World News Random, Random

[Suliso]

Johnson might be running again. I think he has a good chance as a "unity candidate". Only among conservative members of course, but general elections are unlikely to be called before mid 2024.

[Deuce]

What's most comical to me is that people continue to have faith in politicians.

People go and vote for the person/party whose lies they believe. Then a year or so later, people are marching in the streets protesting against the people/party they voted for... Then they vote for a different person/party whose lies they believe. And a year or so after that, they are back in the streets protesting against the people/party they voted for... This repeats itself time after time after time after time. People don't learn - exactly like Lucy holding the football for Charlie Brown, and pulling it away every time!
Politicians and political parties have been dishonest and/or manipulative and/or corrupt and/or incompetent for decades. Yet the populace continues to have faith in them, and are surprised and shocked when they screw up and/or screw the populace in some way!
It's completely asinine!

People pay more attention to politics than to anything else. Every news media covers politics more than any other subject. And the viewers and readers lap it all up - because, despite the OVERWHELMING historical evidence that politicians are definitely not worthy of the trust and confidence that people put in them, the people continue to hope and to believe... and, ultimately, to be disappointed.
It's truly mind boggling.

It has been said that the definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over and expect a different result. But that's exactly what people do with politics in most 'free countries'.

[Suliso]

Democracy is a bad system of government except for all others which are even worse.

[Deuce]

'Democracy' is democratic in name only.
When the choices people have are between liars, manipulators, cheaters, and idiots, there is no democracy or freedom; it's extremely restrictive. The standards that the citizens hold the politicians to are distressingly and very harmfully low.
It's so easy to make something appear 'good' by comparing it to something worse. It's the oldest trick in the book. And people keep falling for it.

Freedom cannot be relative - it is absolute or it is non existent.

The 'right to vote' is only a good and powerful thing if there are decent and honest people to vote for. But that's not been the case for decades in 98% of the countries of the world.
People disregard the constant, neverending lies. The politicians know that this extremely flawed system will continue to be accepted by the people - because time after time the people believe whatever the politicians tell them - despite the overwhelming evidence that doing so is, in a word, stupid.

It is truly an amazing phenomenon, and one which solidifies the position of the human animal as the most arrogant and dumbest - and most dangerous - species on Earth.

[Owendonovan]

'Democracy' is democratic in name only.
When the choices people have are between liars, manipulators, cheaters, and idiots, there is no democracy or freedom; it's extremely restrictive. The standards that the citizens hold the politicians to are distressingly and very harmfully low.
It's so easy to make something appear 'good' by comparing it to something worse. It's the oldest trick in the book. And people keep falling for it.

Freedom cannot be relative - it is absolute or it is non existent.

The 'right to vote' is only a good and powerful thing if there are decent and honest people to vote for. But that's not been the case for decades in 98% of the countries of the world.
People disregard the constant, neverending lies. The politicians know that this extremely flawed system will continue to be accepted by the people - because time after time the people believe whatever the politicians tell them - despite the overwhelming evidence that doing so is, in a word, stupid.

It is truly an amazing phenomenon, and one which solidifies the position of the human animal as the most arrogant and dumbest - and most dangerous - species on Earth.

I think this is a way for people to maintain their own integrity, on some level, while having the politicians do their bidding on things they may not be so open to expose about themselves. It's a twisted kind of moral maintenance.

[Suliso]

Anyway a country has to be governed somehow...

[ponchi101]

Democracy is a bad system of government except for all others which are even worse.

Tell ME about it.
How I wish I had the UK's faulty democracy at home.

[Deuce]

Again - it's easy to compare something to something worse in order to make it appear 'good' or 'acceptable' by comparison.
But the fact remains that when it comes to politics and politicians, the standards of the populace are extremely low.

We will get good, honest governing only when people demand it, and stop accepting the garbage that they are currently being given.
Sadly, I'm not holding my breath for that to occur.

[ti-amie]

[ti-amie]

Rishi Sunak and Boris Johnson hold talks as ex-chancellor leads PM race


Rishi Sunak has secured the backing of 128 MPs, according to the BBC's tally

By Jasmine Andersson
BBC News
Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak have held talks as they edge closer to the deadline for nominations in the contest to replace Liz Truss.

Two separate sources told the BBC the meeting took place, but neither camp has disclosed what they discussed.

Rishi Sunak continues to forge ahead in the leadership race, gathering the support of 128 MPs.

Mr Johnson is currently in second place with 53 backers, according to the BBC's tally.

However his campaign claims he has the support of 100 MPs - the number required to officially enter the race.

Mr Sunak's supporters raised doubts over this and called for the former PM to show proof.

Penny Mordaunt is the only candidate to officially declare they are in the race, but she lags behind on support with 23 MPs.

The BBC's Laura Kuenssberg said that Mr Sunak and Mr Johnson had met on Saturday evening, but she was not sure "if any conclusions or news was likely to come out of it tonight".

The BBC has been keeping a running total of MPs who have gone on the record with support.

The voting intentions of only 204 out of 357 Conservative MPs are currently known and have been verified by the BBC, leaving many still to declare their interest.

The hopefuls have until 14:00 BST on Monday to get enough support to run, qualifying them for the next stage of the race.

