HumanPenguin

@HumanPenguin@feddit.uk

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Tough news for protesting farmers: Labour doesn’t actually need their votes⁩ ⁨⁨2⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago⁩:

  Honestly, it’s a slightly different cause and effect.

  The wealthy keep taxes low by funding both media that concentrates on blaming the poor. And funding politicians that support the argument.

  Same result, just different initial source. Think the old cartoon with the monopoly man sat at a table with a huge pile of cookies. Another guy with one cookie and a third with none.

  “Hey that guy wants to steal your cookie”.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Tough news for protesting farmers: Labour doesn’t actually need their votes⁩ ⁨⁨5⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago⁩:

  Hardly a new take.

  It’s why labour did not care about the left post Corbyn.

  Why the Tories ignore the poor. And both are happy to lump blame on immigrants or shaft the disabled.

  FPTP makes it worse, as community size is more powerful. But PR would only improve it a little.

  Larger, more loyal voting blocks will always have more power than smaller or overtly anti the current leadership.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨A common nasal decongestant lacks evidence but is still sold in the UK⁩ ⁨⁨16⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago⁩:

  Yeah at least if you live to far from the sea. tip some salt in the loo.

  Just be sure not to flush first for the authentic experience.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨A common nasal decongestant lacks evidence but is still sold in the UK⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨day⁩ ago⁩:

  but is still sold in the UK

  Saline has an effect. It’s minimal in the spray form. But any liquid that is safe can help a little. And at this time of year. Dehydration from fan heaters is a common cause.

  So I’m not surprised the crap is sold. Just remember, boiled water with a tiny bit of salt will do as well. Often better.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Thames Water supply ‘on knife-edge’ with £23bn repairs needed⁩ ⁨⁨4⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago⁩:

  Huge saving. LOL, a bit like saying don’t worry your only going to die of a bullet, we save the rockets for the big boys.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Thames Water supply ‘on knife-edge’ with £23bn repairs needed⁩ ⁨⁨4⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago⁩:

  Thames Valley area

  Just FYI: Thames water covers a larger population than that. Much of London is not technically in the Thames valley.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Typhoo Tea teeters on the brink of administration⁩ ⁨⁨6⁩ ⁨days⁩ ago⁩:

  By drinking some not crap tea.

  And being shocked this shit ripped you off for so long?

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨The return of Trump means Britain must rethink its defence strategy – and role in the world⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago⁩:

  Unfortunately, only local auth councillors tend to have any interest in lowering the limit.

  Well at least since 1967 when the M1 was first given the temp 70mph limit.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨The return of Trump means Britain must rethink its defence strategy – and role in the world⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago⁩:

  Sounds logical on a just consider it level.

  But us old farts know better.

  The nation went metric in 1965 joined the EU in 1975.

  You know how all road signs are reflective. Well, back then that did not exist. Reflective roadsigns started in the early 1980s.

  Add to that, most major roads end up replacing the signs every several years.

  And the simple fact is No If in the 80s we decided to double sign (as other nations did. Every nation in the EU did it at some point. France was well before road signs, 1795 I think. But the rest of the EU could not agree on anything before the 1940s. Almost all of them had their own versions of imperial like units divided over regions based on political power.

  It was not until the early predecessor to the EU post ww2 that most of Europe changed.

  If we started in 1980 by displaying km plus mph on all signs. (Rounded to the nearest unit). The original change would not have cost any more than current spending. Buy now, most major roads would have had many replacements, likely dropping the mph.

  We would still see some dual signs in very low use back roads.

  But when did you last see a non-reflective sign. Because that is as often as you would see MPH only signs. At 0 extra spending.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨The return of Trump means Britain must rethink its defence strategy – and role in the world⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago⁩:

  Just to be clear. The UK is full metric as far as EU rules are concerned.

  Heck, as far as the SI is concerned, so is the US. We both changed in the 70s. SI just required all other units to be defined based on metric. The UK and US do this. And the EU just requires all trade to be available as a metric option.

  What you actually use to communicate in nation non-sales is your own business.

  We and the US are just to stubborn to use the better units.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Any hope of ‘getting Britain working again’ must not demonise people on welfare⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago⁩:

  As labour are continuing tory crap. And have added nothing to it.

