The blatant murder of Renee Good, and the smearing of her as a “terrorist” by Trump’s team, was the moment the U.S. basically collapsed into Latin American authoritarianism.
Unfortunately, while Trump is trashing US prestige and influence in real time, he is not yet ignorable, and the stakes for Europe in Ukraine outweigh is petty, incontinent antics.
I don’t know where to go from here.
I believe you live in the US, do you mean literally where to go?
I can see and understand the rationale of banning u16s from social media, but how is social media to be defined?
For the policy to meet its objectives, mustn’t we ban children from any online chat or messaging service, and any use of group messaging at all?
And how can any of it be effectively enforced?
Bans from social media for under 16s would mean mandatory digital ID for the rest of us. Good luck with that. I'll use a VPN or failing that, emigrate, before I'll hand over my ID to Twitter, Facebook etc.
And that's before, to your point, we consider what social media is defined as.
How many of you would be happy to hand over a copy of your ID to the admins here before posting on PB?
Once again the state dresses up the march towards a draconian "papers please" society in the wrapping paper of "protecting the kids". I have two words for to say to that, and the second one is "off".
Just for some balance (because PB leans heavily towards this kind of view), the YouGov poll on this from December found 74% support for this policy (19% against). In Australia they just have a list of sites - there are obvious grey areas around things like gaming; whatsapp is not included.
Unfortunately I have a near total lack of faith in the UK to be sensible. The precedent set by the online safety act suggests a poorly worded, blanket, catch-all ban with far reaching consequences. Hence why half the internet is unusable from home now without a VPN due to sites like imgur cutting off UK access or hobbyist subreddits such as beer brewing being off limits to UK users without handing over ID etc. IIRC some gaming mod sites won't even let you download mods without handing over your papers unless you use a VPN now.
Like I say. A march towards a papers please society dressed up in hysterical "won't someone please think of the children" language despite the fact the children know very well how to circumvent these bans.
It's a ludicrous policy..💩 which seems to have a very high level of support on this forum..🥴 But then so did face masks and social distancing..
Facemasks and social distancing are effective at stopping the spread of respiratory diseases. To be contrarian about those for the sake of being contrarian reminds me of the best headline ever to describe similar views currently circulating in the US…
Indeed: one can argue that the costs were greater than the benefits*, but to argue that somehow staying away from other people and wearing masks doesn't reduce the spread of disease displays a starting sense of stupidity.
* Indeed: my schtick for about the last five years is that about 20% of the measures could have had 80% of the benefit. And I think most of the US -and particularly California**- got the balance more right (except on the issue of schools) than the UK.
** Although California did some stupid things too. Like requiring that each alternate chair on the ski lift (as in the one in front of you, not the one next to you) was empty. Meaning that there were masses of people at the bottom of the lift in a huddle, because the capacity of lifts was cut in half. Totally idiotic.
And on the flip side I'll chime in to say fuck masks and fuck lockdown. Any perceived benefits never justified the costs of either of them and society has been permanently and irreparably harmed by both policies as well as everything else that accompanied them like social distancing and furlough.
All of the bureaucrats and scientists need to pay the price for forcing these policies on the country. I hope that if we get a Reform government they'll put the guilty people in jail and throw away the key.
Of course fuck lockdowns: the UK had a shocklingly shit experience.
But the advice given in the US was little different to the advice given in the UK, it's just the politicians chose a different balance.
The idea that you should get people to 'pay a price' is staggering. They existed in an uncertain world, and gave their best answer, aware that if it turned out differently, they might have been responsible for millions of deaths.
Without a reckoning for the guilty parties including and not limited to substantial jail time there will be no deterrent for these bureaucrats and technocrats to take over the running of the country in the next crisis. It is clear that they went well beyond advice and forced their own policies onto the government of the day using media briefings and threats.
I didn't vote for Vallance and Whitty. No one did. During those two years they substantially ran government policy, they were unaccountable to the public and completely untouchable. Fauci similarly so in the US. It wasn't just them though, there was a cottage industry of politicised scientists all attempting to push their own agendas under the guise of "safety" and "save the NHS" which allowed them to reshape the country without a single vote being cast. For two years there was a coup de tat by technocrats and then they had the temerity to clear themselves of any wrongdoing in the subsequent inquiry.
I'm not for a Reform government, yet I will shed no tears if one comes and they put the lot of these usurpers in jail.
In jail for what? Giving their honest view to an elected Government and then implementing instructions?
Do you really think that's all they did? No media briefings, no calls to journalists telling them that if the politicians didn't fall in line that the NHS would collapse, no threats to politicians who disagreed with them, no "monitoring" of social media to use the arms of the state to silence those who disagreed with them under the guise of "unity".
The scientists and bureaucrats perpetrated a silent takeover of the government. No one voted for that. You may argue that people would have voted for it but it was never put to the public.
This is a fantasy in your head. Read the COVID-19 Inquiry for what actually happened. Boris was in charge throughout (well, except when he was in hospital).
MaxPB spends his time whining about PB centrists - but 99% of the population is a centrist if you're the kind of person who advocates for locking COVID scientists up. It's a bit deranged tbh, and "the Right" would be insane to take that path rather than the one starting to appear under Badenoch.
On Streeting, I think this perception comes from the fact he's an aggressive and energetic communicator. That's a big contrast with the rest of the government, but it doesn't necessarily mean he's trying to outshine Starmer. It's almost impossible not to.
Polls say you are wrong
40-50% of the country would, right now, vote for Reform or the Greens. That’s not centrism
Similarly, 52% of the country voted for the extremely-non-centrist Brexit
One of the many many faults of middlebrow mediocre centrist dorks, such as those which infest PB, is to glibly presume “everyone is a boring clueless sensible centrist like me”
That's not what I said. What proportion of Brits do you think would support locking up civil servants and scientists from COVID and "throwing away the key"?
You literally said “99% of the country is a centrist”
Fuck me, you've spent too long at the Telegraph
"but 99% of the population is a centrist if you're the kind of person who advocates for locking COVID scientists up"
You’ve hit the nail on the head - the people who so easily dismiss as “centrist” everyone from socialists like owls and Palmer through hard core Tories like Casino and HY, not to mention our bonnie cadre of Scots Nats, have simply thrown themselves out of the Overton window and are then observing, from their position squished on the gravel driveway of reality, that everyone else seems to be still upstairs.