If the party's MPs get behind just one candidate, we could have a new prime minister by Monday afternoon.

But if not, it will then go to an online ballot of the Conservative party membership, with the result to be announced on Friday.

Polling suggests Mr Johnson, who has returned from a Caribbean holiday to consider his options, would be favourite to win a members' vote.

Throughout Saturday, MPs were publicly declaring support for their favoured candidate.

International Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch earlier ruled herself out of the race to be the next prime minister, throwing her weight behind Mr Sunak.

Ms Badenoch - who made a big impact in the last Tory leadership contest - said in The Times that Mr Sunak was "the serious, honest leader we need".

She joined a growing list of Sunak backers, even though the ex-chancellor has yet to officially declare he is standing.

Mr Sunak's supporters include former chancellor and health secretary Sajid Javid, Security Minister Tom Tugendhat, former deputy prime minister Dominic Raab and former Brexit minister Lord Frost.

Pointing to the parliamentary probe facing Mr Johnson, Mr Raab told the BBC: "We cannot go backwards. We cannot have another episode of the Groundhog Day, of the soap opera of Partygate".

He said he was "very confident" Mr Sunak would stand, adding: "I think the critical issue here is going to be the economy. Rishi had the right plan in the summer and I think it is the right plan now."

Among supporters of Boris Johnson is former home secretary Priti Patel who said he could bring together a united team and lead the UK to a stronger and more prosperous future.

Business Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg and Transport Secretary Anne Marie Trevelyan have also thrown their weight behind the former PM.

Meanwhile Andrea Leadsom, former business secretary, said Ms Mordaunt was the unifying candidate; an experienced minister and a "robust Brexiteer".

Launching her campaign on Twitter on Friday, Ms Mordaunt said she would "unite our country, deliver our pledges and win the next [general election]".

Mordaunt backer Conservative MP Bob Seely said "I think we owe the country a collective responsibility to apologise" and said he believes Ms Mordaunt has the best chance of providing "unity and leadership" within the party.

Mr Johnson's potential bid to return to power comes just seven weeks after his final day in No 10.

His successor, Liz Truss, is the UK's shortest-serving prime minister, stepping down after 45 days in power.

She stood down on Thursday, after a series of humiliating U-turns forced on her by an adverse reaction to her tax policies in the financial markets.


https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-63361384

[ponchi101]

53 people are backing Johnson. Insanity.
It reminds me of a little cartoon that was making the rounds in Argentina, before the latest elections. Argentina, of course, elected Fernandez/Kirchner.
The cartoon went like this:
A person on a stage shouts: "We want to get rid of Macri!!! (the at the time president, who replaced Kirchner). A crowd gathered in front of him yells: "YES!!!"
The person yells: "Why do we want to get rid of Macri?", and the crowd replies: "Because he could not fix all the that Kirchner did!"
The person then yells: "And who are we going to vote for now?", and the crowd replies: "For Kirchner!!!!"

So pleasant to see that civilized countries are following our lead.

[ti-amie]

[ti-amie]

Boris Johnson says he will not stand in Tory leadership contest
Move means Rishi Sunak almost certain to be PM

Rowena Mason Whitehall editor
Sun 23 Oct 2022 21.05 BST

Boris Johnson will not stand in the Conservative leadership race, leaving Rishi Sunak very likely to enter No 10.

The former prime minister had not formally declared but he had told supporters he wanted to run, drumming up backing from seven cabinet ministers – Jacob Rees-Mogg, James Cleverly, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, Nadhim Zahawi, Alok Sharma, Simon Clarke and Chris-Heaton Harris.

After cutting short a Caribbean holiday, Johnson spoke to rivals Sunak and Penny Mordaunt in a bid to persuade them to get onboard with his attempted political comeback.

However, Johnson has said he is not running after only making it to about 60 declared backers by Sunday evening – well short of the 100-MP threshold required to make it on to the ballot.

The former prime minister said that he would not run despite having the support of the MPs required. He said he had come to the conclusion “this would simply not be the right thing to do” as “you can’t govern effectively unless you have a united party in Parliament”.

He said that due to the failure to reach a deal with Sunak and Mordaunt, “I am afraid the best thing is that I do not allow my nomination to go forward and commit my support to whoever succeeds”.

“I believe I have much to offer but I am afraid that this is simply not the right time,” the former prime minister said.

Sunak has more than 140 declared supporters, while Mordaunt is lagging behind on 25.

More details follow …


https://www.theguardian.com/politics/20 ... ip-contest

[skatingfan]

53 people are backing Johnson. Insanity.
It reminds me of a little cartoon that was making the rounds in Argentina, before the latest elections. Argentina, of course, elected Fernandez/Kirchner.
The cartoon went like this:
A person on a stage shouts: "We want to get rid of Macri!!! (the at the time president, who replaced Kirchner). A crowd gathered in front of him yells: "YES!!!"
The person yells: "Why do we want to get rid of Macri?", and the crowd replies: "Because he could not fix all the that Kirchner did!"
The person then yells: "And who are we going to vote for now?", and the crowd replies: "For Kirchner!!!!"

So pleasant to see that civilized countries are following our lead.

This is what it looks like when an empire collapses, and the remaining pieces can't full accept it.

[ti-amie]