POLITICS!

[Ben X]

This may not work, but let's try a specific thread so the lolcat threads don't get clogged up with stupid boring politics shit.

So:

Unfortunately, the No To AV campaign seems to be bankrolled by all of the wealthy status quo interests that benefit from the present system leading to fragmentation of the left, and polls indicate the UK maybe about to vote for more of the same

It's a shame about the outright fucking lies they've been spreading, because AV is really not that hard to understand. I'm spreading the word as much as I can, but braced for dogshit.

That beer vs coffee thing doesn't quite work, though. There aren't going to be 70% of people all voting for four different parties with the same policies, are there? I found the flowchart in that first link simple enough and much more illuminating. Will deffo be voting 'Yes'.

So, both sides aren't doing very well with their adverts/explanations. I'd really like somewhere I can go to that explains political concepts and situations in as simple a way as possible, without bias. I don't feel like I can get that anywhere (although I haven't really looked, isn't that something the government should commision for its public?) and feel quite apathetic towards politics - it's easy to get the impression that all politicians are the same lousy scumbag and voting won't really change anything.

[Hermie]

kb4mU59-7jE

[Ben X]

That wasn't very politic of you, Hermie.

[Hermie]

Well, the comical youtube thread is where we post about politics, so I just figured...

[Nachimir]

That beer vs coffee thing doesn't quite work, though. There aren't going to be 70% of people all voting for four different parties with the same policies, are there?

True, but it's a hypothetical example that I think corresponds somewhat to how fragmented left-wing politics is in the UK. To the extent that most people vote left of centre, but we still often end up with right wing governments. You're right though, in that example there should be a different drink in each column.

The absolute simplest explanation I've seen is this:

http://av-yes.com/

Which is hardly comprehensive, but at least does a good job of describing all that most people will have to worry about when voting. There's also this:

That wasn't very politic of you, Hermie.

Funny though

I'm wary of a politics thread. I may not visit this much. They hardly ruin forums, but tend to end up containing endless arguments.

[ThunderPeel2001]

A ballsy thread, Ben. I approve

It'd be great if someone could off a real world example of AV.

[Roderick]

Well, if enough people vote 'no' then the real world UK version of AV will certainly be 'offed'.

[Wubbles]

So, if for some reason you manage to get to the Idle Thumbs politics thread before you get to any news outlet in the universe, here you go.

[Orv]

So, if for some reason you manage to get to the Idle Thumbs politics thread before you get to any news outlet in the universe, here you go.

As much as I hate everything that comes out of that cesspit, this is the perfect situation for:

And not a single fuck was given that day.

[Roderick]

I for one am glad. Osama was a dangerous lunatic with a lot of money and influence. It would have been better if he were taken alive and tried, but his removal from our world is a good thing.

[Orv]

I for one am glad. Osama was a dangerous lunatic with a lot of money and influence. It would have been better if he were taken alive and tried, but his removal from our world is a good thing.

Don't get me wrong. He was probably a fantastically bad person. But it's been years and what has he ever provably done? And I'm particularly irked by some reports that his entire family was killed with him. Quite possibly not true, but if so. . .where exactly is the line between us and him? (Sorry, I know this is the politics thread, not the philosophy thread.)

VVV - America is full of idiots.

Edited May 2, 2011 by Orvidos

[Nappi]

Woke up to this picture after three days of May Day/Labour Day celebration and was happy that others knew how to have a good time as well.

Only then did I read that a person was killed.

[Kolzig]

And now the internet is in flames talking about Osama being dead already years ago.

Internet

[Gwardinen]

Everything worth saying has been said, but I would like to point out how fucking creepy this is:

Crowds gathered outside the White House in Washington DC, chanting "USA, USA" after the news emerged.

[OssK]

And now the internet is in flames talking about Osama being dead already years ago.

Internet

Don't worry, apparently Obama hasn't learned anything from the year long Birth certificate bullshit and just said it without any proof…

Like that, we killed him and then we sent his body out in the sea and no we don't want to show pictures cause we can't according to the geneva convention…

«My my, this is rare, it's pure "conspirational-friendly material" we're gonna get a fortune out of this»

[DanJW]

Heh yeah I expected more proof too. But still, if they were lying or mistaken, Osama could release a video saying as much and it would be a huge embarrassment (understatement!)

[Roderick]

It's really weird that they buried Osama at sea so haphazardly and without any sort of investigation. I desperately don't want to be a conspiracy theorist, but the US are making it damn difficult.

[Wubbles]

This is fairly amusing: A guy tweeted about the assault on Osama's house while it occurred.

@Rodi: Pictures were taken, apparently.

[Nachimir]

It's really weird that they buried Osama at sea so haphazardly and without any sort of investigation.

I can see why they would: Hanging around in a morgue, or a grave, the body is both a target and an icon. They just wanted rid of it as soon as possible, and to avert any kind of glorification they could.

[MrHoatzin]

This looks so epic, for whatever reason. As Wonkette said, this is how badasses walk.

[Orv]

This looks so epic, for whatever reason. As Wonkette said, this is how badasses walk.

Channeling Millard Filmore, Morgan Freeman and Denzel Washington all at once, is how that is achieved. Also Science.

[James]

Apparently they've done a DNA match with 99.9% certainty.

Returning to the AV stuff for a moment, depressingly, if not surprisingly, there may be no perfect voting system. The problem I have with arguments for either side is that they tend to depend on emphasising very specific situations with counter-intuitive results under the opposing system. In reality things are pretty messy, and it's basically impossible to have a single system that will untangle that mess on all occasions. At least, that's my limited understanding of it.

[syntheticgerbil]

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PRESIDENTIAL MATERIAL!

[Nachimir]

Obama humiliating Donald Trump while also putting the birthers down is priceless:

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[Thompson]

Obama humiliating Donald Trump while also putting the birthers down is priceless:

Amazing.