What is going on in the UK?

[EnglishEdward]

Yes; it is interesting to note Sir Keir Starmer's moral migration over the years.

By the way, I am not against the arrest of protesters in many cases where
they break the law, but I consider that the sentences given are disproportionate.

 

[Cloud_Strife]

What morals? The dude's an empty vessal. He has no actual beliefs

 

[Samson]

Flaggers’ mask slips as fascists and nazis take centre stage

“Don’t you dare call us fascists. We’re just ordinary folk worried about our women and kids.”

It’s the familiar refrain from the groups of self-styled “patriots,” “anti-groomers,” and flag-wavers who have sprung up in towns across the country. Yet this weekend revealed just how hollow that claim has become, as open fascists and neo-Nazis moved from the margins to centre stage at two of the yesterday’s largest demonstrations.

No accident

In Kent, now a hub of flagger activity, Britain First leader Paul Golding appeared as the guest speaker at a rally in Faversham. His involvement was no accident.

Golding announced on his X feed that he had actually been invited to speak, and recent photographs show him drinking in a Dartford pub with two key Kent Flagger organisers, Harry Hilden and Jodi Scott (also known as Goodban or Missuskent). The connections are neither incidental nor new.

Meanwhile, in Wolverhampton, flaggers assembled before a huge Patriotic Alternative banner, prominently displayed directly in front of the main “Raise the Colours” flag.

The symbolism was unmistakable.

And in Bristol, where a tiny group of of just over 40 ‘Bristol Patriots’ were seen off by a sizeable demonstration of anti-fascists, the ‘patriots’ assembled under the banner of UKIP, whose leader Nick Tenconi was very unhappy with the way events panned out.

The far-right fingerprints have been visible since the first wave of flags began appearing in towns and neighbourhoods.

Known fascists

Known fascist activists were among the earliest organisers, and Britain First has openly boasted of donating hundreds of flags to the campaign.

And Homeland Party activists were at the heart of the Epping protests and at disturbances in Nuneaton.

Despite the loud insistence that these demonstrations reflect the concerns of “ordinary people,” the events of the weekend underline a stark truth: the far right is not merely lurking at the edges of this movement – it is increasingly shaping and guiding it.

 

[EnglishEdward]

There is to my mind a distinction between: those who merely wish to fly the flag
on their own property, and those who want to fly it on other peoples' property.

When driving the wife to work, I'd pass a front garden where the occupant
alternated between flying the Norfolk, England and UK flags.

That meets my approval.

 

[danjuno]

Fascists and miscellaneous reactionaries wrapping themselves in the flag is nothing new.

 

[Broken_Erika]

School bans singing of KPop Demon Hunters songs​

A school has banned the singing of songs from hit Netflix film KPop Demon Hunters over concerns they are not in keeping with its "Christian ethos".

Lilliput Church of England Infant School in Poole, Dorset, sent a message to parents on Friday saying some members of the community are "deeply uncomfortable" with references to demons.

It said this was because they "associate them with spiritual forces opposed to God and goodness".

In an update on Monday, head teacher Lloyd Allington said he had since received feedback from parents, highlighting positive messages from the songs, but said the school was seeking to support those who found the themes "challenging".
KPop Demon Hunters became Netflix's most viewed film ever in August and follows the adventures of fictional K-pop girl band Huntr/x as its three members use their music and fighting skills to protect humans from demons.

It also features a rival group made up of five demons called the Saja Boys, whose song lyrics cover themes including temptation and seduction.

In the initial message sent to parents, the school asked them to encourage their children "not to sing these songs at school out of respect for those who find the themes at odds with their faith".

But one parent told the BBC: "I thought it was ridiculous. My daughter is very into K-pop and her and all of her little friends love it."

He said they did performances at after-school clubs.

"It's just a harmless, a nice little thing for them to do to get their confidence up," he said.

He describes himself as an atheist and said it felt like "a bit of an imposition and probably a bit unfair and silly".

He said nothing like this had happened before and praised the school in general, but felt it had been put under pressure to make the change.

In Monday's update, head Mr Allington said the school had received feedback from parents who said songs - such as 10-week UK number one single Golden - had helped their children learn about teamwork, courage and kindness.

