A bunch of pranksters sat behind computer screens messing with thermostats means we've got to force young people into the military for 2 years? The right wing just hate everyone poor don't they.
Some political ideas age better than others.
When I proposed a new model of national service in the 2024 election, it quickly became the butt of jokes. Now France and Germany are taking steps towards it, and in Sweden places are highly prized by teenagers and employers alike.
What I’d seen as prime minister – the constant probing by our enemies, which didn’t distinguish between civilian and military – had convinced me we would soon need some kind of resilience corps. The cyberattacks on European supermarkets, with fridges remotely set to 50C so the food spoils, show this is our new reality. Defence spending won’t stop that. Responsibility for our security can’t just be subcontracted to the military.
In a world in which the government feels obliged to tell us to stockpile tinned goods, our culture needs to change. It will take more than well-stocked cupboards to meet this moment.
A new, universal national service scheme should offer people options. A few might join a small, selective military cadre. Others could serve with search and rescue, St John Ambulance or Meals on Wheels, or train in cybersecurity.
It would make us more resilient and more cohesive, give the almost one million young people not in education, employment or training a sense of purpose, and remind us all that citizenship brings responsibilities as well as rights.
My @thetimes column today 👇 thetimes.com/comment/columni…
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Joel retweeted
I agree with Queen B. Gayton McKenzie needs to resign. I refuse to accept that South Africa can spend R31 million on a World Cup delegation while our own swimmers must find R55,000 to represent the country. If this is his idea of prioritising sport, we've got a serious problem.
If Southgate is the new United manager they've officially ruined my enjoyment at their decline because it's just sad to watch now. Like bumping into your school bully and he's lost both legs to diabetes.
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To fix a jury the CPS, the judge, the police, the jurors, the prosecution, Brand's own legal team, plus a whole army of admin staff would have had to be in on it just to bring down an ex comedian turned podcaster. Give it up now you mental bastards.
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Russell Brand's lawyer in 'mitigation':
-The rape was only quick
-She went to his house so she wasn't particularly vulnerable
-His wife and kids are sad now
-It was the fame made him do it
-It was all ages ago
-Loads of people spoke up for him but you don't know them
Wanker.
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Peter Drury, as the 96th minute equaliser went in: MANCHESTER UNITED HAVE GOT OUT OF JAIL!!!
Meanwhile, in jail:
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Or, and this might sound radical, get to know her and learn what she likes. Cos it might not be cheese.
Instead of “Good morning,” text her:
• Morning, beautiful. ❤️ • Hey, my favorite distraction. • Awake yet, trouble? 😂 • Did you dream of me? • New day, same beautiful smile. • What's making you smile today?
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You can pick over the bones of the ownership and the sporting directors etc but Michael Carrick is objectively a really bad manager and if he hadn't played for the club he wouldn't even have got an interview let alone a multi year contract.
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Murica.
An infant died of measles in southwestern Wisconsin, the state's first measles death since 1990. khou.com/article/news/nation…
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I'm sorry but that 'Russell Brand was only prosecuted because he dared question the elites!' conspiracy bullshit just doesn't hold water when you note that David Icke has been selling out venues around the world for decades spouting the exact same bollocks without consequence.
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What kind of democracy lets one man spend 446 million dollars trying to get his preferred party elected? Obviously it's very funny that he failed but ffs just tax these cunts.
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Joel retweeted
It is my honor and privilege to be headed to the US Senate to serve the great state of Michigan.
Michigan, we did what they said couldn’t be done. We won. Together. Now the real work begins.
Just reading the summing up in the Brand trial and I'm impressed with the judge, he's quite rightly directing the jury to think past the age old defence angle of they were up for it/they didn't really say no/he's a player but he always coincidentally gets formal verbal consent.
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Fucking arsenal fans. Now they're saying Isak started stepping forward for an easy header and then decided not to attack the ball at the exact moment he was pulled back even though it was plenty near enough to reach.
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Work in progress, lots of positives, genuinely not arsed about losing to that bunch of diving garbage. On to playing a football team next.
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There's having thin skin and then there's taking Carra to actual court because he hurt your feelings. If the Villa owner wants to sue anyone for seriously damaging their reputation he should be suing himself after this.
People saying villa have ‘thin skin’ imagine if Jamie Carragher had said that about YOUR club, basically ‘you’ve done everything you can and this is your ceiling, stay in your lane’
If you can’t strive to be the best then we might as well pack up and go home. He’s a disgrace.
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