The Political Thread

[Funt Solo]

Well, politicians interfere with democracy all the time: that's sort of their job.  And then it all gets into fine definitions of what democracy is, exactly.

Jacobi Reese Wither-Mogg-Spoon would have it that it's absolutely unconscionable to have a second referendum because it would be undemocratic.  (Unless you were speaking to him prior to the first referendum result, when he said having multiple referendums would be democratic.)

Politicians: they sail close to the winds of definition.  Y'know: they lie.

[Jim_Campbell]

Jacobi Reese Wither-Mogg-Spoon would have it that it's absolutely unconscionable to have a second referendum

Turns out he’s remarkably sanguine on the subject of concentration camps, though.

[Funt Solo]

And he was wrong about the stats:

Death rate in Boer war concentration camps: 24%
Death rate in Glasgow at the same time: 2%

Reese Moggerspoon said it was the same.  Plus the whole thing about Boer war concentration camps being purposeful subjugation of a civilian population as part of a scorched earth policy and on the other hand Glasgow being ... well, y'know, an accident.  (Sorry, Glasgow.)

[Professor Bear]

A quick life hack for anyone planning on punching a pensioner in the back of the head - make sure you're holding an egg at the time.

[Theblazeuk]

Ah but remember those nutcase lefties require people to have police protection, aren't they awful.

[Professor Bear]

It's getting so you can't even conduct a years-long media campaign smearing an entire political movement as racist, homophobic, antisemitic, violent, misogynistic cultists who support terrorism without them just turning around - out of nowhere - and telling you you aren't welcome at their meetings anymore.

[Mister Pops]

So while there's a campaign going on to smear labour as a buncha commie antisemites, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland stands up and in parliament and says it's ok for soldiers to shoot unarmed civilians. Civilians who were, at the time being treated as second class citizens. Sure they were only following orders.

[Mikey]

I was struck by the fact that a few months ago, she was happy to reveal she knew little to nothing about the, shall we say, lack of subtlety in Northern Ireland politics, but seemed absolutely sure yesterday that none of the killings by state personnel were crimes. At the very least it was a staggeringly stupid thing to say (and I can't help thinking of her as a DUP sock puppet) and at worst it's the expression of an attitude which hasn't ever changed and has no desire to do so.

There is no way murder can be excused. There's no whataboutery makes up for it.

[The Legendary Shark]

Some people actually believe that putting killers into uniforms excuses murder.

[Rately]

It's disgusting.

Murder is murder.

Then I've just had the experience of a colleague in work saying she was totally justified in what she said. And i just was struck dumb, and i couldn't even be bothered to get into it. Vileness abounds.

If there was an ounce of decency in Bradley, she would have resigned already. The fact that 24 hours later she finally apologises, says it all.

[Funt Solo]

In the US at the moment, most police officers are allowed to shoot someone if they feel threatened.  They don't have to justify it much beyond that.  All they need to feel threatened, often, is to meet a black person.  So then they kill them.  And legally, that's all just fine.

[The Legendary Shark]

Hence me always banging on about the difference between legal and lawful...

[sheridan]

If there was an ounce of decency in Bradley, she would have resigned already. The fact that 24 hours later she finally apologises, says it all.

She actually used the following sentence: "They were people acting under orders". 


If it wasn't going to be used for the usual politicking, it might actually stir some useful debate about Superior Orders / the Nuremberg Defence, though somehow I don't think it will lead to anything of the sort.

[Jim_Campbell]

She actually used the following sentence: "They were people acting under orders". 

Well, the former Work & Pensions Secretary didn’t seem to think there were any negative connotations to the phrase “work sets you free”, so she’s in good company.

[Rately]

They really are some of the vilest people to ever breath.

Bradley still not resigned.

And I hear she reached out to the families of the Ballymurphy Massacre, to arrange a meeting. The Ballymurphy family had asked her on numerous occasions to meet with them to discuss one of the most disgusting incidents of The Troubles, and she refused. Now she wants to try to use them for PR.

The families have rightly refused and ask that she do the right thing and resign.

I won't hold my breath.