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What you want to say – 22nd February, Week 8, 2017 February 22, 2017

Posted by WorldbyStorm in Uncategorized.
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As always, following on Dr. X’s suggestion, it’s all yours, “announcements, general discussion, whatever you choose”, feel free.

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1. 6to5against - February 22, 2017

This is interesting, and on another world would surely get some coverage in the Irish media.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/02/15/austerity-was-a-bigger-disaster-than-we-thought/?tid=hybrid_collaborative_1_na&utm_term=.6ade90b06df3

Original paper available here: http://www.nber.org/papers/w23147.pdf

Basically, an academic study has shown that austerity was wrong-headed, and that the recession was made up to 18 times worse than it had to be.

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2. Aonrud ⚘ - February 22, 2017

Anyone know if “drain the swamp” has precedence in elections, or are the TUV just taking a leaf out of Trump’s book?

It’s the nastier version of local councillors using “yes we can” after Obama’s election.

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irishelectionliterature - February 22, 2017

Taking a leaf out of Trumps (and latterly UKIPs) book.

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3. Jolly Red Giant - February 24, 2017

Further info relating to the famous ‘documentary’ on Fox News that led to Trump’s gaff about immigrant crime in Sweden.

The Swedish police interviewed for the ‘documentary’ call the filmmaker a ‘madman’

http://www.dn.se/kultur-noje/nyheter/swedish-police-featured-in-fox-news-segment-filmmaker-is-a-madman/

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4. Tomboktu - February 25, 2017

I think this video might be of interest to some here. (Despite the image (at least that I see) it is largely about Irish genetics and language in prehistory.)

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5. sonofstan - February 27, 2017

I generally find rugby as interesting as FG leadership contests, but I must admit Conor O’Shea and Italy’s gaming of England yesterday was hilarious, made funnier by the outraged reaction from the somewhat slow-witted English players and coach.

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irishelectionliterature - February 27, 2017

Yeah, awful pit they didn’t have a decent kicker. Hilarious though the reaction of the crowd and players.

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6. Michael Carley - February 27, 2017

Not my game either, other than for the pleasure of watching bank managers and solicitors beating each other up, but the sense of entitlement here is hilarious.

George Ford has called on World Rugby to change its laws before England face Scotland after their 36-15 bonus-point victory against Italy, which was described as “a joke” by Eddie Jones. The head coach also claimed supporters should get their money back because of Italy’s controversial tactics, which he compared to Trevor Chappell’s famous underarm bowling for Australia and Ford claimed could quickly “kill the game”.

He said: “[World Rugby] are in charge of the shape of the game and I am sure [the chairman] Bill Beaumont will have watched the game today and will take some action. We saw a Trevor Chappell game of rugby today. If that’s rugby, I’m going to retire. That’s not rugby. If you paid for your ticket, ask for your money back. If you think that’s smart, fantastic. I don’t think it’s smart rugby. In football they say park the bus. I don’t know what they had, but it was bigger than a bus. The whole game became a joke.”

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2017/feb/26/england-suggest-italys-no-ruck-innovation-could-kill-rugby-union

You can’t help thinking there’s a whiff of resentment at the dagos (and a Paddy) getting one over on the sturdy Anglo-Saxons.

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7. Michael Carley - February 27, 2017

And, WBS, why does the Lounge burst into song whenever I go to the home page? Have you added a theme tune? And why isn’t it something more rebel?

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8. CMK - February 27, 2017

‘The Soft Coup is underway’ – an interesting piece from John McDonnell.

I can for the life of me see how Mandelson hasn’t be summarily kicked out of the Labour Party given his remarks recently that he is working every day to bring down Corbyn.

http://labourbriefing.squarespace.com/home/2017/2/26/the-soft-coup-is-under-way

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oconnorlysaght - February 27, 2017

I suspect that Corbyn and his allies are haunted by memories of the Social democrats and the split left of the eighties’ elections. They fear to rock the boat.

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Alibaba - February 28, 2017

I think the coup plotters are not only prepared to undermine Corbyn at every opportunity, but to lose elections if that advances their key goal – removing Corbyn as leader. And Corbyn is wrong to continually extend the hand of friendship to these opponents who demand one concession after another.

Even some of his allies are not fit for purpose. Take, for instance, John McDonnell who has been calling for a ‘People’s Brexit’. Paul Mason has called for, “a significant, temporary retreat from freedom of movement. That means – and my colleagues on the left need to accept this – that the British people, in effect, will have changed Labour’s position on immigration from below, by plebiscite.” Instead of debunking racist myths, this translates into never mind the difficult task of building a movement based on the principle of working class solidarity, the Labour party should simply accept that some workers are prejudiced against migrants and concede whatever they wish.

I despair to think what will happen in the search for electoral credibility. Conservatives will be reap the benefits from Labour’s disunity and weakness and only then, sadly, Corbyn will be savaged.

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CMK - February 28, 2017

I think the SD split will, in retrospect, prove to have been less damaging to the LP than the current carry-on.

Mandatory re-selection is pooh-poohed at every step by the non-Trotskyist Left who support Corbyn. Yet, we’re getting an object lesson is where an unwillingness to display some element of ruthlessness feeds and strengthens opposition.

There is no compromise possible with the Blairites. The bulk of the Labour Party membership are behind Corbyn, he should be pushing to kick out and crush the Blairites and mandatory re-selection would at least put manners on the parliamentary parliament. Kate Hoey was censured by her constituency party at the weekend – I don’t think there are huge reserves of support for Blairite MPs to draw upon.

Alas, I can’t see Corbyn lasting beyond the end of the year at this rate. Sad.

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WorldbyStorm - February 28, 2017

I’ve a lot of sympathy with your analysis but given the nature of the BLP and indeed Corbyn mandatory reselection would be a massive ask. Aldo I wonder if it wouldn’t lead to a formal split, with a larger cohort of rightish MPs and a smaller Corbyn LP and they would merely seal divisions in such an apparent way that thered be no hope of recovery. I imagine Corbyn et all just hope this will all blow over. Not sure it will though, bit I can’t blame him for that.

Kate Hoey BTW on a slight tangent was massively pro brexit and given how anti brexit LP members are hardly surprised they censured her for sharing a stage with Farage.

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9. Starkadder - February 27, 2017

The National Bus and Rail Union and SIPTU have stated that they will begin an all-out, indefinite strike at Bus Éireann starting next Monday, in response to a series of harsh cuts planned by BE management:

http://nbru.ie/union/index.php/press-release/nbru-to-engage-in-all-out-indefinite-strike-from-monday-6th-march/

http://www.siptu.ie/media/pressreleases2017/mainnews/fullstory_20261_en.html

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