* Posts by codejunky

7085 publicly visible posts • joined 24 Oct 2011

Amazon tells folks it will stop accepting UK Visa credit cards via weird empty email

codejunky Silver badge

Re: @Dan 55

@Dan 55

"I made no other comment other than it was open to as many EU countries who wanted it, including the UK as well as it was still in the transitional period. No country was forced to do anything it didn't want."

Which as I pointed out is a pointless statement if you are not trying to suggest the UK would have gone its own way. The only reason the UK didnt join the EU procurement against cries from remainers is that we left the EU and we had a gov finally pro brexit.

"No, it got ventilators made by people who didn't know how to make them which weren't suitable for the job."

Really? They made basic models that would do the job in an emergency, shockingly the situation we were in with a pandemic. So while not the fully fancy tech that is normally acceptable to use it is equipment made to the most basic components for an emergency situation. So it was a success which in the end wasnt necessary. On top of ordering from abroad.

"The inside story of the UK's NHS coronavirus ventilator challenge"

“They [the government] were initially talking about a Manley-Blease-style ventilator,” said a source at one specialist ventilator company. “They sent links to it.”

He was referring to a 1960s design by Roger Manley and the Blease Medical company, a major advance at the time but crude by modern standards.

In a document sent to manufacturers, the government said the new devices should ideally be able to support a patient for a number of days, but left open the option to build devices capable of providing support for a few hours to a day.

"Britain’s top diplomat: UK opt out of EU ventilator scheme was ‘political’ "

As was not ordering the vaccine with them. Thankfully.

"No, I'm the one who's as dumb as a bag of spanners, the AC is someone else."

Apologies. I do have a pet troll coward who likes to insert himself into comments to go trolling.

Going back to vaccine procurement and the extremely unlikely hypothetical situation that the UK did go its own way while remaining there is more! The EU made clear moves to steal vaccine they believed was for export especially aiming their vicious attacks towards the UK. The French have apparently been accused for stealing AZ vaccine from Holland to the UK. If the UK remained and did successfully procure vaccine you can guarantee the EU would steal it using all their political power available.

codejunky Silver badge

Re: @Dan 55

@AC

Are you just Dan 55 but dont want to seem really dumb?

"With or without Brexit the UK's ventilator decision (Technically still in the EU) and vaccine decision (Fully withdrawn from the EU) could/would have been the same."

Aka do you believe the UK is better run than every member country in the EU where nobody else went alone until the EU screwed up badly? Member countries actively abandoned their own plans to join the joint procurement with the EU so are you saying the UK is so much better run as to not do the same as every single member country in the EU?

codejunky Silver badge

Re: @Dan 55

@AC

"Hmmm. Crowing about UK vaccine procurement as a Brexit benefit whilst ignoring the UK's ventilator debacle. Just fiddling while Rome burns."

I have a 2 part response to this. First Dan 55 said "can't manage to say a single quantifiable good thing about what Brexit has achieved" and I have proved his completely wrong. This is a hammer I keep hitting with because too many remainers are in denial even if they still believe we would over all be better off in the EU. The simple fact is leave has brought immediate benefits at a time of great shame for the EU.

Second you are more than welcome to bash the UK response to the pandemic, yet the exact same situation exists if we remained in the EU... AND we would have the vaccine procurement problem of the EU. How does that help? Also didnt the UK get a great supply of ventilators very quickly?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/britain-mounted-a-heroic-effort-to-build-ventilators-but-it-never-needed-them/2020/08/14/0cb510f4-c1ea-11ea-8908-68a2b9eae9e0_story.html

codejunky Silver badge

Re: @Dan 55

@Dan 55

"So I have to choose between a nonsensical argument or a few months when the vaccine rollout went better for the UK than the EU. Makes sense."

Nope. You have to stand by what you seem to be suggesting- if the UK remained in the EU that the UK would have rejected the joint procurement. Where every member country agreed to the joint procurement and cancelled their own procurement plans you believe the UK is so much better run that we would have rejected the joint procurement and done it our own way.

I can only assume that is what you are suggesting otherwise there is little point in you saying- "The choice of collective procurement was up to each individual country"

codejunky Silver badge

Re: @Dan 55

@Roland6

"Well Westminster has shown it is quite capable of throwing money away on anything that takes its fancy; provided there is a kickback to the party..."

Which always comes back to the question of how putting a crap government above our crap government improves things? In this example it just throws away more money. And more kickbacks.

codejunky Silver badge

Re: Love it, El Reg

@sokolnik

Thats a Dave Ramsey quote isnt it?

codejunky Silver badge

Re: @Dan 55

@Dan 55

"None of these things you mentioned were in the Vote Leave manifesto so I guess you're looking for good news where you can find it, but let's have a look closer."

You been asleep or something? Not being under EU rule, escape EU incompetence and mismanagement, stop throwing our money away of the badly run project. Those are reasons for leave, very clearly reasons for leaving the EU. You can cry 'manifesto', make our own laws is in there.

"The UK could have shared with Ireland"

Why would we need to unless you are accepting the EU screwed up? Also the EU wanted to apply a hard border to stop vaccine legally coming to the UK (aka steal). Also more importantly the EU blocked Ireland from getting the AZ vaccine and when a Dublin minister suggested going over the border and getting some the EU said no-

https://www.dublinlive.ie/news/health/covid19-vaccine-oxford-ireland-brexit-19672792

"The choice of collective procurement was up to each individual country, and the UK also had that choice"

Are you a UK supremacist? It amazes me how many remainers are. Every member country of the EU joined the joint procurement and even ditched their own plans to join it. Do you believe the UK is run so much better than every individual member country that we would have been the only ones to resist the pressure and go our own way? I dont and I voted leave. And the wailing and threats against member countries who eventually got sick of waiting on the EU failure and bought their own. Are you a UK supremacist or do you realise brexit got vaccine to the UK while the EU screwed up?

