Scrutable

During the brexit negotiations, one could almost (but actually not) forgive the tory idiots for not realising that EU politicians and civil servants can speak English & read UK newspapers; but how the f.ck does Liz Truss not realise that Australians can speak English and will be pissed off by this kind of sh.t?

It's almost as though she and her minions are utterly incompetent tw.ts just desperate to look like big tough important people

The very fact that Liz Truss is leading our negotiations in the first place is evidence of just how f.cked we are anyway. I wouldn't trust her to sweep a driveway.

tom p wrote: Wed Apr 21, 2021 1:30 pm During the brexit negotiations, one could almost (but actually not) forgive the tory idiots for not realising that EU politicians and civil servants can speak English & read UK newspapers; but how the f.ck does Liz Truss not realise that Australians can speak English and will be pissed off by this kind of sh.t?

Still, it's not like Australian and UK news organizations talk to each other, or have common owners, is it?

tom p wrote: Wed Apr 21, 2021 1:30 pm During the brexit negotiations, one could almost (but actually not) forgive the tory idiots for not realising that EU politicians and civil servants can speak English & read UK newspapers; but how the f.ck does Liz Truss not realise that Australians can speak English and will be pissed off by this kind of sh.t?

It's almost as though she and her minions are utterly incompetent tw.ts just desperate to look like big tough important people

I see we're also playing silly buggers with NZ and it look like neither they nor Aus are impressed.

It's definitely a deliberate tactic. And clearly a sh.t one.

They seem to be going for trade negging, rather than trade negotiating.

It's an easy mistake to make.

jdc wrote: Wed Apr 21, 2021 9:27 pm

tom p wrote: Wed Apr 21, 2021 1:30 pm During the brexit negotiations, one could almost (but actually not) forgive the tory idiots for not realising that EU politicians and civil servants can speak English & read UK newspapers; but how the f.ck does Liz Truss not realise that Australians can speak English and will be pissed off by this kind of sh.t?

It's almost as though she and her minions are utterly incompetent tw.ts just desperate to look like big tough important people

I see we're also playing silly buggers with NZ and it look like neither they nor Aus are impressed.

It's definitely a deliberate tactic. And clearly a sh.t one.

The tactic is the same is it’s always been. Get a positive write up in the Mail, Telegraph etc. And it’s working, the Tories are 11 points ahead.

Woodchopper wrote: Wed Apr 21, 2021 10:05 pm
The tactic is the same is it’s always been. Get a positive write up in the Mail, Telegraph etc. And it’s working, the Tories are 11 points ahead.

That's a fair point. I'm pretty sure there are plenty of ways for them to get positive stories in the Tory press without them trashing their own trade negotiations, mind.

jdc wrote: Wed Apr 21, 2021 10:44 pm

Woodchopper wrote: Wed Apr 21, 2021 10:05 pm
The tactic is the same is it’s always been. Get a positive write up in the Mail, Telegraph etc. And it’s working, the Tories are 11 points ahead.

That's a fair point. I'm pretty sure there are plenty of ways for them to get positive stories in the Tory press without them trashing their own trade negotiations, mind.

Aren't they disaster capitalists? The more they f.ck it up, the more money they make.

The UK is just collateral damage.

Bird on a Fire wrote: Wed Apr 21, 2021 9:32 pm They seem to be going for trade negging, rather than trade negotiating.

It's an easy mistake to make.

*Like*

*Retweet*

Bird on a Fire wrote: Wed Apr 21, 2021 10:48 pm

jdc wrote: Wed Apr 21, 2021 10:44 pm

Woodchopper wrote: Wed Apr 21, 2021 10:05 pm
The tactic is the same is it’s always been. Get a positive write up in the Mail, Telegraph etc. And it’s working, the Tories are 11 points ahead.

That's a fair point. I'm pretty sure there are plenty of ways for them to get positive stories in the Tory press without them trashing their own trade negotiations, mind.

Aren't they disaster capitalists? The more they f.ck it up, the more money they make.

The UK is just collateral damage.

Rees-Mogg might be. Doesn't he have a financial services company of some sort?

Truss and Johnson are in it for the power though aren't they?

From the Guardian article:
"The ally, who reportedly said Truss and Tehan had struck up a good rapport, argued: “He is inexperienced compared to Liz. He needs to show that he can play at this level."

Both have been MPs since 2010. Truss was made a minister a couple of years earlier, but bounced around between departments and has only been in her Trade position since mid 2019. Tehan, on the other hand, was a civil servant in the department of Foreign Affairs and Trade since 1995.

