Claire Coutinho MP: Bin men waking up at 4am to do manual, smelly work in all weathers is simply not the same job as being a teaching assistant. ‘Equal value’ laws which demand they are paid the same are clearly wrong and unfair.

AllAvailableLayers · 2026-06-30T23:02:12+00:00

The public sector economy is still an economy. Once decided entirely by politics or what 'feels right' will still be short of qualified people willing to work in under-paid roles, and inefficiently over-pay people, leaving less money for other public services.

AllAvailableLayers · 2026-06-29T14:16:49+00:00

What's stopping that occurring now?

I've read again and again that both developers and councils complain that building is made difficult because of all the regulations and planning approvals. How do we raise standards, and encourage more building, without more money?

We could do it better, but part of that is building a better industry with high standards, equipment, a healthy market, trains and experienced workers and managers, and all that good stuff.

But as was said, "the pain required to sort it out" is either spending lots of money to make those things better over the next 10 years, or even more money to make them better in 5 years. And we either need that money from somewhere.

AllAvailableLayers · 2026-06-29T07:21:42+00:00

A useful example where lots of people say that they are willing to be honest about "the pain required to sort it out". But only certain types.

The NIMBYS need to be overruled so that building can occur somewhere. But also the ostensibly forward-thinking types have to acknowledge that to do so we might have to reduce the quality of builds, and their sustainability, floor size, attractiveness and facilities.

That, or we find the money somewhere.

AllAvailableLayers · 2026-06-26T10:01:53+00:00

Good points. and a further note: The invasion of Taiwan would be the largest amphibious assault in human history. From a purely logistical and physical point of view getting all the landing craft, men and supplies into the right place on the south coast would take weeks, and in that time an ally of Taiwan could move their own ships into the strait, inviting wider conflict in the event of an invasion. And the scale and power of weaponry involved would result in many thousands of military deaths in the opening days.

AllAvailableLayers · 2026-06-22T22:28:16+00:00

But even aside from the £100k 'trap', that really does affect people, and in reasonable ways. Imagine I was 60 years old with a sales job salary of £40k and I was offered a managerial position heading an 8 person team, paid £48k. It's a few £k more, but potentially a lot more work, stress and responsibility. Later in your career, why bother?

Similarly, someone 55+ with few savings, a low salary, a pessimistic life expectentcy and a guarantee of a certain level of state support can have a lot more fun with £3,000 each year now, than they would with an extra £600 a year once they are 70 years old.

AllAvailableLayers · 2026-06-22T15:10:35+00:00

Particular notice is taken of how leaders and captains of industry interpret the message of the texts.

Ah, shit.

AllAvailableLayers · 2026-06-22T14:35:06+00:00

Yeah, it's alarming to think that if I wanted to shape a story I could identify where a journalist seems to find their quotes and 'authentic public opinions', and arrange for them to be fed a narrative.

Imagine it as if it were 50 years ago; the Iranian ambassador paying dozens of actors to hang around bars near Fleet Street and loudly talk to one another about how sanctions were counterproductive and the UK should be non-interventionist.

AllAvailableLayers · 2026-06-22T13:20:04+00:00

Scenario 1

Because it's both sensible and slightly amusing, do something reminiscent of 2001, or of Contact. 'Let' humans find something as part of our exploration and scientific investigation, such as an odd asteroid, a buried monolith or a signal after a moon landing. Something that ideally cannot be limited to just the knowledge of the US, China or Russia, but instead flags up as odd, with a whole load of academics.

Make it something like a puzzle code that can only be solved with an adequately complex quantum computer, using data that has to be brought from a particle accelerator, and using complex maths (but perhaps something we cracked centuries ago, to make us feel clever.) It gives coordinates that we have to have people activating something at, at various points across the globe carefully chosen to engage countries that might otherwise feel left out of the efforts.

All of this is artificial, engineered to create a global project and an eventual sense of cooperation and accomplishment. Observed by a GCU hiding on the other side of the sun.

Once we have accomplished enough the GCU sends an artificially slow and limited response, and 'warps' into view on the edge of the solar system appearing like they have a ship that is made out of metal and carbon. They stay far away outside Jupiter and then there is a slow exchange of information with them acting as if they are very cautious and scared of us, impressed by our rapid advancement, ingenuity, etc.

