And if Brexit achieved anything it was that the idea of leaving the EU is not even contemplated anymore in any member state.
I don't know if the EU should want the UK back anytime soon though. Because, as has been mentioned, there will always be some populist hay to be made by agitating against it in the England; for we are only talking about England here really.
Not that one shouldn't agitate against e.g. the EU's shameful immigration or agricultural policies - but that's another matter which doesn't concern the likes of Farage etc.
I think the main problem is the lack of education of the voting public. Most voters make decisions based on impulsivity, obsolete class identity and nostalgia. I have no idea how anyone can deal with this. And even the educated ones you hear on e.g. 'Any Qestions' seem to be mostly overinformed cranks.
Fortunately that doesn't apply to MFL teaching in the UK but the subject is unique because of its performative aspect. Sometimes, howver, I envy English teachers with their quiet classrooms, when I'm doing my all singing, all dancing MFL skit..
every prompt or set of instructions is going to cause confusion
I'm teaching MFL and there's been a lot of pressure to teach in the target language. Initially I tried to toe the line and sometimes issued instructions in the TL. I was disabused of this notion when I found out that around 50% of the pupils had issues following instructions on English.
To be fair, I'm not very good at setting up and explaining games and stuff like that.
I only know "The Sweet Hereafter", "Stories We Tell", which I love, and "Dead Ringers". Cronenberg is a bit too icky for me, but I can see the appeal. I always wanted to see "The Decline of the American Empire" but never got around to it, the same goes for Xavier Dolan.
This is why I think lesser evil is meaningless in this case:
We estimated 75 200 violent deaths (95% CI 63 600–86 800) between Oct 7, 2023, and Jan 5, 2025, representing approximately 3·4% of the Gaza Strip's pre-conflict population. Women, children (ie, younger than 18 years), and older people (ie, older than 64 years) comprised 56·2% (95% CI 50·4–61·9) of violent deaths, totalling 42 200 deaths (95% CI 33 100–51 300).
This is not counting the maimed and injured, or describing the ongoing effects of the destruction of essential medical and energy infrastucture, supply chains and housing.
The dems were paying lip service but no concrete action was taken. Biden could have stopped the slaughter with a phone call, instead the arms and the money were flowing unimpeded. Harris wanted to play both sides. As Donald and I mentioned, they couldn't even bring themselves to have a Palestinian speaker at the DNC. It was moral bankrupcty. You can believe what you want, Donald can vote for whom he wants and I will play the role of sternest critic of Biden and the Dems if needed.
Someone who wants things to change needs to get out there in the primaries, if not before, and work for candidates that will do that.
Good luck with that. Any pro-Palestinian candidate would have been discounted immediately by the DNC. They wouldn't even allow a Palestinian speaker at the national convention:
At that point in time the Democrats were not the lesser evil because they were enabling the indiscriminate mass slaughter of Palestinians and the wholesale destruction of their homeland. Is that really so hard to understand?
“They blew it,” Zogby said. “We gave [the Harris campaign] multiple opportunities and ideas as to how to do this, and they finally started with three days out, but it was way too late in the game.”
Mohamed Gula, director of Emgage, a Muslim political advocacy group, said “a lot has to change and there’s a lot Democrats would have to do” to win back Arab and Muslim voters.
“There wasn’t a full belief that Trump was better than Harris – it was that the situation was not acceptable and there needs to be change, and we will take whatever comes from that and do what we need to,” he said.
Chowdury said Muslim voters in 2028 will support the party that most promotes peace.
Lesser evilism is getting a bit old considering all the wars and 'military actions' Democrats have supported. And Gen Z isn't having it anymore.
To people complaining that the Dems lost Dearborne, I suggest imagining, just for a moment or two, that they were asked to vote for someone carpet bombing Ohio, Florida, California or wherever their friends and family might live.
Seldom is a voice heard that says: oh, maybe the Dems should change their policies in this regard. It's always: oh, the average Joe likes a bit of imperialistic grandstanding and cruelty, so we'll have to give it to him.
The US president just threatened the genocide not only of a people but a 'whole civilization'. Can somebody go out on the streets in protest? Or evoke the 25th amendment?
This is not normal. Not even Putin said such things.
