[tomtom]

Interesting what happened in the US re: child separations at borders.

It appears that the 'new' politic does have limits/lines that should not be crossed....

I am optimistic that there will be a global revulsion at what is happening - and optimistic it will not take a horrific war(s) to bring on that realisation (as happened with Hitler, Mussolini, Franco, genocide, concentration caps.. & ww2).

[SA Chris]

Oh, and it now costs £4.95 to report the loss and get a report for the insurance, because Devon and Cornwall police have privatised that function...

The what????

[Oldmanmatt]

It depends where you lose something, some areas are “subsidised”, some free and some chargable.
To give you a clue how this is heading, when first reaching the site, you must choose whether you are in the US or the UK...

https://www.reportmyloss.com/uk/

[Nibile]

Matt, thank you, it sucks nonetheless.
I know it's global, but of course each one suffers for its own Country. Not to say that here we have a strong past with which many still have to seriously deal, so the stench of fascism is even less bearable.

[DAVETHOMAS90]

But it all happens in the most local of ways imaginable.

Sadly, I think Global puts it somewhere else, with someone else, when in reality, we're all in the same place.

Good posts, both.

[Oldmanmatt]

Matt, thank you, it sucks nonetheless.
I know it's global, but of course each one suffers for its own Country. Not to say that here we have a strong past with which many still have to seriously deal, so the stench of fascism is even less bearable.

My (one of) Great Grandfather was a Communist in Napoli, who had to run to Malta when Il Duce rose to power.
My Grand parents grew up in the ‘30s, both used to talk about the Black shirts. That Grand Father also used to try and explain that even amongst his shipmates (Royal Navy) during the war, there were those that reckoned the Nazi’s had a few good points.
Populism strikes the same cords, with the same types, regardless of nationality or race. Fascism is just one form and actually more nebulous than the strict dictionary definition. It really isn’t far removed from the French Revolution (s) and the rise of Robespierre, and very similar to Napoleon’s ascension. Even comparable to Cromwell’s nasty little soirée into populist governance. There can’t be many nations that don’t have a replica of that particular skeleton in their closet.
Apparently, the USA is late to this party, but are catching up...

[andy popp]

As a rule, I have been very wary of reaching for the term "fascism" as, in most cases, it is an inappropriate and somewhat lazy comparison, but the signs in the US are currently very worrying. The country remains a long way from fascism, but the drift is undeniable right now. I am not particularly optimistic.

[Oldmanmatt]

To me, it’s just a term that covers a multitude of populist/strongman/single party regimes throughout history, that all seem to bare enough similarities to be lumped in together.
I mean, a bear with white fur, is just as deadly as it’s brown cousin.

I like the Wikipedia definition (hey! Language is fluid, do you “Vacuum” your carpet, or “Hoover” it?).
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fascism

Or to put it another way, it’s just a (relatively) new word for an old demon...

Edit:
Actually, this is a better summation and I see Andy’s point.

https://www.newstatesman.com/world/2018/06/warning-signs-donald-trump-nazi

[Nibile]

Andy, I could agree with you about the term fascism, because I know your vast cultural background and formation.
Unfortunately, you're an exception.
I know that the definition is not specifically exact, but it covers all the blurriness in which the fascists revel and prosper.
The present right wing has undefined borders, that somehow, to a blind eye, allow them to always deny being fascists. But it's this lack of definition that allow them to sit in Parliaments here and there.
So, I use the term fascist to make clear that I know their game. It's 2018, but if these very persons were in 1933, or in 1921, they would wear brown or black shirts and march in the streets.
It's like the old: "I'm not racist, but..." Or: "I'm not homophobic, but..."
It's that "but" that makes all the difference.

[andy popp]

Thanks Matt, that article is a useful summation. Over or inappropriate use of terms such as fascism dilute its power and usefulness as a rhetorical tool. I would be particularly wary of lumping all forms of populism in with fascism. For example, the People's Party, a late C19th US agrarian party, were certainly populists but also definitely not fascists - but then that's the historian in me insisting on some specificity. Btw, my initial comments weren't aimed at anything anyone had said here.

Weirdly, despite the fact Hoover was a US company, Americans seem never to use the name as a verb in the way we do in Britain. My wife looked at me like I was mad first time I said I was going to do the Hoovering.

[andy popp]

The present right wing has undefined borders, that somehow, to a blind eye, allow them to always deny being fascists. But it's this lack of definition that allow them to sit in Parliaments here and there.
So, I use the term fascist to make clear that I know their game.

This exactly Lore - we should not always fear to use the term, but reserve it for when it helps explain something we can observe. And lest we forget, the initial route to fascism in both Italy and Germany was via the ballot box as well as the boot.

[Nibile]

Exactly Andy.

