The Political Thread

[Dandontdare]

Jim, I don't think I have ever mentioned that I have been moaned at for being so called right wing on here. If you think that by merely pointing out that there are two sides to every point is me moaning that people think I'm right wing, then you are very much mistaken.

But you only ever point out one of them! When people slag off Blair or Brown, I never hear your usual argument being deployed, ie "Why aren't you slagging the tories, because they're just as bad" - there's an eerie silence when the left is being criticised, but one word against the tories and you come out blazing, so don't try to give us that impartiality bollox!

I always thought that the money from the sales was destined to go into more builds and I am wrong. Still doesn't alter the main fact in the end though does it, that no-one built enough new council stock in the end and still to this day we haven't enough.

BECAUSE OF THATCHER! Which is where we came in.....

[COMMANDO FORCES]

So I never mentioned that the Tories backed Blair in the wars, which were something that we shouldn't have done as what was going on in those countries had nothing at the time in question, anything to do with us. Still nothing, even now to do with us as far as I can see!
Show me all these posts that slag off Blair and Brown on here and I'll rip into the Tories if needs be! Obviously you think I'm gonna watch this thread and sit down and answer every post that comes up.

If anyone is blinded by a belief DDD, it would be you and your raising a glass to the death of someone, says more about your character than anything else. Even many of the most ardent haters of Thatcher agree that that is a disgrace but each to their own. I shall be asleep when she is buried, as I couldn't give a toss as she isn't family or close to me but I feel sorry for her family and friends but only from a distance as I wouldn't cry for them.

You say because of Thatcher, yet again! How many years in the future are you going to carry that on, she has been out of power for 20+ years and yet no other party has rectified this problem. I could go back to the insanity of what went on in the 70's and say everything is a product of that. As if we didn't have that then we wouldn't have had Thatcher.

[Dandontdare]

Even many of the most ardent haters of Thatcher agree that that is a disgrace

I'll think you'll find that the "ardent haters of Thatcher", have been, and will continue to be, raising a glass rather than deploring it. Hence the description "ardent haters of Thatcher"

You say because of Thatcher, yet again! How many years in the future are you going to carry that on, she has been out of power for 20+ years and yet no other party has rectified this problem

As you have conceded, the reason they haven't fixed the problem is because Thatcher put measures in place to prevent it. THAT is why I blame her more than others. Jim proved you wrong, you conceded the fact and then a few posts later you're back to the same discredited argument! Unbelievable.

[Charlie boy]

I can't help but feel she'll be having the last laugh re: my own feelings on her demise- my extortionate water bill is due any time now.

[vzzbux]

I blame that fucker Cromwell, things would be a whole lot better without him in power.




V

[Spikes]

I can't help but feel she'll be having the last laugh

She's incapable of laughing, due to being dead 

I see Jeremy Clarkson is off to the funeral, or has been invited at least..

[Frank]

I see Jeremy Clarkson is off to the funeral, or has been invited at least..

... along with Blair, Brown, Clinton, and Bushes 39 and 41; I can see why the cops have been talking about the need for a ring of steel around the capital. If any Islamic fascists fancy having a go at achieving what the Luftwaffe never could, here's the route they'll be taking to St Pauls:

[darnmarr]

From Captain Howdy over on B3ta:

[Richmond Clements]

I'm having that!

[Hawkmumbler]

Yoink!

[Beaky Smoochies]

The elections here are largely a pointless sectarian head count. The main problem for me is the parties represent either the British or the Irish, and none of them seem to give a shit about the Northern Irish, the people that actually live here. I consider myself neither British nor Irish. I'm Northern Irish.  I don't have any problems with British or Irish people, but if'n they're going to live in my country, they had best learn to behave themselves.The British/Protestant/Unionist/Loyalist community and the Irish/Catholic/Nationalist/Republican community don't seem to realize they have more in common with each other than they do with anyone across the Irish sea or south of the border.