I like that quote, but I just read up on Oakshott and came across this. I'm not a fan playing the life against the work but it's there is an undeniable discrepancy between the public and private persona:
Oakshott married three times and was twice divorced. In 1927, he married Joyce Fricker, and they had a daughter, Daphne, and two sons, Simon and Francis, the latter only one year old when his parents separated. In 1936, while still with his wife, he began an affair with Kate Burton, a young graduate of Newnham College. In 1938 he was divorced and married Burton, gaining a small step-son, Christopher Cox, in whom he took little interest. They were together living in Great Shelford until 1940, but Oakeshott refused to have children with his second wife, and the marriage effectively came to an end during the Second World War. When Oakeshott returned from his military service at the end of the war, he moved into a college room and did not return to his wife. This is reported to have left her heartbroken.[21]
From the 1940s to the 1960s, Oakeshott had numerous affairs, many of them with wives of his students, colleagues, and friends, and even with his son Simon's girlfriend.[21] His most notable lover known to his biographers was Iris Murdoch. With Mary Walsh, in 1955 he had a son, Sebastian, out of wedlock, but abandoned them when the child was two and did not meet him again for nearly twenty years.
*Comment archive for non-registered commenters assembled by email address as provided.
On “Feel the Burnham!”
The numbers are quite encouraging:
https://yougov.com/en-gb/articles/54925-what-do-britons-think-of-brexit-10-years-since-the-referendum
And if Brexit achieved anything it was that the idea of leaving the EU is not even contemplated anymore in any member state.
I don't know if the EU should want the UK back anytime soon though. Because, as has been mentioned, there will always be some populist hay to be made by agitating against it in the England; for we are only talking about England here really.
Not that one shouldn't agitate against e.g. the EU's shameful immigration or agricultural policies - but that's another matter which doesn't concern the likes of Farage etc.
"
I think the main problem is the lack of education of the voting public. Most voters make decisions based on impulsivity, obsolete class identity and nostalgia. I have no idea how anyone can deal with this. And even the educated ones you hear on e.g. 'Any Qestions' seem to be mostly overinformed cranks.
On “Open Thread”
Fortunately that doesn't apply to MFL teaching in the UK but the subject is unique because of its performative aspect. Sometimes, howver, I envy English teachers with their quiet classrooms, when I'm doing my all singing, all dancing MFL skit..
"
every prompt or set of instructions is going to cause confusion
I'm teaching MFL and there's been a lot of pressure to teach in the target language. Initially I tried to toe the line and sometimes issued instructions in the TL. I was disabused of this notion when I found out that around 50% of the pupils had issues following instructions on English.
To be fair, I'm not very good at setting up and explaining games and stuff like that.
"
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/may/22/israel-politics-itamar-ben-gvir
"
The latest from a certain prominent member of the Israeli government:
“all of Lebanon must burn”
“for every tear of an Israeli mother, a thousand Lebanese mothers must weep”
The saddest thing is that not that he's a psychopath but that a fair chare of people voted him into power and agree with him.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2026/jun/19/middle-east-crisis-live-israel-strikes-targets-in-lebanon-as-us-iran-talks-in-switzerland-called-off?page=with%3Ablock-6a34f1a18f083b97ede8ba1d#block-6a34f1a18f083b97ede8ba1d
"
This is heartbreaking. Nothing good has come of this and "the weak suffer what they must" - as usual.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/07/world/middleeast/iranians-despair-war-economy-inflation.html?unlocked_article_code=1.oVA.pucr.G9dfcBeCvZR9&smid=url-share
On “What’s wrong with liberalism?”
Check this out, wonkie:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top_10_Canadian_Films_of_All_Time
I only know "The Sweet Hereafter", "Stories We Tell", which I love, and "Dead Ringers". Cronenberg is a bit too icky for me, but I can see the appeal. I always wanted to see "The Decline of the American Empire" but never got around to it, the same goes for Xavier Dolan.
I would also add:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barney%27s_Version_(film)
which is in many respects a Candian film and hilarious.
"
This is why I think lesser evil is meaningless in this case:
We estimated 75 200 violent deaths (95% CI 63 600–86 800) between Oct 7, 2023, and Jan 5, 2025, representing approximately 3·4% of the Gaza Strip's pre-conflict population. Women, children (ie, younger than 18 years), and older people (ie, older than 64 years) comprised 56·2% (95% CI 50·4–61·9) of violent deaths, totalling 42 200 deaths (95% CI 33 100–51 300).
Violent and non-violent death tolls for the Gaza conflict: new primary evidence from a population-representative field survey - The Lancet Global Health
This is not counting the maimed and injured, or describing the ongoing effects of the destruction of essential medical and energy infrastucture, supply chains and housing.
"
The dems were paying lip service but no concrete action was taken. Biden could have stopped the slaughter with a phone call, instead the arms and the money were flowing unimpeded. Harris wanted to play both sides. As Donald and I mentioned, they couldn't even bring themselves to have a Palestinian speaker at the DNC. It was moral bankrupcty. You can believe what you want, Donald can vote for whom he wants and I will play the role of sternest critic of Biden and the Dems if needed.
