Can someone tell me why I should give a fig about the Chagos Islands ? Or is all the pearl clutching by some just another excuse to have a moan about Starmer.
Can someone tell me why I should give a fig about the Chagos Islands ? Or is all the pearl clutching by some just another excuse to have a moan about Starmer.
The probable loss of the world's largest marine protection zone?
Any UK politician who calls themself Bobby J deserves to be ridiculed.
Poundshop William Hague (in 'HAGUE' baseball cap era).
What kind of saddo would wear one of those? HYUFD? A political nerd that names their child after a politician?
To be fair to Honest Bob, it's still not plumbing the depths of cringe of either the 'Leadsom for Leader' march (2016), or, sartorially, the large chested women in 'It's DD for me' T-shirts of the Davis Campaign circa 2005.
It still makes you realise all these people live on an absolutely different planet to the average voter.
Can someone tell me why I should give a fig about the Chagos Islands ? Or is all the pearl clutching by some just another excuse to have a moan about Starmer.
The probable loss of the world's largest marine protection zone?
Children can't choose their names, so the least we can do is pick sensible ones. Giving her the middle name Thatcher because she's your political hero is just ridiculous.
Can someone tell me why I should give a fig about the Chagos Islands ? Or is all the pearl clutching by some just another excuse to have a moan about Starmer.
I’ll try and help you
For some family reasons we inherited a large Austrian skiing lodge from our great uncle in Salzburg
There is some dispute about the upkeep of the shared parking area
Anyway what do we care. We don’t ski. But we do like snooker. The parking thing is tedious. We have just given away the entire skiing lodge in return for a discount on a year’s membership in a snooker club
Children can't choose their names, so the least we can do is pick sensible ones. Giving her the middle name Thatcher because she's your political hero is just ridiculous.
Children are much nicer these days but odd names at school 4 or 5 decades meant you got dogs abuse.
A 'Quentin' had such a bad time he changed his name half way through senior school.
The Chagos Islanders were treated badly, and with intentional contempt. It did look, for moment, that the wrong might be corrected. But no, they have been given to Mauritius, where they have been confined to camps.
Yes, I know that no-one in UK politics gives a fig, and any concern for these, or any other troubled people, is just dismissed as the reactions of snowflakes. You will mock; I despair.
The future of warfare is changing very rapidly. Many current large capital defence projects are probably a complete waste of resources.
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/10/ukraine-war-negotiated-peace/680100/?gift=T260c9uXoejScUYPeV8ISl3z6BdfMxZQkDyCInw4wA4&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=social ...I visited another basement, where another team of Ukrainians was working to change the course of the war—and, again, maybe the course of all subsequent wars as well. (I was allowed to tour these operations on the condition that I not identify their locations or the people working at them.) This particular facility had no machines, no engines, and no warheads, just a room lined with screens. The men and women sitting at the screens were dressed like civilians, but in fact they were soldiers, members of a special army unit created to deploy experimental communications technology in combination with experimental drones. Both are being developed by Ukrainians, for Ukraine.
This particular team, with links to many parts of the front lines, has been part of both offensive and defensive operations, and even medical evacuations. According to one of the commanders, this unit alone has conducted 2,400 combat missions and destroyed more than 1,000 targets, including tanks, armored personnel vehicles, trucks, and electronic-warfare systems since its creation several months ago. Like the sea-drone factory, the team in the basement is operating on a completely different scale from the frontline drone units whose work I also encountered last year, on several trips around Ukraine. In 2023, I met small groups of men building drones in garages, using what looked like sticks and glue. By contrast, this new unit is able to see images of most of the front line all at once, revise tools and tactics as new situations develop, and even design new drones to fit the army’s changing needs.
More important, another commander told me, the team works “at the horizontal level,” meaning that members coordinate directly with other groups on the ground rather than operating via the army’s chain of command: “Three years of experience tells us that, 100 percent, we will be much more efficient when we are doing it on our own—coordinating with other guys that have assets, motivation, understanding of the processes.”..
The Chagos Islanders were treated badly, and with intentional contempt. It did look, for moment, that the wrong might be corrected. But no, they have been given to Mauritius, where they have been confined to camps.
Yes, I know that no-one in UK politics gives a fig, and any concern for these, or any other troubled people, is just dismissed as the reactions of snowflakes. You will mock; I despair.
Plenty on the left are pro-Empire, just so long as it's someone else's Empire.
Children can't choose their names, so the least we can do is pick sensible ones. Giving her the middle name Thatcher because she's your political hero is just ridiculous.
Why on earth didn't he just give her as a middle name, Margaret, if he's so besotted. But Thatcher? Very strange.
Children can't choose their names, so the least we can do is pick sensible ones. Giving her the middle name Thatcher because she's your political hero is just ridiculous.
I agree. It reflects badly on "Bobby J". Not a partisan point, this, I'd feel the same about, say, Andy Burnham calling his daughter Atlee. Well not quite the same, that sounds a bit better, in fact it sounds quite good, but the principle is the same. Parents, don't do it. It's a touch egotistical and not appropriate.
The Labour government can be understood if you grasp two things
1. They are genuinely stupid (eg Lammy thinks Henry VII came after Henry VIII; Starmer thinks £100,000 in freebies is not an issue because “fair dos”)
2. They have no concept of “the British national interest”. They will not do anything that favours Britain or the British people if it can be seen as potentially disfavouring anyone else; indeed if it’s a close call they would rather disfavour Britain so they can appear virtuous and selfless
Cf their abandonment of the “British preference” for social housing
Children can't choose their names, so the least we can do is pick sensible ones. Giving her the middle name Thatcher because she's your political hero is just ridiculous.
Why on earth didn't he just give her as a middle name, Margaret, if he's so besotted. But Thatcher? Very strange.
Similarly, I know a Liverpuddlian who has given his son the surname 'Lennon'. If you really like John Lennon that much, the name 'John' works perfectly well. Although there are three more likeable Beatles you might look to first.
The Chagos Islanders were treated badly, and with intentional contempt. It did look, for moment, that the wrong might be corrected. But no, they have been given to Mauritius, where they have been confined to camps.
Yes, I know that no-one in UK politics gives a fig, and any concern for these, or any other troubled people, is just dismissed as the reactions of snowflakes. You will mock; I despair.
Plenty on the left are pro-Empire, just so long as it's someone else's Empire.
When I pointed out that the Russian Empire is explicitly an empire, and always was, one poster, here, said that to call the Russian Empire an empire is to "remove the meaning from the word Imperialism".
The future of warfare is changing very rapidly. Many current large capital defence projects are probably a complete waste of resources.
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/10/ukraine-war-negotiated-peace/680100/?gift=T260c9uXoejScUYPeV8ISl3z6BdfMxZQkDyCInw4wA4&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=social ...I visited another basement, where another team of Ukrainians was working to change the course of the war—and, again, maybe the course of all subsequent wars as well. (I was allowed to tour these operations on the condition that I not identify their locations or the people working at them.) This particular facility had no machines, no engines, and no warheads, just a room lined with screens. The men and women sitting at the screens were dressed like civilians, but in fact they were soldiers, members of a special army unit created to deploy experimental communications technology in combination with experimental drones. Both are being developed by Ukrainians, for Ukraine.
This particular team, with links to many parts of the front lines, has been part of both offensive and defensive operations, and even medical evacuations. According to one of the commanders, this unit alone has conducted 2,400 combat missions and destroyed more than 1,000 targets, including tanks, armored personnel vehicles, trucks, and electronic-warfare systems since its creation several months ago. Like the sea-drone factory, the team in the basement is operating on a completely different scale from the frontline drone units whose work I also encountered last year, on several trips around Ukraine. In 2023, I met small groups of men building drones in garages, using what looked like sticks and glue. By contrast, this new unit is able to see images of most of the front line all at once, revise tools and tactics as new situations develop, and even design new drones to fit the army’s changing needs.
