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On October 07 2025 19:20 Uldridge wrote:
That's an interesting angle: when does the amalgamation of subcultures become a culture? Is that even a thing?
Is there a single unifying French or Italian culture? I'd like to say there is. But France is so big and has so many different ways of life that it kind of breaks down almost immediately when you start zooming in.
So, culture is an illusion? A mirage to be used as a spark to start potentially existential problems like wars? It's entirely possible. However, there are so many people hanging their hats on the "cultural identity of my country/roots/race" that it's very difficult to have any discussion talking about the deconstruction of this dogma. People will look at anything to latch on to, so is that what it is then? A practice that gives solace for a group of people instead of individual existential dread? Basically group therapy for the human condition. Yes culture is an artificial construct.
Does French culture exist? yes, its the current prevailing culture in France. But that itself a something that has formed over centuries by the people, their way of life and the interactions they had with those around them. Culture changes, its not a static thing. French culture today is not the same as French culture from 1792 and that is different from the Franks tribes 500 years before that.
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On October 07 2025 19:38 iPlaY.NettleS wrote:
The problem is bringing people with such backward values in, in such numbers that it moves the needle.
See the recent post by the NHS last week claiming value in first cousin marriages.Children of such marriages are far more likely to have disabilities putting extra strain on health and welfare services.First cousin marriages should be banned for this reason, not celebrated or treated as normal. To pre-empt a long discussion about this. Is the number of first cousin children being born in the UK actually an issue?
Like is it happening in increasing and worrying numbers? Or is this a thing that doesn't actually exist and its only being brought up to have a fight over and bash foreigners?
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On October 07 2025 19:46 Gorsameth wrote:Show nested quote +On October 07 2025 19:20 Uldridge wrote:
That's an interesting angle: when does the amalgamation of subcultures become a culture? Is that even a thing?
Is there a single unifying French or Italian culture? I'd like to say there is. But France is so big and has so many different ways of life that it kind of breaks down almost immediately when you start zooming in.
So, culture is an illusion? A mirage to be used as a spark to start potentially existential problems like wars? It's entirely possible. However, there are so many people hanging their hats on the "cultural identity of my country/roots/race" that it's very difficult to have any discussion talking about the deconstruction of this dogma. People will look at anything to latch on to, so is that what it is then? A practice that gives solace for a group of people instead of individual existential dread? Basically group therapy for the human condition. Yes culture is an artificial construct. Does French culture exist? yes, its the current prevailing culture in France. But that itself a something that has formed over centuries by the people, their way of life and the interactions they had with those around them. Culture changes, its not a static thing. French culture today is not the same as French culture from 1792 and that is different from the Franks tribes 500 years before that.
I assume that's not true everywhere but specifically french culture, to the extent that it exists and means something relevant, is mainly the collection of things that were used to crush the regional cultures of France and force them to learn a common language.
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On October 07 2025 19:52 Gorsameth wrote:Show nested quote +On October 07 2025 19:38 iPlaY.NettleS wrote:
The problem is bringing people with such backward values in, in such numbers that it moves the needle.
See the recent post by the NHS last week claiming value in first cousin marriages.Children of such marriages are far more likely to have disabilities putting extra strain on health and welfare services.First cousin marriages should be banned for this reason, not celebrated or treated as normal. To pre-empt a long discussion about this. Is the number of first cousin children being born in the UK actually an issue? Like is it happening in increasing and worrying numbers? Or is this a thing that doesn't actually exist and its only being brought up to have a fight over and bash foreigners?
It's known to occur within certain communities at what I would consider to be worrying numbers, but the numbers within those communities appear to be falling. Here are some numbers taken from this BBC article on the subject:
By the 20th century the proportion of marriages between cousins [in the general population] had declined to about 1%. But it remains a relatively common practice among some South Asian minorities. In three inner-city Bradford wards, almost half (46%) of mothers from the Pakistani community were married to a first or second cousin, according to the most recent Born in Bradford data published two years ago. [But] the practice is in decline. The share of new mothers from across the Born in Bradford study who were first cousins with the father of their baby fell from 39% in the late 2000s to 27% in the late 2010s.
EDIT:
I'm personally in favour of a ban because I find the concept of first cousin marriage morally repugnant.
Not only are children born from such marriages at higher risk of inherited medical conditions, they also have worse childhood development outcomes in general. Again quoting the BBC article:
[The study] found that even after factors like poverty were controlled for, a child of first cousins in Bradford had an 11% probability of being diagnosed with a speech and language problem, versus 7% for children whose parents are not related.
They also found a child of first cousins has a 54% chance of reaching a "good stage of development" (a government assessment given to all five year-olds in England), versus 64% for children whose parents are not related.
We get further insight into their poorer health through the number of visits to the GP. Children of first cousins have a third more primary care appointments than children whose parents are not related - an average of four instead of three a year.
What is notable is that even once you account for the children in that group who already have a diagnosed recessive disorder, the figures suggest consanguinity may be affecting even those children who don't have a diagnosable recessive disorder.
