Everyday thoughts, although not every day
I never ratted on no one before!
There are 88 posts tagged: "politics"
NY jelly
New York mayor, Eric Adams, has endorsed a bill allowing non-citizens to vote in local elections. It's not a universally-embraced decision. Opponents argue that the bill gives influence to people who have no commitment to the community, and who haven't put in the work and tax dollars. (more…)
Green sky thinking
Following COP26, now is the time for politicians to make bold pledges; irrespective of achievability. Because grand but empty gestures are just what the world needs. Forget the implementation and actual impact, we'll fix that in post . Or not. (rolleyes) (more…)
Levelling up?
A story of further embarrassment for BoJo's government, over restrictions-busting office Christmas parties, is remarkable only for bringing to my attention the fact that there's a Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities within HMG. What the actual fuck is levelling up supposed to mean? (confused) (more…)
Gagging order
Russia's authorities like to throw their weight around. One of the ways that they do this, on the internet, is by demanding the removal of social media content that they deem to be illegal. Their definition of illegal, though, extends to content that is simply critical of them, or supportive of the opposition. Who could've possibly guessed? (thinking) (more…)
Take THAT, Pooh!
The US has previously accused China of genocide towards the Uighur muslims. Now, Congress has passed a bill, by an overwhelming majority, to prohibit imports from the Xinjiang region produced with forced labour. (more…)
Tel Aviv has pushed Paris into joint second place, alongside Singapore, as the most expensive city in the world in which to live. Less than 300km away lies Damascus, which claims the title at the other end of the scale. (more…)
That's a turnip for the books!
BBC News' Maddy Savage explains how Magdalena Andersson became Sweden's first female Prime Minister, twice! Except she didn't, really. (more…)
Me, myself, I
During his pre-trial hearing for participating in the US Capitol riot on 6 January, James Beeks claimed that the court had no jurisdiction over him because he had divine authority . I'm not sure whether he's claiming to be directly related to god, or just a messenger. Perhaps his stage role as Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar has gone to his head; although, from my limited knowledge of the Bible, playing Judas doesn't sound particularly divine. (more…)
27 down...
The drowning of 27 illegal migrants in the English Channel is followed by the predictable handwringing from the great and the good. I wonder how many of them would actually turn their own back yards over to a camp? (more…)
This little piggy...
BBC News' quiz of the week starts off with a question about BoJo's enjoyment of a children's theme park. I hadn't read the article, so I didn't know the answer… (more…)
Let's go...
I've paid little attention to the Kyle Rittenhouse case. It's too mired in US politics, race relations, and gun law to be of even passing interest. Besides, polarising doesn't exacty float my boat. (more…)
No mobile while mobile
Things are getting tougher for the UK's drivers. (more…)
NAP26
Because we've all been there, haven't we? (more…)
Acid tongue
Claudia Webbe, ex-Labour and currently independent MP for Leicester East, has been found guilty of harassing Michelle Merritt, between September 2018 and April 2020, with, among other things, threats of acid and sending naked photos of Merritt to her family. The basis for these attacks was a relationship that Merritt allegedly had with Webbe's partner, Lester Thomas. (more…)
Let the punishment fit the crime
The Taliban have announced that extreme punishments, including execution and amputation, will resume in Afghanistan. Mullah Nooruddin Turabi, who has an infamously zealous history in the pursuit of justice , claimed that amputations were necessary for security . (more…)
Poohcom
Lithuania's National Cyber Security Centre has reported security flaws and built-in censorship tools, in 5G mobiles from Chinese manufacturers. As a consequence, the country's Defence Ministry has recommended that its citizens not purchase new Chinese smartphones, and replace their current ones as soon as feasible. (more…)
Learnons-nous Franglais avec BoJo
In the wake of French outcry over the Aukus military pact between Australia, UK, and the US, Boris Johnson demonstrated linguistic skills that match his capacity for tact and diplomacy. Speaking from Washington, en Franglais, he had this message for Emanuel Macron: (more…)
Not forevergrande
With the potential collapse of Evergrande, the world's most indebted real estate developer , the outlook for China's economy is looking a little precarious. They'll have to churn out more Chongmasks to compensate. (more…)
When Supreme Leader says 'jump'...
