That is much closer than Biden was polling. It is getting interesting.
HYUFD appears to post polls selectively for pro trump bias which reinforces the point
And to fail to make the point that (+1) means he is 1 ahead in this poll, not has put on one point since last time
US polls are all over the place. A primer on which to believe would make a welcome threader.
That (+1) business is the norm for reporting on US polls, nothing unusual about it.
I know that and doubtless I will come to take it in my stride between now and November. But it's damnably unBritish and I think best practice is delete it or explain it.
There's no extra information in it, unlike the British version indicating change since last time. It's as if the Americans can't do subtraction or something
Xi : "We cannot engage in welfarism. In the past, high welfare in some populist Latin American countries fostered lazy people who got something for nothing. Their national finances were overwhelmed, and these countries fell into the middle-income trap. Once welfare benefits go up, they never come down,”
No wonder some Tories were so sinophillic.
Thatcher was the worst Sinophile, she gave away Hong Kong.
Thatcher was a realist unlike you. She knew she could beat Argentina relatively easily and keep the Falklands but taking on the over a million strong People's Liberation Army to keep Hong Kong was a rather different prospect
Firstly, the only bit we could claim any kind of sovereignty to was not a viable unit on its own. Secondly, whatever one thought of the lease arrangement it had undeniably come to an end. And thirdly, as you point out, HK was not exactly defensible. It is ridiculous to argue that she could have done anything else.
One of the biggest regrets of UK foreign policy was that we never got the freehold to or 999 year lease on Hong Kong.
The Opium Wars were a real high in UK foreign policy.
I know you are just trying to wind me up but for me the Opium wars were in many ways as shameful as the slave trade. A real blot of shame.
The Opium Wars are the foundation story of Communist party Chinese nationalism. I remember wearing a poppy in my suit lapel while attending a conference on my first ever visit to China, which was just before Remembrance Sunday in 2007. I had to do a hell of a lot of explaining.
Xi : "We cannot engage in welfarism. In the past, high welfare in some populist Latin American countries fostered lazy people who got something for nothing. Their national finances were overwhelmed, and these countries fell into the middle-income trap. Once welfare benefits go up, they never come down,”
No wonder some Tories were so sinophillic.
Thatcher was the worst Sinophile, she gave away Hong Kong.
Thatcher was a realist unlike you. She knew she could beat Argentina relatively easily and keep the Falklands but taking on the over a million strong People's Liberation Army to keep Hong Kong was a rather different prospect
The Falklands was a gamble. One that had to be taken but by no means a foregone conclusion. We clearly had a much higher quality fighting force, but were lucky in many ways - including with the weather and some of the choices Argentinian military leaders made. When the taskforce set out I remember feeling there was no way it could lose. But when you read the history and hear some of the on-the-ground testimony, it becomes an even greater victory - for Thatcher and those who fought.
Xi : "We cannot engage in welfarism. In the past, high welfare in some populist Latin American countries fostered lazy people who got something for nothing. Their national finances were overwhelmed, and these countries fell into the middle-income trap. Once welfare benefits go up, they never come down,”
No wonder some Tories were so sinophillic.
Thatcher was the worst Sinophile, she gave away Hong Kong.
Thatcher was a realist unlike you. She knew she could beat Argentina relatively easily and keep the Falklands but taking on the over a million strong People's Liberation Army to keep Hong Kong was a rather different prospect
"She knew she could beat Argentina relatively easily".
I am of an age where I knew a number of commissioned officers who were posted to Stanley in the aftermath of the war. I was told that we were on the verge of running out (within hours) of ammunition and supplies, and discussions were underway in high level military circles to withdraw and then Galtieri unexpected surrendered.
My understanding is the margins were very, very fine.
Tenuously related, Fat Pang stands down as chancellor of Oxford in October and graduates get to elect his successor. Truly a golden year for democracy fans.
Indeed. Wasn't there a rumour that Mandelson was interested?
I do wonder how many candidates there will be on the ballot paper and whether it will be more than one.
Boris is campaigning hard for the role. My son advises me many are campaigning equally hard to make sure he doesn't get it.
Really? I can't think of an electorate less likely to vote for Boris, although I suppose it depends on how many trolls there are at large in the Provinces...
Oh yes, he has been very high profile. He is, of course, a former President of the Oxford Union. And the student body in Oxford seems very well to do on the whole and with an active Tory group.
Just 8% of Oxford Uni students voted Tory on 4th July according to a poll for the Student Newspaper and Reform were 5th even further behind.
Christ Church was the only college where most voted Tory. Rory Stewart might be able to win over LD and Green voters to get it, Boris has no chance
Xi : "We cannot engage in welfarism. In the past, high welfare in some populist Latin American countries fostered lazy people who got something for nothing. Their national finances were overwhelmed, and these countries fell into the middle-income trap. Once welfare benefits go up, they never come down,”
No wonder some Tories were so sinophillic.
Thatcher was the worst Sinophile, she gave away Hong Kong.
Thatcher was a realist unlike you. She knew she could beat Argentina relatively easily and keep the Falklands but taking on the over a million strong People's Liberation Army to keep Hong Kong was a rather different prospect
"She knew she could beat Argentina relatively easily".
I am of an age where I knew a number of commissioned officers who were posted to Stanley in the aftermath of the war. I was told that we were on the verge of running out (within hours) of ammunition and supplies, and discussions were underway in high level military circles to withdraw and then Galtieri unexpected surrendered.
My understanding is the margins were very, very fine.
Galtieiri didn’t surrender. The OC on East Falkland did, because he was told Stanley couldn’t hold out.
He also surrendered on behalf of West Falkland, not realising the British weren’t in such a strong position there.
I’m told, although I don’t know if it’s true, the first time Galtieri learned of the collapse of his forces was when Thatcher announced it in the Commons.
Tenuously related, Fat Pang stands down as chancellor of Oxford in October and graduates get to elect his successor. Truly a golden year for democracy fans.
Indeed. Wasn't there a rumour that Mandelson was interested?
I do wonder how many candidates there will be on the ballot paper and whether it will be more than one.
Boris is campaigning hard for the role. My son advises me many are campaigning equally hard to make sure he doesn't get it.
