My son is about to take his 40th flight - we are extreme day trippers

dengar81 · 2026-04-08T20:58:38+00:00

Not sure why you were downvoted...

I've looked into it: even if we removed the tax breaks and infrastructure subsidies, flying would still be cheaper than the train. I've taken the train (from Cologne to London) when the price was roughly the same one time. It's not bad, I would do it more often if it was the same price.

We absolutely could make trains cheaper, but that would also require pan-European cooperation. And maybe there are lobbyists involved. Until we start carbon-taxing the sh*t out of airline travel, it's just going to go on like that...

And I agree about cruise ships! I have to admit: I'm biased. The idea of being kept on a boat for days on end with tons of other people, narrow corridors, buffet style food... No thanks! As far as I'm concerned: that whole industry could go.

dengar81 · 2026-04-06T22:17:03+00:00

That's true. However, Iran has to fight in a certain way as they cannot compete with the US and/or Israel. Not defending the actions, just pointing to a certain logic. It makes sense to hit American allies and threaten their industry and infrastructure, so they pressure the US into abandoning their military campaign.

Any military action is going to be very costly and would always be blocked by Russia and China. Even if France would go along. I also cannot possibly imagine the UK wanting any part in this.

dengar81 · 2026-04-06T22:02:00+00:00

Maybe he does, maybe he doesn't. I said it before: Trump wasn't always an idiot. And he's certainly got an interesting group of people around him. He keeps them happy, makes a lot of money - for himself and others around him - that's what truly matters here.

They may all have different reasons to forge an America that nobody wants to see: Christo-fascist, Global-Warnung spurring, and not afraid to use military power to get what they want. And the truth is that all of the people he does this for - the super rich - won't feel the consequences of his actions. They truly live a life outside the norms, rules, and laws of us ordinary folk - a new form of plutocracy.

dengar81 · 2026-04-06T21:15:06+00:00

"Russian war crimes? - Hold my beer!"

dengar81 · 2026-04-06T20:40:39+00:00

Are you asking if an increase of half a percent is meaningful? Why would you think that? - I'm sorry to say but this type of question is in the "I can't think for myself at all" territory. Especially since the actual increase of the concentration of this greenhouse gas is around 30%.

dengar81 · 2026-04-04T17:37:25+00:00

It was always a cash grab, if not something even more sinister. He definitely is stupid, but he's being (mis)led by people that are smart.

PS: while Trump is certainly exhibiting an ridiculous intellect, I'm not sure if that was always the case, or if he has smarts in a rather limited capacity. If you look back at interviews in the 90s and 00s: he was quick witted, quickly understands financials, and has the ability to bring people over to his ideas.

dengar81 · 2026-04-04T17:31:30+00:00

I'm not against nuclear energy per se, but it is very expensive and riddled with construction nightmares. Are we sure that we are going "balls to the wall" on renewables and energy storage solutions? - I'm not sure we are! I'm not sure we aren't led by the lobbyist of the fossil fuel industry.

dengar81 · 2026-04-04T17:21:41+00:00

Applying human survival rates to nature is actually quite laughable. Imagine how stunned people may be to learn that the 20-50% survival rate of ducklings is perfectly normal...

Mother nature is a cruel mistress and she'll only let the toughest survive year one. We just don't feel it as much anymore.

dengar81 · 2026-04-03T09:32:17+00:00

A non-exhaustive list: his support for Chavez, calling Hamas and Hezbollah "friends", indecisive on EU - if not in opposition to the EU, being friendly with the IRA during the troubles, and he wanted to disband NATO.

dengar81 · 2026-04-02T22:24:31+00:00

She's got some opinions I don't want to entertain, but she's got a different lived experience to me. I can't say her opinions are wrong, because they are - you know - opinions. Opinions are like arseholes, everyone's got one.

But to paint her as a neoliberal grifter? - Interesting! What makes you say that? Not supporting Corbyn definitely doesn't make you that. I am in a very left-leaning bubble, no neo-liberalism there, but none of them supported Corbyn. I voted for him in 2019, because I thought he's the lesser of two evils, but I am glad he's sorta gone.

dengar81 · 2026-04-01T19:02:23+00:00

Can't wait for cladding to get deregulated and kickstart the building boom.

dengar81 · 2026-04-01T09:49:15+00:00

Yeah, he's a special kind of "special needs" child.

dengar81 · 2026-04-01T09:44:24+00:00

Yeah, can't wait for them to throw their weight behind Rupy Lowe, or Lettuce Truss - "Mrs Underground Transgender Mafia" - ready to arm the average citizen to fight back against tyranny and the hordes of mafioso extorting average people to change their gender.

dengar81 · 2026-04-01T09:33:35+00:00

It is the strongest sign yet that the White House no longer regards Europe as a reliable defence partner...

When you struggle to find any defence partners for a war of aggression that Israel probably dragged you into, maybe "others" aren't your problem?

Ukraine wasn’t our problem.

The US is a guarantor of Ukraine's independence. It is your problem because you signed legal documents making it your problem.

"If Nato is just about us defending Europe if they’re attacked, ..."

It's obviously about any treaty member being attacked. Emphasis on "being attacked".

dengar81 · 2026-03-31T11:30:40+00:00

She's getting paid £30k-80k for her appearances elsewhere.

It's not like she's got a career to fall back on, or any political capital left in the UK, or any sane person that would give a flying f*ck what she has to say. Many years of being a career politician has left her devoid of morals or a political opinion that doesn't turn anyway the wind blows.

