What makes Nato braindead? There's hardly anything new about military alliances throughout history. Rest assured if we don't wish to form such alliances some of our 'rivals' will. Does the alliance need to be re-thought? Probably. It's in its eighth decade after all. The main issue is that the US is doing the heavy lifting of European security. There is no sensible reason why this should be. The other problem is the 'attack on one is an attack on all' of article 5. Obviously Greece and Turkey aren't the best of friends and are we saying we would immediately jump to support Mr Erdogan in any military adventure he might wish to embark upon? So it could be reinvented in a looser format but I'm wary of those who simply wish to dismantle it.
Europe could take complete responsibility for its security with its own common defence partnership instead. I would hope that common interests in liberty, democracy, the rule of law and self determination would see a natural alliance form with North America that would look something like... Nato.
But maybe that is not what Macron wants? Perhaps he sees a world of competing power blocks like the US, China, India, Russia and Europe is simply another actor in such a world. Alliances are for nothing more than leveraging one's interests or playing other superpowers off against each other. Getting the English speakers out of European security, marginalising the views of East Europeans and restoring the 'brain' as it were of European security around a Franco-German axis. Perhaps such an alliance would be less concerned about Russian incursions in Ukraine or Belarus, they might even be prepared to appease Russia in the Baltics rather than defend 'interests' that are more costly than they are worth. It's an alternative view of European security. But not the only plausible one and give the current divisions in attitude to Ukraine it isn't clear that the new 'central powers' in Paris and Berlin would prevail.
France needs Turkey and the UK for any plausible military alliance in Europe, that means NATO. Germany has smaller armed forces than both and an even smaller navy than Poland
What makes Nato braindead? There's hardly anything new about military alliances throughout history. Rest assured if we don't wish to form such alliances some of our 'rivals' will. Does the alliance need to be re-thought? Probably. It's in its eighth decade after all. The main issue is that the US is doing the heavy lifting of European security. There is no sensible reason why this should be. The other problem is the 'attack on one is an attack on all' of article 5. Obviously Greece and Turkey aren't the best of friends and are we saying we would immediately jump to support Mr Erdogan in any military adventure he might wish to embark upon? So it could be reinvented in a looser format but I'm wary of those who simply wish to dismantle it.
Europe could take complete responsibility for its security with its own common defence partnership instead. I would hope that common interests in liberty, democracy, the rule of law and self determination would see a natural alliance form with North America that would look something like... Nato.
But maybe that is not what Macron wants? Perhaps he sees a world of competing power blocks like the US, China, India, Russia and Europe is simply another actor in such a world. Alliances are for nothing more than leveraging one's interests or playing other superpowers off against each other. Getting the English speakers out of European security, marginalising the views of East Europeans and restoring the 'brain' as it were of European security around a Franco-German axis. Perhaps such an alliance would be less concerned about Russian incursions in Ukraine or Belarus, they might even be prepared to appease Russia in the Baltics rather than defend 'interests' that are more costly than they are worth. It's an alternative view of European security. But not the only plausible one and give the current divisions in attitude to Ukraine it isn't clear that the new 'central powers' in Paris and Berlin would prevail.
NATO has already dealt with a conflict *between* members - Greece and Turkey have an.... interesting relationship.
You are not quoting one completely new clearly Labor biased pollster, which has Labor far higher than other polls taken over the same period and Albanese even ahead as preferred PM unlike every other pollster which has Morrison ahead are you? You only need to read the commentary to see that
I have my doubts Labor will win considering what happened to Bill Shorten although I don't follow Australian politics that closely.
How does Albanese go down in Queensland for example (considering that the ALP got slaughtered in Queensland last time)?
He is more populist left than Shorten, he might go down a bit better than he did in Queensland but will go down worse in my view in Victoria and NSW.
Albanese is basically another Mark Latham, despite early Latham poll leads Howard beat Latham easily enough in 2004
Just realised: the Covid situation has finally reached the point where 4pm has come and gone entirely unremarked. We've not even had Malmesbury's customary data splurge.
Anyway, I've had a look so you don't have to. Summary: nothing unusual to report.
Interesting stats abroad however. Holland reports 65,000 cases. By far their biggest total in a day
All their terrible month of lockdown did was delay the peak by a couple of weeks, and maybe not even that, And at a truly brutal cost
They've delayed their Omicron wave by about three weeks, at the cost of a hard lockdown that started before Christmas, and out of which they're being made to crawl painfully slowly because neither the scientists nor the government there can admit what an Olympic Gold medal winning cockup they've made of the entire situation.
Rotten governance is not solely a British preserve, even if Johnson is distressingly adept at it. And at least our cabinet didn't entirely discount both the South African evidence and the questionable track record of the modellers and choose to turn the whole country back into an open prison. Again.
To make the situation even more spicy - or bitter, if you are Dutch - apparently the Dutch government made their lockdown decision on the basis of Imperial College modelling. The same modelling that our government, in the end - and to their eternal credit, whatever their other sins - chose to ignore
If I was a Dutchman I’d be rioting. Quite seriously
Just been on the weekly family zoom call with my siblings. My sister who lives in Hengelo was saying how the Dutch modelers and policy-makers were now apologizing for making too pessimistic predictions about omicron.
Indeed. Dutch anger - as angry as the Dutch ever get - is all over Twitter. It was an insanely poor decision. The entire nation locked down, for a month, over Christmas, for no good reason at all. Imagine the human suffering packaged in that decision. Leaders have been lynched for less
They weren't locked down. They had an 8 PM Curfew. My Brother's lived in Amsterdam since he was twenty
God, you’re so fucking dumb
THE HAGUE, Dec 18 (Reuters) - The Netherlands will go into a strict lockdown over the Christmas and New Year period to try to contain the highly- contagious Omicron coronavirus variant, Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on Saturday.
All non-essential shops and services, including restaurants, hairdressers, museums and gyms will be closed from Sunday until Jan. 14. All schools will be shut until at least Jan. 9.
"The Netherlands is again shutting down. That is unavoidable because of the fifth wave that is coming at us with the Omicron variant," Rutte told a televised news conference.
And the Government was as good as its word. The schools didn't open until the 10th, non-essential shops, gyms and hairdressers were graciously allowed to trade again on the 15th (but had to shut at 5pm,) and they're still dithering over whether to open museums, bars and restaurants - though only until 8pm, when everyone will be thrown out. All because they're so obsessed with restrictions that they're struggling to let go. Rutte makes Drakeford look positively cavalier by comparison (although, to be fair, Wales would very likely have locked down as well if the Senedd had substantial fiscal autonomy, rather than being mainly reliant on the block grant.)
Macron is also surprisingly firm in the Culture Wars. When the statues started falling, he gave a speech to the French people saying, Very Sternly, “not a single statue in the French Republic will fall, they are our patrimony”
And, as far as I know - I am happy to be corrected - his promise has been fulfilled
Yes, both @Casino_Royale and I have made that point and if it wasn't for his general obnoxiousness I'd be pretty happy with him as PM here tbh. I'd rate him far ahead of Boris on economic and cultural issues. He's got the ability and confidence to say "shut the fuck up" to whining wokists.
I also think he's got an innate understanding of how wokism is making the west weak. China terms it as white liberalism, but essentially it is weakness.
Boris has the right instincts on Woke but is too emotionally needy and weirdly feeble to follow through. I have finally - belatedly - realised this. He’s terrifically bright and often sees the bigger picture but he hasn’t got the backbone to Really Do Anything. Apart from Brexit, which he won and then concluded with his bravado. But bravado is not enough for a long career at the top
Boris is like some hero on a battlefield who takes on the Tiger tanks armed only with his derring-do and a sense of destiny, and maybe some small grenades. But heroes are meant to die, quite soon after their acts, if not during. As Greek myth tells us.
Mythologically and politically he is doomed
In the medium term someone like Macron is preferable. Macron also has an astute vision of the future, as you say. His prescient prediction that “NATO is brain dead” is perhaps about to be tested. I fear it will be proved correct
I think Boris has underestimated the damage wokism is doing to western nations. Companies, governments and charities are paralysed in fear of criticising anything or anyone that might not be white, straight and male (with an actual cock and balls). It allows China to get away with genocide, it allows Middle Eastern countries to restart slave auctions and sex offending men into women's prisons because they say they're women.
There's a lack of confidence across the west, yet Macron is someone who has successfully stood up to the nonsense. Boris could have done but he's useless, and as you say heroes die in the best stories, the ultimate or final sacrifice in order to save everyone else. Boris is past his time, his usefulness has passed now that Brexit is delivered, he needs to make the sacrifice in order to ensure it isn't unwound by a Labour/SNP government in 2024.
Isn't unwound? You said your preference was for Britain to remain in the EEA during the referendum. Any fresh trade deal between a Labour government and the EU will be a harder version of Brexit than that.
Absolute shower of shite, they really hate the North.
Grant Shapps had been due in Manchester tom as part of a planned rail/HS2 visit, but the Transport Sec apparently pulled out on Friday. His office say GS's due at Covid-O meeting but insiders point out he's in fact helping the PM get MPs onside before Sue Gray reports
What makes Nato braindead? There's hardly anything new about military alliances throughout history. Rest assured if we don't wish to form such alliances some of our 'rivals' will. Does the alliance need to be re-thought? Probably. It's in its eighth decade after all. The main issue is that the US is doing the heavy lifting of European security. There is no sensible reason why this should be. The other problem is the 'attack on one is an attack on all' of article 5. Obviously Greece and Turkey aren't the best of friends and are we saying we would immediately jump to support Mr Erdogan in any military adventure he might wish to embark upon? So it could be reinvented in a looser format but I'm wary of those who simply wish to dismantle it.
Europe could take complete responsibility for its security with its own common defence partnership instead. I would hope that common interests in liberty, democracy, the rule of law and self determination would see a natural alliance form with North America that would look something like... Nato.
But maybe that is not what Macron wants? Perhaps he sees a world of competing power blocks like the US, China, India, Russia and Europe is simply another actor in such a world. Alliances are for nothing more than leveraging one's interests or playing other superpowers off against each other. Getting the English speakers out of European security, marginalising the views of East Europeans and restoring the 'brain' as it were of European security around a Franco-German axis. Perhaps such an alliance would be less concerned about Russian incursions in Ukraine or Belarus, they might even be prepared to appease Russia in the Baltics rather than defend 'interests' that are more costly than they are worth. It's an alternative view of European security. But not the only plausible one and give the current divisions in attitude to Ukraine it isn't clear that the new 'central powers' in Paris and Berlin would prevail.
I reckon that’s exactly what Macron is aiming for. A reduced Core Federal Europe with a totally coherent political identity and centralised foreign and defence policy. Theoretically the centre would be Brussels but in reality it would be Paris in charge of guns and diplomats but with Berlin doing the economic stuff, of necessity. And it would be French speaking.
It is also well-nigh impossible to achieve, even Berlin and Paris disagree on too much. But that is Macron’s aim. A mainland core EU run by the French and acting as a sort-of equal to the Anglo-Saxons and the Chinese, with the Russians floating about weirdly and the Indians on the rise
You can’t fault his ambition. And even if he fails, he will probably win more power for Paris and France
Just realised: the Covid situation has finally reached the point where 4pm has come and gone entirely unremarked. We've not even had Malmesbury's customary data splurge.
Anyway, I've had a look so you don't have to. Summary: nothing unusual to report.
Interesting stats abroad however. Holland reports 65,000 cases. By far their biggest total in a day
All their terrible month of lockdown did was delay the peak by a couple of weeks, and maybe not even that, And at a truly brutal cost
They've delayed their Omicron wave by about three weeks, at the cost of a hard lockdown that started before Christmas, and out of which they're being made to crawl painfully slowly because neither the scientists nor the government there can admit what an Olympic Gold medal winning cockup they've made of the entire situation.
Rotten governance is not solely a British preserve, even if Johnson is distressingly adept at it. And at least our cabinet didn't entirely discount both the South African evidence and the questionable track record of the modellers and choose to turn the whole country back into an open prison. Again.
To make the situation even more spicy - or bitter, if you are Dutch - apparently the Dutch government made their lockdown decision on the basis of Imperial College modelling. The same modelling that our government, in the end - and to their eternal credit, whatever their other sins - chose to ignore
If I was a Dutchman I’d be rioting. Quite seriously
Just been on the weekly family zoom call with my siblings. My sister who lives in Hengelo was saying how the Dutch modelers and policy-makers were now apologizing for making too pessimistic predictions about omicron.
Indeed. Dutch anger - as angry as the Dutch ever get - is all over Twitter. It was an insanely poor decision. The entire nation locked down, for a month, over Christmas, for no good reason at all. Imagine the human suffering packaged in that decision. Leaders have been lynched for less
They weren't locked down. They had an 8 PM Curfew. My Brother's lived in Amsterdam since he was twenty
Why are you THIS stupid and ill-informed?
And to be honest even if it was only an 8 pm curfew, that’s still astonishing outside of war. And in no way needed.
