this post was submitted on 06 Jan 2026
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UK Politics

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Edit: Video reupload for those without loicense to view imgur videos. Original imgur upload here: https://i.imgur.com/OOkT7lo.mp4

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[–] Egonallanon@feddit.uk 26 points 3 days ago

I can only assume that back when Starmer was a human rights lawyer he was working against then rather than for them as we all assume.

[–] HermitBee@feddit.uk 5 points 2 days ago

Give the guy a break. He's got to practice for refusing to say whether the US violate international law by invading Greenland in a few months.

14th March, Trump's 80th, that's my prediction.

[–] tetris11@feddit.uk 12 points 3 days ago (1 children)

In defense: what's he supposed to say when faced with a petty dictator backed by the largest army in the world, who can make his life hell physically and politically, if he even blinks wrong

In offense: the man has never had a backbone

[–] krashmo@lemmy.world 12 points 3 days ago (1 children)

what's he supposed to say

You know what he's supposed to say.

[–] tetris11@feddit.uk 9 points 3 days ago

"This is a horrific illegal act and the UK will not stand for this. We also won't do anything about it either, because we simply don't have that kind of force, and given the general vibe of world leaders at the moment, if we make a stand we'd be making it largely alone or with countries who have no firepower. We also need the US for the UK service sector (a.k.a 90% of the economy) to function, and pissing off the manbaby might cripple us. But yes, we won't stand for this."

[–] blackn1ght@feddit.uk 10 points 3 days ago (2 children)

Content is not viewable in your region

I'm guessing Imgur is blocking the UK?

[–] IndustryStandard@lemmy.world 2 points 2 days ago

My bad I forgot about the great firewall of the authoritarian loicensing regime

Here is a catbox mirrror https://files.catbox.moe/gmohy5.mp4

[–] zikzak025@lemmy.world 5 points 3 days ago (2 children)

Correct. Imgur hasn't implemented ID verification on their site, so the only other way to comply with UK law at present is to geoblock users from the UK.

There are better hosts out there anyways, not sure why it is still so widely used here.

[–] TheGrandNagus@lemmy.world 2 points 2 days ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

That's actually not true.

Imgur took their site down in the UK after they refused to pay a fine for monetising and improperly using kids data.

It's nothing to do with the OSA, but instead about Imgur not following data protection laws, although it happened at a similar time.

Imgur would implement checks at the drop of a hat, it's not expensive to add. They aren't being altruistic, they just didn't want to pay fines after they broke the law.

[–] blackn1ght@feddit.uk 7 points 3 days ago

Probably not a good host to use then on a UK instance & community when its target audience can't see it unless they're in a VPN.

[–] FarrellPerks@feddit.uk 3 points 2 days ago

Keir 'Friends of Israel' Starmer is having trouble accepting that international law has been broken again?

Colour me shocked.

[–] resipsaloquitur@lemmy.world 5 points 3 days ago

One of the few people in politics who understands legal human rights.
Shame on him. Shame on his supporters.

[–] TheGrandNagus@lemmy.world 4 points 3 days ago (2 children)

What's the point of him saying anything? What will it achieve?

It won't benefit the UK, the people that dislike him will still dislike him, and it won't make the US return the dictator to Venezuela.

All it would do is prompt the orange baby to economically cripple the UK in childish retaliation. That means mass unemployment. It means failing public services. It means worse job prospects. It means a worse life for all of us.

I may not like it, but diplomacy is about picking your battles, and this one is a stupid hill to die on. There's a reason virtually no leader has kicked off about this.

The pragmatic thing to do is keep quiet about the US while simultaneously quietly building a closer relationship with Europe so that in the future we're less affected by US bullshit, and that seems to be exactly what Starmer is doing.

[–] homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world 10 points 2 days ago (1 children)

We’d like someone to say something. No one will.

[–] TheGrandNagus@lemmy.world 3 points 2 days ago (2 children)

I'd like that too. I wish the world could all tell Trump to fuck off to a ~~retirement home~~ prison where he belongs.

But the pragmatic part of me thinks like how I've already expressed above. I've seen multiple recessions, and it's always the normal people that get hit hardest and recover slowest. The UK getting into a spat with the US over Venezuela isn't worth that - particularly not when there's no way our words will have any impact anyway.

One of the many examples of realpolitik getting in the way of doing the most righteous thing.

[–] wewbull@feddit.uk 1 points 1 day ago

There has to be a line though, no? The UK can't just push aside it's values as the US slides ever deeper into authoritarian oligarchy.

[–] homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world 3 points 2 days ago

Yeah, I hear ya.

[–] HermitBee@feddit.uk 4 points 2 days ago

The pragmatic thing to do is keep quiet about the US while simultaneously quietly building a closer relationship with Europe so that in the future we're less affected by US bullshit, and that seems to be exactly what Starmer is doing.

The trouble is that if no-one does anything, the US will absolutely take Greenland. They are so dependent upon oil that anyone who keeps oil prices down will keep power. And as they've said, no-one will stand up to them militarily.

My bet is 14 June 2026, Trump's 80th birthday. Happy Birthday Mr President, we took Greenland for you.

So I'm not sure. I think the pragmatic/cynical (take your pick) thing to do may indeed be to appease Trump and let someone else deal with him. But if everyone takes that view then things could get much worse than retaliatory US tariffs.

[–] FishFace@piefed.social 5 points 3 days ago

It's OK, we all know it did.

[–] mannycalavera@feddit.uk 3 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Why was this man knighted? Let alone elected leader of the party or leader of the country? Why?

[–] Apocalypteroid@feddit.uk 4 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

Because he's willing to present his lubed anus to the "correct" people in front of the entire nation.