"If the ECB didn't do anything you'd be saying the EU doesn't take care of its own so... meh. Where's the UK Covid recovery fund BTW?"

The EU doesnt thats why it screwed the members over and then continued digging a hole. The ECB is in charge of the Euro area, this extends beyond. The 'covid recovery fund' was to be an emergency one off measure for this crisis, but one idiot MEP already stated this could be a normal way to finance the project. And still we are out of it so its to our benefit. If your really asking the dumb question of where is the UK recovery fund I can only assume you are either not in the UK or scarily clueless.

"The plug was never going to be pulled on this overnight"

Nor at any speed they hoped. In short the global financial centre of Europe is in London. Thankfully the EU decided not to trash its members economies by doing stupidity they keep threatening such as cutting them off from London.

codejunky Silver badge

Re: @Dan 55

@Terry 6

"People, presumably, who don't care about the financial impact on people's lives, loss of opportunity etc. but just -on principle- didn't like being part of the EU?

Because.....that's the only result."

Or if you read my next reply to Dan 55 you are welcome.

codejunky Silver badge

Re: @Dan 55

@Dan 55

"Someone else who says they're happy with how things have turned out yet can't manage to say a single quantifiable good thing about what Brexit has achieved."

Eh? Take it as you have missed various other posts on various topics where I have mentioned the immediate benefits that were unexpected but substantial. And it seems more is in the pipeline.

For example if you were in the UK you were probably offered vaccination before member countries abandoned the collective procurement. ROI only able to watch as NI (under UK law) had vaccine.

And the covid bailout fund where the EU issues debt in the name of member countries directly at great expense that we are not part of.

And the global financial centre of Europe which is only second in the world to New York is removing regulations designed to shackle it by the EU, while the EU has again backed down on trying to move Euro clearing out of the UK (for fear of going broke).

codejunky Silver badge

@Dan 55

"So... you're saying there were people who weren't duped and willingly voted for this shitshow and are happy with the result?"

Seriously dumb question easily answered- yes

Data transfers between the EU and the US: Still unclear on what you're supposed to do? Here's an explainer

codejunky Silver badge

Re: Pointless

@Jess

"They wouldn't work to keep the peace because they are a hard border."

Erm no.

"They might work as a border, but then a regular hard border would to."

Ok if thats what would end up. As long as the UK isnt the one doing it its not our issue.

"I'm not wrong, SO why don't you just admit that you are a troll?"

When I read that I heard 'Im not wrong waaaa'. Grow up.

"You keep posting outrageous nonsense as though it is a reasoned opinion."

And you keep crying against reasoned opinion with your nonsense. Amazing how little you have added to this discussion with your reply. You mention in a previous comment the peace requires a soft border but there is no peace since there is a border between UK/NI.

codejunky Silver badge

Re: Pointless

@Jess

"If there had ever been such a referendum, but there hasn't."

Have you been asleep for the last 5 years? Or just delusional? And you try to claim I am the troll. I am guessing you missed the referendum, MEP election and GE elections? All supporting leave parties and crashing remain parties.

codejunky Silver badge

Re: Pointless

@Jess

"Nothing there about a soft border, just an electornic hard border.

Could you try again with something real, please?"

I mist admit thats a new one. At the time it was just crying that these kinds of solutions wouldnt work for *insert excuse*. When you say something real what is the criteria for hardline remain with no will to accept you are wrong?

codejunky Silver badge

Re: Pointless

@No Relation

"The original (1975) referendum was won by a 2/3rds majority."

Which is great except the EU didnt exist then. Not for almost 20 years to which a political union usurping sovereignty materialised. So there was no vote to join.

Based on your analogy it seems this gov have finally ordered pizza for those who dont want pineapple on it but were ignored entirely when the order was placed.

codejunky Silver badge

Re: Pointless

@Jess

"Which when a referendum is taking people's rights away, a proper democracy requires a supermajority to protect these people's rights."

Really? So a referendum returning rights with a clearly defined boundary by the heavily remain biased government shouldnt count because after the vote leave won? And then the subsequent votes all backing leaving and rejecting outright the parties for remain, what do we do with them?

Remember leave was not in power at all when the referendum was made, but was instead a reaction to leave parties (particularly UKIP) gaining a massive surge of support.

Also it was the first vote ever about our membership of the EU which took away peoples rights and so had no majority at all not even a simple majority in the referendum. So by your criteria we shouldnt have been in the EU in the first place.

codejunky Silver badge

Re: Pointless

@Jess

"An option, but not a deal. One that 2 PMs bottled out of."

I dont disagree

"Since the whole thing is about re-unification, not independence then it would be in the same way east and west Germany are."

Except NI is not ROI. ROI has an agreement to be in the EU. If your suggesting forcing NI into the EU and unified Ireland I can see that kicking off. Especially as NI has made no motion to try and leave the UK.

"(Yes the Johnson Protocol does mess with the other side a bit, so it's not ideal, but had we stayed in the SM it wouldn't have noticed)."

Which has resulted in death threats causing EU personnel to put their tails between their legs and run. So if the sauce is good for the goose why is it not for the gander? You still cant seem to explain why its ok to put the border this side instead of the other. With your acknowledgement that its the same. Stick the border between Ireland and the EU, why not?

