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What you want to say – 14 June, 2017 June 14, 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. GW - June 14, 2017

After the party conference in Hannover voted on it, the shape of the Manifesto for the coming federal elections are clear. Readers of the CLR may be interested in a brief summary of the highlights:

One of the mains planks is wealth and income distribution. This will be funded by:

a) A wealth tax of 5% on all individual wealth over 1 million euros.

b) Increased income taxes for higher earners – 53% for income over 70k p.a, 60% over 260k and 75% over 1 million.

In terms of direct redistribution this will be spent on:

i) Public investment plans include 120 Billion euros per year in public housing, education, hospitals, rail and road.

ii) Minimal social security of 1050 euros per person per month for those who need it. This includes pensioners that have been unable to pay sufficiently into pension schemes. Minimal social security for children who need it should be 573 euros a month per child.

Rip-off private pensions should be replaced with the right of the self-employed to pay into the state pension scheme.

The statutary minimum wage will be increased from 8.84 euros per hour to 12 euros.

Rent for housing will be subject to universal rent control to prevent the erosion of real incomes by landlords.

The Verfassungschutz (internal political police) should be abolished and the ban on the PKK should be lifted.

Die Linke confirmed its opposition to the use the German Army other than for self-defence within German borders. It wants to replace NATO by collective security agreements that include Russia.

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GW - June 14, 2017

Sorry – I didn’t make it clear that this is the die Linke Manifesto for the coming German federal elections. Doh!

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yourcousin - June 14, 2017

Has anyone told Die Linke that the Warsaw Pact has disbanded?

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GW - June 14, 2017

I will convey this piece of intelligence to the comrades. I can feel an extraordinary meeting of the central committee coming on.

Seriously – die Linke supporters and party members are much more like Corbyn/Sanders supporters and Momentum members, than the tankers people imagine. Except rather more to the left in terms of our demands and not big fans of NATO.

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yourcousin - June 14, 2017

Except they’re still covering for Russia invading other countries now. I mean do you really see a brighter future for Europe in the Collective Security Treaty Organization?

https://www.opendemocracy.net/od-russia/peter-kreko-lorant-gyori/don-t-ignore-left-connections-between-europe-s-radical-left-and-ru

“Germany’s Die Linke party went even further by some of its leaders delivering “humanitarian aid” to the self-proclaimed “Donetsk People’s Republic”, and met with its anti-Semitic leader Aleksandr Zakharchenko. A Die Linke politician recently, the first among German politicians, declared that Crimea legally belongs to Russia after his visit on the peninsula.”

Would also point out that Bernie is a strong supporter of Israel and Berners are not known for being savy visa vie foreign policy.

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yourcousin - June 14, 2017

Obviously the last thought is anecdotal from my personal experiences, but being a leftist is not a panacea in terms of foreign policy.

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WorldbyStorm - June 14, 2017

Off topic but… You and I should have a back and forth on the Swan book, problem is we probably agree too much.

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yourcousin - June 15, 2017

Mutual admiration society then?

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WorldbyStorm - June 15, 2017

Of course!

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2. Dermot O Connor - June 14, 2017

Stats on workers supporting Labour (overwhelming for Lab, with the exception of the old bastards who will be dead soon anyway).

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/labour-poll-tories-election-voters-support-breakdown-party-yougov-a7788696.html

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3. roddy - June 14, 2017

Working class people suffering greviously in London this morning.

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WorldbyStorm - June 14, 2017

Very true Roddy. Do you know that part of London? I used to live off the Uxbridge Road – its close enough to Shepherds Bush.

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GW - June 14, 2017

Looks awful – and an absolute nightmare for the emergency services. And some chancers fitted the block of flats with inflamable cladding?

Was an east and north london dweller myself but I’ve been there all right.

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4. roddy - June 14, 2017

Not really but it seems typical of the flats people were crammed into in the 70s

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5. Michael Carley - June 14, 2017

There was to have been an anti-Tory march in Bristol on Saturday, called before the election result was known, presumably on the assumption that the Tories would win. I am told that there were not enough people for a march and the action mainly consisted of the SP and SWP selling papers to each other.

It seems everyone is piling into the Labour party to back up Corbyn, and because it looks like a potential vehicle for some socialist politics.

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6. bjg - June 14, 2017

“Just how elitist are the higher education backgrounds of our political leaders?

