MakemineVanilla

8 hours ago, Rds1983 said:

I dont want Trump to win, but I'm also not comfortable with the fact that he's likely to lose because he has raised less money.

Elect the best candidate/party for the job, not the one who is best at fundraising/lobbying.

The USA is not a democracy and more like a plutocracy, which they call a republic, this was deliberate by the founders because they didn't want the mob to tyrannise property-owners.

Obama spent more than $400m dollars getting elected.

Clinton spent $565 million.

Trump spent $322m which included $66m of his own money.

When Chomsky says there's no difference between the parties, it's dufficult to disagree.

3 hours ago, fightoffyour said:

A significant Reform vote would virtually wipe out the Tories, but what it says about the general population would be concerning.

Although Sunak is certain to retain his Richmond seat, a lot of Tory voters feel so betrayed by the present government, that they want to see the end of the Conservative party according to Peter Hitchens.

3 hours ago, VILLAMARV said:

The problem with prohibition of stupid is that it makes a martyr of stupid. Prohibition is a knee-jerk response of fear. We shouldn't fear stupid we should correct it, reason with it, reeducate it.

FTFY!

23 hours ago, delboy54 said:

I would like to change tack, I hope this is in the correct thread. This is my take on a potential future.

I work for an American faceless corporation and all they are interested in is "the bottom line", returns for shareholders I guess. They view their competitors as the enemy and will do anything to discredit and destroy them, they view it as a war without bullets and killing people.

Now expand this model to the wider picture. The EU is a competitor to the US, what better way to remove that "competitor" by allowing it to be destroyed by a non competitor I.e. by Russia both financially and materially. This will be done by the US disengaging from NATO and then stopping the supplying of Ukraine with weapons. First Ukraine will fall then the Baltic countries will get over run, Hungary will join Russia, then Poland will be absorbed again and then the dominos will fall. In my opinion Russia will not use nukes and the EU, well what is left of it, will not want to be seen as carrying out a first nuke strike. The European countries will be subsumed by Russia. It will be a blood bath and much hand wringing by the US, but they will be quietly happy as a competitor will have been removed.

After all, the US made a lot of money by sitting on the fence in the first and second world war before being forced into taking sides.

This is just my current pessimistic take on things, especially if Trump gets in again. The US will just sit back in splendid isolation and watch while Europe gets torn apart again.

I hope others on here can put a more optimistic spin on the next 25 years. Maybe the Villa might have beaten man yoo again by then or even the FA cup......

I'm presently reading a biography of Kissinger and he predicted that after the mutual nuclear threat had produced a stalemate (MAD), that offshore balancing powers (USA) would engage in proxy wars, such as Korea, the Middle East, or Ukraine.

He also suggested that European countries should increase their defense spending, not to prepare for war, but to send the right signals.

So based on that, your theory seems entirely feasible and we are left to guess at what the unspoken aims of the United States are.

On 27/11/2020 at 23:49, mjmooney said:

This green idea you have - is it colourless? 

And does it sleep furiously? 

 

A quote from Chomsky and a delightful film full of Welsh people. 

You can't understand the strike which ended in 1984 unless you understand what happened in 1971 and 1973.

The Joe Gormley entry on Wiki sums it up nicely.

The NUM's victory made them the best paid workers in the UK, ousted a Tory government, and cost ordinary working people money, due to the three-day week.

Assuming they could do it again in the 1980s was an egregious act of hubris, as capital flight had already begun, and Thatcher had the money from North Sea oil revenues, to finance her scorched-earth plans.

The unions lost their power and the rest is history.

Sadly the employers still have the whip hand.

19 hours ago, fruitvilla said:

That is true for aspects of the left too. Critical Theories for example.

There does seem to be substantial evidence for a quantity theory of insanity: that is to say, that there is a fixed quantity of madness in our species, which means that where there is a reduction in one aspect of human behaviour, there must be an increase in another.

16 hours ago, Xela said:

Fascinating insight into working class Northern Britain in the early 70s

 

Spectacularly ill-timed by Pilger in full demagogue mode, complete with lugubrious voice-over.

1971 was a high-point in terms of full employment, and coincidentally, it was conflict in Palestine which would trigger the oil-crisis and the subsequent hubris of the unions would lead to Thatcher and Blair.

2 hours ago, Stevo985 said:

I thought he looked poor to be honest. 

He's a bit rough and ready - whether there is a player in there, we'll have to find out.

He's only 21 and so he's still learning.

At the same age Ollie was still playing for Exeter.

7 hours ago, Ponky said:

To be fair it's more like Ollie kneed their keeper in the foot

As Pickford proved when he put van Dijk out for nine months, goalkeepers are a protected species and enjoy special privileges.

Watkins was injured in the challenge but got the yellow card.

14 minutes ago, jim said:

I’d pull Rogers off at HT.

Three tackles across the two ties and two bookings!

Not good!

Flippin' 'eck!

I got that wrong, I would never have guessed that line-up.

Bold or reckless?

I can't decide.

I'm very much expecting a replay of the first leg, as there's too much at stake for either side to go gungho.

I suspect Ajax will sit back and rely on Brobbey breaking through Villa's high backline.

Villa will need to produce some better quality or better luck to get the job done.

We might need a talisman and so I hope Phil King is invited.

I think Buendia did okay but he's a creative player and Villa need someone like Kevin Richardson, who will win the ball in midfield and give it simple.

Creative players are usually trying to do something clever and lack defensive instincts, so they give the ball away, in the wrong part of the pitch.

Tielemans and Zaniolo are both guilty of this.

34 minutes ago, Mantis said:

I would genuinely rather get thrashed 5-0 and play shit than do what Luton did tonight.

As Greavsie never said but should have - its a miserable old game sometimes.