"But an international agreement is in place now, so this is all acedemic"

Very true. Until the discussion comes up again because the hastily agreed protocol doesnt work very well. Such as when Philip Storry made a comment and I replied to it leading to our whole discussion.

"No-one voted for Brexit until 2019"

By 2019 brexit had been voted for so many times it was becoming a farce and a sickening display of politicians tying to still ignore the voters.

"(But yes we'd be even more of a vassal nation than we are now.)"

We left. So we are not a vassal nation as we were before. As Germany, Hungary and Poland have been arguing out with the EU.

codejunky Silver badge

Re: Pointless

@Jess

"Perhaps you can quote those that solved the paradox then."

The annoying part of this is asking for something up to 5 years ago and swiftly rejected. Something which was heavily discussed back then but requires some searching to find these solutions just to placate you that they existed which will likely go back to the old discussions from years ago. But heres a start for you-

https://www.briefingsforbritain.co.uk/technology-and-the-irish-border/

codejunky Silver badge

Re: Pointless

@Jess

"I'm sure they would love to do it, if only someone could solve the paradox."

The UK proposed a number of solutions. The EU rejected all and offered nothing. ROI and NI have different rules anyway and thats when we were in the EU.

codejunky Silver badge

Re: Pointless

@PostHaste

"And that's the problem right there. _You_ might feel comfortable ignoring nearly half of the population and deciding that slightly over a quarter should determine what happens to the other 3/4, but that doesn't sound like democracy to me."

So you dont know what a democracy is? The grey you speak of are people who by their very choice did not wish to cast a vote, they didnt vote, they didnt have an opinion because they didnt express it, they didnt friggin vote.

And the other section being people who are not eligible to vote. The ones who cannot vote due to the legal constraints of voting, they cannot vote for the very legality of them not being allowed to vote by law, they were not registered voters on the electoral register which excludes them from legally being able to vote.

But go on you were saying?

codejunky Silver badge

Re: Pointless

@Jess

"Why leave the EU and stay in its CU? Ridiculous."

Agreed

"We got the only hard brexit deal that was possible."

Obviously not. Not handing NI over to the EU to mess with would have been a full brexit and certainly an option.

"If that substitute were gone, they wouldn't be fighting to put it back, but to achieve their original goal. Making the British leave NI."

Except NI doesnt want that and NI wouldnt be in the EU if it left the UK. Since the UK has no issue with an open border in NI but the EU has an issue with one in ROI thats the EU's problem and attacking the UK wont do them any good.

Ass the recent vaccine issues where ROI could only watch as NI got vaccine and they didnt... I cant imagine the EU would be the popular ruler.

"Bear in mind the hypothetical Internal Irish border has to be the same as between England and France, so I'm talking about the whole UK/EU border in this situation."

And I was responding to the suggestion that the EU makes the border but the UK doesnt really bother as we dont want one. So it would be a problem EU side but not UK side.

"It's not a question of doesn't wamt, more a question of having got too used to it and not having the land to roll back. It is a WTO duty"

So very publicly the EU breaks the agreement between ROI and the UK. That is what we are talking about. And Ireland has no geographical border making enforcement difficult if we were to actually try. Its always been porous for that reason. Add the UK not willing to really make an effort for something we dont want and its an EU border the EU wants and the EU is responsible for.

"As any country (or block trading as one) does.And is required to under WTO rules."

Unless an agreement is made. The EU being the ones unwilling to participate in such.

"No she wasn't. She was simply going for the least damaging exit that allowed her to get rid of the foreigners"

BINO is not brexit.

"How would attacking the side you want Northern Ireland to be reunited with rather than the country they want independace from be anything but stupid?"

Because the ones splitting the country are the EU maybe? The ones trying not to being the UK.

codejunky Silver badge

Re: Pointless

@PostHaste

"Doesn't look like it to me."

The chart at the top should help. The yellow bit is bigger than the blue bit and the grey is that colour so you can see the parts to ignore when counting.

codejunky Silver badge

Re: Pointless

@Jess

"Perhap May and Johnson were both frightened of having targets put on their backs (for life), which is why they both were prepared to sacrifice sovreignty for their protocols."

I dont know why they would fear being targets. But also Boris inherited the mostly completed agreement made under May which was a sellout to the EU. Before May interfered the negotiations were going much better.

"But what they missed was that whether true or not, a hard border will wreck the peace. Just legally."

Yup. So the UK wouldnt be violating the agreement and the EU would have to decide if it wanted to wreck the peace. As I keep saying- not our problem.

"It wouldn't be the EU where the bombs would be going off, nor its leaders with targets on their backs."

I count the ROI as part of the EU and thats probably where it would kick off I expect. No point attacking the UK that doesnt want a border.

"No it wouldn't. The border would be a controlled border into the EU, the other direction would be open (if the UK stuck to it). And the EU would be unlikely to be in the crosshairs, because those that want a unified Ireland aren't stupid. The civil war would be on UK soil."

Reading that and I think I am interpreting it correctly (which is how I would see it if the EU implemented a border) is-

UK: practically no border and doesnt want one.

EU: implements a hard border as they desire one.

So you say Ireland isnt stupid yet you say they would attack the country not wanting nor applying a border instead of the one applying the border. Are you saying Ireland want a border? Or do you think they are stupid?

"So why didn't they just go the whole hog and crash out?"

There we can agree. I expect a trade deal would have been done because it benefits both sides but as we know May was trying to remain.

"There are no piss poor argument only your lack of comprehension."

