davidcshipley

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• Commented on The obligatory general election discussion post
  "French" restaurants in Morocco are similarly bad plus there's the whole weird cultural divide between the rich, Francophone Moroccans and the poor, Arabic-speaking ones....
• Commented on Someone please sack the script-writers
  The revised text has been online since this morning (and was accepted unamended by the European Council) https://ec.europa.eu/commission/publications/revised-protocol-ireland-and-northern-ireland-included-withdrawal-agreement_en...
• Commented on Someone please sack the script-writers
  I couldn't agree more. I've crossed a fake border (Moldova / Transnistria) secured by a whole bunch of Russian-looking chaps in Russian army-looking uniforms (weirdly with tape covering where various insignia would be!) with Russian-army issue weapons and it was...
• Commented on Someone please sack the script-writers
  I also loved the idea that her physically breaking a Marine wasn't a huge endorsement of her strength as a candidate....
• Commented on CASE NIGHTMARE BLONDE
  382: I think there's another option - vote for the existing Withdrawal Agreement. It can't be brought back during this session but one interesting impact of Parliament being prorogued is that the WA could be voted on again once the...
• Commented on CASE NIGHTMARE BLONDE
  I don't think any? Article 7 of the Treaty allows for suspending and removing rights etc but it's a slow process and if you look at the speed with which the EU are reacting to Poland and Hungary it seems...
• Commented on CASE NIGHTMARE BLONDE
  I think it would be an unnecessary leap outside of the law and constitution when the opposition to the government have plenty of scope (as per Cooper-Letwin) to bring and pass legislation to block No Deal. Obviously the timing and...
• Commented on CASE NIGHTMARE BLONDE
  That strikes me as the kind of act which would be really bad for the UK's constitutional fabric - competing bodies claiming to be the legitimate legislature generally does lead to serious civil strife and in this situation we would...
• Commented on CASE NIGHTMARE BLONDE
  That's...not the argument I'm making. I'm saying that this prorogation doesn't actually do anything to make No Deal more or less likely. That choice resides (as it always has) with the MPs in Parliament. They have the time to do...
• Commented on CASE NIGHTMARE BLONDE
  1 & 3: Agreed - would be difficult. I think unless it was to arrange time to pass the WA or for a referendum to cancel Brexit they'd be very unlikely to say yes. 4: I think it's incredibly unlikely....
• Commented on CASE NIGHTMARE BLONDE
  I think this is all being a little oversold. Firstly I'll say choosing to prorogue right now is obviously a tactical choice by the government (and in part a response to the Church House declaration yesterday). However it is not...
• Commented on Peak Brexit
  We've just been saying that we don't think Uber will succeed. Re: parking / congestion the whole point of an autonomous vehicle network is that the cars shouldn't actually be spending much time at all parked - vehicles as a...
• Commented on Peak Brexit
  Yes I think that's a big factor. Also capital efficiency - a truly autonomous electric vehicle in a well managed system is going to be utilised / occupied for ~95% of its lifespan (versus maybe 5% for the typical car...
• Commented on Peak Brexit
  I think that's fair. They've spent a load of shareholder money getting people comfortable with the idea of ordering a car through an app - suspect the true beneficiaries of that will be their successors. In particular I can't see...
• Commented on Peak Brexit
  Isn't this essentially what Uber are building? The drivers are just a short-term solution until properly autonomous vehicles are available then they'll be discarded....
• Commented on Peak Brexit
  I understand he cooperated with the filmmakers. From the trailer I've seen it looks like Cumberbatch's performance is pretty nailed-on....
• Commented on Peak Brexit
  This was certainly a big part of the Leave plan. In conversations with Dominic in late 2015 he expressed the view that winning the referendum required mobilising a number of very distinct constituencies: The "left-behind by globalisation" lot (e.g steelworkers,...
• Commented on Brexit! Means! Brexit!
  Join the Greek Orthodox Communion. Solves most of the Brexit issues - we'll run out EU imports / exports via Mt. Athos (which has a particularly unusual territorial status) and will be able to operate within the SM / CU...
• Commented on Happy Halloween!
  And it's out!...
• Commented on Happy Halloween!
  Anyone else waiting up for their ebook preorder to become available?...
• Commented on Dread of Heinleinism
  Wonderful when read alongside 'Forever War' I think....
• Commented on That sinking feeling
  Ashcroft is pretty good on this - https://lordashcroftpolls.com/2016/06/how-the-united-kingdom-voted-and-why/...
• Commented on That sinking feeling
  To be fair the Conservative & Unionist Party in the UK is really a permanent (?) coalition too and has been for nearly two centuries....
• Commented on That sinking feeling
  I agree. I was using conservatism as an example of a political viewpoint that resolutely fails to "die off" witb new proponents instead arising as their views change with age....
• Commented on That sinking feeling
  Jeff, There may be a flaw in your thinking - one could make the same argument about Conservative voters dying off. The thing is that people's political views do change during their lifetimes (broadly people become more conservative as they...
• Commented on That sinking feeling
  That's where I think a second vote would be better. At least then there's some level of democratic endorsement of whatever path we finally take....
• Commented on That sinking feeling
  The situation really isn't very good is it? Brexit seems to have revealed the gross weaknesses in the British political system - we're now in a situation where we appear to be tumbling towards a No Deal / Almost No...
• Commented on Holding Pattern
  Reminded me of this: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/explorers-contract-flesh-eating-disease-honduras-rainforest-jungle-ruins-ancient-lost-city-monkey-a7523356.html...
• Commented on The Pivot
  Happy to answer. Been busy having cameras stuck inside me / biopsy so not been massively online. Guess your question is the NI one - will answer this properly tomorrow....
• Commented on The Pivot
  So, 1. No it isn't ok. It's wrong. Breaking electoral law is wrong. If the allegations against VL are true they are really bad. No. I thought your characterising of others who disagree with you as fools / idiots was...