Also in the News - Part 2

[Daggers]

1 hour ago, Guesty said:

When I see the discourse over Brand and rape in general. And look at the charging and conviction rates I start to realise:

 

If a rapist is happy to rape people they already know or vulnerable people: be that friends, acquaintances, family, ex or current partners.

 

They basically get 2 to 4 free rapes.

 

Once they start getting to the 5 or 6th (or more importantly, the victim is someone they know). Then the: 'where's the evidence' people finally start to come around. And even then it wouldn't be enough for some.

 

We'll all know women who've been raped (maybe they haven't told you, but worth remembering when discussing this in front of women). I know at least two.

 

I also know of someone who was falsely accused when he was younger so I understand being sceptical. But the way some of this is discussed (more on twitter than here) is so weird to me.

I am a rape victim. I was raped twice as a child. 

[Guesty]

9 minutes ago, Daggers said:

I am a rape victim. I was raped twice as a child. 

Sorry to hear that. When I quoted you it was agreeing with your point especially about there being multiple accounts - but then went off on a tangent. It seems to be the only time people then accept it. 

[Grebfromgrebland]

3 hours ago, Guesty said:

We'll all know women who've been raped (maybe they haven't told you, but worth remembering when discussing this in front of women). I know at least two.

This really struck a chord with me. When I think about it I know of 5 women who have been raped and none of them went to the police. 

 

They just didn't want the hassle, attention and potential humiliation.

[DennisNedry]

What shocked me most about the documentary was the social norms of the mid 2000s, it must have been the peak of "lad culture". Stuff being laughed at that would make most uncomfortable today and outright offend others. Some bits were Saville-esque, as if they were straight out of the 70s. 

[Heathrow fox]

1 hour ago, DennisNedry said:

What shocked me most about the documentary was the social norms of the mid 2000s, it must have been the peak of "lad culture". Stuff being laughed at that would make most uncomfortable today and outright offend others. Some bits were Saville-esque, as if they were straight out of the 70s. 

I seem to remember it being the liberal right on hipster types of the day that were his biggest fan base.

[Jon the Hat]

1 hour ago, Heathrow fox said:

I seem to remember it being the liberal right on hipster types of the day that were his biggest fan base.

He is pretty clever at playing to his target audience, as his switch to the conspiracy nut job market has shown.

[MPH]

Very mixed feelings about the Documentary.

 

on the one hand Brand looks like a repugnant individual, on the other hand I have never been a fan of ‘ trial by tv’.

 

 

I HOPE that what comes of this is that more rape victims feel empowered to understand that what happened to them is not ok and to seek justice for the crimes committed against them.

[Jon the Hat]

1 hour ago, MPH said:

Very mixed feelings about the Documentary.

 

on the one hand Brand looks like a repugnant individual, on the other hand I have never been a fan of ‘ trial by tv’.

 

 

I HOPE that what comes of this is that more rape victims feel empowered to understand that what happened to them is not ok and to seek justice for the crimes committed against them.

I think the media have an important role to play in investigating things like this which can be cross jurisdiction, and with victims who were unwilling to go to the police at the time, or individually.  Its highly likely for example that Harvey Weinstein would be free and still offending if it wasn't for the NY Times investigation.  This is especially true where the police and organizations are in some way complicit in or benefit from pushing things under the carpet.  See Jimmy Saville where Police had numerous chances to investigate and bottled it.  

[fox_up_north]

Just to add my tuppence on Brand, but from a slightly different angle;

 

A friend of mine recently came out as bi. I think be thought it would be a really shocking revelation but it wasn't and didn't bother me. I asked him how long he felt this way and he said about a decade. I asked what made him wait so long to tell me, which lead to him dropping quite the bombshell: "I was raped and it spent 3 years in court"

 

The defence solicitor for his attacker repeatedly brought up his sexuality and text messages on gay/ bi dating apps as "evidence" it was consensual. This horrifically affected my friend's understanding of his own sexuality and how he should behave. It was also an older man taking advantage of his youth. 

 

I didn't press but I also didn't get the impression his attacker was convicted. If he did, it didn't come across.

