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ephemerid
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Left.

Post by ephemerid »

My daughter, when practising for her RAF passing out parade, told me about some of the drill commands.

Left turns and drill commands include -
Left Turn: turn 90 degrees to the left;
Left Incline: turn 45 degrees to the left:
Left Dress: look left, shuffle left, align.
About Turn: turn 180 degrees to the left.

I think we do not need a quarter turn, a half turn, or a shuffle re-alignment.
I think we need a full 180-degree turn to face all on the the left - including all parties.

I think we need a grand coalition, with a united front and a strong message.
Without that, any march forwards will result in chaos.

Enough of the military analogies!

Someone here somewhere in the plethora of posts over the past few days made the point that Fly The Nest could be a force for good and increase its' influence, rather than just be an echo chamber for those of us who post here.
I agree - and many of us have real contacts and real clout in some areas; I think that perhaps we under-estimate what we can do, and I think that those of us willing to be more active (me included) need to get our heads straight.
By that, I mean that we have to stop blaming whoever for what has happened and get on with the over-riding priority - ie, to get the Tories out as soon as possible and put forward a real, strong, united alternative.

Labour lost votes to the SNP, the Greens, UKIP, and the Tories. The Tories got a majority, but are riven with dissenting voices, and rebellious back-benchers. The upper echelons are not very competent and inclined to bulldoze their way through procedure and democratic protocol to get what they want - that arrogance, buoyed by victory, will sink them in the end. When their hubris becomes uncontrollable, they will meet their Nemesis - and it needs to be as remorseless and unescapable as the goddess herself.

A grand coalition of the left can and should include Labour, the Greens, a newly left-leaning Liberal party, the TUSC, the NHA. And anyone else who wants to join in, with the exception of nationalists or isolationists of any stripe. (As we have seen, they are divisive)
Each party should have its' own leader, but elect one person as a figurehead and overall spokesman.

Each party should be given one non-negotiable policy that the others must agree to. For Labour, it could be housing or social security; for the Greens, legislation on CO2; for a Liberal party, civil liberties; for the TUSC, workers' rights; the NHS for the NHA.
That would give each party one thing they can campaign on, one thing that defines them and perhaps will give them the difference they seem to be after - the truth is that all the parties mentioned have more in common than they have differences.

When I first went to Alcoholics Anonymous, I was told to do some things that have become a way of life for more than 14 years.
I was told to seek out the similarities, not jump on the differences.
I was told to vent my anger, then let it go. And learn to forgive.
I was told that fear and resentment would drive me back to the bottle.
I was told to believe in a Higher Power (of my own invention, if need be)
I was told to constantly check my own behaviour and apologise when required.
I was told to remember that having taken the hand of AA when I needed it, it was my responsibility to ensure that my hand would be there for anyone who wanted a clean and sober life - and a better life too.

As a template for living, it's not bad.
I am responsible for my actions - and sitting back and allowing bad things to happen is not in the template.
Extending the hand of support, friendship, fellow-feeling, and care is.

Right now, for me, there is anger and frustration and resentment.
I am angry about people who have scuppered the chances of Ed Miliband to repair the wounds 5 years of the Tories have inflicted on my country, I know who they are, and I don't buy their excuses,
I am frustrated that the electorate generally have bought the propaganda of the Tories, ably assisted to that end by a corrupt media, a craven and compliant national broadcaster, and it drives me mad.
I resent what the SNP have done in their own self-interest; I resent what smaller parties have done to split the left; I resent the nasty and puerile gloating I am seeing and that makes me crazy.

But - I have to let it all go, and start all over again.

It will not be easy for many of us under the cosh of the Tories.
I am in a situation that is going to be targeted again, as are many others; few of us will be unscathed by their nastiness unless we are very very rich or otherwise insulated from what will come.
I don't have much in the way of resources, but my voice will - no, must - be heard. I want my country back; the tolerant, open, and caring society that people like my late father built for me.