How did we end up in a situation where the phrase "only a curfew" wasn't risible?
Oh you already answered in old thread. I’ll stop trolling then.
The French Elections the most important one.
Unless there’s a Tory leader election. 🙂
The French will probably again mak wrong call.
Whoever wins, they will be French 💁♀️
Who was the last French president who was (a) not a crook and (b) any actual good? Am I being harsh in suggesting pretty much the only one who ticks both columns is Adolphe Thiers?
Not an expert, but I presume De Gaulle is still considered “good” and I’m not aware of any crook allegations. Do enlighten us.
Absolute shower of shite, they really hate the North.
Grant Shapps had been due in Manchester tom as part of a planned rail/HS2 visit, but the Transport Sec apparently pulled out on Friday. His office say GS's due at Covid-O meeting but insiders point out he's in fact helping the PM get MPs onside before Sue Gray reports
Shapps is the only individual in government more dishonest and more useless than Boris Johnson, as well as the only other serving cabinet minister who has misled the House.
He wouldn't survive the change of regime, and he knows it. So it's not surprising he's ignoring his job to save his, er, job.
Absolute shower of shite, they really hate the North.
Grant Shapps had been due in Manchester tom as part of a planned rail/HS2 visit, but the Transport Sec apparently pulled out on Friday. His office say GS's due at Covid-O meeting but insiders point out he's in fact helping the PM get MPs onside before Sue Gray reports
Just realised: the Covid situation has finally reached the point where 4pm has come and gone entirely unremarked. We've not even had Malmesbury's customary data splurge.
Anyway, I've had a look so you don't have to. Summary: nothing unusual to report.
Interesting stats abroad however. Holland reports 65,000 cases. By far their biggest total in a day
All their terrible month of lockdown did was delay the peak by a couple of weeks, and maybe not even that, And at a truly brutal cost
They've delayed their Omicron wave by about three weeks, at the cost of a hard lockdown that started before Christmas, and out of which they're being made to crawl painfully slowly because neither the scientists nor the government there can admit what an Olympic Gold medal winning cockup they've made of the entire situation.
Rotten governance is not solely a British preserve, even if Johnson is distressingly adept at it. And at least our cabinet didn't entirely discount both the South African evidence and the questionable track record of the modellers and choose to turn the whole country back into an open prison. Again.
To make the situation even more spicy - or bitter, if you are Dutch - apparently the Dutch government made their lockdown decision on the basis of Imperial College modelling. The same modelling that our government, in the end - and to their eternal credit, whatever their other sins - chose to ignore
If I was a Dutchman I’d be rioting. Quite seriously
Just been on the weekly family zoom call with my siblings. My sister who lives in Hengelo was saying how the Dutch modelers and policy-makers were now apologizing for making too pessimistic predictions about omicron.
Indeed. Dutch anger - as angry as the Dutch ever get - is all over Twitter. It was an insanely poor decision. The entire nation locked down, for a month, over Christmas, for no good reason at all. Imagine the human suffering packaged in that decision. Leaders have been lynched for less
I did like a video that was going about - during a riot in the Netherlands, one of the rioters noticed some parked bikes had fallen over in pile, a side street. The video shows him carefully picking the bikes back up, checking everything was OK then returning to the riot.
Absolute shower of shite, they really hate the North.
Grant Shapps had been due in Manchester tom as part of a planned rail/HS2 visit, but the Transport Sec apparently pulled out on Friday. His office say GS's due at Covid-O meeting but insiders point out he's in fact helping the PM get MPs onside before Sue Gray reports
Absolute shower of shite, they really hate the North.
Grant Shapps had been due in Manchester tom as part of a planned rail/HS2 visit, but the Transport Sec apparently pulled out on Friday. His office say GS's due at Covid-O meeting but insiders point out he's in fact helping the PM get MPs onside before Sue Gray reports
Just realised: the Covid situation has finally reached the point where 4pm has come and gone entirely unremarked. We've not even had Malmesbury's customary data splurge.
Anyway, I've had a look so you don't have to. Summary: nothing unusual to report.
Interesting stats abroad however. Holland reports 65,000 cases. By far their biggest total in a day
All their terrible month of lockdown did was delay the peak by a couple of weeks, and maybe not even that, And at a truly brutal cost
They've delayed their Omicron wave by about three weeks, at the cost of a hard lockdown that started before Christmas, and out of which they're being made to crawl painfully slowly because neither the scientists nor the government there can admit what an Olympic Gold medal winning cockup they've made of the entire situation.
Rotten governance is not solely a British preserve, even if Johnson is distressingly adept at it. And at least our cabinet didn't entirely discount both the South African evidence and the questionable track record of the modellers and choose to turn the whole country back into an open prison. Again.
To make the situation even more spicy - or bitter, if you are Dutch - apparently the Dutch government made their lockdown decision on the basis of Imperial College modelling. The same modelling that our government, in the end - and to their eternal credit, whatever their other sins - chose to ignore
If I was a Dutchman I’d be rioting. Quite seriously
Just been on the weekly family zoom call with my siblings. My sister who lives in Hengelo was saying how the Dutch modelers and policy-makers were now apologizing for making too pessimistic predictions about omicron.
Indeed. Dutch anger - as angry as the Dutch ever get - is all over Twitter. It was an insanely poor decision. The entire nation locked down, for a month, over Christmas, for no good reason at all. Imagine the human suffering packaged in that decision. Leaders have been lynched for less
They weren't locked down. They had an 8 PM Curfew. My Brother's lived in Amsterdam since he was twenty
Why are you THIS stupid and ill-informed?
And to be honest even if it was only an 8 pm curfew, that’s still astonishing outside of war. And in no way needed.
How did we end up in a situation where the phrase "only a curfew" wasn't risible?
Oh you already answered in old thread. I’ll stop trolling then.
The French Elections the most important one.
Unless there’s a Tory leader election. 🙂
The French will probably again mak wrong call.
Whoever wins, they will be French 💁♀️
Who was the last French president who was (a) not a crook and (b) any actual good? Am I being harsh in suggesting pretty much the only one who ticks both columns is Adolphe Thiers?
Not an expert, but I presume De Gaulle is still considered “good” and I’m not aware of any crook allegations. Do enlighten us.
Oh you already answered in old thread. I’ll stop trolling then.
The French Elections the most important one.
Unless there’s a Tory leader election. 🙂
The French will probably again mak wrong call.
Whoever wins, they will be French 💁♀️
Who was the last French president who was (a) not a crook and (b) any actual good? Am I being harsh in suggesting pretty much the only one who ticks both columns is Adolphe Thiers?
Not an expert, but I presume De Gaulle is still considered “good” and I’m not aware of any crook allegations. Do enlighten us.
De Gaulle, like JFK, is vastly over-rated.
JFK was a philandering crook who rode daddy’s connections to the top. Apart from some decent rhetoric, I’ve no idea why the JFK idolatry continues.
De Gaulle had one, two, maybe three great periods on the national scene. Father of the nation stuff. Britain could learn a lot about De Gaulle’s hawk-eyed defence of his country’s interests.
File under the Scottish section of “oh dear. What a shame, Etc”
“It’s really saddening to see unionists and their press sneering at the pitiful attendance at an independence march. 2 years ago tens of thousands marched now only a few hundred turned out. It is almost criminal what the leadership of AUOB have done to depress numbers like this.”
The SNP will never call another Indy vote. It will forever recede into the Hebridean mist. Tantalisingly close, yet perpetually unreachable, like those grapes in that story
Different organizations, actually. Also the march is distinctly off topic as being specifically an anti-BJ march. Better things to do in the time of covid, especially as it's on a par with marching to say that 'kittens are cute' or 'Rangers fans shit in woods'.
But all the oomph has gone out of Indy. It is now *something desirable at some time in the future* - no longer an urgent political imperative. Moreover, it doesn’t have to be imperative, for the SNP, they still reign supreme at Holyrood, with all the perks of power and almost zero hassle. Everything bad can be blamed on London
The fact the pro-Indy factions are now squabbling, bitterly, is a classic symptom of a stagnant cause
I guess at some point the more militant YESSERS will turn on Sturgeon, or her successor, for their failure to secure a vote, but she is awfully good at fending them off…
Miibes aye, mibbes naw, but that march is not evidence either way, was all I was pointing out. And covid is still casting its shadow more generally.
The fact Labour are still polling - in terms of both Westminster and Holyrood VI - miles behind the SNP in Scotland is probably indicative it isn't as stagnant a cause as Leon thinks it is, unfortunately. Pro-indy voters still care much more about the cause than who they'd like to see (or not see in the case of BJ) in No10.
Absolute shower of shite, they really hate the North.
Grant Shapps had been due in Manchester tom as part of a planned rail/HS2 visit, but the Transport Sec apparently pulled out on Friday. His office say GS's due at Covid-O meeting but insiders point out he's in fact helping the PM get MPs onside before Sue Gray reports
Shapps is the only individual in government more dishonest and more useless than Boris Johnson, as well as the only other serving cabinet minister who has misled the House.
He wouldn't survive the change of regime, and he knows it. So it's not surprising he's ignoring his job to save his, er, job.
Especially since he's gone native over HS2.
In what way has he gone native over HS2 - the department of transport want it. It’s the treasury who have been setting the agenda of cut everything.
Sinn Féin 34% (nc) Fianna Fáil 24% (+1) Fine Gael 22% (+2) Labour 4% (-1) Greens 3% (-2) Social Democrats 1% (-1) People Before Profit/Solidarity 2% (+1) Aontú 0 (nc) oth/ind 10% (+1)
(Behaviour and Attitudes/The Sunday Times; 22 January)
The resilience of Fianna Fail is most interesting in this poll although I suppose FG could get a bounce when Varadkar regains the Taoiseach position.
I suppose the most likely outcome next time could be a Sinn Fein-FF coalition but we'll see.
Also what has happened to the Social Democrats?!
FF are more socially conservative than both FG and SF if not as economically rightwing as FG.
They would only likely not continue their current coalition with FG therefore if SF took a more socially conservative stance
FF consider themselves "The Republican Party", so obviously trying to steal SF's clothes on the border issue.
File under the Scottish section of “oh dear. What a shame, Etc”
“It’s really saddening to see unionists and their press sneering at the pitiful attendance at an independence march. 2 years ago tens of thousands marched now only a few hundred turned out. It is almost criminal what the leadership of AUOB have done to depress numbers like this.”
The SNP will never call another Indy vote. It will forever recede into the Hebridean mist. Tantalisingly close, yet perpetually unreachable, like those grapes in that story
Different organizations, actually. Also the march is distinctly off topic as being specifically an anti-BJ march. Better things to do in the time of covid, especially as it's on a par with marching to say that 'kittens are cute' or 'Rangers fans shit in woods'.
But all the oomph has gone out of Indy. It is now *something desirable at some time in the future* - no longer an urgent political imperative. Moreover, it doesn’t have to be imperative, for the SNP, they still reign supreme at Holyrood, with all the perks of power and almost zero hassle. Everything bad can be blamed on London
The fact the pro-Indy factions are now squabbling, bitterly, is a classic symptom of a stagnant cause
I guess at some point the more militant YESSERS will turn on Sturgeon, or her successor, for their failure to secure a vote, but she is awfully good at fending them off…
Miibes aye, mibbes naw, but that march is not evidence either way, was all I was pointing out. And covid is still casting its shadow more generally.
The fact Labour are still polling - in terms of both Westminster and Holyrood VI - miles behind the SNP in Scotland is probably indicative it isn't as stagnant a cause as Leon thinks it is, unfortunately. Pro-indy voters still care much more about the cause than who they'd like to see (or not see in the case of BJ) in No10.
OTOH Mr J is at minus 62, like Mr Salmond, so they are certainly aware of Mr J being in No 10 ...
making sure you don't piss off your customers is not a revolutionary new idea
Pissing them off with confected rage? Who gets to decide what is influence in creation and what cannot be used because that would be cultural appropriation? Its nonsense.
File under the Scottish section of “oh dear. What a shame, Etc”
“It’s really saddening to see unionists and their press sneering at the pitiful attendance at an independence march. 2 years ago tens of thousands marched now only a few hundred turned out. It is almost criminal what the leadership of AUOB have done to depress numbers like this.”
The SNP will never call another Indy vote. It will forever recede into the Hebridean mist. Tantalisingly close, yet perpetually unreachable, like those grapes in that story
Different organizations, actually. Also the march is distinctly off topic as being specifically an anti-BJ march. Better things to do in the time of covid, especially as it's on a par with marching to say that 'kittens are cute' or 'Rangers fans shit in woods'.
