SufferForMe 🆘

Apologies for reduced interaction lately - due to ill health.
_ _ _

In life, possessions are not what is important. Friendships and family are. Shared experiences are. Helping others achieve their potential. Making the world a better place for everyone. Stop voting for Politicians who only care about 'stuff' like gold wallpaper.

(Who I am isn't important - I'm not here to promote myself)

Life is an education, and I hope to learn from many of the wonderful people here.

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sufferforme_at_mstdn.party@momostr.pink

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Last Notes

2025-11-28 09:20:30 UTC

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I agree with this entirely, but I think it has developed beyond that. Under Johnson we saw him & many of his politicians actually monetising the political system to directly enrich themselves, using government like a giant personal ATM. It's a big reason the country finally woke up and kicked out the Tories.
In the USA, Trump is taking that idea to the extreme.
It's not yet clear how many Labour MPs engage in the same behaviour, but many are very fond of receiving donations.

2025-11-24 19:55:02 UTC

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Can this be followed by an investigation into Keir Starmer's (and other Labour MPs) Israel links?

2025-11-24 12:52:29 UTC

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luckily, the government also equally crack down on wrong-doing by MPs. /s
This may have been accidental, it may have been done knowingly - Rachel Reeves received more benefit-of-doubt than benefit claimants...
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/oct/30/what-has-rachel-reeves-done-wrong-break-rules-licence-house

2025-11-22 10:18:48 UTC

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surely this will just create bigger problems in the future?
if companies either reduce their contributions or abandon such schemes altogether?

2025-11-20 08:25:51 UTC

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He criticises whilst (in this article at least) not offering any viable alternative other than taking from what is now the middle class (a diminishing percentage of the population in itself) - which is exactly what the billionaires want. He skirts over the issue of the vast difference between a billionaire and someone who now happens to own a home that may currently be valued at £1m, and offers what?

2025-11-16 11:07:35 UTC

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It also ignores the fact that these are human beings and that during their time in their new country they will make connections, establish relationships, and (most) will contribute to the society in which they now live as they attempt to rebuild their lives and attain some sort of 'normal' life free of fear and persecution. To rip that away after what they have already endured is inhuman.

2025-11-14 14:09:21 UTC

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The one thing that often seems to get left out of the discussion on wealth taxes is that millionaires & billionaires have seen their wealth increase astronomically over the last 5-10 years, both relative to historic growth rates, & the rest of the population, most of whom have seen their income stagnate & even fall (even more so relative to inflation).
This means that even with a 2% wealth tax, the rich would still be astronomically more wealthy than they were 5 years ago.

2025-07-22 22:32:56 UTC

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I still remember when Rafah was Biden's red line back in May last year.
We're wayyyyyyyy past that.
@npub1fcp…w85n @npub1zxn…0kqm

2025-07-19 12:01:38 UTC

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How much is a life worth?
Even if you take the low estimates for Palestinians killed by Israel since 7 October 2023 it seems that a human life is worth less than £0.87 to Keir Tsarmer.
And less than £0.03 to Peter Kyle.
[@Captain_Jack_Sparrow](https://mastodon.world/@Captain_Jack_Sparrow ) @npub1em0…tmzy @npub1zxn…0kqm

2025-07-18 16:52:24 UTC

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All the regulatory bodies have just become a corrupt sham, doing the very opposite of what Thatcher assured everyone was consumer protection, to sell the whole Privatisation scam.
Now Ofgem is seeking to make Domestic Consumers pay private companies' bills, on top of the outrageous profiteering that has already occurred by the energy companies for themselves.
https://files.mstdn.party/media_attachments/files/114/875/263/441/911/436/original/7dd1d0995c44716f.png

2025-07-18 14:13:17 UTC

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Agreed - different opinions to his own are not tolerated in the party, or the country as a whole.
Trying to use proscribing Palestine Action to actually shut down any support or even reference to Palestine is even more evidence of his fascist nature.
Saying Israel has a right to defend itself (which in itself is not wrong) as they ATTACK anyone they want, and yet not recognising Palestinians as victims, is outrageous.
@npub1pq4…2mle @npub1rke…vysf @npub12pw…zvxn

