Hong-Kong - a young man's prospects

[DublinJimbo]

Ireland - despite all the talk and fighting over the past century - remains in practice for purposes of immigration and border control a province of Great Britain (or four provinces if you like);

I beg to take grave exception to that statement. The two islands have matured in matters of mutual understanding and cooperation (thanks in large part to the Anglo-Irish Agreement), but Ireland is in no way whatsoever 'a province of Great Britain'.

[Sydney Grew]

Yes I'm very sorry - but I would not have written it had it not been true in my experience. I accompanied an acquaintance (non-Caucasian of course) from a distant land on a trip around Europe. France - passport control - no problem - welcome tourist! Germany - passport control - no problem - welcome tourist! Switzerland - passport control - no problem - enjoy your stay! Italy - passports please - welcome - have a swig of wine to help you over the Simplon! Dublin - passport control - oh! we see the English thought you had been there once too often - we'll ring up London and consult them - no entry for you, first aeroplane back to Switzerland. Switzerland - passport control - no problem - welcome again tourist! ($#@*&^%$s!!) All this was many many years ago, of course - but I believe that even now the first thing they would be likely to do is "consult London."

[Sydney Grew]

Wise of Mr. Snowden to go off to Moscow; the old Etonians were starting to circle.

[Mr Pee]

Wise of Mr. Snowden to go off to Moscow; the old Etonians were starting to circle.

I wasn't aware that Barack Obama was an old Etonian.

[Sydney Grew]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Nigger-at-Eton-Dillibe-Onyeama/dp/0905186109

[Sydney Grew]

On Friday the old Etonians had to pop out, pull one string, and pop back in - The Guardian: "Britain has blocked the first crucial talks on intelligence and espionage between European officials and their American counterparts since the NSA surveillance scandal erupted." It doesn't happen all that often.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jul/05/us-blocks-espionage-talks-europe-nsa-prism

[Mr Pee]

That link reads very much like the Guardian trying to breathe life back into their "scoop", a story which is rapidly slipping down the news agenda.

[ahinton]

That link reads very much like the Guardian trying to breathe life back into their "scoop", a story which is rapidly slipping down the news agenda.

Only ever and always to be semi-replaced by another, another and another, all of which would almost certainly fail to meet with your approval; there'll always be another one such, Mr Pee, so you may as well get used to it, there being no smoke without fire...

[amateur51]

That link reads very much like the Guardian trying to breathe life back into their "scoop", a story which is rapidly slipping down the news agenda.

Is it really slipping down the news agenda or are governments applying pressure through their chums in newspapers to let it lie :whistle:

[ahinton]

Is it really slipping down the news agenda or are governments applying pressure through their chums in newspapers to let it lie :whistle:

You have a point, but I'm not especially inclined to think that it's slipping down the agenda anyway; the triumph of a certain Scotsman in SW London yesterday unsurprisingly trumped it as a news item temporarily and there's still the troubles in Egypt and Syria to report but, since the Snowden case itself is hardly about to go away, there's no obvious reason to assume that what brought it into the public arena in the first place is any more likely to "slip down the news agenda" now or at any time soon.

[amateur51]

You have a point, but I'm not especially inclined to think that it's slipping down the agenda anyway; the triumph of a certain Scotsman in SW London yesterday unsurprisingly trumped it as a news item temporarily and there's still the troubles in Egypt and Syria to report but, since the Snowden case itself is hardly about to go away, there's no obvious reason to assume that what brought it into the public arena in the first place is any more likely to "slip down the news agenda" now or at any time soon.

And as concerned citizens it is our task to ensure that it doesn't slip - this is far too important.

[ahinton]

And as concerned citizens it is our task to ensure that it doesn't slip - this is far too important.

Much as I agree, I don't think that the media are about to lose interest in this one; several governments are, after all, already expressing anxiety about the kinds of snooping "improprieties" (to put it mildly) in which certain other governments are wont to indulge and that alone will keep the world's media well exercised - so it's not just concerned citizens here but concerned governments worried about other ones compromising their security.

[Bryn]

Been sent this link by a concerned pianist friend:

http://cryptome.org/2013/07/snowden-spiegel-13-0707-en.htm

[Mr Pee]

Is it really slipping down the news agenda or are governments applying pressure through their chums in newspapers to let it lie :whistle:

Ah yes, it's all a conspiracy, as usual, in your world. I think it more likely that this was simpy a non-story in the first place, and that has now become apparent.

[french frank]

Ah yes, it's all a conspiracy, as usual, in your world. I think it more likely that this was simpy a non-story in the first place, and that has now become apparent.

I think even big running news stories are reliant upon something new happening.