But all the oomph has gone out of Indy. It is now *something desirable at some time in the future* - no longer an urgent political imperative. Moreover, it doesn’t have to be imperative, for the SNP, they still reign supreme at Holyrood, with all the perks of power and almost zero hassle. Everything bad can be blamed on London
The fact the pro-Indy factions are now squabbling, bitterly, is a classic symptom of a stagnant cause
I guess at some point the more militant YESSERS will turn on Sturgeon, or her successor, for their failure to secure a vote, but she is awfully good at fending them off…
Miibes aye, mibbes naw, but that march is not evidence either way, was all I was pointing out. And covid is still casting its shadow more generally.
The fact Labour are still polling - in terms of both Westminster and Holyrood VI - miles behind the SNP in Scotland is probably indicative it isn't as stagnant a cause as Leon thinks it is, unfortunately. Pro-indy voters still care much more about the cause than who they'd like to see (or not see in the case of BJ) in No10.
Scottish Labour haven’t managed to carve out a coherent policy platform, and have had a succession of underwhelming party leaders.
SNP strength is in part due to Labour/LD weakness. The Tories meanwhile have an unbreachable ceiling in Scotland.
Absolute shower of shite, they really hate the North.
Grant Shapps had been due in Manchester tom as part of a planned rail/HS2 visit, but the Transport Sec apparently pulled out on Friday. His office say GS's due at Covid-O meeting but insiders point out he's in fact helping the PM get MPs onside before Sue Gray reports
Shapps is the only individual in government more dishonest and more useless than Boris Johnson, as well as the only other serving cabinet minister who has misled the House.
He wouldn't survive the change of regime, and he knows it. So it's not surprising he's ignoring his job to save his, er, job.
Especially since he's gone native over HS2.
In what way has he gone native over HS2 - the department of transport want it. It’s the treasury who have been setting the agenda of cut everything.
I am not at all convinced the DfT want it. Too many of them have cosy links to the road haulage and air transport industries. And the IRP was something they had proposed before (and been laughed out of court over).
But in any case, 'going native' could include seeing everything from the Treasury's point of view.
Oh you already answered in old thread. I’ll stop trolling then.
The French Elections the most important one.
Unless there’s a Tory leader election. 🙂
The French will probably again mak wrong call.
Whoever wins, they will be French 💁♀️
Who was the last French president who was (a) not a crook and (b) any actual good? Am I being harsh in suggesting pretty much the only one who ticks both columns is Adolphe Thiers?
Not an expert, but I presume De Gaulle is still considered “good” and I’m not aware of any crook allegations. Do enlighten us.
Oh you already answered in old thread. I’ll stop trolling then.
The French Elections the most important one.
Unless there’s a Tory leader election. 🙂
The French will probably again mak wrong call.
Whoever wins, they will be French 💁♀️
Who was the last French president who was (a) not a crook and (b) any actual good? Am I being harsh in suggesting pretty much the only one who ticks both columns is Adolphe Thiers?
Not an expert, but I presume De Gaulle is still considered “good” and I’m not aware of any crook allegations. Do enlighten us.
De Gaulle, like JFK, is vastly over-rated.
JFK was a philandering crook who rode daddy’s connections to the top. Apart from some decent rhetoric, I’ve no idea why the JFK idolatry continues.
De Gaulle had one, two, maybe three great periods on the national scene. Father of the nation stuff. Britain could learn a lot about De Gaulle’s hawk-eyed defence of his country’s interests.
Oh you already answered in old thread. I’ll stop trolling then.
The French Elections the most important one.
Unless there’s a Tory leader election. 🙂
The French will probably again mak wrong call.
Whoever wins, they will be French 💁♀️
Who was the last French president who was (a) not a crook and (b) any actual good? Am I being harsh in suggesting pretty much the only one who ticks both columns is Adolphe Thiers?
Not an expert, but I presume De Gaulle is still considered “good” and I’m not aware of any crook allegations. Do enlighten us.
De Gaulle, like JFK, is vastly over-rated.
But everyone nose the key fact about him.
I think De Gaulle is best summed up by the reasons he didn't commute the death sentence for Bastien-Thiry.
1) He had shot at De Gaulle's wife. 2) He had endangered civilians. 3) He had brought foreigners into the plot. 4) Thiry hadn't done the actual shooting himself, but directed it.
FPT. Well done to TSE slipping in 'tergiversation' into his header. It had me beaten. Ad agencies used to play a game where the account director would be given a random word which he or she would have to slip into their client presentation. That would have been a winner
Talking of words anyone know what an "RW voter' is as used by Mr Ed in the previous thread?
Absolute shower of shite, they really hate the North.
Grant Shapps had been due in Manchester tom as part of a planned rail/HS2 visit, but the Transport Sec apparently pulled out on Friday. His office say GS's due at Covid-O meeting but insiders point out he's in fact helping the PM get MPs onside before Sue Gray reports
FPT. Well done to TSE slipping in 'tergiversation' into his header. It had me beaten. Ad agencies used to play a game where the account director would be given a random word which he or she would have to slip into their client presentation. That would have been a winner
Talking of words anyone know what an "RW voter' is as used by Mr Ed in the previous thread?
FPT. Well done to TSE slipping in 'tergiversation' into his header. It had me beaten. Ad agencies used to play a game where the account director would be given a random word which he or she would have to slip into their client presentation. That would have been a winner
Talking of words anyone know what an "RW voter' is as used by Mr Ed in the previous thread?
FPT. Well done to TSE slipping in 'tergiversation' into his header. It had me beaten. Ad agencies used to play a game where the account director would be given a random word which he or she would have to slip into their client presentation. That would have been a winner
Talking of words anyone know what an "RW voter' is as used by Mr Ed in the previous thread?
File under the Scottish section of “oh dear. What a shame, Etc”
“It’s really saddening to see unionists and their press sneering at the pitiful attendance at an independence march. 2 years ago tens of thousands marched now only a few hundred turned out. It is almost criminal what the leadership of AUOB have done to depress numbers like this.”
The SNP will never call another Indy vote. It will forever recede into the Hebridean mist. Tantalisingly close, yet perpetually unreachable, like those grapes in that story
Different organizations, actually. Also the march is distinctly off topic as being specifically an anti-BJ march. Better things to do in the time of covid, especially as it's on a par with marching to say that 'kittens are cute' or 'Rangers fans shit in woods'.
But all the oomph has gone out of Indy. It is now *something desirable at some time in the future* - no longer an urgent political imperative. Moreover, it doesn’t have to be imperative, for the SNP, they still reign supreme at Holyrood, with all the perks of power and almost zero hassle. Everything bad can be blamed on London
The fact the pro-Indy factions are now squabbling, bitterly, is a classic symptom of a stagnant cause
I guess at some point the more militant YESSERS will turn on Sturgeon, or her successor, for their failure to secure a vote, but she is awfully good at fending them off…
Miibes aye, mibbes naw, but that march is not evidence either way, was all I was pointing out. And covid is still casting its shadow more generally.
The fact Labour are still polling - in terms of both Westminster and Holyrood VI - miles behind the SNP in Scotland is probably indicative it isn't as stagnant a cause as Leon thinks it is, unfortunately. Pro-indy voters still care much more about the cause than who they'd like to see (or not see in the case of BJ) in No10.
Scottish Labour haven’t managed to carve out a coherent policy platform, and have had a succession of underwhelming party leaders.
SNP strength is in part due to Labour/LD weakness. The Tories meanwhile have an unbreachable ceiling in Scotland.
Tsk. If recent political history has taught us anything, it is this: nothing is forever. No ceiling is shatter proof, no floor so hard you cannot plunge through it. Scotland was hardcore Labour until it wasn’t. The Red Wall ditto.
The Tories may soon discover the same truths in the Home Counties and shires
The Liberals dominated British politics… until they basically disappeared. And so on.
In the next 30 years Scotland could go Indy, or it could go Tory. Neither is likely (to my mind), neither is impossible, even if the latter seems outlandish and the former plausible, as of this moment
Oh you already answered in old thread. I’ll stop trolling then.
The French Elections the most important one.
Unless there’s a Tory leader election. 🙂
The French will probably again mak wrong call.
Whoever wins, they will be French 💁♀️
Who was the last French president who was (a) not a crook and (b) any actual good? Am I being harsh in suggesting pretty much the only one who ticks both columns is Adolphe Thiers?
Not an expert, but I presume De Gaulle is still considered “good” and I’m not aware of any crook allegations. Do enlighten us.
Oh you already answered in old thread. I’ll stop trolling then.
The French Elections the most important one.
Unless there’s a Tory leader election. 🙂
The French will probably again mak wrong call.
Whoever wins, they will be French 💁♀️
Who was the last French president who was (a) not a crook and (b) any actual good? Am I being harsh in suggesting pretty much the only one who ticks both columns is Adolphe Thiers?
Not an expert, but I presume De Gaulle is still considered “good” and I’m not aware of any crook allegations. Do enlighten us.
De Gaulle, like JFK, is vastly over-rated.
JFK was a philandering crook who rode daddy’s connections to the top. Apart from some decent rhetoric, I’ve no idea why the JFK idolatry continues.
De Gaulle had one, two, maybe three great periods on the national scene. Father of the nation stuff. Britain could learn a lot about De Gaulle’s hawk-eyed defence of his country’s interests.
DeGaulle's career was strongly furthered by his political connections - notably, albeit very ironically, Philippe Petain.
And JFK had many faults, more indeed than you list, which did include electoral fraud, but he was never accused of launching a coup.
Although I will admit de Gaulle was a very talented individual in many ways, and also forceful and a devious general and politician. He was a superior figure to Kennedy, but his faults were superior as well.
FPT. Well done to TSE slipping in 'tergiversation' into his header. It had me beaten. Ad agencies used to play a game where the account director would be given a random word which he or she would have to slip into their client presentation. That would have been a winner
Talking of words anyone know what an "RW voter' is as used by Mr Ed in the previous thread?
Just realised: the Covid situation has finally reached the point where 4pm has come and gone entirely unremarked. We've not even had Malmesbury's customary data splurge.
Anyway, I've had a look so you don't have to. Summary: nothing unusual to report.
Interesting stats abroad however. Holland reports 65,000 cases. By far their biggest total in a day
All their terrible month of lockdown did was delay the peak by a couple of weeks, and maybe not even that, And at a truly brutal cost
They've delayed their Omicron wave by about three weeks, at the cost of a hard lockdown that started before Christmas, and out of which they're being made to crawl painfully slowly because neither the scientists nor the government there can admit what an Olympic Gold medal winning cockup they've made of the entire situation.
Rotten governance is not solely a British preserve, even if Johnson is distressingly adept at it. And at least our cabinet didn't entirely discount both the South African evidence and the questionable track record of the modellers and choose to turn the whole country back into an open prison. Again.
To make the situation even more spicy - or bitter, if you are Dutch - apparently the Dutch government made their lockdown decision on the basis of Imperial College modelling. The same modelling that our government, in the end - and to their eternal credit, whatever their other sins - chose to ignore
If I was a Dutchman I’d be rioting. Quite seriously
Ignored the real world data from their South African cousins and locked down based on our shite models that we ignored. It would be funny if it wasn't so serious.
File under the Scottish section of “oh dear. What a shame, Etc”
“It’s really saddening to see unionists and their press sneering at the pitiful attendance at an independence march. 2 years ago tens of thousands marched now only a few hundred turned out. It is almost criminal what the leadership of AUOB have done to depress numbers like this.”
The SNP will never call another Indy vote. It will forever recede into the Hebridean mist. Tantalisingly close, yet perpetually unreachable, like those grapes in that story
Different organizations, actually. Also the march is distinctly off topic as being specifically an anti-BJ march. Better things to do in the time of covid, especially as it's on a par with marching to say that 'kittens are cute' or 'Rangers fans shit in woods'.
But all the oomph has gone out of Indy. It is now *something desirable at some time in the future* - no longer an urgent political imperative. Moreover, it doesn’t have to be imperative, for the SNP, they still reign supreme at Holyrood, with all the perks of power and almost zero hassle. Everything bad can be blamed on London
The fact the pro-Indy factions are now squabbling, bitterly, is a classic symptom of a stagnant cause
I guess at some point the more militant YESSERS will turn on Sturgeon, or her successor, for their failure to secure a vote, but she is awfully good at fending them off…
Miibes aye, mibbes naw, but that march is not evidence either way, was all I was pointing out. And covid is still casting its shadow more generally.
The fact Labour are still polling - in terms of both Westminster and Holyrood VI - miles behind the SNP in Scotland is probably indicative it isn't as stagnant a cause as Leon thinks it is, unfortunately. Pro-indy voters still care much more about the cause than who they'd like to see (or not see in the case of BJ) in No10.
OTOH Mr J is at minus 62, like Mr Salmond, so they are certainly aware of Mr J being in No 10 ...
I'm still hoping that some production company is punting a politician Big Brother/Love Island type show for retired pols. BJ is a baw hair away from having to do anything for money so can be added to Trump, Eck, Berlusconi as possibilities. Farage should be denied a spot just to see the look on his wee face.
Oh you already answered in old thread. I’ll stop trolling then.
The French Elections the most important one.
Unless there’s a Tory leader election. 🙂
The French will probably again mak wrong call.
