The All Things Political Topic - Ninety percent of the politicians give the other ten percent a bad reputation

[BruceVC]

Liz Truss has just resigned, I told you guys it was a mistake getting rid of Boris Johnson

https://news.yahoo.com/liz-truss-resigns-prime-minister-123645021.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall

 

[Gfted1]

*Yakety Sax plays*

[majestic]

Looks like the lettuce won! Well done, lettuce!

Link-repost (probably):

[Pidesco]

A general election should obviously be called. I imagine the Tories will hold on to power, regardless.

[Malcador]

39 minutes ago, Pidesco said:

A general election should obviously be called. I imagine the Tories will hold on to power, regardless.

Think Sunak will get a go.

 

Edited October 20, 2022 by Malcador

[majestic]

On 10/19/2022 at 2:28 AM, Gorth said:

Are you sure it's Austria and not Australia?

Luckily we got rid of our right wing government not that long ago (making the world just a little bit of a better place)

Yesterday, Kurz released a transcript of a phone call he had with Schmid two weeks after the police raids on the ÖVP's party headquarter. A call Kurz apparently recorded, where he asked Schmid what is going on and repeatedly states how he does not even know what the case is they are trying to make against him, and that he never, really never ordered anything untoward (he all but says pinky swear), and Schmid agrees.

They both try to cast blame on their press agents and consulters. Apparently Kurz thinks this proves his innocence, because if he was the mastermind behind illegal financing of manipulated polls, he would not have to ask these questions, right?

Right. Criminals of the world, take heed, this is the best line of defense ever. Can't wait for copycats trying to say that they cannot possibly have robbed the jewelry store even when caught with the jewelry because they called their mother and asked about the theft later.

[Bartimaeus]

1 hour ago, majestic said:

Looks like the lettuce won! Well done, lettuce!

She did serve more heads of state than anyone since Churchill, though.

[Pidesco]

13 minutes ago, Bartimaeus said:

She did serve more heads of state than anyone since Churchill, though.

But less than a head of lettuce.

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

1 hour ago, majestic said:

Looks like the lettuce won! Well done, lettuce!

Link-repost (probably):

"Truss licked by the lettuce" is the best political headline in history.

28 minutes ago, majestic said:

Yesterday, Kurz released a transcript of a phone call he had with Schmid two weeks after the police raids on the ÖVP's party headquarter. A call Kurz apparently recorded, where he asked Schmid what is going on and repeatedly states how he does not even know what the case is they are trying to make against him, and that he never, really never ordered anything untoward (he all but says pinky swear), and Schmid agrees.

They both try to cast blame on their press agents and consulters. Apparently Kurz thinks this proves his innocence, because if he was the mastermind behind illegal financing of manipulated polls, he would not have to ask these questions, right?

Right. Criminals of the world, take heed, this is the best line of defense ever. Can't wait for copycats trying to say that they cannot possibly have robbed the jewelry store even when caught with the jewelry because they called their mother and asked about the theft later.

I can't find it right now, but I recall hearing Alan Dershowitz claiming he couldn't have raped two of the girls Epstein trafficked because he always wears glasses during sex. I think that may give the Kurz defense a run for its money.

Somewhat off-topic, during google-fu for the glasses quote I did find out that Dershowitz has been obsessed with protecting men accused with rape (structurally, not just ss a lawyer) since before I was born, as well as wanting to get rid of statutory rape and not charge Johns who hire a sex worker (the sex worker themselves should get charged of course, because LAW AND ORDER). Is there any term to describe the phenomenon where the more you learn the worse it is?

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

https://www.themarshallproject.org/2022/10/18/does-your-sheriff-think-he-s-more-powerful-than-the-president

I wonder how much the 40% of sheriffs who believe they have supreme authority overlaps with the 40% of cops who beat their wives?

[majestic]

107.56%

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

2 minutes ago, majestic said:

107.56%

You naughty

[Raithe]

[Raithe]

[Malcador]

Voronezh and Rostov are safe once more.