Really? I can't think of an electorate less likely to vote for Boris, although I suppose it depends on how many trolls there are at large in the Provinces...
Oh yes, he has been very high profile. He is, of course, a former President of the Oxford Union. And the student body in Oxford seems very well to do on the whole and with an active Tory group.
It's traditionally not a post for joke candidates.
Tenuously related, Fat Pang stands down as chancellor of Oxford in October and graduates get to elect his successor. Truly a golden year for democracy fans.
Indeed. Wasn't there a rumour that Mandelson was interested?
I do wonder how many candidates there will be on the ballot paper and whether it will be more than one.
Boris is campaigning hard for the role. My son advises me many are campaigning equally hard to make sure he doesn't get it.
Really? I can't think of an electorate less likely to vote for Boris, although I suppose it depends on how many trolls there are at large in the Provinces...
Oh yes, he has been very high profile. He is, of course, a former President of the Oxford Union. And the student body in Oxford seems very well to do on the whole and with an active Tory group.
It's traditionally not a post for joke candidates.
Xi : "We cannot engage in welfarism. In the past, high welfare in some populist Latin American countries fostered lazy people who got something for nothing. Their national finances were overwhelmed, and these countries fell into the middle-income trap. Once welfare benefits go up, they never come down,”
No wonder some Tories were so sinophillic.
Thatcher was the worst Sinophile, she gave away Hong Kong.
Thatcher was a realist unlike you. She knew she could beat Argentina relatively easily and keep the Falklands but taking on the over a million strong People's Liberation Army to keep Hong Kong was a rather different prospect
"She knew she could beat Argentina relatively easily".
I am of an age where I knew a number of commissioned officers who were posted to Stanley in the aftermath of the war. I was told that we were on the verge of running out (within hours) of ammunition and supplies, and discussions were underway in high level military circles to withdraw and then Galtieri unexpected surrendered.
My understanding is the margins were very, very fine.
I've met and served with plenty of people who were there. Strangely, not one ever described it as "easy".
For those dissing Swindon it did have the Oasis Swimming Pool which had some awesome (for the early 80s) slides and a wave machine where I spend several happy days celebrating friends' birthdays. It was shut on New Years' Day though so we couldn't celebrate mine there The eponymous band were named after it.
The Museum of the Great Western Railway is also worth a visit.
This is kind of my point. The country is built on towns (large villages, small cities, whatever) and they've all gotten a bit dowdy and run down. Swindon, Devizes, Salisbury, Reading, Northampton, Milton Keynes.
They aren't intrinsically terrible places though, although Reading is a bit of a sprawl.
Mrs Flatlander's response to this conversation was (and I quote):
Xi : "We cannot engage in welfarism. In the past, high welfare in some populist Latin American countries fostered lazy people who got something for nothing. Their national finances were overwhelmed, and these countries fell into the middle-income trap. Once welfare benefits go up, they never come down,”
No wonder some Tories were so sinophillic.
Thatcher was the worst Sinophile, she gave away Hong Kong.
Thatcher was a realist unlike you. She knew she could beat Argentina relatively easily and keep the Falklands but taking on the over a million strong People's Liberation Army to keep Hong Kong was a rather different prospect
"She knew she could beat Argentina relatively easily".
I am of an age where I knew a number of commissioned officers who were posted to Stanley in the aftermath of the war. I was told that we were on the verge of running out (within hours) of ammunition and supplies, and discussions were underway in high level military circles to withdraw and then Galtieri unexpected surrendered.
My understanding is the margins were very, very fine.
A couple more successful Excocet strikes, and the whole thing could have been over before it started. Without the US supply of Sidewinders (which was far from guaranteed when the task force set off), that would have been fairly likely, I think ?
There were a few such inflexion points.
I don't think HYUFD has a grasp of what a shoestring operation it was on both sides.
Xi : "We cannot engage in welfarism. In the past, high welfare in some populist Latin American countries fostered lazy people who got something for nothing. Their national finances were overwhelmed, and these countries fell into the middle-income trap. Once welfare benefits go up, they never come down,”
No wonder some Tories were so sinophillic.
Thatcher was the worst Sinophile, she gave away Hong Kong.
Thatcher was a realist unlike you. She knew she could beat Argentina relatively easily and keep the Falklands but taking on the over a million strong People's Liberation Army to keep Hong Kong was a rather different prospect
The Falklands was a gamble. One that had to be taken but by no means a foregone conclusion. We clearly had a much higher quality fighting force, but were lucky in many ways - including with the weather and some of the choices Argentinian military leaders made. When the taskforce set out I remember feeling there was no way it could lose. But when you read the history and hear some of the on-the-ground testimony, it becomes an even greater victory - for Thatcher and those who fought.
The genius (with a big risk of embarrassing failure) that was Operation Black Buck.
Tenuously related, Fat Pang stands down as chancellor of Oxford in October and graduates get to elect his successor. Truly a golden year for democracy fans.
Indeed. Wasn't there a rumour that Mandelson was interested?
I do wonder how many candidates there will be on the ballot paper and whether it will be more than one.
Boris is campaigning hard for the role. My son advises me many are campaigning equally hard to make sure he doesn't get it.
Really? I can't think of an electorate less likely to vote for Boris, although I suppose it depends on how many trolls there are at large in the Provinces...
Oh yes, he has been very high profile. He is, of course, a former President of the Oxford Union. And the student body in Oxford seems very well to do on the whole and with an active Tory group.
It's traditionally not a post for joke candidates.
Anyhoo the current pres of Argentina called Mrs T one of 'the great leaders in the history of humanity' during a debate last year. (tho' I don't suppose that has much to do with the Falklands)
Xi : "We cannot engage in welfarism. In the past, high welfare in some populist Latin American countries fostered lazy people who got something for nothing. Their national finances were overwhelmed, and these countries fell into the middle-income trap. Once welfare benefits go up, they never come down,”
No wonder some Tories were so sinophillic.
Thatcher was the worst Sinophile, she gave away Hong Kong.
Thatcher was a realist unlike you. She knew she could beat Argentina relatively easily and keep the Falklands but taking on the over a million strong People's Liberation Army to keep Hong Kong was a rather different prospect
"She knew she could beat Argentina relatively easily".