2025-07-18 11:21:22 UTC

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I feel that this actually flips reality on its head.
Starmer ahead of the election tried to present himself and HIS Labour Party as a somewhat socialist party.
However, on winning power his authoritarian nature has been exposed, along with his pursuit of right wing policies, and policy based on donations. They weren't scared of the press, they didn't want the public to know what they would do.
@npub1rke…vysf @npub12pw…zvxn

2025-07-17 12:42:48 UTC

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Dear Mister Starmer
According to Israel, 75 hostages were killed on 7 October 2023 or in Hamas captivity. There are 50 hostages remaining in captivity in the Gaza Strip, 49 of whom had been abducted on 7 October 2023, and the other hostage captured earlier.
Israel holds about 4,500 Palestinian prisoners, of which about 310 are being held in administrative detention, without the right to a trial.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaza_war_hostage_crisis
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palestinians_in_Israeli_custody
You are supporting the wrong side.

2025-07-17 07:25:24 UTC

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🤞
@npub1jyu…5rw5 @npub1tcg…x3ra @npub1zxn…0kqm @npub1qj0…wryw

2025-07-17 07:16:42 UTC

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I'm not even convinced govt. policy is directed by a pursuit of growth. I suspect that like the Official Tory Party™ they are mostly focussed on protecting the wealthy and continuing the upward transfer of wealth.

2025-07-16 16:44:30 UTC

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I get quite a few people disagree with me about Starmer being a fascist, but i have no better word for someone who will not tolerate anyone even within his own party offering an alternative opinion to his own, expelling party members and MPs who do not bend the knee, using police powers to squash any public dissent from HIS policy stance, particularly those policies that target the defenceless, whether at home or abroad, and actively participates in the genocide of civilians.

2025-07-14 16:58:17 UTC

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I used to have a Private Pension that was reduced to about one tenth of its original value due to legal & government bungling, obfuscation & lies.
Including Cameron reneging on his campaign promises:
"We will implement the Parliamentary and Health Ombudsman’s recommendation to make fair and transparent payments to Equitable Life policy holders, through an independent payment scheme, for their relative loss as a consequence of regulatory failure."
This would be a bad move.

2025-07-14 13:23:17 UTC

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I'm a little concerned that Starmer says they have shared family values.

2025-07-10 23:05:32 UTC

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the difference in spending hides a lot of hidden facts... out of 8 billion people, very few buy yachts. A lot more buy washing machines (as an example), and the top 10% with their 50% of all spending do not buy half the washing machines, or smartphones, or computers, etc. And as those more expensive little 'luxuries' become out of reach for a growing proportion of people, these are the areas that will be hit hardest, not the yachts or private jets.
@npub1uhk…0kcq

2025-07-10 21:37:19 UTC

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And after the corporate owners give all the jobs to the robots, the only ones buying the corporate owners products or services will be... the robots? They won't be paying the robots? So who does that leave to buy the products or services?

2025-07-10 17:05:36 UTC

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Ah, i see the problem here.
The presumption that they are capable of 'better management'.
Any attempt at management is going to fail if it is based on dogma rather than facts and practicalities, let alone the actual abilities of the people involved.
@npub1qeq…58yu

2025-07-02 10:01:50 UTC

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"the BBC is fully committed to covering the conflict impartially"
😂 🤥

2025-07-02 09:11:46 UTC

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Agreed, although I wouldn't say 'willing', but yes, desperation. In my own case I was in constant 24 hr pain, and even with painkillers was unable to sleep for more than 2 hours at a time because the pain was so intense. I had a consultant appointment scheduled that was almost 6 months away. I simply could not have endured waiting 6 months.

2025-06-29 14:12:17 UTC

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Let me think about this.
Kneecap and Bob Vylan are not in positions of power and not in a position to aid and abet in the murder of 10s of thousands of civilians.
Keir Starmer IS in a position of power and IS in a position to aid and abet in the murder of 10s of thousands of civilians. And is actively doing so.
Who are the terrorists here? Who are the criminals here? It's the ones who are accessories to murder, not the ones protesting about it.

2025-06-28 11:57:43 UTC

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I've been arguing for a long time now that people have to stop thinking of politics in terms of nation states - the world is now purely in a battle between the rich & powerful, and the poor.
The only thing governing global politics is money and power, and because large financial interests are interfering in local national politics, we've seen a rise in corrupt national governments enacting policies to control their citizens rather than trying to make their lives better.

