@duckwhistle@mastodon.org.uk
@duckwhistle@mastodon.org.uk avatar

duckwhistle

@duckwhistle@mastodon.org.uk

Returning Mastodon dabbler.
Interested in: UK politics. Constitutional and Electoral reform. Green energy. Technology being used to improve quality of life, rather than profitability of companies. Psychology of depression and motivation.
Fantasy, sci-fi, horror.
mmorpgs.

https://change.libdems.org.uk/protect-our-rights?recruiter_id=855700

This profile is from a federated server and may be incomplete. Browse more on the original instance.

Winstonwells, to random
@Winstonwells@mastodon.social avatar

I can see why people are afraid of Trump getting elected again (he's a narcissistic psychopath) but USA has looked like a fascist police state for a while now.

You just need to look at how the police shut down black lives matter demonstrations and anti war protests for starters, let alone the military support for apartheid genocide

duckwhistle,
@duckwhistle@mastodon.org.uk avatar

@freemo @Winstonwells i was under the impression that no 3rd party candidate could get on the ballot in enough States to actually win?

duckwhistle,
@duckwhistle@mastodon.org.uk avatar

@freemo @Winstonwells
I thought you had to register for each state separately, and the rules were different in each state.
Maps I've seen for past elections have shown 3rd party candidates only being on the ballot in a limited number of States?

DrALJONES, to random
@DrALJONES@mastodon.social avatar

"wadaboutHamas?"

Report

Blinken understands US protesters’ passion, but questions their silence on Hamas.

Asked about the unfolding pro-Palestine protest movement at US universities, Blinken said he very much understands the students’ frustration & respects their right to demonstrate as a hallmark of our democracy.

"It is notable that there is silence about Hamas”.

..

duckwhistle,
@duckwhistle@mastodon.org.uk avatar

@DrALJONES @Thebratdragon The US system seems a lot more convoluted than the UK one.
I got the impression the Federal Government always ends up paying interest on the money the federal reserve creates for them, but there's a lot of misinformation about the Fed.
It was certainly set up with the intention that the origional "investors" would profit from all government money creation, but I'm not sure that still holds with electronic payments?

duckwhistle,
@duckwhistle@mastodon.org.uk avatar

@DrALJONES @Thebratdragon
Yes the idea of a National Debt is a political fiction, but the narrative around that fiction varies depending on the country. I understand the reality, but I'm of the impression in the UK that BS is maintained by convention, and policy changes at the Treasury & BoE could dispense with it. Whereas in the US there are Laws in place requiring the Treasury Dept & Fed to act like it's true, and significant legislation would need to be passed in order to change that.

duckwhistle,
@duckwhistle@mastodon.org.uk avatar

@DrALJONES @Thebratdragon
Most of my information comes from history books and a documentary which stated the Fed was set up by a legal instrument that meant it was required to give profits from money creation to its initial investors.
I don't know how much has changed over the years but I know that unlike the BoE which is now publicly owned, the Fed is partially owned by its member banks https://www.federalreserve.gov/aboutthefed/section5.HTML and pays them dividends.

MeanwhileinCanada, to random
@MeanwhileinCanada@ohai.social avatar

Every year...

duckwhistle,
@duckwhistle@mastodon.org.uk avatar

@MrDeeds @mpjgregoire
Psycology is part of it, but also your body acclimates, to become more efficient at retaining heat or dispersing heat, throughout the seasons.
The actual temperature is not what makes you feel hot or cold, it's how different the temperature is relative to the weeks before.

GottaLaff, to random
@GottaLaff@mastodon.social avatar

THE problem.

Via Emptywheel:

Criminal protection racket.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Just to sum up. You support for pres even if he's convicted in classified docs case. You support him for pres even though you believe he contributed to an insurrection. You support him for pres even though you believe he's lying about the last election. You support him for pres even if he's convicted in Manhattan case. I just want to say, the answer to that is yes, correct?

SUNUNU: Yeah. Me and 51% of America.

duckwhistle,
@duckwhistle@mastodon.org.uk avatar

@Tbsa @troy_frizzell @GottaLaff
Just the last 6 months😃

duckwhistle,
@duckwhistle@mastodon.org.uk avatar

@Tbsa @troy_frizzell @GottaLaff by continuing to supply arms to Israel and supporting the genocide in Gaza.

duckwhistle,
@duckwhistle@mastodon.org.uk avatar

@Tbsa @troy_frizzell @GottaLaff
Who's this?
https://youtube.com/shorts/xHHsyioFHm8?si=QZHHjLkjUAwbp9My

MadeyeTheCarnaptious, to random
@MadeyeTheCarnaptious@mastodon.scot avatar

"RAF shot down Iranian drones heading for Israel, Sunak confirms."

