[Nibile]

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/europe-in-turmoil-as-italian-pm-is-defeated-rbw8vgq9v
So happy to send this buffoon home. Now he'll have to learn a job for the first time in his life. Most of all, we kept our Constitution intact, and this was the only important thing to do.

[andy popp]

How do you see the longer term consequences working out Lore? Obviously there will be an election. Northern League and 5 Star to win?

Austria was a relief.

[Nibile]

Good question Andy, good question.
First of all, a disclaimer: as an Italian, I can survive our politics only by thinking that they're all a bunch of corrupted mofos, useless people at best. This enables me to avoid thinking, to some extent, to long term consequences, because that would mean accepting the fact that nothing will ever change, because noone, at present, seems to be a reliable, honest politician.
Anyway...
This referendum was particular because, although not strictly political, it had an enormous political meaning, because the Constitutional Reform was written, sought after and promoted by the Government and not by the people.
Renzi had spent all his energies to make it pass, and of course he compromised himself with the usual moral extortion of menacing his resignation, in order to scare people about the possibility of Lega Nord or 5Stelle going to govern.
Fortunately enough, people didn't get scared.
In my case, for instance, I would have voted NO even if I'd have been certain that after Renzi there would be another Mussolini. The importance of blocking this so called reform (an abomination in reality) was more important than anything else. Prime Ministers come and go, especially here, but a Constitution could and should last forever, and the reform was purely filthy.
First of all it's a good sign, that people care about the Constitution. It was written by a Costituent Assembly that included some of the brightest juridical minds that our country has ever seen, and it carried over all the different facets of the post-fascist era, from Communism, to Socialism, to Catholicism, to Liberism.
This reform was written and conceived with partial necessities in mind, just from a single party. I won't go into the details, but it was so badly written and conceived that one famous constitutionalist said: "If it passes, I will stop teaching at university, because I can't understand what they say."
Other constitutionalists said that it was aimed at creating such a tied bond between regions and central government, that it was in fact unconstitutional, because it was going against the principle of the local autonomies, that is one of the Fundamental Principles of our Constitution.

Then, what now? The future is uncertain.
There are numerous possibilities, Renzi could be given another chance, or we could go to elections, or someone else could be called to form a new Government, even under the form of a so called Technical Government, waiting for new elections.
The main thing is: the present electoral system has been declared unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court. Mainly it's due to the fact that it's based on "blocked lists": the elector can't really chose the person that he wants to send to the Parliament; the lists, with an order of priority, are blocked and made by the political parties. So, you vote the party and the party choses the single persons following a predetermined list in whose formation the electors have no voice.
This is unconstitutional.
So, this entire Parliament, and therefore the present Government and the present President of the Republic, are deprived of valid legitimateness to stay where they are. They are unconstitutional. And yet they wanted to change the constitution... strange isn't it?
So, the first step is obviously a reform of the electoral system, leaving behind the present fraud and going back to a proportional system (with a majority prize, for sure) with open lists and preferences.
Without this, whoever comes now, will be deprived of real democratic consensus.

[andy popp]

Thanks. That's actually one of the best explanations that I've read. It is clearly wrong to reduce this to an Italian equivalent of Brexit/Trump.

[Nibile]

Cheers Andy, my pleasure.

[jwi]

Comedy gold:

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/officers-737519-police-irvine.html

“two police officers discovered white powder scattered through the home and reported feeling dizzy”

“The fact that it (the powder) created a low-oxygen environment made us very concerned”

“The subject who called us for assistance was evasive with the first-responders and couldn’t fully explain the items (powder) inside the location”

The slide show with pictures of US robocops is hilarious.

[Oldmanmatt]

That is funny.

But not as funny as BoJo insulting the Saudis right as his boss is actually visiting them!

Not that he's wrong, per se, just that he is to diplomacy what a chainsaw is to eye surgery...

http://news.sky.com/story/boris-johnson-accuses-uk-ally-saudi-arabia-of-playing-proxy-wars-10687393


All posts either sarcastic, tongue-in-cheek or mildly mocking-in-a-friendly-way unless otherwise stated. I always forget to put those smiley things...

