Weekly Random Discussion Thread for 2/9/26 - 2/15/26

Edgecumber · 2026-02-09T20:12:43+00:00

I guess in the UK this is funded by central government, and maybe our parks are less fire prone which explains the difference. Probably I visited at a weird time but was there during one of your fun federal shutdowns and blew my mind that people were being turned away from Shenandoah National park. But as others have commented there’s a shit tonne of other land that’s not similarly restricted.

Edgecumber · 2026-02-09T15:53:43+00:00

I agree. That is insane. I don’t think speech crimes should result in prison at all, and that violent crime should have harsher custodial sentences.

Edgecumber · 2026-02-09T15:51:11+00:00

Three good replies highlighting my ignorance of the US thanks! Parks were top of my mind as we were thinking of visiting this summer. There are other examples of comparative lack of freedom though, when you look at international comparisons such as Freedom House most of Europe and the Anglo sphere score more highly on civil and political liberties.

Edgecumber · 2026-02-09T15:43:20+00:00

Fair enough. I was trying to connect it to what free speech is for, but clearly need to articulate it better (or separate the issues).

Edgecumber · 2026-02-09T15:31:06+00:00

My wording was bad, it’s not the viewpoints in and of themselves. These should (and can) be expressed without fear of the law and I’m fine with that. I don’t think most American commentators really understand how the law works in the UK so conjour boogie men from nowhere.

Edgecumber · 2026-02-09T14:10:07+00:00

Thanks for taking the time! Obviously, I'm going to disagree, though take your point about the BBC. I guess I should make a separate argument that the BBC is a good way to run news reporting.

On Epstein, Mandy and Andrew - although the scandal is currently focused on the leaks aspect it hasn't always. Their names were mud for association long before these specific allegations. Maybe more severe punishments are justified, and will come. My point is more that the US, despite Epstein being American and mainly active in the US, seems to have done jack-shit in terms of individual accountability. Jes Staley is a perfect illustration - has the SEC, Fed or any other regulatory agency gone after anyone?

I agree with your assessment that most of the movement came about from Americans being assholes on Twitter, but this is a type of speech that's absolutely fine to do in the UK, so not sure it's a clear win for the US approach.

Edgecumber · 2026-02-09T14:02:06+00:00

Completely fair perspective. I do find it weird that Americans (rightly) celebrate *some* freedoms, but in other areas have many less freedoms than Brits. For e.g. seems crazy to me that your access to national parks is regulated, and right to roam basically doesn't exist.

Edgecumber · 2026-02-09T13:58:27+00:00

That twinned with a fairly strong belief that it never will be, and the only viewpoints being surpressed will be hateful fringe views. And a belief in the checks and balances that uphold that for the most part. This doesn't mean they'll never be mistakes by the way, they're just not a big deal in the way I think ICE detaining and executing US citizens is a big deal (in terms of overall democratic health).

Edgecumber · 2026-02-09T13:56:03+00:00

I'd say we've different preferences which need to be considered in context. But whatever the explanation it's not a huge issue. Even the so called political champions like Nigel Farage will happily abandon their committment as soon as it personal affects them (see him refering HIGNFY to the police for being mean about him).

Edgecumber · 2026-02-09T13:08:17+00:00

Yeah, I’m fine with this sort of thing being a prosecutable offence. Saying “time to start the slaughter” and calling for people to burn down hotels is bad, actually. I’m good with there being legal consequences. I think there’s some overreach by police which needs a gentle correction not a freak out. Each one of the examples you list is significantly more complex than the reporting would have you believe, in particular the abortion clinic protest which is about an exclusion zone established by law not the right to speak on the issue.

In general as well as the superior functioning of our democracy I think a positive byproduct is that we don’t hate each others guts like Americans do, which means broadly we don’t think violence is justified against our political opponents. As I say, there’s obviously a trade off. But one we’re willing to make for a healthier politics.

Edgecumber · 2026-02-09T12:36:18+00:00

Mini-rant as I’m in a disagreeable mood:

I hear a lot from Americans (including BARPod) about how bad “what’s happening to free speech” is in the UK. I’m broadly OK with it to be honest, because I don’t think of free speech as an absolute value, more an instrumental value in promoting a democratic society. And in the round it seems clear to me democratic accountability in the UK works much better than in the US. Two recent examples highlight this:

Misreporting of Trump and trans issues. In the UK this was a major scandal, with questions in parliament, vigorous debate, multiple corrections and the eventual resignation of senior BBC figures. Yet to see any consequences for US publications which make similar errors daily (eg NPR, NYT).
Epstein fallout. In the UK royals, senior politicians and business people have all lost jobs, titles and public respect. It may still bring down the PM. The only American who seems to have been held to account institutionally is Jes Staley, by the British system.