I think the time has come for a grand coalition - no one party will get everything it wants; no one party will win all hearts - but those of us who are broadly in agreement on the overall picture must fight together.
That overall picture must include - a free NHS; free education; access to justice for all irrespective of means; support enough to survive on for those who have no means at all; decent housing at fair rents; work for those able with fair pay - and a public sector that is properly remunerated, properly accountable, and given the respect it deserves.
This is not impossible. Attlee did it. It can be done again. Ed Miliband could have done it, and I hope he returns to give his contribution because I believed in him and I still do. We have lost a good and decent man.

If we do not do this, if we do not come together in the common interest, we are totally comprehensively fucked. Seriously.

I welcome any positive comments on this. I welcome ideas, I welcome experience, and I welcome anyone who can show me the way to a better, more inclusive, less divisive way of making a difference.

I do not welcome internecine squabbling. I don't welcome asides which some people have chosen to indulge in. I don't welcome the habit some have of picking up on a small comment and making an over-sensitive drama of it.
I am as guilty as the next person of doing this, and bitterly regret the friends I have lost through it. It's more important now than ever that we try, however difficult it is, to find a consensus and build a force for good.

To paraphrase JFK (and out of context to boot) - we should do this not because it is easy but because it is hard.
"Poverty is the worst form of violence" - Mahatma Gandhi
ohsocynical
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Re: Left.

Post by ohsocynical »

The perfect answer.
We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office. – Aesop
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AngryAsWell
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Re: Left.

Post by AngryAsWell »

Excellent post Ephe, and I agree with the sentiment wholeheartedly.
For me though it's too early, the hurt to deep and the pain verging on physical. I need space and time to rage - I'm slow to boil but when I do its equally hard to let go.
I'll take my rage elsewhere and post only on current topic's till I have the red rage under control.
Thank you :)
yahyah
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Re: Left.

Post by yahyah »

I agree with Angry, but very very much appreciate your contribution Ephie.

& to avoid the internecine spats, maybe we could have a separate space to explore our feelings.
I realise the irony there ! Splitting to complain about the splitters.

But these feelings go deep. To gloss them over will not make them go away.

We've had years of hearing about how terrible Labour voters are...Iraq, killing Arab babies, blah blah....this actual event, three supposed socialist parties helping enable the Tories to victory is new.
We need some time to come to terms and then move on.

You can't force the tide. In my view.

Others, more brave, or less emotional may be able to help Ephie now.
I do hope so, because she deserves it and I know her plea comes from a good place deep within.
Am envious that she can find it so quickly.
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tinyclanger2
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Re: Left.

Post by tinyclanger2 »

Am with you and will do what I can. I will have more time from end of June but will start sounding out network in the mean time.
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TechnicalEphemera
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Re: Left.

Post by TechnicalEphemera »

I agree with the concept of a grand coalition, but it won't work on policy; the parties are too different.

However it might work on voting reform. If the parties are prepared to agree something sensible like AMS, coupled with an agreed vision for devolution.

A word of warning for the left, at the moment the most likely results of a PR system is either a Tory/Lib Dem coalition or a Tory UKIP coalition. Not necessarily progressive or left wing. In fact you may even get a UKIP/Tory coalition.

This is effectively asking Labour to give up its dominant position on the centre left, it might do so if it believes the Tories have so stacked the deck they can never be defeated.

This coalition works as follows. Labour gets free run in all of its target seats (There are now no credible Lib Dem challengers). The Greens get a free run in Brighton P. The Lib Dems get a free run in the rural north and the South West. Everybody gets to play in safe Tory seats. Parties must actively promote the grand coalition in the agreed seats. This may also include providing canvassers (although in many cases only one party has a ground force in any given target).

TUSC can play if they want by not standing in these target seats. So amusingly can UKIP.

The outcome will be a majority or coalition government sitting for one term on a progressive platform but absolutely delivering a proportional voting system as part of that term. In the event of a majority the government should work with its coalition partners to include some of their key policies, and at least take note of their views on stuff they hate.