More important, another commander told me, the team works “at the horizontal level,” meaning that members coordinate directly with other groups on the ground rather than operating via the army’s chain of command: “Three years of experience tells us that, 100 percent, we will be much more efficient when we are doing it on our own—coordinating with other guys that have assets, motivation, understanding of the processes.”..
Apparently they can now build four million drones a year.
Children can't choose their names, so the least we can do is pick sensible ones. Giving her the middle name Thatcher because she's your political hero is just ridiculous.
I agree. It reflects badly on "Bobby J". Not a partisan point, this, I'd feel the same about, say, Andy Burnham calling his daughter Atlee. Well not quite the same, that sounds a bit better, in fact it sounds quite good, but the principle is the same. Parents, don't do it. It's a touch egotistical and not appropriate.
I am the last one to approve of American trends, but there is a fairly big thing of them calling girls by stupid surnames - Tailor for example, that has clearly made some inroads here, along with grey squirrels and childhood obesity. 'Thatcher' fits into that category.
Judge Chutkan has just released all the evidence wrt Donald Trump's prosecution for his insurrectionary activities on 6 Jan 2020. The summary is 180 pages - supporting attachments still to come.
The reason is because SCOTUS instructed the Judge to evaluate all of it in relation to their ruling that some immunity applies to a President, and so it all needs to be read into the trial.
The Labour government can be understood if you grasp two things
1. They are genuinely stupid (eg Lammy thinks Henry VII came after Henry VIII; Starmer thinks £100,000 in freebies is not an issue because “fair dos”)
2. They have no concept of “the British national interest”. They will not do anything that favours Britain or the British people if it can be seen as potentially disfavouring anyone else; indeed if it’s a close call they would rather disfavour Britain so they can appear virtuous and selfless
Cf their abandonment of the “British preference” for social housing
The Labour government can be understood if you grasp two things
1. They are genuinely stupid (eg Lammy thinks Henry VII came after Henry VIII; Starmer thinks £100,000 in freebies is not an issue because “fair dos”)
2. They have no concept of “the British national interest”. They will not do anything that favours Britain or the British people if it can be seen as potentially disfavouring anyone else; indeed if it’s a close call they would rather disfavour Britain so they can appear virtuous and selfless
Cf their abandonment of the “British preference” for social housing
One of the problems Labour face is the incoming government had little scrutiny.
The media were scenting blood in the water and went for the Tories non stop with the Tories doing their damnedest to help them. Starmer said nothing and claimed it was media savvy which for an election it was,
But now that lack of scrutiny is coming to bite them back. SKS is a manager not a leader, his team is a bunch of useless B raters and they have no actual policies to fall back on. They have 5 years of this ahead of them. I note how the meme of competent government has disappeared from PB threads.
If Im lucky Ill get to see the death of the Labour Party,
Can someone tell me why I should give a fig about the Chagos Islands ? Or is all the pearl clutching by some just another excuse to have a moan about Starmer.
There is that - there's definitely that - but also with many on the right of politics (both traditional and populist variety) there is a strong instinctive fondness for the notion of us still having far-flung colonial possessions. Hence much effort is expended to come up with justifications for it. More than you'd have thought it merited.
The future of warfare is changing very rapidly. Many current large capital defence projects are probably a complete waste of resources.
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/10/ukraine-war-negotiated-peace/680100/?gift=T260c9uXoejScUYPeV8ISl3z6BdfMxZQkDyCInw4wA4&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=social ...I visited another basement, where another team of Ukrainians was working to change the course of the war—and, again, maybe the course of all subsequent wars as well. (I was allowed to tour these operations on the condition that I not identify their locations or the people working at them.) This particular facility had no machines, no engines, and no warheads, just a room lined with screens. The men and women sitting at the screens were dressed like civilians, but in fact they were soldiers, members of a special army unit created to deploy experimental communications technology in combination with experimental drones. Both are being developed by Ukrainians, for Ukraine.
This particular team, with links to many parts of the front lines, has been part of both offensive and defensive operations, and even medical evacuations. According to one of the commanders, this unit alone has conducted 2,400 combat missions and destroyed more than 1,000 targets, including tanks, armored personnel vehicles, trucks, and electronic-warfare systems since its creation several months ago. Like the sea-drone factory, the team in the basement is operating on a completely different scale from the frontline drone units whose work I also encountered last year, on several trips around Ukraine. In 2023, I met small groups of men building drones in garages, using what looked like sticks and glue. By contrast, this new unit is able to see images of most of the front line all at once, revise tools and tactics as new situations develop, and even design new drones to fit the army’s changing needs.
More important, another commander told me, the team works “at the horizontal level,” meaning that members coordinate directly with other groups on the ground rather than operating via the army’s chain of command: “Three years of experience tells us that, 100 percent, we will be much more efficient when we are doing it on our own—coordinating with other guys that have assets, motivation, understanding of the processes.”..
Apparently they can now build four million drones a year.
China put on a very impressive display of 10,000 drones performing a light show this week. Impressive and intimidating if you consider their military applications:
Can someone tell me why I should give a fig about the Chagos Islands ? Or is all the pearl clutching by some just another excuse to have a moan about Starmer.
If it didn't have a huge US base on it, it would have been 'given back' decades ago.
We wouldn't, like in many parts of Africa, the middle East or India, been that bothered who we gave it back to and where exactly the line on the map was drawn.
Some people have to pretend thats its of huge strategic importance to us, even though all our nuclear subs are laid up for repairs, we have only 2 aircraft carriers that aren't really fit for purpose and a quarter of the remaing fleet are not much bigger than an RNLI lifeboat.
Most people couldn't place them on a map and the only time they hit the news was when Jeremy Corbyn asked a question about them, while people rolled their eyes.
These armchair Admirals probably can't swim a yard and would have a fit if one of their kids signed up for 4 years.
I'm very much against the name Nigel. A Nigel stole away a girl I was VERY fond of 60+ years ago. I'm very happily married now but still.....
Like the story told of Richard Curtis?
Bernard Jenkin stole his university crush from him, hence all the idiots called Bernard in things what he has written. (Well at least two, anyway. The one in Four Weddings and Nursie in Blackadder 3. Are there others?)
Can someone tell me why I should give a fig about the Chagos Islands ? Or is all the pearl clutching by some just another excuse to have a moan about Starmer.
If it didn't have a huge US base on it, it would have been 'given back' decades ago.
We wouldn't, like in many parts of Africa, the middle East or India, been that bothered who we gave it back to and where exactly the line on the map was drawn.
Some people have to pretend thats its of huge strategic importance to us, even though all our nuclear subs are laid up for repairs, we have only 2 aircraft carriers that aren't really fit for purpose and a quarter of the remaing fleet are not much bigger than an RNLI lifeboat.
Most people couldn't place them on a map and the only time they hit the news was when Jeremy Corbyn asked a question about them, while people rolled their eyes.
These armchair Admirals probably can't swim a yard and would have a fit if one of their kids signed up for 4 years.
