Dylan

Alright you guys it seems like my beloved neighbourhood of Al Karradah in Baghdad has been targeted. It's on TV!

It'll be shit.

Well, except politics.

For most involved I'd imagine it is, in which case the derision is really deserved. For those whose morals go beyond that I think the career over principle thing generally leads to pretty damning choices. It's an odd subculture really, the logics of self justification wouldn't fly many other places.

Out of those three groups there's only one without any real power and fairly good reasons for discontent. 'History will judge' seems a bit of a cop out when the political and media classes could easily be judging now, if the spirit took them (they certainly judge a lot of other stuff).

though. Wagons circle and blame is allocated downwards. Same with politicians.

Fair enough. Do think that the absence of self reflection in the media class (not saying anyone in particular) has certainly added to the issue though. Social media has been a glib answer, as has demonizing different demographics in one way or another. Very rarely does self-critique seem to appear

Levels of trust and respect for media figures and journalists are low everywhere though, far beyond social media. I'd even say the default position is distrust these days, social media didn't do that even if it added to it.

Why do so many people seemingly have so little respect for him?

First off it's the immoral necessities of the dirty world of politics to put in the nonce-sympathiser-general and then it's 'how could anyone stay a year or two beyond the usual stint'?

Crufts is still on TV, a lesson to posh people everywhere - if you want to keep the profile make it cute, have dogs do the rowing.

Beatings will continue until morale improves.

I love Labour campaigning tactics. You want something better? You fool, you absolute idiot, shut up and vote for us.

This... isn't politics, it's managed decline. Amazingly people have actually organised politically and done good things before.

Jesus that have me such a flashback. So many hours lost to that game, was great.

Bob Mortimer exists, he took all the goodness that was supposed to go around all of them as they aged I think.

The Kurds are a proud, savvy and enduring people. Them saying no is a fair reflection of that. Starmer saying no on the other hand is a proper insult. If even humanity's most servile and spineless politician is rejecting you then you're really done.

Different Kurds. But the lesson travels well.

The Kurds said no and rightfully so. They'd gain nothing by being US and Israeli cannon fodder.

“the thinker of tender thoughts” by shel silverstein [an illustration depicting a boy growing into a man. as he grows, his hair grows out as flowers. people laugh at him for it and he becomes sad. he starts trimming off the flowers, but as he reaches the last one he stops. he is then depicted with a smile and a flower in his buttonhole on his jacket.]

“the thinker of tender thoughts”
by shel silverstein

No you can't. Don't be absurd. Messi is the same generation as me, I don't take credit for winning the Ballon D'or.

It's mad that no world religion has considered that penguins may actually be God's chosen and favourite creation.

How does your history show that? Because the ingrained violence, force backed capitalism and racism have been pretty much constant throughout your history.

You think any candidate could change social and economic structures of the country?

If you're into re-enactments get a uniform and go pretend to be Sharpe in a disused field somewhere, this is just embarrassing the lot of us.

Good things those Israeli bombs are smart enough to skip gay people then. I mean, they don't miss kids or anything, but still.

But then Americans killing people is different of course. Exceptionalism or some old bollocks.

every decade or two.

As to Russia and China being worse, perhaps they would be, Putin is certainly very American in his attitudes although China is nowhere near as expansionist. But a few 100k more dead civilians isn't a price worth paying for the privilege of benign US hegemony. Especially as we all have to see it paid

I'm not sure the Cubans, Vietnamese, Iranians, Afghans, Venezuelans, Yemenis, Palestinians et al would agree. Nor the huge numbers of people the US economic system violently exploits under the aegis of your military reach. Or the dozens of countries facing surging fascism backed by your state.