I am of an age where I knew a number of commissioned officers who were posted to Stanley in the aftermath of the war. I was told that we were on the verge of running out (within hours) of ammunition and supplies, and discussions were underway in high level military circles to withdraw and then Galtieri unexpected surrendered.
My understanding is the margins were very, very fine.
A couple more successful Excocet strikes, and the whole thing could have been over before it started. Without the US supply of Sidewinders (which was far from guaranteed when the task force set off), that would have been fairly likely, I think ?
There were a few such inflexion points.
I don't think HYUFD has a grasp of what a shoestring operation it was on both sides.
Xi : "We cannot engage in welfarism. In the past, high welfare in some populist Latin American countries fostered lazy people who got something for nothing. Their national finances were overwhelmed, and these countries fell into the middle-income trap. Once welfare benefits go up, they never come down,”
No wonder some Tories were so sinophillic.
Thatcher was the worst Sinophile, she gave away Hong Kong.
Thatcher was a realist unlike you. She knew she could beat Argentina relatively easily and keep the Falklands but taking on the over a million strong People's Liberation Army to keep Hong Kong was a rather different prospect
"She knew she could beat Argentina relatively easily".
I am of an age where I knew a number of commissioned officers who were posted to Stanley in the aftermath of the war. I was told that we were on the verge of running out (within hours) of ammunition and supplies, and discussions were underway in high level military circles to withdraw and then Galtieri unexpected surrendered.
My understanding is the margins were very, very fine.
A couple more successful Excocet strikes, and the whole thing could have been over before it started. Without the US supply of Sidewinders (which was far from guaranteed when the task force set off), that would have been fairly likely, I think ?
There were a few such inflexion points.
I don't think HYUFD has a grasp of what a shoestring operation it was on both sides.
The Yanks backing us helped.
I’ve always thought the Argentinians went way too defensive after the sinking of the USS Phoenix.
That is much closer than Biden was polling. It is getting interesting.
HYUFD appears to post polls selectively for pro trump bias which reinforces the point
And to fail to make the point that (+1) means he is 1 ahead in this poll, not has put on one point since last time
US polls are all over the place. A primer on which to believe would make a welcome threader.
I am writing that, hope to have it ready for the weekend.
American polls suffer because they do not have an American Polling Council where we get to see all the questions/tables.
A pollster could ask
‘Who are you planning on voting for? The man anointed by God, Donald Trump or the degenerate whore Kamala Harris?’
and we’d only ever see
Trump 47%
Harris 45%
That would be ambiguous if I didn't know that you're a fan of the Oxford comma (and noting the absence of a second comma here). Otherwise it would be a toss-up between 'the man anointed by God' and 'the degenerate whore Kamala Harris'. I could rule out Donald Trump
Xi : "We cannot engage in welfarism. In the past, high welfare in some populist Latin American countries fostered lazy people who got something for nothing. Their national finances were overwhelmed, and these countries fell into the middle-income trap. Once welfare benefits go up, they never come down,”
No wonder some Tories were so sinophillic.
Thatcher was the worst Sinophile, she gave away Hong Kong.
Thatcher was a realist unlike you. She knew she could beat Argentina relatively easily and keep the Falklands but taking on the over a million strong People's Liberation Army to keep Hong Kong was a rather different prospect
Surely Thatcher versus a million-string People's Liberation Army would have been an easy victory for Thatcher?
Not forgetting, one slight rusty Covenanter tank....
In Honkers? Somewhat upgraded to a Comet, and no doubt bulled to within a few eighths of an inch of the other side of the armour, but, still, hardly frontline.
Xi : "We cannot engage in welfarism. In the past, high welfare in some populist Latin American countries fostered lazy people who got something for nothing. Their national finances were overwhelmed, and these countries fell into the middle-income trap. Once welfare benefits go up, they never come down,”
No wonder some Tories were so sinophillic.
Thatcher was the worst Sinophile, she gave away Hong Kong.
Thatcher was a realist unlike you. She knew she could beat Argentina relatively easily and keep the Falklands but taking on the over a million strong People's Liberation Army to keep Hong Kong was a rather different prospect
"She knew she could beat Argentina relatively easily".
I am of an age where I knew a number of commissioned officers who were posted to Stanley in the aftermath of the war. I was told that we were on the verge of running out (within hours) of ammunition and supplies, and discussions were underway in high level military circles to withdraw and then Galtieri unexpected surrendered.
My understanding is the margins were very, very fine.
A couple more successful Excocet strikes, and the whole thing could have been over before it started. Without the US supply of Sidewinders (which was far from guaranteed when the task force set off), that would have been fairly likely, I think ?
There were a few such inflexion points.
I don't think HYUFD has a grasp of what a shoestring operation it was on both sides.
Indeed. A few more bomb fuzes that actually initiated on impact with RN ships/Army facilities ...
Xi : "We cannot engage in welfarism. In the past, high welfare in some populist Latin American countries fostered lazy people who got something for nothing. Their national finances were overwhelmed, and these countries fell into the middle-income trap. Once welfare benefits go up, they never come down,”
No wonder some Tories were so sinophillic.
Thatcher was the worst Sinophile, she gave away Hong Kong.
Thatcher was a realist unlike you. She knew she could beat Argentina relatively easily and keep the Falklands but taking on the over a million strong People's Liberation Army to keep Hong Kong was a rather different prospect
"She knew she could beat Argentina relatively easily".
I am of an age where I knew a number of commissioned officers who were posted to Stanley in the aftermath of the war. I was told that we were on the verge of running out (within hours) of ammunition and supplies, and discussions were underway in high level military circles to withdraw and then Galtieri unexpected surrendered.
My understanding is the margins were very, very fine.
A couple more successful Excocet strikes, and the whole thing could have been over before it started. Without the US supply of Sidewinders (which was far from guaranteed when the task force set off), that would have been fairly likely, I think ?
There were a few such inflexion points.
I don't think HYUFD has a grasp of what a shoestring operation it was on both sides.
Quite literally, in some aspects:
Edit: Sandpit got there first
But you got the picture, which in this case is definitely worth a thousand words.
The chances of someone having to ditch a plane, in the middle of very literally nowhere, were a long way from zero, and many of those involved had little experience of air-to-air refuelling.
