Sky Blue Pete
Well-Known Member
Oh dear
Oh dear„A former Ukip activist who is partnering with Nigel Farage in launching a new pro-Brexit political party has argued crime and fatherlessness among black men are due to high testosterone levels, and suggested their lower academic achievement could have a biological basis.
Catherine Blaiklock has also expressed concern about “Muslim enclaves” and said food banks should be abolished as they create a “dependent, obese population”.“
The solution to food banks......
Stats are fine when used appropriately but naturally politicians are adept at cherry picking. I always think the modal average would be a fairer reflection of earnings than the mean which is skewed by a few billionaires pushing up the value. What do most people earn. One knock on effect of low wages is that the treasury is receiving less income tax from an increasing pool of low wage earners, the very welcome IT free threshold of nearly £12000 - [a Lib Dem policy] must be revealing the extent of this to a government in denial.They are bollocks based on the simple notion that figures have been omitted, manipulated and in some cases the measures changed in order to tell a story.... the very definition of statistics.
Take the employment/unemployment figure. Someone who works 1 hour a week in a zero-contract job is classed as 'employed' - so they come off the unemployment figure. We all know that this is not viable to earn enough money to feed, house and cloth an individual never mind a family. But we get the government parroting this as a success. It's a shambles, and certainly not a positive we should be talking up as it completely fabricated. As I already mentioned the fact that many food bank users are in 'employment' tells us there is something seriously wrong.
Wage growth - again clever manipulation makes this look like a positive, but for almost everyone involved it is not applicable. The figure includes bonuses - bankers bonuses are included to deliberately inflate the figure!Public sector wages have stagnated (going backwards in real term earnings) as well as coupled with a high proportion of low paid jobs (see zero-contract jobs again) and the reality is pretty grim.... unless of course you are already earning in excess of six-figures.
Maybe if we started to measure the 'wealth' of our society based on the number of homeless people, the number of food bank users, or even the number of former veterans that sleep on the streets we'd have a bit more perspective about what should and shouldn't be celebrated.
They are bollocks based on the simple notion that figures have been omitted, manipulated and in some cases the measures changed in order to tell a story.... the very definition of statistics.
Take the employment/unemployment figure. Someone who works 1 hour a week in a zero-contract job is classed as 'employed' - so they come off the unemployment figure. We all know that this is not viable to earn enough money to feed, house and cloth an individual never mind a family. But we get the government parroting this as a success. It's a shambles, and certainly not a positive we should be talking up as it completely fabricated. As I already mentioned the fact that many food bank users are in 'employment' tells us there is something seriously wrong.
Wage growth - again clever manipulation makes this look like a positive, but for almost everyone involved it is not applicable. The figure includes bonuses - bankers bonuses are included to deliberately inflate the figure!Public sector wages have stagnated (going backwards in real term earnings) as well as coupled with a high proportion of low paid jobs (see zero-contract jobs again) and the reality is pretty grim.... unless of course you are already earning in excess of six-figures.
Maybe if we started to measure the 'wealth' of our society based on the number of homeless people, the number of food bank users, or even the number of former veterans that sleep on the streets we'd have a bit more perspective about what should and shouldn't be celebrated.
I agree that there is good news in that respect. My worry is what will it look like in around 2 years.
Don’t disagree. They say that employment figures often lag behind the economy, however, considering the massive uncertainty over the last couple of years, it’s still positive
Don’t disagree. They say that employment figures often lag behind the economy, however, considering the massive uncertainty over the last couple of years, it’s still positive
Is this thread a mycrocosm (spelling) of society where aggressiveness is pervasive and becoming the norm
I love self deprecation lolIt's a bunch of saddos with nothing better to do, myself included.
I find it disgraceful that we have any homeless on our streets, especially veterans who have served their country.
I also agree that inequality in wages between the richest and poorest in society needs addressing because it’s scandalous.
However, you have just spouted a load of nonsense about the recent data I was quoting. The comparisons on jobs numbers being quoted in the press indicate that the increase in employment has been almost solely due to full time appointments (360000 quarterly year on year comparison from memory). In relation to the last quarter recorded 75% were full time jobs.
The wage growth figures quoted based on salary’s excluding bonuses is 3.3% !
I’m all for reasoned debate and people challenging arguments or putting forward alternative viewpoints but I can’t stand people lying to contradict/rubbish what someone with an opposing view has to say.
I wasn’t saying the whole world is wonderful, I was saying there is some good news out there if you’re willing to accept it.