Whoever wins, they will be French 💁♀️
Who was the last French president who was (a) not a crook and (b) any actual good? Am I being harsh in suggesting pretty much the only one who ticks both columns is Adolphe Thiers?
Charles de Gaulle?
Think he passes the "I'm not a crook" test (which author of phrase did NOT).
As for whether or not he was actually any good, despite obvious demerits, and reasonable debate over what "good" actually means, think on balance he more than makes the grade.
As I noted above, I consider people who deliberately engineer massive instability and military reverses to seize power in a coup while pretending to support the constitution and the civilian government do *not* pass that test.
See what you mean, though personally do NOT think CdG was guilty as charged. Certainly he did NOT "deliberately engineer . . . military reverses". And as with "massive instability" that was mostly function of others as well as the 3rd > 4th Republic, neither of which he had much do with IIRC.
EDIT - except of course 1958 coup, though worth noting that this was affirmed by majority of French electorate in a free vote.
Indeed, bears some similarities to Glorious Revolution, also a (mostly) bloodless coup, that arguably (except from Jacobite perspective obviously) increased English / British political stability AND efficacy.
Oh you already answered in old thread. I’ll stop trolling then.
The French Elections the most important one.
Unless there’s a Tory leader election. 🙂
The French will probably again mak wrong call.
Whoever wins, they will be French 💁♀️
Who was the last French president who was (a) not a crook and (b) any actual good? Am I being harsh in suggesting pretty much the only one who ticks both columns is Adolphe Thiers?
Charles de Gaulle?
Think he passes the "I'm not a crook" test (which author of phrase did NOT).
As for whether or not he was actually any good, despite obvious demerits, and reasonable debate over what "good" actually means, think on balance he more than makes the grade.
As I noted above, I consider people who deliberately engineer massive instability and military reverses to seize power in a coup while pretending to support the constitution and the civilian government do *not* pass that test.
See what you mean, though personally do NOT think CdG was guilty as charged. Certainly he did NOT "deliberately engineer . . . military reverses". And as with "massive instability" that was mostly function of others as well as the 3rd > 4th Republic, neither of which he had much do with IIRC.
He claimed he had nothing to do with them.
I would remind you Anthony Eden claimed the same over Suez. About as convincingly.
The only real difference is we now have proof Eden was lying.
Oh you already answered in old thread. I’ll stop trolling then.
The French Elections the most important one.
Unless there’s a Tory leader election. 🙂
The French will probably again mak wrong call.
Whoever wins, they will be French 💁♀️
Who was the last French president who was (a) not a crook and (b) any actual good? Am I being harsh in suggesting pretty much the only one who ticks both columns is Adolphe Thiers?
Charles de Gaulle?
Think he passes the "I'm not a crook" test (which author of phrase did NOT).
As for whether or not he was actually any good, despite obvious demerits, and reasonable debate over what "good" actually means, think on balance he more than makes the grade.
As I noted above, I consider people who deliberately engineer massive instability and military reverses to seize power in a coup while pretending to support the constitution and the civilian government do *not* pass that test.
See what you mean, though personally do NOT think CdG was guilty as charged. Certainly he did NOT "deliberately engineer . . . military reverses". And as with "massive instability" that was mostly function of others as well as the 3rd > 4th Republic, neither of which he had much do with IIRC.
He claimed he had nothing to do with them.
I would remind you Anthony Eden claimed the same over Suez. About as convincingly.
The only real difference is we now have proof Eden was lying.
Given the collection of weirdos and muppets in the 3rd and 4th Republics (thinking of some of the stranger Generals, post war, for example), De Gaulle didn't have to destabilise anything. Both versions of France had the stability of a wet blancmange in a hurricane to start with.....
FPT. Well done to TSE slipping in 'tergiversation' into his header. It had me beaten. Ad agencies used to play a game where the account director would be given a random word which he or she would have to slip into their client presentation. That would have been a winner
Talking of words anyone know what an "RW voter' is as used by Mr Ed in the previous thread?
We used to play the same game in annual business reviews. The word that never got through was "suddenly" as in "suddenly, market share fell" - while this was not an infrequent occurrence it always had to be dressed up in marketing speak "in line with aggressive competitive pricing and marketing activity share declined in line with historical precedent",when of course, what had actually happened was "suddenly, market share fell".
Oh you already answered in old thread. I’ll stop trolling then.
The French Elections the most important one.
Unless there’s a Tory leader election. 🙂
The French will probably again mak wrong call.
Whoever wins, they will be French 💁♀️
Who was the last French president who was (a) not a crook and (b) any actual good? Am I being harsh in suggesting pretty much the only one who ticks both columns is Adolphe Thiers?
Not an expert, but I presume De Gaulle is still considered “good” and I’m not aware of any crook allegations. Do enlighten us.
De Gaulle, like JFK, is vastly over-rated.
But everyone nose the key fact about him.
I think De Gaulle is best summed up by the reasons he didn't commute the death sentence for Bastien-Thiry.
1) He had shot at De Gaulle's wife. 2) He had endangered civilians. 3) He had brought foreigners into the plot. 4) Thiry hadn't done the actual shooting himself, but directed it.
You omit the original 4.:
During his trial, he claimed he intended to kidnap de Gaulle, not kill him. Asked how he intended to confine the President, Bastien-Thiry replied, "We would just have taken away his spectacles and braces." His defense lawyer was heard to mutter, "he has just signed his own death warrant," as it was much anticipated that while de Gaulle might have pardoned an assassin, he would not pardon an assassin who publicly mocked him.
Absolute shower of shite, they really hate the North.
Grant Shapps had been due in Manchester tom as part of a planned rail/HS2 visit, but the Transport Sec apparently pulled out on Friday. His office say GS's due at Covid-O meeting but insiders point out he's in fact helping the PM get MPs onside before Sue Gray reports
Oh you already answered in old thread. I’ll stop trolling then.
The French Elections the most important one.
Unless there’s a Tory leader election. 🙂
The French will probably again mak wrong call.
Whoever wins, they will be French 💁♀️
Who was the last French president who was (a) not a crook and (b) any actual good? Am I being harsh in suggesting pretty much the only one who ticks both columns is Adolphe Thiers?
Not an expert, but I presume De Gaulle is still considered “good” and I’m not aware of any crook allegations. Do enlighten us.
Oh you already answered in old thread. I’ll stop trolling then.
The French Elections the most important one.
Unless there’s a Tory leader election. 🙂
The French will probably again mak wrong call.
Whoever wins, they will be French 💁♀️
Who was the last French president who was (a) not a crook and (b) any actual good? Am I being harsh in suggesting pretty much the only one who ticks both columns is Adolphe Thiers?
Not an expert, but I presume De Gaulle is still considered “good” and I’m not aware of any crook allegations. Do enlighten us.
De Gaulle, like JFK, is vastly over-rated.
JFK was a philandering crook who rode daddy’s connections to the top. Apart from some decent rhetoric, I’ve no idea why the JFK idolatry continues.
De Gaulle had one, two, maybe three great periods on the national scene. Father of the nation stuff. Britain could learn a lot about De Gaulle’s hawk-eyed defence of his country’s interests.
DeGaulle's career was strongly furthered by his political connections - notably, albeit very ironically, Philippe Petain.
And JFK had many faults, more indeed than you list, which did include electoral fraud, but he was never accused of launching a coup.
Although I will admit de Gaulle was a very talented individual in many ways, and also forceful and a devious general and politician. He was a superior figure to Kennedy, but his faults were superior as well.
"JFK . . . was never accused of launching a coup."
In USA, no. But in South Vietnam, hell yes. Quite ironic.
Ha ha, what a clown. Pandering to these cranks. Still, I guess it’s a nice little earner for the ‘consultants’. Many cuisines around the world are a mix of various different influences/cuisines including our own and why shouldn’t he put his twist on regional dishes. None of these dishes are hard and fast recipes anyway.
Oh you already answered in old thread. I’ll stop trolling then.
The French Elections the most important one.
Unless there’s a Tory leader election. 🙂
The French will probably again mak wrong call.
Whoever wins, they will be French 💁♀️
Who was the last French president who was (a) not a crook and (b) any actual good? Am I being harsh in suggesting pretty much the only one who ticks both columns is Adolphe Thiers?
Not an expert, but I presume De Gaulle is still considered “good” and I’m not aware of any crook allegations. Do enlighten us.
Oh you already answered in old thread. I’ll stop trolling then.
The French Elections the most important one.
Unless there’s a Tory leader election. 🙂
The French will probably again mak wrong call.
Whoever wins, they will be French 💁♀️
Who was the last French president who was (a) not a crook and (b) any actual good? Am I being harsh in suggesting pretty much the only one who ticks both columns is Adolphe Thiers?
Not an expert, but I presume De Gaulle is still considered “good” and I’m not aware of any crook allegations. Do enlighten us.
De Gaulle, like JFK, is vastly over-rated.
JFK was a philandering crook who rode daddy’s connections to the top. Apart from some decent rhetoric, I’ve no idea why the JFK idolatry continues.
De Gaulle had one, two, maybe three great periods on the national scene. Father of the nation stuff. Britain could learn a lot about De Gaulle’s hawk-eyed defence of his country’s interests.
DeGaulle's career was strongly furthered by his political connections - notably, albeit very ironically, Philippe Petain.
And JFK had many faults, more indeed than you list, which did include electoral fraud, but he was never accused of launching a coup.
Although I will admit de Gaulle was a very talented individual in many ways, and also forceful and a devious general and politician. He was a superior figure to Kennedy, but his faults were superior as well.
"JFK . . . was never accused of launching a coup."
In USA, no. But in South Vietnam, hell yes. Quite ironic.
Because Diem was the French stooge left in power under the Geneva accords?
FPT. Well done to TSE slipping in 'tergiversation' into his header. It had me beaten. Ad agencies used to play a game where the account director would be given a random word which he or she would have to slip into their client presentation. That would have been a winner
Talking of words anyone know what an "RW voter' is as used by Mr Ed in the previous thread?
Oh you already answered in old thread. I’ll stop trolling then.
The French Elections the most important one.
Unless there’s a Tory leader election. 🙂
The French will probably again mak wrong call.
Whoever wins, they will be French 💁♀️
Who was the last French president who was (a) not a crook and (b) any actual good? Am I being harsh in suggesting pretty much the only one who ticks both columns is Adolphe Thiers?
Not an expert, but I presume De Gaulle is still considered “good” and I’m not aware of any crook allegations. Do enlighten us.
De Gaulle, like JFK, is vastly over-rated.
But everyone nose the key fact about him.
I think De Gaulle is best summed up by the reasons he didn't commute the death sentence for Bastien-Thiry.
1) He had shot at De Gaulle's wife. 2) He had endangered civilians. 3) He had brought foreigners into the plot. 4) Thiry hadn't done the actual shooting himself, but directed it.
You omit the original 4.:
During his trial, he claimed he intended to kidnap de Gaulle, not kill him. Asked how he intended to confine the President, Bastien-Thiry replied, "We would just have taken away his spectacles and braces." His defense lawyer was heard to mutter, "he has just signed his own death warrant," as it was much anticipated that while de Gaulle might have pardoned an assassin, he would not pardon an assassin who publicly mocked him.
Is that from Wikipedia? I've heard that claim, but De Gaulle, in general (ha!), didn't seem to give a damn about being attacked. Either physically or metaphorically.
FPT. Well done to TSE slipping in 'tergiversation' into his header. It had me beaten. Ad agencies used to play a game where the account director would be given a random word which he or she would have to slip into their client presentation. That would have been a winner
Talking of words anyone know what an "RW voter' is as used by Mr Ed in the previous thread?
FPT. Well done to TSE slipping in 'tergiversation' into his header. It had me beaten. Ad agencies used to play a game where the account director would be given a random word which he or she would have to slip into their client presentation. That would have been a winner
Talking of words anyone know what an "RW voter' is as used by Mr Ed in the previous thread?
We used to play the same game in annual business reviews. The word that never got through was "suddenly" as in "suddenly, market share fell" - while this was not an infrequent occurrence it always had to be dressed up in marketing speak "in line with aggressive competitive pricing and marketing activity share declined in line with historical precedent",when of course, what had actually happened was "suddenly, market share fell".
For many years I was a talking head on business programmes that were broadcast live while the markets were open (Bloomberg, CNN etc). Traders would give me a word that I would have to get into the interview, and a pint or two might change hands, depending on the difficulty of the word. I think my greatest triumph was "Crepuscular", which was apparently greeted with a cheer back on the floor, and a very jolly evening later on.
Oh you already answered in old thread. I’ll stop trolling then.
The French Elections the most important one.
Unless there’s a Tory leader election. 🙂
The French will probably again mak wrong call.
Whoever wins, they will be French 💁♀️
Who was the last French president who was (a) not a crook and (b) any actual good? Am I being harsh in suggesting pretty much the only one who ticks both columns is Adolphe Thiers?
