General News/Current Affairs Thread

To be honest, I don't blame Europe for thinking we're a bunch of imperialist dickheads. Look at how our elected representatives behave on issues pertaining to Europe; they're all about our interests only, with no though as to what can be gained from cooperation and compromise.
 
GRCC said:
What actually happened was you were seen as free labour that was a lot cheaper than actually hiring someone so that was one less person in employment just to make the government's unemployment policy look a bit better and there was no chance of you getting hired as the company could just get another person in from New Deal to do the same job you did.
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I did 8 weeks 'work experience' at this company for my Jobseekers a couple of years ago and a week before my time was up, I trained the person that was about to replace me....worst feeling in the world. I felt utterly worthless after that.
 
Mutsumi said:
To be honest, I don't blame Europe for thinking we're a bunch of imperialist dickheads. Look at how our elected representatives behave on issues pertaining to Europe; they're all about our interests only, with no though as to what can be gained from cooperation and compromise.
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So just like the Germans, French, Spanish, Italians etc then.
 
GRCC said:
Mutsumi said:
To be honest, I don't blame Europe for thinking we're a bunch of imperialist dickheads. Look at how our elected representatives behave on issues pertaining to Europe; they're all about our interests only, with no though as to what can be gained from cooperation and compromise.
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So just like the Germans, French, Spanish, Italians etc then.
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I'm sure they do some of that too, but we're by far the worst offenders. Aside from the UK, the most notable instance of this is France with the 'Common Agricultural Policy', which I recall benefited them a great deal more than the rest of the EU, and was something the UK took issue with.

Perhaps if all the countries spent less time trying to help solely themselves and all worked towards helping the EU as a whole, they would ALL be better off for it. Nationalism is holding the world back.
 
Not exactly helping themselves with such diktats as "we'll help Cyprus out if they agree to pinch money from savers in their country. It's only Russians & rich people who save anyway and as we all know they're evil and not worth caring about."
 
Mutsumi said:
GRCC said:
Mutsumi said:
To be honest, I don't blame Europe for thinking we're a bunch of imperialist dickheads. Look at how our elected representatives behave on issues pertaining to Europe; they're all about our interests only, with no though as to what can be gained from cooperation and compromise.
Click to expand...

So just like the Germans, French, Spanish, Italians etc then.
Click to expand...

I'm sure they do some of that too, but we're by far the worst offenders. Aside from the UK, the most notable instance of this is France with the 'Common Agricultural Policy', which I recall benefited them a great deal more than the rest of the EU, and was something the UK took issue with.

Perhaps if all the countries spent less time trying to help solely themselves and all worked towards helping the EU as a whole, they would ALL be better off for it. Nationalism is holding the world back.
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Wasn't it the CAP which paid for farmers not to grow anything?
 
ayase said:
While I think we're better off together, I don't begrudge the people of Scotland a vote on independence. After all, what's the point of having governments unless they're carrying out the will of the people? A government that acts against their people's wishes is no better than a dictatorship. The argument from so many people that "They shouldn't have a vote because the result might not be the one I'd like" is one of the most ridiculous I've ever heard - Should we just stop having elections altogether in case your side loses then?

My main concern is that I'm from that forgotten land in this debate, the North of England. We have more in common politically and economically with Scotland than the South, and if they leave, we'll be stuck with Tory government for ever (and later turned into slaves and probably ultimately hunted for sport) so please Scotland, stay in the union and stay on our side. My other idea was that together we form the Republic of North Britain, with a border running from the Mersey to the Humber via Sheffield. The people on BBC Have Your Say didn't like that one.
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I was born and raised in Northumberland (my parents still live there), and have now made my home in Edinburgh. I 100% agree with the Republic of North Britain. Most Southerners seem to think Hadrian's Wall is still the border anyway. I will be voting against independence, but I'm all for devo max (although that won't be an option at this time) I just think there's too much reliance on oil and other volatile industries. Alex Salmond is a creep as well, but I'd take him over David Cameron any day.
 
What people want are actual facts about the pros and cons of independence and the Union. Instead what we get is stories about how Scotland will find themselves living in Mad Max times around November of 2015 if they go it alone, how education and health is guaranteed by Westminster (see the initial Better Together trailer), how collectivism > going it alone and that David Cameron drowns Scottish kittens in the Thames while Ed Miliband is plotting to steal Dundee.

I and a lot of other people just want the numbers put in front of us without a scare story or guilt trip attached to it.
 
Nice. Seems like they are stating this to try and deter the US from action against them. Hopefully it will work, and no war will break out.
 
So the Sun's website is going behind a paywall...

...plenty of other sites to read made-up stories and non-stories on, nobody's lose :roll:

Although what will be felt is the Telegraph going behind a paywall.
 
st_owly said:
The Telegraph is a rag as well. No big loss.
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Incorrect. The Telegraph is possibly the only remaining broadsheet, and, though a little conservative at times, is actually a good paper.

What do you read?
 
I don't really read newspapers other than the Metro when I'm on the bus, but if I had to pick, probably the Scotsman, Independent and the Guardian. Not forgetting Private Eye as well.
 
st_owly said:
The Telegraph is a rag as well. No big loss.
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Aye, the telegraph site going behind a paywall is no bee in my bonnet. The main thing I recall from their site are the many tiresome attacks they enjoyed launching at homeopathy. I thought the Guardian held the crown for alternative medicine bashing until I discovered the Telegraph.
 
st_owly said:
I don't really read newspapers other than the Metro when I'm on the bus, but if I had to pick, probably the Scotsman, Independent and the Guardian. Not forgetting Private Eye as well.
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You've listed some other good newspapers from which the Telegraph differs little.


What would you think of that newer newspaper, 'i'? Compact like a tabloid rag, but actual news and not celebrity trash. Been tempted.
 
I read the 'i' too, it's a nice little news fix with some decent puzzles too. With regards to paywalls, I've got a subscription to Times Online and I think it's well worth it.
 
North Korea's leader has told rocket units to be on standby for an attack on US bases, according to state media.

The country's KCNA news agency said Kim Jong-Un had signed off on the order to train sights on American bases in South Korea and the Pacific after a midnight meeting with top generals.

It comes after two American stealth bombers flew over South Korea in a show of force to Pyongyang, following an escalation of rhetoric from the North's young leader.

The two nuclear-capable B-2 planes flew a 13,000-mile round trip from an air base in Missouri, dropping a dummy bomb on a target range in the South.
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http://news.sky.com/story/1071264/north ... t-us-bases

He's either:

A. Hoping Obama blinks first
B. Is doing his best military strongman impression to ward off possible coups by the military (country's practically a Stratocracy anyway)
C. Has testicles the size of one of his prison camps
D. Is genuinely insane
E. Thinks he's playing Homefront
 
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