"Leaked files ‘show US wants to persuade four nations to leave EU’
The countries seen as targets to follow Brexit are Austria, Hungary, Italy and Poland, according to leaked details of the US national security strategy"
That's a USA Christian Nationalist geopolitical theme, which I heard some months ago from a USA commentator suggesting that from analysing the views of someone like Scott Bessant or Eldridge Colby or JD Vance. But I can't put a name to the commentator. It was discussed in the Ukraine the Latest podcast earlier.
It is based on their idea that UK France Germany Sweden etc are going Islamist in 30 years or so (obvious nuts, but they ARE nuts), and that to contain Russia they need an Eastern chain of still-Christian (ie still white) countries from N-S along the borders of Russia - so Poland etc. And then they can ignore anything West of that.
It is BS because their analysis of Europe is based on their assumptions themselves based on USA white nationalist culture - like the nostrums about no free speech in Europe, London the Islamist city because it has a Muslim mayor about whom Trump has tantrums, abortion being an existential evil and so on.
They take their own commonplaces viewed from inside the Usonian silo too seriously, but Yanks always have done.
It will fail because the Eastern Europeans know that Europe requires unity throughout, and we can't afford to be divided - even if in their view Western Europeans sit on our arses.
The UK's Muslim population has grown ninefold in the past 30 years. I don't see this trend reversing. Muslim majority in 30 years seems plausible.
The first time the religious ID question was asked in the census was in 2001 when the Muslim population was 3% or around 1.5mn people. In 2021 the number was around 6.5% or 4mn people. So the share has more or less doubled in 20 years. There is no plausible population scenario under which Muslims would be a majority of the UK population in 30 years, especially as fertility rates among Muslim women are declining over time and as the Muslim population ages you will start to see deaths catching up with births, so the growth in the percentage share of the population will slow. I'd be interested in seeing the source for your claim.
Worth noting that only half of UK Muslims ever go to Mosque.
The idea that they are some monolithic block is in itself an Islamophobic predjudice. Its like when Trumpists claim that Khan wants Sharia Law and the Burka in London, or Mamdani in NYC. Neither of their wives wear headscarves etc.
When I were a lad, we were told that Russia was our enemy and the USA was our friend. Some of us thought that wasn’t true, but I never thought I’d see the day when they were both our enemies.
Is America more of an enemy than it was during the Suez crisis?
Yes. The US is now aligned with a nation that threatens us continuously. We should be preparing today for the US to leave NATO. We should expect that in time that US will be actively hostile to most European nations including the UK.
If you put the rhetoric to one side, they're no more aligned with Russia than continental European countries were when they were busy building Nordsteam and filling the Russian elite's bank accounts.
It would be a big mistake to regard a less ideological America as an enemy.
Let us know when a less ideological US turns up.
It's here already. It's shifted away from proselytising liberal globalism to a pragmatic focus on interests.
Interesting discrepancy between "Border Security" and "Immigration" perhaps because of the ICE kidnapping squads in cities away from the border itself.
Trump Is deeply underwater on the Economy and Foreign Policy.
No comments on this post? Don't know if confiscating Russian assets is a game changer, but it'll certainly make the Russians hopping mad. It's been a long time coming, and frankly I didn't think the EU would ever do it. I'm not normally a fan of the EU, but all credit to them if this is enacted.
Are there any alternatives to the EU as a bulwark for European interests that you are a fan of?
I posted on the old thread by a mistake that maybe Europe needs its own “UN” outwith the EU where it can listen to all European voices but not be a tool of the EU. Europe has huge social capital, soft power, vast financial power and can be a huge military (defensive preferably) power but it has to be outside of the EU.
This European UN can speak as a voice to China and the US, shorn of any concept of being a lapdog to the US so can perhaps be taken more at face value by Africa and Asia. We should be leveraging that if you want to deal with Europe (and that is the whole of Europe) you need to listen. But Europe needs to regain its self confidence, three countries effectively ruled most of the world, we aren’t weak, we aren’t stupid, we have power. But again, it can’t be an EU thing.
Why can't it be an EU thing? You have more or less described the purpose of the EU.
Because the EU isn’t for everyone. Shorn of its role in regulation, laws, finance, commerce, trade a European UN would be a pure geopolitics entity. The UN worked despite it not being like the EU as its efforts are focussed elsewhere than micromanaging its members.
Whilst I get you are a remainder (this isn’t a dig at all) would you not see that maybe a pan European organisation which is inclusive of the UK, Norway, Switzerland would be a useful force projection? If not then what is the point of the UN or any other bloc.
Switzerland is neutral and not going to change. Norway and Iceland are in the EEA so very closely aligned, it is only us and the Balkan microstates (some of which are pro-Russian) that are not in the EU.
Any organisation that you describe would have 85% EU votes. There is no need to reinvent the wheel, just remain in European institutions, and Rejoin either EEA or EU.
Re 85% EU votes, if it is outwith the EU and countries are voting based on their interests and not an EU bloc then you might find that many countries would take a view that is different to the view of the EU as an institution.
I’m simply projecting that some open minds where people can think of Europe without myopically seeing it as the EU might be beneficial and worth considering.
Besides, Foxy is being dishonest or ignorant. Norway and Iceland are most certainly not in the EU and do not apply the majority of EU laws and regulations. ABout 28% of EU legislation is also applied in Norway, almost entirely related to trade.
Yes that is why I described them as EEA, which is functionally a tiny appendage of the EU.
I would be happy with us rejoining the EEA so we could regain the advantages of the Single Market, but it would be more useful to have a seat at the top table and have a say in policy, hence full Rejoin is preferable.
It isn't essential to our security, but then neither is NATO.
No comments on this post? Don't know if confiscating Russian assets is a game changer, but it'll certainly make the Russians hopping mad. It's been a long time coming, and frankly I didn't think the EU would ever do it. I'm not normally a fan of the EU, but all credit to them if this is enacted.
Are there any alternatives to the EU as a bulwark for European interests that you are a fan of?
I posted on the old thread by a mistake that maybe Europe needs its own “UN” outwith the EU where it can listen to all European voices but not be a tool of the EU. Europe has huge social capital, soft power, vast financial power and can be a huge military (defensive preferably) power but it has to be outside of the EU.
This European UN can speak as a voice to China and the US, shorn of any concept of being a lapdog to the US so can perhaps be taken more at face value by Africa and Asia. We should be leveraging that if you want to deal with Europe (and that is the whole of Europe) you need to listen. But Europe needs to regain its self confidence, three countries effectively ruled most of the world, we aren’t weak, we aren’t stupid, we have power. But again, it can’t be an EU thing.
Why can't it be an EU thing? You have more or less described the purpose of the EU.
Because the EU isn’t for everyone. Shorn of its role in regulation, laws, finance, commerce, trade a European UN would be a pure geopolitics entity. The UN worked despite it not being like the EU as its efforts are focussed elsewhere than micromanaging its members.
Whilst I get you are a remainder (this isn’t a dig at all) would you not see that maybe a pan European organisation which is inclusive of the UK, Norway, Switzerland would be a useful force projection? If not then what is the point of the UN or any other bloc.
Switzerland is neutral and not going to change. Norway and Iceland are in the EEA so very closely aligned, it is only us and the Balkan microstates (some of which are pro-Russian) that are not in the EU.
Any organisation that you describe would have 85% EU votes. There is no need to reinvent the wheel, just remain in European institutions, and Rejoin either EEA or EU.
Re 85% EU votes, if it is outwith the EU and countries are voting based on their interests and not an EU bloc then you might find that many countries would take a view that is different to the view of the EU as an institution.
I’m simply projecting that some open minds where people can think of Europe without myopically seeing it as the EU might be beneficial and worth considering.
Besides, Foxy is being dishonest or ignorant. Norway and Iceland are most certainly not in the EU and do not apply the majority of EU laws and regulations. ABout 28% of EU legislation is also applied in Norway, almost entirely related to trade.
Yes that is why I described them as EEA, which is functionally a tiny appendage of the EU.
I would be happy with us rejoining the EEA so we could regain the advantages of the Single Market, but it would be more useful to have a seat at the top table and have a say in policy, hence full Rejoin is preferable.
It isn't essential to our security, but then neither is NATO.
"Leaked files ‘show US wants to persuade four nations to leave EU’
The countries seen as targets to follow Brexit are Austria, Hungary, Italy and Poland, according to leaked details of the US national security strategy"
That's a USA Christian Nationalist geopolitical theme, which I heard some months ago from a USA commentator suggesting that from analysing the views of someone like Scott Bessant or Eldridge Colby or JD Vance. But I can't put a name to the commentator. It was discussed in the Ukraine the Latest podcast earlier.
It is based on their idea that UK France Germany Sweden etc are going Islamist in 30 years or so (obvious nuts, but they ARE nuts), and that to contain Russia they need an Eastern chain of still-Christian (ie still white) countries from N-S along the borders of Russia - so Poland etc. And then they can ignore anything West of that.
It is BS because their analysis of Europe is based on their assumptions themselves based on USA white nationalist culture - like the nostrums about no free speech in Europe, London the Islamist city because it has a Muslim mayor about whom Trump has tantrums, abortion being an existential evil and so on.
They take their own commonplaces viewed from inside the Usonian silo too seriously, but Yanks always have done.
It will fail because the Eastern Europeans know that Europe requires unity throughout, and we can't afford to be divided - even if in their view Western Europeans sit on our arses.
The UK's Muslim population has grown ninefold in the past 30 years. I don't see this trend reversing. Muslim majority in 30 years seems plausible.
The increase has not been via multiplicative processes, so an extrapolation in terms of multiples doesn’t make sense. The fantasy of “Eurabia” is promulgated by the same MAGA types who have turned the US against us, by the foreign actors in Russia, Iran etc. trying to destabilise us, and by grifters who turn rage into engagement on social media. Now is not the time to be taken in by such nonsense.
The spineless RINOs in Indiana, many hailing from districts where President Trump won by over 20% just last November have stabbed their own voters in the back and sold out America!
We'll be launching primary challenges against every last traitor who voted no, effective immediately!
Interesting discrepancy between "Border Security" and "Immigration" perhaps because of the ICE kidnapping squads in cities away from the border itself.
Trump Is deeply underwater on the Economy and Foreign Policy.
Must be FAKE NEWS by the terrible, failed, viscous, Democrat-infiltrated mainstream media. No President has ever been more popularier than FIFA Peace Prize winner President Trump.
No comments on this post? Don't know if confiscating Russian assets is a game changer, but it'll certainly make the Russians hopping mad. It's been a long time coming, and frankly I didn't think the EU would ever do it. I'm not normally a fan of the EU, but all credit to them if this is enacted.
Are there any alternatives to the EU as a bulwark for European interests that you are a fan of?
NATO is now the EU plus Canada, Turkey and us.
The USA is nominally a member, but does anyone believe they would honour that commitment?
To be #pbpedantry , NATO is now the EEA plus Canada, Turkey, a chunk of the Balkans and us.
No comments on this post? Don't know if confiscating Russian assets is a game changer, but it'll certainly make the Russians hopping mad. It's been a long time coming, and frankly I didn't think the EU would ever do it. I'm not normally a fan of the EU, but all credit to them if this is enacted.
Are there any alternatives to the EU as a bulwark for European interests that you are a fan of?
I posted on the old thread by a mistake that maybe Europe needs its own “UN” outwith the EU where it can listen to all European voices but not be a tool of the EU. Europe has huge social capital, soft power, vast financial power and can be a huge military (defensive preferably) power but it has to be outside of the EU.
This European UN can speak as a voice to China and the US, shorn of any concept of being a lapdog to the US so can perhaps be taken more at face value by Africa and Asia. We should be leveraging that if you want to deal with Europe (and that is the whole of Europe) you need to listen. But Europe needs to regain its self confidence, three countries effectively ruled most of the world, we aren’t weak, we aren’t stupid, we have power. But again, it can’t be an EU thing.
The only big, significant nation west of Ukraine that is not in the EEA+ is us.
No comments on this post? Don't know if confiscating Russian assets is a game changer, but it'll certainly make the Russians hopping mad. It's been a long time coming, and frankly I didn't think the EU would ever do it. I'm not normally a fan of the EU, but all credit to them if this is enacted.
Are there any alternatives to the EU as a bulwark for European interests that you are a fan of?
I posted on the old thread by a mistake that maybe Europe needs its own “UN” outwith the EU where it can listen to all European voices but not be a tool of the EU. Europe has huge social capital, soft power, vast financial power and can be a huge military (defensive preferably) power but it has to be outside of the EU.
This European UN can speak as a voice to China and the US, shorn of any concept of being a lapdog to the US so can perhaps be taken more at face value by Africa and Asia. We should be leveraging that if you want to deal with Europe (and that is the whole of Europe) you need to listen. But Europe needs to regain its self confidence, three countries effectively ruled most of the world, we aren’t weak, we aren’t stupid, we have power. But again, it can’t be an EU thing.
Why can't it be an EU thing? You have more or less described the purpose of the EU.
Because the EU isn’t for everyone. Shorn of its role in regulation, laws, finance, commerce, trade a European UN would be a pure geopolitics entity. The UN worked despite it not being like the EU as its efforts are focussed elsewhere than micromanaging its members.
Whilst I get you are a remainer (this isn’t a dig at all) would you not see that maybe a pan European organisation which is inclusive of the UK, Norway, Switzerland would be a useful force projection? If not then what is the point of the UN or any other bloc.
Norway is in the EEA and very tied into the EU. Switzerland effectively negotiated some special clauses, but are for most purposes in the EEA and very tied into the EU. We would do better trying to get a Swiss-like deal and working with the EU. Now is not the time to be trying to design a rival structure.
No comments on this post? Don't know if confiscating Russian assets is a game changer, but it'll certainly make the Russians hopping mad. It's been a long time coming, and frankly I didn't think the EU would ever do it. I'm not normally a fan of the EU, but all credit to them if this is enacted.
Are there any alternatives to the EU as a bulwark for European interests that you are a fan of?
I posted on the old thread by a mistake that maybe Europe needs its own “UN” outwith the EU where it can listen to all European voices but not be a tool of the EU. Europe has huge social capital, soft power, vast financial power and can be a huge military (defensive preferably) power but it has to be outside of the EU.
This European UN can speak as a voice to China and the US, shorn of any concept of being a lapdog to the US so can perhaps be taken more at face value by Africa and Asia. We should be leveraging that if you want to deal with Europe (and that is the whole of Europe) you need to listen. But Europe needs to regain its self confidence, three countries effectively ruled most of the world, we aren’t weak, we aren’t stupid, we have power. But again, it can’t be an EU thing.
Why can't it be an EU thing? You have more or less described the purpose of the EU.
Because the EU isn’t for everyone. Shorn of its role in regulation, laws, finance, commerce, trade a European UN would be a pure geopolitics entity. The UN worked despite it not being like the EU as its efforts are focussed elsewhere than micromanaging its members.
Whilst I get you are a remainder (this isn’t a dig at all) would you not see that maybe a pan European organisation which is inclusive of the UK, Norway, Switzerland would be a useful force projection? If not then what is the point of the UN or any other bloc.
