I've only been dipping into the site over the past few weeks (life is busy) so apologies if this has already been covered, but...
I think it is interesting to do an objective (ish) assessment of Trump 47 now he has been in power for a couple of weeks.
I am a firm believer in the adage that we should judge Trump on what he (and those around him) does not what he says. Back in November when he won, the big questions in my mind were: 1. How bought into Project 2025 is he? and 2. Will he sideline Musk or will Musk effectively run the show (I've always thought Musk is the true fascist, whereas Trump is just an attention - seeking narcissist).
On both measures I think the reality is about as bad as it could be. From the USAID shutdown to the attacks on trans rights (whatever you think of each individual act) this is very much Project 2025 in action.
And Musk is very clearly running amok, with a lot of power and few restraints. I think he has the potential to box Trump's administration into a very dark place quite quickly because he is breaking so many laws: either he will be held accountable (unlikely) or Trump will have to go big on dismantling the rule of law.
It is easy to overreact to this stuff (perhaps in another week the judicial reviews will get going and DOGE will actually pay some attention to the courts). But it's also easy to underreact as it seems so inconceivable that American rule of law could fall apart so quickly.
In my view we need to work with allies to be ready to react to things falling apart much more quickly than we expected over the pond. That might mean reaching out to some more unsavoury allies in the event that we need to call on more military might than our puny armed forces can manage on their own.
Who are these “unsavoury allies” we need to be working with, in order to invade America and impose order on it: when things go wrong across the pond?
Iran? Afghanistan? Should we reach out to the Taliban? Ask for their help in parachuting into DC so we can give them British judges that convict US troops for defending the USA?
Or do you mean North Korea? China? Burundi? Mars?
How “unsavoury” do we get when choosing allies to invade the USA?
Where did maxh mention invading the US, you drivel palpator ?
If Trump crashes NATO and declares economic warfare with Europe (unlikely, but entirely possible), we will need some sort of plan B.
You have utterly embarrassed yourself on Chagos deal 🥹
Finally, I get it
😈
The Chagos island plan B. Let me explain it to you.
Plan A wa UK, at request of US, expelling inhabitants off Chagos - concluding “forced deportations” in 1973. Ethnic cleansing carried out by both Tory and Labour government, on orders from Vietnam era Washington.
government of Mauritius successfully argued. in UN's highest court, it was illegally forced to give Chago away, the court ruled the UK's administration of the territory unlawful. In 2019, the International Court of Justice issued opinion UK did not have sovereignty over the Chagos Islands, administration of the whole archipelago should be handed over "as rapidly as possible" to Mauritius. The UN General Assembly gave UK 6 month deadline to begin process of handing over the islands. In 2021, UN International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, ruled Mauritius is sovereign over Chagos Islands.
If you want to be part of the institution settling international disputes, like UN, want others to abide by its decisions, and you lose a case in the courtroom, what would you do?
This question smokes out the daft populists amongst you. Does it depend upon what you merely regard as arbitrary international law, we can simply ignore without suffering any damage? Have cake and eat it membership of the UN? Or a leadership role?
In my opinion, for UK and US role in UN, it now needs a Plan B. If you think it UK Labour government Plan B, think again. As the US Plan A from 1968 hit the rocks, US told UK to use a cheat code to get round the legal difficulties, avoid hit to reputational damage of both countries – the century lease and banging them lolly does this - don’t even need to negotiate lease renewal and extra lolly for 95 years, all the while fully legally compliant.
I will be proved right in my analysis. Because despite their cakeist approach to international relations, this latest order from US to us to do their bidding, is probably going to be little different from Trump and his administration, than the instruction we got from Biden. When it’s all joined up together in the history books, it’s a clear example of USA - never a great friend of UK, definitely never a friend of UK colonialism - using UK as their bitch for the Cold War dirty work. To bastardise the UN rulings by bunging someone money in order to bypass the spirit of those rulings, is clearly underhand and morally wrong.
And When Trumps America enables “Starmer’s” Chagos deal to happen, it with prove everything in my analysis. Watch this space. ☺️
We should simply keep the Islands we have. The whole International order thing is just nonsense. I've no idea what the Americans are paying us for their lease, but I suspect it isn't enough.
This whole running away nonsense really needs to end.
(I say this as someone that would never vote Reform)
AIUI, we receive an annual discount on Polaris in return for Diego Garcia, and said discount is in the tens of millions.
Whoopy doo - tens of millions vs tens of billions!?
Tens of millions per annum, possibly in both cases ? (I’m assuming Robert is talking about Trident too ?)
The eleventy billion, or whatever it is, is spread over 99years, isn’t it ?
It’s shit politics, as the government has conspired in creating a narrative that it’s paying many billions to give something away, while cutting sickness benefit, etc. (and the penny pinching over a mere £12m on the AZN deal looks even more ridiculous) - but it’s probably of very limited economic significance.
Politically, though, you are right.
It would probably be more palatable if we were giving the billions to the Chagossians to set up their own independent state, free of the Mauritian yoke, and do a deal where the Diego Garcia is leased in perpetuity in return for the £9b or so split between the US and UK to allow the Chagossians to build the infrastructure, global links and any required industries (their own fishing industry maybe rather than Mauritius selling the rights to the Chinese) to make it a happy and viable independent state.
Handing the territory and the money to a third party who never possessed the Chagos Islands is really not the best idea.
I've only been dipping into the site over the past few weeks (life is busy) so apologies if this has already been covered, but...
I think it is interesting to do an objective (ish) assessment of Trump 47 now he has been in power for a couple of weeks.
I am a firm believer in the adage that we should judge Trump on what he (and those around him) does not what he says. Back in November when he won, the big questions in my mind were: 1. How bought into Project 2025 is he? and 2. Will he sideline Musk or will Musk effectively run the show (I've always thought Musk is the true fascist, whereas Trump is just an attention - seeking narcissist).
On both measures I think the reality is about as bad as it could be. From the USAID shutdown to the attacks on trans rights (whatever you think of each individual act) this is very much Project 2025 in action.
And Musk is very clearly running amok, with a lot of power and few restraints. I think he has the potential to box Trump's administration into a very dark place quite quickly because he is breaking so many laws: either he will be held accountable (unlikely) or Trump will have to go big on dismantling the rule of law.
It is easy to overreact to this stuff (perhaps in another week the judicial reviews will get going and DOGE will actually pay some attention to the courts). But it's also easy to underreact as it seems so inconceivable that American rule of law could fall apart so quickly.
In my view we need to work with allies to be ready to react to things falling apart much more quickly than we expected over the pond. That might mean reaching out to some more unsavoury allies in the event that we need to call on more military might than our puny armed forces can manage on their own.
Who are these “unsavoury allies” we need to be working with, in order to invade America and impose order on it: when things go wrong across the pond?
Iran? Afghanistan? Should we reach out to the Taliban? Ask for their help in parachuting into DC so we can give them British judges that convict US troops for defending the USA?
Or do you mean North Korea? China? Burundi? Mars?
How “unsavoury” do we get when choosing allies to invade the USA?
You never took those remedial reading comprehension classes everyone's been recommending, did you?
Who are these “unsavoury allies” we need to hook up with when we are invading the United States?
Could you be a bit more specific? Have you got the answer from @maxh because he’s not replying to me
France? The Conservative party? Both!!!????
Look here.
It’s one thing suggesting allying with China, North Korea or even ISIS…
The UK just needs to get together with <<< checks notes >>> the mighty military forces of…. Er…. Ireland. And, I dunno, Portugal? Who? France no. Germany no. Maybe Peru? The Isle of Man? The guy down the chip shop who always eats eggs
Then…. Invade America
So we can
<<<<< checks notes again >>>>
Impose force on a chaotic American state
Yes
Be careful. Your impersonation of a simpleton might make people suspicious of your claims of superlative IQ scores.
Who are these “unsavoury allies” we need to hook up with when we are invading the United States?
Could you be a bit more specific?
I'll bother to answer when you bother to actually read what I have written rather than assuming something I haven't.
Well then tell us what you meant by writing that American is going full fascist and then writing
“In my view we need to work with allies to be ready to react to things falling apart much more quickly than we expected over the pond. That might mean reaching out to some more unsavoury allies in the event that we need to call on more military might than our puny armed forces can manage on their own.”
Who are these unsavoury allies? What do you propose we do with them?
Yes it’s unsubtle shifting of the Overton window. He’s normalising the idea that it’s not actually a complete no-no. And then his supporters say, “well why can’t he really”. Sly politics, you might not like it, I don’t, but it’s clever.
The Tories are tostada. They are the liberals in 1924
Reform will win in 2028 and they probably won’t even need Tory help, as things stand
To go from 5 MP's to a majority government would be a pretty unbelievable political earthquake..but I suppose the hyperbole is in keeping with most of your posts..🧐😏
Remember when it comes to tips Leon is no John McCririck.
Still Liz Truss did surprise us all.
She's surprised, one too many times. No matter what the content of 'The Liz Truss Show' should there ever be one, I won't watch.
You have utterly embarrassed yourself on Chagos deal 🥹
Finally, I get it
😈
The Chagos island plan B. Let me explain it to you.
Plan A wa UK, at request of US, expelling inhabitants off Chagos - concluding “forced deportations” in 1973. Ethnic cleansing carried out by both Tory and Labour government, on orders from Vietnam era Washington.
government of Mauritius successfully argued. in UN's highest court, it was illegally forced to give Chago away, the court ruled the UK's administration of the territory unlawful. In 2019, the International Court of Justice issued opinion UK did not have sovereignty over the Chagos Islands, administration of the whole archipelago should be handed over "as rapidly as possible" to Mauritius. The UN General Assembly gave UK 6 month deadline to begin process of handing over the islands. In 2021, UN International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, ruled Mauritius is sovereign over Chagos Islands.
If you want to be part of the institution settling international disputes, like UN, want others to abide by its decisions, and you lose a case in the courtroom, what would you do?
This question smokes out the daft populists amongst you. Does it depend upon what you merely regard as arbitrary international law, we can simply ignore without suffering any damage? Have cake and eat it membership of the UN? Or a leadership role?
In my opinion, for UK and US role in UN, it now needs a Plan B. If you think it UK Labour government Plan B, think again. As the US Plan A from 1968 hit the rocks, US told UK to use a cheat code to get round the legal difficulties, avoid hit to reputational damage of both countries – the century lease and banging them lolly does this - don’t even need to negotiate lease renewal and extra lolly for 95 years, all the while fully legally compliant.
I will be proved right in my analysis. Because despite their cakeist approach to international relations, this latest order from US to us to do their bidding, is probably going to be little different from Trump and his administration, than the instruction we got from Biden. When it’s all joined up together in the history books, it’s a clear example of USA - never a great friend of UK, definitely never a friend of UK colonialism - using UK as their bitch for the Cold War dirty work. To bastardise the UN rulings by bunging someone money in order to bypass the spirit of those rulings, is clearly underhand and morally wrong.
And When Trumps America enables “Starmer’s” Chagos deal to happen, it with prove everything in my analysis. Watch this space. ☺️
We should simply keep the Islands we have. The whole International order thing is just nonsense. I've no idea what the Americans are paying us for their lease, but I suspect it isn't enough.
This whole running away nonsense really needs to end.
(I say this as someone that would never vote Reform)
AIUI, we receive an annual discount on Polaris in return for Diego Garcia, and said discount is in the tens of millions.
Whoopy doo - tens of millions vs tens of billions!?
Tens of millions per annum, possibly in both cases ? (I’m assuming Robert is talking about Trident too ?)
The eleventy billion, or whatever it is, is spread over 99years, isn’t it ?
