A Political Thread pt. 2

[ncurd]

She had plenty of warning about the security failings at Talktalk before the hacking happened too and chose to ignore them. It's staggering how these anti-midas characters somehow keep landing such high roles despite obvious incompetence.

There's a whole bunch of things that occur in the private sector especially in large corporations that make little sense. I just had a manager change (which is a huge shame because the person leaving is literally the best person I've ever worked for) and the person they selected to replace them with has something like 10 years less experience than the other person going for the role. Both are fully capable people but it was short-termism thinking looking at recent results forgetting the reason why the other person wasn't leading the current project was because they finishing up the last one which when they took over was burning trash fire they'd rescued when they took over. So went with the anointed one because of recent success.

The Tories also have an obsession with private sector businesses and people being based placed to run our public sector services. Completely forgetting the private sector is about making money and the public sector should always be about delivering the best services based on their budget. Those aren't mutually exclusive goals but they do require a completely different priority in decision making.

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

There's a whole bunch of things that occur in the private sector especially in large corporations that make little sense. I just had a manager change (which is a huge shame because the person leaving is literally the best person I've ever worked for) and the person they selected to replace them with has something like 10 years less experience than the other person going for the role. Both are fully capable people but it was short-termism thinking looking at recent results forgetting the reason why the other person wasn't leading the current project was because they finishing up the last one which when they took over was burning trash fire they'd rescued when they took over. So went with the anointed one because of recent success.

The Tories also have an obsession with private sector businesses and people being based placed to run our public sector services. Completely forgetting the private sector is about making money and the public sector should always be about delivering the best services based on their budget. Those aren't mutually exclusive goals but they do require a completely different priority in decision making.

Just gearing things up for when they sell on parts of the public sector. Get a nice profit motive structure set up beforehand to ease the transition to their mates at public expense.

 

[Reiser99]

From my view the higher up you go it's less about capability and reputation and more just who you know. While Dido Harding would make decisions, ultimately she'd be like Johnson listening to Sage. No real personal knowledge or experience and instead listens to the experts lower down and makes a decision based off their advice. It's cronyism pure and simple.

My view may be a bit simplistic, but there certainly are quite a few others like Harding who blunder from role to role and always find something new despite clearly not being capable.

 

[ncurd]

Just gearing things up for when they sell on parts of the public sector. Get a nice profit motive structure set up beforehand to ease the transition to their mates at public expense.

Parts of the party definitely want to do that but there are some out there that genuinely do believe the majority of the public sector should be subcontracted under the private sector as it leads to competitiveness and drives down costs. Hence PFI's, of course the "brilliant" undertaking doesn't work in reality where the something like the NHS is unable to compete due to knowing the real costs having delivered the service for decades. My wife was part of the patient transport service within the ambulance service. They got privatised because they were underbid by a private firm. They bought in a computer system that estimated how much work could done in a day, which was rubbish because it wasn't optimised for a mainly rural area thus 60mph roads are usually far from that. People came to "train" staff that had been working the entire area for years. Equipment was substandard, new staff bought on had significantly less training before being allowed crew an ambulance with zero experienced personnel. Those new staff were on significantly less pay and zero-hour contracts. It was a complete **** show, we moved shortly after it happened so she had to give up the job but eventually the large firm had give it up because they couldn't hack it and were operating at a loss because of how much they'd underbid by. So yup great job we sold that to the private sector.

I don't think there is anything that wrong with PFI's in the grand scheme of thinking, its just the entire thought process behind the tendering and selecting of bids appears to be massively flawed. Again looking at buying cheap than buying good.

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

Parts of the party definitely want to do that but there are some out there that genuinely do believe the majority of the public sector should be subcontracted under the private sector as it leads to competitiveness and drives down costs. Hence PFI's, of course the "brilliant" undertaking doesn't work in reality where the something like the NHS is unable to compete due to knowing the real costs having delivered the service for decades. My wife was part of the patient transport service within the ambulance service. They got privatised because they were underbid by a private firm. They bought in a computer system that estimated how much work could done in a day, which was rubbish because it wasn't optimised for a mainly rural area thus 60mph roads are usually far from that. People came to "train" staff that had been working the entire area for years. Equipment was substandard, new staff bought on had significantly less training before being allowed crew an ambulance with zero experienced personnel. Those new staff were on significantly less pay and zero-hour contracts. It was a complete **** show, we moved shortly after it happened so she had to give up the job but eventually the large firm had give it up because they couldn't hack it and were operating at a loss because of how much they'd underbid by. So yup great job we sold that to the private sector.

I don't think there is anything that wrong with PFI's in the grand scheme of thinking, its just the entire thought process behind the tendering and selecting of bids appears to be massively flawed. Again looking at buying cheap than buying good.

