutor's know that if he is brought to trial, however strong the evidence, then all he has to do is appeal it up to the Supreme Court, who will dismiss the case.

This whole discussion about long term viability of EVs has degenerated into something of a slanging match, essentially based around the presumption that because I no longer drive, nor own an EV, I can not know anything on the subject and cannot hold an opinion. Let's consider some arguments. Now I am perfectly prepared to admit that the every day running costs, at the point of use, of an electric vehicle (EV) are cheaper than an internal combustion engine vehicle (ICE). They emit, again at the point of use, virtually no pollutants, unlike an ICE vehicle. However, and it is a very big however, the large scale mining operations and associated transport costs for sourcing the raw materials are significant, and do considerable environmental damage. If, as some enthusiasts predict, EVs are to replace ICEs over the next "automotive generation" then a dramatic increase in the supply of electricity will be required. Such an increase, done rapidly, and of course with an eye to profit, means burning more fossil fuels. The demand such expansion would require would not come from renewable sources. On the point of running costs, governments levy tax on motor fuels, rather a lot of tax. It is a significant source of revenue. Can we really expect, if the motor fuel tax take drops rapidly, that they would not look at taxing electricity for EVs accordingly? The creation of infrastructure both for repair and servicing, training staff and the provision of "away from home charging points" will need to be paid for, expensive; all adding to the overall costs of running these vehicles. The manufacturers of EVs are largely Chinese. They are subsidised by the Chinese government, and if we are to believe another thread on this forum are looking to increase subsidies from countries which they see as markets, and over which they wield significant economic influence. There is also the matter of overproduction, to keep the industry into which they have directed such substantial investment "booming" they need to produce more cars, even if they have difficulty in finding buyers for them. That is where my allusion to the Chinese property market come in. Vehicle lifespan is frankly unknown. Yes I know manufacturers are claiming lifetime guarantees, but what exactly is a lifetime? I experienced that question when looking into buying an electric scooter for my daughter. Then of course there is the ever present perception of quality in Chinese products! One cannot deny that they have, shall we say, a somewhat "spotty" reputation. Now I don't drive anymore. I happen to know one of the leading enthusiasts on this forum for EVs. I have seen his car ( although never ridden in it), it looks like a very nice car, and he is understandably pleased and proud of it. Cheaper and less polluting at the point of use it may be, but I still point to the longer term, more remote, economic, pollution and infrastructure questions. For my money, the long term future is the development of more advanced ICE engines - hydrogen seems to have promise - particularly for trucks and buses for which electricity may not be feasible. Cars will benefit from "spin off" technology. Anyway, I said I would expand on my views. I have. Shouting "shut up, you don't know what you are talking about", doesn't really contribute, nor does it come anywhere near debate. EVangelical enthusiasm is one thing, but zealotry is another!

No I shall not "tell you about my background". It has got the absolute cubed root of bugger all to do with you. Owning or not owning an EV neither qualifies nor disqualifies one from holding or expressing an opinion, in fact I would suggest your last two posts on these topics display a quite astonishing degree of arrogance! Suffice it to say, I do not agree with you. It is too late at night now to expand upon my arguments. If the feeling takes me tomorrow I will do so.

Yes, I compared the EV drive with the "condo boom and bust" in China. One of the leading EVangelicals was quick to tell me that I didn't know what I was talking about! We shall see!

All sorted out by the head of the extended family I expect. Culturally inclusiveness and all that.

Do they define life - or is It a case of when it stops working it is life expired? The whole point of this debate is that when a part on an ICE fails it can be repaired or replaced, often relatively cheaply and easily, by a wide variety of workshops.

My suggestion mirrors how the poor child died.

No, just infect him with typhus and leave him to die alone in a squalid hut. Bastard.

Since ICE cars are typically still on the road and performing as intended 20 years after being built, and since EVs have not been around for 20 years, it is difficult not to draw the conclusions that such studies are based on theoretical data from the manufacturers of EVs.

Since ICE cars are typically still on the road and performing as intended 20 years after being built, and since EVs have not been around for 20 years, it is difficult not to draw the conclusions that such studies are based on theoretical data from the manufacturers of EVs.

Golly, didn't take long then did it!

My bad, of course I meant Japanese

I don't drive anymore, they took away my car licence at the doctor's insistence after my injury and the subsequent infections led to balance issues - although bizarrely they let me keep my motorbike licence. However my daughter has just started at the Chiang Rai Rajjabhat University, and the Bank of Daddy was required to provide transport. I looked into an electric scooter, visited a couple of dealers, several more online and most importantly talked to several people who had bought them. Crucially, dealers were reluctant to answer questions on range and battery life, online dealers didn't like questions at all, and the users all reported that over 6 months to a year battery life and range dropped significantly. It has to last 4 years (or more), and I am paying over 2 years. Yamaha San got my custom with his latest scooter design. So if you see a pretty western looking girl with reddish hair and a stud in her nose (grumble grumble) whizzing about Chiang Rai on a jolly smart black Yamaha scooter, that's my girl! If she is not wearing a crash helmet tell me!

I doubt that the Chinese are complacent. They are very competent business operators, they will have taken a long hard look at the pros and cons of investing long term in EVs as the future technology, and have decided to be cautious. They know their markets, and they will be particularly aware that here cars are bought over long term finance. EVs, specifically batteries, are, in the long term an unknown quantity.

Yes but these power lines are for a new supply, you can see them all along the bypass around the airport. Now I know little about electricity ( red to red and black to black, switch it on and stand well back, that's me!) but a retired New Zealand electrical engineer tells me that: A) they are very high voltage, and B) the electricity they are being built to convey comes from this brown coal source.

I hope that the Chinese drive for electric motor vehicles does not follow their domestic property boom... Interesting up here in the frozen north, there is a very significant power line infrastructure project going on, bringing power in from Laos, where (extremely dirty) brown coal deposits are to be exploited to produce electricity. Apparently one significant demand for such power comes from increased numbers of EVs.

One might, quite legitimately, question whether Reform UK is the British equivalent of National Rally, AfD or Fratelli d'Italia. Reform UK is right of centre, but certainly not extreme right; unless of course you work from the premise that anyone to the right of Labour is a raving fascist! The article is however right that the French election was not a victory for any party, but rather a (successful) attempt to manipulate their voting system to keep RN out. Now they have to form a government and function as such. It will be interesting. France is, politically speaking, knackered. Mind you, by the same token, one might question whether Labour's remarkable majority (achieved with a reduced vote share and a remarkably low turnout) was less a sign of burning enthusiasm for its policies than a desire to get rid of the deeply (and rightly) unpopular Tory party.

Jolly happy go lucky looking bunch aren't they. Good luck if you're white, live in Blackburn and need your MPs help! Especially if you are a woman!

He must have been on a special course. No one aspiring to one of the great offices of state could be so hopeless ! I got 12 of them, and I am a stupid retired TEFL teacher!

"Make Blackburn Great Again"!

He won't - he will remain a back bench independent MP.

I wonder what proportion of his support came from postal votes? It is not exactly a secret that within large "extended families" in areas with large Muslim populations, particularly of Pakistani origin, the male head of that family controls those postal votes, and in turn is "heavily influenced" by the communities social and religious leaders.