To be fair, where else are they to send the money? SLS/Boeing?
I’m so looking forward to the presentation that Musk does to the American public, explaining in simple language the difference between SpaceX and SLS in terms of capability and cost structure.
If Cooper and others are serious about savings, they need to be prepared to send people into Whitehall who are not afraid to make enemies there, and not afraid to break hobby horses.
European governments should be scared as Hell that this wild experiment in taking a scythe to the apparatus of state, might actually be seen to work over the timespan between elections in the US.
Since you’re an assiduous supporter of Ukraine defending itself against Putin, do you think this is a good or a bad thing?
I think that there has to be a starting point to talks aimed at ending the war.
I don’t think the Russians have any intention of ending the war though, they’re too far down the rabbit hole for what they’ve actually achieved.
We’ll know soon from Rubio whether there’s anything that looks like good faith from Lavrov, and then Ukraine and European countries need to clearly and effectively state their case. Kellogg (and to some extent JD Vance) will have got the message loud and clear from the Europeans in the last few days, that the US alone aren’t going to be able to do a deal.
I suspect we are in for several weeks of sherpas running around and political proclamations from all involved, to be followed by an outline of what all sides might consider to be an acceptable outcome to the conflict.
That perhaps sets the timescale for a substantive and substantial initial response to emerge from Europe.
These talks won't end the war - they will just be for half time and oranges, until Putin is ready for the second half.
The points need to be switched on the railway track to the stitch-up which Trump and Putin are attempting to impose, in some way. The further along it is, the more difficult the direction will be to change.
Zelensky will have to take the best of the options he is offered, even if it means there will be a renewal of the assault by Russia in m2, 4 or 6 years.
Zelensky can and will say “no”
But he needs Europe to stand strongly with him
One of the big problems with the US starting from a negotiating position that Ukraine will reject, is that the deal is unlikely to get better for them during the negotiations . Ukraine will reject it, and then the pro-Russian shills and bots will make Ukraine out to be the bad guys.
That'll make it harder for them to get support.
Which is why a strong early position is important - Zelensky rejecting any deal Ukraine hasn’t been a part of negotiating is a good first step.
But any country who doesn’t currently support Ukraine isn’t going to start now. So the trolls are not as important as you think.
But they are important to countries that currently do support Ukraine.
Remember, Putin wants to break the alliance that is helping Ukraine. He ay have already removed America from the board, or be in the process of doing so, and other countries are wavering.
Public opinion matters to our democracies.
Point of order: Putin didn't remove the USA from the pro-Ukraine nations. The American electorate did that (or Trump, if you prefer).
But Russian propaganda on social media framed the argument.
Trump won because of immigration, rising prices and wokery plus the uselessness of the Dems.
It had sod all to do with the Russians.
Trump won because a slight plurality of Americans prefer hate to kindness. As a long time Americanophile I wish that wasn't so. But it is. One thing you can say about Trump - he doesn't hide who he is. Voters knew and made their choice.
I would regret if Democrats decided they also need to be nasty to win. But I sort of understand it.
You could turn that round to say Trump won because a slight plurality of Americans prefer reality/national interest to toxic niceness.
But you'd then be talking shit.
It's easy to be nice when it's not your pets that may or may be getting eaten.
Yes, I do accept that. If somebody was to sneak in here and eat my cat I'd be ... well I don't even want to think about it.
But we were talking about the hatefest that was Donald Trump's election campaign and how sad it is that almost half the voters in the great nation of America bought into it.
I think people who hate Trump underestimate the fun factor. His campaign was about YMCA and allowing people to lighten up a bit.
What's more fun than the richest man in the world taking away medicine from HIV-positive pregnant mothers so the babies are born with HIV? you fucking sicko
All criticism of Rayner is just because she's a feisty northern working class woman.
All criticism of Reeves is because she's a woman who went to a state-school and did ok and was mocked at the time.
At no point whatsoever can their competence or capability be in question. It's all prejudice.
It explains their fundamental chippiness. Because prejudice and identity-based grievance is all they have.
Its hard to deny that prejudice isn't present. Tories don't like gobby northerners of any kind - especially the odd one who navigates through their own ranks. And Reeves? They wouldn't have attacked a male chancellor as "from accounts" no matter how shit they were.
I don't rate either of them that highly. But you can't deny the sneering that is done towards them for who they are, not what they do.
No, you're right.
We never attacked Gordon Brown or Alastair Darling as Chancellor.
Not once.
You absolutely did - as the other side did a succession of chancellors. My objection is *how* she's being attacked. Go for her pack of lies CV - that's absolutely fair in love and politics. What I object to is belittling her for her crime of being a woman. The "from accounts" line has a very specific inference and it wouldn't have been deployed against any of her shit predecessors, because they were men.
No one is having a go at her because she's a woman.
But I bet using that insult for Reeves is largely avoided by women.
Both Mrs C and I have had occasion to be very grateful to Rachels in Accounts, or at least HR, when things were screwed up by line managers, or some other problem had supervened.
Top tip: be nice to your colleagues in Accounts, HR and Security. Quite apart from the simple fact that they can be very helpful when you need them, they notice. And everyone else does too. It screams 'rsole' when one isn't nice to them.
One of my colleagues was originally the chap on the security desk who had become so intrigued by the work we did that he ended up moving sideways and up, and a grand lad he was. But he had some choice expressions about the suits who didn't think he and his fellows in security existed - let alone say good morning when they came in.
I do wonder with the likes of local Post Offices whether there is an obvious business to go and chase. The indentured slave society (DPD, Amazon etc) is unsustainable on so many levels. What makes it worse is that so many of these delivery firms are terrible at last mile delivery.
I'd be far happier with collecting my Amazon package from my local post office than having to wait around for Evri to hoy it over the gate or lie about me being out or it being delivered to the right door number in the wrong village.
Won't help WHSmith, but may be something that can be done to reinvent the Post Office.
Isn't it time to stop using Amazon? Why send money to your enemies?
All the corner shops with a Post Office inside, in West London, only open the Post Office counter for some slight variant of 8am-6pm.
Is there a contractual thing? The shop themselves are very often open till midnight, every day….
Possibly contractual, but also possibly staffing issues. The people who operate the post office counter have to be trained and certified by the PO, the normal staff can't do it. So opening long hours would mean needing more trained staff. And that may not be financially viable, from what I understand these shops make very little money from the PO and Royal Mail - maybe different now, but a few years ago I was told if you send a package with a label bought online from RM the shop makes precisely nothing when you bring it in to send.
I make a point of buying a bag of sweets from the shop when I send packages so they're at least getting a little money out of the deal.
Yeah - the parcel return stuff is about footfall. Get people used to coming in the shop…
If Cooper and others are serious about savings, they need to be prepared to send people into Whitehall who are not afraid to make enemies there, and not afraid to break hobby horses.
I wonder how it will balance out when they have given restitution for all their illegal actions, breach of contract, summary dismissal of people with Civil Service employment rights etc.
Watching the Trump team at work and watching the Starmer team at work is there any wonder that we have a growing support for "just get it done" politicians here?
The "get the trains run on time" argument that so many on the dodgy right fell for in the 1930s?
(And also the dodgy left fell for in a much bigger way over Stalin's 5 Year Plans).
It's a bit of a myth.
Our trains are actually quite good, and more reliable than most of SNCF or Deutsche Bahn.
It's just they're bloody expensive.
wait till Starmer and Raynor get their hands on them in a year or so
That photo also vindicates, entirely, my description of Rachel from Accounts as The Lesbian Worzel Gummidge
Childish post.
No, the childish post was that by @ydoethur and the ridiculous number of likes it got.
Shows the deep-seated British anxiety with class, despite me getting Reeves SPOT ON.
a) @leon's post was childish because it had no content. It was just an insult. Plain and simple. I have no time for Rachel Reeves, particularly as I had some dealings with her and found her office absolutely useless (when in opposition). However I don't throw pointless insults about her. That is why I responded to leon. It just seemed rude and for no rreason.
b) I think you try an analyse people from their posts (or even just likes) far too much and often get them very wrong. Because people disagree with you (and we all disagree with one another all the time) you are making judgements about their personalities, which you just don't know. With a few notable exceptions most people give very little information about their anxieties and prejudices here.
c) You posted about Centre Parks complaining that those there were all middle class. Is that showing anxiety about class? Actually I don't think it does. I think your post is interesting and fun. I would do the same, but it does seem odd to post immediately after you comment on others anxiety about class.
A project for sending people to Mars has got to be a bigger waste of money than everything else put together. Still tempting to give Musk a one-way ticket so we can watch him trying to grow potatoes in his own excrement.
Yesterday I mentioned a major Court Case in Washington DC brought by 13 States about whether Musk as head of Doge was Constitutional under Judge Chutkan.
