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Reply | BFC Online
at 22:42 4 Aug 2020
I read this thread and went over there to have a look. Then I made the mistake of reading the Beirut thread. is that West Paddock Casual human, or just an animal that dresses like one? |
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Reply | Ollie Turton
at 15:01 22 Jul 2020
Happy with this for the reasons spell checker gave. |
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Reply | Oliver Sarkic
at 15:00 22 Jul 2020
He could be anything, couldn't he? |
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Reply | Jason Lowe
at 14:59 22 Jul 2020
28, played for Bolton. No thanks. |
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Reply | The Intelligence and Security Committee's report
at 14:02 22 Jul 2020
Don't normally post links to the other side, but BRR posted about this yesterday
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Well, I think we can now all see beyond any doubt why the Government didn't want this publishing in the run up to the General Election. The Conservatives (and to a less extent the Lib Dems) have to take ownership of the criticism that the report contains. Had it been available in November, who knows what impact it might have had?
I think what the Russians are thought to have done is far less shocking than some of the implications inherent in the way that they seem to have largely got away with it. For better or worse, in the modern geo-political sphere, countries like Russia and China are able to use modern techniques to subvert perceived enemies, and there seems little collective, global leadership available to counter them. And that will only get worse in the short term if the USA in particular continues on its path of deliberate self-isolation.
It is interesting that these two rogue states sees the democratised West as both a strategic threat, but also a weak, poorly led target that they have a real opportunity to exploit. The response to this, I think, will have to be a long term one that fights fire with fire - more a technological and communications based reaction, than the orthodox military one (although that won't be how a Trump-led USA sees it). We have seen evidence only last night on BBC2 of how reflex, anger-led reactions to a particular problem in the Middle East has led to long term, far-reaching problems that go well beyond that particular theatre. We can't afford to go that way again. Unfortunately, the panic response to this kind of story is that it might make people MORE inclined to pull up the diplomatic drawbridge, rather than less. If European nationalism surges in the next five years even more than it currently is, don't be surprised, especially if neither the EU or NATO is able to offer a collective response.
Closer to home, the impact of all this could be very profound, and not necessarily what we might expect. I think, for example, that the people of Scotland might want to think quite hard about why the Russians might be so keen to steer their independence debate in one particular direction.
Equally, I think the people who lap up Johnson's rhetoric about our path back to "greatness" might want to stop and think about why our Government might possibly have been keen to look the other way whilst all this was going on. Could it possibly be that they didn't want to expose their own impotence? Or demonstrate the fact that, whatever the boasting, we are really just an averagely sized country with waning global influence, and economic prospects to match? None of that would have played well during the Brexit debate, at least as far as the nutcases in the ERG and the charlatans now running the Government are concerned.
I'd like to think that this will shock us into changing the way that we do Government, organise our security, do business with others and - above all - manage the relationship between State and citizen. Unfortunately, as we have seen all too clearly in the recent past, describing our current political class as third rate is a kindness that they simply don't deserve. They aren't up to this - nor will they be. |
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Reply | Evening everyone
at 18:50 25 Aug 2019
I'm recovering from an operation, but not too bad all things considered. Haven't actually seen us yet this season. Pleased with how iy is going tho. |
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Reply | SLO
at 08:36 27 Apr 2019
Great effort that BBTRR. I can picture Robbie working on his application as we type.
(Only kidding Robbie)  |
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Reply | Our Board
at 08:34 27 Apr 2019
Good OP Tim and thanks for sharing. Some of the criticism is embarrassing, usually suspects too.  |
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Reply | Joey Barton
at 22:47 16 Apr 2019
I've been away and I missed this.What is he supposed to have done? Only sketchy details on BBC. |
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Reply | No deal
at 16:39 2 Apr 2019
We'll know by tomorrow or Thursday whether there really is a solution that we can live with. Whether the EU will is a completely different question. |
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Reply | Interview with TAM
at 16:37 2 Apr 2019
Enjoyed it, but didn't tell us much other than the Codheads will be in the South East. |
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Reply | Bury
at 16:36 2 Apr 2019
Funny that two clubs so close to one another should be in such serious trouble.
If they both go under, dozens of people are going to be devastated. |
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Reply | last night’s meeting
at 16:57 28 Mar 2019
I'm not sure why people are pulling a face at £300. That is £13 per game. Seems to me when people go on about investment they are usually talking about someone else's money. |
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Reply | Fans Forum 27th March
at 22:19 27 Mar 2019
I hope the club will publish more details on what they put forward after the decision is announced. We should be told what was said. |
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Reply | No deal
at 22:18 27 Mar 2019
I know that people only voted for stuff they thought they could support, but abstaining seems bizarre to me as well. What was the point of seizing control if you then sit on your hands?
Clueless, the lot of them. |
| | kophero
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