Not an expert, but I presume De Gaulle is still considered “good” and I’m not aware of any crook allegations. Do enlighten us.
Oh you already answered in old thread. I’ll stop trolling then.
The French Elections the most important one.
Unless there’s a Tory leader election. 🙂
The French will probably again mak wrong call.
Whoever wins, they will be French 💁♀️
Who was the last French president who was (a) not a crook and (b) any actual good? Am I being harsh in suggesting pretty much the only one who ticks both columns is Adolphe Thiers?
Not an expert, but I presume De Gaulle is still considered “good” and I’m not aware of any crook allegations. Do enlighten us.
De Gaulle, like JFK, is vastly over-rated.
JFK was a philandering crook who rode daddy’s connections to the top. Apart from some decent rhetoric, I’ve no idea why the JFK idolatry continues.
De Gaulle had one, two, maybe three great periods on the national scene. Father of the nation stuff. Britain could learn a lot about De Gaulle’s hawk-eyed defence of his country’s interests.
DeGaulle's career was strongly furthered by his political connections - notably, albeit very ironically, Philippe Petain.
And JFK had many faults, more indeed than you list, but he was never accused of launching a coup.
Although I will admit de Gaulle was a very talented individual in many ways, and also forceful and a devious general and politician. He was a superior figure to Kennedy, but his faults were superior as well.
De Gaulle’s coup was met with cross-party support.
La Vie en Bleu by Rod Kedward is superb on 20th century French politics.
Oh you already answered in old thread. I’ll stop trolling then.
The French Elections the most important one.
Unless there’s a Tory leader election. 🙂
The French will probably again mak wrong call.
Whoever wins, they will be French 💁♀️
Who was the last French president who was (a) not a crook and (b) any actual good? Am I being harsh in suggesting pretty much the only one who ticks both columns is Adolphe Thiers?
Charles de Gaulle?
Think he passes the "I'm not a crook" test (which author of phrase did NOT).
As for whether or not he was actually any good, despite obvious demerits, and reasonable debate over what "good" actually means, think on balance he more than makes the grade.
As I noted above, I consider people who deliberately engineer massive instability and military reverses to seize power in a coup while pretending to support the constitution and the civilian government do *not* pass that test.
See what you mean, though personally do NOT think CdG was guilty as charged. Certainly he did NOT "deliberately engineer . . . military reverses". And as with "massive instability" that was mostly function of others as well as the 3rd > 4th Republic, neither of which he had much do with IIRC.
He claimed he had nothing to do with them.
I would remind you Anthony Eden claimed the same over Suez. About as convincingly.
The only real difference is we now have proof Eden was lying.
What is evidence that de Gaulle did "deliberately engineer massive instability and military reverses"?
With respect to Eden, think you are referring to contemporary claims by British and French govts that the had nothing to do with Israeli invasion of Sinai? That of course was a lie, as was proven IIRC very shortly after Anglo-Frano "intervention".
making sure you don't piss off your customers is not a revolutionary new idea
Pissing them off with confected rage? Who gets to decide what is influence in creation and what cannot be used because that would be cultural appropriation? Its nonsense.
I guess these non value added consultants get to decide. Nice little earner.
It just seems to be a few irate people on social media he is reacting to. It’s hardly pissing off his customers most of whom won’t care and will buy his books anyway.
I wonder where this crap will end. I’ve got Dan Toombs curry bible. It’s a great book. I can see a time when a book like that would not be published for such a nonsensical reason.
FPT. Well done to TSE slipping in 'tergiversation' into his header. It had me beaten. Ad agencies used to play a game where the account director would be given a random word which he or she would have to slip into their client presentation. That would have been a winner
Talking of words anyone know what an "RW voter' is as used by Mr Ed in the previous thread?
Oh you already answered in old thread. I’ll stop trolling then.
The French Elections the most important one.
Unless there’s a Tory leader election. 🙂
The French will probably again mak wrong call.
Whoever wins, they will be French 💁♀️
Who was the last French president who was (a) not a crook and (b) any actual good? Am I being harsh in suggesting pretty much the only one who ticks both columns is Adolphe Thiers?
Charles de Gaulle?
Think he passes the "I'm not a crook" test (which author of phrase did NOT).
As for whether or not he was actually any good, despite obvious demerits, and reasonable debate over what "good" actually means, think on balance he more than makes the grade.
As I noted above, I consider people who deliberately engineer massive instability and military reverses to seize power in a coup while pretending to support the constitution and the civilian government do *not* pass that test.
See what you mean, though personally do NOT think CdG was guilty as charged. Certainly he did NOT "deliberately engineer . . . military reverses". And as with "massive instability" that was mostly function of others as well as the 3rd > 4th Republic, neither of which he had much do with IIRC.
He claimed he had nothing to do with them.
I would remind you Anthony Eden claimed the same over Suez. About as convincingly.
The only real difference is we now have proof Eden was lying.
What is evidence that de Gaulle did "deliberately engineer massive instability and military reverses"?
With respect to Eden, think you are referring to contemporary claims by British and French govts that the had nothing to do with Israeli invasion of Sinai? That of course was a lie, as was proven IIRC very shortly after Anglo-Frano "intervention".
There was nothing contemporary about it! Eden was still claiming it in his memoirs. And it wasn't finally proved until the Australian intelligence archives were opened in the mid 1980s, although by then everyone knew perfectly well what had happened.
As for de Gaulle not being involved, are you suggesting that a load of his friends and admirers just happened to launch a series of mutinies and order an invasion of Corsica before threatening to invade the mainland and capture Paris off their own bats just after he decided that he had had enough of the Fourth Republic he had helped refound?
Oh you already answered in old thread. I’ll stop trolling then.
The French Elections the most important one.
Unless there’s a Tory leader election. 🙂
The French will probably again mak wrong call.
Whoever wins, they will be French 💁♀️
Who was the last French president who was (a) not a crook and (b) any actual good? Am I being harsh in suggesting pretty much the only one who ticks both columns is Adolphe Thiers?
Not an expert, but I presume De Gaulle is still considered “good” and I’m not aware of any crook allegations. Do enlighten us.
Oh you already answered in old thread. I’ll stop trolling then.
The French Elections the most important one.
Unless there’s a Tory leader election. 🙂
The French will probably again mak wrong call.
Whoever wins, they will be French 💁♀️
Who was the last French president who was (a) not a crook and (b) any actual good? Am I being harsh in suggesting pretty much the only one who ticks both columns is Adolphe Thiers?
Not an expert, but I presume De Gaulle is still considered “good” and I’m not aware of any crook allegations. Do enlighten us.
De Gaulle, like JFK, is vastly over-rated.
JFK was a philandering crook who rode daddy’s connections to the top. Apart from some decent rhetoric, I’ve no idea why the JFK idolatry continues.
De Gaulle had one, two, maybe three great periods on the national scene. Father of the nation stuff. Britain could learn a lot about De Gaulle’s hawk-eyed defence of his country’s interests.
DeGaulle's career was strongly furthered by his political connections - notably, albeit very ironically, Philippe Petain.
And JFK had many faults, more indeed than you list, which did include electoral fraud, but he was never accused of launching a coup.
Although I will admit de Gaulle was a very talented individual in many ways, and also forceful and a devious general and politician. He was a superior figure to Kennedy, but his faults were superior as well.
I always ending up rooting for Edward Fox in Day Of The Jackal. Not proud of it but I do.
Oh you already answered in old thread. I’ll stop trolling then.
The French Elections the most important one.
Unless there’s a Tory leader election. 🙂
The French will probably again mak wrong call.
Whoever wins, they will be French 💁♀️
Who was the last French president who was (a) not a crook and (b) any actual good? Am I being harsh in suggesting pretty much the only one who ticks both columns is Adolphe Thiers?
Not an expert, but I presume De Gaulle is still considered “good” and I’m not aware of any crook allegations. Do enlighten us.
Oh you already answered in old thread. I’ll stop trolling then.
The French Elections the most important one.
Unless there’s a Tory leader election. 🙂
The French will probably again mak wrong call.
Whoever wins, they will be French 💁♀️
Who was the last French president who was (a) not a crook and (b) any actual good? Am I being harsh in suggesting pretty much the only one who ticks both columns is Adolphe Thiers?
Not an expert, but I presume De Gaulle is still considered “good” and I’m not aware of any crook allegations. Do enlighten us.
De Gaulle, like JFK, is vastly over-rated.
JFK was a philandering crook who rode daddy’s connections to the top. Apart from some decent rhetoric, I’ve no idea why the JFK idolatry continues.
De Gaulle had one, two, maybe three great periods on the national scene. Father of the nation stuff. Britain could learn a lot about De Gaulle’s hawk-eyed defence of his country’s interests.
DeGaulle's career was strongly furthered by his political connections - notably, albeit very ironically, Philippe Petain.
And JFK had many faults, more indeed than you list, which did include electoral fraud, but he was never accused of launching a coup.
Although I will admit de Gaulle was a very talented individual in many ways, and also forceful and a devious general and politician. He was a superior figure to Kennedy, but his faults were superior as well.
I always ending up rooting for Edward Fox in Day Of The Jackal. Not proud of it but I do.
If only he had understood how much the French love snogging each other...
FPT. Well done to TSE slipping in 'tergiversation' into his header. It had me beaten. Ad agencies used to play a game where the account director would be given a random word which he or she would have to slip into their client presentation. That would have been a winner
Talking of words anyone know what an "RW voter' is as used by Mr Ed in the previous thread?
Ironic given the anagrams you can make from his handle.
Even my anagrams are more interesting than whole posts from you.
Yeah, making crass comments about whole groups of the electorate of whom you have little understanding or knowledge aside from what you read online is incredibly Insightful 🙄
Absolute shower of shite, they really hate the North.
Grant Shapps had been due in Manchester tom as part of a planned rail/HS2 visit, but the Transport Sec apparently pulled out on Friday. His office say GS's due at Covid-O meeting but insiders point out he's in fact helping the PM get MPs onside before Sue Gray reports
Guardian is reporting that Treasury has pulled half of the promised bus funding too.
Advice to northern wealth-makers: immigrate.
Surely emigrate?
Perhaps move to London and the South East. Where the wealth is concentrated. That’s what many have done, younger ambitious people, from the North and midlands.
Oh you already answered in old thread. I’ll stop trolling then.
The French Elections the most important one.
Unless there’s a Tory leader election. 🙂
The French will probably again mak wrong call.
Whoever wins, they will be French 💁♀️
Who was the last French president who was (a) not a crook and (b) any actual good? Am I being harsh in suggesting pretty much the only one who ticks both columns is Adolphe Thiers?
Charles de Gaulle?
Think he passes the "I'm not a crook" test (which author of phrase did NOT).
As for whether or not he was actually any good, despite obvious demerits, and reasonable debate over what "good" actually means, think on balance he more than makes the grade.
As I noted above, I consider people who deliberately engineer massive instability and military reverses to seize power in a coup while pretending to support the constitution and the civilian government do *not* pass that test.
See what you mean, though personally do NOT think CdG was guilty as charged. Certainly he did NOT "deliberately engineer . . . military reverses". And as with "massive instability" that was mostly function of others as well as the 3rd > 4th Republic, neither of which he had much do with IIRC.
He claimed he had nothing to do with them.
I would remind you Anthony Eden claimed the same over Suez. About as convincingly.
The only real difference is we now have proof Eden was lying.
What is evidence that de Gaulle did "deliberately engineer massive instability and military reverses"?
With respect to Eden, think you are referring to contemporary claims by British and French govts that the had nothing to do with Israeli invasion of Sinai? That of course was a lie, as was proven IIRC very shortly after Anglo-Frano "intervention".
There was nothing contemporary about it! Eden was still claiming it in his memoirs. And it wasn't finally proved until the Australian intelligence archives were opened in the mid 1980s, although by then everyone knew perfectly well what had happened.
As for de Gaulle not being involved, are you suggesting that a load of his friends and admirers just happened to launch a series of mutinies and order an invasion of Corsica before threatening to invade the mainland and capture Paris off their own bats just after he decided that he had had enough of the Fourth Republic he had helped refound?
Coincidences can happen of course...
de Gaulle broke with a lot of people - Algeria in particular was a massive trying point where a huge chunk of his supporters turned against him...
Petit-Clamart may well have not been an OAS thing - more an attempt by generals inside the French military to get rid of a man they'd come to hate.
I try and avoid touching politics on FB with a shitty stick, but it spurts out at every opportunity. Biggsy would be a good fit for here.
