Ken vs. Boris: It's So On

no, it's not in the least hyperbolic to say what I said, which was: humanity does terrible things to the only planet it has - this is a fact. so it's good when someone tries to reverse or limit these in any way

sounds like you don't think any of us should do anything, pro-environment, in our own lives. OK, up to you, but others will differ

reading comprehension time: you said that to drive in central london is to do "unnecessarily terrible things to the natural environment". this is plainly so far out of proportion to be hyperbolic. where do chinese coaul-burning power stations rate on your scale of environmental doom?

thinking driving a bigger car as opposed to a smaller one is of any global significance involves a dose of bad faith.

and in general thinking stopping people who can't afford a fee from driving in central london will have any effect on climate change is lunatic, and the charge was not introduced to do this.

sounds like you don't think any of us should do anything, pro-environment, in our own lives.

quite the opposite, to the extent that i haven't learned to drive. i think much bigger efforts are needed.

proportion AS to be , chinese

coal

since when did having a car become a basic right? It's always been a luxury. Having a car in the city, no matter if big or small, means you're rich. The rest of us use public transport.

Also even if the real motive isn't helping the environment, London should be commended for trying to get rid of cars. If you've been to any Asian city lately, you'll know you can hardly breathe because of the traffic.

Having a car in the city, no matter if big or small, means you're rich.

this is stupid, not been true for a very long time.

no-one is calling car ownership a 'basic right', but, on the other hand, i'm unclear where the right comes from for arbitrary taxation.

Results 1 - 3 of 3 for eco-calvinism. (0.14 seconds)

reading comprehension time: you said that to drive in central london is to do "unnecessarily terrible things to the natural environment". this is plainly so far out of proportion to be hyperbolic. where do chinese coaul-burning power stations rate on your scale of environmental doom?

i think who ever becomes London Mayor should try and introduce a congestion charge in China. is that what you're saying?

thinking driving a bigger car as opposed to a smaller one is of any global significance involves a dose of bad faith

seems like you're talking about any individual as opposed to millions of individuals ie a big enough number for car size/economy to actually become an issue no?

yeah, but charging the consumer for driving a big car-rather-than-small makes it about personal choice -- and we're not going to turn things around that way. to make it real they have to hit Big Carbon.

(and the reduction of car use in central ldn during the daytime is still a tiny gesture.)

Lets have those stats for car ownership for the lowest income groups then NRQ.

Also, you ridiculous contention regarding the point(lessness) of the congestion charge is laughable. No-one is saying that it will change the world, but that it is important to take what steps one can, where you can. Claiming they made all the difference is idiotic; claiming that they make no difference is asinine.

The only people who think differently, of course, are new labour ministers, tories, and academic posturers who make nice sounding points on messageboards but are strangers to actual political engagement in the real world. Which one are you?

oooooooooooooooooh

Lets have those stats for car ownership for the lowest income groups then NRQ.

haha you dick, your guy said "only rich people" have cars. not "people above the lowest income groups" (which groups btw?). get your head out of the 1930s.

idea that only the rich own cars is palpably absurd. by all means, let's have those stats.

i don't know what your "actual political engagement in the real world" credentials are -- but this is a pretty fruitless line of argument to pursue: most people have no practical engagement. they are still entitled to think that pinefox's comment was hyperbolic.

if you think the charge -- which i'm not even against as such -- is about saving the environment yr a bigger idiot than i already thought.

i don't know what your "actual political engagement in the real world" credentials are

he predicted alan johnson would succeed tony blair

Alol Johnsontory

anyway, to answer the question, i'm a new labour minister.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/apr/14/charliebrooker.boris

Calvin Trillin's take:

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/04/14/080414fa_fact_trillin

(I guess they're not sharing the whole article.)

I'm genetically predisposed to hate the Tories. It's my default, hard-wired position.

except blonde and pretty ones if i hear right.

But Boris isn't that pretty

That C Brooker piece pretty much sums up my feelings on the matter.

The extent to which Ken's caught up with Boris in the polls should be alarming for the Tories. The Evening Standard needs to have a humdinger of a story up its sleeve I think.

Also "too close to call" elections usually fall to the incumbent, right?

Fuck the Standard, they were quite happy to employ his partner for years.