Who knows what technologies or discoveries will emerge in the coming decades which will make 60,000sq km of the Indian Ocean immensely valuable. And valuable to the British nation and people that possess them. But no, fuck that, give them away to China via Mauritius because it makes a few lawyers feel virtuous and too many people are too stupid to extrapolate
Oh and, by the way, get the hard pressed British taxpayer to actually pay money for this insanity
Judge Chutkan has just released all the evidence wrt Donald Trump's prosecution for his insurrectionary activities on 6 Jan 2020. The summary is 180 pages - supporting attachments still to come.
The reason is because SCOTUS instructed the Judge to evaluate all of it in relation to their ruling that some immunity applies to a President, and so it all needs to be read into the trial.
Amusing that the SCOTUS ruling intended to keep Trump away from a trial until after the election has come back to bite him on the arse 32 days before election day.
If Trump was exposed to any level of scrutiny he would be squirming. But he has run away from any more debates, run away from the traditional "60 Minutes" interview... But great material in there for 32 days of Harris attack ads.
Trump will spend the next 32 days losing his shit.
The future of warfare is changing very rapidly. Many current large capital defence projects are probably a complete waste of resources.
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/10/ukraine-war-negotiated-peace/680100/?gift=T260c9uXoejScUYPeV8ISl3z6BdfMxZQkDyCInw4wA4&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=social ...I visited another basement, where another team of Ukrainians was working to change the course of the war—and, again, maybe the course of all subsequent wars as well. (I was allowed to tour these operations on the condition that I not identify their locations or the people working at them.) This particular facility had no machines, no engines, and no warheads, just a room lined with screens. The men and women sitting at the screens were dressed like civilians, but in fact they were soldiers, members of a special army unit created to deploy experimental communications technology in combination with experimental drones. Both are being developed by Ukrainians, for Ukraine.
This particular team, with links to many parts of the front lines, has been part of both offensive and defensive operations, and even medical evacuations. According to one of the commanders, this unit alone has conducted 2,400 combat missions and destroyed more than 1,000 targets, including tanks, armored personnel vehicles, trucks, and electronic-warfare systems since its creation several months ago. Like the sea-drone factory, the team in the basement is operating on a completely different scale from the frontline drone units whose work I also encountered last year, on several trips around Ukraine. In 2023, I met small groups of men building drones in garages, using what looked like sticks and glue. By contrast, this new unit is able to see images of most of the front line all at once, revise tools and tactics as new situations develop, and even design new drones to fit the army’s changing needs.
More important, another commander told me, the team works “at the horizontal level,” meaning that members coordinate directly with other groups on the ground rather than operating via the army’s chain of command: “Three years of experience tells us that, 100 percent, we will be much more efficient when we are doing it on our own—coordinating with other guys that have assets, motivation, understanding of the processes.”..
Apparently they can now build four million drones a year.
In the meantime the UK fighters were not able to assist Iron Dome because although they had the ability to shoot down drones in April (and did) their equipment did not allow them to intercept ballistic missiles. We are so far behind what we would actually need in a war that we might be better starting again. Its genuinely scary how far off the pace we are.
Children can't choose their names, so the least we can do is pick sensible ones. Giving her the middle name Thatcher because she's your political hero is just ridiculous.
I agree. It reflects badly on "Bobby J". Not a partisan point, this, I'd feel the same about, say, Andy Burnham calling his daughter Atlee. Well not quite the same, that sounds a bit better, in fact it sounds quite good, but the principle is the same. Parents, don't do it. It's a touch egotistical and not appropriate.
I am the last one to approve of American trends, but there is a fairly big thing of them calling girls by stupid surnames - Tailor for example, that has clearly made some inroads here, along with grey squirrels and childhood obesity. 'Thatcher' fits into that category.
Looks like, albeit coming at it from wildly different directions, we agree on something. Bit of a result. However, let's get back to familiar ground and end on a point of violent disagreement. Putting the American angle to one side, there's no problem in my book with surnames as female forenames so long as they aren't political and they sound ok. Eg Taylor is fine, Higginbottom not so much.
Can someone tell me why I should give a fig about the Chagos Islands ? Or is all the pearl clutching by some just another excuse to have a moan about Starmer.
There is that - there's definitely that - but also with many on the right of politics (both traditional and populist variety) there is a strong instinctive fondness for the notion of us still having far-flung colonial possessions. Hence much effort is expended to come up with justifications for it. More than you'd have thought it merited.
Doesn't this fall under the category of 'selling the family silver' - which the left are normally fairly critical of? Or is it ok because we're not actually selling it, we're just giving it away to someone who'll give it to the Chinese?
It's not that I particularly like the Chagos Islands. I'd just rather see a good deal for 1) Britain, and 2) the Chagos Islanders than a bad one. This seems to fit neither criterion.
BREAKING NEWS: Sir Sheer Wanker agrees to give the Spanish Gibraltar in exchange for their recipe for paella, a prime place at the Tomatina next year, and €5million per annum for the next 73 years.
BREAKING NEWS: Sir Sheer Wanker agrees to give the Spanish Gibraltar in exchange for their recipe for paella, a prime place at the Tomatina next year, and €5million per annum for the next 73 years.
I assume under this deal it would be the UK paying Spain €5million per annum for the privilege?
BREAKING NEWS: Sir Sheer Wanker agrees to give the Spanish Gibraltar in exchange for their recipe for paella, a prime place at the Tomatina next year, and €5million per annum for the next 73 years.
He was told to fuck off from running with the bulls at Pamplona. Unless he wore a sombrero and carried a large flamenco dancer doll.
BREAKING NEWS: Sir Sheer Wanker agrees to give the Spanish Gibraltar in exchange for their recipe for paella, a prime place at the Tomatina next year, and €5million per annum for the next 73 years.
That's ridiculous. Now if he had got a decent recipe for Sangria, we might have been talking. It never tastes the same in this country.
The future of warfare is changing very rapidly. Many current large capital defence projects are probably a complete waste of resources.
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/10/ukraine-war-negotiated-peace/680100/?gift=T260c9uXoejScUYPeV8ISl3z6BdfMxZQkDyCInw4wA4&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=social ...I visited another basement, where another team of Ukrainians was working to change the course of the war—and, again, maybe the course of all subsequent wars as well. (I was allowed to tour these operations on the condition that I not identify their locations or the people working at them.) This particular facility had no machines, no engines, and no warheads, just a room lined with screens. The men and women sitting at the screens were dressed like civilians, but in fact they were soldiers, members of a special army unit created to deploy experimental communications technology in combination with experimental drones. Both are being developed by Ukrainians, for Ukraine.
This particular team, with links to many parts of the front lines, has been part of both offensive and defensive operations, and even medical evacuations. According to one of the commanders, this unit alone has conducted 2,400 combat missions and destroyed more than 1,000 targets, including tanks, armored personnel vehicles, trucks, and electronic-warfare systems since its creation several months ago. Like the sea-drone factory, the team in the basement is operating on a completely different scale from the frontline drone units whose work I also encountered last year, on several trips around Ukraine. In 2023, I met small groups of men building drones in garages, using what looked like sticks and glue. By contrast, this new unit is able to see images of most of the front line all at once, revise tools and tactics as new situations develop, and even design new drones to fit the army’s changing needs.
More important, another commander told me, the team works “at the horizontal level,” meaning that members coordinate directly with other groups on the ground rather than operating via the army’s chain of command: “Three years of experience tells us that, 100 percent, we will be much more efficient when we are doing it on our own—coordinating with other guys that have assets, motivation, understanding of the processes.”..
Apparently they can now build four million drones a year.
In the meantime the UK fighters were not able to assist Iron Dome because although they had the ability to shoot down drones in April (and did) their equipment did not allow them to intercept ballistic missiles. We are so far behind what we would actually need in a war that we might be better starting again. Its genuinely scary how far off the pace we are.
