RayC

Likewise, there is no shortage of people on this board with conservative views, some of whom seem incapable of employing common sense and debating without resorting to insults (I am not directing this accusation at you personally).

"Putin will be able to observe the blackened remains of Russia as he emerges from his shelter and be able to say, "I had to destroy the country to save it from the West"." Does that make any more sense?

Hopefully, the investigation will get to the bottom of things. However, American Airlines have commented and - at the risk of pre-judging matters - imo the absence of a "We vigorously deny all allegations of racial discrimination, etc ..." speaks volumes.

Jusse Smollett? Are you suggesting that these men somehow staged this?

I am fully aware that this is a discussion forum as opposed to a legislative chamber. However, one reason for these discussion forums is to discuss policy (alternatives). I did not say that Israel 'owed' allies anything. I was pointing out that at a time when Israel needs all the support that it can get - imo Israel needs the EU more than the EU needs Israel - getting involved in a diplomatic tit-for-tat would not be the best course of action.

So a retaliatory "useless" gesture, which offers little, if any, practical benefit to Israel but which would potentially alienate traditional allies. A rational decision would be to be avoid doing so but rationality seems to be a dwindling resource in this conflict.

Tory supporters can justifiably point to mitigating circumstances - such as having to govern within a coalition for 4 years and having to manage a pandemic - however, 14 years is a long time to be in office and known issues with e.g. the NHS, the environment, social cohesion have certainly not been solved, and imo largely not been addressed in any meaningful way: The Tory party must be considered responsible and accountable for this lack of progress. I'm not sure what you mean with your reference to "Blairism" and (lack of) moderation?

Far from apples to apples. Payback for what? Can you explain how such a move would help any party (Israel, Palestine, Spain, Catalan or Basque separatists, the EU)?

For once I agree with you. Those ships are currently at sea. However, I imagine that they will return to port for their 'once in a generation' visits sometime in the next decade when, imo the EU vote will have a different outcome. We Eu-philes will just have to grin and bear it until then and hope that we survive that long. https://obr.uk/forecasts-in-depth/the-economy-forecast/brexit-analysis/#assumptions The "sunlit uplands" were promised by you Leavers. If they exist - imo highly unlikely - they must be hidden behind permanent low-cloud.

What's your point? The very same article states that the UK has underperformed "Italy (2.1%), Canada (3.5%), Japan (3%) and the US (6.1%)".

You do not need to submit any documentation to prove that you have been working abroad at this stage. Your first step is simply to submit the application form (CF83). You can either do this on line or by post. The section entitled 'What you’ll need' tells you, well, what you need in order to complete the form. If the DWP require any additional information/ documentation they will let you know.

Where is the evidence to support your contentions that the Allies planned for Alsace-Lorraine to revert to German control and other parts of France to be ceded to Italy? Whilst it is true that Roosevelt wanted AMGOT implemented in France, it was Eisenhower's opposition to the policy - with the aid of allies in Washington - which caused it to be dropped. Given De Gaulle's weak position, imo I doubt that his opposition was of any great import. To suggest that the US planned to "dismember" Russia overstates matters and presents only one side of the story. The following quote gives a more nuanced and imo, accurate description: "In 1991, two positions emerged in Washington. The first, embodied by US Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney, saw the breakup of the Soviet Union as a historic opportunity for the West to free itself from the Russian threat. The other, backed by US Secretary of State Jim Baker, argued for caution, focusing on the risks involved in the disintegration of a superpower, especially a nuclear one. As is well known, the latter position was the one adopted by President George H.W. Bush." (Source: https://www.institutmontaigne.org/en/expressions/after-fall-must-we-prepare-breakup-russia) Whether those suggesting that Putin is a new Empire builder are nationals of what you claim are hegemonist countries is irrelevant. It doesn't make the statement any less true.

This link outlines the process and what documentation you need https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-to-pay-voluntary-national-insurance-contributions-when-abroad-cf83

Imo the chances of any government unfreezing pensions in the next parliament is virtually zero, and the chances of it happening after that is very low.

Imo that scenario is extremely unlikely. There are 650 constituencies. There is a maximum of 50 where the Muslim vote will have any significant effect.

You got a hat-trick there. False premise, false argument and false conclusion. Your individual experience proves little. My experience, at roughly the same time, was almost the exact opposite. I was born and brought up in inner South London. Crime was rife; most of it was committed by locals who needed little instruction from immigrants in how to perform their "work".

On a national scale, the Muslim vote is pretty insignificant. There are only a handful of constituencies where Muslims are in the majority and relatively few where they are a significant minority.

The closest the UK got to having a socialist government was in 1945. The Blair/Brown administrations could only be classified as centre-left at most.

I don't understand what point you are trying to make? Yes, sanctions can also adversely effect the countries applying the sanctions. That doesn't mean that it is wrong to impose them. It is off-topic but I am intrigued by your claim that the US wanted to dismantle Belgium post-WW2. I am a Brit but I lived in Belgium for many years. I wouldn't claim to be an expert, but I consider myself to be reasonably well-informed about Belgium's history and have never heard of this plan until now. Can you supply a link with details about It please.

This opinion piece is hardly unexpected or news given that the source of it is the Conservative party's unofficial media mouthpiece. That said, I agree with the Telegraph that this is not 1997. Imo there doesn't appear to be much enthusiasm for Labour; it's just that there is even less for the Tories. The electorate seems to largely apathetic towards all parties. While Labour should win convincingly, the largest UKGov poll shows that 15% of voters are undecided who to vote for, and 10% say that they will not vote. It appears that there are still a lot of votes to play for.

See text below. Does that convince you that Feinstein is a Corbynite? Still offering your support to Andrew? "In December 2019, along with 42 other leading cultural figures, Feinstein signed a letter endorsing the Labour Party under Jeremy Corbyn's leadership in the 2019 general election. The letter stated that "Labour's election manifesto under Jeremy Corbyn's leadership offers a transformative plan that prioritises the needs of people and the planet over private profit and the vested interests of a few." (Source: Wikipedia)

Ukraine has been a sovereign nation since 1991. That sovereignty entitles it to decide which countries it wishes to be aligned with. Ukraine chose the West (EU and NATO). Over the past 30+ years, Russia has continually tried to undermine Ukraine's ambitions to forge closer ties with the West, culminating in this invasion. The evidence for this premise has been outlined many times in this thread and others. It seems like you start with the conclusion that everything is due to US interference rather than analyse the evidence and then reach a conclusion.

Feinstein is a Corbyn supporter. You wished Feinstein 'Good luck' in his campaign to become a MP. Therefore, I'd argue that it's not unreasonable to assume that you share Feinstein's views which are in line with Corbyn's.😉

You two have suddenly converted into hard left Corbynists. Have to admit that I didn't see that one coming.

That tune brought back some memories (mainly good). Thanks for posting👍