7 posts shown.
Susan Price said:forum user Tom Malkin
slybison8 said:I suppose that isn't necessarily true. There is also a possibility that the European Union might consolidate into a federal state during that time—which, I suspect, is what most member states actually desire, even if they don't express it publicly. In such a scenario, the United Kingdom would likely secure a free trade agreement, which seems to be their primary interest, while the European Union could benefit from moving past British obstructionism. Furthermore, the United Kingdom might find great advantage in this, as any prospects for Scottish independence would likely vanish.
Afterward, the United Kingdom could function either as an associate member of NAFTA, or perhaps initiate its own integration alongside the stronger nations of the Commonwealth. This second option seems more probable, as such an association would probably offer much more benefit to Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa than it would to the USA, given that the US might not be particularly interested in bringing the United Kingdom into NAFTA.
In that case, the issue of Northern Ireland would likely return to the forefront. A British exit from the European Union would, for the first time in history, necessitate the establishment of a land border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. This could become a significant complication, especially if the Anglo-Irish agreement regarding the Common Travel Area had to be suspended to accommodate Ireland's entry into the Schengen Area. It is quite possible that the United Kingdom might manage to retain Scotland but end up losing Northern Ireland.
Scott Hall39 said:Here’s an example. Some guy sitting up in his moderator high tower is banning a user just for calling rebels "democratic forces." Since when does he get to make those calls? Especially since, in that very same thread, they're treating Gaddafi like he's practically a deity. I mean, the guy has heard every compliment in the book from Gaddafi supporters—it doesn't seem to bother him one bit! If that isn't a textbook case of unprofessionalism and biased moderation, I don't know what is.
Richard James2 said:It depends. Topics that draw massive crowds—like anything involving bin Laden's legacy or the fallout from the former America era—are much harder to moderate. Those subjects are absolute minefields of historical revisionism and constant provocations. You have to walk a fine line to ensure the discussion doesn't become sterile, while still allowing for a diverse range of opinions without spiraling into total trash. But looking at the big picture, the quality of this PDF section stays above the rest of the forum, at least for now. So, if I ever get that impression, I’m just glad it hasn't happened often. As for the Democratic Party, I'll just say that a solid selection of high-quality threads has saved me from the usual endless flame wars, spam, and clone accounts. I'm honestly really grateful for that; instead of just packing up my things and walking out, I actually get the chance to participate in a balanced debate. That said, there's always room for improvement, right?
Richard James2 said:So, is this the definitive list of names whose absence leaves a massive void in the discussions? Look, I could rattle off dozens of other people who stopped posting in Politics, and it’s not because they were wiped out by the Democratic Party's hand, so how am I supposed to draw any conclusions from that? Honestly, I don't even agree that Politics has gone to hell. In fact, there are certain threads I wouldn't even touch if I didn't know a few specific people would show up to say something actually intelligent. PL is one of them. Though, I have to admit, he's the only mod I've ever managed to rack up that many warnings from in a single day. 😬 Fair enough, though.
As someone who's constantly lurking in the World PDF, I can say with total certainty that the whole thing would have been a massive pile of garbage for months if PL wasn't moderating it. Worse than that, it would have turned into some monstrous hybrid of a close politician and an alternative site. Word.