On 07/03/2024 at 13:17, markavfc40 said:

Just had water bill for upcoming year through. Pretty much a 10%increase to £626 a year. Robbing bastards.

Mine was £604; it did make me laugh!

13 hours ago, ml1dch said:

The traditional Tory voters are still the "don't make a fuss, Kenneth" sort.

"Conservative" is the actual silent majority of the UK.

 

I think a better definition of "conservative" would be the "silenced majority" who have learned to keep their traps shut.

Metroland has gone forever, leaving the squalid and meretricious to reign.

8 hours ago, HKP90 said:

I don't understand how there are people who voted for him in 2020, then watched him try to destroy the democracy their country was founded on, plus the odd criminal case, and now say they are still voting for him. According to the charts above he's retained nearly all of his base from prior to the Treason.

I've always found that empathy is very much in short supply when comes to politics, and it has got worse in recent years.

54 minutes ago, Anthony said:

Interesting split between UK and US conservatism, the Conservative Party in the UK has managed to sort of keep its soul (as much as it ever had one) because the lunatic fringe is mostly outside, i.e. in the UKIP/reform parties, so that's where it shoves the loonies. As the US is such a severely 2 party system, there is nowhere for the loonies to go and they've infected the Replicans. 

My understanding is that a lot of traditional Tory voters want the party dead, so a proper Conservative party can form.

50 Tory MP's won't be standing for re-election, suggests that they are getting out to avoid the humiliation.

2 hours ago, TRO said:

I respectfully disagree, with many of those points.

Firstly.....I was optimistic in 1980/81.....I was also optimistic in 1976/77 where the team was swashbuckling and dangerous, a better defence, would have got the top prize for me.....In 1980/81 the defence was improved, and sure enough we got the top prize in the face of Liverpool, Arsenal, Man Utd and the darlings of the day..Ipswich Town.

secondly....We faced in a knock out competition, so no second chances of a mini league...some of the toughest opponents in Europe....Bayern Munich was streets ahead of us in talent.....But the resilience, determination, togetherness, and fortitude won the day

They are pretty underrated minerals you know.

We will always be behind the richer clubs, while we buy players, who offer us no improvement......That is something, we have to face up to....and improve.

We have bought a midfield in McGinn, Luiz, Tielemans and Kamara.....whilst not the best in the league, but damn good,  it has cost us less than £20 mill in fees......That's outrageously good.....and it shows we can do it, whilst not easy to do all of the time.

I still think, we could add a bit more athleticism and physicality to the squad, but with those steals....we should be able to do it......I think if you look around the Prem, there are some very good players bought for south of £20 mill.

We have to stop, looking for excuses, and delving in to defeatism by citing richer clubs, they can't buy everybody......Nobody ever mentions the wasted millions by the top teams...but Liverpool are an exceptions.

Finally.......Under Ron Saunders, I agree the expectation wasn't there.....but the belief, we was hard to beat, was there. I remember vividly going 1-0 up at Villa Park, in 80/81 and thinking the game is over.....We lost 2 games that season to Everton and Ipswich, that was the resolve we had. I have the same feeling now, I had with the '76/77 side, great attacking, no so good defending....I hope Unia puts some time in to it.

UTV

 

 

 

It's all down to personal perception.

Villa 76/77, with Andy Gray banging them in for fun, was a great season and with 22 league wins, when 24 was usually the pass-mark, was undermined by too many losses.

It was one of those seasons when competing on two fronts proved a bridge too far, with 13 losses, which were mostly away from Villa Park - two loses in April finished Villa's league challenge.

I think the increase in the number of games required to win the European Cup these days, favours the rich clubs because they have greater depth to their squads.

I thought the arrival of Peter Withe in 1980 was the catalyst which lit the fuse under Villa, and the team looked like they might win something from the get-go, but when McNaught cocked-up in the home tie with Ipswich, optimism turned into despair.

Villa have a bigger squad these days but there are several positions where Villa don't have a replacement of good enough quality.

Il Postino (The Postman)

An Italian film set on a Mediterranean island, where a famous South American poet is exciled for being a communist.

The plot is basically a twist on the play Cyrano de Bergerac (Roxanne).

A postman tries to persuade the guy to teach him how to write poetry so he can woo the local beauty.

Very funny, charming and touching.

2 hours ago, Leeroy said:

This is kind of how I see it too. Never really optimistic even in the highs because success never lasts with Villa. Tottenham have had 15 years of either finishing top 4 or being disappointed to not finish in the top 4 while we in our best season in 25 years probably won't even make it because it always seems a step too far for us. 

 

Those early years in the 80s lasted two years then we were midtable again and relegated five years later. Even bloody Everton were challenging year after year after year during the 80s 

Just to put yesterday into perspective, I usually read H&V's Woodhall piece to cheer myself up after a defeat, but even he couldn't manage to find a positive side when I looked this morning.

I tend to think that Everton's present trouble arose after they qualified for Europe - gambled on signings that let them down, and ended up in deep shit.

Looking at Villa's record signing's performance yesterday, reminded me of that.

No and Yes!

No if you mean fans of a certain age, yes if you mean the youthfully naive, or those who live abroad and have been exposed to toxic optimism.

Writing on behalf of authentic brummies, I would say that we don't do optimistic visions, and I make so bold as to say that, the fans weren't optimistic in 57, 81, 82, or any of the EFL wins.

Assuming Villa survive any FFP strictures, Villa are likely to flirt with the European places but the club is too far behind much richer clubs ever to catch up.

In 1981 we only needed one team to be in transition to win the title and the trophy was only won by the narrowest of margins.

In 1982 Villa didn't play many games to reach the European Cup final and again sneaked past the favourites, who won the trophy following season, while Villa began their decline.

Hopeful yes, but optimist never!