If it succeeds it will be appealed up, which will cause delay. It may then be lost or won at Appeal or SCOTUS level, in which case Doge stands, or some modifications are required, or a real Department has to be created - which is via Congress and involved Musk making all the usual disclosures that he may not like doing.
Here is a short report which is quite good on the legal processes involved. Opinionated, but clear. 14 minutes.
I think they have already tried to sidestep that by saying Musk is not is fact head of DOGE. He is just a Presidential advisor, with no administrative responsibilities.
Indeed. One relevant section. I somehow think that won't wash.
I do wonder with the likes of local Post Offices whether there is an obvious business to go and chase. The indentured slave society (DPD, Amazon etc) is unsustainable on so many levels. What makes it worse is that so many of these delivery firms are terrible at last mile delivery.
I'd be far happier with collecting my Amazon package from my local post office than having to wait around for Evri to hoy it over the gate or lie about me being out or it being delivered to the right door number in the wrong village.
Won't help WHSmith, but may be something that can be done to reinvent the Post Office.
Isn't it time to stop using Amazon? Why send money to your enemies?
One thing I have not seen noted yet is the use of the technical infra as a weapon.
How do we cope if the Trump regime make the tech oligarch's turn it off to apply pressure.
What happens if the known bootlickers turn off Facebook, Amazon, Google and other relevant services in Europe - even if only for a short period or just the apps? Twitter we could cope without.
All criticism of Rayner is just because she's a feisty northern working class woman.
All criticism of Reeves is because she's a woman who went to a state-school and did ok and was mocked at the time.
At no point whatsoever can their competence or capability be in question. It's all prejudice.
It explains their fundamental chippiness. Because prejudice and identity-based grievance is all they have.
Its hard to deny that prejudice isn't present. Tories don't like gobby northerners of any kind - especially the odd one who navigates through their own ranks. And Reeves? They wouldn't have attacked a male chancellor as "from accounts" no matter how shit they were.
I don't rate either of them that highly. But you can't deny the sneering that is done towards them for who they are, not what they do.
No, you're right.
We never attacked Gordon Brown or Alastair Darling as Chancellor.
Not once.
With Gordon Brown (with Gordon Brown) Never a (never a frown) frown With Gordon Brown (with Gordon Brown)
The Gordon Brown frown was far preferable to that rictus grin somebody convinced him was a vote winner...
A project for sending people to Mars has got to be a bigger waste of money than everything else put together. Still tempting to give Musk a one-way ticket so we can watch him trying to grow potatoes in his own excrement.
Why is it a waste of money?
Given that Mars Sample Return has passed 19 Billion, it might even be cheaper!
One of the reasons that MSR is disaster already, is the bizarre attempts to shoehorn larger and larger return rockets into a very limited package.
I do wonder with the likes of local Post Offices whether there is an obvious business to go and chase. The indentured slave society (DPD, Amazon etc) is unsustainable on so many levels. What makes it worse is that so many of these delivery firms are terrible at last mile delivery.
I'd be far happier with collecting my Amazon package from my local post office than having to wait around for Evri to hoy it over the gate or lie about me being out or it being delivered to the right door number in the wrong village.
Won't help WHSmith, but may be something that can be done to reinvent the Post Office.
Isn't it time to stop using Amazon? Why send money to your enemies?
One thing I have not seen noted yet is the use of the technical infra as a weapon.
How do we cope if the Trump regime make the tech oligarch's turn it off to apply pressure.
What happens if the known bootlickers turn off Facebook, Amazon, Google and other relevant services in Europe - even if only for a short period or just the apps? Twitter we could cope without.
all the more reason to use alternatives already whenever possible. does Facebook provide anything useful?
Watching the Trump team at work and watching the Starmer team at work is there any wonder that we have a growing support for "just get it done" politicians here?
The "get the trains run on time" argument that so many on the dodgy right fell for in the 1930s?
(And also the dodgy left fell for in a much bigger way over Stalin's 5 Year Plans).
The Soviet five year plans were about going hell for leather for industrial growth - nothing to do with efficiency. Efficiency was never a big selling-point in the USSR.
Mussolini did sell a "you've never had it so good" line wrt rail travel, though.
But there's nothing wrong in principle with either a five year plan or the trains running on time.
I do wonder with the likes of local Post Offices whether there is an obvious business to go and chase. The indentured slave society (DPD, Amazon etc) is unsustainable on so many levels. What makes it worse is that so many of these delivery firms are terrible at last mile delivery.
I'd be far happier with collecting my Amazon package from my local post office than having to wait around for Evri to hoy it over the gate or lie about me being out or it being delivered to the right door number in the wrong village.
Won't help WHSmith, but may be something that can be done to reinvent the Post Office.
Isn't it time to stop using Amazon? Why send money to your enemies?
One thing I have not seen noted yet is the use of the technical infra as a weapon.
How do we cope if the Trump regime make the tech oligarch's turn it off to apply pressure.
What happens if the known bootlickers turn off Facebook, Amazon, Google and other relevant services in Europe - even if only for a short period or just the apps? Twitter we could cope without.
If they turn off social media then maybe there'd be chance the whole of europe doesn't end up voting to become a series of neo-nazi states.
A project for sending people to Mars has got to be a bigger waste of money than everything else put together. Still tempting to give Musk a one-way ticket so we can watch him trying to grow potatoes in his own excrement.
Why is it a waste of money?
Given that Mars Sample Return has passed 19 Billion, it might even be cheaper!
One of the reasons that MSR is disaster already, is the bizarre attempts to shoehorn larger and larger return rockets into a very limited package.
how does sending people to Mars get the 19 billion back?
Watching the Trump team at work and watching the Starmer team at work is there any wonder that we have a growing support for "just get it done" politicians here?
The "get the trains run on time" argument that so many on the dodgy right fell for in the 1930s?
(And also the dodgy left fell for in a much bigger way over Stalin's 5 Year Plans).
The Soviet five year plans were about going hell for leather for industrial growth - nothing to do with efficiency. Efficiency was never a big selling-point in the USSR.
Mussolini did sell a "you've never had it so good" line wrt rail travel, though.
But there's nothing wrong in principle with either a five year plan or the trains running on time.
Actually, productivity was a giant thing in the Soviet Union. Which is why Stalin and Co. fell in love with Fordism.
They spent a lot of effort suppressing the fact that the Famine was largely caused by exporting grain for hard currency, to pay for whole factories built by Ford and others.
I do wonder with the likes of local Post Offices whether there is an obvious business to go and chase. The indentured slave society (DPD, Amazon etc) is unsustainable on so many levels. What makes it worse is that so many of these delivery firms are terrible at last mile delivery.
I'd be far happier with collecting my Amazon package from my local post office than having to wait around for Evri to hoy it over the gate or lie about me being out or it being delivered to the right door number in the wrong village.
Won't help WHSmith, but may be something that can be done to reinvent the Post Office.
Isn't it time to stop using Amazon? Why send money to your enemies?
One thing I have not seen noted yet is the use of the technical infra as a weapon.
How do we cope if the Trump regime make the tech oligarch's turn it off to apply pressure.
What happens if the known bootlickers turn off Facebook, Amazon, Google and other relevant services in Europe - even if only for a short period or just the apps? Twitter we could cope without.
If they turn off social media then maybe there'd be chance the whole of europe doesn't end up voting to become a series of neo-nazi states.
I'd be hit by Gmail and some of the Amazon infrastructure loss.
I also wonder how many of our Usonian weapons systems have remote off-switches or Geo-fences, or will run down rapidly maintenance-wise.
Interesting comments from Kremlin spokesperson Peskov .
Russia isn’t against EU membership for Ukraine . But an EU army would be an issue for them given his comments about military alliances .
EU Membership for how much of Ukraine?
A Cyprus-type situation?
I think Czechoslovakia 1938 is perhaps far closer, in that Cyprus was more 'peaceful'.
There will be other WW2 or more recent analogues.
I mean part of Ukraine being in the EU and part not, hardly relevant in 1938.
Denmark and Greenland .
One of Putin's gripes about Ukraine moving towards EU membership was that it meant a hard border within what he saw as historical Russian territory. Maybe we need to use the Brexit playbook and ask him to come up with a borderless solution in return for ending the war. All our experts like David Davis could go out and consult on the options.
Meanwhile, Labour announce yet another expensive and delaying consultation, this time on creating Great British Railway.
Get on with it already. The plan is already there, a transition team are already hired and a headquarters site has been agreed. What is left to consult on?
Inside the industry, this is known only to be a branding concept and the headline policy doesn't go beyond "nationalise the railways".
No-one knows what GBR will be for or how it's going to work.
Some of the people with a business need to slow this down are saying that. The concepts aren't difficult - franchising is abolished, passenger services are run by an arms length agency for public service metrics rather than contract requirements, open access are free to come in and do what they are good at.