2025-06-27 11:01:32 UTC

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the problems of a 400 character limit is i often have to try to curtail my thoughts (and less explanation), tho i generally regard it as a good thing.
'Unable' was not the perfect word. And would possibly require an essay to fully explain.
Let's call it a combination of laziness, indifference, lack of motivation, lack of critical thinking, head-in-the-sand thinking.
'I don't like politics'.

2025-06-27 10:44:01 UTC

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The problem here is that it has never been Starmer's role to lead a Left Labour Party, but rather to actually stop the drift back to the Left under Corbyn.
Conservatives, Labour, Reform... now the same political aims but each with a different face & tone of presentation.
As things currently stand, if voters want a different Britain, they HAVE to vote for anyone but any of the above.
Will they? I doubt it. Not with an electorate that seems unable to look beneath the slogans.

2025-06-22 15:24:13 UTC

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well, i can see why most of us are not politicians... because most of us aren't warmongers with no care for human life...

2025-06-21 12:08:18 UTC

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I know I'm dreaming of a fantasy land here, but for once I'd like to see politicians making decisions not simply because of the financial benefits (or lack of), but because they are either morally, or ethically, right or wrong..
I.e Morally wrong: don't do it.
@npub12pw…zvxn

2025-06-20 17:10:30 UTC

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People would realise the disparity is even worse if they'd stop thinking in percentages.
If someone earning £30,000 10 yrs ago saw their annual income increase 10%, it would be £33,000 now... just £3,000 more.
But if a CEO was earning £300,000 & only saw an equivalent 10% increase, they'd now receive £330, 000. An extra £30,000 - a £27,000 larger increase than the person on £30,000.
And the wealthy have seen larger percentage increases than the poor.
@npub1ndx…w8le @npub12pw…zvxn

2025-06-20 17:00:48 UTC

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agree 100%
What makes it worse is we're not even comparing a static, never-changing disparity between the wealthy and the poorest.
You could tax the wealthy an extra 10%, & they'd still be disproportionately wealthier compared to 5 or 10 years ago, & even more so relative to the poor who's 'wealth' has remained relatively static (or worse) over the last 15-20 years, whereras the wealthy are anywhere between 200% and 1000% better off than 10 years ago.
@npub1ndx…w8le @npub12pw…zvxn

2025-06-20 07:37:12 UTC

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Labour is the one party that definitely SHOULD be representing people out of work, if for no other reason than being there to help people get into work, supporting them with education, healthcare, and the financial ability to be able to pursue employment opportunities, these are the very things that often impact whether people are able to work.
But we also need a party that tries to break this idea that work is the sole purpose of life.
@npub12pw…zvxn

2025-06-17 11:47:20 UTC

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Starmer, our Prime Minister, supports this.
Our Labour Prime Minister actively supports killing innocent people.
I'm past caring as to why. Money, corruption, power, ideology.
Starmer is a monster and should not be our political leader. I do not want to be ruled by murderers.

2025-06-13 11:52:47 UTC

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Since the media won't honestly report what is happing in Gaza, so Palestinians have had to show the world themselves, we can't have Palestinians showing their final extermination to the world, can we?

2025-06-13 10:29:16 UTC

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What has Farage EVER done to prove his competency, his credentials, his ability to do anything constructive?

2025-05-18 14:24:36 UTC

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i have no disagreements with the value of a structural analysis of society, but the terminology is self-reinforcing in terms of the value of people from different groups in society. 'Upper' automatically implies superiority, and leads to entitlement. 'Lower' is automatically demeaning and 'Lower' and 'Working' are often used as pejoratives.
The choice of language in itself contributes to the semantics of the analysis.

2025-05-18 11:20:12 UTC

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Indeed, many of the derided immigrants in our country work to maintain a sense of community far more than 'English' people.
We are the ones who have become strangers in our own land, because WE accepted it (or didn't fight it), not immigrants.

2025-05-18 11:17:37 UTC

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and people's social isolation is not due to immigration... it's more due to the 'no such thing as society', the elevation of self-interest as a virtue, the breakdown of empathy as being aspirational, the 'on your bike' mentality (of Norman Tebbit), and prioritising 'work' as the standard measure of a person's value that has disrupted communities as people move and chase the financial means to simply stay alive.