  How can that be worse.

  As a potential victim of this crap. Please stop weakening the case with over grandiose claims of crap.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨New coal mining licences will be banned⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago⁩:

  Thanks. Makes sense.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Keir Starmer says the UK can decarbonise without disruption – that’s neither true nor helpful⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago⁩:

  Vat meat is likely the long term future. IE lab grown but more efficient.

  Vegonism will become more common. But is not going to be 100% or even close in time to have an effect. Ao likely ever as that effect is its biggest sell atm.

  But lab grown meat can manage and use CO2 where as its hard to do so with live animals.

  But arible farming is still a huge user of CO2 and really not being pushed to cha ge rapidly. Cost is still seen as more important then green energy use.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨New coal mining licences will be banned⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago⁩:

  The word restricted in the desc rather than the tittle BANNED.

  Indicates it’s not as banned as they want to suggest.

  Of course, if it’s really banned then great, it’s well past time. But that switch in wording is carrying a lot of weight.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Guardian will no longer post on Elon Musk’s X from its official accounts⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago⁩:

  Seems Vance threatening tariffs to nations that limit musks political bull.

  Has made the political corruption so obvious it can’t be ignored.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Post Office: Fujitsu boss 'does not know' if Horizon is reliable⁩ ⁨⁨1⁩ ⁨week⁩ ago⁩:

  Post Office: Fujitsu boss ‘does not want to admit’ if Horizon is not reliable

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Britain will rejoin the EU within 15 years, former Brussels chief predicts⁩ ⁨⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  I can see clear calls in 15 years. But likely another 10-20 before those calls agree on any approach to join.

  There will be a huge we should get what we had push making any actual agreement impossible.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Over £1 billion to boost bus services across the country as bus fares capped at £3.⁩ ⁨⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  Agreed.

  Hell it would be a fair argument to renationalise all buses and trains and make the service free as a whole.

  Honestly that would be a very logical way about doing things. Companies (specifically high street retail but all companies) would benifit hugely. It would trully encourage Public transport over car use . Assuming matched with investment in services.

  And remember the lack of rural public transport since 2010 is forcing more and more non working retired or disabled people to be forced to move into cities etc. This is hugly increasing competition for housing and increasing the cost/distance lower paid workers are having to travel to work.

  But honestly non of these options was ever on offer. Yes its entirly fair to say hay more could be done.

  But it is no way acceptable to attack people as shill just for sharing the announcement as is. It is just attacking for the sake of attacking.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Over £1 billion to boost bus services across the country as bus fares capped at £3.⁩ ⁨⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  They could have. And that would be cool.

  But it would only be a false dichotomy if the true positives and negatives were completely ignored and only the reduced discount was considered.

  The simple fact is UK bus services have been hugly underfunded and cut under tories since 2010. Many rural areas litrally no longer haveing any public transport at all.

  This causes huge issues. As it forces disabled(non working) or elderly retired people to move into the very housing that lower paid working class people need to compete for. Making the cost of transport a greater part of lower income daily costs.

  The simple fact is the tories had no plans to continue the £2 discount forever. And had absolutely no plans at all to invest in improving buses. (Or responding the long since closed trainlines).

  Yes their are lots of thing that could be done better.

  Hell their is a huge huge argument for making all public transport free. Its pretty much what is needed to ensure reduced car use. Amd would hugly help UK High streets etc. But again can only help if we are also spending money on expanding the existing destroyed public transport system we have.

  No one with any brains expects this budget to be a left wing give away. No matter how much many of us may feel that would actually be better. That is just never what either party promised.

  But to accuse people of being shills and outright refuse to discuse the positives that are being offered is the very definition of being biased and dishonest in comparisons.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Chief thought Skripal poisoning could be 'act of war'⁩ ⁨⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  Yeah. Just to let you know. That generic you is the same as saying “you people” and yep we brits have a bad history of that sort of comment. But many of us recognise the error.

  Its generally best to say the UK or British government when that is what you mean. Because just like every other nation. Most of the you that are in the UK do not have any control or history over these events.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Over £1 billion to boost bus services across the country as bus fares capped at £3.⁩ ⁨⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  Translation. You have no answers. And are the very tory shill you accused op of being.

