Westminstenders: The Imperial March

[RedToothBrush]

There are many ways to enforce power indirectly using privilege. Jacob Rees Mogg knows every trick in the book and dresses it up as respectability rather than a subtle form or intimidation and deliberate exclusion.

It's not the stuff 'of the people'.

Meanwhile the newly crowned PM, is making rather a bug deal of how he is the man 'of the people', here to serve them and to deliver their will.

There's a big theme here about presenting as 'of the people' whilst simultaneously serving the interests of the elite and reestablishing its power over the people.

It's a theme that is set to run for some time, and is entrenched in Trumpism too.

This shift in power is particularly harmful to women it must be noted.

'Strong and stable' was 'weak and wobbly' and we should be mindful that in the era of reversed spin, what 'of the people' signifies.

We've long known about the authoritarianism at the heart of leaving thinking. It's only now that it's finally going to start stomping it's feet all over our freedoms and power.

The road back will be a long and hard one because we failed to spot the threat and the dangers of it.

jasjas

quite happy to be the butt of ridicule - even happier to be wrong.

Arthur C Clarke famously once said:

When a respected scientist states that something is possible, they are very often correct. But when a respected scientist states that something is impossible, they are very often incorrect

If we remove the conceit from mentioning that, it seems that since 2016, all the things that couldn't happen - starting with no-deal - have happened. And all the things that were meant to happen haven't when approached from the side of Leave. Who after all won this fucking referendum.

Quite happy to debate, but to be called ridiculous against a backdrop of the past 2 months and what Boris has been spouting, seems a bit rich.

There is a GE happening in May '22 (at the very latest)

Is there ? You may think that today. But what if Boris cancels all elections having plunged us into a state of emergency no-deal ?

This really is how it starts. Really. People who have steeped themselves in history will be far less sceptical of my thoughts because like me, they know there are countless examples - from recent history right the way back through ancient civilisations. Evil sets in and grows and eventually breaks out until it either kills it's host society, or is crushed by it. And as Pete Townshend once wrote: either way blood flows.

Anyway, all of this is excellent practice for my Great Unfinished Novel.

I honestly don't think we can now say that this or that is stupid. Who honestly would have thought that the Tory party could elect someone who says F*ck Business and appears hell bent on pursuing it?
Countries can and do collapse.

The UK has had stability and prosperity for a long long time now. I think many people don't realise just how quickly things can change, and how bad they can get.

You see my DF (born 1932) grew up firstly under Mussolini, and then the partisans and aftermath of war. Returning to see my grandparents in the 1970s, there were still bomb sites where they simply could not afford to rebuild. For a couple of years after the war there were schools in my DFs region. Not that it mattered, because the children had to work anyway. That or starve.

It's one reason why my DF was so insistent we all went to school, and is still so proud we all got degrees.

On average, almost two-thirds of EU citizens said they could speak at least one foreign language, but the just 34 per cent of Brits can say the same

I thought the 34% was a massive overestimate, too. Though I suppose most immigrant EU citizens speak their own language (plus their children in most cases, if they are bringing them up bilingually).

Numbers might also be raised by Welsh speakers (not an MFL but they might have claimed it was in the survey).

Not sure "wie komme ich am besten zum Bahnhof" or "dos cervezas por favor" counts as speaking a MFL though :)

Look at Syria. Many Syrians had nice middle-class lives. Suddenly they are homeless terrified refugees with their homes in ruins

A point made by this video

Are you really suggesting the uk will be like Syria?

This is beyond satire.

I think that people who know how bad things can get, value stability a lot more than those who take peace and a functioning society for granted. Very easy to vote for something that upends society when it doesn't feel real to you.
@DGRossetti your poor dad lived through hell. I'm so glad you all made him so proud.

Are you really suggesting the uk will be like Syria?

No, I'm using it as in illustration that things can change very quickly, and a prosperous and stable society can be upended very very quickly.
Anyway how's the weather in Oz today?

