Mailwatch(ed) Forum

Abernathy wrote: ↑Thu Feb 13, 2025 10:06 pm Might be nteresting to see how Corbyn responds to Trump’s attempts to do “a deal” with Putin to end the war on Ukraine. Corbyn has argued in the past that Ukraine and the Baltics are naturally in the Russian sphere of influence and that there should be a DMZ which includes the majority of the former Eastern block. It's worth remembering that he wanted to send the novichok used in Salisbury to Putin's thugs so that they could deny that it was theirs.

Corbyn was a guest on Peston on Wednesday night. He was evasive and very careful not to criticise Putin or Trump. As I said on another thread, Trump's position of 'give Putin everything he wants and ask for nothing in return' is exactly what Corbyn was saying shortly after the invasion.

Are we doing Jez on here now?

Here he shows his typical attention to detail and understanding of business. Uber "raked in the profits" to the extent of £32m on revenues of £3.4bn, it's first ever. Anyone who's been around surely knows that "hyped internet app" often goes with pretty shit figures.

I guess this is easier than telling people they're not paying enough for a service they like.But I hope the strike succeeds and Uber have to adjust prices.

But fuck me, the comments BTL. Why does he still bother with Twitter?

Tubby Isaacs wrote: ↑Fri Feb 14, 2025 12:10 pm But fuck me, the comments BTL. Why does he still bother with Twitter?

Because it’s attention, which he always mistook for interest and (in some cases) intent to support.

Uber aren't so much about making profit as making sure nobody else makes a profit.

Drive the competition out of business, establish monopoly, gather data on users, flog it.

Jezza's got a point here, but he's so hung up on cliche, he can't touch on it precisely.

How long have internet companies that get lots of attention but don’t make money been a thing? 25 years?

Good luck to the drivers. It’s good Jez shows up.

Tubby Isaacs wrote: ↑Fri Feb 14, 2025 12:10 pm But fuck me, the comments BTL. Why does he still bother with Twitter?

Why does anyone even vaguely leftish bother?

davidjay wrote: ↑Fri Feb 14, 2025 4:17 pm Why does anyone even vaguely leftish bother?

Because it where I can see what the important commentators are saying.

Oboogie wrote: ↑Fri Feb 14, 2025 4:33 pm

davidjay wrote: ↑Fri Feb 14, 2025 4:17 pm Why does anyone even vaguely leftish bother?

Because it where I can see what the important commentators are saying.

I can understand reading it, but posting is just asking for trouble.

davidjay wrote: ↑Fri Feb 14, 2025 6:11 pm

Oboogie wrote: ↑Fri Feb 14, 2025 4:33 pm

davidjay wrote: ↑Fri Feb 14, 2025 4:17 pm Why does anyone even vaguely leftish bother?

Because it where I can see what the important commentators are saying.

I can understand reading it, but posting is just asking for trouble.

Oh I'd no-more post on there than I would on Bluesky, what would be the point?

I suspect this won’t come as a surprise to most people here (esp. those who remember our alleged doctor friend), but still…



The killer quote:

In particular this report finds that a tendency to impose purity tests on those they will campaign with, overestimating how many people share their views, and using language that is inaccessible to the wider public is potentially driving a backlash against progressive causes rather than helping them to win people over

That quote could have been about some of my friends in the Welsh nationalist movement, I must confess. Some of us 'get' it, some of us are continually warning of the danger of insulting people we really need for support, some of us emphasise the importance of groundwork in the community. Others would rather remain 'pure', and a permanently forgotten 'county' of England, beyond even Herefordshire.

Crabcakes wrote: ↑Wed Feb 19, 2025 10:30 am I suspect this won’t come as a surprise to most people here (esp. those who remember our alleged doctor friend), but still…



The killer quote:

In particular this report finds that a tendency to impose purity tests on those they will campaign with, overestimating how many people share their views, and using language that is inaccessible to the wider public is potentially driving a backlash against progressive causes rather than helping them to win people over

Rings true to my anecdotal experience (in the real world, even!). You can (but you shouldn't) bend over backwards on points of principle and language to the really committed and it's still never enough, because nothing ever can be enough (and one suspects with some the real point is chasing cars, not catching them).

The really tragic thing is the (general) leftist critique of contemporary issues is often telling, powerful, useful and far more engaged with things as they are than the right's (general) delusional and destructive focus on minority issues, culture wars and blind faith in the market. But the language of the latter is often far more everyday, far closer to the average pleb's lexicon, than the former.

This seems like a relatively easy problem to fix, for the left, but... nope?

Anecdote from a friend: their friend works in the NHS, and is fairly radical (compared to NHS policy/their colleagues) in their positions vis a vis certain healthcare issues. They gave a talk at a university and friend of friend reported feeling like a reactionary old major compared to the students. Immediately a sense of division, not shared ground.

(I'd also point out that universities are far more complex and diverse in the ways the right pretend they are not than this: it's a self-selecting group who attended his talk, by my understanding).

Guess who doesn’t like people standing up to Putin?

“Militaristic Jingoism”.

There’s no actual invasion of an ally going on. Starmer got up one morning and thought”let’s start a war”.

From the beginning, I opposed Russia’s invasion and called for an end to the conflict as soon as possible to save human life. Three years on, and hundreds of thousands of grieving mothers later, I renew this call. There is no glory to war – there is only death and destruction.

No shit, did Putin receive the memo?

I'm surprised he didn't come out and say I propose we it hard and fast with a with a major - and I mean major - leafleat campaign .

Youngian wrote: ↑Mon Mar 03, 2025 8:31 pm

From the beginning, I opposed Russia’s invasion and called for an end to the conflict as soon as possible to save human life. Three years on, and hundreds of thousands of grieving mothers later, I renew this call. There is no glory to war – there is only death and destruction.

No shit, did Putin receive the memo?

Ukrainians don’t have agency in Jez World. Grieving mothers though. Who killed their kids?

Tubby Isaacs wrote: ↑Mon Mar 03, 2025 9:26 pm

Youngian wrote: ↑Mon Mar 03, 2025 8:31 pm

From the beginning, I opposed Russia’s invasion and called for an end to the conflict as soon as possible to save human life. Three years on, and hundreds of thousands of grieving mothers later, I renew this call. There is no glory to war – there is only death and destruction.

No shit, did Putin receive the memo?

Ukrainians don’t have agency in Jez World. Grieving mothers though. Who killed their kids?

The West.

The Weeping Angel wrote: ↑Mon Mar 03, 2025 9:11 pm I'm surprised he didn't come out and say I propose we it hard and fast with a with a major - and I mean major - leafleat campaign .

I’m not surprised he didn’t say that.