38 votes

Boris Johnson will be the UK's new prime minister

20 comments

  1. Silbern
    Link
    I'm not British so I know this isn't really my place to comment, but I do think it's fitting that someone actually responsible for Brexit is now put in a position of having to navigate this shit...

    I'm not British so I know this isn't really my place to comment, but I do think it's fitting that someone actually responsible for Brexit is now put in a position of having to navigate this shit storm. If it blows up, as I think it will, better him than Mrs. May. Let's see him wrangle those $350 million dollars a week now...

    14 votes
  2. AFineAccount
    Link
    Yikes. This isn't going to be good for the UK, or Europe as a whole. They only have three months before Johnson's ego collides with political and legislative reality. However, this may also...

    Yikes. This isn't going to be good for the UK, or Europe as a whole. They only have three months before Johnson's ego collides with political and legislative reality.

    However, this may also provide an interesting glimpse into the inevitable consequences far-right leaders across the world will have to face after reality sets into their administrations. I'm curious to see if the UK will be able to negotiate a deal out of sheer necessity to avoid a hard Brexit. I'm even curious if people will decide now is the time to start finding ways to rebel against an out-of-control administration.

    Anything is possible now. We live in interesting times.

    9 votes
  3. [2]
    Ephemere
    Link
    Well, three more months until the deadline. I suppose I'm super curious if something is going to give in that time, or if they will indeed go no deal. Obviously no deal has come about so far due...

    Well, three more months until the deadline. I suppose I'm super curious if something is going to give in that time, or if they will indeed go no deal. Obviously no deal has come about so far due to mutually impossible requirements, but things can get pretty loosey goosey in the eleventh hour.

    8 votes
    1. dont-tread-on-me
      Link Parent
      I'm banking on No Deal Brexit. Nothing I going well for the UK in negotiations and I think they're starting to get desperate. The EU can smell that. I think the EU just has to wade it out and...

      I'm banking on No Deal Brexit. Nothing I going well for the UK in negotiations and I think they're starting to get desperate. The EU can smell that. I think the EU just has to wade it out and eventually the UK's government is gonna have to start actually grovelling instead of grandstanding for votes. Not a Brit, so British folks: feel free to correct me or disagree with me; I'm open to a British viewpoint.

      3 votes
  4. [15]
    unknown user
    Link
    As a Russian, I can't wait to hear from everyone on the internet about how this is my fault.

    As a Russian, I can't wait to hear from everyone on the internet about how this is my fault.

    9 votes
    1. [10]
      ClearlyAlive
      Link Parent
      I think there is a difference between criticising the Russian government and the people. Very rarely do these criticisms extend to the people.

      I think there is a difference between criticising the Russian government and the people. Very rarely do these criticisms extend to the people.

      25 votes
      1. balooga
        Link Parent
        In fairness, we often conflate a country's government and its people. Sometimes I wonder if the word "nation" only exists in English to further blur the line between the two. In all of the US...

        In fairness, we often conflate a country's government and its people. Sometimes I wonder if the word "nation" only exists in English to further blur the line between the two. In all of the US post-2016-election hysteria most were content to blame "the Russians" instead of "Russian intelligence agencies" or the "Putin government" or whatever.

        That's the same sort of intellectually lazy, handwavy collectivism that leads to all Muslims being called terrorists, and countless other problems that have become so apparent in the social media age.

        9 votes
      2. [8]
        unknown user
        Link Parent
        I don't want to assume something in bad faith, but unless you are from one of the “rouge states” yourself, you can't really make such claims, can you? I've been personally attacked and harassed...

        Very rarely do these criticisms extend to the people.

        I don't want to assume something in bad faith, but unless you are from one of the “rouge states” yourself, you can't really make such claims, can you?

        I've been personally attacked and harassed before, on Reddit, Discord, and other resources, after disclosing that I am Russian. I've been called “a supporter of murderers” and I've read private messages à la “kys”. You may be able to know that not all Russians are Putin, not all Turks are Erdoğan, etc. Other people may not.

        5 votes
        1. [6]
          Algernon_Asimov
          Link Parent
          If you don't like being attacked for being Russian, why did you start this discussion? What does your Russian-ness have to do with the election of Britain's new Prime Minister?