The plan was totally bonkers, and it’s to the credit of everyone involved that they agreed to run with it.
Xi : "We cannot engage in welfarism. In the past, high welfare in some populist Latin American countries fostered lazy people who got something for nothing. Their national finances were overwhelmed, and these countries fell into the middle-income trap. Once welfare benefits go up, they never come down,”
No wonder some Tories were so sinophillic.
Thatcher was the worst Sinophile, she gave away Hong Kong.
Thatcher was a realist unlike you. She knew she could beat Argentina relatively easily and keep the Falklands but taking on the over a million strong People's Liberation Army to keep Hong Kong was a rather different prospect
"She knew she could beat Argentina relatively easily".
I am of an age where I knew a number of commissioned officers who were posted to Stanley in the aftermath of the war. I was told that we were on the verge of running out (within hours) of ammunition and supplies, and discussions were underway in high level military circles to withdraw and then Galtieri unexpected surrendered.
My understanding is the margins were very, very fine.
Galtieiri didn’t surrender. The OC on East Falkland did, because he was told Stanley couldn’t hold out.
He also surrendered on behalf of West Falkland, not realising the British weren’t in such a strong position there.
I’m told, although I don’t know if it’s true, the first time Galtieri learned of the collapse of his forces was when Thatcher announced it in the Commons.
Fair comment. That was my historical error, I should have referenced Argentina rather than the General. My general point stands.
Anyhoo the current pres of Argentina called Mrs T one of 'the great leaders in the history of humanity' during a debate last year. (tho' I don't suppose that has much to do with the Falklands)
Talking of whom, what about this?
Milei had a pet Mastiff, which he had cloned. Seriously. Unless this wiki article is a spoof.
Milei had Conan cloned in 2018 and named the six resulting puppies after the original Conan and the economists Milton Friedman, Murray Rothbard, and Robert Lucas Jr.; two of them were named after the latter.[8][9] The sixth dog, who died shortly after, was named Angelito ("little angel").[10] Milei said that he cloned Conan because he understands cloning as "a way of approaching eternity".[6] To do this, he went to a clinic in the United States; the process cost him about $50,000.[6]
Xi : "We cannot engage in welfarism. In the past, high welfare in some populist Latin American countries fostered lazy people who got something for nothing. Their national finances were overwhelmed, and these countries fell into the middle-income trap. Once welfare benefits go up, they never come down,”
No wonder some Tories were so sinophillic.
Thatcher was the worst Sinophile, she gave away Hong Kong.
Thatcher was a realist unlike you. She knew she could beat Argentina relatively easily and keep the Falklands but taking on the over a million strong People's Liberation Army to keep Hong Kong was a rather different prospect
"She knew she could beat Argentina relatively easily".
I am of an age where I knew a number of commissioned officers who were posted to Stanley in the aftermath of the war. I was told that we were on the verge of running out (within hours) of ammunition and supplies, and discussions were underway in high level military circles to withdraw and then Galtieri unexpected surrendered.
My understanding is the margins were very, very fine.
A couple more successful Excocet strikes, and the whole thing could have been over before it started. Without the US supply of Sidewinders (which was far from guaranteed when the task force set off), that would have been fairly likely, I think ?
There were a few such inflexion points.
I don't think HYUFD has a grasp of what a shoestring operation it was on both sides.
Quite literally, in some aspects:
Edit: Sandpit got there first
But you got the picture, which in this case is definitely worth a thousand words.
The chances of someone having to ditch a plane, in the middle of very literally nowhere, were a long way from zero, and many of those involved had little experience of air-to-air refuelling.
The plan was totally bonkers, and it’s to the credit of everyone involved that they agreed to run with it.
You called it 'Operation Black Buck'. Nowt to do with general Buck Turgidson I s'pose, crazy though it was?
Xi : "We cannot engage in welfarism. In the past, high welfare in some populist Latin American countries fostered lazy people who got something for nothing. Their national finances were overwhelmed, and these countries fell into the middle-income trap. Once welfare benefits go up, they never come down,”
No wonder some Tories were so sinophillic.
Thatcher was the worst Sinophile, she gave away Hong Kong.
Thatcher was a realist unlike you. She knew she could beat Argentina relatively easily and keep the Falklands but taking on the over a million strong People's Liberation Army to keep Hong Kong was a rather different prospect
"She knew she could beat Argentina relatively easily".
I am of an age where I knew a number of commissioned officers who were posted to Stanley in the aftermath of the war. I was told that we were on the verge of running out (within hours) of ammunition and supplies, and discussions were underway in high level military circles to withdraw and then Galtieri unexpected surrendered.
My understanding is the margins were very, very fine.
A couple more successful Excocet strikes, and the whole thing could have been over before it started. Without the US supply of Sidewinders (which was far from guaranteed when the task force set off), that would have been fairly likely, I think ?
There were a few such inflexion points.
I don't think HYUFD has a grasp of what a shoestring operation it was on both sides.
Quite literally, in some aspects:
Edit: Sandpit got there first
But you got the picture, which in this case is definitely worth a thousand words.
The chances of someone having to ditch a plane, in the middle of very literally nowhere, were a long way from zero, and many of those involved had little experience of air-to-air refuelling.
The plan was totally bonkers, and it’s to the credit of everyone involved that they agreed to run with it.
You called it 'Operation Black Buck'. Nowt to do with general Buck Turgidson I s'pose, crazy though it was?
Well, thanks to @Flatlander we’ve seen the Big Board.
That’s sad news. I had my whole house carpeted by them when I moved in. Decent price and the carpets are still doing a great job nine years later.
Hasn't it in part been saved by Spectator Correspondent and swordsman, Tapi?
Have I got that right?
54 stores out of around 260 have been bought. Don’t know by whom.
By Tapi, which is Lord Harris's third carpet chain (Harris Carpets until bought in 1988, Carpetright between 1988 to 2014, Tapi Carpets 2015 onwards)..
Xi : "We cannot engage in welfarism. In the past, high welfare in some populist Latin American countries fostered lazy people who got something for nothing. Their national finances were overwhelmed, and these countries fell into the middle-income trap. Once welfare benefits go up, they never come down,”
No wonder some Tories were so sinophillic.
