In fairness, this is going to mightily annoy Trump:
I'll give Starmer credit for that but what is he playing at?
Has he abandoned the creeping to Trump position of Thursday?
Is he creeping to Europe now?
Or is this the 'UK as a bridge' strategy in play?
More will become apparent today, perhaps.
I also hope there is talk of peace today: that has to be the goal. In amongst the scabre rattling which appears to be in favour with some, this has to be what any goal should be.
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Agree Richard, cable rattling needs to stop. I’ve been in several lifts over the years where I’ve been ‘amongst the cable rattling’ and it can be a bit scary. It can certainly interfere with ones peace 🙂 Of course, sabre rattling can be as bad.
I hate auotocorrect!
As you suggest, let’s see.
These are strange times.
UK as a bridge. Perhaps Starmer hopes to charge a toll, but more likely he will be walked over from both sides.
There is something else that will annoy Mango: when the US arms industry loses $25bn in sales per year because the UK & EU decide to buy local.
All those US jobs – gone. Oh dear. I wonder how long Mango will last. The vid provides the details (Finnish military guy speaking).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ThNMEwLF7s
Thank you, Richard.
One lives in hope.
I doubt it and think Starmer will triangulate. Why? For two decades, Starmer has sucked up to the US MIC. The likes of Mike Pompeo and Woody Johnson were instrumental is Starmer’s undermining of Corbyn.
Please let me laugh again at centrist log rollers who think Starmer is a European. He’s first and foremost an Atlanticist. When push comes to shove, the US sponsored Lammy and Streeting will show their true colours, too.
When one considers the scale of US equipment used by British forces and amount of training in the US, any British or even European capability is decades away. This is the price Europe is paying for the demise of European cooperation. Older readers may remember Heseltine’s resignation in January 1986. Aurelien was involved in these projects and reports that there was a concerted effort to undermine European autonomy by Atlanticists.
There are Atlanticist and European factions in the European elite. That’s one difference. They are neo-liberal and neo-con, though, hence little public division until Trump’s change of approach and tone.
Let me explain my interest: Dad served God, Queen and Country, RAF, from 1964 – 91. His father and uncles served in the RAF in WW2. Mum’s big sister worked for what became British Aerospace. When the Anglo-French projects got going in the 1960s and 1970s, as she’s bilingual, she transferred to Aerospatiale in the late 1960s, married a French colleague and has lived in French aerospace country ever since.
And so we suck up to a fascist in the White House, who is a friend with a fascist in Russia.
Is that a choice?
Are you saying you think we have no choices available to us?
If so, when do we get fascism in the UK?
I am trying to work out your logic now. I think it needs teasing out, hence my questions.
> If so, when do we get fascism in the UK?
If we don’t already have it. We’ll get it when reform win the next election. Unfortunately I don’t see any way to prevent that now.
I am not sure we need Reform. I think they are a sideshow now.
Thank you, Richard.
We have choices and must make use of them.
It’s just that I don’t think Starmer (and his cabinet), Macron and whoever emerges in Germany allow Europe to disentagle from the US.
I have personal experience of these types. Sucking up to America and doing America’s dirty work paid dividends.
I think there is a ‘will’ missing.
I think you are right.
There is a crippling lack of confidence in an alternative.
Alternatives?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVaadqx01As
Euro weapons industry is pretty good. Euros & Uk spend $24bn per year on US weapons. Does not have to be that way. All the weapon systems are there – right now.
Oh, I forget,,, what airdefense system is used to defend the White House… hmmm … hmmm… comes from Norway, (made by Kongsberg – 50% state owned) and considered the best in the world. Oh! I guarantee – Starmer etc does not know.
‘“Fléctere si néqueo súperos Acheronta movebo – If I cannot move heaven, I will raise hell.” Starmer is not strong to do either, and Trump (aided by Vance) believes he can do both. I am sure that both Zelensky and Starmer, and of course Europe, want peace – but on what terms? The problems, as you state, lie with the fascists in the White House and in Russia – is Starmer strong enough to oppose them and to assure essential security?
Questions I may have to spend my evening addressing.
Re: “when do we get facsism over here.”
Surely that’s what the campaign for “free speech” is about? It looks like their plan is to use unregulated social media to rig our elections, as they did in the US.
The Marsh Family on message as usual. Possibly needs it’s own thread:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvT3aQjLxdE
But I never liked the song, and they seem to be struggling now. Not sure why.
Of course peace should be the objective, but let’s hope that the European leaders realise that Zelenskyy is right that it would be crazy to trust Putin without concrete guarantees of future support, given the fact that Putin has broken every agreement in the past. A peace treaty without guarantees will just give Putin a breathing space to regroup his forces ready for the next invasion.
That feels right to me.