Banana Republic?

[the other bob wilson]

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/feb/11/farewell-cressida-dick-the-met-chief-only-interested-in-one-thing-ignoring-bad-coppers

Doubtless, some on here who could do with reading this won’t do so because it’s in the Guardian.

[jon1959]

Re: Banana Republic?

https://www.theguardian.com/commenti...ng-bad-coppers

Doubtless, some on here who could do with reading this won’t do so because it’s in the Guardian.

This piece was also interesting - especially comparing Cressida Dick with Robert Marks in the 1970s. One the ultimate defensive insider who failed to see the institutional problems, the other who rooted out deep-rooted corruption (if not the racism and misogyny that still infect the Met):

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/feb/11/cressida-dick-could-not-solve-the-mets-problems-she-could-barely-admit-they-existed

[cyril evans awaydays]

Re: Banana Republic?

https://www.theguardian.com/commenti...ng-bad-coppers

Doubtless, some on here who could do with reading this won’t do so because it’s in the Guardian.

The current custodians of the leadership of the Conservative Party seem far more interested in diminishing and undermining structures and norms than conserving them. Whether it be the legal and judicial system, international relations, institutions like the BBC and Civil Service or the Union of the UK, they seem happy to dismantle without any clear vision or articulation of what they would put in its place.

Instead all we get are platitudinal slogans and lies. Whilst I would like to see social democratic governments I have spent the majority of my life under Tory rule. I know there are those who want Johnson to stagger on as a wounded beast but I would like to see him and his cabal of third raters go as soon as possible as each day poisons the well for the rest of us.

[the other bob wilson]

Re: Banana Republic?

The current custodians of the leadership of the Conservative Party seem far more interested in diminishing and undermining structures and norms than conserving them. Whether it be the legal and judicial system, international relations, institutions like the BBC and Civil Service or the Union of the UK, they seem happy to dismantle without any clear vision or articulation of what they would put in its place.

Instead all we get are platitudinal slogans and lies. Whilst I would like to see social democratic governments I have spent the majority of my life under Tory rule. I know there are those who want Johnson to stagger on as a wounded beast but I would like to see him and his cabal of third raters go as soon as possible as each day poisons the well for the rest of us.

Yes, I don’t want a Conservative Government, but this version of the Conservative party is like nothing I’ve seen in this country before - corrupt, arrogant and inept.

[JamesWales]

Re: Banana Republic?

I know that saturday mornings Marina Hyde column is the highlight of the week for many, but you aren't supposed to take it entirely seriously.

She's an entertaining read and I enjoy them, but it's hardly an even handed piece of strategic analysis. It's always (obviously) one sided and designed to achieve what it does - preach to the converted and get some shares on social media.

People think this is cutting edge analysis, but it really isn't. It's not fiction, but it sits in the middle ground between reality and make believe that most opinion pieces do. It's just polemic every Saturday morning to give you want you want to read. And it gets lapped up.

How is it different, in it's taste if not ingredients, to Richard Littlejohn? It isn't. It's a journalist guaranteeing a contract extension by giving you what you want to read. And it works a treat.

I guarantee next weeks column will be almost entirely the same in tone. And I guarantee guardian readers will lap it up (challenging them risks the shares and ad revenue) and it won't change your opinions one bit whilst entrenching the belief that everything is awful.

[lardy]

Re: Banana Republic?

I know that saturday mornings Marina Hyde column is the highlight of the week for many, but you aren't supposed to take it entirely seriously.

She's an entertaining read and I enjoy them, but it's hardly an even handed piece of strategic analysis. It's always (obviously) one sided and designed to achieve what it does - preach to the converted and get some shares on social media.

People think this is cutting edge analysis, but it really isn't. It's not fiction, but it sits in the middle ground between reality and make believe that most opinion pieces do. It's just polemic every Saturday morning to give you want you want to read. And it gets lapped up.

How is it different, in it's taste if not ingredients, to Richard Littlejohn? It isn't. It's a journalist guaranteeing a contract extension by giving you what you want to read. And it works a treat.

I guarantee next weeks column will be almost entirely the same in tone. And I guarantee guardian readers will lap it up (challenging them risks the shares and ad revenue) and it won't change your opinions one bit whilst entrenching the belief that everything is awful.

Mr angry off again...

[JamesWales]

Re: Banana Republic?

Mr angry off again...