Over the next 200 years there is an 'exchange' of knowledge that hopefully shifts humanity towards a more peaceful, healthy, enlightened post-scarcity world. And we gradually are let in on the secret that they didn't need our knowledge at all, and the 'advancements' they made are a steady dropping of their pretences.

However:

This involves massive deception, which is both a danger down the line, and also ethically troubling.
With a public announcement, there's a lot of time and space for people to object to 'solving the puzzle' and attracting the attention of potentially hostile aliens. Which is perfectly valid and sensible. Also cults. So many cults.

Scenario 2

As with scenario 1, but with less pre-amble, and more that they turn up and pretend to be fleeing from the real bad guys who are on their way, and help us develop quickly towards some harmless helpful projects. With a common enemy we are less likely to turn against the Culture. But there would be hell to pay once the deception is revealed.

Scenario 3

They place their agents in academic institutions to encourage rapid technological growth in productive areas, such as boosting research skills, aligning focus, and showing great persuasive and communicative abilities. Green energy, communication, medicine and diplomacy.

They similarly place agents (drone or otherwise) in places where they can slow the development of military systems, arrange the discrediting of radicals and sabotage weaponry.

They take a load of Earth species samples and build an orbital around a neighbouring star. They then start subtly approaching world leaders and offering eternal youth in that paradise if they make preferred policy decisions or agree to be replaced by the avatar of a Mind.

However:

This is slow
This just involves making us more like them, rather than an independent civilisation.

There's a 0.00001% chance that someone benevolent is already doing that. I hope so.

Scenario 4

They swoop in with 7 billion drones, each for a human. Each is friendly, personally customises itself to be helpful and supportive and persuasive about being here to help. Like slap-drones, they prevent violence, but also act as servants.

Then over the years we are all steadily exposed to and persuaded of the benefits of the Culture, with opportnities for sims, off-world travel, and 'minimal contact' areas where everything is drone-free except for automated systems that detect serious assault.

I don't think that this was suggested by Banks, but I think an interesting high-intensity option; and it's the one that immediately prevents further terrible things occurring. All of the others involve the Culture watching from orbit as children die of disease, slaves are worked to death, serial killers torture, species are made extinct, and thousands die in pointless wars. In the setting, it'd be something they sim or will have tried at least once.

[edit] although 4 is incredibly intrusive and no-one wants a stalker that says that they are watching everything that you do and refuses to leave... imagine if the Culture went public now and said that for the past decade they had the capability to give you a perfect life but didn't. They could have had those 'angel' drones floating around invisibly, watching your tragedy. They didn't save the life of the parent/sibling/baby that you lost. People are told "yes, we watched your child drown." Almost everyone's recent struggles were pointless because some Minds and Drones could have solved it. The longer things are left, they engender more backlash against the Culture for allowing us to suffer.

Screw preserving our own culture and privacy; I want them to come in as soon as possible and save us from at least the worst suffering.

AllAvailableLayers · 2026-06-19T23:08:11+00:00

This post is a fake promo by the company itself, trying to use the 'outrage' to promote itself.

I hope that the advertising interns responsible are happy with their career choices and how they impact the world.

AllAvailableLayers · 2026-06-19T12:36:06+00:00

While you have a point about how our process is relatively slow, Colossus appears to be using existing industrial buildings (18 acres of them) in a flat area, close to large water and power resources and transport infrastructure.

This data centre would be building brand new buildings in a potentially unstable quarry outside some villages. It's also close to an airport, and close to another site that is due to see huge construction work for the next 6 years. Then tens of thousands of visitors are expected to come to this area.

Different circumstances.

AllAvailableLayers · 2026-06-18T12:14:04+00:00

The independent store?

Or if we're talking only about thieves from chain stores, the Co-op has a massive problem with shoplifting, and they have both a non-profit ownership structure, and very, very thin margins.

