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Interesting that prince Andrew apparently has to give up the title of prince now, yet it seems there is no police investigation against him.

 

 

Hertog Jan makes a good Pilsener beer. I think it’s one of the best in the Netherlands, together with Grolsch. Grolsch is a bit sweeter and Hertog Jan is maltier and darker. Gulpener is also good.

 

Heineken and Amstel are not bad, you know what you’re getting, but I would prefer some of the others.

Ben wrote:

Exactly, there is bad and there is worse, no social media platform is good. X is in the worse category due to Musk. But the others also polish Trump’s nuts.

Back to Dutch politics, this was an interesting read:

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/nov/02/dutch-voters-positivity-liberals-patriotism-d66-netherlands-election

I have some problems with D66, theyre into things like digital surveillance a bit too much for my liking, but they’re not bad. They have some smart people in the party.

Someone on twitter made the point that all the main platforms are controlled by right wing billionaires. Bezos (who owns Washington Post) and Zuckerberg seem to have switched to supporting Trump. It’s all quite concerning.

I don’t have threads because for some reason my meta accounts always get banned, but apparently on threads things are even worse than twitter. People there are now yelling that the Dutch elections were a fraud.

https://www.euronews.com/green/2025/10/30/spanish-photographer-captures-worlds-first-ever-white-iberian-lynx-on-camera

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Todd

It’s funny that people like Wilders who are yelling about “saving our culture” don’t have the slightest clue what our culture really is or how it could be saved. He is a vulgarian, a small minded person for whom culture is summed up in nice pictures of tulips and windmills.

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Todd, Ben, Uncle Retrospective

This pic of the new headquarthers of JP Morgan (don’t know if it is legit)  was posted on twitter. It must be hell to work in a place like this.

 

 

 

Christian wrote:

That’s actually maybe a hopeful note, isn’t it? If social media is flooded entirely with made-up AI shit, sooner or later people will just turn it off, won’t they? Won’t they?

That;s something I’ve been wondering about. You have people with AI girlfriends now, it appears some people get comfort from interacting with AI.

[Arjan Dirkse]

Arjan Dirkse wrote:

D66 beat Wilders, at least that’s how it looks from the exit polls. That’s very good news. D66 is a moderate left wing, liberal party. They have 27 seats, Wilders 25, VVD 23 and Labor 20. It looks like it will be impossible for Wilders to form a government if this exit poll is correct.

 

FFS, the exit poll was off and now it looks like Wilders might just eek out a very slim win. Both are at 16,6 % of the vote. But some votes still have to be counted and D66 might have the advantage there. 20 % of the votes in Amsterdam which is a left wing bastion still have to be counted, as well as the mail votes, which typically go left.

 

Nevertheless, it seems impossible for Wilders to form a government with this result. But who the hell knows what might happen.

 

We’ll have 15 parties in parliament.

 

edit: this is crazy, just as I wrote this post Amsterdam posted an update and now D66 is 15,000 votes ahead. Looks like they will win after all. (fingers crossed)

• This reply was modified 3 days, 14 hours ago by Arjan Dirkse.

D66 beat Wilders, at least that’s how it looks from the exit polls. That’s very good news. D66 is a moderate left wing, liberal party. They have 27 seats, Wilders 25, VVD 23 and Labor 20. It looks like it will be impossible for Wilders to form a government if this exit poll is correct.

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Martin Smith, Christian, Todd

I think there is something in social media that stimulates just general nastiness. A relaxation of certain norms of behavior and etiquette, letting loose the unpleasant side a lot of people have. Being extreme is incentivized. Linehan probably always had that nasty streak in him, but social media can exacerbate it.

Graham Linehan is retweeting straight up nazi accounts on X.

 

I saw part of an interview with him a while ago, and I think he might have some kind of brain damage. He had trouble finding basic words, remembering certain obvious things.

 

It’s a sad case. I check up on what he is saying on X sometimes just to see how he’s doing. My own views have also been influenced by things on social media but I’m not as crazy as him. I am not retweeting nazis. But I understand how you can fall in these rabbit holes.

