Rayvin

It's a consequence insofar as you can see these sorts of things splashed across right wing media, usually misunderstood and lied about or taken to extremes, but still. I've followed the culture war since a time when I was laughed at for referring to it as such, and trans people have been a key target throughout. Started off with videos of people being "triggered", hyperbolic takes by teenagers being used to demonstrate the grave threat to Western civilisation that "wokeness", not that it was called this at that point, represented. They're always using the examples we provide. Peterson rose to prominence off resisting mandated speech laws in Canada; taking the knee is a form of cultural Marxism, etc. You could argue that they would simply invent or find other stories to inflame their base about of course but the question is really about whether they would be so successful. If you think 100% of the people voting for the Tories or Republicans are racist, homophobic bigots then maybe you're right. But for me, a big chunk of those voting for them are simply uninformed morons who are probably decent enough people ensared in the nets of believable right wing hysteria.

Yep, all true. But equally, mandating speech has thrown trans rights straight across the wider battleground of free speech and into the culture wars. Consequently, right wing populist governments are using it as an attack line and are being successful in doing so, painting wokeism, and by extension trans people (who are at this point the ultimate 'threat' above all others in the minds of the culture warrior right) as the great threat to freedom. These governments are winning elections and causing rampant and unconstrained damage - and they're doing so because they're able to point to "the left" controlling everyone. It's laughable, it really is, but that's what they're doing. They are enabled to roll back the rights you mention in the states because they can hold up things like mandates on speech as attacks on freedoms, attacks on women, attacks on traditional values, whatever. It's only recently that trans rights have become such a furious battleground for this, and it is very much wrapped up in the culture war. There is a cost to this either way, I think between you and I it probably just comes down to which side we think costs more.

None of the trans people I know have ever insisted that they/them should be blanket terms for society, only that they would like whatever particular configuration they've identified with used in their specific case. I would wager that such moves are driven more by lawyers for corporations than they are by real people. A corporation might absolutely decide that its safer to just avoid gendering people - IMO eventually they'll avoid humanising people altogether and we'll simply become numbers - but that's the legally safe option. For the rest of us, I think we can go through life being respectful of other people whilst being driven by genuine compassion and decency, rather than a set of rules mandated to us by "authority" and which probably harms the cause more than just letting people navigate it themselves as they become increasingly comfortable with it in a social setting.

Would make sense given their tenuous position as a "top 6" club. They lose that and there's really no hiding their decline anymore.

I agree but it might be worth noting that the Bruno standard has been subject to inflation itself - no way we'd sell him for £40m now, he's probably up in the 60s already. Therefore Ward-Prowse could equal 1 Bruno + 25% English surcharge. Although like others have said, he's worth half a Bruno really so it's more like £40m they should be asking for.

To echo the "people are idiots" line: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/jun/11/poll-says-keir-starmer-worse-choice-for-pm-than-boris-johnson Polling here (just one poll but still) showing that most people still believe Starmer is a worse choice for PM than Johnson. I do not know what is wrong with these people, genuinely. Maybe media narratives as ST suggests, but I feel like the media has been pretty hard on Johnson as well?

Has this guy revealed any credentials that make him 'informed'? Because if not he's singing from the same hymn sheet as Le Tissier as far as I'm concerned. However, simply having a platform does appear to be enough for some people to take your word as gospel. Presumably people who desperately want what you're saying to be true.

That would be the best NUFC side we'd have seen since SBR at the very least. Still not sure I can quite believe all this might happen but I'm pretty glued to this thread I have to admit

If they leave it too much longer they'll be in danger of costing themselves a clear run at the GE. I hope he hangs on long enough to lead them to total annihilation. For my two cents, he leaves after losing the next GE. I hope. I don't much care if he goes now or not, although should it happen I would definitely revel in it.

Just reading Villa's response to this - All of them universally believe Digne is a better player but some are sad to see him go. What is Digne meant to have done to be such a revelation for Villa, exactly?

Not necessarily for those doing it. The front benches and wider individuals actively "involved" in Johnson's government will be acutely aware that they'll never get this close to power again - because even by Tory standards, they are incompetent. In fact I'd wager the entire grouping of Tories who backed him will be made up of that contingent and Brexit ultras - neither of whom will drop him because of what they stand to lose themselves.

I'll believe it's over for Johnson when it actually is. We've been predicting his political demise for as long as he's been in office, and for that of his party even longer. They're a shrewd, conniving bunch of cunts who have no lower floor on depths they won't sink to in order to do whatever is necessary to cling onto power. While that could very easily spell the end of Johnson if he had lost their backing, it's not relevant while he holds the majority of them on side. These are the people who forced through the hardest possible Brexit on a 2% majority. He'll cling on, his stooges will cling on, it's going to be a shitshow.

Really pleased Targett is joining us, think he's proven he wants to be here and that he's good enough to be here (at least for where we are at the moment). No need to throw money at a more expensive option there. Good business, nice to see him rewarded.

Wait so.. he's going to transform the NHS into Blockbuster in an era where Blockbuster was forced out by higher tech, more sophisticated rivals like Netflix? So he's going to destroy the NHS. Old news but where the fuck did they even think that metaphor was meant to be heading?

I think a close win for Johnson is the optimal outcome here. Fucking knacker them going into the GE and have his arse handed to him.

That Nadine Dorries interview is making me fucking furious. She's wrong and lying about fucking everything. Putin should start firing her at Kyiv, she's that big a fucking weapon.

I think if we sign this kid our strength in depth up front will be at a level we haven't seen in years. Don't think we should worry on this one, next year isn't necessarily about anything other than entrenching ourselves in the top half really.

Villa have clearly decided they're "as big as we are" and are going all out on this.

They're just gonna sign him instead apparently, as a "statement of intent". https://www.readytogo.net/smb/threads/hendo-statement-of-intent.1580848/

I have a begrudging respect for Zlatan. I don't know where the man ends and the persona begins but he's a classic example of someone who is going through his entire life without letting anyone else touch him. He lives life entirely as he sees fit and doesn't make trade offs for other people. I admire this I think because I'm very much the opposite. Hard to imagine Zlatan apologising as often as I do

Who are these people in Labour who think this, seriously. You never seem to see anyone brave enough to actually come out and say it but it remains party policy.

There's a few jokes going over people's heads today tbf

Looks like it would need a coalition then?

Really helpful analysis Diego - honestly this puts me off him a bit but presumably Howe and his team know most of this anyway. Would be weird to sign someone who wasn't going to significantly improve what we have.

If it is injuries it might explain why we get a younger keeper to come in as well - both of them get game time. Harder to sell next season since we only have domestic competition, but once we crack Europe it'll ensure both players get game time IMO. Fair point anyway.