Thursday 14th December 2023

[refitman]

Morning all.

[RogerOThornhill]

Good morning.

Not quite sure why everyone seems to be so surprised by the Israeli Ambassador saying a two-state solution was now dead given she slapped down the Board of Deputies over this issue three years ago.

Incoming envoy Hotovely attacked Board over two-state commitment

https://www.thejc.com/news/incoming-env ... t-khf2uqm4

The incoming Israeli ambassador to the UK last year launched an outspoken attack on the Board of Deputies over its support for a Palestinian state in its 2019 Jewish Manifesto.

Tzipi Hotovely accused the Board of failing to consult “Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, our ambassador, any other political authority” ahead of the manifesto’s release in November last year.

Should have told her to bugger off at the time.

But it's good that people are waking up to how extreme she is. And her party.

[AnatolyKasparov]

35 day suspension recommended for Tory MP Scott Benton - which means the recall process and a possible by-election (if there isn't a GE first)

[refitman]

For context

[frog222]

[gilsey]

Not quite sure why everyone seems to be so surprised by the Israeli Ambassador saying a two-state solution was now dead given she slapped down the Board of Deputies over this issue three years ago.

Quite. And that's the Board of Deputies, who many of the rest of us already find too extreme.



'Quite' to Osland's tweet, as well.

[gilsey]

Chris Dillow's blog

CENTRIST UTOPIANISM

Conclusion

Human kind cannot bear very much reality, so we retreat into dreams. Centrists and rightists are just as prone to do this as the left. The problem is that they get to inflict their dreams onto the rest of us.

Amen to that.


Another extract

The notion that we can have stable inflation is idealistic, utopian.

This, however, is not the only example of how the centre and right are too optimistic about what policy can do. Here are others:

- NHS reform. History tells us that this is a difficult job: the last two big attempts (of many) to reform the NHS - internal markets and the Lansley reforms - were such failures that they have since been scrapped. Every addict knows that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Wes Streeting, on the other hand, does not know this.

- Benefit reform. This is motivated by an attempt to distinguish between deserving cases and the workshy. But such a distinction is very hard to make with limited information and finite administrative resources and any attempt to do so risks hurting the genuinely ill, especially those with mental health problems such as anxiety; criminals can game the system but the genuinely vulnerable cannot. The belief reform is possible without hurting the worst-off is another example of centre-right idealism**.

He does suggest an alternative, for our dreams

the need for policies and institutions that are resilient to failures of judgment.

[AnatolyKasparov]

He really is consistently worth reading, even when you don't agree with him.

[RogerOThornhill]

Lovely bit of whataboutery from a Tory Peer - but good on Cameron for dong this.

[tinyclanger2]

Am trying not to be terrified by the likds of this

and this:
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfr ... m-populism
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfr ... lection-us
But it is deeply alarming.

[tinyclanger2]

From Gilsey (above)

"Conclusion
"Human kind cannot bear very much reality, so we retreat into dreams. Centrists and rightists are just as prone to do this as the left. The problem is that they get to inflict their dreams onto the rest of us.""

I do think we might reconsider our species name

[AnatolyKasparov]

Am trying not to be terrified by the likds of this

and this:
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfr ... m-populism
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfr ... lection-us
But it is deeply alarming.

Its all a bit sweeping.

People are getting very exercised about the Dutch result, brushing aside that Wilders got 23% of the vote (even add in other far right groups and it still doesn't reach 30%) The government in Sweden that contains the Swedish Democrats is very unpopular and the Social Democrats (who only *just* lost power last time, same as in Finland) are now polling at their highest for a generation. And despite her heritage, Meloni has proved *relatively* pragmatic in government.

And the current assumption Trump is a shoo-in is hardly backed up by polling (a small overall lead means little at this stage) still less by actual election results.

Maybe it is actually France we should be most worried about, a Le Pen win there is far from impossible next time and really *would* change things for the worse.

[tinyclanger2]

Brexit
Trump
Wilders

I look at WW2 and think: this is how it happened - "no-one" thought it would happen

[tinyclanger2]

Whether it's in France or Hungary or whatever it doesn't matter.

It's happening.

[tinyclanger2]

2009 wilders banned from uK https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/ ... -ban-islam

The foot is so far in the door now.

[tinyclanger2]

Moreover - EU politics are very different from the UK (FPTP). There's a very high chance Wilders will be the PM of the NL.
Is Rutte's team prepared to do what Clegg did for the Tories?

[AnatolyKasparov]

Brexit
Trump
Wilders

I look at WW2 and think: this is how it happened - "no-one" thought it would happen

History never repeats, though it does sometimes rhyme.

As I said, Trump hasn't actually won and might not even stand if he is jailed first.

Brexit is now distinctly unpopular and even as PM Wilders will have to deal with those more moderate than he.

The world isn't about to end - yet.

[tinyclanger2]

History always repeats - because humanity doesn't pay attention to that fact

[tinyclanger2]

How moderate is the NL?
Really?
Under the VVD (Rutte) https://nltimes.nl/2023/02/01/dutch-gov ... ng-scandal
Politicians are not paying attention to the people they represent
#carryingcapacity
#resourcesupply

[AnatolyKasparov]

It is actually interesting that the Netherlands has never been quite as "left-liberal" as outsiders often imagine - in the past century it has elected right or at least centre-right governments about twice as often as the opposite. People think of cannabis and Amsterdam, but there's some very different aspects to it.

(look up Urk, anyone who doesn't already know)

[refitman]

Woohoo, the IEA back on QT

[AnatolyKasparov]

Anyway, looks like the EU has discovered some cojones at last and told Orban where to get off

[refitman]

Anyone fancy a giggle before bed

[frog222]

Hardly steel toe-caps, anyway they're wimps

Will someone tackle the IEA stooge , hoping ! NN

[Sky'sGoneOut]

No final QT review of the year I'm afraid. I've just been unwillingly involved in a three hour 'discussion' about Christmas travel plans so I'm still sober and in a shitty mood.