Politics So...Europe then?

[Scouse]

It doesnt matter what it is, its what the people feel when they walk the streets.
Thats what fuels the right wing..not stats

So, what you're saying is that it doesn't matter what's real, that it doesn't matter what's actually happening, that it doesn't matter what the verifiable facts are.

Are you saying that the 80% majority of society, who do care about what's real and can differentiate between fact and fiction, should pander to the emotional whims of a minority group of racist fantasists with zero grip on reality?

Nah @Job. We'll continue to laugh at these wankers - because we understand what the world would be like if people like you got any real power - and we won't let it happen.

Despite the worst financial crash in living memory, the worst slide in living standards, falling wages, the longest protacted period of austerity, cuts to benefits, the trashing of public services, increasing job uncertainty, high levels of immigration, massive societal change in the face of new interconnected technologies and the worst levels of financial inequality the world has ever seen - the racist right minority is still struggling to make themselves anything other than a minor irritation.

If you and your dribbling jackbooted facebook friends had any real hope of getting power then right now you should be sweeping across europe like unstoppable wildfire because conditions are ripe.

But you're not. Because four out of five humans can now spot a cunt when they see one.

Well done humans. You're improving

 

[Job]

Because your stats mean nothing...its peoples perception of how their country is going is what matters.
50 years of liberal EU and here we are.
It was going so well and then they played their last hand...destruction of national identity to soften us up for a federal Europe.
Junkers has actually called for it in his last speech...power corrupts...we gave them a trading bloc and now they want to be the economic and military equal of America and China..
It was right there in the small print and no one looked.
Well thats fucked..completely fucked, they started to believe their own bullshit and its falling apart.
I fully expect the EU to get very serious now.
The ruskies..the chinese..the americans, theyre after our stuff..we have to unite.
Well losing us is a rather large hole in the tank.

 

[Gwadien]

Because your stats mean nothing...its peoples perception of how their country is going is what matters.
50 years of liberal EU and here we are.
It was going so well and then they played their last hand...destruction of national identity to soften us up for a federal Europe.
Junkers has actually called for it in his last speech...power corrupts...we gave them a trading bloc and now they want to be the economic and military equal of America and China..
It was right there in the small print and no one looked.
Well thats fucked..completely fucked, they started to believe their own bullshit and its falling apart.
I fully expect the EU to get very serious now.
The ruskies..the chinese..the americans, theyre after our stuff..we have to unite.
Well losing us is a rather large hole in the tank.

I 100% support a European nation.

I guess we'll see why I support that after Brexit.. or not?

 

[Job]

So, what you're saying is that it doesn't matter what's real, that it doesn't matter what's actually happening, that it doesn't matter what the verifiable facts are.

Are you saying that the 80% majority of society, who do care about what's real and can differentiate between fact and fiction, should pander to the emotional whims of a minority group of racist fantasists with zero grip on reality?

Nah @Job. We'll continue to laugh at these wankers - because we understand what the world would be like if people like you got any real power - and we won't let it happen.

Despite the worst financial crash in living memory, the worst slide in living standards, falling wages, the longest protacted period of austerity, cuts to benefits, the trashing of public services, increasing job uncertainty, high levels of immigration, massive societal change in the face of new interconnected technologies and the worst levels of financial inequality the world has ever seen - the racist right minority is still struggling to make themselves anything other than a minor irritation.

If you and your dribbling jackbooted facebook friends had any real hope of getting power then right now you should be sweeping across europe like unstoppable wildfire because conditions are ripe.

But you're not. Because four out of five humans can now spot a cunt when they see one.

Well done humans. You're improving

You are referring to Sweden, thats liberalisms last stand in Europe.
The right has allready won, inmigration has been stalled, Eastern Europe is in revolt, we have left, the EU is building an anti migrant navy for the med.

 

[Gwadien]

I'll take my info from Swedish people.

 

[Bodhi]

You are referring to Sweden, thats liberalisms last stand in Europe.
The right has allready won, inmigration has been stalled, Eastern Europe is in revolt, we have left, the EU is building an anti migrant navy for the med.

Can you stop referring to the dribbling idiots you support as "The Right"? I'm not seeing anything they stand for as remotely free trade, small government minded.

 

[Scouse]

ECHR protecting all our rights again I see.

Must piss @Job off...

 

[Job]

All rather mute in the days of facebook, google and microshite.

Then they go and do this.

www.zdnet.com/google-amp/article/eu-smacks-internet-in-the-face-with-link-tax-and-upload-filter-laws/

 

[Gwadien]

All rather mute in the days of facebook, google and microshite.

Then they go and do this.

www.zdnet.com/google-amp/article/eu-smacks-internet-in-the-face-with-link-tax-and-upload-filter-laws/

From what I understand, it says could - that means that if you have an award winning photograph people can't just steal it.

Getty Images does it already for instance.

