The Official Politics Thread (enter at your own risk)

[Come On You Irons]

There. Resident WHO political commentators and gurus can knock yourselves out in here and conduct your endless bickering. All other threads will be locked.

[only1billybonds]

goose.

Child abuse comes in many forms.

[goose]

my local church is mostly italians but also a few travellers.

the other week there was a young girl (toddler) with her mum and nan, i swear to you all 3 have them had eyebrows drawn or tattoed on. This poor ginger toddler had these big thick black 'brows and so did the fucking nan!!

[Nurse Ratched]

Why stop at piercings? Why not tattoo a busty mermaid on their arm? Awful.

[only1billybonds]

When my daughter was four, her Mum wanted her ears pierced. I told her it wouldn't be happening and when she asked why, I told her that they were not her ears to mutilate. My kid finally got them done when SHE decided at 15.

[,]

At five years of age a female relative of mine has just had her ears pierced.

This is purely for cosmetic reasons and has caused a fall out between this little girl’s parents.

Not as controversial as religiously imposed circumcision but still something done on the child’s behalf. The fall out at root is that the mother hated the idea of her child having vaccinations because of the needle ( thus the father took his child )  but did not skip a beat getting her daughter’s ears pierced.

[Nurse Ratched]

Male and female circumcision are entirely different procedures carried out for entirely different reasons and with very different effects on the individuals.  

Rios, this was your first post on the topic.

I don't see where you stated in this post that male circumcision is unnecessary. I thought at the time that you were attempting to minimise the harm in male circumcision by alluding to the greater harm of female circumcision. 

[riosleftsock]

FFS Nurse, I said in my first post that I didn't see any justification for male circumcision outside of medical need.  You seem to be arguing with me while reinforcing what I originally posted.  As I explained the only reason I posted up the explanation is because a poster or two asked.

[only1billybonds]

Nutsin.

You forgot to mention that the price of EGGS had been tumbling too.

Trump delivers.

[Nutsin]

I see the US inflation numbers came in lower than expected. See that Billy!

1 print doesn’t make a trend but leading indicators look good. 

And anyone cheering Tariff increases from the EU against the USA need to understand the EU will simply get hit with reciprocal Tarrifs.

Price of oil is down and costs will continue to drop. Exactly what you want to see if you want to hurt the Russian and Iranian Economies. 


Looks like Biden was wrong about immigration and inflation. No surprise there, unless you’re a fuckwit!

[F 129 Row66]

Nurse Ratched » 12 Mar 2025, 18:20Everyone  - EVERYONE  - knows the different reasons why this abhorrent practice is inflicted on males vs females.

My point still stands. Male circumcision in the absence of clearly presenting medical reasons is abusive and should be banned.

High horse = doesn't want to see baby boys mutilated for no other reason than to make their parents feel special and included in some group. 

Maybe I'll invent a religion and insist that in order for families to belong, their babies have to have a part of their earlobe sliced off. Or the tip of a finger. We'll invite some weirdy aul fella to come round wearing an important hat of some description, get him to slice off the baby's earlobe and make a party of it. Then we can tell the outgroup it's 'because hygiene' even though none of us has lived in the desert for countless generations. 

There is a practice by a small sect of  yahudis in New York, where the Mohel has to suck the baby's penis after cutting to remove the blood. As some of the infants were catching herpes and other STDs, the state were trying to get the parents to sign a consent form to make them aware of the risks. One of the rabbis complained that the state was interfering in religious freedom of this group of loonies. This shows what you are up against trying to stop religious practices. Great idea about cutting earlobes. Where can I sign up?

[Nurse Ratched]

Everyone  - EVERYONE  - knows the different reasons why this abhorrent practice is inflicted on males vs females.

My point still stands. Male circumcision in the absence of clearly presenting medical reasons is abusive and should be banned.

High horse = doesn't want to see baby boys mutilated for no other reason than to make their parents feel special and included in some group. 

Maybe I'll invent a religion and insist that in order for families to belong, their babies have to have a part of their earlobe sliced off. Or the tip of a finger. We'll invite some weirdy aul fella to come round wearing an important hat of some description, get him to slice off the baby's earlobe and make a party of it. Then we can tell the outgroup it's 'because hygiene' even though none of us has lived in the desert for countless generations. 
 

[riosleftsock]

I missed the replies as I don't look on here as much any more.

Male circumcision was originally carried out as an essential hygiene practice in hot countries that had poor or no sanitation systems where fresh water was anything but.  It has its medical uses in a small number of cases today but a case could be made for banning it outside of medical necessity.  It has zero effect on the male's ability to enjoy sex in later life.

Female circumcision is an extremely misogynistic, barbaric practice that has high injury rates compared to male circumcision and is intended to deprive the female of any future sexual pleasure and ensure that for her, sex is purely an act of procreation.  I have not seen a single medical case made for female circumcision, neither have I heard of it being mentioned in the Torah, Talmud, Bible or Koran. It should be banned outright and lengthy prison sentences for those who practise it or allow it to be carried out, followed by permanent deportation for those involved and all family members.

Thank you, Captain Obvious. 

I do not subscribe to the view that because female circumcision is worse than male circumcision, this makes male circumcision ok. It's like saying rape is ok because murder is worse.

We no longer live in deserts with no access to water to wash in. Male circumcision is no longer required. To continue to practise the butchery is disgusting. 

Nurse, if you step down from your high horse for a moment, have another read of what I wrote, I have not made the case in favour of either circumcision, just explained the differences as somebody asked and why circumcision is practised.