It would be great to define "centrism" though, and get some polling to work out what topics are included. I guess it would be something that enjoys perhaps 60 - 70% support, but there are significant fringes that are opposed. Using this, Claude gives me:
Increasing number of foreign students
Current levels of skilled immigration
Full staffing the NHS even if it means more immigration
Assisted dying
Closer ties with the EU
The Monarchy
But not included is
Increase bus services (80% support)
Clean rivers (90)
Increase investment in Renewables (over 80)
Rejoin the EU (50)
National Service (28)
Jail Chris Whitty (I would guess less than 5)
The Boriswave (less than 5)
Plus same sex marriage but not Trans in female bathrooms
1 all Water bosses to take a dip in british rivers, to see how they like it
2 national service to be introduced for all former prime ministers
3 wifi on trains that works
4 trains that work
5 the reintroduction of ceefax
6 children in need to finally get round to fixing pudsey’s eye
7 traffic on northallerton high street to be fixed by a new space bridge, bypassing both level crossings
8 european countries to be invited to join the uk, creating a new ‘union of europe’, if you will
9 wallace and gromit to be knighted, for services to wensleydale
10 I pledge to build at least one affordable house
11 croissants to be price-capped at £1.10, and 99 flakes to cost 99p
12 national yorkshire pudding day to be a bank holiday (except for banks)
13 loud snacks to be banned from cinemas and theatres
14 pensions to be double-locked, but with a little extra chain on the side
15 claudia winkleman’s fringe to be grade 1-listed
16 new series of gladiators to feature ’90s gladiators against age-appropriate contenders
17 minsters’ pay to be tied to that of nurses for the next 100 years
18 shops that play christmas music before december to be closed down and turned into public libraries
19 to combat the uk’s increasingly wet climate, all british citizens to be offered stilts
20 a ban on speakerphones on public transport. offenders to be forced to live with matt hancock for a year
21 the mini golf course at richmond swimming pool to host the open championship
22 mps to live in the area they wish to serve for 4 years before election, to improve local representation
23 the hand dryer in the gents’ urinals at the crown & treaty, uxbridge to be moved to a more sensible position.
24 count binface to represent the uk at eurovision
Croissants is a weird one, often cheaper to buy 4 than 1 in the same shop. Can buy about 12 from the local supermarket for the same price as one from Gails. Definitely needs a government price cap.
I believe in Paris there is a cap on the price of a baguette
If you scan the websites of NYT and WAPO it feels like they are very much less excitable about Trump and his Greenland fetish and the fallout it will cause. I might be missing things but I don’t think we are over-concerned and worry more that the US isn’t concerned enough.
Our US based posters will obviously have a better knowledge of what Americans are hearing on the news and if it’s making waves but I fear the vast majority aren’t switched on to what is happening and the potential consequences.
Relying on average prices is a flawed analysis though. N is small when you look at singular areas like K&C so you get high volatility. It’s the number of transactions that is more of a concern
@tom_nuttall Holding statement from German government: "The German government has taken note of the US president's remarks. It is in close consultation with its European partners.
Together we will decide on appropriate responses at the appropriate time."
If you scan the websites of NYT and WAPO it feels like they are very much less excitable about Trump and his Greenland fetish and the fallout it will cause. I might be missing things but I don’t think we are over-concerned and worry more that the US isn’t concerned enough.
Our US based posters will obviously have a better knowledge of what Americans are hearing on the news and if it’s making waves but I fear the vast majority aren’t switched on to what is happening and the potential consequences.
It’s the top story in the NYT.
Yes I saw that however it’s all very low key. Maybe just the US print media is much more restrained unless it’s the NYT writing articles about how buggered the UK is - they’ve gone a bit quiet.
A terrible idea. President Trump is completely wrong to announce tariffs on the UK over Greenland. People in both UK and US will face higher costs.
These tariffs will be yet another burden for businesses across our country. The sovereignty of Greenland should only be decided by the people of Greenland.
If you scan the websites of NYT and WAPO it feels like they are very much less excitable about Trump and his Greenland fetish and the fallout it will cause. I might be missing things but I don’t think we are over-concerned and worry more that the US isn’t concerned enough.
Our US based posters will obviously have a better knowledge of what Americans are hearing on the news and if it’s making waves but I fear the vast majority aren’t switched on to what is happening and the potential consequences.
I can understand Americans being more concerned by the murder of their own citizens by Trump's goon squad, and the use of the DOJ to intimidate the Federal Reserve, etc, etc.
This is one of the ways in which Trump is operating now. Do everything, all at once, and his opponents can't focus on anything long enough to build up opposition.
If you scan the websites of NYT and WAPO it feels like they are very much less excitable about Trump and his Greenland fetish and the fallout it will cause. I might be missing things but I don’t think we are over-concerned and worry more that the US isn’t concerned enough.
Our US based posters will obviously have a better knowledge of what Americans are hearing on the news and if it’s making waves but I fear the vast majority aren’t switched on to what is happening and the potential consequences.
It’s the top story in the NYT.
Yes I saw that however it’s all very low key. Maybe just the US print media is much more restrained unless it’s the NYT writing articles about how buggered the UK is - they’ve gone a bit quiet.
It’s hard to get a grip on US opinion because the media landscape is so totally doolally.
The NYT, for example, lives in a bizarre self-constructed bubble, and reads as if it was edited as a post-modern joke by the reincarnation of Lewis Carroll.
And that’s before you get to the legion of right wing lunacy.
All Americans are politically suspect, essentially.
Now Trump 🇺🇸 puts an extra 10% tariff on imports from all countries that sent military officers and soldiers to 🇬🇱, threatening to later increase it to 25% and says this will remain until 🇩🇰🇬🇱 capitulate. This will in all probability collapse the 🇺🇸🇪🇺 trade agreement. The confrontation is starting to heat up. More to come.
I need a TV drama, out here in Bangers, and jeez the well is running dry
Did you ever watch Peaky Blinders? We avoided it for years but with nothing else to do, have very recently started watching series 1. Quite good - Sam Neill is pretty epic as the Ulsterman inspector.
Mind, it does mean exposing yourself to several hours of Brummagem. So you do need coping strategies.
From what I've read/heard, the accent attempts aren't particularly good.
More people have degrees and those degrees are relatively less useful.
The problem isn't so much with those with degrees being unemployed its with those with college debt being unemployed.
Universities as we know them are totally doomed.
And the doom will come surprisingly fast. 5-10 years. Maybe less
I expect 5-20% to survive as posh finishing schools and networking centres. Like the better private schools
If so it will be interesting in the effects it will have on the middle class as their teenagers have to find new careers and a new career path to what has become standard.
Now Trump 🇺🇸 puts an extra 10% tariff on imports from all countries that sent military officers and soldiers to 🇬🇱, threatening to later increase it to 25% and says this will remain until 🇩🇰🇬🇱 capitulate. This will in all probability collapse the 🇺🇸🇪🇺 trade agreement. The confrontation is starting to heat up. More to come.
If you scan the websites of NYT and WAPO it feels like they are very much less excitable about Trump and his Greenland fetish and the fallout it will cause. I might be missing things but I don’t think we are over-concerned and worry more that the US isn’t concerned enough.
Our US based posters will obviously have a better knowledge of what Americans are hearing on the news and if it’s making waves but I fear the vast majority aren’t switched on to what is happening and the potential consequences.
