Comments by "Ash Roskell" (@ashroskell) on "Professor Tim Wilson"
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I knew some of the gang members in the Hazel Grove constituency, in a former life. Not well, and only due to others I knew having run ins with them. It has been one of the most crime ridden areas in Greater Manchester for years. I was kind of hoping that it would have improved, if not been cleaned up, by now. It really couldn’t happen to any of us. You’re right there. I don’t know the Willy Wragg story well, but I wouldn’t, “sext,” my own wife! Not because of any poe faced Puritanism, but simply because everything you put into the either stays there, like a human stain, and can be accessed by third parties at any time, either as a result of security failures or human errors, technological failures, or spies (political and industrial) collecting vast swathes of data. I’d be more comfortable putting a lurid neon sign outside my house! Never say anything in the either, YouTube very much included, that you wouldn’t be willing to repeat in front of the people concerned, your own family, a judge or the police. If MP’s don’t all know this, they’re not fit to serve.
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I will write to her on her social media to wish her well. I am also gladdened and relieved to hear that you are, “presumed,” well, and I do hope to be seeing your YouTube output for many years to come.
I hope you do appreciate that your videos have huge, inherent, “value,” and that I will not be the only one who has been comforted, entertained and educated by your unique takes on the nation’s affairs.
It is frightening to find that, if you do not stay continually on top of the minutia, the NHS will not see things through for you. I have been there on numerous occasions, though I have not yet faced anything so dire as a live or death diagnosis, as you have. The temptations to go private are too big for many, though I will not yield, determined as I am to hound my representatives into saving the service.
I certainly hope that you are not considering giving up your YouTube career? You must, of course, do what is right for yourself and I will support any decision you make in that regard, 100%. But, I would miss you terribly. I have come to count on you for help with processing this mad and maddening world we find ourselves stuck in. Your wisdom and insight are one thing, but your ability to deal constructively with criticism and disagreement are an all too rare example that more should follow.
Wishing you all good things.
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As to your vote this year, I wouldn’t deign to tell you how to vote, but I do have a suggestion. From all of your videos it is clear to me that you are one of the most knowledgeable and authoritative voices on British politics out there. So, you must know that it’s more important right now, not just to get this particular brand of Tories out, but to lay down a lesson for the ages about who we are as Britons. I am hoping that the Tories do not even retain opposition status after this election and that the message becomes clear: The more far right wing your politics, the less chance you have of achieving power.
This election cycle promises at least that much opportunity. Whether the British people take it or not remains to be seen.
But, for myself, I have joined the tactical voting scheme that has grown and organised itself rather brilliantly around the country. They have websites which make it really easy to find out which candidate stands the greatest chance of defeating the Tory candidate in your area (and is not right of them politically) which they regularly update with the latest quality polling information. That information becomes vital in marginal seats.
In my area, in the East of Scotland, it is not the same, as the Tories don’t traditionally do well here anyway. But I have spread the word to my friends and family all around England and Wales, (I don’t know anyone in Northern Ireland) and given them the links showing them how easy it is to get genuinely helpful guidance, if your aim is simply to irradiate the Tories as a political entity.
Sorry, to get to my point: Please consider a tactical vote? If not, I would love to hear you account for why you think tactical voting is a bad idea, or just not for you personally; but, of course, I fully respect your right not to account for anything, let alone disclose your voting intention. Yet you did discuss it to some degree there.
With the campaign itself, having gained so much traction around the country, I do feel it is a worthy topic for your channel and you may like to share some thoughts on it in a more generalised discussion, perhaps?
Your output is so vast that it’s quite possible that you have already done this and I have missed it? Much as I’d love to see all of your videos, I cannot fit them is with everything else I’m trying to keep up with right now. But if you have already discussed tactical voting, perhaps you could direct me to that video?
Edit: I should add that the tactical voting website also gives helpful information on the local issues in your area, the voting records of the candidates and any public record titbits about their speeches, or other relevant facts about these candidates, that a voter may feel it is important to know.
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It has ceased to surprise me that people like Truss can be so mendacious, selfish and wilfully destructive of the very institutions upon which we rely for our democratic process. Is she so clinically thick that she cannot see what her casual abuse does to the country? Is she so deranged that she, “believes,” her own fantasies?
Imagine you’re watching the Wimbledon Tennis finals and, by some strange quirk of fate, the star British player pulls out of the match and is replaced by a random person in the audience. And when that random person is soundly thrashed, as all expected, in a humiliating defeat that the entire world watched on live services, she does not accept the reality that everyone else witnessed, but blames the umpire, the ball boys and ball girls, her coach, and her opponent’s trainers, of all conspiring against her in a conspiracy she dubbed, “the deep state.” These last years have been like that.