The structural questions are on the interface between operators and infrastructure but that isn't a reason to delay creating the new structure to put them into and to start going after the absurd rolling stock contracts next. Happily we're already starting to see some movement with an end to assets being left to rot because the private owner refused to lease them at the market rate. Next up needs to be leccy prices which have largely stopped freight services being electrically hauled.
Watching the Trump team at work and watching the Starmer team at work is there any wonder that we have a growing support for "just get it done" politicians here?
The "get the trains run on time" argument that so many on the dodgy right fell for in the 1930s?
(And also the dodgy left fell for in a much bigger way over Stalin's 5 Year Plans).
It's a bit of a myth.
Our trains are actually quite good, and more reliable than most of SNCF or Deutsche Bahn.
It's just they're bloody expensive.
wait till Starmer and Raynor get their hands on them in a year or so
It's a tragedy. I don't think their thinking goes any further than the deification of the State.
I do wonder with the likes of local Post Offices whether there is an obvious business to go and chase. The indentured slave society (DPD, Amazon etc) is unsustainable on so many levels. What makes it worse is that so many of these delivery firms are terrible at last mile delivery.
I'd be far happier with collecting my Amazon package from my local post office than having to wait around for Evri to hoy it over the gate or lie about me being out or it being delivered to the right door number in the wrong village.
Won't help WHSmith, but may be something that can be done to reinvent the Post Office.
Isn't it time to stop using Amazon? Why send money to your enemies?
One thing I have not seen noted yet is the use of the technical infra as a weapon.
How do we cope if the Trump regime make the tech oligarch's turn it off to apply pressure.
What happens if the known bootlickers turn off Facebook, Amazon, Google and other relevant services in Europe - even if only for a short period or just the apps? Twitter we could cope without.
Where would know-nothing loudmouths post their rants?
A project for sending people to Mars has got to be a bigger waste of money than everything else put together. Still tempting to give Musk a one-way ticket so we can watch him trying to grow potatoes in his own excrement.
Why is it a waste of money?
Given that Mars Sample Return has passed 19 Billion, it might even be cheaper!
One of the reasons that MSR is disaster already, is the bizarre attempts to shoehorn larger and larger return rockets into a very limited package.
how does sending people to Mars get the 19 billion back?
Maybe transportation to Mars should be our new penal colony system.
I do wonder with the likes of local Post Offices whether there is an obvious business to go and chase. The indentured slave society (DPD, Amazon etc) is unsustainable on so many levels. What makes it worse is that so many of these delivery firms are terrible at last mile delivery.
I'd be far happier with collecting my Amazon package from my local post office than having to wait around for Evri to hoy it over the gate or lie about me being out or it being delivered to the right door number in the wrong village.
Won't help WHSmith, but may be something that can be done to reinvent the Post Office.
Isn't it time to stop using Amazon? Why send money to your enemies?
One thing I have not seen noted yet is the use of the technical infra as a weapon.
How do we cope if the Trump regime make the tech oligarch's turn it off to apply pressure.
What happens if the known bootlickers turn off Facebook, Amazon, Google and other relevant services in Europe - even if only for a short period or just the apps? Twitter we could cope without.
Where would know-nothing loudmouths post their rants?
I do wonder with the likes of local Post Offices whether there is an obvious business to go and chase. The indentured slave society (DPD, Amazon etc) is unsustainable on so many levels. What makes it worse is that so many of these delivery firms are terrible at last mile delivery.
I'd be far happier with collecting my Amazon package from my local post office than having to wait around for Evri to hoy it over the gate or lie about me being out or it being delivered to the right door number in the wrong village.
Won't help WHSmith, but may be something that can be done to reinvent the Post Office.
Isn't it time to stop using Amazon? Why send money to your enemies?
One thing I have not seen noted yet is the use of the technical infra as a weapon.
How do we cope if the Trump regime make the tech oligarch's turn it off to apply pressure.
What happens if the known bootlickers turn off Facebook, Amazon, Google and other relevant services in Europe - even if only for a short period or just the apps? Twitter we could cope without.
Yes, we are critically dependent on services provided by Google, Microsoft and Amazon (AWS) and no doubt many more American tech companies. We desperately need European alternatives to these.
I do wonder with the likes of local Post Offices whether there is an obvious business to go and chase. The indentured slave society (DPD, Amazon etc) is unsustainable on so many levels. What makes it worse is that so many of these delivery firms are terrible at last mile delivery.
I'd be far happier with collecting my Amazon package from my local post office than having to wait around for Evri to hoy it over the gate or lie about me being out or it being delivered to the right door number in the wrong village.
Won't help WHSmith, but may be something that can be done to reinvent the Post Office.
Isn't it time to stop using Amazon? Why send money to your enemies?
One thing I have not seen noted yet is the use of the technical infra as a weapon.
How do we cope if the Trump regime make the tech oligarch's turn it off to apply pressure.
What happens if the known bootlickers turn off Facebook, Amazon, Google and other relevant services in Europe - even if only for a short period or just the apps? Twitter we could cope without.
Yes, we are critically dependent on services provided by Google, Microsoft and Amazon (AWS) and no doubt many more American tech companies. We desperately need European alternatives to these.
If Cooper and others are serious about savings, they need to be prepared to send people into Whitehall who are not afraid to make enemies there, and not afraid to break hobby horses.
European governments should be scared as Hell that this wild experiment in taking a scythe to the apparatus of state, might actually be seen to work over the timespan between elections in the US.
European governments are scared as Hell that this wild experiment in taking a scythe to the rule of law, might actually be seen to work over the timespan between elections in the US.
I do wonder with the likes of local Post Offices whether there is an obvious business to go and chase. The indentured slave society (DPD, Amazon etc) is unsustainable on so many levels. What makes it worse is that so many of these delivery firms are terrible at last mile delivery.
I'd be far happier with collecting my Amazon package from my local post office than having to wait around for Evri to hoy it over the gate or lie about me being out or it being delivered to the right door number in the wrong village.
Won't help WHSmith, but may be something that can be done to reinvent the Post Office.
Isn't it time to stop using Amazon? Why send money to your enemies?
One thing I have not seen noted yet is the use of the technical infra as a weapon.
How do we cope if the Trump regime make the tech oligarch's turn it off to apply pressure.
What happens if the known bootlickers turn off Facebook, Amazon, Google and other relevant services in Europe - even if only for a short period or just the apps? Twitter we could cope without.
Yes, we are critically dependent on services provided by Google, Microsoft and Amazon (AWS) and no doubt many more American tech companies. We desperately need European alternatives to these.
Protectionism never works.
I'm all for free trade, but I'm not sure that having an economy that is critically dependent on services provided by one other nation is a good thing.
I do wonder with the likes of local Post Offices whether there is an obvious business to go and chase. The indentured slave society (DPD, Amazon etc) is unsustainable on so many levels. What makes it worse is that so many of these delivery firms are terrible at last mile delivery.
I'd be far happier with collecting my Amazon package from my local post office than having to wait around for Evri to hoy it over the gate or lie about me being out or it being delivered to the right door number in the wrong village.
Won't help WHSmith, but may be something that can be done to reinvent the Post Office.
Isn't it time to stop using Amazon? Why send money to your enemies?
One thing I have not seen noted yet is the use of the technical infra as a weapon.
How do we cope if the Trump regime make the tech oligarch's turn it off to apply pressure.
What happens if the known bootlickers turn off Facebook, Amazon, Google and other relevant services in Europe - even if only for a short period or just the apps? Twitter we could cope without.
If they turn off social media then maybe there'd be chance the whole of europe doesn't end up voting to become a series of neo-nazi states.
I'd be hit by Gmail and some of the Amazon infrastructure loss.
I also wonder how many of our Usonian weapons systems have remote off-switches or Geo-fences, or will run down rapidly maintenance-wise.
Musk turning off Starlink across Ukraine is a worry.
Watching the Trump team at work and watching the Starmer team at work is there any wonder that we have a growing support for "just get it done" politicians here?
The "get the trains run on time" argument that so many on the dodgy right fell for in the 1930s?
(And also the dodgy left fell for in a much bigger way over Stalin's 5 Year Plans).
The Soviet five year plans were about going hell for leather for industrial growth - nothing to do with efficiency. Efficiency was never a big selling-point in the USSR.
Mussolini did sell a "you've never had it so good" line wrt rail travel, though.
But there's nothing wrong in principle with either a five year plan or the trains running on time.
Actually, productivity was a giant thing in the Soviet Union. Which is why Stalin and Co. fell in love with Fordism.
They spent a lot of effort suppressing the fact that the Famine was largely caused by exporting grain for hard currency, to pay for whole factories built by Ford and others.
Take a better look at what kind of targets the plans actually had. Gross output was a real biggie. Productivity was a biggie too, for sure. But keeping waste down (necessary for efficiency, by definition) absolutely wasn't.
Productivity isn't the same as efficiency. The first five-year plan was declared fulfilled in four. Breakneck. Hell for leather. Fast, fast, fast. Get those peasants off the land and into the factories. Screw efficiency.
