I spoke to my family's Iranian heritage friends who have been giving me the grim updates about the regime.
In short the Americans and Israelis have the lost the Iranian people, the indiscriminate bombing and sheer nastiness of the targeting shows this isn't about nukes.
They never thought they'd cheer the fact that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is alive, somebody needs to explain how somebody who is nearly 70, been out of power for years, has nothing to do with the nuclear plans now was targeted?
It has damaged the dissident movement, it has allowed the Mullahs to say the dissidents are the Zionist's useful idiots.
For balance, I spoke to a school friend of my son's mum at the gate on Tuesday - who is a first generation migrant from Iran and visited family there as recently as early January - and she was clearly very happy about what had happened.
But will she be in 12 months time? I really don't know, but I might guess she could be disappointed.
I spoke to my family's Iranian heritage friends who have been giving me the grim updates about the regime.
In short the Americans and Israelis have the lost the Iranian people, the indiscriminate bombing and sheer nastiness of the targeting shows this isn't about nukes.
They never thought they'd cheer the fact that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is alive, somebody needs to explain how somebody who is nearly 70, been out of power for years, has nothing to do with the nuclear plans now was targeted?
It has damaged the dissident movement, it has allowed the Mullahs to say the dissidents are the Zionist's useful idiots.
For balance, I spoke to a school friend of my son's mum at the gate on Tuesday - who is a first generation migrant from Iran and visited family there as recently as early January - and she was clearly very happy about what had happened.
I have no doubt there’s plenty of Iranians who are happy with things particularly with the death of Khamenei.
My fear is that long term this does more harm than good.
I remember during the Iraq-Iran war Shia dominated Basra stuck with Saddam, this rallying behind the flag works.
Actually really quiet on the local front, the enemy does appear to be unable to launch stuff in anything like previous quantities. Well done to all involved in neutralising the threat, and to Ukraine for discussing technology transfers in exchange for some of the modern long-range weapons!
Still not sure what Starmer’s up to, it appears that our own warships are the only boats HMG can prevent from crossing the Channel.
Oh, and that new $599 MacBook Neo is about to kill Microsoft and the cheap Windows laptop market. I might buy one for my parents, would drop the tech support calls by 90% overnight!
Apple are taking the piss now, my new MacBook Pro is going to cost £7,349 and they no longer supply a powe adapter, they expect me to pay £99 for the privilege.
Still who doesn't need a laptop with 128 GB unified memory?
Badenoch is getting all her advice from the Telegraph. She'd be more effective looking at the polls. I have to say Nick Robinsons eisceration has been very effective.
Actually really quiet on the local front, the enemy does appear to be unable to launch stuff in anything like previous quantities. Well done to all involved in neutralising the threat, and to Ukraine for discussing technology transfers in exchange for some of the modern long-range weapons!
Still not sure what Starmer’s up to, it appears that our own warships are the only boats HMG can prevent from crossing the Channel.
Oh, and that new $599 MacBook Neo is about to kill Microsoft and the cheap Windows laptop market. I might buy one for my parents, would drop the tech support calls by 90% overnight!
Apple are taking the piss now, my new MacBook Pro is going to cost £7,349 and they no longer supply a powe adapter, they expect me to pay £99 for the privilege.
Still who doesn't need a laptop with 128 GB unified memory?
I spoke to my family's Iranian heritage friends who have been giving me the grim updates about the regime.
In short the Americans and Israelis have the lost the Iranian people, the indiscriminate bombing and sheer nastiness of the targeting shows this isn't about nukes.
They never thought they'd cheer the fact that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is alive, somebody needs to explain how somebody who is nearly 70, been out of power for years, has nothing to do with the nuclear plans now was targeted?
It has damaged the dissident movement, it has allowed the Mullahs to say the dissidents are the Zionist's useful idiots.
And I've spoken to Iranians in exile (not just "heritage" friends, who happen to share my exact political opinions) who say the precise opposite and cheer regime change.
What we have here is Trump Derangement Syndrome on an absolutely epic scale and, because Israel is involved, that being supercharged on steroids.
The heritage term is a catch all term for exiles and their families/friends who were born in the UK.
I think you're full of shit.
Go back on the previous threads earlier on this year, I’ve been posting about those same people talking about the atrocities of the Iranian regime.
These people didn’t magically appear after the war started.
And I (as well as @Sandpit ) have heard from plenty of Iranian exiles saying the exact opposite, who have also talked extensively about the atrocities of the Iranian regime who are doing anything but cheering the Mullahs.
It's a ridiculous thing to say. Tens of thousands of them have been killed trying to overthrow them in the last 6-8 weeks.
I spoke to my family's Iranian heritage friends who have been giving me the grim updates about the regime.
In short the Americans and Israelis have the lost the Iranian people, the indiscriminate bombing and sheer nastiness of the targeting shows this isn't about nukes.
They never thought they'd cheer the fact that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is alive, somebody needs to explain how somebody who is nearly 70, been out of power for years, has nothing to do with the nuclear plans now was targeted?
It has damaged the dissident movement, it has allowed the Mullahs to say the dissidents are the Zionist's useful idiots.
Entirely unsurprising. I think this whole bloody misadventure is what happens when a very clever Israeli regime and a very stupid American one get together.
"I spoke to some totally random people who I was shocked to learn completely agreed with me"
It's one of the oldest tricks in the book.
Lol.
'And I've spoken to Iranians in exile (not just "heritage" friends, who happen to share my exact political opinions) who say the precise opposite and cheer regime change.'
Two civilians have been injured by an Iranian drone attack in Azerbaijan, the Azerbaijan foreign ministry says.
Turkey yesterday, Azerbaijan today. Iran going full Millwall....no one likes us, we don't care....
I suspect they’re trying to close the airspace gap that runs through Azerbaijan and Georgia, between Iran and Ukraine. Close that and it’s a very long flight from Europe to Asia.
Actually really quiet on the local front, the enemy does appear to be unable to launch stuff in anything like previous quantities. Well done to all involved in neutralising the threat, and to Ukraine for discussing technology transfers in exchange for some of the modern long-range weapons!
Still not sure what Starmer’s up to, it appears that our own warships are the only boats HMG can prevent from crossing the Channel.
Oh, and that new $599 MacBook Neo is about to kill Microsoft and the cheap Windows laptop market. I might buy one for my parents, would drop the tech support calls by 90% overnight!
Apple are taking the piss now, my new MacBook Pro is going to cost £7,349 and they no longer supply a powe adapter, they expect me to pay £99 for the privilege.
Still who doesn't need a laptop with 128 GB unified memory?
(Spoiler: I am sticking with my MacBook Air.)
When you've lost TSE...
The guy who buys a workstation-spec laptop to browse pr0n and PB.
To accuse anyone sceptical of this war as being related to Trump is rather silly.
I am against this war entirely because it is not clear whatsoever what the end goal is.
It is an obvious and foolish repeat of past mistakes. But I freely admit to not liking Trump either.
I'm not sure I quite see it in those terms.
IF the aim is to remove the theocracy from power in Iran and replace it with some form of alternative agreed by the Iranian people, I get that and I understand it.
The presumption just because a state has a nuclear weapon they are going to use it applies to all nuclear powers including the US and what you would have in the Middle East, were Iran to gain nuclear weapons, would be a standoff analogous to Western Europe from 1945-89 with the pro-western Gulf States under the American nuclear umbrella just as the non-nuclear members of NATO are (or were depending on your perspective).
So, if it's not about nuclear weapons (which it isn't), is it about control of oil supplies? We may be getting warm here as the thrust of US foreign policy in the second Trump administration seems to be about securing oil for America which presumably guarantees economic prosperity and the likely re-election of the Republicans. To control Iranian oil (and to deny it to Russia or China in extremis) looks to this observer the motivation for all this.
As we've seen in Venezuela, that doesn't necessarily mean removing the old regime if the new regime is prepared to play ball - you can imagine an opportunist politician doing that but a cleric? No, the ideal must be an internal upheaval (the military?) which sidelines the theocracy and brings in a Government with which, to quote the Blessed Margaret, "we can do business".
That doesn't mean freedom (as we would understand it) for the Iranian people because they aren't important or rather their freedom isn't. What Washington (and I suspect most Governments in the region) would prefer is a stable functioning non-theocratic Government in Tehran and whether that's a monarchy, a constitutional republic or a military dictatorship is inconsequential. Said Government keeps Hormuz clear, the oil flowing and everyone (including the new Iranian Government) is happy with the consequent possibilties for business to invest in Iran and make a nice profit from stability (minus the back handers to the military rulers but that's part and parcel of business in many other parts of the world).
Actually really quiet on the local front, the enemy does appear to be unable to launch stuff in anything like previous quantities. Well done to all involved in neutralising the threat, and to Ukraine for discussing technology transfers in exchange for some of the modern long-range weapons!
Still not sure what Starmer’s up to, it appears that our own warships are the only boats HMG can prevent from crossing the Channel.