It’s the top story in the NYT.
Yes I saw that however it’s all very low key. Maybe just the US print media is much more restrained unless it’s the NYT writing articles about how buggered the UK is - they’ve gone a bit quiet.
It’s hard to get a grip on US opinion because the media landscape is so totally doolally.
The NYT, for example, lives in a bizarre self-constructed bubble, and reads as if it was edited as a post-modern joke by the reincarnation of Lewis Carroll.
And that’s before you get to the legion of right wing lunacy.
All Americans are politically suspect, essentially.
Now Trump 🇺🇸 puts an extra 10% tariff on imports from all countries that sent military officers and soldiers to 🇬🇱, threatening to later increase it to 25% and says this will remain until 🇩🇰🇬🇱 capitulate. This will in all probability collapse the 🇺🇸🇪🇺 trade agreement. The confrontation is starting to heat up. More to come.
Seasons 2 and 3 of peaky blinders were pretty good, but it went downhill quite fast. The plots became less clever and the slow motion walking around fashion catwalk scenes got longer and longer.
More people have degrees and those degrees are relatively less useful.
The problem isn't so much with those with degrees being unemployed its with those with college debt being unemployed.
Universities as we know them are totally doomed.
And the doom will come surprisingly fast. 5-10 years. Maybe less
I expect 5-20% to survive as posh finishing schools and networking centres. Like the better private schools
Well until the 1980s only about 10% went to university anyway.
The others not doing law, medicine, engineering and high level academic research in traditional science and humanities subjects should focus on being vocational mainly and doing courses which are linked to employers and will lead to a job, including high level apprenticeships. Much like the best of the old polys did
A terrible idea. President Trump is completely wrong to announce tariffs on the UK over Greenland. People in both UK and US will face higher costs.
These tariffs will be yet another burden for businesses across our country. The sovereignty of Greenland should only be decided by the people of Greenland.
Diego Garcia will be the next demand. Same reasons - it’s essential for US security, China will want to take it and we can do nothing to stop them.
Diego Garcia is British in name only. You have to wonder why the US hasn't already taken it.
I guess there's no minerals there for Trump's mates to make money from. It's important for the US military strategically, but Trump shows little evidence of understanding, or caring to understand about that. It's pretty much the place on Earth furthest from the geographic centre of the contiguous 48 US States - so in terms of Trump's spheres of influence way of looking at the world it is literally at the arse end of nowhere and of no consequence at all.
If the Indians don't want it to end up in the hands of China they had better have a contingency ready to occupy the place themselves.
'Reform is not a rescue charity for every panicky Tory MP Deadline Day for defectors is in May – and if that sounds like an ultimatum, it is'
'Put this date in your political diaries: Thursday May 7 is Deadline Day for parliamentary defectors to Reform UK. Indeed, any elected politician who wants to play a part in our movement and help turn Britain around has until that date to apply to join Reform.
After Deadline Day passes, the door will close for current and former MPs, as well as local councillors.
More people have degrees and those degrees are relatively less useful.
The problem isn't so much with those with degrees being unemployed its with those with college debt being unemployed.
Universities as we know them are totally doomed.
And the doom will come surprisingly fast. 5-10 years. Maybe less
I expect 5-20% to survive as posh finishing schools and networking centres. Like the better private schools
Well until the 1980s only about 10% went to university anyway.
The others not doing law, medicine, engineering and high level academic research in traditional science and humanities subjects should focus on being vocational mainly and doing courses which are linked to employers and will lead to a job, including high level apprenticeships. Much like the best of the old polys did
And who is going to arrange all of that? No sign so far.
Apprenticeships are something that perennially ever party says they are all for in opposition and then do nothing about in office.
My own view based on direct personal experience: for the love of God rebuild the poly system.
Anyone still think we had Trump Derangement Syndrome ?
Anyone still think Trump is "really sharp" ?
He is this close to annexing an entire chunk of an ally's territory thru menaces and nobody has the balls to stop him. Podcasts yes. Saying rude things, yes. Sending an aircraft carrier and the Parachute Regiment to Nuuk, no.
Now Trump 🇺🇸 puts an extra 10% tariff on imports from all countries that sent military officers and soldiers to 🇬🇱, threatening to later increase it to 25% and says this will remain until 🇩🇰🇬🇱 capitulate. This will in all probability collapse the 🇺🇸🇪🇺 trade agreement. The confrontation is starting to heat up. More to come.
Markets are a sell on Monday, then? So the mystery of last year, with both equities and safe havens like Gold both reaching record highs, might be about to resolve itself.
Anyone still think we had Trump Derangement Syndrome ?
Anyone still think Trump is "really sharp" ?
He is this close to annexing an entire chunk of an ally's territory thru menaces and nobody has the balls to stop him. Podcasts yes. Saying rude things, yes. Sending an aircraft carrier and the Parachute Regiment to Nuuk, no.
So yes, he is really sharp. He is also a bad man.
The troop deployments to Greenland are still increasing.
Anyone still think we had Trump Derangement Syndrome ?
Anyone still think Trump is "really sharp" ?
He is this close to annexing an entire chunk of an ally's territory thru menaces and nobody has the balls to stop him. Podcasts yes. Saying rude things, yes. Sending an aircraft carrier and the Parachute Regiment to Nuuk, no.
So yes, he is really sharp. He is also a bad man.
It’s not so much just him, it’s Vance and Miller whispering in his ear. I wouldn’t be surprised if one of them tells Trump to start agitating Millei to sabre rattle about the Falklands in order to peel off the UK from supporting Greenland.
'Reform is not a rescue charity for every panicky Tory MP Deadline Day for defectors is in May – and if that sounds like an ultimatum, it is'
'Put this date in your political diaries: Thursday May 7 is Deadline Day for parliamentary defectors to Reform UK. Indeed, any elected politician who wants to play a part in our movement and help turn Britain around has until that date to apply to join Reform.
After Deadline Day passes, the door will close for current and former MPs, as well as local councillors.
I need a TV drama, out here in Bangers, and jeez the well is running dry
Did you ever watch Peaky Blinders? We avoided it for years but with nothing else to do, have very recently started watching series 1. Quite good - Sam Neill is pretty epic as the Ulsterman inspector.
Mind, it does mean exposing yourself to several hours of Brummagem. So you do need coping strategies.
From what I've read/heard, the accent attempts aren't particularly good.
Wait till you hear the Peaky version of a Glasgow accent.
@tom_nuttall Holding statement from German government: "The German government has taken note of the US president's remarks. It is in close consultation with its European partners.
Together we will decide on appropriate responses at the appropriate time."
Not exactly “we shall fight them on the beaches”, though, is it?
Anyone still think we had Trump Derangement Syndrome ?
Anyone still think Trump is "really sharp" ?