Look to you saying people in Ireland aint stupid then tell me they would be completely freaking stupid.

codejunky Silver badge

Re: Pointless

@AC

"Only in that they have to comply with WTO rules."

Erm, no. As I said its EU rules not WTO. The required checks demanded by the EU are EU checks. That is why some of the checks that the EU 'cannot bend or change' have been changed because the UK refused to do them.

"If the UK were allowed an open border with the EU outside a customs union, it would break WTO rules."

A trade agreement would bypass that problem easily. But yes if the EU refused to resolve the border issue then an open border would be a WTO issue. But a very soft border would be fine.

"It's only GB sending to NI that is really badly impeded. The other way is fine."

That really points to the problem of being in the EU. And why its bad to have left NI in there.

"The EU has frictionless freemovement of good with Northern Ireland. NI has about 1/2% of the population of that, why would you think the EU couldn't supply?"

It isnt a free movement problem, its a covid/lockdown problem. The US and UK are having driver shortages and the EU is growing that problem too as it catches up with recovery. As the EU recovers the problem will get worse. Its not a brexit issue which is why its being seen around the world.

codejunky Silver badge

Re: Pointless

@Hubert Cumberdale

"Here's some stats for you."

That link seems to support imanidiot's post. Was that your intention?

codejunky Silver badge

Re: Pointless

@Jess

"There already was one. It is just upgraded to a customs/standards border too."

Thats a large enough upgrade to be a new thing. Which causes serious restriction where there was none.

"It would have done in the case of no deal."

And that should have been held out for. The EU was desperate to keep the UK in as much as possible, it was stupid to betray NI.

"And Illegal."

Not particularly. And unless the EU wants to explicitly state they are going to violate the GFA wouldnt be questioned. But the EU would have caved anyway.

"So you are saying that a Union shouldn't negotiate on behalf of on of its members and leave it up to them?"

Not at all, you were talking about the sovereignty and moving customs union. The deal was between the UK and ROI, so the EU takes on that responsibility and its up to them to compromise. But since the deal is with ROI its for them to either break the agreement if they wish (the UK expressed no desire to and offered solutions, the EU rejected all) or to find a way of making it work. The EU can negotiate but it would be EU/ROI breaking the agreement.

"Every trade deal surrenders sovreignty. Even WTO membership. What's your point?"

The EU isnt a trade union. Thats not even a believable fantasy anymore. As the examples I gave you were in 2 cases about the EU's capacity to violate a sovereign country members constitution, AKA not sovereign countries under the EU. That goes far beyond trade deals.

"And you write shite like that and you wonder why I think you are trolling."

You call it shite but it really does seem to be ripping holes through your piss poor arguments. That your entire answer to the quoted line is 'whatever' leaves a lot lacking in your ability to respond. Yet your trying to call me troll. Idjit.

"but the RoI left the UK a hundred years ago, I'm pretty sure they aren't going to be prepared to be dragged out of a Union they joined willingly to rejoin a customs union with just the UK."

And NI wasnt willing to have UK/NI trade barriers put up either. So go on tell me why its ok for a border between UK/NI and not EU/ROI. They are the ones who wanted a border because we left a voluntary union.

"They would just have to put the hard border between the North and South under WTO rules. And England would have to put up with the bombs again."

Sounds like a plan, and also why the EU would fold on the subject. Because the UK wouldnt be putting up the hard border, so it would be the EU in the crosshairs because the EU's actions would be the problem. That is why EU observers ran when there were threats over the UK/NI border. As I keep saying- not our problem.

"because no-one assumed either side would take the economic hit of leaving the EU"

Which is very short sighted, especially in hindsight. The economic benefit of leaving the EU being the result.

codejunky Silver badge

Re: Pointless

@AC

"I believe you'll find they are WTO requirements."

No. They are EU requirements.

"And why would there be shortages in Northern Ireland when they have frictionless trade with the entire EU?"

Because of the large volume of trade NI does with the UK which is why we dont want a border between the UK/NI. If I remember correctly NI does more trade with the UK than ROI.

"I'm currently in Sofia, and there are no shortages"

What does that signify in this discussion?

"even the cheap coffee machines generally give coffee better than most cafes and restaurants in the UK"

That does have my interest. Good coffee is always a good thing

codejunky Silver badge

Re: Pointless

@Jess

"The difference is that the UK is divided into two regulatory and customs zones."

Which puts a border between the UK/NI

"If the UK didn't put up a border while not in a customs union, it would be breaking WTO rules, same applies to the Republic of Ireland."

Which could easily be resolved but the EU didnt want to. So the EU can place a hard border, the UK manages its own which can be pretty forgiving.

"So in that circumstance the RoI would have the legal choices of putting up a hard border, or being forced into a customs union with NI"

Aka instead of putting a border UK/NI would be EU/ROI which would be just as valid as the current situation. If I remember right the mere suggestion had the EU negotiators in fits.

"Not sure a Sovreign nation would accept being forced to move customs union."

Who is sovereign? If you mean ROI then the EU needed to fuck off trying to negotiate the border. As the EU is trying to make clear to Poland, Germany and Hungary that they are not sovereign. Even Barnier the EU negotiator is arguing to return sovereignty to France.

"But then you know that anyway, are just trolling."

The typical response from someone who knows they are wrong. How about assuming I am not trolling and lets hypothetically apply the border between EU/ROI, why is that not acceptable?

"(No IT professional could be that bad at understanding how systems interplay, and the consequences of changing them)."