Wilders is seeing a huge tumble in some polls…one poll had him at only 23 seats today, that is like 15 procent…elections are tomorrow and this is making me a little hopeful. Still it is possibe that there will be a right wing coalition.

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Todd, Uncle Retrospective

I think technically Belgium did have a government. They had a demissionary cabinet, which stays in power until a new government has been formed. At least that’s how it works in the Netherlands.

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garjones

It’s crazy that the American government can shut down. Sorry, we’re closed for business!

At the scene of the jewel heist at the Louvre this random Frenchman was pictured, who was assumed by some to be a private detective busy investigating the crime.

 

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Al-x, Christian

I saw a documentary from Dutch tv (on youtube as I don’t have tv) about the 764 movement. That is some real gruesome shit.

This is an interesting development but I am not certain it isn’t a facade…act annoyed at Israel’s actions but don’t oppose them in any meaningful way if they decide to annex the West Bank.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/oct/23/marco-rubio-warning-israel-west-bank-donald-trump

Weird weather here today. There is a big storm coming in about half an hour but right now there is almost no wind

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Todd

Trump is fucking the US really badly but overall my opinion of the US is positive. Yes there are problems, yes there are flaws like there are everywhere, but most of the people are decent. I honestly think all the democrats need is a half way decent candidate. If Obama could run again he would probably win.

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Uncle Retrospective, Todd

Dutch intelligence services are changing their policies on information sharing with the US.

 

https://nltimes.nl/2025/10/18/dutch-intelligence-services-cut-back-sharing-information-us

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Uncle Retrospective, Todd

Uncle Retrospective wrote:

Arjan Dirkse wrote:

Also Farage is soft on Putin. Although Farage is constantly shifting, I am not sure what to think of him.

That he’s a dangerous shitbag that has done untold damage to the UK and caught Ireland in the backwash.

Just to clarify, I know Farage is a bad guy, and he did bad things for the UK, but I’m talking about this position on the conflict with Russia specifically. He changes his stance on that quite often.

I’m increasingly thinking Europe is going to give in eventually and strike a deal with Putin. France is going in a bad direction especially. Two of the main contenders for the next presidential election are Bardella and Melenchon, right wing and left wing, and both are very soft on Putin. Also Farage is soft on Putin. Although Farage is constantly shifting, I am not sure what to think of him.

Yeah that’s not what the word ceasefire means. You can’t just start bombing and return to the ceasfire whenever you want.

 

There are no checks on Israel. They have no incentive to be anything other than genocidal.

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Todd

That’s the funny thing, in Switzerland if one of the guinea pigs dies you can get a rental guinea pig to keep the remaining one company. :)

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Christian, njerry, Todd

A task for inspector Clouseau:

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/live/c62lnennzgdt

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Todd

It would probably be better if there was more of a debate on the identity of the EU, especially with regards to foreign policy and military. Right now it’s very shaky.

 

People don’t feel very connected to the EU and therefore there is not a lot of talk about what we want the EU to be.

Someone one a Dutch podcast mentioned that in Europe political power and important decision making procedures largely rest with the EU, but political debate is on a national level. The EU doesn’t really express itself about what it wants to be.

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Uncle Retrospective, njerry, Todd

Christian nationalist podcaster Joshua Haymes says Christians must be willing to defend the institution of slavery because the Bible makes it clear that "it is not inherently evil to own another human being." https://t.co/XBMQW7HSen pic.twitter.com/pLXnW5ZqqP

— Right Wing Watch (@RightWingWatch) October 17, 2025

 

If you take statements like these, and see the pressure from companies to extend working hours and scale back workers rights, it is clear that some really want to have slavery back in some form.

In Switzerland it is illegal to own just one guinea pig, they have to live with company because when they’re single they can become lonely and sad.

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Christian, Todd

Christian wrote:

Yeah, that’s one of those things those new fascists will do, blaming antisemitism exclusively on immigrants and using it as a hammer against muslims, while at the same time being wildly antisemitic themselves. There’s been some of that here.