'Michael Biggs Brilliant images. I agree with Barrie Johnson though. War is a terrible thing. Not all Germans were Nazi's, but they had to be defeated. England sufffered huge loses in the Battle of Britain, cities like London, Coventry and Sheffield were heavily bombed, I am from Sheffield so I know what my home city suffered. Britains war debt was only paid off a few years ago, Germany had no war debt, and was rebuilt, it makes one wonder who actually came out the best from the war. I think the term 'British terror bombing' is very harsh. Europeans views on the British is one of the reasons that Brexit happened, I didn't vote for it myself, but there has always been a heavy bias against the British from the Europeans. My mother owned an apartment in Albir, Spain. We holidayed there every year for the last 21 years, and we could feel the anymosity every year. The Spanish and other Europeans didn't want us there, bars and restuarants just want the money the Brits bring, there's no warmth, no smiles on the faces of bar owners, I will miss my holidays in Spain, I won't miss the European people though. But credit were it's due, brilliant images.'
I try and avoid touching politics on FB with a shitty stick, but it spurts out at every opportunity. Biggsy would be a good fit for here.
'Michael Biggs Brilliant images. I agree with Barrie Johnson though. War is a terrible thing. Not all Germans were Nazi's, but they had to be defeated. England sufffered huge loses in the Battle of Britain, cities like London, Coventry and Sheffield were heavily bombed, I am from Sheffield so I know what my home city suffered. Britains war debt was only paid off a few years ago, Germany had no war debt, and was rebuilt, it makes one wonder who actually came out the best from the war. I think the term 'British terror bombing' is very harsh. Europeans views on the British is one of the reasons that Brexit happened, I didn't vote for it myself, but there has always been a heavy bias against the British from the Europeans. My mother owned an apartment in Albir, Spain. We holidayed there every year for the last 21 years, and we could feel the anymosity every year. The Spanish and other Europeans didn't want us there, bars and restuarants just want the money the Brits bring, there's no warmth, no smiles on the faces of bar owners, I will miss my holidays in Spain, I won't miss the European people though. But credit were it's due, brilliant images.'
Whohe? (just to make sure I have the right one in mind)
Macron is also surprisingly firm in the Culture Wars. When the statues started falling, he gave a speech to the French people saying, Very Sternly, “not a single statue in the French Republic will fall, they are our patrimony”
And, as far as I know - I am happy to be corrected - his promise has been fulfilled
Yes, both @Casino_Royale and I have made that point and if it wasn't for his general obnoxiousness I'd be pretty happy with him as PM here tbh. I'd rate him far ahead of Boris on economic and cultural issues. He's got the ability and confidence to say "shut the fuck up" to whining wokists.
I also think he's got an innate understanding of how wokism is making the west weak. China terms it as white liberalism, but essentially it is weakness.
Boris has the right instincts on Woke but is too emotionally needy and weirdly feeble to follow through. I have finally - belatedly - realised this. He’s terrifically bright and often sees the bigger picture but he hasn’t got the backbone to Really Do Anything. Apart from Brexit, which he won and then concluded with his bravado. But bravado is not enough for a long career at the top
Boris is like some hero on a battlefield who takes on the Tiger tanks armed only with his derring-do and a sense of destiny, and maybe some small grenades. But heroes are meant to die, quite soon after their acts, if not during. As Greek myth tells us.
Mythologically and politically he is doomed
In the medium term someone like Macron is preferable. Macron also has an astute vision of the future, as you say. His prescient prediction that “NATO is brain dead” is perhaps about to be tested. I fear it will be proved correct
I think Boris has underestimated the damage wokism is doing to western nations. Companies, governments and charities are paralysed in fear of criticising anything or anyone that might not be white, straight and male (with an actual cock and balls). It allows China to get away with genocide, it allows Middle Eastern countries to restart slave auctions and sex offending men into women's prisons because they say they're women.
There's a lack of confidence across the west, yet Macron is someone who has successfully stood up to the nonsense. Boris could have done but he's useless, and as you say heroes die in the best stories, the ultimate or final sacrifice in order to save everyone else. Boris is past his time, his usefulness has passed now that Brexit is delivered, he needs to make the sacrifice in order to ensure it isn't unwound by a Labour/SNP government in 2024.
You and Leon just need to turn off GB News. You would both be so much more relaxed and realise woke is just a manufactured crock...
They sound like two great aunts at a wedding whispering in a corner "What does she think she's come as?"
Now you've got me wonder, just what great actor should play the role of Leon as Great Aunt?
FPT. Well done to TSE slipping in 'tergiversation' into his header. It had me beaten. Ad agencies used to play a game where the account director would be given a random word which he or she would have to slip into their client presentation. That would have been a winner
Talking of words anyone know what an "RW voter' is as used by Mr Ed in the previous thread?
Tell us more news from your brother in Amsterdam
I've just texted him. His text before Christmas said 'We're allowed four visitors for Christmas, but the rules change by the minute. Non essential shops restaurants culture hairdressers etc are all closed but essential shops including supermarkets off licences cake shops and bicycle repairers were open so the high st didn't feel particularly shut down in the run up to christmas....' He told me about the 8 pm Curfew on the phone. I've just texted him and I'll report back if I got it wrong. He did say that their PM is no better than Boris though less corrupt and on his fourth term. Known locally as 'Mr Teflon'
I try and avoid touching politics on FB with a shitty stick, but it spurts out at every opportunity. Biggsy would be a good fit for here.
'Michael Biggs Brilliant images. I agree with Barrie Johnson though. War is a terrible thing. Not all Germans were Nazi's, but they had to be defeated. England sufffered huge loses in the Battle of Britain, cities like London, Coventry and Sheffield were heavily bombed, I am from Sheffield so I know what my home city suffered. Britains war debt was only paid off a few years ago, Germany had no war debt, and was rebuilt, it makes one wonder who actually came out the best from the war. I think the term 'British terror bombing' is very harsh. Europeans views on the British is one of the reasons that Brexit happened, I didn't vote for it myself, but there has always been a heavy bias against the British from the Europeans. My mother owned an apartment in Albir, Spain. We holidayed there every year for the last 21 years, and we could feel the anymosity every year. The Spanish and other Europeans didn't want us there, bars and restuarants just want the money the Brits bring, there's no warmth, no smiles on the faces of bar owners, I will miss my holidays in Spain, I won't miss the European people though. But credit were it's due, brilliant images.'
Woke people, why not extend an olive branch to older conservatives by allowing them to include their preferred units of measurement alongside their preferred pronouns? Now everybody's happy.
Woke people, why not extend an olive branch to older conservatives by allowing them to include their preferred units of measurement alongside their preferred pronouns? Now everybody's happy.
Oh you already answered in old thread. I’ll stop trolling then.
The French Elections the most important one.
Unless there’s a Tory leader election. 🙂
The French will probably again mak wrong call.
Whoever wins, they will be French 💁♀️
Who was the last French president who was (a) not a crook and (b) any actual good? Am I being harsh in suggesting pretty much the only one who ticks both columns is Adolphe Thiers?
Not an expert, but I presume De Gaulle is still considered “good” and I’m not aware of any crook allegations. Do enlighten us.
Oh you already answered in old thread. I’ll stop trolling then.
The French Elections the most important one.
Unless there’s a Tory leader election. 🙂
The French will probably again mak wrong call.
Whoever wins, they will be French 💁♀️
Who was the last French president who was (a) not a crook and (b) any actual good? Am I being harsh in suggesting pretty much the only one who ticks both columns is Adolphe Thiers?
Not an expert, but I presume De Gaulle is still considered “good” and I’m not aware of any crook allegations. Do enlighten us.
De Gaulle, like JFK, is vastly over-rated.
JFK was a philandering crook who rode daddy’s connections to the top. Apart from some decent rhetoric, I’ve no idea why the JFK idolatry continues.
De Gaulle had one, two, maybe three great periods on the national scene. Father of the nation stuff. Britain could learn a lot about De Gaulle’s hawk-eyed defence of his country’s interests.
DeGaulle's career was strongly furthered by his political connections - notably, albeit very ironically, Philippe Petain.
And JFK had many faults, more indeed than you list, which did include electoral fraud, but he was never accused of launching a coup.
Although I will admit de Gaulle was a very talented individual in many ways, and also forceful and a devious general and politician. He was a superior figure to Kennedy, but his faults were superior as well.
"JFK . . . was never accused of launching a coup."
In USA, no. But in South Vietnam, hell yes. Quite ironic.
Because Diem was the French stooge left in power under the Geneva accords?
I try and avoid touching politics on FB with a shitty stick, but it spurts out at every opportunity. Biggsy would be a good fit for here.
'Michael Biggs Brilliant images. I agree with Barrie Johnson though. War is a terrible thing. Not all Germans were Nazi's, but they had to be defeated. England sufffered huge loses in the Battle of Britain, cities like London, Coventry and Sheffield were heavily bombed, I am from Sheffield so I know what my home city suffered. Britains war debt was only paid off a few years ago, Germany had no war debt, and was rebuilt, it makes one wonder who actually came out the best from the war. I think the term 'British terror bombing' is very harsh. Europeans views on the British is one of the reasons that Brexit happened, I didn't vote for it myself, but there has always been a heavy bias against the British from the Europeans. My mother owned an apartment in Albir, Spain. We holidayed there every year for the last 21 years, and we could feel the anymosity every year. The Spanish and other Europeans didn't want us there, bars and restuarants just want the money the Brits bring, there's no warmth, no smiles on the faces of bar owners, I will miss my holidays in Spain, I won't miss the European people though. But credit were it's due, brilliant images.'
There's a certain amount of projection in that post.
I try and avoid touching politics on FB with a shitty stick, but it spurts out at every opportunity. Biggsy would be a good fit for here.
'Michael Biggs Brilliant images. I agree with Barrie Johnson though. War is a terrible thing. Not all Germans were Nazi's, but they had to be defeated. England sufffered huge loses in the Battle of Britain, cities like London, Coventry and Sheffield were heavily bombed, I am from Sheffield so I know what my home city suffered. Britains war debt was only paid off a few years ago, Germany had no war debt, and was rebuilt, it makes one wonder who actually came out the best from the war. I think the term 'British terror bombing' is very harsh. Europeans views on the British is one of the reasons that Brexit happened, I didn't vote for it myself, but there has always been a heavy bias against the British from the Europeans. My mother owned an apartment in Albir, Spain. We holidayed there every year for the last 21 years, and we could feel the anymosity every year. The Spanish and other Europeans didn't want us there, bars and restuarants just want the money the Brits bring, there's no warmth, no smiles on the faces of bar owners, I will miss my holidays in Spain, I won't miss the European people though. But credit were it's due, brilliant images.'
Given none of the above, with the exception of voting remain, bears any resemblance to anything I have ever said, think or experienced then you’d be wrong. As usual. 😘
What makes Nato braindead? There's hardly anything new about military alliances throughout history. Rest assured if we don't wish to form such alliances some of our 'rivals' will. Does the alliance need to be re-thought? Probably. It's in its eighth decade after all. The main issue is that the US is doing the heavy lifting of European security. There is no sensible reason why this should be. The other problem is the 'attack on one is an attack on all' of article 5. Obviously Greece and Turkey aren't the best of friends and are we saying we would immediately jump to support Mr Erdogan in any military adventure he might wish to embark upon? So it could be reinvented in a looser format but I'm wary of those who simply wish to dismantle it.
Europe could take complete responsibility for its security with its own common defence partnership instead. I would hope that common interests in liberty, democracy, the rule of law and self determination would see a natural alliance form with North America that would look something like... Nato.
But maybe that is not what Macron wants? Perhaps he sees a world of competing power blocks like the US, China, India, Russia and Europe is simply another actor in such a world. Alliances are for nothing more than leveraging one's interests or playing other superpowers off against each other. Getting the English speakers out of European security, marginalising the views of East Europeans and restoring the 'brain' as it were of European security around a Franco-German axis. Perhaps such an alliance would be less concerned about Russian incursions in Ukraine or Belarus, they might even be prepared to appease Russia in the Baltics rather than defend 'interests' that are more costly than they are worth. It's an alternative view of European security. But not the only plausible one and give the current divisions in attitude to Ukraine it isn't clear that the new 'central powers' in Paris and Berlin would prevail.
I reckon that’s exactly what Macron is aiming for. A reduced Core Federal Europe with a totally coherent political identity and centralised foreign and defence policy. Theoretically the centre would be Brussels but in reality it would be Paris in charge of guns and diplomats but with Berlin doing the economic stuff, of necessity. And it would be French speaking.
It is also well-nigh impossible to achieve, even Berlin and Paris disagree on too much. But that is Macron’s aim. A mainland core EU run by the French and acting as a sort-of equal to the Anglo-Saxons and the Chinese, with the Russians floating about weirdly and the Indians on the rise
You can’t fault his ambition. And even if he fails, he will probably win more power for Paris and France
And which, by the way, isn't that far away from Ms Le Pen's vision for the EU.
I try and avoid touching politics on FB with a shitty stick, but it spurts out at every opportunity. Biggsy would be a good fit for here.