 

[Job]

Surely thats allready covered, I understand its a clampdown on google etc for their link results.
Maybe they should be looking into the politics behind their search results.

 

[georgie]

So, what you're saying is that it doesn't matter what's real, that it doesn't matter what's actually happening, that it doesn't matter what the verifiable facts are.

Worryingly that's seems to be quite accurate atm, it's all about the feelings.

At least that's how it appears with the vocal minorities at either end of the spectrum.

That got me wondering about where I fall so I went to find out:

www.politicalcompass.org



Not an exact science but I think that's pretty much where I think of myself as being.

 

[Scouse]

Not an exact science but I think that's pretty much where I think of myself as being.

I'm a little more left than you economically, but bang on exact with the liberalism. But I've closed the page and CBA doing it again

 

[Gwadien]

Worryingly that's seems to be quite accurate atm, it's all about the feelings.

At least that's how it appears with the vocal minorities at either end of the spectrum.

That got me wondering about where I fall so I went to find out:

www.politicalcompass.org

View attachment 39158

Not an exact science but I think that's pretty much where I think of myself as being.

Seemed a bit left leaning to me; the right wing questions seemed to be worded harshly.

Or maybe that's just the reality of right wing politics. I dunno.

'Do you believe that there is a master race' for instance.

 

[Job]

ECHR protecting all our rights again I see.

Must piss @Job off...

Funny Scouse..youre all for the government databases to make sure you have all your documents, but praise the EU for stopping them checking that youre not building a bomb.

 

[Job]

Seemed a bit left leaning to me; the right wing questions seemed to be worded harshly.

Or maybe that's just the reality of right wing politics. I dunno.

'Do you believe that there is a master race' for instance.

I answered honestly and came out just one square above scouse.

 

[Scouse]

Funny Scouse..youre all for the government databases to make sure you have all your documents, but praise the EU for stopping them checking that youre not building a bomb.

A car insurance database is not an infringement of our civil liberties. Making a database of what transgender porn you watch after reading your breitbart feed is.

BTW - you insured your moped yet? It would be a shame to see you imprisoned when you kill an old lady by accident, only for plod to rumble you.

 

[dysfunction]

Someone in London was arrested for a hit run on an ebike. Just saying...

Man, 30, arrested over suspected bicycle hit-and-run accident that left pedestrian fighting for life in Dalston

 

[georgie]

Seemed a bit left leaning to me; the right wing questions seemed to be worded harshly.

Or maybe that's just the reality of right wing politics. I dunno.

'Do you believe that there is a master race' for instance.

The FAQ mentions that.

 

[georgie]

Someone in London was arrested for a hit run on an ebike. Just saying...

Man, 30, arrested over suspected bicycle hit-and-run accident that left pedestrian fighting for life in Dalston

I'm a bad person but "injuring persons by furious driving" made me giggle.

 

[Scouse]

ECHR protecting all our rights again I see.

Come on then @Embattle. Why is that ruling a bad thing? Just a small justification, I promise to not even answer back if you make a fist of it.

 

[Embattle]

Read beyond the headline and it is largely pointless.

 

[Scouse]

Read beyond the headline and it is largely pointless.

I don't get why you say that. A finding that government interception gives impetus for rights watch groups to challenge government policy, and (at least whilst we're in the EU) means that there's a legal requirement for change to occur.

But meh.

 

[Scouse]

Someone in London was arrested for a hit run on an ebike. Just saying...

Man, 30, arrested over suspected bicycle hit-and-run accident that left pedestrian fighting for life in Dalston

I get that. It's shitty.

How-evah: Why is that even reported? There's a fucking load of hit and runs - 17,000 cases of hit and run in 2015. Yet the one that occurs with a bike (admittedly a fucking ebike) is the one that's focussed on.

Two pedestrians a year die in collisions with bikes. You'd think that with the way they're reported on, with the focus on law changes, the stonking outrage and hatred, that cyclists were going around with mad-max blades on their hubs, chopping peoples legs from under them...

Edit: There's a hit and run incident in london every two hours...

 

[Embattle]

Other hit and runs are more common but they are covered by tougher laws, currently doing it on a peddle bike isn't thus there is plenty of noise about it even though from a statistics perspective the numbers are tiny.

 

[Scouse]

Other hit and runs are more common but they are covered by tougher laws, currently doing it on a peddle bike isn't thus there is plenty of noise about it even though from a statistics perspective the numbers are tiny.

Disagree - they banged up that 18 year old kid after he hit that woman on his track bike, despite him hitting her at 18mph in a 30mph zone and blamed it on "wanton and furious" cycling - because of a lack of a front brake, when the physics shows that he wouldn't have been able to brake in time anyway - and he shouted and tried to swerve.

He didn't leave the scene, he was doing 18mph in a 30, woman just stepped into the road. How many drivers would even have been prosecuted for that?