  Cool don’t worry everyone reading can tell.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Chief thought Skripal poisoning could be 'act of war'⁩ ⁨⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  How exactly is a counterterrorism chief doing anything outside UK jurisdiction.

  The UK gov may be doing shit. But I see no evidence blaming Neil Basu

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Over £1 billion to boost bus services across the country as bus fares capped at £3.⁩ ⁨⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  I never said it was a positive.

  And claiming the Tory discount was not due to end is dishonest.

  I said it was a 50% reduction in discount. I made no claim of positive or negative. And pointed out the positive of the first large scale public investment in buses outside London in over 40 years.

  Do not put words in my mouth.

  Now to actually claim the positives here. The tories planed to end the £2 cap costing about £225m a year and pay nothing to expand bus services back into the huge number of rural routs they have been ended over their leadership.

  The Labour Party instead invested £151 in the £3 discount Plus another £925M in 25-26 to introduce new bus routes, make services more frequent and protect crucial bus routes for local communities.

  Now explain how you can claim this is not an overall improovement.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Over £1 billion to boost bus services across the country as bus fares capped at £3.⁩ ⁨⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  Only if you are looking for false negatives.

  The story is the discount was planned to end. But has instead been reduced by 50%.

  You can only claim it is an increase if you claim a discount was not planned to end. And that is just a lie.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Britons are dying in a blizzard of cheap cocaine. Why is so little being done to save them?⁩ ⁨⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  Ah now it all makes sense.

  Thames water has been underfunding infer structure. To reduce the purity of cocaine, London eels are subjected to.

  It’s not about coked up profiteering scumbags refusing to invest. It’s someone thinking of the eels.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Row as Starmer suggests landlords and shareholders are not ‘working people’⁩ ⁨⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  Well no other system would sell a waxing kit to a yeti.

  So I spose its… unique

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Row as Starmer suggests landlords and shareholders are not ‘working people’⁩ ⁨⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  So you know full well your property is an investment and as such not working taxes.

  As starmer said. Not the out right lie the telegraph claims he “suggested”.

  Hi exact words when asked. Not by the definition we are using. So clearly relating to the definition working taxes not people.

  Stop falling for right wing media bullshit.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Row as Starmer suggests landlords and shareholders are not ‘working people’⁩ ⁨⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  Pay income tax rather than capital gains tax on your house.

  Then get back to me.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Row as Starmer suggests landlords and shareholders are not ‘working people’⁩ ⁨⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  Or filing accounts.

  Yeah you may be younger, but let’s remember many folks my grandfathers age did not consider white collar work, to be work.

  That idea is as far from correct as this article. Anything that is taxed under PAYE is working taxes. As the Labour Party manifesto and Starmer called it.

  Shares growth of property and renting is taxed as capital gains.

  Owning a business is the one that depends on how you choose to do it. Most sole traders are by definition covered under Income tax if self filled rather than PAYE.

  If you have registered an LTD, you have a little more choice. And most accountants will advise you do not pay yourself as income tax. So you will be treating your labour as an investment. And here we see why the wealthy want false claims like thi in the right wing media. Because there is a possibility, that advice may change in the future and business owners will lose some tax advantages to a pay lower tax % than their employees.

• ⁨Comment⁩ on ⁨Row as Starmer suggests landlords and shareholders are not ‘working people’⁩ ⁨⁨3⁩ ⁨weeks⁩ ago⁩:

  Nor are you a landlord while doing another job. If you are doing your own investment work while being paid a PAYE job. You are also a thief, but I doubt you have that recorded on your payslip.

  It may sound silly. But so is the whole claim of this article. Starmer never said or even suggested landlords cannot work. He was asked the question, in relation to the Labour Party manifesto pledge not to raise “working taxes”

  His answer was “not under the definition we are using” (for working taxes)

  It is an utterly pathetic attempt to so division to claim “Starmer suggests landlords and shareholders are not ‘working people’”

  He definitely did not say it and the telegraphs use of the word suggests makes it clear they know that.

  It is nothing but an outright lie designed to sow division.