Brexit shenanigans

[GopherRock 1,765]

It's interesting to see the fates of the various right-wing parties around Europe.

The right is back on the rise in Germany, Belgium, and France. Macron's snap election is an attempt to force their hand in France before they're ready.

Meanwhile, across the Channel, the Tories are heading for a flogging so severe they may not even be His Majesty's Opposition.

[Brisketexan 105,095]

2 minutes ago, GopherRock said:

It's interesting to see the fates of the various right-wing parties around Europe.

The right is back on the rise in Germany, Belgium, and France. Macron's snap election is an attempt to force their hand in France before they're ready.

Meanwhile, across the Channel, the Tories are heading for a flogging so severe they may not even be His Majesty's Opposition.

Well, the UK has completed the full "put the extreme right in charge...and it turns out they shoot our collective dick clean off" exercise.  Other European countries are still in the throes of "this time it will be different" thinking and....

Hard right populism/fascism is utterly dumb.  It's just as dumb as beret wearing "power to the proletariat, the people should own the means of production!  Collectivize everything!" leftism.  

The most peaceful, prosperous countries, over and over and over and over, are those that occupy the middle 50% of the political spectrum.  There are elements of EVERY country that are unsatisfying, frustrating, etc.  The smart answer is NEVER "burn it all down, try the extreme," but here we are.

 

[Ghost of LL 15,531]

On 6/14/2024 at 8:45 AM, elfenix said:

Mapped:

That one little grey district in north central london is Islington North.  Home of Jeremy Corbyn.  Expelled from Labour. Polling the plurality at 40%

These predictions are very strongly premised on the presumption that people who tell pollsters that they're going to vote Reform are actually going to do so on polling day.  I'm very skeptical.

The same pressures that entrench the two-party system in the United States are present in the UK--maybe stronger.  And in the same way I don't think for a minute that RFK Jr. is getting 12% of the vote, I don't think Reform is going to get anywhere near 20%.

You already see the two-party machinery swinging into action this weekend, with the Mirror openly calling Farange a "Putin stooge."  I mean, they're right; he is.  But that's the Conservative Party talking and working to get its voters back in line.  And ultimately, I think they'll be largely successful.

[Hornius Emeritus 12,457]

14 minutes ago, GopherRock said:

It's interesting to see the fates of the various right-wing parties around Europe.

The right is back on the rise in Germany, Belgium, and France. Macron's snap election is an attempt to force their hand in France before they're ready.

Meanwhile, across the Channel, the Tories are heading for a flogging so severe they may not even be His Majesty's Opposition.

Everything is a reaction to enshittification.  "The current guys are shitty!  Maybe the alternative won't be so shitty!"

Meanwhile, those who say things are shitty are living better than 99% of the planet ever has.

Having said that, Fareed Zakaria pointed out something interesting a few days ago.  In 2008, the United States and the euro-zone economies were roughly the same size. Today, the American economy is nearly twice the size of the euro zone. Average European income is now 27% lower than in the United States, and average wages are 37% lower. When the British left the European Union, they fantasized about forging a close relationship with the United States, almost becoming the 51st state. Were that to happen, Britons would find themselves in the 51st poorest state in the union, with a per capita gross domestic product below that of Mississippi.

 

 

[locodos 5,387]

29 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

Well, the UK has completed the full "put the extreme right in charge...and it turns out they shoot our collective dick clean off" exercise.  Other European countries are still in the throes of "this time it will be different" thinking and....

The most peaceful, prosperous countries, over and over and over and over, are those that occupy the middle 50% of the political spectrum.  There are elements of EVERY country that are unsatisfying, frustrating, etc.  The smart answer is NEVER "burn it all down, try the extreme," but here we are.

 

Well,

My uninformed opinion is that past colonialism, immigration, combined with virulent thinly veiled racism drives the gains on the right.  French citizens reported (hundreds of?) thousands of Jews that French police arrested and loaded into trains east.  They don't like to talk about that, but it's true.   

In my personal experience, much of mainland Europe is AT LEAST as racist as Alabama/Mississippi and much more blatant about it.  I'm not saying everyone, but holy shit it's not uncommon.

I say that as a white boy who grew up in the south in the 70's.  I used to think it might be just because I'm an asshole, but it's strange that I only seem to have problems when traveling with my wife (who is also from the south, isn't an asshole, but IS of Asian descent).  Some of the shit that happens is mind blowing.   One of the funnier ones was a concierge who, with a smirk, would only recommend Chinese restaurants and didn't know of any other food options in the city of Frankfurt.   