I think this particular contingent of Wilders voters is not really antisemitic, they’re just very very dumb. They see an actual right wing antisemite and conclude he must be an undercover leftist.

 

(I’m sure there are some antisemites in the party but many antisemites prefer FvD, our other right wing party. FvD is more edgy, they often dogwhistle antisemitic conspiracy theories)

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Uncle Retrospective, Christian

There was an anti-immigration protest in Amsterdam with about a thousand people. They were using “filthy Jew” as chant against Frans Timmermans, leader of the center left PvdA. (Who isn’t Jewish but they just use Jew as a slur)

 

There is a contingent of PVV voters on twitter who think antisemites are only on the left, so they accused them of being left wing infiltrators…I think these people are so far gone. Completely crazy.

It must be terrible for a dermatologist to get a pimple in the face. All your patients are going to see it and judge you for it. I mean even if rationally you know he can’t help it, I think subconsciously you’re going to feel he’s a bad dermatologist.

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Todd, njerry

This is pretty eye opening. Says a lot about the medical profession.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pain_in_babies

 

Short version, doctors thought babies don’t feel pain.

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Todd, Dan, Uncle Retrospective

The historicity of Jesus Christ is an endless discussion…I used to post on another site that had a thread on this subject that had I think over a thousand pages. But I think historians tend to believe there was a historical personality who was the inspiration for the story in the Bible. Buddha was similar.

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njerry, Todd

MAKE AMSTERDAM GAY AGAIN

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Christian, Todd

French parliament is stuck in three main blocks that can’t agree on anything. Nobody can get a majority of the votes so nothing works.

I’d say there is a 50/50 chance we get a Wilders coalition. Like in so many countries, there is an almost even split between left and right, or parties who prefer a left wing coalition to a right wing coalition. France also seems split between left and right almost evenly.

 

The AfD in Germany seems too extreme to get into power, but we could see a Europe with Le Pen, Farage, Meloni, Wilders and Orban. (although there’s a chance Orban will lose the elections next year)

Christian wrote:

Jesus Christ, what the fuck, Dutch parliament?

Yeah it sucks.

 

Might get worse. Wilders is going to win the election, I just hope he can’t form a coalition. (He will probably get something like 20-25 % of the votes)

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Christian

lorcan_nagle wrote:

That is the SEAL veteran who said that under Trump he would have a harem of twinks. (Possibly to cannibalize.)

I doubt the ceasfire in Gaza will last for a long time. Hamas is not going to disarm, and Israel is not going to turn pacifist.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/05/opinion/west-europe-america-lost.html

 

This “we’re doomed” rhetoric exists both on the left and the right. I don’t know…I think all our politicians are pretty shit, but if we have the right mindset there is no obstacle we can’t overcome.

 

Experts who can only promise a managed decline deserve to be kicked out of all the institutions where they are to be found. That sort of thinking needs to end.

Yeah you have to drink those Belgian beers slowly! I think my absolute favorite is the Gouden Carolus whisky infused, which is 11.2 %. Two of those is enough to have a fun night.

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Todd, Dave

Chouffe redesigned their labels. It looks a lot better now I think, the fonts on the old labels looked messy and unprofessional.

 

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Christian, Todd

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Uncle Retrospective, Todd

Our parliament approved a motion to declare antifa a terrorist organization.

Al-x wrote:

Yeah. You’re probably right on that. It’s just that things seem so bleak. Could use some fun.

Politics and war and all that stuff is traumatizing. It is important of course, so I wouldn’t say pay no attention to it, but a little distraction every now and then is good.

https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2025/10/05/beijing-bans-negative-emotions-on-social-media_6746107_4.html

I think theologians who say “God is in control” are contradicting themselves when they say evil is necessary because of free will. Either God is guilty of creating evil, or he is not completely in control (and people have free will).

Sean Robinson wrote:

Burr said he had “no fucking idea” the festival would inspire such controversy from people that aren’t able to locate Saudi Arabia on a map. “One time I did Abu Dhabi and somebody [texted me], ‘Oh, you’re going over there to get that blood money, right?’ And I go, ‘Hey, just for the record, I’m also doing London, England, on that tour, which is arguably the bloodiest fucking money out there,’” he said.

