teatree

7 hours ago, Grouse said:

And would you say there is a majority today either in parliament or of the public generally? No; exactly.

So you want a general election or a referendum every few months?  When does public opinion ever stay constant?  I suppose if remain had won you would be singing an entirely different tune.

We voted in a referendum, we then voted overwhelmingly for parties wanting to leave the customs union, there is a mandate for leaving so we must leave.

On 2/24/2018 at 7:44 AM, Jip99 said:

 

Correct diagnosis doctor, but wrong surgery.

 

Consensus is an inappropriate word - there was a majority vote to leave. But, as you correctly point out that was only part of the process - what we were leaving for was not identified. That was the fault of politicians then an since.

 

There is no pride to swallow, the electorate are not at fault for Cameron’s inability to have a clear vision in place for ‘leave’. Everything that I have seen of the EU since the vote reaffirmed my view that is not something I want to be part of.

 

Whilst May and her cohorts will dilute some people’s image of Brexit, I am content that ANY Brexit is better than none.

 

I am no great fan of May (although it was a hospital pass leading us out of the EU) but that lady is not for turning where Brexit is concerned - there is no going back, get used to that. 

75% of votes in the last election were for parties that stated they would leave the customs union. 

I got a visa in London in September (no need for bank statements).  The odd thing is that I went there in person hoping to hand over my application and then have it sent back to me, but was told if I wanted it posted to me I had to post it in.  If you apply in person you have to pick it up in person. 

 Seems like it was the crowd that laughed and were themselves insinuating something and he was reacting to that. 

Got a non o based on marriage a couple of weeks ago in London, no financial requirements.

Strangely, if you want your passport posted to you, you have to post it in - if you go in person to apply they cannot post it, you have to pick it up.  I was at the counter about to hand in my application and asked if I could pay the extra money and have it posted to me (don't live in London, was just passing through) but was told no, so I had to go away and  post it!

Posted it on a Saturday and received it on the following Thursday.

12 hours ago, Briggsy said:

You are only shocked because you are taking the story at face value. The source is the husband who has painted an inaccurate picture.

 

It is important to remember Ms. I'anson applied for a visitor visa for 6 months, received it and then tried to renege on the conditions of the visa. The family is trying to circumvent the rules. A settlement visa is perfectly possible if Mr I'anson can be bothered to fulfil the requirements which are very attainable.

 

I ask again, what has Mr I'anson lived on for the last 8 years in Thailand?

 

There is much injustice in the world and in the UK. This is not remotely an example of it.

If going purely by the book then yes, in this case according to the rules she has no right of settlement.

The problem is that some rules are immoral and this is one of them.

For the last 20+ years anyone from the EU has had the right to work and settle in the UK , whoever they are and whether they have any connection with UK or even speak any English.  Yet a mother can't come and live to be with her child? 

The rules, as they stand, are simply unjust.

Flew in on Friday at 11am, couldn't have spent more than 10 mins in line.  There were quite a few people waiting, but all kiosks were manned and processed each passport very quickly.  Never been through so quickly.

Thank God he is so dumb to try this and get caught.  Imagine the lies he would have told patients to get extra money from them.

1 hour ago, claffey said:

Hold on a minute! What about the millions of British living and working in EU countries! Freedom of movement was and is an intrinsic law in the EU..It works both ways. Well it did until the Right wing, evil Tory party won...

Yes, and EU freedom of movement discriminates against people based on where they are from - an EU citizen can move to the UK without hindrance even if they have no connection with the place at all, yet I know of people who can't even bring their wives to the UK to attend a wedding, purely because they are from the 'wrong' country.

I look forward to a fairer system of immigration after Brexit where people are not blocked from coming to the UK purely because they are not from Europe.  The 'Little Europe' mindset is going to be the undoing of the EU as it loses importance globally in the next few decades.

1 hour ago, JAG said:

I wonder if "the Indian subcontinent continent" is an euphemism for " Pakistan"?

The non EU immigration into the UK comes mainly from India and Pakistan.   It is very common for an 'anchor relative' that has a visa from these countries to be used to get the rest of the family over to the UK.  A UK citizen who tries to get his/her spouse over to the UK is unfairly caught up in the visa rules intended to curb these abuses.

I wonder if your comment is an attempt to smear me as 'Islamophobic'.

57 minutes ago, thesetat2013 said:

 

and you must be naive enough to think those minimum income laws are not there for a reason. every country has them, including thailand. whu should this guy be allowed to bypass this law?
He just has a big head because of his past popularity, which, apparently, is gone now.

Because the visa rules are patently unfair, especially when one considers that there has been an open door to absolutely anyone who happens to have an EU passport to come and live on the UK.  This case highlights an unjust system.

My wife was offered a job at the head office (in London) of her company but would not have been able to get a visa, yet ANYONE with an EU passport, whether they have any connection with the UK or not, can come over and get a job.

