Current Affairs - The Bear and Badger

Yossarian

Gonzo said:
fucking pedant

Where's your punctuation?

Yossarian

That's impossible. My mother is far too old for periods.

Kow

Worst joke ever award.

Yossarian

Woop!

I'd just like to thank my friends, my family, my agent, the director, God even though he doesn't exist, my paperboy...

Yossarian

Nah, fuck 'er. What's she ever done for me?

beano

WorKid wrote:

@Beano
No, as it literally concentrates the power in one man (let's face it, it will be a man), with a 4-year term and virtually no way of removing them.

And also, the public are fucking stupid and will elect - for example - a man in a monkey suit who promises free bananas for the kids, and that bloke off've Have I Got News For You.

The public are indeed stupid and they elected a fat whopper of a man in Liverpool. I disagree with you kid, I think they're a better way of running councils. Also look at London.

Mod74

I'm not sure London is a great example, nor Doncaster where they elected an English Democrat mayor.

Kow

Thank fuck that cock Sarkozy is out. Maybe the Merkel stranglehold on Europe can be loosened a bit now.

handsofblue

I'd like to see Hollande's 75p tax rate work so we can demonstrate to the Tories that taxing the rich does work. Other than that I have no idea what Hollande stands for.

Kow

He stands for not Sarkozy, which is enough for many. He's also against this brutal austerity, which is a good thing.

Regardless of specific policies, it's good to have a leftist (in name anyway) in power in a Europe which is swinging dangerously to the right.

Brooks

How much room can he really claim though.

Kow

Not much probably, but we'll see.

beano

Mod74 wrote:

I'm not sure London is a great example, nor Doncaster where they elected an English Democrat mayor.

So essentially, regardless are if you are for or against. There are no good examples.

I_R

London works in the sense that a figurehead mayor is a good way of getting central government cash to pour in. That's not going to work in Doncaster, it might in some place like Liverpool with the right person.

beano

Its a complicated thing political science. Especially as it could be argued that a lot of what you might regard as success is either subjective orÂ immeasurableÂ in the first place.

Any way, Leveson's back for another week of fun with more of the ex News International employees and this revelationÂ got brought to light this morning.

Andy Coulson held shares in News Corporation while he worked in Downing Street as a senior adviser to the Prime Minister, it has been claimed.

As a special adviser and civil servant, Mr Coulson would have had to declare the shareholding to the Cabinet Secretary Gus Oâ€™Donnell, now Lord Oâ€™ Donnell, when he moved into Downing Street in 2010.

A spokesman for the Cabinet Office said: â€œOn appointment, Andy Coulson complied with recruitment processes, including declaration of any interests to the Cabinet Office.â€She refused to say whether or not Mr Coulson had reported the shareholding.

When was the last time the government had a good week? Perhaps Cameron's veto at Europe? Which in reality wasn't really a veto made by us it was more like Europe vetoing us and going about their business.

Also Viva la France!

Blocks100

I_R wrote:

it might in some place like Liverpool with the right person.

Not with someone who looks like he ate Eric Pickles.

beano

Hah. I worked indirectly for Liam Fogarty's team six years ago when we were trying to get a referendum on the elected mayor. It's not my fault he didn't do better when the time came.

WorKid

London has benefited from having a mayor, since there wasn't really an over-arching government looking at the whole of London, it was fragmented into boroughs, and not working well.

(Maggie got rid of the GLC, Red Ken and all, and Labour brought in the GLA when they got back into power. )

In Bristol, there is already one council. It's a very different situation, and a mayor is pointless.

Coopers Green

Didn't one of our own work for Boris for a while?

beano

Yeah I think @rockissponge did?

Coopers Green

Thought so.

[Deleted User]

Beastie Boys being sued for infringement of a copyright law which came into place after they released the offending LPs.

Funkstain

XTC_NRG_4_DARKRAVER wrote:

Beastie Boys being sued for infringement of a copyright law which came into place after they released the offending LPs.

There's timing and then there's timing.

Brooks

You know considering how fucking retarded and awful many voting Americans appear to be, pro-homo Obama's a bit amazing.

handsofblue

A bit out of the loop with American politicks - has a republican presidential candidate been chosen yet? I can't see mitt being president. Or maybe don't want to.

I_R

Mitt has it in the bag, they haven't actually had the convention yet though.

Kow

I'm betting that, regardless of whatever sleazy campaign Fox have prepared, there is no way in hell that Romney can even hope to challenge Obama.

rockissponge

beano wrote:

Yeah I think @rockissponge did?

Hai. Yep - did a 6yr stint at City Hall, worked for Ken for around 4, and Boris for about 2.

I_R

It does look like a way of winning back young voters who feel let down by his first term without actually doing anything. I'm not sure of the legalities, but it appears to be an issue for individual states anyway.

Mod74

I think a Presidential Order or whatever it's called over-rides any state level decision making.

Dunno, American politics is quite complicated and I haven't been following this closely. I'm kinda surprised that gay marriage is such a hot potato in 2012, and then not surprised at all.

Michael Moore had a good take on it.

I am deeply moved by the announcement made a short while ago that President Obama has gone back to his original position in 1996 and come out publicly in support of same-sex marriage. It may seem like a risky move, but the majority of Americans already support the equal rights of gays and lesbians to marry. Public opinion has completely flipped since 2004. It's been a faster change than anyone could have predicted. But the older generation with their anti-gay views are replaced with a younger generation who are not as rigid, hate-filled, frightened, and bigoted as many of their elders. Hate to have to put it that way, but that's the truth. It's why we were able to have an African American president, and it's why I believe, in spite of all other proof to the contrary, things WILL get better in this country.

One other point: One reason the majority's opinion on this issue has changed is due, in large part, to the many of our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters who have taken the risk and come out of the closet. By doing so to their friends, family, neighbors, classmates and co-workers, they have forced people to deal with them as human beings. It is much harder to hate when that gay person is your son, that lesbian is your aunt, that homosexual is the person who covers for you on the job when you've got a sick kid, and that gay couple next door have the best-kept yard on the block (I'm not saying they're better at gardening, i'm just saying, they're neighbors, like anyone else). So, the more people said they were gay, the faster that fear and hate peeled away.

To all of our gay and lesbian citizens who have had to suffer for far to long in this "land of the free," thank you (and President Obama) for making us a true home of the brave.

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