He is this close to annexing an entire chunk of an ally's territory thru menaces and nobody has the balls to stop him. Podcasts yes. Saying rude things, yes. Sending an aircraft carrier and the Parachute Regiment to Nuuk, no.
So yes, he is really sharp. He is also a bad man.
It’s not so much just him, it’s Vance and Miller whispering in his ear. I wouldn’t be surprised if one of them tells Trump to start agitating Millei to sabre rattle about the Falklands in order to peel off the UK from supporting Greenland.
The UK is not going to renounce its support for Danish or Greenlandic sovereignty. And the Europeans certainly won’t.
Trump had picked a fight where there is no “compromise”.
Anyone still think we had Trump Derangement Syndrome ?
Anyone still think Trump is "really sharp" ?
He is this close to annexing an entire chunk of an ally's territory thru menaces and nobody has the balls to stop him. Podcasts yes. Saying rude things, yes. Sending an aircraft carrier and the Parachute Regiment to Nuuk, no.
So yes, he is really sharp. He is also a bad man.
It’s not so much just him, it’s Vance and Miller whispering in his ear. I wouldn’t be surprised if one of them tells Trump to start agitating Millei to sabre rattle about the Falklands in order to peel off the UK from supporting Greenland.
The UK is not going to renounce its support for Danish or Greenlandic sovereignty. And the Europeans certainly won’t.
Trump had picked a fight where there is no “compromise”.
I didn’t say the UK would but the way Vance and Miller and co behave it wouldn’t remotely surprise me if they tried to stir this up in an attempt to prise the UK’s attention and resources away.
This response to our own allies for sending a small number of troops to Greenland for training is bad for America, bad for American businesses, and bad for America's allies. It's great for Putin, Xi and other adversaries who want to see NATO divided. The fact that a small handful of "advisors" are actively pushing for coercive action to seize territory of an ally is beyond stupid. It hurts the legacy of President Trump and undercuts all the work he has done to strengthen the NATO alliance over the years.
'Reform is not a rescue charity for every panicky Tory MP Deadline Day for defectors is in May – and if that sounds like an ultimatum, it is'
'Put this date in your political diaries: Thursday May 7 is Deadline Day for parliamentary defectors to Reform UK. Indeed, any elected politician who wants to play a part in our movement and help turn Britain around has until that date to apply to join Reform.
After Deadline Day passes, the door will close for current and former MPs, as well as local councillors.
Firstly- chinny reckon. If Suella Braverman decides to abandon the Conservatives in autumn 2027, Nigel is going to look silly saying no.
Secondly- if this is a message for Conservative MPs, Nigel can email them. Or photocopy a note- I'm sure his latest recruit can show him how. So what is the real message here, and who is it for?
Bullying trade policy with tariffs is one thing. Bullying territorial demands with them is quite another.
His influence over Ukraine has also declined as American support has slowly declined to no visible impact on the front line trends.
Running out of cards to use short of direct military action.
The same in Venezuela, where for all his tough talk he isn’t able to control anything now going on within that country, and in Iran, where his “help is coming” promise has sunk back to a stay of execution for the many demonstrators being held in prison. The whole world is suffering because Americans elected someone with a bigger mouth than brain.
Bullying trade policy with tariffs is one thing. Bullying territorial demands with them is quite another.
His influence over Ukraine has also declined as American support has slowly declined to no visible impact on the front line trends.
Running out of cards to use short of direct military action.
The same in Venezuela, where for all his tough talk he isn’t able to control anything now going on within that country, and in Iran, where his “help is coming” promise has sunk back to a stay of execution for the many demonstrators being held in prison. The whole world is suffering because Americans elected someone with a bigger mouth than brain.
It’s not mouth v brain. It’s more that Trump is someone with Ted Bundy levels of personal narcissism.
He’s simply a sociopath, if not - at this stage, accounting for the maddening effects of power - a psychopath.
This response to our own allies for sending a small number of troops to Greenland for training is bad for America, bad for American businesses, and bad for America's allies. It's great for Putin, Xi and other adversaries who want to see NATO divided. The fact that a small handful of "advisors" are actively pushing for coercive action to seize territory of an ally is beyond stupid. It hurts the legacy of President Trump and undercuts all the work he has done to strengthen the NATO alliance over the years.
Anyone still think we had Trump Derangement Syndrome ?
Anyone still think Trump is "really sharp" ?
He is this close to annexing an entire chunk of an ally's territory thru menaces and nobody has the balls to stop him. Podcasts yes. Saying rude things, yes. Sending an aircraft carrier and the Parachute Regiment to Nuuk, no.
So yes, he is really sharp. He is also a bad man.
It’s not so much just him, it’s Vance and Miller whispering in his ear. I wouldn’t be surprised if one of them tells Trump to start agitating Millei to sabre rattle about the Falklands in order to peel off the UK from supporting Greenland.
The UK is not going to renounce its support for Danish or Greenlandic sovereignty. And the Europeans certainly won’t.
Trump had picked a fight where there is no “compromise”.
Someone clever in the Trump administration could say that Denmark had agreed to the stationing of more US troops in Greenland. This is something the US could do at any time under existing treaties, but low information US voters don't know that, so Trump could still sell it as a win to his MAGA base.
Outcomes don't really matter in MAGAland. What matters is that Trump is in the headlines (and the Epstein files aren't).
Anyone still think we had Trump Derangement Syndrome ?
Anyone still think Trump is "really sharp" ?
He is this close to annexing an entire chunk of an ally's territory thru menaces and nobody has the balls to stop him. Podcasts yes. Saying rude things, yes. Sending an aircraft carrier and the Parachute Regiment to Nuuk, no.
So yes, he is really sharp. He is also a bad man.
It’s not so much just him, it’s Vance and Miller whispering in his ear. I wouldn’t be surprised if one of them tells Trump to start agitating Millei to sabre rattle about the Falklands in order to peel off the UK from supporting Greenland.
The UK is not going to renounce its support for Danish or Greenlandic sovereignty. And the Europeans certainly won’t.
Trump had picked a fight where there is no “compromise”.
Someone clever in the Trump administration could say that Denmark had agreed to the stationing of more US troops in Greenland. This is something the US could do at any time under existing treaties, but low information US voters don't know that, so Trump could still sell it as a win to his MAGA base.
Outcomes don't really matter in MAGAland. What matters is that Trump is in the headlines (and the Epstein files aren't).
As I noted before, Europe should be making more of the Epstein files.
French president Emmanuel Macron says 'tariff threats are unacceptable' in response to Donald Trump threatening tariffs on European countries until the US is allowed to purchase Greenland.
Though given 35% of Americans have a degree now, they are still less likely to be unemployed than the US average, even with AI
You're talking to a man who voted for Starmer and cheered Trump's win. If that doesn't tell you the value of his prognostications...