The system is crazy and unfair and I hope it will change post Brexit.

17 hours ago, Pilotman said:

Unfortunately, you are right.  Perfectly normal families are being penalised for the sins of allowing the Indian sub continent ridiculously lax rules for bringing  whole  extended families into the UK and that has been going on for decades.  Neither can we can't criticise the Thais for employing strict visa rules to stop the same thing happening here. I actually admire the LOS application of immigration law, even thought it causes me and others some inconvenience. 

Surely some kind of quota for each country should be introduced to make things fairer.  Off the top of my head something like 80% of non EU migration is from the Indian sub continent, this should be drastically reduced.

I honestly cannot see how someone like this can ever be rehabilitated back into society.  Either execute him or lock him up for life, but don't ever let him free to do this kind of thing again.

17 hours ago, Kabula said:

Some might allege this is a negative Troll post.

 

Having lived here for going on 12 years and I've been using the airport link ever since it was constructed without problems.

 

You should be ashamed of your content and ignorance.

 

You just described public transportation travel in most every major city in America.

 

In Philadelphia, Chicago and Los Angeles the chances of you getting murdered while walking or traveling double each month!

The post you replied to said 'It is slow, infrequent, uncomfortable, overcrowded and now thoroughly  unreliable.'

The ARL isn't slow, but he is right on all the other points.

It is infrequent for its primary use as a commuter train (every 12-15mins), often uncomfortable because it is often overcrowded and it is unreliable - trains are often wildly off from the timetable.

1 hour ago, Chou Anou said:

They also should really bring back the express trains...of course, the ultimate real solution is a dedicated Swampy-to-Makkasan-Phyathai line, and a separate commuter line...

But the Express trains were laughably empty most of the time.  Hard to justify the service when so few use it.  Better to have longer trains with designated carriages for people with lots of luggage.

1 minute ago, Bluespunk said:

There is none, and your attempts to make it appear there is one are not going to make any difference to that fact.

Ok, I give up.  You are absolutely insane.

2 minutes ago, Bluespunk said:

Never said there was intentional hate behind it.

 

I don't believe there was an intent.

 

However using 'blackface' was using a tradition rooted in hate.

This is not blackface.  Blackface is a white person with comical make up i.e. pitch black paint and absurd think white lips, with the overall aim of making black people look like simpletons.

Can you really not see the difference?

2 minutes ago, Bluespunk said:

Recognising the hate that lies behind a racist tradition isn't PC.

 

It's the right thing to do.

 

I haven't taken offence, so don't worry yourself.

No hate behind the ad.  Just a homage to a celebrity who happens to be black.

2 minutes ago, Bluespunk said:

The tradition is rooted in hate.

 

To use that tradition is to pay homage to that hate.

 

Intentionally or not, that is what happened.

 

Hate knows no boundaries.

I tell you what also has no boundaries, the offense taken by oversensitive PC minded forum posters.

4 minutes ago, starky said:

That is the KO on this topic IMO. Great post.

As a white person of ginger heritage (my grandmother was a ginge and most clowns are ginger) I find this pic offensive and demand that all clowns are banned immediately.

5 minutes ago, sanemax said:

The advert was pulled because of pressure from U.S Human rights groups, who said that the advertisement reminded people off the way Black people were portrayed in the USA in the 1900's

 

Some people just can't seem to accept that we live in a different era now and are unable to leave the baggage from the earlier era behind. 

Blackface (the derogatory portrayal of black people by whites as simple buffoons) has quite rightly been cast into the rubbish bin of history.  It has been nearly 40 years since the Black and White Minstrel show ended in the UK, even longer for similar shows in the US.

As long as there is no ill intent (as is the case with the Thai model dressing up as Grace Jones) and people just want to look like a particular celebrity, then I honestly cannot see why the race of the person dressing up matters.

17 hours ago, Machiavelli said:

How is this offensive?

It is offensive to charcoal, coal, and other carbon based materials.

19 hours ago, Prbkk said:

But of course it doesn't act as a deterrent, proven time after time around the world. It might meet the need for vengeance, might make people feel safer...but it will not serve any useful purpose .

I am not in favour of the death penalty, but there would be one useful purpose served if they were executed - they would not be out on the streets in 5 years time and able to carry out another murder, which happens time and time again.  The guy who stabbed the victim is a psychopath and will always be one.

5 hours ago, Bluespunk said:

Being against this sort of putrid behaviour isn't being PC. 

 

It's recognising it for what it is and quite rightly condemning  it. 

What if the Thai model had dressed and whited up as Marilyn Monroe?  Would that have been acceptable?

6 hours ago, Bangna Betty said:

OMG Thais just don't get it. They clearly never notice what is happening around the world and acceptable. And this is a 'professional' publication. 

Yes, thank god they have not been infected with political correctness.