"the despicable propaganda and the utter hate now being poured over the entire civilised world".
wow, it is a surprisingly honest summary of how the conflict is being covered by Western media.
If you actually watch and understand Russian media, you will realise how totally inappropriate this sarky comment truly is.
oh, yes, of course, only the self-appointed Western 'democracies' possess the remarkable privilege of always being right. This should be written in stone in the Charter of the United Nations.
Wow.
You're back. And with a different IP address that's also (amazingly) blacklisted.
So either:
(a) Your computer is compromised by hackers, and you should wipe it and start over with better security protocols
or
(b) You are actually sitting in a windowless room someone and being paid to post.
So far - about an hour - America is also stupidly expensive. I just had two glasses of OK Chilean red wine. £35 including tip
Wtf.
And this is in a significantly shit airport terminal
The same at Luton would have been half the price. And served with greater skill and speed
America you need to shape up or I’m gonna have a word
F*ck me, not another travel-writing jolly that you'll moan about endlessly on here before producing a glowing puff-piece in the Torygraph, Times, Speccie or wherever?
Tories suspend candidate over anti-Catholic comments
Greg Turner, who is standing to become a councillor in East Renfrewshire referred to a local Catholic high school as a "bigot factory," and described Catholics as "papes".
According to the Daily Record, The Tory was behind a profile known as "MearnsUnionist".
The Herald says "popular online football discussion board". A quick check suggests one whose typical members are rather famous for defecating in the woods.
Omnium, are you still on look out for Korean War books? Some I can recommend, in no particular order:
> Battle for Korea: The Associated Press History of the Korean Conflict ed. by Robert J Dvorchak > Korean War: An Oral History - Pusan to Chosen by Donald Knox [also at least one other volume] > The Coldest Winter: America and the Korean War by David Halberstam > Odd Man Out: Truman, Stalin, Mao, and the Origins of the Korean War by Richard C. Thornton > Truman and MacArthur: Policy, Politics and the Hunger for Honor and Renown by Michael D. Pearlman > Enter the Dragon: China's Undeclared War Against the US in Korea 1950-51 by Russell Spurr > Chosin: Heroic Ordeal of the Korean War by Eric Hammel > Give Me Tomorrow: The Korean War's Greatest Untold Story - The Epic Stand of the Marines of Charlie Company by Patrick K O'Donnell > Korean War Almanac ed by Harry G Summers > Encyclopedia of the Korean War: A Political, Social and Military History ed. by Spencer C Tucker Several Osprey monographs, only one I can vouch for is > Inchon: the Last Great Amphibious Assault by Gordon L Rottman
You will note this list is quite American-centric, also oriented to the first year of the war in general, and the Chosen Reservoir campaign featuring US Marine Corps, albeit with strong supporting role by Royal Marines (Task Force Drysdale). PLUS bravura performance by the People's Volunteer Army.
Thanks very much.
( Iwon't pick up on all of these, but some certainly. Just finishing Max Hastings' tome currently.)
Perhaps pick of my list are Halberstam (he wrote one of seminal American books of Vietnam War) and Enter the Dragon (gives rare in English, well-documented and very readable view from the other side).
It was in a terrible terrible mess last time I was there.
And yet, some of the loveliest people around.
I haven't been to America much since the 1990s when we went on family holidays. The main thing I can remember is how optimistic and cheerful everyone was at that time.
My carafe of utterly exquisite English white wine - in the fucking prunier caviar house FFS - in lovely gleaming LHR T5 - cost me less than 2 average glasses of Chilean cab sauv in a flaky badly run drinks bar in JFK T8
Just so you know. we're all rooting for you; your bravery in facing up to a life of unimaginable hardship is truly impressive.
Thanks. I feel I’m gonna need this moral support in the coming days of hellish quasi-freebies
It doesn’t get any cheaper when you leave the airport.
Family meal (2X adults, 2X kids) at family restaurant.
London, £40-£60* New York, $80-$120
*I am starting to forget the price of things in London which is perhaps merciful.
The hilarity is New York is cheap compared to Boston.
I can remember a time when New York was cheap for travellers with the pound. Sigh.
Under the Cheney-Bush administration, right (and correct)?
I was listening to a Finnish Social Democratic MP on the radio earlier. He was in Stockholm to inform the ongoing Swedish parliamentary enquiry into NATO membership (incidentally, now being hurried through and reporting mid-May not end-May).
He is personally skeptical about Finnish membership, but he said that it is pretty much a foregone conclusion that Finland will apply to join in the very near future. He said parliamentary support there is overwhelming. That will almost certainly heavily affect the debate in Sweden.
Then why is he skeptical about Finnish membership?
Overwhelming support does not equal unanimous support. Parliamentary unanimity in any legislature is rare. He did not expound his own reservations, but Nordic media is full of Pros n Cons type articles and shows. It’s a hot topic.
And also (pls correct if wrong) this is a HUGE sea change for Finns and Swedes, esp. on left side of spectrum.
And NOT just for lefties. But like the man sang, the times they are a'changing.
Yes. I don’t think I’m over-egging it to say that many Swedes are profoundly uncomfortable with NATO membership because it just seems so damned “un-Swedish”. We haven’t been at war for 200 years, and folks aren’t super-keen to change that record. This is not a left/right issue (all politics in Sweden is “left” anyway, even the so-called “conservatives”; nothing is more conservative in Sweden than social democracy).
Keir Starmer is facing the JC of the Tories in GE2024
At the moment I think the local election results will be sufficiently bad enough for the Tories to get rid of Johnson before the next GE.
In which case Con Maj 3.55 might start to look value.
It might, but there's a hell of a lot that could go wrong. When you have idiots like Steve Baker on your bench there's a good chance that things will go wrong.
The FT reporting the latest attempts by the cesspit in no 10 to cause more NI drama .
Quite extraordinary that this has been leaked ahead of the NI assembly elections and even worse the new legislation effectively rewards the Unionists if they refuse to enter the assembly post elections .
Which of course they won’t now seeing as they get want they want by not bothering .
To also start a fight with the EU at this time is beneath contempt even by the low bar set by this government.
My carafe of utterly exquisite English white wine - in the fucking prunier caviar house FFS - in lovely gleaming LHR T5 - cost me less than 2 average glasses of Chilean cab sauv in a flaky badly run drinks bar in JFK T8
Just so you know. we're all rooting for you; your bravery in facing up to a life of unimaginable hardship is truly impressive.
Thanks. I feel I’m gonna need this moral support in the coming days of hellish quasi-freebies
It doesn’t get any cheaper when you leave the airport.
Family meal (2X adults, 2X kids) at family restaurant.
London, £40-£60* New York, $80-$120
*I am starting to forget the price of things in London which is perhaps merciful.
The hilarity is New York is cheap compared to Boston.
I can remember a time when New York was cheap for travellers with the pound. Sigh.
Under the Cheney-Bush administration, right (and correct)?
Yes, and even first term Obama.
That kind of phenomenon is termed a "bow wave" in US governator slang
So far - about an hour - America is also stupidly expensive. I just had two glasses of OK Chilean red wine. £35 including tip
Wtf.
And this is in a significantly shit airport terminal
The same at Luton would have been half the price. And served with greater skill and speed
America you need to shape up or I’m gonna have a word
F*ck me, not another travel-writing jolly that you'll moan about endlessly on here before producing a glowing puff-piece in the Torygraph, Times, Speccie or wherever?
