Westministenders: No Australia Don't Have A Deal

[RedToothBrush]

Since Friday, far from letting things calm down, Johnson has doubled down stating that if we can't have a Canada Deal (which the EU says wouldn't be equal because we are much closer than Canada geographically) we will go for an Australia Deal.

This is the latest rehash of a managed no deal package up as something else which the EU have already repeatedly said no to.

So we are on track for no deal.

At the same time Johnson has got very excited about American food and how its great. Almost as if he wants no deal wit the EU to force a shitty bad deal with the us through.

Johnson and his chronies have also been trying to undermine journalistic transparency by blocking access to the lobby to some media outlets in a move that makes us look like a tinpot dictatorship. Fortunately there was a mass walk out of journalists but it remains to be seen how long that can be maintained.

Far from being a clean slate to move forward from its already proving that nothing has changed and old divisions are as deep as ever, if not worse...

I think Ruth Kelly distinguished herself for ruling that a teacher who abused teenage girls was OK to carry on working in a boys school.

Oh I remember that now. Not surprising given her religious background.

More on Andrew Sabisky from the MoS

Sounds like a LOVELY guy.

Jesus Christ, what a champion of equality!

RTB "One way to get around the problems of unplanned pregnancies creating a permanent underclass would be to legally enforce universal uptake of long-term contraception at the onset of puberty.”

Didn't realise they'd discovered one that would work for the boys

And Braverman's association with a religious cult known for widespread sexual abuse is going to generate some headlines

From the Guardian;
"she is understood to attend the London Buddhist Centre, one of Triratna’s main hubs, once or twice a month"

I wonder when the Guardian journalist will realise that the London Buddhist Centre has hosted (hundreds/thousands?) of visits for London schools - as do many of the other (30 plus) Triratna Bhuddhist centres across the country? And that Triratna teachers produce dvds and training courses for the national curriculum - and more recently run wellbeing/mindfulness courses for teachers and schools. Too 'woke' to notice I expect:

www.bodhitree.org.uk/what-we-do/
www.bodhitree.org.uk/buddhism-and-mindfulness-cpds-at-the-london-buddhist-centre/

"The Clear Vision Trust is a Buddhist video project and UK registered charity run by members of the Triratna Buddhist Order in Manchester, UK."

"We have produced a series of highly acclaimed programmes for schools, for children aged 4-16, which are available on DVD complete with teacher’s handbooks, as well as online interactive materials."

"We also run the school visits service for the Manchester Buddhist Centre, and welcome over 2,000 students every year!"

thebuddhistcentre.com/clear-vision

Bristol Buddhist Centre–A Centre of the Triratna Buddhist.

"For over a decade, Bristol Buddhist Centre have been hosting educational visits to and from schools, colleges and the wider community throughout Bristol, Somerset, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and Dorset."
bristol-buddhist-centre.org/schools/

Croydon [Triratna] Buddhist Centre;

"Throughout the year, local schools arrange visits to the Centre, as part of their Religious Education curriculum."

www.buddhistcentrecroydon.org/about-us/4594079385

Love you using woke as an insult clav and the fac that you have attempted to dismiss it based on something that is not the point of the article.

And this is the "calibre" of advisor that Javid was told he would have to sack his own SPADs in favour of

twitter.com/BettGunther/status/1229005824649023488?s=20

Interesting/worrying thread

Maybe Andrew and Dom could listen to Ian Wright on DIC talking about the importance of his teacher in making a huge difference in his life before they dismiss the importance of education on talent and motivation?

The Catholic Church is also involved in lots of positive activities though some are pushing a conservative eg anti abortion agenda. It does not mean that there are not serious issues around the prosecution of sexual offences committed by priests that an AG would need to address. If it were the leader of the church involved that would make the potential conflict arising from being a practising Catholic even more of an issue.

And Buddhism is no different to other religions in have a fundamentalist conservative wing who’s agenda you need to be alert to.

Love you using woke as an insult

As in - the Guardian journalist is probably 'too woke' to notice that UK religious education/mindfulness teaching in schools has been infiltrated by a weird "religious sect".

you have attempted to dismiss it based on something that is not the point of the article

The strap line of the article is;

"Founder of the Triratna order was accused of sex abuse; victim has spoken out about cabinet minister’s new role"

• which implies that Suella Braverman should not have been given the role because of her religious associations - and yet this ^religious cult'' [to quote the Guardian] is heavily involved in the national curriculum and hosts thousands of visits for British school children.

