Are the Brits capable of embarrassment these days?

[TonyE]

Well, no. 'We' are not going to force minorities to ride bikes, or make white guys walk. There is no suggestion of that.

It's a high up civil servant talking shite. They do that the world over. I'm not entirely sure what he's on about - better cycling facilities are totally irrelevant to race. What he might find as he tries to make cycling more diverse is that those ethnic minorities don't cycle because they can't afford to, and the solution to that is out of his remit.

[Mark Rippetoe]

What he might find as he tries to make cycling more diverse is that those ethnic minorities don't cycle because they can't afford to, and the solution to that is out of his remit.

Absolutely untrue, since they can be given bicycles.

Do you take everything at face value on the internet if it matches your opinion?

All I see is a video of her questioning a police officer who isn't very good at explaining himself, and then we fast forward to the police looking to arrest her. We have no context whatsoever.

If she was arrested for merely asking the police officer a question, then I'd imagine he'd have done it himself. I'd suggest they visited her house for something else. Unless you have more concrete information.

It was probably the drugs. Carry on. Pip pip, Cherio, all that rot.

[Pluripotent]

Just like the spoon example - that isn't indicative of a culture of health and safety - clearly the spoons were categorised incorrectly in their till system, but the shop worker didn't have the intelligence to use their discretion. What would you expect the average Walmart worker to do in the same sort of scenario when Computer Says No?

Two things here: First, the fact that spoons can even be entered into the computer as a dangerous devise not to be sold to minors is what they call in progressive circles "problematic," and I would hope that any American presented with that instruction would first laugh their asses off and second assume it must be some stupid mistake and sell the kid his teaspoons.

Second, there is also the incident with the potato peeler. Apparently that dude has to go before a judge. This also means it's no longer a "one off."

You see, it's not just that the laws are absurd. This is actually how you recognize that you are slipping into a totalitarian mindset. The laws are absurd, and yet they are obeyed anyway, because it's not enough to just control someone. You have to make them know that they are being controlled. If the laws make logical sense and are morally based, then we are talking about the capital L Law, the great English invention of English Common Law, and all is right in the world. But if I control you and I want you to really know that you are under my control then the best thing to do is to have you follow my absurd whims. If you do it, I know and you know who is in control. This not only removes your agency now, it makes it increasingly unlikely that you are going to protest the next time when my whims become even more absurd (and they will). It's not so much about the thing itself.

“In my study of communist societies, I came to the conclusion that the purpose of communist propaganda was not to persuade or convince, not to inform, but to humiliate; and therefore, the less it corresponded to reality the better. When people are forced to remain silent when they are being told the most obvious lies, or even worse when they are forced to repeat the lies themselves, they lose once and for all their sense of probity. To assent to obvious lies is...in some small way to become evil oneself. One's standing to resist anything is thus eroded, and even destroyed. A society of emasculated liars is easy to control. I think if you examine political correctness, it has the same effect and is intended to.”
― Theodore Dalrymple

[shabu]

Do you take everything at face value on the internet if it matches your opinion?

All I see is a video of her questioning a police officer who isn't very good at explaining himself, and then we fast forward to the police looking to arrest her. We have no context whatsoever.

If she was arrested for merely asking the police officer a question, then I'd imagine he'd have done it himself. I'd suggest they visited her house for something else. Unless you have more concrete information.

Just like the spoon example - that isn't indicative of a culture of health and safety - clearly the spoons were categorised incorrectly in their till system, but the shop worker didn't have the intelligence to use their discretion. What would you expect the average Walmart worker to do in the same sort of scenario when Computer Says No?

If you're going to be arrested, its pretty typical for the cops to tell you what you're being arrest for isn't it?

Tony Abbott a strong conservative who removed the Co2 Tax (among other things) when he won that that election, then he was shot down by his own party who put a globalist in power who then when about reinstating all those nasties the Labor party introduced. Both sides have their programs and that is to bring Australia into the global community and both sign away our liberties and subject us to UN laws.