Police delay Partygate fine updates until after May local elections Met spokesman says investigations to continue but further information will not be released until after 5 May
If Boris goes soon, it’s Truss v Javid. Both can probably steady the ship, though it’s hard to see either tackling the cost of living crisis.
I don’t think Wallace wants it, though he could get it if he really went for it.
Zahawi might be a wild card.
Neither the membership nor the parliamentary party nor the country want Raab or Patel or Rishi or Gove. They are all busted flushes.
I don’t know why people keep ramping Hunt or Tugendhat. Only Brexiters (or apostate Brexiters, like Truss) need apply.
I think you over estimate the importance of Brexit in this. Brexit is done. Hunt is a reasonable punt. Experienced, has performed well in the health committee and seemingly not an idiot.
Bit embarrassing for the Scottish Conservatives and has probably scotched their chances of being the largest party in East Renfrewshire although the SNP-Lab-Ind coalition was likely to continue anyway.
If Boris goes soon, it’s Truss v Javid. Both can probably steady the ship, though it’s hard to see either tackling the cost of living crisis.
I don’t think Wallace wants it, though he could get it if he really went for it.
Zahawi might be a wild card.
Neither the membership nor the parliamentary party nor the country want Raab or Patel or Rishi or Gove. They are all busted flushes.
I don’t know why people keep ramping Hunt or Tugendhat. Only Brexiters (or apostate Brexiters, like Truss) need apply.
I think you over estimate the importance of Brexit in this. Brexit is done. Hunt is a reasonable punt. Experienced, has performed well in the health committee and seemingly not an idiot.
Easily the most impressive senior Tory these days. It would be mad to elect anyone else.
"the despicable propaganda and the utter hate now being poured over the entire civilised world".
wow, it is a surprisingly honest summary of how the conflict is being covered by Western media.
If you actually watch and understand Russian media, you will realise how totally inappropriate this sarky comment truly is.
oh, yes, of course, only the self-appointed Western 'democracies' possess the remarkable privilege of always being right. This should be written in stone in the Charter of the United Nations.
d-d
I do hope you are not being paid for your efforts here, because if you are, your employers are entitled to their money back.
So far - about an hour - America is also stupidly expensive. I just had two glasses of OK Chilean red wine. £35 including tip
Wtf.
And this is in a significantly shit airport terminal
The same at Luton would have been half the price. And served with greater skill and speed
America you need to shape up or I’m gonna have a word
F*ck me, not another travel-writing jolly that you'll moan about endlessly on here before producing a glowing puff-piece in the Torygraph, Times, Speccie or wherever?
The Fruity One goes to the Big Apple.
Big Liar says he hates dysfunctional pile of rubbish USA and loves the beautiful wonderful EU.
Police delay Partygate fine updates until after May local elections Met spokesman says investigations to continue but further information will not be released until after 5 May
Prolonging the Tory agony.
Also underlining to those paying attention (including rather incredibly most Tory MPs) that things will NOT get better for Boris Johnson's Conservatives AFTER the May locals. Just worse.
Bit embarrassing for the Scottish Conservatives and has probably scotched their chances of being the largest party in East Renfrewshire although the SNP-Lab-Ind coalition was likely to continue anyway.
Starmer says SLab aren’t allowed to re-enter coalitions with the SNP.
Bit embarrassing for the Scottish Conservatives and has probably scotched their chances of being the largest party in East Renfrewshire although the SNP-Lab-Ind coalition was likely to continue anyway.
Starmer says SLab aren’t allowed to re-enter coalitions with the SNP.
If Boris goes soon, it’s Truss v Javid. Both can probably steady the ship, though it’s hard to see either tackling the cost of living crisis.
I don’t think Wallace wants it, though he could get it if he really went for it.
Zahawi might be a wild card.
Neither the membership nor the parliamentary party nor the country want Raab or Patel or Rishi or Gove. They are all busted flushes.
I don’t know why people keep ramping Hunt or Tugendhat. Only Brexiters (or apostate Brexiters, like Truss) need apply.
I think you over estimate the importance of Brexit in this. Brexit is done. Hunt is a reasonable punt. Experienced, has performed well in the health committee and seemingly not an idiot.
Picking Hunt would be the Conservatives saying "yes, we ballsed up in 2019". Whilst that's true, I'm not sure the party is ready to say that to itself yet.
In the same way as that Major was chosen to be continuity Maggie without the bits that got in everyone's nerves by 1990, I can see the Conservatives going for Johnson without the Johnson, so to speak. Which with Sunak invalided out, looks like Truss.
Bit embarrassing for the Scottish Conservatives and has probably scotched their chances of being the largest party in East Renfrewshire although the SNP-Lab-Ind coalition was likely to continue anyway.
I don’t know why people keep ramping Hunt or Tugendhat. Only Brexiters (or apostate Brexiters, like Truss) need apply.
That was the case in the last leadership election, but the next one will be fought in massively different circumstances.
For a start, Remain is no longer an option.
I am not convinced the Tory Party are ready yet.
Brexit is not just a “policy” it’s a whole worldview. The Tories (and certainly the membership) are still too intoxicated by the Brexit fever dream.
Don’t agree with this. To most Brexit is done and dusted. There are ongoing trade deals, but there always will be. But we have left the eu, no more money is being paid to the eu coffers to spend moving parliament every six months (or whatever it was).
Bit embarrassing for the Scottish Conservatives and has probably scotched their chances of being the largest party in East Renfrewshire although the SNP-Lab-Ind coalition was likely to continue anyway.
Starmer says SLab aren’t allowed to re-enter coalitions with the SNP.
Are they allowed to reenter coalitions with the Tories, btw? And what's happening with the Aberdeen Labourites?
Of course! Pamela Nash was after telling Labour supporters to vote Con. That’s a clear breach of Labour Party rules. Will she be suspended? Will she hell. They’re all at it.
Bit embarrassing for the Scottish Conservatives and has probably scotched their chances of being the largest party in East Renfrewshire although the SNP-Lab-Ind coalition was likely to continue anyway.
Starmer says SLab aren’t allowed to re-enter coalitions with the SNP.
Bit embarrassing for the Scottish Conservatives and has probably scotched their chances of being the largest party in East Renfrewshire although the SNP-Lab-Ind coalition was likely to continue anyway.
Starmer says SLab aren’t allowed to re-enter coalitions with the SNP.
Are they allowed to reenter coalitions with the Tories, btw? And what's happening with the Aberdeen Labourites?
Of course! Pamela Nash was after telling Labour supporters to vote Con. That’s a clear breach of Labour Party rules. Will she be suspended? Will she hell. They’re all at it.
Doing an Ian Murray? Hmm. And when Slab actually seems to be winning. I'm sure SKS is impressed.
Bit embarrassing for the Scottish Conservatives and has probably scotched their chances of being the largest party in East Renfrewshire although the SNP-Lab-Ind coalition was likely to continue anyway.
Starmer says SLab aren’t allowed to re-enter coalitions with the SNP.
So at a time when western unity is important and the international rules based system is breaking down no 10 have decided to put forward legislation that will if passed break international law !
Keir Starmer is facing the JC of the Tories in GE2024
At the moment I think the local election results will be sufficiently bad enough for the Tories to get rid of Johnson before the next GE.
I suspect quite a few Tory MPs were waiting for May, or hoping to, before acting. A shitshow would certainly give cover.
