Westminstenders: 30 days to save us all!

[RedToothBrush]

It's quite remarkable to watch the British press atm.

It's like it doesn't understand English. Well only if its English spoken by foreigners.

Merkel made the observation that the UK had spent two years looking at the Irish border but had failed to come up with a workable solution, and now Johnson has waltzed in and made statements about how the backstop must go, and only has 30 days in which this can be achieved.

The British press writes this up as Merkel giving the UK a deadline to come up with a new solution.

Which is nonsense. The UK have a deadline to save itself, from itself and that's 31st October. This is a self imposed deadline.

Meanwhile comes out with the Brexiteer smack down that he didn't think the UK wS leaving the EU to regain its sovereignty only to become a vassalage or junior partner to the US.

Both these ideas being the result of leaving the EU have long been key issues. From before the ref. Both have been the UK's to solve in order to get the terms the UK wants from a deal.

The referendum was about choosing to align with the EU or to ditch that and rights and align closely with the US. Then Trump happened and the sell on this got harder, but still essentially the same. And it continues.

And then there was the Irish border. The magic solution to Brexit that doesn't break the GFA. I personally think there isn't one as long as the DUP have their red lines about the Irish sea.

So here we are. More than 3 years after the ref.

Leavers still have no plan. Apart for charge headlong over the cliff. Remains still have their heads wedged up their own backsides and also, after spending months criticising every one else on social media anyway who makes a stand again this bull shit.

Yet the newspapers fail to report what Merkel said or why the UK has this issue in the first place. Its an ongoing exercise in national delusion and self denial.

@Dongdingdong
„Not really nonsense, since it’s exactly what happened “

I presume you are not fluent in German and usually would read a lot of misinformation in the Brexit- leaning UK press, therefore I understand your confusion. What Angela Merkel actually said was meant to be vage (I.e. maybe one can find a way to come up with a solution) and the 30 days mentioned were rather tongue in cheek (as in: you didn’t manage to come up with a workable solution in the past 2 years... but maybe one will find it right before Brexit). It was a lighthearted challenge to Johnson. To read it as a „deadline“ is frankly ridiculous and another proof how Brexiters twist things to fit their agenda.

Agree with your post on pubic health cuts in large part causing measles peregrina.

Not originally my post, to give credit where it's due.

I translated as “Well mate, if you can do better in 30 days you are welcome to try”. Johnson looked awkward and was having difficulty keeping up his usual bully boy/pseudo Churchillian stance. What a cock up!

Increases to the state pension age will affect many more than the very poorest.

Since 2012 the new career average Civil Service Pension Schème is tied to state retirement age. Whenever that might be. Currently 67.

I will not be working past 60. I hope to God it isn't introduced in one fell swoop as there isn't the time to make adequate alternative provision

I hope your are right too @Mistigri

Kind of along the lines of BJ wanting his full term in office, I've been clinging to the hope that he won't want to crash out because he wants to be remembered in history as a Winston-esque figure, and he knows no deal will put an end to that. He knows what no deal means.

Wishful thinking eh!

My interpretation of Merkels comment was that it was a very elliptical way of saying If it could have been done in two years, it could be done in 30 days with an unspoken coda of if it's possible at all....

reminds me vaguely of how a Belgian I once worked for sometimes put forward points.

I was reflecting on different ways to say "you" in English last night (I really should get out more) and while we do have the option to say "one can ..." instead of "you" or "we", it's usually followed by the intended audience thinking "what a twat". There aren't many places it can be used "properly" ....

Increases to the state pension age will affect many more than the very poorest.

There is scope for a mashup map showing the areas where life expectancy is currently below 75 (Liverpool rings a bell). Be of great use to financial services companies, as they can exclude whole swathes of the population from borrowing.

I wonder how much knowledge will be lost - maybe forever ? You'd think the ubiquity of digital information makes that impossible, but given how specialised the knowledge to make and maintain devices is (and getting more so) it's not impossible to imagine a future without smartphones, computers or screens, and having to rely on books for how to plant crops. Or manage water.

Marking my place.

it's not impossible to imagine a future without smartphones, computers or screens, and having to rely on books for how to plant crops. Or manage water.

www.worldofbooks.com/en-gb/books/lewis-dartnell/the-knowledge-how-to-rebuild-our-world-after-an-apocalypse/GOR006483054?keyword=&gclid=EAIaIQobChMImra57dmY5AIVgrHtCh2XLwf3EAQYBSABEgIX3_D_BwE

Really worth a look

The preppers board is probably a better place for discussions about future apocalypse . But the most valuable things you can prep in the long run, after the tinned food, are knowledge and skills. No one will give a shit about much else for quite a while.