Story of this country, we always go for the lowest bidder and then get it all wrong. Our success rate on getting projects done on time and to budget is woeful. A large chunk of it is the management structure hasn't evolved in many cases since the 60's. It's still an us and them mentality between the management and the "scum". One rule for managers, another for everyone else. Incompetence is accepted, opinions of those who do the actual work are not. All that's happened is the unions were busted so now it's even more lop sided with the same management faults still there. The industries that have modernised their practices do well but too many are stuck in an archaic system of the management having all the power yet none of the accountability. Failures are blamed on those at the bottom, successes credited to those at the top. We then wonder why this breeds an environment or resentment and incompetence.

 

[ncurd]

Story of this country, we always go for the lowest bidder and then get it all wrong. Our success rate on getting projects done on time and to budget is woeful. A large chunk of it is the management structure hasn't evolved in many cases since the 60's. It's still an us and them mentality between the management and the "scum". One rule for managers, another for everyone else. Incompetence is accepted, opinions of those who do the actual work are not. All that's happened is the unions were busted so now it's even more lop sided with the same management faults still there. The industries that have modernised their practices do well but too many are stuck in an archaic system of the management having all the power yet none of the accountability. Failures are blamed on those at the bottom, successes credited to those at the top. We then wonder why this breeds an environment or resentment and incompetence.

Working in the software industry this from Silicon Valley sums up far more what I see happening rather than anything else.

 

[Bada-Bing!]

GB News is no joke, despite the risible start | Nesrine Malik

As much as it might like to, the left can’t pretend the channel doesn’t exist, says Guardian columnist Nesrine Malik

www.theguardian.com

Anyone watched this GB news yet? I am dreading a Fox News like news channel.

 

[Not Mike Brown's Sock]

GB News is no joke, despite the risible start | Nesrine Malik

As much as it might like to, the left can’t pretend the channel doesn’t exist, says Guardian columnist Nesrine Malik

www.theguardian.com

Anyone watched this GB news yet? I am dreading a Fox News like news channel.

It's not as extreme as the media are making out tbh, and they're very happy to have diversity of thought (kinda the point). RLB was on yesterday I believe.

The only extreme show is the 9-11pm one with that chap who used to be at the Sun but it just seems intentionally inflammatory and is what most articles seem to be citing.

They've got a lot better on the tech since launch as well

 

[Reiser99]

Heard on LBC when I went to the shops that Dido Harding is Johnson's preferred candidate because of her successful experience in the private sector running *checks notes* Talk-Talk.

Does anyone genuinely believe that Johnson is choosing her because she is the best candidate? Maybe if the rest of the applicants are literal, physical sheep and even then it would probably be a close run thing.

 

[Ragey Erasmus]

I've decided to give GB news a try. First thoughts are it's very clearly gone after the Fox news styling looking at the website. The production is also pretty amateurish. Suffice to say it doesn't look like a particularly high quality news site.

With regards to content, I'll wait and see.

 

[Not Mike Brown's Sock]

I've decided to give GB news a try. First thoughts are it's very clearly gone after the Fox news styling looking at the website. The production is also pretty amateurish. Suffice to say it doesn't look like a particularly high quality news site.

With regards to content, I'll wait and see.

It must be rather complicated to start from scratch to be fair.

The good thing I think is that it seems like each program has a very different perspective and narrative so if the crazy 9pm chap isn't your style there will be something that is elsewhere

 

[Bada-Bing!]

Please not alternative facts.

 

[Not Mike Brown's Sock]

Please not alternative facts.

Not seen any of that at all despite what the media has been suggesting

 

[ncurd]

Not seen any of that at all despite what the media has been suggesting

Can we not talk in hearsay GB News are also "the media", who has been suggesting it? Where's the evidence they've been wrong or lying that GB News has been?

I follow a lot of lefty types on social media most of them just seam to be taking the **** out of the technical issues and the looks of presenters loosing the will to live.

 

[Not Mike Brown's Sock]

Can we not talk in hearsay GB News are also "the media", who has been suggesting it? Where's the evidence they've been wrong or lying that GB News has been?

I follow a lot of lefty types on social media most of them just seam to be taking the **** out of the technical issues and the looks of presenters loosing the will to live.

Guardian etc - a few of their articles have pitched it as some sort of Fox News esque conspiracy haven which is pretty far from the truth.


Most of the lefties I follow on social media have been rather ott about it all tbh, it's fairly balanced most of the time, and they make it clear that often the presenter is putting across their own view.

Regardless, I think it's worth a watch after years of Channel 4 and BBC news being rather crap - if it's not your thing then fine, but I like a bit of debate and bite between presenters and guests and it's broadly up my street as a result

 

[Welsh Exile]

Guardian etc - a few of their articles have pitched it as some sort of Fox News esque conspiracy haven which is pretty far from the truth.