While also sacrificing many hard working, community minded, local councillors.
Shame on them
Well yes, but you have to factor in not wanting to give the opposition a scalp. If he is forced out by the opposition then they claim a win. I think the more they call for it, the more it stiffens the resolve.
Omnium, are you still on look out for Korean War books? Some I can recommend, in no particular order:
> Battle for Korea: The Associated Press History of the Korean Conflict ed. by Robert J Dvorchak > Korean War: An Oral History - Pusan to Chosen by Donald Knox [also at least one other volume] > The Coldest Winter: America and the Korean War by David Halberstam > Odd Man Out: Truman, Stalin, Mao, and the Origins of the Korean War by Richard C. Thornton > Truman and MacArthur: Policy, Politics and the Hunger for Honor and Renown by Michael D. Pearlman > Enter the Dragon: China's Undeclared War Against the US in Korea 1950-51 by Russell Spurr > Chosin: Heroic Ordeal of the Korean War by Eric Hammel > Give Me Tomorrow: The Korean War's Greatest Untold Story - The Epic Stand of the Marines of Charlie Company by Patrick K O'Donnell > Korean War Almanac ed by Harry G Summers > Encyclopedia of the Korean War: A Political, Social and Military History ed. by Spencer C Tucker Several Osprey monographs, only one I can vouch for is > Inchon: the Last Great Amphibious Assault by Gordon L Rottman
You will note this list is quite American-centric, also oriented to the first year of the war in general, and the Chosen Reservoir campaign featuring US Marine Corps, albeit with strong supporting role by Royal Marines (Task Force Drysdale). PLUS bravura performance by the People's Volunteer Army.
Thanks very much.
( Iwon't pick up on all of these, but some certainly. Just finishing Max Hastings' tome currently.)
David Halberstam's book on the Vietnam war was superb.
I don’t know why people keep ramping Hunt or Tugendhat. Only Brexiters (or apostate Brexiters, like Truss) need apply.
That was the case in the last leadership election, but the next one will be fought in massively different circumstances.
For a start, Remain is no longer an option.
I am not convinced the Tory Party are ready yet.
Brexit is not just a “policy” it’s a whole worldview. The Tories (and certainly the membership) are still too intoxicated by the Brexit fever dream.
Don’t agree with this. To most Brexit is done and dusted. There are ongoing trade deals, but there always will be. But we have left the eu, no more money is being paid to the eu coffers to spend moving parliament every six months (or whatever it was).
Tories still LOVE the Brexit Weltanshauung. Bashing foreigners, asylum seekers, the wokerati; railing against the iniquity of the Northern Ireland Protocol; pretending that the UK is outperforming the G7; believing that the country can achieve prosperity via freeports and still-yet-undefined “deregulation”.
They’d go for Lord Frost if it wasn’t for the inconvenient fact he is unelected.
Omnium, are you still on look out for Korean War books? Some I can recommend, in no particular order:
> Battle for Korea: The Associated Press History of the Korean Conflict ed. by Robert J Dvorchak > Korean War: An Oral History - Pusan to Chosen by Donald Knox [also at least one other volume] > The Coldest Winter: America and the Korean War by David Halberstam > Odd Man Out: Truman, Stalin, Mao, and the Origins of the Korean War by Richard C. Thornton > Truman and MacArthur: Policy, Politics and the Hunger for Honor and Renown by Michael D. Pearlman > Enter the Dragon: China's Undeclared War Against the US in Korea 1950-51 by Russell Spurr > Chosin: Heroic Ordeal of the Korean War by Eric Hammel > Give Me Tomorrow: The Korean War's Greatest Untold Story - The Epic Stand of the Marines of Charlie Company by Patrick K O'Donnell > Korean War Almanac ed by Harry G Summers > Encyclopedia of the Korean War: A Political, Social and Military History ed. by Spencer C Tucker Several Osprey monographs, only one I can vouch for is > Inchon: the Last Great Amphibious Assault by Gordon L Rottman
You will note this list is quite American-centric, also oriented to the first year of the war in general, and the Chosen Reservoir campaign featuring US Marine Corps, albeit with strong supporting role by Royal Marines (Task Force Drysdale). PLUS bravura performance by the People's Volunteer Army.
I don’t know why people keep ramping Hunt or Tugendhat. Only Brexiters (or apostate Brexiters, like Truss) need apply.
That was the case in the last leadership election, but the next one will be fought in massively different circumstances.
For a start, Remain is no longer an option.
I am not convinced the Tory Party are ready yet.
Brexit is not just a “policy” it’s a whole worldview. The Tories (and certainly the membership) are still too intoxicated by the Brexit fever dream.
Don’t agree with this. To most Brexit is done and dusted. There are ongoing trade deals, but there always will be. But we have left the eu, no more money is being paid to the eu coffers to spend moving parliament every six months (or whatever it was).
Tories still LOVE the Brexit Weltanshauung. Bashing foreigners, asylum seekers, the wokerati; railing against the iniquity of the Northern Ireland Protocol; pretending that the UK is outperforming the G7; believing that the country can achieve prosperity via freeports and still-yet-undefined “deregulation”.
They’d go for Lord Frost if it wasn’t for the inconvenient fact he is unelected.
Plus pounds and ounces, and poles and ells, and the supposed traditional British love of queuing, especially at Dover.
Is it "d_d" because he intends to make a complete tit of himself?
It must be hard to be a Russian Troll nowadays. Pretending that the raping, looting, murdering yet completely incompetent Russian army are winning, rather than being handed their arses is not easy to sustain for a long shift.
Still better to be in a troll farm than a BTG T72 cooking off hey?
I don’t know why people keep ramping Hunt or Tugendhat. Only Brexiters (or apostate Brexiters, like Truss) need apply.
That was the case in the last leadership election, but the next one will be fought in massively different circumstances.
For a start, Remain is no longer an option.
I am not convinced the Tory Party are ready yet.
Brexit is not just a “policy” it’s a whole worldview. The Tories (and certainly the membership) are still too intoxicated by the Brexit fever dream.
Don’t agree with this. To most Brexit is done and dusted. There are ongoing trade deals, but there always will be. But we have left the eu, no more money is being paid to the eu coffers to spend moving parliament every six months (or whatever it was).
Tories still LOVE the Brexit Weltanshauung. Bashing foreigners, asylum seekers, the wokerati; railing against the iniquity of the Northern Ireland Protocol; pretending that the UK is outperforming the G7; believing that the country can achieve prosperity via freeports and still-yet-undefined “deregulation”.
They’d go for Lord Frost if it wasn’t for the inconvenient fact he is unelected.
I don't know about anyone else, but I always find it totally convincing when someone who dislikes a party extemporises about what that party's membership will do.
I don’t know why people keep ramping Hunt or Tugendhat. Only Brexiters (or apostate Brexiters, like Truss) need apply.
That was the case in the last leadership election, but the next one will be fought in massively different circumstances.
For a start, Remain is no longer an option.
I am not convinced the Tory Party are ready yet.
Brexit is not just a “policy” it’s a whole worldview. The Tories (and certainly the membership) are still too intoxicated by the Brexit fever dream.
Don’t agree with this. To most Brexit is done and dusted. There are ongoing trade deals, but there always will be. But we have left the eu, no more money is being paid to the eu coffers to spend moving parliament every six months (or whatever it was).
