if it ain't BoZo

[Biker Biggles]

Originally Posted by Ruffy

Yes it was very important but it was also wasted (IMHO): It wasn't close to anything like a proportional representation system really.

If the 2011 referendum had simply asked whether we should ditch the current FPTP system but left the debate about what to replace it with more open then I personally think the result might have been different and it could have been a game changer. But only offering the AV alternative was a problem/mistake - when I worked it through I concluded that it was just a minor variant of FPTP (with the difference that the 'post' is only planted when the 'first' would be carrying over 50% of votes cast). Importantly, there was still next to no chance the minority candidates would get any sort of elected representation in parliament so I didn't see it changing our overall outcomes a great deal.

My current personal position is that the obsession with having a 'majority' is not necessarily a good thing. IMHO, democracy is not the same as majority-rule (or perhaps better put, not the same as mob-rule, which is what it often seems to get distorted to). I want the good ideas to flourish - wherever they come from - not just the dominant ones or the ones shouted out by the loudest idiots.

On the flip side, I'm still not convinced pure proportional representation is automatically a good thing. With our dominant party-opposed system, there's a risk that PR just results in the big players cancelling each other out and the 'power' then being left with the minority who would become the ones with the real ability to sway the balance. So PR itself is not a 'silver bullet' solution, it still needs culture/attitude shift to make it work well, otherwise we could change and end up with a long period of stagnation whilst political classes work that out (because they're all so good at compromise and collaboration aren't they?)

This was probably the biggest failure of the Libdems in living memory. They were negotiating with Cameron to form a coalition and they had a once in a generation opportunity to really break the mold but blew it. Part of the deal was this referendum but they agreed to ballot on the AV system which nobody wanted, including the Libdems. And of course the result was "no". Typical Libdems who lack that killer instinct to go for it when required and is why they will never win an election.

[keith_d]

First past the post was all our systems could handle a almost century ago.

These days we could, in theory, have something much better at determining what people want. Unfortunately, in many cases that would be free beer and a quiet life without all the complexities of modern politics.

[Seeker]

Anyway, enough about Boris, let's talk about his number one fan: Nadine Dorries (Digital and Culture Secretary, Hater of the BBC and eater of anus')

Here she is looking adoringly at Boris (sorry it's from the Mail)
https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/02...3888680282.jpg

She has been in a number of interviews recently and the consensus is that we have another phrase for "car crash" (ie: having a Nadine).

We won't bother with those though, here's an accurate (twitter) parody of all 4 of them:

https://tinyurl.com/yuabmddh

Meanwhile, today, she upped her game and declared that the internet is 10 years old (remember she is Digital and Culture Secretary):
https://tinyurl.com/2exfeaeu

[Bibio]

in a way she is right. the Gov started "shaping and heavy manipulating" the internet about 10 years ago. the internet (in fact all digital communication) is a threat and its "watched" there are algorithms for certain words that trigger big brother. VPN is not as secure as people would have been told. the Gov have the keys even though the VPN "sellers" say they dont.

i have been on the internet since 1998 and i can tell you that its a completely different place. its now full of anger......

bit off topic but its fun

[daktulos]

Originally Posted by Bibio

i have been on the internet since 1998

Newbie I first used it in 91 or 92, but had to connect to it through the nfsnet relay, later with KA9Q to Demon ... those were the days!

[Bibio]

Originally Posted by daktulos

Newbie I first used it in 91 or 92, but had to connect to it through the nfsnet relay, later with KA9Q to Demon ... those were the days!

thats impressive

[ethariel]

You can tell that from previous posts I'm a fairly Pro Tory poster/voter, however one teeny act on thier part is coming to light and I must say I am surprising myself that if they push this through I doubt I'll ever bother voting for them again...ever

https://www.theregister.com/2022/02/...a_ukgov_plans/

Not because purely of having to enter details but because it will end up on a platform so full of holes that my ID will be cloned in seconds and this is the start of an 'Internet Police State' (Yes I know that a VPN can circumvent a lot of this BUT well a Government can apply a lot of pressure to a business.......)

[daktulos]

Originally Posted by ethariel

Not because purely of having to enter details but because it will end up on a platform so full of holes that my ID will be cloned in seconds and this is the start of an 'Internet Police State' (Yes I know that a VPN can circumvent a lot of this BUT well a Government can apply a lot of pressure to a business.......)

Except that the government are also planning on banning encryption (which would include VPNs):

https://www.openrightsgroup.org/camp...ve-encryption/

They seriously have no idea on this one. Even the ICO say it's crazy:

https://www.theguardian.com/technolo...ation-watchdog

[Seeker]

Originally Posted by ethariel

You can tell that from previous posts I'm a fairly Pro Tory poster/voter, however one teeny act on thier part is coming to light and I must say I am surprising myself that if they push this through I doubt I'll ever bother voting for them again...ever

https://www.theregister.com/2022/02/...a_ukgov_plans/

Not because purely of having to enter details but because it will end up on a platform so full of holes that my ID will be cloned in seconds and this is the start of an 'Internet Police State' (Yes I know that a VPN can circumvent a lot of this BUT well a Government can apply a lot of pressure to a business.......)

After all the corruption, lies, cronyism, the slow lockdowns causing deaths, the wasted money, the planned voter id rules, the clampdown on protesting, the thing that would stop you from voting Tory is having to give your details to Facebook?

I'm not on Facebook and, obviously, a leftie. Is Facebook that important? I always considered it a way for conspiracy theories to be shared and, lately, something that seems to be eroding democracy.

I thought it amusing when the French and German ministers said "We're fine without it" after F/B threatened to pull out of the EU market (because it wanted to be able to pull EU data).

[daktulos]

Originally Posted by Seeker

I'm not on Facebook and, obviously, a leftie. Is Facebook that important? I always considered it a way for conspiracy theories to be shared and, lately, something that seems to be eroding democracy.

This is why they're targeting porn sites first. It's on the lower end of social acceptability, and likely to cause the least uproar. Once the principle it accepted and technology in place, they'll extend it to social media, to sites related to alcohol, sites they want to control, activist groups perhaps ... it really is the principle that matters, not the Facebook headline.

In terms of technical details, they are literally making it illegal to anonymously access websites. By its nature it's putting infrastructure in place to link your online activity with you personally. There will be two or three companies who do this, and be able to profile you pretty well. One day it may even get linked to your credit rating, but there's a 100% chance that some of the data will be leaked and used for identity theft or blackmail.

It sounds like hysteria, but it actually is reality. Most of it has already happened somewhere.

I realise that this is in danger of proving Godwin's law, but ...

https://www.hmd.org.uk/resource/firs...tin-niemoller/