I’ve found that the more, I know the more I despair 
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[quote=“randomadness, post:94, topic:40411”]
The idea that women’s football is substantially political is ultimately part of the sickness of the Left because it is simply a ploy for control by the brainwashed.
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Assuming you’re not trolling, I suggest that you’re erroneously conflating English (yes ‘English’) party politics with the much more global issue of gender politics. I’ve found it interesting that despite my expectation that the Tory leadership contenders’ failure to cash- to surf the England football team’s success is a reflection of how insignificant they see ‘the beautiful people’s game’ in the hopes and expectations of their party’s voters.
I think the next game that England ladies association footballers play (‘Lionesses’ should be playing RU) is against the USA, who are the female World Champions. However, for decades, or even forever in the US, ‘soccer’ was primarily a female sport, and still is despite the efforts of Becks and other aging male stars of European and S American football. Interesting, that throughout the ongoing CR7 drama (if you’re interested in football, you’ll know the reference) he’s given no indication of wanting to play in the US men’s league.
Personally (and this might get a hostile response - but maybe I’m just typing clickbait!) I regard women’s football as being in the same category as women’s tennis (except in the former it’s 90 minutes for both rather than best of three or five sets).
In both sports, the top female practitioners are supremely ,skilled, but for me, the games lack the extra dimension that brute (I chose that word carefully) physical power can add to a contest. In women’s football it’s more noticeable, by the absence of some of modern football’s most exciting aspects - firstly, the precisely delivered 60m quarterback’ style pass that lands perfectly at the feet of an incoming attacker; the second is the powerfully hit freekick which with the modern ball simultaneously imparts dip, swerve and spin.
Hope this isn’t viewed as being ‘political about women’s football’ despite obviously noting differences in the male and female games. SF posters on other threads have mentioned why they prefer the women’ s game, but I don’t think that’s being sexisst, it’s merely mentioning a stylistic difference of which they approve.
Nevertheless, I’ll await the flak
the thing is… as UK voters, we have the ability to make our mark (in the form of an X on the ballot paper) and can be justifiably concerned about what is happening in the UK but for those who are not European (as TCN’s) or with dual nationality who do have a vote, there is bugger all we can do - so UK politics is fair game, surely.
To coin your well used phrase John… Brexit, the gift that keeps giving 
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Furthermore, many SF followers are in receipt of sterling based pensions and closely follow exchange rate fluctuations and UK politician’s ‘Triple Lock’ promises.
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it’s not an either or John, we can have both. I’m posting on what interests me, but who’s posting on French or European politics?
I’m the opposite.
I have a natural tendency to be judgmental, among many other disagreeable characteristics. The antidote to this (for me) is to know more about people. The better you know someone, the harder it is to hate him/her.
…that’s my point, surprised that there seems to be a distinct lack of interest in the politics of Euope and the EU compared to fuming about politics in a country which most of us have decided we don’t want to live in!..mind you European policians are no better than UK ones and the EU is not the most robust of unions either, nor are its economics more well founded. But following them is better for the soul than the Westminster pantomine.
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That’s true and probably the underlying cause of cronyism and corruption around the World
I’m not sure either is good for one’s health 
I think this comes down to my previous question in this thread John: what is ‘politics’?
I know you’re quite focused on politics in the sense of goings on in parliaments, the Élysée Palace, or whatever - but my interest is rather in what you might call the politics of everyday life - the history of ideas, ‘political economy’, how economic and cultural change comes about. So for me there is often little difference between commenting on a social or political movement in the UK or in France - or other countries.
Where I agree with you is that when I post on other countries there is little reaction, compared with posts on the UK - but this doesn’t surprise me. Not only do most contributors here still have votes and other interests in the UK - some frequent posters actually still live there - they just have second homes or other interests in France.
But I also don’t see the point of worrying about what other people post about, or fail to post about. I see it as entirely up to them. If it doesn’t interest me, I adopt the simple remedy of not bothering to read it!
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Yes, while my focus is much narrower and immediate I can understand that.
Just because ‘we’ are in France now, does not preclude a return to the UK at some point.
Additionally, as well as financial ties (pensions, investments etc) I’m fairly certain that many have family and friends in the UK.
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It was actually bullying.
And I see it’s continued.
If someone smokes near me and their fumes are intruding into my different conversation then I’ll politely ask that smoker if they could move away.
Note I’m not asking them not to smoke, just to smoke somewhere else where their smoke will not reach here where we’re not smoking.
Remenber the abuse we used to get from smokers?
Now, smokers smoke outside.
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But some people still object to smokers outside, which seems unfair. (I don’t smoke).
I think ideally one should be able to discuss anything in a civilised way and if that isn’t possible perhaps think of Wittgenstein, wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muß man schweigen.
Alas I also think if you can’t discuss things they probably fester and all it takes for evil to prevail is people standing by and saying nothing, so obv not the same response in all circumstances.
But in the long run we are all dead anyway.
I agree Vero. No issue with someone smoking.
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particularly when they clutter the entrance door to a building and one has to run the gauntlet of a haze of disgusting smelling smokers (and fag ends) who seldom give way to provide a pollution free access…
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Here is one member that will receive a German and an UK pension. But even though I worked less years in Germany, my basic pension is much higher from the ‘fatherland’…
Yet I follow UK politics, but only to gleefully point out to UK friends that our move to France was the right devision.
Being the newshound I am, I also follow US, Canadian, German and other European news. Sometimes with dispair - but a bit of crusty bread, some cheese and a glass of wine while sitting in the garden cheers me up immensely.
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In London seeing smokers outside buildings and stuck to the rails of half-staircases in the porch of buildings smoking away I am often reminded of prostitutes hanging around in doorways on the street waiting for business. Miaou.
One January in the early 80s a lover who lived in Paris took me on discovery walk down Rue Blondel. The Ladies of the Evening wore big fur coats they would flash open in invitation as we walked by. A bit intimidating. Never wore my fur coat again.
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