BJ is boxed in
and the ERG would add another PM scalp to their belt if he tries to avoid No Deal via the available routes:
Extend / cosmetically changed WA / PV / Revoke

Personally, I think a GE probable in about November, before No Deal has begun to bite

He could win a GE then, but still looks like it would give another hung Parliament
However, his chances would probably be much better than in Spring, when the effects of No Deal will be apparent

He'd like to hang on for the full term
BUT
his majority will soon be gone, so from then on, it would be Corbyn deciding on a GE, once the Tories become sufficiently unpopular

Even though BJ would decide the actual date, there are limits to how much he can delay, if the UK economy is in meltdown

Anyway, from the ridiculous to YouGov. Here's their reply (59 minutes after I complained) have a read, and then answer the question below

Thank you for your feedback. We truly appreciate the time and effort you have taken out of your day to bring your concerns to us. Please rest assured that your voice is heard and your feedback has been passed to the research team.

You sound very knowledgeable on this topic. While we hope that every questionnaire is perfect, we sometimes get feedback that tells us otherwise. A question may not have been interpreted as intended or we could have simply made an error when preparing the survey.

Please note, if you ever feel like you were not able to express your opinion to the fullest while answering any particular question, we provide an open text box at the end of each survey which you can use to freely (regardless of survey design) state any issues you have noticed, or follow up with any additional thoughts and opinions you have. This section of the survey is as important to us as are the rest of the questions. Our research teams go through it thoroughly and carefully and take it into account. We realize to get to this section you need to answer the question despite the fact you may not be satisfied with the available options. We ask that you answer it with the best possible answer (knowing it may not be the complete story) and then include your full opinion in the open text box at the end.

We rely on members like yourself giving us feedback to know if there is room for improvement. Thank you again for your sharing your insights.

Best regards, Amanda and the YouGov Support team

Do you think they read my original complaint ?

No, I don't either.

Do you think they gave a shit ?

No, I don't either.

Do you think it will change anything ?

twitter.com/carolecadwalla/status/1156115388255674369
Thread.

Carole Cadwalladr @carolecadwalla
NEW: Explosive new emails detail work Cambridge Analytica did for LeaveEU/UKIP. Brittany Kaiser, woman at centre of Netflix's #TheGreatHack has handed over a whole bunch of new emails to DCMS committee. Oh dear, Arron Banks. Looks like it's all coming home to roost...
🔥🔥🔥

Nick Stylianou @nmsonline
^Role-play as @carolecadwalla by sifting through all of today’s published #CambridgeAnalytica material yourself:
www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/digital-culture-media-and-sport-committee/news/brittany-kaiser-additional-papers-published/
Committee publishes further documents from Brittany Kaiser relating to Cambridge Analytica and Leave.EU

Ian Lucas MP @IanCLucas
The EC should re-open their investigation into LeaveEU in view of the additional evidence from Brittany Kaiser via @CommonsCMS

Carole Cadwalladr @carolecadwalla
Ian Lucas, MP on DCMS committee, calling for Electoral Commission to re-open its investigation into Cambridge Analytica & LeaveEU.

Paul-Olivier Dehaye @podehaye
The Leave . EU / UKIP documents show sophistication in circumventing data protection law. This is by no means exclusive to CA but prevalent in commercial companies.

I wish Brittany Kaiser would also present the legal advice CA got, which seems highly fishy...

I believe the structural stability of the UK is far greater than 1920s Germany or Syria/Venezuela.

Even with a no-deal, I just do not think that we are heading toward a state of emergency, the EU have already made temporary minimal arrangements on flights, lorry transport and on 'city access, obv these are to protect their interests but they also benefit us, these arrangements will stay in place until we have some sort FTA, of course far worse that what we have now.

Even Greece and Italy managed to hold elections and referenda despite some pretty terrible social & economic troubles.

I just happen to think that we need to be realistic or we risk making remain look rather silly.

Even though BJ would decide the actual date, there are limits to how much he can delay, if the UK economy is in meltdown

Is there ?

Is there really ?

Once the chaos of no-deal is upon us, I suspect he'll be able to do aas he damn well pleases. Or at least that what his paymasters think. A flood of civil contingency measures could easily remove any opposition. Quite simply preventing parliament sitting, for a start.

