https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRmwG2pFFXKp6j1DNk68p5LxOLxtByIhRC_hclSHDnds5EeFMwADIz-tC2AhA&usqp=CAI&s

Got sent a WhatsApp with this image of a Garda car parked outside the Russian embassy, covering the gates that the van smashed off...apt colour scheme!

Westminster voting intention:

LAB: 39% (+2)
CON: 33% (-2)
LDEM: 10% (+3)
GRN: 7% (-1)
REF: 4% (-1)

via @YouGov, 08 - 09 Mar

Fabulous war bounce for the Tories

Just read that Ukraine’s annual defence budget is smaller than the NYPD’s

I guess this is part of the reason why Americans want to defund their police departments.

Just had a quick search to learn a bit more about NYPD’s armoury and materiel, and apparently they have:

- armoured military trucks
- military ‘mortar carriers’
- M14 and M16 assault rifles
- M4 carbines
- MP5s
- Caches of various shotguns and sniper rifles
- mine resistant personnel carriers
- Humvees
- ATVs
- military grade night vision goggles and binoculars
- snow camouflage parkas
- two cargo planes
- and according to former mayor Bloomberg a lot of other “cool stuff” which isn’t in the public domain. Bloomberg was also the guy who said that post 9/11 the NYPD acquired the means to “bring down a plane”, whatever the fack that might mean.

I wonder how many national armies the NYPD could outshoot

comment by And... Rosso... Though its... Yeah and... That... (U17054)
posted 8 minutes ago
I wonder how many national armies the NYPD could outshoot
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Wouldn't it's budget make it like the 7th biggest military in the world?!

Ed Vaizey has a go at Robert Jenrick & Dan Hannan for wanting a culture war... "it's pathetic."

https://twitter.com/haggis_uk/status/1501907285215485956?s=21

Good to see that odious Tory cow being put in the bin by a Tory.

comment by And... Rosso... Though its... Yeah and... That... (U17054)
posted 11 minutes ago
Just read that Ukraine’s annual defence budget is smaller than the NYPD’s

I guess this is part of the reason why Americans want to defund their police departments.

Just had a quick search to learn a bit more about NYPD’s armoury and materiel, and apparently they have:

- armoured military trucks
- military ‘mortar carriers’
- M14 and M16 assault rifles
- M4 carbines
- MP5s
- Caches of various shotguns and sniper rifles
- mine resistant personnel carriers
- Humvees
- ATVs
- military grade night vision goggles and binoculars
- snow camouflage parkas
- two cargo planes
- and according to former mayor Bloomberg a lot of other “cool stuff” which isn’t in the public domain. Bloomberg was also the guy who said that post 9/11 the NYPD acquired the means to “bring down a plane”, whatever the fack that might mean.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Yep, far less money could be spent on schemes to prevent crime and improve societies where crime happens. But when gammons hear ‘defund the police’ their minds instantly go to ‘those woke lefties want crime to run rampant as there will only be two cops per town’ or something like that.

If people really knew just how much money is wasted on supposed ‘cures’ for crime rather than prevention they’d be shocked.

comment by Robbb Kanchelskis 🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦 RIP Warney 🏏 (U22716)
posted 1 hour, 47 minutes ago
comment by And... Rosso... Though its... Yeah and... That... (U17054)
posted 11 minutes ago
Just read that Ukraine’s annual defence budget is smaller than the NYPD’s

I guess this is part of the reason why Americans want to defund their police departments.

Just had a quick search to learn a bit more about NYPD’s armoury and materiel, and apparently they have:

- armoured military trucks
- military ‘mortar carriers’
- M14 and M16 assault rifles
- M4 carbines
- MP5s
- Caches of various shotguns and sniper rifles
- mine resistant personnel carriers
- Humvees
- ATVs
- military grade night vision goggles and binoculars
- snow camouflage parkas
- two cargo planes
- and according to former mayor Bloomberg a lot of other “cool stuff” which isn’t in the public domain. Bloomberg was also the guy who said that post 9/11 the NYPD acquired the means to “bring down a plane”, whatever the fack that might mean.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Yep, far less money could be spent on schemes to prevent crime and improve societies where crime happens. But when gammons hear ‘defund the police’ their minds instantly go to ‘those woke lefties want crime to run rampant as there will only be two cops per town’ or something like that.