          If you don't like being attacked for being Russian, why did you start this discussion? What does your Russian-ness have to do with the election of Britain's new Prime Minister?

          21 votes
          1. [5]
            unknown user
            Link Parent
            This is honestly kind of a flabbergasting question. Why does anyone start any discussion? Because I want to “have meaningful interactions” with people? To “communicate openly and honestly” about...

            This is honestly kind of a flabbergasting question. Why does anyone start any discussion?

            Because I want to “have meaningful interactions” with people? To “communicate openly and honestly” about issues that concern me? To have my voice, as a fellow human being, heard? Because I assume that people might be interested in an argument from the other side of the New Cold War?

            I don't think that I will be able to give a better answer right now, because your question has made me overly emotional, which is probably evident. I apologise. If you'll need any clarifications, I will try to provide them once I've cooled down. And once I've re-though my place in this community.

            14 votes
            1. [4]
              Algernon_Asimov
              Link Parent
              I'm just puzzled by why you thought it was necessary to jump into a post about British politics to complain about how people on the internet attack you for being Russian. Noone here said anything...

              I'm just puzzled by why you thought it was necessary to jump into a post about British politics to complain about how people on the internet attack you for being Russian. Noone here said anything about Russians until you commented - and I believe that the subject of Russian influence would never have been mentioned here. You brought up the subject. Noone else did.

              It would be like me jumping into a post about Russian events to complain that people don't respect me because I'm Australian. The two subjects have no connection.

              If you want to discuss how people on the internet criticise the Russian government, then you should start a topic for that discussion. There's no need to derail a topic about British politics to have that discussion.

              21 votes
              1. [3]
                nic
                Link Parent
                Doesn't that make the respect you earn all the more valuable?

                people don't respect me because I'm Australian

                Doesn't that make the respect you earn all the more valuable?

                1. [2]
                  Algernon_Asimov
                  Link Parent
                  It's a hypothetical.

                  It's a hypothetical.

                  1. nic
                    Link Parent
                    Sure matey potatey, whatever you say.

                    Sure matey potatey, whatever you say.

        2. ClearlyAlive
          Link Parent
          I would like to express my condolences. I wrongly assumed that people had the necessary skills to be able to distinguish such things, though seeing the US’s politics, I shouldn’t have. I would...

          I would like to express my condolences. I wrongly assumed that people had the necessary skills to be able to distinguish such things, though seeing the US’s politics, I shouldn’t have. I would like to express an apology for this wrong assumption and subsequent message.

          5 votes
    2. [2]
      AnthonyB
      Link Parent
      Better to blame the Russians or social media companies than look inward and ask how a society could lack the critical thinking skills to recognize fake news.

      Better to blame the Russians or social media companies than look inward and ask how a society could lack the critical thinking skills to recognize fake news.

      11 votes
      1. DangerChips
        Link Parent
        And let's be honest, I think a lot of us are more let down by just how despicable we really are as countries. Sure, we have a ton of great people and people we should aspire to be more like, but...

        And let's be honest, I think a lot of us are more let down by just how despicable we really are as countries. Sure, we have a ton of great people and people we should aspire to be more like, but 2016 on has been a punch to gut reminder just how many terrible we have in our midst as well.

        2 votes
    3. feigneddork
      Link Parent
      I know the feeling - being a British Pakistani dude myself on the internet, I've seen some pretty unsavoury views. Like @ClearlyAlive said, Russian comments only really apply to the government,...

      I know the feeling - being a British Pakistani dude myself on the internet, I've seen some pretty unsavoury views.

      Like @ClearlyAlive said, Russian comments only really apply to the government, and anyone extending it to Russian people are narrow-minded fools who should be ignored.

      7 votes
    4. moonbathers
      Link Parent
      Well, your government has been trying to destabilize the West for a decade now. No one's attacking you unless you're participating in that somehow.

      Well, your government has been trying to destabilize the West for a decade now. No one's attacking you unless you're participating in that somehow.

      7 votes
  5. moocow1452
    Link
    So, how long until we all have loud blond old men in charge of our countries that yell and posture at problems until they go away?

    So, how long until we all have loud blond old men in charge of our countries that yell and posture at problems until they go away?

    4 votes