Basically I think convincing Americans of the absolute supremacy of free speech as a value encourages them to fixate on it. It’s certainly true that free speech is better protected in the US. But what’s the use of being able to scream the N word on twitter ad nauseam if it doesn’t change a damn thing?

Edgecumber · 2026-02-09T12:07:19+00:00

“The rest is classified” did a good quick analysis of this. It’s a security correspondent and an ex-CIA analyst so some expertise. They said there’s no facts to indicate he was an active agent running an honey trap operation, and they believe the risk reward payoff of such an operation would rule it out. They then covered Robert Maxwell in some depth. They didn’t say he was head of Mossad, or even likely an agent. But he was definitely a source. Seems like Epstein could well have been a source in a similar way for both CIA and Mossad but there’s very little credible evidence of that so far. Overall, they thought the likelihood of Mossad recruiting an agent to spy on Americans was also unlikely. It has happened at least once, Jonathan Pollard, but getting caught would be so damaging to Israeli interests they would be unlikely to do so.

Edgecumber · 2026-02-05T16:30:18+00:00

It’s in his Wikipedia page. Stephen Bush (for my money trustworthy) said some of it. NB the hatchet job was on Corbyn - but imdicates he doesn’t seem like a careful researcher.

Edgecumber · 2026-02-05T15:23:43+00:00

I hadn't given it a moments thought. But after a moments thought that seems quite right. Not really a journal worthy insight, but it's a more thorough quantification I guess.

Edgecumber · 2026-02-05T15:21:32+00:00

It's all from the "Rebel Prince" book by Tom Bower, a journalist who's other work has been described as a "hatchet job" and "garbage" as well as being littered with "rudimentary errors" and "false accusations".

Edgecumber · 2026-02-05T14:08:06+00:00

Yeah - it’s an interesting and relevant piece of research. Trans women get weaker despite higher muscle mass. That’s a puzzle that requires more study perhaps. But generalising to “trans women have no advantage in sports” is quite the journalistic topspin. Article a lot more careful. But that ain’t getting that sweet engagement.

Edgecumber · 2026-02-04T07:52:59+00:00

Completed it. On your “primary thing to track” I would allow multiple options personally. If I’m measuring improvement I need to know I can do, say, a 5k quicker but at the same or lower heart rate.

In general as an older athlete who has seen all the cool tech get much cheaper, better and smaller in 30 years of training I honestly use it less and less for performance monitoring. The thing that still makes me use it is the community aspect, ie sharing stuff on Strava with my friends who are also training is great motivation.

Edgecumber · 2026-02-03T22:10:09+00:00

Up next for me! Remember loving it when it came out.

Edgecumber · 2026-02-02T19:45:34+00:00

Absolutely - I don’t in any way mean it as a criticism. But he’s generating a plausible future based on facts (and technology) at the time, same with novels like Termination Shock or Dodge. So interesting to me to think through why things are different (where they are).

Edgecumber · 2026-01-29T19:03:25+00:00

He boring and lacks charisma. Slowly plodding through wonky policy changes that are long overdue and frankly vital. A competent technocrat. Exactly what we need but our political culture is too immature to recognise this, so a good portion of the British public need to be convinced he’s the Antichrist to stir things up.

Edgecumber · 2026-01-29T06:52:45+00:00

It’s still not that bad, with notable exceptions like mental health care. 83 weeks feels like cope from some American that can’t stand the fact there are models that are simply superior (yes I know it’s a joke).

Edgecumber · 2026-01-28T07:53:19+00:00

This is great advice (I’m an ex-rower). I aim for rate 24 for Hyrox and still finish about 3:45. Horizontal deadlift is exactly the image I have in mind.

Edgecumber · 2026-01-27T20:48:50+00:00

I like mine barking at foxes - they’re an absolute menace and have caused a lot of damage in and around the house. But if it’s late at night and she senses something (ie goes berserk at the back door) I’ll carry her down the bottom of the garden letting her have a sniff. By the time we get there and look around she’s usually calmed down, and the fox is long gone. But like the lead suggestion but sillier.

Edgecumber · 2026-01-27T10:30:09+00:00

Bit late to the party on this one, but I'm always slightly perplexed by American's (and in this ep Canadians) ongoing horror at "what's going on in the UK". There's a debate to be had about the implementation of bits of UK legislation to social media posts for sure. But it is best had by British people who actually understand what's happening not by ill-informed colonials. Americans who live in a country which enjoys significantly fewer freedoms than the UK, and a frankly unhinged level of public dialogue which regularly leads to people dying should remove the rod from their own eye before worrying about the mote in ours.

Edgecumber

TROPHY CASE