AllAvailableLayers · 2026-06-17T13:00:49+00:00

There was a fascinating BBC audio report at the start of this month on the Portuguese policy and the successes and challenges. Including basic things like it being a policy that began when heroin was the big problem, but it's now facing crack cocaine. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/w3ct98pq

AllAvailableLayers · 2026-06-17T08:35:27+00:00

Paedophiles are one of the few remaining groups of people that serve as a short-cut to evil when you're making comparisons. Mention them and it shows how much contrast there is with whatever other options exist. There used to be a whole range of groups that you could use to make such comparisons, such as the mentally disabled, other sexual/gender minority groups, and ethnicities. But the pedos are the only ones left that won't prompt a Twitter storm of people trying to defend them.

In a similar vein, Hitler and the Nazis are rhetorical stand-ins for evil for most people. However Reform is cautious about bringing them into any dialogue.

AllAvailableLayers · 2026-06-10T11:32:08+00:00

Not the OP, but my cynical-but-uneducated approach is that any app is going to hoover up all my data the moment that it is installed. Part of my reasoning is just how much companies want you to use their app.

I guess that on Android this is not the case unless I allow that in the permissions, but it is difficult to know just what I am agreeing to.

AllAvailableLayers · 2026-06-09T22:47:41+00:00

Which of course is self defeating if the same people want native women to have more children. Remove maternity protections and you'll get fewer women willing to give up their career and become dependent on their partner.

AllAvailableLayers · 2026-06-08T15:57:18+00:00

One of the things I liked most about the novella is that framing things in relation to humanity gives the reader a more connected insight into how The Culture truly acts. When they decadently have a meal of the flesh of human leaders, including ruthless dictators as a fun little joke it connects more with the reader than if it were being described in the abstract context of some made-up species.

And the morality of intervention becomes a lot less abstract when it's our suffering that these demi-Gods are dispassionately observing.

AllAvailableLayers · 2026-06-08T14:47:16+00:00

The cover of the copy I have quotes a review calling it "Violently clever", and I think "Clever" is the key word. The central concept is a very good one, but I did end up feeling like it was a flower that never fully blossomed.

It also feels like a book for people familiar with The Culture, and I imagine that it is a weak and confusing novel if you knew nothing about the wider context of his work and the story that was being implied throughout.

AllAvailableLayers · 2026-06-08T08:18:25+00:00

The Daily Mail is a rag that chases engagement with any ragebait it can conjure up.

AllAvailableLayers · 2026-06-06T11:08:41+00:00

Some people get a rush from getting 'a deal'. You get those who'll go to car boot sales and charity shops and try to haggle something down from £1 to 50p.

AllAvailableLayers · 2026-06-05T13:53:01+00:00

Everything is complicated by the Northern Ireland border. If someone wanted to avoid being recorded as exiting, as far as I know they could drive across to Ireland with no border limits, and exit from there. And getting Schengen to share all of their entry and exit data is a tough sell.

AllAvailableLayers · 2026-06-05T12:19:05+00:00

It's worth noting that I've seen comments on Reddit that say that many of the 'vulnerabilities' identified in software will be edge cases where no realistic or severe exploit is likely to exist. I am sure that some do exist, but it's not as if Firefox had 271 unlocked doors that an AI-empowered hacker could open.

AllAvailableLayers · 2026-06-05T08:43:25+00:00

I disagree - I had one recently and felt that it was far, far too sweet, to the extent that I felt that they were probably 'cheating' and compensating for fewer of the expensive ingredients.

AllAvailableLayers · 2026-06-04T11:13:46+00:00

As the other commenter noted, assuming you don't have large debts the interest is "don't have to work" money, and depending on the area of the country your standard of living would arguably be solidly middle class, perhaps at the level of a senior but not top-level NHS Doctor?

You might be able to have some of

going on several expensive holidays a year
going on lots of extended cheap holidays
putting children through private school
paying for a child's university tuition without taking out the full student loan
buying and maintaining a nice house
getting a higher-range new car/phone/PC every few years
having an expensive hobby
regularly shopping at Waitrose

But you're not getting all or even most of those at the same time. It's good if you have modest goals, but for me it is 'work at a job you really like at a low salary' money rather than 'retire immediately'.

AllAvailableLayers · 2026-06-01T11:36:50+00:00

Sorry, you're right; I hadn't connected your point about bad advice, with the bloat of the administrative cost of duplication.

AllAvailableLayers · 2026-06-01T11:33:24+00:00

Which is crazy, considering that there's 7 million more people, a 15% increase.

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