HumanPenguin
@HumanPenguin@feddit.uk
- Comment on 'Climate change doesn't exist,' says Reform UK mayor despite third summer heatwave 3 days ago:
Share a pic. We want to compare 5yo you.
We won’t laugh. Well we won’t admit we’re Authinf our arses off.
- Comment on High water bills, filthy rivers – and now drought. This is England’s great artificial water crisis of 2025 5 days ago:
Also important to remember.
Since privatisation. Water companies have sold of 30 reservoirs for development. Without replacing them.
Our current shortages exist purely because, water companies took the spare storage, and stole the investment funds to pay share holders.
Climate change is real. But summer water shortages are not related.
- Comment on Emma Watson banned from driving for speeding 6 days ago:
UK yes. As long as controlled.
- Comment on Emma Watson banned from driving for speeding 6 days ago:
Repeat offenders and unlicensed drivers happen here as well. But the use of cameras makes it much harder then the past.
But having lived in the US. Most of it has so little public transport not driving is impossible. Here it is doable in all but the most remote areas. Just crap compared to the 80s and before. It is still way better the most cities in the US.
- Comment on Vast Majority Of Brits Back A Wealth Tax On The Super-Rich, Poll Reveals 6 days ago:
Not really the question.
My opinion (and it is just that) is based on Corbyn response to being attached to the party. He dose not seem interested in being a front runner again.
Plus there are at least 40 current labour MPs who may move over before the next election. A new name without his media history is likely exactly what is needed ATM.
- Comment on Vast Majority Of Brits Back A Wealth Tax On The Super-Rich, Poll Reveals 1 week ago:
I’d be very surprised if Corbyn leads this new party.
- Comment on Two men behind ‘senseless’ felling of Sycamore Gap tree jailed for more than four years 1 week ago:
Given a sycamore can like for 500 years although 300 is more common.
If that the maths we follow. Potential live lost to the tree of 350 years is more reasonable.
- Comment on To hoard or not to hoard? UK consumers on the pros and cons of cash 1 week ago:
They say it. Because they have never run a business. Honestly most have no reason to understand how banks charge for cash payments.
For small businesses they also assume the business dose not pay cash into the bank. Also the fact many small store historically charged users for small card transactions. Gives many 40s plus customers a out dated view of how the banks charge. The cash in cash out cash and carry retail business no longer exists. But the fact that many local store used to work that way to reduce costs still effects many customers opinions.
As for lack of data. They say that because it’s basically true. All card transactions do store data.
- Comment on Tax pubs on profit not property value, urges Greene King boss 1 week ago:
We already tax profits.
So this is just a “don’t tax our wealth” cry.
- Comment on England’s reservoirs at lowest level for a decade as experts call for hosepipe bans 1 week ago:
Every ml of water everyone in the world drinks. Has been through human waste millions of times.
- Comment on England’s reservoirs at lowest level for a decade as experts call for hosepipe bans 1 week ago:
Important reminder.
Since water was privatised under thatcher. The companies have sold off 30 reservoirs. Filling them for development etc.
Remember this fact every time they seek help.
- Comment on Tony Blair think tank worked with project developing ‘Trump Riviera’ Gaza plan 1 week ago:
Technically. And honestly in this mess that is all we can use.
It would only be considered a crime after it happened. If blairs organisation helped in the implementation.
Planning is basically writing a well researched book. Of course that is a stretched comparison. But accurate as for as equivalents is concerned.
If you wrote a story based on some meglamainiac American president committing actions seen as war crimes. No matter how accurate the set up or understanding of military preparedness in the real world. Or how involved in talking to that president or staff.
If that meglmaiiac copied your book. You would only be seen as a criminal if you aided in the implementation of your books plot.
Currently the plannings plot has not happened (yet). And we have no idea how involved in implementation blairs group would be. But forming the plan is not a crime in itself.
- Comment on Labour housing plans could destroy 215,000 hectares of nature in England, analysis shows 1 week ago:
trading a percent or so of total land area to ensure people have homes
Ignoring the huge amount of brownfield area we have from closed factories etc.
Honestly if it was truly about a shortage of land. I’d be all for it. But it is not. It is about refusing to clean up and build on already developed land. In an attempt to increase profits.