Thatcher was the worst Sinophile, she gave away Hong Kong.
Thatcher was a realist unlike you. She knew she could beat Argentina relatively easily and keep the Falklands but taking on the over a million strong People's Liberation Army to keep Hong Kong was a rather different prospect
"She knew she could beat Argentina relatively easily".
I am of an age where I knew a number of commissioned officers who were posted to Stanley in the aftermath of the war. I was told that we were on the verge of running out (within hours) of ammunition and supplies, and discussions were underway in high level military circles to withdraw and then Galtieri unexpected surrendered.
My understanding is the margins were very, very fine.
A couple more successful Excocet strikes, and the whole thing could have been over before it started. Without the US supply of Sidewinders (which was far from guaranteed when the task force set off), that would have been fairly likely, I think ?
There were a few such inflexion points.
I don't think HYUFD has a grasp of what a shoestring operation it was on both sides.
Indeed. A few more bomb fuzes that actually initiated on impact with RN ships/Army facilities ...
Though, as it turned out, all the UK Sidewinder shots were from inside the parameters of the older models.
If the Argentines had had a good supply of drop tanks for their aircraft, on the other hand...
Xi : "We cannot engage in welfarism. In the past, high welfare in some populist Latin American countries fostered lazy people who got something for nothing. Their national finances were overwhelmed, and these countries fell into the middle-income trap. Once welfare benefits go up, they never come down,”
No wonder some Tories were so sinophillic.
Thatcher was the worst Sinophile, she gave away Hong Kong.
Thatcher was a realist unlike you. She knew she could beat Argentina relatively easily and keep the Falklands but taking on the over a million strong People's Liberation Army to keep Hong Kong was a rather different prospect
"She knew she could beat Argentina relatively easily".
I am of an age where I knew a number of commissioned officers who were posted to Stanley in the aftermath of the war. I was told that we were on the verge of running out (within hours) of ammunition and supplies, and discussions were underway in high level military circles to withdraw and then Galtieri unexpected surrendered.
My understanding is the margins were very, very fine.
A couple more successful Excocet strikes, and the whole thing could have been over before it started. Without the US supply of Sidewinders (which was far from guaranteed when the task force set off), that would have been fairly likely, I think ?
There were a few such inflexion points.
I don't think HYUFD has a grasp of what a shoestring operation it was on both sides.
Quite literally, in some aspects:
Edit: Sandpit got there first
But you got the picture, which in this case is definitely worth a thousand words.
The chances of someone having to ditch a plane, in the middle of very literally nowhere, were a long way from zero, and many of those involved had little experience of air-to-air refuelling.
The plan was totally bonkers, and it’s to the credit of everyone involved that they agreed to run with it.
You called it 'Operation Black Buck'. Nowt to do with general Buck Turgidson I s'pose, crazy though it was?
I actually don’t know where the name came from ( @Dura_Ace ?), but remember reading about it a few years later as an excited young boy, wondering about those magnificent men in their flying machines.
“No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once.”
Tenuously related, Fat Pang stands down as chancellor of Oxford in October and graduates get to elect his successor. Truly a golden year for democracy fans.
Traditionally, I believe, it's a lifetime appointment. Certainly his immediate predecessors, Roy Jenkins and Harold Macmillan, chose not to retire. Patten's only 80 - a spring chicken.
Apologies if I have missed this, but is anything known about why the soldier was stabbed in Kent? No mention of terrorism, but that doesn't rule it out, surely?
Drunken thuggery? Mental health? Family dispute?
All are orders of magnitude more likely than terrorism.
Why do you say that? Its not like we've not a previous incident of a soldier stabbed in a terror attack?
Orders of magnitude more soldiers have been stabbed for the above reasons than for terrorism.
Randomly in the street? When in uniform?
He was also “saved by his wife” who was at the scene - it must be her terrible screams you can hear in the awful audio
Put the killer in heavy chains and in total isolation for the rest of his life
It's a good argument for the death sentence frankly. Make your peace with whomever you need to make it with, then off you pop.
I feel like that just now, about this, though in general I don’t think I'm in favour of it except for high treason.
For those dissing Swindon it did have the Oasis Swimming Pool which had some awesome (for the early 80s) slides and a wave machine where I spend several happy days celebrating friends' birthdays. It was shut on New Years' Day though so we couldn't celebrate mine there The eponymous band were named after it.
The Museum of the Great Western Railway is also worth a visit.
This is kind of my point. The country is built on towns (large villages, small cities, whatever) and they've all gotten a bit dowdy and run down. Swindon, Devizes, Salisbury, Reading, Northampton, Milton Keynes.
Salisbury is a city, and not that run down.
I hope you're right. But the bit around the Tented Market on Commercial St/Market street is a bit ik.
Tenuously related, Fat Pang stands down as chancellor of Oxford in October and graduates get to elect his successor. Truly a golden year for democracy fans.
Traditionally, I believe, it's a lifetime appointment. Certainly his immediate predecessors, Roy Jenkins and Harold Macmillan, chose not to retire. Patten's only 80 - a spring chicken.
Apologies if I have missed this, but is anything known about why the soldier was stabbed in Kent? No mention of terrorism, but that doesn't rule it out, surely?
Drunken thuggery? Mental health? Family dispute?
All are orders of magnitude more likely than terrorism.
Why do you say that? Its not like we've not a previous incident of a soldier stabbed in a terror attack?
Orders of magnitude more soldiers have been stabbed for the above reasons than for terrorism.
Randomly in the street? When in uniform?
He was also “saved by his wife” who was at the scene - it must be her terrible screams you can hear in the awful audio
Put the killer in heavy chains and in total isolation for the rest of his life
It's a good argument for the death sentence frankly. Make your peace with whomever you need to make it with, then off you pop.
I feel like that just now, about this, though in general I don’t think I'm in favour of it except for high treason.
It's very rare that a case is as clear cut as this with the person arrested at the scene of the crime...
For those dissing Swindon it did have the Oasis Swimming Pool which had some awesome (for the early 80s) slides and a wave machine where I spend several happy days celebrating friends' birthdays. It was shut on New Years' Day though so we couldn't celebrate mine there The eponymous band were named after it.
The Museum of the Great Western Railway is also worth a visit.