So the RAF is now in combat defending ISRAEL against Iran, which is responding to Israel destroying Iran's consulate in Damascus.

This is what the Tories and "Labour" define as the "defence of the realm".

Any questions?

#IranConsulateAttack #IsraelWarCrimes #StopArmsSalesToIsrael

duckwhistle,
@duckwhistle@mastodon.org.uk avatar

@fkamiah17 @MadeyeTheCarnaptious
You only need parliamentary approval to declare war. Using resources already deployed in an area has basically no democratic checks.

ChrisMayLA6, to politics
@ChrisMayLA6@zirk.us avatar

@AnnPettifor warns that Wes Streeting (and Labour)'s plans are a clear & present danger for the NHS:

  1. Any privatisation of all/part os the NHS will be costly to both users & the state;

  2. it will have negative health outcomes;

  3. the ripple effects of the expansion of debts by private equity to accomplish such expansion of privatised healthcare are themselves destabilising.

Streeting is masking his real intent by claiming 'pragmatism'!


https://annpettifor.substack.com/p/the-sucker-covered-tentacles-of-private

duckwhistle,
@duckwhistle@mastodon.org.uk avatar

@mxtthxw @ChrisMayLA6 @AnnPettifor anywhere there is a 3rd party candidate with even a moderate chance of winning, or even just beating the Tories, we need to be voting for them over labour. I expect Labour to have a majority, but I want it to be with the lowest share of the popular vote in history. Give the rebels within Labour as much fuel as possible.

fkamiah17, to random
@fkamiah17@toot.wales avatar

Happy Anniversary to all who celebrate 🥳 🎈 🥂

duckwhistle,
@duckwhistle@mastodon.org.uk avatar

@fkamiah17
If only Neoliberalism had died with her.

fkamiah17, to UKpolitics
@fkamiah17@toot.wales avatar

🤣 🤣 🧐
Screenshot from an email still being sent to people who are no longer members of the Labour Party.

duckwhistle,
@duckwhistle@mastodon.org.uk avatar

@sufferforme @fkamiah17
Maybe not, but I am willing to give them the benefit of the doubt and say they believed the labour party was more their natural home than any of the alternatives, when they joined.
Nearly all of Starmers top people should have joined CHUK when that happened though.

fkamiah17, to random
@fkamiah17@toot.wales avatar

It's not our fault, it's because our army doesn't obey orders.
Yaniv Kubovich is a military reporter with Haaretz.

duckwhistle,
@duckwhistle@mastodon.org.uk avatar

@fkamiah17
For the sake of argument let's say that's true.
Then everybody involved should be facing a court marshall, and a murder trial.

50sFarmGirl, to random
@50sFarmGirl@mstdn.ca avatar
duckwhistle,
@duckwhistle@mastodon.org.uk avatar

@thepoliticalcat @50sFarmGirl
Visit some slums in Asia and Africa, then tell me that race is a significant factor in peoples resistance to inequality & oppression.
The only reason for non activism is that no matter how hard things get it's still easier to go along with the status quo.
You only get mass activism when the few people who are motivated persuade a significant number of others that positive change is possible.
Unfortunately saying "we told you so" doesn't help with that.

ChrisMayLA6, to politics
@ChrisMayLA6@zirk.us avatar

If you have the time, you could start the day with this long read from the New Yorker's Sam Knight on 14 years of Tory mismanagement of the economy.

There's plenty of detail which will be familiar but its illuminating to see it all presented in one place.

Knight concludes our current leaders are just not up to (re)organising a national politics to respond to, and start to address, the damage the Tories have done.

The country is slipping beneath the waves.