"
Someone who wants things to change needs to get out there in the primaries, if not before, and work for candidates that will do that.
Good luck with that. Any pro-Palestinian candidate would have been discounted immediately by the DNC. They wouldn't even allow a Palestinian speaker at the national convention:
https://www.vox.com/politics/368411/dnc-palestinian-speaker-uncommitted-democratic-national-convention
This is just victim blaming.
"
At that point in time the Democrats were not the lesser evil because they were enabling the indiscriminate mass slaughter of Palestinians and the wholesale destruction of their homeland. Is that really so hard to understand?
On “The quiet grief of adult friendship”
I think it's time for me to do that as well, russel. I'm a bit apprehensive, though.
On “What’s wrong with liberalism?”
This might be worth reading:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/nov/09/democrats-lose-michigan-arab-american-voters
“They blew it,” Zogby said. “We gave [the Harris campaign] multiple opportunities and ideas as to how to do this, and they finally started with three days out, but it was way too late in the game.”
Mohamed Gula, director of Emgage, a Muslim political advocacy group, said “a lot has to change and there’s a lot Democrats would have to do” to win back Arab and Muslim voters.
“There wasn’t a full belief that Trump was better than Harris – it was that the situation was not acceptable and there needs to be change, and we will take whatever comes from that and do what we need to,” he said.
Chowdury said Muslim voters in 2028 will support the party that most promotes peace.
"
Lesser evilism is getting a bit old considering all the wars and 'military actions' Democrats have supported. And Gen Z isn't having it anymore.
To people complaining that the Dems lost Dearborne, I suggest imagining, just for a moment or two, that they were asked to vote for someone carpet bombing Ohio, Florida, California or wherever their friends and family might live.
Seldom is a voice heard that says: oh, maybe the Dems should change their policies in this regard. It's always: oh, the average Joe likes a bit of imperialistic grandstanding and cruelty, so we'll have to give it to him.
On “Your choice: an open thread”
Looks like Starmer is toast.
On “Imagining a mad king”
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/15/us/politics/trump-iran-war.html?unlocked_article_code=1.bVA.3XNv.QAXeVHQk7JMe&smid=url-share
"
The US administration is in La-la land
https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/2026/04/16/did-pete-hegseths-prayer-sound-like-pulp-fiction-quote-heres-why/89639322007/
https://www.9news.com.au/world/pete-hegseth-pulp-fiction-bible-verse-pentagon-sermon-usa-politics-news/1ffd64d4-628f-49ec-be6f-51e32c83bfea
On “What exactly did William Wallace say?”
If I wanted to win a vote, the last person I would turn to would be JD Vance.
"
And Magyar has a 2/3 majority as it stands, which is important for dismantling the structures of the Orban reign.
"
Orban is history. Thank goodness.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2026/apr/12/hungary-election-latest-results-viktor-orban-peter-magyar-fidesz-tisza-russia-europe-live-news-updates
"
Well, he writes for the Daily Mail...
On “Materialism, rights and Japan”
The US president just threatened the genocide not only of a people but a 'whole civilization'. Can somebody go out on the streets in protest? Or evoke the 25th amendment?
This is not normal. Not even Putin said such things.
On “Maybe time for an Open Thread”
(..) Until then we are blasting Iran into oblivion or, as they say, back to the Stone Ages!!! President DJT (link)
I have no words anymore. The complete and utter inhumanity on display here is truly frightening. Unfortunately millions of people think the same way.
"
I like that quote, but I just read up on Oakshott and came across this. I'm not a fan playing the life against the work but it's there is an undeniable discrepancy between the public and private persona:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Oakeshott#Personal_life
Oakshott married three times and was twice divorced. In 1927, he married Joyce Fricker, and they had a daughter, Daphne, and two sons, Simon and Francis, the latter only one year old when his parents separated. In 1936, while still with his wife, he began an affair with Kate Burton, a young graduate of Newnham College. In 1938 he was divorced and married Burton, gaining a small step-son, Christopher Cox, in whom he took little interest. They were together living in Great Shelford until 1940, but Oakeshott refused to have children with his second wife, and the marriage effectively came to an end during the Second World War. When Oakeshott returned from his military service at the end of the war, he moved into a college room and did not return to his wife. This is reported to have left her heartbroken.[21]
From the 1940s to the 1960s, Oakeshott had numerous affairs, many of them with wives of his students, colleagues, and friends, and even with his son Simon's girlfriend.[21] His most notable lover known to his biographers was Iris Murdoch. With Mary Walsh, in 1955 he had a son, Sebastian, out of wedlock, but abandoned them when the child was two and did not meet him again for nearly twenty years.
*Comment archive for non-registered commenters assembled by email address as provided.