The Political Thread

[Old Tankie]

But, Jim, I read your "explicit reference" to be "mainland Europe"!

[Jim_Campbell]

But, Jim, I read your "explicit reference" to be "mainland Europe"!

If you want to be obtuse about this, be my guest. Clearly, by describing the benefits of integration I was referring to the states that were actually subject to that integration.

If you want to point to a civil war caused by the demise of the authoritarian regime that held half-a-dozen or so smaller states within a larger confederation more-or-less with an iron fist, and draw equivalence with the wars that raged pretty much continuously between the nation states of Europe for 1500 years prior to that, then you are free to do so. I, however, would suggest that such equivalence is a product of your political/rhetorical intent rather than any sensible judgement of the comparison.

Even then, as I said, one localised conflict as the fallout from the collapse of the Soviet empire along all those thousands of miles of border is actually pretty remarkable in itself. Look East and see how things are turning out in the "Stans" for an alternative picture of that fragmentation can work out.

Cheers

Jim

[Old Tankie]

I might be obtuse but you were wrong, weren't you.  I only replied to what you wrote.  You should have put "within the borders of the EU"!!  My "political/rhetorical intent" has got nothing to do with it, you were just factually incorrect.

[Jim_Campbell]

I might be obtuse but you were wrong, weren't you.  I only replied to what you wrote.  You should have put "within the borders of the EU"!!  My "political/rhetorical intent" has got nothing to do with it, you were just factually incorrect.

*sigh* Doesn't really detract from my actual point, does it? +/- One relatively small civil war, we've enjoyed a longer period of peace than at any time since the Romans, or do you want to include the Lebanon and/or Israel given that they have Mediterranean coasts?

[Old Tankie]

Why would I want to include Lebanon and Israel, they're not in Europe!!  I think the main reason there has been a long period of peace in much of Europe (but not all) has more to do with NATO than the EU.  Still, we're obviously not going to agree, so, c'est la vie!!

[Jim_Campbell]

I think the main reason there has been a long period of peace in much of Europe (but not all) has more to do with NATO than the EU.

No, we're certainly not going to agree, particularly on that point.

I shall take my leave of this discussion in the interests of my blood pressure.

[Stan]

Please excuse me while I cry a huge river for Alan Johnson. B|

[Frank]

Please excuse me while I cry a huge river for Alan Johnson. B|

"The Home Secretary has made a decision today that's in her own party's best interest; it is not in the best interests of the country."

What, like following the US into two disatrous and unnecessary wars, Alan? One of the advantages of our electoral sytem is that every five or ten years a new lot take over and are free to admit that what their predecessors did was fucking stupid and reverse their decisions. Blair and Brown's cronies popping up every now and again to tell us that the coalition is undoing all their good work is like the guy who shat on your carpet criticising the cleaner for using too much Vanish and Febreze on the stain. And yes, I know the current lot are no better.

[M.I.K.]

Holdonaminutethere... Didn't it leak out about a year or two ago that Gordon Brown had been trying to get a deal via the US ambassador to have McKinnon serve a sentence in the UK?

These politician folk are a confusing bunch, aren't they?

[COMMANDO FORCES]

Just watched the ITV news and I have to say, well done to the COALITION Government for seeing more people employed in the UK since records began

[Frank]

Just watched the ITV news and I have to say, well done to the COALITION Government for seeing more people employed in the UK since records began

Records began in 1971, when the UK population was 56 million. It's around 62 million now, there are more women in work now than in the Seventies, and there are a lot of part-time jobs in those figures too.

The connection between having a larger number of people of working age in the country and there being more people in work is a no-brainer, and that's at least partly a result of all the able-bodied young Poles and North Africans we've had to import to wipe the arses of our burgeoning elderly population - and some people would like to send those workers back where they came from.

[Richmond Clements]

And also the definition of 'employed' is somewhat elastic...

[M.I.K.]

Does 'employed' in this instance include those who are in 'training'?

[Mabs]

For and hopefully one of the benefits is that we will never see the New/Old Labour party in power south of the border EVER AGAIN

Why, yes, because having this shower of over-privileged public school cunts in charge, dismantling our public services and putting them in the hands of private companies who will be subsidised by our taxes every time they prove too incompetent to make money even when handed a defacto monopoly is infinitely preferable.

Edit to add: Beyond the dreams of Swift -- they're selling our blood.

Bah.

Jim

^THIS.

[Mabs]

Does 'employed' in this instance include those who are in 'training'?

Yes it most probably does.