Which is what I've been saying both here and elsewhere for years now!  Every constitutional debate in this place always seems to come down to an either-or, United Kingdom or United Ireland choice, and I NEVER hear a third choice in the mix, a very obvious and workable and indeed feasible third choice exists; an independent Northern Ireland under the Crown (either as an Overseas Territory at least or as an outright Dominion territory at most), with a written Constitution, a proper bicameral Parliament, a Governor (or Governor General if a Dominion state), a normal Left/Right political landscape, a singular national identity (Northern Irish) with accompanying passport, a national flag (the St Patrick saltire), and a national seal (the Maid of Erin harp motif currently on the Royal Standard).  And don't give me any nonsense that an independent Northern Ireland couldn't afford itself, like any small country we would cut our suit to suit our cloth, have competitive tax rates, and not have an obscenely bloated public sector, have strict welfare means tests, and a tight rein on public spending and/or borrowing... the myopia among politicians and intellectual talking heads will be the real undoing of Norn Iron's potential, not sectarianism or social division!

[Beaky Smoochies]

I blame that fucker Cromwell, things would be a whole lot better without him in power.

As a long-time student of history, I respectfully disagree with that assessment of Oliver Cromwell's legacy.  It's precisely because  Cromwell wouldn't accept the Crown and become King Oliver I that many problems in the post-monarchy English state began, simply put, having dispatched one royal tyrant, they had no idea what to replace him with, leading to Cromwell nearly becoming a bit of a tyrant himself... and look where that led, right back to where they began with Charles Stuart's son back on the throne.

If Cromwell had accepted the Crown, ruled with both the necessary and absolute consent of both the House of Commons and Lords in all constitutional and governing matters, and had a written Constitution drawn up to effectively codify the political settlement across all three kingdoms of the new Commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland - all of which was proposed and had support across most political lines of the day - history would have been very different, and for the better in my opinion...

[JOE SOAP]

If Cromwell had accepted the Crown, ruled with both the necessary and absolute consent of both the House of Commons and Lords in all constitutional and governing matters, and had a written Constitution drawn up to effectively codify the political settlement across all three kingdoms of the new Commonwealth of England, Scotland, and Ireland - all of which was proposed and had support across most political lines of the day - history would have been very different, and for the better in my opinion...

Yes, well, that's easily said.

[JOE SOAP]

Which is what I've been saying both here and elsewhere for years now!  Every constitutional debate in this place always seems to come down to an either-or, United Kingdom or United Ireland choice, and I NEVER hear a third choice in the mix, a very obvious and workable and indeed feasible third choice exists; an independent Northern Ireland under the Crown (either as an Overseas Territory at least or as an outright Dominion territory at most), with a written Constitution, a proper bicameral Parliament, a Governor (or Governor General if a Dominion state), a normal Left/Right political landscape, a singular national identity (Northern Irish) with accompanying passport, a national flag (the St Patrick saltire), and a national seal (the Maid of Erin harp motif currently on the Royal Standard).  And don't give me any nonsense that an independent Northern Ireland couldn't afford itself, like any small country we would cut our suit to suit our cloth, have competitive tax rates, and not have an obscenely bloated public sector, have strict welfare means tests, and a tight rein on public spending and/or borrowing... the myopia among politicians and intellectual talking heads will be the real undoing of Norn Iron's potential, not sectarianism or social division!

To be honest B.S.; I don't think too many - either side of the Border- spend much of their day giving-a-shite about Norn Irn to have put forth any proposition/solution - be it Irish, British or something else - and if the peeps of the Border-Land really want such a thing, they'll have to demand it, cause no one's going to hand it to them. Methinks yourselves alone will have to bite-the-bullet and get together on that one...if you collectively want to give up the benefits and embrace Nationalism.

[judgefloyd]

Meanwhile, John Howard is celebrating the tenth anniversary of the Iraq invasion by lying his arse off, one more time, just for the fans
http://www.theage.com.au/comment/howard-ignored-advice-and-went-to-war-in-iraq-20130411-2ho5d.html