Switzerland is neutral and not going to change. Norway and Iceland are in the EEA so very closely aligned, it is only us and the Balkan microstates (some of which are pro-Russian) that are not in the EU.
Any organisation that you describe would have 85% EU votes. There is no need to reinvent the wheel, just remain in European institutions, and Rejoin either EEA or EU.
Re 85% EU votes, if it is outwith the EU and countries are voting based on their interests and not an EU bloc then you might find that many countries would take a view that is different to the view of the EU as an institution.
I’m simply projecting that some open minds where people can think of Europe without myopically seeing it as the EU might be beneficial and worth considering.
Besides, Foxy is being dishonest or ignorant. Norway and Iceland are most certainly not in the EU and do not apply the majority of EU laws and regulations. ABout 28% of EU legislation is also applied in Norway, almost entirely related to trade.
But that’s simply not the relevant metric. What percentage of the time does Norway deviate from the EU’s broad foreign policy goals?
A financial analysis of the latest bit of "pragmatism".
According to Reuters, the United States has informed European NATO allies that it no longer intends to provide conventional assets for Europe’s defence after 2027.
While this approach is not entirely new, the combination of a clear deadline and the new National Security Strategy raises the question of whether Washington has fully thought through the implications.
"Leaked files ‘show US wants to persuade four nations to leave EU’
The countries seen as targets to follow Brexit are Austria, Hungary, Italy and Poland, according to leaked details of the US national security strategy"
No comments on this post? Don't know if confiscating Russian assets is a game changer, but it'll certainly make the Russians hopping mad. It's been a long time coming, and frankly I didn't think the EU would ever do it. I'm not normally a fan of the EU, but all credit to them if this is enacted.
Are there any alternatives to the EU as a bulwark for European interests that you are a fan of?
I posted on the old thread by a mistake that maybe Europe needs its own “UN” outwith the EU where it can listen to all European voices but not be a tool of the EU. Europe has huge social capital, soft power, vast financial power and can be a huge military (defensive preferably) power but it has to be outside of the EU.
This European UN can speak as a voice to China and the US, shorn of any concept of being a lapdog to the US so can perhaps be taken more at face value by Africa and Asia. We should be leveraging that if you want to deal with Europe (and that is the whole of Europe) you need to listen. But Europe needs to regain its self confidence, three countries effectively ruled most of the world, we aren’t weak, we aren’t stupid, we have power. But again, it can’t be an EU thing.
Why can't it be an EU thing? You have more or less described the purpose of the EU.
Brexit supporters keep reinventing the EU in the same way that tech bros keep reinventing public transport.
Remember when they used to call the EU the EUSSR?
Ah, nostalgia. The Rotterdam effect, "Love Europe hate the EU", commissars, diktats, bendy bananas/cucumbers, "we hold all the cards", "the German car manufacturers will come to our aid", "350million: let's give it to the EU", "Bollocks to Brexit - it's not a done deal" by the Pimlico Plumbers, jumpers for goalposts...
No comments on this post? Don't know if confiscating Russian assets is a game changer, but it'll certainly make the Russians hopping mad. It's been a long time coming, and frankly I didn't think the EU would ever do it. I'm not normally a fan of the EU, but all credit to them if this is enacted.
Are there any alternatives to the EU as a bulwark for European interests that you are a fan of?
I posted on the old thread by a mistake that maybe Europe needs its own “UN” outwith the EU where it can listen to all European voices but not be a tool of the EU. Europe has huge social capital, soft power, vast financial power and can be a huge military (defensive preferably) power but it has to be outside of the EU.
This European UN can speak as a voice to China and the US, shorn of any concept of being a lapdog to the US so can perhaps be taken more at face value by Africa and Asia. We should be leveraging that if you want to deal with Europe (and that is the whole of Europe) you need to listen. But Europe needs to regain its self confidence, three countries effectively ruled most of the world, we aren’t weak, we aren’t stupid, we have power. But again, it can’t be an EU thing.
Why can't it be an EU thing? You have more or less described the purpose of the EU.
Brexit supporters keep reinventing the EU in the same way that tech bros keep reinventing public transport.
Remember when they used to call the EU the EUSSR?
Ah, nostalgia. The Rotterdam effect, "Love Europe hate the EU", commissars, diktats, bendy bananas/cucumbers, "we hold all the cards", "the German car manufacturers will come to our aid", "350million: let's give it to the EU", "Bollocks to Brexit - it's not a done deal" by the Pimlico Plumbers, jumpers for goalposts...
The spineless RINOs in Indiana, many hailing from districts where President Trump won by over 20% just last November have stabbed their own voters in the back and sold out America!
We'll be launching primary challenges against every last traitor who voted no, effective immediately!
President Trump has made it clear to Indiana leaders: if the Indiana Senate fails to pass the map, all federal funding will be stripped from the state.
2 by elections in Scotland today, Whitburn in West Lothian, which notionally should be an SNP/Lab contest. It'll be interesting to see how Reform do here, as there is some ex mining territory in the area
The other seat is Fort William and Ardnamurchan. A massive ward which takes you more than 2 hours to drive the full length. This should go to the Lib dems fairly easily. The ward lies within Kate Forbes constituency, and counting is tomorrow morning
No comments on this post? Don't know if confiscating Russian assets is a game changer, but it'll certainly make the Russians hopping mad. It's been a long time coming, and frankly I didn't think the EU would ever do it. I'm not normally a fan of the EU, but all credit to them if this is enacted.
Are there any alternatives to the EU as a bulwark for European interests that you are a fan of?
I posted on the old thread by a mistake that maybe Europe needs its own “UN” outwith the EU where it can listen to all European voices but not be a tool of the EU. Europe has huge social capital, soft power, vast financial power and can be a huge military (defensive preferably) power but it has to be outside of the EU.
This European UN can speak as a voice to China and the US, shorn of any concept of being a lapdog to the US so can perhaps be taken more at face value by Africa and Asia. We should be leveraging that if you want to deal with Europe (and that is the whole of Europe) you need to listen. But Europe needs to regain its self confidence, three countries effectively ruled most of the world, we aren’t weak, we aren’t stupid, we have power. But again, it can’t be an EU thing.
Why can't it be an EU thing? You have more or less described the purpose of the EU.
Because the EU isn’t for everyone. Shorn of its role in regulation, laws, finance, commerce, trade a European UN would be a pure geopolitics entity. The UN worked despite it not being like the EU as its efforts are focussed elsewhere than micromanaging its members.
Whilst I get you are a remainder (this isn’t a dig at all) would you not see that maybe a pan European organisation which is inclusive of the UK, Norway, Switzerland would be a useful force projection? If not then what is the point of the UN or any other bloc.
Switzerland is neutral and not going to change. Norway and Iceland are in the EEA so very closely aligned, it is only us and the Balkan microstates (some of which are pro-Russian) that are not in the EU.
Any organisation that you describe would have 85% EU votes. There is no need to reinvent the wheel, just remain in European institutions, and Rejoin either EEA or EU.
Re 85% EU votes, if it is outwith the EU and countries are voting based on their interests and not an EU bloc then you might find that many countries would take a view that is different to the view of the EU as an institution.
I’m simply projecting that some open minds where people can think of Europe without myopically seeing it as the EU might be beneficial and worth considering.
Perhaps you are describing the Council of Europe, which consists of EU plus Switzerland, Balkans, Turkey, Ukraine, Georgia Norway etc. It is more inclusive but includes institutions such as the EHCR and has the same flag and Anthem as the EU.
But it falls far short of what you desire. That body is the EU.
Nah, it’s a re-heated version of Macron’s European Political Community. What’s needed is a place for the EU to cooperate by consensus with countries that don’t wish to join like the U.K, Switzerland, and Norway; as well as countries they won’t take like Turkey. Aligned with NATO, that’s a powerhouse.
The spineless RINOs in Indiana, many hailing from districts where President Trump won by over 20% just last November have stabbed their own voters in the back and sold out America!
We'll be launching primary challenges against every last traitor who voted no, effective immediately!
President Trump has made it clear to Indiana leaders: if the Indiana Senate fails to pass the map, all federal funding will be stripped from the state.
"Leaked files ‘show US wants to persuade four nations to leave EU’
The countries seen as targets to follow Brexit are Austria, Hungary, Italy and Poland, according to leaked details of the US national security strategy"
That's a USA Christian Nationalist geopolitical theme, which I heard some months ago from a USA commentator suggesting that from analysing the views of someone like Scott Bessant or Eldridge Colby or JD Vance. But I can't put a name to the commentator. It was discussed in the Ukraine the Latest podcast earlier.
It is based on their idea that UK France Germany Sweden etc are going Islamist in 30 years or so (obvious nuts, but they ARE nuts), and that to contain Russia they need an Eastern chain of still-Christian (ie still white) countries from N-S along the borders of Russia - so Poland etc. And then they can ignore anything West of that.
It is BS because their analysis of Europe is based on their assumptions themselves based on USA white nationalist culture - like the nostrums about no free speech in Europe, London the Islamist city because it has a Muslim mayor about whom Trump has tantrums, abortion being an existential evil and so on.
They take their own commonplaces viewed from inside the Usonian silo too seriously, but Yanks always have done.
It will fail because the Eastern Europeans know that Europe requires unity throughout, and we can't afford to be divided - even if in their view Western Europeans sit on our arses.
The UK's Muslim population has grown ninefold in the past 30 years. I don't see this trend reversing. Muslim majority in 30 years seems plausible.
The first time the religious ID question was asked in the census was in 2001 when the Muslim population was 3% or around 1.5mn people. In 2021 the number was around 6.5% or 4mn people. So the share has more or less doubled in 20 years. There is no plausible population scenario under which Muslims would be a majority of the UK population in 30 years, especially as fertility rates among Muslim women are declining over time and as the Muslim population ages you will start to see deaths catching up with births, so the growth in the percentage share of the population will slow. I'd be interested in seeing the source for your claim.
Can I interest you in a yearly subscription to The Telegraph?
I'd recommend what a kind PBer has done for me, and lets me use one of his extra subscriptions.
Which means that each month a small amount is added to my donation to the next PB funding appeal, and I can maintain the collective blood pressure by posting the occasional full article link.
I'm sure Europe's preferred strategy to meet this is defence cuts and more welfare spending.
Why is anyone upset that Trump described Europe's leaders as 'weak' ?
Europe's leaders ARE weak.
...
Brilliant.
By copying and pasting a cartoon you have turned Europe's leaders from weak to strong.
We can expect Donald Tusk to launch military action tomorrow.
Strong leaders ≠ good leaders.
I see we've reached the stage where we now accept that Europe has weak leaders but claiming that's not a bad thing.
Its a variant on Sir Humphrey's guide to doing nothing.
Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Franco, Mussollini, Pol Pot, Kim Jong-un, Assad, Putin...
Ah yes, what we need is Strong Leaders!
Churchill, Roosevelt, De Gaulle, Lloyd George, Clemenceau, Lincoln, Zelensky...
PB is suffering from a fascinating level of double think where simultaneously Trump is bad for saying Europe's leaders are weak but Europe having strong leaders would be bad.
The question is, what is Europe going to do about suddenly finding itself in a more hostile world?
The thing that would really turn the situation around would be backing Ukraine sufficiently vigorously that they would win the war against Russia.
It's a choice.
Some people think the answer to everyone's problems would be for the US to leave NATO and Ukraine to join.
You'd have a ready-made European-led military alliance, the US would no longer be on the hook for defending Europe, and Putin would no longer be able to complain about it being a trojan horse for America.
I'm sure Europe's preferred strategy to meet this is defence cuts and more welfare spending.
Why is anyone upset that Trump described Europe's leaders as 'weak' ?
Europe's leaders ARE weak.
...
Brilliant.
By copying and pasting a cartoon you have turned Europe's leaders from weak to strong.
We can expect Donald Tusk to launch military action tomorrow.
Strong leaders ≠ good leaders.
I see we've reached the stage where we now accept that Europe has weak leaders but claiming that's not a bad thing.
Its a variant on Sir Humphrey's guide to doing nothing.
Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Franco, Mussollini, Pol Pot, Kim Jong-un, Assad, Putin...
Ah yes, what we need is Strong Leaders!
Churchill, Roosevelt, De Gaulle, Lloyd George, Clemenceau, Lincoln, Zelensky...
PB is suffering from a fascinating level of double think where simultaneously Trump is bad for saying Europe's leaders are weak but Europe having strong leaders would be bad.
JFK, Eisenhower (As General and POTUS, Reagan, Thatcher.
Not to mention generals such as McArthur and Marshal.
It’s odd. Many on here were having woodies over Magic Grandpa 9 years ago. His views on NATO and Russia are very much aligned with Trump. And yet somehow not that’s wrong?
No comments on this post? Don't know if confiscating Russian assets is a game changer, but it'll certainly make the Russians hopping mad. It's been a long time coming, and frankly I didn't think the EU would ever do it. I'm not normally a fan of the EU, but all credit to them if this is enacted.
Are there any alternatives to the EU as a bulwark for European interests that you are a fan of?
I posted on the old thread by a mistake that maybe Europe needs its own “UN” outwith the EU where it can listen to all European voices but not be a tool of the EU. Europe has huge social capital, soft power, vast financial power and can be a huge military (defensive preferably) power but it has to be outside of the EU.
This European UN can speak as a voice to China and the US, shorn of any concept of being a lapdog to the US so can perhaps be taken more at face value by Africa and Asia. We should be leveraging that if you want to deal with Europe (and that is the whole of Europe) you need to listen. But Europe needs to regain its self confidence, three countries effectively ruled most of the world, we aren’t weak, we aren’t stupid, we have power. But again, it can’t be an EU thing.
Why can't it be an EU thing? You have more or less described the purpose of the EU.
Brexit supporters keep reinventing the EU in the same way that tech bros keep reinventing public transport.
Remember when they used to call the EU the EUSSR?
Ah, nostalgia. The Rotterdam effect, "Love Europe hate the EU", commissars, diktats, bendy bananas/cucumbers, "we hold all the cards", "the German car manufacturers will come to our aid", "350million: let's give it to the EU", "Bollocks to Brexit - it's not a done deal" by the Pimlico Plumbers, jumpers for goalposts...
They need to do one of those Top 40 Brexit Moments nostalgia shows for the 10 year anniversary next summer.
So, in summary, the US wants to hand Ukraine over to Putin, destabilise Europe, and leave NATO, while at home the Trump administration ignore the rule of law and take bribes to hand out pardons to drug traffickers.
But at least they got rid of a woke font, so it’s all been worthwhile!
No comments on this post? Don't know if confiscating Russian assets is a game changer, but it'll certainly make the Russians hopping mad. It's been a long time coming, and frankly I didn't think the EU would ever do it. I'm not normally a fan of the EU, but all credit to them if this is enacted.
Are there any alternatives to the EU as a bulwark for European interests that you are a fan of?