If people really knew just how much money is wasted on supposed ‘cures’ for crime rather than prevention they’d be shocked.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The 1033 programme is absolutely horrific. Equipping poorly trained police officers with military grade equipment for them to go out onto the streets, and the officers being incentivised to use the equipment in a “use it or lose it” type situation is frankly dangerous. It was rolled back under Obama (although how effective that roll back was is hotly debated), opened up again under Trump and I’m not sure where it sits now under Biden.

comment by Harry Ambrose (U11781)
posted 2 hours, 4 minutes ago
Ed Vaizey has a go at Robert Jenrick & Dan Hannan for wanting a culture war... "it's pathetic."

https://twitter.com/haggis_uk/status/1501907285215485956?s=21

Good to see that odious Tory cow being put in the bin by a Tory.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Comes across as a plank - utter mediocrities the lot of them

Anyway - rather bored of takes saying Ukraine proves I was right about X and my hobby horse Y.

comment by Harry Ambrose (U11781)
posted 2 hours, 6 minutes ago
Ed Vaizey has a go at Robert Jenrick & Dan Hannan for wanting a culture war... "it's pathetic."

https://twitter.com/haggis_uk/status/1501907285215485956?s=21

Good to see that odious Tory cow being put in the bin by a Tory.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I give the phoney culture war schtick twelve months, tops.

Polling has shown that the vast majority of the public either don’t understand it or don’t care about it. It doesn’t have clear aims or lend itself to measurable outcomes, and it isn’t cutting through in the (former) Red Wall, with swing voters, or in middle England.

It’s quite obvious what they were trying to do, which is continue to ride the Brexit wave, but it just isn’t an effective use of their airtime or column inches, which is why the Tory strategists will bin it.

comment by And... Rosso... Though its... Yeah and... That... (U17054)
posted 58 seconds ago
comment by Harry Ambrose (U11781)
posted 2 hours, 6 minutes ago
Ed Vaizey has a go at Robert Jenrick & Dan Hannan for wanting a culture war... "it's pathetic."

https://twitter.com/haggis_uk/status/1501907285215485956?s=21

Good to see that odious Tory cow being put in the bin by a Tory.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I give the phoney culture war schtick twelve months, tops.

Polling has shown that the vast majority of the public either don’t understand it or don’t care about it. It doesn’t have clear aims or lend itself to measurable outcomes, and it isn’t cutting through in the (former) Red Wall, with swing voters, or in middle England.

It’s quite obvious what they were trying to do, which is continue to ride the Brexit wave, but it just isn’t an effective use of their airtime or column inches, which is why the Tory strategists will bin it.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Usual blather from Rosso

First off - so called 'culture war' descriptions are used by left wingers whenever a conservative criticises a liberal social policy.

There is plenty of evidence many issues that get dismissed as culture war matters - from crime to immigration to national identity - matter to a lot of people. Hence Brexit in the first place. Hence the Tories winning power.

The Red Wall victory was very much built around those ideas - as Matthew Goodwin has consistently pointed out, marrying socially conservative voters in Midlands and North with conventional Tories.

On polling - when specifically told online terms, there is little public appetite - when questioned about issues relating to the 'culture war' as phrased, there is quite a lot of evidence people do care.

Anyway, Rosso has blocked me but felt the need to expose his usual blather and patter.

Night all.

On the hobby horse point - the fact some people on here can't realise clear distinctions and moral differences between refugees and economic migration then you are dishonest.

Now it really is bed time.