This is kind of my point. The country is built on towns (large villages, small cities, whatever) and they've all gotten a bit dowdy and run down. Swindon, Devizes, Salisbury, Reading, Northampton, Milton Keynes.
They aren't intrinsically terrible places though, although Reading is a bit of a sprawl.
Mrs Flatlander's response to this conversation was (and I quote):
I can't find out anything about the Kent stabbing on the BBC website here in Finland. It assumes that people logging in from abroad don't want to see any British news! The Guardian does have the story though.
Apologies if I have missed this, but is anything known about why the soldier was stabbed in Kent? No mention of terrorism, but that doesn't rule it out, surely?
Drunken thuggery? Mental health? Family dispute?
All are orders of magnitude more likely than terrorism.
Why do you say that? Its not like we've not a previous incident of a soldier stabbed in a terror attack?
Orders of magnitude more soldiers have been stabbed for the above reasons than for terrorism.
Randomly in the street? When in uniform?
He was also “saved by his wife” who was at the scene - it must be her terrible screams you can hear in the awful audio
Put the killer in heavy chains and in total isolation for the rest of his life
It's a good argument for the death sentence frankly. Make your peace with whomever you need to make it with, then off you pop.
I feel like that just now, about this, though in general I don’t think I'm in favour of it except for high treason.
It's very rare that a case is as clear cut as this with the person arrested at the scene of the crime...
Not since the last soldier in uniform was murdered with a large knife, and the terrorists were quite literally caught red-handed.
Xi : "We cannot engage in welfarism. In the past, high welfare in some populist Latin American countries fostered lazy people who got something for nothing. Their national finances were overwhelmed, and these countries fell into the middle-income trap. Once welfare benefits go up, they never come down,”
No wonder some Tories were so sinophillic.
Thatcher was the worst Sinophile, she gave away Hong Kong.
Thatcher was a realist unlike you. She knew she could beat Argentina relatively easily and keep the Falklands but taking on the over a million strong People's Liberation Army to keep Hong Kong was a rather different prospect
"She knew she could beat Argentina relatively easily".
I am of an age where I knew a number of commissioned officers who were posted to Stanley in the aftermath of the war. I was told that we were on the verge of running out (within hours) of ammunition and supplies, and discussions were underway in high level military circles to withdraw and then Galtieri unexpected surrendered.
My understanding is the margins were very, very fine.
A couple more successful Excocet strikes, and the whole thing could have been over before it started. Without the US supply of Sidewinders (which was far from guaranteed when the task force set off), that would have been fairly likely, I think ?
There were a few such inflexion points.
I don't think HYUFD has a grasp of what a shoestring operation it was on both sides.
Quite literally, in some aspects:
Edit: Sandpit got there first
But you got the picture, which in this case is definitely worth a thousand words.
The chances of someone having to ditch a plane, in the middle of very literally nowhere, were a long way from zero, and many of those involved had little experience of air-to-air refuelling.
The plan was totally bonkers, and it’s to the credit of everyone involved that they agreed to run with it.
You called it 'Operation Black Buck'. Nowt to do with general Buck Turgidson I s'pose, crazy though it was?
I actually don’t know where the name came from ( @Dura_Ace ?), but remember reading about it a few years later as an excited young boy, wondering about those magnificent men in their flying machines.
Probably the name of the pub where they had the lock-in and thought it up while hammered.
It didn't really achieve very much beyond demonstrating that mainland Argentina was in striking range. The main motivation behind it was to get the RAF somehow, anyhow directly involved in the conflict. They had just bet the farm on Tornado then discovered it was useless in this fight hence the Scrapheap Challenge of BB. A senior Tornado mate was reported to have said, "It's not really our sort of war."
JD Vance 25% Ron DeSantis 14% Vivek Ramaswamy 10% Nikki Haley 9% Ted Cruz 4% Sarah Huckabee Sanders 3% Marco Rubio 2% Tim Scott 2% Josh Hawley 2% Glenn Youngkin 1% Byron Donalds 1% Katie Britt 1% https://x.com/Politics_Polls/status/1815791813279547659
And why no Trump ?
As Trump will be ineligible if he wins as Presidents can only serve 2 terms under the US constitution.
If Trump wins then yes I would expect VP Vance to be GOP nominee in 2028, if Trump-Vance lose then I think DeSantis is favourite though Haley would also run again.
Therefore do not be surprised if DeSantis and Haley would not be too upset if Harris beats Trump in November
If Trump loses, one would hope the GOP finally sees sense and turns its back on proto-fascist personality-cult populism. That would mean picking Haley over DeSantis, Vance or Ramaswamy. (Cruz and Rubio are yesterday's men.)
Xi : "We cannot engage in welfarism. In the past, high welfare in some populist Latin American countries fostered lazy people who got something for nothing. Their national finances were overwhelmed, and these countries fell into the middle-income trap. Once welfare benefits go up, they never come down,”
No wonder some Tories were so sinophillic.
Thatcher was the worst Sinophile, she gave away Hong Kong.
Thatcher was a realist unlike you. She knew she could beat Argentina relatively easily and keep the Falklands but taking on the over a million strong People's Liberation Army to keep Hong Kong was a rather different prospect
"She knew she could beat Argentina relatively easily".
I am of an age where I knew a number of commissioned officers who were posted to Stanley in the aftermath of the war. I was told that we were on the verge of running out (within hours) of ammunition and supplies, and discussions were underway in high level military circles to withdraw and then Galtieri unexpected surrendered.
My understanding is the margins were very, very fine.
A couple more successful Excocet strikes, and the whole thing could have been over before it started. Without the US supply of Sidewinders (which was far from guaranteed when the task force set off), that would have been fairly likely, I think ?
There were a few such inflexion points.
I don't think HYUFD has a grasp of what a shoestring operation it was on both sides.
I doubt it, for starters we had more aircraft carriers and submarines and better trained troops than the Argentines did. As soon as Marines landed in the Falklands it was pretty much over.
Man arrested after the crash between a car and a motorbike that killed all six occupants of both vehicles. Police are appealing for anyone who saw a grey Porsche 911 in the area to come forward.