2025-05-18 11:09:36 UTC

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i've never liked the terms upper class, middle class, and lower class (or working class) commonly used in the UK - i found the terms loaded with secondary meaning that places value judgements on people. Consequently i've always simply viewed life and society as a battle between rich and poor, powerful (those with power) and non-powerful (those without power) ... (and just look at the antonyms for powerful - almost all loaded as derogatory)

2025-05-15 18:11:10 UTC

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also, land clearance ready for Israeli occupation
@npub1qj0…wryw @npub1zxn…0kqm

2025-05-05 22:59:10 UTC

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I'm sure you can correct me if wrong, but it seems to me that governments only ever take account of the 'cost' of welfare benefits in terms of money going out. And then they stop there, ignoring the effects of that money circulating in the economy, helping to maintain the livelihoods and businesses of other people within the economy, and in turn also returning in part from more taxable income from businesses & employees at those businesses who benefit from that increased spending.

2025-05-03 01:13:00 UTC

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And for this, Biden handed the Presidency to Trump...
I have no idea why Biden was so immovable on his unwavering support of genocide, but whatever it was, he was willing to sacrifice the whole country.
The genocide was more important to him than the safety and security of his own citizens.
I understand a lot of people can say no wrong about Joe Biden, but he IS responsible. Every horror now is on him as much as it is on Trump.

2025-04-27 09:36:50 UTC

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Dear UK,
I don't have that many years left to live. Could you please delay just a little bit longer before going all-in fascist.
Thanks.

2025-04-26 12:48:50 UTC

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The world's inaction (fine words do not count as action), doing nothing to stop Israel's war on ALL Palestinians is the most morally corrupt thing to happen in human history.
(I'm not saying there haven't been such inhumane actions in the past, but none from the past have happened in full knowledge at the time they happened, in full view across the world).

2025-04-25 15:41:57 UTC

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or. from what I remember, interest paid on money owing?

2025-04-20 22:59:48 UTC

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Countries should be boycotting El Salvador as much as America, for enabling this

2025-04-17 20:39:12 UTC

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Who predicted RFK Jr. saying billionaires are autistic?

2025-04-17 12:52:44 UTC

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and the simple the fact that generally the longer you take to fix something (or defer it), the more extensive the damage and the more expensive to fix. (Same for the NHS and health - the longer you leave helping someone, the greater likelihood their condition will worsen and require more time/resources to resolve later)

2025-04-13 12:15:04 UTC

During my 60+ years of life I have never seen a right-wing party achieve power by telling the truth. Not once. Anywhere.

2025-04-13 10:12:28 UTC

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I think the mistake is trying to understand Trump in terms of the conventional economy.
Trump isn't interested in what the economy does to most of the population.
in simple terms it's about dismantling democratic govt. & having a land ruled only by the 'worthy' elite.
I doubt Trump is even interested in the politics behind the billionaires plans as long as they promise him that he will be very rich.

2025-04-12 09:38:04 UTC

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Anyone who's ever had benefits as their sole source of income, or been homeless, knows that it is the very poverty of the situation that makes it difficult (sometimes impossible) to get a job. The longer you're in that situation, the less money you have to purchase clothes to appear professional in an interview, and the less money you have to even travel to work when you first get a job. In London, the travel cost alone can use up at least half your benefits (excluding housing).

2025-04-12 09:26:01 UTC

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An interesting display of Labour's priorities, to 'save' British Steel whilst continuing to allow water companies to poison us and our environment. I will never understand the point of saving businesses or investing in weapons to 'save' our country if politicians continue to allow people to die through inaction in stopping profiteering of water and energy companies, on top of benefit cuts and driving poverty. What exactly are we saving?

2025-04-06 10:25:18 UTC

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relaxing mortgage conditionality was one of the biggest mistakes in the UK - it's why it now often takes 2 people on above average wages to buy a house, whereas in the 60s/70s it only required 1 person in the household to be working (or a decent inheritance). Rising house prices most benefitted people already on the housing ladder, enriching already well-off people. Also contributed to rents rising such that it is difficult for a single person to find decent rented accommodation.

2025-03-16 01:55:18 UTC

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I wish American 'Warfighters' would remember how much disdain Trump has shown for them, referring to them as losers and suckers. I wish they would pay attention to how he is treating Vets in the current purge of government institutions. They should realise that he will discard them just as easily as he disparages them. Not one of them should be fighting on behalf of this man-child.