I posted on the old thread by a mistake that maybe Europe needs its own “UN” outwith the EU where it can listen to all European voices but not be a tool of the EU. Europe has huge social capital, soft power, vast financial power and can be a huge military (defensive preferably) power but it has to be outside of the EU.
This European UN can speak as a voice to China and the US, shorn of any concept of being a lapdog to the US so can perhaps be taken more at face value by Africa and Asia. We should be leveraging that if you want to deal with Europe (and that is the whole of Europe) you need to listen. But Europe needs to regain its self confidence, three countries effectively ruled most of the world, we aren’t weak, we aren’t stupid, we have power. But again, it can’t be an EU thing.
Why can't it be an EU thing? You have more or less described the purpose of the EU.
Brexit supporters keep reinventing the EU in the same way that tech bros keep reinventing public transport.
Remember when they used to call the EU the EUSSR?
Ah, nostalgia. The Rotterdam effect, "Love Europe hate the EU", commissars, diktats, bendy bananas/cucumbers, "we hold all the cards", "the German car manufacturers will come to our aid", "350million: let's give it to the EU", "Bollocks to Brexit - it's not a done deal" by the Pimlico Plumbers, jumpers for goalposts...
They need to do one of those Top 40 Brexit Moments nostalgia shows for the 10 year anniversary next summer.
With number one being Putin achieving his dream of Brexit.
I'm sure Europe's preferred strategy to meet this is defence cuts and more welfare spending.
Why is anyone upset that Trump described Europe's leaders as 'weak' ?
Europe's leaders ARE weak.
...
Brilliant.
By copying and pasting a cartoon you have turned Europe's leaders from weak to strong.
We can expect Donald Tusk to launch military action tomorrow.
Strong leaders ≠ good leaders.
I see we've reached the stage where we now accept that Europe has weak leaders but claiming that's not a bad thing.
Its a variant on Sir Humphrey's guide to doing nothing.
Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Franco, Mussollini, Pol Pot, Kim Jong-un, Assad, Putin...
Ah yes, what we need is Strong Leaders!
Churchill, Roosevelt, De Gaulle, Lloyd George, Clemenceau, Lincoln, Zelensky...
PB is suffering from a fascinating level of double think where simultaneously Trump is bad for saying Europe's leaders are weak but Europe having strong leaders would be bad.
JFK, Eisenhower (As General and POTUS, Reagan, Thatcher.
Not to mention generals such as McArthur and Marshal.
It’s odd. Many on here were having woodies over Magic Grandpa 9 years ago. His views on NATO and Russia are very much aligned with Trump. And yet somehow not that’s wrong?
In re prsevious thread: the blessed Professor Curtis has spoken.
Basically much as before, only Labour going down more quickly.
Well, I knew there had to be someone who subscribes to McPravda as it is "affectionately" known.
All the same interesting prognosis, tho I couldnt see more than the headline. Due, presumably, to SNP holding their constituencies against divided opposition, and SNP voters switching to Green on the list.
Perhaps less likely to be pro-Indy majority in terms of actual voting numbers though?
You think Prof Curtis is biased/lying, feel free to say so more explicitly. Edit: of course you wouldn't, I thinK: but the wording is decidedly ambiguous.
Actually, it's a fairly dampening forecast all round.
Eh? Not following you at all.
Why would I think Curtice biased? And what did I write that suggested it?
My suggestion is that pro-Indy maj could be delivered with less than 50% of voters supporting pro- Indy parties.
I'm guessing that the forecasts are showing main change from 21 is Reform and Greens up, and everyone else down. Like rest of UK.
Thanks. No, the main change is Labour down quite a bit, Reform up a little, others not much changed. Reform not nearly as high as in rUK.
No comments on this post? Don't know if confiscating Russian assets is a game changer, but it'll certainly make the Russians hopping mad. It's been a long time coming, and frankly I didn't think the EU would ever do it. I'm not normally a fan of the EU, but all credit to them if this is enacted.
Are there any alternatives to the EU as a bulwark for European interests that you are a fan of?
I posted on the old thread by a mistake that maybe Europe needs its own “UN” outwith the EU where it can listen to all European voices but not be a tool of the EU. Europe has huge social capital, soft power, vast financial power and can be a huge military (defensive preferably) power but it has to be outside of the EU.
This European UN can speak as a voice to China and the US, shorn of any concept of being a lapdog to the US so can perhaps be taken more at face value by Africa and Asia. We should be leveraging that if you want to deal with Europe (and that is the whole of Europe) you need to listen. But Europe needs to regain its self confidence, three countries effectively ruled most of the world, we aren’t weak, we aren’t stupid, we have power. But again, it can’t be an EU thing.
Why can't it be an EU thing? You have more or less described the purpose of the EU.
Brexit supporters keep reinventing the EU in the same way that tech bros keep reinventing public transport.
Remember when they used to call the EU the EUSSR?
Ah, nostalgia. The Rotterdam effect, "Love Europe hate the EU", commissars, diktats, bendy bananas/cucumbers, "we hold all the cards", "the German car manufacturers will come to our aid", "350million: let's give it to the EU", "Bollocks to Brexit - it's not a done deal" by the Pimlico Plumbers, jumpers for goalposts...
They need to do one of those Top 40 Brexit Moments nostalgia shows for the 10 year anniversary next summer.
With number one being Putin achieving his dream of Brexit.
I don’t think Putin cared either way. Why would he ?
So, in summary, the US wants to hand Ukraine over to Putin, destabilise Europe, and leave NATO, while at home the Trump administration ignore the rule of law and take bribes to hand out pardons to drug traffickers.
But at least they got rid of a woke font, so it’s all been worthwhile!
Woke destroyed itself. But not before destroying as much culture as it could before it collapsed in it’s own contradictions.
Leaving NATO and giving Ukraine to Russia were and still are strongly held beliefs within the Labour Party. Oh yes - and the supposedly “progressive” Greens.
So what is it? Defend individual European nations’ history, culture, freedom and institutions by vehemently asserting their superiority over the alternatives? Or would that be too imperialistic or “racist”? Maybe we should be inclusive and progressive and admit we have no right to say we are superior.
I'm sure Europe's preferred strategy to meet this is defence cuts and more welfare spending.
Why is anyone upset that Trump described Europe's leaders as 'weak' ?
Europe's leaders ARE weak.
...
Brilliant.
By copying and pasting a cartoon you have turned Europe's leaders from weak to strong.
We can expect Donald Tusk to launch military action tomorrow.
Strong leaders ≠ good leaders.
I see we've reached the stage where we now accept that Europe has weak leaders but claiming that's not a bad thing.
Its a variant on Sir Humphrey's guide to doing nothing.
Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Franco, Mussollini, Pol Pot, Kim Jong-un, Assad, Putin...
Ah yes, what we need is Strong Leaders!
Churchill, Roosevelt, De Gaulle, Lloyd George, Clemenceau, Lincoln, Zelensky...
PB is suffering from a fascinating level of double think where simultaneously Trump is bad for saying Europe's leaders are weak but Europe having strong leaders would be bad.
Of maybe it's dabbling in nuance rather than binary thinking ?
The question is, what is Europe going to do about suddenly finding itself in a more hostile world?
The thing that would really turn the situation around would be backing Ukraine sufficiently vigorously that they would win the war against Russia.
It's a choice.
Some people think the answer to everyone's problems would be for the US to leave NATO and Ukraine to join.
You'd have a ready-made European-led military alliance, the US would no longer be on the hook for defending Europe, and Putin would no longer be able to complain about it being a trojan horse for America.
I don’t think Europe can be trusted with its own defence.
No comments on this post? Don't know if confiscating Russian assets is a game changer, but it'll certainly make the Russians hopping mad. It's been a long time coming, and frankly I didn't think the EU would ever do it. I'm not normally a fan of the EU, but all credit to them if this is enacted.
Are there any alternatives to the EU as a bulwark for European interests that you are a fan of?
I posted on the old thread by a mistake that maybe Europe needs its own “UN” outwith the EU where it can listen to all European voices but not be a tool of the EU. Europe has huge social capital, soft power, vast financial power and can be a huge military (defensive preferably) power but it has to be outside of the EU.
This European UN can speak as a voice to China and the US, shorn of any concept of being a lapdog to the US so can perhaps be taken more at face value by Africa and Asia. We should be leveraging that if you want to deal with Europe (and that is the whole of Europe) you need to listen. But Europe needs to regain its self confidence, three countries effectively ruled most of the world, we aren’t weak, we aren’t stupid, we have power. But again, it can’t be an EU thing.
Why can't it be an EU thing? You have more or less described the purpose of the EU.
Because the EU isn’t for everyone. Shorn of its role in regulation, laws, finance, commerce, trade a European UN would be a pure geopolitics entity. The UN worked despite it not being like the EU as its efforts are focussed elsewhere than micromanaging its members.
Whilst I get you are a remainer (this isn’t a dig at all) would you not see that maybe a pan European organisation which is inclusive of the UK, Norway, Switzerland would be a useful force projection? If not then what is the point of the UN or any other bloc.
Norway is in the EEA and very tied into the EU. Switzerland effectively negotiated some special clauses, but are for most purposes in the EEA and very tied into the EU. We would do better trying to get a Swiss-like deal and working with the EU. Now is not the time to be trying to design a rival structure.
The Swiss like deal wouldn’t be even open to the Swiss again if they tried it from scratch. It was a process of attrition with the Swiss government hiding behind the people wouldn’t accept a referendum on it so, we end up with the cake and eating it. It was never on the table for us.
It’s a deal you offer a concubine, a bit on the side that you want to keep sweet, not one you have just gone through a bitter divorce with.
The question is, what is Europe going to do about suddenly finding itself in a more hostile world?
The thing that would really turn the situation around would be backing Ukraine sufficiently vigorously that they would win the war against Russia.
It's a choice.
Some people think the answer to everyone's problems would be for the US to leave NATO and Ukraine to join.
You'd have a ready-made European-led military alliance, the US would no longer be on the hook for defending Europe, and Putin would no longer be able to complain about it being a trojan horse for America.
Ukraine, both before the invasion, and now still, are rather more interested in joining the EU. (And they are well aware that Trump would in any event veto NATO membership.)
2 by elections in Scotland today, Whitburn in West Lothian, which notionally should be an SNP/Lab contest. It'll be interesting to see how Reform do here, as there is some ex mining territory in the area
The other seat is Fort William and Ardnamurchan. A massive ward which takes you more than 2 hours to drive the full length. This should go to the Lib dems fairly easily. The ward lies within Kate Forbes constituency, and counting is tomorrow morning
Mm, Labour was first elected at Whitburn last time anyway, so it is a relatively simple comparison.
LD first prefs last time with a big maj, so no change really when they win (SNP vacating, but from lower down the slate). BUT a Reform candidate this time, though I'd be surprised if it made much difference.
No comments on this post? Don't know if confiscating Russian assets is a game changer, but it'll certainly make the Russians hopping mad. It's been a long time coming, and frankly I didn't think the EU would ever do it. I'm not normally a fan of the EU, but all credit to them if this is enacted.
So... This is not the full kahuna. The assets have been taken from the Russians, but they haven't been given to the Ukrainians to pay for their defense.
It's a welcome step, but it's not all the way there.
UvdL's proposal: to channel the immobilised Russian assets into a zero-interest reparations loan to Ukraine. The assets are now mature and therefore liquid and fungible.
Kyiv would only repay the loan if Moscow paid for war reparations.
OTOH the Kyiv Independent reports:
Valerie Urbain, Euroclear’s сhief executive officer, voiced her opposition to the "reparation loan" mechanism and said that she was ready to challenge this decision in court.
The Commission proposed using Article 122 to prohibit the return of sovereing assets to Russia.
In practice, an indefinite ban.
In a novel interpretation, the Commission argued the shockwaves unleashed by Russia's war constituted an economic emergency for the EU as a whole.
"Preventing that funds are transferred to Russia is urgently required to limit the damage to the Union's economy," the text said...
The smartest thing about this move is that it means that the US can't just negotiate with Russia, and then present it as a fait accompli, because now there's something that the EU has that Russia wants... its money.
No comments on this post? Don't know if confiscating Russian assets is a game changer, but it'll certainly make the Russians hopping mad. It's been a long time coming, and frankly I didn't think the EU would ever do it. I'm not normally a fan of the EU, but all credit to them if this is enacted.
Are there any alternatives to the EU as a bulwark for European interests that you are a fan of?
I posted on the old thread by a mistake that maybe Europe needs its own “UN” outwith the EU where it can listen to all European voices but not be a tool of the EU. Europe has huge social capital, soft power, vast financial power and can be a huge military (defensive preferably) power but it has to be outside of the EU.
This European UN can speak as a voice to China and the US, shorn of any concept of being a lapdog to the US so can perhaps be taken more at face value by Africa and Asia. We should be leveraging that if you want to deal with Europe (and that is the whole of Europe) you need to listen. But Europe needs to regain its self confidence, three countries effectively ruled most of the world, we aren’t weak, we aren’t stupid, we have power. But again, it can’t be an EU thing.
Why can't it be an EU thing? You have more or less described the purpose of the EU.
Brexit supporters keep reinventing the EU in the same way that tech bros keep reinventing public transport.
Remember when they used to call the EU the EUSSR?
Ah, nostalgia. The Rotterdam effect, "Love Europe hate the EU", commissars, diktats, bendy bananas/cucumbers, "we hold all the cards", "the German car manufacturers will come to our aid", "350million: let's give it to the EU", "Bollocks to Brexit - it's not a done deal" by the Pimlico Plumbers, jumpers for goalposts...
They need to do one of those Top 40 Brexit Moments nostalgia shows for the 10 year anniversary next summer.
With number one being Putin achieving his dream of Brexit.
I don’t think Putin cared either way. Why would he ?
The same reason that he wants Hungary, Austria, Italy and Poland to leave, as per the instructions he gave to Trump.
It weakens the EU and turns us on each other. That has been Putin's prime foreign objective since he took power.
..All the additional info you'll need to give as a tourist eligible for ESTA (meaning those tourists who don't need a visa, for instance from EU, UK, Australia, Japan, and other Visa Waiver countries):
- All social media accounts from the last 5 years - All your biometrics: face, fingerprint, DNA, and iris - All your phone numbers from the last 5 years - All your email addresses from the last 10 years - IP addresses and metadata from your submitted photos - Names of your family members (parents, spouse, siblings, children) - All your family members' phone numbers from the last 5 years - Your family members' dates of birth - Your family members' places of birth - Your family members' residencies - All your business phone numbers from the last 5 years - All your business email addresses from the last 10 years.. https://x.com/RnaudBertrand/status/1999106956171350252
..All the additional info you'll need to give as a tourist eligible for ESTA (meaning those tourists who don't need a visa, for instance from EU, UK, Australia, Japan, and other Visa Waiver countries):
- All social media accounts from the last 5 years - All your biometrics: face, fingerprint, DNA, and iris - All your phone numbers from the last 5 years - All your email addresses from the last 10 years - IP addresses and metadata from your submitted photos - Names of your family members (parents, spouse, siblings, children) - All your family members' phone numbers from the last 5 years - Your family members' dates of birth - Your family members' places of birth - Your family members' residencies - All your business phone numbers from the last 5 years - All your business email addresses from the last 10 years.. https://x.com/RnaudBertrand/status/1999106956171350252
A financial analysis of the latest bit of "pragmatism".
