[remus]

Back on topic, interesting new Israel-Palestine 'peace' deal on the table today...conveniently timed to assist Netanyahu in the upcoming election and with a corruption charge hanging over him!

And 'negotiated' without talking to the palestinians! Funny definition of a deal, seems more like a proclamation.

[Offwidth]

Offwidth, that comes across as a rather bad tempered post, however you meant it. I don't understand the lefts obsession with trashing the media at every opportunity.
People on the right are equally convinced that the BBC is against them, does it not strike you that they're doing something right? I think people do read the fact checking things, not everyone is a foolish automaton.
Anyway this is rather off topic, I'd certainly agree with Andy in that the media in the US is far more partial and in parts willing to accept and propagate bare faced lies.
If you trash the BBC, you won't get some perfect arbiter, you'll get Fox News.

My concerns are simply not about left or right bias (I think the BBC is broadly neutral but has shown bias both ways at diferent times on different topics). My concerns are about more fundamental aspects of journalism: truth and holding politicians to account (and as I munro says not putting equal time and emphasis on both sides of an argument that the facts show really only has one side....like climate change). I will say it again that the BBC is the best state broadcaster in the world that I am aware of but it had a reallly shit election on its most watched news and election output. I see the steps to Fox news (cartoon rightwing popularist propaganda) occuring because the BBC gave Boris a free pass to re-election by not always challenging his very big lies ... and nothing to do with his politics. I think anyone remaining even-tempered in the face of all this is a saint.

How can we not despair in the face of the unchallenged pure fantasy of what was said on Countyfile by the minister in charge of the future of environment and agriculture after brexit.

Government is becoming so detached from reality even the satirist sketch writers are struggling:

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/jan/27/door-matt-an-inspired-choice-to-take-the-huawei-hit

Trump and politics in the US is a warning, not a model to follow.

[TobyD]

Back on topic, interesting new Israel-Palestine 'peace' deal on the table today...conveniently timed to assist Netanyahu in the upcoming election and with a corruption charge hanging over him!

And 'negotiated' without talking to the palestinians! Funny definition of a deal, seems more like a proclamation.

Indeed. It is clearly more about domestic politics in the US and Israel than it is about any interest in peace. Netanyahu is in a worse situation than Trump, and is similarly casting around for a bit of international conflict to strengthen his base of support. Supporting Israel is a distraction from impeachment for Trump and electoral points from the Christian right wing voters. The world would be a better place if neither of these men was leading a country.

[spidermonkey09]

Netanyahu going to prison would definitely be cause for celebration, even if it is unlikely. A truly odious man.

[Offwidth]

Netanyahu going to prison would definitely be cause for celebration, even if it is unlikely. A truly odious man.

As long as you mean his corruption should be the biggest concern.

Back to 5G for a moment it will be interesting to see how Trump spin and Boris spin will be merged at some point for that wonderful trade deal. The fact is the UK are likely to be struggling soon on those  pesky economic forecasts and can't afford to backtrack on 5G installation which is already a good distance down the line; and we need China as much as the US once outside the EU. Even the ministerial  bulldog was supportive (have people forgotten he is a libertarian?)

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/jan/28/dominic-raab-unsettles-huawei-opponents-by-being-nice-for-once

[James Malloch]

Trump's lawyers argued that a quid pro quo that is in the national interest would be a legitimate one. And that believing your own re-election is in the national interest is okay.

 

[TobyD]

Trump wrote of Bolton: “… if I listened to him, we would be in World War Six by now, and goes out and IMMEDIATELY writes a nasty & untrue book. All Classified National Security. Who would do this?”

Even after a few years, I still can't get over the way that this is a powerful grown man more than seventy years old, and he talks and writes like a fucking four year old.

[Fiend]

He never gets any less repugnant and contemptible.

[andy popp]

Trump's lawyers argued that a quid pro quo that is in the national interest would be a legitimate one. And that believing your own re-election is in the national interest is okay.

 

We truly reached some new lows yesterday.

