Founded in 2015 by Max Blumenthal, The Gray Zone is a far-left news and opinion website that produces long-form journalism. Max Blumenthal is a writing fellow of the Nation Institute. He also is a journalist, author, and filmmaker who is a regular contributor to the Questionable Russian news sites, RT and Sputnik. According to their about page, “The Grayzone is an independent news website dedicated to original investigative journalism and analysis on politics and empire.”
With this aside, it has been a theme of the UK’s Tory party to invest in schemes like this. Cambridges Analytica is the most prominent in my mind. They know that their agenda is nothing more than convincing Turkeys that Christmas is a good thing. They need as much leverage as they can get to keep the con going.
Grant Schapps is now running the show, Ben Wallace stepped down. It was pretty inevitable this was coming. The Tories are always complaining about what they cannot afford, while splashing fortunes on mates. Wallace always understood what was important in the defence of the UK. He is probably the only Tory with credibility.
A journalist and advocate who rose from homelessness and addiction to serve as a spokesperson for Philadelphia’s most vulnerable was shot and killed at his home early Monday, police said....
Your point seems to be that people should not generalise an opinion on a large group of people. But you fail to ask the question of when passivism becomes guilty by failing to act. Germany was held accountable for the atrocities of the holocaust. They moved on. They educate in schools in an attempt to prevent this from reoccurring. What is happening in the US with republicans can only persist if people support them, and polling suggests there is support there.
My point was not about authoritarian. It is about the lies that are being told to the masses to convince them that being turkeys for Christmas is actually good for them. The lies have gone from extreme into the ridiculous. I watched Trump tell a crowd that climate change is not true and that he can sort out the forest fires tomorrow. He wants to make use of the wasted overflow pipes in cities. Where do you start on that one? Trump has caused murders literally; people died in the insurrection. He is affirmed as being a rapist in judicial hearing. In the UK we call this out as being a nonce. There were republican candidates who said they would follow Trump if he was elected while in prison. Worse still, this is only a minor take on the whole story. Boebert committing sex acts in front of kids. The open gerrymandering in states across the US. The attacks on the judicial system and civil employees. The way they used public servant wages as blackmail instead of using democratic leeway.
How far down the rabbit hole do you have to go before thinking that there is something wrong here, and I have to use my position to prevent more of it?
I agree with a lot of what you say. I don’t think polarisation is a bad thing. Everyone has a different perception of where the priorities should be, sometimes that is just pure greed, sometimes it is genuine need. The biggest issue in the US (and the UK) imo, is the voting system. FPTP system are too easy to corrupt. Voters recognise that a vote for an independent can lead to what you really don’t want into power. This encourages tribal voting instincts. In my own area, I know I am going to have to pinch my nose and vote Labour. I will do this knowing full well that the person I am voting for has shown to be nothing but a grifter for over 10 years.
A FPTP system only requires attention in the swing areas. The rest is largely ignored. A PR voting system has been gaining more and more popularity in the UK. A lot are recognising that FPTP has some very real dangers.
Truth and media accountability has become a conduit for celebrity voting. They even used the same model that was used on Trump with Johnson in the UK. We got lucky because we got the idiot who was much easier to spot. Trump also recognised that by throwing out crumbs, people would see him as doing something. Johnson actively did as little as possible. Neither of these would have been voted into power with the media backing they got. I am hoping that our next PM sorts the media out in some way. Leveson Inquiry 2.0 is another item to be looked into, imo.
We, in the UK, need a return to independent oversight. Johnson annexed what was previously independent bodies into government control. He then used them to justify government choices. Johnson was very close to gaining absolute power in the UK. Trump will do exactly this, if he ever gets in. Trump will mimic Erdogan, he will use his current predicament to justify doing even more extreme moves once in power. There is a fair to good chance you will not remove Trump and his family if they return.
Independent oversight seems to be a thing that is greatly missed in the US. There does not seem to be any trusted bodies where people can turn to for an honest opinion on truth. The problem seems to stem from the power of the ruling class of the time having the complete control of who gets which job. Having individual politicians plant the highest power in the legal system into place is always going to cause an imbalance. We have exactly the same problem with the house of Lords. I like the idea of cross party review bodies being used to adjudicate key positions of influence, but a lot of ultimate power positions like SCOTUS need a much wider oversight committee.
The biggest problem of all politics though has to be corruption. Politicians should not be able to earn money from secondary sources.
I lost you here. What position? Prevent more of what?
Not all republicans are bad. But the longer the good ones wait to take the bull by the horns, the harder it will be.
Besides its overwhelming impact on US history, the reason for the Marbury v Madison itself is an interesting insight into how contentious US politics has always been.