Tories still LOVE the Brexit Weltanshauung. Bashing foreigners, asylum seekers, the wokerati; railing against the iniquity of the Northern Ireland Protocol; pretending that the UK is outperforming the G7; believing that the country can achieve prosperity via freeports and still-yet-undefined “deregulation”.
They’d go for Lord Frost if it wasn’t for the inconvenient fact he is unelected.
Plus pounds and ounces, and poles and ells, and the supposed traditional British love of queuing, especially at Dover.
Is it possible this is confirmation bias from selected idiots on twitter?
Omnium, are you still on look out for Korean War books? Some I can recommend, in no particular order:
> Battle for Korea: The Associated Press History of the Korean Conflict ed. by Robert J Dvorchak > Korean War: An Oral History - Pusan to Chosen by Donald Knox [also at least one other volume] > The Coldest Winter: America and the Korean War by David Halberstam > Odd Man Out: Truman, Stalin, Mao, and the Origins of the Korean War by Richard C. Thornton > Truman and MacArthur: Policy, Politics and the Hunger for Honor and Renown by Michael D. Pearlman > Enter the Dragon: China's Undeclared War Against the US in Korea 1950-51 by Russell Spurr > Chosin: Heroic Ordeal of the Korean War by Eric Hammel > Give Me Tomorrow: The Korean War's Greatest Untold Story - The Epic Stand of the Marines of Charlie Company by Patrick K O'Donnell > Korean War Almanac ed by Harry G Summers > Encyclopedia of the Korean War: A Political, Social and Military History ed. by Spencer C Tucker Several Osprey monographs, only one I can vouch for is > Inchon: the Last Great Amphibious Assault by Gordon L Rottman
You will note this list is quite American-centric, also oriented to the first year of the war in general, and the Chosen Reservoir campaign featuring US Marine Corps, albeit with strong supporting role by Royal Marines (Task Force Drysdale). PLUS bravura performance by the People's Volunteer Army.
Did you ever read Millett’s ‘The War for Korea’ ?
No. But looking at reviews, reckon I should! What's your take?
"the despicable propaganda and the utter hate now being poured over the entire civilised world".
wow, it is a surprisingly honest summary of how the conflict is being covered by Western media.
If you actually watch and understand Russian media, you will realise how totally inappropriate this sarky comment truly is.
oh, yes, of course, only the self-appointed Western 'democracies' possess the remarkable privilege of always being right. This should be written in stone in the Charter of the United Nations.
Wow.
You're back. And with a different IP address that's also (amazingly) blacklisted.
So either:
(a) Your computer is compromised by hackers, and you should wipe it and start over with better security protocols
or
(b) You are actually sitting in a windowless room someone and being paid to post.
Which one is it?
Apparently the IRA (not those berks the Russian ones) have three main tiers of trolls. People who post comments on newspapers sites, people who post comments on forums, and people who write blogs and slip in a bit of "check out this article I read" disinformation. So amazing as it may seem there is actually a lower type of troll than the numpty who keeps coming back here.
I don’t know why people keep ramping Hunt or Tugendhat. Only Brexiters (or apostate Brexiters, like Truss) need apply.
That was the case in the last leadership election, but the next one will be fought in massively different circumstances.
For a start, Remain is no longer an option.
I am not convinced the Tory Party are ready yet.
Brexit is not just a “policy” it’s a whole worldview. The Tories (and certainly the membership) are still too intoxicated by the Brexit fever dream.
Don’t agree with this. To most Brexit is done and dusted. There are ongoing trade deals, but there always will be. But we have left the eu, no more money is being paid to the eu coffers to spend moving parliament every six months (or whatever it was).
Tories still LOVE the Brexit Weltanshauung. Bashing foreigners, asylum seekers, the wokerati; railing against the iniquity of the Northern Ireland Protocol; pretending that the UK is outperforming the G7; believing that the country can achieve prosperity via freeports and still-yet-undefined “deregulation”.
They’d go for Lord Frost if it wasn’t for the inconvenient fact he is unelected.
I don't know about anyone else, but I always find it totally convincing when someone who dislikes a party extemporises about what that party's membership will do.
I don’t know why people keep ramping Hunt or Tugendhat. Only Brexiters (or apostate Brexiters, like Truss) need apply.
That was the case in the last leadership election, but the next one will be fought in massively different circumstances.
For a start, Remain is no longer an option.
I am not convinced the Tory Party are ready yet.
Brexit is not just a “policy” it’s a whole worldview. The Tories (and certainly the membership) are still too intoxicated by the Brexit fever dream.
Don’t agree with this. To most Brexit is done and dusted. There are ongoing trade deals, but there always will be. But we have left the eu, no more money is being paid to the eu coffers to spend moving parliament every six months (or whatever it was).
Tories still LOVE the Brexit Weltanshauung. Bashing foreigners, asylum seekers, the wokerati; railing against the iniquity of the Northern Ireland Protocol; pretending that the UK is outperforming the G7; believing that the country can achieve prosperity via freeports and still-yet-undefined “deregulation”.
They’d go for Lord Frost if it wasn’t for the inconvenient fact he is unelected.
The guff about unelected bureaucrats is only if they’re from the EU . I’m sure if Frost went for the job Leavers will be all over him as he did such a magnificent job with the marvelous deal he delivered ! All praise Frosty !
Keir Starmer is facing the JC of the Tories in GE2024
At the moment I think the local election results will be sufficiently bad enough for the Tories to get rid of Johnson before the next GE.
I suspect quite a few Tory MPs were waiting for May, or hoping to, before acting. A shitshow would certainly give cover.
While also sacrificing many hard working, community minded, local councillors.
Shame on them
Well yes, but you have to factor in not wanting to give the opposition a scalp. If he is forced out by the opposition then they claim a win. I think the more they call for it, the more it stiffens the resolve.
True, but the shameful bit is throwing a load of councillors and candidates onto the fire so that MPs can say "ooh look at that big fire, Boris ought to go." If they want to VONC Boris, then get on with it. They might even save some of the little people.
The broad outlines of this fiasco have been known for months, and Conservative MPs have found one excuse after another another to procrastinate.
I don’t know why people keep ramping Hunt or Tugendhat. Only Brexiters (or apostate Brexiters, like Truss) need apply.
That was the case in the last leadership election, but the next one will be fought in massively different circumstances.
For a start, Remain is no longer an option.
I am not convinced the Tory Party are ready yet.
Brexit is not just a “policy” it’s a whole worldview. The Tories (and certainly the membership) are still too intoxicated by the Brexit fever dream.
Don’t agree with this. To most Brexit is done and dusted. There are ongoing trade deals, but there always will be. But we have left the eu, no more money is being paid to the eu coffers to spend moving parliament every six months (or whatever it was).
Tories still LOVE the Brexit Weltanshauung. Bashing foreigners, asylum seekers, the wokerati; railing against the iniquity of the Northern Ireland Protocol; pretending that the UK is outperforming the G7; believing that the country can achieve prosperity via freeports and still-yet-undefined “deregulation”.
They’d go for Lord Frost if it wasn’t for the inconvenient fact he is unelected.
Plus pounds and ounces, and poles and ells, and the supposed traditional British love of queuing, especially at Dover.
BLACK PASSPORTS!
Which is the “cuddly toy!” de nos jours.
“Look what you could have won!”, he said, pointing at freedom of movement and the ability to trade frictionlessly with the single market.