Most of the lefties I follow on social media have been rather ott about it all tbh, it's fairly balanced most of the time, and they make it clear that often the presenter is putting across their own view.

Regardless, I think it's worth a watch after years of Channel 4 and BBC news being rather crap - if it's not your thing then fine, but I like a bit of debate and bite between presenters and guests and it's broadly up my street as a result

I agree about the BBC. It's so obsessed with impartiality that it doesn't seem overly concerned with accurate reporting. Channel 4 is a lot better but is obviously left leaning but I like it.

I can understand why it's being compared to Fox if you're saying presenters are doing opinion pieces like Hannity or what not. Not a good look imo.

 

[ncurd]

I agree about the BBC. It's so obsessed with impartiality that it doesn't seem overly concerned with accurate reporting. Channel 4 is a lot better but is obviously left leaning but I like it.

I can understand why it's being compared to Fox if you're saying presenters are doing opinion pieces like Hannity or what not. Not a good look imo.

A confluence of issues the BBC is pretty damn accurate in its reporting where it fails consistently is giving false level platforms to people in the guise of impartiality. For instance they've had pro-Brexit politicians argues with WTO trade officials what their actual rules are.

Channel 4 is an excellent news broadcast and has been recognised as such for a very long time. Its big issue is people are unwilling to mauled by Jon Snow (shame he's leaving) or Krishnan Guru-Murthy which leaves their news as sometimes bland. Newsnight (the BBC's best news program) has a similar problem.

And here's the problem is its a news channel or is it an current affairs channel? If its news presenters should not be interjecting their opinion about things they should be presenting the news and interrogating anyone who comes on with equal measure. Andrew Neil actually has a great reputation for this. If its current affairs they should be guiding the stuff but can voice opinion but it shouldn;t be selling itself as a news source if that's the case. And it is doing so.

 

[Welsh Exile]

A confluence of issues the BBC is pretty damn accurate in its reporting where it fails consistently is giving false level platforms to people in the guise of impartiality. For instance they've had pro-Brexit politicians argues with WTO trade officials what their actual rules are.

Channel 4 is an excellent news broadcast and has been recognised as such for a very long time. Its big issue is people are unwilling to mauled by Jon Snow (shame he's leaving) or Krishnan Guru-Murthy which leaves their news as sometimes bland. Newsnight (the BBC's best news program) has a similar problem.

And here's the problem is its a news channel or is it an current affairs channel? If its news presenters should not be interjecting their opinion about things they should be presenting the news and interrogating anyone who comes on with equal measure. Andrew Neil actually has a great reputation for this. If its current affairs they should be guiding the stuff but can voice opinion but it shouldn;t be selling itself as a news source if that's the case. And it is doing so.

Yes, this post sums up my thinking much better than I how wrote it, especially that first paragraph re the BBC.

 

[Not Mike Brown's Sock]

A confluence of issues the BBC is pretty damn accurate in its reporting where it fails consistently is giving false level platforms to people in the guise of impartiality. For instance they've had pro-Brexit politicians argues with WTO trade officials what their actual rules are.

Channel 4 is an excellent news broadcast and has been recognised as such for a very long time. Its big issue is people are unwilling to mauled by Jon Snow (shame he's leaving) or Krishnan Guru-Murthy which leaves their news as sometimes bland. Newsnight (the BBC's best news program) has a similar problem.

And here's the problem is its a news channel or is it an current affairs channel? If its news presenters should not be interjecting their opinion about things they should be presenting the news and interrogating anyone who comes on with equal measure. Andrew Neil actually has a great reputation for this. If its current affairs they should be guiding the stuff but can voice opinion but it shouldn;t be selling itself as a news source if that's the case. And it is doing so.

On this last bit, different shows seem to have different balances of report / opinion but they're clear throughout about what they are.

They were clear from the offset that they were not going to just be a rolling news channel - anyone with that assumption likely has not watched it / has only assumed that because of the comparisons to other channels.

Snow and KGM are blatantly left leaning in their reporting but often masquerade as neutral - when presenters (who are clear that they aren't simply news readers) GB news makes clear that they have their own biases but seem to do a good job at the moment of actively challenging them as well which makes for some really fantastic debate.

Again though - watch and make your own mind up if you want to keep watching - always good to have options. The social media freak out that this is some alt right project that needs cancelling is far from the truth however

 

[Bada-Bing!]

The only time I switch over from BBC news is when they are trying ram down my throat the news story of the Royal family. Otherwise I quite like the tone and coverage of BBC, ITV news channel 4 and Sky news channels. Watching some of the news coverage from USA. - CNBC, Fox and their editorial style news coverage, I am hoping they don't bring over here and start a culture war. But unfortunately it is inevitable. Anyone watch RT news and the Russia slant?