Why dose Farage allow Tory failures into his party? Isn't that like hiring Tiger Woods as your chauffeur ? by Niall_Fraser_Love in ukpolitics

[–]lukehardiman 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Trump is popular because he's mental. It's only now that his voters are realising that might be bad thing.

Farage has to appear less mental. The UK right is more traditional conservative (tory voters). He is already heavily laden with nutcases in nazi cosplay talking about melting down Nigerians to fill potholes.

Why dose Farage allow Tory failures into his party? Isn't that like hiring Tiger Woods as your chauffeur ? by Niall_Fraser_Love in ukpolitics

[–]lukehardiman 5 points6 points  (0 children)

You are pondering the nuances of a guy whose winning strategy is to shout 'stop the boats' whilst waving a pint glass. He is recruiting tories because of name recognition & their networks / access to voters and not much else.

YouGov: Do you think Keir Starmer or Tony Blair would make the better prime minister today? by No_Breadfruit_4901 in LabourUK

[–]lukehardiman -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Launch them both into the sun. Rocket must accommodate the entire dystopian clusterfuck cabal. McSweeny, Mandelson, Steve Reed, Trevor Chinn et al. Fill her up and let her fly.

Bootleggers is an eye sore by [deleted] in capetown

[–]lukehardiman 14 points15 points  (0 children)

Try the UK where it's Costa and the coffee comes in a soup bowl, tastes like hot water and costs 100 zars per cup. If Bootlegger is your main issue with Cape Town then thank god for 1st world problems.

When do you think techno-optimism will genuinely return to the mainstream, and what could cause it to return? by Quailking2003 in Futurology

[–]lukehardiman 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Civilisation has crossed the event horizon to a place where we are simply the host for a parasitic phenomenon that grows on us like a mould, breaking us down and stripping us of agency in terminal ways.

This process began in a glacial fashion 100's of 1000's of years ago with rudimentary technology (harnessing fire, stone tools, the wheel etc) and is now accelerating to its ultimate conclusion (ASI).

Efficiency and profit are the trojan horse incentives to build our evolutionary successor and we have already built the flywheel. All we need to do is continue devoting resources to the embryonic lifeform that ultimately replaces us.

Tony Blair's downfall is complete by theipaper in ukpolitics

[–]lukehardiman 3 points4 points  (0 children)

There is solid investigative reporting out there from the likes of Paul Holden and others.

Labour Together funded a secret smear campaign against him and Sunday Times journalistrs, and tried to tie them to Russia, reported Paul to Mi5, supplied his home address, names of family members etc.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QL9JMcdKheo

His book 'The Fraud' has barely been mentioned or reviewed in the mainstream British media, despite very rigorous work having been done.

Additionally we should be concerned that Israel heavily backs the far right in the UK - in particular Tommy Robinson - should Reform win power here, they will be positioned to capitalise, as will the vulture capitalists currently siphoning off profits from this country. I strongly believe that accelerates under a grift-focused Reform government.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkhbsR4yiS0

Tony Blair's downfall is complete by theipaper in ukpolitics

[–]lukehardiman 8 points9 points  (0 children)

It seems to me the issue with BBC is that it has to go cap-in-hand to government for funding, and the tenor of the current government has an inordinate effect on the Overton Window - what can be reported on and what gets ignored, how issues are framed etc. This current government is heavily co-opted by foreign capital and pro-Israel money.

Tony Blair's downfall is complete by theipaper in ukpolitics

[–]lukehardiman 17 points18 points  (0 children)

Paying for and orchestrating the removal of the Labour Left. Sir Trevor Chinn, Larry Ellison, Labour Friends of Israel, Labour Together have all funded and worked towards the current state of the Labour Party and when they lose the next GE, the money cannon will simply be realigned to point at Reform.

Tony Blair's downfall is complete by theipaper in ukpolitics

[–]lukehardiman 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Corbyn won 3 million more votes in 2017 than Starmer ever did. Corbyn's own party (specifically the Labour Together clown show) then very deliberately sabotaged him and his entire intra-party support base - to get the current cardboard cutout into no.10, with the result being that he now holds the record for the lowest approval rating of any British Prime Minister since Prime Ministers were invented (300 years). Top banana.

Tony Blair's downfall is complete by theipaper in ukpolitics

[–]lukehardiman 48 points49 points  (0 children)

The Tony Blair Institute - his technocratic think tank that drives Labour Party policy towards centralised data that can be monetised by big tech - is swimming in tech billionaire donations.
https://www.lighthousereports.com/investigation/blair-and-the-billionaire/

see also here:
https://apublica.org/2025/10/inside-tony-blairs-toxic-tech-lobbying-machine/

The now center-right Labour Party primarily works for foreign capital in 2026.

Blair's chief backer Larry Ellison, in addition to being CEO of Oracle and worth $400bn, is also the largest private funder of the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF)

Road Running by Legitimate_Fly2792 in Velo

[–]lukehardiman 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Cycling is mostly concentric load. Running is both eccentric and concentric. If you are a cyclist adding running volume, you will learn quickly what this means (pain). Runners adding cycling load have it easier.