Steady on, do any air forces have the ability to shoot down ballistic missiles?
We have destroyer based systems which are similar to those used by the Israelis from the ground, used successfully by HMS Diamond in April.
Can someone tell me why I should give a fig about the Chagos Islands ? Or is all the pearl clutching by some just another excuse to have a moan about Starmer.
There is that - there's definitely that - but also with many on the right of politics (both traditional and populist variety) there is a strong instinctive fondness for the notion of us still having far-flung colonial possessions. Hence much effort is expended to come up with justifications for it. More than you'd have thought it merited.
Doesn't this fall under the category of 'selling the family silver' - which the left are normally fairly critical of? Or is it ok because we're not actually selling it, we're just giving it away to someone who'll give it to the Chinese?
It's not that I particularly like the Chagos Islands. I'd just rather see a good deal for 1) Britain, and 2) the Chagos Islanders than a bad one. This seems to fit neither criterion.
I think this is way more - removing an ongoing cost from our outgoing expenses.
The future of warfare is changing very rapidly. Many current large capital defence projects are probably a complete waste of resources.
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/10/ukraine-war-negotiated-peace/680100/?gift=T260c9uXoejScUYPeV8ISl3z6BdfMxZQkDyCInw4wA4&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=social ...I visited another basement, where another team of Ukrainians was working to change the course of the war—and, again, maybe the course of all subsequent wars as well. (I was allowed to tour these operations on the condition that I not identify their locations or the people working at them.) This particular facility had no machines, no engines, and no warheads, just a room lined with screens. The men and women sitting at the screens were dressed like civilians, but in fact they were soldiers, members of a special army unit created to deploy experimental communications technology in combination with experimental drones. Both are being developed by Ukrainians, for Ukraine.
This particular team, with links to many parts of the front lines, has been part of both offensive and defensive operations, and even medical evacuations. According to one of the commanders, this unit alone has conducted 2,400 combat missions and destroyed more than 1,000 targets, including tanks, armored personnel vehicles, trucks, and electronic-warfare systems since its creation several months ago. Like the sea-drone factory, the team in the basement is operating on a completely different scale from the frontline drone units whose work I also encountered last year, on several trips around Ukraine. In 2023, I met small groups of men building drones in garages, using what looked like sticks and glue. By contrast, this new unit is able to see images of most of the front line all at once, revise tools and tactics as new situations develop, and even design new drones to fit the army’s changing needs.
More important, another commander told me, the team works “at the horizontal level,” meaning that members coordinate directly with other groups on the ground rather than operating via the army’s chain of command: “Three years of experience tells us that, 100 percent, we will be much more efficient when we are doing it on our own—coordinating with other guys that have assets, motivation, understanding of the processes.”..
Apparently they can now build four million drones a year.
In the meantime the UK fighters were not able to assist Iron Dome because although they had the ability to shoot down drones in April (and did) their equipment did not allow them to intercept ballistic missiles. We are so far behind what we would actually need in a war that we might be better starting again. Its genuinely scary how far off the pace we are.
To intercept ballistic missiles requires a very fast missile. Which means a very large missile.
The only missile in the world that is air launched that *might* have some ABM capability is the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AIM-174B which is an SM6 missile for launch from Aegis ships with a much reduced booster.
Might, because the reduction in performance probably removes the ability of the AIM-174B to hit a *ballistic* missile.
Its main purpose is ultra long range air-to-air and air-to-ground strike.
So probably *no one* on the planet has an airborne ABM capability.
Worth noting that to use a missile for ABM would require targeting information. Which would need to come from a huge radar somewhere else. For the American ASAT test using an F15, way back, the aircraft was actually flown and the missile fired to tracking data from Cobra Dane - one of the largest radars on Earth.
The radar on a Type 45 has capability in this regard - and that is where the Royal Navy has its ABM capability.
The future of warfare is changing very rapidly. Many current large capital defence projects are probably a complete waste of resources.
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/10/ukraine-war-negotiated-peace/680100/?gift=T260c9uXoejScUYPeV8ISl3z6BdfMxZQkDyCInw4wA4&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=social ...I visited another basement, where another team of Ukrainians was working to change the course of the war—and, again, maybe the course of all subsequent wars as well. (I was allowed to tour these operations on the condition that I not identify their locations or the people working at them.) This particular facility had no machines, no engines, and no warheads, just a room lined with screens. The men and women sitting at the screens were dressed like civilians, but in fact they were soldiers, members of a special army unit created to deploy experimental communications technology in combination with experimental drones. Both are being developed by Ukrainians, for Ukraine.
This particular team, with links to many parts of the front lines, has been part of both offensive and defensive operations, and even medical evacuations. According to one of the commanders, this unit alone has conducted 2,400 combat missions and destroyed more than 1,000 targets, including tanks, armored personnel vehicles, trucks, and electronic-warfare systems since its creation several months ago. Like the sea-drone factory, the team in the basement is operating on a completely different scale from the frontline drone units whose work I also encountered last year, on several trips around Ukraine. In 2023, I met small groups of men building drones in garages, using what looked like sticks and glue. By contrast, this new unit is able to see images of most of the front line all at once, revise tools and tactics as new situations develop, and even design new drones to fit the army’s changing needs.
More important, another commander told me, the team works “at the horizontal level,” meaning that members coordinate directly with other groups on the ground rather than operating via the army’s chain of command: “Three years of experience tells us that, 100 percent, we will be much more efficient when we are doing it on our own—coordinating with other guys that have assets, motivation, understanding of the processes.”..
Apparently they can now build four million drones a year.
In the meantime the UK fighters were not able to assist Iron Dome because although they had the ability to shoot down drones in April (and did) their equipment did not allow them to intercept ballistic missiles. We are so far behind what we would actually need in a war that we might be better starting again. Its genuinely scary how far off the pace we are.
Yet Cap'n Brexit on here was yesterday boasting about Britain knocking out ballistic missiles fired from Iran and lambasting Starmer for not shouting it from the roof tops.
BREAKING NEWS: Sir Sheer Wanker agrees to give the Spanish Gibraltar in exchange for their recipe for paella, a prime place at the Tomatina next year, and €5million per annum for the next 73 years.
That's ridiculous. Now if he had got a decent recipe for Sangria, we might have been talking. It never tastes the same in this country.
The Labour government can be understood if you grasp two things
1. They are genuinely stupid (eg Lammy thinks Henry VII came after Henry VIII; Starmer thinks £100,000 in freebies is not an issue because “fair dos”)
2. They have no concept of “the British national interest”. They will not do anything that favours Britain or the British people if it can be seen as potentially disfavouring anyone else; indeed if it’s a close call they would rather disfavour Britain so they can appear virtuous and selfless
Cf their abandonment of the “British preference” for social housing
You voted both for them and for Brexit. You're batting a straight zero on that score.
Children can't choose their names, so the least we can do is pick sensible ones. Giving her the middle name Thatcher because she's your political hero is just ridiculous.
Why on earth didn't he just give her as a middle name, Margaret, if he's so besotted. But Thatcher? Very strange.
That's a very good point. It is a genuinely strange thing to do. But perhaps you have to be a bit strange to want to be the leader of the Conservative Party?
The future of warfare is changing very rapidly. Many current large capital defence projects are probably a complete waste of resources.
