ants

Sorry, but I disagree. Depending on what constituencies those rebel Tories are from, they might get re-elected even after scuttling Brexit. Plenty of traditional Tory seats are remain. But not if they put Corbyn in power, even just for a few months. So to get them over the line, given they’re NECESSARY, Corbyn should but out.

I detest Trump but I think that's barely a threat. Its more saying "things will be terrible under my opponent, great under me", which is what all politicians do.

Possums are cool. Australian ones anyway. Not so sure about those North American opossums.

If its a caretaker government, and it won't exist without those Torry MPs, then there is no reason it should follow traditional coalition systems. If its meant to stop the no-deal, then call the snap election, its a bit of a unique beast. If Corbyn really wants an election without Bojo having implemented no-deal (which he should, because then Brexit could split the brexit vote), then agreeing to a neutral party being care-taker would make sense and actually show some maturity that would be good for the election. Which is why (and the fact he'd like no-deal) that Corbyn won't do it.

Ok Um, no, that makes it a feature. Look, you have to remember that the entire treaty is to help out the UK. You're getting access to the EU's common market. One of the largest market's in the entire world. They're just getting access to the UK. They're doing you a favour, not the other way around. They are also the ones with the higher standards. So of course they are, and should be, the arbiter of who gets access to their market and the controls to stop illegal smuggling or abuse of the system. The fact the UK doesn't like that and keeps voting it down is because the Torries are delusional. And the last line is rubbish. The backstop isn't the EU saying anyone leaving has to leave on the EU terms. It is the EU saying that if you want to continue to have access to our common market, you need to be able to guarantee that you're meeting our standards. The UK is free to leave without a treaty, its free to put in a hard border (which will happen with no-deal brexit). But if they want access and they want no hard border, then the backstop is what they have to have. There is no neutral third party. One of either the UK or the EU has to be the arbiter of if the conditions is met. A time limit simply means it defaults to an unacceptable position for the EU, so of course that is out. Saying put a time limit on it is saying the EU has to come up with a solution to stop the UK getting access to their common market. The UK whining that its the EU making the decision and not the UK as to when it ends is just the UK (and you) not recognising who is more powerful, the UK not recognising who has behaved more like an adult, or the UK not admitting that prior treaties (the Good Friday agreements) have weight. I'm also not sure why on earth you think the EU would force the UK to stay in if a real solution is found. Half the point of the EU is its hard to get into. Its a closed shop without membership or a trade deal. Having someone constantly whining they're not being allowed to leave wouldn't be good for anyone. If the UK is really desperate to have no backstop, it can put in a hard border tomorrow. Or simply put in that at any time the UK has the right to put in a hard border or a border on the Irish sea. Both of which would work with the backstop, but would just make explicit what is already implicit. Of course they won't, its a terrible idea for them. But the current backstop is VERY good for the UK, because it allows them to access the EU common market AND keep to the terms of the Good Friday agreement. If the UK wants to have no backstop, it can do that tomorrow. It would just need to put in a hard border, or a border in the Irish Sea. They don't do this, because the backstop is better for them than those. The Torries just won't admit that.

I’m sorry if you didn’t mean it HOI, but that is some pretty disingenuous shit right there. It sounds pretty, but it’s pretty much saying the UK should be allowed to fuck over the EU. As soon as any deal has a time limit AND the EU doesn’t have control over ending it is a farce. This would give the UK the best of both worlds- trade deals with other nations on non-EU terms and then be able to ship goods through the border into the EU. Pretty much ending the EU’s trade controls. There is no incentive at all for the UK to do anything, they can just wind down the clock. They’d just twiddle their thumbs until the time delay ends and they get the arrangements of their dreams. The EU isn’t going to commit suicide to save ROI from no deal. They’ll rightly tell you to fuck off.

Its not a pure monopoly, but either is that bakery with the cake. Just because they're the only bakery (or hotel or supermarket, whatever) in town doesn't make them a pure monopoly because anyone can open against them. But in reality, they're the only service provider. If you want to interact with other groups (or see lots of businesses' info) you have to log onto Facebook/Instagram etc. If you want to know what your celebrities are tweeting, you have to go to twitter. Asking someone to build their own web platform sounds a lot harder than telling someone they can bake their own cake. Part of me is saying this, because I always assume that these things will be tried to be used against us. Remember, it often wasn't laws but societal norms that shut minorities out of services and establishments. That said, I don't want Trump et al being the arbiter of what can and can't be said either!

I've started three of Estep's series, and got the furtherest with the Elemental Assassin books (I think I got to about Book 5). However, every single one I've then put down. Estep writes well, and she writes interesting characters, but sooner or later the whole thing doesn't jive. With the Elemental Assassin it just got more and more ridiculous. She was pretty much making many of her statements in the first books lies. I don't like that level of inconsistency in the world building. Her other series I've tried I got 1 book and 3 books into. Other series get to a point where you go "they're too stupid to live", and you want the bad guys to win. I would put Estep's books several levels below the books I was recommending. She has good prose and ideas, but the books have issues that make them too annoying (IMO). I wouldn't recommend her at all, and would (and am!) warn people off her.

I'm not entirely sure I agree with this. Many here would be supportive of the mythical bakery having to make a cake for the gay wedding. Or that in areas with limited services, that those services can't be held back due to prejudice. We don't want the green book having to come back (or an equivalent for any other group). In that context, where do these internet systems fit in? In a world where they have a near monopoly, and the ability for groups to move their service is actually pretty limited, I'm not sure if do agree they shouldn't be forced to be open for everyone.

The thing is, a time-limited backstop doesn't work. The UK has every incentive to develop an alternative anyway, and as soon as they do and its implemented the backstop disappears. A time limit does not add anything, and just raises the spectre of the UK sneakily getting around the requirements because they ran down the clock. Which appears to be a favourite past time of Torries. Any time limit is a meaningless promise. It is either the UK trying to get around the EU, or trying to move control of who determines if the conditions are met from the EU to themselves. I think the pressure on the EU will be to not go through the motions. There are plenty of EU countries getting fed up with the UK's antics.

To be fair, with Corbyn blocking as he’s done and his backers being happy, not much anyone outside Labor can do. Short of a heap of Labor and Tory parliamentarians defecting to the Lib Dems or Corbyn changing his tune.

If by base you include POC, remember that they are far more socially conservative than other Dems. Biden may be more appealing to them.

Wow. He’d have to believe every prediction around the immediate impact of a hard brexit is wrong. Imagine campaigning after leaving while if there isn’t food on the shelves.

It’s clearly 30 seconds to Mars.

4 down at lunch and I’m off to bed. Can’t even record it as I can’t record channel 9. Damn it.