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Reflections on the Bucket lady.

It must have been so strange being born British in the 1920s.

You are born into the global hegemon. An industrial juggernaut. The world's reserve currency. The largest empire ever known. The undisputed ruler of the waves.

And your entire adult life sees it all drift away.
https://x.com/tomhfh/status/1974058116095373361

R3 had a recording of her performing in some Broadway musical. Decent contralto, if rather warbley.

This narrative from young rightwingers is becoming increasingly common. It misses out just how many people of thar generation enjoyed the 60s and 70s, like many relatives of mine, as a huge relief.

There is too much of an attitude that the country has been on a constant downward trajectory. Maybe from a global military power perspective, but certainly there have been good times too.

I would accept that from around 2014-15 onwards we have had a lost decade, and it is hard to argue that we are not in decline right now, but these things are cyclical. Britain can come back. But it requires some more medicine. It remains to be seen whether the public wake up to the need to take it; or whether it is forced on them

I think we should all look at this every morning to remind ourselves of how lucky we are: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Development_Index

Even more impressive: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_planetary_pressures–adjusted_Human_Development_Index

@JenniferJJacobs
Hamas says it has approved "the release of all occupation prisoners — both living and the remains of the deceased — in accordance with the exchange formula set forth in President Trump’s proposal, provided that appropriate field conditions are ensured for the exchange process" and agrees to "hand over the administration of the Gaza Strip to a Palestinian body."

Really? That's a bit of a turn-up for the books.

Good news, however, I note the detail at the end, which Netanyahu might veto. This is quite an unusually politucally smart move by Hamas, though, because it makes it politically harder for him to do that than usual.

The US and Israel won’t agree to that because they will see it as Hamas still there and not forced to dis-arm . Admittedly as you said it’s a good move politically.

Trump's proposal was he would run the Gaza Strip with Tony Blair helping him with some of the erm detail wasn't it?

Understand Gordon Brown is asking Tony Blair 'when will you hand over to me?' all over again.

Starmer: Palestine protesters should ‘respect the grief of British Jews this week’

‘Peaceful protest is a cornerstone of our democracy – and there is justified concern about the suffering in Gaza – but a minority have used these protests as a pretext for stoking antisemitic tropes’

https://www.thejc.com/opinion/starmer-palestine-protesters-should-respect-the-grief-of-british-jews-this-week-gouq2cg9

Good tweet. He’s better at that sort of thing, and foreign policy, than the cheesier party political stuff.

Notable that based on my Embassy chats last night the French seem to rate him a lot. The classic dilemma: the politician who’s more popular abroad than at home. Gorbachev, Blair, Macron, Varoufakis, probably Khamenei. As opposed to the politicians more popular at home than abroad (Trump, Hitler, Stalin, Erdogan, Xi, Modi, Lula, Putin…)

OT. It so happens that my sister and her vast family are members of the Heaton Park synagogue in Prestwich where the killing took place. They were there yesterday but thankfully undamaged. Indeed the last time I visited that synagogue was for the wedding of one of her children about five years ago.

I'm really not interested in getting into this anti semitism discussion particularly when it is as full of ignorance as it so often is on here when the leading racists take the stage.

But how is it after the wanton killings of newsmen babies small children photo journalists doctors nurses and at least 60,000 non combatents we know no details whatsoever about the life stories of any of them yet we are told out of respect for the synagogue attack all demonstations against the Gazan genocide should stop. Just don't offend Jews?

Does Netanyahu answer for anything? He is a proven liar and a butcher yet not a word from the Board of Deputies against him except that trying to charge him with genocide is an outrage.

Reflections on the Bucket lady.

It must have been so strange being born British in the 1920s.

You are born into the global hegemon. An industrial juggernaut. The world's reserve currency. The largest empire ever known. The undisputed ruler of the waves.

And your entire adult life sees it all drift away.
https://x.com/tomhfh/status/1974058116095373361

R3 had a recording of her performing in some Broadway musical. Decent contralto, if rather warbley.

This narrative from young rightwingers is becoming increasingly common. It misses out just how many people of thar generation enjoyed the 60s and 70s, like many relatives of mine, as a huge relief.

Oh, I'm sure that's true.

But either way the culture shock must have been considerable.

I often think the sweet spot was someone born in the late 30s. That does presuppose that you didn’t suffer loss in the war, but you’d be generally too young to remember much of it. Teenager in the relative stability of the 50s. Still young enough to enjoy the 60s.

Men, yes.
Women perhaps not so much.

Dad was born in 1939. Remembers snippets of the war but not much. Served in the guards rather than national service then straight into Wiltshire Police for 30 years. Retired at 56 with a huge pay off (restructuring) and has now been retired as long as he served.

Pretty sweet spot.

I was born in 1943.
I thoroughly enjoyed the sixties, married in 1968. Three kids and five grandsons all living within walking distance of me.
Fired in 1995 (long story) with big pay off and large fully inflation protected pension.
I'm extremely lucky. In good health. Skiing next year.
And I'm still alive to see the fantastic AI revolution.
What a time to be alive! I think I hit the sweet spot.