The Politics Thread | Page 327 | Vital Football

The Politics Thread

Yes we all know Trump is a nutter. We all know that.
But Biden was in full control on how he decided to leave Afganistan. The logistics of leaving right now. He has been president for 8 months. More than enough time to plan a well organised withdrawal. That is undeniable. And it's an absolute shambles.
 
colavfc said:
Yes we all know Trump is a nutter. We all know that.
But Biden was in full control on how he decided to leave Afganistan. The logistics of leaving right now. He has been president for 8 months. More than enough time to plan a well organised withdrawal. That is undeniable. And it's an absolute shambles.
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The US got out everyone they wanted to. Our PM, Foreign Secretary, and Permanent Under Secretary all went on holiday for the planned withdrawal date, left probably a thousand humans, including several hundred British nationals to their deaths, but sent a plane full of dogs and cats home. Not sure even Chris Morris would write a satire that dark and ridiculous.
 
colavfc said:
Yes we all know Trump is a nutter. We all know that.
But Biden was in full control on how he decided to leave Afganistan. The logistics of leaving right now. He has been president for 8 months. More than enough time to plan a well organised withdrawal. That is undeniable. And it's an absolute shambles.
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The US withdrawal was basically without a hitch in terms of it being a withdrawal. Can't confuse our total cock up with their actions. The planet had a date and the US stuck to it.

The equipment that was left was for Afgan forces and even the Talitubbies have confirmed explosions when the Afgans fell/folded/ran away were US troops destroying munitions and equipment, and major equipment would've been rendered inoperable - so some photos posing with a helicopter carcase are irrelevant.

Some will be left yes, but it won't be what the shock jocks in the press are claiming and although everyone is up in arms about that US bloke saying 'they took the keys' he was clearly joking and just not going into specifics on what they'd done.

Your local mechanic isn't going to be able to repair an Apache, and your local helicopter pilot isn't going to be able to fly one, let alone figure out the firing systems.
 
I have to say, I fully support Biden in this. Enough is enough. $300m a day for 20 years is way more than enough. Staying another day/week/month/year was never going to change the outcome. It was a stupid war for a stupid reason that couldn't be ended because nobody would accept the political fall out. Biden maned up and did the right thing.

As for Bojo & Co, did anyone honestly expect anything but a clusterfuck from those clowns? They are like some kind of tin pot, third world dictatorship bouncing merrily from one fiasco to another. I wonder how they can blame the EU for this one.
 
It feels to me that twenty odd years ago when we went into battle with the US in these far flung places, we had a voice and a power and we’re heavily consulted. I’m not saying it was great, but the US benefitted from our support as leverage within Europe and also in terms of our resource and capability. There was something credible about Britain backing an invasion.

However, during the last 5-6 years it feels we are just getting more and more irrelevant. We seem to be a like a little kid starting fights because they have the biggest, hardest brother in the school. Our requirements and needs are of completely no interest to the US - Biden or Trump - and we have no power to influence or persuade them otherwise.

Where the EU does come into play, we have moved out of the biggest economic zone in the world where we were a big and one of the most influential players, to just a small island in the Atlantic with much less relevance on an economic scale and practically insignificant as a military power as we couldn’t even stay in Afghan without the support of the US without losing every soldier who were to set foot there.

I really feel with everything that has gone on over the past 5-6 years, we’ve just made ourselves insignificant on truly global matters where we once ran the show .
 
mike_field said:
The US withdrawal was basically without a hitch in terms of it being a withdrawal. Can't confuse our total cock up with their actions. The planet had a date and the US stuck to it.

The equipment that was left was for Afgan forces and even the Talitubbies have confirmed explosions when the Afgans fell/folded/ran away were US troops destroying munitions and equipment, and major equipment would've been rendered inoperable - so some photos posing with a helicopter carcase are irrelevant.

Some will be left yes, but it won't be what the shock jocks in the press are claiming and although everyone is up in arms about that US bloke saying 'they took the keys' he was clearly joking and just not going into specifics on what they'd done.

Your local mechanic isn't going to be able to repair an Apache, and your local helicopter pilot isn't going to be able to fly one, let alone figure out the firing systems.
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Where are you getting your information from? The news is stacked with hundreds of US civilians stuck in Afganistan?
 
colavfc said:
Where are you getting your information from? The news is stacked with hundreds of US civilians stuck in Afganistan?
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The “couple of hundred” line I keep hearing just smells of bullshit to me. It’s what you do when your mum asked you how much you spent on new trainers, you halve it and take some more off. A couple of hundred makes it sound acceptable, but I can’t believe it is just a couple of hundred westerners.
 
If solo citizens out there to make a quick buck were too stupid to leave that's down to them.

As the US left, it was said 200 were weighing up whether to leave and it was being dealt with - the rest wanted to remain or were caveated as 'possibly entitled to asylum'.