According to Reuters, the United States has informed European NATO allies that it no longer intends to provide conventional assets for Europe’s defence after 2027.
While this approach is not entirely new, the combination of a clear deadline and the new National Security Strategy raises the question of whether Washington has fully thought through the implications.
Well, leave aside the financial side for a moment. The US basis in Europe are essential for them projecting power in the Middle East and North Africa. If they have to fly jets from the US rather than from Europe, then it will be significantly more difficult, and their ability to react quickly will be severely compromised.
No comments on this post? Don't know if confiscating Russian assets is a game changer, but it'll certainly make the Russians hopping mad. It's been a long time coming, and frankly I didn't think the EU would ever do it. I'm not normally a fan of the EU, but all credit to them if this is enacted.
Are there any alternatives to the EU as a bulwark for European interests that you are a fan of?
I posted on the old thread by a mistake that maybe Europe needs its own “UN” outwith the EU where it can listen to all European voices but not be a tool of the EU. Europe has huge social capital, soft power, vast financial power and can be a huge military (defensive preferably) power but it has to be outside of the EU.
This European UN can speak as a voice to China and the US, shorn of any concept of being a lapdog to the US so can perhaps be taken more at face value by Africa and Asia. We should be leveraging that if you want to deal with Europe (and that is the whole of Europe) you need to listen. But Europe needs to regain its self confidence, three countries effectively ruled most of the world, we aren’t weak, we aren’t stupid, we have power. But again, it can’t be an EU thing.
Why can't it be an EU thing? You have more or less described the purpose of the EU.
Brexit supporters keep reinventing the EU in the same way that tech bros keep reinventing public transport.
Remember when they used to call the EU the EUSSR?
Ah, nostalgia. The Rotterdam effect, "Love Europe hate the EU", commissars, diktats, bendy bananas/cucumbers, "we hold all the cards", "the German car manufacturers will come to our aid", "350million: let's give it to the EU", "Bollocks to Brexit - it's not a done deal" by the Pimlico Plumbers, jumpers for goalposts...
They need to do one of those Top 40 Brexit Moments nostalgia shows for the 10 year anniversary next summer.
With number one being Putin achieving his dream of Brexit.
I don’t think Putin cared either way. Why would he ?
Because it's a source of conflict and distraction. Did you not notice that of the last decade ?
No comments on this post? Don't know if confiscating Russian assets is a game changer, but it'll certainly make the Russians hopping mad. It's been a long time coming, and frankly I didn't think the EU would ever do it. I'm not normally a fan of the EU, but all credit to them if this is enacted.
Are there any alternatives to the EU as a bulwark for European interests that you are a fan of?
I posted on the old thread by a mistake that maybe Europe needs its own “UN” outwith the EU where it can listen to all European voices but not be a tool of the EU. Europe has huge social capital, soft power, vast financial power and can be a huge military (defensive preferably) power but it has to be outside of the EU.
This European UN can speak as a voice to China and the US, shorn of any concept of being a lapdog to the US so can perhaps be taken more at face value by Africa and Asia. We should be leveraging that if you want to deal with Europe (and that is the whole of Europe) you need to listen. But Europe needs to regain its self confidence, three countries effectively ruled most of the world, we aren’t weak, we aren’t stupid, we have power. But again, it can’t be an EU thing.
Why can't it be an EU thing? You have more or less described the purpose of the EU.
Brexit supporters keep reinventing the EU in the same way that tech bros keep reinventing public transport.
Remember when they used to call the EU the EUSSR?
Ah, nostalgia. The Rotterdam effect, "Love Europe hate the EU", commissars, diktats, bendy bananas/cucumbers, "we hold all the cards", "the German car manufacturers will come to our aid", "350million: let's give it to the EU", "Bollocks to Brexit - it's not a done deal" by the Pimlico Plumbers, jumpers for goalposts...
They need to do one of those Top 40 Brexit Moments nostalgia shows for the 10 year anniversary next summer.
With number one being Putin achieving his dream of Brexit.
I don’t think Putin cared either way. Why would he ?
The same reason that he wants Hungary, Austria, Italy and Poland to leave, as per the instructions he gave to Trump.
It weakens the EU and turns us on each other. That has been Putin's prime foreign objective since he took power.
The only thing that Putin wants and is extremely happy about is that people like you are still banging on about Brexit 10 years later. It’s done. It’s over. Move on.
He doesn’t care about our internal outcomes. He just wants to shit stir.
No comments on this post? Don't know if confiscating Russian assets is a game changer, but it'll certainly make the Russians hopping mad. It's been a long time coming, and frankly I didn't think the EU would ever do it. I'm not normally a fan of the EU, but all credit to them if this is enacted.
Are there any alternatives to the EU as a bulwark for European interests that you are a fan of?
I posted on the old thread by a mistake that maybe Europe needs its own “UN” outwith the EU where it can listen to all European voices but not be a tool of the EU. Europe has huge social capital, soft power, vast financial power and can be a huge military (defensive preferably) power but it has to be outside of the EU.
This European UN can speak as a voice to China and the US, shorn of any concept of being a lapdog to the US so can perhaps be taken more at face value by Africa and Asia. We should be leveraging that if you want to deal with Europe (and that is the whole of Europe) you need to listen. But Europe needs to regain its self confidence, three countries effectively ruled most of the world, we aren’t weak, we aren’t stupid, we have power. But again, it can’t be an EU thing.
Why can't it be an EU thing? You have more or less described the purpose of the EU.
Brexit supporters keep reinventing the EU in the same way that tech bros keep reinventing public transport.
Remember when they used to call the EU the EUSSR?
Ah, nostalgia. The Rotterdam effect, "Love Europe hate the EU", commissars, diktats, bendy bananas/cucumbers, "we hold all the cards", "the German car manufacturers will come to our aid", "350million: let's give it to the EU", "Bollocks to Brexit - it's not a done deal" by the Pimlico Plumbers, jumpers for goalposts...
They need to do one of those Top 40 Brexit Moments nostalgia shows for the 10 year anniversary next summer.
With number one being Putin achieving his dream of Brexit.
I don’t think Putin cared either way. Why would he ?
Because it's a source of conflict and distraction. Did you not notice that of the last decade ?
I noticed us having a more prominent role in responding to the invasion than we did in 2014 when we took a backseat to France and Germany, for all the good it did.
No comments on this post? Don't know if confiscating Russian assets is a game changer, but it'll certainly make the Russians hopping mad. It's been a long time coming, and frankly I didn't think the EU would ever do it. I'm not normally a fan of the EU, but all credit to them if this is enacted.
Are there any alternatives to the EU as a bulwark for European interests that you are a fan of?
I posted on the old thread by a mistake that maybe Europe needs its own “UN” outwith the EU where it can listen to all European voices but not be a tool of the EU. Europe has huge social capital, soft power, vast financial power and can be a huge military (defensive preferably) power but it has to be outside of the EU.
This European UN can speak as a voice to China and the US, shorn of any concept of being a lapdog to the US so can perhaps be taken more at face value by Africa and Asia. We should be leveraging that if you want to deal with Europe (and that is the whole of Europe) you need to listen. But Europe needs to regain its self confidence, three countries effectively ruled most of the world, we aren’t weak, we aren’t stupid, we have power. But again, it can’t be an EU thing.
Why can't it be an EU thing? You have more or less described the purpose of the EU.
Because the EU isn’t for everyone. Shorn of its role in regulation, laws, finance, commerce, trade a European UN would be a pure geopolitics entity. The UN worked despite it not being like the EU as its efforts are focussed elsewhere than micromanaging its members.
Whilst I get you are a remainer (this isn’t a dig at all) would you not see that maybe a pan European organisation which is inclusive of the UK, Norway, Switzerland would be a useful force projection? If not then what is the point of the UN or any other bloc.
Norway is in the EEA and very tied into the EU. Switzerland effectively negotiated some special clauses, but are for most purposes in the EEA and very tied into the EU. We would do better trying to get a Swiss-like deal and working with the EU. Now is not the time to be trying to design a rival structure.
The Swiss like deal wouldn’t be even open to the Swiss again if they tried it from scratch. It was a process of attrition with the Swiss government hiding behind the people wouldn’t accept a referendum on it so, we end up with the cake and eating it. It was never on the table for us.
It’s a deal you offer a concubine, a bit on the side that you want to keep sweet, not one you have just gone through a bitter divorce with.
We're a much more important export market for the EU than Switzerland is.
A financial analysis of the latest bit of "pragmatism".
According to Reuters, the United States has informed European NATO allies that it no longer intends to provide conventional assets for Europe’s defence after 2027.
While this approach is not entirely new, the combination of a clear deadline and the new National Security Strategy raises the question of whether Washington has fully thought through the implications.
Well, leave aside the financial side for a moment. The US basis in Europe are essential for them projecting power in the Middle East and North Africa. If they have to fly jets from the US rather than from Europe, then it will be significantly more difficult, and their ability to react quickly will be severely compromised.
Hey that's a secondary issue - the main one is screwing for Trump is screwing Europe up because they aren't jumping to his command...
2 by elections in Scotland today, Whitburn in West Lothian, which notionally should be an SNP/Lab contest. It'll be interesting to see how Reform do here, as there is some ex mining territory in the area
The other seat is Fort William and Ardnamurchan. A massive ward which takes you more than 2 hours to drive the full length. This should go to the Lib dems fairly easily. The ward lies within Kate Forbes constituency, and counting is tomorrow morning
Mm, Labour was first elected at Whitburn last time anyway, so it is a relatively simple comparison.
LD first prefs last time with a big maj, so no change really when they win (SNP vacating, but from lower down the slate). BUT a Reform candidate this time, though I'd be surprised if it made much difference.
Yeah I agree with ballot box summary, Labour troubles *should* make this more competitive this time. Demographically it is the type of ward which should poll well for Reform if it was in the red wall ... Reform likely won't win this, but if they are looking to take 20 seats next year should be polling strong enough to take a seat if it was the whole council ward up for election
I don't expect Reform to make as near as much headway in the Fort William seat, maybe Santa will get them some decent candidates for Holyrood. Listening to a podcast earlier today, the thinking was Farage would do well to drop one of his previous policies to scrap the Barrett formula, will be interesting to see where they pitch their manifesto
No comments on this post? Don't know if confiscating Russian assets is a game changer, but it'll certainly make the Russians hopping mad. It's been a long time coming, and frankly I didn't think the EU would ever do it. I'm not normally a fan of the EU, but all credit to them if this is enacted.
Are there any alternatives to the EU as a bulwark for European interests that you are a fan of?
I posted on the old thread by a mistake that maybe Europe needs its own “UN” outwith the EU where it can listen to all European voices but not be a tool of the EU. Europe has huge social capital, soft power, vast financial power and can be a huge military (defensive preferably) power but it has to be outside of the EU.
This European UN can speak as a voice to China and the US, shorn of any concept of being a lapdog to the US so can perhaps be taken more at face value by Africa and Asia. We should be leveraging that if you want to deal with Europe (and that is the whole of Europe) you need to listen. But Europe needs to regain its self confidence, three countries effectively ruled most of the world, we aren’t weak, we aren’t stupid, we have power. But again, it can’t be an EU thing.
Why can't it be an EU thing? You have more or less described the purpose of the EU.
Brexit supporters keep reinventing the EU in the same way that tech bros keep reinventing public transport.
Remember when they used to call the EU the EUSSR?
Ah, nostalgia. The Rotterdam effect, "Love Europe hate the EU", commissars, diktats, bendy bananas/cucumbers, "we hold all the cards", "the German car manufacturers will come to our aid", "350million: let's give it to the EU", "Bollocks to Brexit - it's not a done deal" by the Pimlico Plumbers, jumpers for goalposts...
They need to do one of those Top 40 Brexit Moments nostalgia shows for the 10 year anniversary next summer.
With number one being Putin achieving his dream of Brexit.
Would you give up a prized, long-held policy position of your own if Putin happened to agree with it?
..All the additional info you'll need to give as a tourist eligible for ESTA (meaning those tourists who don't need a visa, for instance from EU, UK, Australia, Japan, and other Visa Waiver countries):
- All social media accounts from the last 5 years - All your biometrics: face, fingerprint, DNA, and iris - All your phone numbers from the last 5 years - All your email addresses from the last 10 years - IP addresses and metadata from your submitted photos - Names of your family members (parents, spouse, siblings, children) - All your family members' phone numbers from the last 5 years - Your family members' dates of birth - Your family members' places of birth - Your family members' residencies - All your business phone numbers from the last 5 years - All your business email addresses from the last 10 years.. https://x.com/RnaudBertrand/status/1999106956171350252
I don't even know my current business phone number let alone historic ones. I occasionally get calls for a completely different department for someone who left 6 months before I arrived apart from that no-one knows it as my work is 100% internal
The Loser disagrees with most Americans on who our friends are. (Or, he may have no fixed opinions on the question, and is being manipulated by Putin, Xi, and some of his more vile advisors.)
No comments on this post? Don't know if confiscating Russian assets is a game changer, but it'll certainly make the Russians hopping mad. It's been a long time coming, and frankly I didn't think the EU would ever do it. I'm not normally a fan of the EU, but all credit to them if this is enacted.
Are there any alternatives to the EU as a bulwark for European interests that you are a fan of?
I posted on the old thread by a mistake that maybe Europe needs its own “UN” outwith the EU where it can listen to all European voices but not be a tool of the EU. Europe has huge social capital, soft power, vast financial power and can be a huge military (defensive preferably) power but it has to be outside of the EU.
This European UN can speak as a voice to China and the US, shorn of any concept of being a lapdog to the US so can perhaps be taken more at face value by Africa and Asia. We should be leveraging that if you want to deal with Europe (and that is the whole of Europe) you need to listen. But Europe needs to regain its self confidence, three countries effectively ruled most of the world, we aren’t weak, we aren’t stupid, we have power. But again, it can’t be an EU thing.
Why can't it be an EU thing? You have more or less described the purpose of the EU.
Brexit supporters keep reinventing the EU in the same way that tech bros keep reinventing public transport.
Remember when they used to call the EU the EUSSR?
Ah, nostalgia. The Rotterdam effect, "Love Europe hate the EU", commissars, diktats, bendy bananas/cucumbers, "we hold all the cards", "the German car manufacturers will come to our aid", "350million: let's give it to the EU", "Bollocks to Brexit - it's not a done deal" by the Pimlico Plumbers, jumpers for goalposts...
They need to do one of those Top 40 Brexit Moments nostalgia shows for the 10 year anniversary next summer.
With number one being Putin achieving his dream of Brexit.
Would you give up a prized, long-held policy position of your own if Putin happened to agree with it?
I can't think of an example. What do you have in mind?