2025-03-15 10:50:45 UTC

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Excellent article - further to the economic factors (benefits) surrounding defence spending, self-investment is an urgent 'must', highlighted by Trump sabotaging the working of supplied equipment to Ukraine... that control cannot be left to outside countries. 2nd, so far Ukraine has been left to fight a war not only for themselves but for the whole of Europe. Largely it is only their citizens dying, but their win is essential for all of us. Doing nothing will cost more.

2025-03-02 23:26:07 UTC

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The thing that frustrates me most about all discussions involving European Aid for Ukraine is that it is highly likely that if Ukraine fails, Putin won't stop there, and the rest of Europe could self-destruct politically, and Russia will continue it's attempts to extend its borders.
Up until now we've had debates about whether to support Ukraine, and by how much, whilst ignoring that Ukrainians have been left to fight alone, not just for themselves, but for all of us.

2024-11-05 00:37:29 UTC

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I agree with you on many things but not this one. Giving young people the ability to choose to have a college or university eduction without the fear of crushing and off-putting debt enables them to gain higher paying jobs with higher tax contributions. Blocking people from that opportunity is short-sighted and self-defeating for the relative education of the nation competing in a global economy. Current policy is typical of the UK's ignoring the big picture.

2024-11-05 00:32:39 UTC

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When i was born (into an average family) my father was the sole breadwinner. That was true for almost every other family on the road of mortgaged houses where we lived on an average estate in an average town. Almost every house had a car in front of it. When i went to college there were no fees. Many even received grants to help with living costs.
60 years later and progress has brought us what, exactly?

2024-11-04 14:11:25 UTC

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Why isn't a husband voting differently to his wife like the husband cheating on his wife?

2024-10-07 13:38:00 UTC

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When I think of Just Stop Oil protestors and the vast number of people protesting against the genocide in Palestine it occurs me that the reason governments don't listen to them is because they are not billionaires.

2024-10-05 08:44:41 UTC

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The difficulty here is people. Unfortunately, a lot of people are at best morally & ethically grey, & even if we were to replace all the current members of the police force, those new members would still be coming from an uncertain pool of candidates. A bit like replacing Tories with Starmer. The problem is compounded by the fact that this also extends to the people who would be selecting new candidates, not only the replacements themselves. I don't have a solution.

2024-10-04 22:17:06 UTC

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odd, i found regularly reading what you write told me enough

2024-10-04 22:16:16 UTC

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oh, we've reached the 'terse words' stage... that'll stop him...
failing that, no dessert for him, or send him to his room and take away his mobile phone...

2024-10-04 20:10:40 UTC

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I think I'll get better results tossing them into a volcano to appease the gods...

2024-10-04 19:44:01 UTC

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I missed that version. Was it the Director's Cut?

2024-10-04 12:43:53 UTC

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I'm not sure eliminating Hamas was the primary objective, more a bi-product. Israel are creating a land uninhabitable for its previous and existing citizens - I believe Isreal's plan is to repopulate it as part of Israel, and that involves both depopulation, and land clearance, so they can rebuild with little trace of its previous inhabitants left to remind people of the horrendous cost to life (and morality). (Much like their main benefactor).

2024-10-03 12:11:48 UTC

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When I see the stories about so many ex-republicans now endorsing Harris, the surge in voter registration after various Harris endorsements, the decline in numbers attending Trump events, the fact Trump lost in 2020, and that now many people only have smartphones and ignore unknown callers, it is hard to take polls seriously.
With a visible shift away from Trump in so many demographics it is hard to imagine he will get more votes than in 2020.

2024-10-02 09:48:57 UTC

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The same for billionaires.
There's nothing these people could not do or buy 4 years ago, that they needed this insane growth in wealth to be able to afford now. It's just a psychopathic need to be the richest.
https://files.mstdn.party/media_attachments/files/113/237/168/595/434/267/original/eca8435d8c53426f.jpg

2024-10-02 08:45:29 UTC

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Israel & its allies have repeatedly tried to paint Israel as the underdog, defending itself.
Let's look at this:
Palestine. Population approx 5m, $20bn GDP approx.
versus some of the most militarised countries in the world.
In 2024, the government of Israel allocated approx $30.5bn to its military budget.
In 2024 the Defense Appropriations Act provided $825bn in total funding for the US military.
In August alone the US sent more in arms to Israel than Palestine's entire GDP.