'Michael Biggs Brilliant images. I agree with Barrie Johnson though. War is a terrible thing. Not all Germans were Nazi's, but they had to be defeated. England sufffered huge loses in the Battle of Britain, cities like London, Coventry and Sheffield were heavily bombed, I am from Sheffield so I know what my home city suffered. Britains war debt was only paid off a few years ago, Germany had no war debt, and was rebuilt, it makes one wonder who actually came out the best from the war. I think the term 'British terror bombing' is very harsh. Europeans views on the British is one of the reasons that Brexit happened, I didn't vote for it myself, but there has always been a heavy bias against the British from the Europeans. My mother owned an apartment in Albir, Spain. We holidayed there every year for the last 21 years, and we could feel the anymosity every year. The Spanish and other Europeans didn't want us there, bars and restuarants just want the money the Brits bring, there's no warmth, no smiles on the faces of bar owners, I will miss my holidays in Spain, I won't miss the European people though. But credit were it's due, brilliant images.'
I try and avoid touching politics on FB with a shitty stick, but it spurts out at every opportunity. Biggsy would be a good fit for here.
'Michael Biggs Brilliant images. I agree with Barrie Johnson though. War is a terrible thing. Not all Germans were Nazi's, but they had to be defeated. England sufffered huge loses in the Battle of Britain, cities like London, Coventry and Sheffield were heavily bombed, I am from Sheffield so I know what my home city suffered. Britains war debt was only paid off a few years ago, Germany had no war debt, and was rebuilt, it makes one wonder who actually came out the best from the war. I think the term 'British terror bombing' is very harsh. Europeans views on the British is one of the reasons that Brexit happened, I didn't vote for it myself, but there has always been a heavy bias against the British from the Europeans. My mother owned an apartment in Albir, Spain. We holidayed there every year for the last 21 years, and we could feel the anymosity every year. The Spanish and other Europeans didn't want us there, bars and restuarants just want the money the Brits bring, there's no warmth, no smiles on the faces of bar owners, I will miss my holidays in Spain, I won't miss the European people though. But credit were it's due, brilliant images.'
There's a certain amount of projection in that post.
Macron is also surprisingly firm in the Culture Wars. When the statues started falling, he gave a speech to the French people saying, Very Sternly, “not a single statue in the French Republic will fall, they are our patrimony”
And, as far as I know - I am happy to be corrected - his promise has been fulfilled
Yes, both @Casino_Royale and I have made that point and if it wasn't for his general obnoxiousness I'd be pretty happy with him as PM here tbh. I'd rate him far ahead of Boris on economic and cultural issues. He's got the ability and confidence to say "shut the fuck up" to whining wokists.
I also think he's got an innate understanding of how wokism is making the west weak. China terms it as white liberalism, but essentially it is weakness.
Boris has the right instincts on Woke but is too emotionally needy and weirdly feeble to follow through. I have finally - belatedly - realised this. He’s terrifically bright and often sees the bigger picture but he hasn’t got the backbone to Really Do Anything. Apart from Brexit, which he won and then concluded with his bravado. But bravado is not enough for a long career at the top
Boris is like some hero on a battlefield who takes on the Tiger tanks armed only with his derring-do and a sense of destiny, and maybe some small grenades. But heroes are meant to die, quite soon after their acts, if not during. As Greek myth tells us.
Mythologically and politically he is doomed
In the medium term someone like Macron is preferable. Macron also has an astute vision of the future, as you say. His prescient prediction that “NATO is brain dead” is perhaps about to be tested. I fear it will be proved correct
I think Boris has underestimated the damage wokism is doing to western nations. Companies, governments and charities are paralysed in fear of criticising anything or anyone that might not be white, straight and male (with an actual cock and balls). It allows China to get away with genocide, it allows Middle Eastern countries to restart slave auctions and sex offending men into women's prisons because they say they're women.
There's a lack of confidence across the west, yet Macron is someone who has successfully stood up to the nonsense. Boris could have done but he's useless, and as you say heroes die in the best stories, the ultimate or final sacrifice in order to save everyone else. Boris is past his time, his usefulness has passed now that Brexit is delivered, he needs to make the sacrifice in order to ensure it isn't unwound by a Labour/SNP government in 2024.
You and Leon just need to turn off GB News. You would both be so much more relaxed and realise woke is just a manufactured crock...
They sound like two great aunts at a wedding whispering in a corner "What does she think she's come as?"
Now you've got me wonder, just what great actor should play the role of Leon as Great Aunt?
FPT. Well done to TSE slipping in 'tergiversation' into his header. It had me beaten. Ad agencies used to play a game where the account director would be given a random word which he or she would have to slip into their client presentation. That would have been a winner
Talking of words anyone know what an "RW voter' is as used by Mr Ed in the previous thread?
Does 'Red Wall voter' fit?
I don't think so. Mr Ed said he would know because he's a RW voter. Would someone adit to being a red wall voter voluntarily?
Woke people, why not extend an olive branch to older conservatives by allowing them to include their preferred units of measurement alongside their preferred pronouns? Now everybody's happy.
Oh you already answered in old thread. I’ll stop trolling then.
The French Elections the most important one.
Unless there’s a Tory leader election. 🙂
The French will probably again mak wrong call.
Whoever wins, they will be French 💁♀️
Who was the last French president who was (a) not a crook and (b) any actual good? Am I being harsh in suggesting pretty much the only one who ticks both columns is Adolphe Thiers?
Charles de Gaulle?
Think he passes the "I'm not a crook" test (which author of phrase did NOT).
As for whether or not he was actually any good, despite obvious demerits, and reasonable debate over what "good" actually means, think on balance he more than makes the grade.
As I noted above, I consider people who deliberately engineer massive instability and military reverses to seize power in a coup while pretending to support the constitution and the civilian government do *not* pass that test.
See what you mean, though personally do NOT think CdG was guilty as charged. Certainly he did NOT "deliberately engineer . . . military reverses". And as with "massive instability" that was mostly function of others as well as the 3rd > 4th Republic, neither of which he had much do with IIRC.
He claimed he had nothing to do with them.
I would remind you Anthony Eden claimed the same over Suez. About as convincingly.
The only real difference is we now have proof Eden was lying.
What is evidence that de Gaulle did "deliberately engineer massive instability and military reverses"?
With respect to Eden, think you are referring to contemporary claims by British and French govts that the had nothing to do with Israeli invasion of Sinai? That of course was a lie, as was proven IIRC very shortly after Anglo-Frano "intervention".
There was nothing contemporary about it! Eden was still claiming it in his memoirs. And it wasn't finally proved until the Australian intelligence archives were opened in the mid 1980s, although by then everyone knew perfectly well what had happened.
As for de Gaulle not being involved, are you suggesting that a load of his friends and admirers just happened to launch a series of mutinies and order an invasion of Corsica before threatening to invade the mainland and capture Paris off their own bats just after he decided that he had had enough of the Fourth Republic he had helped refound?
Coincidences can happen of course...
You make some good points. Though "just after" is I think chronologically incorrect, as CdG's break with 4th Republic arguably dated to 1946 when he resigned as head of French government.
Woke people, why not extend an olive branch to older conservatives by allowing them to include their preferred units of measurement alongside their preferred pronouns? Now everybody's happy.
FPT. Well done to TSE slipping in 'tergiversation' into his header. It had me beaten. Ad agencies used to play a game where the account director would be given a random word which he or she would have to slip into their client presentation. That would have been a winner
Talking of words anyone know what an "RW voter' is as used by Mr Ed in the previous thread?
Does 'Red Wall voter' fit?
I don't think so. Mr Ed said he would know because he's a RW voter. Would someone adit to being a red wall voter voluntarily?
I'm a voter in a red wall area, albeit not (via the wider Cannock Chase) a red wall seat. And I didn't vote for Johnson or Corbyn.
As @IlvesToomas has pointed out, Ukrainians have visa free travel to the EU. If 3 or 4 million show up at the Polish border they have to be welcomed in. There won’t be a border crisis, but yes there will be a refugee crisis - in case people think this has nothing to do with us...
I certainly hope notion of cancelling visa free the moment missiles and bombers cross the border is not being contemplated…
Oh you already answered in old thread. I’ll stop trolling then.
The French Elections the most important one.
Unless there’s a Tory leader election. 🙂
The French will probably again mak wrong call.
Whoever wins, they will be French 💁♀️
Who was the last French president who was (a) not a crook and (b) any actual good? Am I being harsh in suggesting pretty much the only one who ticks both columns is Adolphe Thiers?
Charles de Gaulle?
Think he passes the "I'm not a crook" test (which author of phrase did NOT).
As for whether or not he was actually any good, despite obvious demerits, and reasonable debate over what "good" actually means, think on balance he more than makes the grade.
As I noted above, I consider people who deliberately engineer massive instability and military reverses to seize power in a coup while pretending to support the constitution and the civilian government do *not* pass that test.
See what you mean, though personally do NOT think CdG was guilty as charged. Certainly he did NOT "deliberately engineer . . . military reverses". And as with "massive instability" that was mostly function of others as well as the 3rd > 4th Republic, neither of which he had much do with IIRC.
He claimed he had nothing to do with them.
I would remind you Anthony Eden claimed the same over Suez. About as convincingly.
The only real difference is we now have proof Eden was lying.
What is evidence that de Gaulle did "deliberately engineer massive instability and military reverses"?
With respect to Eden, think you are referring to contemporary claims by British and French govts that the had nothing to do with Israeli invasion of Sinai? That of course was a lie, as was proven IIRC very shortly after Anglo-Frano "intervention".
There was nothing contemporary about it! Eden was still claiming it in his memoirs. And it wasn't finally proved until the Australian intelligence archives were opened in the mid 1980s, although by then everyone knew perfectly well what had happened.
As for de Gaulle not being involved, are you suggesting that a load of his friends and admirers just happened to launch a series of mutinies and order an invasion of Corsica before threatening to invade the mainland and capture Paris off their own bats just after he decided that he had had enough of the Fourth Republic he had helped refound?
Coincidences can happen of course...
You make some good points. Though "just after" is I think chronologically incorrect, as CdG's break with 4th Republic arguably dated to 1946 when he resigned as head of French government.
'Breaking with' and 'having had enough of' are two different things. The first was a withdrawal in a typical fit of pique, the second involved his announcing he would 'serve France if asked' (as dictator while he drew up a constitution which just happened to give him similar powers).
I doubt if it will ever be proved frankly - unlike Eden he would have done this by word of mouth - but personally I'm in no doubt he engineered the whole thing.
Woke people, why not extend an olive branch to older conservatives by allowing them to include their preferred units of measurement alongside their preferred pronouns? Now everybody's happy.
FPT. Well done to TSE slipping in 'tergiversation' into his header. It had me beaten. Ad agencies used to play a game where the account director would be given a random word which he or she would have to slip into their client presentation. That would have been a winner
Talking of words anyone know what an "RW voter' is as used by Mr Ed in the previous thread?
We used to play the same game in annual business reviews. The word that never got through was "suddenly" as in "suddenly, market share fell" - while this was not an infrequent occurrence it always had to be dressed up in marketing speak "in line with aggressive competitive pricing and marketing activity share declined in line with historical precedent",when of course, what had actually happened was "suddenly, market share fell".
For many years I was a talking head on business programmes that were broadcast live while the markets were open (Bloomberg, CNN etc). Traders would give me a word that I would have to get into the interview, and a pint or two might change hands, depending on the difficulty of the word. I think my greatest triumph was "Crepuscular", which was apparently greeted with a cheer back on the floor, and a very jolly evening later on.
A girlfriend of mine at the time and an account exec said her biggest achievement was 'Semen' in a presentation for a well known dog food.
Macron is also surprisingly firm in the Culture Wars. When the statues started falling, he gave a speech to the French people saying, Very Sternly, “not a single statue in the French Republic will fall, they are our patrimony”
And, as far as I know - I am happy to be corrected - his promise has been fulfilled
Yes, both @Casino_Royale and I have made that point and if it wasn't for his general obnoxiousness I'd be pretty happy with him as PM here tbh. I'd rate him far ahead of Boris on economic and cultural issues. He's got the ability and confidence to say "shut the fuck up" to whining wokists.
I also think he's got an innate understanding of how wokism is making the west weak. China terms it as white liberalism, but essentially it is weakness.
Boris has the right instincts on Woke but is too emotionally needy and weirdly feeble to follow through. I have finally - belatedly - realised this. He’s terrifically bright and often sees the bigger picture but he hasn’t got the backbone to Really Do Anything. Apart from Brexit, which he won and then concluded with his bravado. But bravado is not enough for a long career at the top
Boris is like some hero on a battlefield who takes on the Tiger tanks armed only with his derring-do and a sense of destiny, and maybe some small grenades. But heroes are meant to die, quite soon after their acts, if not during. As Greek myth tells us.
Mythologically and politically he is doomed
In the medium term someone like Macron is preferable. Macron also has an astute vision of the future, as you say. His prescient prediction that “NATO is brain dead” is perhaps about to be tested. I fear it will be proved correct
I think Boris has underestimated the damage wokism is doing to western nations. Companies, governments and charities are paralysed in fear of criticising anything or anyone that might not be white, straight and male (with an actual cock and balls). It allows China to get away with genocide, it allows Middle Eastern countries to restart slave auctions and sex offending men into women's prisons because they say they're women.