[Trilby55]

Branded , I’m pissed off it’s not been implemented. 

[BRANDED]

Anyone still pissed off about Brexit?

[Lee Trundle]

Kick in the balls for Trump as results from the Greenland election give an overwhelmingly fuck off to Trump’s desire to take over! So unless he decides to invade it looks a non starter

I guess he'll ramp up the Panama stuff now

Why would he do that?

He's already got what he wanted there, and you didn't even know about it.

[Hammer I am]

Kick in the balls for Trump as results from the Greenland election give an overwhelmingly fuck off to Trump’s desire to take over! So unless he decides to invade it looks a non starter

I guess he'll ramp up the Panama stuff now

[Sydney_Iron]

Kick in the balls for Trump as results from the Greenland election give an overwhelmingly fuck off to Trump’s desire to take over! So unless he decides to invade it looks a non starter

[Manuel]

Yep, two good posts. You're right, they were so high anyway a drop back is no biggie and maybe even a good thing. 'Uncertainty' will only pull the markets back so far, unlike any real life events like banks or housing markets crashing and any war in the west. I say in the west as in recent years the markets don't react at all to any mid-east tensions and barely dropped when Putin woke up one morning and decided to invade the Ukraine.

I note there is a big lack of IPOs in recent times.

[Sydney_Iron]

The markets hate uncertainty more than anything, doesn't help that Trump keeps flip flopping, just today he went back on increasing some of the Tariffs on Canada after Ontario withdrew their counter threat to increase theirs. Some also fear a recession as a consequence of all this malarky, and inflation could be an issue which for my money is the bigger issue, someone after all is going to have to pay for these Tariffs as government pocket the money and that's usually everyday consumers with higher prices on stuff they buy! 

Been a big run up as well the past 12 months, only normal you get some pull back, like all the other shocks and events we get every so often and all the doomsayers come out and say its going to be a disaster, it never eventuates and as it's in everyone's interest, even Trumps to not see a meltdown, they all reach a compromise and its business as usual until the next major event to trigger uncertainty.

FWIW, once things settle down and the US government has all this extra cash from tariffs and DOGE, just you watch Trump hand out tax cuts (which he has promised) and the markets will love that......

[nychammer]

It appears that Trump no longer cares much about the stock markets, previously he was always boasting about how well they were performing and it seemed key for him. Maybe not having to worry about being re-elected again means some things go out the window, so to speak? Fuck knows, some will know better than me.

 

The stock market is that high it does not take much to cause jitters or even a correction. As of today the S&P is where it was back in September last year, hardly a disaster (yet). However, we absolutely MUST reign in the unnecessary spending and while I think Tariffs can be an ugly tactic and have been wielded chaotically, you can make an argument for them in retaliation for what you view as unfair practices, and that is Trump's view to take whether we like it or not. We'll see where it leads, will either be a sharp recession and a political faceplant or an eventual economic success for which he will be remembered. 

[Manuel]

It appears that Trump no longer cares much about the stock markets, previously he was always boasting about how well they were performing and it seemed key for him. Maybe not having to worry about being re-elected again means some things go out the window, so to speak? Fuck knows, some will know better than me.

[Sydney_Iron]

The ex pat Canadians i know in Sydney are seething about Trump, hate him more than Trudeau, which is saying something

They have an election due soon so expect the nationalist rhetoric from both sides to heat up and relations with the orange man to deteriorate further as they both try and show how far they will go to stick up for Canadians

Trump rules out an exemption on Tariffs for Australia overnight, even they we are one of the few countries that has a trade surplus with America, not sure it will impact much apparently our trade is not big! Australia's big trading partners are all in Asia and number 1 is China so maybe a knock-on effect from them if things heat up? 

 

[Nutsin]

I read somewhere that the Brit is taxed more than the China man.
Yes, more than communism!

Anyway, Ukraine have agreed to Trumps terms for a Ceasefire, Just need Putin to agree now. 

So some encouraging progress.

I see Canada backed off their 25% Tariff increase threat on Electricity to parts of the USA because Trump retaliated with 25% increase on Steel.
So now They have a meeting scheduled for Thursday, they’re about to try and work a deal.

I don’t fancy Canada’s chances.

[goose]

Without wanting to sound like a "leftie", there is something terribly wrong with the tax system in this country. You have people like the Duke of Westminster paying zero inheritance tax on his billions while the average working person gets nailed when they inherit their parents house. Their parents got taxed on the purchase of that house, they pay taxes all their life and then the kids get nailed for more when they inherit it.

[Sydney_Iron]

So as I correctly said you are comfortable. Some don't have enough for 2 weeks let alone 2 years plus. Little wonder you find it all so amusing from your ivory tower. Good for you, a bit classless though.

You sound like a Labour hard core lefty with a load of resentment with that bollocks, ivory tower  TBH, I know im fortunate and plenty of people are doing it tough and always will do, i don't look down on them in any shape or form but what should i do give what i have made all away or apologies for having got a nice house and all the trimmings and retired early?

I made enough money from hard work and smart investment, i wasn't born with a silver spoon in my mouth, no magic formula or being more intelligent than anyone else, common sense and not falling for the greed trap of unrealistic returns when investing or weighing up and investment proposition and then sticking with it until such time as it stops performing or it gets over valued so you cash in, but 100% not selling in fear of losing (2008, COVID and maybe now Trump) as that's a sure way to lose it all.

You think what you like about me, i really don't care, i happily tell people how i made money, some take it gratefully, others seem to resent me for it, not sure why , and one thing for sure you don't have to be that smart, im certainly no Einstein.