Leon is often right. And often wrong. However, when he is prediction-making, he is interesting.
I tend to agree with him on universities, although might quibble with his timeline.
I quibble on timeline and extent. Pretty sure tough times are coming for some areas. We have inflated the university bubble, and to an extent we need to question career paths. Does nursing and policing need a degree route? Apprenticeship routes are probably better.
But I do think Leon overstates the case, probably because he only experienced Uni as a slacker art student.
More people have degrees and those degrees are relatively less useful.
The problem isn't so much with those with degrees being unemployed its with those with college debt being unemployed.
Universities as we know them are totally doomed.
And the doom will come surprisingly fast. 5-10 years. Maybe less
I expect 5-20% to survive as posh finishing schools and networking centres. Like the better private schools
Well until the 1980s only about 10% went to university anyway.
The others not doing law, medicine, engineering and high level academic research in traditional science and humanities subjects should focus on being vocational mainly and doing courses which are linked to employers and will lead to a job, including high level apprenticeships. Much like the best of the old polys did
Some odd facts: In E, W and S in 2024 there were 640,000 births. In UK unis 2024 there were 1,400,000 domestic, UK, students doing first degrees (obvs a mix of 3 and 4 year). This is very roughly 425,000 per year.
If 10% of our 2024 cohort go to uni, that's 64,000 If 20% go, that's 128,000.
There are about 150 unis in the UK. 64,000 divided between 150 unis is 427. That's 427 students, in all subjects, per uni per year. Oxford alone admits more than 3,000 per year.
Anyone still think we had Trump Derangement Syndrome ?
Anyone still think Trump is "really sharp" ?
He is this close to annexing an entire chunk of an ally's territory thru menaces and nobody has the balls to stop him. Podcasts yes. Saying rude things, yes. Sending an aircraft carrier and the Parachute Regiment to Nuuk, no.
So yes, he is really sharp. He is also a bad man.
It’s not so much just him, it’s Vance and Miller whispering in his ear. I wouldn’t be surprised if one of them tells Trump to start agitating Millei to sabre rattle about the Falklands in order to peel off the UK from supporting Greenland.
The UK is not going to renounce its support for Danish or Greenlandic sovereignty. And the Europeans certainly won’t.
Trump had picked a fight where there is no “compromise”.
Someone clever in the Trump administration could say that Denmark had agreed to the stationing of more US troops in Greenland. This is something the US could do at any time under existing treaties, but low information US voters don't know that, so Trump could still sell it as a win to his MAGA base.
Outcomes don't really matter in MAGAland. What matters is that Trump is in the headlines (and the Epstein files aren't).
As I noted before, Europe should be making more of the Epstein files.
It would be terrible, absolutely terrible, if somehow the deep state let the files leak to a Danish intelligence officer.
Trump will successfully buy Greenland. He will probably engineer a referendum and then offer every Greenlander €100,000 (or whatever) plus guaranteed lifetime social security à la Denmark
It will win. Most Britons would happily become American for £100k
'Reform is not a rescue charity for every panicky Tory MP Deadline Day for defectors is in May – and if that sounds like an ultimatum, it is'
'Put this date in your political diaries: Thursday May 7 is Deadline Day for parliamentary defectors to Reform UK. Indeed, any elected politician who wants to play a part in our movement and help turn Britain around has until that date to apply to join Reform.
After Deadline Day passes, the door will close for current and former MPs, as well as local councillors.
Firstly- chinny reckon. If Suella Braverman decides to abandon the Conservatives in autumn 2027, Nigel is going to look silly saying no.
Secondly- if this is a message for Conservative MPs, Nigel can email them. Or photocopy a note- I'm sure his latest recruit can show him how. So what is the real message here, and who is it for?
It's a message for those Reform members unhappy about accepting failed Tories into Reform, when they thought joining Reform was partly about smashing the Tories (and partly smashing Labour, the Lib Dems, the civil service, etc).
It also presents Farage as being in the position of dictating terms to those Tories who do jump ship before the local elections.
And I suppose it also provides a handy excuse if defections from the Tories have been exhausted, and pretty much everyone who was going to do so has done so. That way, if there are no defections in after the local elections Farage can say that's because he refuses them, and so it's not a sign that Reform have lost momentum.
'Reform is not a rescue charity for every panicky Tory MP Deadline Day for defectors is in May – and if that sounds like an ultimatum, it is'
'Put this date in your political diaries: Thursday May 7 is Deadline Day for parliamentary defectors to Reform UK. Indeed, any elected politician who wants to play a part in our movement and help turn Britain around has until that date to apply to join Reform.
After Deadline Day passes, the door will close for current and former MPs, as well as local councillors.
Firstly- chinny reckon. If Suella Braverman decides to abandon the Conservatives in autumn 2027, Nigel is going to look silly saying no.
Secondly- if this is a message for Conservative MPs, Nigel can email them. Or photocopy a note- I'm sure his latest recruit can show him how. So what is the real message here, and who is it for?
I'm a hard man and I can show I am a hard man? If you wanna be in my gang then you better decide now.
Anyone still think we had Trump Derangement Syndrome ?
Anyone still think Trump is "really sharp" ?
He is this close to annexing an entire chunk of an ally's territory thru menaces and nobody has the balls to stop him. Podcasts yes. Saying rude things, yes. Sending an aircraft carrier and the Parachute Regiment to Nuuk, no.
So yes, he is really sharp. He is also a bad man.
It’s not so much just him, it’s Vance and Miller whispering in his ear. I wouldn’t be surprised if one of them tells Trump to start agitating Millei to sabre rattle about the Falklands in order to peel off the UK from supporting Greenland.
The UK is not going to renounce its support for Danish or Greenlandic sovereignty. And the Europeans certainly won’t.
Trump had picked a fight where there is no “compromise”.
Yes. The UK will do that
We are reliant on America for our nuclear deterrent and we are reliant on America for our intelligence salience
How are Trump’s tariffs supposed to work on select European countries only?
Isn’t everyone going to just divert everything through, for example, Italy (not currently subject to this new tariff announcement)?
Normally that sort of thing is dealt with by country of origin rules, otherwise you could bypass the higher tariffs on the EU by routing things via the UK.
So it would imply a horrendous amount of extra paperwork for EU escorts to the US, to unpick how much of a good is from France and how much from Italy, etc.
In practice I suspect that it has to apply to all of the EU if it applies to any of the countries in the EU.
Anyone still think we had Trump Derangement Syndrome ?
Anyone still think Trump is "really sharp" ?
He is this close to annexing an entire chunk of an ally's territory thru menaces and nobody has the balls to stop him. Podcasts yes. Saying rude things, yes. Sending an aircraft carrier and the Parachute Regiment to Nuuk, no.
So yes, he is really sharp. He is also a bad man.