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I do so admire your capacity to conjoin compassion with rationality into one coherent thought process. We have much to learn from people like you.
And I am so glad to hear this terminology challenged. Let’s face it? The reason Tories use the term, “illegal migrant,” is purely manipulative and a psychological, “technique.” They want to instil racist mental images in the minds of the public; Muslim suicide bombers, Russian spies and a generally semi-vagrant, criminal underclass, skulking about our cities stealing to survive and stealing our jobs from under our noses too.
Two ironies with this (well, actually countless ironies, but the two I’ll mention are):
1: They are using the same technique that the Nazis used against Jews in the 1930’s, which are the same techniques that such people are fleeing, and would be fleeing from Britain if there was any substantive action being taken to back up the claims of their, “criminality.” But, as Robespierre points out, there have been no arrests, because migration and asylum seeking are not crimes.
2: The mental image of the, “illegal migrant,” these schemers foster is such a distortion that it results in unthinking people looking at their neighbours with suspicion, even if they have been born and bred in Britain, simply because their skin is the same colour as that of our PM and previous couple of Home Secretaries. And those same people then complain loudly in the pub about, “these illegals,” to a guy with white skin and an odd accent who is nodding along and not about to tell this bigot that he has outstayed his visa for years and would be deported under current laws!
All this, “government,” seems capable of is making up entirely false problems, promising to fix what no one saw as a problem until they started going on about it, and then making it worse by every empirical measure! They are a national security threat!
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Suella Braverman is that most dangerous cocktail of things; driven by pathological belief in her, “mission,” wrong headed, sociopathic and intellectually speaking, plain stupid. The reason for the, “Conservative crisis,” has far more to do with broken trust with the voters (a series of incompetent PM’s for example) due to their callous indifference to the real problems of average people.
It is useful, manipulative, to both the far right, “conservatives,” like her and people in the Farage Garage, to pretend that migration is the central issue of this election. But the stark reality is that we now pay record levels of tax while our public services are in record decline. And we’ve all seen that this was due to Brexit lies, theft, incompetence, callous indifference to Covid (and the previous mentioned issues), insider dealing, corruption and waste!
We’ve watched them make themselves, their friends and their families much richer at the direct cost of justice, fairness and the voters’ pockets.
But, let’s just come down to one basic case in point, shall we? As I see it, any cabinet minister who literally calls vast swathes of voters names, from the dispatch box, is unfit for ANY role in public life! Not just once, and not just one name, but a list of deliberately hurtful epithets, in several speeches, questions or pre-prepared responses to questions, DRIVING HOME the point that not only does she not care about what people who disagree with her think, but she actively hates them and seeks to punish them!
She is just wrong in every respect; factually, intellectually, emotionally, historically, you name it. Wrong and wrong headed. I genuinely believe she would benefit more from spending time with a good psychotherapist than in public life. She’s obviously deeply unhappy. But why is she entitled to make the rest of us live in her own personal hell with her?
Away with her. Forever!
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This Kursk incursion mission has multiple objectives; diplomatic, logistical, psychological, journalistic even and, of course, addressing the practical matter of defeating an illegal, terroristic, mafia style theft operation and invasion.
I agree with your guess that, if something big happens in Moscow or St Petersburg, “it will be fast.” The quality of life has diminished in Russia, even in the metropolitan centres, while money is getting more expensive and resources growing scarce. When the wheel turns in Russia, it is always sudden and, apparently, out of a clear blue sky.
The Russian revolution set a precedent that was, apparently, set in stone and has repeated itself multiple times over the last century or so. And it is the nature of the state apparatus that makes it so. The death of Stalin caused an upheaval because no one knew how to cope or what to do (I cannot recommend Armando Iannucci’s movie about that enough, btw) and then Nikita Khrushchev was suddenly deposed after losing his game of nuclear chicken with the Americans.
The fall of communism came out of that same clear blue sky so far as the west was concerned. Anyone who says they saw that coming is misremembering or lying to you. Then there was an attempted counter revolution by the old guard (which people barely remember these days) during which the Kremlin was besieged by tanks and from which emerged the figure of an apparent, “hero,” Boris Yeltsin, who turned out to be more of the same but without the restraints of communist doctrine to act as guard rails against his particular brand of debauchery and gangsterism.
The Wagner revolt was certainly not predicted by Putin, as was made so abundantly clear by the fact that there were no defences between Wagner and Moscow when they came barrelling up the motor way with, as you mentioned, the popular cheers of the people of Rostov at their backs. But that fell apart due to Prighozin’s allies backing out at the last moment. That was one time when Putin’s positioning of people into senior posts for their loyalty, not their ability, paid off.