Abbott won on conservative values. I think its quite interesting reflection on general australian values that we call out bullshit, but we also don't like arrogant fuckwits. Abbott was just way too smug and was way too proud about "stopping the boats", which of course most australians want, but most people find it pretty distasteful. He also threatened to "shirtfront" Putin which was pretty amusing. His own party voted him out because he would have lost the election and thank god they did otherwise we'd all be paying more in taxes and getting visited by the cops for posting "hate speech" online.

Where do you think you can go to escape?

Texas? how long until the immigrant californians turn that state blue?

[Mark Rippetoe]

If you're going to be arrested, its pretty typical for the cops to tell you what you're being arrest for isn't it?

Not if you're being arrested by The Stasi!

Texas? how long until the immigrant californians turn that state blue?

It will take the bastards another 20 years. We're enjoying it while we can.

[TonyE]

Two things here: First, the fact that spoons can even be entered into the computer as a dangerous devise not to be sold to minors is what they call in progressive circles "problematic," and I would hope that any American presented with that instruction would first laugh their asses off and second assume it must be some stupid mistake and sell the kid his teaspoons.

I would hope the same for any Brit, but that didn't happen. Like I said, the incident was due to a worker not using their brain, rather than some Orwellian culture that bans teaspoons. No-one in the UK thinks teaspoons are dangerous and should be banned. I wouldn't be too hopeful that any American would be any different - we were in the States and went to a bar - my father in law was refused alcohol as he had no ID with him. He's Rip's age. Almost everyone else I know that has visited the US has a similar story. If Rip came into my bar, I wouldn't even ask him for ID. Would you?

Second, there is also the incident with the potato peeler. Apparently that dude has to go before a judge. This also means it's no longer a "one off."

The only thing I can think of here is the picture you have in your head of a potato peeler is different from mine. The ones we're talking about here are basically knives with a hollow out of the middle of the blade, not the ones with a sort of 'D' shape at the end. If you're wondering why they are considered dangerous in certain circumstances, then I'll join in the link sharing:

Jazzie Watson jailed for murder of brother Shamus McNama during family row - Bristol Live

Access Denied

BBC NEWS | UK | Scotland | Son attacks father with potato peeler

Career criminal who has been joyriding since age 11 and killed a pedestrian at 15 is jailed | Daily Mail Online

If you want to debate the knife laws, that's one thing, but one story about a man being arrested for having a potato peeler with no other info doesn't add up.

You see, it's not just that the laws are absurd. This is actually how you recognize that you are slipping into a totalitarian mindset. The laws are absurd, and yet they are obeyed anyway, because it's not enough to just control someone. You have to make them know that they are being controlled. If the laws make logical sense and are morally based, then we are talking about the capital L Law, the great English invention of English Common Law, and all is right in the world. But if I control you and I want you to really know that you are under my control then the best thing to do is to have you follow my absurd whims. If you do it, I know and you know who is in control. This not only removes your agency now, it makes it increasingly unlikely that you are going to protest the next time when my whims become even more absurd (and they will). It's not so much about the thing itself.

I understand all of this - I'm more aggrieved at the level of 'debate' which involves taking an already discredited media at face value and presenting it as 'proof' of whatever point you were trying to make (I realise I did that above). It's why I stopped using Facebook, which to be honest I didn't want to use in the first place and I'm annoyed that I gave in.

[shabu]

[Dave Longley]

Pip pip, Cherio, all that rot.

Cultural appropriation. Those are OUR words.

[Phill]

But if I control you and I want you to really know that you are under my control then the best thing to do is to have you follow my absurd whims. If you do it, I know and you know who is in control. This not only removes your agency now, it makes it increasingly unlikely that you are going to protest the next time when my whims become even more absurd (and they will). It's not so much about the thing itself.

Sounds like an abusive relationship and describes the government and citizen situation perfectly.

[Eric Schexnayder]

Texas? how long until the immigrant californians turn that state blue?

Considering that they appear to be moving there because of the "redness" of Texas, I'd say never. At least that's how I manage to get to sleep every night.