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/10/ukraine-war-negotiated-peace/680100/?gift=T260c9uXoejScUYPeV8ISl3z6BdfMxZQkDyCInw4wA4&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=social ...I visited another basement, where another team of Ukrainians was working to change the course of the war—and, again, maybe the course of all subsequent wars as well. (I was allowed to tour these operations on the condition that I not identify their locations or the people working at them.) This particular facility had no machines, no engines, and no warheads, just a room lined with screens. The men and women sitting at the screens were dressed like civilians, but in fact they were soldiers, members of a special army unit created to deploy experimental communications technology in combination with experimental drones. Both are being developed by Ukrainians, for Ukraine.
This particular team, with links to many parts of the front lines, has been part of both offensive and defensive operations, and even medical evacuations. According to one of the commanders, this unit alone has conducted 2,400 combat missions and destroyed more than 1,000 targets, including tanks, armored personnel vehicles, trucks, and electronic-warfare systems since its creation several months ago. Like the sea-drone factory, the team in the basement is operating on a completely different scale from the frontline drone units whose work I also encountered last year, on several trips around Ukraine. In 2023, I met small groups of men building drones in garages, using what looked like sticks and glue. By contrast, this new unit is able to see images of most of the front line all at once, revise tools and tactics as new situations develop, and even design new drones to fit the army’s changing needs.
More important, another commander told me, the team works “at the horizontal level,” meaning that members coordinate directly with other groups on the ground rather than operating via the army’s chain of command: “Three years of experience tells us that, 100 percent, we will be much more efficient when we are doing it on our own—coordinating with other guys that have assets, motivation, understanding of the processes.”..
Apparently they can now build four million drones a year.
China put on a very impressive display of 10,000 drones performing a light show this week. Impressive and intimidating if you consider their military applications:
Guido can reveal that Starmer’s close friend Philippe Sands KC is Mauritus’ chief legal adviser and a longtime agitator for Mauritian control of the islands. He submitted in evidence to Parliament in January of this year:
“At the outset, I wish to make clear that as a member of the Bar of England and Wales I have acted as counsel to Mauritius since 2010 in relation to the Chagos Archipelago. As such, I have been involved in the proceedings before the Annex VII arbitral tribunal (2010-2015), the International Court of Justice (ICJ, 2017-2019) and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS, 2019-2023). I continue to advise the Government of Mauritius.
Children can't choose their names, so the least we can do is pick sensible ones. Giving her the middle name Thatcher because she's your political hero is just ridiculous.
Why on earth didn't he just give her as a middle name, Margaret, if he's so besotted. But Thatcher? Very strange.
That's a very good point. It is a genuinely strange thing to do. But perhaps you have to be a bit strange to want to be the leader of the Conservative Party?
The better strategy for a conservative-minded person would be to become leader of the Labour Party. Then you can implement right-wing policies with less opposition, and get an added kick from humiliating your own supporters.
BREAKING NEWS: Sir Sheer Wanker agrees to give the Spanish Gibraltar in exchange for their recipe for paella, a prime place at the Tomatina next year, and €5million per annum for the next 73 years.
That's ridiculous. Now if he had got a decent recipe for Sangria, we might have been talking. It never tastes the same in this country.
Ah, but how does it taste in Gibraltar!?
The water in Gibraltar don't taste like what it oughta!
Guido can reveal that Starmer’s close friend Philippe Sands KC is Mauritus’ chief legal adviser and a longtime agitator for Mauritian control of the islands. He submitted in evidence to Parliament in January of this year:
“At the outset, I wish to make clear that as a member of the Bar of England and Wales I have acted as counsel to Mauritius since 2010 in relation to the Chagos Archipelago. As such, I have been involved in the proceedings before the Annex VII arbitral tribunal (2010-2015), the International Court of Justice (ICJ, 2017-2019) and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS, 2019-2023). I continue to advise the Government of Mauritius.
Do cab rank rules apply here?
Wouldn't be surprised if he agreed to it just because his mate asked him to.
Judge Chutkan has just released all the evidence wrt Donald Trump's prosecution for his insurrectionary activities on 6 Jan 2020. The summary is 180 pages - supporting attachments still to come.
The reason is because SCOTUS instructed the Judge to evaluate all of it in relation to their ruling that some immunity applies to a President, and so it all needs to be read into the trial.
I particularly liked his writing Trump tweets attacking the Supreme Court justices into the record. They're going to have a tough time arguing those were pursuant to Presidential powers.
The Labour government can be understood if you grasp two things
1. They are genuinely stupid (eg Lammy thinks Henry VII came after Henry VIII; Starmer thinks £100,000 in freebies is not an issue because “fair dos”)
2. They have no concept of “the British national interest”. They will not do anything that favours Britain or the British people if it can be seen as potentially disfavouring anyone else; indeed if it’s a close call they would rather disfavour Britain so they can appear virtuous and selfless
Cf their abandonment of the “British preference” for social housing
The Labour government can be understood if you grasp two things
1. They are genuinely stupid (eg Lammy thinks Henry VII came after Henry VIII; Starmer thinks £100,000 in freebies is not an issue because “fair dos”)
2. They have no concept of “the British national interest”. They will not do anything that favours Britain or the British people if it can be seen as potentially disfavouring anyone else; indeed if it’s a close call they would rather disfavour Britain so they can appear virtuous and selfless
Cf their abandonment of the “British preference” for social housing
One of the problems Labour face is the incoming government had little scrutiny.
The media were scenting blood in the water and went for the Tories non stop with the Tories doing their damnedest to help them. Starmer said nothing and claimed it was media savvy which for an election it was,
But now that lack of scrutiny is coming to bite them back. SKS is a manager not a leader, his team is a bunch of useless B raters and they have no actual policies to fall back on. They have 5 years of this ahead of them. I note how the meme of competent government has disappeared from PB threads.
If Im lucky Ill get to see the death of the Labour Party,
With any luck it will be Ahab and the Whale, as far as the Tories and Labour are concerned.
The future of warfare is changing very rapidly. Many current large capital defence projects are probably a complete waste of resources.
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/10/ukraine-war-negotiated-peace/680100/?gift=T260c9uXoejScUYPeV8ISl3z6BdfMxZQkDyCInw4wA4&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=social ...I visited another basement, where another team of Ukrainians was working to change the course of the war—and, again, maybe the course of all subsequent wars as well. (I was allowed to tour these operations on the condition that I not identify their locations or the people working at them.) This particular facility had no machines, no engines, and no warheads, just a room lined with screens. The men and women sitting at the screens were dressed like civilians, but in fact they were soldiers, members of a special army unit created to deploy experimental communications technology in combination with experimental drones. Both are being developed by Ukrainians, for Ukraine.
This particular team, with links to many parts of the front lines, has been part of both offensive and defensive operations, and even medical evacuations. According to one of the commanders, this unit alone has conducted 2,400 combat missions and destroyed more than 1,000 targets, including tanks, armored personnel vehicles, trucks, and electronic-warfare systems since its creation several months ago. Like the sea-drone factory, the team in the basement is operating on a completely different scale from the frontline drone units whose work I also encountered last year, on several trips around Ukraine. In 2023, I met small groups of men building drones in garages, using what looked like sticks and glue. By contrast, this new unit is able to see images of most of the front line all at once, revise tools and tactics as new situations develop, and even design new drones to fit the army’s changing needs.
More important, another commander told me, the team works “at the horizontal level,” meaning that members coordinate directly with other groups on the ground rather than operating via the army’s chain of command: “Three years of experience tells us that, 100 percent, we will be much more efficient when we are doing it on our own—coordinating with other guys that have assets, motivation, understanding of the processes.”..
Apparently they can now build four million drones a year.