[TobyD]

A small,  meaningless piece of shameless schadenfreude to lighten the mood:

Trump border wall between US and Mexico blows over in high winds
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jan/30/trump-border-wall-between-us-and-mexico-blows-over-in-high-winds?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Copy_to_clipboard

I heard an interesting interview with Michael Lewis (financial journalist and author of the big short) in which he was very confident that Trump would not be reelected,  irrespective of who is running against him. I'd like to have that kind of optimism! 

[andy popp]

I heard an interesting interview with Michael Lewis (financial journalist and author of the big short) in which he was very confident that Trump would not be reelected,  irrespective of who is running against him. I'd like to have that kind of optimism!

Me too! What was his reasoning? I suppose we may have all talked ourselves into an unnecessarily negative mindset ... but I'm not convinced.

[Offwidth]

A small,  meaningless piece of shameless schadenfreude to lighten the mood:

Trump border wall between US and Mexico blows over in high winds
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jan/30/trump-border-wall-between-us-and-mexico-blows-over-in-high-winds?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Copy_to_clipboard

Shame that the viral wall story is partly fake news and so plays to the 'dishonesty of Liberals' agenda of the Trump base (the section was under construction and the concrete foundations hadn't set).

[andy popp]

A small,  meaningless piece of shameless schadenfreude to lighten the mood:

Trump border wall between US and Mexico blows over in high winds
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jan/30/trump-border-wall-between-us-and-mexico-blows-over-in-high-winds?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Copy_to_clipboard

I don't think anyone is treating it as any more than a little light relief. If we can't laugh at him then they're already more than half way to having won.

Shame that the viral wall story is partly fake news and so plays to the 'dishonesty of Liberals' agenda of the Trump base (the section was under construction and the concrete foundations hadn't set).

[remus]

I heard an interesting interview with Michael Lewis (financial journalist and author of the big short) in which he was very confident that Trump would not be reelected,  irrespective of who is running against him. I'd like to have that kind of optimism!

Me too! What was his reasoning? I suppose we may have all talked ourselves into an unnecessarily negative mindset ... but I'm not convinced.

I didn't catch the last part of the interview, but the gist of his point seemed to be that the lies will catch up with Trump eventually and when they do it will be enough to oust him.

[andy popp]

That seems like an awful lot of wishful thinking.

[galpinos]

A small,  meaningless piece of shameless schadenfreude to lighten the mood:

Trump border wall between US and Mexico blows over in high winds
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jan/30/trump-border-wall-between-us-and-mexico-blows-over-in-high-winds?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Copy_to_clipboard

Shame that the viral wall story is partly fake news and so plays to the 'dishonesty of Liberals' agenda of the Trump base (the section was under construction and the concrete foundations hadn't set).

It may not have blown over, but it's not that difficult to climb it.......

[SA Chris]

When it is continuous there won't there be no side to to pull on on the panel at the top?

[remus]

When it is continuous there won't there be no side to to pull on on the panel at the top?

Apparently the top plates aren't continuous, see 2:24 in the vid.

[galpinos]

When it is continuous there won't there be no side to to pull on on the panel at the top?

Edit: What remus said, they decided to leave a gap between panels in construction so you the guy who built the replica thought it was fair game to use the sides to climb.

[SA Chris]

OK, I just speed watched it. Can't make this shit up.

[Offwidth]

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/jan/31/trump-will-put-us-interests-first-in-trade-talks-says-kim-darroch-ambassador

Who could have seen this coming?

[teestub]

‘Leader of Nation will put that Nation’s interests first’ is not a huge news scoop.

[Offwidth]

I'd agree with that.... but it's a timely reminder, an exclusive and a good day for a 'remainer paper' to release it. It's probably a pretty accurate assessment in contrast to the fantasy coming from our government and from Trump.

[andy popp]

Meanwhile, it looks increasingly like he will be acquitted today. Even the Soviet Union would have been embarrassed to call this a trial.

[SA Chris]

We'll never hear the end of it now. He'll bang on about it forever.