JD Vance 25% Ron DeSantis 14% Vivek Ramaswamy 10% Nikki Haley 9% Ted Cruz 4% Sarah Huckabee Sanders 3% Marco Rubio 2% Tim Scott 2% Josh Hawley 2% Glenn Youngkin 1% Byron Donalds 1% Katie Britt 1% https://x.com/Politics_Polls/status/1815791813279547659
And why no Trump ?
As Trump will be ineligible if he wins as Presidents can only serve 2 terms under the US constitution.
If Trump wins then yes I would expect VP Vance to be GOP nominee in 2028, if Trump-Vance lose then I think DeSantis is favourite though Haley would also run again.
Therefore do not be surprised if DeSantis and Haley would not be too upset if Harris beats Trump in November
If Trump loses, one would hope the GOP finally sees sense and turns its back on proto-fascist personality-cult populism. That would mean picking Haley over DeSantis, Vance or Ramaswamy. (Cruz and Rubio are yesterday's men.)
I suspect the GOP will actually double down on proto-fascist personality cult. It will be an election that was "stolen" and there will be probably civil unrest.
Xi : "We cannot engage in welfarism. In the past, high welfare in some populist Latin American countries fostered lazy people who got something for nothing. Their national finances were overwhelmed, and these countries fell into the middle-income trap. Once welfare benefits go up, they never come down,”
No wonder some Tories were so sinophillic.
Thatcher was the worst Sinophile, she gave away Hong Kong.
Thatcher was a realist unlike you. She knew she could beat Argentina relatively easily and keep the Falklands but taking on the over a million strong People's Liberation Army to keep Hong Kong was a rather different prospect
"She knew she could beat Argentina relatively easily".
I am of an age where I knew a number of commissioned officers who were posted to Stanley in the aftermath of the war. I was told that we were on the verge of running out (within hours) of ammunition and supplies, and discussions were underway in high level military circles to withdraw and then Galtieri unexpected surrendered.
My understanding is the margins were very, very fine.
A couple more successful Excocet strikes, and the whole thing could have been over before it started. Without the US supply of Sidewinders (which was far from guaranteed when the task force set off), that would have been fairly likely, I think ?
There were a few such inflexion points.
I don't think HYUFD has a grasp of what a shoestring operation it was on both sides.
Quite literally, in some aspects:
Edit: Sandpit got there first
But you got the picture, which in this case is definitely worth a thousand words.
The chances of someone having to ditch a plane, in the middle of very literally nowhere, were a long way from zero, and many of those involved had little experience of air-to-air refuelling.
The plan was totally bonkers, and it’s to the credit of everyone involved that they agreed to run with it.
You called it 'Operation Black Buck'. Nowt to do with general Buck Turgidson I s'pose, crazy though it was?
I actually don’t know where the name came from ( @Dura_Ace ?), but remember reading about it a few years later as an excited young boy, wondering about those magnificent men in their flying machines.
Probably the name of the pub where they had the lock-in and thought it up while hammered.
It didn't really achieve very much beyond demonstrating that mainland Argentina was in striking range. The main motivation behind it was to get the RAF somehow, anyhow directly involved in the conflict. They had just bet the farm on Tornado then discovered it was useless in this fight hence the Scrapheap Challenge of BB. A senior Tornado mate was reported to have said, "It's not really our sort of war."
I'd always assumed Black Buck was named as a Rainbow Code, although looking at the Wiki, it might have been a decade or two too late for that. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbow_Code
Man arrested after the crash between a car and a motorbike that killed all six occupants of both vehicles. Police are appealing for anyone who saw a grey Porsche 911 in the area to come forward.
Speaking of somewhat-less-than-open candidate selection . . .
Have been reading up on an early 20th-century American political boss, namely Ed Crump of Memphis, Tennessee.
Mr. Crump (what everybody called him, probably even his wife) ruled the roost in Memphis and Shelby County for decades. AND was a major political force - indeed THE major individual politico - in Tennessee state politics. Crump was far more honest than most big city bosses, and was truly dedicated and diligent in planning and providing for public services and economic growth for Memphis and it's region. What was the secret of his political success? Mobilizing working -class Whites AND Black voters in support of his candidates, while at the same time pleasing or at least assuaging the White elites AND middle-class. While he was NOT a civil rights pioneer, Crump was respected and even liked by the Black community, because he actually did something for them in return for their taxes AND support; PLUS his organization paid the poll tax required then in Tennessee and most Southern states, for less affluent supporters, White and especially Black.
Anyway, in 1940, the mayor of Memphis, resigned after tangling with Mr. Crump. Deputy mayor (a Crump man) succeeded, until the next election.
Crump's first choice was the local Democratic congressman (Republicans being thin on the ground back then, at least among eligible voters). However, the Congressman pointed out that his vote was needed on a key vote for one of FDR's defense AND pro-Allied measures (prior to Pearl Harbor).
So what to do?
> Mr. Crump decided that HE would run for mayor (he'd been previously elected before WWI) even though he had no interest in doing the job. He ran, and won with the usual landslide for a Crump candidate.
> Then shortly after being sworn in - and after the critical vote in Congress - Mayor Crump resigned, and the Memphis city commission selected as his replacement . . . the Congressman. Who then resigned his seat in the US House; the subsequent election being won by . . . wait for it . . . Mr. Crump's chosen candidate.
Crump's machine started to sputter in 1948, when he endorsed Dixiecrat Strom Thurmond for POTUS versus Harry Truman. Many of Mr. Crump's White and even more of his Black followers refused to follow him in the Fall, and thereafter. He didn't lose his political grip - or widespread respect - until his death in 1950s.
Tenuously related, Fat Pang stands down as chancellor of Oxford in October and graduates get to elect his successor. Truly a golden year for democracy fans.
Indeed. Wasn't there a rumour that Mandelson was interested?
I do wonder how many candidates there will be on the ballot paper and whether it will be more than one.
Boris is campaigning hard for the role. My son advises me many are campaigning equally hard to make sure he doesn't get it.
Really? I can't think of an electorate less likely to vote for Boris, although I suppose it depends on how many trolls there are at large in the Provinces...
It's traditionally not a post for joke candidates.
Why were 5 out of 10 Chancellors of OU between 2024 and 2052 called "Ralph"?