Fordism was about mass consumption as well as mass production. The USSR didn't have much of the former. Car ownership in the USSR was 10% in 1980. For comparison, by 1940 almost half the families in the US owned a car.
I do wonder with the likes of local Post Offices whether there is an obvious business to go and chase. The indentured slave society (DPD, Amazon etc) is unsustainable on so many levels. What makes it worse is that so many of these delivery firms are terrible at last mile delivery.
I'd be far happier with collecting my Amazon package from my local post office than having to wait around for Evri to hoy it over the gate or lie about me being out or it being delivered to the right door number in the wrong village.
Won't help WHSmith, but may be something that can be done to reinvent the Post Office.
Isn't it time to stop using Amazon? Why send money to your enemies?
One thing I have not seen noted yet is the use of the technical infra as a weapon.
How do we cope if the Trump regime make the tech oligarch's turn it off to apply pressure.
What happens if the known bootlickers turn off Facebook, Amazon, Google and other relevant services in Europe - even if only for a short period or just the apps? Twitter we could cope without.
Yes, we are critically dependent on services provided by Google, Microsoft and Amazon (AWS) and no doubt many more American tech companies. We desperately need European alternatives to these.
Protectionism never works.
I'm all for free trade, but I'm not sure that having an economy that is critically dependent on services provided by one other nation is a good thing.
Your friendly nativist European Union has your back:
I do wonder with the likes of local Post Offices whether there is an obvious business to go and chase. The indentured slave society (DPD, Amazon etc) is unsustainable on so many levels. What makes it worse is that so many of these delivery firms are terrible at last mile delivery.
I'd be far happier with collecting my Amazon package from my local post office than having to wait around for Evri to hoy it over the gate or lie about me being out or it being delivered to the right door number in the wrong village.
Won't help WHSmith, but may be something that can be done to reinvent the Post Office.
Isn't it time to stop using Amazon? Why send money to your enemies?
One thing I have not seen noted yet is the use of the technical infra as a weapon.
How do we cope if the Trump regime make the tech oligarch's turn it off to apply pressure.
What happens if the known bootlickers turn off Facebook, Amazon, Google and other relevant services in Europe - even if only for a short period or just the apps? Twitter we could cope without.
If they turn off social media then maybe there'd be chance the whole of europe doesn't end up voting to become a series of neo-nazi states.
I'd be hit by Gmail and some of the Amazon infrastructure loss.
I also wonder how many of our Usonian weapons systems have remote off-switches or Geo-fences, or will run down rapidly maintenance-wise.
Indeed. If Google, Microsoft and Amazon switched off their cloud services, most of the internet would collapse, as would anything dependent on online services. Which is almost everything nowadays.
A project for sending people to Mars has got to be a bigger waste of money than everything else put together. Still tempting to give Musk a one-way ticket so we can watch him trying to grow potatoes in his own excrement.
Why is it a waste of money?
Given that Mars Sample Return has passed 19 Billion, it might even be cheaper!
One of the reasons that MSR is disaster already, is the bizarre attempts to shoehorn larger and larger return rockets into a very limited package.
how does sending people to Mars get the 19 billion back?
Maybe transportation to Mars should be our new penal colony system.
I do wonder with the likes of local Post Offices whether there is an obvious business to go and chase. The indentured slave society (DPD, Amazon etc) is unsustainable on so many levels. What makes it worse is that so many of these delivery firms are terrible at last mile delivery.
I'd be far happier with collecting my Amazon package from my local post office than having to wait around for Evri to hoy it over the gate or lie about me being out or it being delivered to the right door number in the wrong village.
Won't help WHSmith, but may be something that can be done to reinvent the Post Office.
Isn't it time to stop using Amazon? Why send money to your enemies?
One thing I have not seen noted yet is the use of the technical infra as a weapon.
How do we cope if the Trump regime make the tech oligarch's turn it off to apply pressure.
What happens if the known bootlickers turn off Facebook, Amazon, Google and other relevant services in Europe - even if only for a short period or just the apps? Twitter we could cope without.
Yes, we are critically dependent on services provided by Google, Microsoft and Amazon (AWS) and no doubt many more American tech companies. We desperately need European alternatives to these.
Zero chance of that AWS / Microsoft are so ahead of the game it's impossible to catch up.
Worth adding that Azure / MS's biggest market by miles when you look at market share is the UK..
Since you’re an assiduous supporter of Ukraine defending itself against Putin, do you think this is a good or a bad thing?
I think that there has to be a starting point to talks aimed at ending the war.
I don’t think the Russians have any intention of ending the war though, they’re too far down the rabbit hole for what they’ve actually achieved.
We’ll know soon from Rubio whether there’s anything that looks like good faith from Lavrov, and then Ukraine and European countries need to clearly and effectively state their case. Kellogg (and to some extent JD Vance) will have got the message loud and clear from the Europeans in the last few days, that the US alone aren’t going to be able to do a deal.
I suspect we are in for several weeks of sherpas running around and political proclamations from all involved, to be followed by an outline of what all sides might consider to be an acceptable outcome to the conflict.
That perhaps sets the timescale for a substantive and substantial initial response to emerge from Europe.
These talks won't end the war - they will just be for half time and oranges, until Putin is ready for the second half.
The points need to be switched on the railway track to the stitch-up which Trump and Putin are attempting to impose, in some way. The further along it is, the more difficult the direction will be to change.
Zelensky will have to take the best of the options he is offered, even if it means there will be a renewal of the assault by Russia in 2, 4 or 6 years.
Presumably one option Zelenskyy can take is to simply say no to whatever deal Trump and Putin offer. The US will then withdraw support, but they're probably going to do that anyway.
All criticism of Rayner is just because she's a feisty northern working class woman.
All criticism of Reeves is because she's a woman who went to a state-school and did ok and was mocked at the time.
At no point whatsoever can their competence or capability be in question. It's all prejudice.
It explains their fundamental chippiness. Because prejudice and identity-based grievance is all they have.
Its hard to deny that prejudice isn't present. Tories don't like gobby northerners of any kind - especially the odd one who navigates through their own ranks. And Reeves? They wouldn't have attacked a male chancellor as "from accounts" no matter how shit they were.
I don't rate either of them that highly. But you can't deny the sneering that is done towards them for who they are, not what they do.
No, you're right.
We never attacked Gordon Brown or Alastair Darling as Chancellor.
Not once.
You absolutely did - as the other side did a succession of chancellors. My objection is *how* she's being attacked. Go for her pack of lies CV - that's absolutely fair in love and politics. What I object to is belittling her for her crime of being a woman. The "from accounts" line has a very specific inference and it wouldn't have been deployed against any of her shit predecessors, because they were men.
No one is having a go at her because she's a woman.
But I bet using that insult for Reeves is largely avoided by women.
All criticism of Rayner is just because she's a feisty northern working class woman.
All criticism of Reeves is because she's a woman who went to a state-school and did ok and was mocked at the time.
At no point whatsoever can their competence or capability be in question. It's all prejudice.
It explains their fundamental chippiness. Because prejudice and identity-based grievance is all they have.
Its hard to deny that prejudice isn't present. Tories don't like gobby northerners of any kind - especially the odd one who navigates through their own ranks. And Reeves? They wouldn't have attacked a male chancellor as "from accounts" no matter how shit they were.
I don't rate either of them that highly. But you can't deny the sneering that is done towards them for who they are, not what they do.
I do wonder with the likes of local Post Offices whether there is an obvious business to go and chase. The indentured slave society (DPD, Amazon etc) is unsustainable on so many levels. What makes it worse is that so many of these delivery firms are terrible at last mile delivery.
I'd be far happier with collecting my Amazon package from my local post office than having to wait around for Evri to hoy it over the gate or lie about me being out or it being delivered to the right door number in the wrong village.
Won't help WHSmith, but may be something that can be done to reinvent the Post Office.
Isn't it time to stop using Amazon? Why send money to your enemies?
One thing I have not seen noted yet is the use of the technical infra as a weapon.
How do we cope if the Trump regime make the tech oligarch's turn it off to apply pressure.
What happens if the known bootlickers turn off Facebook, Amazon, Google and other relevant services in Europe - even if only for a short period or just the apps? Twitter we could cope without.
If they turn off social media then maybe there'd be chance the whole of europe doesn't end up voting to become a series of neo-nazi states.
The thing is, I’d certainly be happier if there were no social media. My children too.
Impossible to uninvent what’s already here though.
Since you’re an assiduous supporter of Ukraine defending itself against Putin, do you think this is a good or a bad thing?
I think that there has to be a starting point to talks aimed at ending the war.
I don’t think the Russians have any intention of ending the war though, they’re too far down the rabbit hole for what they’ve actually achieved.
