tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248503935075362425.post7902480574172781126..comments2024-03-26T07:58:59.761+00:00Comments on I'll think of something later: Carnival of resistanceDavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14506881804082382739noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248503935075362425.post-23307211774565497072018-07-17T10:57:04.847+01:002018-07-17T10:57:04.847+01:00But that was an election, conducted under a faulty...But that was an election, conducted under a faulty American system. A referendum is different - that's asking people to judge issues about which they haven't the faintest idea, whereas election candidates can at least appeal to folk in other sphere, even if only in the cult of personality.<br /><br />Pope Francis has roundly criticised Trump at every point. We're not being soft on Putin at the moment. Trump is an unprecedented phenomenon in my lifetime, and now that it's clear he wreaks unpredictable havoc wherever he goes, he will be invited less and less. Assuming that he lasts much long, which we all hope he doesn't. Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14506881804082382739noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248503935075362425.post-45524774842805224472018-07-16T17:47:50.536+01:002018-07-16T17:47:50.536+01:00I have not met them in the Club, so I suppose that...I have not met them in the Club, so I suppose that J has. Trump is a clot (= clumsy and foolish) But this ( and Brexit) is what you get if you let the people generally have their say. Attlee said that referendums were the device of dictators and demagogues ( = Putin and Trump exactly). But we need another referendum to get us out of the Brexit mess. TINA<br /><br />I do not agree that one should not have meetings with regimes one heartily disapproves of. We entertained Kruschev and Co. Nor is speaking out an absolute - one has to ask what good ( or bad) does it do.....indeed it is seldom useful in the mouth of a politician. Pope Francis was right not to speak out against the Miramar regime though criticised for not doing so. He would not have been able to see the Army chiefs for a private meeting had he done so. David Damantnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248503935075362425.post-29402848965996175272018-07-16T12:21:35.791+01:002018-07-16T12:21:35.791+01:00Agreed in general terms, though the visit should n...Agreed in general terms, though the visit should not have gone ahead after the caged-children debacle. Leaders can and should persistently criticise fascist tactics. There was no end to be sought from Friday's protest other than to give decent Americans a morale boost with a dose of high and creative spirits. In that respect it seems to have worked.<br /><br />I am sorry to hear that there are Trump supporters in your club. It barely seems credible. Now, you would have to be very foolish, very rich or very malignant to agree with him.Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14506881804082382739noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248503935075362425.post-79681782572468188142018-07-16T08:53:51.924+01:002018-07-16T08:53:51.924+01:00A splendid and valuable demonstration. But not a r...A splendid and valuable demonstration. But not a recommendation to government. Trump is a power factor and has to be handled accordingly, maybe criticised but not abused, and not held at arms length despite his terrific unsuitability for high office. The Anti- Brexit campaign is on the other hand a recommendation to government and one can only hope for a second referendum which is the only way out of the present chaos - which stemmed from the first referendumDavid Damantnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248503935075362425.post-81728841070259992432018-07-15T23:55:50.232+01:002018-07-15T23:55:50.232+01:00I'm proud to be a Londoner too, James - or rat...I'm proud to be a Londoner too, James - or rather a citizen of the world, seemingly very much represented on the march. Mille grazie. I hope the morale of good Americans is a little boosted by this holiday atmosphere at such a terrible time.Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14506881804082382739noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248503935075362425.post-66805329354986113712018-07-15T23:49:49.439+01:002018-07-15T23:49:49.439+01:00I am proud of the UK, proud of London. You truly c...I am proud of the UK, proud of London. You truly came through!James Kent Genovesenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248503935075362425.post-81365420052120327262018-07-15T11:10:49.266+01:002018-07-15T11:10:49.266+01:00Wish you could have flown up from down under, Pame...Wish you could have flown up from down under, Pamela. Happy winter term!Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14506881804082382739noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248503935075362425.post-60925947515566182722018-07-15T10:58:04.532+01:002018-07-15T10:58:04.532+01:00An outstanding joyful day celebrating the finest v...An outstanding joyful day celebrating the finest values and British humour. Congratulations, David, on the great photos.Pamela Williamsonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248503935075362425.post-54694370376788690332018-07-14T23:27:57.809+01:002018-07-14T23:27:57.809+01:00Sue - apologies for seeming to ignore your lucid a...Sue - apologies for seeming to ignore your lucid argument. Very enlightening and helpful - I hope the first part of it reaches some of those who are meant to see it.<br /><br />Willemijn - this has been a real education for me as to how civilized and kindly crowds can 'work'. No pushing or shoving. And the choreography for performers and audience alike in Latvia was amazing. i guess there are companies who specialise in that kind of smooth running - but rarely do they have so many people in an auditorium. Perhaps we should also praise the police for their guidance yesterday, too, though the crowd seemed mostly to conduct itself.Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14506881804082382739noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248503935075362425.post-70799587448755788432018-07-14T23:20:13.003+01:002018-07-14T23:20:13.003+01:00Great pictures, David Nice (must say that I hate ...Great pictures, David Nice (must say that I hate crowds too btw).<br />Willemijn Heidemannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248503935075362425.post-45722564876188741742018-07-14T22:59:38.688+01:002018-07-14T22:59:38.688+01:00Well, I suppose you're lucky if you don't ...Well, I suppose you're lucky if you don't get pro-Trump supporters (ie fascists, there can be no other word for the remainder now) out in force... Not sure how they fared in London today, other than the fact that the police prevented them from gathering outside the American Embassy.Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14506881804082382739noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248503935075362425.post-11838456608970396362018-07-14T18:24:14.468+01:002018-07-14T18:24:14.468+01:00Would have loved to have been there! Great pics. A...Would have loved to have been there! Great pics. Alas, the protest movement in rural Wiltshire is not so fervent.Andrew Morrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13621999760260602982noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248503935075362425.post-44045917890727782992018-07-14T18:08:51.684+01:002018-07-14T18:08:51.684+01:00At the risk of being relentless and boring, I went...At the risk of being relentless and boring, I went back and saw that the overseas voter's sign you show above actually had a direct link to the vote from abroad portion of the site I linked. Here it is: <a href="https://www.votefromabroad.org/vote/home.htm" rel="nofollow"> Vote from Abroad </a> (if my attempt at hyperlink code works, that is). <br /><br />Yes, to your comment, the low voter turnout is beyond discouraging, though it probably bears saying that voter suppression measures promoted by the right, including a Supreme Court case substantially diminishing the protections of the Voter Rights Act, are very prevalent and had a big impact on Dem voter turnout in key swing states in 2016. It's thought likely, for example, that the vote in Wisconsin would have gone Democratic were it not for recently enacted voter suppression measures in that state. From a NY Times article:<br /><br />"Nearly 17,000 registered Wisconsin voters — potentially more — were kept from the polls in November [2016] by the state’s strict voter ID law, according to a new survey of nonvoters by two University of Wisconsin political scientists.<br /><br />The survey, summarized on Monday on the university’s website, is certain to further roil an ongoing debate over whether Donald J. Trump’s narrow victory in Wisconsin over Hillary Clinton was a result of efforts to depress Democratic turnout. Mr. Trump defeated Mrs. Clinton by 22,748 votes out of more than 2.9 million ballots cast. The November turnout in Wisconsin, 69.4 percent of eligible voters, was the lowest in a presidential election year since 2000. . . .<br /><br />The study also found that the law disproportionately affected low-income and African-American voters: 21.1 percent of registrants earning less than $25,000 a year were estimated to have been deterred from voting, compared with 2.7 percent of registrants making $100,000 a year or more. More than 27 percent of blacks reported being deterred, compared with about 8 percent of whites."<br /><br />(FYI, the above is a very low-end estimate of voters kept from the polls as a result of these measures.) <br /><br />All that said, however, those who can vote MUST, yet too many don't, or throw away their votes on non-viable third party candidates. So, whenever amongst folks that may be Democratic/Dem leaning expats, do ask them to make sure they get and cast an absentee vote. They will help not only those of us in the US, but all in the world who are not eligible to vote but are nonetheless affected by the current occupant in the White House and his Republican enablers. Protests like the one you report on so colorfully here are a perfect opportunity to spread the word.Susanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15674930917585246294noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248503935075362425.post-52593702571516494172018-07-14T16:42:40.316+01:002018-07-14T16:42:40.316+01:00Thanks for visiting, both. Fascinating how viewing...Thanks for visiting, both. Fascinating how viewing figures over on LinkedIn don't convert into actually clicking on the article, Really sorry for your troubles, Stan, as you know from our correspondence.Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14506881804082382739noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248503935075362425.post-49062252598820149642018-07-14T16:11:26.729+01:002018-07-14T16:11:26.729+01:00A marvellous account of a great day. Trump was sho...A marvellous account of a great day. Trump was shown to the world as an adapted child and my faith in Great Britain was restored a little bit. On with the work to Break Brexit Before Brexit Breaks Britain and Dump Trump.Peter Cooknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248503935075362425.post-74206154775628740232018-07-14T16:09:43.506+01:002018-07-14T16:09:43.506+01:00Thanks David. Great collection. Wish I could have ...Thanks David. Great collection. Wish I could have been there. Wish I had feet that worked! Very cheering. Venceremos.Stan Smithnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248503935075362425.post-80276225261624342242018-07-14T14:56:12.845+01:002018-07-14T14:56:12.845+01:00Thanks Sue, very practical and helpful. I must adm...Thanks Sue, very practical and helpful. I must admit I hadn't given that aspect much thought. Though constantly in my mind is the apathetic 40 per cent who didn't bother to vote in the most vital American election campaign of my lifetime.Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14506881804082382739noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248503935075362425.post-80870492748369496072018-07-14T14:06:14.323+01:002018-07-14T14:06:14.323+01:00If anyone you or friends know is an overseas voter...If anyone you or friends know is an overseas voter who is a Democrat or Democrat-aligned, here is a helpful site: https://www.democratsabroad.org/.Susanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15674930917585246294noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1248503935075362425.post-3540867038857152142018-07-14T13:51:24.954+01:002018-07-14T13:51:24.954+01:00Many striking and witty comments. The one that str...Many striking and witty comments. The one that struck me particularly was the sign from an overseas voter. Overseas voters have perhaps the lowest turnout rate of any in the US. Here’s some information about voting rates among overseas voters: “All overseas Americans can vote by absentee ballot in federal elections, a right they have been able to exercise since 1975. But compared to the general US population, voter turnout among expatriates is low, lower even than among that most notoriously unengaged demographic: the young. In the 2012 cycle, more than 876,000 ballots were sent to overseas voters (51 percent of these were to those in the armed services, and 44.4 percent, or nearly 389,000 ballots, to ‘overseas civilians’). Of these, 69.2 percent (or over 606,000) were returned. Assuming a population of five million eligible voters overseas in 2012 (a conservative estimate), this represents a turnout rate of 12 percent. By contrast, general election turnout among 18-24 year olds was almost triple that, at 41.2 percent.”Susanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15674930917585246294noreply@blogger.com