It’s not so much just him, it’s Vance and Miller whispering in his ear. I wouldn’t be surprised if one of them tells Trump to start agitating Millei to sabre rattle about the Falklands in order to peel off the UK from supporting Greenland.
The UK is not going to renounce its support for Danish or Greenlandic sovereignty. And the Europeans certainly won’t.
Trump had picked a fight where there is no “compromise”.
Someone clever in the Trump administration could say that Denmark had agreed to the stationing of more US troops in Greenland. This is something the US could do at any time under existing treaties, but low information US voters don't know that, so Trump could still sell it as a win to his MAGA base.
Outcomes don't really matter in MAGAland. What matters is that Trump is in the headlines (and the Epstein files aren't).
As I noted before, Europe should be making more of the Epstein files.
“Mr President? Keir Starmer here. No, Keir Starmer. No I don’t have your pizza, I’m the British prime minister. Anyway, a man from our embassy is about to drop off an envelope with some photos in. You’ll know what to do when you see them: you’ve come out awfully well”.
Anyone still think we had Trump Derangement Syndrome ?
Anyone still think Trump is "really sharp" ?
He is this close to annexing an entire chunk of an ally's territory thru menaces and nobody has the balls to stop him. Podcasts yes. Saying rude things, yes. Sending an aircraft carrier and the Parachute Regiment to Nuuk, no.
So yes, he is really sharp. He is also a bad man.
The troop deployments to Greenland are still increasing.
OMG are we sending ANOTHER soldier? We already have well over zero there. But less than two
Anyone still think we had Trump Derangement Syndrome ?
Anyone still think Trump is "really sharp" ?
He is this close to annexing an entire chunk of an ally's territory thru menaces and nobody has the balls to stop him. Podcasts yes. Saying rude things, yes. Sending an aircraft carrier and the Parachute Regiment to Nuuk, no.
So yes, he is really sharp. He is also a bad man.
The troop deployments to Greenland are still increasing.
OMG are we sending ANOTHER soldier? We already have well over zero there. But less than two
Trump will successfully buy Greenland. He will probably engineer a referendum and then offer every Greenlander €100,000 (or whatever) plus guaranteed lifetime social security à la Denmark
It will win. Most Britons would happily become American for £100k
In some cases, most Britons would be happy to pay £100k to deport other Britons to America.
Perhaps via a crowdfunder. Or a Saturday night light ents phone poll.
Anyone still think we had Trump Derangement Syndrome ?
Anyone still think Trump is "really sharp" ?
He is this close to annexing an entire chunk of an ally's territory thru menaces and nobody has the balls to stop him. Podcasts yes. Saying rude things, yes. Sending an aircraft carrier and the Parachute Regiment to Nuuk, no.
So yes, he is really sharp. He is also a bad man.
It’s not so much just him, it’s Vance and Miller whispering in his ear. I wouldn’t be surprised if one of them tells Trump to start agitating Millei to sabre rattle about the Falklands in order to peel off the UK from supporting Greenland.
The UK is not going to renounce its support for Danish or Greenlandic sovereignty. And the Europeans certainly won’t.
Trump had picked a fight where there is no “compromise”.
Yes. The UK will do that
We are reliant on America for our nuclear deterrent and we are reliant on America for our intelligence salience
We are a vassal state
France has offered all of Europe its nuclear missile umbrella, though in theory Trident can be launched independently of the US
Though given 35% of Americans have a degree now, they are still less likely to be unemployed than the US average, even with AI
You're talking to a man who voted for Starmer and cheered Trump's win. If that doesn't tell you the value of his prognostications...
Leon is often right. And often wrong. However, when he is prediction-making, he is interesting.
I tend to agree with him on universities, although might quibble with his timeline.
I quibble on timeline and extent. Pretty sure tough times are coming for some areas. We have inflated the university bubble, and to an extent we need to question career paths. Does nursing and policing need a degree route? Apprenticeship routes are probably better.
But I do think Leon overstates the case, probably because he only experienced Uni as a slacker art student.
No, it’s because I understand modern technology and it’s future and I can extrapolate that along with social trends
I remember when you called me an utter fool for believing this. Now it’s “you’re overstating the case and blah blah blah”
I’m right. The university sector is - sadly (I don’t like this) - headed for an almighty correction and a reduction by 60-80% in size
Anyone still think we had Trump Derangement Syndrome ?
Anyone still think Trump is "really sharp" ?
He is this close to annexing an entire chunk of an ally's territory thru menaces and nobody has the balls to stop him. Podcasts yes. Saying rude things, yes. Sending an aircraft carrier and the Parachute Regiment to Nuuk, no.
So yes, he is really sharp. He is also a bad man.
It’s not so much just him, it’s Vance and Miller whispering in his ear. I wouldn’t be surprised if one of them tells Trump to start agitating Millei to sabre rattle about the Falklands in order to peel off the UK from supporting Greenland.
The UK is not going to renounce its support for Danish or Greenlandic sovereignty. And the Europeans certainly won’t.
Trump had picked a fight where there is no “compromise”.
Yes. The UK will do that
We are reliant on America for our nuclear deterrent and we are reliant on America for our intelligence salience
Though given 35% of Americans have a degree now, they are still less likely to be unemployed than the US average, even with AI
You're talking to a man who voted for Starmer and cheered Trump's win. If that doesn't tell you the value of his prognostications...
Leon is often right. And often wrong. However, when he is prediction-making, he is interesting.
I tend to agree with him on universities, although might quibble with his timeline.
I quibble on timeline and extent. Pretty sure tough times are coming for some areas. We have inflated the university bubble, and to an extent we need to question career paths. Does nursing and policing need a degree route? Apprenticeship routes are probably better.
But I do think Leon overstates the case, probably because he only experienced Uni as a slacker art student.
No, it’s because I understand modern technology and it’s future and I can extrapolate that along with social trends
I remember when you called me an utter fool for believing this. Now it’s “you’re overstating the case and blah blah blah”
I’m right. The university sector is - sadly (I don’t like this) - headed for an almighty correction and a reduction by 60-80% in size
Anyone still think we had Trump Derangement Syndrome ?
Anyone still think Trump is "really sharp" ?
He is this close to annexing an entire chunk of an ally's territory thru menaces and nobody has the balls to stop him. Podcasts yes. Saying rude things, yes. Sending an aircraft carrier and the Parachute Regiment to Nuuk, no.
So yes, he is really sharp. He is also a bad man.
It’s not so much just him, it’s Vance and Miller whispering in his ear. I wouldn’t be surprised if one of them tells Trump to start agitating Millei to sabre rattle about the Falklands in order to peel off the UK from supporting Greenland.
The UK is not going to renounce its support for Danish or Greenlandic sovereignty. And the Europeans certainly won’t.
Trump had picked a fight where there is no “compromise”.
I totally agree.
We have to hold the line on this, I'm afraid. Even if it causes us economic pain.