But despite being in favour of a ban, it's important for me to point out that we're still only talking about 1% of all marriages in the country, of which only some is due to immigrant communities. Anybody who wants to frame this issue as "immigrants killing the NHS" or whatever is being ignorant of the statistics.
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Looks like Starmer is about to eat shit in Gorton & Denton based on the reporting I'm seeing on Bluesky
https://themeteor.org/2026/02/26/the-gorton-and-denton-by-election-is-a-test-of-labours-traditional-voter-base/
Gorton and Denton goes to the polls today, 26 February 2026, in the second vote ever for the new constituency. In any other time it’d be a shoo-in for Labour, but we certainly live in interesting times now. Let’s take a look at the evolution of the constituency and consider what the future holds.
The new Gorton and Denton constituency was formed in July 2024 following a boundary review, and Andrew Gwynne, the previous MP for the old Denton and Reddish seat, won an unsurprising majority for Labour with 50.8% of the vote.
Since then, a lot has changed. Gwynne was caught up in a scandal over unsavoury comments in a Labour WhatsApp group, and was suspended from the party in February 2025. He sat as an independent until his resignation as an MP last month.
Alongside the misfortunes of Gwynne, and the Labour Party in general, Reform and the Greens have been on the rise. For Reform, this has been driven by increased mainstream media attention on Reform UK and their fellow right-wing travellers.
Greens, Reform and Labour all suggest Labour came third, + there's some whining by Nigel and his ghouls that there was family voting, which is not something that you pull out when you're confident. Labour sources are also leaking that "Early signs at the count indicate the Greens have been able to turn out support in a way they wouldn't be able to replicate at a General Election", which I can translate from politician to english it goes a bit like "Waaaah cooooope waaaahhhhhh"
So anyway, possibly to quite likely good news, definitive results will drop in a few hours. Not many good news around. I really like Polanski he's great at this.
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Northern Ireland26286 Posts
On February 27 2026 10:54 Nebuchad wrote:Looks like Starmer is about to eat shit in Gorton & Denton based on the reporting I'm seeing on Bluesky https://themeteor.org/2026/02/26/the-gorton-and-denton-by-election-is-a-test-of-labours-traditional-voter-base/Show nested quote +
Gorton and Denton goes to the polls today, 26 February 2026, in the second vote ever for the new constituency. In any other time it’d be a shoo-in for Labour, but we certainly live in interesting times now. Let’s take a look at the evolution of the constituency and consider what the future holds.
The new Gorton and Denton constituency was formed in July 2024 following a boundary review, and Andrew Gwynne, the previous MP for the old Denton and Reddish seat, won an unsurprising majority for Labour with 50.8% of the vote.
Since then, a lot has changed. Gwynne was caught up in a scandal over unsavoury comments in a Labour WhatsApp group, and was suspended from the party in February 2025. He sat as an independent until his resignation as an MP last month.
Alongside the misfortunes of Gwynne, and the Labour Party in general, Reform and the Greens have been on the rise. For Reform, this has been driven by increased mainstream media attention on Reform UK and their fellow right-wing travellers.
Greens, Reform and Labour all suggest Labour came third, + there's some whining by Nigel and his ghouls that there was family voting, which is not something that you pull out when you're confident. Labour sources are also leaking that "Early signs at the count indicate the Greens have been able to turn out support in a way they wouldn't be able to replicate at a General Election", which I can translate from politician to english it goes a bit like "Waaaah cooooope waaaahhhhhh" So anyway, possibly to quite likely good news, definitive results will drop in a few hours. Not many good news around. I really like Polanski he's great at this.
Labour have done a lot wrong, and simultaneously not a massive amount wrong, but it’s felt since maybe 6 months in that they’re doomed. Something that took what, a decade + for the Tories to feel seems to have set in rapidly. I (almost) feel bad for them. Tacking centrally, sensible, somewhat considered government, various things people say they like in polls but don’t seem to enjoy in actuality.
To clarify I don’t like this incarnation of Labour given my politics, I’m putting my centrist hat on here. It must be maddening for Labour to seemingly be unable to hold that ground, given how bulletproof seemingly the Tories were for a long period. Perhaps, hopefully not, it’s just an indication that our political centre has shifted way right.
Labour might have a point re the Greens here, even if there’s a hint of sour grapes. They do seem to have some momentum under the new leader so interested to see where it goes. I’m not some pollster wizard and we’re still a while out, I guess worst case scenario for me is they nick enough off Labour to let Reform in, perhaps best case they become needed as part of some coalition government
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The Greens won.
Here come the excuses/conspiracy theories.
Hannah Spencer is actually pretty impressive, her campaign hit all the right notes. It was positive, called for both unity and pushing an agenda that suits her constituents about 'working hard all our lives to line the pockets of billionaires, and getting nothing out of it.'
Gorton's population will feel that very close to their hearts right now.
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EPT
