andyscripture.bsky.social
Rugby, F1, playing guitar and choral singing (yes, really). Proud husband, dad and granddad, happily retired and living in Spain.
330 posts
47 followers
48 following
Discussion Master
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He's definitely an oddball, but he's a terrific gardener
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Will this be used as a pretext for further military deployment in (Democratic) cities? Martial law creeps ever closer, and next year's elections recede into the distance
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I understand and agree with your point, but my take on the article (FWIW) is that it's more a warning to the British, because Reform and Farage are following the same playbook, which would result in absolute catastrophe in the UK.
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Daft. Sue TW for the money, name and shame those receiving the bonuses and ban them from being part of any future public sector contract (a career ender), and depending on the timings etc, consider action against TW execs for Contempt of Parliament or common law fraud.
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2 out of the 3 players selected in a pivotal position are now doubtful and the 3rd isn't yet available. There aren't many high-quality tightheads around anyway, and the replacements are very young and inexperienced. Crisis? If it puts victory in serious doubt - which it does - yes, it could be.
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From this side of the pond it seems that Wayne LaPierre and his 2A acolytes have missed what's going on. Either that, or they were lying all along about why they feel the need to prioritise owning assault weapons over the safety of their children.
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Recently retired public sector procurement specialist here. This is the clearest explanation you could possibly wish for of the actual system vs the asinine nonsense trotted out by Reform. Sadly, many people will believe the easy lies that seek to understand the complex truth.
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I appear to have been misidentifying myself for many years. Who do I tell and what is the penalty likely to be? Will my passport be confiscated? Still, I was lucky - I emigrated before I could be deported. Although where I'd be deported to, I don't know.
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Given that the last people to do NS will now be in their mid- to late 80s, one wonders from where these 'informed' opinions come. A stupid, expensive, unworkable idea with no apparent upsides. As an aside, my son is in the military and they oppose the idea with a passion.
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The call for nationalisation works on ideological grounds only. It would cost a fortune and simply bail out the shareholders. Let TW fail, and the result is de facto nationalisation at no purchase cost. Why buy today what you can take tomorrow?
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It's more positive than that, if used properly. I've used it to engage traditionally 'left behind' groups and tapped into some serious talent. I wouldn't know how to quantify the benefits properly, but it made a massive difference to my business.
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Even discounting the obvious advantages of EDI initiatives, if it's simply put into crude financial terms, they save millions in potential legal actions against the Civil Service. Obvs there will be those who say that such actions shouldn't be allowed anyway, but that isn't worth discussing, imho.
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He said what he would do. His record also made it clear. Anyone who was watching could see it coming.
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Yes, but at least your call is important to them
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If true, should be some serious prison time. However, I well remember Matrix Churchill
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18 months. So Ukraine are playing chess while Putin and Trump are playing draughts. No, I know that people's lives aren't a game, but you get the drift.
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I meant "they" to be the rump of Trump supporters. I get the feeling that the Trump culters far outnumber those who are simply far right and not concerned about the figurehead, provided s/he delivers. I think the latter are way more dangerous, but do they have the powers? (Incl Congress)
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Would they really prefer Vance? It would be the equivalent of the King's brother deposing and replacing him. I don't think that the framers could ever have envisaged the situation in which the US finds itself.
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Yes on both counts, and I don't know why. By pretty much all objective measures, the UK is worse off. I saw it from within, and have since emigrated into the EU, where I can see the damage from the other side.
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Given that the UK was a net contributor to the EU, and Hungary is a net beneficiary, and given the disaster that Brexit has been, I wonder how the Hungarian people think that 'Hexit' might pan out?
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👏👏👏
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Where do you even begin: if someone was a vile fool as an MP, why would anyone want to employ them? Also, very naive to think that party donors would employ someone who couldn't provide the influence they want. And why do you imagine the job market is difficult? They need to own all of this. FAFO.
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Neither Escape to Victory nor Objective Burma! seem to be on the list.