Oh, and that new $599 MacBook Neo is about to kill Microsoft and the cheap Windows laptop market. I might buy one for my parents, would drop the tech support calls by 90% overnight!
Apple are taking the piss now, my new MacBook Pro is going to cost £7,349 and they no longer supply a powe adapter, they expect me to pay £99 for the privilege.
Still who doesn't need a laptop with 128 GB unified memory?
(Spoiler: I am sticking with my MacBook Air.)
When you've lost TSE...
The guy who buys a workstation-spec laptop to browse pr0n and PB.
He buys workstation spec mobiles for reasons I’ve never got - you don’t need xTb of data on a phone - just enough for recent photos and music you see likely to listen to
Badenoch is way out of her depth. She's completely useless
Sunak would be a much better LOTO under the circumstances. Even Hunt and to a slightly lesser extent ex-MP Mordant have soiled themselves.
I am not claiming Starmer is any better. If leaked reports out of Westminster are right he f***** it up again only to be saved by his cabinet.
I don't know if you heard it but she was all over the place and Nick Robinson was being gentle. I think he felt sorry for her. He was trying to point out that her bullshitting would have consequences were she ever to become PM
Actually really quiet on the local front, the enemy does appear to be unable to launch stuff in anything like previous quantities. Well done to all involved in neutralising the threat, and to Ukraine for discussing technology transfers in exchange for some of the modern long-range weapons!
Still not sure what Starmer’s up to, it appears that our own warships are the only boats HMG can prevent from crossing the Channel.
Oh, and that new $599 MacBook Neo is about to kill Microsoft and the cheap Windows laptop market. I might buy one for my parents, would drop the tech support calls by 90% overnight!
Apple are taking the piss now, my new MacBook Pro is going to cost £7,349 and they no longer supply a powe adapter, they expect me to pay £99 for the privilege.
Still who doesn't need a laptop with 128 GB unified memory?
It strikes me as wholly unsurprising that Iranians who are not currently in Iran are likely to be more sanguine about what's going on than Iranians who are currently in Iran, particularly those in Tehran, regardless of what outcome they hope for.
The Telegraph really is a load of rubbish. How do they persuade intelligent...ish people to write this tripe? When you though Emma Barnett was as thick as you could get in the morning
I think that is the chap not the paper. He works for the Heritage Foundation.
Nile Gardiner is director of The Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom at The Heritage Foundation in Washington, DC, and a former aide to Lady Thatcher.
It strikes me as wholly unsurprising that Iranians who are not currently in Iran are likely to be more sanguine about what's going on than Iranians who are currently in Iran, particularly those in Tehran, regardless of what outcome they hope for.
See also chickenhawk Brits whose Parker Knolls are located in the UK rather than Tehran.
The dog that has not barked in the night time. JD Vance has said almost nothing about Trump's Iran war, just occasional lip-service support of the top man.
I think he's waiting to see if it's a complete clusterfuck.
Yond Vance has a hamster-cheeked and hungry look; He thinks too much. Such men are dangerous
Which would have the added benefit of dishing whatever chances (slim) his only rival for the nomination, Rubio, might have.
The Telegraph really is a load of rubbish. How do they persuade intelligent...ish people to write this tripe? When you though Emma Barnett was as thick as you could get in the morning
I think that is the chap not the paper. He works for the Heritage Foundation.
Nile Gardiner is director of The Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom at The Heritage Foundation in Washington, DC, and a former aide to Lady Thatcher.
Actually really quiet on the local front, the enemy does appear to be unable to launch stuff in anything like previous quantities. Well done to all involved in neutralising the threat, and to Ukraine for discussing technology transfers in exchange for some of the modern long-range weapons!
Still not sure what Starmer’s up to, it appears that our own warships are the only boats HMG can prevent from crossing the Channel.
Oh, and that new $599 MacBook Neo is about to kill Microsoft and the cheap Windows laptop market. I might buy one for my parents, would drop the tech support calls by 90% overnight!
Apple are taking the piss now, my new MacBook Pro is going to cost £7,349 and they no longer supply a powe adapter, they expect me to pay £99 for the privilege.
Still who doesn't need a laptop with 128 GB unified memory?
(Spoiler: I am sticking with my MacBook Air.)
Apple Twitter is very funny this morning, saying it’s a really low spec, only 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD etc etc.
The point is that tech bros are not the target market, their teenage kids and their parents are the target market. It’s not a dev machine and not for running AI engines locally, it’s for documents and web browsing, which is what most teenagers and retireds do with a computer.
Yes there’s still a $5,000 MBP available if that’s your requirement.
It is, one of the reasons I love Apple is the durability of their MacBooks, my father uses one of my old MacBooks from 2015, Windows laptops don't last that long.
I don't change my MacBooks when a new one comes out, unlike the iPhone, I usually go for an upgrade when there's something major like the M chips or a bigger screen
My iPhone upgrade was a big mistake. 15 Pro Max was better than 17 Pro Max.
Why?
Better camera and battery for starters.
Camera system isn't producing significantly better images despite the improved hardware. Think a chunk was software which had gone onto the 15 before I traded it.
Putting it simply Titanium felt premium and Aluminium doesn't. Probably should have just bought a magsafe battery pack for when I needed a booster.
Of all the people who should shut the fuck up about Middle East wars…
Has Tony "whiter than white" Blair opined yet?
"A day like today is not a day for soundbites, we can leave those at home, but I feel the hand of history upon our shoulder with respect to this, I really do."
I do not know what the people in Iran are thinking or even supporting, and sure there is anecdotal evidence from both sides
However, domestically the farce over the inability to protect Akotari and now the stranded Brits in Oman, whilst the media show Spanish flight arriving home with their citizens, is not a good look for HMG
Apple are taking the piss now, my new MacBook Pro is going to cost £7,349 and they no longer supply a powe adapter, they expect me to pay £99 for the privilege.
Still who doesn't need a laptop with 128 GB unified memory?
Actually really quiet on the local front, the enemy does appear to be unable to launch stuff in anything like previous quantities. Well done to all involved in neutralising the threat, and to Ukraine for discussing technology transfers in exchange for some of the modern long-range weapons!
Still not sure what Starmer’s up to, it appears that our own warships are the only boats HMG can prevent from crossing the Channel.
Oh, and that new $599 MacBook Neo is about to kill Microsoft and the cheap Windows laptop market. I might buy one for my parents, would drop the tech support calls by 90% overnight!
Apple are taking the piss now, my new MacBook Pro is going to cost £7,349 and they no longer supply a powe adapter, they expect me to pay £99 for the privilege.
Still who doesn't need a laptop with 128 GB unified memory?
I spoke to my family's Iranian heritage friends who have been giving me the grim updates about the regime.
In short the Americans and Israelis have the lost the Iranian people, the indiscriminate bombing and sheer nastiness of the targeting shows this isn't about nukes.
They never thought they'd cheer the fact that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is alive, somebody needs to explain how somebody who is nearly 70, been out of power for years, has nothing to do with the nuclear plans now was targeted?
It has damaged the dissident movement, it has allowed the Mullahs to say the dissidents are the Zionist's useful idiots.
And I've spoken to Iranians in exile (not just "heritage" friends, who happen to share my exact political opinions) who say the precise opposite and cheer regime change.
What we have here is Trump Derangement Syndrome on an absolutely epic scale and, because Israel is involved, that being supercharged on steroids.
Let's set aside whether regime change is legal or not.
Is this regime change? It wasn't in Venezuela - the regime continues with a new leader. And Iran has a new leader and the regime continues.
Is there a war plan for regime change? To be executed how? Who is to replace the regime?
I spoke to my family's Iranian heritage friends who have been giving me the grim updates about the regime.
In short the Americans and Israelis have the lost the Iranian people, the indiscriminate bombing and sheer nastiness of the targeting shows this isn't about nukes.
They never thought they'd cheer the fact that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is alive, somebody needs to explain how somebody who is nearly 70, been out of power for years, has nothing to do with the nuclear plans now was targeted?
It has damaged the dissident movement, it has allowed the Mullahs to say the dissidents are the Zionist's useful idiots.
For balance, the Iranians I know out here are absolutely ecstatic with events of the past week. They might be some of the only people who are considering leaving Dubai, to go back and rebuild their own country.
i sometimes wonder how this site would cope without you and your 'balance providing'. What a wonderful job you are doing.
Apple are taking the piss now, my new MacBook Pro is going to cost £7,349 and they no longer supply a powe adapter, they expect me to pay £99 for the privilege.
Still who doesn't need a laptop with 128 GB unified memory?
(Spoiler: I am sticking with my MacBook Air.)
You know why it doesn't ship with a charger?
It's an EU regulation...
And it makes sense I already have way too many usb c charges scattered round the house and I would fair prefer an anker / ugreen multi purpose one
I spoke to my family's Iranian heritage friends who have been giving me the grim updates about the regime.
In short the Americans and Israelis have the lost the Iranian people, the indiscriminate bombing and sheer nastiness of the targeting shows this isn't about nukes.