No comments on this post? Don't know if confiscating Russian assets is a game changer, but it'll certainly make the Russians hopping mad. It's been a long time coming, and frankly I didn't think the EU would ever do it. I'm not normally a fan of the EU, but all credit to them if this is enacted.
So... This is not the full kahuna. The assets have been taken from the Russians, but they haven't been given to the Ukrainians to pay for their defense.
It's a welcome step, but it's not all the way there.
UvdL's proposal: to channel the immobilised Russian assets into a zero-interest reparations loan to Ukraine. The assets are now mature and therefore liquid and fungible.
Kyiv would only repay the loan if Moscow paid for war reparations.
And that's the next step that we hope will be taken. But it hasn't happened yet.
No comments on this post? Don't know if confiscating Russian assets is a game changer, but it'll certainly make the Russians hopping mad. It's been a long time coming, and frankly I didn't think the EU would ever do it. I'm not normally a fan of the EU, but all credit to them if this is enacted.
Are there any alternatives to the EU as a bulwark for European interests that you are a fan of?
I posted on the old thread by a mistake that maybe Europe needs its own “UN” outwith the EU where it can listen to all European voices but not be a tool of the EU. Europe has huge social capital, soft power, vast financial power and can be a huge military (defensive preferably) power but it has to be outside of the EU.
This European UN can speak as a voice to China and the US, shorn of any concept of being a lapdog to the US so can perhaps be taken more at face value by Africa and Asia. We should be leveraging that if you want to deal with Europe (and that is the whole of Europe) you need to listen. But Europe needs to regain its self confidence, three countries effectively ruled most of the world, we aren’t weak, we aren’t stupid, we have power. But again, it can’t be an EU thing.
Why can't it be an EU thing? You have more or less described the purpose of the EU.
Brexit supporters keep reinventing the EU in the same way that tech bros keep reinventing public transport.
Remember when they used to call the EU the EUSSR?
Ah, nostalgia. The Rotterdam effect, "Love Europe hate the EU", commissars, diktats, bendy bananas/cucumbers, "we hold all the cards", "the German car manufacturers will come to our aid", "350million: let's give it to the EU", "Bollocks to Brexit - it's not a done deal" by the Pimlico Plumbers, jumpers for goalposts...
They need to do one of those Top 40 Brexit Moments nostalgia shows for the 10 year anniversary next summer.
With number one being Putin achieving his dream of Brexit.
Would you give up a prized, long-held policy position of your own if Putin happened to agree with it?
I can't think of an example. What do you have in mind?
He thinks that Western countries should give up their remaining legacy colonial interests.
No comments on this post? Don't know if confiscating Russian assets is a game changer, but it'll certainly make the Russians hopping mad. It's been a long time coming, and frankly I didn't think the EU would ever do it. I'm not normally a fan of the EU, but all credit to them if this is enacted.
So... This is not the full kahuna. The assets have been taken from the Russians, but they haven't been given to the Ukrainians to pay for their defense.
It's a welcome step, but it's not all the way there.
UvdL's proposal: to channel the immobilised Russian assets into a zero-interest reparations loan to Ukraine. The assets are now mature and therefore liquid and fungible.
Kyiv would only repay the loan if Moscow paid for war reparations.
OTOH the Kyiv Independent reports:
Valerie Urbain, Euroclear’s сhief executive officer, voiced her opposition to the "reparation loan" mechanism and said that she was ready to challenge this decision in court.
The Commission proposed using Article 122 to prohibit the return of sovereing assets to Russia.
In practice, an indefinite ban.
In a novel interpretation, the Commission argued the shockwaves unleashed by Russia's war constituted an economic emergency for the EU as a whole.
"Preventing that funds are transferred to Russia is urgently required to limit the damage to the Union's economy," the text said...
The smartest thing about this move is that it means that the US can't just negotiate with Russia, and then present it as a fait accompli, because now there's something that the EU has that Russia wants... its money.
Maybe Putin will eventually be replaced by a female leader who will go to Brussels, put her handbag on the table, and demand her money back.
No comments on this post? Don't know if confiscating Russian assets is a game changer, but it'll certainly make the Russians hopping mad. It's been a long time coming, and frankly I didn't think the EU would ever do it. I'm not normally a fan of the EU, but all credit to them if this is enacted.
Are there any alternatives to the EU as a bulwark for European interests that you are a fan of?
I posted on the old thread by a mistake that maybe Europe needs its own “UN” outwith the EU where it can listen to all European voices but not be a tool of the EU. Europe has huge social capital, soft power, vast financial power and can be a huge military (defensive preferably) power but it has to be outside of the EU.
This European UN can speak as a voice to China and the US, shorn of any concept of being a lapdog to the US so can perhaps be taken more at face value by Africa and Asia. We should be leveraging that if you want to deal with Europe (and that is the whole of Europe) you need to listen. But Europe needs to regain its self confidence, three countries effectively ruled most of the world, we aren’t weak, we aren’t stupid, we have power. But again, it can’t be an EU thing.
Why can't it be an EU thing? You have more or less described the purpose of the EU.
Brexit supporters keep reinventing the EU in the same way that tech bros keep reinventing public transport.
Remember when they used to call the EU the EUSSR?
Ah, nostalgia. The Rotterdam effect, "Love Europe hate the EU", commissars, diktats, bendy bananas/cucumbers, "we hold all the cards", "the German car manufacturers will come to our aid", "350million: let's give it to the EU", "Bollocks to Brexit - it's not a done deal" by the Pimlico Plumbers, jumpers for goalposts...
They need to do one of those Top 40 Brexit Moments nostalgia shows for the 10 year anniversary next summer.
With number one being Putin achieving his dream of Brexit.
Surely, number one is the bus? Everyone still talks about the bloody bus...
No comments on this post? Don't know if confiscating Russian assets is a game changer, but it'll certainly make the Russians hopping mad. It's been a long time coming, and frankly I didn't think the EU would ever do it. I'm not normally a fan of the EU, but all credit to them if this is enacted.
Are there any alternatives to the EU as a bulwark for European interests that you are a fan of?
I posted on the old thread by a mistake that maybe Europe needs its own “UN” outwith the EU where it can listen to all European voices but not be a tool of the EU. Europe has huge social capital, soft power, vast financial power and can be a huge military (defensive preferably) power but it has to be outside of the EU.
This European UN can speak as a voice to China and the US, shorn of any concept of being a lapdog to the US so can perhaps be taken more at face value by Africa and Asia. We should be leveraging that if you want to deal with Europe (and that is the whole of Europe) you need to listen. But Europe needs to regain its self confidence, three countries effectively ruled most of the world, we aren’t weak, we aren’t stupid, we have power. But again, it can’t be an EU thing.
Why can't it be an EU thing? You have more or less described the purpose of the EU.
Brexit supporters keep reinventing the EU in the same way that tech bros keep reinventing public transport.
Remember when they used to call the EU the EUSSR?
Ah, nostalgia. The Rotterdam effect, "Love Europe hate the EU", commissars, diktats, bendy bananas/cucumbers, "we hold all the cards", "the German car manufacturers will come to our aid", "350million: let's give it to the EU", "Bollocks to Brexit - it's not a done deal" by the Pimlico Plumbers, jumpers for goalposts...
They need to do one of those Top 40 Brexit Moments nostalgia shows for the 10 year anniversary next summer.
With number one being Putin achieving his dream of Brexit.
Would you give up a prized, long-held policy position of your own if Putin happened to agree with it?
I can't think of an example. What do you have in mind?
He thinks that Western countries should give up their remaining legacy colonial interests.
Oh, I didn't realise he was planning on giving up Guam.
No comments on this post? Don't know if confiscating Russian assets is a game changer, but it'll certainly make the Russians hopping mad. It's been a long time coming, and frankly I didn't think the EU would ever do it. I'm not normally a fan of the EU, but all credit to them if this is enacted.
Are there any alternatives to the EU as a bulwark for European interests that you are a fan of?
I posted on the old thread by a mistake that maybe Europe needs its own “UN” outwith the EU where it can listen to all European voices but not be a tool of the EU. Europe has huge social capital, soft power, vast financial power and can be a huge military (defensive preferably) power but it has to be outside of the EU.
This European UN can speak as a voice to China and the US, shorn of any concept of being a lapdog to the US so can perhaps be taken more at face value by Africa and Asia. We should be leveraging that if you want to deal with Europe (and that is the whole of Europe) you need to listen. But Europe needs to regain its self confidence, three countries effectively ruled most of the world, we aren’t weak, we aren’t stupid, we have power. But again, it can’t be an EU thing.
Why can't it be an EU thing? You have more or less described the purpose of the EU.
Brexit supporters keep reinventing the EU in the same way that tech bros keep reinventing public transport.
Remember when they used to call the EU the EUSSR?
Ah, nostalgia. The Rotterdam effect, "Love Europe hate the EU", commissars, diktats, bendy bananas/cucumbers, "we hold all the cards", "the German car manufacturers will come to our aid", "350million: let's give it to the EU", "Bollocks to Brexit - it's not a done deal" by the Pimlico Plumbers, jumpers for goalposts...
They need to do one of those Top 40 Brexit Moments nostalgia shows for the 10 year anniversary next summer.
With number one being Putin achieving his dream of Brexit.
Would you give up a prized, long-held policy position of your own if Putin happened to agree with it?
I can't think of an example. What do you have in mind?
He thinks that Western countries should give up their remaining legacy colonial interests.
Oh, I didn't realise he was planning on giving up Guam.
We're talking about things that Putin and @Foxy agree on.
No comments on this post? Don't know if confiscating Russian assets is a game changer, but it'll certainly make the Russians hopping mad. It's been a long time coming, and frankly I didn't think the EU would ever do it. I'm not normally a fan of the EU, but all credit to them if this is enacted.
Are there any alternatives to the EU as a bulwark for European interests that you are a fan of?
I posted on the old thread by a mistake that maybe Europe needs its own “UN” outwith the EU where it can listen to all European voices but not be a tool of the EU. Europe has huge social capital, soft power, vast financial power and can be a huge military (defensive preferably) power but it has to be outside of the EU.
This European UN can speak as a voice to China and the US, shorn of any concept of being a lapdog to the US so can perhaps be taken more at face value by Africa and Asia. We should be leveraging that if you want to deal with Europe (and that is the whole of Europe) you need to listen. But Europe needs to regain its self confidence, three countries effectively ruled most of the world, we aren’t weak, we aren’t stupid, we have power. But again, it can’t be an EU thing.
Why can't it be an EU thing? You have more or less described the purpose of the EU.
Brexit supporters keep reinventing the EU in the same way that tech bros keep reinventing public transport.
Remember when they used to call the EU the EUSSR?
Ah, nostalgia. The Rotterdam effect, "Love Europe hate the EU", commissars, diktats, bendy bananas/cucumbers, "we hold all the cards", "the German car manufacturers will come to our aid", "350million: let's give it to the EU", "Bollocks to Brexit - it's not a done deal" by the Pimlico Plumbers, jumpers for goalposts...
They need to do one of those Top 40 Brexit Moments nostalgia shows for the 10 year anniversary next summer.
With number one being Putin achieving his dream of Brexit.
Surely, number one is the bus? Everyone still talks about the bloody bus...
Goes to show what a genius stroke of propaganda it was. The greatest squirrel in UK history. And how its detractors chased it, foaming at the mouth. Bugger convincing the country to remain. Let’s ceaselessly talk about a sodding bus.
No comments on this post? Don't know if confiscating Russian assets is a game changer, but it'll certainly make the Russians hopping mad. It's been a long time coming, and frankly I didn't think the EU would ever do it. I'm not normally a fan of the EU, but all credit to them if this is enacted.
Are there any alternatives to the EU as a bulwark for European interests that you are a fan of?
I posted on the old thread by a mistake that maybe Europe needs its own “UN” outwith the EU where it can listen to all European voices but not be a tool of the EU. Europe has huge social capital, soft power, vast financial power and can be a huge military (defensive preferably) power but it has to be outside of the EU.
This European UN can speak as a voice to China and the US, shorn of any concept of being a lapdog to the US so can perhaps be taken more at face value by Africa and Asia. We should be leveraging that if you want to deal with Europe (and that is the whole of Europe) you need to listen. But Europe needs to regain its self confidence, three countries effectively ruled most of the world, we aren’t weak, we aren’t stupid, we have power. But again, it can’t be an EU thing.
Why can't it be an EU thing? You have more or less described the purpose of the EU.
Brexit supporters keep reinventing the EU in the same way that tech bros keep reinventing public transport.
Remember when they used to call the EU the EUSSR?
Ah, nostalgia. The Rotterdam effect, "Love Europe hate the EU", commissars, diktats, bendy bananas/cucumbers, "we hold all the cards", "the German car manufacturers will come to our aid", "350million: let's give it to the EU", "Bollocks to Brexit - it's not a done deal" by the Pimlico Plumbers, jumpers for goalposts...
They need to do one of those Top 40 Brexit Moments nostalgia shows for the 10 year anniversary next summer.
With number one being Putin achieving his dream of Brexit.
Would you give up a prized, long-held policy position of your own if Putin happened to agree with it?
I can't think of an example. What do you have in mind?
It's hypothetical. Say he called us undemocratic and suggested we opted for proportional representation, and you agreed. Would you vote against in a future PR referendum, or would you stick two fingers up to his meddling and vote for what you believed in? What if he criticised our having a monarchy and you were a republican like TSE? And so on...
No comments on this post? Don't know if confiscating Russian assets is a game changer, but it'll certainly make the Russians hopping mad. It's been a long time coming, and frankly I didn't think the EU would ever do it. I'm not normally a fan of the EU, but all credit to them if this is enacted.
Are there any alternatives to the EU as a bulwark for European interests that you are a fan of?
I posted on the old thread by a mistake that maybe Europe needs its own “UN” outwith the EU where it can listen to all European voices but not be a tool of the EU. Europe has huge social capital, soft power, vast financial power and can be a huge military (defensive preferably) power but it has to be outside of the EU.
This European UN can speak as a voice to China and the US, shorn of any concept of being a lapdog to the US so can perhaps be taken more at face value by Africa and Asia. We should be leveraging that if you want to deal with Europe (and that is the whole of Europe) you need to listen. But Europe needs to regain its self confidence, three countries effectively ruled most of the world, we aren’t weak, we aren’t stupid, we have power. But again, it can’t be an EU thing.
Why can't it be an EU thing? You have more or less described the purpose of the EU.
Brexit supporters keep reinventing the EU in the same way that tech bros keep reinventing public transport.
Remember when they used to call the EU the EUSSR?
Ah, nostalgia. The Rotterdam effect, "Love Europe hate the EU", commissars, diktats, bendy bananas/cucumbers, "we hold all the cards", "the German car manufacturers will come to our aid", "350million: let's give it to the EU", "Bollocks to Brexit - it's not a done deal" by the Pimlico Plumbers, jumpers for goalposts...
They need to do one of those Top 40 Brexit Moments nostalgia shows for the 10 year anniversary next summer.
With number one being Putin achieving his dream of Brexit.
Would you give up a prized, long-held policy position of your own if Putin happened to agree with it?
I can't think of an example. What do you have in mind?