- Comment on Jeremy Corbyn confirms new ‘socialist alternative’ before next election to fight Starmer 1 week ago:
No. Not arresting them. Arresting people for holding signs supporting them. That is extremely authoritarian. And has fuck all value but as a form of censorship. Arresting people for supporting an idea out right fascism.
- Comment on Royal Mail given go-ahead to scrap second-class post on Saturdays 1 week ago:
Not every house receives mail every day.
By reducing the days 2nd class is added to the deliveries. The number of houses the. Postman has to stop at is hugely reduced on those days. Meaning the routes can be finished faster. R more routes by less people.
At a guess I’d say in an average street those days would have about 25% less stops/driveways to walk down etc.
It will have little or no effect in large blocks of flats where all postboxes are in the same room. More common in cities. But for suburban and rural deliveries the effect will be huge. Even in terraced streets with no front garden. It would be a small but notable change in time taken.
PS. Not saying it’s a good thing. Just pointing out why a corporate money hustler would want to do it.
- Comment on Non-disclosure agreements gagging workers to be banned 2 weeks ago:
They are not. More to the point they are not legally binding.
But the corps etc recognise that most employees do not have the funds for good legal advice. So use such docs to scare the shit out of victims.
Hence why this law is needed. It basically bans the language in a contract. Honestly I don’t think it goes far enough.
Employment contracts that contain any unenforceable clueses should be a crime. Companies should be forced to either use standard safe contracts. Or pay a lawyer to ensure they are not adding unenforceable language.
- Comment on Jeremy Corbyn confirms new ‘socialist alternative’ before next election to fight Starmer 2 weeks ago:
The idea farage can gain by splitting the Tory vote. But a new left party cannot gain when the left vote is already split to hell.
Is just not logical anymore.
Labour has lost the hope of such a huge % of the left wing voters. They won the last election more due to Tory non voting then labour voters.
And that was before attacks on disabled. Authoritarian arrest of Gaza anti genacide supporters. And totally refusing to address the huge wealth gap creating the cost of living crisis.
They have lost a huge % of polling post the election.
So the logic that voting Labour will lead to reform. Also a vote splitting party. Rather then coalescing the left of centre vote around a new party that actually listens to left voters. Makes no sense.
Consider these facts, Reforms percieved risk is because reform is seen to be listening to Right Wing voters post the Tory failed election. The very voter Starmer attempted to appeal to in the election. While literally dragging along a small % Left of centre voters who fear Tories.
Labours polling shows a huge loss of trust in even the small % of left wing voters. As the Starmer government has continued the worst of Tory policies. While: increasing attacks on disabled, Censoring opposition to the Gaza genacide (imprisoning protesters for supporting an idea not their activities), showing huge curruption in accepting gifts etc (exactly like the Tory govs).
Add to that the very insistence in refusing to raise taxes on those that have gained the most wealth over the last w decades. IE capital gains and non PAYE based ttaxes.Basically refusing to challenge the tory press arguments of any tax is breaking their promise. (Clearly a Tory press lie.)
Over all ATM polling indicates. Without a huge leadership change and reverse in direction. Their is absolutely no hope of Labour winning the election. And not much hope of a coalition with any Left of centre party currently existing.
The most likely result ATM is a Tory reform coalition. And let’s face it. Unlike the 2010 Lib Dems. Reform will not be changing their perceived ideals post coalition. The Tories will be moving closer to reform policy. Not the other way around.
Labours current actions make this more likely not less. All they are doing is trying to split reforms support. While pushing more centre right in that direction.
The only hope of a true Left of centre change. Is a left wing party willing to listen to and form the most broadly acceptable Left of centre policies. Actually forming a party (or changing an existing one but I don’t see that happening). That can win the majority of left support. Amd start to push the overton window back.
The only true negative I see. Is Lack of a leader that can win the respect of both far left and left of centre voters.
- Comment on Jeremy Corbyn confirms new ‘socialist alternative’ before next election to fight Starmer 2 weeks ago:
Labour plp and the leadership. Who is at the end of it who you vote for.
Is not in any way left wing anymore. The shit their doing is more blue then red.
The members may be broad. But the party no longer pay any attention to them.
- Comment on Jeremy Corbyn confirms new ‘socialist alternative’ before next election to fight Starmer 2 weeks ago:
Sorry. But if you plan to vote labour next election. You are not a red voter.