We’ll know soon from Rubio whether there’s anything that looks like good faith from Lavrov, and then Ukraine and European countries need to clearly and effectively state their case. Kellogg (and to some extent JD Vance) will have got the message loud and clear from the Europeans in the last few days, that the US alone aren’t going to be able to do a deal.
I suspect we are in for several weeks of sherpas running around and political proclamations from all involved, to be followed by an outline of what all sides might consider to be an acceptable outcome to the conflict.
That perhaps sets the timescale for a substantive and substantial initial response to emerge from Europe.
These talks won't end the war - they will just be for half time and oranges, until Putin is ready for the second half.
The points need to be switched on the railway track to the stitch-up which Trump and Putin are attempting to impose, in some way. The further along it is, the more difficult the direction will be to change.
Zelensky will have to take the best of the options he is offered, even if it means there will be a renewal of the assault by Russia in 2, 4 or 6 years.
Presumably one option Zelenskyy can take is to simply say no to whatever deal Trump and Putin offer. The US will then withdraw support, but they're probably going to do that anyway.
Calling Trump’s bluff feels like the most viable strategy now. Cut the US out of investment and trade opportunities too.
any betting yet on the next Archbishop of Canterbury?
Not that I've seen. Here's a fairly sympathetic overview of the frontrunners- though ABC is one of those roles where being frontrunner is often a disqualification.
For context listen to the whole interview (it is over an hour). Part of it is concerned with differing opinions on this topic, and they toss ideas around. If a English couple move to Japan and have a child is their child Japanese? For that matter, if an English couple moved to Scotland and had a child is the child Scottish? Not everyone will agree on this.
If Cooper and others are serious about savings, they need to be prepared to send people into Whitehall who are not afraid to make enemies there, and not afraid to break hobby horses.
European governments should be scared as Hell that this wild experiment in taking a scythe to the apparatus of state, might actually be seen to work over the timespan between elections in the US.
European governments are scared as Hell that this wild experiment in taking a scythe to the rule of law, might actually be seen to work over the timespan between elections in the US.
European governments are scared as Hell that this wild experiment in taking a scythe to the rule of law, might be seen to work over the timespan between elections in the US because of industrial levels of disinformation.
I do wonder with the likes of local Post Offices whether there is an obvious business to go and chase. The indentured slave society (DPD, Amazon etc) is unsustainable on so many levels. What makes it worse is that so many of these delivery firms are terrible at last mile delivery.
I'd be far happier with collecting my Amazon package from my local post office than having to wait around for Evri to hoy it over the gate or lie about me being out or it being delivered to the right door number in the wrong village.
Won't help WHSmith, but may be something that can be done to reinvent the Post Office.
Isn't it time to stop using Amazon? Why send money to your enemies?
One thing I have not seen noted yet is the use of the technical infra as a weapon.
How do we cope if the Trump regime make the tech oligarch's turn it off to apply pressure.
What happens if the known bootlickers turn off Facebook, Amazon, Google and other relevant services in Europe - even if only for a short period or just the apps? Twitter we could cope without.
If they turn off social media then maybe there'd be chance the whole of europe doesn't end up voting to become a series of neo-nazi states.
The thing is, I’d certainly be happier if there were no social media. My children too.
Impossible to uninvent what’s already here though.
So ban it, and fuck the cost.
Go to any town centre or supermarket, see those poor kids with their addiction. Or people in restaurants with their phones on the table. It's like a turd on life. And it will get worse and worse.
Most reasonable people agree there's a big problem, when it comes down to it. Doesn't matter whether you are left or right, or theist or atheist. Enough of the ostrichism and shoulder shrugging... The image showing man developing from the ape and then going back down to being an ape carrying a smartphone doesn't say the half of it.
A project for sending people to Mars has got to be a bigger waste of money than everything else put together. Still tempting to give Musk a one-way ticket so we can watch him trying to grow potatoes in his own excrement.
Why is it a waste of money?
Given that Mars Sample Return has passed 19 Billion, it might even be cheaper!
One of the reasons that MSR is disaster already, is the bizarre attempts to shoehorn larger and larger return rockets into a very limited package.
how does sending people to Mars get the 19 billion back?
Maybe transportation to Mars should be our new penal colony system.
And in 200 years we'll be celebrating wildly any time we ever manage to beat the Martian Cricket team.
For context listen to the whole interview (it is over an hour). Part of it is concerned with differing opinions on this topic, and they toss ideas around. If a English couple move to Japan and have a child is their child Japanese? For that matter, if an English couple moved to Scotland and had a child is the child Scottish? Not everyone will agree on this.
Nuanced identity is one of the casualties of this era’s absolutism.
Not long ago we were able to accept that identity is complicated, that it’s possible to be and feel multiple things at the same time. Now politics wants people to choose.
The cockney accented, bi or trilingual children at our local school with two parents who might be a German father and French mother, or a Bulgarian mother and Black British father, are living examples of how reductive these sorts of arguments become.
Fraser Nelson is Scottish and the former editor of the Spectator. For all those who watch Triggernometry (I try not to but sometimes I have to), the two interviewers are Konstantin Kisin and Francis Foster. Basically Konstantin Kisin does all the talking and Francis Foster just sits there, says nothing, and cashes the cheque. The clip dialogue is:
Fraser Nelson. I would say that Rishi Sunak is as English as Tizer and Y-fronts. He is absolutely English, he was born and bred here, and I wouldn't say the colour of his skin makes him any less...
Konstantin Kisin (interrupting): He's a brown Hindu, how is he English?
Fraser Nelson (shocked): Because he was born and bred here.
Konstantin Kisin (incredulous): So by being born here you become English in your opinion?
Fraser Nelson is Scottish and the former editor of the Spectator. For all those who watch Triggernometry (I try not to but sometimes I have to), the two interviewers are Konstantin Kisin and Francis Foster. Basically Konstantin Kisin does all the talking and Francis Foster just sits there, says nothing, and cashes the cheque. The clip dialogue is:
Fraser Nelson. I would say that Rishi Sunak is as English as Tizer and Y-fronts. He is absolutely English, he was born and bred here, and I wouldn't say the colour of his skin makes him any less...
Konstantin Kisin (interrupting): He's a brown Hindu, how is he English?
Fraser Nelson (shocked): Because he was born and bred here.
Konstantin Kisin (incredulous): So by being born here you become English in your opinion?
A project for sending people to Mars has got to be a bigger waste of money than everything else put together. Still tempting to give Musk a one-way ticket so we can watch him trying to grow potatoes in his own excrement.
Why is it a waste of money?
Given that Mars Sample Return has passed 19 Billion, it might even be cheaper!
One of the reasons that MSR is disaster already, is the bizarre attempts to shoehorn larger and larger return rockets into a very limited package.
how does sending people to Mars get the 19 billion back?
Maybe transportation to Mars should be our new penal colony system.
And in 200 years we'll be celebrating wildly any time we ever manage to beat the Martian Cricket team.
The red ball game might be tricky for batsmen and fielders.
Fraser Nelson is Scottish and the former editor of the Spectator. For all those who watch Triggernometry (I try not to but sometimes I have to), the two interviewers are Konstantin Kisin and Francis Foster. Basically Konstantin Kisin does all the talking and Francis Foster just sits there, says nothing, and cashes the cheque. The clip dialogue is:
Fraser Nelson. I would say that Rishi Sunak is as English as Tizer and Y-fronts. He is absolutely English, he was born and bred here, and I wouldn't say the colour of his skin makes him any less...
Konstantin Kisin (interrupting): He's a brown Hindu, how is he English?
Fraser Nelson (shocked): Because he was born and bred here.
Konstantin Kisin (incredulous): So by being born here you become English in your opinion?
I hope that when a Government spokesperson is asked what they're doing to ensure the release of this couple the response is "nothing" and if followed up "we don't negotiate with terrorists".
Shame on the last Government for paying a ransom to release the last woman they kidnapped/charged with espionage. Should never have been done and made it only a matter of time before they did the same again.
If Cooper and others are serious about savings, they need to be prepared to send people into Whitehall who are not afraid to make enemies there, and not afraid to break hobby horses.
At this point, you should assume everything they say is a lie unless there's independent corroboration. There's probably a statistical calculation you could do, but given that most people don't generally lie, and they have been caught repeatedly, I think we are well past the point of no belief.
One thing the EU (And others incl us in it's orbit) need to agree is "Where is the front line of Europe".
Britain and France say it's beyond the Dneiper, Poland and Germany seem to indicate it's west of Lviv.
Any attempt to wrest the initiative from the Russia/USA talks was lost as that fundamental point didn't seem to be agreed between European leaders in Paris yesterday.
I think it's more complicated than that. Poland is very aware of the threat from Putin and they are pro-Ukraine. I imagine their concern was more tactical.
