The Daily Spectacle

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Only a confirmatory referendum, not a general election, can break the Brexit impasse

Only a confirmatory referendum, not a general election, can break the Brexit impasse

Parliament has spent the past three years proclaiming that “the people” voted for this, or didn’t vote for that. The truth is that the referendum was reduced to such a crude choice that no one knows exactly what the majority voted for. Rather than encouraging an informed politics, it has made our system even more reductive.

A binary referendum on such a complicated issue, one involving such…

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20 reasons why Boris Johnson isn't fit to be Prime Minister

20 reasons why Boris Johnson isn't fit to be Prime Minister "He is a compulsive liar, he appears to lack any moral compass at all - to cut a long story short, he's a liability and a catastrophe waiting to happen."

As the first round of Conservative leadership candidates was whittled down by their parliamentary party, Boris Johnson secured a third of the votes – making him clear favourite to become the next leader, and de-facto Prime Minister.

He is a compulsive liar, he appears to lack any moral compass at all – to cut a long story short, he’s a liability and a catastrophe waiting to happen.

Clearing…

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EU Elections: is there any way out of this Brexit black hole?

EU Elections: is there any way out of this Brexit black hole? "What happens next in anybodies guess - but it certainly wont be pretty. The country is a shambles, and may never recover its dignity on the world stage - what a cataclysmic mess"

Both Conservative and Labour parties have suffered losses in the European Parliament elections. With the Brexit Party, Liberal Democrats, and Green party making gains.

It can be comfortably assumed that the Brexit party mostly hoovered up the votes of the collapsing UKIP and siphoned the “Brexit at all costs” Conservative and Labour voters. The Liberal Democrats and Green Party gained support…

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Capitalism is killing our planet: we must act now

Capitalism is driven by the endless pursuit of profit, and that's the stumbling block we must cross to save the planet we inhabit. Instead of having our humanity subverted to serve the marketplace, capitalism has to either be made to serve human ends and g

Putting profits before people is nothing new. It is part of this late-stage capitalist model the world follows: Far too many corporations turn a blind eye to the consequences of their destructive, exploitative practices in search of improved profit margins and shareholder value. But it has clearly gone too far when our planet is on the brink of environmental collapse. Simply put, it must end.

A…

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Never playing Hamlet – The Quarter-life Crisis For every person that goes on to play Hamlet, there are thousands of others who never will.

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Theresa May's Brexit Chequemate - is she criminally inept or just plain stupid?

Theresa May's Brexit Chequemate - is she criminally inept or just plain stupid? "Theresa May staked her reputation on her Chequers Brexit deal - but it was never going to work, it crossed the red lines the EU had drawn immediately after the referendum result was announced. The middle manager now has nowhere else to turn. There is no one else at whom the finger can be pointed - the defeat is entirely hers. This begs one question, is Theresa May criminally inept or just plain stupid?"

Theresa May staked her reputation on her Chequers Brexit deal – but it was never going to work, it crossed the red lines the EU had drawn immediately after the referendum result was announced. The middle manager now has nowhere else to turn. There is no one else at whom the finger can be pointed – the defeat is entirely hers. This begs one question, is Theresa May criminally inept or just plain…

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Surely it's time to at least reform, if not abolish, the monarchy

Surely it's time to at least reform, if not abolish, the monarchy "The monarchy epitomises the notion that your life chances are determined not by what you can do, but to whom you were born – which is the very cornerstone of a society riddled with class prejudice and privilege. It enshrines the notion that power can be unaccountable at the very pinnacle of our system of government."

As the nation again, according to the media at least, is gripped by royal fever, this article will stir some controversy, I’m sure – a portion of the country has an almost fetishised love of the monarchy. But what has the monarchy ever done for us? What have they done to deserve this nauseating outpouring of love and loyalty? Isn’t it time to re-assess their worth?

It infuriates me how people…

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Windrush: Heads must roll, Theresa May & Amber Rudd must resign

Windrush: Heads must roll, Theresa May & Amber Rudd must resign "They were warned this was happening, they were told this was happening - they knew this was happening. The fact is, the government don't really care, they never cared - they are only are making apologies and promises to make amends now because of the public outrage surrounding the issue. A “hostile environment” is what the government has deliberately created. Calculated cruelty has been policy, not accident."

What does it take to bring down such an incompetent and contemptuous government? Apparently not even the Windrush scandal, possibly the worst political fiasco in modern times, can break such a cruel and floundering government – so far, not a single head has rolled, and not a morsel of responsibility has been taken.

It was in June 1948 that the Empire Windrush sailed up the Thames, carrying on it…

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Nothing good can come of military action in Syria

Nothing good can come of military action in Syria "Something must be done" the cabinet cries, not a single air of caution or voice of reason around the table. "We are still a major world player, we haven't forgotten the glory of the empire" the Brexiteers chirp in with. But no case has been presented to the country as to why bombing Syria would be beneficial, likely because no good can come of it.

Britain, France and the United States have conducted overnight airstrikes on Syria, a country that has already been subject to atrocious acts, a country so ablaze with conflict that it has already spawned the biggest refugee crisis in the world.

And the worst of it? Theresa May did this without consulting parliament, showing her sheer contempt and disdain for democracy and due process. Given all…

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Theresa May is an incompetent middle manager with no Brexit vision

Theresa May is an incompetent middle manager with no coherent Brexit vision "The problems May faces may be unusually testing, but there really is no excuse for dealing with them in her chosen manner - not really dealing with them at all, except when it is too late."

Like or loathe them, and agree or disagree with their ideology or not, the likes of Winston Churchill, Margaret Thatcher, and Tony Blair were leaders – Theresa May is not. She is no better than a jumped up middle manager, with no coherent vision for Britain post-Brexit.