He does kinda have a point there. Every country has done bad things, does that mean you can’t perform in any of those countries? It would also mean he can’t perform in the United States.

 

However in the end it misses the point because this “comedy festival” was organized by the Saudi government to improve the country’s reputation. It’s something different than just performing in a comedy club in the country.

Christian wrote:

Arjan Dirkse wrote:

Nah, politically correct is more things you know are true, but you’re not willing to say it because it would hurt someone’s feelings.

No, let’s have it, what do you think is true about women or trans people or gay people that you know are true but that you normally wouldn’t be willing to say? Just name a single thing, come on. It’s your hypothesis, I’d like you to provide some evidence.

For the record, I admit that yes, a lot of the time when someone is “politically incorrect” it’s racist, sexist or whatever. But in the case of some of the things Bill Burr used to say, I don’t think he was ever racist or sexist, it’s more “emm yes we know it’s probably true but you just can’t say that”.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/oct/07/edouard-philippe-sebastien-lecornu-france-emmanuel-macron-elections

 

An ally of Macron who could be his successor calls for presidential election.

Trump is turning more anti-Russia. I wonder what goes on behind the scenes, who is influencing him to make these changes.

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Uncle Retrospective, Todd

njerry wrote:

Arjan Dirkse wrote:

Are we able to do that in modern society?

That depends: are you in captivity?

Yes. Society imprisons me. ;)

 

A semi serious response, but I think there is some truth in it. You can’t really live outside the constraints modern society puts on you, unless you want to live like a vagrant. (Or you just die.)

In 2021 parliament adopted a law that said “animals in captivity have to e able to express their natural behavior”. I think it’s a good law, but I wonder what the consequences are for humans. We’re animals too, but do we express our natural behavior? Are we able to do that in modern society?

I hnestly don’t understand why the PVV hasn’t been outlawed here…given their attitude towards Islam. They want to ban the quran and close all mosques. That is a direct attack on basic human rights. It’s crazy that even some normie parties worked with him. I mean I said some things abotu Islam and the behavior of some Muslims that some take offence at, but I hate this polder fascist.

 

Maybe it’s just that they’re afraid of riots from their supporters if that happens.

 

It’s pretty tough…some family members of mine voted Wilders. I just take the stance that everybody has to vote what they think is best and it’s their personal business, I am not going to argue with them about it. I still love them of course.

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Christian

Eh I’m not gonna argue with you about this. Be hapy with your opinions.

Christian wrote:

Arjan Dirkse wrote:

he became politically correct.

…stopped being sexist and a dick.

Let’s remember that the term “politically correct” was introduced by the right to discredit attempts to be less of an asshole to minorities and women, yeah? Replace it by “being less racist and sexist” every time it is used, and the perspective changes quite a lot.

Maybe – through therapy and mushrooms – Burr has just understood that there’s no use bashing progressives and women because they’ve lost. Trump’s waging a military war on progressive cities now, maybe even the “edgy” comedians are beginning to understand that it’s not great to stand on his side of things.

The Riyadh thing is pretty shitty though.

Nah, politically correct is more things you know are true, but you’re not willing to say it because it would hurt someone’s feelings.

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Uncle Retrospective

Isn’t it supposed to be a decision to be made by the justice system? I think we have a process in place in the Netherlands to ban parties but it’s not a decision taken by other political parties, it’s a dicision made by a judge.

 

It should ideally be very simple, if a party in their proclamations and programs repeatedly utter things that are against certain principles of the state, things like equality under the law, or infringement on certain freedoms, ban them. Under such a rule I think the PVVwould be banned here in the Netherlands. They pretty much said they want to ban a whole religion.

 

Iran has a council that is specifically there to weed out undesirable candidates, that go against the principles of their state. Now I think the principles of the Iranian state are pretty bad, but such a vetting system by the law would be a good thing I think.

Dave wrote:

Patricia Routledge has kicked the bouquet.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/czdjegvjz3do.amp

Made it to 96…that’s pretty good.

