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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-49084605
Boris Johnson has been elected new Conservative leader in a ballot of party members and will become the next UK prime minister.
He beat Jeremy Hunt comfortably, winning 92,153 votes to his rival's 46,656.
The former London mayor takes over from Theresa May on Wednesday.
In his victory speech, Mr Johnson promised he would "deliver Brexit, unite the country and defeat Jeremy Corbyn".
Speaking at the Queen Elizabeth II centre in London, he said: "We are going to energise the country.
"We are going to get Brexit done on 31 October and take advantage of all the opportunities it will bring with a new spirit of can do.
"We are once again going to believe in ourselves, and like some slumbering giant we are going to rise and ping off the guy ropes of self doubt and negativity."
Any other comments would be editorializing...
(Score: 2) by bzipitidoo on Wednesday July 24 2019, @04:56PM (5 children)
What ought to be better appreciated, is that the people really were, and are in ultimate control. Politicians ride the wave. They don't have a lot of real control. Europe has a long history of anti-semitism. Like, the Spanish Inquisition started a bit over 500 years ago, and was primarily directed against Jews, though anyone could have been accused of heresy against Christianity. The Salem Witch Trials was another episode of religious extremism run amok.
From the viewpoint of purifying Spain of all non-Christian influence, the Spanish Inquisition was a total failure. It was even more of a failure in that they ought to have known better than to try it. Instead, they showed the world a lot of things they did not intend. The Inquisition showed that the practitioners were fools and idiots, with a horrible streak of viciousness and cruelty. And they showed (again) that torture does not work. Just like nailing people to crosses, as the Romans did, torture is all too likely to backfire spectacularly. How'd that go for the Romans? They crucified Jesus, and scarcely 3 centuries later, the Roman Empire officially converted to Christianity. The Spanish Inquisition reminded people that in the matter of getting to the truth of a person's faith, torture is pretty much beside the point. Yet they kept at it. Why? Perhaps because they were actually sadists. What they really enjoyed was torturing others, and truth be damned. They used to burn the accused at the stake. It is one of the most horrifying and painful ways to die, so I've read. The people finally couldn't stomach it any more. Authorities who support such atrocities become ex-authorities, and their victims become martyrs, powerful symbols that a new wave of leaders can seize to bring down the old.
Now today, these Christian White Nationalist fascist fundamentalists are feeling pretty bold. Swaggering around cockily while their men Trump, Pence, and McConnell, and now, I suppose this Boris Johnson, ram their agenda down everyone's throats. They have forgotten that they are not the majority. They have already overplayed their hand, bigly, and it's hugely embarrassing and damaging, to Christianity and to America, and Capitalism. Even some of their own supporters can't help noticing a hypocrisy or two. Democracy, and Civilization itself is at stake, and they are denying that the fire alarm is shrieking. Consequently, there's been a big jump in the number of "nones" in recent decades.
I think Capitalism's star is falling, and may never rise again, if these big oil companies continue on this path of self-destruction. Drowning all the land on which a significant portion of humanity lives, if we survive the tumult that will bring, will forever discredit and blacken the reputation of the responsible parties and the systems which they espoused. Capitalists will have shown their irresponsibility and callousness, and will never again be allowed that kind of freedom to manage corporate affairs..
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday July 24 2019, @05:46PM
Do you mean the Jesuits or the reptilian elite? You should join like-minded individuals [facebook.com] and expose the truth to humanity. Good luck!
(Score: 2) by tangomargarine on Wednesday July 24 2019, @07:28PM (1 child)
Erm...to be precise, crucifixion isn't torture, it's just a very brutal way to execute someone. The Romans didn't put somebody up on a cross and say "now tell us what we want to know and we'll let you down." They put you up there and you died.
Neither would guillotining someone be "torture," although that's not a great analogy because the G is also a very quick way to execute someone, in contrast to crucifixion which could take days.
"Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 25 2019, @01:17PM
BRIAN: What will they do to me?
BEN: Oh, you'll probably get away with crucifixion.
BRIAN: Crucifixion?!
BEN: Yeah, first offense.
BRIAN: Get away with crucifixion?! It's--
BEN: Best thing the Romans ever did for us.
BRIAN: What?!
BEN: Oh, yeah. If we didn't have crucifixion, this country would be in a right bloody mess.
BRIAN: Guards!
BEN: Nail him up, I say!
BRIAN: Guards!
BEN: Nail some sense into him!
(Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday July 24 2019, @08:14PM
You need to loosen your tin foil hat a bit. It's cutting off the circulation to your brain.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by JoeMerchant on Wednesday July 24 2019, @08:57PM
In some sense, yes, but people with money are in much better control than people without.
It's chaotic, and when pitting a small (1%) group with lots of resources against a much larger group with much less resource at their disposal (starting with free time and means to travel and organize), it's not surprising that the smaller group can focus and protect their interests better than a big melting pot of chaos and need.
Ironically, the "big mistake" made by the wealthy between 1946 and roughly 1972 (loosening the yoke on the middle class) has led to a tremendous advancement of everyone's standard of living. Since then, they've been pushing hard on the trickle down type doctrine to retrench their relative advantages over the masses.
And, while "the people" might in some sense choose their own destiny, those who control the laws, police and military certainly have more direct control of everybody's fate.
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