It must be easy to be a dictator. All you have to do is tell your minions what to do, and they'll do it. Job done! (more…)
Too much too young
While the Catholic League mither over a Muppet Babies episode fostering transitioning among preschoolers, the Scottish government is going all-in once they get to school. It has published guidance for schools on supporting transgender young people; with young people defined as children or young people who are of school age . (more…)
Idiots 0 : 1 Taliban
Following the removal of allied forces from Afghanistan, the Taliban curiously reneged on their promise not to be naughty, and have rapidly captured most of the country, including the capital, Kabul. Twenty years of sacrifice, for nothing. I suppose Grandpa Joe now wishes that he'd asked for a pretty pinky promise with a bow on top. (more…)
Too close to call?
Flordelis dos Santos de Souza has been expelled from Brazil's lower house of Congress, for allegedly plotting her husband's murder in 2019. (more…)
Karaoke should be illegal
China is to ban karaoke songs with illegal content, including songs which incite ethnic hatred and ethnic discrimination . (more…)
Take me home, racist roads
Tucked into US President Joe Biden's expansive infrastructure bill is a plan to knock down racist roads - but its success is an open question. (more…)
Sore losers
It appears that Weibo's nationalist shitheads don't take kindly to China's Olympic athletes unpatriotically losing out on gold. From behind their keyboards and keypads, they fulminate and humiliate their fellow countrymen and -women for failing at something that they could never achieve themselves. And the athletes, like dumfux, accept it. (more…)
And it's a race to the finish line! (more…)
China doesn't do naughty things on the internet
Several governments have accused China of hacking Microsoft Exchange. China, in return, has strongly denied these claims, and has always maintained that it opposes all forms of cyber-crime . (more…)
The UK government has recently announced a reduction in its foreign aid from 0.7% to 0.5% of national income, to compensate for the pandemic. In her response, Kate Hampton, chief executive of the Children's Investment Fund Foundation, referred to past years' British taxpayer generosity . (more…)
Disunite the right!
A statue of George Floyd—career criminal and patron saint of fentanyl—situated in Brooklyn, New York, has been vandalised. Presumably by an art connoisseur. It was daubed with the website address of a far-right group called Patriot Front. So far, so what? (more…)
E or H2?
The BBC's chief environment correspondent, Justin Rowlatt, tells us Why it's the end of the road for petrol stations . (more…)
Pleasies don't comsies
While on an official vist to Guatamala, US Vice President Kamala Harris has urged its citizens not to make the journey to the US to enter illegally. (more…)
The fifteen percenters
Finance ministers from the G7 group of leading economies are meeting in London to come to agreement on taxation of multinational companies. Some nations are upset that their taxation greed is driving multinational companies to find more tax-efficient countries to establish themselves. (more…)
Ba-da-Bing ba-da-bong
Tank Man was an iconic symbol of the 1989 student protests in Tiananmen Square. A lone, unidentified man stood in front of a column of Chinese PLA tanks, only moving as the lead tank tried to manoeuvre around him, to once again block its path. China has censored all reference to this protest within the country. The L in PLA is as ironic as Tank Man is iconic. (more…)
Asparagus: too exciting for lawyers
Belgian lawyers discovered a six-step recipe for asparagus hidden within the French text of the nation's official journal, Moniteur Belge. (more…)
Annihilation of conscience?
A Chinese blogger, Qiu Ziming, has been jailed for slandering heroes and martyrs after criticising Chinese soldiers who died during clashes at the border with India. (more…)
My mum's newspaper, as an audiobook
YouTube's algorithm is broken. Again. Or possibly it's because I can't set preferences, since I'm not signed into an account that I don't have. Whatever, the borg keeps bringing up The Podcast Of The Lotus Eaters and, worse, Alex Bellend Belfield, the self-styled voices in his head voice of reason in my recommended videos. For the love of the children, why? (more…)
When is not a ban, a ban?
Following his deplatforming from social media, Donald Trump's bestie, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, has signed a bill to penalise technology companies that deplatform politicians. This legislation is, apparently, for everyday Floridians . As long as they're politicians, presumably. (more…)
The new Thinkpol in training
Sarah Hewitt-Clarkson, head teacher at Anderton Park primary school, is instilling a nice little Orwellian ethic in her pupils. Children have been taught to call out sexist language and even to identify sexist stereotypes in books and worksheets. And the programming training starts at the age of three years in the nursery school. (more…)
Mmmmm-mmmm minty!