Comments
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1987_University_of_Oxford_Chancellor_election
That must have really pissed him off.
I am of an age where I knew a number of commissioned officers who were posted to Stanley in the aftermath of the war. I was told that we were on the verge of running out (within hours) of ammunition and supplies, and discussions were underway in high level military circles to withdraw and then Galtieri unexpected surrendered.
My understanding is the margins were very, very fine.
That’s sad news. I had my whole house carpeted by them when I moved in. Decent price and the carpets are still doing a great job nine years later.
He also surrendered on behalf of West Falkland, not realising the British weren’t in such a strong position there.
I’m told, although I don’t know if it’s true, the first time Galtieri learned of the collapse of his forces was when Thatcher announced it in the Commons.
Have I got that right?
There were a few such inflexion points.
I don't think HYUFD has a grasp of what a shoestring operation it was on both sides.
A brief exception, anyway.
(tho' I don't suppose that has much to do with the Falklands)
Edit: Sandpit got there first
I’ve always thought the Argentinians went way too defensive after the sinking of the USS Phoenix.
https://x.com/MarshSongs/status/1814682124693217698
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/SGbWcYtykrc
Short clip of Nixon on the decline of LBJ, the last serving president to stand aside like Biden (also sounds a bit like Rishi).
https://gwulo.com/media/30069
The chances of someone having to ditch a plane, in the middle of very literally nowhere, were a long way from zero, and many of those involved had little experience of air-to-air refuelling.
The plan was totally bonkers, and it’s to the credit of everyone involved that they agreed to run with it.
Milei had a pet Mastiff, which he had cloned. Seriously. Unless this wiki article is a spoof.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conan_(Javier_Milei's_dog)
Milei had Conan cloned in 2018 and named the six resulting puppies after the original Conan and the economists Milton Friedman, Murray Rothbard, and Robert Lucas Jr.; two of them were named after the latter.[8][9] The sixth dog, who died shortly after, was named Angelito ("little angel").[10] Milei said that he cloned Conan because he understands cloning as "a way of approaching eternity".[6] To do this, he went to a clinic in the United States; the process cost him about $50,000.[6]
The Royal Navy is woefully unprepared, in terms of uniform, for the next major naval battle to occur in a heavily wooded area...
https://x.com/Zaphod2042/status/1815770079398638052
If the Argentines had had a good supply of drop tanks for their aircraft, on the other hand...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Black_Buck
Former Trump rival Nikki Haley demands 'Haley Voters for Harris' to 'cease and desist'
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/former-trump-rival-nikki-haley-demands-haley-voters-harris-cease-desist
Our members were devoted Haley voters who finally felt their conservative principles represented again when she was running.
We volunteered and hustled hard for her.
But just as Haley changed her mind & endorsed Trump, our voters are allowed to do the same. Period.
https://x.com/EGMatthews/status/1815861836434338204
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twenty-second_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution
“No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once.”
https://x.com/StevenSingiser/status/1815927218654306719
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erjhZxwf7cc
Final question is: "If VP Harris wins the election, do you think that would be an honest result?" Answer: "No".
I feel like that just now, about this, though in general I don’t think I'm in favour of it except for high treason.
Arrgh, preempted
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2024/07/24/imran-khan-apply-chancellor-oxford-university-from-prison/
How many graduates of Pakistani origin have a vote, and how many more just like cricket?
The Guardian does have the story though.
Rep 1.67
Dem 2.6
https://www.betfair.com/exchange/plus/politics/market/1.178176964
It didn't really achieve very much beyond demonstrating that mainland Argentina was in striking range. The main motivation behind it was to get the RAF somehow, anyhow directly involved in the conflict. They had just bet the farm on Tornado then discovered it was useless in this fight hence the Scrapheap Challenge of BB. A senior Tornado mate was reported to have said, "It's not really our sort of war."
We also had nuclear weapons and Argentina didn't
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13667573/Man-arrested-fireball-crash-killed-family-four.html
One might suppose that a Porsche was seen driving ‘badly’ in the area by at least one witness.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbow_Code
But there is a rather darker meaning to the term:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Buck
(My favourite rainbow code was Blue Peacock, or the chicken-powered nuclear bomb...)
Unless it's the famous 'Scheifer' Gray on a 930. That would be ok, I suppose.
NEW THREAD
Have been reading up on an early 20th-century American political boss, namely Ed Crump of Memphis, Tennessee.
Mr. Crump (what everybody called him, probably even his wife) ruled the roost in Memphis and Shelby County for decades. AND was a major political force - indeed THE major individual politico - in Tennessee state politics. Crump was far more honest than most big city bosses, and was truly dedicated and diligent in planning and providing for public services and economic growth for Memphis and it's region. What was the secret of his political success? Mobilizing working -class Whites AND Black voters in support of his candidates, while at the same time pleasing or at least assuaging the White elites AND middle-class. While he was NOT a civil rights pioneer, Crump was respected and even liked by the Black community, because he actually did something for them in return for their taxes AND support; PLUS his organization paid the poll tax required then in Tennessee and most Southern states, for less affluent supporters, White and especially Black.
Anyway, in 1940, the mayor of Memphis, resigned after tangling with Mr. Crump. Deputy mayor (a Crump man) succeeded, until the next election.
Crump's first choice was the local Democratic congressman (Republicans being thin on the ground back then, at least among eligible voters). However, the Congressman pointed out that his vote was needed on a key vote for one of FDR's defense AND pro-Allied measures (prior to Pearl Harbor).
So what to do?
> Mr. Crump decided that HE would run for mayor (he'd been previously elected before WWI) even though he had no interest in doing the job. He ran, and won with the usual landslide for a Crump candidate.
> Then shortly after being sworn in - and after the critical vote in Congress - Mayor Crump resigned, and the Memphis city commission selected as his replacement . . . the Congressman. Who then resigned his seat in the US House; the subsequent election being won by . . . wait for it . . . Mr. Crump's chosen candidate.
Crump's machine started to sputter in 1948, when he endorsed Dixiecrat Strom Thurmond for POTUS versus Harry Truman. Many of Mr. Crump's White and even more of his Black followers refused to follow him in the Fall, and thereafter. He didn't lose his political grip - or widespread respect - until his death in 1950s.