Whether it would be considered depends on the various parties views on whether they can be elected under the future Tory rigged system.
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seeingclearly
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Re: Left.

Post by seeingclearly »

The point of a grand coalition is that you ignore the differences and embrace the similarities. And make the compromises needed for the greater good.

It's a wonderful post Ephemerid.

I've been worried by the labels the groups seem to be adopting, I've seen no sign of the three lasses, but one group at last seems to bear their name and endorsement. But no sign of labour anywhere, or requests for labour support - even u though it's clear nearly everyone wishes labour had won.

I'm only really posting because if labour isn't part of a grand coalition there isn't one, and if these smaller parties have already kicked of then that's problematic too.

Thanks though, every word well said.
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ephemerid
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Re: Left.

Post by ephemerid »

Thank you, OhSo.

Yahyah and AAW - yes, I can empathise.
I suppose I'm lucky that I have other avenues for my venting; I've had no option other than find ways to do that, because if I allow myself to get too angry I risk going back to drinking.

I had a wonderful man, sadly now gone, my Australian Uncle Bill. He was so laid back he was horizontal, even when things were grim.
He used to say to me, when I went off on one, "Everything matters. Nothing matters desperately" to which I would say "But it DOES!!!!!"
Then he'd say, "If that's the case young lady, go and do something about it. I do -but not at the expense of my or my loved ones' sanity".

TinyClanger - good. Those of us who feel ready to think about this new landscape we find ourselves in can make a start, and in time hopefully our more wounded friends may come and join us and benefit whatever we do with their wisdom. We can be the change we want to see.

TE - thank you, that's a very thoughtful post, and I can see advantages there. For some, it's a case of eating crow as the Americans would say.
But that's OK as long as the point of all this would be a chance to to do the right thing - the Tories are likely to get away with their "rigged system" as you put it, and to effect change it would take a grand coalition of all left parties and possibly a few others (however unpalatable) to unseat them. Then, yes, a commitment to change the FPTP system with reform of the Lords.

Personally, I do not think this government will last the full term. If it doesn't, I would hate to see Labour repeat it's mistakes - those being, IMHO, being Tories in all but name but not quite as bad. More neo-liberalism and no real challenge to corporate power.
I think the Tories won't last because they are useless - Cameron is just execrable, and his vanity will do for him eventually; Osborne is crap, he is only regarded as a success by a few vested interests and said to be by those afraid of the power he currently wields; Shapps will never cope with his new brief, Gove ditto, as their lack of knowledge and their jumped-up arrogance will fuck up their departments very quickly.
They will make no friends in the EU, and the implications for that are truly scary. They will not placate the Scots, and that'll be a disaster.
If they try to introduce EVEL, their lack of experience will most likely cause a constitutional crisis.

Labour, the Greens, the hopefully left-leaning people in what's left of the LibDems, need to think long and hard about how to move on.
The TUSC and the NHA will need to be more open to interests outside their own fairly narrow view.
The idea of a grand coalition isn't new - it's been done elsewhere. Other countries with fairer PR-type systems work in coalition all the time.
The risk is that some reps of the hard right get a place - but it's rare in the EU that they have enough of a bloc to cause too much grief.

I have a lot of thinking to do. Meanwhile, health allowing, I'm going to keep a close eye on the things I know a lot about so that I can keep up to date with what's happening; I'm going to keep blogging/posting and raising awareness of the issues I'm interested in.
I hope I'll have the ability to do something locally - I'm thinking more about allotments and a sort of residents committee on the estate.
We'll see.

Thanks all.
Any more ideas and discussion very welcome. I've learned something today.
Another old truism from AA - I was given 2 ears, 2 eyes, and 1 mouth. These are the correct proportions.
"Poverty is the worst form of violence" - Mahatma Gandhi
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ephemerid
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Re: Left.

Post by ephemerid »

seeingclearly wrote:The point of a grand coalition is that you ignore the differences and embrace the similarities. And make the compromises needed for the greater good.