Menthol cigarettes, apparently, are disproportionately harmful to black smokers, which is why the Biden administration aims to ban them. Opponents of the ban, which include rabble-rouser Al Sharpton, claim that banning a product that is most popular among African Americans is discriminatory. So, one side wants to ban menthol cigarettes because they discriminate against blacks, while the other side opposes the ban because it discriminates against blacks. At least that's clear. (more…)
My statistics are better than yours
If the impact of air travel on climate change is to be tackled, then I can't help but think that there are more effective approaches than nibbling at the edges like this. Let alone whether that goal is even meaningful in the wider context of environmental degradation. (more…)
Curfew quarrel
Following the abduction of Sarah Everard in south London, police officers working on the case in the area advised women not to go out alone and to be careful ; which doesn't seem too unreasonable, since the perpetrator was still at large at the time. But Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb's response in the House of Lords upset a number of people, and was widely ridiculed: (more…)
Dodging a bullet?
As Trump Republicans invade the Capitol, outgoing US President Donald Trump snubs the inauguration of President-Elect Biden, while also facing calls for a second impeachment and to be thrown out of office. And, thus, one of the most divisive US presidencies comes to an inglorious end. Not that it was too auspicious at the best of times. (more…)
How many Republicans does it take to confirm a judge?
Orange Don's nomination for the US Supreme Court, Judge Amy Coney Barrett, has been confirmed by the US Senate in a 52-48 vote. According to the BBC's report, Mr Trump's fellow Republicans voted 52-48 to approve the judge, overcoming the unified opposition of Democrats. (more…)
Silly sausage
One of the, ahem, meatier subjects to be debated by the European Parliament this week is when is a sausage not a sausage? (more…)
Losing your head
In the wake of the brutal murder of a French teacher by an Islamic fundamentalist, thousands have rallied across France to support and honour him. (more…)
Disney Minus
Reviews of Disney's live action remake of Mulan have been generally mixed to favourable. I like the story, and I was looking forward to this release. But…hnnng, I can't. (more…)
Sponger sponging
The UK government's scheme to get more people eating in restaurants during August has not been an unqualified success. Some hospitaliers have complained about abuse towards staff; that the influx of custom is focussed between Monday and Wednesday, when the scheme is in effect, leaving the weekends quiet; and that support would have made more impact during the off-season period, when it's more needed. (more…)
Pas de chokehold, pas de mort
Whereas in the US, the public protests when police are accused of racially-motivated excessive use of force, in France it's the police that protest. (more…)
The elixir of youth. Or not?
Kazakh president Nursultan Nazarbayev has resigned at the insanely young age of only 78. He has been the sole president of the oil- and mineral-rich nation since its independence from the Soviet Union in 1990. (more…)
President Pooh
Winnie the Pooh is one of my youngest daughter's favourite characters, so I don't know she would take it knowing that his name is censored on Chinese search engines and social media. Apparently, naughty people have been likening Christopher Robin's silly old bear to Chinese dictator President Xi Jinping, which is quite ridiculous since they look nothing like each other. (more…)
Trump vs. Trudeau
The BBC has run a fluff piece on five areas where Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and US President-elect Donald Trump have common ground. (more…)
A Mormon moment (not really)
During the 2012 US presidential election, much* was made of Mitt Romney's Mormon faith, and how it was seen as a negative trait for his candidature. But it's useful to reflect on the fact that not all Mormons are the same, and their faith doesn't dictate an identical world view. (more…)
Good caption
In an otherwise boring article about Conservative MP Nadine Dorries' unscheduled sojourn to the Australian jungle, this caption struck me as pretty sage advice. (more…)
Obama re-elected. Twice.
According to the BBC, Obama has been re-elected, and in addition he's been re-elected as US president. I'm not sure what the first election was for, but I'm sure he's very happy nonetheless. (more…)
Tits oot fer the lads! A political protest by the PHWOAR! Party
Femen, a Ukrainian radical feminist movement, is fighting against patriarchy, in its three manifestations: sexual exploitation of women, dictatorship and religion . They accomplish this by radically protesting while topless, which has got to hurt during the Ukrainian winter. (more…)
Fiction becomes reality?
There's something about Mitt Romney, Republican nominee to challenge Barack Obama, that reminds me of Greg Stillson, The Dead Zone 's batshit-crazy US President. Creepy, and scary. (more…)
Tits oot fer the lads! Or 'hubris, thy name art Royal scandal'
After some innocent holiday snaps taken of a picturesque French chateau were shown to include views of Kate's knockers, they were offered for sale to the British press.* According to the BBC: (more…)
Bemorecreativegate
Ever since the Watergate scandal, lazy journalists and politicians have referred to controversies as whatevergate . The Iran-Contra affair was Irangate , there's been more than one memogate , while the UK had both hackgate and murdochgate for one affair, and France had Twittergate . And there are many, many others. (more…)
Honour and offer
The Great British Members of Parliament are whinging again. This time it's that too many honours go to the elite few—businessmen, politicians, and celebrities—for just doing the day job. (more…)
Burgers or babies?
