Current Affairs

[oldbluefox]

My feelings are we should have evacuated the Afghan workers before the military pulled out. The coalition mis-read how quickly the Taliban would be in filling the vacuum, the weakness of the resistance put up by the Afghan military, or the repercussions of not having withdrawn the workers sooner. Unfortunately once the Americans pulled out there was little choice but for the rest of the forces to move out as well. Hence we see the chaotic situation at the airport. Disastrous organisation.

[towny44]

I suppose Afghanistan is one of those occasions when there is no correct decision. Public opinion in the US, and I would guess the UK as well, was that we should withdraw and not risk further lives being lost. It's all very well saying we acted in haste and without a proper plan, but really that's just the usual hindsight situation.
I am not willing to criticise any politician for making wrong decisions, when that's a hindsight judgement.

[Kendhni]

I hate having to admit this but for once I have to agree with Tony Blair - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-58295384

Indeed, but imbecilic slogans and soundbites seems to be driving a lot of politics at the minute.
At times I wonder if that is down to the attention span of the electorate.

[david63]

I am not willing to criticise any politician for making wrong decisions, when that's a hindsight judgement.

But is it?

The Allied forces have been in Afghanistan for 20 years and in that time they must have set up an intelligence network that would have pointed to the fact that the Taliban would do what they have done. In fact there are some high ranking general. past and current, that have said as much. So is this yet another case of politicians choosing to ignore their advisors?

As with all of these situations we, or at least me, do not know all of the facts and have to rely on what the media want to sensationalise. I have not heard it mentioned but it may well be that the Afghan "collaborators" were advised to leave long before the withdrawal of the troops but chose to ignore that advice.

[Kendhni]

In the US annual threat assessment (April) it said “The Taliban is likely to make gains on the battlefield, and the Afghan government will struggle to hold the Taliban at bay if the coalition withdraws support.”. A CIA report from July said that the roads leading to Kabul were no longer under government control. Their assessment of the situation was that the "viability of the central government was in serious jeopardy".

So while the outcome seems to have been pretty much a foregone conclusion, the speed at which it happened is the only thing that seems to have taken people by surprise.

It appears the US (under Trump?) struck a deal with the Taliban in relation to terrorism against American targets and cares little about what happens beyond that.

[screwy]

Interesting to see that the Texan leader of an anti mask movement has died....of Covid. Oh well.

[oldbluefox]

Interesting to see that the Texan leader of an anti mask movement has died....of Covid. Oh well.

My BIL has recently had Covid, highly likely picked up at work where there has been an outbreak. He had been vaccinated so it has been very mild. His colleague has been very ill and we have just found out that whilst his wife had had both jabs he hadn't bothered. Needless to say his work colleagues have little sympathy for him.

[Manoverboard]

Long term chum died of Covid in December in spite of having had both jabs, just learnt that their double jabbed son is suffering badly with ' long ' Covid.

[barney]

Having got off the first and second wave virtually scot free, we now have very high covid levels due to tourists and large events.
Torrington had the big burn (the Mayflower) on Saturday and there was about 15,000 in attendance.
I’m expecting a local spike this week.
There was 5,000 positive cases from Boardmasters alone a fortnight ago.
I think it’s here to stay and there is now very little anyone can do besides trusting to luck or living in a box.

[oldbluefox]

The director of public health in Cumbria says it is not the tourists who are the problem up here. The highest rate of new cases is in the 12-18 age range. It is those in the younger age ranges who now seem to be leading the infections so I will not be at all surprised to see spikes following all the festivals over the weekend.

......... which leads me on to the mess left by the festival goers. The litter left behind at Reading looked horrendous on TV this morning. I wonder how many of those who left behind the mess will also be running around telling the rest of us how to save the planet?

[barney]

The director of public health in Cumbria says it is not the tourists who are the problem up here. The highest rate of new cases is in the 12-18 age range. It is those in the younger age ranges who now seem to be leading the infections so I will not be at all surprised to see spikes following all the festivals over the weekend.

......... which leads me on to the mess left by the festival goers. The litter left behind at Reading looked horrendous on TV this morning. I wonder how many of those who left behind the mess will also be running around telling the rest of us how to save the planet?

I think that they do factor the clean up cost in to the price of the ticket Foxy.
South Devon is currently having a problem with Travelers who literally do leave their crap behind.
Exeter, Exmouth, Paignton all have different groups at the moment.

[oldbluefox]

Whether it's factored in or not it's a disgraceful reflection on some of those who attended. By factoring the cost in just reinforces the idea that someone will clear up after them in the absence of mummy.
It's not just travellers who leave a mess. We are getting a lot of wild campers who also walk away and leave their rubbish for someone else to clear up. Apparently it's not cool to take your litter home.

[barney]

Similar down our end with wild campers on Dartmoor and Exmoor.
Big problem across in Appledore has been motor homes rocking up in the car park and getting the awnings out

[david63]

At least some good comes from the lazy sods that cannot be bothered to take their stuff home - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-leeds-58396954

[Stephen]

At least some good comes from the lazy sods that cannot be bothered to take their stuff home - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-leeds-58396954

It looks more like a municipal tip. Disgraceful.

So the homeless can have the pickings of these scum bags left overs if they want them yet Afghan immigrants may get offered nice BIG houses and all the trappings that go with them. Something is seriously wrong here. We need to get our own house in order first.

[towny44]

At least some good comes from the lazy sods that cannot be bothered to take their stuff home - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-leeds-58396954

It needs a Yorkshireman to demonstrate the benefits of make do and mend.

[Ray B]

After three years and at long last the Alpaca has been put down.
Now they wait-the Alpaca supporters - to see if the tests were correct or not as they carry out further test on the body.

[barney]

For no other reason than the ridiculous cost of Alpacagate, I’m surprised that Defra didn’t just allow another test at the owners expense to confirm either way.
To have vets, police etc on site to remove the animal must have cost a lot.
Four cops not out doing their job because of a blooming alpaca.

[oldbluefox]

Not sure what the problem was with giving the creature another test. It could prove embarrassing if the post mortem proves negative although I doubt we would ever know.

[Mervyn and Trish]

It was very distressing for the poor animal the way they dragged him away.

[Frank Manning]

Not sure what the problem was with giving the creature another test. It could prove embarrassing if the post mortem proves negative although I doubt we would ever know.

No, it beggars belief. I suppose that some of these DEFRA people don't deviate from the rule book in case they lose face. If another test proved positive, then fair enough he had to go, but it was surely worth one more if he could be saved.

[Chalgrave4]

It was very distressing for the poor animal the way they dragged him away.

How much of that distress was caused by the "supporters" protesting at the removal

If the owner had accepted the court ruling the animal could have been removed quietly with much less distress.

The one more test idea also seems a little odd, 2 positive tests already - does DEFRA keep allowing one more test ad infinitum?

[screwy]

It’s sad but hey, sh*t happens.

[towny44]

It was very distressing for the poor animal the way they dragged him away.

I guess the several thousand cows that are put down each year, following a positive test, feel a bit stressed as well.

[Kendhni]

That's very mooooving