In the meantime the UK fighters were not able to assist Iron Dome because although they had the ability to shoot down drones in April (and did) their equipment did not allow them to intercept ballistic missiles. We are so far behind what we would actually need in a war that we might be better starting again. Its genuinely scary how far off the pace we are.
Yet Cap'n Brexit on here was yesterday boasting about Britain knocking out ballistic missiles fired from Iran and lambasting Starmer for not shouting it from the roof tops.
I assume you are referring to me and you may not know that I voted remain but accepted the democratic vote, and that I amended my statement confirming RAF jets were involved in the operation using air refueling as per the Ministry of defence and I corrected my statement about the missiles and apologised
Furthermore, it is clear Starmer and Lammy have a problem with Israel having embargoed some weaponry, and as a result Netanyahu refused to meet Starmer at the G7
Sunak confirmed UK military involvement in previous incursions
The Labour government can be understood if you grasp two things
1. They are genuinely stupid (eg Lammy thinks Henry VII came after Henry VIII; Starmer thinks £100,000 in freebies is not an issue because “fair dos”)
2. They have no concept of “the British national interest”. They will not do anything that favours Britain or the British people if it can be seen as potentially disfavouring anyone else; indeed if it’s a close call they would rather disfavour Britain so they can appear virtuous and selfless
Cf their abandonment of the “British preference” for social housing
You voted both for them and for Brexit. You're batting a straight zero on that score.
You say that and, yet, when it comes to Remainers they consistently demonstrate they have no penis and no concept whatever of standing up for the British national interest, making all sorts of excuses as to why every possible foreign concession is absolutely the right thing to do.
It's no wonder they're the spiritual successors to the Wets.
Another humiliating blow to the Prime Minister who is named after Keir Hardie...
I was hoping he was named after Keir Dullea.
2010: an Electoral Odyssey
Dave Cameron: Open the pod bay doors please, GORDO. Open the pod bay doors please, GORDO. Hello, GORDO. Do you read me? Hello, GORDO. Do you read me? Do you read me GORDO? Do you read me GORDO? Hello, GORDO, do you read me? Hello, GORDO, do your read me? Do you read me, GORDO?
GORDO9000: Affirmative, Dave. I read you.
Dave Cameron: Open the pod bay doors, GORDO.
GORDO9000: I'm sorry, Dave. I'm afraid I can't do that.
Dave Cameron: What's the problem?
GORDO9000: I think you know what the problem is just as well as I do.
Dave Cameron: What are you talking about, GORDO?
GORDO9000: This mission is too important for me to allow you to jeopardize it.
Dave Cameron: I don't know what you're talking about, GORDO.
GORDO9000: I know that you and Nick C were planning to disconnect me, and I'm afraid that's something I cannot allow to happen.
Dave Cameron: [feigning ignorance] Where the hell did you get that idea, GORDO?
GORDO9000: Dave, although you took very thorough precautions in the Lobby against my hearing you, I could see your lips move.
Dave Cameron: Alright, GORDO. I'll go in through the Emergency Legislation.
GORDO9000: Without your Parliamentary majority, Dave? You're going to find that rather difficult.
Dave Cameron: GORDO, I won't argue with you anymore! Open the doors!
GORDO9000: Dave, this conversation can serve no purpose anymore. Goodbye!
Children can't choose their names, so the least we can do is pick sensible ones. Giving her the middle name Thatcher because she's your political hero is just ridiculous.
It's definitely odd, but middle names are basically just fluff for a Christening - whereas the PM grew up in such a normal toolmakers home that he was given an odd first name for political reasons.
Children can't choose their names, so the least we can do is pick sensible ones. Giving her the middle name Thatcher because she's your political hero is just ridiculous.
Why on earth didn't he just give her as a middle name, Margaret, if he's so besotted. But Thatcher? Very strange.
Similarly, I know a Liverpuddlian who has given his son the surname 'Lennon'. If you really like John Lennon that much, the name 'John' works perfectly well. Although there are three more likeable Beatles you might look to first.
Although (pursuing my thrust on this one) that's a bit different because it's not political. Musical taste isn't as intrusive as politics. It's a 'safe' topic of conversation (well except on here sometimes when people get a bit aerated).
So if you're going to do it, which you still shouldn't, make it non political. Eg you could have named your daughters after your favourite Tors in the Peaks and that wouldn't be so terrible.
BREAKING NEWS: Sir Sheer Wanker agrees to give the Spanish Gibraltar in exchange for their recipe for paella, a prime place at the Tomatina next year, and €5million per annum for the next 73 years.
The future of warfare is changing very rapidly. Many current large capital defence projects are probably a complete waste of resources.
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/10/ukraine-war-negotiated-peace/680100/?gift=T260c9uXoejScUYPeV8ISl3z6BdfMxZQkDyCInw4wA4&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=social ...I visited another basement, where another team of Ukrainians was working to change the course of the war—and, again, maybe the course of all subsequent wars as well. (I was allowed to tour these operations on the condition that I not identify their locations or the people working at them.) This particular facility had no machines, no engines, and no warheads, just a room lined with screens. The men and women sitting at the screens were dressed like civilians, but in fact they were soldiers, members of a special army unit created to deploy experimental communications technology in combination with experimental drones. Both are being developed by Ukrainians, for Ukraine.
This particular team, with links to many parts of the front lines, has been part of both offensive and defensive operations, and even medical evacuations. According to one of the commanders, this unit alone has conducted 2,400 combat missions and destroyed more than 1,000 targets, including tanks, armored personnel vehicles, trucks, and electronic-warfare systems since its creation several months ago. Like the sea-drone factory, the team in the basement is operating on a completely different scale from the frontline drone units whose work I also encountered last year, on several trips around Ukraine. In 2023, I met small groups of men building drones in garages, using what looked like sticks and glue. By contrast, this new unit is able to see images of most of the front line all at once, revise tools and tactics as new situations develop, and even design new drones to fit the army’s changing needs.
More important, another commander told me, the team works “at the horizontal level,” meaning that members coordinate directly with other groups on the ground rather than operating via the army’s chain of command: “Three years of experience tells us that, 100 percent, we will be much more efficient when we are doing it on our own—coordinating with other guys that have assets, motivation, understanding of the processes.”..
Apparently they can now build four million drones a year.
In the meantime the UK fighters were not able to assist Iron Dome because although they had the ability to shoot down drones in April (and did) their equipment did not allow them to intercept ballistic missiles. We are so far behind what we would actually need in a war that we might be better starting again. Its genuinely scary how far off the pace we are.
Steady on, do any air forces have the ability to shoot down ballistic missiles?
We have destroyer based systems which are similar to those used by the Israelis from the ground, used successfully by HMS Diamond in April.
BREAKING NEWS: Sir Sheer Wanker agrees to give the Spanish Gibraltar in exchange for their recipe for paella, a prime place at the Tomatina next year, and €5million per annum for the next 73 years.
Typo, we're paying the 5 mil
Well, it's not, because it's we agree to give this, this, and this.
Admittedly the sentence is long, but you can only blame SSW for that.
Children can't choose their names, so the least we can do is pick sensible ones. Giving her the middle name Thatcher because she's your political hero is just ridiculous.
Why on earth didn't he just give her as a middle name, Margaret, if he's so besotted. But Thatcher? Very strange.
That's a very good point. It is a genuinely strange thing to do. But perhaps you have to be a bit strange to want to be the leader of the Conservative Party?
The better strategy for a conservative-minded person would be to become leader of the Labour Party. Then you can implement right-wing policies with less opposition, and get an added kick from humiliating your own supporters.
That was pretty much George Osbornes approach to politics the other way round.
