It was all going so well for Keir Starmer.
One prevarication has followed another, before time has been spent sitting on a fence, after which his instincts have cut in, and some far-right measure has grabbed his attention, followed by him watching his support ratings tank, yet again. But at least he thought (although no one agreed with him) that he had Donald Trump on side. Until 6.38 this morning, that was, when this landed on Truth Social, Trump's favoured social media platform:
I may be wrong, but I think even Starmer will have some problems getting the interpretation of this one wrong.
Trump does not like him.
Trump thinks he's a fool.
Trump thinks he lacks all judgement.
Trump says he must have Greenland as a result because with the likes of Starmer in Europe, then the US must control Greenland, or it will give them away.
Now, Chagos is complicated. Let';s not pretend otherwise. I think the UK has consistently got it wrong. I think, unsurprisingly, that Trump is wrong. But none of that matters much this morning. What matters is that Trump has proved three things.
First, there is no special relationship.
Second, he could not give a damn about the UK and what it thinks.
Third, he thinks Starmer is incompetent.
I happen to share that last view, but my reasoning differs somewhat from that Trump is using, and again, that does not matter. What matters is that Starmer cannot duck this: Trump is saying to Starmer he is not in the room to talk, and there is no point pretending otherwise. Whatever he might have liked to pretend until yesterday, Starmer can no longer suggest that talking will work, because it very clearly will not.
The questions are fourfold.
First, can Europe agree on what to do in the face of a threat? That seems like a big issue to me, not least because this is not the first crisis that will arise: Greenland is just the first domino in a sequence if it falls.
Second, will the pretence that we are allies with the US now come to an end, when we are so obviously not?
Third, will Starmer now describe Trump as what he is, which is a fascist, and then react accordingly?
Fourth, will the countermeasures begin, because they must?
And, I might add, why is Mike Johnson in parliament today? Isn't it time to stop pretending and get off the fence? It is, if you care.
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Trump has at least a couple of things to worry about on the domestic front.
First, he has not released all of the Epstein files. He is ignoring legislation passed by Congress, necessarily on a bipartisan basis. Will they continue to ignore that?
Second, there is a fair chance that the US Supreme Court will rule against his tariff policy this week, as it should because the constitution is clear about who controls taxes and trade.
If the legislative and/or judicial arms move against him, or even just try to block him, he will find things much more difficult.
Agreed.
The Supreme Court is meant to rule today.
I am assuming the fascists will prevail and that the rule of law in the US has been suspended.
Diego Garcia = Force projection.
One way to reduce the threat, UK takes back (control) one of the US bases in the UK (perhaps coordinates with Euro partners who do the same with a selected base in Europe). Make it clear to the USA, touch Diego Garcia and = no US military presence whatsoever in Europe. Doable. Could do it now. Should do it now. Greenland is +/- gone and the US has a fleet (at the moment) to cover Diego Garcia. These things will change.
Starmer, wrong man, wrong place, wrong time. He (& his penumbra of never-weres) has to go. As for Johnson, if the MPs had balls it would be rotten fruit time for this scum – pelt him with them.
I am inclined to agree.
Agreed.
The thing with the appeasement of extremists is that it just emboldens them – they’re already unhinged anyway by some belief or whatever or in this case just pure greed.
The gentleman from Louisiana looks to be from a long line of confederate thinking politicians who have no right to be at the centre of political power – not even as guests. All Johnson will do is think that God himself has rewarded him with a guest slot at the ‘mother of parliaments’. The feeling of superiority will emanate from him.
Really, this visit needs to be abandoned and if not I’d hope to see the commons rather empty.
The UK (and the EU) have their weapon at hand: the US debt! Cash it in or at least demonstrate in part. That will get Trump’s attention methinks!
(Apologies for my financial naivete Richard )
We discussed this yesterday.
There is no guarantee it will work. The US just uses QE to buy up the debt people want to sell and then what?
We must never forget this, and start to do something about it, urgently –
“The UK is wedded to UK tech – we need a divorce”. – John Naughton, the Observer last Sunday.
https://observer.co.uk/news/columnists/article/the-uk-is-wedded-to-us-tech-time-for-a-divorce
This is what “shoulder to shoulder” and “shared values” really mean in the UK’s “alliance” with Trump.
It means our “ally” accusing our PM of “WEAKNESS – & GREAT STUPIDITY”. It means being lectured to by fascist enabler US Speaker Johnson
What I am wondering is, Who will call this out? Which newspapers? Which broadcasters? Which party leaders (other than Polanski)?
Which of 400+ Labour MPs?
Is there ANY public humiliation and abuse which will provoke their resistance?
Starmer is now fascist Trump’s whipping boy, or worse, and while he remains PM, then he humiliates the whole United Kingdom.
Are there 80 Labour MPs ready to do the right thing?
Will it be costly?
Yes, opposing fascism has always been costly.
But it’s still the right thing.