They never thought they'd cheer the fact that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is alive, somebody needs to explain how somebody who is nearly 70, been out of power for years, has nothing to do with the nuclear plans now was targeted?
It has damaged the dissident movement, it has allowed the Mullahs to say the dissidents are the Zionist's useful idiots.
For balance, the Iranians I know out here are absolutely ecstatic with events of the past week. They might be some of the only people who are considering leaving Dubai, to go back and rebuild their own country.
i sometimes wonder how this site would cope without you and your 'balance providing'. What a wonderful job you are doing.
I spoke to my family's Iranian heritage friends who have been giving me the grim updates about the regime.
In short the Americans and Israelis have the lost the Iranian people, the indiscriminate bombing and sheer nastiness of the targeting shows this isn't about nukes.
They never thought they'd cheer the fact that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is alive, somebody needs to explain how somebody who is nearly 70, been out of power for years, has nothing to do with the nuclear plans now was targeted?
It has damaged the dissident movement, it has allowed the Mullahs to say the dissidents are the Zionist's useful idiots.
For balance, the Iranians I know out here are absolutely ecstatic with events of the past week. They might be some of the only people who are considering leaving Dubai, to go back and rebuild their own country.
i sometimes wonder how this site would cope without you and your 'balance providing'. What a wonderful job you are doing.
To be fair he is actually in the war zone and will be more in tune with opinion there, than those of us safe and sound
I spoke to my family's Iranian heritage friends who have been giving me the grim updates about the regime.
In short the Americans and Israelis have the lost the Iranian people, the indiscriminate bombing and sheer nastiness of the targeting shows this isn't about nukes.
They never thought they'd cheer the fact that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is alive, somebody needs to explain how somebody who is nearly 70, been out of power for years, has nothing to do with the nuclear plans now was targeted?
It has damaged the dissident movement, it has allowed the Mullahs to say the dissidents are the Zionist's useful idiots.
And I've spoken to Iranians in exile (not just "heritage" friends, who happen to share my exact political opinions) who say the precise opposite and cheer regime change.
What we have here is Trump Derangement Syndrome on an absolutely epic scale and, because Israel is involved, that being supercharged on steroids.
Let's set aside whether regime change is legal or not.
Is this regime change? It wasn't in Venezuela - the regime continues with a new leader. And Iran has a new leader and the regime continues.
Is there a war plan for regime change? To be executed how? Who is to replace the regime?
Changing the leader is precisely how Trump views regime change. It's one of his most salient revolutionary features. He sees all diplomacy as transactional. Conducted with a person, not a government or nation. That's why he veers so wildly depending on what any individual has said or done on a particular day. It's the 16th Century Monarch model.
I spoke to my family's Iranian heritage friends who have been giving me the grim updates about the regime.
In short the Americans and Israelis have the lost the Iranian people, the indiscriminate bombing and sheer nastiness of the targeting shows this isn't about nukes.
They never thought they'd cheer the fact that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is alive, somebody needs to explain how somebody who is nearly 70, been out of power for years, has nothing to do with the nuclear plans now was targeted?
It has damaged the dissident movement, it has allowed the Mullahs to say the dissidents are the Zionist's useful idiots.
And I've spoken to Iranians in exile (not just "heritage" friends, who happen to share my exact political opinions) who say the precise opposite and cheer regime change.
What we have here is Trump Derangement Syndrome on an absolutely epic scale and, because Israel is involved, that being supercharged on steroids.
The heritage term is a catch all term for exiles and their families/friends who were born in the UK.
How do they feel about Farage & co. sending them back to Iran?
Apple are taking the piss now, my new MacBook Pro is going to cost £7,349 and they no longer supply a powe adapter, they expect me to pay £99 for the privilege.
Still who doesn't need a laptop with 128 GB unified memory?
I spoke to my family's Iranian heritage friends who have been giving me the grim updates about the regime.
In short the Americans and Israelis have the lost the Iranian people, the indiscriminate bombing and sheer nastiness of the targeting shows this isn't about nukes.
They never thought they'd cheer the fact that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is alive, somebody needs to explain how somebody who is nearly 70, been out of power for years, has nothing to do with the nuclear plans now was targeted?
It has damaged the dissident movement, it has allowed the Mullahs to say the dissidents are the Zionist's useful idiots.
And I've spoken to Iranians in exile (not just "heritage" friends, who happen to share my exact political opinions) who say the precise opposite and cheer regime change.
What we have here is Trump Derangement Syndrome on an absolutely epic scale and, because Israel is involved, that being supercharged on steroids.
Let's set aside whether regime change is legal or not.
Is this regime change? It wasn't in Venezuela - the regime continues with a new leader. And Iran has a new leader and the regime continues.
Is there a war plan for regime change? To be executed how? Who is to replace the regime?
Are you sure Iran has a a new leader because the media have not confirmed it ?
I spoke to my family's Iranian heritage friends who have been giving me the grim updates about the regime.
In short the Americans and Israelis have the lost the Iranian people, the indiscriminate bombing and sheer nastiness of the targeting shows this isn't about nukes.
They never thought they'd cheer the fact that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is alive, somebody needs to explain how somebody who is nearly 70, been out of power for years, has nothing to do with the nuclear plans now was targeted?
It has damaged the dissident movement, it has allowed the Mullahs to say the dissidents are the Zionist's useful idiots.
For balance, the Iranians I know out here are absolutely ecstatic with events of the past week. They might be some of the only people who are considering leaving Dubai, to go back and rebuild their own country.
Isn't that rather like relying on Isabel Oakeshott for reliable commentary on what's going on in the UK?
The Telegraph really is a load of rubbish. How do they persuade intelligent...ish people to write this tripe? When you though Emma Barnett was as thick as you could get in the morning
I think that is the chap not the paper. He works for the Heritage Foundation.
Nile Gardiner is director of The Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom at The Heritage Foundation in Washington, DC, and a former aide to Lady Thatcher.
Trading Places!
What I find interesting is that he seem s to have been in the same job since 2006.
It strikes me as wholly unsurprising that Iranians who are not currently in Iran are likely to be more sanguine about what's going on than Iranians who are currently in Iran, particularly those in Tehran, regardless of what outcome they hope for.
The story arc of the 180 slaughtered Iranian schoolgirls.
It was an Iranian missile. There were Republican guards hiding there. The IDF had nothing to do with it, ask the Yanks. We are having an enquiry. They'd have to wear burkas so they're better off dead.
Drop Site @DropSiteNews Peter Beinart: If the United States and Israel had not launched an attack on a country that poses no serious threat to them, those 180 school girls would be alive today.
Matt Schlapp (interjecting): “They’d be alive in a burka… This is a barbaric society.”
(Schlapp is a Republican political activist and lobbyist, best known as the chairman of the American Conservative Union. That is the group that runs the annual Conservative Political Action Conference, one of the largest gatherings of conservative politicians and activists in the U.S.)
Apple are taking the piss now, my new MacBook Pro is going to cost £7,349 and they no longer supply a powe adapter, they expect me to pay £99 for the privilege.
Still who doesn't need a laptop with 128 GB unified memory?
Apple are taking the piss now, my new MacBook Pro is going to cost £7,349 and they no longer supply a powe adapter, they expect me to pay £99 for the privilege.
Still who doesn't need a laptop with 128 GB unified memory?
(Spoiler: I am sticking with my MacBook Air.)
You know why it doesn't ship with a charger?
It's an EU regulation...
Another Brexit freedom.
Well it’s not a regulation but exactly how many usb chargers do you need
I spoke to my family's Iranian heritage friends who have been giving me the grim updates about the regime.
In short the Americans and Israelis have the lost the Iranian people, the indiscriminate bombing and sheer nastiness of the targeting shows this isn't about nukes.
They never thought they'd cheer the fact that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is alive, somebody needs to explain how somebody who is nearly 70, been out of power for years, has nothing to do with the nuclear plans now was targeted?
It has damaged the dissident movement, it has allowed the Mullahs to say the dissidents are the Zionist's useful idiots.
And I've spoken to Iranians in exile (not just "heritage" friends, who happen to share my exact political opinions) who say the precise opposite and cheer regime change.
What we have here is Trump Derangement Syndrome on an absolutely epic scale and, because Israel is involved, that being supercharged on steroids.
Let's set aside whether regime change is legal or not.
Is this regime change? It wasn't in Venezuela - the regime continues with a new leader. And Iran has a new leader and the regime continues.
Is there a war plan for regime change? To be executed how? Who is to replace the regime?
Are you sure Iran has a a new leader because the media have not confirmed it ?
I spoke to my family's Iranian heritage friends who have been giving me the grim updates about the regime.
In short the Americans and Israelis have the lost the Iranian people, the indiscriminate bombing and sheer nastiness of the targeting shows this isn't about nukes.
They never thought they'd cheer the fact that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is alive, somebody needs to explain how somebody who is nearly 70, been out of power for years, has nothing to do with the nuclear plans now was targeted?
It has damaged the dissident movement, it has allowed the Mullahs to say the dissidents are the Zionist's useful idiots.