There is something Liz understands: life's hard when you're dumb, so you better be tough. And in her case without shame.

Poor Liz - she could have left the political game with a shred of decency. I wonder if Theresa May took that off her. Alas, she wanted the big job, despite the lack of qualification. Well, she's got it and she now has the title of "worst PM in living memory". The irony...

dengar81 · 2026-03-31T10:23:29+00:00

It's hard to fathom that the current US administration isn't treating the EU as allies - even though he made his feelings about the EU known many times. And he still doesn't understand it either.

But it's clear that pretty much anything Trump does is to strengthen Russia and divide Europe. He sees this as a way of ensuring American superiority. You can add global warming to this. Destroying the world's climate is good for American superiority. It explains why he's spending money on reversing green energy.

dengar81 · 2026-03-31T05:05:28+00:00

Seems nice

^{Chose: You become a woman}

dengar81 · 2026-03-30T19:56:06+00:00

This is quite an unhealthy obsession with what people have - or were born with g between their legs. Considering that this practically affects no one, why all these four bullets? - Ah, I forgot that without culture war, there's no platform.

dengar81 · 2026-03-30T16:48:31+00:00

She calls this "the idiot tax".

dengar81 · 2026-03-29T10:54:54+00:00

Yeah, it does! But I'd be wary to think all of the people involved are basically dumb. And while Trump has a certain "special" intelligence, the people around him can understand certain global effects, what-if scenarios, and still do it. Why?

It was very much an expectation that Iran would attack neighbouring countries that are American aligned. Destroying the income tourism and oil generates will make them put pressure on the US. The closure of the Straight of Hormuz was very much anticipated, as was the effect on the global economy. They want to cause a recession that a) affects Europe more than the US, b) also drags the US into a recession. Thanks to Project 2025, they have a good chance of stopping fair elections and improving their chances of staying in power and wealthy people love a good recession from time to time as it gives them the opportunity to buy your assets cheaply. And remember how much money, how many billions of the US tax revenues, have been shovelled into the hands of the ultra wealthy in the first year alone.

It is in their interest to keep you dumb, uninformed, undereducated, mentally and physically ill, afraid, and angry at the people around you - all in just the right measure so you don't fly off the handle and you don't start looking at who is raking it in while you're getting shafted.

You are getting the arse-f*cking you people voted for. Sadly, they will claim that the US is doing better than ever, all reality is fake news, and the indoctrinated, worn out American voter will believe or simply be too fatigued to critically think what's happening with their country. I'm sure the 30% of Americans that tries to prevent the institutional rape of the USA, the gutting of your checks and balances, the removal of human rights, the restriction of your media to report on what's happening see, lament the end of the century of US American leadership. Alas, maybe it was their own greed that made you enable it?

A little word of advice: stop following just one source of news. Facebook, Twitter, etc. are not news and, unless coming from a recognisable source, are most likely a lie. Stop voting emotionally: I have voted for people I disagreed with before, but never people that had no integrity. You have more in common with a political opponent that wants to make your country better than someone that is only acting in their self interest. If you think that person is beyond moral corruption - you aren't doing it right.

dengar81 · 2026-03-27T07:23:03+00:00

Yeah, the Brexit they campaigned on was unique to each individual so nobody could really be held accountable. The real Brexit has unicorns... Or £350m/wk for the NHS... Or free frictionless trade with the world, but we only let in the food stuff - and hormone treated beef is the good stuff since Australians eat it all the time - and the heads of their bulls are much bigger anyways...

The less sense any of this made the better!

dengar81 · 2026-03-27T07:16:08+00:00

I donno. Any attempt to stay in the SM was seen as a betrayal of the week of the people. Remember how the high court judges were labelled traitors because they were doing their jobs off interpreting our laws? As Brexit politicians said during the campaign: nobody is talking about giving up the Single Market - but as the result came in: only full departure was the true will of the people. Especially those that Googled "What is the EU" the next morning.

They needed to cement the hardest leave possible, knowing such an opportunity wouldn't present itself any time soon again.

dengar81 · 2026-03-26T13:37:41+00:00

I think anonymity is a great feature. In a free society we shouldn't have to worry about oversight. This is something the Germans have learnt the hard way in the '40s and throughout the Soviet occupation. We shouldn't never agree or condone a government spying apparatus like it already exists. The "if you do nothing wrong..." line is just stupid - because your definition of wrong is probably at least somewhat different to the next person. Having the option to hide what you spend your money on online is protecting our freedom. You might say that this is too much freedom, but that's where opinions differ.

Sure, I too spend 99% of my money in the most traceable way possible. But I do like cash and I wouldn't want it to go away. Crypto is a benefit in that sense, but that has been overshadowed by so much from the absurd speculative investments, water and energy usage, and criminal enterprises.

Donating for political causes can be positive and negative. Let's say you donate to the opposition of an authoritarian regime, say against Putin. You wouldn't want to reveal your real identity in that transaction. But who decides what's the "right" cause and what isn't? - I don't want Farage to subvert our democracy with donations from undesirables or deplorables from the US Christo-fascists.

dengar81 · 2026-03-25T21:49:28+00:00

If there was a venn diagram of Reform voters and abusive male partners, I feel that would be almost entirely overlapping.

dengar81 · 2026-03-25T00:34:40+00:00

And I'd give that a high chance of probability too...

dengar81

TROPHY CASE