2024-10-02 08:29:54 UTC

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It's not an original thought, but I have long argued that War is a failure of Politics, and that leaders who resort to War to achieve their ends are not 'strong' - they are weak, lacking both the intelligence and the will to find other solutions that do not cause wanton destruction and death.

2024-09-27 17:04:04 UTC

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I don't think we'll really know what Kamala Harris thinks on this issue until 7th January. Maybe unfairly, I expect to be disappointed.

2024-09-24 12:17:37 UTC

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When i refer to the lack of imagination under Labour, this is what I'm talking about. There is no £22bn black hole - it's billionaire/millionaire tex avoidance/evasion.
In the US under Biden the IRS and DOJ have been much more active pursuing these large unpaid tax sums, and it's been paying off.
Here in the UK, our Tories in red masks prefer to leave that wealth untouched and pursue people who will die due to the loss of what are meagre sums to people like Starmer & Reeves.

2024-09-24 11:48:27 UTC

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Yes - what changed under Johnson was the unapologetic public nature of the corruption.
We are long past the point where politicians used to resign for what now is not even regarded as a scandal.

2024-09-24 11:42:20 UTC

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Public knowledge of Tory corruption started slowly. When they received an unassailable majority under Johnson, the corruption went into overdrive to the point they didn't even try to hide it.
Just a couple of months in & this is where we are with Starmer.
If your lack of integrity lets you lie with ease, & act corruptly with no regret, it doesn't stop there. And Tories had already started to introduce draconian laws to make it easier, & Labour has not removed those laws.

2024-09-24 11:18:47 UTC

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https://files.mstdn.party/media_attachments/files/113/192/248/153/059/348/original/9e54c9f530b060ab.png

2024-09-24 10:59:11 UTC

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Starmer received more in donations and gifts (and that's just the ones that have become public knowledge) than a single person receives in basic Job Seeker Allowance/Housing Benefit in over SIX YEARS. But yeah, Welfare scroungers are the problem.

2024-09-21 22:07:56 UTC

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Takes a special kind of stupid to be gifted an election on a plate - not because of your own popularity but because of disdain for the incumbent - and not use that opportunity to show you are a better person

2024-09-21 09:19:15 UTC

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Most people have no idea of the many obstacles to gaining work that exist for homeless people. Even simple things like being able to wash and wear clean clothes to make yourself presentable, getting to an interview or place of work when you can barely even afford food, and may not even have had a decent night's sleep. When you are homeless you own no more than you can carry, and maybe not even that if mindless thugs have attacked you and robbed you of everything you possessed.

2024-09-17 17:30:09 UTC

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I'm with Mia on this - my principles have to come first over any other perceived value. There are always other magazines and sources to explore.

2024-09-17 17:21:52 UTC

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A sad reflection on America that we have a situation where China seems like the more reasonable party

2024-09-15 22:58:57 UTC

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That's ok, it's for violence outside of America.....

2024-09-15 10:10:16 UTC

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We've been told since the Thatcher days that improvements can be made through 'efficiency savings' - and whilst in any endeavour they are surely some ways things could be done more effectively, I contend that after 40+ years, either they have failed at achieving efficiency savings (i.e. it didn't work), or there are no more significant achievable efficiency savings.

2024-09-15 09:50:51 UTC

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The problem is two-fold - not only cuts from government funding, but also privatisation.
Privatisation achieving improved service for the cost has always been a lie. As soon as you introduce an extra cost burden (Profit) something has to give - either the cost to the end-user goes up, salaries go down, or level of service goes down.

2024-09-12 20:43:13 UTC

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All without selling shreds of her suit

2024-09-11 10:41:59 UTC

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When Hamas takes someone, they are hostages. When Israel takes someone, they are Prisoners.
🤔

2024-08-31 12:05:27 UTC

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So... if scientists are saying it's going to be bad, I suspect it's going to be worse.

2024-08-31 12:04:17 UTC

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Agreed - I don't think there is the brain-power or computer power in existence to truly evaluate how all the different factors involved can impact on each other - it was not a criticism of science, simply that I don't think people realise how difficult it is to take account of all of those factors. We're already seeing stories where even scientists are being caught by surprise at how rapidly some changes are occurring.