For balance, the Iranians I know out here are absolutely ecstatic with events of the past week. They might be some of the only people who are considering leaving Dubai, to go back and rebuild their own country.
Isn't that rather like relying on Isabel Oakeshott for reliable commentary on what's going on in the UK?
Or relying on Isabel Oakeshott for reliable commentary in any case.
I spoke to my family's Iranian heritage friends who have been giving me the grim updates about the regime.
In short the Americans and Israelis have the lost the Iranian people, the indiscriminate bombing and sheer nastiness of the targeting shows this isn't about nukes.
They never thought they'd cheer the fact that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is alive, somebody needs to explain how somebody who is nearly 70, been out of power for years, has nothing to do with the nuclear plans now was targeted?
It has damaged the dissident movement, it has allowed the Mullahs to say the dissidents are the Zionist's useful idiots.
And I've spoken to Iranians in exile (not just "heritage" friends, who happen to share my exact political opinions) who say the precise opposite and cheer regime change.
What we have here is Trump Derangement Syndrome on an absolutely epic scale and, because Israel is involved, that being supercharged on steroids.
Let's set aside whether regime change is legal or not.
Is this regime change? It wasn't in Venezuela - the regime continues with a new leader. And Iran has a new leader and the regime continues.
Is there a war plan for regime change? To be executed how? Who is to replace the regime?
This is the essentials of the war plan.
Hegseth: Flying over their capital. Death and destruction from the sky all day long. We're playing for keeps. Our warfighters have maximum authorities granted personally by the president and yours truly. Our rules of engagement are bold, precise, and designed to unleash American power, not shackle it. This was never meant to be a fair fight, and it is not a fair fight. We are punching them while they're down, which is exactly how it should be. https://x.com/Acyn/status/2029182895013916898
I don't believe anything beyond that has been made public. Or even communicated with US allies.
The story arc of the 180 slaughtered Iranian schoolgirls.
It was an Iranian missile. There were Republican guards hiding there. The IDF had nothing to do with it, ask the Yanks. We are having an enquiry. They'd have to wear burkas so they're better off dead.
Drop Site @DropSiteNews Peter Beinart: If the United States and Israel had not launched an attack on a country that poses no serious threat to them, those 180 school girls would be alive today.
Matt Schlapp (interjecting): “They’d be alive in a burka… This is a barbaric society.”
(Schlapp is a Republican political activist and lobbyist, best known as the chairman of the American Conservative Union. That is the group that runs the annual Conservative Political Action Conference, one of the largest gatherings of conservative politicians and activists in the U.S.)
I do not know what the people in Iran are thinking or even supporting, and sure there is anecdotal evidence from both sides
However, domestically the farce over the inability to protect Akotari and now the stranded Brits in Oman, whilst the media show Spanish flight arriving home with their citizens, is not a good look for HMG
Akrotiri. Akrotiri.
Surely BA not providing pilot cover for the Oman flight is BA's operational failure rather than Starmer's. I told him he should have chartered Emirates.
I spoke to my family's Iranian heritage friends who have been giving me the grim updates about the regime.
In short the Americans and Israelis have the lost the Iranian people, the indiscriminate bombing and sheer nastiness of the targeting shows this isn't about nukes.
They never thought they'd cheer the fact that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is alive, somebody needs to explain how somebody who is nearly 70, been out of power for years, has nothing to do with the nuclear plans now was targeted?
It has damaged the dissident movement, it has allowed the Mullahs to say the dissidents are the Zionist's useful idiots.
And I've spoken to Iranians in exile (not just "heritage" friends, who happen to share my exact political opinions) who say the precise opposite and cheer regime change.
What we have here is Trump Derangement Syndrome on an absolutely epic scale and, because Israel is involved, that being supercharged on steroids.
Let's set aside whether regime change is legal or not.
Is this regime change? It wasn't in Venezuela - the regime continues with a new leader. And Iran has a new leader and the regime continues.
Is there a war plan for regime change? To be executed how? Who is to replace the regime?
Are you sure Iran has a a new leader because the media have not confirmed it ?
The bad Ayatollah's son.
I heard that but the media are saying they cannot confirm it
Also they cannot have a public wake for the late Ayatollah due to fear of attack
I do not know what the people in Iran are thinking or even supporting, and sure there is anecdotal evidence from both sides
However, domestically the farce over the inability to protect Akotari and now the stranded Brits in Oman, whilst the media show Spanish flight arriving home with their citizens, is not a good look for HMG
Akrotiri. Akrotiri.
Surely BA not providing pilot cover for the Oman flight is BA's operational failure rather than Starmer's. I told him he should have chartered Emirates.
To accuse anyone sceptical of this war as being related to Trump is rather silly.
I am against this war entirely because it is not clear whatsoever what the end goal is.
It is an obvious and foolish repeat of past mistakes. But I freely admit to not liking Trump either.
I'm not sure I quite see it in those terms.
IF the aim is to remove the theocracy from power in Iran and replace it with some form of alternative agreed by the Iranian people, I get that and I understand it.
The presumption just because a state has a nuclear weapon they are going to use it applies to all nuclear powers including the US and what you would have in the Middle East, were Iran to gain nuclear weapons, would be a standoff analogous to Western Europe from 1945-89 with the pro-western Gulf States under the American nuclear umbrella just as the non-nuclear members of NATO are (or were depending on your perspective).
So, if it's not about nuclear weapons (which it isn't), is it about control of oil supplies? We may be getting warm here as the thrust of US foreign policy in the second Trump administration seems to be about securing oil for America which presumably guarantees economic prosperity and the likely re-election of the Republicans. To control Iranian oil (and to deny it to Russia or China in extremis) looks to this observer the motivation for all this.
As we've seen in Venezuela, that doesn't necessarily mean removing the old regime if the new regime is prepared to play ball - you can imagine an opportunist politician doing that but a cleric? No, the ideal must be an internal upheaval (the military?) which sidelines the theocracy and brings in a Government with which, to quote the Blessed Margaret, "we can do business".
That doesn't mean freedom (as we would understand it) for the Iranian people because they aren't important or rather their freedom isn't. What Washington (and I suspect most Governments in the region) would prefer is a stable functioning non-theocratic Government in Tehran and whether that's a monarchy, a constitutional republic or a military dictatorship is inconsequential. Said Government keeps Hormuz clear, the oil flowing and everyone (including the new Iranian Government) is happy with the consequent possibilties for business to invest in Iran and make a nice profit from stability (minus the back handers to the military rulers but that's part and parcel of business in many other parts of the world).
One point we could bear in mind is that the USA is also moving towards a kind of theocracy, with people like the Christian Nationalists (Protestant wing) and JD Vance (integralist Roman Catholic wing) around Trump.
I was listening to some "what comes next" commentary from Trump supporters, and the suggestions were more around them wanting a military regime based around the Regular Army (which is a national army, not a political army) rather than either something theocratic or a full democracy.
Comparisons were with various places where the USA has overthrown Governments before.
The dominant note was "in the US national interest". I think it is probably about control of oil, given their 1970-s energy policy and denial of science, and trying to show that the USA is omnipotent.
(That was Nat Con Squad that I referenced the other day.)
I spoke to my family's Iranian heritage friends who have been giving me the grim updates about the regime.
In short the Americans and Israelis have the lost the Iranian people, the indiscriminate bombing and sheer nastiness of the targeting shows this isn't about nukes.
They never thought they'd cheer the fact that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is alive, somebody needs to explain how somebody who is nearly 70, been out of power for years, has nothing to do with the nuclear plans now was targeted?
It has damaged the dissident movement, it has allowed the Mullahs to say the dissidents are the Zionist's useful idiots.
And I've spoken to Iranians in exile (not just "heritage" friends, who happen to share my exact political opinions) who say the precise opposite and cheer regime change.
What we have here is Trump Derangement Syndrome on an absolutely epic scale and, because Israel is involved, that being supercharged on steroids.
Let's set aside whether regime change is legal or not.
Is this regime change? It wasn't in Venezuela - the regime continues with a new leader. And Iran has a new leader and the regime continues.
Is there a war plan for regime change? To be executed how? Who is to replace the regime?
Are you sure Iran has a a new leader because the media have not confirmed it ?
The bad Ayatollah's son.
Leading candidate, reportedly, but not appointed yet.
I spoke to my family's Iranian heritage friends who have been giving me the grim updates about the regime.
In short the Americans and Israelis have the lost the Iranian people, the indiscriminate bombing and sheer nastiness of the targeting shows this isn't about nukes.
They never thought they'd cheer the fact that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is alive, somebody needs to explain how somebody who is nearly 70, been out of power for years, has nothing to do with the nuclear plans now was targeted?
It has damaged the dissident movement, it has allowed the Mullahs to say the dissidents are the Zionist's useful idiots.
And I've spoken to Iranians in exile (not just "heritage" friends, who happen to share my exact political opinions) who say the precise opposite and cheer regime change.
What we have here is Trump Derangement Syndrome on an absolutely epic scale and, because Israel is involved, that being supercharged on steroids.