[jwi]

 

“The Foreign Secretary's remarks about a UK ally playing "proxy wars" are "not the Government's views”

There cannot be many prime-ministers anywhere anytime who's been forced to say “The foreign minister's view on foreign affairs is not the government's view” 

[SA Chris]

She fucking appointed the idiot. She should be responsible for sacking him.

I reckon him and Trump have a bet on to see who can cause a war first.

[Oldmanmatt]

She fucking appointed the idiot. She should be responsible for sacking him.

I reckon him and Trump have a bet on to see who can cause a war first.

She's losing the plot. Apparently even being aggressive to her own constituents, who she feels she no longer represents, being now something more transcendent.

http://www.theneweuropean.co.uk/top-stories/my_brawl_over_brexit_with_prime_minister_theresa_may_1_4807899?platform=hootsuite

Of course, that's a her word against her word thing, but seems consistent with May's public posturing.
She's acting like some God anointed monarch, even attributed her actions to divine guidance, ffs. Her cabinet is a joke, pulling in different directions and each convinced they're in charge. Pretty difficult to have any faith in their ability to lead us through the difficult times ahead.


All posts either sarcastic, tongue-in-cheek or mildly mocking-in-a-friendly-way unless otherwise stated. I always forget to put those smiley things...

[SA Chris]

She's acting like some God anointed monarch, even attributed her actions to divine guidance, ffs.

Totally. Following the Maggie model of batshit mental leadership.

[Oldmanmatt]

On the subject of comedy moments, you couldn't make up even channeling Douglas Adams...

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/dec/09/nigel-farage-scathing-attack-ukip-low-grade-people?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Facebook

Who'd a thunk it, eh?


All posts either sarcastic, tongue-in-cheek or mildly mocking-in-a-friendly-way unless otherwise stated. I always forget to put those smiley things...

[Oldmanmatt]

And today's Wank Spanner is:

The Right Honourable Ian Liddell-Grainger! 
A true man of the people.

http://www.somersetcountygazette.co.uk/news/14958219.Forgetful_MP_launches_angry_tirade_against_police_gun_permit_delay_after_failing_to_renew_his_firearm_license/?ref=twtrec


All posts either sarcastic, tongue-in-cheek or mildly mocking-in-a-friendly-way unless otherwise stated. I always forget to put those smiley things...

[Obi-Wan is lost...]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-38334437

[slackline]

Pie in the Sky!

[Obi-Wan is lost...]

Pies the limit!

[Oldmanmatt]

I'm not a huge Guardian fan, but I imagine the smile of the writer of this piece being somewhat broad...

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/dec/19/mail-pays-out-150k-to-muslim-family-over-katie-hopkins-column?CMP=share_btn_tw

To my mind, there is only one "Cockroach" mentioned in the above...


All posts either sarcastic, tongue-in-cheek or mildly mocking-in-a-friendly-way unless otherwise stated. I always forget to put those smiley things...

[Oldmanmatt]

You just couldn't make it up! No one would believe you:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2016/12/22/george-cottrell-jailed-phoenix-irs/95772236/


All posts either sarcastic, tongue-in-cheek or mildly mocking-in-a-friendly-way unless otherwise stated. I always forget to put those smiley things...

[Mike Tyson]

News must be scarce for the BBC currently.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-38496024

[slackline]

  

[slackline]

How to Destroy the Business Model of Breitbart and Fake News

[slackline]

Skills for navigating the current minefield of "news"....

Calling Bullshit

[SA Chris]

http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/naked-female-cleaners-wanted-to-clean-houses-in-leeds-for-45-an-hour-1-8339053

[andy popp]

My partner used to have a cleaner who would clean in the nude - its wasn't part of the deal or anything, she just liked to take her clothes off.

[Oldmanmatt]

My partner used to have a cleaner who would clean in the nude - its wasn't part of the deal or anything, she just liked to take her clothes off.

Do you have her number?
[emoji13]


All posts either sarcastic, tongue-in-cheek or mildly mocking-in-a-friendly-way unless otherwise stated. I always forget to put those smiley things...