 

My point is that there are many ways something can be seen as consensual in the build up to the act but all different factors can affect that. Very, very few people "cry rape" and the majority just have to accept nothing will ever happen. If someone is doing anything sexual they don't want to or have been coerced into, it's rape. Simple as.

 

Based on what I've seen, I've no doubt in my mind that Brand has committed these terrible acts and if it gives victims/ potential victims a sense that there CAN be justice and it is worth pursuing, the  good.

[Lionator]

9 hours ago, DennisNedry said:

What shocked me most about the documentary was the social norms of the mid 2000s, it must have been the peak of "lad culture". Stuff being laughed at that would make most uncomfortable today and outright offend others. Some bits were Saville-esque, as if they were straight out of the 70s. 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=0eJwSZJKNHk&pp=ygUUc29jY2VyIGFtIHNvY2NlcmV0dGU%3D
 

it’s even worse than you thought, and I was a massive soccer am fan. 

[Fox92]

I am going to watch it tonight but he's always seemed strange to me. Never liked him since that incident with Andrew Sachs.

[ramboacdc]

Not seen this in many places, but Vegas got hacked by someone searching on LinkedIN for a staff member with admin access, called the helpdesk saying they had forgot their password and needed a reset and then stuck the Malware in.

https://apnews.com/article/vegas-casinos-mgm-caesars-cyberattack-59644d2cb0f2a765770d30f268b81a11#:~:text=Tony Anscombe%2C the chief security,emails to breach the system. 

[Leicesterpool]

55 minutes ago, Fox92 said:

I am going to watch it tonight but he's always seemed strange to me. Never liked him since that incident with Andrew Sachs.

Annoyed me after that incident he was still allowed to remain in TV, sacked by the BBC. Then a year later he was guest on Match Of The Day... suddenly all was forgotten and forgiven. So pestering an unwell old man, is okay I guess. 

[leicsmac]

23 minutes ago, ramboacdc said:

Not seen this in many places, but Vegas got hacked by someone searching on LinkedIN for a staff member with admin access, called the helpdesk saying they had forgot their password and needed a reset and then stuck the Malware in.

https://apnews.com/article/vegas-casinos-mgm-caesars-cyberattack-59644d2cb0f2a765770d30f268b81a11#:~:text=Tony Anscombe%2C the chief security,emails to breach the system. 

These tech crime stories are invariably fascinating.

 

And it's true that the flaw that allows most of the criminals to get in tends to be human, not technological.

[ClaphamFox]

23 hours ago, Tuna said:

#

Don't think he's had much of a film or tv career for years.

 

Seems to have reinvented himself as a conspiracy theory youtuber.

Which is why the stories that have come out probably won't affect his career much. His supporters will just say that it's a big conspiracy against him because he's exposing 'truths' and the establishment wants to destroy him. He's found his audience and they're unlikely to turn on him.

[leicsmac]

9 minutes ago, ClaphamFox said:

Which is why the stories that have come out probably won't affect his career much. His supporters will just say that it's a big conspiracy against him because he's exposing 'truths' and the establishment wants to destroy him. He's found his audience and they're unlikely to turn on him.

As other people have said, perhaps that is the exact reason - plus the easy money from those looking to satisfy their confirmation bias - that he has reinvented himself as conspiracy grifter in the first place.

[urban.spaceman]

Liz Truss is fully mental isn't she?

 

How did this lunatic happen to us?!

[Innovindil]

11 minutes ago, urban.spaceman said:

Liz Truss is fully mental isn't she?

 

How did this lunatic happen to us?!

Probably the first time in this country's history that the lib dems spoke for all of us. 

 

Responding to her speech, the Liberal Democrat's deputy leader Daisy Cooper said: "Liz Truss giving a speech on economic growth is like an arsonist giving a talk on fire safety."

[Dunge]

9 minutes ago, urban.spaceman said:

Liz Truss is fully mental isn't she?

 

How did this lunatic happen to us?!

