picklish

Just got one, not fully got my head round it, been making terrible russian drift phonk on it

He's a Tory. He's a centrist. He's an entryist. He's the establishment choice. He's all things to all men. He's a chameleon. He's the acceptable face of the left to middle England. He's a narc. He's a white Bill Clinton. He's an international man of mystery. He's a little Englander. I've occasionally thought that more devious and subversive techniques are required on the left in England to contend with Murdoch et al, but if anyone actually used them I wouldn't know how to recognise it. So while I think it's likely that he'll be a more plodding Cameron/Blair, with less arrogance and less vision, there remains a sliver of hope that his administration will introduce a few policies that will make life slightly less terrible than it currently is for people who are worse off than me. Let me write the battle bus slogan

Considering the vast distances of space, I'm leaning towards it being another species on our own planet who's dicking about in the flying saucers. Probably cephalopods knocking them up in the Mariana trench

From their mission statement Highest sustained growth in the G7. "Introducing clear fiscal rules with a new enhanced role for the Office of Budget Responsibility. " Not spending frivolously on The Poor's. Effectively austerity? "We will provide long-term, catalytic public investment to unlock private capital, and change regulations to remove barriers. We will make Britain the best place to start and grow a new business" i.e. sell public services / PFI and lower taxes for Amazon et al? "Making Brexit work by closing the holes in the government’s Brexit deal, cutting the red tape hampering some of our leading industries." Not clear what or how. Northern Ireland? Imports/Exports? other stuff seems reasonable, e.g. green prosperity, national wealth fund - but like many others, I think Starmer is almost as untrustworthy as Boris, and equally has no ideological beliefs, so I don't believe Labours positions aren't changeable, and that's before thinking about the execution of the plans

Is "you lot" Drakeford and Sarwar?

Labour fanboys who can't even bring themselves to admit it are the new shy Tories

There's no valid reasons for Russia invading. That's not the same as no reasons. Suggesting it's a solitary reason is also myopic, saying fear of NATO is as viable as the land grab. NATO isn't a club Russia can join. A lot of armchair generals on here seem to think that continuing the war indefinitely, or escalating it in order to push the Russians back to pre-2014 borders, is preferable to an uneasy truce, with a view to re-establishing these borders through political means. But that there's such existential danger by doing this is routinely ignored, the realpolitik is dismissed, and the sabre rattling continues

What are the alternatives to de-escalation? What are the likely outcomes? Russia gets forced back and becomes increasingly desperate, perhaps contemplates using nukes? Or Putin is removed and they completely capitulate? The West loses the will to continue supplying Ukraine and Russia advances? There's a sort of stalemate, where peace talks leave parts of Ukraine in Russian hands, and political will continues to try to get these returned, post Putin? Feels like only de-escalation is reasonable, if not now then when?

Hopefully this will signal boost my manifesto promise to abolish (it will be worded 'illegalise') banks and replace them with credit unions

Fullupsgoalsfield Nah I can't make it work

Jack Ross and Jim Goodwin jobshare

tbh I read it all for some reason and I don't /think/ I'm the void

The flip side of the mythical positive case for the union - the negative case for indy

Cheers for the link, that's the kind of thing I'm looking for. I see Indy as bottom-up anyway, so there's the responsibility of the grassroots to try force these ideas into the public sphere, when the govt won't re: detailed plans - I know that UKGov won't publish anything of the sort - but do you think that the Scottish govt should equally not do? I can see benefits to pointing out that UKgov won't answer these, but I'm not sure how it would convince soft no's if the Scottish govt don't do the same.

Right, but I mean just now, with the specific questions that are brought up by soft no's and don't knows, which writers give good, rational, answers that I can read? Not things from 9 years ago - but just now. We're post Brexit, post COVID, face multiple changes to our way of work, like working from home and increased automation, and have a European war happening - things have changed, we need better responses and a stronger vision. I agree the SNP leadership don't provide it. But who does?