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Todd

Arjan Dirkse wrote:

Videos I play in my laptop browser from sites like twitter and others give a black screen after a while. I can scroll for a while, but then suddenly a video gives a black screen and all other videos also show a black screen in that browser and on that tab. When I open the site in a new tab, it works again. For a while anyway, until it starts showing black screens again. It also happens on multiple browsers, chrome, brave and edge.

 

I think it must be something in the software, because I assume that if it is hardware the errors would persist. I did switch off hardware acceleration, and re-installed the graphics driver, but that didn’t work.

 

Update on this problem: I downloaded firefox and in firefox I don’t seem to have this problem. I haven’t had any video show up in a black window yet. Apparently firefox has a different system than most other browsers which is called gecko. Maybe this makes the difference.

Honestly I’m fine with Germany banning AfD, if they can do so. We should defend what we stand for as a society and fight ideas that are not in accordance with that. I just watched a documentary on religious schools in the Netherlands and it’s disgusting what some of them teach kids. Raising a generation of zealots and bigots. Just close those schools. We sould finally get serious about that. Liberal society is not an “anything goes” society, it stands for certain principles and rights and freedoms and responsibilities we agreed on as a society. We can’t just give that away.

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Ben

Heh…Billy Burr was always a bit edgy, joking a lot about women etc. until suddenly for some reason he became politically correct.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/sep/30/will-pivotal-election-turn-czech-republic-into-another-anti-eu-agitator

 

Czechia is a complete basket case, politically speaking. The people are fine, they have good beer and beautiful cities but oh my God are they fucked.

garjones wrote:

It’s not hugely related to what’s written though, which is a lamentation of a decline under Trump. You can’t really have a decline without a previous upside. I do get part of what you say, it can be easy to launch at the USA as they have had a dominant economic and cultural position, often very positive but sometimes not, since the end of WW2. I just think you take it too far to a position that nobody can have anything negative to say that isn’t borne of jealousy or hypocrisy. He’s allowed not to be happy and think things are getting much worse.

Well we’re reading what he said differently. I think it’s where he says Trump is the distillation of what the country has always been. That is talking about the whole country and the whole history. I think that goes too far.

 

I think people can be very critical of the US, I am also sometimes. But this seemed to talk negatively about the country as a whole. Politics isn’t all there is, and many people in the US are fine people.

garjones wrote:

Arjan Dirkse wrote:

UKians seething about the US is always funny. You lost, get over it.

This is an example of why we shouldn’t just buy the framing of internet memes. A quick Google shows the author is from Wisconsin, his Substack contains this line:

I am American, yes—but I no longer see myself as merely just “American.” Not in the narrow way nationalism demands.

To the other point. I don’t think the ‘you lost’ thing really resonates 250 years on. It probably weighs as heavily on the average UK citizen as the Netherlands not owning Indonesia, Turks pining for the Ottoman Empire or the USA wanting the Philippines back. Not at all really.

I think it is fair to point out hypocrisy at times from Brits and other Europeans criticising the USA (an example is on immigration where they always been far more draconian than the US). Trump is awful though, gun deaths are high, too many people go bankrupt from health issues and I don’t think it serves anyone well to pretend they don’t exist or they can’t comment.

It reminds me a bit of a BBC Hardtalk show I saw maybe 20 years back when I first arrived in Malaysia and the foreign minister basically defended every tough question with ‘you are foreign so don’t understand’ and when that failed with ‘the British did terrible things in 1857’. While true was hardly relevant to the questions being asked or the responsibility of the 35 year old British woman of Indian heritage asking them.

Hm well if he is American he has more standing to say it. Still I don’t like it if people just say the country is entirely bad like he seems to do. The US has lots of great people and has done great things, as well as bad people and bad things. This attitude is not helpful.

 

I think I called my own country a shithole country here once, but that is a bit tongue in cheek, I mean lots of things suck here but obviously there are positive things too.