It's hypothetical. Say he called us undemocratic and suggested we opted for proportional representation, and you agreed. Would you vote against in a future PR referendum, or would you stick two fingers up to his meddling a vote for what you believed in? What if he criticised our having a monarchy and you were a republican? And so on...
Has Putin favoured PR for the UK? On the Monarchy I don't care either way.
No comments on this post? Don't know if confiscating Russian assets is a game changer, but it'll certainly make the Russians hopping mad. It's been a long time coming, and frankly I didn't think the EU would ever do it. I'm not normally a fan of the EU, but all credit to them if this is enacted.
Are there any alternatives to the EU as a bulwark for European interests that you are a fan of?
I posted on the old thread by a mistake that maybe Europe needs its own “UN” outwith the EU where it can listen to all European voices but not be a tool of the EU. Europe has huge social capital, soft power, vast financial power and can be a huge military (defensive preferably) power but it has to be outside of the EU.
This European UN can speak as a voice to China and the US, shorn of any concept of being a lapdog to the US so can perhaps be taken more at face value by Africa and Asia. We should be leveraging that if you want to deal with Europe (and that is the whole of Europe) you need to listen. But Europe needs to regain its self confidence, three countries effectively ruled most of the world, we aren’t weak, we aren’t stupid, we have power. But again, it can’t be an EU thing.
Why can't it be an EU thing? You have more or less described the purpose of the EU.
Brexit supporters keep reinventing the EU in the same way that tech bros keep reinventing public transport.
Remember when they used to call the EU the EUSSR?
Ah, nostalgia. The Rotterdam effect, "Love Europe hate the EU", commissars, diktats, bendy bananas/cucumbers, "we hold all the cards", "the German car manufacturers will come to our aid", "350million: let's give it to the EU", "Bollocks to Brexit - it's not a done deal" by the Pimlico Plumbers, jumpers for goalposts...
They need to do one of those Top 40 Brexit Moments nostalgia shows for the 10 year anniversary next summer.
With number one being Putin achieving his dream of Brexit.
Would you give up a prized, long-held policy position of your own if Putin happened to agree with it?
I can't think of an example. What do you have in mind?
It's hypothetical. Say he called us undemocratic and suggested we opted for proportional representation, and you agreed. Would you vote against in a future PR referendum, or would you stick two fingers up to his meddling and vote for what you believed in? What if he criticised our having a monarchy and you were a republican like TSE? And so on...
Neither suggestion seems likely to fracture our national politics, or fragment European unity. Putin's take on either would be essentially irrelevant.
No comments on this post? Don't know if confiscating Russian assets is a game changer, but it'll certainly make the Russians hopping mad. It's been a long time coming, and frankly I didn't think the EU would ever do it. I'm not normally a fan of the EU, but all credit to them if this is enacted.
Are there any alternatives to the EU as a bulwark for European interests that you are a fan of?
I posted on the old thread by a mistake that maybe Europe needs its own “UN” outwith the EU where it can listen to all European voices but not be a tool of the EU. Europe has huge social capital, soft power, vast financial power and can be a huge military (defensive preferably) power but it has to be outside of the EU.
This European UN can speak as a voice to China and the US, shorn of any concept of being a lapdog to the US so can perhaps be taken more at face value by Africa and Asia. We should be leveraging that if you want to deal with Europe (and that is the whole of Europe) you need to listen. But Europe needs to regain its self confidence, three countries effectively ruled most of the world, we aren’t weak, we aren’t stupid, we have power. But again, it can’t be an EU thing.
Why can't it be an EU thing? You have more or less described the purpose of the EU.
Brexit supporters keep reinventing the EU in the same way that tech bros keep reinventing public transport.
Remember when they used to call the EU the EUSSR?
Ah, nostalgia. The Rotterdam effect, "Love Europe hate the EU", commissars, diktats, bendy bananas/cucumbers, "we hold all the cards", "the German car manufacturers will come to our aid", "350million: let's give it to the EU", "Bollocks to Brexit - it's not a done deal" by the Pimlico Plumbers, jumpers for goalposts...
They need to do one of those Top 40 Brexit Moments nostalgia shows for the 10 year anniversary next summer.
With number one being Putin achieving his dream of Brexit.
Would you give up a prized, long-held policy position of your own if Putin happened to agree with it?
I can't think of an example. What do you have in mind?
It's hypothetical. Say he called us undemocratic and suggested we opted for proportional representation, and you agreed. Would you vote against in a future PR referendum, or would you stick two fingers up to his meddling and vote for what you believed in? What if he criticised our having a monarchy and you were a republican like TSE? And so on...
Neither suggestion seems likely to fracture our national politics, or fragment European unity. Putin's take on either would be essentially irrelevant.
I think you need a more plausible example.
No example is required. I don't let Putin tell me how to vote. And I don't let him tell me how not to. And you wouldn't either. It's just a fun stick to bash leavers with. Fun but hollow.
No comments on this post? Don't know if confiscating Russian assets is a game changer, but it'll certainly make the Russians hopping mad. It's been a long time coming, and frankly I didn't think the EU would ever do it. I'm not normally a fan of the EU, but all credit to them if this is enacted.
Are there any alternatives to the EU as a bulwark for European interests that you are a fan of?
I posted on the old thread by a mistake that maybe Europe needs its own “UN” outwith the EU where it can listen to all European voices but not be a tool of the EU. Europe has huge social capital, soft power, vast financial power and can be a huge military (defensive preferably) power but it has to be outside of the EU.
This European UN can speak as a voice to China and the US, shorn of any concept of being a lapdog to the US so can perhaps be taken more at face value by Africa and Asia. We should be leveraging that if you want to deal with Europe (and that is the whole of Europe) you need to listen. But Europe needs to regain its self confidence, three countries effectively ruled most of the world, we aren’t weak, we aren’t stupid, we have power. But again, it can’t be an EU thing.
Why can't it be an EU thing? You have more or less described the purpose of the EU.
Brexit supporters keep reinventing the EU in the same way that tech bros keep reinventing public transport.
Remember when they used to call the EU the EUSSR?
Ah, nostalgia. The Rotterdam effect, "Love Europe hate the EU", commissars, diktats, bendy bananas/cucumbers, "we hold all the cards", "the German car manufacturers will come to our aid", "350million: let's give it to the EU", "Bollocks to Brexit - it's not a done deal" by the Pimlico Plumbers, jumpers for goalposts...
They need to do one of those Top 40 Brexit Moments nostalgia shows for the 10 year anniversary next summer.
With number one being Putin achieving his dream of Brexit.
Would you give up a prized, long-held policy position of your own if Putin happened to agree with it?
I can't think of an example. What do you have in mind?
It's hypothetical. Say he called us undemocratic and suggested we opted for proportional representation, and you agreed. Would you vote against in a future PR referendum, or would you stick two fingers up to his meddling and vote for what you believed in? What if he criticised our having a monarchy and you were a republican like TSE? And so on...
Neither suggestion seems likely to fracture our national politics, or fragment European unity. Putin's take on either would be essentially irrelevant.
I think you need a more plausible example.
No example is required. I don't let Putin tell me how to vote. And I don't let him tell me how not to. And you wouldn't either. It's just a fun stick to bash leavers with. Fun but hollow.
Sure, but do you deny that breaking up the EU and NATO have been long term objectives of Putin? And did you ever wonder why?
No comments on this post? Don't know if confiscating Russian assets is a game changer, but it'll certainly make the Russians hopping mad. It's been a long time coming, and frankly I didn't think the EU would ever do it. I'm not normally a fan of the EU, but all credit to them if this is enacted.
Are there any alternatives to the EU as a bulwark for European interests that you are a fan of?
I posted on the old thread by a mistake that maybe Europe needs its own “UN” outwith the EU where it can listen to all European voices but not be a tool of the EU. Europe has huge social capital, soft power, vast financial power and can be a huge military (defensive preferably) power but it has to be outside of the EU.
This European UN can speak as a voice to China and the US, shorn of any concept of being a lapdog to the US so can perhaps be taken more at face value by Africa and Asia. We should be leveraging that if you want to deal with Europe (and that is the whole of Europe) you need to listen. But Europe needs to regain its self confidence, three countries effectively ruled most of the world, we aren’t weak, we aren’t stupid, we have power. But again, it can’t be an EU thing.
Why can't it be an EU thing? You have more or less described the purpose of the EU.
Brexit supporters keep reinventing the EU in the same way that tech bros keep reinventing public transport.
Remember when they used to call the EU the EUSSR?
Ah, nostalgia. The Rotterdam effect, "Love Europe hate the EU", commissars, diktats, bendy bananas/cucumbers, "we hold all the cards", "the German car manufacturers will come to our aid", "350million: let's give it to the EU", "Bollocks to Brexit - it's not a done deal" by the Pimlico Plumbers, jumpers for goalposts...
They need to do one of those Top 40 Brexit Moments nostalgia shows for the 10 year anniversary next summer.
With number one being Putin achieving his dream of Brexit.
Surely, number one is the bus? Everyone still talks about the bloody bus...
I've heard a lot of hardcore remainer talk in real life, but I have never heard the bus mentioned outside of the internet.
No comments on this post? Don't know if confiscating Russian assets is a game changer, but it'll certainly make the Russians hopping mad. It's been a long time coming, and frankly I didn't think the EU would ever do it. I'm not normally a fan of the EU, but all credit to them if this is enacted.
Are there any alternatives to the EU as a bulwark for European interests that you are a fan of?
I posted on the old thread by a mistake that maybe Europe needs its own “UN” outwith the EU where it can listen to all European voices but not be a tool of the EU. Europe has huge social capital, soft power, vast financial power and can be a huge military (defensive preferably) power but it has to be outside of the EU.
This European UN can speak as a voice to China and the US, shorn of any concept of being a lapdog to the US so can perhaps be taken more at face value by Africa and Asia. We should be leveraging that if you want to deal with Europe (and that is the whole of Europe) you need to listen. But Europe needs to regain its self confidence, three countries effectively ruled most of the world, we aren’t weak, we aren’t stupid, we have power. But again, it can’t be an EU thing.
Why can't it be an EU thing? You have more or less described the purpose of the EU.
Brexit supporters keep reinventing the EU in the same way that tech bros keep reinventing public transport.
Remember when they used to call the EU the EUSSR?
Ah, nostalgia. The Rotterdam effect, "Love Europe hate the EU", commissars, diktats, bendy bananas/cucumbers, "we hold all the cards", "the German car manufacturers will come to our aid", "350million: let's give it to the EU", "Bollocks to Brexit - it's not a done deal" by the Pimlico Plumbers, jumpers for goalposts...
They need to do one of those Top 40 Brexit Moments nostalgia shows for the 10 year anniversary next summer.
With number one being Putin achieving his dream of Brexit.
Would you give up a prized, long-held policy position of your own if Putin happened to agree with it?
I can't think of an example. What do you have in mind?
It's hypothetical. Say he called us undemocratic and suggested we opted for proportional representation, and you agreed. Would you vote against in a future PR referendum, or would you stick two fingers up to his meddling and vote for what you believed in? What if he criticised our having a monarchy and you were a republican like TSE? And so on...
Neither suggestion seems likely to fracture our national politics, or fragment European unity. Putin's take on either would be essentially irrelevant.
I think you need a more plausible example.
No example is required. I don't let Putin tell me how to vote. And I don't let him tell me how not to. And you wouldn't either. It's just a fun stick to bash leavers with. Fun but hollow.
Sure, but do you deny that breaking up the EU and NATO have been long term objectives of Putin? And did you ever wonder why?
Do you agree that ejecting Western countries from geopolitically strategic territory around the world is one of his long-term objectives?
No comments on this post? Don't know if confiscating Russian assets is a game changer, but it'll certainly make the Russians hopping mad. It's been a long time coming, and frankly I didn't think the EU would ever do it. I'm not normally a fan of the EU, but all credit to them if this is enacted.
Are there any alternatives to the EU as a bulwark for European interests that you are a fan of?
I posted on the old thread by a mistake that maybe Europe needs its own “UN” outwith the EU where it can listen to all European voices but not be a tool of the EU. Europe has huge social capital, soft power, vast financial power and can be a huge military (defensive preferably) power but it has to be outside of the EU.
This European UN can speak as a voice to China and the US, shorn of any concept of being a lapdog to the US so can perhaps be taken more at face value by Africa and Asia. We should be leveraging that if you want to deal with Europe (and that is the whole of Europe) you need to listen. But Europe needs to regain its self confidence, three countries effectively ruled most of the world, we aren’t weak, we aren’t stupid, we have power. But again, it can’t be an EU thing.
Why can't it be an EU thing? You have more or less described the purpose of the EU.
Brexit supporters keep reinventing the EU in the same way that tech bros keep reinventing public transport.
Remember when they used to call the EU the EUSSR?
Ah, nostalgia. The Rotterdam effect, "Love Europe hate the EU", commissars, diktats, bendy bananas/cucumbers, "we hold all the cards", "the German car manufacturers will come to our aid", "350million: let's give it to the EU", "Bollocks to Brexit - it's not a done deal" by the Pimlico Plumbers, jumpers for goalposts...
They need to do one of those Top 40 Brexit Moments nostalgia shows for the 10 year anniversary next summer.
With number one being Putin achieving his dream of Brexit.
Would you give up a prized, long-held policy position of your own if Putin happened to agree with it?
I can't think of an example. What do you have in mind?
It's hypothetical. Say he called us undemocratic and suggested we opted for proportional representation, and you agreed. Would you vote against in a future PR referendum, or would you stick two fingers up to his meddling and vote for what you believed in? What if he criticised our having a monarchy and you were a republican like TSE? And so on...
Neither suggestion seems likely to fracture our national politics, or fragment European unity. Putin's take on either would be essentially irrelevant.
I think you need a more plausible example.
No example is required. I don't let Putin tell me how to vote. And I don't let him tell me how not to. And you wouldn't either. It's just a fun stick to bash leavers with. Fun but hollow.
Sure, but do you deny that breaking up the EU and NATO have been long term objectives of Putin? And did you ever wonder why?
Wasn't the remainer narrative that Brexit strengthened the EU by bringing it together?
"Leaked files ‘show US wants to persuade four nations to leave EU’
The countries seen as targets to follow Brexit are Austria, Hungary, Italy and Poland, according to leaked details of the US national security strategy"
That's a USA Christian Nationalist geopolitical theme, which I heard some months ago from a USA commentator suggesting that from analysing the views of someone like Scott Bessant or Eldridge Colby or JD Vance. But I can't put a name to the commentator. It was discussed in the Ukraine the Latest podcast earlier.
It is based on their idea that UK France Germany Sweden etc are going Islamist in 30 years or so (obvious nuts, but they ARE nuts), and that to contain Russia they need an Eastern chain of still-Christian (ie still white) countries from N-S along the borders of Russia - so Poland etc. And then they can ignore anything West of that.
It is BS because their analysis of Europe is based on their assumptions themselves based on USA white nationalist culture - like the nostrums about no free speech in Europe, London the Islamist city because it has a Muslim mayor about whom Trump has tantrums, abortion being an existential evil and so on.