I was listening to a Finnish Social Democratic MP on the radio earlier. He was in Stockholm to inform the ongoing Swedish parliamentary enquiry into NATO membership (incidentally, now being hurried through and reporting mid-May not end-May).
He is personally skeptical about Finnish membership, but he said that it is pretty much a foregone conclusion that Finland will apply to join in the very near future. He said parliamentary support there is overwhelming. That will almost certainly heavily affect the debate in Sweden.
Then why is he skeptical about Finnish membership?
Overwhelming support does not equal unanimous support. Parliamentary unanimity in any legislature is rare. He did not expound his own reservations, but Nordic media is full of Pros n Cons type articles and shows. It’s a hot topic.
And also (pls correct if wrong) this is a HUGE sea change for Finns and Swedes, esp. on left side of spectrum.
And NOT just for lefties. But like the man sang, the times they are a'changing.
Yes. I don’t think I’m over-egging it to say that many Swedes are profoundly uncomfortable with NATO membership because it just seems so damned “un-Swedish”. We haven’t been at war for 200 years, and folks aren’t super-keen to change that record. This is not a left/right issue (all politics in Sweden is “left” anyway, even the so-called “conservatives”; nothing is more conservative in Sweden than social democracy).
Lukewarm on NATO myself as I think it varies between being a truly defensive alliance and a projection of not always healthy US influence. I'd be delighted if Sweden and Finland joined, as they would weight the "defensive alliance" end of things.
Bit embarrassing for the Scottish Conservatives and has probably scotched their chances of being the largest party in East Renfrewshire although the SNP-Lab-Ind coalition was likely to continue anyway.
Starmer says SLab aren’t allowed to re-enter coalitions with the SNP.
Are they allowed to reenter coalitions with the Tories, btw? And what's happening with the Aberdeen Labourites?
Of course! Pamela Nash was after telling Labour supporters to vote Con. That’s a clear breach of Labour Party rules. Will she be suspended? Will she hell. They’re all at it.
Doing an Ian Murray? Hmm. And when Slab actually seems to be winning. I'm sure SKS is impressed.
I don't know how things will play out TBH although I can see SLab being the largest party on a few councils like West Dunbartonshire, East Lothian and North Labarkshire and will carry on leading a strong minority in the latter two anyway.
Aberdeen is pretty much certain to be SNP led as they were only 4 seats short of a majority last time and I think the Tories and Lab will both go into opposition there.
Edinburgh is most interesting because its so fragmented, I think the LDs will surprise on the upside there and Lab bottomed out in 2017 so I almost wonder if a Lab-LD minority is feasible even if the SNP is the largest party . The Tories will take a substantial hit in Edinburgh but I can also see some damage to the SNP in the middle class wards and there is also some talk of the SNP Lord Provost losing his seat in Corstorphine/Murrayfield where the LDs are running a 2nd candidate.
Omnium, are you still on look out for Korean War books? Some I can recommend, in no particular order:
> Battle for Korea: The Associated Press History of the Korean Conflict ed. by Robert J Dvorchak > Korean War: An Oral History - Pusan to Chosen by Donald Knox [also at least one other volume] > The Coldest Winter: America and the Korean War by David Halberstam > Odd Man Out: Truman, Stalin, Mao, and the Origins of the Korean War by Richard C. Thornton > Truman and MacArthur: Policy, Politics and the Hunger for Honor and Renown by Michael D. Pearlman > Enter the Dragon: China's Undeclared War Against the US in Korea 1950-51 by Russell Spurr > Chosin: Heroic Ordeal of the Korean War by Eric Hammel > Give Me Tomorrow: The Korean War's Greatest Untold Story - The Epic Stand of the Marines of Charlie Company by Patrick K O'Donnell > Korean War Almanac ed by Harry G Summers > Encyclopedia of the Korean War: A Political, Social and Military History ed. by Spencer C Tucker Several Osprey monographs, only one I can vouch for is > Inchon: the Last Great Amphibious Assault by Gordon L Rottman
You will note this list is quite American-centric, also oriented to the first year of the war in general, and the Chosen Reservoir campaign featuring US Marine Corps, albeit with strong supporting role by Royal Marines (Task Force Drysdale). PLUS bravura performance by the People's Volunteer Army.
Thanks very much.
( Iwon't pick up on all of these, but some certainly. Just finishing Max Hastings' tome currently.)
David Halberstam's book on the Vietnam war was superb.
The Coldest War was Halberstam's near-to-final opus.
I don’t know why people keep ramping Hunt or Tugendhat. Only Brexiters (or apostate Brexiters, like Truss) need apply.
That was the case in the last leadership election, but the next one will be fought in massively different circumstances.
For a start, Remain is no longer an option.
I am not convinced the Tory Party are ready yet.
Brexit is not just a “policy” it’s a whole worldview. The Tories (and certainly the membership) are still too intoxicated by the Brexit fever dream.
Don’t agree with this. To most Brexit is done and dusted. There are ongoing trade deals, but there always will be. But we have left the eu, no more money is being paid to the eu coffers to spend moving parliament every six months (or whatever it was).
Tories still LOVE the Brexit Weltanshauung. Bashing foreigners, asylum seekers, the wokerati; railing against the iniquity of the Northern Ireland Protocol; pretending that the UK is outperforming the G7; believing that the country can achieve prosperity via freeports and still-yet-undefined “deregulation”.
They’d go for Lord Frost if it wasn’t for the inconvenient fact he is unelected.
Plus pounds and ounces, and poles and ells, and the supposed traditional British love of queuing, especially at Dover.
Is it possible this is confirmation bias from selected idiots on twitter?
The pounds and ounces is well enough documented from Tory MPs. The queuing is the well reported problems at Dover. The rest is me being sarcastic.
BTW you do know that the leader of the Scottish farmers blamed Brexit as a major problem for the industry? But the BBC snipped out the B- word in their broadcast. . So that's OK then when we all starve because of the lack of food security promoted by the Brexiters such as those on here.
Rishi Sunak drifting again: now 13/1 for Next Con Leader.
Shortening: Zahawi 22/1 Baker 40/1
All three are impossible at any odds. Leading the field is Truss, Hunt and Tugendhat. Truss is very unlikely as the time will come when, as Sunak has discovered, being in this current government is a handicap; + she is lightweight. Hunt and Tugendhat are the real favourites.
Why do people rate Tom Tugendhat? Genuine question.
Keir Starmer is facing the JC of the Tories in GE2024
At the moment I think the local election results will be sufficiently bad enough for the Tories to get rid of Johnson before the next GE.
I suspect quite a few Tory MPs were waiting for May, or hoping to, before acting. A shitshow would certainly give cover.
While also sacrificing many hard working, community minded, local councillors.
Shame on them
Well yes, but you have to factor in not wanting to give the opposition a scalp. If he is forced out by the opposition then they claim a win. I think the more they call for it, the more it stiffens the resolve.
Surely it is better to lance the boil now. Get it over and done with as far out from the next GE as they can. The longer they let it carry on the longer it will fester.
I don’t know why people keep ramping Hunt or Tugendhat. Only Brexiters (or apostate Brexiters, like Truss) need apply.
That was the case in the last leadership election, but the next one will be fought in massively different circumstances.
For a start, Remain is no longer an option.
I am not convinced the Tory Party are ready yet.
Brexit is not just a “policy” it’s a whole worldview. The Tories (and certainly the membership) are still too intoxicated by the Brexit fever dream.