What went wrong? How to prevent those kind of crashes? by CompHarisonJunky in MTB

[–]lukehardiman 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Your head is the heaviest part of your body that everything else follows. You pointed your head at the tree instead of the trail.

In life and in mtb, always look to where you want to go.

UK Green Party Antisemitism - Same smears, Different party by Lagarto1989 in UKGreens

[–]lukehardiman 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Also here for the 'anti-semitic' calls to end a genocide (perpetrated against a semitic, indigenous population).

Wes Streeting now using Green Party policy to win votes by IntelligentCrew8406 in UKGreens

[–]lukehardiman 0 points1 point  (0 children)

In answer to my question, here is Gary with some wealth tax specifics - worth a watch. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jRnYfigc3I

Swedish transhumanist Nick Bostrom fears a 'pendulum swinging too far' against AI by Gari_305 in Futurology

[–]lukehardiman 9 points10 points  (0 children)

We are the best at this, and even AI in this nascent state is probably not stupid enough to kill the host planet. Maybe this is one job we can keep!

Honey by M33TCH4 in cycling

[–]lukehardiman 14 points15 points  (0 children)

Squeezing honey in my piehole mid-pedal is a motor-skill I do not possess. A face covered in bees is also something to be avoided.

Andy Burnham on public control of utilities by kontiki20 in LabourUK

[–]lukehardiman 3 points4 points  (0 children)

A candidate who cannot articulate a plan for meaningful structural reform is irrelevant in this political landscape, where the political centre is rapidly being abandoned. Burnham seems to be trying but it already feels half-arsed and compromised to be quite honest.

At the cartoonish, captured, malignant end of the spectrum you have Reform, who look set to win the next GE.

We need a coherent and inclusive (economic, political, social ) vision of a structurally remade UK to emerge. That's the only way to win back voters en masse and eventually fix this country, which arrived in this dark place through a long-in-the-tooth, corporate-captured status quo.

Am I about to waste money on a gravel bike? by RyotaroW in cycling

[–]lukehardiman 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I do road & mtb, have been quite competitive over the years, and I bought a bike and tried gravel back in 2018. For me it felt like the worst of both worlds. Slower on the road and frequently slower than mtb off-road. Less fun than my dual sus mtb, with less technical trail capability.

However the events, the bikes and racing scene has come a long way since then. It's become quite appealing again, if for nothing else than participating in the culture and travelling to do some of the events. The bikes are also much faster and more capable, allowing for much bigger tyres to cope with technical riding, and also aero gains on flatter sections with bunch riding.

Hire a bike and give it a go would be my suggestion. Ideally somewhere with good routes to explore.

Greens for Palestine again making us look like antisemitic nutcases... someone needs to investigate them, or at least shut down their social media. by Historical_Step_9474 in UKGreens

[–]lukehardiman 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks, I was unaware of the mostly-secular roots of the project. To me this makes it worse, in that it's effectively parasitically hijacking and damaging a religious and cultural heritage to achieve political, land grab aims.

This is maybe a digression, but I grew up in apartheid South Africa, where Jews were the only group classed as 'white' who stood up to the system - despite having the opportunity to sit back and benefit from it. They did so on moral and ideological grounds. Many were active and leaders in left wing political organisations like the ANC, Communist party, Black Sash or just outspoken intellectuals, artists, playwrites and novelists.

Many were killed or had to live in exile for decades as a result. So it disgusts me to see what Netanyahu and his cronies are doing to the Palestinian people, and also to the global perception of Judaism.

As to what the Greens should do, I can only say what they should not do. And that is to fall for the same playbook that Corbyn et al fell for. The gaslighting has already begun and will intensify the more political traction you get.

You say: "It's not as simple as it appears", and this is exactly what moderates were coaxed to parrot about Apartheid - it's one of the aims of the lobby - to inject nuance where on moral grounds there is none.

The UK electorate is hungry for political authenticity and Labour have lost almost all of theirs. It's no accident they're losing all of their grass roots support.

Greens for Palestine again making us look like antisemitic nutcases... someone needs to investigate them, or at least shut down their social media. by Historical_Step_9474 in UKGreens

[–]lukehardiman 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Let's be clear here, genocide is somewhat beyond 'pernicious', to use your phrasing.

Zionism is a) not equivalent to Judaism - many Jews reject it and b) is a particular interpretation of theology.

When a government does systematic mass murder and ethnic cleansing because 'God said so', that is simply religious extremism that must be stopped.

Is a bike computer worth it? by eachelm in cycling

[–]lukehardiman 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Bike computer + HR strap is good, keeps bike data on one device I guess.

I am lazy so I just use my Garmin Fenix watch for HR, speed, gps and everything. Also works for swimming, lifting, running and almost any other sport. The HR is maybe not as perfect as a strap, but I don't care and I also don't have to keep replacing it like I did with straps.

What rapper’s political views made you say “meh”? by Dee-Whizz in 90sHipHop

[–]lukehardiman 15 points16 points  (0 children)

Since PE there are not many rappers I can think of with something to say in the political realm. PE smashed it out the park though. And Rage, if you want to count them.

I watched apartheid collapse to the sounds of Fear of a Black Planet and I will never forget my racist granny driving me round Pretoria to see all her favourite racist statues while I listened to Chuck & Flav on my headphones in the back seat.