They take their own commonplaces viewed from inside the Usonian silo too seriously, but Yanks always have done.
It will fail because the Eastern Europeans know that Europe requires unity throughout, and we can't afford to be divided - even if in their view Western Europeans sit on our arses.
The UK's Muslim population has grown ninefold in the past 30 years. I don't see this trend reversing. Muslim majority in 30 years seems plausible.
The first time the religious ID question was asked in the census was in 2001 when the Muslim population was 3% or around 1.5mn people. In 2021 the number was around 6.5% or 4mn people. So the share has more or less doubled in 20 years. There is no plausible population scenario under which Muslims would be a majority of the UK population in 30 years, especially as fertility rates among Muslim women are declining over time and as the Muslim population ages you will start to see deaths catching up with births, so the growth in the percentage share of the population will slow. I'd be interested in seeing the source for your claim.
I would counter: A quick Google had the Muslim population in 1995 at c. 500,000. We're now at 4.5m. That's where I got ninefold from, though the 1995 figure was vague. I think it sounds aboit right though.
I'm not arguing that we will get there through birth rates, but through immigration. The more Muslims come here, the more attractive a destination it is for Muslims. There are more likely to be the sort of initial connections which lead to migration. It strikes me this is an exponential process. There are no shortages of individuals in Muslim.countries with both push and pull factors motivating them to the UK. Both the raw numbers and the push/pull favtors have grown in the last 30 years. If you'd said in 1995 that the Muslim.population would have grown from half a milliom to 4.5m, you would have been equally accused of frothery.
No comments on this post? Don't know if confiscating Russian assets is a game changer, but it'll certainly make the Russians hopping mad. It's been a long time coming, and frankly I didn't think the EU would ever do it. I'm not normally a fan of the EU, but all credit to them if this is enacted.
Are there any alternatives to the EU as a bulwark for European interests that you are a fan of?
I posted on the old thread by a mistake that maybe Europe needs its own “UN” outwith the EU where it can listen to all European voices but not be a tool of the EU. Europe has huge social capital, soft power, vast financial power and can be a huge military (defensive preferably) power but it has to be outside of the EU.
This European UN can speak as a voice to China and the US, shorn of any concept of being a lapdog to the US so can perhaps be taken more at face value by Africa and Asia. We should be leveraging that if you want to deal with Europe (and that is the whole of Europe) you need to listen. But Europe needs to regain its self confidence, three countries effectively ruled most of the world, we aren’t weak, we aren’t stupid, we have power. But again, it can’t be an EU thing.
Why can't it be an EU thing? You have more or less described the purpose of the EU.
Brexit supporters keep reinventing the EU in the same way that tech bros keep reinventing public transport.
Remember when they used to call the EU the EUSSR?
Ah, nostalgia. The Rotterdam effect, "Love Europe hate the EU", commissars, diktats, bendy bananas/cucumbers, "we hold all the cards", "the German car manufacturers will come to our aid", "350million: let's give it to the EU", "Bollocks to Brexit - it's not a done deal" by the Pimlico Plumbers, jumpers for goalposts...
They need to do one of those Top 40 Brexit Moments nostalgia shows for the 10 year anniversary next summer.
With number one being Putin achieving his dream of Brexit.
Would you give up a prized, long-held policy position of your own if Putin happened to agree with it?
I can't think of an example. What do you have in mind?
It's hypothetical. Say he called us undemocratic and suggested we opted for proportional representation, and you agreed. Would you vote against in a future PR referendum, or would you stick two fingers up to his meddling and vote for what you believed in? What if he criticised our having a monarchy and you were a republican like TSE? And so on...
Neither suggestion seems likely to fracture our national politics, or fragment European unity. Putin's take on either would be essentially irrelevant.
I think you need a more plausible example.
No example is required. I don't let Putin tell me how to vote. And I don't let him tell me how not to. And you wouldn't either. It's just a fun stick to bash leavers with. Fun but hollow.
Sure, but do you deny that breaking up the EU and NATO have been long term objectives of Putin? And did you ever wonder why?
Wasn't the remainer narrative that Brexit strengthened the EU by bringing it together?
Not something that I recall evrr saying. Indeed I think Brexit damaged the rEU nearly as much as it did the UK.
It is refreshing to hear Brexiterrs concede that Brexit was one of Putin's foreign policy goals. They generally are reluctant to do so, even when bribed by Putin like Nathan Gill.
No comments on this post? Don't know if confiscating Russian assets is a game changer, but it'll certainly make the Russians hopping mad. It's been a long time coming, and frankly I didn't think the EU would ever do it. I'm not normally a fan of the EU, but all credit to them if this is enacted.
Are there any alternatives to the EU as a bulwark for European interests that you are a fan of?
I posted on the old thread by a mistake that maybe Europe needs its own “UN” outwith the EU where it can listen to all European voices but not be a tool of the EU. Europe has huge social capital, soft power, vast financial power and can be a huge military (defensive preferably) power but it has to be outside of the EU.
This European UN can speak as a voice to China and the US, shorn of any concept of being a lapdog to the US so can perhaps be taken more at face value by Africa and Asia. We should be leveraging that if you want to deal with Europe (and that is the whole of Europe) you need to listen. But Europe needs to regain its self confidence, three countries effectively ruled most of the world, we aren’t weak, we aren’t stupid, we have power. But again, it can’t be an EU thing.
Why can't it be an EU thing? You have more or less described the purpose of the EU.
Brexit supporters keep reinventing the EU in the same way that tech bros keep reinventing public transport.
Remember when they used to call the EU the EUSSR?
Ah, nostalgia. The Rotterdam effect, "Love Europe hate the EU", commissars, diktats, bendy bananas/cucumbers, "we hold all the cards", "the German car manufacturers will come to our aid", "350million: let's give it to the EU", "Bollocks to Brexit - it's not a done deal" by the Pimlico Plumbers, jumpers for goalposts...
They need to do one of those Top 40 Brexit Moments nostalgia shows for the 10 year anniversary next summer.
With number one being Putin achieving his dream of Brexit.
Would you give up a prized, long-held policy position of your own if Putin happened to agree with it?
I can't think of an example. What do you have in mind?
It's hypothetical. Say he called us undemocratic and suggested we opted for proportional representation, and you agreed. Would you vote against in a future PR referendum, or would you stick two fingers up to his meddling and vote for what you believed in? What if he criticised our having a monarchy and you were a republican like TSE? And so on...
Neither suggestion seems likely to fracture our national politics, or fragment European unity. Putin's take on either would be essentially irrelevant.
I think you need a more plausible example.
No example is required. I don't let Putin tell me how to vote. And I don't let him tell me how not to. And you wouldn't either. It's just a fun stick to bash leavers with. Fun but hollow.
Sure, but do you deny that breaking up the EU and NATO have been long term objectives of Putin? And did you ever wonder why?
Do you agree that ejecting Western countries from geopolitically strategic territory around the world is one of his long-term objectives?
Absolutely. Thats why he was cock a hoop over Brexit, and even more so over the election of Trump.
No comments on this post? Don't know if confiscating Russian assets is a game changer, but it'll certainly make the Russians hopping mad. It's been a long time coming, and frankly I didn't think the EU would ever do it. I'm not normally a fan of the EU, but all credit to them if this is enacted.
Are there any alternatives to the EU as a bulwark for European interests that you are a fan of?
I posted on the old thread by a mistake that maybe Europe needs its own “UN” outwith the EU where it can listen to all European voices but not be a tool of the EU. Europe has huge social capital, soft power, vast financial power and can be a huge military (defensive preferably) power but it has to be outside of the EU.
This European UN can speak as a voice to China and the US, shorn of any concept of being a lapdog to the US so can perhaps be taken more at face value by Africa and Asia. We should be leveraging that if you want to deal with Europe (and that is the whole of Europe) you need to listen. But Europe needs to regain its self confidence, three countries effectively ruled most of the world, we aren’t weak, we aren’t stupid, we have power. But again, it can’t be an EU thing.
Why can't it be an EU thing? You have more or less described the purpose of the EU.
Brexit supporters keep reinventing the EU in the same way that tech bros keep reinventing public transport.
Remember when they used to call the EU the EUSSR?
Ah, nostalgia. The Rotterdam effect, "Love Europe hate the EU", commissars, diktats, bendy bananas/cucumbers, "we hold all the cards", "the German car manufacturers will come to our aid", "350million: let's give it to the EU", "Bollocks to Brexit - it's not a done deal" by the Pimlico Plumbers, jumpers for goalposts...
They need to do one of those Top 40 Brexit Moments nostalgia shows for the 10 year anniversary next summer.
With number one being Putin achieving his dream of Brexit.
Surely, number one is the bus? Everyone still talks about the bloody bus...
I've heard a lot of hardcore remainer talk in real life, but I have never heard the bus mentioned outside of the internet.
A lot of anecdotes sound pretty fake, but I can't discount them after [anecdote alert] I was immediately asked what I thought about Brexit by a Belgian tourist in Greece, once they discovered I was British. I then made non-committal sounds and vague agreement as they and their British friends talked about Brits getting angry about being in the non-EU passport lines and so on.
Particularly after this long I never expected to have so immediate a conversation with a stranger.
"Leaked files ‘show US wants to persuade four nations to leave EU’
The countries seen as targets to follow Brexit are Austria, Hungary, Italy and Poland, according to leaked details of the US national security strategy"
That's a USA Christian Nationalist geopolitical theme, which I heard some months ago from a USA commentator suggesting that from analysing the views of someone like Scott Bessant or Eldridge Colby or JD Vance. But I can't put a name to the commentator. It was discussed in the Ukraine the Latest podcast earlier.
It is based on their idea that UK France Germany Sweden etc are going Islamist in 30 years or so (obvious nuts, but they ARE nuts), and that to contain Russia they need an Eastern chain of still-Christian (ie still white) countries from N-S along the borders of Russia - so Poland etc. And then they can ignore anything West of that.
It is BS because their analysis of Europe is based on their assumptions themselves based on USA white nationalist culture - like the nostrums about no free speech in Europe, London the Islamist city because it has a Muslim mayor about whom Trump has tantrums, abortion being an existential evil and so on.
They take their own commonplaces viewed from inside the Usonian silo too seriously, but Yanks always have done.
It will fail because the Eastern Europeans know that Europe requires unity throughout, and we can't afford to be divided - even if in their view Western Europeans sit on our arses.
The UK's Muslim population has grown ninefold in the past 30 years. I don't see this trend reversing. Muslim majority in 30 years seems plausible.
The first time the religious ID question was asked in the census was in 2001 when the Muslim population was 3% or around 1.5mn people. In 2021 the number was around 6.5% or 4mn people. So the share has more or less doubled in 20 years. There is no plausible population scenario under which Muslims would be a majority of the UK population in 30 years, especially as fertility rates among Muslim women are declining over time and as the Muslim population ages you will start to see deaths catching up with births, so the growth in the percentage share of the population will slow. I'd be interested in seeing the source for your claim.
I would counter: A quick Google had the Muslim population in 1995 at c. 500,000. We're now at 4.5m. That's where I got ninefold from, though the 1995 figure was vague. I think it sounds aboit right though.
I'm not arguing that we will get there through birth rates, but through immigration. The more Muslims come here, the more attractive a destination it is for Muslims. There are more likely to be the sort of initial connections which lead to migration. It strikes me this is an exponential process. There are no shortages of individuals in Muslim.countries with both push and pull factors motivating them to the UK. Both the raw numbers and the push/pull favtors have grown in the last 30 years. If you'd said in 1995 that the Muslim.population would have grown from half a milliom to 4.5m, you would have been equally accused of frothery.
I think 500k in 1995 is wrong.
Checking, the 1990 number is quoted as around 1 million (no religion question in census). And the 2001 census, which had a religion question, was 1.59 million.
"Leaked files ‘show US wants to persuade four nations to leave EU’
The countries seen as targets to follow Brexit are Austria, Hungary, Italy and Poland, according to leaked details of the US national security strategy"
That's a USA Christian Nationalist geopolitical theme, which I heard some months ago from a USA commentator suggesting that from analysing the views of someone like Scott Bessant or Eldridge Colby or JD Vance. But I can't put a name to the commentator. It was discussed in the Ukraine the Latest podcast earlier.
It is based on their idea that UK France Germany Sweden etc are going Islamist in 30 years or so (obvious nuts, but they ARE nuts), and that to contain Russia they need an Eastern chain of still-Christian (ie still white) countries from N-S along the borders of Russia - so Poland etc. And then they can ignore anything West of that.
It is BS because their analysis of Europe is based on their assumptions themselves based on USA white nationalist culture - like the nostrums about no free speech in Europe, London the Islamist city because it has a Muslim mayor about whom Trump has tantrums, abortion being an existential evil and so on.
They take their own commonplaces viewed from inside the Usonian silo too seriously, but Yanks always have done.
It will fail because the Eastern Europeans know that Europe requires unity throughout, and we can't afford to be divided - even if in their view Western Europeans sit on our arses.
The UK's Muslim population has grown ninefold in the past 30 years. I don't see this trend reversing. Muslim majority in 30 years seems plausible.
The first time the religious ID question was asked in the census was in 2001 when the Muslim population was 3% or around 1.5mn people. In 2021 the number was around 6.5% or 4mn people. So the share has more or less doubled in 20 years. There is no plausible population scenario under which Muslims would be a majority of the UK population in 30 years, especially as fertility rates among Muslim women are declining over time and as the Muslim population ages you will start to see deaths catching up with births, so the growth in the percentage share of the population will slow. I'd be interested in seeing the source for your claim.
I would counter: A quick Google had the Muslim population in 1995 at c. 500,000. We're now at 4.5m. That's where I got ninefold from, though the 1995 figure was vague. I think it sounds aboit right though.
I'm not arguing that we will get there through birth rates, but through immigration. The more Muslims come here, the more attractive a destination it is for Muslims. There are more likely to be the sort of initial connections which lead to migration. It strikes me this is an exponential process. There are no shortages of individuals in Muslim.countries with both push and pull factors motivating them to the UK. Both the raw numbers and the push/pull favtors have grown in the last 30 years. If you'd said in 1995 that the Muslim.population would have grown from half a milliom to 4.5m, you would have been equally accused of frothery.
That doesn't match the UK census number - in 1991, it was 950,000.
"Leaked files ‘show US wants to persuade four nations to leave EU’
The countries seen as targets to follow Brexit are Austria, Hungary, Italy and Poland, according to leaked details of the US national security strategy"
That's a USA Christian Nationalist geopolitical theme, which I heard some months ago from a USA commentator suggesting that from analysing the views of someone like Scott Bessant or Eldridge Colby or JD Vance. But I can't put a name to the commentator. It was discussed in the Ukraine the Latest podcast earlier.
It is based on their idea that UK France Germany Sweden etc are going Islamist in 30 years or so (obvious nuts, but they ARE nuts), and that to contain Russia they need an Eastern chain of still-Christian (ie still white) countries from N-S along the borders of Russia - so Poland etc. And then they can ignore anything West of that.