He continued: "While we fully respect your right to make choices about the content your child engages with at home, we also want to be mindful of the diversity of beliefs within our school community.

"For some Christians, references to demons can feel deeply uncomfortable because they associate them with spiritual forces opposed to God and goodness."

He added: "We are not asking parents to tell their children that there is anything wrong with enjoying the film or its songs if it aligns with your own views and beliefs...

"Our role will simply be to help children understand that some of their peers may hold different views and to explore how we can respect and support those peers in upholding their faith."
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ceq03r3z2eqo

 

[EnglishEdward]

Well listening to this:

has wasted 4 minutes of my life.

 

[Samson]

Well listening to this:

has wasted 4 minutes of my life.

Listening to music to discover that you are not into it is no more wasting your time than trying a new food that you discover you are not into. If we never did such things life would be boring.

 

[Cloud_Strife]

Well listening to this:

has wasted 4 minutes of my life.

would it be more interesting to you if they ranted about muslims, trans people or immigrants

 

[EnglishEdward]

@ Samson

Yes, but I didn't find any reference to demonism in that song, so I guess I wasted time listening to the wrong song.

Irrespective of the merits of the relevant song, I take a poor view of:

In the initial message sent to parents, the school asked them to encourage their children
"not to sing these songs at school out of respect for those who find the themes at odds with their faith".

because the teachers are at the school, the parents are not there, and so it is for the headteacher
to get his teachers to manage the children on the school premises without troubling the parents.

 

[Samson]

Asylum seekers’ jewellery could be seized to pay for processing costs, says Home Office minister

Asylum seekers could have jewellery or other valuables taken to pay for the costs of processing their cases, a Home Office minister has said, in another detail of changes to migration policy likely to cause concern among Labour MPs.

Expropriation

Forcing German Jews to hand over their valuables was a strategic move by the Nazi regime. After the items were sold, the proceeds went to the state. Municipal pawn shops paid Jewish owners by the gram for their precious metals, regardless of their artistic or historical value. The price they offered was equivalent to about 1/10 of the market price, minus a 10% administration fee. In other words, the Jewish owners received only a fraction of the real value of their possessions. Most items were melted down, but more expensive pieces were resold, and jewellery with artistic value was bought by museums at friendly prices. The Märkisches Museum bought about 132 kilos of valuables from the Zentralstelle des Reiches, where the highest-quality objects from all across Germany were stored.

 

[EnglishEdward]

It is hardly unexpected to me.

Sir Keir Starmer is a Remainer who takes the view that the UK should be doing whatever they do in the EU.

However I rather think that in this instance he is trying to copy contemporary Denmark rather than historic Germany.

 

[Arwon]

School bans singing of KPop Demon Hunters songs​

A school has banned the singing of songs from hit Netflix film KPop Demon Hunters over concerns they are not in keeping with its "Christian ethos".

Lilliput Church of England Infant School in Poole, Dorset, sent a message to parents on Friday saying some members of the community are "deeply uncomfortable" with references to demons.

It said this was because they "associate them with spiritual forces opposed to God and goodness".

In an update on Monday, head teacher Lloyd Allington said he had since received feedback from parents, highlighting positive messages from the songs, but said the school was seeking to support those who found the themes "challenging".
KPop Demon Hunters became Netflix's most viewed film ever in August and follows the adventures of fictional K-pop girl band Huntr/x as its three members use their music and fighting skills to protect humans from demons.

It also features a rival group made up of five demons called the Saja Boys, whose song lyrics cover themes including temptation and seduction.

In the initial message sent to parents, the school asked them to encourage their children "not to sing these songs at school out of respect for those who find the themes at odds with their faith".

But one parent told the BBC: "I thought it was ridiculous. My daughter is very into K-pop and her and all of her little friends love it."

He said they did performances at after-school clubs.

"It's just a harmless, a nice little thing for them to do to get their confidence up," he said.

He describes himself as an atheist and said it felt like "a bit of an imposition and probably a bit unfair and silly".

He said nothing like this had happened before and praised the school in general, but felt it had been put under pressure to make the change.

