The Political Thread

[Tjm86]

There aren't many politicians who have support round here.  Smith had more than most although he did a pretty good job of reducing the party's lead that Kim Howells built up over the years.  Its not just Labour that is seeing the exodus mind.  Quite a few Tories and Liberals doing a runner too.

[TordelBack]

So. Has that knob Jack Dorsey just changed everything? Will the other even knobbier knobs follow his lead? Is it wrong to hope?

[Frank]

So. Has that knob Jack Dorsey just changed everything? Will the other even knobbier knobs follow his lead? Is it wrong to hope?

It's a bit disingenuous. He's only banning political advertising - and who's to say what's political?

When something as innocuous and universal as Star Wars(!) can be weaponised to create social division in the Culture War, this is as effective as that school that tried to ban a specific kind of haircut.

[TordelBack]

Well they can't really ban ALL advertising and keep the site 'free', or foresee every dIrty trick - but if they can put an end to spend on targeted lies for explicitly political ends, and IF Facebook etc follow... well, we possibly wouldn't gave been fucked over by Trump and Brexit for a start.

I choose to see a glimmer in this.

[Professor Bear]

Banning political advertising on Twitter is just a shell game, as its usefulness is as a means of disseminating misinformation and narrativising via fake accounts and bots.  If Dorsey was serious about tackling bad faith actors on the platform, he'd introduce more secure identity verification.

[TordelBack]

  If Dorsey was serious about tackling bad faith actors on the platform, he'd introduce more secure identity verification.

This is certainly the case, but baby steps are still steps. For me it's more the hope that other platforms will feel pressure to follow - I don't really think the paid advert thing is the big issue on Twitter. The very notion that it's somehow not Facebook's responsibility to stop taking money for precisely targeted verifiable lies is an affront, so I'm going to take any movement that pushes against that.

[Tjm86]

Ordinarily Cambridge students and Doctors tend to attract my ire but this young lady deserves a medal. 

Hope this footage is widely used.

[The Legendary Shark]

Elections! Phah! Y'all know me. All know what I think about elections. They're like them big bitey things* in the sea. Doesn't matter which one you pick, it's gonna tear chunks off ye - just see if it don't.

One has to look at it in the context of picking the least fetid coagulation of cells one can stomach, or deciding whether to be kicked in the head or the nethers, or choosing between a well-meaning idiot or a ruthlessly shrewd bastard. And all shit like that. It's like the Church** having elections every four years to raise up those priests most similar to Jesus in the sincere hope that they'll soon pick the Actual Reincarnated Jesus after which, everything will be fine. Well, I suppose it's not really like that but it's a fun image and I can't be arsed deleting it.

Anyway: elections! Phah!

...aaaaand breathe. It's good to be back.

*eels.
**peals.

[Funt Solo]

Or ... they're the cornerstone of a democratic society that stops us from plunging headlong into chaos and the rule of the mob.

Welcome back, Shark!

[JayzusB.Christ]

I'd imagine you're all chuffed over there right now to have Nige's bff Trump helping you make your mind up.

[Funt Solo]

There's this Youtube click-bait that is titled "Jacob Rees-Mogg Calmly Dismantles Student".  I know it's going to be a video of him being a horrible, smug, upper-class shit (because that's what he does), but I love the idea that it's literal and he's dismembering someone. He plays a bit like a movie serial killer.

"What you fail to realize is that when I saw off your leg..." etc.

[JayzusB.Christ]

There's this Youtube click-bait that is titled "Jacob Rees-Mogg Calmly Dismantles Student".  I know it's going to be a video of him being a horrible, smug, upper-class shit (because that's what he does), but I love the idea that it's literal and he's dismembering someone. He plays a bit like a movie serial killer.

"What you fail to realize is that when I saw off your leg..." etc.

'...Limbus amputatium aristocratius wankorum...'

[radiator]

Anyone have any experience voting from abroad?

Does your proxy have to live in the same area as your registered UK home address?

I've googled and been to the gov.uk site, but finding it hard to find straight answers on anything.

[IndigoPrime]

Your proxy has to be registered themselves and able to vote in that particular election. They do not have to be able to vote in your polling station, but if they cannot will need to contact your electoral registration office to sort a postal vote. Ideally, you would want someone local to your polling station, if that's possible.

[Definitely Not Mister Pops]

It's looking more and more likely that the only two candidates in my constituency are going to be from Sinn Fein and the DUP. Literally just those two. In assembly and council elections the ballot is usually the length of your arm, but that's PRSTV vs FPTP.

Who should I vote for? A party that doesn't represent me in any way, or a party that won't represent me anyway? Should I even bother?

This doesn't seem like democracy.