Sorry but isn’t NY an absolute crime reduction success story?

comment by Sat Nav (U18243)
posted 1 hour, 22 minutes ago
Sorry but isn’t NY an absolute crime reduction success story?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm not sure on any figures etc, but as a small state conservative do you really support throwing obscene amounts of taxpayer money at an issue to fix it?

comment by Insert random username (U10647)
posted 14 minutes ago
comment by Sat Nav (U18243)
posted 1 hour, 22 minutes ago
Sorry but isn’t NY an absolute crime reduction success story?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm not sure on any figures etc, but as a small state conservative do you really support throwing obscene amounts of taxpayer money at an issue to fix it?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I think they had huge crime issues gun crime & homicide so yes.

Small state doesn’t necessarily mean small police force.


https://www.ft.com/__origami/service/image/v2/images/raw/https%3A%2F%2Fd6c748xw2pzm8.cloudfront.net%2Fprod%2F970b2e80-c6c9-11ea-af37-b51a0627fdfd-standard.png?dpr=1&fit=scale-down&quality=highest&source=next&width=700


They’ve done really well, it’s really not something to criticise but applaud.

comment by Sat Nav (U18243)
posted 7 minutes ago
comment by Insert random username (U10647)
posted 14 minutes ago
comment by Sat Nav (U18243)
posted 1 hour, 22 minutes ago
Sorry but isn’t NY an absolute crime reduction success story?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm not sure on any figures etc, but as a small state conservative do you really support throwing obscene amounts of taxpayer money at an issue to fix it?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I think they had huge crime issues gun crime & homicide so yes.

Small state doesn’t necessarily mean small police force.


https://www.ft.com/__origami/service/image/v2/images/raw/https%3A%2F%2Fd6c748xw2pzm8.cloudfront.net%2Fprod%2F970b2e80-c6c9-11ea-af37-b51a0627fdfd-standard.png?dpr=1&fit=scale-down&quality=highest&source=next&width=700


They’ve done really well, it’s really not something to criticise but applaud.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
They banned assault weapons in 1994, gun control works.

comment by Hector (U3606)
posted 5 minutes ago
comment by Sat Nav (U18243)
posted 7 minutes ago
comment by Insert random username (U10647)
posted 14 minutes ago
comment by Sat Nav (U18243)
posted 1 hour, 22 minutes ago
Sorry but isn’t NY an absolute crime reduction success story?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm not sure on any figures etc, but as a small state conservative do you really support throwing obscene amounts of taxpayer money at an issue to fix it?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I think they had huge crime issues gun crime & homicide so yes.

Small state doesn’t necessarily mean small police force.


https://www.ft.com/__origami/service/image/v2/images/raw/https%3A%2F%2Fd6c748xw2pzm8.cloudfront.net%2Fprod%2F970b2e80-c6c9-11ea-af37-b51a0627fdfd-standard.png?dpr=1&fit=scale-down&quality=highest&source=next&width=700


They’ve done really well, it’s really not something to criticise but applaud.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
They banned assault weapons in 1994, gun control works.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Couldn’t agree more although I thought handguns were used in far more crimes than assault weapons.

NEWS: @POTUS tomorrow will call for an end of normal trade relations with Russia, clearing the way for increased tariffs on Russian imports. Announcement will be alongside G7 & EU leaders. He'll work with Congress on legislation to repeal PNTR. Both parties have pushed for this.

https://twitter.com/jendeben/status/1502115365018648614?s=21

comment by Sat Nav (U18243)
posted 13 minutes ago
comment by Hector (U3606)
posted 5 minutes ago
comment by Sat Nav (U18243)
posted 7 minutes ago
comment by Insert random username (U10647)
posted 14 minutes ago
comment by Sat Nav (U18243)
posted 1 hour, 22 minutes ago
Sorry but isn’t NY an absolute crime reduction success story?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm not sure on any figures etc, but as a small state conservative do you really support throwing obscene amounts of taxpayer money at an issue to fix it?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I think they had huge crime issues gun crime & homicide so yes.