It's a wonderful post Ephemerid.

I've been worried by the labels the groups seem to be adopting, I've seen no sign of the three lasses, but one group at last seems to bear their name and endorsement. But no sign of labour anywhere, or requests for labour support - even u though it's clear nearly everyone wishes labour had won.

I'm only really posting because if labour isn't part of a grand coalition there isn't one, and if these smaller parties have already kicked of then that's problematic too.

Thanks though, every word well said.

Thanks, Por. :hug:
"Poverty is the worst form of violence" - Mahatma Gandhi
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citizenJA
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Re: Left.

Post by citizenJA »

I've just a moment, Ephemerid but must let you know now - you're brilliant & your ideas will have fruition. I'll write & read more from you all soon.
My dear friend, I love you & value your work.
cJA
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Swarthlander
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Re: Left.

Post by Swarthlander »

citizenJA wrote:I've just a moment, Ephemerid but must let you know now - you're brilliant & your ideas will have fruition. I'll write & read more from you all soon.
My dear friend, I love you & value your work.
cJA
If you will forgive the expression....

Ditto.
Same goes for me. 8-)
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LadyCentauria
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Re: Left.

Post by LadyCentauria »

Thanks @ephe. Good thoughts and suggestions. Also sound ideas from @TE

Sorry I can't think of anything more useful to add, at the moment, but will think and come back to it at some later point.
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StephenDolan
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Re: Left.

Post by StephenDolan »

I really like the idea of a blog, there's so much excellent writing that deserves a wider audience. Spread the knowledge.

As for a grand coalition, ABTFT (anyone but the fkn Tories) I'm concerned that the Blair and Iraq spectre is going to feature for a while longer.
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TheGrimSqueaker
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Re: Left.

Post by TheGrimSqueaker »

Ephe, thanks for starting this. Good points everybody. RS a blog is a cracking idea, so many ideas here from such talented people, we should look at spreading the message wider. The fact that the sockpuppet saw the need to visit us twice is indicative of some degree of influence already; and if that wally from Bath can have such influence with WoS think what some truly talented & insightful people could achieve. :rock:
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Willow904
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Re: Left.

Post by Willow904 »

I also think a blog sounds good.

When people were first being hammered by the DWP, networks sprang up online to relay peoples' experiences to help others navigate the system, explaining how to file appeals etc. We're going to need more of that.

We've got a Tory majority, that's the thing, that's the reality. I'd like to find ways to help those who are going to be the worst affected by it. Sharing tips on how to deal with the system is the best I can come up with but there must be more. There are a lot of stats from the Trussell Trust and Oxfam that really need to be more widely reported. I also think it would be good to share success stories, where people have been helped. The public at large may respond more positively to a view of people on the left actually achieving things rather than people on the left moaning about things, if that makes any sense. Certainly I think my village remains left wing because left wing initiatives have given us positive things like a community pool from efforts in the past and a community hub from efforts quite recently. These are the things that could inspire people to embrace left-wing politics, rather than fear them.
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Swarthlander
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Re: Left.

Post by Swarthlander »

The blog idea is a good one Robert but there are a number of them already. Wouldn't we just be adding to the 'noise'?

The blog would need to be open to comments for diverse opinions and counter arguments. Unfortunately other political blogs/sites are ruined by mindless idiots (from all sides) who only comment to insult/troll and not to enhance the debate. I'm all for differing opinions and obviously for free speech but political blogs tend attract the sociopath(s) as FTN has seen in the last couple of days.

I'm not being negative, just looking at the practicalities.
I can volunteer my services to help, I am not a writer, however I am willing to assist where I can.

:D
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pk1
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Re: Left.

Post by pk1 »

The blog is a good idea **BUT** before embarking on that, shouldn't there be some attention paid to the FTN twitter a/c ?

Sometimes it can go for days with no activity on it at all.

