Sep 24, 2016 at 8:51 AM | ACK
I have to say I disagree with I find a lot of what is produced by your list, however there is some I agree with also. Unless you're in the minority at an extreme end of any spectrum that's how it should be. On the other hand any reasonable person should be able to see that their are flaws in their favoured news outlets, political parties and whatever. Problem is that being unreasonable in web discussions is very easy, as is being rude.

As someone who thinks things go in cycles I have high hopes that the cartwheel comes out of the manure and into the sun as far as Climate Change is concerned. I am also hoping Brexit makes the UK economy perform at a least half as well as promised by UKIP and the rest of the out campaign. A strong £ would suit me fine!

Stewgreen, yesterday I recieved a letter from my energy company asking me to make an appointment to have my meters changed to "smart ones". You mention that hackers could interrupt my energy supply. Are there other problems? Also do you know if it is possible to prevent installation of the new meters and keep the "old fashioned" ones?

golfCharlie. We disagree much, but not much. We are on a spectrum, apart but not so far. I recognize truths in your beliefs and opinions and I hope you do the same with mine. I do not believe we have written a bad word about each other. That is at it should be and long may it continue.

I think that my current political views have recently been most closely approached by a piece in Cicero's Songs last month (Aug 29) titled "Back to School".

I also consider much (but not all) in the Green agenda to be twaddle, highly destructive, and not thought through. Much like Rachel Carson's book and philosophy, there is some good stuff but the harm she engendered far outweighs it.

ACK, when it comes to the destruction of Western Democracy and Civilization, Green has become the new Red. The old brigade of Reds have reinvented themselves as Greens, and the old Brigade of Ecologists, CND and 1960s Malthusian Hippies have found new vehicles to drive around in.

In the UK, Labour lurched to the New and Green, the Conservatives lurched to the Blueish Green, the Liberals just lurched, and in Scotland, the SNP cleaned up on the resulting mess. All of them failed to spot that over 50% of the population were fed up with the EU, and fed up with 97% of politicians telling them how great the EU was, whilst failing to address the EU's failings.

I do have strong environmental leanings, but distrust the Greens because of what they have become. The Brexit poll was won by UKIP, even if the majority of the population would not vote for UKIP. The Guardian and BBC have backed the EU and Global Warming in a big way, and have discredited themselves as a result, with more than 50% of the population. The BBC is funded by taxpayers, the Guardian is not.

When Lib, Lab, Con, and SNP combined, misjudge the mood and feelings of 50% of the population, it seems they have lost contact with the electorate by only listening to their own spin doctors. The political classes have a problem, not the electorate.

SandyS. I do so hope so, but those most frequently in the limelight here are those supporting the views of PCar, Stewgreen, Dung (we haven't seen much of him, have we? I hope he is well).
Unless there is evidence to the contrary, I will continue holding my opinion that the majority of BH-ers are anti-EU, anti-Labour, anti-Green (even the good bits), anti-Guardian, anti-BBC and (some) have few qualms about speaking ill of the dead.

Sep 24, 2016 at 7:54 AM | ACK
You might be surprised about that, I hope there'd be a range of views at least.

Pcar,
Assuming you're not condoning assassination of politicians, why blame Jo Cox? Surely the original problem* lies with Cameron and Sarkozy in Libya and the West in general in Syria for encouraging and aiding rebellion but having no plan thereafter. An open invitation to come and live in Germany turned the whole thing into a disaster.

*Actually I think it goes back to the arbitrary drawing of maps and dividing of former empires into countries consisting of groups of people who didn't really get on and in some cases hated each other. Since then every intervention makes things worse. It took the British 1500 years to decide that killing each other in wars wasn't beneficial to anyone, some Europeans (not just the EU) still haven't worked it out yet. So the immediate future in Africa and the Middle East doesn't look promising and Europe needs to ca' canny to avoid a step backwards.

In my opinion, and the opinions of many (but probably not here) Joe Cox upheld many of the traditions and values that have made the UK great - not least amongst them a tradition of accepting refugees, even when a proportion of the population has been opposed. It's not far from the mark to claim that she has been martyred for it.

To compare her to the harm that Rachel Carson has caused across the world is IMO an utter travesty.

ACK
That's how I read the original.