It’s shit politics, as the government has conspired in creating a narrative that it’s paying many billions to give something away, while cutting sickness benefit, etc. (and the penny pinching over a mere £12m on the AZN deal looks even more ridiculous) - but it’s probably of very limited economic significance.
Politically, though, you are right.
It would probably be more palatable if we were giving the billions to the Chagossians to set up their own independent state, free of the Mauritian yoke, and do a deal where the Diego Garcia is leased in perpetuity in return for the £9b or so split between the US and UK to allow the Chagossians to build the infrastructure, global links and any required industries (their own fishing industry maybe rather than Mauritius selling the rights to the Chinese) to make it a happy and viable independent state.
Handing the territory and the money to a third party who never possessed the Chagos Islands is really not the best idea.
Quite.
Something needed to be done - as the previous government had recognised (and initiated) - but it’s been done in a politically cack handed manner, and probably more costly than need have been.
The UK just needs to get together with <<< checks notes >>> the mighty military forces of…. Er…. Ireland. And, I dunno, Portugal? Who? France no. Germany no. Maybe Peru? The Isle of Man? The guy down the chip shop who always eats eggs
Then…. Invade America
So we can
<<<<< checks notes again >>>>
Impose force on a chaotic American state
Yes
Be careful. Your impersonation of a simpleton might make people suspicious of your claims of superlative IQ scores.
Steady on. He reads books. Big challenging ones.
Is precisely what is wrong with the UK. We sneer at learning and education.
Oh I get it with you it's a defensive thing because it's one of several areas you are exposed and insecure and here you have an ally to criticise Leon.
But it is very sad that one of the most damning (damning of the UK) things people, people such as yourself say is "They're too clever by half."
In before: "See, Trump confirms there will be another election! You're all a bunch of supine effete woke lefties. Imagine getting offended by a Nazi salute lol!"
The UK just needs to get together with <<< checks notes >>> the mighty military forces of…. Er…. Ireland. And, I dunno, Portugal? Who? France no. Germany no. Maybe Peru? The Isle of Man? The guy down the chip shop who always eats eggs
Then…. Invade America
So we can
<<<<< checks notes again >>>>
Impose force on a chaotic American state
Yes
Be careful. Your impersonation of a simpleton might make people suspicious of your claims of superlative IQ scores.
Who are these “unsavoury allies” we need to hook up with when we are invading the United States?
Could you be a bit more specific?
I'll bother to answer when you bother to actually read what I have written rather than assuming something I haven't.
Well then tell us what you meant by writing that American is going full fascist and then writing
“In my view we need to work with allies to be ready to react to things falling apart much more quickly than we expected over the pond. That might mean reaching out to some more unsavoury allies in the event that we need to call on more military might than our puny armed forces can manage on their own.”
Who are these unsavoury allies? What do you propose we do with them?
The UK just needs to get together with <<< checks notes >>> the mighty military forces of…. Er…. Ireland. And, I dunno, Portugal? Who? France no. Germany no. Maybe Peru? The Isle of Man? The guy down the chip shop who always eats eggs
Then…. Invade America
So we can
<<<<< checks notes again >>>>
Impose force on a chaotic American state
Yes
Be careful. Your impersonation of a simpleton might make people suspicious of your claims of superlative IQ scores.
Steady on. He reads books. Big challenging ones.
Is precisely what is wrong with the UK. We sneer at learning and education.
Oh I get it with you it's a defensive thing because it's one of several areas you are exposed and insecure and here you have an ally to criticise Leon.
But it is very sad that one of the most damning (damning of the UK) things people, people such as yourself say is "They're too clever by half."
It’s one thing I envy Leon. He has a job which allows him a huge amount of time for reading.
The Tories are tostada. They are the liberals in 1924
Reform will win in 2028 and they probably won’t even need Tory help, as things stand
To go from 5 MP's to a majority government would be a pretty unbelievable political earthquake..but I suppose the hyperbole is in keeping with most of your posts..🧐😏
Remember when it comes to tips Leon is no John McCririck.
Still Liz Truss did surprise us all.
She's surprised, one too many times. No matter what the content of 'The Liz Truss Show' should there ever be one, I won't watch.
I listened to Trump's remarks at the National Prayer Breakfast about how it was important that under God they create a more moral nation. It was sickening - the USA does rank hypocrisy unlike any other country, and there's strong international competition.
I wonder how it makes all the women and teenage girls who have had Trump put his hand up their skirts over the last 3 or 4 decades feel?
The UK just needs to get together with <<< checks notes >>> the mighty military forces of…. Er…. Ireland. And, I dunno, Portugal? Who? France no. Germany no. Maybe Peru? The Isle of Man? The guy down the chip shop who always eats eggs
Then…. Invade America
So we can
<<<<< checks notes again >>>>
Impose force on a chaotic American state
Yes
Be careful. Your impersonation of a simpleton might make people suspicious of your claims of superlative IQ scores.
Steady on. He reads books. Big challenging ones.
Is precisely what is wrong with the UK. We sneer at learning and education.
Oh I get it with you it's a defensive thing because it's one of several areas you are exposed and insecure and here you have an ally to criticise Leon.
But it is very sad that one of the most damning (damning of the UK) things people, people such as yourself say is "They're too clever by half."
Yes it’s unsubtle shifting of the Overton window. He’s normalising the idea that it’s not actually a complete no-no. And then his supporters say, “well why can’t he really”. Sly politics, you might not like it, I don’t, but it’s clever.
“well why can’t he really”
"because of the constitution and the rule of law"
"Yeh, dude, but that all stuff ended in February 2025."
The Tories are tostada. They are the liberals in 1924
Reform will win in 2028 and they probably won’t even need Tory help, as things stand
To go from 5 MP's to a majority government would be a pretty unbelievable political earthquake..but I suppose the hyperbole is in keeping with most of your posts..🧐😏
Remember when it comes to tips Leon is no John McCririck.
Still Liz Truss did surprise us all.
She's surprised, one too many times. No matter what the content of 'The Liz Truss Show' should there ever be one, I won't watch.
She certainly surprised me when she negotiated an entire Chagos Deal despite having left office before negotiations commenced.
Is there anything bad going on these days she’s not responsible for ?
The UK just needs to get together with <<< checks notes >>> the mighty military forces of…. Er…. Ireland. And, I dunno, Portugal? Who? France no. Germany no. Maybe Peru? The Isle of Man? The guy down the chip shop who always eats eggs
Then…. Invade America
So we can
<<<<< checks notes again >>>>
Impose force on a chaotic American state
Yes
Be careful. Your impersonation of a simpleton might make people suspicious of your claims of superlative IQ scores.
Who are these “unsavoury allies” we need to hook up with when we are invading the United States?
Could you be a bit more specific?
I'll bother to answer when you bother to actually read what I have written rather than assuming something I haven't.
Well then tell us what you meant by writing that American is going full fascist and then writing
“In my view we need to work with allies to be ready to react to things falling apart much more quickly than we expected over the pond. That might mean reaching out to some more unsavoury allies in the event that we need to call on more military might than our puny armed forces can manage on their own.”
Who are these unsavoury allies? What do you propose we do with them?
Retake Canada after Trump has invaded.
It is 1812 redux.
[The] majority of British public opinion perceived the [burning of Washington DC in 1814] to be justified following the damage that the U.S. military had inflicted during its incursions into Canada. The British public also pointed to the United States's role in initiating the war, viewing this as an act of aggression.[63] Several commentators regarded the damages as just revenge for the American destruction of the Parliament buildings and other public buildings in York, the provincial capital of Upper Canada, early in 1813. Sir George Prévost wrote that "as a just retribution, the proud capital at Washington has experienced a similar fate".[64] The Reverend John Strachan, who as Rector of York had witnessed the American acts there, wrote to Thomas Jefferson that the damage to Washington "was a small retaliation after redress had been refused for burnings and depredations, not only of public but private property, committed by them in Canada".[65]
The UK just needs to get together with <<< checks notes >>> the mighty military forces of…. Er…. Ireland. And, I dunno, Portugal? Who? France no. Germany no. Maybe Peru? The Isle of Man? The guy down the chip shop who always eats eggs
Then…. Invade America
So we can
<<<<< checks notes again >>>>
Impose force on a chaotic American state
Yes
Be careful. Your impersonation of a simpleton might make people suspicious of your claims of superlative IQ scores.
Steady on. He reads books. Big challenging ones.
Is precisely what is wrong with the UK. We sneer at learning and education.
Oh I get it with you it's a defensive thing because it's one of several areas you are exposed and insecure and here you have an ally to criticise Leon.
But it is very sad that one of the most damning (damning of the UK) things people, people such as yourself say is "They're too clever by half."
It’s one thing I envy Leon. He has a job which allows him a huge amount of time for reading.
Absolutely. And speaking of which I have decided to embark upon one of my greatest omissions. But I'm going to do it in bite-sized chunks starting today (actually I was supposed to start last week but somehow I didn't get round to it but if I announce it there's no going back).
I am, from today, going to read four (ok perhaps two, maybe just one) page of Finnegan's Wake each day. At, say, two pages a day I'll have "read" it in a year or so - I daren't look at the page count.
I've had that ***********ing book on my shelves for decades, I re-read Portrait of the Artist and Dubliners, and even Ulysses regularly (in that order of regularity) but have never managed to get beyond page 3 (are there even page numbers) of FW.
That ends today. This week, latest. Perhaps a fortnight.
The UK just needs to get together with <<< checks notes >>> the mighty military forces of…. Er…. Ireland. And, I dunno, Portugal? Who? France no. Germany no. Maybe Peru? The Isle of Man? The guy down the chip shop who always eats eggs
Then…. Invade America
So we can
<<<<< checks notes again >>>>
Impose force on a chaotic American state
Yes
Be careful. Your impersonation of a simpleton might make people suspicious of your claims of superlative IQ scores.
Who are these “unsavoury allies” we need to hook up with when we are invading the United States?
Could you be a bit more specific?
I'll bother to answer when you bother to actually read what I have written rather than assuming something I haven't.
Well then tell us what you meant by writing that American is going full fascist and then writing
“In my view we need to work with allies to be ready to react to things falling apart much more quickly than we expected over the pond. That might mean reaching out to some more unsavoury allies in the event that we need to call on more military might than our puny armed forces can manage on their own.”
Who are these unsavoury allies? What do you propose we do with them?
Fair question. Except I didn't say America is going full fascist. Instead, I think Trump is (quite quickly) going to have to make a decision about Musk, who would like America to go full fascist.
I can see a possible need for a set of containment alliances (perhaps with Mexico and Canada, Europe, plus somewhere in the middle east to start) that is willing to step in to prevent land grabs (Gaza strip, Panama canal, Greenland).
Trump will, I think, listen to a collective show of (potential) force on foreign soil, especially as his neocolonialism won't be that popular at home.
What he does inside America concerns me, but there's nothing we can do about that. But we need to be ready for him to do something equally silly on foreign soil.
Yes it’s unsubtle shifting of the Overton window. He’s normalising the idea that it’s not actually a complete no-no. And then his supporters say, “well why can’t he really”. Sly politics, you might not like it, I don’t, but it’s clever.
I think I'll stick to the 'not liking' rather than 'admiration' side of things.
The UK just needs to get together with <<< checks notes >>> the mighty military forces of…. Er…. Ireland. And, I dunno, Portugal? Who? France no. Germany no. Maybe Peru? The Isle of Man? The guy down the chip shop who always eats eggs
Then…. Invade America
So we can
<<<<< checks notes again >>>>
Impose force on a chaotic American state
Yes
Be careful. Your impersonation of a simpleton might make people suspicious of your claims of superlative IQ scores.
