herfiehandbag

Donkeys years ago I went to one of those faith healing services. The preacher called up two sufferers, David, who had a very severe speech impediment, and Tony who was crippled and walked with crutches. The two were sent behind a screen. The minister ordered:" Tony, throw away your crutches!" A pair of crutches flew over the screen. "David, speak to us!" " TTTTony has ffffallen over!"

I can see problems with a curfew - I have long experience of cats and have never ever known one which can tell the time! Enforcing it would require significant resources, a special Scottish Government Agency would be required - can I suggest a suitable "up to date title" - "Pussy Scotland"! I do hope that the Scottish Government will be left alone to get it's claws into the problem, hopefully Westminster will resist the temptation to play cat and mouse with such tomfoolery!

I would not be so sure (that it was Canada, or indeed Mexico). American politics is dominated by money, this new (current) government is absolutely beholden to it. The MAGA masses got them into place, and now they have done their job, they are done with. This is a government for the wealthy, Trump's antics with tariffs have caused immediate and dramatic falls on the stock markets, and are set to do immense economic damage - to America. Some very wealthy (and influential) people have without a doubt had some very agitated and pointed off the record conversations. It was the orange <deleted> gibbon that caved!

Blimey oh Reilly, such flexible interpretation!

Oh for crying out loud! When you can make a half decent fist of maintaining and running a rail system ( and to be quite honest your present efforts are pathetic) then start passing your time musing about such language!

That might be because, in a free consumer society such as the USA still has (although perhaps on the cusp of becoming one which prevents its citizens from buying what they may wish to buy) people prefer to buy wine and cheese from European suppliers. There is a trade imbalance essentially because US consumers choose to buy products from Europe. As for that foul, oozing, yellow, chemical impregnated gunk which your supermarkets pass off as cheese...

He bankrupted his Casinos (to go bust running a casino is in itself a remarkable achievement!), he bankrupted many of his businesses, and now he is going for the big one, to bankrupt his country!

Of course you are! Bob.

You're from Dorset Bob. You probably think that Canada is the next stop on the Southern National bus after Lulworth Cove!

Long term money. Canada, and Greenland, both have significant resources in minerals, fossil fuels and other resources. The diminution of the polar icecaps will open up access to these resources. Lots of money to be made. Likewise the "NorthWest Passage" through Greenland and Canadian waters is opening up to shipping. Control of this passage, if aggressively managed, (together with control of the Panama Canal) would put the US firmly in control of a massive proportion of global trade. The money making opportunities are immense. Greenland he sees as simple, US takes the territory. They have the power, and I doubt he cares, or has thought through, any international or alliance ramifications. Canada, well that's more difficult. If he decides that the US can take over no doubt he will try, destroying their economy is a first step. He isn't interested in the cities of the southern or maritime provinces, it's the lands up north; if those cities are ruined Canada may fall to the US, or perhaps some sort of economic colonisation. Now like most rich men approaching old age Trump thinks he will live "for ever", but even he must realise that he will not live to see the financial benefits of the US owning and exploiting Canada and Greenland; but he is shrewd enough to realise that his backers will be persuaded to provide the money to "see him out", and to cement his political regime in place for the foreseeable future, on the promise of the money they will make. Money.

The Fentanyl "supply chain", if it could be dignified with that title, consists largely of Americans procuring the stuff from abroad, and selling it to other Americans. A determined effort to disrupt that chain within the US would cause far less collateral damage, both to adjacent and the US economies than tariffs. Remove the market sort of idea. However, I suspect Mr Trump sees (imagines) huge quantities of Canadian and Mexican cash swilling around in his treasury, giving him the opportunity he needs to reduce personal tax on his billionaire backers. It is of course rather a simplistic argument, but then he is rather a simple fellow.

They are going to need a lot more buses. I believe the largest manufacturer of buses in North America is "New Flyer", a Canadian firm. All available to purchase with a 25% tariff!

Ah, but when you are the 51st state you will no longer have to worry about health care (you won't have any), or paid time off work, (again you won't have any). You can join the happy helots of Mr Trumps oligarchy, whilst your erstwhile country is stripped of its resources by that same oligarchy. How much simpler it will all be!

If Kentucky, or Tennessee, have no factory, no plants, no networks of component suppliers, no skilled employees or managers, no engineers with the experience or knowledge, in fact no background in manufacturing electric cars, would it not be prohibitively expensive to invest in all that, and might it not take a very long time - certainly more than 4 years, by which time it is very possible that the whole political and economic climate will have changed.

Advantages, well you would be able to have a conversation with my dog: Mr Pom also answers to "canis ineptus".

Perhaps commenting is not quite the same as confronting or challenging, but of course I am merely an opinionated novice! Pompous Ass!

Trudeau💋Melania > hates Canada. Newson💋Melania > hates California. Greenland > mineral concessions for$ Panama > ship canal, concession for$ Mexico > brown people. You see, this MAGA business is really quite simple!

Oh dear, he has got closer to him than she has to her husband for years!

Unfortunately, he would start demanding that, as a ship canal, it should be handed to the USA.

Classic example: "Bloke in a white EV pulled out of a Mini Big C in Chiang Rai the other day. Knocked a lass off her Scoopy. Both were going slowly. No injuries. I picked her up, he didn't see her - he was hunched over his screen (trying to find a charging point?) I was right behind her, and offered to stand witness. He is supposed to be paying for repairs to her Scoopy - " Above was posted in a separate thread, within a couple of minutes it attracted two "confused" emojis! I something as simple as that causes confusion, how on earth do they summon up enough neurons to turn their phones on?

If you find that post confusing, how the hell do you manage to summon up the neurons to turn your phone on?

Bloke in a white EV pulled out of a Mini Big C in Chiang Rai the other day. Knocked a lass off her Scoopy. Both were going slowly. No injuries. I picked her up, he didn't see her - he was hunched over his screen (trying to find a charging point?) I was right behind her, and offered to stand witness. He is supposed to be paying for repairs to her Scoopy -

One must of course bear in mind the nuances which social position bring to such conversations - England is of course a class driven society, unlike the other constituents of the United Kingdom, or indeed our antipodean associated nations, whose egalitarianism is beyond reproach. So an upper class privately educated Englishman (admittedly unlikely to be about such business on Sukhumvit Soi 15 at such an hour) would perhaps suggest that it was such an unlikely conversation as to be perhaps risible, and certainly provoke an element of disbelief. The more ursine of the species, using the catenation with which their speech is so often distinguished, might say "yeraving alarff mate", or even "yertalkingbollocksmate"! Either way, their meaning, and reaction is quite clear!

I thought that the main political input from the US on Brexit was that we should stay in the EU, but yes, I didn't think the US should have got involved.

Absolutely you have the right, and of course the ability on British policy (which I agree is absurd); just as I have the right and ability, which I exercise to comment on American matters. My objection is Rubio as an American Government official assuming that somehow he has the right to confront and challenge a British Government official on a British Government policy.