In the News

[Othko97]

Don't worry CG, whatever you guys do, Britain will inevitably follow like an obedient lapdog.

[Jubal]

It does actually look like we're not going to this time, which is interesting.

[comrade_general]

Doesn't look like we are going to do anything either. Alobama passed it to congress even though they aren't in session and they will likely say no. All's well that ends well.

[Jubal]

Ironic, given the GOP still control the House of Representatives; I guess it's a catch-22 for them, either they stop Obama going to war (thus defeating Obama) and risk the argument that they failed the Syrians, or they have to tacitly accept Obama going to war.

I think it is fair that Congress have to justify going to war really, though there are risks in that sort of system. I'm sure Obama doesn't really want to go to war if he can help it; too much of his base of support was always about cheapening/getting out of big ground conflicts of the Iraq & Afghanistan type.

[Jubal]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-23957616

Looks like Congress may be a bit more hawkish than you thought, CG.

[comrade_general]

Oh bloody hell. I call for a vote from the people.

[Jubal]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/23973673

A third of women believe there are varying degrees of rape, according to new figures.

The same proportion also think if a woman does not fight back, then she cannot have experienced rape.

...

A quarter of the 1,000 women surveyed wrongly thought if someone was drunk it could not be classed as rape, while 60% thought it did not count if a woman does not say no.

These figures are really quite worrying, the more specific sub-headings far more so (to me) than the headline given that it shows specifically how unaware some people are of what circumstances class as rape (aka ALL non-consensual sex).

[comrade_general]

Jokes! Don't hate me.

[Pentagathus]

That video was funny, the news report wasn't though. Come to think of it, I don't remember ever having a sex-ed lesson where rape was discussed. I know its an uncomfortable topic, but clearly more people need educating on the laws regarding rape.

[Jubal]

That's true, I'm not sure we ever learned about it at all; we did an overview of the laws on assault, GBH, etc, if I recall, but rape just wasn't brought up. Which is really pretty concerning.

[Pentagathus]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-23986595

"The spells and things that you're reading in the Harry Potter books, those aren't just something that are made up, those are actual spells. Those are things that came from witchcraft books," says Tess.

Yes! Harry Potter is actually non-fiction, I was right.

[Cuddly Khan]

Replace a bad one with a worse one. That's how the government works.

[Will]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-23986595

"The spells and things that you're reading in the Harry Potter books, those aren't just something that are made up, those are actual spells. Those are things that came from witchcraft books," says Tess.

Yes! Harry Potter is actually non-fiction, I was right.

I wonder what they would think if they actually had a conversation with J.K Rowling about the origin of the spells (presumably she made them up). They would assume she was a witch then?

[Jubal]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-24270591

"Forgoing his cowboy boots for tennis shoes, Sen Cruz, a potential 2016 presidential candidate, railed all night against the Obama health law, calling it the country's "biggest jobs killer" and comparing his struggle to the fight against the Nazis, or the American Revolution."

Okay, so I acknowledge the rights of American politicians to oppose state healthcare. But to equate it to Nazism is a really severe political insult to anyone who DOES have that system - last I checked, Britain, which has the archetypal free at the point of use healthcare service Cruz so reviles, was fighting the Nazis before the Americans even decided to turn up to the party. Gah. I don't mind people disagreeing with my views, I just wish they wouldn't be quite so dumb about their rhetoric at times. 

[Will]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-25145015

Well that is some serious bullarmadillo.