Britain - The Official Thread
- Thread starter Ross
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Dotini
(Banned)
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Ten hour work weeks sounds Utopian, but such ideals were at least approached long ago. Anthropologists tell us that Paleolithic hunter/gatherers sustained quite well on a 15 hour week. Males went out on average 2-3 hours a day to take plentiful game, and the females harvested berries and made babies. In all the free time they played with the kids and made more babies while a few artists scribbled on rocks. This excellent plan worked well for thousands of years until agriculture, Kings, and money ruined things.
Don't give up on the ten hour week, but compromise on 15?
Don't give up on the ten hour week, but compromise on 15?
- 17,356
- United Kingdom
I'd imagine its sector dependent though. I allow a certain percentage of time for worker inefficiency in planning of production. Even if they were motivated enough to remove that inefficiency completely it would only translate to a few hours a week, max. And they wouldn't. I've thought about allowing them to go home once their collective production target is met for the day/week, but the risk of corner cutting is then too great.
- 20,681
- TenEightyOne
- TenEightyOne
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That's the spirit, Comrade Matski!
Zazdarovye tovarich!
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Seems to be a strong indicator that BoJo's going to get the top job...
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- GTP_Mars
Boris scores more than 2nd, 3rd and 4th combined... while that's no guarantee of anything, it is a virtual guarantee that he will at least be in the all-important 'last two' - my guess is it will be Johnson (Hard Brexit) v Hunt (the 'continuity candidate').
I can't believe Mark Harper didn't make it into the second round though.... said nobody ever.
I can't believe Mark Harper didn't make it into the second round though.... said nobody ever.
Seems to be a strong indicator that BoJo's going to get the top job...
The silver lining to this cloud of ****; Esther McVey came last.
HenrySwanson
(Banned)
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Has it really come down to this? This is the best we can come up with?
Are people blind or something:
https://www.newstatesman.com/politi...us-it-s-impossible-hold-boris-johnson-account
Matthew Parris did a savage character assassination of him last week and I'll quote from it in summing up what I think a lot of the electorate feel is being thrust upon us
That he’s a habitual liar, a cheat, a conspirator with a criminal pal to have an offending journalist’s ribs broken, a cruel betrayer of the women he seduces, a politician who connived in a bid for a court order to suppress mention of a daughter he fathered, a do-nothing mayor of London and the worst foreign secretary in living memory . . .
Are people blind or something:
https://www.newstatesman.com/politi...us-it-s-impossible-hold-boris-johnson-account
Matthew Parris did a savage character assassination of him last week and I'll quote from it in summing up what I think a lot of the electorate feel is being thrust upon us
That he’s a habitual liar, a cheat, a conspirator with a criminal pal to have an offending journalist’s ribs broken, a cruel betrayer of the women he seduces, a politician who connived in a bid for a court order to suppress mention of a daughter he fathered, a do-nothing mayor of London and the worst foreign secretary in living memory . . .
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- 11,918
- Marin County
Sounds like the perfect statesman for 2019
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The result of the second round of the Conservative Party leadership contest has just been announced:
Michael Gove: 41
Jeremy Hunt: 46
Sajid Javid: 33
Boris Johnson: 126
Dominic Raab: 30
Rory Stewart: 37
Total votes cast: 313
Votes needed to proceed to next round: 33
Dominic Raab is out.
Boris Johnson wins with more votes than the three next most popular candidates combined again.
The BBC are hosting a debate with the remaining candidates tonight.
Michael Gove: 41
Jeremy Hunt: 46
Sajid Javid: 33
Boris Johnson: 126
Dominic Raab: 30
Rory Stewart: 37
Total votes cast: 313
Votes needed to proceed to next round: 33
Dominic Raab is out.
Boris Johnson wins with more votes than the three next most popular candidates combined again.
The BBC are hosting a debate with the remaining candidates tonight.
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It's horrifying what this country has become when Boris Johnson is on the verge of becoming Prime Minister.
- 20,681
- TenEightyOne
- TenEightyOne
It fixes things for two countries, that's for sure. If the Conservatives go ahead and push for a Northern Irish Independence referendum then NI would no longer be part of the UK and the question of breaking the Good Friday Agreement with a hard border would be moot*. By the measure of the idea that a Brexit majority is a majority... Northern Ireland voted to remain. Scotland, as the other country that voted to remain, may push for Indyref2, which introduces a new "hard border" but at least it's one that's only ever been marred by cardboard police cars.
* The DUP would block such a move for sure, if their Ford Transit hasn't been clamped.
Dotini
(Banned)
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Okay. What are the chances London could become its own city-state, and also of Welsh independence?
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- lipming
London could function on its own, though border control at the M25 junctions would wreak havoc for traffic, and as disconnected as it can appear from the rest of the country there are no serious thoughts of that happening. If Northern Ireland became "independent" it's implied it would then reunify with the Republic, but there's a reason they haven't done this already. Scotland came very close to becoming independent in the first referendum, they might just pull it off but it would be a huge struggle. Whereas the Welsh on the other hand speak fondly of independence but know in practise it's not realistic as the country would completely collapse on its own.
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- TenEightyOne
- TenEightyOne
- 92
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"In a democracy people get the leaders they deserve."
"What a load of old rubbish"
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- TenEightyOne
- TenEightyOne
What's your alternative, as a matter of interest?
- 17,356
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Personally, benevolent dictator.
edit: Or no system of government at all.
... and that is why I usually end up in the middle of the political compass.
- 92
- United Kingdom
I was being entirely tongue in cheek of course by quoting a famous french thinker in a British thread, but I actually think the point stands.
In 3 successive general elections the UK Public has voted Conservative in Democratic elections, they have lapped up Boris' whiff waff style comments in the past and he has become "good ol' boris" when the reality is much more sinister, and they also voted the leave the EU largely off the back of his campaign.
Is it ******** that he is soon to become UK Prime minister? Yes it is. Was it entirely out of the realms of possibility when people voted Tory 2 years ago? No it wasn't.
The bigger question of course is the media, Boris has been given a free ride through the British media, however, if a person isnt questioning enough (for example, who allows the phrase "the goal of all conservatives is to lower taxes and increase public services" to go unchallenged?) and they then vote for their parties, then yes, the UK deserves its leaders, and the UK deserves to exit the EU.
Do I like it no? Do I have friends that are really going to suffer? Yes, Did they vote leave, yes? Did they vote Tory? Yes.
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And my alternative would be to firstly instate an independent media watchdog who forces impartiality and objective and thorough robust reporting for all forms of media. I would make it law for social media companies to better police its political content, and make it a criminal offence for any politicians whether prospective or in office to lie, with a penalty of 5 years in jail.
Then I would be happier with democracy.
Then I would be happier with democracy.