I think the STV voting system favours that. Also Mr Johnson is having to open his mouth more and more which was always going to be the problem for him.

xpost

Which way is the Sun leaning?

Tee hee! Boris has had an affair! Arf! Now he's offended the whole of Liverpool! Crumbs! He used the word "picaninnies"! Yuk yuk! He's been caught on tape agreeing to give the address of a reporter to a friend who wants him beaten up!

8 million bald people fighting over two combs.

Which way is the Sun leaning?

http://img.thesun.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00468/breast_mayor_468206a.jpg

except blonde and pretty ones if i hear right.

-- banriquit, Monday, 14 April 2008 09:18 (1 hour ago) Bookmark Link

Courtney Love isn't a Tory. Or pretty

http://politicalbetting.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/standard-yg-poll.JPG

is that just the Standard's own poll? i have trouble believing Boris was ever really that far ahead in enough Londoner's minds - but wilful optimism maybe

I think the standard's polling sample is the 17:37 Waterloo to Epsom.

The extent to which Ken's caught up with Boris in the polls should be alarming for the Tories. The Evening Standard needs to have a humdinger of a story up its sleeve I think.

-- Matt DC, Monday, 14 April 2008 09:21 (2 days ago) Bookmark Link

So yeah, what's this I hear about Ken's campaign being run by a guy who loves suicide bombing?

i wouldn't mind that, but running it out of the nonce wing of wormwood scrubs... has he no respect?

What does current Scrubs lanky jailbird with hat on Pete Doherty have to say about all this?

Use of the word 'runs' in the headline might be overstating it a bit:

An advocate of suicide bombing is among leaders of a group trying to mobilise Muslim voters to back Ken Livingstone, the Standard reveals today.

For the past year, the group has been working on a strategy to win an estimated 200,000 Muslim votes in an effort to re-elect the Mayor.

It includes a campaign of vilification aimed at his Conservative rival, Boris Johnson. It is being waged by Muslims 4 Ken, led by 39-year-old lecturer Anas Altikriti and Palestinian-born Azzam Tamimi, a supporter of Hamas, the militant group dedicated to the creation of an Islamic state of Palestine.

While Mr Altikriti says he abhors violence and favours dialogue to further the Muslim cause, Mr Tamimi has praised suicide bombers and said he would volunteer for a suicide mission in Palestine.

"For us Muslims martyrdom is not the end of things, but the beginning of the most wonderful of things," he has said. "If I can go to Palestine and sacrifice myself I would do it. Why not?"

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard-mayor/article-23478705-details/Suicide+bomb+backer+runs+Ken%27s+campaign/article.do

'Muslims 4 Ken' is a blog hosted on blogspot.com, by the way, not an "Islamic alliance backing Ken's campaign".

The Evening Standard enters the 20th century. Well done, them.

BORIS PLEDGES: "NO JAY-Z GIGS IN LONDON ON MY WATCH"

Boris: "There's a new music that's taking over the country..."

it's amazing in a way that the ES has held back as much as it has -- they could hit ken's economic adviser john ross and the otehr ex-socialist action menks a lot harder if they wanted. perhaps they're holding back on that.

Boris wants to ban drinking on the tube. Now I dunno about anyone else, but I think most people who are drunk and causing trouble on the tube probably were already drunk when they got on there.

I just called my local authority to confirm I don't need a polling card to vote, cos the fuckers still haven't sent me one. Luckily I don't need one, and apparently don't even need to bring ID with me to vote!

i've drunk on trains so it's probably better to not be hypocritical and just say they should ban rowdy, sport-liking fuckwits rather than drink per se.

What's it got to do with liking sport?

I'm biased because I personally enjoy having a beer on the tube, and will be mightily annoyed if I'm to be arrested for doing so.

I think it's already technically illegal to drink alcohol on tubes anyway, just not enforced.

there does seem to be some correlation between the two, tom, but yeah i was basically trolling there.

Enrique gets a little tearful when there are nasty rough working class men near him on public transport.

even a stopped clock^^

(tho i was gonna put 'rugby-shirt wearing' initially -- aaaaaaaah)

the amount of time it takes to get from east to west on the Hammersmith+City (yes, I know i shouldn't bother with the H+C anyway) without a bottle or two i'd sober up by the time I got home. can't be having that.