Sharon Feeney, John Hogan, and Brendan K. O’Rourke compare the influence, exclusiveness, and eliteness of the Irish and British higher education systems in the production of governing political elites between 1937 and 2012.”

http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandpolicy/how-elitist-are-the-higher-education-backgrounds-of-uk-political-leaders/

bjg

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7. crocodileshoes - June 14, 2017

Not that it will make any difference to his policies or anything, but is Leo Varadkar the first Taoiseach to have gone to school with girls?

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6to5against - June 14, 2017

not to mention Protestants…

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8. RosencrantzisDead - June 14, 2017

A Sinn Féin TD has just described Varadkar as the “most right-wing Taoiseach this state has ever seen”. Really, more right-wing than Cosgrave?

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EWI - June 14, 2017

Within living memory, certainly, but WT Cosgrave was a real piece of work.

Incidentally, IMPACT are currently busy using Varadkar internally as a bogeyman to try to scare the membership into voting for HRA2.

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RosencrantzisDead - June 14, 2017

I am not sure about living memory. Is he markedly more conservative than Liam Cosgrave or John Bruton?

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EWI - June 14, 2017

Cosgrave the elder presided over the open torture and killing of enemies of his government, not to mention the handing over of the new state to the RCC (Dev had nothing on him), and Bruton’s just an unbelievably thick moron.

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RosencrantzisDead - June 15, 2017

I am not defending either Cosgrave, and WT authoritarian credentials are not in doubt. I take issue with the hyperbole, primarily because it means he can look ‘moderate’ by seemingly being less of a Tory-boy than is reputed.

Then we will be subjected to endless columns of people congratulating his ‘statesmanlike’ approach.

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9. Joe - June 14, 2017

Anyone got the figures for overall vote in the six counties at the general election? Overall percentages unionist/nationalist, that kind of thing.

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Michael Carley - June 14, 2017
Joe - June 14, 2017

Thanks. Interesting sums. Plus ca change.

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EWI - June 14, 2017

Assuming we take at face value Alliance’s claim to not be unionist, then it looks as if unionism’s now consigned to having lost their political majority.

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Tomboktu - June 15, 2017

But still significantly larger than the combined nationalist vote.

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10. fergal - June 14, 2017

The oracle of CLR- An Chathaoirleach- come in……bless us with your words of wisdom…..tell us where the ‘bearded buffoon went wrong’, tell us what will happen next in the green and pleasant land next door…remind us again how conservative the British electorate is..

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Joe - June 14, 2017

:). Reminds me. Has Tony Bliar come out yet with a reaction?

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EWI - June 14, 2017

I’m waiting for the revelation that he’s Joe Duffy (soon to be honoured by the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Brendan Carr. I told you where this would go, WbS 😉 )

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11. bjg - June 14, 2017
12. Dermot O Connor - June 14, 2017
Dermot O Connor - June 14, 2017

Fucking hell.

QUOTE: Experts have repeatedly warned that the addition of cladding, which is regularly used to refresh old or unsightly buildings, can help spread fire. It can work like a chimney, they have warned, bringing up air that allows it to spread across a building quickly.

Chartered surveyor and fire expert Arnold Tarling, from Hindwoods, said the process can create a 25-30mm cavity between the cladding and the insulation.
“It produces a wind tunnel and also traps any burning material between the rain cladding and the building,” he said.

“So had it been insulated per se, the insulation could fall off and fall away from the building, but this is all contained inside.”

He said not all insulation used in the process is the more expensive non-flammable type.
“So basically you have got a cavity with a fire spreading behind it,” he added.

Angus Law, of the BRE Centre for Fire Safety Engineering at the University of Edinburgh, said: “Early media reports suggest that this event has similarities with other fires that have occurred recently around the world.”

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13. Jolly Red Giant - June 14, 2017

An article from the Grenfell Action Group written 8 months ago – read this – it demonstrates the worst aspects of Tory/Blairite Britain.

https://grenfellactiongroup.wordpress.com/2016/11/20/kctmo-playing-with-fire/

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FergusD - June 15, 2017

The gut wrenching thing about that blog is that you wonder what has happened to the members of that residents group who warned of the strong possibility of a terrible fire in Grenfell Tower.

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WorldbyStorm - June 15, 2017

+1 and the toll just keeps rising

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Liberius - June 15, 2017

Here’s a quote from former conservative housing minister Brandon Lewis (in office from 2014-16);

He told MPs: “We believe that it is the responsibility of the fire industry, rather than the Government, to market fire sprinkler systems effectively and to encourage their wider installation.”

He said the Tory Government had committed to being the first to reduce regulations nationwide.