Things are changing. Why would one thing remain unchanged when all around has changed ?

And all this talk of "this is how it starts" is just a completely paranoid nonsense fantasy.

Boris isn't going to suspend elections or plunge us into a state of nazi tyranny whilst we become enslaved impoverished like Syria.

I guess he is going to start dropping barrel bombs from helicopters onto Nicola Sturgeon too?

Listen to yourselves. This is the ravings of the demented.

You need to spend less time online and more with a doctor.

Rather than Syria, I always prefer the example of Argentina:

They were a very rich country by the start of the 20th century, rich & stable too
Their ordinary citizens were among the most prosperous of any country

However, they chose charismatic leaders who made some very bad economic decisions around 1930,
which hammered their economy

then continued like this for some years, refusing to accept it was the wron way, until their economy went over the cliff and they became an economic basket case

They have stayed that way ever since, with no leader or party able to perform the miracle of economic resurrection from the depths

I believe the structural stability of the UK is far greater than 1920s Germany or Syria/Venezuela.

I have a lifetimes exposure to DFs repeated cynicism that Britain is in anyway "special". In fact, with the greatest respect, it's that attitude which greased the rails to where we are. If as a country we'd got our heads out of our arses and stopped bestriding the world like it owes us something, we might have avoided all this.

I also note your use of "UK", which glosses over the question of whether it would be an equal "we'll get through it", or more a "England will get through it" ? Because there is a difference.

I will counter your confidence with a note about the 2000 fuel crisis, and the near riot when a KFC ran out of chicken. I don't think the nation is quite as resilient as some might think. It's very hard to be resilient when so much has to come from elsewhere.

I believe the structural stability of the UK

Appears better than it is depending on your class, race, criminal record and health.

"these arrangements will stay in place until we have some sort FTA"

No
That's the problem with unilateral prepping measures by the EU, instead of a WA

Each arrangement will end as soon as the EU no longer need it, regardless of whether the UK does

Some of that EU prepping is just to give enough time for themto finish replacing some things and build up others

Even the start of FTA talks could be delayed quite some time if the Tories refuse to accept the 3 EU preconditions - the main WA terms -
and instead continue the blame game against the EU / Ireland

Quite possibly the Tories would have to be booted out and replaced by a new gov, before talks can even begin
However, as soon as talks start, GATT Article 24 could be used - but the EU have the whiphand over enabling G24

@Janista

Surely it's better to be in the UK spouting bollocks while the sunny uplands await, than outside the UK spouting bollocks just waiting for a foreign secratary from the UK to come and insult you ?

I'm on the fence about that one

dg rioting can be a form of citizen resilience if not societal resilience?

Denis Staunton @denisstaunton
Boris Johnson and Leo Varadkar have just spoken by phone in a call UK sources describe as warm.

I will counter your confidence with a note about the 2000 fuel crisis, and the near riot when a KFC ran out of chicken. I don't think the nation is quite as resilient as some might think. It's very hard to be resilient when so much has to come from elsewhere

Also the 2011 riots. The veneer of civilisation is very thin.

And I absolutely could see civil war if Scotland declared independence and Johnson sent the Army in.

A few lorry drivers blockading oil refineries? was the HoC suspended or a GE cancelled? even the Army wasn't mobilised.

To be frank, i hardly noticed it.

Local idiots rioting over KFC or even a Police shooting just do not cut it.

I don't believe the UK is in anyway "special" unless you mean "special" as in fucking stupid?
Scaremongering rarely works, in many ways, it is what lost DC the referendum, had he and others been more realistic & positive in regard to the EU , remain could have won.

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jul/30/secret-texts-cast-light-uk-early-role-trump-russia-inquiry
Secret texts cast light on UK's early role in Trump-Russia inquiry

Senior MI5 and FBI officials shared concerns about ‘our strange situation’ in 2016

Describing it as warm means nothing.

A United Ireland is still on the table. An independent Scotland is still on the table. Wales, feebly, lacks behind because as a Nation Wales is too dependent on England.