England: 10 years to save the Lettuce

That’s putting it mildly I would think

1 Like

Heading to London in June for a one week vacation with the family. Booked tickets early to get a good deal but have also bought insurance in case the whole thing goes up in flames.

Their Labour Party is pushing pretty far left, so much so that the Tories could even get back in.

And they demand total and slavish adherence to the Party, which is the misgiving I have about some parts of the ALP. It’s something that I personally can’t bring myself to do, and why I’m feeling disenfranchised.

Libs - disgusting
Nats - disgusting
PHON - even more disgusting
Greens - some of their branches, see Batman, pretty disgusting
Clive Palmer - ■■■■ off, you’re not serious are you? Pay your debts, you ■■■■■■■ criminal.
Bible-Bashers, or whatever Bernardi calls them - ■■■■ off just as far.
Labor - best of a bad lot at the moment, but I suspect the CFMEU are going to get their way and Adani will go ahead.

But the first thing that needs to change is that the IPA and Newscorp need to be declared terrorist organisation and all their members (IPA) and editorial staff (Newscorp) sent to Manus ASAP.

3 Likes

Look on the bright side. When the pound collapses if they do a no-deal Brexit, it will suddenly be an awful lot cheaper to visit there.

Of course, since I’ve still got some money in the UK in pounds, that won’t really help me. :frowning:

1 Like

I’d get them out quickly if I were you. It’s already slipped quite a ways since this shitt began and predictions I’ve seen says the Economy will slip even further regardless of outcome, the type of which will do no more than determine how much.

Far left is nationalising the means of production, not on British Labour agenda at all, not even a goal of Corbyn. Labour is talking about taking back some things like British Rail and things privatised, but I reckon that would even get good support here.

What don’t you understand ? As an ALP member you can hold and argue whatever view you like, it is a democratic organisation. However if you seek pre-selection, you have to pledge to follow all Labor Policy unless the Parliamentary Leader gives you a conscience vote. Seems very fair to me, and cannot understand how this disenfranchises you.

I suspect Adani will not go ahead, however CFMEU are looking out for their Members and support job creation. They have put a lot of provisions to Adani in terms of a workplace agreement. Adani has agreed, except they have a poor record of keeping promises. Never make an enemy of CFMEU.

Good on you, Bacchus. My party, right or wrong!!

1 Like

GBP to AUD is in a much better place than it was late last year. It’s been up and down since the referendum but hasn’t slipped that much

1 Like

I’m pretty much with Noonan. Who is there among this sorry lot who you’d actually want to vote for? No-one that I can see.

As for Brexit, it’s much the same. No sane person could support the EU in its current form, with a bloated, corrupt Parliament and bureaucracy in Brussels; but leaving it, and trying to survive in the current world is not a real option either.

The idea of the EU is wonderful. And it’s led to 64 years of peace in a continent that had been at war constantly for centuries. But there’s so much imperfection in practice that it’s simple to see why Leave won the popular vote.

I don’t know what the answer is. Maybe a no-deal Brexit would be best, and would lead to Brussels eliminating most of its most egregious faults and enticing Britain to return.

The perfect solution would be for the EU to pull itself on to a proper footing and for the UK to decide to stay in. Unfortunately it’s impossible to see that happening.

1 Like

Go ahead and continue justifying voting for Liberals with your anti-Labor brain.

And the EU Parliament in Brussels is corrupt huh ?

You really have no idea about politics anywhere do you.

3 Likes

Is this anything more than absolute arrogance on the part of Brits?

3 Likes

This is exactly the sort of thinking that led to the Brexit road.

Not sure how you generated that opinion there, even though you’re alluding to Shelton.

I’ve certainly come to terms with voting Labor. I’d find it impossible to vote for any other major party at this election. Independent still a show for first preference.

1 Like

John Oliver was hilarious last night, especially on the approaching catastrophe of Brexit.

Figured they might have the bit, but they’ve actually got the whole Ep up on U2B, … :thinking:

Watch it while it lasts.

1 Like

Nobody liked what I said.

But is there anyone who will advance the proposition that the EU in its current form doesn’t have serious, fundamental problems?

1 Like

Hell no, the EU has all sorts of problems. I don’t think anybody’s claimed otherwise.

But the problems that the UK will bring upon themselves by leaving are orders of magnitude worse. Starting with the gutting of the agricultural, manufacturing, and financial sectors, proceeding to the destruction of the Good Friday Agreement and the real likelihood of a return to violence in Northern Ireland, and continuing on from there.

What do you think they are.?

1 Like

Shackled to a Euro which is a disaster for the weaker economies in the Union. Profoundly compromised economically because they allowed in basket-case economies (like Greece) which everyone knew didn’t meet the joining standards in the name of unity and cooperation. Unable to meaningfully address the growth of anti-democratic regimes within their own borders because they were too shy to do it when there was only one (Hungary) and now there’s several, they can protect each other by vetoing measures against the others. Corrupt to a dizzying degree, largely because the European parliament is seen as a media circus or toy parliament by most serious media outlets, who therefore don’t do investigative journalism into it. Breaking down under the stress of arguments about refugee intakes from Syria and sub-Saharan Africa. Still struggling to close a yawning cultural gap between the ex-Communist states and the rest.

The EU has massive problems. But it has massive benefits too, ESPECIALLY for the bigger, stronger states like the UK. Brexit is based on the fantasy that the UK can retain all the benefits of EU membership while opting out of all the bad (or even just inconvenient or unpopular) stuff.

1 Like

What HM said.

The EU Parliament has very limited powers and cannot initiate legislation. The real power rests with the EU Council, comprised of EU Menber State Ministers with weighted voting. Legislation is developed by Member States through the Commmision system, again with weighted voting.
.The EU cannot eliminate corruption but can contain many elements, which a Member State could not achieve on its own… EU Competition Policy is a a majorachievement at the economic and social level, the envy of the ACCC.
If the former East Europe and former Yugoslav countries had not been brought into the EU, with certain democratic conditions attached, Europe would have been an utter mess .
It’s all too easy for Member State Governments to blame it on Brussels, just as the UK has done to cover up the regional economic and social disparities - which rest at the feet of the UK, not Brussels.

5 Likes