 

[Brisketexan 105,095]

“Reform” is nothing without xenophobia. The boy just got this through his mail slot:



Farage is pure shite.

[Nice Guy Eddie 13,511]

Farage is positioning himself well in case Labour screws up the UK. Scary thought.

[Jatrain 288]

After the Tories get destroyed next week they’ll welcome Farange and his band into the party, Rishi will get ousted/ bail to California with a year, and within 2 years Farange will up as the head of the Tories.  

Edited June 27 by Jatrain

[Brisketexan 105,095]

1 minute ago, Jatrain said:

After the Tories get destroyed next week they’ll welcome Farange and his band into the party, Rishi will get ousted/ bail to California with a year, and within 2 years Farange will up as the head of the Tories.  

Not an unrealistic scenario.  It's insane, stupid, and short-sighted.  So, yeah....I bet we're at a better than 50% chance of it happening, because we are in the "insane, stupid, and short-sighted" timeline.

[HenryJames 66,041]

[PenelopeWitherspoon 19,100]

It'll be fun watching the returns in my USA jacket from a pub on the 4th of July.  

[tx 3 putt 76,906]

3 hours ago, PenelopeWitherspoon said:

It'll be fun watching the returns in my USA jacket from a pub on the 4th of July.  

post pics !

[Js1 85,311]

Feels like a good day to shellack the Tories 

[Brisketexan 105,095]

Feels like a good day to shellack the Tories 

Let’s see how Nigel and Reform do…

[Js1 85,311]

9 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

Let’s see how Nigel and Reform do…

Final Yougov pre-election day is 431 Labour (39%), 102 Tory (22%), 72 LibDem (12%), 2 Green (7%), 3 Reform UK (15%). But 2 of those 3 Reform seats are projected to be very close 

Something like 16 Cabinet ministers are projected to lose their seats - including possibly Rishi himself 

[Ghost of LL 15,531]

4 hours ago, Js1 said:

Final Yougov pre-election day is 431 Labour (39%), 102 Tory (22%), 72 LibDem (12%), 2 Green (7%), 3 Reform UK (15%). But 2 of those 3 Reform seats are projected to be very close 

Something like 16 Cabinet ministers are projected to lose their seats - including possibly Rishi himself 

The real race is for second. The LibDems have a puncher’s chance of becoming the Opposition.

[Firemans4Horn 18,046]

Fuck the Tories. 
 

 

[Ghost of LL 15,531]

Looks like Reform has taken an absolute fatal share out of the Tory vote.  Hard to imagine the Conservative Party stays unified in the face of this and doesn’t descend into recriminations and civil war.

[Bozo_Casanova 26,444]

23 minutes ago, Ghost of LL said:

Looks like Reform has taken an absolute fatal share out of the Tory vote.  Hard to imagine the Conservative Party stays unified in the face of this and doesn’t descend into recriminations and civil war.

Time for the Liberal Democrats to make their long awaited comeback?

Edited July 4 by Bozo_Casanova

[Ghost of LL 15,531]

The leader of the House and the Chancellor of the Exchequer look like they could lose, and that’d be amazing.

[BrickHorn 18,218]

Between Labour, the Liberal Democrats, the Greens, and SNP, it looks like the left wing will control nearly 75% of Parliament. But I don’t follow UK politics at all, so have no clue how well those parties work together. 

That said, anyone know a good realtor in England?

[Firemans4Horn 18,046]

3 minutes ago, BrickHorn said:

That said, anyone know a good realtor in England?

 

call Rishi Sunak 444-4444

Edited July 5 by Firemans4Horn

[chainsaw 9,865]

11 minutes ago, BrickHorn said:

Between Labour, the Liberal Democrats, the Greens, and SNP, it looks like the left wing will control nearly 75% of Parliament. But I don’t follow UK politics at all, so have no clue how well those parties work together. 

That said, anyone know a good realtor in England?

I thought SNP made Tories look like Rachel Maddow. Is that wrong?

9 minutes ago, Firemans4Horn said:

 

call Rishi Sunak 444-4444

NIL payday incoming for Quinn Ewers

[BrickHorn 18,218]

6 minutes ago, chainsaw said:

I thought SNP made Tories look like Rachel Maddow. Is that wrong?

Could be. Wiki says they’re left wing, but they’re also Scottish nationalists. So fuck if I know. Like I said: I don’t follow UK politics at all. For all I know, the Brits still decide elections by pulling a magic sword out of a stone.