And the personal attack that comes with having little argument to support your view. If you want to discuss I am willing to, up to you.

codejunky Silver badge

Re: Pointless

@veti

"The Good Friday Agreement was always predicated on the UK being a member of the EU"

Thats pretty stupid then. Since the UK can voluntarily leave the EU (as we did) that in no way suggests the UK has been sold/conquered or otherwise owned by the EU. If this is the excuse to remain then it isnt voluntary and a surrender of the country. I dont recall a vote to sell the country.

"It was the UK that elected to change the terms of the agreement, therefore the UK's problem to work out its new implementation"

Which it did. The UK offered options that the EU stomped their feet about because they had little to negotiate with. The EU refused to work with the UK on a solution and so we go back to the above, the UK was not a possession of the EU. We were free to leave and did.

"that with a completely porous border between the UK and EU, the UK would have remained to all intents and purposes a vassal of the EU and have had no power to control its own immigration or trade."

Eh? Thats bollocks.

"no empty shelves in supermarkets"

I actually answered this the other day to someone else asking for any news articles on NI shortages-

https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/business/northern-ireland/spaces-on-northern-ireland-shelves-only-going-to-get-worse-says-food-sector-brexit-and-covid-crisis-blamed-for-perfect-storm-of-driver-shortages-40810547.html

Which is down to covid just as it is in the UK. I dont recall China leaving the EU but they have a diesel shortage currently. But NI would be worse off if it wasnt for the UK unilaterally not applying the punitive checks demanded by the EU.

codejunky Silver badge

Re: Pointless

@Nick Ryan

"/Sigh. Get your head out of the Daily Express."

? Do I assume that would mean your head is up your ass?

"The border between Northern Ireland and the Republic is an international border."

Which has always been very leaky (no geographical border) and the GFA is between ROI and UK. That ROI accepts the dictation of the EU still leaves the onus on ROI as its their agreement but also a problem the EU has assumed and whatever the negotiation result would be due to the UK/EU negotiation. Aka if the UK has clearly stated we want no border (we did) and the EU clearly demand one (they did) its not the UK's problem.

"That implementing, or even considering, a hard border between NI and the Republic was one of the most retarded things that even the belligerent fuckwits slobbering around the UK parliament could come up"

Starting to think your head is up your ass. Its the EU who wanted the hard border, dictated it, No other option in their mind. Not the UK which clearly stated we didnt want one.

"a) there would be no customs border between NI and the republic and b) there would be no border between NI and the remainder of the UK."

Which if you think about it is entirely possible. The EU who wants a border can put it between ROI and the rest of the EU as they have expected the UK and NI to do. The EU could negotiate a trade deal to handle Ireland if they had some competence (this is what the EU was ment to be good at?) but they were so desperate to try and put the UK over a barrel they refused to negotiate until NI was theirs. One of the reasons the negotiations was not in good faith on part of the EU (should have been parallel negotiations, but the EU had little to no hand to play).

"however the arch cretin Frost who came up with this"

Frost wasnt negotiating for the EU. Try again. He almost resigned because of it but is instead trying to fix it-

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-59111070

"and blaming the EU for sticking to their obligations within this international agreement, that he wrote and signed."

That the EU has now become more flexible on even though they claimed they couldnt budge, only because the UK refused to let the EU starve out NI.

codejunky Silver badge

Re: Pointless

@Doctor Syntax

"Why wasn't your solution part of the Brexit negotiations?"

It was when the brexit negotiators were dealing with it. Thats one of the reasons the EU got frustrated. The UK proposed solutions and the EU stomped its feet. The UK made clear it had no intention of making a hard border which cased a huge headache for the protectionist block.

"It would no longer be the soft border envisaged by the GFA."

If the EU wished to make such a border then on their head be it. Not our problem.

codejunky Silver badge

Re: Pointless

@Doctor Syntax

"How else would you have kept the Good Friday Agreement?"

By keeping the border where it was and not making a hard border. If the EU wishes to then they can break the agreement (which would be ROI allowing it to be broken by its superior). It was never the UK's problem.

codejunky Silver badge

Re: Pointless

@Philip Storry

"GDPR applies worldwide. If my employer works with a company that's doing business in the EU, then GDPR kicks in. From a practical point of view, that means that all the work I do assumes GDPR is in force."

So your first assumption wipes out the GDPR worldwide theory. Domestic trade being the majority has no reason to be tied to it. Then there is the rest of the world, a much larger space than the EU. But yes if its a business that deals with the EU then they likely already have the tools to comply.

"Perhaps if all I'm doing is selling manure to the locals in Crawley, I might find my life ever so slightly easier. But if I grow that business to the point where I'm selling my agricultural supplies into NI or anywhere else in the Single Market I suddenly have to overhaul my business to be GDPR compliant anyway."

That is a good explanation as to why leaving NI in the EU's grip was a bad idea.

"GDPR compliance is just part of being a business these days."

Except for the US and China if we stick to the big countries that matter.

"This is a microcosm of why Brexit is a failure. The people behind it don't understand how the world works."

This seems to be a comment from someone who has slept since brexit. Missing how the UK and US dealt with ordering vaccine (Israel too btw) while the EU didnt understand how the world works nor how their own contract law works. Failing spectacularly as they had done with the global financial crisis. The EU wishing it had power and influence to contend with the big players yet ignored or slapped for entertainment on the world stage.

"They think that they are now rule makers"

This is a fight within the EU currently where Germany and Poland care about their countries constitutions and the EU is crying that it should be in charge. Hungary upsetting the EU by not behaving as the EU would dictate.

"Meanwhile we've lost our seat at the European Council and our MEPs so can't change GDPR any more."