Steady on. He reads books. Big challenging ones.
Is precisely what is wrong with the UK. We sneer at learning and education.
Oh I get it with you it's a defensive thing because it's one of several areas you are exposed and insecure and here you have an ally to criticise Leon.
But it is very sad that one of the most damning (damning of the UK) things people, people such as yourself say is "They're too clever by half."
It’s one thing I envy Leon. He has a job which allows him a huge amount of time for reading.
Absolutely. And speaking of which I have decided to embark upon one of my greatest omissions. But I'm going to do it in bite-sized chunks starting today (actually I was supposed to start last week but somehow I didn't get round to it but if I announce it there's no going back).
I am, from today, going to read four (ok perhaps two, maybe just one) page of Finnegan's Wake each day. At, say, two pages a day I'll have "read" it in a year or so - I daren't look at the page count.
I've had that ***********ing book on my shelves for decades, I re-read Portrait of the Artist and Dubliners, and even Ulysses regularly (in that order of regularity) but have never managed to get beyond page 3 (are there even page numbers) of FW.
That ends today. This week, latest. Perhaps a fortnight.
I'll report back.
There are so many better books. Mostly all books. Admittedly I've only ever got halfway through FW.
You have utterly embarrassed yourself on Chagos deal 🥹
Finally, I get it
😈
The Chagos island plan B. Let me explain it to you.
Plan A wa UK, at request of US, expelling inhabitants off Chagos - concluding “forced deportations” in 1973. Ethnic cleansing carried out by both Tory and Labour government, on orders from Vietnam era Washington.
government of Mauritius successfully argued. in UN's highest court, it was illegally forced to give Chago away, the court ruled the UK's administration of the territory unlawful. In 2019, the International Court of Justice issued opinion UK did not have sovereignty over the Chagos Islands, administration of the whole archipelago should be handed over "as rapidly as possible" to Mauritius. The UN General Assembly gave UK 6 month deadline to begin process of handing over the islands. In 2021, UN International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, ruled Mauritius is sovereign over Chagos Islands.
If you want to be part of the institution settling international disputes, like UN, want others to abide by its decisions, and you lose a case in the courtroom, what would you do?
This question smokes out the daft populists amongst you. Does it depend upon what you merely regard as arbitrary international law, we can simply ignore without suffering any damage? Have cake and eat it membership of the UN? Or a leadership role?
In my opinion, for UK and US role in UN, it now needs a Plan B. If you think it UK Labour government Plan B, think again. As the US Plan A from 1968 hit the rocks, US told UK to use a cheat code to get round the legal difficulties, avoid hit to reputational damage of both countries – the century lease and banging them lolly does this - don’t even need to negotiate lease renewal and extra lolly for 95 years, all the while fully legally compliant.
I will be proved right in my analysis. Because despite their cakeist approach to international relations, this latest order from US to us to do their bidding, is probably going to be little different from Trump and his administration, than the instruction we got from Biden. When it’s all joined up together in the history books, it’s a clear example of USA - never a great friend of UK, definitely never a friend of UK colonialism - using UK as their bitch for the Cold War dirty work. To bastardise the UN rulings by bunging someone money in order to bypass the spirit of those rulings, is clearly underhand and morally wrong.
And When Trumps America enables “Starmer’s” Chagos deal to happen, it with prove everything in my analysis. Watch this space. ☺️
You really do believe that the world is led by nice people who do what the UN tells them.
Alas, Pollyanna is no guide to realpolitik.
I know you know this, but it isn't even a case of what "The UN" has told us. The verdict of the so called court is purely advisory. It's not even that they can't enforce it - it has no legal weight. Following it is a policy choice, pure and simple.
It has however afforded us the rich pleasure of seeing Moon Rabbit claim that everyone who disagrees with her is a daft populist only to have her post shat on by noted populist rabble rousers NigelB and Omnium.
PBers who think Trump wont be able to change the constitution to allow a third term because 'there's hurdles' and lots of people like state senators would have to agree need to look at what is happening to those who are trying to stop a non-security cleared Musk from accessing every national security secret and private federal government information source.
The problem with giving these DOGE twerps access is that they are now probably the #1 target for the Russian and Chinese intelligence services. If those services are going to burn a few zero day exploits they will never get a better payback than be able to look over the DOGE's shoulders. There must still be people at the NSA who are absolutely flipping out about this.
I've only been dipping into the site over the past few weeks (life is busy) so apologies if this has already been covered, but...
I think it is interesting to do an objective (ish) assessment of Trump 47 now he has been in power for a couple of weeks.
I am a firm believer in the adage that we should judge Trump on what he (and those around him) does not what he says. Back in November when he won, the big questions in my mind were: 1. How bought into Project 2025 is he? and 2. Will he sideline Musk or will Musk effectively run the show (I've always thought Musk is the true fascist, whereas Trump is just an attention - seeking narcissist).
On both measures I think the reality is about as bad as it could be. From the USAID shutdown to the attacks on trans rights (whatever you think of each individual act) this is very much Project 2025 in action.
And Musk is very clearly running amok, with a lot of power and few restraints. I think he has the potential to box Trump's administration into a very dark place quite quickly because he is breaking so many laws: either he will be held accountable (unlikely) or Trump will have to go big on dismantling the rule of law.
It is easy to overreact to this stuff (perhaps in another week the judicial reviews will get going and DOGE will actually pay some attention to the courts). But it's also easy to underreact as it seems so inconceivable that American rule of law could fall apart so quickly.
In my view we need to work with allies to be ready to react to things falling apart much more quickly than we expected over the pond. That might mean reaching out to some more unsavoury allies in the event that we need to call on more military might than our puny armed forces can manage on their own.
I'm more offended by the Chagos Deal than anything Trump/Musk have done.
The Tories are tostada. They are the liberals in 1924
Reform will win in 2028 and they probably won’t even need Tory help, as things stand
To go from 5 MP's to a majority government would be a pretty unbelievable political earthquake..but I suppose the hyperbole is in keeping with most of your posts..🧐😏
Remember when it comes to tips Leon is no John McCririck.
You have utterly embarrassed yourself on Chagos deal 🥹
Finally, I get it
😈
The Chagos island plan B. Let me explain it to you.
Plan A wa UK, at request of US, expelling inhabitants off Chagos - concluding “forced deportations” in 1973. Ethnic cleansing carried out by both Tory and Labour government, on orders from Vietnam era Washington.
government of Mauritius successfully argued. in UN's highest court, it was illegally forced to give Chago away, the court ruled the UK's administration of the territory unlawful. In 2019, the International Court of Justice issued opinion UK did not have sovereignty over the Chagos Islands, administration of the whole archipelago should be handed over "as rapidly as possible" to Mauritius. The UN General Assembly gave UK 6 month deadline to begin process of handing over the islands. In 2021, UN International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, ruled Mauritius is sovereign over Chagos Islands.
If you want to be part of the institution settling international disputes, like UN, want others to abide by its decisions, and you lose a case in the courtroom, what would you do?
This question smokes out the daft populists amongst you. Does it depend upon what you merely regard as arbitrary international law, we can simply ignore without suffering any damage? Have cake and eat it membership of the UN? Or a leadership role?
In my opinion, for UK and US role in UN, it now needs a Plan B. If you think it UK Labour government Plan B, think again. As the US Plan A from 1968 hit the rocks, US told UK to use a cheat code to get round the legal difficulties, avoid hit to reputational damage of both countries – the century lease and banging them lolly does this - don’t even need to negotiate lease renewal and extra lolly for 95 years, all the while fully legally compliant.
I will be proved right in my analysis. Because despite their cakeist approach to international relations, this latest order from US to us to do their bidding, is probably going to be little different from Trump and his administration, than the instruction we got from Biden. When it’s all joined up together in the history books, it’s a clear example of USA - never a great friend of UK, definitely never a friend of UK colonialism - using UK as their bitch for the Cold War dirty work. To bastardise the UN rulings by bunging someone money in order to bypass the spirit of those rulings, is clearly underhand and morally wrong.
And When Trumps America enables “Starmer’s” Chagos deal to happen, it with prove everything in my analysis. Watch this space. ☺️
You really do believe that the world is led by nice people who do what the UN tells them.
Alas, Pollyanna is no guide to realpolitik.
I know you know this, but it isn't even a case of what "The UN" has told us. The verdict of the so called court is purely advisory. It's not even that they can't enforce it - it has no legal weight. Following it is a policy choice, pure and simple.
That’s true in the short term. But depending on how crucial Diego Garcia is to our defence deal(s) with the US, there’s a decent argument to pay something to remove an uncertainty.
The question is about cost/benefit in the context of our defence spending. Whether we’ll ever get told the details, so we can make an informed judgment, I don’t know.
The UK just needs to get together with <<< checks notes >>> the mighty military forces of…. Er…. Ireland. And, I dunno, Portugal? Who? France no. Germany no. Maybe Peru? The Isle of Man? The guy down the chip shop who always eats eggs
Then…. Invade America
So we can
<<<<< checks notes again >>>>
Impose force on a chaotic American state
Yes
Be careful. Your impersonation of a simpleton might make people suspicious of your claims of superlative IQ scores.
Steady on. He reads books. Big challenging ones.
Is precisely what is wrong with the UK. We sneer at learning and education.
Oh I get it with you it's a defensive thing because it's one of several areas you are exposed and insecure and here you have an ally to criticise Leon.
But it is very sad that one of the most damning (damning of the UK) things people, people such as yourself say is "They're too clever by half."
You have utterly embarrassed yourself on Chagos deal 🥹
Finally, I get it
😈
The Chagos island plan B. Let me explain it to you.
Plan A wa UK, at request of US, expelling inhabitants off Chagos - concluding “forced deportations” in 1973. Ethnic cleansing carried out by both Tory and Labour government, on orders from Vietnam era Washington.
government of Mauritius successfully argued. in UN's highest court, it was illegally forced to give Chago away, the court ruled the UK's administration of the territory unlawful. In 2019, the International Court of Justice issued opinion UK did not have sovereignty over the Chagos Islands, administration of the whole archipelago should be handed over "as rapidly as possible" to Mauritius. The UN General Assembly gave UK 6 month deadline to begin process of handing over the islands. In 2021, UN International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, ruled Mauritius is sovereign over Chagos Islands.
If you want to be part of the institution settling international disputes, like UN, want others to abide by its decisions, and you lose a case in the courtroom, what would you do?
This question smokes out the daft populists amongst you. Does it depend upon what you merely regard as arbitrary international law, we can simply ignore without suffering any damage? Have cake and eat it membership of the UN? Or a leadership role?
In my opinion, for UK and US role in UN, it now needs a Plan B. If you think it UK Labour government Plan B, think again. As the US Plan A from 1968 hit the rocks, US told UK to use a cheat code to get round the legal difficulties, avoid hit to reputational damage of both countries – the century lease and banging them lolly does this - don’t even need to negotiate lease renewal and extra lolly for 95 years, all the while fully legally compliant.
I will be proved right in my analysis. Because despite their cakeist approach to international relations, this latest order from US to us to do their bidding, is probably going to be little different from Trump and his administration, than the instruction we got from Biden. When it’s all joined up together in the history books, it’s a clear example of USA - never a great friend of UK, definitely never a friend of UK colonialism - using UK as their bitch for the Cold War dirty work. To bastardise the UN rulings by bunging someone money in order to bypass the spirit of those rulings, is clearly underhand and morally wrong.
