Does anybody here take the Greens seriously?

[briantrumpet]

And rightly so. He botched the response in largely the same way as he botched the tax.tbing by claiming he didn't live on a boat. His political first instinct is to save face and double down. It will be his undoing.

It turns out the t shirt is based on a 70s pop song, and no doubt worn intentionally. There was a missed opportunity to apologise and make light of it.

His "I'll only apologise if Farage apologises too" is not how apologies work. Once you've missed that first opportunity to say a proper 'sorry', you've blown it. Sadly I think it's symptomatic of most political things he does being performative/calculated, and if he does do anything instinctive, it's not reflecting a deep moral stance.

 

[First Aspect]

His "I'll only apologise if Farage apologises too" is not how apologies work. Once you've missed that first opportunity to say a proper 'sorry', you've blown it. Sadly I think it's symptomatic of most political things he does being performative/calculated, and if he does do anything instinctive, it's not reflecting a deep moral stance.

I wouldn't mind the performance and calculations if the result was competent.

 

[AuroraSaab]

In the past people have had police visits for far less than that t shirt but it's good that the police are no longer responding to demands that every stupid thing on social media is a hate crime. Both Farage and Polanski are numpties who, unrepresentative as it is, make me glad we still have 'first past the post'.

 

[Psamathe]

His "I'll only apologise if Farage apologises too" is not how apologies work. Once you've missed that first opportunity to say a proper 'sorry', you've blown it. Sadly I think it's symptomatic of most political things he does being performative/calculated, and if he does do anything instinctive, it's not reflecting a deep moral stance.

And for more major issues, a recipe for escalation, further highlighting Polanski's unsuitability for holding any power.

 

[monkers]

Irony.

 

[icowden]

And for more major issues, a recipe for escalation, further highlighting Polanski's unsuitability for holding any power.

So:
Unsuitable:
Farage - due to corruption and bungs
Polanski - due to silly responses on social media
Badenoch - due to being Batshit crazy
Davey - due to possibility of doing a bungee jump during PMQs

Suitable:
Burnam due to having nice hair and not using a lectern.

 

[Psamathe]

And for more major issues, a recipe for escalation, further highlighting Polanski's unsuitability for holding any power.

So:
Unsuitable:
Farage - due to corruption and bungs
Polanski - due to silly responses on social media
Badenoch - due to being Batshit crazy
Davey - due to possibility of doing a bungee jump during PMQs

Suitable:
Burnam due to having nice hair and not using a lectern.

We're in the situation we seem to have been in for far too long, "None of the above". We are being let down by inadequate politicians.

 

[icowden]

We're in the situation we seem to have been in for far too long, "None of the above". We are being let down by inadequate politicians.

In which case, there is only one solution.

 

[briantrumpet]

We're in the situation we seem to have been in for far too long, "None of the above". We are being let down by inadequate politicians.

The "but we've got to best them at their own game" when you're up against brazen populists hasn't turned out so well.

 

[Pross]

The "but we've got to best them at their own game" when you're up against brazen populists hasn't turned out so well.

This is the problem. Sensible politicians either don't get anywhere in a Party that doesn't want sensible policies so either have to lower themselves to expectations or leave politics. I think in different times both May and Sunak could have been reasonable PMs but their Party had been sabotaged by the loons so they were either hamstrung (May) or succumbed to what the loons wanted (Sunak). Labour seems to have similar issues with so many of their MPs being concerned about the threat of Reform on their seat. Hopefully we are starting to see the collapse of Reform / Farage and other Parties can revert to concentrating on their own policies instead of constantly worrying about the perceived threat of the hard right. I think they may be pleasantly surprised with what happens.

 

[Psamathe]

Re: "None of the above", politicians failing society
Maybe it's in part an unthinking, unrealistic electorate pushing or biasing selection of candidates. Maybe too much of an unthinking electorate gets a choice "Do you want a large entire cake?" vs "We can't give you cake but can make sure you get adequate healthy diets" and electorate choses the option that can never be delivered. Which maybe ties in to the discussion on education, University fees and salaries - educate people so they can start to question, recognise unrealistic plans, etc.

MAybe in part it's the lack of concequences. Politicians make ludicrous promises and then fail to deliver than leave politics as a "failure" and start making vast sums of money from non-exec. directorships, speaking circuits, consultancies, etc. There is no downside for them in making undeliverable promises.

 

[All uphill]

Irony.

View attachment 16499

I'm sure she said offence, not offense.

Makes me wonder is she said it at all...

 

[Pross]

Re: "None of the above", politicians failing society
Maybe it's in part an unthinking, unrealistic electorate pushing or biasing selection of candidates. Maybe too much of an unthinking electorate gets a choice "Do you want a large entire cake?" vs "We can't give you cake but can make sure you get adequate healthy diets" and electorate choses the option that can never be delivered. Which maybe ties in to the discussion on education, University fees and salaries - educate people so they can start to question, recognise unrealistic plans, etc.

MAybe in part it's the lack of concequences. Politicians make ludicrous promises and then fail to deliver than leave politics as a "failure" and start making vast sums of money from non-exec. directorships, speaking circuits, consultancies, etc. There is no downside for them in making undeliverable promises.

It's exactly this. Cynicism, accelerated by social media, in 'old-fashioned' politics has led to voting for people telling us what we want to hear. "We" as a result have now got the politicians "we" deserve.

 

[monkers]

I'm sure she said offence, not offense.

Makes me wonder is she said it at all...

https://afaf.org.uk/our-tribute-ann-widdecombe-defending-free-speech-at-the-oxford-union/

The person who made the error is not here to correct.

 

[monkers]

Acceptable?