Let's set aside whether regime change is legal or not.
Is this regime change? It wasn't in Venezuela - the regime continues with a new leader. And Iran has a new leader and the regime continues.
Is there a war plan for regime change? To be executed how? Who is to replace the regime?
Are you sure Iran has a a new leader because the media have not confirmed it ?
The bad Ayatollah's son.
I heard that but the media are saying they cannot confirm it
Also they cannot have a public wake for the late Ayatollah due to fear of attack
I spoke to my family's Iranian heritage friends who have been giving me the grim updates about the regime.
In short the Americans and Israelis have the lost the Iranian people, the indiscriminate bombing and sheer nastiness of the targeting shows this isn't about nukes.
They never thought they'd cheer the fact that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is alive, somebody needs to explain how somebody who is nearly 70, been out of power for years, has nothing to do with the nuclear plans now was targeted?
It has damaged the dissident movement, it has allowed the Mullahs to say the dissidents are the Zionist's useful idiots.
And I've spoken to Iranians in exile (not just "heritage" friends, who happen to share my exact political opinions) who say the precise opposite and cheer regime change.
What we have here is Trump Derangement Syndrome on an absolutely epic scale and, because Israel is involved, that being supercharged on steroids.
Let's set aside whether regime change is legal or not.
Is this regime change? It wasn't in Venezuela - the regime continues with a new leader. And Iran has a new leader and the regime continues.
Is there a war plan for regime change? To be executed how? Who is to replace the regime?
Are you sure Iran has a a new leader because the media have not confirmed it ?
The bad Ayatollah's son.
I heard that but the media are saying they cannot confirm it
Also they cannot have a public wake for the late Ayatollah due to fear of attack
Or it could just be that they don't want a repeat of the unseemly scenes at the funeral of Ayotollah Khomenei:
"The crowd, much of it made up of Revolutionary Guards detailed to maintain order, pulled the coffin from the helicopter and began parading it around the makeshift compound surrounding the gravesite. As the excitement grew, the body of the Ayatollah, wrapped in a white burial shroud, fell out of the flimsy wooden coffin, and in a mad scene people in the crowd reached to touch the shroud. The soldiers pushed and wrestled, finally firing warning shots, to get the body back."
I spoke to my family's Iranian heritage friends who have been giving me the grim updates about the regime.
In short the Americans and Israelis have the lost the Iranian people, the indiscriminate bombing and sheer nastiness of the targeting shows this isn't about nukes.
They never thought they'd cheer the fact that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is alive, somebody needs to explain how somebody who is nearly 70, been out of power for years, has nothing to do with the nuclear plans now was targeted?
It has damaged the dissident movement, it has allowed the Mullahs to say the dissidents are the Zionist's useful idiots.
Entirely unsurprising. I think this whole bloody misadventure is what happens when a very clever Israeli regime and a very stupid American one get together.
"I spoke to some totally random people who I was shocked to learn completely agreed with me"
It's one of the oldest tricks in the book.
Lol.
'And I've spoken to Iranians in exile (not just "heritage" friends, who happen to share my exact political opinions) who say the precise opposite and cheer regime change.'
Irony is obviously lost on you.
I have precisely one Iranian heritage friend, so this is not necessarily representative, but still. What he wants above all else is an Iran free of the mullahs. He has no problem in principle with Israeli/American backed regime change. However, he has no hope of the current war effecting this. His view is that 20% of the Iranian population are utter nutters, while 80% are secular, but it is the 20% who have all the guns and there is no way of shifting them from power. He also says that it is almost impossible to know what is going on inside Iran at the moment, so tightly have communications been closed down by the regime.
I spoke to my family's Iranian heritage friends who have been giving me the grim updates about the regime.
In short the Americans and Israelis have the lost the Iranian people, the indiscriminate bombing and sheer nastiness of the targeting shows this isn't about nukes.
They never thought they'd cheer the fact that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is alive, somebody needs to explain how somebody who is nearly 70, been out of power for years, has nothing to do with the nuclear plans now was targeted?
It has damaged the dissident movement, it has allowed the Mullahs to say the dissidents are the Zionist's useful idiots.
And I've spoken to Iranians in exile (not just "heritage" friends, who happen to share my exact political opinions) who say the precise opposite and cheer regime change.
What we have here is Trump Derangement Syndrome on an absolutely epic scale and, because Israel is involved, that being supercharged on steroids.
Let's set aside whether regime change is legal or not.
Is this regime change? It wasn't in Venezuela - the regime continues with a new leader. And Iran has a new leader and the regime continues.
Is there a war plan for regime change? To be executed how? Who is to replace the regime?
Are you sure Iran has a a new leader because the media have not confirmed it ?
The bad Ayatollah's son.
Leading candidate, reportedly, but not appointed yet.
I spoke to my family's Iranian heritage friends who have been giving me the grim updates about the regime.
In short the Americans and Israelis have the lost the Iranian people, the indiscriminate bombing and sheer nastiness of the targeting shows this isn't about nukes.
They never thought they'd cheer the fact that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is alive, somebody needs to explain how somebody who is nearly 70, been out of power for years, has nothing to do with the nuclear plans now was targeted?
It has damaged the dissident movement, it has allowed the Mullahs to say the dissidents are the Zionist's useful idiots.
And I've spoken to Iranians in exile (not just "heritage" friends, who happen to share my exact political opinions) who say the precise opposite and cheer regime change.
What we have here is Trump Derangement Syndrome on an absolutely epic scale and, because Israel is involved, that being supercharged on steroids.
Let's set aside whether regime change is legal or not.
Is this regime change? It wasn't in Venezuela - the regime continues with a new leader. And Iran has a new leader and the regime continues.
Is there a war plan for regime change? To be executed how? Who is to replace the regime?
Are you sure Iran has a a new leader because the media have not confirmed it ?
The bad Ayatollah's son.
I heard that but the media are saying they cannot confirm it
Also they cannot have a public wake for the late Ayatollah due to fear of attack
Or it could just be that they don't want a repeat of the unseemly scenes at the funeral of Ayotollah Khomenei:
"The crowd, much of it made up of Revolutionary Guards detailed to maintain order, pulled the coffin from the helicopter and began parading it around the makeshift compound surrounding the gravesite. As the excitement grew, the body of the Ayatollah, wrapped in a white burial shroud, fell out of the flimsy wooden coffin, and in a mad scene people in the crowd reached to touch the shroud. The soldiers pushed and wrestled, finally firing warning shots, to get the body back."
The Iranian version of Holly and Phil jumping the queue to touch the shroud.
I spoke to my family's Iranian heritage friends who have been giving me the grim updates about the regime.
In short the Americans and Israelis have the lost the Iranian people, the indiscriminate bombing and sheer nastiness of the targeting shows this isn't about nukes.
They never thought they'd cheer the fact that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is alive, somebody needs to explain how somebody who is nearly 70, been out of power for years, has nothing to do with the nuclear plans now was targeted?
It has damaged the dissident movement, it has allowed the Mullahs to say the dissidents are the Zionist's useful idiots.
And I've spoken to Iranians in exile (not just "heritage" friends, who happen to share my exact political opinions) who say the precise opposite and cheer regime change.
What we have here is Trump Derangement Syndrome on an absolutely epic scale and, because Israel is involved, that being supercharged on steroids.
Let's set aside whether regime change is legal or not.
Is this regime change? It wasn't in Venezuela - the regime continues with a new leader. And Iran has a new leader and the regime continues.
Is there a war plan for regime change? To be executed how? Who is to replace the regime?
This is the essentials of the war plan.
Hegseth: Flying over their capital. Death and destruction from the sky all day long. We're playing for keeps. Our warfighters have maximum authorities granted personally by the president and yours truly. Our rules of engagement are bold, precise, and designed to unleash American power, not shackle it. This was never meant to be a fair fight, and it is not a fair fight. We are punching them while they're down, which is exactly how it should be. https://x.com/Acyn/status/2029182895013916898
I don't believe anything beyond that has been made public. Or even communicated with US allies.
In case you don't think that comment from Hegseth characteristic.
I don’t know why but the latest official White House post using call of duty video game edit with real war footage as a hype video (complete with “+100” point kill graphics) made me pretty sick to my stomach more than anything else they’ve put out. https://x.com/LumberTrading/status/2029346944943046947
I spoke to my family's Iranian heritage friends who have been giving me the grim updates about the regime.
In short the Americans and Israelis have the lost the Iranian people, the indiscriminate bombing and sheer nastiness of the targeting shows this isn't about nukes.
They never thought they'd cheer the fact that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is alive, somebody needs to explain how somebody who is nearly 70, been out of power for years, has nothing to do with the nuclear plans now was targeted?
It has damaged the dissident movement, it has allowed the Mullahs to say the dissidents are the Zionist's useful idiots.
For balance, the Iranians I know out here are absolutely ecstatic with events of the past week. They might be some of the only people who are considering leaving Dubai, to go back and rebuild their own country.
i sometimes wonder how this site would cope without you and your 'balance providing'. What a wonderful job you are doing.