Don’t agree with this. To most Brexit is done and dusted. There are ongoing trade deals, but there always will be. But we have left the eu, no more money is being paid to the eu coffers to spend moving parliament every six months (or whatever it was).
Tories still LOVE the Brexit Weltanshauung. Bashing foreigners, asylum seekers, the wokerati; railing against the iniquity of the Northern Ireland Protocol; pretending that the UK is outperforming the G7; believing that the country can achieve prosperity via freeports and still-yet-undefined “deregulation”.
They’d go for Lord Frost if it wasn’t for the inconvenient fact he is unelected.
Plus pounds and ounces, and poles and ells, and the supposed traditional British love of queuing, especially at Dover.
Is it possible this is confirmation bias from selected idiots on twitter?
The pounds and ounces is well enough documented from Tory MPs. The queuing is the well reported problems at Dover. The rest is me being sarcastic.
BTW you do know that the leader of the Scottish farmers blamed Brexit as a major problem for the industry? But the BBC snipped out the B- word in their broadcast. . So that's OK then when we all starve because of the lack of food security promoted by the Brexiters such as those on here.
Do you think we are going to starve then? I mean the food options at Waitrose were a bit restricted today, but I didn’t go hungry.
Additional US military aid package for Ukraine includes more than 121 Phoenix Ghost systems — Pentagon. They are similar to armed Switchblade drones but were operatively developed for the needs of Ukraine https://mobile.twitter.com/Hromadske/status/1517243718880931840
Unclear what it is, other than the same concept as Switchblade.
I was listening to a Finnish Social Democratic MP on the radio earlier. He was in Stockholm to inform the ongoing Swedish parliamentary enquiry into NATO membership (incidentally, now being hurried through and reporting mid-May not end-May).
He is personally skeptical about Finnish membership, but he said that it is pretty much a foregone conclusion that Finland will apply to join in the very near future. He said parliamentary support there is overwhelming. That will almost certainly heavily affect the debate in Sweden.
Then why is he skeptical about Finnish membership?
Overwhelming support does not equal unanimous support. Parliamentary unanimity in any legislature is rare. He did not expound his own reservations, but Nordic media is full of Pros n Cons type articles and shows. It’s a hot topic.
And also (pls correct if wrong) this is a HUGE sea change for Finns and Swedes, esp. on left side of spectrum.
And NOT just for lefties. But like the man sang, the times they are a'changing.
Yes. I don’t think I’m over-egging it to say that many Swedes are profoundly uncomfortable with NATO membership because it just seems so damned “un-Swedish”. We haven’t been at war for 200 years, and folks aren’t super-keen to change that record. This is not a left/right issue (all politics in Sweden is “left” anyway, even the so-called “conservatives”; nothing is more conservative in Sweden than social democracy).
Lukewarm on NATO myself as I think it varies between being a truly defensive alliance and a projection of not always healthy US influence. I'd be delighted if Sweden and Finland joined, as they would weight the "defensive alliance" end of things.
“not always healthy US influence”
Help me here: I’m struggling to think of a single example of healthy U.S. influence during the last five decades. (Beyond a few classic sitcoms. But let’s omit popular culture from the reckoning.)
Rishi Sunak drifting again: now 13/1 for Next Con Leader.
Shortening: Zahawi 22/1 Baker 40/1
All three are impossible at any odds. Leading the field is Truss, Hunt and Tugendhat. Truss is very unlikely as the time will come when, as Sunak has discovered, being in this current government is a handicap; + she is lightweight. Hunt and Tugendhat are the real favourites.
Why do people rate Tom Tugendhat? Genuine question.
Because the people we're comparing him to are even worse?
Bit embarrassing for the Scottish Conservatives and has probably scotched their chances of being the largest party in East Renfrewshire although the SNP-Lab-Ind coalition was likely to continue anyway.
Starmer says SLab aren’t allowed to re-enter coalitions with the SNP.
Are they allowed to reenter coalitions with the Tories, btw? And what's happening with the Aberdeen Labourites?
Of course! Pamela Nash was after telling Labour supporters to vote Con. That’s a clear breach of Labour Party rules. Will she be suspended? Will she hell. They’re all at it.
Doing an Ian Murray? Hmm. And when Slab actually seems to be winning. I'm sure SKS is impressed.
I don't know how things will play out TBH although I can see SLab being the largest party on a few councils like West Dunbartonshire, East Lothian and North Labarkshire and will carry on leading a strong minority in the latter two anyway.
Aberdeen is pretty much certain to be SNP led as they were only 4 seats short of a majority last time and I think the Tories and Lab will both go into opposition there.
Edinburgh is most interesting because its so fragmented, I think the LDs will surprise on the upside there and Lab bottomed out in 2017 so I almost wonder if a Lab-LD minority is feasible even if the SNP is the largest party . The Tories will take a substantial hit in Edinburgh but I can also see some damage to the SNP in the middle class wards and there is also some talk of the SNP Lord Provost losing his seat in Corstorphine/Murrayfield where the LDs are running a 2nd candidate.
Hmm, I wouldn't use the word 'both' of Labour and Tory in Aberdeen - they're now almost the same party albeit funded from different sources.
Rishi Sunak drifting again: now 13/1 for Next Con Leader.
Shortening: Zahawi 22/1 Baker 40/1
All three are impossible at any odds. Leading the field is Truss, Hunt and Tugendhat. Truss is very unlikely as the time will come when, as Sunak has discovered, being in this current government is a handicap; + she is lightweight. Hunt and Tugendhat are the real favourites.
Why do people rate Tom Tugendhat? Genuine question.
Good looking, polite, early to condemn Johnson. But also probably a lot of an unknown character that they can prohect their hopes on.
I was listening to a Finnish Social Democratic MP on the radio earlier. He was in Stockholm to inform the ongoing Swedish parliamentary enquiry into NATO membership (incidentally, now being hurried through and reporting mid-May not end-May).
He is personally skeptical about Finnish membership, but he said that it is pretty much a foregone conclusion that Finland will apply to join in the very near future. He said parliamentary support there is overwhelming. That will almost certainly heavily affect the debate in Sweden.
Then why is he skeptical about Finnish membership?
Overwhelming support does not equal unanimous support. Parliamentary unanimity in any legislature is rare. He did not expound his own reservations, but Nordic media is full of Pros n Cons type articles and shows. It’s a hot topic.
And also (pls correct if wrong) this is a HUGE sea change for Finns and Swedes, esp. on left side of spectrum.
And NOT just for lefties. But like the man sang, the times they are a'changing.
Yes. I don’t think I’m over-egging it to say that many Swedes are profoundly uncomfortable with NATO membership because it just seems so damned “un-Swedish”. We haven’t been at war for 200 years, and folks aren’t super-keen to change that record. This is not a left/right issue (all politics in Sweden is “left” anyway, even the so-called “conservatives”; nothing is more conservative in Sweden than social democracy).
Lukewarm on NATO myself as I think it varies between being a truly defensive alliance and a projection of not always healthy US influence. I'd be delighted if Sweden and Finland joined, as they would weight the "defensive alliance" end of things.
“not always healthy US influence”
Help me here: I’m struggling to think of a single example of healthy U.S. influence during the last five decades. (Beyond a few classic sitcoms. But let’s omit popular culture from the reckoning.)
Women's lib, gay lib - tended to be pioneered over there. Albeit only parts of the USA.
