BRFR Cake Stop 'breaking news' miscellany

[Psamathe]

Interesting report on BBC Newsnight yesterday they were interviewing an investigative reporter who for years has been investigating and reporting on the people smuggling "gangs" Rob Lawrie ex-soldier and Aid worker). Same guy that did the BBC podcast series "To Catch a Scorpion" when he and antother reporter were seeking out one of the people smuggler gang leaders.

The reporter was saying how it will be totally impossible to "Smash the Gangs". For years many well resourced endevours so smash the drug gangs and they have minimal success (drugs are still freely available in the UK). The "Gangs" Starmer is "smashing" are well organised with loads of hierarchies so those higher up the chain are well clear of getting dirty hands and residing in countries we'd find it particularly difficult to track them down in. We might arrest a few front line people who'd be replaced the next day.

Reports was saying just as Sunak's "Stop the Boats" slogan was nover going to be achievable, so Starmer's "Smash the Gangs" always was just a sound bite that could never actually be achieved.

But maybe the electorate fell for it ... hook, line & sinker.

Ian

 

[Pblakeney]

Eye contact. I see what you did there.

You are ahead of me. 😉 I hadn't sunk that low.

 

[briantrumpet]

Not 'breaking news', but it's an interesting question posed in an challenging way for men...

I have absolutely no idea what the answer is, though my only observation would be that maybe 'developed countries' will either have to incentivise women enough (is that just financial?) to have children (and all that entails, especially if the burden continues to fall mostly on women), or we'll have to accept that the ever-higher living standards (on average) we've enjoyed as long as the population increased will be a thing of the past, and we'll have to accept it's unsustainable and society will have to accept shrinking economies and expectations.

 

[Pblakeney]

or we'll have to accept that the ever-higher living standards (on average) we've enjoyed as long as the population increased will be a thing of the past, and we'll have to accept it's unsustainable and society will have to accept shrinking economies and expectations.

It is completely unrealistic to expect continuous never ending growth.

In a similar vein that the future will be different, imo the West and UK in particular have become complacent and soft to the hardships of the World which may one day visit our door.

 

[Psamathe]

maybe 'developed countries' will either have to incentivise women enough (is that just financial?) to have children (and all that entails, especially if the burden continues to fall mostly on women),

Trouble is that way to address the economy makes things worse before they get better. Children are expensive for the state, healthcare, education, training, state subsidies for parents, impacts of eg maternity/paternity leave and after through all those costs still a bit of career development before net contribution.

Immigration however has the immediate economic gain. None of the delays, none of the costs (worst case a limited hotel bill a lot lot cheaper than all the costs and delays raising children).

Ian

 

[PurplePenguin]

7

Not 'breaking news', but it's an interesting question posed in an challenging way for men...

I have absolutely no idea what the answer is, though my only observation would be that maybe 'developed countries' will either have to incentivise women enough (is that just financial?) to have children (and all that entails, especially if the burden continues to fall mostly on women), or we'll have to accept that the ever-higher living standards (on average) we've enjoyed as long as the population increased will be a thing of the past, and we'll have to accept it's unsustainable and society will have to accept shrinking economies and expectations.

View attachment 9038

It's an interesting topic, but I'm not sure it is well framed in this quote. One interpretation is that 75% of women will continue to have children and therefore make men comfortable and powerful.

 

[briantrumpet]

7

It's an interesting topic, but I'm not sure it is well framed in this quote. One interpretation is that 75% of women will continue to have children and therefore make men comfortable and powerful.

I'd not necessarily take a single social media post as being the epitome of subtle framing (or even doing 'nuance'), but I think a little bit of provocative hyperbole does rather focus the mind, especially bearing in mind the Project 2025 aspiration of 'persuading' white women to have more babies. "It's your patriotic duty" isn't necessarily the ideal way to guide such sensitive and far-reaching decisions. I can't even begin to imagine the way having children totally changes couples' lives (for the rest of their lives, whether they stay as a couple or not).

I guess I'm slightly digging, wondering about the motivations of those with children - what might have put them off the idea (if anything); and those without children (who could have had children) - what might have persuaded them to have started a family.

Obviously it goes waaaay beyond the financial (though I guess that's part of the thought process), and it's absolutely none of my business. But I guess that as a society, the intersection between individual couples' choices and they future finances of populations are extremely closely related, and important. But is it any of government's business, despite them having to deal with the consequences?

Sorry, rambling, and probably ignorant.

 

[PurplePenguin]

If you look at UK fertility rates they are linked to economics.

If you look at East Asian fertility rates, there are other factors at play e.g. expectation that women give up work

 

[briantrumpet]

I think this could equally have gone in the political jokes thread

 

[Pross]

I think this could equally have gone in the political jokes thread

View attachment 9048

Right-wing echo chamber AKA the UK mainstream media

 

[Pross]

The Telegraph can now also defend their story by saying they've done a second source check and The Mail corroborated the claim.