Yet, what all of these events in Russian history have in common is, when it happens, it happens fast and, often, out of a clear blue sky.
So, settle in, buy some popcorn and enjoy the End Of Putin Show while it lasts. Look away from your screens for too long and you may miss a revolution?
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Streeting knows that saving the NHS from the stealth privatisation and outright sabotage of the Tories (so they could sell us complete privatisation as some kind of, “rescue plan”) will need to be explained to the public, as we will have to dig deep in our pockets and be patient waiting for meaningful results. To be quite frank, all major departments will need root and branch reform. And comprehensive reviews are a smart move, as the media will be filled with evidence of what the Tories were really up to behind closed doors, and subsequent committees will haul them over the coals.
And this will be better than letting the Tories get away with their usual playbook of screaming, “Oh look how expensive Labour’s plans are!” and, “We’re still waiting for results!” in every client media outlet. Expose them for what they did and show the public how it was a deliberate plan to sabotage the NHS so as to force us into a private, Americanised, “service,” that makes Tory friends and families rich . . . again! Go for it, Wes!
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@ilokivi : The myth of, “scarcity,” is the one that boils my blood, out of that huge list (that I don’t doubt we could compile together) because they exploit people’s fears into CAUSING that very scarcity (the, “who’s gonna’ pay for . . .?” mob) that everybody fears!
Some nations are on the brink of economic and social collapse, because they have ageing populations and not enough birth rates to replace the dwindling younger populations who would support their pensions and the growing need for elderly healthcare that all countries are seeing as life expectancy goes up. The Chinese are in a real crisis due to their, now reversed, single child policy and Russia too is at the top of that list, due to them squandering young men on an unwinnable war in Ukraine, and frightening off all their best and brightest youths, from their draft. At the last count, over a million service aged men have fled Russia in the last year.
And what would Britain benefit most from, right now? An injection of young adults, who will have babies and generate taxable income and economic growth? Perhaps the sort of younger people who have the courage and gumption to risk reprisal rather than commit genocide? Perhaps the sorts of people from all over the world willing to risk life and limb because they say NO to fascists and demagogues? Those people educated enough and committed enough to get here, willing to do the million or so jobs (at last count) that we Brits feel are beneath us, like picking crops, cleaning the streets, warehouse work, etc?
The very solutions to our problems are on our doorstep, literally banging on the door and asking to be let in, but our government wrongly believes that they can stir up Nazi levels of hatred against, “the other,” and desperately cling to power like limpet mines, going off and taking another chunk of the country’s institutions with them, destroying the very foundations of our identity and law, for their sociopathic egos and greed.
I’m not expecting any great insights or meaningful leadership from Labour, but at least they don’t encourage fascism in their party! So, I’ll take them over the Tories any day of the week.
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@ConradAinger : I was speaking of the industrially advanced nations in which war, famine and pandemics are not common and do not happen at all on their native soil (for the most part). The countries of the whole continent of Africa are not susceptible to the same analysis, largely because their development was arrested and exploited by empires well into the late 20th century. And these days they are still being exploited by empire builders, but in a more deliberately hidden and perverted fashion. China and Russia are the main culprits in that regard, but far from the only ones.
Or, to put it more simply; countries in which war, famine and epidemics are still a regular occurrence, while the vested interests of large oil, mineral and nuclear companies work hand in glove for the governments of their respective nations, (toppling a dictatorship or a democracy here, replacing it with a more cooperative dictatorship or democracy there) still have a direct influence in the outcomes of these wars and disputes, the same measuring stick does not apply.
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I believe she will seek to settle out of court in the civil case. I do not believe you are being too hard on her though. Far from it!
How utterly tone deaf is it, for ANY politician to flaunt their wealth at any time? Let alone at a time when the number of food banks is only growing and the number of children falling below the poverty line is increasing. All as a direct result of Tory policies. She really does cut a Marie Antoinette figure.
But, the fact that none of the whips dressed her down for this behaviour, or even explained to her why it would be perceived as trolling the general public, the poorer one is, the more painful their conclusions, says so much about the degenerate state of morality in modern politics. No one intervened. She did it over and over again.
WTF did she EXPECT! I’m afraid the Sans-Culottes will be coming for her Capet head. It’s bad enough when people rub their wealth in the faces of the poor and blame them for their own predicament. But to do so as a politician is unacceptable in its lack of decorum. And to do so as a titled (en-titled) privileged politician, the public can only perceive that as a direct threat!
The fact that she doesn’t understand this alone, is proof of her unfitness for her position. But, the fact that she swooped in to a national crisis, carpet bag in hand, is truly sickening. “Off with her head,” I say. Metaphorically speaking, of course.