Rishi Sunak drifting again: now 13/1 for Next Con Leader.
Shortening: Zahawi 22/1 Baker 40/1
All three are impossible at any odds. Leading the field is Truss, Hunt and Tugendhat. Truss is very unlikely as the time will come when, as Sunak has discovered, being in this current government is a handicap; + she is lightweight. Hunt and Tugendhat are the real favourites.
Why do people rate Tom Tugendhat? Genuine question.
Good looking, polite, early to condemn Johnson. But also probably a lot of an unknown character that they can prohect their hopes on.
Good constituency MP, I understand. Also knowledgeable on defence matters, which kind of helps just now.
Keir Starmer is facing the JC of the Tories in GE2024
At the moment I think the local election results will be sufficiently bad enough for the Tories to get rid of Johnson before the next GE.
I suspect quite a few Tory MPs were waiting for May, or hoping to, before acting. A shitshow would certainly give cover.
While also sacrificing many hard working, community minded, local councillors.
Shame on them
Well yes, but you have to factor in not wanting to give the opposition a scalp. If he is forced out by the opposition then they claim a win. I think the more they call for it, the more it stiffens the resolve.
Surely it is better to lance the boil now. Get it over and done with as far out from the next GE as they can. The longer they let it carry on the longer it will fester.
Yes, totally agree. It should have happened months ago when it became clear both the extent of the parties and the lies to parliament. But they were frit.
I don’t know why people keep ramping Hunt or Tugendhat. Only Brexiters (or apostate Brexiters, like Truss) need apply.
That was the case in the last leadership election, but the next one will be fought in massively different circumstances.
For a start, Remain is no longer an option.
I am not convinced the Tory Party are ready yet.
Brexit is not just a “policy” it’s a whole worldview. The Tories (and certainly the membership) are still too intoxicated by the Brexit fever dream.
Don’t agree with this. To most Brexit is done and dusted. There are ongoing trade deals, but there always will be. But we have left the eu, no more money is being paid to the eu coffers to spend moving parliament every six months (or whatever it was).
Tories still LOVE the Brexit Weltanshauung. Bashing foreigners, asylum seekers, the wokerati; railing against the iniquity of the Northern Ireland Protocol; pretending that the UK is outperforming the G7; believing that the country can achieve prosperity via freeports and still-yet-undefined “deregulation”.
They’d go for Lord Frost if it wasn’t for the inconvenient fact he is unelected.
Plus pounds and ounces, and poles and ells, and the supposed traditional British love of queuing, especially at Dover.
Is it possible this is confirmation bias from selected idiots on twitter?
The pounds and ounces is well enough documented from Tory MPs. The queuing is the well reported problems at Dover. The rest is me being sarcastic.
BTW you do know that the leader of the Scottish farmers blamed Brexit as a major problem for the industry? But the BBC snipped out the B- word in their broadcast. . So that's OK then when we all starve because of the lack of food security promoted by the Brexiters such as those on here.
Do you think we are going to starve then? I mean the food options at Waitrose were a bit restricted today, but I didn’t go hungry.
The way things are going, I'd start worrying if the world situation doesn't improve this year. Fertiliser, grain, etc. will be shorter than usual.
Rishi Sunak drifting again: now 13/1 for Next Con Leader.
Shortening: Zahawi 22/1 Baker 40/1
All three are impossible at any odds. Leading the field is Truss, Hunt and Tugendhat. Truss is very unlikely as the time will come when, as Sunak has discovered, being in this current government is a handicap; + she is lightweight. Hunt and Tugendhat are the real favourites.
Why do people rate Tom Tugendhat? Genuine question.
Good looking, polite, early to condemn Johnson. But also probably a lot of an unknown character that they can prohect their hopes on.
I'm sadly not optimistic enough in general to think a turning point has been reached, in a favourable way, but I do hope cicero is right about that. Obviously it is not possible for everyone to react the same as those on the front lines of this new cold war (or very hot war if you are Ukrainian), but the views of and pressures upon places like Estonia, for whom the unprovoked aggression and irrational justifications of the Russian state are existential, need to be very much kept in mind.
Rishi Sunak drifting again: now 13/1 for Next Con Leader.
Shortening: Zahawi 22/1 Baker 40/1
All three are impossible at any odds. Leading the field is Truss, Hunt and Tugendhat. Truss is very unlikely as the time will come when, as Sunak has discovered, being in this current government is a handicap; + she is lightweight. Hunt and Tugendhat are the real favourites.
Why do people rate Tom Tugendhat? Genuine question.
Same with ex-MSP Ben Wallace. Genuine question.
He was a total dud at Holyrood, failing to shine even in the dire SCon parliamentary group, so why is he seen as a superstar at Westminster?
I'm imagining being a Tory MP. I really, really think Boris should go, and that the lustre has gone, probably for good. But for the life of me I can't think who could replace him who has a chance in hell of making a great impression in time for the next general election. I've been through every possible alternative, and they all fall fundamentally short for one reason or another. So, although I think Boris must go, I also think he should stay. I'm going to cross my fingers and hope he has a revival, somehow.
I reckon that's what quite a lot of Tory MPs are going through at the moment.
Hunt would bring back a lot of middle-of-the-road voters to the Tory fold I suspect. Trouble is the Brexiteers would throw a fit.
If you are interested in American wars, you might want to get the appropriate West Point atlases. (I have an old two-volume set, ending in 1953, so it covers up through the Korean War.)
(In general, I find it hard to study most battles and campaigns without good maps -- which are almost always too large to fit in standard-size history books. So a good atlas is helpful, and sometimes essential supplement.)
Rishi Sunak drifting again: now 13/1 for Next Con Leader.
Shortening: Zahawi 22/1 Baker 40/1
All three are impossible at any odds. Leading the field is Truss, Hunt and Tugendhat. Truss is very unlikely as the time will come when, as Sunak has discovered, being in this current government is a handicap; + she is lightweight. Hunt and Tugendhat are the real favourites.
Why do people rate Tom Tugendhat? Genuine question.
Same with ex-MSP Ben Wallace. Genuine question.
He was a total dud at Holyrood, failing to shine even in the dire SCon parliamentary group, so why is he seen as a superstar at Westminster?
I was listening to a Finnish Social Democratic MP on the radio earlier. He was in Stockholm to inform the ongoing Swedish parliamentary enquiry into NATO membership (incidentally, now being hurried through and reporting mid-May not end-May).
He is personally skeptical about Finnish membership, but he said that it is pretty much a foregone conclusion that Finland will apply to join in the very near future. He said parliamentary support there is overwhelming. That will almost certainly heavily affect the debate in Sweden.
Then why is he skeptical about Finnish membership?
Overwhelming support does not equal unanimous support. Parliamentary unanimity in any legislature is rare. He did not expound his own reservations, but Nordic media is full of Pros n Cons type articles and shows. It’s a hot topic.
And also (pls correct if wrong) this is a HUGE sea change for Finns and Swedes, esp. on left side of spectrum.
And NOT just for lefties. But like the man sang, the times they are a'changing.
Yes. I don’t think I’m over-egging it to say that many Swedes are profoundly uncomfortable with NATO membership because it just seems so damned “un-Swedish”. We haven’t been at war for 200 years, and folks aren’t super-keen to change that record. This is not a left/right issue (all politics in Sweden is “left” anyway, even the so-called “conservatives”; nothing is more conservative in Sweden than social democracy).