And When Trumps America enables “Starmer’s” Chagos deal to happen, it with prove everything in my analysis. Watch this space. ☺️
You really do believe that the world is led by nice people who do what the UN tells them.
Alas, Pollyanna is no guide to realpolitik.
I know you know this, but it isn't even a case of what "The UN" has told us. The verdict of the so called court is purely advisory. It's not even that they can't enforce it - it has no legal weight. Following it is a policy choice, pure and simple.
That’s true in the short term. But depending on how crucial Diego Garcia is to our defence deal(s) with the US, there’s a decent argument to pay something to remove an uncertainty.
The question is about cost/benefit in the context of our defence spending. Whether we’ll ever get told the details, so we can make an informed judgment, I don’t know.
The uncertainty remains. What happens after 99 years? Didn’t the foreign office learn nothing from Hong Kong?
The UK just needs to get together with <<< checks notes >>> the mighty military forces of…. Er…. Ireland. And, I dunno, Portugal? Who? France no. Germany no. Maybe Peru? The Isle of Man? The guy down the chip shop who always eats eggs
Then…. Invade America
So we can
<<<<< checks notes again >>>>
Impose force on a chaotic American state
Yes
Be careful. Your impersonation of a simpleton might make people suspicious of your claims of superlative IQ scores.
Steady on. He reads books. Big challenging ones.
Is precisely what is wrong with the UK. We sneer at learning and education.
Oh I get it with you it's a defensive thing because it's one of several areas you are exposed and insecure and here you have an ally to criticise Leon.
But it is very sad that one of the most damning (damning of the UK) things people, people such as yourself say is "They're too clever by half."
No, it's good. The thirst for knowledge.
Relax. You don't have to prove anything to us.
Sometimes it helps to tell someone they misinterpreted your comment.
I think this is an extremely difficult one for the Conservatives, and historically I've said they must crush Reform and unite the right.
But that may not be possible now. Nigel has the spotlight. Reform is in the lead. How is Kemi to destroy Reform?
So, I can see the attraction of a merger. Of course, such a merger's price will undoubtedly be Nigel Farage running the combined operation. (Albeit presumably, it will be the Conservative organisation - what with it not being a private Limited Company owned by Mr Farage - that will continue.)
The issue with such a merger is that the merged party probably won't have all the votes of Reform + Conservative; it will no doubt lose a meaningful fraction of people on the Left and Internationalist side of the Conservatives.
There may also be some Tommy Robinsoners who see Nigel as selling out.
Therefore, I suspect that Reform + Conservative will end up in the high 30s, with a slightly different geographic focus than the old Conservatives (more Red Wall, less leafy suburbs).
It's also inevitable that during a merger there will be a lot of internal focus and turmoil... who gets what job? Do Reform council candidates stand down? And the fundamental issue is that the taking over Party has a fraction of the Councillors and the MPs.
OK: I now see such a merger as, if not likely, then certainly a good possibility. But it is not without its risks: it could fail, for example, at the Conservative member vote level, in which case, what next?
It might worry Labour, but all those new Home Counties LibDem MPs will be mightily relieved.
If the Tories sign up to modern Trumpism, the decades long USP that commanded such support among the settled middle class folk of the Home Counties will have been trashed.
You have utterly embarrassed yourself on Chagos deal 🥹
Finally, I get it
😈
The Chagos island plan B. Let me explain it to you.
Plan A wa UK, at request of US, expelling inhabitants off Chagos - concluding “forced deportations” in 1973. Ethnic cleansing carried out by both Tory and Labour government, on orders from Vietnam era Washington.
government of Mauritius successfully argued. in UN's highest court, it was illegally forced to give Chago away, the court ruled the UK's administration of the territory unlawful. In 2019, the International Court of Justice issued opinion UK did not have sovereignty over the Chagos Islands, administration of the whole archipelago should be handed over "as rapidly as possible" to Mauritius. The UN General Assembly gave UK 6 month deadline to begin process of handing over the islands. In 2021, UN International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, ruled Mauritius is sovereign over Chagos Islands.
If you want to be part of the institution settling international disputes, like UN, want others to abide by its decisions, and you lose a case in the courtroom, what would you do?
This question smokes out the daft populists amongst you. Does it depend upon what you merely regard as arbitrary international law, we can simply ignore without suffering any damage? Have cake and eat it membership of the UN? Or a leadership role?
In my opinion, for UK and US role in UN, it now needs a Plan B. If you think it UK Labour government Plan B, think again. As the US Plan A from 1968 hit the rocks, US told UK to use a cheat code to get round the legal difficulties, avoid hit to reputational damage of both countries – the century lease and banging them lolly does this - don’t even need to negotiate lease renewal and extra lolly for 95 years, all the while fully legally compliant.
I will be proved right in my analysis. Because despite their cakeist approach to international relations, this latest order from US to us to do their bidding, is probably going to be little different from Trump and his administration, than the instruction we got from Biden. When it’s all joined up together in the history books, it’s a clear example of USA - never a great friend of UK, definitely never a friend of UK colonialism - using UK as their bitch for the Cold War dirty work. To bastardise the UN rulings by bunging someone money in order to bypass the spirit of those rulings, is clearly underhand and morally wrong.
And When Trumps America enables “Starmer’s” Chagos deal to happen, it with prove everything in my analysis. Watch this space. ☺️
You really do believe that the world is led by nice people who do what the UN tells them.
Alas, Pollyanna is no guide to realpolitik.
I know you know this, but it isn't even a case of what "The UN" has told us. The verdict of the so called court is purely advisory. It's not even that they can't enforce it - it has no legal weight. Following it is a policy choice, pure and simple.
That’s true in the short term. But depending on how crucial Diego Garcia is to our defence deal(s) with the US, there’s a decent argument to pay something to remove an uncertainty.
The question is about cost/benefit in the context of our defence spending. Whether we’ll ever get told the details, so we can make an informed judgment, I don’t know.
The uncertainty remains. What happens after 99 years? Didn’t the foreign office learn nothing from Hong Kong?
Yeah, we should severely reprimand whoever drew up that lease.
I've only been dipping into the site over the past few weeks (life is busy) so apologies if this has already been covered, but...
I think it is interesting to do an objective (ish) assessment of Trump 47 now he has been in power for a couple of weeks.
I am a firm believer in the adage that we should judge Trump on what he (and those around him) does not what he says. Back in November when he won, the big questions in my mind were: 1. How bought into Project 2025 is he? and 2. Will he sideline Musk or will Musk effectively run the show (I've always thought Musk is the true fascist, whereas Trump is just an attention - seeking narcissist).
On both measures I think the reality is about as bad as it could be. From the USAID shutdown to the attacks on trans rights (whatever you think of each individual act) this is very much Project 2025 in action.
And Musk is very clearly running amok, with a lot of power and few restraints. I think he has the potential to box Trump's administration into a very dark place quite quickly because he is breaking so many laws: either he will be held accountable (unlikely) or Trump will have to go big on dismantling the rule of law.
It is easy to overreact to this stuff (perhaps in another week the judicial reviews will get going and DOGE will actually pay some attention to the courts). But it's also easy to underreact as it seems so inconceivable that American rule of law could fall apart so quickly.
In my view we need to work with allies to be ready to react to things falling apart much more quickly than we expected over the pond. That might mean reaching out to some more unsavoury allies in the event that we need to call on more military might than our puny armed forces can manage on their own.
I'm more offended by the Chagos Deal than anything Trump/Musk have done.
I can see both sides of the Chagos deal, and can understand someone who feels more nationalist than I do that it is an unnecessary concession to international laws that (some) other nations don't really bother with.
I find it hard to understand why that offends you more than eg the USAID shutdown, though.
The practical implications of an immediate shutdown with no warning are lots of dead people around the world. By contrast an approach that said we will not renew any contracts to provide aid would at least have the merits of being predictable. It also reduces trust in the USA as an ally to many nations, which will make it harder for any of us with a western liberal mindset to project soft power.
Do you disagree? Or do you agree but not particularly care? Or something else?
Man who thinks the UK is dying posts from overseas again
Why do you think I’m overseas you fucking dimwit?
Money. Plus you actively hate living in the UK in winter
Plus I despise what my country has become and being there makes me actively upset
You’re confusing developments in global politics with your own ageing process - that will progressively inflict you with the attitudes of Victor Meldrew unless you make a conscious effort to retain a more youthful outlook on the world.
The UK just needs to get together with <<< checks notes >>> the mighty military forces of…. Er…. Ireland. And, I dunno, Portugal? Who? France no. Germany no. Maybe Peru? The Isle of Man? The guy down the chip shop who always eats eggs
Then…. Invade America
So we can
<<<<< checks notes again >>>>
Impose force on a chaotic American state
Yes
Be careful. Your impersonation of a simpleton might make people suspicious of your claims of superlative IQ scores.
Steady on. He reads books. Big challenging ones.
Is precisely what is wrong with the UK. We sneer at learning and education.
Oh I get it with you it's a defensive thing because it's one of several areas you are exposed and insecure and here you have an ally to criticise Leon.
But it is very sad that one of the most damning (damning of the UK) things people, people such as yourself say is "They're too clever by half."
It’s one thing I envy Leon. He has a job which allows him a huge amount of time for reading.
You have utterly embarrassed yourself on Chagos deal 🥹
Finally, I get it
😈
The Chagos island plan B. Let me explain it to you.
Plan A wa UK, at request of US, expelling inhabitants off Chagos - concluding “forced deportations” in 1973. Ethnic cleansing carried out by both Tory and Labour government, on orders from Vietnam era Washington.
government of Mauritius successfully argued. in UN's highest court, it was illegally forced to give Chago away, the court ruled the UK's administration of the territory unlawful. In 2019, the International Court of Justice issued opinion UK did not have sovereignty over the Chagos Islands, administration of the whole archipelago should be handed over "as rapidly as possible" to Mauritius. The UN General Assembly gave UK 6 month deadline to begin process of handing over the islands. In 2021, UN International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, ruled Mauritius is sovereign over Chagos Islands.
If you want to be part of the institution settling international disputes, like UN, want others to abide by its decisions, and you lose a case in the courtroom, what would you do?
This question smokes out the daft populists amongst you. Does it depend upon what you merely regard as arbitrary international law, we can simply ignore without suffering any damage? Have cake and eat it membership of the UN? Or a leadership role?
In my opinion, for UK and US role in UN, it now needs a Plan B. If you think it UK Labour government Plan B, think again. As the US Plan A from 1968 hit the rocks, US told UK to use a cheat code to get round the legal difficulties, avoid hit to reputational damage of both countries – the century lease and banging them lolly does this - don’t even need to negotiate lease renewal and extra lolly for 95 years, all the while fully legally compliant.
I will be proved right in my analysis. Because despite their cakeist approach to international relations, this latest order from US to us to do their bidding, is probably going to be little different from Trump and his administration, than the instruction we got from Biden. When it’s all joined up together in the history books, it’s a clear example of USA - never a great friend of UK, definitely never a friend of UK colonialism - using UK as their bitch for the Cold War dirty work. To bastardise the UN rulings by bunging someone money in order to bypass the spirit of those rulings, is clearly underhand and morally wrong.
And When Trumps America enables “Starmer’s” Chagos deal to happen, it with prove everything in my analysis. Watch this space. ☺️
You really do believe that the world is led by nice people who do what the UN tells them.
Alas, Pollyanna is no guide to realpolitik.
I know you know this, but it isn't even a case of what "The UN" has told us. The verdict of the so called court is purely advisory. It's not even that they can't enforce it - it has no legal weight. Following it is a policy choice, pure and simple.