Her appointment as leader was the breaking point for me with the modern Conservative Party. It was the moment I realised what a gigantic hole they’re in because this was their membership’s decision. It was obvious her economic plans were ridiculous and that not one leadership candidate aside from Sunak had a clue what to do about the country’s finances, but they voted her in anyway. They chose to vote in an unintelligent tinpot Thatcher, someone who isn’t talented enough by rights to even be an MP, let alone in the cabinet.

 

The Conservatives need a clearout, a cull of idiots like her. I just don’t see it happening any time soon.

[Zear0]

Remember seeing Brand at De Montfort many years ago.  He ended his show saying "many of you think I'm unobtainable, I can assure you I'm not."  He then basically gave out the address of his hotel and room number.  Obviously at the time we all assumed he was taking the p**s but appears a true word was said in jest.  Desperate.

[Foxdiamond]

12 minutes ago, Dunge said:

Her appointment as leader was the breaking point for me with the modern Conservative Party. It was the moment I realised what a gigantic hole they’re in because this was their membership’s decision. It was obvious her economic plans were ridiculous and that not one leadership candidate aside from Sunak had a clue what to do about the country’s finances, but they voted her in anyway. They chose to vote in an unintelligent tinpot Thatcher, someone who isn’t talented enough by rights to even be an MP, let alone in the cabinet.

 

The Conservatives need a clearout, a cull of idiots like her. I just don’t see it happening any time soon.

She is so thick or shameless that she does not have the dignity or awareness to simply shut up . Crazy she was anywhere near high office 

[bovril]

15 hours ago, DennisNedry said:

What shocked me most about the documentary was the social norms of the mid 2000s, it must have been the peak of "lad culture". Stuff being laughed at that would make most uncomfortable today and outright offend others. Some bits were Saville-esque, as if they were straight out of the 70s. 

Yeah although I feel like we've become a little too puritanical now some of the stuff from the early 2000s is grim. That whole period was a total cultural wasteland anyway. Brand is the perfect symbol of that era.

[bovril]

3 hours ago, urban.spaceman said:

Liz Truss is fully mental isn't she?

 

How did this lunatic happen to us?!

Stupidest person to ever be PM. I still think of all the crazy shit in recent British politics the craziest is her becoming leader.

[dsr-burnley]

4 hours ago, Dunge said:

Her appointment as leader was the breaking point for me with the modern Conservative Party. It was the moment I realised what a gigantic hole they’re in because this was their membership’s decision. It was obvious her economic plans were ridiculous and that not one leadership candidate aside from Sunak had a clue what to do about the country’s finances, but they voted her in anyway. They chose to vote in an unintelligent tinpot Thatcher, someone who isn’t talented enough by rights to even be an MP, let alone in the cabinet.

 

The Conservatives need a clearout, a cull of idiots like her. I just don’t see it happening any time soon.

You think Sunak has a clue what to do about the country's finances?  you're an optimist.  IMO the entire political class across all parties represented in the HofC has come to the same conclusion - that the policies of the last 20 years are correct and we need to keep on with them.  (I think they're wrong.)

[Dunge]

10 minutes ago, dsr-burnley said:

You think Sunak has a clue what to do about the country's finances?  you're an optimist.  IMO the entire political class across all parties represented in the HofC has come to the same conclusion - that the policies of the last 20 years are correct and we need to keep on with them.  (I think they're wrong.)

Truss wanted to lower taxes - or, frankly, do anything - at a time when inflation was running out of control. It’s the kind of thing that’s a fair option (depending on your political standpoint) at the appropriate time, but that was miles off the appropriate time and she still doesn’t get that despite £30bn being wiped off the UK economy. Sunak was the only one of that group in the running for leadership who stated that we had to get inflation under control before anything else. Everyone else was either saying the same nonsense Liz Truss was, prattling on about culture wars during an inflation crisis or, in the case of Penny Mordaunt, saying nothing of any note at all.

 

I’ve said before on here that my vote’s going to Starmer now but that’s not Sunak’s fault in isolation. He’s not great but he’s one of the better Conservatives right now and isn’t the primary problem with the party. The problem is that there’s a majority in there now - in the membership - that are more interested in pet projects and dreams than practical government. That’s not the Conservative Party I used to know  and is why Starmer’s an attractive prospect despite his beigeness.