Fraser Nelson is Scottish and the former editor of the Spectator. For all those who watch Triggernometry (I try not to but sometimes I have to), the two interviewers are Konstantin Kisin and Francis Foster. Basically Konstantin Kisin does all the talking and Francis Foster just sits there, says nothing, and cashes the cheque. The clip dialogue is:
Fraser Nelson. I would say that Rishi Sunak is as English as Tizer and Y-fronts. He is absolutely English, he was born and bred here, and I wouldn't say the colour of his skin makes him any less...
Konstantin Kisin (interrupting): He's a brown Hindu, how is he English?
Fraser Nelson (shocked): Because he was born and bred here.
Konstantin Kisin (incredulous): So by being born here you become English in your opinion?
Respect to Nelson, no idea who Kisin is but he seems like a ****
One of those erstwhile “liberals” who has been on a journey. A journey which continues.
Kisin: I didn't leave the left, the left left me ....... Kisin: I also believe in massive public spending cuts to reduce taxes for the rich and we should bring the death penalty back!
All criticism of Rayner is just because she's a feisty northern working class woman.
All criticism of Reeves is because she's a woman who went to a state-school and did ok and was mocked at the time.
At no point whatsoever can their competence or capability be in question. It's all prejudice.
It explains their fundamental chippiness. Because prejudice and identity-based grievance is all they have.
Its hard to deny that prejudice isn't present. Tories don't like gobby northerners of any kind - especially the odd one who navigates through their own ranks. And Reeves? They wouldn't have attacked a male chancellor as "from accounts" no matter how shit they were.
I don't rate either of them that highly. But you can't deny the sneering that is done towards them for who they are, not what they do.
Wasn't Mrs T a gobby northerner?
No, she was a Midlander.
It would be interesting to go to Grantham and ask people whether they regard themselves more as Midlanders or Northerners.
A project for sending people to Mars has got to be a bigger waste of money than everything else put together. Still tempting to give Musk a one-way ticket so we can watch him trying to grow potatoes in his own excrement.
Why is it a waste of money?
Given that Mars Sample Return has passed 19 Billion, it might even be cheaper!
One of the reasons that MSR is disaster already, is the bizarre attempts to shoehorn larger and larger return rockets into a very limited package.
how does sending people to Mars get the 19 billion back?
Maybe transportation to Mars should be our new penal colony system.
Elon will turn it into a penile colony
19 Billion hasn’t been spent yet on MSR. It’s the estimated budget to completion.
Which is rising continuously and the estimated dates are moving away faster than time passes - so every year, the estimated return date is going *further* into the future.
But don’t worry. Everyone is getting performance bonuses.
I do wonder with the likes of local Post Offices whether there is an obvious business to go and chase. The indentured slave society (DPD, Amazon etc) is unsustainable on so many levels. What makes it worse is that so many of these delivery firms are terrible at last mile delivery.
I'd be far happier with collecting my Amazon package from my local post office than having to wait around for Evri to hoy it over the gate or lie about me being out or it being delivered to the right door number in the wrong village.
Won't help WHSmith, but may be something that can be done to reinvent the Post Office.
Isn't it time to stop using Amazon? Why send money to your enemies?
One thing I have not seen noted yet is the use of the technical infra as a weapon.
How do we cope if the Trump regime make the tech oligarch's turn it off to apply pressure.
What happens if the known bootlickers turn off Facebook, Amazon, Google and other relevant services in Europe - even if only for a short period or just the apps? Twitter we could cope without.
If they turn off social media then maybe there'd be chance the whole of europe doesn't end up voting to become a series of neo-nazi states.
The thing is, I’d certainly be happier if there were no social media. My children too.
Impossible to uninvent what’s already here though.
The one exception from my perspective: WhatsApp.
It isn't compulsory to use social media just because it exists.
Since you’re an assiduous supporter of Ukraine defending itself against Putin, do you think this is a good or a bad thing?
I think that there has to be a starting point to talks aimed at ending the war.
I don’t think the Russians have any intention of ending the war though, they’re too far down the rabbit hole for what they’ve actually achieved.
We’ll know soon from Rubio whether there’s anything that looks like good faith from Lavrov, and then Ukraine and European countries need to clearly and effectively state their case. Kellogg (and to some extent JD Vance) will have got the message loud and clear from the Europeans in the last few days, that the US alone aren’t going to be able to do a deal.
I suspect we are in for several weeks of sherpas running around and political proclamations from all involved, to be followed by an outline of what all sides might consider to be an acceptable outcome to the conflict.
That perhaps sets the timescale for a substantive and substantial initial response to emerge from Europe.
These talks won't end the war - they will just be for half time and oranges, until Putin is ready for the second half.
The points need to be switched on the railway track to the stitch-up which Trump and Putin are attempting to impose, in some way. The further along it is, the more difficult the direction will be to change.
Zelensky will have to take the best of the options he is offered, even if it means there will be a renewal of the assault by Russia in 2, 4 or 6 years.
Presumably one option Zelenskyy can take is to simply say no to whatever deal Trump and Putin offer. The US will then withdraw support, but they're probably going to do that anyway.
Calling Trump’s bluff feels like the most viable strategy now. Cut the US out of investment and trade opportunities too.
Yep. What we don't want is everybody flapping around trying to give him "wins" to ward off his threats. If bullying is seen to pay off you'll get more of it.
All criticism of Rayner is just because she's a feisty northern working class woman.
All criticism of Reeves is because she's a woman who went to a state-school and did ok and was mocked at the time.
At no point whatsoever can their competence or capability be in question. It's all prejudice.
It explains their fundamental chippiness. Because prejudice and identity-based grievance is all they have.
Its hard to deny that prejudice isn't present. Tories don't like gobby northerners of any kind - especially the odd one who navigates through their own ranks. And Reeves? They wouldn't have attacked a male chancellor as "from accounts" no matter how shit they were.
I don't rate either of them that highly. But you can't deny the sneering that is done towards them for who they are, not what they do.
Wasn't Mrs T a gobby northerner?
No, she was a Midlander.
It would be interesting to go to Grantham and ask people whether they regard themselves more as Midlanders or Northerners.
One thing the EU (And others incl us in it's orbit) need to agree is "Where is the front line of Europe".
Britain and France say it's beyond the Dneiper, Poland and Germany seem to indicate it's west of Lviv.
Any attempt to wrest the initiative from the Russia/USA talks was lost as that fundamental point didn't seem to be agreed between European leaders in Paris yesterday.
I think it's more complicated than that. Poland is very aware of the threat from Putin and they are pro-Ukraine. I imagine their concern was more tactical.
A good friend of mine who is Polish indicated that it was a bit more complicated than that. There is considerable ill feeling in Poland about Ukrainian soldiers having played more than their fair share in various massacres and atrocities in Poland during WW2. But no one doubts that Russia is the main culprit and threat.
One thing the EU (And others incl us in it's orbit) need to agree is "Where is the front line of Europe".
Britain and France say it's beyond the Dneiper, Poland and Germany seem to indicate it's west of Lviv.
Any attempt to wrest the initiative from the Russia/USA talks was lost as that fundamental point didn't seem to be agreed between European leaders in Paris yesterday.
I think it's more complicated than that. Poland is very aware of the threat from Putin and they are pro-Ukraine. I imagine their concern was more tactical.
Poland is very worried about Poland, first of all.
They are supporting Ukraine heavily, but are worried about tying down all their shiny new kit, before they feel they can defend Poland itself.
Given the history, it is hard to blame them.
Reassurance that the U.K., France and Germany will support them get a polite skepticism. For some reason…
I do wonder with the likes of local Post Offices whether there is an obvious business to go and chase. The indentured slave society (DPD, Amazon etc) is unsustainable on so many levels. What makes it worse is that so many of these delivery firms are terrible at last mile delivery.
I'd be far happier with collecting my Amazon package from my local post office than having to wait around for Evri to hoy it over the gate or lie about me being out or it being delivered to the right door number in the wrong village.
Won't help WHSmith, but may be something that can be done to reinvent the Post Office.
Isn't it time to stop using Amazon? Why send money to your enemies?
One thing I have not seen noted yet is the use of the technical infra as a weapon.
How do we cope if the Trump regime make the tech oligarch's turn it off to apply pressure.
What happens if the known bootlickers turn off Facebook, Amazon, Google and other relevant services in Europe - even if only for a short period or just the apps? Twitter we could cope without.
If they turn off social media then maybe there'd be chance the whole of europe doesn't end up voting to become a series of neo-nazi states.
The thing is, I’d certainly be happier if there were no social media. My children too.
Impossible to uninvent what’s already here though.
The one exception from my perspective: WhatsApp.
It isn't compulsory to use social media just because it exists.
A few months back, I mentioned that a relative who runs a building company provides free WiFi on his sites. Officially for phone calls, plan updates via email etc - but everyone uses it for whatever. Some guys stay late to video call family for free etc.
I also mentioned he blocked all the social media IP addresses. A number of people here thought that was nasty and practically a breach of human rights.
All criticism of Rayner is just because she's a feisty northern working class woman.