Which one is inexperienced again?

For what it's worth, Tehan spent several years before politics working in foreign affairs, trade, and the diplomatic service, so if he really is as incompetent as Truss's staffers say, it's not for lack of opportunity to learn. He's certainly a successful political maneuverer and has made it through the snakepit that is Australia's liberal party to a bunch of plum jobs.

And, as the Guardian points out, China have been similarly complimentary about Australian politicians and trade negotiators for a long time and it doesn't seem to have resulted in Australia abandoning its negotiating positions. Still, I'm sure the great might of a post-Brexit UK is much more intimidating than the billion-citizen autocracy on our doorstep.

Martin_B wrote: Thu Apr 22, 2021 12:37 am From the Guardian article:
"The ally, who reportedly said Truss and Tehan had struck up a good rapport, argued: “He is inexperienced compared to Liz. He needs to show that he can play at this level."

Both have been MPs since 2010. Truss was made a minister a couple of years earlier, but bounced around between departments and has only been in her Trade position since mid 2019. Tehan, on the other hand, was a civil servant in the department of Foreign Affairs and Trade since 1995.

Which one is inexperienced again?

And Until recently Truss didn't actually have to do anything related with trade as it was all handled by the EC

jdc wrote: Wed Apr 21, 2021 11:56 pm

Bird on a Fire wrote: Wed Apr 21, 2021 10:48 pm

jdc wrote: Wed Apr 21, 2021 10:44 pm

That's a fair point. I'm pretty sure there are plenty of ways for them to get positive stories in the Tory press without them trashing their own trade negotiations, mind.

Aren't they disaster capitalists? The more they f.ck it up, the more money they make.

The UK is just collateral damage.

Rees-Mogg might be. Doesn't he have a financial services company of some sort?

Truss and Johnson are in it for the power though aren't they?

Yes & yes, but Johnson has been personally backed (for his tory leadership bid) by various disaster capitalists, so his interests are, at least in part, aligned with them (inasmuch as a sociopath can be said to have any interests aligned with anyone else)

If he really wanted to deliberately trash the economy to maximise profits for his pals, he'd have messed up the vaccine rollout and failed to replicate those EU trade agreements with non-EU countries.

Squeak wrote: Thu Apr 22, 2021 12:50 am And, as the Guardian points out, China have been similarly complimentary about Australian politicians and trade negotiators for a long time and it doesn't seem to have resulted in Australia abandoning its negotiating positions. Still, I'm sure the great might of a post-Brexit UK is much more intimidating than the billion-citizen autocracy on our doorstep.

... And who produce most of the goods that Australians want to buy, much of the raw materials needed to build infrastructure,...

jdc wrote: Thu Apr 22, 2021 9:41 am If he really wanted to deliberately trash the economy to maximise profits for his pals, he'd have messed up the vaccine rollout and failed to replicate those EU trade agreements with non-EU countries.

I didn't mean he wants to deliberately trash the country. It's more that he doesn't give a f.ck if he leaves a smoking ruin when he's done, as long as he gets to stay in power as long as possible, and to that extent his interests are aligned with those who want to profit from chaos like evil Malcolm Mclarens

tom p wrote: Thu Apr 22, 2021 12:05 pm

jdc wrote: Thu Apr 22, 2021 9:41 am If he really wanted to deliberately trash the economy to maximise profits for his pals, he'd have messed up the vaccine rollout and failed to replicate those EU trade agreements with non-EU countries.

I didn't mean he wants to deliberately trash the country. It's more that he doesn't give a f.ck if he leaves a smoking ruin when he's done, as long as he gets to stay in power as long as possible, and to that extent his interests are aligned with those who want to profit from chaos like evil Malcolm Mclarens

He doesn't seem to care so long as he can blame someone else. In this thread its the Australians, next week they'll pick another scapegoat.

dyqik wrote: Thu Apr 22, 2021 11:30 am

Squeak wrote: Thu Apr 22, 2021 12:50 am And, as the Guardian points out, China have been similarly complimentary about Australian politicians and trade negotiators for a long time and it doesn't seem to have resulted in Australia abandoning its negotiating positions. Still, I'm sure the great might of a post-Brexit UK is much more intimidating than the billion-citizen autocracy on our doorstep.

... And who produce most of the goods that Australians want to buy, much of the raw materials needed to build infrastructure,...

Very much all of that. The UK has a sentimental place in Australian culture but, well, it's not generally front of mind when you think about trade. Or military issues. Or, well, anything much.