I don't agree with Sandpit on much (except for being pro-Ukraine) but his avatar image is one of the ones I look out for if I'm only skimming a thread and not reading every comment. One of the main reasons I come to PB.com is to read comments from people I disagree with. Please don't try to drive them off.
I spoke to my family's Iranian heritage friends who have been giving me the grim updates about the regime.
In short the Americans and Israelis have the lost the Iranian people, the indiscriminate bombing and sheer nastiness of the targeting shows this isn't about nukes.
They never thought they'd cheer the fact that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is alive, somebody needs to explain how somebody who is nearly 70, been out of power for years, has nothing to do with the nuclear plans now was targeted?
It has damaged the dissident movement, it has allowed the Mullahs to say the dissidents are the Zionist's useful idiots.
And I've spoken to Iranians in exile (not just "heritage" friends, who happen to share my exact political opinions) who say the precise opposite and cheer regime change.
What we have here is Trump Derangement Syndrome on an absolutely epic scale and, because Israel is involved, that being supercharged on steroids.
Let's set aside whether regime change is legal or not.
Is this regime change? It wasn't in Venezuela - the regime continues with a new leader. And Iran has a new leader and the regime continues.
Is there a war plan for regime change? To be executed how? Who is to replace the regime?
Are you sure Iran has a a new leader because the media have not confirmed it ?
The bad Ayatollah's son.
Leading candidate, reportedly, but not appointed yet.
Has he got to the interview stage yet?
The psychometric testing results will be interesting. The diversity monitoring form perhaps more predictable.
The Iranian ship will not be where it was if we had not invited it to talk part in our Milan exercise.
We were the hosts.
I am told that as per protocol for this exercise ships cannot carry any ammunition. It was defenceless.
The Iranian naval personnel had paraded before our president .
The attack by the US submarine was premeditated as the US was aware of the Iranian ship’s presence in the exercise to which the US navy was invited but withdrew from participation at the last minute, presumably with this operation in mind.
The US has ignored India’s sensitivities as the ship was in these waters because of India’s invitation.
We are far from politically or militarily responsible for the US attack.
Our“responsibility” is at a moral and human plane.
A word of condolence by the Indian Navy ( after political clearance) at the loss of lives of those who were our invitees and saluted our president would be in order. https://x.com/KanwalSibal/status/2029438199546954240
I spoke to my family's Iranian heritage friends who have been giving me the grim updates about the regime.
In short the Americans and Israelis have the lost the Iranian people, the indiscriminate bombing and sheer nastiness of the targeting shows this isn't about nukes.
They never thought they'd cheer the fact that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is alive, somebody needs to explain how somebody who is nearly 70, been out of power for years, has nothing to do with the nuclear plans now was targeted?
It has damaged the dissident movement, it has allowed the Mullahs to say the dissidents are the Zionist's useful idiots.
And I've spoken to Iranians in exile (not just "heritage" friends, who happen to share my exact political opinions) who say the precise opposite and cheer regime change.
What we have here is Trump Derangement Syndrome on an absolutely epic scale and, because Israel is involved, that being supercharged on steroids.
Let's set aside whether regime change is legal or not.
Is this regime change? It wasn't in Venezuela - the regime continues with a new leader. And Iran has a new leader and the regime continues.
Is there a war plan for regime change? To be executed how? Who is to replace the regime?
Changing the leader is precisely how Trump views regime change. It's one of his most salient revolutionary features. He sees all diplomacy as transactional. Conducted with a person, not a government or nation. That's why he veers so wildly depending on what any individual has said or done on a particular day. It's the 16th Century Monarch model.
I am reading a recent Phillipa Gregory novel. There's a character called Henry VIII, but they act an awful lot like President Trump - excepting that Henry VIII was quite the scholar and athlete in his youth.
I spoke to my family's Iranian heritage friends who have been giving me the grim updates about the regime.
In short the Americans and Israelis have the lost the Iranian people, the indiscriminate bombing and sheer nastiness of the targeting shows this isn't about nukes.
They never thought they'd cheer the fact that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is alive, somebody needs to explain how somebody who is nearly 70, been out of power for years, has nothing to do with the nuclear plans now was targeted?
It has damaged the dissident movement, it has allowed the Mullahs to say the dissidents are the Zionist's useful idiots.
For balance, the Iranians I know out here are absolutely ecstatic with events of the past week. They might be some of the only people who are considering leaving Dubai, to go back and rebuild their own country.
i sometimes wonder how this site would cope without you and your 'balance providing'. What a wonderful job you are doing.
I don't agree with Sandpit on much (except for being pro-Ukraine) but his avatar image is one of the ones I look out for if I'm only skimming a thread and not reading every comment. One of the main reasons I come to PB.com is to read comments from people I disagree with. Please don't try to drive them off.
Yes, I've plenty of differences with Sandpit, but I value his presence.
Well I asked my Dad who is a lifelong Tory voter and my arbiter of middle England.
He’s very against the Iran war but very pro increasing defence spending.
So I think if Sir Keir were to increase defence spending, he’s onto a winner politically.
Defence should really be a gateway question at the next election. Anyone who’s not in favour of a serious rearmament isn’t a viable candidate. The very first job of government is to defend the country.
Now there’s nuanced discussions to be had about actual spending levels, it should for example be very easy to buy technology from Ukraine rather than spending billions into the MIC on some next-gen fighter boondoggle, but the capability needs to rise substantially.
It’s a national embarrassment that there was seemingly no defensive capability at Akrotiri, and it’s going to take a week or more to get a single ship there. The Americans are already laughing at the Europeans, with very good reason.
My first question when it comes to rearming is what does a 21st century battle look like so we build what is required for that war.
As I suspect it doesn’t match what our current defense contractors want and are capable of building
Talk to the Ukranians, Israelis, and startup companies like Anduril who are doing to the MIC what SpaceX have done to price-to-orbit.
I spoke to my family's Iranian heritage friends who have been giving me the grim updates about the regime.
In short the Americans and Israelis have the lost the Iranian people, the indiscriminate bombing and sheer nastiness of the targeting shows this isn't about nukes.
They never thought they'd cheer the fact that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is alive, somebody needs to explain how somebody who is nearly 70, been out of power for years, has nothing to do with the nuclear plans now was targeted?
It has damaged the dissident movement, it has allowed the Mullahs to say the dissidents are the Zionist's useful idiots.
For balance, the Iranians I know out here are absolutely ecstatic with events of the past week. They might be some of the only people who are considering leaving Dubai, to go back and rebuild their own country.
i sometimes wonder how this site would cope without you and your 'balance providing'. What a wonderful job you are doing.
I don't agree with Sandpit on much (except for being pro-Ukraine) but his avatar image is one of the ones I look out for if I'm only skimming a thread and not reading every comment. One of the main reasons I come to PB.com is to read comments from people I disagree with. Please don't try to drive them off.
Yes, I've plenty of differences with Sandpit, but I value his presence.
Which is the point of a political site. There’s things we agree on and things we disagree on, but can still keep things civil and would buy each other a pint if we met in person.
I spoke to my family's Iranian heritage friends who have been giving me the grim updates about the regime.
In short the Americans and Israelis have the lost the Iranian people, the indiscriminate bombing and sheer nastiness of the targeting shows this isn't about nukes.
They never thought they'd cheer the fact that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is alive, somebody needs to explain how somebody who is nearly 70, been out of power for years, has nothing to do with the nuclear plans now was targeted?
It has damaged the dissident movement, it has allowed the Mullahs to say the dissidents are the Zionist's useful idiots.
And I've spoken to Iranians in exile (not just "heritage" friends, who happen to share my exact political opinions) who say the precise opposite and cheer regime change.
What we have here is Trump Derangement Syndrome on an absolutely epic scale and, because Israel is involved, that being supercharged on steroids.
Let's set aside whether regime change is legal or not.
Is this regime change? It wasn't in Venezuela - the regime continues with a new leader. And Iran has a new leader and the regime continues.
Is there a war plan for regime change? To be executed how? Who is to replace the regime?
Are you sure Iran has a a new leader because the media have not confirmed it ?
The bad Ayatollah's son.
Leading candidate, reportedly, but not appointed yet.
Has he got to the interview stage yet?
There’s 14 rounds of interview, a psychometric test and a graphology test.
The Iranian regime hired KPMG to upgrade their HR process…
The story arc of the 180 slaughtered Iranian schoolgirls.
It was an Iranian missile. There were Republican guards hiding there. The IDF had nothing to do with it, ask the Yanks. We are having an enquiry. They'd have to wear burkas so they're better off dead.
Drop Site @DropSiteNews Peter Beinart: If the United States and Israel had not launched an attack on a country that poses no serious threat to them, those 180 school girls would be alive today.
Matt Schlapp (interjecting): “They’d be alive in a burka… This is a barbaric society.”
(Schlapp is a Republican political activist and lobbyist, best known as the chairman of the American Conservative Union. That is the group that runs the annual Conservative Political Action Conference, one of the largest gatherings of conservative politicians and activists in the U.S.)
