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UKIP go from strength to strength
- Thread starter Quackers
- Start date
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useless
Social Justice Rogue
Farage showing his respects to the fallen.
I know this is some pages back but i have issues with the poppy appeal and the politicization of it; standing in front of poppies, wearing one etc doesn't make you any more or less patriotic.
It leaves a bitter taste in my mouth, and the people fawning over the display in London seem to forget that there soldiers, right here, right now that need our help. Donate to the poppy appeal all you want, it's okay i don't think it's a bad thing, but don't believe for a second appearing in front of it in a photo, or donating a pittance to it relieves you of your duty to agitate and campaign and to raise money for helping the soldiers and veterans of more current wars.
I'm speaking from personal experience, my family received no help, nothing, after my father tried from 20+ years in the army, after serving in Bosnia, Afghanistan and Iraq. Nothing at all, we were close to being made homeless and it was by sheer luck we avoided that.
Borachio
Way past lunacy
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2012
- Messages
- 26,698
It is about WW1.
Apparently, all that shelling churned up the ground so much that poppies flowered all over the place. (It's a feature of poppies that it germinates best in newly disturbed ground.)
So, the poppy became a metaphor, and memento, for all the killed soldiers. And, being conveniently red, a symbol for shed blood.
I never buy one these days. I just tell them I'm a pacifist. Not that I don't have sympathy for veterans. But, for me, it's not just a "celebration" of killed soldiers but also for soldiers who killed.
And I don't know why Britain entered WW1 at all. Something to do with imperialism, I think. Probably.
Apparently, all that shelling churned up the ground so much that poppies flowered all over the place. (It's a feature of poppies that it germinates best in newly disturbed ground.)
So, the poppy became a metaphor, and memento, for all the killed soldiers. And, being conveniently red, a symbol for shed blood.
I never buy one these days. I just tell them I'm a pacifist. Not that I don't have sympathy for veterans. But, for me, it's not just a "celebration" of killed soldiers but also for soldiers who killed.
And I don't know why Britain entered WW1 at all. Something to do with imperialism, I think. Probably.
gay_Aleks
from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!
But isn't the USA essentially a larger UK, with other Western European elements in it?
KevinLancaster
Prince
You guys dug up a document from the 1840s about protecting the independence of Belgium so you could help beat up the Germans.
gay_Aleks
from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!
Also; the Triple Entente, among other things.
Borachio
Way past lunacy
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2012
- Messages
- 26,698
No.
I think there's an intrinsic difference in mindset between the US and the UK.
The American Dream, and all that, is a real thing. The Puritans went to America in order to be able to pursue their own religion, didn't they?
So, grossly simplifying, the US is about rugged individualism, and pioneering, and the UK is about timid conformity and atheism.
Blah, blah, something guns something. Also the BBC and public broadcasting.
Traitorfish
The Tighnahulish Kid
Yeah, that doesn't reflect well on the British Muslim community. I mean, it's the twenty-first century, who offs their monarch by stabbing? You shoot them, maybe throw a bomb into their carriage, you don't go waving a knife around like it's the 14th century. If Muslims can't keep up with modern Western methods of regicide, you really have to question how serious they are about integrating into our society.
Quackers
The Frog
Miliband is in a difficult situation. Apparently 1/5 of his shadow ministers are in revolt, they claim if Alan Johnson indicates his intention to become shadow PM they will act. Simon Danczuk MP has openly stated Miliband isn't up to the job.
The wheels of discontent are whirring.This is a big test for ED.
The wheels of discontent are whirring.This is a big test for ED.
"Simon Danczuk"?
Now i have to look for a pic of the holder of such a name
edit: hm, he looks normal/normalish. How is that even possible with one with this name?
Quackers
The Frog
"Simon Danczuk"?
Now i have to look for a pic of the holder of such a name
edit: hm, he looks normal/normalish. How is that even possible with one with this name?
The consequences of British multiculturalism
I saw him on some political/light entertainment panel show once. 9/10s charisma and the rest was fluff. He has been an MP since 2010, so he is a complete noobie. He has bollocks though, he is taking an almighty gamble. If Miliband is felled he suddenly becomes a champion of the usurper faction. If not, he will likely be deselected for 2015 and will be back in his day job
I think he will fail. If Alan Johnson is the hope of the revolting faction that's a bad thing. Johnson was the shadow chancellor for a year but was proven to be a bit of a "lightweight". The choices Labour make in the next few weeks will have a big effect on the future political landscape. Cameron and Osborne must be rubbing their hands in glee...
Quackers
The Frog
Miliband's image is definitely a factor in his poor personal ratings. You can probably add uncertain policies to the mix. He has pledged certain actions back in 2011/12/13 but those have completely failed to capture the public's imagination and many of these have appeared to be forgotten.
Despite being a political opponent of Mr Miliband I think he has been underrated for most of his time in charge of the Labour Party. I think the press have given him bad reviews despite the evidence. I think he does very well in PMQs. He is suffering from the same forces Gordon Brown was exposed to, a brutal, spiteful press.
If you look at the polls Labour have been ahead for most of Cameron's tenure up till now.
Despite being a political opponent of Mr Miliband I think he has been underrated for most of his time in charge of the Labour Party. I think the press have given him bad reviews despite the evidence. I think he does very well in PMQs. He is suffering from the same forces Gordon Brown was exposed to, a brutal, spiteful press.
If you look at the polls Labour have been ahead for most of Cameron's tenure up till now.
Traitorfish
The Tighnahulish Kid
Thing is, though, this pissweak revolt just demonstrates how pointless the Labour Party has become. Milliband isn't a lame duck because he lost the party's traditional heartland to the secessionist, not because his party offers the same austerity program as their opponents, not because he continues to hack away at workers' rights as if the word "Labour" wasn't written into his goddam contract, not because he's sided with the Tories on every fundamental point, no: it's because he's "not a personality".
It's all a bad joke.
Quackers
The Frog
To be fair there is a huge movement in the Labour party and leftists in general which considers New Labour and its adherents (Miliband) as no better than the Tories. It just hasn't brought forward a viable candidate yet. They just need to convince the parties base to elect a leader whom is uninfected by Blairite New Labour. How about John Cruddas? Probably the only Labour man I might consider voting for
Traitorfish
The Tighnahulish Kid
They needs to get the hell out of the Labour Party, is what they need. There is simply no amount of voltage that will revive the corpse of parliamentary socialism.
Quackers
The Frog
Than you should vote Greens Big T.
It is the era of the small parties. In the 1950 general election Labour and the Conservatives managed 86.1% of the electorate between them. In 2010 the same parties managed 75.1%. The trend is clear, lets make that difference even greater for 2015
It is the era of the small parties. In the 1950 general election Labour and the Conservatives managed 86.1% of the electorate between them. In 2010 the same parties managed 75.1%. The trend is clear, lets make that difference even greater for 2015
Traitorfish
The Tighnahulish Kid
The Greens are preferable, but little more than that. When they took over Brighton council, the first thing they did was start attacking public sector pay. Not because they're bad people, but because the logic of state and capital forced them into that position; good intentions do not place you outside and above capitalism. They're a balm for the weary soul, but they're not any kind of solution.
Hypocrisy
I'm going to make up a news story about Muslim terrorists and watch it spread through the media landscape.
Ideas guys?
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