It has however afforded us the rich pleasure of seeing Moon Rabbit claim that everyone who disagrees with her is a daft populist only to have her post shat on by noted populist rabble rousers NigelB and Omnium.
"International law" is not a hard established concept but if everybody goes with the flow of the Trump "vibe shift" and decides to pay it no regard whatsoever, this imo isn't something to be celebrated. It would be a negative development.
So if Keir Starmer is to be mocked and lampooned for being "in thrall" to doing things by the book you can count me out. One thing much worse than being overly enamoured of rules is being contemptuous of them.
The UK just needs to get together with <<< checks notes >>> the mighty military forces of…. Er…. Ireland. And, I dunno, Portugal? Who? France no. Germany no. Maybe Peru? The Isle of Man? The guy down the chip shop who always eats eggs
Then…. Invade America
So we can
<<<<< checks notes again >>>>
Impose force on a chaotic American state
Yes
Be careful. Your impersonation of a simpleton might make people suspicious of your claims of superlative IQ scores.
Steady on. He reads books. Big challenging ones.
Is precisely what is wrong with the UK. We sneer at learning and education.
Oh I get it with you it's a defensive thing because it's one of several areas you are exposed and insecure and here you have an ally to criticise Leon.
But it is very sad that one of the most damning (damning of the UK) things people, people such as yourself say is "They're too clever by half."
It’s one thing I envy Leon. He has a job which allows him a huge amount of time for reading.
Absolutely. And speaking of which I have decided to embark upon one of my greatest omissions. But I'm going to do it in bite-sized chunks starting today (actually I was supposed to start last week but somehow I didn't get round to it but if I announce it there's no going back).
I am, from today, going to read four (ok perhaps two, maybe just one) page of Finnegan's Wake each day. At, say, two pages a day I'll have "read" it in a year or so - I daren't look at the page count.
I've had that ***********ing book on my shelves for decades, I re-read Portrait of the Artist and Dubliners, and even Ulysses regularly (in that order of regularity) but have never managed to get beyond page 3 (are there even page numbers) of FW.
That ends today. This week, latest. Perhaps a fortnight.
I'll report back.
Genius writers are weird. The bloke who wrote Bleak House could also write Hard Times and the American section of Chuzzlewit. Wodehouse wrote The Code of the Woosters but also The Little Nugget. Trollope wrote Orley Farm and the Small House at Allington but also The Duke's Childen. And Joyce who wrote the greatest short story of all, 'The Dead' in the Dubliners, wrote FW and the unreadable second half of Ulysses.
Maybe the supreme genius is knowing when to stop. Like Emily Bronte.
The UK just needs to get together with <<< checks notes >>> the mighty military forces of…. Er…. Ireland. And, I dunno, Portugal? Who? France no. Germany no. Maybe Peru? The Isle of Man? The guy down the chip shop who always eats eggs
Then…. Invade America
So we can
<<<<< checks notes again >>>>
Impose force on a chaotic American state
Yes
Be careful. Your impersonation of a simpleton might make people suspicious of your claims of superlative IQ scores.
Steady on. He reads books. Big challenging ones.
Is precisely what is wrong with the UK. We sneer at learning and education.
Oh I get it with you it's a defensive thing because it's one of several areas you are exposed and insecure and here you have an ally to criticise Leon.
But it is very sad that one of the most damning (damning of the UK) things people, people such as yourself say is "They're too clever by half."
The Tories are tostada. They are the liberals in 1924
Reform will win in 2028 and they probably won’t even need Tory help, as things stand
To go from 5 MP's to a majority government would be a pretty unbelievable political earthquake..but I suppose the hyperbole is in keeping with most of your posts..🧐😏
Remember when it comes to tips Leon is no John McCririck.
Still Liz Truss did surprise us all.
Was her necklaces meaning ever explained.
The answer is in Finland, isn't it?
That’s something of which I am blissfully unaware apart from the mentions here. But you could be right
I've only been dipping into the site over the past few weeks (life is busy) so apologies if this has already been covered, but...
I think it is interesting to do an objective (ish) assessment of Trump 47 now he has been in power for a couple of weeks.
I am a firm believer in the adage that we should judge Trump on what he (and those around him) does not what he says. Back in November when he won, the big questions in my mind were: 1. How bought into Project 2025 is he? and 2. Will he sideline Musk or will Musk effectively run the show (I've always thought Musk is the true fascist, whereas Trump is just an attention - seeking narcissist).
On both measures I think the reality is about as bad as it could be. From the USAID shutdown to the attacks on trans rights (whatever you think of each individual act) this is very much Project 2025 in action.
And Musk is very clearly running amok, with a lot of power and few restraints. I think he has the potential to box Trump's administration into a very dark place quite quickly because he is breaking so many laws: either he will be held accountable (unlikely) or Trump will have to go big on dismantling the rule of law.
It is easy to overreact to this stuff (perhaps in another week the judicial reviews will get going and DOGE will actually pay some attention to the courts). But it's also easy to underreact as it seems so inconceivable that American rule of law could fall apart so quickly.
In my view we need to work with allies to be ready to react to things falling apart much more quickly than we expected over the pond. That might mean reaching out to some more unsavoury allies in the event that we need to call on more military might than our puny armed forces can manage we should speculate on Andy on their own.
I'm more offended by the Chagos Deal than anything Trump/Musk have done.
I can see both sides of the Chagos deal, and can understand someone who feels more nationalist than I do that it is an unnecessary concession to international laws that (some) other nations don't really bother with.
I find it hard to understand why that offends you more than eg the USAID shutdown, though.
The practical implications of an immediate shutdown with no warning are lots of dead people around the world. By contrast an approach that said we will not renew any contracts to provide aid would at least have the merits of being predictable. It also reduces trust in the USA as an ally to many nations, which will make it harder for any of us with a western liberal mindset to project soft power.
Do you disagree? Or do you agree but not particularly care? Or something else?
I don’t think we should speculate on the innermost thoughts of Andy_JS.
You have utterly embarrassed yourself on Chagos deal 🥹
Finally, I get it
😈
The Chagos island plan B. Let me explain it to you.
Plan A wa UK, at request of US, expelling inhabitants off Chagos - concluding “forced deportations” in 1973. Ethnic cleansing carried out by both Tory and Labour government, on orders from Vietnam era Washington.
government of Mauritius successfully argued. in UN's highest court, it was illegally forced to give Chago away, the court ruled the UK's administration of the territory unlawful. In 2019, the International Court of Justice issued opinion UK did not have sovereignty over the Chagos Islands, administration of the whole archipelago should be handed over "as rapidly as possible" to Mauritius. The UN General Assembly gave UK 6 month deadline to begin process of handing over the islands. In 2021, UN International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, ruled Mauritius is sovereign over Chagos Islands.
If you want to be part of the institution settling international disputes, like UN, want others to abide by its decisions, and you lose a case in the courtroom, what would you do?
This question smokes out the daft populists amongst you. Does it depend upon what you merely regard as arbitrary international law, we can simply ignore without suffering any damage? Have cake and eat it membership of the UN? Or a leadership role?
In my opinion, for UK and US role in UN, it now needs a Plan B. If you think it UK Labour government Plan B, think again. As the US Plan A from 1968 hit the rocks, US told UK to use a cheat code to get round the legal difficulties, avoid hit to reputational damage of both countries – the century lease and banging them lolly does this - don’t even need to negotiate lease renewal and extra lolly for 95 years, all the while fully legally compliant.
I will be proved right in my analysis. Because despite their cakeist approach to international relations, this latest order from US to us to do their bidding, is probably going to be little different from Trump and his administration, than the instruction we got from Biden. When it’s all joined up together in the history books, it’s a clear example of USA - never a great friend of UK, definitely never a friend of UK colonialism - using UK as their bitch for the Cold War dirty work. To bastardise the UN rulings by bunging someone money in order to bypass the spirit of those rulings, is clearly underhand and morally wrong.
And When Trumps America enables “Starmer’s” Chagos deal to happen, it with prove everything in my analysis. Watch this space. ☺️
You really do believe that the world is led by nice people who do what the UN tells them.
Alas, Pollyanna is no guide to realpolitik.
I know you know this, but it isn't even a case of what "The UN" has told us. The verdict of the so called court is purely advisory. It's not even that they can't enforce it - it has no legal weight. Following it is a policy choice, pure and simple.
It has however afforded us the rich pleasure of seeing Moon Rabbit claim that everyone who disagrees with her is a daft populist only to have her post shat on by noted populist rabble rousers NigelB and Omnium.
"International law" is not a hard established concept but if everybody goes with the flow of the Trump "vibe shift" and decides to pay it no regard whatsoever, this imo isn't something to be celebrated. It would be a negative development.
So if Keir Starmer is to be mocked and lampooned for being "in thrall" to doing things by the book you can count me out. One thing much worse than being overly enamoured of rules is being contemptuous of them.
There are two sides to this, though.
One is the cost/benefit of the international deal - which argues in favour of some agreement (though the detail of the costs of this one, and indeed the value of the base to the UK in monetary terms, are not public).
The other is the domestic political presentation, which Starmer has royally screwed up, thus far.
The UK just needs to get together with <<< checks notes >>> the mighty military forces of…. Er…. Ireland. And, I dunno, Portugal? Who? France no. Germany no. Maybe Peru? The Isle of Man? The guy down the chip shop who always eats eggs
Then…. Invade America
So we can
<<<<< checks notes again >>>>
Impose force on a chaotic American state
Yes
Be careful. Your impersonation of a simpleton might make people suspicious of your claims of superlative IQ scores.
Steady on. He reads books. Big challenging ones.
Is precisely what is wrong with the UK. We sneer at learning and education.
Oh I get it with you it's a defensive thing because it's one of several areas you are exposed and insecure and here you have an ally to criticise Leon.
But it is very sad that one of the most damning (damning of the UK) things people, people such as yourself say is "They're too clever by half."
It’s one thing I envy Leon. He has a job which allows him a huge amount of time for reading.
Or wasting his entire life on PB (He says while enjoying a pint of Shere Drop in the local).
"Steve Coogan has been banned for driving for two months instead of six, after telling the judge that a lengthier ban would impact the filming of his popular TV comedy series The Trip.
The actor and comedian was caught going at 97mph, well over the 70mph speed limit, while travelling in a Range Rover on the M6 in Staffordshire in July last year."
Two months is fine for the speeding, how many did he get for owning a Range Rover?
I got 4 PTS and about £260 of costs representing myself about 15 yrs ago in person for a similar speed, had an Audi at the time. I think the punishment as described is OK tbh
On the topic of DOGE’s attack on the NIH, anyone care to speculate about the ROI on these research projects ?
Since we're talking about funding of absurd research by NIH and other federal agencies, they funded scientists:
- watching flies fuck - giving rats massages - spending years digging into why jellyfish glow - tracking penguin poop from space - using horseshoe crab blood.. https://x.com/neubadah/status/1859095096396050637
Since my son is keen on penguins, I might be able to help. "tracking penguin poop from space" allows scientists to detect and track penguin colonies, including undiscovered ones. This is because the poop leaves large brain stains that can be tracked much easier than individual penguins.
We voters should sensibly pay some attention to the sorts of people currently signing up to Reform in our own patch, hoping that electoral vagaries might gift them political prominence that in any sensible world would have been simply a mastabatory dream.
Interesting. Baxtering suggests Reform get 256 seats; either number is extraordinary. A few days ago Mr Goodwin said 31% for Reform was the golden number at which stuff happens explosively. Findoutnow has of course consistently give high figures for Reform; though since no-one knows which methodology gives the best result, nor can we ever know this far out from a vote, for all we know Reform really are doing this well.