There's a lack of confidence across the west, yet Macron is someone who has successfully stood up to the nonsense. Boris could have done but he's useless, and as you say heroes die in the best stories, the ultimate or final sacrifice in order to save everyone else. Boris is past his time, his usefulness has passed now that Brexit is delivered, he needs to make the sacrifice in order to ensure it isn't unwound by a Labour/SNP government in 2024.
You and Leon just need to turn off GB News. You would both be so much more relaxed and realise woke is just a manufactured crock...
They sound like two great aunts at a wedding whispering in a corner "What does she think she's come as?"
Now you've got me wonder, just what great actor should play the role of Leon as Great Aunt?
Macron is also surprisingly firm in the Culture Wars. When the statues started falling, he gave a speech to the French people saying, Very Sternly, “not a single statue in the French Republic will fall, they are our patrimony”
And, as far as I know - I am happy to be corrected - his promise has been fulfilled
Yes, both @Casino_Royale and I have made that point and if it wasn't for his general obnoxiousness I'd be pretty happy with him as PM here tbh. I'd rate him far ahead of Boris on economic and cultural issues. He's got the ability and confidence to say "shut the fuck up" to whining wokists.
I also think he's got an innate understanding of how wokism is making the west weak. China terms it as white liberalism, but essentially it is weakness.
Boris has the right instincts on Woke but is too emotionally needy and weirdly feeble to follow through. I have finally - belatedly - realised this. He’s terrifically bright and often sees the bigger picture but he hasn’t got the backbone to Really Do Anything. Apart from Brexit, which he won and then concluded with his bravado. But bravado is not enough for a long career at the top
Boris is like some hero on a battlefield who takes on the Tiger tanks armed only with his derring-do and a sense of destiny, and maybe some small grenades. But heroes are meant to die, quite soon after their acts, if not during. As Greek myth tells us.
Mythologically and politically he is doomed
In the medium term someone like Macron is preferable. Macron also has an astute vision of the future, as you say. His prescient prediction that “NATO is brain dead” is perhaps about to be tested. I fear it will be proved correct
I think Boris has underestimated the damage wokism is doing to western nations. Companies, governments and charities are paralysed in fear of criticising anything or anyone that might not be white, straight and male (with an actual cock and balls). It allows China to get away with genocide, it allows Middle Eastern countries to restart slave auctions and sex offending men into women's prisons because they say they're women.
There's a lack of confidence across the west, yet Macron is someone who has successfully stood up to the nonsense. Boris could have done but he's useless, and as you say heroes die in the best stories, the ultimate or final sacrifice in order to save everyone else. Boris is past his time, his usefulness has passed now that Brexit is delivered, he needs to make the sacrifice in order to ensure it isn't unwound by a Labour/SNP government in 2024.
You and Leon just need to turn off GB News. You would both be so much more relaxed and realise woke is just a manufactured crock...
They sound like two great aunts at a wedding whispering in a corner "What does she think she's come as?"
Now you've got me wonder, just what great actor should play the role of Leon as Great Aunt?
Rutger Hauer.
IF we could bring the dead back to life, my own choice to play Leon as Great Aunt would be the late, great Dame Diana Rigg.
IF not, then Dame Judi Dench.
ADDENDUM - another possible from ranks of deceased would be Jonathan Winters. Except I fear he is (was) much too wholesome for the part?
What makes Nato braindead? There's hardly anything new about military alliances throughout history. Rest assured if we don't wish to form such alliances some of our 'rivals' will. Does the alliance need to be re-thought? Probably. It's in its eighth decade after all. The main issue is that the US is doing the heavy lifting of European security. There is no sensible reason why this should be. The other problem is the 'attack on one is an attack on all' of article 5. Obviously Greece and Turkey aren't the best of friends and are we saying we would immediately jump to support Mr Erdogan in any military adventure he might wish to embark upon? So it could be reinvented in a looser format but I'm wary of those who simply wish to dismantle it.
Europe could take complete responsibility for its security with its own common defence partnership instead. I would hope that common interests in liberty, democracy, the rule of law and self determination would see a natural alliance form with North America that would look something like... Nato.
But maybe that is not what Macron wants? Perhaps he sees a world of competing power blocks like the US, China, India, Russia and Europe is simply another actor in such a world. Alliances are for nothing more than leveraging one's interests or playing other superpowers off against each other. Getting the English speakers out of European security, marginalising the views of East Europeans and restoring the 'brain' as it were of European security around a Franco-German axis. Perhaps such an alliance would be less concerned about Russian incursions in Ukraine or Belarus, they might even be prepared to appease Russia in the Baltics rather than defend 'interests' that are more costly than they are worth. It's an alternative view of European security. But not the only plausible one and give the current divisions in attitude to Ukraine it isn't clear that the new 'central powers' in Paris and Berlin would prevail.
I reckon that’s exactly what Macron is aiming for. A reduced Core Federal Europe with a totally coherent political identity and centralised foreign and defence policy. Theoretically the centre would be Brussels but in reality it would be Paris in charge of guns and diplomats but with Berlin doing the economic stuff, of necessity. And it would be French speaking.
It is also well-nigh impossible to achieve, even Berlin and Paris disagree on too much. But that is Macron’s aim. A mainland core EU run by the French and acting as a sort-of equal to the Anglo-Saxons and the Chinese, with the Russians floating about weirdly and the Indians on the rise
You can’t fault his ambition. And even if he fails, he will probably win more power for Paris and France
And which, by the way, isn't that far away from Ms Le Pen's vision for the EU.
The problem with that vision is that the Germans, while trying not to get into Big Power politics, in fact have done so. Quite a bit.
1) Russia invades Ukraine. 2) Germany goes forward with a contract to equip and train the Russian Army. 3) Russia threatens Ukraine again. 4) Germany says that areas sales to Ukraine are impossible.
Now, the Germans will say, it's not like that, governments have changed etc etc. But the fact remains that they have made military choices. And military interventions.
Comments
It's been remarkably flexible over the years.
Albanese is basically another Mark Latham, despite early Latham poll leads Howard beat Latham easily enough in 2004
https://news.sky.com/story/jamie-oliver-employs-cultural-appropriation-specialists-to-avoid-potential-recipe-insensitivities-12523458
It is also well-nigh impossible to achieve, even Berlin and Paris disagree on too much. But that is Macron’s aim. A mainland core EU run by the French and acting as a sort-of equal to the Anglo-Saxons and the Chinese, with the Russians floating about weirdly and the Indians on the rise
You can’t fault his ambition. And even if he fails, he will probably win more power for Paris and France
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/jan/23/taxpayer-to-pay-former-post-office-workers-up-to-1bn-compensation
He wouldn't survive the change of regime, and he knows it. So it's not surprising he's ignoring his job to save his, er, job.
Especially since he's gone native over HS2.
Hint in HS2 can have tunnels through the countryside in the chilterns you can do the same in cities.
110% Dutch.
De Gaulle had one, two, maybe three great periods on the national scene. Father of the nation stuff. Britain could learn a lot about De Gaulle’s hawk-eyed defence of his country’s interests.
SNP strength is in part due to Labour/LD weakness. The Tories meanwhile have an unbreachable ceiling in Scotland.
But in any case, 'going native' could include seeing everything from the Treasury's point of view.
1) He had shot at De Gaulle's wife.
2) He had endangered civilians.
3) He had brought foreigners into the plot.
4) Thiry hadn't done the actual shooting himself, but directed it.
Talking of words anyone know what an "RW voter' is as used by Mr Ed in the previous thread?
Advice to northern wealth-makers: immigrate.
or
Real Wanker
The Tories may soon discover the same truths in the Home Counties and shires
The Liberals dominated British politics… until they basically disappeared. And so on.
In the next 30 years Scotland could go Indy, or it could go Tory. Neither is likely (to my mind), neither is impossible, even if the latter seems outlandish and the former plausible, as of this moment
And JFK had many faults, more indeed than you list, which did include electoral fraud, but he was never accused of launching a coup.
Although I will admit de Gaulle was a very talented individual in many ways, and also forceful and a devious general and politician. He was a superior figure to Kennedy, but his faults were superior as well.
This is interesting (in the wrong way, alas):
https://www.postofficescandal.uk/post/the-1bn-disaster
Cases. Flat, with sone small rises in some areas. These rises are in the 0-14 group - the older groups are still falling, slowly.
Admissions - down. R is falling substantially.
MV beds - down.
In hospital - down
Deaths - flat, though there is a hint of a fall.
EDIT - except of course 1958 coup, though worth noting that this was affirmed by majority of French electorate in a free vote.
Indeed, bears some similarities to Glorious Revolution, also a (mostly) bloodless coup, that arguably (except from Jacobite perspective obviously) increased English / British political stability AND efficacy.
I would remind you Anthony Eden claimed the same over Suez. About as convincingly.
The only real difference is we now have proof Eden was lying.
During his trial, he claimed he intended to kidnap de Gaulle, not kill him. Asked how he intended to confine the President, Bastien-Thiry replied, "We would just have taken away his spectacles and braces." His defense lawyer was heard to mutter, "he has just signed his own death warrant," as it was much anticipated that while de Gaulle might have pardoned an assassin, he would not pardon an assassin who publicly mocked him.
In USA, no. But in South Vietnam, hell yes. Quite ironic.
La Vie en Bleu by Rod Kedward is superb on 20th century French politics.
With respect to Eden, think you are referring to contemporary claims by British and French govts that the had nothing to do with Israeli invasion of Sinai? That of course was a lie, as was proven IIRC very shortly after Anglo-Frano "intervention".
It just seems to be a few irate people on social media he is reacting to. It’s hardly pissing off his customers most of whom won’t care and will buy his books anyway.
I wonder where this crap will end. I’ve got Dan Toombs curry bible. It’s a great book. I can see a time when a book like that would not be published for such a nonsensical reason.
As for de Gaulle not being involved, are you suggesting that a load of his friends and admirers just happened to launch a series of mutinies and order an invasion of Corsica before threatening to invade the mainland and capture Paris off their own bats just after he decided that he had had enough of the Fourth Republic he had helped refound?
Coincidences can happen of course...
Petit-Clamart may well have not been an OAS thing - more an attempt by generals inside the French military to get rid of a man they'd come to hate.
'Michael Biggs
Brilliant images. I agree with Barrie Johnson though. War is a terrible thing. Not all Germans were Nazi's, but they had to be defeated. England sufffered huge loses in the Battle of Britain, cities like London, Coventry and Sheffield were heavily bombed, I am from Sheffield so I know what my home city suffered. Britains war debt was only paid off a few years ago, Germany had no war debt, and was rebuilt, it makes one wonder who actually came out the best from the war. I think the term 'British terror bombing' is very harsh. Europeans views on the British is one of the reasons that Brexit happened, I didn't vote for it myself, but there has always been a heavy bias against the British from the Europeans. My mother owned an apartment in Albir, Spain. We holidayed there every year for the last 21 years, and we could feel the anymosity every year. The Spanish and other Europeans didn't want us there, bars and restuarants just want the money the Brits bring, there's no warmth, no smiles on the faces of bar owners, I will miss my holidays in Spain, I won't miss the European people though. But credit were it's due, brilliant images.'
Rory Sutherland @rorysutherland
Woke people, why not extend an olive branch to older conservatives by allowing them to include their preferred units of measurement alongside their preferred pronouns? Now everybody's happy.
Rory Sutherland (he/him/Fahrenheit/furlongs/stone)
Fe/Fi/Fo
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ngo_Dinh_Diem
EDIT - Can be argued that JFK did not "launch" the coup vs Diem, just made decision NOT to intervene to stop it.
Which under circumstances was tantamount to a green light from the White House.
(especially as the latter is VERY generous ...)
Does that count?
I certainly hope notion of cancelling visa free the moment missiles and bombers cross the border is not being contemplated…
https://twitter.com/MacaesBruno/status/1485327416620982274?s=20
Meanwhile, in Berlin......
I doubt if it will ever be proved frankly - unlike Eden he would have done this by word of mouth - but personally I'm in no doubt he engineered the whole thing.
IF not, then Dame Judi Dench.
ADDENDUM - another possible from ranks of deceased would be Jonathan Winters. Except I fear he is (was) much too wholesome for the part?
Hence the https://www.rheinmetall-defence.com/en/rheinmetall_defence/public_relations/news/archiv/archive2016/index~1_1219.php - it is all very well to say that this was purely a commercial decision. But it is in fact a strategic, military move.
In Eastern Europe, for example, they see
1) Russia invades Ukraine.
2) Germany goes forward with a contract to equip and train the Russian Army.
3) Russia threatens Ukraine again.
4) Germany says that areas sales to Ukraine are impossible.
Now, the Germans will say, it's not like that, governments have changed etc etc. But the fact remains that they have made military choices. And military interventions.