Um no, a minister being linked to a sect who has a sex predator as its founder is the story. Not where she attended, distract and deflect. Its not woke to point this out. You are conflating different things.

Its funny how you Tory voters were all for guilt by association for anything Labour relared but desperate to deflect anything now.

Should the AG have links to a religious group that had these allegations against it? Conflict of interest maybe? Genuine story nothing woke anout it.

Your links to centres not even connected to this story to prove your point is funny btw.

This is too easy.

And Buddhism is no different to other religions in have a fundamentalist conservative wing who’s agenda you need to be alert to.

Personally, I wouldn't consider Buddhism a religion though.

The Guardian article is clearly trying to discredit Suella Braverman;

"Braverman’s position within the sect is likely to raise questions about her personal beliefs and whether this could affect her judgment as the government’s senior legal expert."

And yet "the sect" might be encouraging British teenagers to become members/attend courses - aided and abetted by our national curriculum.

DGR I would agree that Asian religion is more fluid and inclusive in general than western religion and cannot be analysed according to western notions of belief. Perhaps more about doing than believing. However but it does not mean that it does not encompass groups who seek privilege for their members and to impose their conservative beliefs on others. Burma and India being examples at the moment.

“And yet "the sect" might be encouraging British teenagers to become members/attend courses - aided and abetted by our national curriculum.” You mean just like the Catholic Church does? Sometimes in schools paid for by the rest of us?

Isn’t one of the major lessons that we should have learned from the sex abuse scandals is that the political influence of the Catholic Church was a barrier to justice.

Your links to centres not even connected to this story to prove your point is funny btw

Of course they are connected - the Guardian article provides the link to them!

"she is understood to attend the London Buddhist Centre, one of Triratna’s main hubs" - click on "the Triratna community" - "Our Buddhist Centres" - "Look and see if there is a centre or group near you." - which is precisely what I did;

www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/feb/15/new-attorney-general-suella-braverman-in-controversial-buddhist-sect

thebuddhistcentre.com/text/triratna-around-world?c=UK

You mean just like the Catholic Church does? Sometimes in schools paid for by the rest of us?

Well yes, let's ban all followers of the Catholic Church from cabinet office positions as well then.

DGR I would agree that Asian religion is more fluid and inclusive in general than western religion and cannot be analysed according to western notions of belief

As a former dabbler in Buddhism, I was attracted by the premise of trusting only your own experiences, and Buddhas insistence on testing everything he said - the antithesis (literally) of the dogma of most Christian cults (coz that's what they are). You don't see the big P saying "put things in the bible to the test" do you ? His (and I specifically say "his") SOP is much more "trust me or you're a heretic".

Also the presumption of a middle way - avoiding extremes.

And what's not to like about a philosophy who's premier British exponent was called "Christmas Humphreys" ?

My takeaway from Buddhism was we are on our own. There ain't no sky fairy gonna save our asses.

DeDoRonRon as a non twitter person, can you tell me what is the thread you're referring to?

As usual clav you miss the point, you had to follow a link and then click on further, this was not part of the article.

You don't seem to get how being a member of this sect could be construed? Having connections to anything appears to do for Labour and the Libs for Tory voters.

However, the real thing I take issue with is your use of woke to dismiss this as a genuine story. The newly appointed AG having links to a sect hat has dubious origins is news.

Straw man. The point is that educational initiatives do not in some way balance out injustice. If there was evidence the Archbishop of Westminster or the Pope were personally guilty of sexual abuse, and having encouraged a culture where it was accepted, then there would indeed be an issue with the AG who makes the decisions on how justice is done for the victims being a practising Catholic.

The issue here isn't religion, but a group that behaves like a sect, and doesn't respect legal and moral norms including not sexually assaulting people.

Sects exist primarily as a way of feeding the leader's (or leaders') ego and grooming potential victims. Not all religions behave like sects, but some religious subgroups may exhibit sect-like behaviour eg Opus Dei. Sex is almost always a factor.

There's no suggestion that Braverman has behaved inappropriately, but she should have move to clearly disassociate herself from this sect assuming she was aware of the sexual abuse allegations.

My problem with Suella is less her visits to London that parts of her track record
www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/politics/heres-why-fareham-mp-suella-braverman-voted-against-abortion-amendment-law-1313125

www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/17225866.suella-braverman-tory-mp-for-fareham-resigns-her-government-post-over-proposed-northern-ireland-backstop/

www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/17445164.suella-braverman-mocked-over-brexit-qa-session/