Westminstenders: Operation Yellowhammer 1q

[RedToothBrush]

Boris Johnson is clearing the decks for a leadership challenge.

I guess that means that the Brexit we get all depends on what George, Michael and Boris decide over lunch and how good Operation Yellowhammer is.

According to scientists at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, sperm counts among men in the west have more than halved in the past 40 years and are currently falling by an average of 1.4% a year

I suspect reducing fertility (despite our ingenuity in avoiding it) is a long-term reaction of the human species to overcrowding. After all we know stress reduces fertility (and libido ...). Many other organisms use such mechanisms to prevent them running amok, and outconsuming resources.

Problem is that is a more systemic approach and will take a while to start to work.

In the meantime, in natures grab-bag of tricks, there's always a good old fashioned pandemic. BBC History magazine (which might be written as well as read by some posters here) is noting the centenary of the Spanish Flu epidemic which killed millions - more than WW1 and WW2 put together.

We've already had the sneak preview ... avian flu, swine flu ...

{The only way of thriving in such circumstances will be to become an ultra-competitive economy which slashes taxes and regulations in order to undercut our rivals.}
As (we on MN) can see this is a distinctly flawed argument if you take the position of the UK.
We do not have sufficient 'natural' resources to be a massive player. We have low grade coal, iron ore etc and besides these heavy industries are long gone in an economic sense. Sweatshops around the world already undercut in terms of wages. Failure to have good trade deals for at least 5 years, probably more will prevent many activities being remotely economic. Essentially, right idea, wrong century. I think you could reasonably argue that Germany managed to get this about 'right' and have more of the natural resources. Their (stereotypical) different mindset probably helps too.

The Spanish flu was before the advent of antibiotics to treat the secondary infections and with populations who had suffered 4 years of war so may have had reduced immunity.

However, more antibiotics are now becoming ineffective, and aging populations have less immunity.

BCF these figures are shocking to be honest.

I’m surprised that there hasn’t been an uprising in those poorest counties yet. It might come of Brexit delivers yet another massive economic crisis where the poorest areas will be heavily effected agin compare to the richest areas.

The only way of thriving in such circumstances will be to become an ultra-competitive economy which slashes taxes and regulations in order to undercut our rivals

Nor do we have the young populations of south east Asia to provide the factory fodder.

The Spanish flu was before the advent of antibiotics to treat the secondary infections and with populations who had suffered 4 years of war so may have had reduced immunity.

Ah, so "can't happen here" ?

However, more antibiotics are now becoming ineffective, and aging populations have less immunity.

Plus our complete non-understanding of how genes really work. (See also: quantum mechanics ).

I caught a geneticist on the IMC a while back saying how it would be possible to extend human lifespan "relatively" easily. I wonder if modern life is actually doing that. Or rather modern life in the UK ?

I’m surprised that there hasn’t been an uprising in those poorest counties yet.

bread and circuses ?

www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-45518774

Wetherspoons has reported record annual sales and profits, but warned that prices and costs are likely to rise in the coming months.

The pub chain led by Tim Martin said like-for-like sales, which exclude new pubs, rose 5% in the year to 29 July.

(contd)

What a shame ...

Mrs8 I am not saying it will, but as things stand, I can't see how exams will go ahead. Has anyone seen schools in governemtn no deal stuff? (education being women's work and all)

The petrol strike was pretty short, but we were grinding to a hault then.
The strike started on September 8th. (and there was functioning NHS then.)

This is what was happening by September 13th. from wiki:

"On 13 September 2000 the government announced that 5% of normal fuel deliveries were made. In Scotland only very limited supplies were being delivered for emergency use only. Three-quarters of petrol stations were reported to be without fuel. Some NHS trusts cancelled non-essential operations due to staff difficulties in reaching work and ambulances were only able to answer emergency calls in most parts of the UK. The National Blood Service reported that it was coping and blood supplies to hospitals were not under threat but said that there "were some significant problems in some parts of the country". The government placed the National Health Service (NHS) on red alert. Supermarkets began rationing food due to difficulties in getting food deliveries through and there were reports of panic buying. Sainsbury's warned that they would run out of food within days having seen a 50% increase in their sales over the previous two days; Tesco and Safeway stated that they were rationing some items. The Royal Mail also reported they didn't have enough fuel supplies to maintain deliveries and that schools began to close.The government began deploying military tankers around the country and designated 2,000 petrol stations to receive supplies for essential services"

After 6 days, schools starting to close.

No, I think it could be because more people than we assume are sort of hoping for a radical socialist government (as promised by McDonnell) and believe in the feasibility of its promises. Can't see any other explanation.

That was in response to hermione

The idea of Wetherspoons having to raise prices - which will certainly be exacerbated by Brexit, even if you want to deny they are caused by Brexit, is a rare cockle-warming moment. If only because Tim-not-so-nice-and-still-as-dim-Martin will quickly discover that the main - if not sole reason his pub chain exists is because it was cheap. Not because it had a massively loyal fan base willing to shell out extra to keep it going.

I imagine he'll flounce off - abroad, of course - slating the British as "ungrateful" and "unpatriotic". Might be worth a punt ? Put me down for 10-1 by June 2019.

Guardian reporting British Steel cutting 400 jobs.

Veering slightly, the premise of HS2 seems to be that people from 'the north' WANT to go to London.
The however many billion that it will take would be infinitely better spent improving infrastructure well away from London. This sort of ties in if you think of the Great fire of London and the various 'plagues'.

Not just bread and circus.
I live in one of those very poor areas. People are already struggling so much just to ensure they have food or electricity.

No, I think it comes from an overall attitude towards expression your discontent and not making a fuss, not attracting attention to you etc.... As well as a clear lack of critical thinking and ability to read between the lines.
So yep u end up with:

• It’s never a peaceful March, it’s a riot.
• It’s not worth doing because the people in London won’t often to us anyway. So what’s the point?’
• It’s politics and i don’t do politics...

Etc...

If you look at the discourse in the newspaper (or even on this thread), people are commenting from the POV that Brexit will happen and it will be a hard/no deal Brexit. There is still NOTHING about screaming about the rights we are loosing, about the different laws that are against human rights (so Many of them now that it’s hard to actually keep track). Not one commentator or politician to actually hold the government into accountability.
People have just accepted, like lambs taken to the slaughter house, that this is what happens.

In some ways as if we were still under a fully monarchic system where the population never had a word to say about the decisions. Nor could they critise or held those in power accountable.
Nope the British population seems to just accept things as if they had no power at all to change them.

bit niche, but we're all at risk ...

www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/sep/13/no-deal-brexit-would-mean-less-warning-of-space-debris

In some ways as if we were still under a fully monarchic system where the population never had a word to say about the decisions.

"as if" ??????

mrs8 Hold fire, we can only do what we find out about, I'd not let them know your worries; I've not told mine. Year 11 is so short, by January they'll be mostly into revision anyway.

I've been wondering about exam centres for English GCSEs and A levels one could register with in Europe, I would love to know, for us too. But it's probably too late for this year.

We're all in the same boat; thousands of lovely kids, working so hard.
I'd email DFE or schools if I thought they'd tell the truth. Actually I might contact the teaching unions though to see if they've got any advice.

Hope some other parents and teachers twig this might be an issue, but.......mushrooms.

Article about the funding of the ERG

www.opendemocracy.net/uk/brexitinc/james-cusick-jenna-corderoy-peter-geoghegan/parliament-watchdog-probes-rees-mogg-s-hard

Two bank accounts. One with private and anonymous donations apart from two which have to be declared as they were higher. The other with tax payers money. We are literally paying them to plot at bringing down the government and trashing our country.