Big Talk

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What I wish a center-left politician or party would say on immigration:

1. We should have a system that is welcoming and hospitable

2. We should have a system that treats people with humanity and respect

3. We should have a system that is capable of setting limits

On the issue of people crossing the border to apply for asylum, I want a leader who has empathy for people crossing the border, but also an understanding that it would be better to have a system where people who cross the border to apply for asylum are not treated more favorably than people who apply for asylum from their home countries.

The rules of the asylum and refugee game are that you are allowed to claim asylum if you are craving peace, but not if you are craving prosperity. The reality, of course, is that most people who are seeking asylum and refugee protections are craving both peace and prosperity. I think there is a hunger for a no-fault asylum and refugee system, where anyone who wants asylum can get it, but not necessarily in their first-choice country.

An analogy, perhaps, to limits on immigration is restrictions on the number of overseas players in the IPL, or county cricket. People can accept restrictions on the number of overseas players. But people cannot accept rhetoric which suggests that overseas players are doing something wrong in coming to the country to play cricket.

If you are going to have restrictions on the number of overseas players, a simple numerical limit seems to me preferable to a system where every county is forced to document that every overseas player they are hiring has unique skills, not available on the domestic market.

An abundance-based mentality on immigration, perhaps, is "I do my thing. My immigrant buddies do their thing. Hopefully one of us comes up with a cure for cancer."

The anti-immigrant politicians are telling people that the reason they are not able to do their thing is because of the presence of immigrants. I do not believe this to be true, either in theory or in practice.

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 4 things I think Bill Clinton got right:

1. He gave the impression that he enjoyed politics, and talking to people

2. He gave the impression that he enjoyed policy & government, and talking to the press

3. He gave the impression that he enjoyed being in power, and enjoyed using his power to help people, and to do good.

One of the best things about the 1992 campaign was his challenge to the Republicans: "If you're not willing to use your power to help people, then stand aside, because I will!"

4.  His response to sectarian division seems to me to be simple and good: "Our differences matter, but our common humanity matters more."

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I was searching for "hamas sister", as one does, and came across this interesting article, by Hanan Lischinsky:

https://allisrael.com/how-3-sisters-of-one-of-israel-s-greatest-enemies-came-to-live-in-southern-israel-with-full-citizenship

"An Israeli man in Ashkelon even told the newspaper Maariv that he used to employ the 16-year-old Ismail, back in the 1970s when Palestinians could move freely into Israel.

“I knew him as a worker who only knew how to make tiles. I taught him to work, he worked with me for nine years. He was a great guy. He was honest and smart, not stupid. He was like a family member, he also attended my daughters’ weddings,” Danny Makhlouf said.

When he heard that Haniyeh became involved in terrorism, Makhlouf even drove to his Gaza home to confront him, but it was too late . . ."

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Little Talk

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How Much Subscription Media Does A Clerk Require?

My current answer:

next time!

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Next post: October 29, 2025

Big Talk

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Things I think the UK Labour party should do:

1. Reinstate Jeremy Corbyn. If I genuinely believed Corbyn had an antisemitic bone in his body, I might feel differently. But I don't. In the words of Jim Hacker, "I've had drinks at the Russian Embassy. That doesn't make me a Russian spy."

I don't think Corbyn is particularly suited to the role of Prime Minister, or Labour Party Leader. But I do believe he is a very valuable Member of Parliament.

2. Not flip-flop quite so violently on trans rights. The attitude should perhaps be a bit similar to Austin Powers apologizing for the excesses of the sixties: "If we'd known the consequences of trans rights clashing with women's rights, we might have done things a bit differently. But the spirit would have remained the same. Right now we've got trans rights, and women's rights. It could be a very groovy time."

3. Reverse course on winter fuel and PIP. "Fiscal responsibility is important. But we should not balance the budget on the backs of the poor.". I actually think that there might be better alternatives to PIP. But the alternatives have to be . . . better.

4. On Refugee and Asylum issues, they should determine the Number Of Refugees A Year (NORAY) that the UK asylum and refugee system has the capacity to resettle. Then once that number has been reached, they should start sending people who cross the border back to their home countries, or to an alternative safe country in the home region of the person crossing the border. If there is public demand for resettling more refugees, they should increase NORAY, and increase the capacity of the system to resettle more refugees.

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Little Talk

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How Many Times Does A Man Require?

My current answer:

morning: 5:30 - 12:30

afternoon: 12:30 - 5:30

evening: 5:30 - 12:30

night: 12:30 - 5:30

dawn, dusk: 5:30 - 7:30

midday, midnight: 11:30 - 1:30

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How Much Tabloid Reading / Web-Surfing Does A Man Require?

My current answer:

2-4 quick glances, 1-2 leisurely looks

possible times (perhaps):

leisurely look #1: late afternoon / evening

leisurely look #2: late evening / night

quick glance #1: dawn

quick glance #2: midday

quick glance #3: dusk

quick glance #4: midnight

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Next post: September 29, 2025