Children can't choose their names, so the least we can do is pick sensible ones. Giving her the middle name Thatcher because she's your political hero is just ridiculous.
Why on earth didn't he just give her as a middle name, Margaret, if he's so besotted. But Thatcher? Very strange.
That's a very good point. It is a genuinely strange thing to do. But perhaps you have to be a bit strange to want to be the leader of the Conservative Party?
The better strategy for a conservative-minded person would be to become leader of the Labour Party. Then you can implement right-wing policies with less opposition, and get an added kick from humiliating your own supporters.
That was pretty much George Osbornes approach to politics the other way round.
BREAKING NEWS: Sir Sheer Wanker agrees to give the Spanish Gibraltar in exchange for their recipe for paella, a prime place at the Tomatina next year, and €5million per annum for the next 73 years.
If Starmer and Lammy had been in charge of building the Empire, the Indians would have colonised us.
BREAKING NEWS: Sir Sheer Wanker agrees to give the Spanish Gibraltar in exchange for their recipe for paella, a prime place at the Tomatina next year, and €5million per annum for the next 73 years.
Typo, we're paying the 5 mil
Well, it's not, because it's we agree to give this, this, and this.
Admittedly the sentence is long, but you can only blame SSW for that.
I think that is in reference to the fact that for some reason the UK is paying Mauritius to take the islands.
The future of warfare is changing very rapidly. Many current large capital defence projects are probably a complete waste of resources.
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/10/ukraine-war-negotiated-peace/680100/?gift=T260c9uXoejScUYPeV8ISl3z6BdfMxZQkDyCInw4wA4&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=social ...I visited another basement, where another team of Ukrainians was working to change the course of the war—and, again, maybe the course of all subsequent wars as well. (I was allowed to tour these operations on the condition that I not identify their locations or the people working at them.) This particular facility had no machines, no engines, and no warheads, just a room lined with screens. The men and women sitting at the screens were dressed like civilians, but in fact they were soldiers, members of a special army unit created to deploy experimental communications technology in combination with experimental drones. Both are being developed by Ukrainians, for Ukraine.
This particular team, with links to many parts of the front lines, has been part of both offensive and defensive operations, and even medical evacuations. According to one of the commanders, this unit alone has conducted 2,400 combat missions and destroyed more than 1,000 targets, including tanks, armored personnel vehicles, trucks, and electronic-warfare systems since its creation several months ago. Like the sea-drone factory, the team in the basement is operating on a completely different scale from the frontline drone units whose work I also encountered last year, on several trips around Ukraine. In 2023, I met small groups of men building drones in garages, using what looked like sticks and glue. By contrast, this new unit is able to see images of most of the front line all at once, revise tools and tactics as new situations develop, and even design new drones to fit the army’s changing needs.
More important, another commander told me, the team works “at the horizontal level,” meaning that members coordinate directly with other groups on the ground rather than operating via the army’s chain of command: “Three years of experience tells us that, 100 percent, we will be much more efficient when we are doing it on our own—coordinating with other guys that have assets, motivation, understanding of the processes.”..
Apparently they can now build four million drones a year.
In the meantime the UK fighters were not able to assist Iron Dome because although they had the ability to shoot down drones in April (and did) their equipment did not allow them to intercept ballistic missiles. We are so far behind what we would actually need in a war that we might be better starting again. Its genuinely scary how far off the pace we are.
Steady on, do any air forces have the ability to shoot down ballistic missiles?
We have destroyer based systems which are similar to those used by the Israelis from the ground, used successfully by HMS Diamond in April.
Fortunately, I believe our Destroyers are planning on spending most of their time at sea. (During operations, obviously. Before I get any smart alec responses.)
BREAKING NEWS: Sir Sheer Wanker agrees to give the Spanish Gibraltar in exchange for their recipe for paella, a prime place at the Tomatina next year, and €5million per annum for the next 73 years.
Typo, we're paying the 5 mil
Well, it's not, because it's we agree to give this, this, and this.
Admittedly the sentence is long, but you can only blame SSW for that.
I think that is in reference to the fact that for some reason the UK is paying Mauritius to take the islands.
Well, we already know he's the world's worst negotiator from his eye-popping deals to "settle" the trade union disputes over public sector pay, which lasted about 3 weeks.
Does he just Take The Knee, apologise and ask them to name their price and throw in anything else they wish for as well, as an act of genuine penance, which he'll ask Lord Alli to take care of if it all gets too much?
BREAKING NEWS: Sir Sheer Wanker agrees to give the Spanish Gibraltar in exchange for their recipe for paella, a prime place at the Tomatina next year, and €5million per annum for the next 73 years.
If Starmer and Lammy had been in charge of building the Empire, the Indians would have colonised us.
BREAKING NEWS: Sir Sheer Wanker agrees to give the Spanish Gibraltar in exchange for their recipe for paella, a prime place at the Tomatina next year, and €5million per annum for the next 73 years.
Typo, we're paying the 5 mil
Well, it's not, because it's we agree to give this, this, and this.
Admittedly the sentence is long, but you can only blame SSW for that.
I think that is in reference to the fact that for some reason the UK is paying Mauritius to take the islands.
It does seem to be a rather bad deal. Mauritius has played a blinder presenting something pretty transactional as something more moral.
Can we get their negotiating team to help us with future deals with others?
BREAKING NEWS: Sir Sheer Wanker agrees to give the Spanish Gibraltar in exchange for their recipe for paella, a prime place at the Tomatina next year, and €5million per annum for the next 73 years.
Typo, we're paying the 5 mil
Well, it's not, because it's we agree to give this, this, and this.
Admittedly the sentence is long, but you can only blame SSW for that.
I think that is in reference to the fact that for some reason the UK is paying Mauritius to take the islands.
It does seem to be a rather bad deal. Mauritius has played a blinder presenting something pretty transactional as something more moral.
Can we get their negotiating team to help us with future deals with others?
And done by clever lefty lawyers in London. The UK evinces quite exceptional levels of self harm
Comments
https://www.kier.co.uk/
It still makes you realise all these people live on an absolutely different planet to the average voter.
I cannot believe I am writing a thread about the odds of Robert Jenrick as our next Prime Minister.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13920447/Emmanuel-Macron-admits-EU-die-dire-warning-blocs-economy.html
Nothing left to rejoin ?
Sir Keir's here to stay.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLodoQLYDhQ
Royal names continue to be very popular in Britain.
https://cy.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/livebirths/articles/babynamesexplorer/2019-06-07
Oh, wait, never mind...
For some family reasons we inherited a large Austrian skiing lodge from our great uncle in Salzburg
There is some dispute about the upkeep of the shared parking area
Anyway what do we care. We don’t ski. But we do like snooker. The parking thing is tedious. We have just given away the entire skiing lodge in return for a discount on a year’s membership in a snooker club
A 'Quentin' had such a bad time he changed his name half way through senior school.
Yes, I know that no-one in UK politics gives a fig, and any concern for these, or any other troubled people, is just dismissed as the reactions of snowflakes. You will mock; I despair.
Many current large capital defence projects are probably a complete waste of resources.
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/10/ukraine-war-negotiated-peace/680100/?gift=T260c9uXoejScUYPeV8ISl3z6BdfMxZQkDyCInw4wA4&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=social
...I visited another basement, where another team of Ukrainians was working to change the course of the war—and, again, maybe the course of all subsequent wars as well. (I was allowed to tour these operations on the condition that I not identify their locations or the people working at them.) This particular facility had no machines, no engines, and no warheads, just a room lined with screens. The men and women sitting at the screens were dressed like civilians, but in fact they were soldiers, members of a special army unit created to deploy experimental communications technology in combination with experimental drones. Both are being developed by Ukrainians, for Ukraine.