Fascism is what we have now. Or a Brave New World control state. There will be a few enlightened ones at the top and the masses will “own nothing and be happy” while under surveillance 24/7.

 

We need a radical divorce from this. I don’t know if this can happen or how to do it. But the road we’re on leads to hell.

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Uncle Retrospective

Christian wrote:

Sounds like Bernie Sanders to me!

He’s going to be 87 in 2028 ;)

Our politicians, at least in Western Europe are experts at not doing what the people want. I think we need actual populism, where only measures that are widely popular can go forward. It’s very telling that all their approval ratings are absolute garbage.

 

There is no longer nay defense possible for our rotten system, it has to go.

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Todd, njerry, Uncle Retrospective

Well I like the olde fashioned left. Concentrate on workers rights, equality, access to affordable housing and healthcare.

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Christian, Todd

Larry Ellison who is rabidly pro-Israel took over toktok.

Ha, funny that Tim Dillon was thrown out for trolling them. I used to like him, but he’s become a bit of a political hack.

They keep going back and forth on this. Nooo Europe can fight Russia on its own, and back to save us Trump. Also Kallas has been very hawkish, saying things like Russia has to “broken up into small states”. Delusional.

 

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/09/25/kaja-kallas-interview-trump-ukraine-war-00581253

Are there albums where every song is great in your opinion, where you don’t skip anything? Some of mine are: Kate Bush’s debut album, Ry Cooder’s eponymous debut album, Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon and Purple Rain by Prince.

I had to turn my adblocker off because I kept getting errors.

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Todd

I think it comes down to who comes across better in public. I’m not sure if Newsome is a good debater but he seems to have some charisma. I could be wrong about that though. I heard he did well in the debate with DeSantis but I haven’t seen that myself.

 

His politics would be similar to Biden I guess.

Christian wrote:

Not exactly a surprise. One thing I did hear is that she now accuses the Democratic Party as being too timid (in sticking with Biden for so long and not wanting Buttedgieg as her running mate, I think), which… well, yes, the being fucking chickenshit is always the Dems’ problem, but it’s also why she became VP in the first place.

I’m not saying there isn’t probably a plethora of reasons to boo her. I’m just saying I’d rather forget she exists. She will never again have any importance in US politics.

Yeah Newsom has taken a lead in polls, he is the most like candidate the dems will have in 2028

My God youtube ads are utter brainrot…

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Todd

Christian wrote:

Arjan Dirkse wrote:

In their defense, I think you can be angry at the democrats for not being better. Yes they are better than the republicans, but that’s a low benchmark. They should be doing much more, and better, than they are doing at the moment.

Well, yes, but what exactly is the purpose of heckling an ex-Vice-President at a reading?

Wouldn’t that energy be better spent trying to do something about Trump? Or, if you want change in the Democratic Party, supporting Biden and AOC and Mamdami?

Well heckling someone is never really useful, it’s always a rather impotent display. But Harris was a terribe candidate. I can see why some people are not happy with her.

I love the US, it is truly an amazing and beautiful country but yeah the politics is crazy. However much of Europe is the same. Certainly the Netherlands is going nuts atm.

In their defense, I think you can be angry at the democrats for not being better. Yes they are better than the republicans, but that’s a low benchmark. They should be doing much more, and better, than they are doing at the moment.

 

the democrats have trouble doing the sensible thing, because much of the party is in the pocket of the neoliberal establishment. That means you don’t get much improvement to worker’s rights, wages, housing etc. Instead you get lgbt flags.

Videos I play in my laptop browser from sites like twitter and others give a black screen after a while. I can scroll for a while, but then suddenly a video gives a black screen and all other videos also show a black screen in that browser and on that tab. When I open the site in a new tab, it works again. For a while anyway, until it starts showing black screens again. It also happens on multiple browsers, chrome, brave and edge.

 

I think it must be something in the software, because I assume that if it is hardware the errors would persist. I did switch off hardware acceleration, and re-installed the graphics driver, but that didn’t work.

https://news.sky.com/story/starmer-to-unveil-plan-for-digital-id-cards-to-crack-down-on-illegal-immigration-13438007

 

This would make having a smartphone on you all the time mandatory. Building the panopticon.