[andy popp]

Also, I should have said that I am sorry to hear the news from Siena. I think it is especially disturbing when it happens somewhere we know and love.

[Nibile]

Cheers Andy.

[mrjonathanr]

Siena... sorry to hear that, no one on here wants to report anything similar about where we live

Re fascism, the Guardian had this to say

in 1938, a New York Times reporter warned: “When and if fascism comes to America it will not be labelled ‘made in Germany’; it will not be marked with a swastika; it will not even be called fascism; it will be called, of course, ‘Americanism’.”

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/feb/03/americanism-us-writers-imagine-fascist-future-fiction

[Nibile]

Thanks for the support guys. Much appreciated.

[BrutusTheBear]

Totally insignifcant  in comparison to having fascists elected locally (although one could argue convincingly that our present government is facist)..
For the first time I Fell off hanging flakes at Combeshead Tor, Dartmoor around about this time last Saturday.  Rolled my ankle on landing and the pain commenced.  Had a ride in a whirlybird to hospital.  Fractured ankle..
Apparently it’s not a bad one, I have an ‘air cast’ which I can remove and I am allowed to weight it as soon as I feel able.  As the swelling goes down the mobility is improving.
Any advice for speeding recovery appreciated.

[mrjonathanr]

No advice on healing but if you get fed up with crutches these things are the biz
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=knee+scooter&rlz=1C9BKJA_enGB690GB691&hl=en-GB&prmd=sivn&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj2wYTtqKzdAhXJasAKHfYCBtwQ_AUIEigC&biw=1024&bih=653#imgrc=HD12JQFKqPbCpM:

[Oldmanmatt]

Would you, in fact, be considering these nuances; as one of the little darlings was chowing down on the soft tissues of your face?

Or, possibly, “Oh look! Aren’t I lucky to be one of the relatively few people to be mauled by a Black bear!”

Personally, I suspect I’d go with “F#%king bears, all the f#%king same. Bastards!” or similar.
Possibly just “Arrrghhhhuuuurkkk...ukkk...” but you get the idea.

Politically speaking, I was lamenting the fact that, as you move from the political centre, toward either extreme, the believers seem to become more similar to their opposite numbers.

I understand that this is intellectually lazy, on my part.

However, in my defence, I just cannot be arsed to apply rigorous classification to distinguish between, the bunch of wankers with uniforms (little silver badge) that want to kill my neighbour (two doors down, old Mr Weinstien) because he’s the source of all woes and insist that my family and I must labour for the good of the state. Or, the other group (similar uniform, green flash) who want to kill Mr Weinstien and Mr&Mrs Patel (three doors up, similar reasons) and want me and my family to convert to their religion. Or, that other bunch (same f#@king uniform, Red flag on sleeve) that  want to kill Mr Johnson (opposite) because he sells insurance for the bank and anyone who asks why, and want my family and I to labour for the good of the state...

And so on.

So I prefer to go with “Bastards! All of them!”

To be fair, though, they do have a point about the Insurance salesman.

[DAVETHOMAS90]

Excellent.

Thinking about it a little, I'd suggest the reference to "political centre" is redundant.

Polarised and extreme thinking is by definition about the opposing ends.

Irrationality of all kinds might be even more deadly when hidden at the centre - where everything is decidedly beige.

[SA Chris]

Any advice for speeding recovery appreciated.

As said elsewhere, unlucky! Only advice I can give is follow medical recommendations, and don't overdo it. In some ways a bone heals faster than a tendon.

[duncan]

No advice on healing but if you get fed up with crutches these things are the biz
https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=knee+scooter&rlz=1C9BKJA_enGB690GB691&hl=en-GB&prmd=sivn&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj2wYTtqKzdAhXJasAKHfYCBtwQ_AUIEigC&biw=1024&bih=653#imgrc=HD12JQFKqPbCpM:

This surely misses the point of ankle injuries which is to get beastly strong lats., triceps and grip via crutch-walking marathons?

[SA Chris]

Look like way more fun than crutches though.

[andy popp]

It actually happened a couple of months ago, but RIP to my board. I can't believe the amount of incredible use we got out of for well over ten years. Myself, Pete Chadwick, Euan McCallum, and Merseyside legend Will Sim (see in the picture still doing hard problems at 70) were the regulars. Other frequent users at times included Will Hunt when he now't but a lad, Rich Kirby and Adam Lincoln more recently. Monolith put in some appearances and there occasional guest appearances from luminaries such as Andy Brown and Steve Dunning. It would have been great to have got Nibile on it.

[Nibile]

 
Lovely post Andy, thank you.
Well, we could always reverse things, with you coming over to my board, that has seen a few notable appearances: Monolith, Michele Caminati, James Pearson and Caroline, and various other obsessed ones.