Basically we are f***ed and heading into a recession
My LinkedIn is full of people ‘open to work’ many being good people I’ve worked with before. There’s precious few jobs it seems and not improving.
People are also learning most recruitment agencies employees are just scum and how poorly treated candidates are which I experienced regularly while contracting
Career change to being plumbers?
I think Charlie Mullins went back into running a plumbing company.
One said ‘I’m a senior manager, I expect better than this’, I was thinking ‘mate, you’re just another doleite’.
Retrain is an option.
Some people cannot even get cleaning jobs in Aldi.
I spoke to my family's Iranian heritage friends who have been giving me the grim updates about the regime.
In short the Americans and Israelis have the lost the Iranian people, the indiscriminate bombing and sheer nastiness of the targeting shows this isn't about nukes.
They never thought they'd cheer the fact that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is alive, somebody needs to explain how somebody who is nearly 70, been out of power for years, has nothing to do with the nuclear plans now was targeted?
It has damaged the dissident movement, it has allowed the Mullahs to say the dissidents are the Zionist's useful idiots.
For balance, the Iranians I know out here are absolutely ecstatic with events of the past week. They might be some of the only people who are considering leaving Dubai, to go back and rebuild their own country.
i sometimes wonder how this site would cope without you and your 'balance providing'. What a wonderful job you are doing.
I don't agree with Sandpit on much (except for being pro-Ukraine) but his avatar image is one of the ones I look out for if I'm only skimming a thread and not reading every comment. One of the main reasons I come to PB.com is to read comments from people I disagree with. Please don't try to drive them off.
Thanks. This site is better than almost anywhere else at having a debate without descending into the personal. I have what’s probably a unique perspective here, as an expat in now two actual war zones, and always try and engage politely with those who have different opinions.
Good morning everyone.And praise be, it is here, weather-wise.
O/t but we have a Council by-election today, and Mrs C and I have just been down to vote. Outide the polling place there was one teller, for Reform, but she obviously didn't know what she was supposed to be doing as she simply wished us Good Morning as we left. If, of course, Reform have done more than minimal canvassing. As we went in the ward's other, sitting, councillor was talking to someone outside, but he'd gone when we left. The Presiding Officer said voting had been quite busy. She seemed surprised.
We received signals from partners in the Middle East. There have been strikes by Iranian “shaheds” on civilians in those countries. They are seeking our expertise. We are open. If their representatives come, we will provide the expertise. Especially since there is also a request from Europeans and from the United States. Requests have come to us to share our experience with partners in the Middle East.
Regarding weapons: we ourselves are at war. And I said, completely frankly, that we have a shortage of what they have. They have missiles for the Patriots, but hundreds or thousands of “shaheds” cannot be intercepted with Patriot missiles – it is too costly. Nothing is too much for the people, of course, but they simply do not have that many missiles. That is why they need interceptor drones, which we have. Meanwhile, we have a shortage of PAC-2 and PAC-3 missiles. So, when it comes to technology or weapons exchange, I believe our country will be open to it.
Ukraine are going to have a phenomenal defence industry at the end of this. They do now.
As someone said, 'there are no disasters, only opportunities. And, indeed, opportunities for fresh disasters"
Good morning everyone.And praise be, it is here, weather-wise.
O/t but we have a Council by-election today, and Mrs C and I have just been down to vote. Outide the polling place there was one teller, for Reform, but she obviously didn't know what she was supposed to be doing as she simply wished us Good Morning as we left. If, of course, Reform have done more than minimal canvassing. As we went in the ward's other, sitting, councillor was talking to someone outside, but he'd gone when we left. The Presiding Officer said voting had been quite busy. She seemed surprised.
Even if you haven't done any canvassing, there's a case that having a teller sitting outside the polling station boosts your vote. It makes you look serious, it reminds voters you're competing. I've done this sort of fake telling.
We received signals from partners in the Middle East. There have been strikes by Iranian “shaheds” on civilians in those countries. They are seeking our expertise. We are open. If their representatives come, we will provide the expertise. Especially since there is also a request from Europeans and from the United States. Requests have come to us to share our experience with partners in the Middle East.
Regarding weapons: we ourselves are at war. And I said, completely frankly, that we have a shortage of what they have. They have missiles for the Patriots, but hundreds or thousands of “shaheds” cannot be intercepted with Patriot missiles – it is too costly. Nothing is too much for the people, of course, but they simply do not have that many missiles. That is why they need interceptor drones, which we have. Meanwhile, we have a shortage of PAC-2 and PAC-3 missiles. So, when it comes to technology or weapons exchange, I believe our country will be open to it.
Ukraine are going to have a phenomenal defence industry at the end of this. They do now.
As someone said, 'there are no disasters, only opportunities. And, indeed, opportunities for fresh disasters"
Good morning everyone.And praise be, it is here, weather-wise.
O/t but we have a Council by-election today, and Mrs C and I have just been down to vote. Outide the polling place there was one teller, for Reform, but she obviously didn't know what she was supposed to be doing as she simply wished us Good Morning as we left. If, of course, Reform have done more than minimal canvassing. As we went in the ward's other, sitting, councillor was talking to someone outside, but he'd gone when we left. The Presiding Officer said voting had been quite busy. She seemed surprised.
Even if you haven't done any canvassing, there's a case that having a teller sitting outside the polling station boosts your vote. It makes you look serious, it reminds voters you're competing. I've done this sort of fake telling.
That's true; I've done that too. One should look a bit more engaged though. IMHO, anyway.
Almost everything he said would happen, leads to where we are now.
Interesting chap, this is what he said in 2016, I wonder whatever happened to him?
"But there is a much, much more important issue at hand here: Donald Trump is a serious threat to the future of our party, and our country.
I, like you probably, hoped and believed that our fellow Americans would see his cons for what they are, that slogans, celebrity, and tough-talking insults are not enough.
But here's the truth: Americans are scared and angry. And in far too many cases, Donald Trump has been preying on their fears and their insecurities, successfully.
This is no joke. It's time to fight back, because we've seen a scary side of Donald Trump. It isn't just the opposite of what the Republican Party stands for, it's the opposite of what America stands for.Donate $25 to Help Marco Stop Trump
How bad is it?
In just the last few days, Trump has refused to condemn white supremacism and the Ku Klux Klan, praised dictators Saddam Hussein and Moammar Qaddafi, and proposed infringing upon the First Amendment of our Constitution. That's all after he made fun of disabled people, said China was too soft on dissidents, demeaned women, and insulted war heroes.
Trump doesn't take many clear policy positions, but when he does, they're just as scary."
Almost everything he said would happen, leads to where we are now.
Interesting chap, this is what he said in 2016, I wonder whatever happened to him?
"But there is a much, much more important issue at hand here: Donald Trump is a serious threat to the future of our party, and our country.
I, like you probably, hoped and believed that our fellow Americans would see his cons for what they are, that slogans, celebrity, and tough-talking insults are not enough.
But here's the truth: Americans are scared and angry. And in far too many cases, Donald Trump has been preying on their fears and their insecurities, successfully.
This is no joke. It's time to fight back, because we've seen a scary side of Donald Trump. It isn't just the opposite of what the Republican Party stands for, it's the opposite of what America stands for.Donate $25 to Help Marco Stop Trump
How bad is it?
In just the last few days, Trump has refused to condemn white supremacism and the Ku Klux Klan, praised dictators Saddam Hussein and Moammar Qaddafi, and proposed infringing upon the First Amendment of our Constitution. That's all after he made fun of disabled people, said China was too soft on dissidents, demeaned women, and insulted war heroes.
Trump doesn't take many clear policy positions, but when he does, they're just as scary."
Sounds like a sound bloke. In the tradition of John McCain and Mitt Romney. I'd vote for him. Oh.
I spoke to my family's Iranian heritage friends who have been giving me the grim updates about the regime.
In short the Americans and Israelis have the lost the Iranian people, the indiscriminate bombing and sheer nastiness of the targeting shows this isn't about nukes.
They never thought they'd cheer the fact that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is alive, somebody needs to explain how somebody who is nearly 70, been out of power for years, has nothing to do with the nuclear plans now was targeted?
It has damaged the dissident movement, it has allowed the Mullahs to say the dissidents are the Zionist's useful idiots.
For balance, the Iranians I know out here are absolutely ecstatic with events of the past week. They might be some of the only people who are considering leaving Dubai, to go back and rebuild their own country.
i sometimes wonder how this site would cope without you and your 'balance providing'. What a wonderful job you are doing.
I don't agree with Sandpit on much (except for being pro-Ukraine) but his avatar image is one of the ones I look out for if I'm only skimming a thread and not reading every comment. One of the main reasons I come to PB.com is to read comments from people I disagree with. Please don't try to drive them off.
Yes, I've plenty of differences with Sandpit, but I value his presence.
He was already driven off by @JosiasJessop for not being pure on Ukraine, in spite of his personal stake in it.
