The General Political Thread

[StevenChilton]

This is the guy who sponsored the bill through the EU 'Parliament':

Spoiler

[close]

Doesn't matter anyway, at the next election we can just vote out the EU Commission if we don't like what it's doing. Oh wait...

[junedragon]

Love the jubilation at passing legislation on the internet that the people who invented the internet said is a bad idea.

[Conway]

Mad Max is back on the scene
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/bernier-peoples-party-canada-1.4823647

[StevenChilton]

Mad Max is back on the scene
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/bernier-peoples-party-canada-1.4823647

Total insanity. The only thing Bernier will achieve will be to split the anti-Trudeau vote, thereby keeping the Liberals in power after the next election. Bernier just comes across as a sore loser on an ego trip.

[Conway]

Mad Max is back on the scene
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/bernier-peoples-party-canada-1.4823647

Total insanity. The only thing Bernier will achieve will be to split the anti-Trudeau vote, thereby keeping the Liberals in power after the next election. Bernier just comes across as a sore loser on an ego trip.

100% True although he is the most interesting party leading right now imo. I'd say Trudeau was getting a second term any way you slice it but now its almost a guarantee.

Fingers crossed for a Peter MacKay government in 2022.

[StevenChilton]

Not sure Trudeau was guaranteed to win, especially after the India trip which changed everything imo. It probably would have ended up in Hung Parliament territory (or close to it) had Bernier's ego not got in the way. Still got another 13 months to go but yeah he's probably gonna win a second term. Really frustrating as a man who's as equally thick and vain as Trump really doesn't deserve to win again.

[Conway]

Not sure Trudeau was guaranteed to win, especially after the India trip which changed everything imo. It probably would have ended up in Hung Parliament territory (or close to it) had Bernier's ego not got in the way. Still got another 13 months to go but yeah he's probably gonna win a second term. Really frustrating as a man who's as equally thick and vain as Trump really doesn't deserve to win again.

I only say he was guaranteed a second term mainly because no one knows who Andrew Scheer is and Trudeau remains fairly popular although not much as he once was. I'd agree though that he'd come back in with far less seats in any case. Had the Conservatives initially picked Bernier I feel that a Conservative government may have been plausible but most Canadians don't even know who Scheer is rn. Scheer, although seemingly well intentioned has got no fire in him. His main appeal to voters right now is that hes not Trudeau. It kinda feels like a terminal status quo in Canadian politics right now. Trudeau and Scheer just feel like lukewarm options, the NDP is never coming back into opposition, the Blocs falling apart. Provincial politics are currently more interesting than Federal by a long shot.

But like once Scheers is gone - Baird or MacKay lets go

[StevenChilton]

I guess I'm biased as I really like Scheer. He just comes across as a nice, family-orientated guy. He's also not vain or showy which is kinda refreshing.

Still hoping for a PM Jason Kenney at some point but he'll be Premier of Alberta well into the 2020s, so won't be returning to federal politics anytime soon.

[Oatmeal]

Kap only started this shit cause he was about to get benched.  A backup QB that was jerked off to infinity by the franchise because he had one good game and led them to Super Bowl which they lost anyways. Fast forward a few years and he has had two losing seasons, abysmal yards thrown, and a frustrated, shrinking fanbase. "What ever shall I do to regain my relevancy oh lord?" cried the oversized afro.  The rest is history from there.  He used his standing in the NFL to stir some controversy and regain his audience, promptly splitting the country's opinion of him.  Also, only getting a fourth out of his contract probably sent him into a hissy fit.  The kid was shoved into the spotlight and he didn't know what to do without it.


Though, who cares about American sports outside of the states anyways, the rest of the world is living in bliss! While this "shithole" bulldozes itself a grave.

freezing cold take tbh

[Sgt.Winters]

Kap only started this shit cause he was about to get benched.  A backup QB that was jerked off to infinity by the franchise because he had one good game and led them to Super Bowl which they lost anyways. Fast forward a few years and he has had two losing seasons, abysmal yards thrown, and a frustrated, shrinking fanbase. "What ever shall I do to regain my relevancy oh lord?" cried the oversized afro.  The rest is history from there.  He used his standing in the NFL to stir some controversy and regain his audience, promptly splitting the country's opinion of him.  Also, only getting a fourth out of his contract probably sent him into a hissy fit.  The kid was shoved into the spotlight and he didn't know what to do without it.


Though, who cares about American sports outside of the states anyways, the rest of the world is living in bliss! While this "shithole" bulldozes itself a grave.

freezing cold take tbh

I let my hot cocoa get cold, now im mad

EDIT: Probably should have said earlier that he wasn't a half bad QB and could have rebounded. But with how it went down in 2016, he pretty much fucked himself.

[StevenChilton]

Whenever you feel like criticising the 1940s/50s generation for falling for 'big tobacco', remember that as a generation we're just as thick.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-45545233

[Duuring]

Except for the fact we know the health risks (and benefits) of cannabis to a much better degree than the 40/50s generation did about tabacco.

Anyway, how's the Brexit going? I haven't been following it except for the occasional article in the mainstream Dutch news.

[StevenChilton]

Except for the fact we know the health risks (and benefits) of cannabis to a much better degree than the 40/50s generation did about tabacco.

We really don't. For a start cannabis is a psychotropic drug and our understanding of the human brain is still fairly primitive. We're also at a point where the links between cannabis use and mental illness are starting to pile up.

Anyway, how's the Brexit going? I haven't been following it except for the occasional article in the mainstream Dutch news.

Withdrawal agreement has been finalised (at least between the technical teams) and agreed to in principle behind the scenes. May and Merkel sidelined Barnier and thrashed out a deal between London and Berlin.

Won't be made fully public for a while, a few politicians need to get their pictures taken and Barnier will want to eat a few more cakes at taxpayer's expense, but it's a done deal. May is trying to sell it to the Brits, Merkel is trying to sell it to Brussels. Only thing that can wreck it is either a) internal Tory party plotting (can't be ruled out) or b) some idiot in the EU Commission (probably Selmayr) trying to take on Berlin.

Next hurdle is that future trade arrangements need to be negotiated but that'll be post-March 2019.

[Ambiguous]

Except for the fact we know the health risks (and benefits) of cannabis to a much better degree than the 40/50s generation did about tabacco.

We really don't. For a start cannabis is a psychotropic drug and our understanding of the human brain is still fairly primitive. We're also at a point where the links between cannabis use and mental illness are starting to pile up.

Anyway, how's the Brexit going? I haven't been following it except for the occasional article in the mainstream Dutch news.

Withdrawal agreement has been finalised (at least between the technical teams) and agreed to in principle behind the scenes. May and Merkel sidelined Barnier and thrashed out a deal between London and Berlin.

Won't be made fully public for a while, a few politicians need to get their pictures taken and Barnier will want to eat a few more cakes at taxpayer's expense, but it's a done deal. May is trying to sell it to the Brits, Merkel is trying to sell it to Brussels. Only thing that can wreck it is either a) internal Tory party plotting (can't be ruled out) or b) some idiot in the EU Commission (probably Selmayr) trying to take on Berlin.

Next hurdle is that future trade arrangements need to be negotiated but that'll be post-March 2019.

Why not both the Tory party tearing itself apart from inside and the EU having what is in essence a march against Berlin. That should make 2019 very fun.

[StevenChilton]

I doubt the latter would happen. You'd have to be very brave (or very stupid) to take a stand against vital German interests in the EU.