But can we not at least empathise with those who have lost loved ones and whom may well have calculated that her actions contributed to the deaths of their nearest and dearest? Can we blame them for wanting to do murder? I at least empathise with them, having lost my father to Covid.
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Sunak’s JOB is to REPRESENT our nation, not speak FOR us, nor take into his own hands the personal squabbles he wishes to start at our EXPENSE! He is meant to be an ADULT capable of speaking to his counterpart, face to face, as arranged. Frankly, the average Britain (not me) will have no opinion about the Marbles and be more concerned with matters like Ukraine’s security, and TRADE! He simply has NO RIGHT, regardless of the issue. It’s not just a STUPID hill to die on, but it was utterly unnecessary! Face the man, Rishi, you abject COWARD!
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@neilwarren4573 : And at the heart of that squalid pit of vipers will be the producers; the silent assassins, who spread gossip, whisper in the apprentice’s ears and tell them, “You should not stand for that,” or something to that effect. I saw a documentary looking at how the producers of the Jeremy Kyle show worked from the shadows, skilfully and with experience, manipulating the weaknesses, fears and vulnerabilities of their, “guests,” with such aplomb that they could send them out onto the stage like emotional suicide bombers, giving maximum, “entertainment,” value at the cost of every day after for the rest of the participants’ lives.
Real sociopaths. If I met someone in a bar, who introduced themselves to me as a producer on such a show, I don’t know if I could be responsible for myself! And if I did allow myself to slap them (involuntarily, of course) I would feel as though such a dangerous manipulator cannot be left to avenge themselves on me, with all the resources and zero morality they command, so I would have to dispose of their remains somewhere quiet.
Of course, I’m not serious. But my contempt for such people, informed by my own damaging experience of manipulators, stirs such dark feelings in me, even now, that I would have no sympathy for any one of them, should they meet such an end at someone else’s hands. That’s awful, I know. And I should be ashamed of myself. But it’s honest.
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You have to suck it and see with policies like these. To many elites, money isn’t the issue, but the name of the institution and exclusivity of being in the, “club.” People ALWAYS, “threaten,” to walk away when their wallets are threatened. And, for many elites, they are used to such tantrums being sufficient to get their own way. But most are just bluster, in my experience, like the people who say they’ll leave the country if the Tories lose the election, yet whom never leave. Call their bluff.
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@dorsetbigcats6292 : What makes you think I, “accept,” anything from Wikipedia? Read my words more carefully. My point is that Mr Yaxley-Lennon does not challenge this description of him. He has never asked Wiki to change it, so they claim.
The fact that you leapt, so readily, to the wrong conclusion, does not speak highly of your processing skills, but we all make mistakes before our first coffee of the day, so I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt. However, I would urge you to consider treating people you don’t know with better basic manners? Raise a question, by all means; outright challenge my conclusions; but there’s no call for you to disparage me, simply because you don’t like what I have to say.
I expressed no opinion. Only fact.
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Would it not be better if people like you, sensible, intelligent, compassionate, thoughtful, “influential,” set aside time to discuss the likes of Farage in a summary discussion once a week? Yes, we cannot ignore him, and we cannot dismiss his role in the riots (which I suspect is far deeper and more forewarned than he’s letting on) and a discussion about how to defeat the message of the far right must be had. But the fatal error here is that you discuss Farage several times a day! Your followers have Farage on their minds each day and will be discussing him with their friends, families and colleagues, because YOU talk about little else these days!
Please don’t mischaracterise this comment as a call to ignore Farage completely? But I do think it is genuinely game changing when the grownups re-contextualise far right leaders and most importantly, STOP giving them exactly what they want! Which is their faces, voices and words in the headlines as much as possible.
When you talk about Farage to such a disproportionate extent, you make him much bigger in the minds of the general public, and it becomes more plausible in the public consciousness that such a man could assume more power, because he has always loomed so large on the political landscape. It should be shocking to everyone that such a man is even in Parliament, let alone such a big influence on the nation’s woes.
I don’t know exactly how you view yourself as a, “player,” on the political stage, but you must know that you are influential? And with that influence comes responsibility. Not just the type of responsibility that you are accustomed to as an educator (which I don’t doubt is comprehensive enough) but as a YouTuber, you also (I would hope?) are aware of the journalistic responsibilities of a broadcaster?
I really worry that you are making a mistake by making Farage far too big a focus for discussion, making him far more powerful than he should be, and playing directly into his hands. Sometimes, having smart observations to share and not making them can be frustrating. But Farage is the one individual who would be most gratified by what you are doing here. And I think you should give serious thought to reconsidering your approach to him.
I apologise for such a long comment, but I assure you I am completely sincere and, as the record shows, a genuine admirer of you and your work.
If I am wrong, please show me how so?
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