This is not a loss. If you really think the EC is so damned incompetent as to need saving by the UK that would be a UK supremacist view.

"so we are now a nation of rule takers!"

Eh? If you trade with anywhere in the world you meet the importing countries rules. Yet the EU took it further to dictate domestic policy. We no longer have to apply such domestically.

"And this was done to satisfy a tiny number of people - most of whom are retired or work in politics/journalism and don't know what they're talking about."

Garbled nonsense.

1. Cameron was elected on an iron clad promise to deliver such a vote, he used coalition as an excuse not to.

2. Elected with no coalition to remove his poor excuse not to provide a vote.

3. Referendum

4. MEP elections support brexit

5. GE wiping out the party 100% guaranteeing to reject the referendum and keep us in.

6. GE still strong for brexit parties.

At what point does it become unclear? Support to remain hit the deck and to leave was elected over and over. What is with the fantasy of remain support?

Following the amusing idea of selling the UK to some group why not ditch the flailing EU and join the US? The US is more successful, more competent and is the 'golf' instead of the knock off that aspires to be the USoE? Why not champion that instead?

Techies tell BCS: More and richer data required if COP26 climate pledges are to be met

codejunky Silver badge

Re: Although

@Cav

"Only the seriously deluded can believe as you do."

So we must not follow the 'science' and instead follow the doomsday cult for fear you will call us deluded?

"Both the phrase "Climate change" and "Global Warming" have been in use since the latter part of the 19th century."

Rebranding does lead to people using both for a time. Just as the detractors still mention the global cooling which came before the rebranding global warming before the rebranding climate change. All descriptions of what were going on but offering few insights to the future.

"The ice is melting and the seas rising"

So? Are you claiming this never happened before? Are you claiming climate doesnt change?

"The world IS warming. CO2 levels ARE rising. Only a fool can argue with the facts."

And yet you still seem to argue. And yet what you argue for is unclear. Go on...

codejunky Silver badge

Re: @Mr. Flibble

@Mr. Flibble

"Chairman Mao did loads of stupid things"

Now compare that to nerfing power generation and causing fuel poverty. Thats not just a UK problem but Germany subsidises fossil fuels to keep the lights on because their policies and subsidies to 'green tech' left them short of power at hugely inflated prices. Without France I am pretty sure Europe would be a lot darker. Now we are reliant on gas imported from a country that isnt considered particularly friendly (and in the UK nuclear electricity from an unfriendly 'ally')

"I wouldn't call Greta "tarnished""

I am thinking for her life. Until she dies she will likely be recognised as the figurehead of anger, hatred and rage on a topic which she has no clue but has been seriously frightened into believing is the coming doomsday. If that was a cult/religion people wouldnt look so fondly at it. And she is a little girl without much clue of what she is talking about but because she is the meat shield for extremist propaganda she will have difficulty not being recognised when she grows up and tries to live a normal life.

I feel sorry for her and consider what is happening to her as child abuse. All to get out 'the message' which has departed any science or stated aims we tried to achieve. She apparently believes people have stolen her childhood through climate change, yet they are stealing her childhood parading her as the figurehead they hide behind.

codejunky Silver badge

Re: @Mr. Flibble

@the Kris

"But no research showed that that actually was the case and that killing them was the 'right' action to take."

So you agree with my reply to Mr. Flibble when I refuted his idea of more action not more data. Thank you for making the point too.

"I would only agree on that they should've looked at meaningful data before taking any actions."

That would have given more chance to do the right thing but then the same could be said for this MMCC co2 theory action which is based on action without accounting for the meaningful data.

"I have yet to see any reports confirming that, I've seen only the opposite, doing close to or far better than expected."

For wind farms? Go on please show me somewhere that makes that claim (for my amusement). After years of lying even the BBC had to meekly accept that wind farms massively under perform their advertised output.

"The energy shortage has jack shit to do with wind farms and home solar. It has everything to do with politics, namely pandemic and monetary mismanagement.

That flies in the face of evidence. For example we have an energy shortage so coal power plants which have been turned off have had to come back online because of the energy shortage, yet we have been building loads of wind/solar 'power generation' which has underperformed massively. We have a huge reliance on gas which could have been supported if we kept fracking but since green is against that too we have a power shortage.

The money has flowed to propping up the green tech (that doesnt work) which has also increased energy bills and yet we have less power at greater cost. The pandemic has done nothing either way for our energy problems because its our reliance on importing gas (needed to back up the green tech) and reduction of storage (which wouldnt be built up anyway as Russia is purposefully stopping Europe from doing) causing the crisis.

codejunky Silver badge

Re: Although

@AC

"What makes you think that"

The very crap we were sold in the first place with the temperature models for climate change. The RCP scenarios which we have been told are right. The 'science' this is ment to be based on. That is why they now talk about 3C etc because the actual claim of doom has been avoided and resolved.

That is why the rest of your post is the usual panic and FUD fed to keep the eco nuttiness going. You are no longer looking at the scenarios of doom to be avoided but now fine control of the sea to be commanded to recede.

"The clock is ticking."

I dont blame you for believing this, its the bull repeatedly pushed. But think about it for a moment. The entire aim has changed drastically from the unrealistic doomsday apocalypse to a small number of degrees. A huge and deadly problem to a minor adjustment of something we already know changes outside of that range naturally. If we believe the repeated claims of soon to arrive doom then we have already passed loads of deadlines to stop it.... so we must already be doomed. But of course we are not, the show goes on.

"We can still have a booming economy, just direct the investment into environmentally friendly solutions (including nuclear), rather than even more oil, coal etc."