Paul has just said he's going to be away for a bit, attending to other stuff; Ernst too is pre-occupied; Ohso tends to use her personal twitter, not the FTN one & Adam is either at work or resolving issues around this website so it's hardly fair to expect him to pick up the twitter slack.

For health reasons, I'm sporadic enough with my own twitter a/c so I couldn't assume responsibility for the FTN one but if we want to be a force for good, we need to fully engage instead of being half-hearted about it.
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TheGrimSqueaker
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Re: Left.

Post by TheGrimSqueaker »

pk1 wrote:The blog is a good idea **BUT** before embarking on that, shouldn't there be some attention paid to the FTN twitter a/c ?

Sometimes it can go for days with no activity on it at all.

Paul has just said he's going to be away for a bit, attending to other stuff; Ernst too is pre-occupied; Ohso tends to use her personal twitter, not the FTN one & Adam is either at work or resolving issues around this website so it's hardly fair to expect him to pick up the twitter slack.

For health reasons, I'm sporadic enough with my own twitter a/c so I couldn't assume responsibility for the FTN one but if we want to be a force for good, we need to fully engage instead of being half-hearted about it.
The two need to run alongside each other anyway for the Blog to work. Part of the discussion need I think
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ohsocynical
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Re: Left.

Post by ohsocynical »

pk1 wrote:The blog is a good idea **BUT** before embarking on that, shouldn't there be some attention paid to the FTN twitter a/c ?

Sometimes it can go for days with no activity on it at all.

Paul has just said he's going to be away for a bit, attending to other stuff; Ernst too is pre-occupied; Ohso tends to use her personal twitter, not the FTN one & Adam is either at work or resolving issues around this website so it's hardly fair to expect him to pick up the twitter slack.

For health reasons, I'm sporadic enough with my own twitter a/c so I couldn't assume responsibility for the FTN one but if we want to be a force for good, we need to fully engage instead of being half-hearted about it.
Every time I post for FTN, I have to log out of my account and log into the FTN one, which is okay, but much as I love you all, there's no way I'm going to be doing that on and off all day.

Originally Paul suggested we take a stint each day and I've been trying to do late morning, lunchtime. That way we don't get in each others way.
Sometimes though, I have other things on my mind, am flitting between chores so don't have the time to read all the FTN posts in one go, and/or forget.

I prefer to use thoughts, ideas, and info from posts on FTN. I also Tweet links that are posted on FTN.
Sometimes with the word limit on Twitter it's impossible for me to glean much from here. Sometimes it's easy peasy especially when Ephie posts :D

If I can, I try to re-Tweet posts that I've Tweeted from FTN so they reach a wider audience, but that's becoming very difficult. I follow around 900 people and with my own followers I get literally thousands of Tweets a day.
I can log off FTN Twitter, immediately log on to my own acc, and have received so many posts in that short time I can't find the FTN Tweets quickly enough.

Paul was hoping a bit of extra input would start to grow the FTN account, but you need interaction for that to happen.
I try to 'favourite' some as acknowledgement the comment or link has been read and appreciated because that does help. I read all the Tweets and re-Tweet some of them. It's the easiest way to get more followers but with a collective account, not very doable. Twitter is an immediate form of communication, especially when someone challenges or questions something you've said. I'd need to be checking it all day long.

I'm not keen on making replies to Tweets on the FTN account because it would be me, not FTN collectively answering. Occasinally I can think of something to say that echoes the general feeling on here. But a lot of the time I can't.

And you'll definitely have to bear with me for the next bit. I'm still too angry to put my mind to anything much.
We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office. – Aesop
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TheGrimSqueaker
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Re: Left.

Post by TheGrimSqueaker »

ohsocynical wrote:I'm not keen on making replies to Tweets on the FTN account because it would be me, not FTN collectively answering. Occasinally I can think of something to say that echoes the general feeling on here. But a lot of the time I can't.
The WOWPetition team cover things in shifts in a similar way, and acknowledge who is tweeting at any particular time, so the fact that it is your 'voice' need not be an issue. Re. the logging off and on thing; a fair while back (and an identity or two ago) I used two IDs on CIF - it was to make the point of how easy it was to do - and achieved that by using Internet Explorer for one ID and Chrome for the other. Doing that you need to remember which hat you are wearing (something dear ol' wotsisface was never very good at), but no need to worry about that on Twitter.