On the topic of DOGE’s attack on the NIH, anyone care to speculate about the ROI on these research projects ?
Since we're talking about funding of absurd research by NIH and other federal agencies, they funded scientists:
- watching flies fuck - giving rats massages - spending years digging into why jellyfish glow - tracking penguin poop from space - using horseshoe crab blood.. https://x.com/neubadah/status/1859095096396050637
Ummm:
I suspect "watching flies fuck", is actually about better understanding flies breeding, which is pretty important from a public health perspective one would have thought.
And it's a sign of the extraordinary ignorance of the tweeter that they don't understand that horseshoe crab blood is the only source of Limulus Amebocyte Lysate (LAL), which coagulates in the presence of bacterial endotoxins. A lot of modern medicine is dependent on horseshoe crab blood, and the need to find a source of LAL that doesn't come from crabs is BFD.
On the topic of DOGE’s attack on the NIH, anyone care to speculate about the ROI on these research projects ?
Since we're talking about funding of absurd research by NIH and other federal agencies, they funded scientists:
- watching flies fuck - giving rats massages - spending years digging into why jellyfish glow - tracking penguin poop from space - using horseshoe crab blood.. https://x.com/neubadah/status/1859095096396050637
Since my son is keen on penguins, I might be able to help. "tracking penguin poop from space" allows scientists to detect and track penguin colonies, including undiscovered ones. This is because the poop leaves large brain stains that can be tracked much easier than individual penguins.
The others sound ridiculous, but there might be some interesting reasons why they were done.
For a start, bioluminescence (animals glowing) is useful to know about, because you can make up systems that can be used for detecting specific chemicals rapidly. And different groups glow in the dark differently, so the more one looks at the more there is in the toolbox.
And one can experimen t with massage in rats in ways you can't do with humans, so you can see how well it works as a therapy for various conditions and how those therapies work. Just checked and there is exactly that [edit] sort of research in the US, for problems such as muscles atrophied with disuse.
Watching flies copulate ... off the top of my head, it's a good way to see how well targeted pest control mechanisms attacking specific pheromones work. Or the effect of sterilise-and-release as pest control ditto. Or the effect of releasing females infected with specific microoorganisms that make the females produce only one sex (no good if the males won't have it off with them, though).
You have utterly embarrassed yourself on Chagos deal 🥹
Finally, I get it
😈
The Chagos island plan B. Let me explain it to you.
Plan A wa UK, at request of US, expelling inhabitants off Chagos - concluding “forced deportations” in 1973. Ethnic cleansing carried out by both Tory and Labour government, on orders from Vietnam era Washington.
government of Mauritius successfully argued. in UN's highest court, it was illegally forced to give Chago away, the court ruled the UK's administration of the territory unlawful. In 2019, the International Court of Justice issued opinion UK did not have sovereignty over the Chagos Islands, administration of the whole archipelago should be handed over "as rapidly as possible" to Mauritius. The UN General Assembly gave UK 6 month deadline to begin process of handing over the islands. In 2021, UN International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, ruled Mauritius is sovereign over Chagos Islands.
If you want to be part of the institution settling international disputes, like UN, want others to abide by its decisions, and you lose a case in the courtroom, what would you do?
This question smokes out the daft populists amongst you. Does it depend upon what you merely regard as arbitrary international law, we can simply ignore without suffering any damage? Have cake and eat it membership of the UN? Or a leadership role?
In my opinion, for UK and US role in UN, it now needs a Plan B. If you think it UK Labour government Plan B, think again. As the US Plan A from 1968 hit the rocks, US told UK to use a cheat code to get round the legal difficulties, avoid hit to reputational damage of both countries – the century lease and banging them lolly does this - don’t even need to negotiate lease renewal and extra lolly for 95 years, all the while fully legally compliant.
I will be proved right in my analysis. Because despite their cakeist approach to international relations, this latest order from US to us to do their bidding, is probably going to be little different from Trump and his administration, than the instruction we got from Biden. When it’s all joined up together in the history books, it’s a clear example of USA - never a great friend of UK, definitely never a friend of UK colonialism - using UK as their bitch for the Cold War dirty work. To bastardise the UN rulings by bunging someone money in order to bypass the spirit of those rulings, is clearly underhand and morally wrong.
And When Trumps America enables “Starmer’s” Chagos deal to happen, it with prove everything in my analysis. Watch this space. ☺️
You really do believe that the world is led by nice people who do what the UN tells them.
Alas, Pollyanna is no guide to realpolitik.
I know you know this, but it isn't even a case of what "The UN" has told us. The verdict of the so called court is purely advisory. It's not even that they can't enforce it - it has no legal weight. Following it is a policy choice, pure and simple.
It has however afforded us the rich pleasure of seeing Moon Rabbit claim that everyone who disagrees with her is a daft populist only to have her post shat on by noted populist rabble rousers NigelB and Omnium.
"International law" is not a hard established concept but if everybody goes with the flow of the Trump "vibe shift" and decides to pay it no regard whatsoever, this imo isn't something to be celebrated. It would be a negative development.
So if Keir Starmer is to be mocked and lampooned for being "in thrall" to doing things by the book you can count me out. One thing much worse than being overly enamoured of rules is being contemptuous of them.
There are two sides to this, though.
One is the cost/benefit of the international deal - which argues in favour of some agreement (though the detail of the costs of this one, and indeed the value of the base to the UK in monetary terms, are not public).
The other is the domestic political presentation, which Starmer has royally screwed up, thus far.
Keir is not the best at the selling aspect. Which is suboptimal for a PM. I think it's because he's spent the bulk of his career in a field that didn't require it. I've grown so sick of dumbed down populists that I almost welcome this weakness, but weakness it is.
The UK just needs to get together with <<< checks notes >>> the mighty military forces of…. Er…. Ireland. And, I dunno, Portugal? Who? France no. Germany no. Maybe Peru? The Isle of Man? The guy down the chip shop who always eats eggs
Then…. Invade America
So we can
<<<<< checks notes again >>>>
Impose force on a chaotic American state
Yes
Be careful. Your impersonation of a simpleton might make people suspicious of your claims of superlative IQ scores.
Steady on. He reads books. Big challenging ones.
Is precisely what is wrong with the UK. We sneer at learning and education.
Oh I get it with you it's a defensive thing because it's one of several areas you are exposed and insecure and here you have an ally to criticise Leon.
But it is very sad that one of the most damning (damning of the UK) things people, people such as yourself say is "They're too clever by half."
It’s one thing I envy Leon. He has a job which allows him a huge amount of time for reading.
Or wasting his entire life on PB (He says while enjoying a pint of Shere Drop in the local).
An imo bannable offence on PB is judging others' presence on PB with the implication that it is a lesser activity while commenting on PB.
Who the fuck are you to tell anyone what value should be ascribed to any particular activity.
And the Scotch borders being their final redoubt - who’d have thunk?
Doesn't surprise me. Lots of retirees. But not much in the way of rundown manufacturing towns or seaside resorts, though some of the old wool burghs have their moments. I'd be very interested to see the data for Eyemouth (fishing) and Hawick, for instance.
On the topic of DOGE’s attack on the NIH, anyone care to speculate about the ROI on these research projects ?
Since we're talking about funding of absurd research by NIH and other federal agencies, they funded scientists:
- watching flies fuck - giving rats massages - spending years digging into why jellyfish glow - tracking penguin poop from space - using horseshoe crab blood.. https://x.com/neubadah/status/1859095096396050637
Since my son is keen on penguins, I might be able to help. "tracking penguin poop from space" allows scientists to detect and track penguin colonies, including undiscovered ones. This is because the poop leaves large brain stains that can be tracked much easier than individual penguins.
The others sound ridiculous, but there might be some interesting reasons why they were done.
Edit: ah, I can see from the replies that it was the point of the tweet!
Fascinating responses from you, rcs and Carnyx. PB at its best, and I suppose the Trump administration is going to expose just how much interesting and essential work is going on across government and academia.
On the topic of DOGE’s attack on the NIH, anyone care to speculate about the ROI on these research projects ?
Since we're talking about funding of absurd research by NIH and other federal agencies, they funded scientists:
- watching flies fuck - giving rats massages - spending years digging into why jellyfish glow - tracking penguin poop from space - using horseshoe crab blood.. https://x.com/neubadah/status/1859095096396050637
Since my son is keen on penguins, I might be able to help. "tracking penguin poop from space" allows scientists to detect and track penguin colonies, including undiscovered ones. This is because the poop leaves large brain stains that can be tracked much easier than individual penguins.
The others sound ridiculous, but there might be some interesting reasons why they were done.
For a start, bioluminescence (animals glowing) is useful to know about, because you can make up systems that can be used for detecting specific chemicals rapidly. And different groups glow in the dark differently, so the more one looks at the more there is in the toolbox.
And one can experimen t with massage in rats in ways you can't do with humans, so you can see how well it works as a therapy for various conditions and how those therapies work. Just checked and there is exactly that [edit] sort of research in the US, for problems such as muscles atrophied with disuse.
Watching flies copulate ... off the top of my head, it's a good way to see how well targeted pest control mechanisms attacking specific pheromones work. Or the effect of sterilise-and-release as pest control ditto. Or the effect of releasing females infected with specific microoorganisms that make the females produce only one sex (no good if the males won't have it off with them, though).
No, let's just award scientific grants on the basis of right wing social media shitposts instead of scientific merit.
We voters should sensibly pay some attention to the sorts of people currently signing up to Reform in our own patch, hoping that electoral vagaries might gift them political prominence that in any sensible world would have been simply a mastabatory dream.
Do you exclude Reform supporters from "we voters"?
On the topic of DOGE’s attack on the NIH, anyone care to speculate about the ROI on these research projects ?
Since we're talking about funding of absurd research by NIH and other federal agencies, they funded scientists:
- watching flies fuck - giving rats massages - spending years digging into why jellyfish glow - tracking penguin poop from space - using horseshoe crab blood.. https://x.com/neubadah/status/1859095096396050637
Since my son is keen on penguins, I might be able to help. "tracking penguin poop from space" allows scientists to detect and track penguin colonies, including undiscovered ones. This is because the poop leaves large brain stains that can be tracked much easier than individual penguins.
The others sound ridiculous, but there might be some interesting reasons why they were done.
Edit: ah, I can see from the replies that it was the point of the tweet!
Fascinating responses from you, rcs and Carnyx. PB at its best, and I suppose the Trump administration is going to expose just how much interesting and essential work is going on across government and academia.
Flies ****ing is also, in itself, a very basic biological criterion for species distinction (though not 100% universal, cf. mules). If you have a pest, and your controls don't seem to be working, one possibility is that you're dealing with 2 different pests that look the same. IIRC some fly species are exactly the same to look at except for the mating call (or smell or something) - compare willow warbler and chiffchaff on the dinosaur front. So if you try mixing them and the female definitely doesn't like the dipteran equivalent of Radiohead or pineapple and won't **** ... you know you have a problem.
And the Scotch borders being their final redoubt - who’d have thunk?
Doesn't surprise me. Lots of retirees. But not much in the way of rundown manufacturing towns or seaside resorts, though some of the old wool burghs have their moments. I'd be very interested to see the data for Eyemouth (fishing) and Hawick, for instance.
PS May be unfair about Hawick now. But it seemed to be having a very bad time as the weaving declined in previous decades.
And the Scotch borders being their final redoubt - who’d have thunk?
Doesn't surprise me. Lots of retirees. But not much in the way of rundown manufacturing towns or seaside resorts, though some of the old wool burghs have their moments. I'd be very interested to see the data for Eyemouth (fishing) and Hawick, for instance.