2024-08-31 11:44:22 UTC

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The problem for scientists has been in making people aware of how inter-dependent everything is in our ecosystems - let's call it the butterfly effect - and the vast array of different factors makes it hard to truly anticipate the global effects of the collapse of any of these inter-dependencies. We're seeing it happen in what feels like slow-motion, but reach certain tipping points and change may become rapid and impossible to reverse.

2024-08-21 17:13:56 UTC

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Even if Labour is unwilling or unable to consider nationalisation at this time, the least they should have done is said no more public dumping of sewage, and clean up all pollution caused by this practice, no dividends, no bonuses, no pay rises for top level management, until they fix all the problems that they have neglected. And finally, no price rises to customers until all of the above have been done.

2024-08-21 09:07:01 UTC

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Many people would try if they could 😂
Over the last 14+ years the closest you could get was being a Tory MP or a Tory donor.

2024-08-20 08:49:17 UTC

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The closing part of this speech was indeed powerful, and should be heard by everyone (whether you are religious or not).

2024-08-19 15:26:38 UTC

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“Mark my words,” Vance said. “If the Democrats are elected, millions of cats will come swarming over the border to give birth to anchor kittens.”
😂 😂 😂 anchor kittens

2024-08-19 08:29:19 UTC

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The issue here is reacting as if economists are or can be objective, which is a virtual impossibility. Almost everyone, and that includes economists, have a vested interest in perpetuating or promoting a particular political philosophy or ideology, and yet most present their opinions as if they are fact. Generally, economists less supportive of monetarism and capitalism are marginalised, while those in favour are amplified.

2024-08-17 08:55:22 UTC

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I've been wondering... Has anyone done a study on which parts of the globe are most likely to be survivable? Factoring in things such as rise in sea level, annual seasonal temperature range, rainwater, land to grow food, etc - and obviously, these criteria would have to be based on likely future outcomes, not what those conditions are like now and historically.
And... have any billionaires already started building properties in those locations...?

2024-08-16 23:03:12 UTC

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Indeed I did, and not only that, but them actively engaging with each other.

2024-08-16 22:36:39 UTC

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Are you a billionaire?
Yes: Vote Trump.
No: Vote Harris.

2024-08-14 21:29:21 UTC

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Rachel Reeves should be following the example coming from America. $16bn for Coca Cola, and the DOJ chasing many other tax evaders - don't have the link to hand, but IIRC the figures are far more substantial than going after benefit claimants.

2024-08-13 09:33:09 UTC

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Agree - but as your first paragraph highlights this is not only a right-of-centre party issue.
In the UK, Starmer disregards most of Labour's heritage and has actively purged the party of many who were on the left and the traditional backbone of the Labour Party, such that many Labour supporters are no longer represented, simply ignored.
Worldwide, public opposition to what is happening in Gaza is routinely ignored.

2024-08-11 09:33:41 UTC

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How anyone can still think Austerity is a viable approach boggles the mind - there are many more reports and analysis from both 'The Great Depression', and the 2007–2008 financial crisis.
Just a few (couldn't find the one i really wanted):
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/jul/07/imf-austerity-doesnt-work-immigrants-working-class
https://polisci.brown.edu/publication/austerity
https://www.theguardian.com/business/ng-interactive/2015/apr/29/the-austerity-delusion
https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/its-official-austerity-economics-doesnt-work
https://www.resolutionfoundation.org/comment/austerity-doesnt-just-damage-public-services-it-destroys-faith-in-the-future/
https://prospect.org/culture/books/the-crash-of-austerity-economics/
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/european-institute/analysis/news-remigration/austerity
https://www.sjsu.edu/faculty/watkins/recovery.htm
https://www.statista.com/topics/9709/the-great-depression-us-recovery/#topicOverview

2024-08-10 11:17:57 UTC

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the anti-fascist protestors (who blocked streets and stopped traffic) received minor begrudging praise from Starmer for standing up and protecting their communities while he did little.
The Just Stop Oil activists who were merely discussing possible action that might block roads and stop traffic FOR TRYING TO SAVE ALL OUR LIVES were jailed for 5 years.
Meanwhile Oil companies receive tax breaks AND subsidies for trying to kill us.