Sean Robinson wrote:

UKians seething about the US is always funny. You lost, get over it.

Crazy how Thiel keeps talking about the antichrist.

In Europe 8 times more people die from the cold than from heat.

One of my most socialist ideas is that every major newspaper should be forced to make their basic reporting on current events freely available. Then they can charge for more in depth coverage, and other material.

Myth has become somewhat synonymous with untruth, with a lie. “That’s just a myth.”

 

For ancient people the concept of myth was the highest truth.

 

 

 

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Christian, Todd

Graham Linehan keeps radicalizing further. Now he’s on the “Charlie Kirk was just a good Christian and that’s why they hate him” bandwagon.

 

 

We had a right wing anti-immigration demonstration here which ended in violence. Lots of hooligans who fought with police and torched their cars. Unpleasant types. Some of them literal nazis.

 

Weird thing is it was led by a woman. We have lots of women here who are prominent in right wing circles, like Eva Vlaardingerbroek and others. I always had the impression it was mostly a men’s thing but somehow the figurehead often ends up being a woman.

garjones wrote:

Arjan Dirkse wrote:

Dolan’s Claim, “Kirk Is a Modern Saint Paul” Refuted by NCR: “He Was a Racist”

 

A cardinal claims Charlie Kirk is a modern Saint Paul…however he also says he never heard of him before the shooting…

I think it would be truly embarrassing really if the actual numbers of ‘never heard of Kirk before the shooting’ were discussed a bit more. I am very online and check news/politics every day and I was at best vaguely aware of him as a right wing podcaster.

There was a Reform councillor in south Wales last week who stormed out of a meeting because there was no minute’s silence or similar tribute to Kirk. I can say with a lot of confidence that 99% of the constituents in Torfaen had no fucking idea who he was before he made the news for being shot and would take a decent wager said councillor was among that group.

For all its other ills in recent years under Musk it hasn’t been really acknowledged enough how Twitter, which has always had one of the smallest social media platforms, way smaller than Facebook, Instagram, Tik-Tok etc, has been held up as the crucible of public opinion because it makes life easy for lazy journalists who can submit stories using just cut and paste.

It is very very odd. Like some kind of hysteria.

 

I mean this was the cardinal of New York who said it…he never heard of Kirk before but decided to compare him to Saint Paul, of all people. You would expect a cardinal to have some sort of sophistication, some gravitas, and some awareness of the political climate. But no. It’s literally like Fox News places the “Kirk is a saint” tape in their head, and they repeat it like a mantra…like they’re automatons.

 

It’s good that that Catholic newspaper refuted him, but my God!

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Uncle Retrospective

Is vocal fry getting worse or not?  I am listening to a Ezra Klein podcast and all speakers have vocal fry.

 

I can’t do it. Sometimes I try speaking with vocal fry but it makes me cough.

I agree with that, the democrats have thus far been careful not to do that. (Although with the current generation of AOC, Mamdani, etc I could see them trying to do things like making hate speech illegal, or at least giving support to such ideas – they wouldn’t be able to change the constitution to actually do that)

Christian wrote:

Arjan Dirkse wrote:

Pam Bondi coming out against hate speech and saying it should be prosecuted is a bold move.

 

I notice a lot of politicians don’t really have principles about this stuff, it’s just if we do it, it is good, but if you do it, it is bad.

Actually, the right has always been very consistent in this in the US. They preach free speech when it comes to hate speech against minorities or death threats against the left, and for them free speech means that no private individual should be allowed to speak out against racism, sexism, homophobia etc.. But wherever they are in power, they actively practice government censorships against everthing they don’t like, banning books from school libraries and persecuting criticism against the authorities. The Trump admin is super-charging this, but it’s what the Republicans have always done.

I think as is so often the case, the hypocrisy is on both sides here. The left also does not really hold free speech in high regard a lot of the time, and then turns around when their own free speech is prohibited and says “I thought you Republicans were all about free speech huh?” But Republicans are really pushing this into overdrive.