All criticism of Reeves is because she's a woman who went to a state-school and did ok and was mocked at the time.
At no point whatsoever can their competence or capability be in question. It's all prejudice.
It explains their fundamental chippiness. Because prejudice and identity-based grievance is all they have.
Its hard to deny that prejudice isn't present. Tories don't like gobby northerners of any kind - especially the odd one who navigates through their own ranks. And Reeves? They wouldn't have attacked a male chancellor as "from accounts" no matter how shit they were.
I don't rate either of them that highly. But you can't deny the sneering that is done towards them for who they are, not what they do.
Wasn't Mrs T a gobby northerner?
No, she was a Midlander.
It would be interesting to go to Grantham and ask people whether they regard themselves more as Midlanders or Northerners.
Fraser Nelson is Scottish and the former editor of the Spectator. For all those who watch Triggernometry (I try not to but sometimes I have to), the two interviewers are Konstantin Kisin and Francis Foster. Basically Konstantin Kisin does all the talking and Francis Foster just sits there, says nothing, and cashes the cheque. The clip dialogue is:
Fraser Nelson. I would say that Rishi Sunak is as English as Tizer and Y-fronts. He is absolutely English, he was born and bred here, and I wouldn't say the colour of his skin makes him any less...
Konstantin Kisin (interrupting): He's a brown Hindu, how is he English?
Fraser Nelson (shocked): Because he was born and bred here.
Konstantin Kisin (incredulous): So by being born here you become English in your opinion?
Since you’re an assiduous supporter of Ukraine defending itself against Putin, do you think this is a good or a bad thing?
I think that there has to be a starting point to talks aimed at ending the war.
I don’t think the Russians have any intention of ending the war though, they’re too far down the rabbit hole for what they’ve actually achieved.
We’ll know soon from Rubio whether there’s anything that looks like good faith from Lavrov, and then Ukraine and European countries need to clearly and effectively state their case. Kellogg (and to some extent JD Vance) will have got the message loud and clear from the Europeans in the last few days, that the US alone aren’t going to be able to do a deal.
I suspect we are in for several weeks of sherpas running around and political proclamations from all involved, to be followed by an outline of what all sides might consider to be an acceptable outcome to the conflict.
That perhaps sets the timescale for a substantive and substantial initial response to emerge from Europe.
These talks won't end the war - they will just be for half time and oranges, until Putin is ready for the second half.
The points need to be switched on the railway track to the stitch-up which Trump and Putin are attempting to impose, in some way. The further along it is, the more difficult the direction will be to change.
Zelensky will have to take the best of the options he is offered, even if it means there will be a renewal of the assault by Russia in 2, 4 or 6 years.
Presumably one option Zelenskyy can take is to simply say no to whatever deal Trump and Putin offer. The US will then withdraw support, but they're probably going to do that anyway.
Calling Trump’s bluff feels like the most viable strategy now. Cut the US out of investment and trade opportunities too.
Yep. What we don't want is everybody flapping around trying to give him "wins" to ward off his threats. If bullying is seen to pay off you'll get more of it.
On the Russia detente I’m alternating between seeing the US as naive or complicit. Perhaps they are both, like Stalin in 1939.
The latest leaks from the Trump team are that the parties will agree a deal involving 1. Ceasefire, 2. Ukrainian elections, 3. Final signing.
You can guess what goodies Russia has planned for those elections. As I’m sure can the US. So I’m erring on the side of complicit, not naive.
One thing the EU (And others incl us in it's orbit) need to agree is "Where is the front line of Europe".
Britain and France say it's beyond the Dneiper, Poland and Germany seem to indicate it's west of Lviv.
Any attempt to wrest the initiative from the Russia/USA talks was lost as that fundamental point didn't seem to be agreed between European leaders in Paris yesterday.
I think it's more complicated than that. Poland is very aware of the threat from Putin and they are pro-Ukraine. I imagine their concern was more tactical.
A good friend of mine who is Polish indicated that it was a bit more complicated than that. There is considerable ill feeling in Poland about Ukrainian soldiers having played more than their fair share in various massacres and atrocities in Poland during WW2. But no one doubts that Russia is the main culprit and threat.
There’s an element of that. But both sides have been trying to address the issue. Even the Ultra Nationalists in Poland have realised that they need all the allies the my can find against Russia. Hence acceptance of the borders etc - irredentism is pretty much dead in Poland.
I do wonder with the likes of local Post Offices whether there is an obvious business to go and chase. The indentured slave society (DPD, Amazon etc) is unsustainable on so many levels. What makes it worse is that so many of these delivery firms are terrible at last mile delivery.
I'd be far happier with collecting my Amazon package from my local post office than having to wait around for Evri to hoy it over the gate or lie about me being out or it being delivered to the right door number in the wrong village.
Won't help WHSmith, but may be something that can be done to reinvent the Post Office.
Isn't it time to stop using Amazon? Why send money to your enemies?
One thing I have not seen noted yet is the use of the technical infra as a weapon.
How do we cope if the Trump regime make the tech oligarch's turn it off to apply pressure.
What happens if the known bootlickers turn off Facebook, Amazon, Google and other relevant services in Europe - even if only for a short period or just the apps? Twitter we could cope without.
If they turn off social media then maybe there'd be chance the whole of europe doesn't end up voting to become a series of neo-nazi states.
The thing is, I’d certainly be happier if there were no social media. My children too.
Impossible to uninvent what’s already here though.
The one exception from my perspective: WhatsApp.
It isn't compulsory to use social media just because it exists.
Indeed the closest I get to social media is here............ no x, no facebook, no linked in etc
All criticism of Rayner is just because she's a feisty northern working class woman.
All criticism of Reeves is because she's a woman who went to a state-school and did ok and was mocked at the time.
At no point whatsoever can their competence or capability be in question. It's all prejudice.
It explains their fundamental chippiness. Because prejudice and identity-based grievance is all they have.
Its hard to deny that prejudice isn't present. Tories don't like gobby northerners of any kind - especially the odd one who navigates through their own ranks. And Reeves? They wouldn't have attacked a male chancellor as "from accounts" no matter how shit they were.
I don't rate either of them that highly. But you can't deny the sneering that is done towards them for who they are, not what they do.
Wasn't Mrs T a gobby northerner?
No, she was a Midlander.
It would be interesting to go to Grantham and ask people whether they regard themselves more as Midlanders or Northerners.
Didn't we pay Iran that $400m for Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe? What do they want now?
That payment was a bit of an oddity, because when you look at the historical facts and ignore geopolitics, you’d have to conclude Iran had a good to demand payment.
The pre-revolutionary regime had paid the UK for weapons which were never delivered, because of the revolution. So Iran demanded a refund.
Fraser Nelson is Scottish and the former editor of the Spectator. For all those who watch Triggernometry (I try not to but sometimes I have to), the two interviewers are Konstantin Kisin and Francis Foster. Basically Konstantin Kisin does all the talking and Francis Foster just sits there, says nothing, and cashes the cheque. The clip dialogue is:
Fraser Nelson. I would say that Rishi Sunak is as English as Tizer and Y-fronts. He is absolutely English, he was born and bred here, and I wouldn't say the colour of his skin makes him any less...
Konstantin Kisin (interrupting): He's a brown Hindu, how is he English?
Fraser Nelson (shocked): Because he was born and bred here.
Konstantin Kisin (incredulous): So by being born here you become English in your opinion?
All criticism of Rayner is just because she's a feisty northern working class woman.
All criticism of Reeves is because she's a woman who went to a state-school and did ok and was mocked at the time.
At no point whatsoever can their competence or capability be in question. It's all prejudice.
It explains their fundamental chippiness. Because prejudice and identity-based grievance is all they have.
Its hard to deny that prejudice isn't present. Tories don't like gobby northerners of any kind - especially the odd one who navigates through their own ranks. And Reeves? They wouldn't have attacked a male chancellor as "from accounts" no matter how shit they were.
I don't rate either of them that highly. But you can't deny the sneering that is done towards them for who they are, not what they do.
Wasn't Mrs T a gobby northerner?
No, she was a Midlander.
It would be interesting to go to Grantham and ask people whether they regard themselves more as Midlanders or Northerners.
The North begins in Chesterfield IMHO.
The M4 surely.
Midlands at Banbury, the north at Chesterfield is something I could very much sign up to.
“We don’t want Europe or Ukraine in the room, but we will discuss bits of Ukraine’s membership of the EU”.
Piss off Marco/Sergei.
If America were a relative, you'd look to have it sectioned.
The long view question is whether, after Trump, we get Vance or worse, or whether Americans return to their historical path and elect somebody sane. Right now I haven’t a clue which way it will go.
All criticism of Rayner is just because she's a feisty northern working class woman.
All criticism of Reeves is because she's a woman who went to a state-school and did ok and was mocked at the time.
At no point whatsoever can their competence or capability be in question. It's all prejudice.