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Since the Brexit vote, for which Lincs was strongly in favour, Lincs has become the 4th most deprived area in Europe. They were doing very nicely before that. Now they've gone for the Brexit proponents again. How do we think that will pan out?
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Partly a bit of fun, but partly a genuine question - what do you think that future generations might call the governments of Callaghan, Johnson and Truss?
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I would agree, but the issue is how to do that without falling into the same trap of offering simplistic and quick supposed solutions to complex, long-term and often structural problems. I have no idea but hope that Starmer has.
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This whole thing suggests several things to me:
1.People are suffering and desperate
2.They will grab hold of anything that sounds like an improvement
3.They will still opt for the easy answer, despite what experience tells them
4.Bad times are coming as a result
5.Gov't can address all this
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👏👏👏
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I can't imagine what possessed you as a nation to do this, but the idea that you are owed some kind of rescue is US exceptionalism writ large. I will happily help individuals, but as a nation, you'll have to address this yourselves. 3/n
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70m+ voted for Trump, so even if the election was rigged, that's a lot of people. Your people. Change their minds before asking elsewhere. You have elected a king. I think it's horrific, and wish you hadn't, but you have. The Republic is dying, and an empire is growing in its place.
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A few points: the US has certainly helped the rest of the world, but not altruistically. They have always ensured that they are advantaged - nothing wrong with that, but bear it in mind. The US is easily capable of removing Trump, but chooses not to, so why ask others to do so? 1/n
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Bread and circuses...
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I live in Spain. My wife is on 6 different types of medication. Cost of being seen by the doctor: nil. Prescription costs: 10% of the full cost, ie €27 per month. We pay taxes for all that, and it works. There's a wealth tax here, too. That also works (and yes, I pay it, along with every homeowner).
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Would reducing UK tariffs on American cars make much difference? By and large they aren't a patch on other cars available (and tariffs probably don't impact much on sales of Cadillacs and other luxury cars) so are people likely to buy many more?
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Welcome to Gilead.
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By a country mile.
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When will MAGA people finally realise that a head of state who places himself above the law, ignores the courts and now imposes lese majeste is not a president, but a king?
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Also, the UK does the same to Russia, and for the same reason.
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And this is a surprise because?
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Hahahahahahaha
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I absolutely agree, and support what Carney and Scholz have said. But my question would be: is it better to speak out, knowing that the only consequence is to potentially impact national security (the first care of any government), or to steadily work with others to ameliorate the situation?
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in that it lacks the economic power to make a difference to the US - look at what happened when China challenged. The same would happen if the EU did the same. Thanks to Brexit, the UK is a toothless tiger.
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are in the same boat as Canada, with an existential threat from the USA. Appeasement by Starmer would be wholly wrong and, I believe, won't happen. However, grandstanding - which is what it would be - would be stupid, ineffective and counterproductive. In real terms, the UK is small and weak, 2/n
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The only EU country with nukes is France, but you misunderstand me: the reliance is not on the US to protect the UK (of course they won't) but on maintenance and upgrades to the UK's nuclear weapons. Until that can be changed, Starmer has to tread carefully. Also, Panama and Greenland 1/n
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Worth remembering that Congress has the power to put a stop to this pretty much immediately. But won't.
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Pointless comparing Starmer to Carney or Scholz: the EU is powerful and can say what it does; Canada's problem is existential, so have to do what they're doing. The UK is small, alone and reliant on US for its nuclear deterrent. One size doesn't fit all and grandstanding would be counterproductive.
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He surrounds himself with ignorant sycophants and then takes their unqualified and uninformed "advice" ahead of people who know what they are talking about. A prime example is that of Laura Loomer.
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Not the article, the statement issued by the police.
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FWIW, my dad was American, I have many friends and family in the USA and have been there many, many times. I would not feel safe travelling there under the current junta.
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Can I suggest that posters here read the police statement before rushing to judgement.