Some will express feelings of sympathy towards her, though she does little to deserve such sentiments. Yes, she is in an almost…

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Do the Tories and their media allies know they could get Jeremy Corbyn killed?

Do the Tories and their media allies know they could get Jeremy Corbyn killed? "When government ministers give credence to entirely false and ridiculous smears not only do they demean their office and undermine our democracy, they give an air of credibility to such trains of thoughts that can lead to the kind of extremism that ended in the murder of MP Jo Cox - let's not make the same mistakes again."

The Sun recently remarked that Jeremy Corbyn had met with a member of the Czech intelligence service, and was an informer of the Soviet regime – since then, the story has been repeated and repeated by those on the right of politics, despite no evidence to back up the story but one unreliable, and frankly delusional, source (who also claimed the Czech’s were responsible for Live Aid).

The head of…

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This was what Brexit was about all along, try not to act too surprised

This was what Brexit was about all along, try not to act too surprised "No one voted to be forced to work excessive hours. No one voted to lose out on their paid holidays or their lunch breaks. A lot has been written about Brexit, and more will be written yet. But one thing that remains certain, Brexit was always intended to make it possible to chop up our employment rights and whittle away more power towards big business. This is just the beginning. The next target, Maternity leave."

Cabinet members have reportedly demanded the government ditches safeguards post Brexit which were designed by the EU to protect employees from working excessive hours – but this should come as no surprise to anyone, Brexit was all about watering down our employment rights all along.

Jeremy Corbyn and other Labour MPs pressed the prime minister on Monday to guarantee the regulation would be…

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This year I will not wear a poppy - it has lost its meaning

The poppy has become nothing but a fake conformity & political symbol "This year, for the first time, I will not wear a poppy. It has lost its meaning, it has become nothing but a fake conformity and a political symbol. It is used to sanitise and glorify war, not remember the victims of senseless murder and mass bloodshed."

This year, for the first time, I will not wear a poppy. It has lost its meaning, it has become nothing but a fake conformity and a political symbol. It is used to sanitise and glorify war, not remember the victims of senseless murder and mass bloodshed.

I expect to be derided for my decision, but remember, symbols such as the wearing of the poppy are a matter of personal choice and freedom of…

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As their message falls apart, are we witnessing the death of the Conservative Party?

As their message falls apart, are we witnessing the death of the Conservative Party? "The Conservatives are in a state of chaos. They are a party devoid of direction, policy or purpose, poisoned utterly and completely by Brexit. The idea that the unfettered free market is king and the only viable economic option is losing support: the facade has been exposed as it becomes more and more clear that it is the source of division and hardship in Britain. They are stuck in a rut between ideology and canvassing for votes which seem to be forever slipping further out of reach. They cannot even seem to truly defend capitalism anymore - their argument is all but lost, which means, sooner or later, they will lose power."

The message of the Conservative Party is falling apart, literally: letters ironically fell off the lacklustre slogan chosen for the party conference as Theresa May delivered a woeful speech beset with vocal problems and a coughing fit, topped off with her being handed P45 – a termination of employment notice.

The party seems to be in free fall. Ms May’s days are numbered, the sharks and potential…

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Will the US ever learn? It needs to confront its gun problem

Will the US ever learn? It needs to confront it's gun problem "For now, we will mourn, until next time: and there will be a next time - because we’re told we cannot talk about politics and potential gun controls after such an event, and so nothing ever changes, and we must just accept the inevitable. This is a national sickness, an insanity, one that no other developed country in the world suffers from - get well soon America"

Another mass shooting has hit the United States, in Las Vegas, and it’s the worst in modern history – but why is this still allowed to happen, and why does nothing ever change?

The death toll of 59 in Las Vegas makes it the deadliest mass shooting in modern American history pic.twitter.com/qwnY1bi5cS

— The Economist (@TheEconomist) October 3, 2017

The US is home to 88 guns for every 100 people…

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Uber must be a lesson to big corporations, nobody can be above the rules

Uber must be a lesson to big corporations, nobody can be above the rules "Whether it’s failings on passenger safety, underpaying its drivers, or its avoidance of paying its dues in tax, Uber has got its just desserts. Hopefully, regulators from other industries will follow suit and regulations will be tightened throughout society. Big, global companies cannot be allowed to behave however they choose, nobody is above the rules, and TfL's decision is a victory for the people. Uber must clean up its act. And if they don't? Well, minicabs did exist before Uber, and will continue to after Uber is gone. If Uber won’t reform its ways in London, other competitors will step up."

Uber must be a lesson to big corporations, nobody can be above the rulesTfL’s ruling that Uber is not a “fit and proper” may not be a popular one, the response has hit a nerve in regards to the mild inconvenience to its customers, but no company deserves a free pass just because it’s popular.

TfL has said it believes Uber’s conduct demonstrates a lack of corporate responsibility around a number…

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Now is precisely the time to talk about Climate Change

Now is the time to talk about Climate Change "Global warming moves in slow motion, what motivates humans are short-term concerns. That is why we should talk about the issue while the water is still waist-high and the storms are still ongoing. Progress has to be made, and the best time to do this is when there is an immediate emotional connection. We must put climate change on the agenda now. It may be possible, in some senses, for some to explain Harvey and Irma away as freak accidents to suit their own narrative. Perhaps, for some, it may even be comforting, but climate change is a real threat to humanity and in the long term we will suffer - the effects will be worse than most could have ever imagined if we do not act."

US environmental chief Scott Pruitt has said that now is not the time for discussion about climate change, and a senior Tory has said it is “inhuman” to discuss climate change after a set of deadly hurricanes ripped through the Atlantic. But with an unprecedented set of hurricanes hitting the Caribbean and mainland America in the space of weeks now is precisely the time to be talking about…

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