 

Edited October 20, 2022 by Malcador

[Lexx]

****ing hell, our government wants to sell parts of our harbor in Hamburg to China. I can't believe this crap. They have learned NOTHING at all.

https://www-tagesschau-de.translate.goog/investigativ/ndr/kanzleramt-china-hamburg-hafen-101.html?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-US&_x_tr_pto=wapp

[Gorth]

16 minutes ago, Lexx said:

****ing hell, our government wants to sell parts of our harbor in Hamburg to China. I can't believe this crap. They have learned NOTHING at all.

https://www-tagesschau-de.translate.goog/investigativ/ndr/kanzleramt-china-hamburg-hafen-101.html?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-US&_x_tr_pto=wapp

Heh, that sounds like when the Scott Morrison government sold out and handed over the strategically important Darwin harbour (in he Northern Territories) to China for some cool cash in his pockets in return... who cares about national interests and security when then there is an opportunity to line your pockets???

 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-05-07/darwin-port-lease-china/101040810

 

[Raithe]

[Raithe]

On 10/20/2022 at 7:34 PM, Malcador said:

Voronezh and Rostov are safe once more.

 

You missed the rest of it...

[BruceVC]

13 hours ago, Lexx said:

****ing hell, our government wants to sell parts of our harbor in Hamburg to China. I can't believe this crap. They have learned NOTHING at all.

https://www-tagesschau-de.translate.goog/investigativ/ndr/kanzleramt-china-hamburg-hafen-101.html?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-US&_x_tr_pto=wapp

Lexx Im very concerned about this, very concerned

Where do you stay in Germany and what  are your plans to protest? I imagine there are federal\chancellery  buildings near you, thats a good place to start?

It look likes its being blocked on the local level but trust me you dont want the Chinese starting to own any public sector assets. They doing this in parts of Africa  and its always a disaster for local people 

 

 

[Raithe]

Edit: I don't think this is quite what they meant when they said "Kill the chicken, scare the monkey."

Edited October 22, 2022 by Raithe

[PK htiw klaw eriF]

 

[Gorth]

Maybe the way to save the UK is to get rid of parliament and re-introduce direct royal rule. Of course, they tried that 500 years ago and it backfired. For a decade the UK was not a democracy nor a monarchy but effectively a theocracy (Cromwell was a religious fanatic)

[Gromnir]

12 minutes ago, Gorth said:

Maybe the way to save the UK is to get rid of parliament and re-introduce direct royal rule. Of course, they tried that 500 years ago and it backfired. For a decade the UK was not a democracy nor a monarchy but effectively a theocracy (Cromwell was a religious fanatic)

"if Men were angels, no government would be necessary. if angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary. in framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and the next place, oblige it to control itself." -- James Madison, federalist papers 51

james missed something important. so long as political systems is managed or designed by humans, they is gonna have fails. recognizing people is flawed, to then have decisions made by humans or a construct designed by humans is gonna result in fails. plato's philosopher king is kinda swell, but if you got a system with power centralized in a single person, then is inevitable persons who wish for power and is less altruistic than plato envisions is gonna manage to become king at some point in near or distant future... and then what?

*shrug*

the whole point o' us Constitutional representative democracy (or whatever) is to put systemic limits on power. unfortunate, the current office o' the President is so not what were designed in 1787. there is wisdom in the US Constitution rejection o' athenian democracy, but were also foolishness as many o' the limits on the Presidency were based on the notion the chief executive would be selected by an actual electoral college, resulting in a kinda philosopher king for an office which didn't have much power in 1787. contrary to founder expectations and ordinary notions o' human self interest, Congress voluntarily abdicated power to the Chief Executive by drips and drabs over the intervening decades, and the President who were so not chosen by democratic process became the one national office every american citizens casts a vote to elect. 

point is the plan for american "democracy" looked much different in 1787 and regardless, you gotta assume people is gonna be people, eventual mucking up even the best ideas. the founders, in their wisdom, did indeed assume the people were the fundamental flaw in their design, but they foolish believed they had accounted for stoopidity and greed. fools.

if a system is designed by people to govern people, it is already broken. just is. need accept that fact and recognize that inherent flawed and broken is nevertheless better than state of nature... but am thing this is the point where Gromnir and @Gorthfundamental diverge. in the absence o' a system, greedy, cruel and the multitude o' ordinary frightened people will band together for protection or power and even in the unlikely event their collective motives is benign, perhaps the next people controlling the group will be less altruistic. 

as an aside, clarence thomas granting a stay for lindsey graham were not a complete shock and is not some kinda indication lindsey is gonna weasel out o' testifying.  however, it does indicate there is likely no unanimous SCOTUS opinion on the issue.  we should know more by the end o' the week. 

HA! Good Fun!

 

[Raithe]