I’m glad he’s back. He’s always interesting and offers insight.
Comments
My fear is that long term this does more harm than good.
I remember during the Iraq-Iran war Shia dominated Basra stuck with Saddam, this rallying behind the flag works.
Iranian drones have hit Azerbaijan, the Azerbaijan Foreign Ministry says. Two injured.
Widening.
I am not claiming Starmer is any better. If leaked reports out of Westminster are right he f***** it up again only to be saved by his cabinet.
Might be a bad move, Iran...
It's a ridiculous thing to say. Tens of thousands of them have been killed trying to overthrow them in the last 6-8 weeks.
IF the aim is to remove the theocracy from power in Iran and replace it with some form of alternative agreed by the Iranian people, I get that and I understand it.
The presumption just because a state has a nuclear weapon they are going to use it applies to all nuclear powers including the US and what you would have in the Middle East, were Iran to gain nuclear weapons, would be a standoff analogous to Western Europe from 1945-89 with the pro-western Gulf States under the American nuclear umbrella just as the non-nuclear members of NATO are (or were depending on your perspective).
So, if it's not about nuclear weapons (which it isn't), is it about control of oil supplies? We may be getting warm here as the thrust of US foreign policy in the second Trump administration seems to be about securing oil for America which presumably guarantees economic prosperity and the likely re-election of the Republicans. To control Iranian oil (and to deny it to Russia or China in extremis) looks to this observer the motivation for all this.
As we've seen in Venezuela, that doesn't necessarily mean removing the old regime if the new regime is prepared to play ball - you can imagine an opportunist politician doing that but a cleric? No, the ideal must be an internal upheaval (the military?) which sidelines the theocracy and brings in a Government with which, to quote the Blessed Margaret, "we can do business".
That doesn't mean freedom (as we would understand it) for the Iranian people because they aren't important or rather their freedom isn't. What Washington (and I suspect most Governments in the region) would prefer is a stable functioning non-theocratic Government in Tehran and whether that's a monarchy, a constitutional republic or a military dictatorship is inconsequential. Said Government keeps Hormuz clear, the oil flowing and everyone (including the new Iranian Government) is happy with the consequent possibilties for business to invest in Iran and make a nice profit from stability (minus the back handers to the military rulers but that's part and parcel of business in many other parts of the world).
I paid $79 +VAT for F1TV last year, if the Prem League can do something similar outside the UK they’ll make the same billions that F1 are making.
Nile Gardiner is director of The Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom at The Heritage Foundation in Washington, DC, and a former aide to Lady Thatcher.
Of course if it's an unexpected immense success..
Putting it simply Titanium felt premium and Aluminium doesn't. Probably should have just bought a magsafe battery pack for when I needed a booster.
However, domestically the farce over the inability to protect Akotari and now the stranded Brits in Oman, whilst the media show Spanish flight arriving home with their citizens, is not a good look for HMG
It's an EU regulation...
Is this regime change? It wasn't in Venezuela - the regime continues with a new leader. And Iran has a new leader and the regime continues.
Is there a war plan for regime change? To be executed how? Who is to replace the regime?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcrblPqT6sM
The Telegraph is about as reliable as the Express these days.
It's one of his most salient revolutionary features.
He sees all diplomacy as transactional. Conducted with a person, not a government or nation.
That's why he veers so wildly depending on what any individual has said or done on a particular day.
It's the 16th Century Monarch model.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahmed_Chalabi
I suspect Pahlavi is similarly credible.
It was an Iranian missile.
There were Republican guards hiding there.
The IDF had nothing to do with it, ask the Yanks.
We are having an enquiry.
They'd have to wear burkas so they're better off dead.
Drop Site
@DropSiteNews
Peter Beinart: If the United States and Israel had not launched an attack on a country that poses no serious threat to them, those 180 school girls would be alive today.
Matt Schlapp (interjecting): “They’d be alive in a burka… This is a barbaric society.”
(Schlapp is a Republican political activist and lobbyist, best known as the chairman of the American Conservative Union. That is the group that runs the annual Conservative Political Action Conference, one of the largest gatherings of conservative politicians and activists in the U.S.)
https://x.com/DropSiteNews/status/2029391987611205961?s=20
Hegseth: Flying over their capital. Death and destruction from the sky all day long. We're playing for keeps. Our warfighters have maximum authorities granted personally by the president and yours truly. Our rules of engagement are bold, precise, and designed to unleash American power, not shackle it. This was never meant to be a fair fight, and it is not a fair fight. We are punching them while they're down, which is exactly how it should be.
https://x.com/Acyn/status/2029182895013916898
I don't believe anything beyond that has been made public. Or even communicated with US allies.
Surely BA not providing pilot cover for the Oman flight is BA's operational failure rather than Starmer's. I told him he should have chartered Emirates.
Also they cannot have a public wake for the late Ayatollah due to fear of attack
I was listening to some "what comes next" commentary from Trump supporters, and the suggestions were more around them wanting a military regime based around the Regular Army (which is a national army, not a political army) rather than either something theocratic or a full democracy.
Comparisons were with various places where the USA has overthrown Governments before.
The dominant note was "in the US national interest". I think it is probably about control of oil, given their 1970-s energy policy and denial of science, and trying to show that the USA is omnipotent.
(That was Nat Con Squad that I referenced the other day.)
Drinks all 'round?
"The crowd, much of it made up of Revolutionary Guards detailed to maintain order, pulled the coffin from the helicopter and began parading it around the makeshift compound surrounding the gravesite. As the excitement grew, the body of the Ayatollah, wrapped in a white burial shroud, fell out of the flimsy wooden coffin, and in a mad scene people in the crowd reached to touch the shroud. The soldiers pushed and wrestled, finally firing warning shots, to get the body back."
He also says that it is almost impossible to know what is going on inside Iran at the moment, so tightly have communications been closed down by the regime.
I don’t know why but the latest official White House post using call of duty video game edit with real war footage as a hype video (complete with “+100” point kill graphics) made me pretty sick to my stomach more than anything else they’ve put out.
https://x.com/LumberTrading/status/2029346944943046947
The Iranian ship will not be where it was if we had not invited it to talk part in our Milan exercise.
We were the hosts.
I am told that as per protocol for this exercise ships cannot carry any ammunition. It was defenceless.
The Iranian naval personnel had paraded before our president .
The attack by the US submarine was premeditated as the US was aware of the Iranian ship’s presence in the exercise to which the US navy was invited but withdrew from participation at the last minute, presumably with this operation in mind.
The US has ignored India’s sensitivities as the ship was in these waters because of India’s invitation.
We are far from politically or militarily responsible for the US attack.
Our“responsibility” is at a moral and human plane.
A word of condolence by the Indian Navy ( after political clearance) at the loss of lives of those who were our invitees and saluted our president would be in order.
https://x.com/KanwalSibal/status/2029438199546954240
If this can be done by accident, would it not be cheaper to weaponise other societies misfits as our (semi-guided weapons) ?
See the Russians, Ukrainians & Iranians recruitment of minor criminals and other oddballs as erratz agents.
The Iranian regime hired KPMG to upgrade their HR process…
Retrain is an option.
Some people cannot even get cleaning jobs in Aldi.
Absolute brass neck of the man.
O/t but we have a Council by-election today, and Mrs C and I have just been down to vote. Outide the polling place there was one teller, for Reform, but she obviously didn't know what she was supposed to be doing as she simply wished us Good Morning as we left.
If, of course, Reform have done more than minimal canvassing.
As we went in the ward's other, sitting, councillor was talking to someone outside, but he'd gone when we left.
The Presiding Officer said voting had been quite busy. She seemed surprised.
US Senator by the name of Marco Rubio, voicing his opposition to the 2015 Iran deal.
https://x.com/koshercockney/status/2029347188577288428
Almost everything he said would happen, leads to where we are now.
"But there is a much, much more important issue at hand here: Donald Trump is a serious threat to the future of our party, and our country.
I, like you probably, hoped and believed that our fellow Americans would see his cons for what they are, that slogans, celebrity, and tough-talking insults are not enough.
But here's the truth: Americans are scared and angry. And in far too many cases, Donald Trump has been preying on their fears and their insecurities, successfully.
This is no joke. It's time to fight back, because we've seen a scary side of Donald Trump. It isn't just the opposite of what the Republican Party stands for, it's the opposite of what America stands for.Donate $25 to Help Marco Stop Trump
How bad is it?
In just the last few days, Trump has refused to condemn white supremacism and the Ku Klux Klan, praised dictators Saddam Hussein and Moammar Qaddafi, and proposed infringing upon the First Amendment of our Constitution. That's all after he made fun of disabled people, said China was too soft on dissidents, demeaned women, and insulted war heroes.
Trump doesn't take many clear policy positions, but when he does, they're just as scary."
He said Iran would develop missiles that could take out US aircraft carriers. Well, if they have those, it's a surprise they haven't used them!
So, his first two statements were wrong. I've not bothered continuing.
I’m glad he’s back. He’s always interesting and offers insight.