- Comment on This burger was made from cow cells in a lab. Should it really be served in restaurants? 2 weeks ago:
It is.
But honestly it can only be no better or better. Live cows are very bad for the environment. Growing plants is pretty bad even without feeding it to cows. Plowing releases huge amounts of co2 while chemical weed killers destroy rivers etc. one has to be done to grow food in a land efficiency manor.
So again it’s hard to argue lab meat is worse as even high energy cost has renewable and low pollution based options farming dose not. It’s just if aoxiery bothers.
- Comment on UK media are covering up British spy flights for Israel 2 weeks ago:
clearly being opposite to what the majority of us want.
Not actually disagreeing but. I’d be interested to see evidence of that. As I think it depends on age.
Most over 50 grew up thinking of hamas as terrorists that kidnapped and held UK and other prisoners for over a decade.
As such their ideals and pre internet news will have influenced at least 40 plus year olds.
You are likely to find the majority is hugely against these actions under 40. As these people very much depends on the internet for news.
But around 40 plus it likely scews further and further to the mainstream medias opinion. Reinforced over decades of UK media and negativity towards hamas.
Add to that the age group not only most likely to vote. But most reliable on their party support when voting.
And the government choices seem less surprising. More so as few of the MPs are under 40
- Comment on This burger was made from cow cells in a lab. Should it really be served in restaurants? 2 weeks ago:
Really only 2 questions matter.
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Is it as or more healthy then current burgers. Given the issues with processing and health. This should not be hard.
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Are people willing to pay The costs needed to provide it.
No other questions or opinions really apply.
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- Comment on Welcome to the Labour police state 2 weeks ago:
Last effective protest was the women’s pay movement in 1968. Where all women at the factory strike. Plus many other female employees throughout the UK.
It was effective in that the law changed. Equal pay for women passed as a lawin 1971.
Question Then became is the legal requirements enough.
- Comment on What quintessentially British images should go on the new banknotes? Our panel has some ideas 2 weeks ago:
David Tennant as paddington might be more fun.
- Comment on Welcome to the Labour police state 2 weeks ago:
Yeah interesting how our first attempt at democracy. Was started by and failed due to. Religious fundamentalism.
Given only wealthy land owners could vote. Hardly democracy.
- Comment on Welcome to the Labour police state 2 weeks ago:
They were far from effective.
- Comment on No criminal charges over British woman shot in US 2 weeks ago:
The UK Tends to warn not ban travel.
We have levels of warning that equate to. You are all on your own if shit happens.
Down to the be very careful to follow rules level the US is currently under.
But proscription of travel only happens in a open we are at war setting. And rarely even then,
The US on the other hand will do it for political disagreements. Like Cuba.
- Comment on Every year for the last 40 years, France has built more homes per person than England. 2 weeks ago:
I asked what they did to cause it. Not why it happened.
IE How did having the Tories in charge. Directly help building companies not build. That was not possible with labour in charge before 2010
- Comment on ‘Full of excuses’: families condemn Matt Hancock’s testimony to Covid inquiry 2 weeks ago:
As much as I hate to give any Tory the benefit of doubt on anything.
His main argument.
“Nobody has yet provided me with an alternative that was available at the time that would have saved more lives,”
Dose sound like a reasonable question to ask.
This was before the availability of fast testing. And before any nightingale hospitals had been build.
Hospitals were overloaded staff wise. Even with all non urgent care stopped.
Their was a well documented lack of PPE. So hardly possible for the gov to do more to help care homes keep residents more separated.
At the time. Their really dose seems like very little else he could have done.
BUT:
The NHS did have plans and resources for pandemics. plans the Tory party removed support for during austerity.
Not to mention the risk of a pandemic has been a well known one since the mid 1990s. Yet still the Tories considered shutting down the minimal support the NHS had. As a tax saving measure. (Because allowing the Tories to keep low corp and capital gains taxes was the real reason).
Yes the report and HandsonCock never considered this as a cause.
- Comment on Every year for the last 40 years, France has built more homes per person than England. 2 weeks ago:
Given this is total house building. So basically how willing or able private construction companies are to build.
I’d be interested to know exactly what the Tories did to discourage private building.
Personally I’d rather blame the development companies who have been openly accused of limiting building numbers. To increase profits value of properties they do build.