Lukewarm on NATO myself as I think it varies between being a truly defensive alliance and a projection of not always healthy US influence. I'd be delighted if Sweden and Finland joined, as they would weight the "defensive alliance" end of things.
“not always healthy US influence”
Help me here: I’m struggling to think of a single example of healthy U.S. influence during the last five decades. (Beyond a few classic sitcoms. But let’s omit popular culture from the reckoning.)
The containment and eventual (for the most part) defeat of Communism.
Not that the Cold War was always waged in an honourable way, but America did a good thing for the world by seeing it off.
I was listening to a Finnish Social Democratic MP on the radio earlier. He was in Stockholm to inform the ongoing Swedish parliamentary enquiry into NATO membership (incidentally, now being hurried through and reporting mid-May not end-May).
He is personally skeptical about Finnish membership, but he said that it is pretty much a foregone conclusion that Finland will apply to join in the very near future. He said parliamentary support there is overwhelming. That will almost certainly heavily affect the debate in Sweden.
Then why is he skeptical about Finnish membership?
Overwhelming support does not equal unanimous support. Parliamentary unanimity in any legislature is rare. He did not expound his own reservations, but Nordic media is full of Pros n Cons type articles and shows. It’s a hot topic.
And also (pls correct if wrong) this is a HUGE sea change for Finns and Swedes, esp. on left side of spectrum.
And NOT just for lefties. But like the man sang, the times they are a'changing.
We haven’t been at war for 200 years
Is that right? Fortunate folk indeed, feel like even if you have the right policies you need to get lucky to avoid it for that long.
Rishi Sunak drifting again: now 13/1 for Next Con Leader.
Shortening: Zahawi 22/1 Baker 40/1
All three are impossible at any odds. Leading the field is Truss, Hunt and Tugendhat. Truss is very unlikely as the time will come when, as Sunak has discovered, being in this current government is a handicap; + she is lightweight. Hunt and Tugendhat are the real favourites.
Why do people rate Tom Tugendhat? Genuine question.
Chairmanship of Fasc. At which he looks pretty good, but frinstance allegedly only saw with hindsight what a fuck up Afghanistan was whereas the HoL equivalent saw it coming
Comments
You're back. And with a different IP address that's also (amazingly) blacklisted.
So either:
(a) Your computer is compromised by hackers, and you should wipe it and start over with better security protocols
or
(b) You are actually sitting in a windowless room someone and being paid to post.
Which one is it?
As for Mr Turner, more here, but not what forum he was posting on ...
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/scottish-conservatives-candidate-dropped-after-26766850
The Herald says "popular online football discussion board". A quick check suggests one whose typical members are rather famous for defecating in the woods.
It turns out JCB bulldozers were recently used to demolish Muslim homes + biz in Delhi, sparking controversy
Here’s how Indian TV covered it today: https://twitter.com/benrileysmith/status/1517235570090545152/photo/1
A cabinet resignation the moment the polls close would be a nice way to get the ball rolling.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swedish_Volunteer_Corps
Both can probably steady the ship, though it’s hard to see either tackling the cost of living crisis.
I don’t think Wallace wants it, though he could get it if he really went for it.
Zahawi might be a wild card.
Neither the membership nor the parliamentary party nor the country want Raab or Patel or Rishi or Gove. They are all busted flushes.
I don’t know why people keep ramping Hunt or Tugendhat. Only Brexiters (or apostate Brexiters, like Truss) need apply.
Quite extraordinary that this has been leaked ahead of the NI assembly elections and even worse the new legislation effectively rewards the Unionists if they refuse to enter the assembly post elections .
Which of course they won’t now seeing as they get want they want by not bothering .
To also start a fight with the EU at this time is beneath contempt even by the low bar set by this government.
Met spokesman says investigations to continue but further information will not be released until after 5 May
Prolonging the Tory agony.
For a start, Remain is no longer an option.
Bit embarrassing for the Scottish Conservatives and has probably scotched their chances of being the largest party in East Renfrewshire although the SNP-Lab-Ind coalition was likely to continue anyway.
Which is why he won't win.
I do hope you are not being paid for your efforts here, because if you are, your employers are entitled to their money back.
Brexit is not just a “policy” it’s a whole worldview. The Tories (and certainly the membership) are still too intoxicated by the Brexit fever dream.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/snp-glasgow-scottish-labour-glasgow-city-council-labour-leader-b2056470.html
In the same way as that Major was chosen to be continuity Maggie without the bits that got in everyone's nerves by 1990, I can see the Conservatives going for Johnson without the Johnson, so to speak. Which with Sunak invalided out, looks like Truss.
I sent you an email. Please respond.
Shame on them
Edit: Either that or the Tory candidate is pretending to be an Independent?
Absolutely disgraceful .
Posting from blacklisted IPs is a no-no. (Albeit there's one other poster I have not sectioned for this crime yet, because I'm a big softie.)
https://nypost.com/2022/04/21/sarah-palin-on-trump-her-congress-run-love-with-ron-duguay/
Very personal, including lots of stuff yours truly hadn't heard of. Well worth a gander!
Bashing foreigners, asylum seekers, the wokerati; railing against the iniquity of the Northern Ireland Protocol; pretending that the UK is outperforming the G7; believing that the country can achieve prosperity via freeports and still-yet-undefined “deregulation”.
They’d go for Lord Frost if it wasn’t for the inconvenient fact he is unelected.
Aren't you at all embarrassed on rereading that?
Still better to be in a troll farm than a BTG T72 cooking off hey?
It’s quite an honour to be targeted.
The broad outlines of this fiasco have been known for months, and Conservative MPs have found one excuse after another another to procrastinate.
Which is the “cuddly toy!” de nos jours.
“Look what you could have won!”, he said, pointing at freedom of movement and the ability to trade frictionlessly with the single market.
Aberdeen is pretty much certain to be SNP led as they were only 4 seats short of a majority last time and I think the Tories and Lab will both go into opposition there.
Edinburgh is most interesting because its so fragmented, I think the LDs will surprise on the upside there and Lab bottomed out in 2017 so I almost wonder if a Lab-LD minority is feasible even if the SNP is the largest party . The Tories will take a substantial hit in Edinburgh but I can also see some damage to the SNP in the middle class wards and there is also some talk of the SNP Lord Provost losing his seat in Corstorphine/Murrayfield where the LDs are running a 2nd candidate.
BTW you do know that the leader of the Scottish farmers blamed Brexit as a major problem for the industry? But the BBC snipped out the B- word in their broadcast. . So that's OK then when we all starve because of the lack of food security promoted by the Brexiters such as those on here.
I wish there were some kind of metaphor for this.
And they seem intent on doing so indefinitely
https://mobile.twitter.com/Hromadske/status/1517243718880931840
Unclear what it is, other than the same concept as Switchblade.
Help me here: I’m struggling to think of a single example of healthy U.S. influence during the last five decades. (Beyond a few classic sitcoms. But let’s omit popular culture from the reckoning.)
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-56238614
He was a total dud at Holyrood, failing to shine even in the dire SCon parliamentary group, so why is he seen as a superstar at Westminster?
(In general, I find it hard to study most battles and campaigns without good maps -- which are almost always too large to fit in standard-size history books. So a good atlas is helpful, and sometimes essential supplement.)
Not that the Cold War was always waged in an honourable way, but America did a good thing for the world by seeing it off.