Ps i don’t buy into this class war stuff...mentioning public sector workers and someone on a six figure salary in the same paragraph ?! That same person is paying (at least) tens of thousands in taxes, which goes towards keeping all our public sector services going ? Have a go at the ridiculous multi million pound salaries the ftse ceo’s are taking home by all means, not those that probably working their arses off and making sacrifices to build a better life for themselves and their families
Rant over !
I love self deprecation lol
And even more revealing knowing most know more than some who are a part of the process of taking us out.That's all it is at the end of the day, people with no influence over what will happen trying to sound like experts. Though it is quite revealing seeing some of them repeating things which are objectively false0
I don't know which way to take this
Push for more generous EU no-deal offer
Good news as it shows some countries are worried about what will happen with a no deal and don't want things to change from the present. But it also tells those who would be happy with a no deal that they could get more.
And it seems that some countries are willing to try and make deals with us that are bot allowed because of regulations. That would make a mockery of us leaving.
To me there is only one answer. They should all get round a table and do what is best for all. After everything that has happened and everything we have been told we still have one of the strongest economies. There needs to be ties between us and the EU. We are running out of time. We need the chest beating to end.
Another referendum isn't needed. I still think it would cause the most harm. But the so called red lines and nothing else can be offered needs to be dropped. Then they can come to a sensible end of this shitstorm and do what is best for all.
And even more revealing knowing most know more than some who are a part of the process of taking us out.
I still think there is more chance of remaining in the EU than leaving without a deal. It is mainly a bunch of brainless nobodies championing leaving without a deal. And May knows she hasn't a chance of getting her crap through now.May’s red lines have gone a long way to ensure the situation is where it is now, I ultimately think she will end up doing a major u-turn/climb down and the EU offering some kind of concessions like the ones in the article
We’ve had Davis going on about doing individual trade deals with countries in the EU based upon the UK’s needs, his belief that there would be a transitional period in the event of no deal and Raab saying he didn’t know the importance of Dover - Calais.
It’s been a shocking state of affairs, the country would have been better off sending a contingency from here. Mart and Grendel as good cop bad cop routine maybe
The amount of politicians who can't grasp this simple concept is fucking frightening. They're either thick as mince or too bone idle to look into the ins and outs of one of the biggest political events for decades. Whichever it is it's embarrassing.
Isn’t he aclimate change denier also? Nice to see he’s making “informed” decisions.
Isn’t he aclimate change denier also? Nice to see he’s making “informed” decisions.
Most brexiteers are automatically climate deniers. They want pesky environmental regulations removed.
heard his name often but don't know a lot about him to be honest. Judging by this clip, he talks bollocks.
Most brexiteers are automatically climate deniers. They want pesky environmental regulations removed.
From...
Thread by @LBSProtect: "Given that @guyverhofstadt Guy Verhofstadt is gobbing off about what post-Brexit arrangements the European Parliament ("EP") will and will n […]"
Given that @guyverhofstadtGuy Verhofstadt is gobbing off about what post-Brexit arrangements the European Parliament ("EP") will and will not accept I thought I would do a thread about him.
In particular, where does he get his power?
What democratic mandate has he got?
Guy is a Member of the European Parliament ("MEP") and is the EP's spokesperson on Brexit.
He therefore speaks for around 500 million European people.
Let's see with what level of democratic legitimacy he speaks for 500 million people...
What you are about to see is typical EU democracy.
A hint of a vote here, a smattering of consent there, overall, just enough to make the system appear democratic to a casual observer.
But it's just a veneer of democracy hiding a deeply authoritarian reality.
Guy was not elected as an MEP.
The Belgians do not elect individuals in the EP elections; they vote for political parties.
Guy's political party is the Open Flemish Liberals & Democrats ("the OFLD").
The OFLD got 858,872 votes in the 2014 election.
Under the Belgian electoral college system that meant the OFLD got 3 MEPs (out of 21).
The OFLD got 12.89% of the popular vote in the 2014 EP election.
To put that into context, UKIP got 12.6% of the popular vote in the 2015 UK general election.
The winners of the 2014 EP election in Belgium were the New Flemish Alliance, a centre-right nationalist and separatist party who increased their share of the vote by three hundred percent.
The reality...
GUY IS AN MEP BECAUSE HIS PARTY GOT HAMMERED IN AN ELECTION.
So how did this MEP from this minority party in one of the European small states come to speak for the EP - and 500 million people - on Brexit?
The process I am about to outline should make anyone who cares about democracy feel very unsettled
MEPs elect a Brexit spokesperson in an open vote, choosing from a range of possible candidates with different views from across the political spectrum?