I'm really not angry 🤣.

That must be your default reading tone?!

[lardy]

Re: Banana Republic?

I'm really not angry ��.

That must be your default reading tone?!

Bookmark this the next time you say angry/faux outrage/etc for commenting on something they read online, let alone writing five paragraphs on it...

[lardy]

Re: Banana Republic?

Anyway, fun and games aside - what was not true in her article?

[Dorcus]

Re: Banana Republic?

https://www.theguardian.com/commenti...ng-bad-coppers

Doubtless, some on here who could do with reading this won’t do so because it’s in the Guardian.

Just read it and as usual it's very good. Entirely factual in my opinion.

[the other bob wilson]

Re: Banana Republic?

I know that saturday mornings Marina Hyde column is the highlight of the week for many, but you aren't supposed to take it entirely seriously.

She's an entertaining read and I enjoy them, but it's hardly an even handed piece of strategic analysis. It's always (obviously) one sided and designed to achieve what it does - preach to the converted and get some shares on social media.

People think this is cutting edge analysis, but it really isn't. It's not fiction, but it sits in the middle ground between reality and make believe that most opinion pieces do. It's just polemic every Saturday morning to give you want you want to read. And it gets lapped up.

How is it different, in it's taste if not ingredients, to Richard Littlejohn? It isn't. It's a journalist guaranteeing a contract extension by giving you what you want to read. And it works a treat.

I guarantee next weeks column will be almost entirely the same in tone. And I guarantee guardian readers will lap it up (challenging them risks the shares and ad revenue) and it won't change your opinions one bit whilst entrenching the belief that everything is awful.

Where would we be without you to put us right (very appropriate that word) every time we start to think this Government is showing that it is corrupt, arrogant and inept eh? That article has links which validate many of the claims made - the “opinion piece” here is yours and the difference is that whereas Ms Hyde gives hers once or twice a week, we get the benefit of yours hour after hour, day after day on here.

[Dorcus]

Re: Banana Republic?

This piece was also interesting - especially comparing Cressida Dick with Robert Marks in the 1970s. One the ultimate defensive insider who failed to see the institutional problems, the other who rooted out deep-rooted corruption (if not the racism and misogyny that still infect the Met):

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/...t-they-existed

Pritti Patel said Sadiq Khan's decision to release Dick was "rude and unprofessional". In my opinion Dick's resignation statement was more so and also bitter and puerile. Instead of just taking it on the chin and accepting the decision with good grace she had to make it clear that Khan had lost faith in her. That proved to me she would never have changed course.

[JamesWales]

Re: Banana Republic?

Where would we be without you to put us right (very appropriate that word) every time we start to think this Government is showing that it is corrupt, arrogant and inept eh? That article has links which validate many of the claims made - the “opinion piece” here is yours and the difference is that whereas Ms Hyde gives hers once or twice a week, we get the benefit of yours hour after hour, day after day on here.

Plus she gets paid handsomely to tell the readers of Britain's most expensive newspaper EXACTLY what they want to hear every Saturday. Ching Ching.

Let me make a prediction. Next Saturday, the Saturday after that. And the one after that. And the one after that. And the one after that. All of the articles on each of those days will rather smugly and humorously criticise the government at every turn, whilst making no consideration of alternative opinions or attempt at understanding decisions. Readers will agree with every word, thus entrenching their own opinion that they are right and drifting further from any contemplation that they may be wrong.

Anyway, I'm sure you welcome my comments. If you just want the same 5-6 of you to fight amongst yourself about how correct you all are, you would just set up a WhatsApp group, no?

[JamesWales]

Re: Banana Republic?

Pritti Patel said Sadiq Khan's decision to release Dick was "rude and unprofessional". In my opinion Dick's resignation statement was more so and also bitter and puerile. Instead of just taking it on the chin and accepting the decision with good grace she had to make it clear that Khan had lost faith in her. That proved to me she would never have changed course.

None of us know the internal relationships on this but Khan made it perfectly clear to the world he had lost faith in her. Clearly their relationship had totally broken down.

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/sadiq-khan-police-cressida-dick-commissioner-days-or-weeks-racism-misogyny-met-b981537.html

[the other bob wilson]

Re: Banana Republic?

Anyway, fun and games aside - what was not true in her article?

Although, it’s not really appropriate, the phrase “no answer came the stern reply” springs to mind here.