You propose 2 mutual exclusive goals of avoiding energy production (glad you note nuclear however) and having a booming economy. Just look at the state of Europe's energy supply. Coal plants are being turned on because of the eco screwup, its truly that seriously bad.

"What we have now, is so far outside of anything that's happened in the past"

Based on what? Not historical accounts I am guessing but if you butcher the data enough anything can look new and exciting. Especially when there is limited data to work with.

"The climate deniers are that ones who claim it isn't man made. That does not match the scientific consensus, which overwhelmingly states this is unprecedented and is man made."

As always its great to have a pop show vote an opinion as science. There is real science being done but the climate change rubbish has abandoned its ties to that and is now a political religion.

"Nothing has been solved, where do you get this from? We've barely scratched the surface with what needs to be done to save the environment."

If that is true then we need to stop trying. For that to be true then you have abandoned the 'science' the MMCC theory is pinned on but lets assume your right. We have reached the point where the west cannot produce necessary electricity to survive a civilised life using eco crap technology. Incredible amounts have been spent to try and solve this problem being of huge economic loss and heavy resource/financial cost.

If we have barely scratched the surface then we are not going to be able to resolve the problem as most of the world is a lot poorer and has increasing requirements just for people to survive! So doom is impossible to avoid.

Or realistically the facts of the situation need to be looked at and a harsh reality of being ripped off needs to hit home. Then we can of course return this to the realm of science instead of you being told crap like 'We've barely scratched the surface with what needs to be done to save the environment.'

codejunky Silver badge

Re: @Mr. Flibble

@Mr. Flibble

"I don't know, I'm not an export on the subject"

Of those examples I gave they were doing the 'right' expert thing which was totally wrong and extremely damaging. All sensible things for good reasons and extremely damaging. Sounds almost like the eco loon stuff we are doing.

"The "energy shortage" is lack of planning, not lack of data."

The energy shortage is action without knowledge (or correct data). Wind farms producing so little energy compared to the 'expected' output has left us reliant on gas. Same with solar. People putting solar on the roof and selling to the grid. All of it adds to the pleasure of our energy bills.

"References for the rest please..."

elephants => "Ecologist Allan Savory blamed elephant herds for destroying African grasslands. It turns out, what all grasslands need to survive is more animals eating them." Source (https://www.fastcompany.com/2681518/this-man-shot-40000-elephants-before-he-figured-out-that-herds-of-cows-can-save-the-planet)

sparrows => "In 1958 Mao Zedong ordered all the sparrows to be killed because they ate too much grain." Source (https://www.thevintagenews.com/2016/09/26/1958-mao-zedong-ordered-sparrows-killed-ate-much-grain-caused-one-worst-environmental-disasters-history/)

As for the scared little girl just look up Greta Thunberg. That poor girls life will be forever tarnished as the figurehead of this insanity. She is a meat shield to the loons and fed ridiculous lies to scare her.

codejunky Silver badge

@Mr. Flibble

"Fucking morons. We need more action, not more data."

What action should we take? It was action not data that left us with a huge energy shortage and reliance on gas (hence our current predicament). Action not data killed elephants to stop the expansion of desert. Action not data caused sparrows to be killed to reduce the grain being eaten only to cause huge environmental damage as insect populations boomed.

Action not data takes a little girl, scares the crap out of her and then parades her uninformed nonsense as greatness.

codejunky Silver badge

Re: Although

@AC

"Yes, lets have a booming economy for the last few years we have on the planet"

Except thats not what we are looking at. There is no few years left, the doomsday is gone. The absolute threat to existence on this earth if we dont do something has been averted according to the science that made the claim. So a booming economy would be people living better lives for much longer than a few years with no expectation of it being any less.

"whilst leaving nothing left for our grand kids except drought, wild fires, floods and planetary wide starvation and devastation (which has already started)."

Except a booming economy improves the lives of the people so the kids and grandkids and theirs so on would be enjoying better lives (as we do from our previous generations). As for ecological events you describe either you are a climate change denier (that the climate doesnt change naturally) or more likely following FUD.

"You, and people like you, are the reason why we are in the state we are in"

Then you are most welcome for a civilised life and prosperity before the eco loons started killing people.

"it's an everyone issue"

As the Chinese and Russians note. While countries in the west screw themselves up these other countries are building power generation to meet their needs while Europe and the US is begging other countries to do the (literal) dirty work for them.

"Trump is a dangerous fool, he's lost 100s of millions in failed business endeavours"

So its a failure to make losses even if he makes gains? Followed by he is an oddity in recent presidents that he made a loss instead of using it to make money. But enough of your Trump hate and back to topic.

"Also, you do know that Global Warming and Climate Change are the same thing? Right?"

Yes. It was global cooling and the coming ice age to global warming to man made climate change. Amazingly needing a rebrand every time the climate refused to act as the 'science' demanded it should. Now its a political religion. How many times have we been told we only have '{x} days to save the earth?'.

"some not too bright people didn't seem to understand why just warming up a bit was such an issue"

So you have a problem with history? When it was warmer previously? That whole climate changes naturally thing which kinda matters. However this is detached from what we were originally sold as runaway global warming is the problem, which has been solved.

"So the name was changed to Climate Change to better reflect what was actually going on."

Thats an understatement.

codejunky Silver badge

Although

Countries who intend to try and keep the lights on are building more power generation such as China and its coal fired plants. I am sure the UK will end up with maybe a few more monuments to a sky god. The US had a reversal of insanity under Trump only to have Biden undo the work and beg Putin to provide more gas. Russia not bothering to join the talking shop COP26 so unlike the other attendees didnt add to the Co2 output by flying over.