I am more than happy to offer my services on both Twitter and the proposed blog, in whatever capacity required. To which I'm pretty handy with a copy of Photoshop (not up to Toby's standards, largely because I don't put in the effort he did) if that will be helpful.
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Bedford Falls
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Re: Left.

Post by Bedford Falls »

Dear 'Virtual' Friends,

I very rarely post here but I read avidly and FTN is usually the first site I visit each day. Thank you for your company and support over the last few days (even though you may be unaware how much comfort you were giving). And thanks especially for those who have helped move me through the stages of grief to the point of action.

I'm not going to retread all the anger and despair but will only say that there has not been a single emotion expressed that I haven't shared at some point since Friday to a greater or lesser extent, sometimes for just a fleeting moment, sometimes longer.

Like several on this forum, my background (for more than 30 years) is in campaigning, so although I may not be the best political strategist in the world, I am able to think strategically and long-term. In my professional life I (along with others) have taken on some of the biggest multi-national corporations in the world and although we have not brought any company to its knees we have forced small changes that have eventually changed perceptions and business practices.

For me it is about breaking down huge, seemingly insurmountable problems into smaller more manageable issues where small victories are achievable. It's about power analysis and finding the right levers to exploit chinks in the oppositions' armour.

There are two things that I think need immediate attention to pave the way for the return of a left-wing government. The first is the media. Almost without exception, discussion here of who could/should be the next Labour leader has involved looking at who could withstand the kind of media onslaught they would be faced with. I have no idea how this behemoth could be taken on and defeated but I am willing to spend time thinking about it and joining with like-minded people to come up with a strategy to begin to change things.

The second thing in comparison should be easier to achieve - to ensure a Labour Mayor is elected in London next year. I know that excludes many on here and I really don't want to perpetuate the impression that everything important that happens, happens in the south of the country but when I think back to the days of Ken Livingstone and the GLC and how much grief they caused Maggie, it seems to me that to have a Labour Mayor presiding over the Tories' 'jewel in the crown' again, especially when this government is likely to be the most cruel and incompetent we have ever seen, could open another flank and take protest and dissent to the Tories' doorstep. At the very least it could change the way demonstrations are policed and make that protest and dissent visible to the country again after five years of 'disappearing' it.

This is not to say that I don't support the idea of a grand coalition of the left - I absolutely do but I also think the context in which this will be built needs to change as well.
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Swarthlander
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Re: Left.

Post by Swarthlander »

Just so you don't feel ingnored Bedford Falls, thank you for your contribution. :P

And welcome to FTN. :D
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ohsocynical
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Re: Left.

Post by ohsocynical »

@BedfordFalls.

I think you are right about London. It is the powerhouse where much happens, and while it is taking the fight into the enemy's camp makes sense.
We hang the petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office. – Aesop
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ephemerid
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Re: Left.

Post by ephemerid »

Good evening, Rusty, you tedious wanker.

Surely someone as important as yourself has a country to run or some peasants to kick somewhere?
If we are so very contemptible and useless etc. etc. why waste your extraordinarily valuable time telling us?
How can you bear to associate with horrible old crusty lefties away from the company of your fellow Masters of the Universe?

I've got it! I have the answer! You're bored, aren't you?
We've stayed away from your once happy hunting ground, so you and your alter-ego headless chicken have to come here to find us.

Enjoy.

We are.

Now tootle off, there's a dear, and watch your benefits telly as we know it makes you happy and confirms your superiority. Nothing like a staged and obviously edited picture of a small group of people to make you feel good about about yourself. It must be shit being you.

I'll pray for you, you poor dab.

Laters.

