Mailwatch(ed) Forum

I would just like to clarify; I have never made millions of the back of working class people, and Gary is not my cousin

Now it's Abu Dhabi-on-Thames.

Ha ha ha ha. I suppose it's become harder to invoke Argentina.

Nearly 60% of the population of the UAE are of South Asian ethnicity. Quite the model for the Reform Party.

And they have no rights and do all the shit work.

I can see ReFuck getting behind that.

This might get quoted back at Tice a few times. Constituents may not be particularly pleased with him gallivanting to Dubai already.

Dubai: the city that taste forgot.

Alex Phillips, former Brexit Party MEP, is on Newsnight. She is articulate, and I think quite bright, but it's as if she is contractually obliged to talk utter shite.

She is praising Trump unconditionally.

“If anybody else was saying that they thought that they deserved to get the Nobel Peace Prize, we’d all be saying “yer, good on you ! But because it’s Trump …”.

Trouble is, literally nobody else would ever make such a desperate, self-regarding pitch to be given a prestigious prize.

And as so many of us were told variations of in our childhood:

"'I want' never gets".

Abernathy wrote: ↑Fri Oct 10, 2025 10:41 pm Trouble is, literally nobody else would ever make such a desperate, self-regarding pitch to be given a prestigious prize.

The Nobel committee literally said in response to a journalist at a press conference today that they've never had anyone canvass for the prize for themselves before.

Plus of course, the deadline for nominations (from someone else, not the putative prize recipient) for this particular iteration of the Nobel prizes was apparently January 2025 - when Trump had been president for only nine days. So he was always ineligible.

Mind you, he could in theory be eligible to win the prize in 2026 - IF the middle east peace process endures until then. Emily Thornberry says that if that is achieved, he should just be given the fucking prize, as he probably would deserve it then. Emily says if that happens, she’ll be wearing a MAGA hat.

I'm reminded of a few old National Treasures who either didn't get a knighthood or who were on their last legs when the sword was finally tapped on their shoulders - it was usually because they'd tried a bit too hard.

The real trick is the control of the conversation. The media just follows it, every time: it becomes about Trump and this specific issue alone, and slots delightfully easily into the 'world Vs us' mindset his base loves.

Nobody seems to hold more than one piece of information together to consider things simultaneously. E.g. this very welcome cease fire in a context of: previous actions and statements over Gaza not being peaceful: using the military in US cities; claiming he ended 7 wars and miraculously ending one again; the public, venal demanding of the prize; bombing Venzeualan boats (even if drug related, it's bombing); presumably (admittedly I haven't double checked) continuing to supply arms to various murderous regimes worldwide; pardoning domestic insurrectionists; dismantling a democratic constitution; being a self evidently grotesque, venal, grubby moral vacuum.

Not all of those preclude a peace prize, perhaps, but some clearly should, and the rest are fundamentally significant.

davidjay wrote: ↑Sat Oct 11, 2025 2:24 am I'm reminded of a few old National Treasures who either didn't get a knighthood or who were on their last legs when the sword was finally tapped on their shoulders - it was usually because they'd tried a bit too hard.

There seems to be quite a lot of nonsense being posted on social media by far right groups demanding that more British history should be taught in British schools. Schools are currently following a national curriculum which was drawn up and approved by Tory Education Secretary Michael Gove.

In the first 3 years in secondary school pupils follow a History curriculum which is dominated by British history but the emphasise is placed on giving pupils the skills to evaluate evidence and reach their own conclusions.

When it comes to GCSE where History is not compulsory a wider curriculum is offered because schools are keen for as many pupils as possible to opt for History. If GCSE History was dominated by British History less pupils would probably opt to study History. Typically schools cover thing like Medicine through History, the rise of the Nazi's, American history and the the Elizabethan period.

It is difficult to see which bits of British history those on the right think should be taught that isn't being taught.

It's not so much the what as the how. They want RJ Unstead, Our Island Story, and Quality Street tins. Even Gove wasn't mad enough to go fully down that rabbit hole.

They don't like history. They like comforting nostalgia stories that make them feel nice.

I've said it before and I will always say it again. History is not your friend.

Karl Marx was obsessed with British history. His three volume magnum opus never stops banging on about British capitalism.

satnav wrote: ↑Sat Oct 11, 2025 7:58 pm In the first 3 years in secondary school pupils follow a History curriculum which is dominated by British history but the emphasise is placed on giving pupils the skills to evaluate evidence and reach their own conclusions.

There's your problem.

Accidentally caught a moment on BBC just now: Think it was the Laura Kuennsberg programme. Nadine Dorries kissing Trump's ass with a great men of history read of the ceasefire in Gaza.

Why on earth is anyone paying her to opine on anything?!

They don't even pretend to know what's in the curriculum. Just fire off the talking point and narrative all the time.