Small state doesn’t necessarily mean small police force.


https://www.ft.com/__origami/service/image/v2/images/raw/https%3A%2F%2Fd6c748xw2pzm8.cloudfront.net%2Fprod%2F970b2e80-c6c9-11ea-af37-b51a0627fdfd-standard.png?dpr=1&fit=scale-down&quality=highest&source=next&width=700


They’ve done really well, it’s really not something to criticise but applaud.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
They banned assault weapons in 1994, gun control works.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Couldn’t agree more although I thought handguns were used in far more crimes than assault weapons.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Just noted the correlation of the big drop in murders in your link to the ban.

comment by Hector (U3606)
posted 1 hour, 24 minutes ago
comment by Sat Nav (U18243)
posted 13 minutes ago
comment by Hector (U3606)
posted 5 minutes ago
comment by Sat Nav (U18243)
posted 7 minutes ago
comment by Insert random username (U10647)
posted 14 minutes ago
comment by Sat Nav (U18243)
posted 1 hour, 22 minutes ago
Sorry but isn’t NY an absolute crime reduction success story?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm not sure on any figures etc, but as a small state conservative do you really support throwing obscene amounts of taxpayer money at an issue to fix it?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I think they had huge crime issues gun crime & homicide so yes.

Small state doesn’t necessarily mean small police force.


https://www.ft.com/__origami/service/image/v2/images/raw/https%3A%2F%2Fd6c748xw2pzm8.cloudfront.net%2Fprod%2F970b2e80-c6c9-11ea-af37-b51a0627fdfd-standard.png?dpr=1&fit=scale-down&quality=highest&source=next&width=700


They’ve done really well, it’s really not something to criticise but applaud.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
They banned assault weapons in 1994, gun control works.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Couldn’t agree more although I thought handguns were used in far more crimes than assault weapons.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Just noted the correlation of the big drop in murders in your link to the ban.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Aye the real drops came following assault weapons ban. It’ll be multi-dimensional, but again we were talking about the militarisation of the police, and criticising that. Satters - do you support the militarisation of police?

comment by bmcl1987 (U14177)
posted 3 minutes ago
comment by Hector (U3606)
posted 1 hour, 24 minutes ago
comment by Sat Nav (U18243)
posted 13 minutes ago
comment by Hector (U3606)
posted 5 minutes ago
comment by Sat Nav (U18243)
posted 7 minutes ago
comment by Insert random username (U10647)
posted 14 minutes ago
comment by Sat Nav (U18243)
posted 1 hour, 22 minutes ago
Sorry but isn’t NY an absolute crime reduction success story?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm not sure on any figures etc, but as a small state conservative do you really support throwing obscene amounts of taxpayer money at an issue to fix it?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I think they had huge crime issues gun crime & homicide so yes.

Small state doesn’t necessarily mean small police force.


https://www.ft.com/__origami/service/image/v2/images/raw/https%3A%2F%2Fd6c748xw2pzm8.cloudfront.net%2Fprod%2F970b2e80-c6c9-11ea-af37-b51a0627fdfd-standard.png?dpr=1&fit=scale-down&quality=highest&source=next&width=700


They’ve done really well, it’s really not something to criticise but applaud.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
They banned assault weapons in 1994, gun control works.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Couldn’t agree more although I thought handguns were used in far more crimes than assault weapons.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Just noted the correlation of the big drop in murders in your link to the ban.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Aye the real drops came following assault weapons ban. It’ll be multi-dimensional, but again we were talking about the militarisation of the police, and criticising that. Satters - do you support the militarisation of police?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
If you mean crazy weaponry then no not really. But I think the police needs to be a preventative force rather than reactionary like we have here.

I’m pretty confident that handguns are the majority of guns used in murders, for pretty obvious reasons really.

Crime rates dropped massively in New York during the 90s

https://www.nber.org/digest/jan03/what-reduced-crime-new-york-city

I think the better correlation is the shift in policing strategies rather than focusing on assault weapons.

comment by Sat Nav (U18243)
posted 3 minutes ago
Crime rates dropped massively in New York during the 90s

https://www.nber.org/digest/jan03/what-reduced-crime-new-york-city

I think the better correlation is the shift in policing strategies rather than focusing on assault weapons.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

"the police force in New York City grew by 35 percent in the 1990s, the numbers of prison inmates rose 24 percent".

Bigger investments in police numbers and prison places required