He added: “The cost of fitting a fire sprinkler system may affect house building – something we want to encourage – so we must wait to see what impact that regulation has.”

I’d fear that the sort of people who can think like that will learn the wrong lessons from this and refuse to accept any responsibility.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/grenfell-tower-fire-safety-rules-sprinklers-brandon-lewis-warn-house-building-social-housing-tory-a7790921.html

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14. Liberius - June 15, 2017

The Finns Party (previously ‘True Finns’) in Finland has split in half in the last few days after the membership elected a hardline anti-immigration candidate as leader. The more moderate (relatively) splinter faction calling itself ‘New Alternative’ is staying in government after the rest of the party was chucked out by the rest of the coalition. Actually it’s interesting how little note there has been of the Finns Party being in government.

Reeling after its departure from government, the Finns Party has splintered, with a group of 20 or so MPs leaving to establish a new political force known as the “New Alternative”.

Former party chair and Foreign Minister Timo Soini is among the members of the new faction. He is joined by other high profile MPs such as parliamentary group leader Sampo Terho, Defence Minister Jussi Niinistö and Health Minister Pirkko Mattila, as well as Parliamentary Speaker Maria Lohela.

https://yle.fi/uutiset/osasto/news/finns_party_splinters_new_group_makes_bid_for_sipila_government/9666946

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15. sonofstan - June 15, 2017

“People from other parts of London who are homeless and hungry had started turning up in the area hoping for food and other necessities, [Sinead O’Hare, a volunteer at the Westway] said”

This, worth remembering, is in the richest constituency in the country, with average incomes in 6 figures. Now homeless residents are afraid the Council will use the opportunity to ship them to Peterborough or Hastings

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16. Tomboktu - June 15, 2017

Keith Mills is such an unpleasant person

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WorldbyStorm - June 15, 2017

Vile, cruel and incorrect on his part. What possessed him?

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irishelectionliterature - June 16, 2017

He really is a sad attention seeking c*nt.
Had the pleasure of spending time with Ann Louise Gilligan during the Marriage Equality Referendum campaign. She really was a beautiful, gentle, thoughtful lady. RIP

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Starkadder - June 16, 2017

Maybe he’s still annoyed that the side he campaigned for in the marriage ref lost. Disgraceful behaviour.

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17. Gerryboy - June 18, 2017

Amateur film footage of drunken Bloomsday in 1954. Anthony Cronin, Flann O’Brien and Patrick Kavanagh filmed coping with alcohol and nature’s call near the Martello tower in Sandymount. Dublin’s contemporary literary scene is not so closely identified with pub culture.

http://www.openculture.com/2017/06/the-first-bloomsday-see-dublins-literati-celebrate-james-joyces-ulysses-in-drunken-fashion-1954.html

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18. Tomboktu - June 18, 2017

Giggling this Sunday morning that the trailers for Lucinda’s appearance describes her as a former FG TD.

Wasn’t there another party with a bright new future at one stage?

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sonofstan - June 18, 2017

Speaking of Lucinda, her mate Leo was just the subject of a profile on R4. Very tired of the ‘aren’t we great entirely?’ tone of it all. But when they talked about his musical taste – Blur, Kings of Leon – I thought ‘a bit young for him’ until I did the sums and realised he was in his mid teens when Park Life came out. I felt old when the POTUS was a few months younger than me. Now I feel really old….

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Michael Carley - June 18, 2017

In fairness, they did at least mention in passing his political positions, but kept calling FG “centre-right”.

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19. sonofstan - June 18, 2017
20. Michael Carley - June 18, 2017
21. roddy - June 19, 2017

Aye ,the neighbours remember Leo’s mother leaning over the half door waiting for her man’s return from work.As he approached ,Leo’s oul fella was prone to gulder- “woman of the house,where’s me tae?”!

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22. Joe - June 19, 2017

Linfield vs Celtic, Windsor Park, 5pm, July 11th. And the clubs are apparently happy with this arrangement. Ffs, no, just NO.

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23. roddy - June 19, 2017

Linfield host another “British” team on eve of huge “community festival”.What could possibly go wrong!

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Joe - June 20, 2017

🙂

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24. sonofstan - June 20, 2017

Linfield fans I’ve met reserve their hatred for Glens.

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25. GW - June 20, 2017

Haven’t the DUP committed a hanging offence for monarchists – i.e. keeping Ms. Windsor away from the geegees during Ascot week?

She will not be amused.

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