In Monday's update, head Mr Allington said the school had received feedback from parents who said songs - such as 10-week UK number one single Golden - had helped their children learn about teamwork, courage and kindness.

He continued: "While we fully respect your right to make choices about the content your child engages with at home, we also want to be mindful of the diversity of beliefs within our school community.

"For some Christians, references to demons can feel deeply uncomfortable because they associate them with spiritual forces opposed to God and goodness."

He added: "We are not asking parents to tell their children that there is anything wrong with enjoying the film or its songs if it aligns with your own views and beliefs...

"Our role will simply be to help children understand that some of their peers may hold different views and to explore how we can respect and support those peers in upholding their faith."
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ceq03r3z2eqo

Lmao I just assumed this headline was in Alabama or something, not England

 

[Arwon]

Asylum seekers’ jewellery could be seized to pay for processing costs, says Home Office minister

Asylum seekers could have jewellery or other valuables taken to pay for the costs of processing their cases, a Home Office minister has said, in another detail of changes to migration policy likely to cause concern among Labour MPs.

Expropriation

Forcing German Jews to hand over their valuables was a strategic move by the Nazi regime. After the items were sold, the proceeds went to the state. Municipal pawn shops paid Jewish owners by the gram for their precious metals, regardless of their artistic or historical value. The price they offered was equivalent to about 1/10 of the market price, minus a 10% administration fee. In other words, the Jewish owners received only a fraction of the real value of their possessions. Most items were melted down, but more expensive pieces were resold, and jewellery with artistic value was bought by museums at friendly prices. The Märkisches Museum bought about 132 kilos of valuables from the Zentralstelle des Reiches, where the highest-quality objects from all across Germany were stored.

Man, our Labor Party are often super disappointing and bastardly, but this nazi stuff the English Labour Party keep doing is on a massively different level. Wild how different two parties with the same basic origin can be.

 

[danjuno]

It is hardly unexpected to me.

Sir Keir Starmer is a Remainer who takes the view that the UK should be doing whatever they do in the EU.

However I rather think that in this instance he is trying to copy contemporary Denmark rather than historic Germany.

So they loot refugee's valuable in Denmark? Sorry, confiscated.

Spoiler :

2:00

 

[Ordnael]

Having asylum seekers pay for their asylum is tantamount to "Nazi looting Jews before the concentration camp"!?

 

[Cloud_Strife]

The parallels are there: the desire to rid the nation of "undesirables", even going so far as to effectively rob them.

 

[Samson]

Having asylum seekers pay for their asylum is tantamount to "Nazi looting Jews before the concentration camp"!?

Actually the more I think about this I think the comparison is flawed.

Nazi looting Jews was in very large part an economic project, to remove economic power from the other that is being repressed and give it to the state. It represented a significant source of income to the state and wealth for the elite in that state as the most valuable items were diverted to personal collections.

There is no way that people coming here have jewellery worth anything that could be more that a rounding error in the budget of the migration enforcement authorities or the graft of the elite. It can have no other goal than the dehumanisation and punishment of the other, and giving the far right more confirmation that their ideas are accepted by the current administration.

 

[Cloud_Strife]

It's the dehumanizing of migrants/asylum seekers and the blaming of them for decades of deliberate government failings, all the while appeasing literal fascists.

Labor offers nothing but the continuation of neo liberalism, nevermind that they suck on trans issues and race

 

[Samson]

Another reason for the inhumanity of these laws? To pick a fight with the European Convention on Human Rights in the courts so they have something to talk about to the racists.

The legal and constitutional implications of the asylum white paper

Proposals for radical reform of the UK’s asylum system raise a number of legal and constitutional issues, with respect both to the European Convention on Human Rights and the domestic principle of the rule of law. A showdown with the courts, at either the domestic or European level, seems likely — but if the aim is to play the populist right at its own game, perhaps that is all part of the government’s cunning plan.

See the article for details, but these are the aspects of the law it seems to challenge:

• Removing obligations around destitution
• Reducing weight of private & family life
• Changing the threshold for inhumane & degrading treatment
• Shifting legal practice(s) on refugees