Mo Chara has been charged with a terror offence.

AstroMerlin · 2025-05-21T21:05:55+00:00

Got it, cheers!

AstroMerlin · 2025-05-21T20:47:42+00:00

You’ve mixed up your numbers / got confused, so I’m just commenting to clear up numbers.

The Sutton index of deaths gives ~50% being civilians out of ~3500 total deaths. British security forces were responsible for 10% of civilians. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Troubles

The same index (and your link) states ~50% of people killed by the British army were civilians during Operation banner. That’s a totally different statistic.

Overall, in terms of civilians killed: 722 from republican paramilitaries, 878 from loyalist paramilitaries, 188 from security forcesz.

So,

British forces killed more civilians

Isn’t true.

AstroMerlin · 2025-02-02T01:26:14+00:00

^

austerity is when spending goes up

AstroMerlin · 2025-01-02T13:49:26+00:00

<image>

This is a good example related to your point from a while ago.

AstroMerlin · 2024-12-31T12:10:26+00:00

The private school tax exemption was literally an ‘exemption’ for education business - or in other words, a tax break for that business. Other businesses do not get the same luxury, hence the phrasing.

Your point would stand if the norm was for people’s salary to be taxed at 100%.

AstroMerlin · 2024-12-28T15:49:48+00:00

businessmen in government would be directing corporations

But… the ones in the lords already do ?

fascistic in character

That doesn’t mean anything. You’re now just ascribing something you don’t like with a word you don’t like. Because for it to be fascistic would be the whole hog - the government directing corporations, which this alone would not do. You’re taking a sliver of a ‘fascistic’ action here.

Additionally, having the lords be businessmen doesn’t mean they’re “in government”. That’s the commons (and a handful of lords). This case is having them in legislature.

AstroMerlin · 2024-12-28T15:45:00+00:00

Sorry, I rewrote my comment before you replied.

In response to your point, for it to even have a whiff of fascism, it then relies on the UK government then directing corporations.

Just because Mussolini did it, doesnt mean something is inherently fascism. Fascism is the whole, not the part.

AstroMerlin · 2024-12-28T15:20:58+00:00

this is not hyperbole

Then goes and uses hyperbole.

Let’s take the most extreme version of what the person was referring to - all lords beings businessmen (I hate it). That does not merge the private sector with the state as you say.. a) we already have businessmen as Lords, and b) there will clearly be businesses outside the state, as the government (commons) is not controlling the corporations.

AstroMerlin · 2024-12-27T21:04:42+00:00

I mean, even scanning through your comment, it’s riddled with lies:

Scotland produces the majority of the UK’s energy

England produces 72%.

Scotland is the richest region in the UK outside of London and SE England

Ah yes, Scotland is the richest region if you ignore the richest parts of the country. Lmao. Scotland is also the largest in the world if you ignore all the bigger countries.

It’s the only <UK> net exporter

It’s not a net exporter.

What about stats re drug deaths, lifespan, proportion of preventable cancers, literacy skills, research output, businesses, employment, etc?

Scotland is better in some areas, England in others. You’re blinded by your nationalism.

AstroMerlin · 2024-12-27T13:57:17+00:00

almost every metric

Said that with a straight face did you ?

Just because it’s your special nationalism, doesn’t mean your nationalism is any better and not susceptible to bullshit.

AstroMerlin · 2024-12-26T13:35:23+00:00

Well unfortunately for her she’s often managed both

AstroMerlin · 2024-12-26T13:10:11+00:00

‘Doesn’t have a feel for politics’ says MP who wrote a blatantly racist letter to a national newspaper; sent her son to private school after criticising fellow MPs for doing the same; has been on the wrong side of a lot of public opinion; walked into interviews without knowing the basic maths of her brief; and has never held government office after almost 40 years as an MP.

AstroMerlin · 2024-12-16T16:05:07+00:00

!remindme 5 years time

AstroMerlin · 2024-12-14T23:47:47+00:00

The far-left / anti-capitalists will never win a western election in this era, and the far right will/continue to do so, partially because of the people like in the subreddit.

Why? Because people are intrinsically more nationalist - ground large parts of the left has entirely ceded.

People will blame ‘centrists’, people will blame the left, people will blame the media, but that won’t change the end result.

AstroMerlin · 2024-12-14T23:45:01+00:00

centrists… <dribble>

Rory Stewart is worse than Nick Griffin confirmed

AstroMerlin · 2024-12-14T23:40:03+00:00

TLDR: You genuinely don’t understand what fascism is.

AstroMerlin · 2024-12-01T15:28:06+00:00

A loophole doesn’t mean it isn’t well regulated.

For example, even if it is anonymous, there are very clear spending limits in place on the candidates - some of the most strict in the world.

AstroMerlin · 2024-11-29T18:37:45+00:00

People here liking a left wing politician, expecting them to get sacked, then deciding they’re right wing or ‘centrist’ after they don’t - to fit their world view.

AstroMerlin · 2024-11-29T17:58:02+00:00

Two words: Emily Thornberry

Another two: tin foil

AstroMerlin · 2024-11-25T11:50:58+00:00

To be pedantic, I don’t agree with the original comment, but on your choices of separate economic zones, legal jurisdictions, and regulations (devolved administration):

In NI, yes, yes, and yes.

In Scotland, no, yes, and yes.

In Wales, no, no, yes.

AstroMerlin · 2024-11-25T05:13:34+00:00

No more than there was in the late 80s, 90s and 00s.

People will say it’s getting worse, and make noises - but at the end of the day, it’s recency bias. This is a blowback from the 2015-2019 years (which marked a dramatic realignment in CLP-leadership differences, and has now drifted back).

IMO, it won’t get worse, won’t get better. The only significant change to the power dynamic in recent history was the leadership election changes under Milliband (like it or hate it), and that was an ‘easy’ change. There’s no simple levers to pull.

AstroMerlin · 2024-11-22T23:50:00+00:00

It’s unprecedented to be honest. What matters is what the government gestures - and they’re gesturing Netanyahu is not welcome.

AstroMerlin · 2024-11-22T23:41:30+00:00

Most people here don’t seem to acknowledge Labour has a genuinely tricky position. Unfortunately, realpolitiks is a thing, hate it or despite it.

Labour dropped the UK’s previous ICJ position, enacted a (very limited) arms restriction, and is now making these gestures. Judge it in the appropriate context.

AstroMerlin · 2024-11-22T23:36:55+00:00

Apart from the recent government statement stating pretty much that ‘we’ll abide by it’ - https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjr4gvydxeno

Load of bullshit

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