It is BS because their analysis of Europe is based on their assumptions themselves based on USA white nationalist culture - like the nostrums about no free speech in Europe, London the Islamist city because it has a Muslim mayor about whom Trump has tantrums, abortion being an existential evil and so on.
They take their own commonplaces viewed from inside the Usonian silo too seriously, but Yanks always have done.
It will fail because the Eastern Europeans know that Europe requires unity throughout, and we can't afford to be divided - even if in their view Western Europeans sit on our arses.
The UK's Muslim population has grown ninefold in the past 30 years. I don't see this trend reversing. Muslim majority in 30 years seems plausible.
The first time the religious ID question was asked in the census was in 2001 when the Muslim population was 3% or around 1.5mn people. In 2021 the number was around 6.5% or 4mn people. So the share has more or less doubled in 20 years. There is no plausible population scenario under which Muslims would be a majority of the UK population in 30 years, especially as fertility rates among Muslim women are declining over time and as the Muslim population ages you will start to see deaths catching up with births, so the growth in the percentage share of the population will slow. I'd be interested in seeing the source for your claim.
I would counter: A quick Google had the Muslim population in 1995 at c. 500,000. We're now at 4.5m. That's where I got ninefold from, though the 1995 figure was vague. I think it sounds aboit right though.
I'm not arguing that we will get there through birth rates, but through immigration. The more Muslims come here, the more attractive a destination it is for Muslims. There are more likely to be the sort of initial connections which lead to migration. It strikes me this is an exponential process. There are no shortages of individuals in Muslim.countries with both push and pull factors motivating them to the UK. Both the raw numbers and the push/pull favtors have grown in the last 30 years. If you'd said in 1995 that the Muslim.population would have grown from half a milliom to 4.5m, you would have been equally accused of frothery.
There were nearly 1.6 million Muslims in Britain in the 2001 census. Do you really think the number more than tripled between 1995 and 2001?
No comments on this post? Don't know if confiscating Russian assets is a game changer, but it'll certainly make the Russians hopping mad. It's been a long time coming, and frankly I didn't think the EU would ever do it. I'm not normally a fan of the EU, but all credit to them if this is enacted.
Are there any alternatives to the EU as a bulwark for European interests that you are a fan of?
I posted on the old thread by a mistake that maybe Europe needs its own “UN” outwith the EU where it can listen to all European voices but not be a tool of the EU. Europe has huge social capital, soft power, vast financial power and can be a huge military (defensive preferably) power but it has to be outside of the EU.
This European UN can speak as a voice to China and the US, shorn of any concept of being a lapdog to the US so can perhaps be taken more at face value by Africa and Asia. We should be leveraging that if you want to deal with Europe (and that is the whole of Europe) you need to listen. But Europe needs to regain its self confidence, three countries effectively ruled most of the world, we aren’t weak, we aren’t stupid, we have power. But again, it can’t be an EU thing.
Why can't it be an EU thing? You have more or less described the purpose of the EU.
Because the EU isn’t for everyone. Shorn of its role in regulation, laws, finance, commerce, trade a European UN would be a pure geopolitics entity. The UN worked despite it not being like the EU as its efforts are focussed elsewhere than micromanaging its members.
Whilst I get you are a remainer (this isn’t a dig at all) would you not see that maybe a pan European organisation which is inclusive of the UK, Norway, Switzerland would be a useful force projection? If not then what is the point of the UN or any other bloc.
Norway is in the EEA and very tied into the EU. Switzerland effectively negotiated some special clauses, but are for most purposes in the EEA and very tied into the EU. We would do better trying to get a Swiss-like deal and working with the EU. Now is not the time to be trying to design a rival structure.
The Swiss like deal wouldn’t be even open to the Swiss again if they tried it from scratch. It was a process of attrition with the Swiss government hiding behind the people wouldn’t accept a referendum on it so, we end up with the cake and eating it. It was never on the table for us.
It’s a deal you offer a concubine, a bit on the side that you want to keep sweet, not one you have just gone through a bitter divorce with.
We're a much more important export market for the EU than Switzerland is.
They stuck to their guns, it’s Free Movement or FO. So we decided to FO. It has done neither of us any good. A mutually poorer agreement. All we ever wanted was to buy and sell our widgets, and later services with our European competitors as easily as possible. Don’t say it loud… but I liked the Single Market, it imposed Thatcherite like constraints on State interference in economic activity (unfortunately it also facilitated the EU to regulate the joy out of life with impunity.
I can see no godly reason why frictionless movement of goods and services could not be achieved without free movement of labour. But it was a line in the sand.
"Leaked files ‘show US wants to persuade four nations to leave EU’
The countries seen as targets to follow Brexit are Austria, Hungary, Italy and Poland, according to leaked details of the US national security strategy"
That's a USA Christian Nationalist geopolitical theme, which I heard some months ago from a USA commentator suggesting that from analysing the views of someone like Scott Bessant or Eldridge Colby or JD Vance. But I can't put a name to the commentator. It was discussed in the Ukraine the Latest podcast earlier.
It is based on their idea that UK France Germany Sweden etc are going Islamist in 30 years or so (obvious nuts, but they ARE nuts), and that to contain Russia they need an Eastern chain of still-Christian (ie still white) countries from N-S along the borders of Russia - so Poland etc. And then they can ignore anything West of that.
It is BS because their analysis of Europe is based on their assumptions themselves based on USA white nationalist culture - like the nostrums about no free speech in Europe, London the Islamist city because it has a Muslim mayor about whom Trump has tantrums, abortion being an existential evil and so on.
They take their own commonplaces viewed from inside the Usonian silo too seriously, but Yanks always have done.
It will fail because the Eastern Europeans know that Europe requires unity throughout, and we can't afford to be divided - even if in their view Western Europeans sit on our arses.
The UK's Muslim population has grown ninefold in the past 30 years. I don't see this trend reversing. Muslim majority in 30 years seems plausible.
The first time the religious ID question was asked in the census was in 2001 when the Muslim population was 3% or around 1.5mn people. In 2021 the number was around 6.5% or 4mn people. So the share has more or less doubled in 20 years. There is no plausible population scenario under which Muslims would be a majority of the UK population in 30 years, especially as fertility rates among Muslim women are declining over time and as the Muslim population ages you will start to see deaths catching up with births, so the growth in the percentage share of the population will slow. I'd be interested in seeing the source for your claim.
I would counter: A quick Google had the Muslim population in 1995 at c. 500,000. We're now at 4.5m. That's where I got ninefold from, though the 1995 figure was vague. I think it sounds aboit right though.
I'm not arguing that we will get there through birth rates, but through immigration. The more Muslims come here, the more attractive a destination it is for Muslims. There are more likely to be the sort of initial connections which lead to migration. It strikes me this is an exponential process. There are no shortages of individuals in Muslim.countries with both push and pull factors motivating them to the UK. Both the raw numbers and the push/pull favtors have grown in the last 30 years. If you'd said in 1995 that the Muslim.population would have grown from half a milliom to 4.5m, you would have been equally accused of frothery.
I think 500k in 1995 is wrong.
Checking, the 1990 number is quoted as around 1 million (no religion question in census). And the 2001 census, which had a religion question, was 1.59 million.
So a rapid increase, but nothing like ninefold.
It's also notable that the pace of increase has slowed markedly: between 2011 and 2021 there was a smaller percentage point increase (1.5 percentage points) than between 2001 and 2011 (2.1).
Comments
https://pollingreport.uk/articles/nop-poll-of-british-muslims
The idea that they are some monolithic block is in itself an Islamophobic predjudice. Its like when Trumpists claim that Khan wants Sharia Law and the Burka in London, or Mamdani in NYC. Neither of their wives wear headscarves etc.
By copying and pasting a cartoon you have turned Europe's leaders from weak to strong.
We can expect Donald Tusk to launch military action tomorrow.
One of President Trump’s political advisors Alex Bruesewitz promises primary challengers for those up in 2026:
@alexbruesewitz
The spineless RINOs in Indiana, many hailing from districts where President Trump won by over 20% just last November have stabbed their own voters in the back and sold out America!
We'll be launching primary challenges against every last traitor who voted no, effective immediately!
Pack your bags, your time is up!
https://x.com/alexbruesewitz/status/1999234297102823746?s=20
Edit: Damn! OKC beat me to it!
https://youtu.be/mXl1mlLB3Hk?t=23
https://www.thetimes.com/uk/environment/article/pensioner-fined-litter-officers-0jtsvwtvz
The thing that would really turn the situation around would be backing Ukraine sufficiently vigorously that they would win the war against Russia.
It's a choice.
Its a variant on Sir Humphrey's guide to doing nothing.
Q: Can you explain what's going on with the bandages on Trump's hand?
LEAVITT: We've given you an explanation. The president is literally constantly shaking hands.
https://x.com/atrupar/status/1999189445782745353
Everything’s always a “deal”with him. I’m surprised people are always surprised with what he says. Look at what he does.
Putin gets what he wants. Trump gets his reward.
According to Reuters, the United States has informed European NATO allies that it no longer intends to provide conventional assets for Europe’s defence after 2027.
While this approach is not entirely new, the combination of a clear deadline and the new National Security Strategy raises the question of whether Washington has fully thought through the implications.
As a thought experiment, I attempted to estimate what it would actually cost the United States to withdraw its conventional military assets from Europe...
https://x.com/EerikNKross/status/1999160247475183851
Budapexit
Romexit
Exit Pole
Ah yes, what we need is Strong Leaders!
"Exclusive: Global Airlines CEO Shares Why His A380 Has Been Grounded For Nearly 6 Months"
President Trump has made it clear to Indiana leaders: if the Indiana Senate fails to pass the map, all federal funding will be stripped from the state.
Roads will not be paved. Guard bases will close. Major projects will stop. These are the stakes and every NO vote will be to blame.
https://x.com/Heritage_Action/status/1999141506473509071
The other seat is Fort William and Ardnamurchan. A massive ward which takes you more than 2 hours to drive the full length. This should go to the Lib dems fairly easily. The ward lies within Kate Forbes constituency, and counting is tomorrow morning
Which means that each month a small amount is added to my donation to the next PB funding appeal, and I can maintain the collective blood pressure by posting the occasional full article link.
They sent JD Vance to Indiana and they were like never do that to us again
https://bsky.app/profile/kleinman.bsky.social/post/3m7qk4fnvt222
PB is suffering from a fascinating level of double think where simultaneously Trump is bad for saying Europe's leaders are weak but Europe having strong leaders would be bad.
You'd have a ready-made European-led military alliance, the US would no longer be on the hook for defending Europe, and Putin would no longer be able to complain about it being a trojan horse for America.
He's currently worried that a strong European leader would go all Pol Pot on us.
Not to mention generals such as McArthur and Marshal.
It’s odd. Many on here were having woodies over Magic Grandpa 9 years ago. His views on NATO and Russia are very much aligned with Trump. And yet somehow not that’s wrong?
But at least they got rid of a woke font, so it’s all been worthwhile!
Leaving NATO and giving Ukraine to Russia were and still are strongly held beliefs within the Labour Party. Oh yes - and the supposedly “progressive” Greens.
So what is it? Defend individual European nations’ history, culture, freedom and institutions by vehemently asserting their superiority over the alternatives? Or would that be too imperialistic or “racist”? Maybe we should be inclusive and progressive and admit we have no right to say we are superior.
It’s a deal you offer a concubine, a bit on the side that you want to keep sweet, not one you have just gone through a bitter divorce with.
(And they are well aware that Trump would in any event veto NATO membership.)
https://ballotbox.scot/preview-whitburn-blackburn-2025/
LD first prefs last time with a big maj, so no change really when they win (SNP vacating, but from lower down the slate). BUT a Reform candidate this time, though I'd be surprised if it made much difference.
https://ballotbox.scot/preview-fwa-2025/
It weakens the EU and turns us on each other. That has been Putin's prime foreign objective since he took power.
..All the additional info you'll need to give as a tourist eligible for ESTA (meaning those tourists who don't need a visa, for instance from EU, UK, Australia, Japan, and other Visa Waiver countries):
- All social media accounts from the last 5 years
- All your biometrics: face, fingerprint, DNA, and iris
- All your phone numbers from the last 5 years
- All your email addresses from the last 10 years
- IP addresses and metadata from your submitted photos
- Names of your family members (parents, spouse, siblings, children)
- All your family members' phone numbers from the last 5 years
- Your family members' dates of birth
- Your family members' places of birth
- Your family members' residencies
- All your business phone numbers from the last 5 years
- All your business email addresses from the last 10 years..
https://x.com/RnaudBertrand/status/1999106956171350252
Did you not notice that of the last decade ?
He doesn’t care about our internal outcomes. He just wants to shit stir.
I don't expect Reform to make as near as much headway in the Fort William seat, maybe Santa will get them some decent candidates for Holyrood. Listening to a podcast earlier today, the thinking was Farage would do well to drop one of his previous policies to scrap the Barrett formula, will be interesting to see where they pitch their manifesto
https://news.gallup.com/poll/1624/perceptions-foreign-countries.aspx
The Loser disagrees with most Americans on who our friends are. (Or, he may have no fixed opinions on the question, and is being manipulated by Putin, Xi, and some of his more vile advisors.)
EXC: Keir Starmer blocked from recreating TikTok Love Actually moment
No 10 scrapped plans for the PM to use famous song from Hugh Grant’s Downing Street dance in his debut TikTok video
https://x.com/harriet_symonds/status/1999124924321960118?s=46&t=CW4pL-mMpTqsJXCdjW0Z6Q
And they call Brexiteers thick?
Putin's take on either would be essentially irrelevant.
I think you need a more plausible example.
WMMV (william's mileage may vary).
A quick Google had the Muslim population in 1995 at c. 500,000. We're now at 4.5m. That's where I got ninefold from, though the 1995 figure was vague. I think it sounds aboit right though.
I'm not arguing that we will get there through birth rates, but through immigration. The more Muslims come here, the more attractive a destination it is for Muslims. There are more likely to be the sort of initial connections which lead to migration. It strikes me this is an exponential process.
There are no shortages of individuals in Muslim.countries with both push and pull factors motivating them to the UK. Both the raw numbers and the push/pull favtors have grown in the last 30 years.
If you'd said in 1995 that the Muslim.population would have grown from half a milliom to 4.5m, you would have been equally accused of frothery.
It is refreshing to hear Brexiterrs concede that Brexit was one of Putin's foreign policy goals. They generally are reluctant to do so, even when bribed by Putin like Nathan Gill.
Particularly after this long I never expected to have so immediate a conversation with a stranger.
Checking, the 1990 number is quoted as around 1 million (no religion question in census).
And the 2001 census, which had a religion question, was 1.59 million.
So a rapid increase, but nothing like ninefold.
I can see no godly reason why frictionless movement of goods and services could not be achieved without free movement of labour. But it was a line in the sand.
Tory hold
Con 630 (47%)
Reform 431 (32%)
Lab 127 (9%)
Lib dem 99 (7%)
Green 64 (5%)