No.
Of course they didn't.
Guy was APPOINTED by the CONFERENCE OF THE PRESIDENTS OF THE EP ("the Conference").
The Conference meets twice a month, in private, and is closed to all but 8 - yes 8 - MEPs.
The 8 MEPs are the chairs of the 8 broad political groups into which the EP has organised itself.
"What groups?" you ask, "I don't vote for a group in the EP elections".
Oh yes you do.
The political parties from all the member states have organised themselves into 8 broad political groups. It is those 8 groups which operate in the EP, not the political parties themselves.
Each of the 8 groups has a "President".
Each of the 8 Presidents attends the Conference.
One of the 8 groups is the Alliance of Liberals & Democrats for Europe ("ALDE").
The Belgian party OFLD is in ALDE.
Guy is the (unelected, obviously) president of ALDE.
So Guy attends the Conference.
Do you see how the VOTERS are getting more and more distant?
It gets worse.
So did the Conference meet, consider a range of candidates, hold an open vote and declare the winner?
No.
Of course not.
Well did they even meet and have a debate about candidates then?
Nope.
The Conference didn't even meet and there was no vote.
Guy met up with Martin Schulz (remember him?) informally.
MS was the President of EP group Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats ("PASD").
Two other group Presidents joined them.
In a backroom, they alone appointed Guy to speak for 500m people.
WITH NO VOTE AT ALL.
The Presidents of the other political groups were informed of the appointment and the announcement was made to the world that Guy was the EP spokesperson on Brexit.
An ARCH-FEDERALIST, an extremist even by EU standards, a fanatic basically had become the EP Brexit spokesperson.
Look at Guy's timeline today.
He has tweeted that the EP will refuse to approve any form of Withdrawal Agreement without the Backstop in it.
How the hell does he know?
It's supposed to be a vote. But democracy never works properly in the EU.
Even the Parliament - the only quasi-democratic institute in the whole rotten Union - is controlled, co-ordinated and centrally managed by the political groups.
Guy knows which way the EP will vote because he and few of his buddies control the EP.
This man hold the interests and the well-being of 500 million in his hands. He is a key player in a set of extremely important international negotiations.
All because his fringe party, in a small state, lost an election.
And because three other blokes decided he should be.
Try and think about this from the point of view of a French agricultural worker or a German manufacturing worker.
In what credible democratic sense does Guy speak for them?
How the hell does he know whether they want a backstop or not?
Try to follow the democratic chain?
If you cannot follow the democratic links in the chain from the people to the representative, then IT IS NOT DEMOCRACY.
If you cannot comprehend, or even ascertain, the process by which the representative obtains his power, then IT IS NOT DEMOCRACY.
If you cannot conceive of a possible democratic method by which the representative can be removed, censured or otherwise controlled by the electorate, IT IS NOT DEMOCRACY.
What is a Spanish worker supposed to do to replace Guy? Where should she start? Who does she protest to?
I've done this kind of research exercise many times with regard to the EU's democratic credentials.
I promise you the result is the same every single time.
Try it. Pick an EU bigwig and unravel where his/her power comes from.
And then try telling me the EU is democratic.
END
A Belgian chap has asked me to point out that I have over-simplified the Belgian electoral college. He has provided two links. I don't really understand them but am posting them for transparency sake.
verkiezingen2014.belgium.be/nl/eur/results…
verkiezingen2014.belgium.be/nl/eur/preferr
The amount of politicians who can't grasp this simple concept is fucking frightening. They're either thick as mince or too bone idle to look into the ins and outs of one of the biggest political events for decades. Whichever it is it's embarrassing.
A good deal of global warming is attributable to the colossal amount of hot air from your mouth.Most brexiteers are automatically climate deniers. They want pesky environmental regulations removed.
And even more revealing knowing most know more than some who are a part of the process of taking us out.
To be fair you can’t be pro Brexit and pro evidence and reason.
(Yes Dellingpole is a climate change denier, because his opinions are those of whichever rich person is paying him. How people don’t see Brexit is a ruse by the global elite is hilarious. Banks, Farage, JRM, all make money on this shit and still the morons think they’re the voice of the people - bunch of fucking rubes)
And here we go again.......To be fair you can’t be pro Brexit and pro evidence and reason.
Or do you just mean they were misinformed? The thing is we were all misinformed. And we continue to get misinformed.
And that's just on here.there is definitely mountains of shite to wade through to try and get an understanding of what's going on.
Great Britain doesn’t stand for bullying, taking things not ours, threatening, loud mouth, brash, something for nothing.
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