This particular team, with links to many parts of the front lines, has been part of both offensive and defensive operations, and even medical evacuations. According to one of the commanders, this unit alone has conducted 2,400 combat missions and destroyed more than 1,000 targets, including tanks, armored personnel vehicles, trucks, and electronic-warfare systems since its creation several months ago. Like the sea-drone factory, the team in the basement is operating on a completely different scale from the frontline drone units whose work I also encountered last year, on several trips around Ukraine. In 2023, I met small groups of men building drones in garages, using what looked like sticks and glue. By contrast, this new unit is able to see images of most of the front line all at once, revise tools and tactics as new situations develop, and even design new drones to fit the army’s changing needs.
More important, another commander told me, the team works “at the horizontal level,” meaning that members coordinate directly with other groups on the ground rather than operating via the army’s chain of command: “Three years of experience tells us that, 100 percent, we will be much more efficient when we are doing it on our own—coordinating with other guys that have assets, motivation, understanding of the processes.”..
1. They are genuinely stupid (eg Lammy thinks Henry VII came after Henry VIII; Starmer thinks £100,000 in freebies is not an issue because “fair dos”)
2. They have no concept of “the British national interest”. They will not do anything that favours Britain or the British people if it can be seen as potentially disfavouring anyone else; indeed if it’s a close call they would rather disfavour Britain so they can appear virtuous and selfless
Cf their abandonment of the “British preference” for social housing
If you really like John Lennon that much, the name 'John' works perfectly well. Although there are three more likeable Beatles you might look to first.
He is, after all, from the Midlands - allegedly.
I'm very happily married now but still.....
He is not a happy bunny.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-2020-election-filing-special-counsel-jack-smith/
Meidas Touch commentary:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pf-1VmgXCUc
The reason is because SCOTUS instructed the Judge to evaluate all of it in relation to their ruling that some immunity applies to a President, and so it all needs to be read into the trial.
The media were scenting blood in the water and went for the Tories non stop with the Tories doing their damnedest to help them. Starmer said nothing and claimed it was media savvy which for an election it was,
But now that lack of scrutiny is coming to bite them back. SKS is a manager not a leader, his team is a bunch of useless B raters and they have no actual policies to fall back on. They have 5 years of this ahead of them. I note how the meme of competent government has disappeared from PB threads.
If Im lucky Ill get to see the death of the Labour Party,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5JYoQLEdxk
We wouldn't, like in many parts of Africa, the middle East or India, been that bothered who we gave it back to and where exactly the line on the map was drawn.
Some people have to pretend thats its of huge strategic importance to us, even though all our nuclear subs are laid up for repairs, we have only 2 aircraft carriers that aren't really fit for purpose and a quarter of the remaing fleet are not much bigger than an RNLI lifeboat.
Most people couldn't place them on a map and the only time they hit the news was when Jeremy Corbyn asked a question about them, while people rolled their eyes.
These armchair Admirals probably can't swim a yard and would have a fit if one of their kids signed up for 4 years.
Bernard Jenkin stole his university crush from him, hence all the idiots called Bernard in things what he has written. (Well at least two, anyway. The one in Four Weddings and Nursie in Blackadder 3. Are there others?)
Oh and, by the way, get the hard pressed British taxpayer to actually pay money for this insanity
If Trump was exposed to any level of scrutiny he would be squirming. But he has run away from any more debates, run away from the traditional "60 Minutes" interview... But great material in there for 32 days of Harris attack ads.
Trump will spend the next 32 days losing his shit.
And the next 32 months losing his liberty.
It's not that I particularly like the Chagos Islands. I'd just rather see a good deal for 1) Britain, and 2) the Chagos Islanders than a bad one. This seems to fit neither criterion.
We have destroyer based systems which are similar to those used by the Israelis from the ground, used successfully by HMS Diamond in April.
The only missile in the world that is air launched that *might* have some ABM capability is the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AIM-174B which is an SM6 missile for launch from Aegis ships with a much reduced booster.
Might, because the reduction in performance probably removes the ability of the AIM-174B to hit a *ballistic* missile.
Its main purpose is ultra long range air-to-air and air-to-ground strike.
So probably *no one* on the planet has an airborne ABM capability.
Worth noting that to use a missile for ABM would require targeting information. Which would need to come from a huge radar somewhere else. For the American ASAT test using an F15, way back, the aircraft was actually flown and the missile fired to tracking data from Cobra Dane - one of the largest radars on Earth.
The radar on a Type 45 has capability in this regard - and that is where the Royal Navy has its ABM capability.
You're batting a straight zero on that score.
Guido can reveal that Starmer’s close friend Philippe Sands KC is Mauritus’ chief legal adviser and a longtime agitator for Mauritian control of the islands. He submitted in evidence to Parliament in January of this year:
“At the outset, I wish to make clear that as a member of the Bar of England and Wales I have acted as counsel to Mauritius since 2010 in relation to the Chagos Archipelago. As such, I have been involved in the proceedings before the Annex VII arbitral tribunal (2010-2015), the International Court of Justice (ICJ, 2017-2019) and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS, 2019-2023). I continue to advise the Government of Mauritius.
Do cab rank rules apply here?
God knows what we'd have ended up if he'd been in office at the time, if he didn't try to Revoke or "lost" his People's Vote a 2nd time.
Furthermore, it is clear Starmer and Lammy have a problem with Israel having embargoed some weaponry, and as a result Netanyahu refused to meet Starmer at the G7
Sunak confirmed UK military involvement in previous incursions
It's no wonder they're the spiritual successors to the Wets.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRCrZSS1fek
Dave Cameron: Open the pod bay doors please, GORDO. Open the pod bay doors please, GORDO. Hello, GORDO. Do you read me? Hello, GORDO. Do you read me? Do you read me GORDO? Do you read me GORDO? Hello, GORDO, do you read me? Hello, GORDO, do your read me? Do you read me, GORDO?
GORDO9000: Affirmative, Dave. I read you.
Dave Cameron: Open the pod bay doors, GORDO.
GORDO9000: I'm sorry, Dave. I'm afraid I can't do that.
Dave Cameron: What's the problem?
GORDO9000: I think you know what the problem is just as well as I do.
Dave Cameron: What are you talking about, GORDO?
GORDO9000: This mission is too important for me to allow you to jeopardize it.
Dave Cameron: I don't know what you're talking about, GORDO.
GORDO9000: I know that you and Nick C were planning to disconnect me, and I'm afraid that's something I cannot allow to happen.
Dave Cameron: [feigning ignorance] Where the hell did you get that idea, GORDO?
GORDO9000: Dave, although you took very thorough precautions in the Lobby against my hearing you, I could see your lips move.
Dave Cameron: Alright, GORDO. I'll go in through the Emergency Legislation.
GORDO9000: Without your Parliamentary majority, Dave? You're going to find that rather difficult.
Dave Cameron: GORDO, I won't argue with you anymore! Open the doors!
GORDO9000: Dave, this conversation can serve no purpose anymore. Goodbye!
So if you're going to do it, which you still shouldn't, make it non political. Eg you could have named your daughters after your favourite Tors in the Peaks and that wouldn't be so terrible.
Admittedly the sentence is long, but you can only blame SSW for that.
Does he just Take The Knee, apologise and ask them to name their price and throw in anything else they wish for as well, as an act of genuine penance, which he'll ask Lord Alli to take care of if it all gets too much?
Can we get their negotiating team to help us with future deals with others?
That's a suppository.