(PS - now you have decided to troll us here, do the decent thing and insist on having the last word. go on. you know you want to.)
"Poverty is the worst form of violence" - Mahatma Gandhi
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Re: Left.

Post by refitman »

ohsocynical wrote:
pk1 wrote:The blog is a good idea **BUT** before embarking on that, shouldn't there be some attention paid to the FTN twitter a/c ?

Sometimes it can go for days with no activity on it at all.

Paul has just said he's going to be away for a bit, attending to other stuff; Ernst too is pre-occupied; Ohso tends to use her personal twitter, not the FTN one & Adam is either at work or resolving issues around this website so it's hardly fair to expect him to pick up the twitter slack.

For health reasons, I'm sporadic enough with my own twitter a/c so I couldn't assume responsibility for the FTN one but if we want to be a force for good, we need to fully engage instead of being half-hearted about it.
Every time I post for FTN, I have to log out of my account and log into the FTN one, which is okay, but much as I love you all, there's no way I'm going to be doing that on and off all day.

Originally Paul suggested we take a stint each day and I've been trying to do late morning, lunchtime. That way we don't get in each others way.
Sometimes though, I have other things on my mind, am flitting between chores so don't have the time to read all the FTN posts in one go, and/or forget.

I prefer to use thoughts, ideas, and info from posts on FTN. I also Tweet links that are posted on FTN.
Sometimes with the word limit on Twitter it's impossible for me to glean much from here. Sometimes it's easy peasy especially when Ephie posts :D

If I can, I try to re-Tweet posts that I've Tweeted from FTN so they reach a wider audience, but that's becoming very difficult. I follow around 900 people and with my own followers I get literally thousands of Tweets a day.
I can log off FTN Twitter, immediately log on to my own acc, and have received so many posts in that short time I can't find the FTN Tweets quickly enough.

Paul was hoping a bit of extra input would start to grow the FTN account, but you need interaction for that to happen.
I try to 'favourite' some as acknowledgement the comment or link has been read and appreciated because that does help. I read all the Tweets and re-Tweet some of them. It's the easiest way to get more followers but with a collective account, not very doable. Twitter is an immediate form of communication, especially when someone challenges or questions something you've said. I'd need to be checking it all day long.

I'm not keen on making replies to Tweets on the FTN account because it would be me, not FTN collectively answering. Occasinally I can think of something to say that echoes the general feeling on here. But a lot of the time I can't.

And you'll definitely have to bear with me for the next bit. I'm still too angry to put my mind to anything much.
If you're on a desktop/laptop, there is a program called Tweetdeck. This will allow you to log in with multiple accounts (FTN, personal etc) and you get the option of which to send from when tweeting.

http://tweetdeck.en.softonic.com/
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TheGrimSqueaker
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Re: Left.

Post by TheGrimSqueaker »

I'll speak for Mr Rustinpeace if I may.
While drinking a glass of water? :lol:

And, blimey, not only can you not spell properly but you are unable to master the simple formatting of this forum. Whatever they are paying you .... well, you need to give some of it back.
COWER BRIEF MORTALS. HO. HO. HO.
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TheGrimSqueaker
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Re: Left.

Post by TheGrimSqueaker »

HappyChickie wrote:
TheGrimSqueaker wrote:
I'll speak for Mr Rustinpeace if I may.
While drinking a glass of water? :lol:

And, blimey, not only can you not spell properly but you are unable to master the simple formatting of this forum. Whatever they are paying you .... well, you need to give some of it back.


Who wants to master formatting at this echo chamber? Only the ones like you who spend half their lives on here, master it. My spelling? Hardly an issue really. That pettiness got you booted off the Guardian at one time. Oops.
Bless. Unlike yourself, who has been shown the door many, many times I have never even been put into premod let alone booted off the Guardian. You don't consider the fact you can't spell an issue? As I suggested yesterday, obviously a product of Thatcher's education system.
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Re: Left.