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2024/04/01/what-have-fourteen-years-of-conservative-rule-done-to-britain

duckwhistle,
@duckwhistle@mastodon.org.uk avatar

@Wen @ChrisMayLA6
Is it though?
I cant get behind the paywall, but I don't Ned to read the article to know The Barnet Formula means cuts to government spending by westminster reduces the funding available to the devolved governments, and the best argument the SNP (and Plaid) have for independance over further devolution, is that UK government shitfuckery inevitably effects the whole of Britain.

duckwhistle,
@duckwhistle@mastodon.org.uk avatar

@ChrisMayLA6
You weren't to know, but for the record I get a "you have reached your maximum number of free articles" message and an invitation to subscribe.
It doesn't say how many that is, or if it resets.
🤷‍♂️

DrALJONES, to BBC
@DrALJONES@mastodon.social avatar

deleted_by_author

    •
    duckwhistle,
    @duckwhistle@mastodon.org.uk avatar

    @DrALJONES
    It would have been nice if the Panorama researchers had discovered for themselves that the rape claims had been debunked, before contacting Palastinians for comment.
    At least they dropped it once they were told I suppose, but not exactly what we should be able to expect from a program that had the reputation Panorama used to have.

    melissabeartrix, to random
    @melissabeartrix@aus.social avatar

    The best politician is one that doesn't want the job

    Hugz & xXx

    duckwhistle,
    @duckwhistle@mastodon.org.uk avatar

    @danjac @davidtheeviloverlord @melissabeartrix
    David Eddings briefly mentioned a nation that used a lottery method of electing officials.

    That seemed like an interesting idea, but also all their assets were liquidised and invested in government bonds, and what they got back at the end of their term depended on the change in value of government assets.
    Which sounds like an incentive for corruption to me.

    simon_brooke, to random
    @simon_brooke@mastodon.scot avatar

    Listening to several political podcasts from assorted British commentators this week, there seems to be a consensus that the 's motion was primarily a cynical ploy to embarrass .

    This seems to me to be

    a. Lazy;
    b. Cynical;
    c. Woefully ill-informed about Scotland;
    d. Wrong.

    Even ignoring the fact that the leader of the SNP's wife is , sympathy for the Palestinian cause on the left in Scotland is very widespread.

    duckwhistle,
    @duckwhistle@mastodon.org.uk avatar

    @simon_brooke
    Sympathy for Palatine is widespread everywhere except in the media.
    Promoting the idea that it was a SNP ploy to embarrass labour is just another way of trying to distract from the fact that the majority of people side with Palestine.

    duckwhistle,
    @duckwhistle@mastodon.org.uk avatar

    @MadeyeTheCarnaptious @piglet @simon_brooke
    That seemed to be more about trying to influence Labour than support it. Although simply acknowledging that they are worth trying to influence, supports the narrative that Labour will be the next government.

    adrianfry, to UKpolitics
    @adrianfry@mastodon.scot avatar

    A question for those with detailed knowledge of #UKpolitics and the laws surrounding #parliament in general:

    If the UK were to become involved in a #war or major #conflict, could parliament suspend a #GeneralElection indefinitely?

    It seems from Grant Shapps' rhetoric that the #government is more focused upon preparing for war than avoiding it, and I certainly wouldn't put this tactic past the #Conservatives given their healthy parliamentary majority and record to date.

    https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/feb/08/uk-closer-to-large-scale-conflict-than-in-many-years-intelligence-official-says

    duckwhistle,
    @duckwhistle@mastodon.org.uk avatar

    @TanAn @stuart @adrianfry
    Churchill was an elitist, sexist, racist bastard. But the good chaps theory of government doesn't mean they are nice people, it means they do what they believe is best for the country, and can be trusted to stick to the principles of their piers.

    w7voa, to random
    @w7voa@journa.host avatar

    Kremlin spokesman says President Putin accepted Tucker Carlson’s interview request because the former Fox News program host “stands in clear contrast to the position of the traditional Anglo-Saxon media.” https://meduza.io/en/news/2024/02/07/kremlin-says-putin-agreed-to-interview-with-tucker-carlson-because-he-differs-from-traditional-anglo-saxon-media

    duckwhistle,
    @duckwhistle@mastodon.org.uk avatar

    @pkraus @FlorianTischner @cstross @w7voa
    I think English speakers are the last people in the world who get to complain about the names foreign language speakers use for them.

    kaia, to random
    @kaia@brotka.st avatar

    I'm following the first YouTube account that uses a synthetic voice and presumably also generates its content with AI help. and it's still a good channel.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4ixHi2_LLk

    duckwhistle,
    @duckwhistle@mastodon.org.uk avatar

    @kaia "the first" not likely. People have been putting videos with synthetic voices on YouTube almost as long as the site has existed. Text to Talk technology has been around for decades.
    As for AI scripting I would be very surprised if that wasn't being used on YouTube within weeks of it being available.

    duckwhistle,
    @duckwhistle@mastodon.org.uk avatar

    @kaia
    Ah OK, I would never have guessed from your profile.

    May I suggest "My first" would make that clear.

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