Experts at Nuffield Health state that more than half of British women have waists that are larger than the recommended healthy size. (more…)
Do as we say, not as we do!
There is a programme on Henan Legal Channel—one of the Chinese state-run TV channels—entitled Interviews Before Execution , in which Ding Yu interviews prisoners before they're executed. Contrary to being exploitative, the programme makers claim to find cases that will serve as a warning to others. Indeed, the programme calls for human nature to awaken and perceive the value of life . (more…)
Wot you lookin' at?
Those sons of fun at the USAsian FBI plan to develop—or, rather, have developed for them—a handy-dandy tool that will sniff its way through social networks and suck up all the terrorist plots. Certain keywords that are only used by bad people plotting naughtiness can be added. These will trigger the hairs on the backs of their necks, and bring their righteous wrath down on the sorry arses of Osama and his like-minded friends. (more…)
Glad I'm a freeloader
The English version of Wikipedia/Wikipaedia/Wikipædia will be offline for 24 hours as Jimmy Wales and like-minded friends protest anti-piracy legislation in merka. This is after he stated that he wouldn't use Wikipædia for political purposes. All of which makes me glad that I didn't give the little shitstain any money after all. (more…)
Kim Jong-il: 'im gone-il
Merry Christmas everyone, the funniest part of Team America: World Police has finally done the decent thing! (more…)
Heinz's bullish predictions for boosting baked bean sales in Africa took a turn for the worse when Malawi's justice minister interpreted environmental fouling legislation as criminalising farting. That's right kids, cracking one off * in public could become a misdemeanour in Malawi. (more…)
Not so anonymous
Ahh, yes, Anonymous, that eclectic band of spineless ne'er-do-wells selfless heroes righting wrongs on t'internet. (more…)
Poor Kate (sad)
Those heartless commie bastards at ASLEF are threatening to call a tube strike on the day of the Royal wedding. It seems that poor Kate will have to make alternative arrangements to get to the church. (more…)
I can't recall how I came across herstory, but it made me laugh anyway. As a politically correct term for history viewed through a feminist lens, or a demasculinisation of history, though, it's nonsensical. It seems to be predicated on the notion that history is somehow innately masculine. (more…)
Oooooer Matron!
One of Kensington and Chelsea Council's hospitals hired out a closed, but fully-functioning, ward to a porn company, presumably one looking for authenticity in its art . The council's director at the time, and now Conservative MP, Penny Mordaunt responded: (more…)
Plant a tree, save a child
Okay, not quite, but I liked this story nonetheless. (more…)
Ungrateful little arsewipe!
Following the shootings in Cumbria, the United Kindom's very own, finely-coiffured Prime Minister has visited the area to get his face in the news and pretend he cares show solidarity with the local populace. But some tosser has the temerity to complain to the BBC's reporter: One man told me he was angry that it has taken a shooting for the prime minister to visit the town. (more…)
The irony is almost touching!
A KKK leader has shot dead a recruit named Lynch. (more…)
Financial crisis? What financial crisis?
Apparently, senior staff at the US Securities and Exchange Commission have been taking some downtime from the financial crisis with a little pr0n-fuelled R'n'R. (more…)
The Queens' Regiment
Gen. Bonkers (retd) claims that Dutch leaders had told him that Srebrenica fell due to openly gay soldiers in the defending Dutch army. So far, so mundane, but this quote from the BBC puzzled me: (more…)
OMG, there's more of them out there, just waiting...waiting...
Just when you thought that the interwebz were awash enough with dumb yanks, it turns out that a third of the poor souls don't have broadband at home. But they shall not weep, for the US government shall provide. Although perhaps this is over-egging the pudding a tad: (more…)
You tell 'em Nige!
Nigel Farage, MEP for the UKIP, has launched a tirade against the grey mouse , Herman Van Rompuy, the President of the European Council. Go get 'em tiger! (more…)
I'd like a 'P' please, Bob
Strangely, I was looking for ways to make yummy processed peas, like tinned marrowfat peas, because we can't get them easily in Switzerland. Anyhow, I happened across guidance from the Food and Agriculture Organisation and World Health Organisation on processed pea standards. I kid you not. (more…)