Post by TheGrimSqueaker »

Scurrying off back to your bridge Rusty Chickie? Probably best, a battle of wits really is not your forte, unarmed as you are.
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Willow904
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Re: Left.

Post by Willow904 »

Bedford Falls wrote:Dear 'Virtual' Friends,

I very rarely post here but I read avidly and FTN is usually the first site I visit each day. Thank you for your company and support over the last few days (even though you may be unaware how much comfort you were giving). And thanks especially for those who have helped move me through the stages of grief to the point of action.

I'm not going to retread all the anger and despair but will only say that there has not been a single emotion expressed that I haven't shared at some point since Friday to a greater or lesser extent, sometimes for just a fleeting moment, sometimes longer.

Like several on this forum, my background (for more than 30 years) is in campaigning, so although I may not be the best political strategist in the world, I am able to think strategically and long-term. In my professional life I (along with others) have taken on some of the biggest multi-national corporations in the world and although we have not brought any company to its knees we have forced small changes that have eventually changed perceptions and business practices.

For me it is about breaking down huge, seemingly insurmountable problems into smaller more manageable issues where small victories are achievable. It's about power analysis and finding the right levers to exploit chinks in the oppositions' armour.

There are two things that I think need immediate attention to pave the way for the return of a left-wing government. The first is the media. Almost without exception, discussion here of who could/should be the next Labour leader has involved looking at who could withstand the kind of media onslaught they would be faced with. I have no idea how this behemoth could be taken on and defeated but I am willing to spend time thinking about it and joining with like-minded people to come up with a strategy to begin to change things.

The second thing in comparison should be easier to achieve - to ensure a Labour Mayor is elected in London next year. I know that excludes many on here and I really don't want to perpetuate the impression that everything important that happens, happens in the south of the country but when I think back to the days of Ken Livingstone and the GLC and how much grief they caused Maggie, it seems to me that to have a Labour Mayor presiding over the Tories' 'jewel in the crown' again, especially when this government is likely to be the most cruel and incompetent we have ever seen, could open another flank and take protest and dissent to the Tories' doorstep. At the very least it could change the way demonstrations are policed and make that protest and dissent visible to the country again after five years of 'disappearing' it.

This is not to say that I don't support the idea of a grand coalition of the left - I absolutely do but I also think the context in which this will be built needs to change as well.
Thanks for this. It's all very constructive. I hadn't really thought about the London mayor election. It's defintely a good opportunity to kick off a comeback.
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Re: Left.

Post by TheGrimSqueaker »

HappyChickie wrote:yep, Rusty was correct, you think everyone is him. LOL. Best to stay on the meds.
Bless. You really do need to remember to change the 'voice' you know, you make it far too obvious. But then, you need a basic level of intelligence to manage that
HappyChickie wrote:That "bridge" is a 4 bedroom house......
A 4 bedroom bridge? Well, I suppose you need somewhere to store all the sockpuppets.
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TheGrimSqueaker
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Re: Left.

Post by TheGrimSqueaker »

HappyChickie wrote:Bless. You really do need to remember to change the 'voice' you know, you make it far too obvious. But then, you need a basic level of intelligence to manage that

I think it is hilarious that you think everyone is Rustinpeace. Pure paranoia and rather frightening.

Re Intelligence: Bit rich coming from you Squeakers who's IQ is pretty much below room temperature.

Happy to clear that up for you.

:D
Haven't you forgotten that you are supposed to be working? Whoops.

And, really, you might want to get a grown up to check your grammar and spelling, before you post, if you want to take a pop at other people's intelligence levels. The funniest thing from my point of view is you have no idea what you got wrong yesterday and will have no idea this time either; a sad indictment of Thatcher's Britain.
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Re: Left.

Post by yahyah »

Just for you, Rusty, Chickie or whatever other Shapps like identity you are using today.

Internet Trolls Are Narcissists, Psychopaths, and Sadists
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/yo ... nd-sadists

We should all feel sorry for you, people with personality disorders like yours aren't usually treatable.
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