I think parts of rural Scotland really are the ultimate core of the Conservative party. You can't imagine some of the people you come across in Aberdeenshire, Moray, Perthshire, the Borders voting Reform or Lib Dem.
You have utterly embarrassed yourself on Chagos deal 🥹
Finally, I get it
😈
The Chagos island plan B. Let me explain it to you.
Plan A wa UK, at request of US, expelling inhabitants off Chagos - concluding “forced deportations” in 1973. Ethnic cleansing carried out by both Tory and Labour government, on orders from Vietnam era Washington.
government of Mauritius successfully argued. in UN's highest court, it was illegally forced to give Chago away, the court ruled the UK's administration of the territory unlawful. In 2019, the International Court of Justice issued opinion UK did not have sovereignty over the Chagos Islands, administration of the whole archipelago should be handed over "as rapidly as possible" to Mauritius. The UN General Assembly gave UK 6 month deadline to begin process of handing over the islands. In 2021, UN International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, ruled Mauritius is sovereign over Chagos Islands.
If you want to be part of the institution settling international disputes, like UN, want others to abide by its decisions, and you lose a case in the courtroom, what would you do?
This question smokes out the daft populists amongst you. Does it depend upon what you merely regard as arbitrary international law, we can simply ignore without suffering any damage? Have cake and eat it membership of the UN? Or a leadership role?
In my opinion, for UK and US role in UN, it now needs a Plan B. If you think it UK Labour government Plan B, think again. As the US Plan A from 1968 hit the rocks, US told UK to use a cheat code to get round the legal difficulties, avoid hit to reputational damage of both countries – the century lease and banging them lolly does this - don’t even need to negotiate lease renewal and extra lolly for 95 years, all the while fully legally compliant.
I will be proved right in my analysis. Because despite their cakeist approach to international relations, this latest order from US to us to do their bidding, is probably going to be little different from Trump and his administration, than the instruction we got from Biden. When it’s all joined up together in the history books, it’s a clear example of USA - never a great friend of UK, definitely never a friend of UK colonialism - using UK as their bitch for the Cold War dirty work. To bastardise the UN rulings by bunging someone money in order to bypass the spirit of those rulings, is clearly underhand and morally wrong.
And When Trumps America enables “Starmer’s” Chagos deal to happen, it with prove everything in my analysis. Watch this space. ☺️
You really do believe that the world is led by nice people who do what the UN tells them.
Alas, Pollyanna is no guide to realpolitik.
I know you know this, but it isn't even a case of what "The UN" has told us. The verdict of the so called court is purely advisory. It's not even that they can't enforce it - it has no legal weight. Following it is a policy choice, pure and simple.
That’s true in the short term. But depending on how crucial Diego Garcia is to our defence deal(s) with the US, there’s a decent argument to pay something to remove an uncertainty.
The question is about cost/benefit in the context of our defence spending. Whether we’ll ever get told the details, so we can make an informed judgment, I don’t know.
That argument doesn't stand up, because regardless of the amount of gold we stuff the mouths of the Mauritians with, and whatever the conditions of the deal, being British sovereign territory represents a far more secure future for the base than being territory rented from a foreign landlord ever could.
Still haven’t seen a dab of purple north of the border on one of those projections, or have I missed it?
I remember one briefly appearing at an Edinburgh pub, but being rapidly forced to retreat 😉
Other way round, I think you'll find. He was confronted ny a Labour activist and a leftie student type (not SNP) and retreated *into* the pub where he had a very happy press conference (blaming the SNP etc. IIRC).
On the topic of DOGE’s attack on the NIH, anyone care to speculate about the ROI on these research projects ?
Since we're talking about funding of absurd research by NIH and other federal agencies, they funded scientists:
- watching flies fuck - giving rats massages - spending years digging into why jellyfish glow - tracking penguin poop from space - using horseshoe crab blood.. https://x.com/neubadah/status/1859095096396050637
Since my son is keen on penguins, I might be able to help. "tracking penguin poop from space" allows scientists to detect and track penguin colonies, including undiscovered ones. This is because the poop leaves large brain stains that can be tracked much easier than individual penguins.
The others sound ridiculous, but there might be some interesting reasons why they were done.
Edit: ah, I can see from the replies that it was the point of the tweet!
Fascinating responses from you, rcs and Carnyx. PB at its best, and I suppose the Trump administration is going to expose just how much interesting and essential work is going on across government and academia.
Scientific research is a blunderbuss firing at a gold coin a hundred yards away. You might, by chance, hit the coin you want. But you might also hit something else that is very interesting. Too many scientists look at the coin, and not what else got hit.
We voters should sensibly pay some attention to the sorts of people currently signing up to Reform in our own patch, hoping that electoral vagaries might gift them political prominence that in any sensible world would have been simply a mastabatory dream.
Do you exclude Reform supporters from "we voters"?
Pompous ass.
I understood it to mean as Reform candidates. There are obviously many Reform voters.
On the topic of DOGE’s attack on the NIH, anyone care to speculate about the ROI on these research projects ?
Since we're talking about funding of absurd research by NIH and other federal agencies, they funded scientists:
- watching flies fuck - giving rats massages - spending years digging into why jellyfish glow - tracking penguin poop from space - using horseshoe crab blood.. https://x.com/neubadah/status/1859095096396050637
Since my son is keen on penguins, I might be able to help. "tracking penguin poop from space" allows scientists to detect and track penguin colonies, including undiscovered ones. This is because the poop leaves large brain stains that can be tracked much easier than individual penguins.
And the Scotch borders being their final redoubt - who’d have thunk?
Doesn't surprise me. Lots of retirees. But not much in the way of rundown manufacturing towns or seaside resorts, though some of the old wool burghs have their moments. I'd be very interested to see the data for Eyemouth (fishing) and Hawick, for instance.
I think parts of rural Scotland really are the ultimate core of the Conservative party. You can't imagine some of the people you come across in Aberdeenshire, Moray, Perthshire, the Borders voting Reform or Lib Dem.
The big estates are still there, of course. Tweed and Purdeys and flies.
Could they really end up a relict biota, the political equivalent of the alpine flora of Ben Lawers?
And the Scotch borders being their final redoubt - who’d have thunk?
Doesn't surprise me. Lots of retirees. But not much in the way of rundown manufacturing towns or seaside resorts, though some of the old wool burghs have their moments. I'd be very interested to see the data for Eyemouth (fishing) and Hawick, for instance.
I think parts of rural Scotland really are the ultimate core of the Conservative party. You can't imagine some of the people you come across in Aberdeenshire, Moray, Perthshire, the Borders voting Reform or Lib Dem.
The big estates are still there, of course. Tweed and Purdeys and flies.
Could they really end up a relict biota, the political equivalent of the alpine flora of Ben Lawers?
Perhaps Arctic charr? Left behind by a changing (political) climate, unable to migrate down the rivers like their forebears.
On the topic of DOGE’s attack on the NIH, anyone care to speculate about the ROI on these research projects ?
Since we're talking about funding of absurd research by NIH and other federal agencies, they funded scientists:
- watching flies fuck - giving rats massages - spending years digging into why jellyfish glow - tracking penguin poop from space - using horseshoe crab blood.. https://x.com/neubadah/status/1859095096396050637
Since my son is keen on penguins, I might be able to help. "tracking penguin poop from space" allows scientists to detect and track penguin colonies, including undiscovered ones. This is because the poop leaves large brain stains that can be tracked much easier than individual penguins.
The others sound ridiculous, but there might be some interesting reasons why they were done.
Edit: ah, I can see from the replies that it was the point of the tweet!
Yes, the ROI on these is big; on some of them absolutely enormous. And as Robert notes, quite a few of us already knew some of them.
But the point is that any one of their original grant proposals, at the time, could have been presented as deserving ridicule.
Without reading the thread, how many of you knew the rat massage research was worth several billion ?
I'll be interested to see if the Ig Nobels give up, like the Darwin awards did with the covid era and the anti-vaxxers. Sometimes it is just nice to have the intellectual benefit of such things as cubical wombat shite - though ai friend of mine who is a lecturer at uni loves that sort of thing to leaven the bread of his course as it interests his students.*
Hav ing said that ..;. "in 2006, a study showing that one of the malaria mosquitoes (Anopheles gambiae) is attracted equally to the smell of Limburger cheese and the smell of human feet[23] earned the Ig Nobel Prize in the area of biology. As a direct result of these findings, traps baited with this cheese have been placed in strategic locations to combat the epidemic of malaria in Africa. Andre Geim, before sharing the 2010 Nobel Prize in Physics for his research on graphene, shared the Physics Ig Nobel in 2000 with Michael Berry for the magnetic levitation of a frog, which by 2022 was reportedly part of the inspiration for China's lunar gravity research facility.["
Still haven’t seen a dab of purple north of the border on one of those projections, or have I missed it?
I remember one briefly appearing at an Edinburgh pub, but being rapidly forced to retreat 😉
Other way round, I think you'll find. He was confronted ny a Labour activist and a leftie student type (not SNP) and retreated *into* the pub where he had a very happy press conference (blaming the SNP etc. IIRC).
I believe Farage is still using this incident as an excuse for being a fearty about heading north - ‘security risks’! I sense him donning the khaki and picking up a rifle wouldn’t be much benefit to any struggle.
You have utterly embarrassed yourself on Chagos deal 🥹
Finally, I get it
😈
The Chagos island plan B. Let me explain it to you.
Plan A wa UK, at request of US, expelling inhabitants off Chagos - concluding “forced deportations” in 1973. Ethnic cleansing carried out by both Tory and Labour government, on orders from Vietnam era Washington.
government of Mauritius successfully argued. in UN's highest court, it was illegally forced to give Chago away, the court ruled the UK's administration of the territory unlawful. In 2019, the International Court of Justice issued opinion UK did not have sovereignty over the Chagos Islands, administration of the whole archipelago should be handed over "as rapidly as possible" to Mauritius. The UN General Assembly gave UK 6 month deadline to begin process of handing over the islands. In 2021, UN International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, ruled Mauritius is sovereign over Chagos Islands.
If you want to be part of the institution settling international disputes, like UN, want others to abide by its decisions, and you lose a case in the courtroom, what would you do?
This question smokes out the daft populists amongst you. Does it depend upon what you merely regard as arbitrary international law, we can simply ignore without suffering any damage? Have cake and eat it membership of the UN? Or a leadership role?
In my opinion, for UK and US role in UN, it now needs a Plan B. If you think it UK Labour government Plan B, think again. As the US Plan A from 1968 hit the rocks, US told UK to use a cheat code to get round the legal difficulties, avoid hit to reputational damage of both countries – the century lease and banging them lolly does this - don’t even need to negotiate lease renewal and extra lolly for 95 years, all the while fully legally compliant.
I will be proved right in my analysis. Because despite their cakeist approach to international relations, this latest order from US to us to do their bidding, is probably going to be little different from Trump and his administration, than the instruction we got from Biden. When it’s all joined up together in the history books, it’s a clear example of USA - never a great friend of UK, definitely never a friend of UK colonialism - using UK as their bitch for the Cold War dirty work. To bastardise the UN rulings by bunging someone money in order to bypass the spirit of those rulings, is clearly underhand and morally wrong.
And When Trumps America enables “Starmer’s” Chagos deal to happen, it with prove everything in my analysis. Watch this space. ☺️
You really do believe that the world is led by nice people who do what the UN tells them.
Alas, Pollyanna is no guide to realpolitik.
I know you know this, but it isn't even a case of what "The UN" has told us. The verdict of the so called court is purely advisory. It's not even that they can't enforce it - it has no legal weight. Following it is a policy choice, pure and simple.