I notice Obambi turned up (the new normal economy) but it would be better to have Trump arrive and explain how to have a booming economy which improved peoples lives.

It is amazing to see the 'give an inch take a mile' phrase in action. Anybody remember when it was about stopping runaway global warming... cough... climate change which has been averted by all the 'science' but persists as now trying to stop the 'global warming' at all? Wasnt the end point passed ages ago? Could be generously compared to someone losing weight for their health only to become addicted to it and dangerously becoming anorexic. Or more honestly a cult growing larger than it had any right to and becoming some frenzied religion.

Randox's Certifly app for vaccinated international arrivals has to be side-loaded onto Android phones

codejunky Silver badge

Re: Scamdox

@Yet Another Anonymous coward

"The 2nd test is to check that you didn't contract covid during your stay in the UK. "

And yet had left before the result would be in. And had to test on return to the foreign country.

I can only say what the ferry company told me when they put in the exception. They knew of the problem and had agreed that was the way out of it with them.

codejunky Silver badge

Re: Scamdox

@AC

"But why do I have to book and pay for a day 2 test when I am only in the old country for one day?"

I thought this was incredibly dumb so I rang the ferry company. I rang the gov departments. And all said I needed to get a test even for 1 day. After ordering and paying for the test I am told the ferry companies got a work around where you are excluded from requiring such a test by selecting 'travelling through' the country.

So what a wasted test. Still had a lat flow before leaving again.

Feeling the pinch? How about a 160% hike in your data centre fees

codejunky Silver badge
Alien

Re: Anybody shocked?

@AC

"Starbuck & Apollo cannot freely express themselves ?!"

Might have to watch the original again. I couldnt get into the remake though :(

codejunky Silver badge

Anybody shocked?

Increase the cost of energy by pushing unreliables and not building actual power generators leaves us very exposed and reliant on gas. Banning fracking which is our only reliable secure source of gas puts us at the mercy of the global supply issues controlled by... the producers of gas.

Seriously this needs to be heavily reported otherwise people will still somehow believe monuments to a sky god is the way to our salvation.

Cisco requires COVID-19 shots for all US staff – even remote workers

codejunky Silver badge

Re: Get rid of the religious exemption.

@Roland6

"What COViD19 has demonstrated is that we are woefully unprepared for a pathogen that has a natural R value of 4~7 and a mortality rate of 30% ie. another smallpox."

How could we prepare? This all started because the virus of unknown origin (china) which occurred naturally (US funded lab it seems) wasnt stopped at the source because China arrested anyone trying to warn the world.

For all the glorious systems we have in place the lab it seems was not a secure enough level for the work being done and politicians pride (China) covered it up instead of stopping the spread. Even when there seems to have been cases pre-outbreak that were ignored.

A lot of this outbreak seems to be the usual suspects- people. On the plus side these vaccines have been developed in record time and economics now has a new scenario to consider- the destruction of an economy by shutting it down.

codejunky Silver badge

Re: Get rid of the religious exemption.

@Hubert Cumberdale

"Being vaccinated gives you a 6–7-fold lower probability of catching it."

Cool, Nice to see studies show your less likely to catch it. I know there are various attempts to see what effect the vaccines have (outside the obvious protection). I wonder how this changes based on the mutation.

codejunky Silver badge

Re: Get rid of the religious exemption.

@Justthefacts

"The real problem is that we are continuing to subsidise the anti-vaxxers financially. They are causing very quantifiable harm, death and economic devastation."

I am not sure how that works. One thing is for sure and that is the virus will go through the population, nothing we can do about it. Vaccinated or not you will still catch it and still pass it on regardless. The vaccination being a personal protection thing that you are less likely to suffer or die from catching the virus because of vaccination, but thats all it is.

So an vaccinated person is no more danger than a vaccinated person. As for chance of it hitting harder and possibly causing death the vaccinated one should be at less risk. The mistake is in thinking that vaccination = immune to catching or passing it on and that Covid wont get you (which is like thinking the flu wont get you).

codejunky Silver badge

Re: Get rid of the religious exemption.

@AC

"Nah, you got the thumbs down for throwing in the "US Covid Dictatorship" comment."

But is he wrong? Regardless of if you consider it right or wrong that people are coerced with little choice to get vaccinated (and these comment sections attract both sides), the president stating 'so it must be' and then people having to do that just on the presidents say so does seem to ring true to US Covid Dictatorship.

Which of course people will argue for or against even if they dont like the wording.

Twitter's algos favour tweets from conservatives over liberals because they generate more outrage online – study

codejunky Silver badge

Re: There's probably an Outrage Factory out there

@AC

"But if the atmosphere is one of ignoring or even encouragement?"

But also public discourse. Ridicule of the fanatic. Without this such opinions and groups still form but with little challenge. The increasing attempts to restrict discussion and language is only being resisted by such freedom of discussion even if some people view it as encouraging 'wrongthink'

codejunky Silver badge

Re: There's probably an Outrage Factory out there

@AC

"But does this "free speech" then spur on adherents to take action in the real world ?"

I guess thats the 'do video games cause people to kill people'? Or violent films. Which then brings questions over personal responsibility and if you should have freedom or be oppressed for your own good.

Since someone can always be offended at almost anything is it right that you be allowed to express an opinion? Which then control freaks want to control the opinions you hold (e.g. unconscious racism). Remember everyone holds the right opinion but they are never compatible with everyone elses.