Incidentally I Bravo ! to M. Macron for suckering Boris so completely . (It's probably the worst kept secret in showbusiness, but"The Thick of It" was never cancelled. It was recommissioned by BBC news and turned into a reality show called "The News".)

My brother (lives in Tennessee ...) pinged me last night and said "you do realised it would be impossible to have asked for better metaphor for how Britain is seen around the world ?". Apparently there's some sort of book in his circle about whether someone can get Trump to .... well trump it ? The mind boggles.

(I see the UK contingent managed to get the union flag in front of the EU one ...)

.

one can ..." instead of "you" or "we", it's usually followed by the intended audience thinking "what a twat".

It's usually better expressed impersonally, 'it can be said that'.

Hi all
songsofexperience i will make room for you, if you want to join .

Perhaps you see why I'm so sick of us being blamed and vilified? There is so much propaganda and uk domestic politics in this and our (EU) only function is to be 'the enemy'. But who will you blame when out?

On a different note. I have thought about your (possible) situation concerning medicine. In my imagination, I wondered if I could be of assistance. But then I would need a prescription, so that's a no go. But do you think some uk people are that well connected that it would be possible?
I would love to help.

PMK

Thank you Red

Madambee I absolutely see why you are sick and tired of it. I had to listen to my Dad say yesterday that the reason that the Germans are looking on with incredulity is because they are no used to seeing ‘Democracy in action’.

He also said Johnson cut from very different cloth to TM, that Europe take him much more seriously, that Merkel has given him a 30 line deadline and he’s confident that behind the scenes we are very well prepared just as the EU are (he read things on EU preparations online).

If it all goes horribly wrong with DH’s insulin my plan is to get us Germany somehow, go ti the town hall of where my Mother grew up and ask them to help us as DH is married to a German citizen ie. me.

Mother It's 69 days now, 66 days on Monday

But who will you blame when out?

EU will be blamed by UK for the way they they were forced to leave with no deal if that is the outcome. Alternatively UK will blame the EU for the poor deal if a deal is made.

As a side subject how many posters saw Johnson putting his foot on the table when he met Macron? Is Johnson taking things seriously or not? Imagine doing that; at an interview, in a meeting with employer or clients or at someone else's house. You would be chased out.

Post If you're a German citizen, then can't you phone to organise a doctor's appointment there for a prescription, pop over for a few days to collect it and take it to the Apothek

Madambee That would be the basic method for anyone who can afford a few days on the continent.
However, those who only speak English will have to phone around, or look online, for an ENglish-speaking practice

When I tore my ankle ligaments, I went online to a private practice where the doctors all speak English and also do house calls
That's another possibility to work in.

So, basically if you have some spare money, you can manage with a bit of effort
If you don't, then you are dependent on govt prepping working for everything you need

Merkel made a (deliberately, I think) vague statement, because all EU govts must realise BJ can't keep his trap shut

So he will always blunder in

Macron just seized the opening that Merkel had made
I don't know if they consulted on strategy, or if they didn't need to, with BJ

I had to listen to my Dad say yesterday that the reason that the Germans are looking on with incredulity is because they are no used to seeing ‘Democracy in action’.

I think the Germans are looking on with incredulity because they learnt the hard way about losing Democracy, and now they are seeing another supposedly civilised country going down the same path.

Yes, I think we would also agree that Johnson is cut from a different cloth than May. Whether anyone takes him seriously I wouldn't have thought needed discussing!

BJ is indeed seen as different to TM in Germany:

May ended up a laughing stock;
he already began as one and his image is going downhill all the time

postnotihaste i bet you have some interesting conversations with your df .

I was actually thinking of insulin, here we have a major production of it (actually family members working there) but i cannot think of a way to get my hands on it without a prescription. Would love to be able to send it to some who havent got the chance to go here.

bigchoc if language is an issue, can i suggest that those of you who would consider going, goes to a scandinavian country or Holland. Most people speak english, especially if you stay near larger cities. Im not sure, how easy it is to get a perscription, if you are a tourist.

If any of you find a way, i would be happy to collect and ship it off.

I had to listen to my Dad say yesterday that the reason that the Germans are looking on with incredulity is because they are no used to seeing ‘Democracy in action’.

Must have been frustrating for you. He probably wouldn't want to know that the reasons that the Germans banned referendums was they saw the way that a populist government abused them, as seen by the rise of Hitler and fascism.

....unless that's the sort of "Democracy in Action" he wants to see