Edited July 5 by BrickHorn

[Brisketexan 105,095]

Could be. Wiki says they’re left wing, but they’re also Scottish nationalists. So fuck if I know. Like I said: I don’t follow UK politics at all. For all I know, the Brits still decide elections by pulling a magic sword out of a stone.

SNP are definitely lefties.

[Bozo_Casanova 26,444]

9 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

SNP are definitely lefties.

Yes but like real ones not limp wristed affluent American progressives who don’t mind losing. SNP locals will bust your lip for talking shit. 

[Brisketexan 105,095]

Yes but like real ones not limp wristed affluent American progressives who don’t mind losing. SNP locals will bust your lip for talking shit. 

Yep. They’re entertaining as hell. They’re also in a multi-year meltdown.

[Fudge Nuggets 19,190]

On 6/29/2024 at 5:36 PM, PenelopeWitherspoon said:

It'll be fun watching the returns in my USA jacket from a pub on the 4th of July.  

Watching election returns in a foreign country has always been at the top of my vacation wishlist. 

[RDCanecutter 26,411]

20 minutes ago, Fudge Nuggets said:

Watching election returns in a foreign country has always been at the top of my vacation wishlist. 

I lived in France when LePen made a run in the first half of the elections and then everybody united to squush him like a bug in the second half. Big-ass May Day parade, went there with my local rugby club. People were packed in tighter than a Mojo Nixon song. Finally it loosened up and we went on a group stroll for a couple of miles, my main memory was shuffling along behind a pod of tall Uruguayan girls who were doin some kind of shimmy-dance. Then me and a pal went to the wrong place to catch the bus home, turned into a Sprint Through Paris jumping people tying shoelaces and baby carriages and shit.

[WhatTheBuck 28,776]

1 hour ago, Firemans4Horn said:

call Rishi Sunak 444-4444

Where I live that’s the number for Yellow Cab. 

[tx 3 putt 76,906]

 

[Js1 85,311]

The exits maybe overestimated Tories and Reform

[RDCanecutter 26,411]

9 minutes ago, WhatTheBuck said:

Where I live that’s the number for Yellow Cab. 

How low Sunak has fallen. But at least he's working.

[chainsaw 9,865]

10 minutes ago, tx 3 putt said:

 

[BamaATL 16,593]

23 minutes ago, Js1 said:

The exits maybe overestimated Tories and Reform

That sounds familiar.  Polls are suspect?  

[Firemans4Horn 18,046]

49 minutes ago, WhatTheBuck said:

Where I live that’s the number for Yellow Cab. 

those digits can age you quick. Ask Jeff. 
 

 

[GopherRock 1,765]

Unfortunately, both Nigel Farange and Jeremy Corbyn will be in the next Parliament. 

[Ghost of LL 15,531]

It’s going to be interesting in Northern Ireland. Sinn Fein may be the largest NI party in Westminster for the first time, as it looks like the DUP is taking a beating alongside the Tories.

[BamaATL 16,593]

Conservatives have lost 131 seats with approximately half of the results yet to be determined.  Yikes, man it would be nice to see a repeat in a few months here in the states.  

[Satchel 6,938]

2 minutes ago, BamaATL said:

Conservatives have lost 131 seats with approximately half of the results yet to be determined.  Yikes, man it would be nice to see a repeat in a few months here in the states.  

Man, after what feels like 50 years of GOP oppression, I wish Texas voters would take a hint.

[Ghost of LL 15,531]

The nice Lady with the Sword is out.

[BamaATL 16,593]

At this point I'm just hoping Lord Buckethead gets that seat in Maidenhead.  

[Biff Tannen 45,675]

5 minutes ago, Ghost of LL said:

The nice Lady with the Sword is out.

Some moistened bint lobbed a scimitar?

[elfenix 34,231]

supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses not from some farcical aquatic ceremony

[Brisketexan 105,095]

I should probably comfort Penny Mordant when I get over there next month.

[RDCanecutter 26,411]

12 minutes ago, Biff Tannen said:

Some moistened bint lobbed a scimitar?

Team Watery Tart.

[Bozo_Casanova 26,444]

I thought we were an autonomous collective 

[Js1 85,311]

Rishi survived, but Truss may lose her seat. Thatcher’s former constituency went to Labour 

[elfenix 34,231]

305-67-44.  muppet nigel farage's "party" getting 4 so far.

[Ghost of LL 15,531]

It’s refreshing to see the losing party saying that they respect the people’s vote and saying they need to look at why the voters rejected them rather than claiming fraud and planning an insurrection.