Thanks, I read the wiki and watched a lecture from the Uni of Virginia. There is obviously a lot more history around the outcomes of the case, but it asked the question which always seemed blaringly obvious to me and the SCOTUS. How does a non elected body get such power? I will look into it more. I find the diversion between UK law and US law interesting. I have to own up to be an bit of a history geek.
History for granite is similar in as much the second one shows how much the guy has looked into it.
I have watched a ton on history. With vloggers I generally watch for the bits I didn’t already know now. Vloggers tend to focus on the same stuff. What artists would consider pot boilers. It is great when you find someone with the different angle.
American politics is a new fad of mine. I have been following Trump closely, along with the legal break downs that come with that. I strongly dislike the scum that are the Conservatives in the UK. The UK Conservative party is very much aligned with the US Republicans. They share the same think groups. The parallels with tactics are very stark.
Maybury and Madison was brand new to me and filled in a fair few hours. I tend to read the fine print and follow the explanation links. My wife was not impressed when I told her that equal rights for women had not been ratified in the US as part of the constitution. More so when I told that Virginia had rejected another vote on it in 2019. It is the little things in life that make you smile. Education can be a dangerous thing, I will be inspecting my food for a few days.
how can British troops - which have no fighting experience
You clearly do not read the news much do you. Afghanistan, Iraq x 2, Kosovo. This is as well as the covert ops the UK has taken part in. As for the Ukraine having 1.5 yrs of experience, they have kept the Russians at bay partly because of the advice from NATO as well as experience on how to use the weapons donated.
There is nothing to be gained by training in Ukraine. This is just political points scoring by the Tories who are under immense political pressure from their own party. This is placing a target on the personnel who will be based in Ukraine. It also opens the UK to attacks without the backing of NATO behind it. NATO only applies when the country is attacked first.
They could have found a fault in power delivery, which could be the issue. They may just be correcting it. You can guarantee there will be back to back tests done to show any difference, so time will tell.
The consumption room plan is supported by Scottish National Party, Labour and Liberal Democrat politicians but the UK Home Office insists “there is no safe way to take illegal drugs”.
There is no ideal way. Drugs are dangerous, but people take them. I am disappointed by the resistance to legalise drugs. While drugs are illegal, they are unmonitored. I don’t take drugs myself. I don’t even drink anymore
Trump has just had his business licenses revoked for the whole of the NY state. That justifies the term devastating. He has 10 days to put all of his businesses into the hands of Receivers. Considering how much business Trump has done in NY, this is not small fry.
Except I am not talking about the election. My point is regarding Trump trying to evade charges by claiming to be senile. Let’s face it there is so much stuff that a lot is going to stick.
We have Ikea in the UK , which is a single track that meanders through the store. It forces you through every aisle. There are exits and shortcuts built into to it, but they do not make them obvious. I absolutely refuse to shop there. The few times I have been in the store has always left me angry for wasting my time.
I don’t believe all Tories are shithouses like Braverman, but their inaction is pretty damning. Even if they remove the trash from the party and start to walk the walk, talk the talk, what is very evident is that they will not fight the fight for what is right. Self interest is in the blood of all Tories. I sincerely hope they are remembered for this for a long time to come.
If Republicans really want the facts to come out then they can vote for an impeachment inquiry in the house. I wonder why they are not taking that route.
As Congress considers payments to victims of Cold War-era nuclear contamination in the St. Louis region, people who were targeted for secret government testing from that same time period believe they’re due compensation, too.
This is so very wrong and will lead to a slippery slope similar to how the police operate in the US. You cannot allow police to work with a license to kill without any review process. Braverman is not the be all and end of the justice system. She should not be allowed to circumvent judicial process....
They really did not. You may have had one or two that wanted more for the country. Most were just greedy shithouses who could not care at all. Unless they needed bodies for a war OFC, then the dynamic changes.
A game that is still a long way from release, but one on my watch list. I am kind of ok with this style. Games do not have to be ultra realistic to be immersive for me. I hope this allows a good implementation of RTX into the game with lighting and reflections....
Rishi Sunak is considering introducing some of the world’s toughest anti-smoking measures that would in effect ban the next generation from ever being able to buy cigarettes, the Guardian has learned....
I have no idea what black tar heroin is, but I am fairly sure I could find someone who sells drugs of any type locally. As I said the war on drugs has failed. Watch this video from an ex-UK policeman. This is what happens when you make things illegal.
I have never seen Labour push this policy and Sunak has no time. I feel you are deluded on this one. I should add I am very much an anti smoking person. I just see this as a sensible option.
A valid point but the emphasis in the statement is that it is an “explosive charge” this week. Those murders have been going on for decades. This is about the change in the audacity of these crimes.