Anyone still think we had Trump Derangement Syndrome ?
Anyone still think Trump is "really sharp" ?
He is this close to annexing an entire chunk of an ally's territory thru menaces and nobody has the balls to stop him. Podcasts yes. Saying rude things, yes. Sending an aircraft carrier and the Parachute Regiment to Nuuk, no.
So yes, he is really sharp. He is also a bad man.
It’s not so much just him, it’s Vance and Miller whispering in his ear. I wouldn’t be surprised if one of them tells Trump to start agitating Millei to sabre rattle about the Falklands in order to peel off the UK from supporting Greenland.
The UK is not going to renounce its support for Danish or Greenlandic sovereignty. And the Europeans certainly won’t.
Trump had picked a fight where there is no “compromise”.
Yes. The UK will do that
We are reliant on America for our nuclear deterrent and we are reliant on America for our intelligence salience
We are a vassal state
First bit is true, not so sure on the second - GCHQ, Mi5 and Mi6 are pretty good and fairly well funded.
Europe has - in technical terms - an absolute sod load of potential economic leverage over the United States. It has turned the other cheek due to security concerns. The US seems intent on demonstrating that it will not guarantee European security. So Europe may start using that leverage.
Anyone still think we had Trump Derangement Syndrome ?
Anyone still think Trump is "really sharp" ?
He is this close to annexing an entire chunk of an ally's territory thru menaces and nobody has the balls to stop him. Podcasts yes. Saying rude things, yes. Sending an aircraft carrier and the Parachute Regiment to Nuuk, no.
So yes, he is really sharp. He is also a bad man.
It’s not so much just him, it’s Vance and Miller whispering in his ear. I wouldn’t be surprised if one of them tells Trump to start agitating Millei to sabre rattle about the Falklands in order to peel off the UK from supporting Greenland.
The UK is not going to renounce its support for Danish or Greenlandic sovereignty. And the Europeans certainly won’t.
Trump had picked a fight where there is no “compromise”.
I totally agree.
We have to hold the line on this, I'm afraid. Even if it causes us economic pain.
Reform is way too close to both Putin and Trump to not suffer a knock back if world affairs continue to deteriorate on their current track
Now Trump 🇺🇸 puts an extra 10% tariff on imports from all countries that sent military officers and soldiers to 🇬🇱, threatening to later increase it to 25% and says this will remain until 🇩🇰🇬🇱 capitulate. This will in all probability collapse the 🇺🇸🇪🇺 trade agreement. The confrontation is starting to heat up. More to come.
Markets are a sell on Monday, then? So the mystery of last year, with both equities and safe havens like Gold both reaching record highs, might be about to resolve itself.
Anyone still think we had Trump Derangement Syndrome ?
Anyone still think Trump is "really sharp" ?
He is this close to annexing an entire chunk of an ally's territory thru menaces and nobody has the balls to stop him. Podcasts yes. Saying rude things, yes. Sending an aircraft carrier and the Parachute Regiment to Nuuk, no.
So yes, he is really sharp. He is also a bad man.
It’s not so much just him, it’s Vance and Miller whispering in his ear. I wouldn’t be surprised if one of them tells Trump to start agitating Millei to sabre rattle about the Falklands in order to peel off the UK from supporting Greenland.
The UK is not going to renounce its support for Danish or Greenlandic sovereignty. And the Europeans certainly won’t.
Trump had picked a fight where there is no “compromise”.
Someone clever in the Trump administration could say that Denmark had agreed to the stationing of more US troops in Greenland. This is something the US could do at any time under existing treaties, but low information US voters don't know that, so Trump could still sell it as a win to his MAGA base.
Outcomes don't really matter in MAGAland. What matters is that Trump is in the headlines (and the Epstein files aren't).
Quite aside from the fact it's the right thing to do, and something we cannot compromise on as @Gardenwalker says, it's also a political fight he can easily lose.
Americans simply don't support annexing Greenland, even a good chunk of Republican ones, and he has mid-term elections coming up.
The trick here will be holding the line firmly, but not overplaying our hand, so the economic and geopolitical fallout influence US domestic politics.
Macron: "No intimidation nor threat will influence us, neither in Ukraine, nor in Greenland, nor anywhere else in the world when we are confronted with such situations.
"Tariff threats are unacceptable and have no place in this context. Europeans will respond to them in a united and co-ordinated manner if they were to be confirmed. We will know how to uphold European sovereignty.
"It is in this spirit that I will hold talks with our European partners."
Maybe Trump is right that Greenland is a security problem for the West as things are.
You do come out with some weird batshit sometimes.
He is actually right. There is a hostile authoritarian state led by an unstable Fascist criminal making threats to it. That sounds like a security problem to me.
boulay said: "Our US based posters will obviously have a better knowledge of what Americans are hearing on the news and if it’s making waves but I fear the vast majority aren’t switched on to what is happening and the potential consequences."
For now, in this area, the ICE confrontations, especially in Minnesota, are getting more attention.
(For the record: Yesterday, my oldest nephew asked me if the Loser was really going to invade Greenland. I told him I thought the chances were less than 10 percent. But I suppose I should send a reminder to Vance that he has responsibilities under the 25th Amendment. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twenty-fifth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution )
Comments
This is against the law, it’s a total disaster for America, and Republicans in Congress and the Supreme Court need to find their spines and stop it.
https://x.com/RepDonBeyer/status/2012569449690235311
“BREAKING: Americans with four-year college degrees now account for a record 25.3% of U.S. unemployment.
The percentage has doubled since 2008, leaving more than 1.9 million degree-holders age 25+ currently unemployed.
This is the highest level since data collection began in 1992.”
https://x.com/hedgeye/status/2012449564234563936?s=46
More people have degrees and those degrees are relatively less useful.
The problem isn't so much with those with degrees being unemployed its with those with college debt being unemployed.
Ron Filipkowski
@RonFilipkowski
Only the Supreme Court or Republicans in Congress can stop this insanity right now. Which pretty much means we’re fucked.
https://x.com/RonFilipkowski/status/2012571429129052445
"Joan of Arc was great, but nothing compared to her sister, Joan of Circumference, who was a much more rounded person."
Holding statement from German government: "The German government has taken note of the US president's remarks. It is in close consultation with its European partners.
Together we will decide on appropriate responses at the appropriate time."
And the doom will come surprisingly fast. 5-10 years. Maybe less
I expect 5-20% to survive as posh finishing schools and networking centres. Like the better private schools
This is one of the ways in which Trump is operating now. Do everything, all at once, and his opponents can't focus on anything long enough to build up opposition.
The NYT, for example, lives in a bizarre self-constructed bubble, and reads as if it was edited as a post-modern joke by the reincarnation of Lewis Carroll.
And that’s before you get to the legion of right wing lunacy.
All Americans are politically suspect, essentially.