It explains their fundamental chippiness. Because prejudice and identity-based grievance is all they have.
Its hard to deny that prejudice isn't present. Tories don't like gobby northerners of any kind - especially the odd one who navigates through their own ranks. And Reeves? They wouldn't have attacked a male chancellor as "from accounts" no matter how shit they were.
I don't rate either of them that highly. But you can't deny the sneering that is done towards them for who they are, not what they do.
Wasn't Mrs T a gobby northerner?
No, she was a Midlander.
It would be interesting to go to Grantham and ask people whether they regard themselves more as Midlanders or Northerners.
Didn't we pay Iran that $400m for Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe? What do they want now?
That payment was a bit of an oddity, because when you look at the historical facts and ignore geopolitics, you’d have to conclude Iran had a good to demand payment.
The pre-revolutionary regime had paid the UK for weapons which were never delivered, because of the revolution. So Iran demanded a refund.
True. But we have recently refused to return Gold from our vaults to Venezuela due to their leader not being democratically elected. So it seems time passed and remaining leverage are factors too.
Fraser Nelson is Scottish and the former editor of the Spectator. For all those who watch Triggernometry (I try not to but sometimes I have to), the two interviewers are Konstantin Kisin and Francis Foster. Basically Konstantin Kisin does all the talking and Francis Foster just sits there, says nothing, and cashes the cheque. The clip dialogue is:
Fraser Nelson. I would say that Rishi Sunak is as English as Tizer and Y-fronts. He is absolutely English, he was born and bred here, and I wouldn't say the colour of his skin makes him any less...
Konstantin Kisin (interrupting): He's a brown Hindu, how is he English?
Fraser Nelson (shocked): Because he was born and bred here.
Konstantin Kisin (incredulous): So by being born here you become English in your opinion?
To complicate matters Nelson was actually born in Cornwall and has a Scottish accent never before heard except from Miss Jean Brodie being strangled with a James Gillespie school tie. Good for Nelson for pushing back, but he should have told them to fck off with the interview. Now the question is Rishi English has been made a semi respectable part of the 'debate'.
One thing the EU (And others incl us in it's orbit) need to agree is "Where is the front line of Europe".
Britain and France say it's beyond the Dneiper, Poland and Germany seem to indicate it's west of Lviv.
Any attempt to wrest the initiative from the Russia/USA talks was lost as that fundamental point didn't seem to be agreed between European leaders in Paris yesterday.
I think it's more complicated than that. Poland is very aware of the threat from Putin and they are pro-Ukraine. I imagine their concern was more tactical.
A good friend of mine who is Polish indicated that it was a bit more complicated than that. There is considerable ill feeling in Poland about Ukrainian soldiers having played more than their fair share in various massacres and atrocities in Poland during WW2. But no one doubts that Russia is the main culprit and threat.
Also, the Ukrainians are the Poles’ Irish; the poorer country next door who are always the butt of their jokes.
Comments
There will be other WW2 or more recent analogues.
Top tip: be nice to your colleagues in Accounts, HR and Security. Quite apart from the simple fact that they can be very helpful when you need them, they notice. And everyone else does too. It screams 'rsole' when one isn't nice to them.
One of my colleagues was originally the chap on the security desk who had become so intrigued by the work we did that he ended up moving sideways and up, and a grand lad he was. But he had some choice expressions about the suits who didn't think he and his fellows in security existed - let alone say good morning when they came in.
b) I think you try an analyse people from their posts (or even just likes) far too much and often get them very wrong. Because people disagree with you (and we all disagree with one another all the time) you are making judgements about their personalities, which you just don't know. With a few notable exceptions most people give very little information about their anxieties and prejudices here.
c) You posted about Centre Parks complaining that those there were all middle class. Is that showing anxiety about class? Actually I don't think it does. I think your post is interesting and fun. I would do the same, but it does seem odd to post immediately after you comment on others anxiety about class.
https://youtu.be/4lasJRXd1nQ?t=708
How do we cope if the Trump regime make the tech oligarch's turn it off to apply pressure.
What happens if the known bootlickers turn off Facebook, Amazon, Google and other relevant services in Europe - even if only for a short period or just the apps? Twitter we could cope without.
https://forums.digitalspy.com/discussion/779824/gordon-browns-jaw-or-anyone-whos-jaw-moves-oddly-when-talking
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WCQ6-QbTDQ (15 mins)
Prick.
https://x.com/60sJapanfan/status/1891532608837755051
Given that Mars Sample Return has passed 19 Billion, it might even be cheaper!
One of the reasons that MSR is disaster already, is the bizarre attempts to shoehorn larger and larger return rockets into a very limited package.
Mussolini did sell a "you've never had it so good" line wrt rail travel, though.
But there's nothing wrong in principle with either a five year plan or the trains running on time.
They spent a lot of effort suppressing the fact that the Famine was largely caused by exporting grain for hard currency, to pay for whole factories built by Ford and others.
I also wonder how many of our Usonian weapons systems have remote off-switches or Geo-fences, or will run down rapidly maintenance-wise.
Piss off Marco/Sergei.
Or lazy journalists get their stories?
Follows a 10% in October and 1.2% in January.
Inflation. That £300 reduction remains a distant memory, a promise from another age.
Productivity isn't the same as efficiency. The first five-year plan was declared fulfilled in four. Breakneck. Hell for leather. Fast, fast, fast. Get those peasants off the land and into the factories. Screw efficiency.
Fordism was about mass consumption as well as mass production. The USSR didn't have much of the former. Car ownership in the USSR was 10% in 1980. For comparison, by 1940 almost half the families in the US owned a car.
https://european-alternatives.eu/
Worth adding that Azure / MS's biggest market by miles when you look at market share is the UK..
He'd be a blast...
Impossible to uninvent what’s already here though.
The one exception from my perspective: WhatsApp.
https://www.grahamkings.org/article/22-time-for-a-mary-after-a-martha-the-next-archbishop-of-canterbury/
Go to any town centre or supermarket, see those poor kids with their addiction. Or people in restaurants with their phones on the table. It's like a turd on life. And it will get worse and worse.
Most reasonable people agree there's a big problem, when it comes down to it. Doesn't matter whether you are left or right, or theist or atheist. Enough of the ostrichism and shoulder shrugging... The image showing man developing from the ape and then going back down to being an ape carrying a smartphone doesn't say the half of it.
I want you and your children to be happier, Tim.
I couldn’t keep a straight face if I had to deliver a sermon about the second coming for example.
Not long ago we were able to accept that identity is complicated, that it’s possible to be and feel multiple things at the same time. Now politics wants people to choose.
The cockney accented, bi or trilingual children at our local school with two parents who might be a German father and French mother, or a Bulgarian mother and Black British father, are living examples of how reductive these sorts of arguments become.
- Fraser Nelson. I would say that Rishi Sunak is as English as Tizer and Y-fronts. He is absolutely English, he was born and bred here, and I wouldn't say the colour of his skin makes him any less...
- Konstantin Kisin (interrupting): He's a brown Hindu, how is he English?
- Fraser Nelson (shocked): Because he was born and bred here.
- Konstantin Kisin (incredulous): So by being born here you become English in your opinion?
- Fraser Nelson: Yeah.
Source: https://x.com/60sJapanfan/status/1891532608837755051The British couple detained in Iran have been charged with espionage, according to the Iranian judiciary news agency.
https://news.sky.com/story/british-couple-detained-in-iran-charged-with-espionage-13311789
Shame on the last Government for paying a ransom to release the last woman they kidnapped/charged with espionage. Should never have been done and made it only a matter of time before they did the same again.
There's probably a statistical calculation you could do, but given that most people don't generally lie, and they have been caught repeatedly, I think we are well past the point of no belief.
.......
Kisin: I also believe in massive public spending cuts to reduce taxes for the rich and we should bring the death penalty back!
Which is rising continuously and the estimated dates are moving away faster than time passes - so every year, the estimated return date is going *further* into the future.
But don’t worry. Everyone is getting performance bonuses.
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/a-railway-fit-for-britains-future
They are supporting Ukraine heavily, but are worried about tying down all their shiny new kit, before they feel they can defend Poland itself.
Given the history, it is hard to blame them.
Reassurance that the U.K., France and Germany will support them get a polite skepticism. For some reason…
I also mentioned he blocked all the social media IP addresses. A number of people here thought that was nasty and practically a breach of human rights.
The latest leaks from the Trump team are that the parties will agree a deal involving 1. Ceasefire, 2. Ukrainian elections, 3. Final signing.
You can guess what goodies Russia has planned for those elections. As I’m sure can the US. So I’m erring on the side of complicit, not naive.
The pre-revolutionary regime had paid the UK for weapons which were never delivered, because of the revolution. So Iran demanded a refund.
Good for Nelson for pushing back, but he should have told them to fck off with the interview. Now the question is Rishi English has been made a semi respectable part of the 'debate'.