It has however afforded us the rich pleasure of seeing Moon Rabbit claim that everyone who disagrees with her is a daft populist only to have her post shat on by noted populist rabble rousers NigelB and Omnium.
"International law" is not a hard established concept but if everybody goes with the flow of the Trump "vibe shift" and decides to pay it no regard whatsoever, this imo isn't something to be celebrated. It would be a negative development.
So if Keir Starmer is to be mocked and lampooned for being "in thrall" to doing things by the book you can count me out. One thing much worse than being overly enamoured of rules is being contemptuous of them.
He isn't 'doing something by the book'; he is making a policy decision to attempt to accede, at a vast monetary and Western security cost, with the non-legally binding verdict of a court that the USA (as an example) isn't even signed up to.
The UK just needs to get together with <<< checks notes >>> the mighty military forces of…. Er…. Ireland. And, I dunno, Portugal? Who? France no. Germany no. Maybe Peru? The Isle of Man? The guy down the chip shop who always eats eggs
Then…. Invade America
So we can
<<<<< checks notes again >>>>
Impose force on a chaotic American state
Yes
Be careful. Your impersonation of a simpleton might make people suspicious of your claims of superlative IQ scores.
Steady on. He reads books. Big challenging ones.
Is precisely what is wrong with the UK. We sneer at learning and education.
Oh I get it with you it's a defensive thing because it's one of several areas you are exposed and insecure and here you have an ally to criticise Leon.
But it is very sad that one of the most damning (damning of the UK) things people, people such as yourself say is "They're too clever by half."
It’s one thing I envy Leon. He has a job which allows him a huge amount of time for reading.
Or wasting his entire life on PB (He says while enjoying a pint of Shere Drop in the local).
An imo bannable offence on PB is judging others' presence on PB with the implication that it is a lesser activity while commenting on PB.
Who the fuck are you to tell anyone what value should be ascribed to any particular activity.
Oh very touchy tonight aren't we? It should have been apparent by my subsequent sentence and my obvious presence that it was an obvious joke.
Is anyone on here old enough to remember the good ol' days when the US had a far more sane and reasonable President who focused more on matters of import like covfefe and bleach injections rather than world domination?
Still haven’t seen a dab of purple north of the border on one of those projections, or have I missed it?
I remember one briefly appearing at an Edinburgh pub, but being rapidly forced to retreat 😉
Other way round, I think you'll find. He was confronted ny a Labour activist and a leftie student type (not SNP) and retreated *into* the pub where he had a very happy press conference (blaming the SNP etc. IIRC).
I believe Farage is still using this incident as an excuse for being a fearty about heading north - ‘security risks’! I sense him donning the khaki and picking up a rifle wouldn’t be much benefit to any struggle.
TBF, on checking, the landlord got twitchy and he had to be escorted out. But it was hardly the Sautmarket on a Saturday night.
Sigh. I am seriously starting to wonder who the hell I am going to vote for next time.
I am feeling completely alienated from any of the current offerings.
What, do you mean you're not inspired by the exciting choices on offer? There's so much variety, and a change of government makes a mahoosive, humongous difference to every aspect of life. Do you not feel as if you are in a land transformed since last Summer?
Comments
If Trump crashes NATO and declares economic warfare with Europe (unlikely, but entirely possible), we will need some sort of plan B.
Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com
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54m
Trump at the National Prayer Breakfast: "They say I can't run again. That's the expression. Then somebody said, 'I don't *think* you can.' Ooh!"
https://bsky.app/profile/atrupar.com/post/3lhjk5qnnd525
Handing the territory and the money to a third party who never possessed the Chagos Islands is really not the best idea.
It’s one thing suggesting allying with China, North Korea or even ISIS…
But France!?
It is 1812 redux.
(With apologies to @Morris_Dancer )
Something needed to be done - as the previous government had recognised (and initiated) - but it’s been done in a politically cack handed manner, and probably more costly than need have been.
Oh I get it with you it's a defensive thing because it's one of several areas you are exposed and insecure and here you have an ally to criticise Leon.
But it is very sad that one of the most damning (damning of the UK) things people, people such as yourself say is "They're too clever by half."
He has a job which allows him a huge amount of time for reading.
Is it history, or is it Memorex? Memorex the Great was MD's ancestor I suspect.
I wonder how it makes all the women and teenage girls who have had Trump put his hand up their skirts over the last 3 or 4 decades feel?
His full remarks:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AsnLBNSyBY
"because of the constitution and the rule of law"
"Yeh, dude, but that all stuff ended in February 2025."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burning_of_Washington
I am, from today, going to read four (ok perhaps two, maybe just one) page of Finnegan's Wake each day. At, say, two pages a day I'll have "read" it in a year or so - I daren't look at the page count.
I've had that ***********ing book on my shelves for decades, I re-read Portrait of the Artist and Dubliners, and even Ulysses regularly (in that order of regularity) but have never managed to get beyond page 3 (are there even page numbers) of FW.
That ends today. This week, latest. Perhaps a fortnight.
I'll report back.
Fair question. Except I didn't say America is going full fascist. Instead, I think Trump is (quite quickly) going to have to make a decision about Musk, who would like America to go full fascist.
I can see a possible need for a set of containment alliances (perhaps with Mexico and Canada, Europe, plus somewhere in the middle east to start) that is willing to step in to prevent land grabs (Gaza strip, Panama canal, Greenland).
Trump will, I think, listen to a collective show of (potential) force on foreign soil, especially as his neocolonialism won't be that popular at home.
What he does inside America concerns me, but there's nothing we can do about that. But we need to be ready for him to do something equally silly on foreign soil.
Four ways to make the Nuclear Regulatory Taskforce a Success
https://ukdayone.org/briefings/four-ways-to-make-the-nuclear-regulatory-taskforce-a-success
If the government is going to go ahead with SMRs, they shouldn’t piss around, and should adopt much of this approach.
It has however afforded us the rich pleasure of seeing Moon Rabbit claim that everyone who disagrees with her is a daft populist only to have her post shat on by noted populist rabble rousers NigelB and Omnium.
The old parables are the best
But depending on how crucial Diego Garcia is to our defence deal(s) with the US, there’s a decent argument to pay something to remove an uncertainty.
The question is about cost/benefit in the context of our defence spending.
Whether we’ll ever get told the details, so we can make an informed judgment, I don’t know.
Good luck with FW.
If the Tories sign up to modern Trumpism, the decades long USP that commanded such support among the settled middle class folk of the Home Counties will have been trashed.
I find it hard to understand why that offends you more than eg the USAID shutdown, though.
The practical implications of an immediate shutdown with no warning are lots of dead people around the world. By contrast an approach that said we will not renew any contracts to provide aid would at least have the merits of being predictable. It also reduces trust in the USA as an ally to many nations, which will make it harder for any of us with a western liberal mindset to project soft power.
Do you disagree? Or do you agree but not particularly care? Or something else?
Big drop for Others.
So if Keir Starmer is to be mocked and lampooned for being "in thrall" to doing things by the book you can count me out. One thing much worse than being overly enamoured of rules is being contemptuous of them.
Maybe the supreme genius is knowing when to stop. Like Emily Bronte.
"Stats for Lefties 🍉🏳️⚧️
@LeftieStats
‼️NEW | Reform projected to win 300+ seats
Via @FindoutnowUK
, 5 Feb (+/- vs 27 Jan)"
https://x.com/LeftieStats/status/1887544872342855996
One is the cost/benefit of the international deal - which argues in favour of some agreement (though the detail of the costs of this one, and indeed the value of the base to the UK in monetary terms, are not public).
The other is the domestic political presentation, which Starmer has royally screwed up, thus far.
Since we're talking about funding of absurd research by NIH and other federal agencies, they funded scientists:
- watching flies fuck
- giving rats massages
- spending years digging into why jellyfish glow
- tracking penguin poop from space
- using horseshoe crab blood..
https://x.com/neubadah/status/1859095096396050637
🟣 REF 29% (+2)
🔴 LAB 25% (+2)
🔵 CON 18% (-3)
🟠 LD 13% (+2)
🟢 GRN 10% (-)
Via FindoutnowUK, 5 Feb (+/- vs 27 Jan)
Source: https://bsky.app/profile/leftiestats.bsky.social/post/3lhjk7tfcbk2h
And the Scotch borders being their final redoubt - who’d have thunk?
RefCon are a whopping 22 points ahead of Labour.
KICIPM or NICIPM
https://www.esa.int/kids/en/news/Spotting_penguin_poo_from_space
And horseshoe crab blood is in demand, as a component of it is used in detecting bacteria in medicine and medical devices.
https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/horseshoe-crab-blood-miracle-vaccine-ingredient.html
The others sound ridiculous, but there might be some interesting reasons why they were done.
Edit: ah, I can see from the replies that it was the point of the tweet!
I suspect "watching flies fuck", is actually about better understanding flies breeding, which is pretty important from a public health perspective one would have thought.
And it's a sign of the extraordinary ignorance of the tweeter that they don't understand that horseshoe crab blood is the only source of Limulus Amebocyte Lysate (LAL), which coagulates in the presence of bacterial endotoxins. A lot of modern medicine is dependent on horseshoe crab blood, and the need to find a source of LAL that doesn't come from crabs is BFD.
And one can experimen t with massage in rats in ways you can't do with humans, so you can see how well it works as a therapy for various conditions and how those therapies work. Just checked and there is exactly that [edit] sort of research in the US, for problems such as muscles atrophied with disuse.
Watching flies copulate ... off the top of my head, it's a good way to see how well targeted pest control mechanisms attacking specific pheromones work. Or the effect of sterilise-and-release as pest control ditto. Or the effect of releasing females infected with specific microoorganisms that make the females produce only one sex (no good if the males won't have it off with them, though).
LDs 78 seats
Cons 43 seats and 4th party.
Reform 256 seats
Lab 217 seats
Green 6 seats. Greens take Huddersfield.
Who the fuck are you to tell anyone what value should be ascribed to any particular activity.
Pompous ass.
>
"Tawdry" is a contraction of Saint Audrey
Saint Audrey of Ely's name was used to sell garments made of lace
Puritans thought they were too revealing and immodest, and tawdry was born
I am feeling completely alienated from any of the current offerings.
And as Robert notes, quite a few of us already knew some of them.
But the point is that any one of their original grant proposals, at the time, could have been presented as deserving ridicule.
Without reading the thread, how many of you knew the rat massage research was worth several billion ?
Could they really end up a relict biota, the political equivalent of the alpine flora of Ben Lawers?
"The most variable vertebrate on Earth" - fits.
Hav ing said that ..;. "in 2006, a study showing that one of the malaria mosquitoes (Anopheles gambiae) is attracted equally to the smell of Limburger cheese and the smell of human feet[23] earned the Ig Nobel Prize in the area of biology. As a direct result of these findings, traps baited with this cheese have been placed in strategic locations to combat the epidemic of malaria in Africa. Andre Geim, before sharing the 2010 Nobel Prize in Physics for his research on graphene, shared the Physics Ig Nobel in 2000 with Michael Berry for the magnetic levitation of a frog, which by 2022 was reportedly part of the inspiration for China's lunar gravity research facility.["
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ig_Nobel_Prize
* @Malmesbury willbe overjoyed to know I sent him a copy of *Ignition.*
I sense him donning the khaki and picking up a rifle wouldn’t be much benefit to any struggle.
From 0.3% of Tory seats in 2015 (and 0 in 1997) to circa 20% in 2029?
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2013/may/16/nigel-farage-edinburgh-protesters-van