So on the positive side looks like Trump has at least ruled out invading Greenland
Bullying trade policy with tariffs is one thing. Bullying territorial demands with them is quite another.
His influence over Ukraine has also declined as American support has slowly declined to no visible impact on the front line trends.
Running out of cards to use short of direct military action.
"World peace is at stake" - Trump.
We should however follow Carney’s lead.
The others not doing law, medicine, engineering and high level academic research in traditional science and humanities subjects should focus on being vocational mainly and doing courses which are linked to employers and will lead to a job, including high level apprenticeships. Much like the best of the old polys did
I guess there's no minerals there for Trump's mates to make money from. It's important for the US military strategically, but Trump shows little evidence of understanding, or caring to understand about that. It's pretty much the place on Earth furthest from the geographic centre of the contiguous 48 US States - so in terms of Trump's spheres of influence way of looking at the world it is literally at the arse end of nowhere and of no consequence at all.
If the Indians don't want it to end up in the hands of China they had better have a contingency ready to occupy the place themselves.
'Reform is not a rescue charity for every panicky Tory MP
Deadline Day for defectors is in May – and if that sounds like an ultimatum, it is'
'Put this date in your political diaries: Thursday May 7 is Deadline Day for parliamentary defectors to Reform UK. Indeed, any elected politician who wants to play a part in our movement and help turn Britain around has until that date to apply to join Reform.
After Deadline Day passes, the door will close for current and former MPs, as well as local councillors.
Now is the time to decide: do you want to go down with the failed politics of the past, or go forward with Reform UK – the party of hope, optimism and change?'
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2026/01/17/reform-is-not-a-rescue-charity-for-every-panicky-tory-mp/
Apprenticeships are something that perennially ever party says they are all for in opposition and then do nothing about in office.
My own view based on direct personal experience: for the love of God rebuild the poly system.
So yes, he is really sharp. He is also a bad man.
Tim Miller
@Timodc
This is unimaginably deranged. And you people said I had TDS.
https://x.com/Timodc/status/2012582696422174862
And often wrong.
However, when he is prediction-making, he is interesting.
I tend to agree with him on universities, although might quibble with his timeline.
Trump had picked a fight where there is no “compromise”.
Senator Thom Tillis
@SenThomTillis
This response to our own allies for sending a small number of troops to Greenland for training is bad for America, bad for American businesses, and bad for America's allies. It's great for Putin, Xi and other adversaries who want to see NATO divided. The fact that a small handful of "advisors" are actively pushing for coercive action to seize territory of an ally is beyond stupid. It hurts the legacy of President Trump and undercuts all the work he has done to strengthen the NATO alliance over the years.
https://x.com/SenThomTillis/status/2012583871800369326
Secondly- if this is a message for Conservative MPs, Nigel can email them. Or photocopy a note- I'm sure his latest recruit can show him how. So what is the real message here, and who is it for?
Isn’t everyone going to just divert everything through, for example, Italy (not currently subject to this new tariff announcement)?
It’s more that Trump is someone with Ted Bundy levels of personal narcissism.
He’s simply a sociopath, if not - at this stage, accounting for the maddening effects of power - a psychopath.
Outcomes don't really matter in MAGAland. What matters is that Trump is in the headlines (and the Epstein files aren't).
Say it ain't so...
The guy's a fucking genius. 4D chess. I'm sure somebody here told us that.
25th now.
But I do think Leon overstates the case, probably because he only experienced Uni as a slacker art student.
In E, W and S in 2024 there were 640,000 births.
In UK unis 2024 there were 1,400,000 domestic, UK, students doing first degrees (obvs a mix of 3 and 4 year).
This is very roughly 425,000 per year.
If 10% of our 2024 cohort go to uni, that's 64,000
If 20% go, that's 128,000.
There are about 150 unis in the UK.
64,000 divided between 150 unis is 427.
That's 427 students, in all subjects, per uni per year.
Oxford alone admits more than 3,000 per year.
Something, somewhere, is going to go pop.
Vances and Rubio going to opening ceremony of Olympics in Italy.
Trump will successfully buy Greenland. He will probably engineer a referendum and then offer every Greenlander €100,000 (or whatever) plus guaranteed lifetime social security à la Denmark
It will win. Most Britons would happily become American for £100k
At the moment, this isn't a real policy, it's an angry old man with a social media account and nobody to stop him using it.
It also presents Farage as being in the position of dictating terms to those Tories who do jump ship before the local elections.
And I suppose it also provides a handy excuse if defections from the Tories have been exhausted, and pretty much everyone who was going to do so has done so. That way, if there are no defections in after the local elections Farage can say that's because he refuses them, and so it's not a sign that Reform have lost momentum.
We are reliant on America for our nuclear deterrent and we are reliant on America for our intelligence salience
We are a vassal state
So it would imply a horrendous amount of extra paperwork for EU escorts to the US, to unpick how much of a good is from France and how much from Italy, etc.
In practice I suspect that it has to apply to all of the EU if it applies to any of the countries in the EU.
Perhaps via a crowdfunder. Or a Saturday night light ents phone poll.
I remember when you called me an utter fool for believing this. Now it’s “you’re overstating the case and blah blah blah”
I’m right. The university sector is - sadly (I don’t like this) - headed for an almighty correction and a reduction by 60-80% in size
We have to hold the line on this, I'm afraid. Even if it causes us economic pain.
We can paddle a fair bit of our own canoe there.
Europe has - in technical terms - an absolute sod load of potential economic leverage over the United States.
It has turned the other cheek due to security concerns.
The US seems intent on demonstrating that it will not guarantee European security.
So Europe may start using that leverage.
Perhaps we should mention this to Vance and Rubio? Or just give them crabs...
Not only are they rivals, they are ideological opponents.
The only think that connects them is their shared avarice for power when Stalin finally chokes on his last chicken wing.
Americans simply don't support annexing Greenland, even a good chunk of Republican ones, and he has mid-term elections coming up.
The trick here will be holding the line firmly, but not overplaying our hand, so the economic and geopolitical fallout influence US domestic politics.
"Tariff threats are unacceptable and have no place in this context. Europeans will respond to them in a united and co-ordinated manner if they were to be confirmed. We will know how to uphold European sovereignty.
"It is in this spirit that I will hold talks with our European partners."
Obviously.
Vance, I think is linked to this issue.
For now, in this area, the ICE confrontations, especially in Minnesota, are getting more attention.
(For the record: Yesterday, my oldest nephew asked me if the Loser was really going to invade Greenland. I told him I thought the chances were less than 10 percent. But I suppose I should send a reminder to Vance that he has responsibilities under the 25th Amendment.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twenty-fifth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution )
Yaroslav Trofimov
@yarotrof
We are now at a stage when Trump calls NATO nations putting troops on the territory of a NATO ally a threat to world peace.
https://x.com/yarotrof/status/2012573049036669208