If I was doing 18mph in my car and hit a kid on my street, whilst I would be devastated to have hit the child I wouldn't feel lifelong guilt that it was essentially my fault - I'd be pissed off at the parents for not keeping their kid under control - and in no way would I even be slightly worried that I would be imprisoned for it. I certainly wouldn't be getting prosecuted for "wanton and furious" driving - which technically I could be charged with, just like that kid on the bike was.

 

[Embattle]

1. A proper law is required not one from the horse and carriage era, which ironically many cyclists seemed to think was an excuse not to use it.
2. You can still be prosecuted under a number of other driving laws even when under the speed limit.
3. Any driver would be prosecuted for not having working brakes or any other defect for that matter.

As a long term cyclist since I cycled to work for 15 years I can't say I ever broke the law in getting some where, but I see these sort of excuses from far to many cyclists expecting the law to apply to others using the road to protect them but then trying to abrogate their own responsibilities to others.

 

[Job]

A car insurance database is not an infringement of our civil liberties. Making a database of what transgender porn you watch after reading your breitbart feed is.

BTW - you insured your moped yet? It would be a shame to see you imprisoned when you kill an old lady by accident, only for plod to rumble you.

Its a bit difficult really, I am looking at general bike insurance, but most of them dont include off road...which is kinda pointless for a mtb.
I cant insure it as a moped because it hasnt got a plate and that wouldnt include offroad either.
Anyway a flick of a switch and its legal.

 

[Job]

I get that. It's shitty.

How-evah: Why is that even reported? There's a fucking load of hit and runs - 17,000 cases of hit and run in 2015. Yet the one that occurs with a bike (admittedly a fucking ebike) is the one that's focussed on.

Two pedestrians a year die in collisions with bikes. You'd think that with the way they're reported on, with the focus on law changes, the stonking outrage and hatred, that cyclists were going around with mad-max blades on their hubs, chopping peoples legs from under them...

Edit: There's a hit and run incident in london every two hours...

She was hit by three cyclists, all of them..two on ordinary bikes going too fast in an area of high risk.
Pedestrians are terrible for stepping in front of bikes, they just seem to switch off reality and expect the bike to somehow pass through them.
But cyclists should be more aware of that.

 

[Scouse]

She was hit by three cyclists, all of them..two on ordinary bikes going too fast in an area of high risk.

Link? Really? Three?

I suppose they do travel in groups (which is correct).

Pedestrians are terrible for stepping in front of bikes, they just seem to switch off reality and expect the bike to somehow pass through them.
But cyclists should be more aware of that.

Like drivers should? If someone steps out from behind a van and they're a foot away from you there's nothing you can do. If you're already doing 9.6 mph, which is the average speed of a commuter (in copenhagen), much slower than a car in a 30mph would be doing, with lolzroffles less mass behind you - then what else should you be doing?

Balls. Bikes are not a fucking issue. Cars are.

Pedestrians are terrible for stepping in front of bikes, they just seem to switch off reality and expect the bike to somehow pass through them

This is true. And as a cyclist I do everything I can to be aware of that. Cars also just drive out in front of you, after clearly seeing you (making eye contact) and thinking "fuck it, it's a bike, so there's no risk to me" - and because of that fact alone I avoid roads like the plague.

I do that because I don't want to get hurt in a collision - never mind anyone else - and my self interest trumps my interest in not hurting pedestrians or big lumps of metal. I'm careful because I don't want to die.

Pedestrians need to look out for themselves more, absolutely, but you don't get much of that narrative in the press. And rightly so - because: cars. However, nearly everyone drives cars - so the narrative isn't about car drivers being told to be more careful - despite tens of thousands of collisions with big metal cars - the narrative is on the tiny amount of accidents with bikes.

Strange that. Not.

Either way - post that link please.

 

[Scouse]

As a long term cyclist since I cycled to work for 15 years I can't say I ever broke the law in getting some where, but I see these sort of excuses from far to many cyclists expecting the law to apply to others using the road to protect them but then trying to abrogate their own responsibilities to others.

I don't see any excuses being made? I see some people breaking the law and cycling dangerously (shooting through red lights without a care in the world) just as I see drivers braking the law and driving dangerously (with a much bigger potential to cause harm and damage (which the death and injury figures clearly show)).

I did see braying dogs and headline coverage on every national newspaper, news feed etc, over a single kid old doing 18mph hitting a pedestrian (who wasn't looking when she stepped out in front of him) in a situation where the addition of a front brake (he had a rear) wouldn't have made a difference. Where if a car had hit her at 18mph - there wouldn't have been a prosecution, or even a news story. As evidenced by the thousands of incidents per year of exactly that situation.

Why not the outrage there? I'd link to all the stories of that shit happening - but I can't - because it's not reported. Because: car.

I'm not against updating the law - but it needs to be proportionate and not in response to manufactured outrage - which is exactly the climate cyclists are finding themselves in.