I saw HGTG posted on a reddit book forum about 2 years back: it was slated badly. It really put me off a reread. Comments like it hadn’t age well, and just plain silly came to mind. I caved and started it again. I was hooked from page 1 all over again. It really does fall into the marmite book category.
The complete phasing-out of fossil fuels is not realistic, China's top climate official said, adding that these climate-warming fuels must continue to play a vital role in maintaining global energy security.
Nothing is going to change with inaction. We all need to be proactive in this change. Simply stating we cannot, because we have not done enough in the past, should not mean we must carry on in that fashion.
Rishi Sunak saying ‘a man is a man and a woman is a woman’ branded ‘sickening’ and ‘ridiculous’ (www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk)
British govt funded plan for censorship of factual NATO criticism (thegrayzone.com)
Britain has ‘run out of arms to send to Ukraine’. We’ve given away all we can afford and other countries should step in, says senior military chief. (www.telegraph.co.uk)
Full article: imgur.com/a/m7QSJLU
Philadelphia journalist who advocated for homeless and LGBTQ+ communities shot and killed at home (apnews.com)
A journalist and advocate who rose from homelessness and addiction to serve as a spokesperson for Philadelphia’s most vulnerable was shot and killed at his home early Monday, police said....
British troops could deploy to Ukraine for first time to train soldiers, says Grant Shapps (www.theguardian.com)
Grant Shapps to send UK troops to Ukraine (www.telegraph.co.uk)
cross-posted from: lemm.ee/post/9906910...
Ashes of Creation - Alpha Two is coming to you in 2024 (twitter.com)
A major one for a lot of backers for the game. A good chance to see what is in the game.
Weekend PC Game Deals: Indie bundles, shoot 'em up festivals, and more (www.neowin.net)
Apple iOS Update to Fix iPhone 12 Radiation Levels Approved by French Regulators (www.macrumors.com)
UK's First Consumption Room Given Go Ahead. (www.bbc.co.uk)
Nice to see a bit of progress on this issue.
deleted_by_author
Trump confuses Obama and Biden in speech, warns Biden will lead U.S. into 'World War II' (www.msnbc.com)
There was more of this at the weekend....
They literally just flipped the order of the frozen foods aisle. WHY. (startrek.website)
Tories urged to condemn Braverman for gay persecution comments on refugees (www.theguardian.com)
UK home secretary in US to call for rewriting of UN asylum rules so they are ‘fit for the modern age’
Russia seeks to rejoin UN's human rights council (www.bbc.co.uk)
It was expelled from the United Nations council last year after its forces invaded Ukraine.
If the Facts Come Out, it Could Spell the End for Joe Biden (consortiumnews.com)
Government should pay compensation for secretive Cold War-era testing, St. Louis victims say (apnews.com)
As Congress considers payments to victims of Cold War-era nuclear contamination in the St. Louis region, people who were targeted for secret government testing from that same time period believe they’re due compensation, too.
Suella Braverman backs armed police after firearms officer charged with murder (www.telegraph.co.uk)
This is so very wrong and will lead to a slippery slope similar to how the police operate in the US. You cannot allow police to work with a license to kill without any review process. Braverman is not the be all and end of the justice system. She should not be allowed to circumvent judicial process....
BBC ignores Rejoin March as thousands descend on the capital (www.thelondoneconomic.com)
Labor has the power they want us to forget. (lemmy.ml)
400x not 400%
Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen - Art Update (www.youtube.com)
A game that is still a long way from release, but one on my watch list. I am kind of ok with this style. Games do not have to be ultra realistic to be immersive for me. I hope this allows a good implementation of RTX into the game with lighting and reflections....
Weekend PC Game Deals: Bundled VR and narrative ventures, Xbox PC hits, and more (www.neowin.net)
Rishi Sunak considers banning cigarettes for next generation (www.theguardian.com)
Rishi Sunak is considering introducing some of the world’s toughest anti-smoking measures that would in effect ban the next generation from ever being able to buy cigarettes, the Guardian has learned....
If India ordered a murder in Canada, there must be consequences (www.economist.com)
Western countries have for too long acquiesced to the Indian government’s abuses
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams - 1979 (lemmy.world)
cross-posted from: kbin.social/m/13thFloor/t/476755...
Girl, 8, first UK transplant patient not to need life-long drugs in breakthrough (www.standard.co.uk)
Two jailed for killing French bus driver over Covid mask rule (www.bbc.co.uk)
The French driver was beaten after asking two passengers to adjust their masks during the pandemic.
China climate envoy says phasing out fossil fuels 'unrealistic' (www.reuters.com)
The complete phasing-out of fossil fuels is not realistic, China's top climate official said, adding that these climate-warming fuels must continue to play a vital role in maintaining global energy security.
Hyping Ukraine Counteroffensive, US Press Chose Propaganda Over Journalism (fair.org)