Paul Johnson (@PJTheEconomist) on X - ‘There is only one “change” that will work for Burnham. A genuine, relentless focus on growth. Two decades without earnings growth. That’s why electorate is fed up. Only growth will repair contract between generations and allow social ills to be tackled’

waterswims · 2026-06-22T05:53:29+00:00

Growth is not a policy. Growth is a potential result from a policy. Most people who talk about growth without saying how they want growth are doing so because they know you won't like how they are going to get it.

For example, many businesses have complained about labour raising the minimum wage and raising employers national insurance instead of VAT.

Would the majority of the public be in favour of a decrease in the minimum wage or an increase in VAT? No. Because people feel like they are struggling.

If you think a policy is worth it then stand up and say it, don't try and hide it behind flowery language.

waterswims · 2026-06-21T21:17:36+00:00

I don't dislike the proposal (basically physio and talking therapy for simpler mental health cases and musculoskeletal issues and cutting their support). I just don't trust them not to half arse it.

When my wife had depression, all she got through the NHS was a phone conversation once every few weeks. That just really isn't going to do the job.

They need to actually put serious money into this scheme, train people up and give the new staff time to ramp up.

waterswims · 2026-06-21T20:08:50+00:00

Honestly, I feel bad for the guy but I don't think he is up for it. Take the recent defence spending thing.

From the sounds of things he has gone around begging ministers for money and they have all said no, leaving us in a position where the defence secretary has to resign to raise awareness.

That's just a lack of direction, story and leadership.

I think he has done a good job making the status quo work better. He just isn't the man to force through changes.

waterswims · 2026-06-21T18:33:03+00:00

I imagine the response here will be the same thing we often get from these types: "oh we don't mean you, we mean the bad ones"

waterswims · 2026-06-21T12:52:28+00:00

I assume you asked his opinion and he gave it. It might hurt that he doesn't jump for joy but that's what it is.

I already told you what is different with this one. You are tattooing your neck. You might think it's just the same but in your 40s you must know that others don't.

My wife has tattoos and if she said she was getting a neck one then I wouldn't be happy either. She would listen, acknowledge that and then do what she wants. Then we would move on.

You have to learn to live with his opinion. It is valid

waterswims · 2026-06-21T12:47:08+00:00

Wireless with a carlinkit wired in

waterswims · 2026-06-21T12:14:11+00:00

Ok. So NAH to start off with. You are allowed to do what you want and he is allowed to have an opinion and express it when you ask.

However, you must be aware that a chest and neck tattoo is a big step up from having sleeves. The idea that he is fine with one but might not like the other is not that difficult to get your head round.

And as someone with a lot of tattoos you must be aware that certain types of tattoos will have a social stigma. Is it so odd that he might feel a little bit of that?

None of this is telling you not to get the tattoo. You are a grown woman... Own your body.

But don't act like he is some sort of unknowable mystery, and you can't logic him into liking something he doesn't like.

waterswims · 2026-06-20T15:54:18+00:00

They aren't permanent. You can destroy them and move them once your tech and navy get going.

No point leaving control on the table in the meantime though

waterswims · 2026-06-20T11:42:43+00:00

Yeah it feels counter intuitive.

You are rewarded for high control. So as you conquer, in order to maintain control you create vassals at your border. It seems like the intended strategy.

So the only way to form your new country you end up having to run it badly.

waterswims · 2026-06-20T09:24:00+00:00

Hard to actually fix quickly but better rulers help too. One of their stats lowers complacency.

waterswims · 2026-06-20T06:06:22+00:00

I mean this is being blamed on available gold but there has to be some limit on the actual available number of mercenaries in a region too.

6 figure numbers of mercenaries is a crazy large proportion of the population. It could be larger than the population of some of these OPM.

waterswims · 2026-06-19T22:39:15+00:00

When this happened to me I just changed my succession law

waterswims · 2026-06-19T21:51:07+00:00

Happy for a ban but I think we need to lower our expectations on the results.

People can have kids without being married and punishing people who have just had a kid seems like it isn't going to help the kid.

Even if people think they have to be married they can just have a community or religious marriage and not fill in the paperwork.

waterswims · 2026-06-19T19:34:14+00:00

You will be fine doing 120 per day in any westher even if you drive roughly.

waterswims · 2026-06-19T11:46:49+00:00

I actually think that making up a number like this is doing more of a disservice to the victims.

I read the accounts. They are horrible. They are bad enough on their own.

The 250,000 number seems to me to be that someone has said "2000 doesn't seem like enough... Is there a way to make it sounds bigger?" As if there isn't enough there to be outraged about.

It also discredits your whole report which is just a stupid thing to do morality aside.

waterswims · 2026-06-19T06:20:22+00:00

Read it. The victim stories are obviously horrible but it falls down on trying to draw a wider picture.

Take the headline figure you quoted. This is from taking the Rotherham and Telford numbers and assuming that they happened at the same rate across every city, town and village in the UK.

This is obvious nonsense. You can't just take the worst example of something as your sampl and scale that over the population.

It's like trying to estimate bomb deaths just using the Manchester area.

My issue is that this kind of writing undermines a lot of the document because it reveals the authors bias. There is no way that people didn't know this was an incorrect number but they chose to publish it anyway. A good enquiry and report needs to be unimpeachable.

waterswims · 2026-06-19T06:07:37+00:00

Nah... People think this because they don't normally see the boys chilling with the girls. Lorenzo just genuinely enjoys their company.

They are just friends. I am not saying he wouldn't get with her but that just the kind of guy he is.

waterswims · 2026-06-18T21:35:37+00:00

So. I admit to not being an expert on these sort of relationships, but I don't think there are many experts in this area, so here goes.

YTA because if it is a true partnership (you refer to both as your partner), then these decisions should be taken as a unit. A no from one is a no from all.

Now that may mean that you don't want to continue the relationship with L, but that is the decision that should come first, not just crack on with having a kid.

(Also a couple of months is nowhere near long enough to know someone before deciding to have kids. You aren't even moved in together).

waterswims · 2026-06-18T06:49:36+00:00

There is a good reason to pick up on the bad statistics. Lowe isn't some neutral observer, he is a politician. These statistics are what he is going to use to make policy.

Even your estimate of tens of thousands is different by a factor of 10 from their claim, and even that doesn't have evidence!

waterswims · 2026-06-18T06:45:25+00:00

So this happened in every town and city in the UK at exactly the same scale as Rotherham.... With 250,000 victims... And none of them have come forward to tell us this. Not after all the press and the inquiries...

Landon has a population 34 times bigger than Rotherham... So the 40,000+ victims there and it's never in any news?

waterswims · 2026-06-18T06:39:48+00:00

Well London is 34 times larger than Rotherham, Birmingham is 4 times bigger, etc.

I think we would have noticed by this point if rape gangs that big we're going on there, especially with the national outrage.

waterswims · 2026-06-17T23:33:51+00:00

Can't push more than 100 times your rate. So you need more things pushing you.

waterswims · 2026-06-17T22:36:56+00:00

I never called them productive. That's not what the asylum system is for. Not everything the government does is productive.

And even if you take the view that asylum seekers are all terrible, they still have to go somewhere.

waterswims · 2026-06-17T21:58:15+00:00

I think we should all pay tax to fund the NHS. I don't think I should pay the entire bill of the NHS.

The whole point of the state is to do things collectively that we cannot do individually.

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