The 100k being bandied around are not US citizens.
 
danvilla2 said:
The “couple of hundred” line I keep hearing just smells of bullshit to me. It’s what you do when your mum asked you how much you spent on new trainers, you halve it and take some more off. A couple of hundred makes it sound acceptable, but I can’t believe it is just a couple of hundred westerners.
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Media bullshit orchestrated to create as much outrage as possible, shortly preceding Trump announcing himself for 2024. Take that one to the bank.
 
danvilla2 said:
It feels to me that twenty odd years ago when we went into battle with the US in these far flung places, we had a voice and a power and we’re heavily consulted. I’m not saying it was great, but the US benefitted from our support as leverage within Europe and also in terms of our resource and capability. There was something credible about Britain backing an invasion.

However, during the last 5-6 years it feels we are just getting more and more irrelevant. We seem to be a like a little kid starting fights because they have the biggest, hardest brother in the school. Our requirements and needs are of completely no interest to the US - Biden or Trump - and we have no power to influence or persuade them otherwise.

Where the EU does come into play, we have moved out of the biggest economic zone in the world where we were a big and one of the most influential players, to just a small island in the Atlantic with much less relevance on an economic scale and practically insignificant as a military power as we couldn’t even stay in Afghan without the support of the US without losing every soldier who were to set foot there.

I really feel with everything that has gone on over the past 5-6 years, we’ve just made ourselves insignificant on truly global matters where we once ran the show .
Click to expand...

It's incredible to think that Britain had the biggest empire the world had ever seen just 100 years ago. Now it looks likely the UK will fall apart within the next decade.

I really think that Britain as a nation has really struggled with it's place in the world post-empire. It's a country which is always looking back instead of forward.
 
I guess we find out this week how much this pandemic is going to actually cost us money wise. No doubt tax and national insurance are going up.
Maybe an increase on front line workers who kept this country running through said pandemic should be scrapped. But nooooooo. We dont like people that graft and work hard in this country do we.
I understand we have to pay for this somehow but when you think we're paying for mistakes of the government it makes me feel sick. If I had an increase because the government decisions were right and the money was well spent and had an impact I wouldnt mind. But paying for Boris to give away so much money that had zero impact. Well not on us lemmings anyway.
I have always sat on the fence with Boris. Over the last 6 ish months I think I hate him.
 
Can someone more fiscally knowledgeable than I please tell me why the social care levy is going on NI and not on income tax. How can I as a pensioner look my kids in the eye when I won't pay any increase, but would have paid something if it was put on income tax. Seems totally unfair and if I were younger I would be pissed off at this
 
wittonite said:
Can someone more fiscally knowledgeable than I please tell me why the social care levy is going on NI and not on income tax. How can I as a pensioner look my kids in the eye when I won't pay any increase, but would have paid something if it was put on income tax. Seems totally unfair and if I were younger I would be pissed off at this
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I think... My view... Is that so noone can get away with paying it.
Income tax... If you pay too much you get a rebate which is worked out year to year.
With national insurance... You may only work 1 week... But you will have your national insurance taken out and if you are unemployed for the next 51 weeks you still won't get that back.
 
colavfc said:
I think... My view... Is that so noone can get away with paying it.
Income tax... If you pay too much you get a rebate which is worked out year to year.
With national insurance... You may only work 1 week... But you will have your national insurance taken out and if you are unemployed for the next 51 weeks you still won't get that back.
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I am thinking it something altogether more devious, but I am not sure what it is.
 
At the beginning of the lockdown I got a text message from the government telling me that I was an essential worker. I was actually glad to work throughout to be honest, my partner was furloughed then worked from home a good portion of 2020 and hated it so I was glad of the normality.

I've had covid once and had to isolate a few times whilst Boris and his goons ballsed up pretty much everything whist enormously enriching themselves and their pals. Now things are starting to get back to normal I find out that my and other supposed essential workers reward for the last 18 months is to have our taxes raised.

I can already hear the smug twat saying its not much, well I don't have much anyway Boris you prick. Can't be taxing the rich though, they vote and more importantly fund tories. Fuck the Conservative Party and their cowardly, lying bloated arsehole of a leader.
 
JW1985 said:
At the beginning of the lockdown I got a text message from the government telling me that I was an essential worker. I was actually glad to work throughout to be honest, my partner was furloughed then worked from home a good portion of 2020 and hated it so I was glad of the normality.

I've had covid once and had to isolate a few times whilst Boris and his goons ballsed up pretty much everything whist enormously enriching themselves and their pals. Now things are starting to get back to normal I find out that my and other supposed essential workers reward for the last 18 months is to have our taxes raised.

I can already hear the smug twat saying its not much, well I don't have much anyway Boris you prick. Can't be taxing the rich though, they vote and more importantly fund tories. Fuck the Conservative Party and their cowardly, lying bloated arsehole of a leader.
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Yep totally agree. I was classed as a key worker. Worked 72 hours a week like now through lockdown. No reward at all. Putting our own life at risk, or at least health to keep the country running.
I'm not great at working things like this out but I think I calculated that if you earn the average 26k ish a year it means losing 40quid a month. On top of what we already lose.
So basically our reward for working is having to work an extra half day over time to break even every month.
Tosser.
 
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