herfiehandbag

The Guardian appears to have burnt their fingers somewhat in releasing this only a year on. Still, given time in more favourable circumstances it will no doubt re-emerge as part of the overall effort to blame Israel and whitewash the Gazans.

Cynical so and so!

Observers may be forgiven for regarding Trumps tax affairs as being less than transparent!

I think it was the British journalist and author Douglas Murray who pointed out that would simply result in another Iranian proxy failed state adjacent to Israel.

Or perhaps c) he has never before been in a position (as a candidate for national office) to raise or have any influence on the matter.

Nasty piece of work, who would have thought it, eh?

I would suggest a few years on probation, with the proviso that he lives in Hereford.

A bit like putting a General in charge then? Although I have very grave reservations about the process which led to this present government being installed, and this "young woman" being put in charge, at least it had some modicum of popular input. The preceding General installed himself, announced he was in charge and sat there for 9 years. I am not sure that merit or skills played any part in his ministerial appointments, although there was a fair amount of cronyism knocking around.

I'm not suggesting that anyone other than the Americans should change it - it is after all a candidate in the election who has suggested it! Cynicism prompts me to suggest that entrenched political interests will ensure that the onerous hurdles which exist for constitutional change ( particularly in the Senate, the least democratic of bodies - California having the same representation as North Dakota!) will prevent any such amendment. Again cynicism prompts me to suggest that any popular feeling, whether expressed by House of Representative numbers or election results will be ignored - but then that is rather the ultimate purpose of the Electoral College anyway!

This is all supposed to have happened 23 years ago. A doctor was investigated, but although the investigation was critical she was neither "struck off" nor prosecuted. These 21 suspects were presumably of interest to the police at the time; but again were never prosecuted. Again presumably there was not the evidence to prosecute. I very much doubt that witness statements so many years later will provide that evidence.

Given that he was arrested one month prior to the planned attack, perhaps the vetting and counter terror "system" is working?

Oh I don't know, I recall many Americans comment on the Brexit debate in the UK! Equally, it is important to consider that with the incredible economic, military and political "clout" which the US holds, greater than any other nation, which they are not exactly backwards in displaying and at times using, and the role of "leaders of the free world" which again they are assiduous in ensuring is acknowledged, and have done since 1945: well then inevitably many worldwide will have opinions and wish to comment and/or contribute to the debate. You can't really have it both ways: be the greatest power and influence on the world yet exist in isolation!

Elon Musk, the finest Tigger impression ever seen on the political stage! Oh his policies you ask? Whatever Donald says as long as he gets his tax cuts!

There are no Western Advisors embedded with the Ukrainian Forces, ("Everyone knows" is, incidentally, not conclusive evidence of anything). The Ukrainian forces have benefitted significantly from training from Western armies outside the Ukraine, not least because even an abbreviated training regime gives them an edge on their Russian opponents, who are basically untrained, and rely on "learning on the job"! Mercenaries? Well there are foreign volunteers serving in the Ukraine forces, but there are plenty of Chechens and other central Asian "volunteers" in the Russian Ranks. Ukraine is using weapons supplied by Western countries, Russia is using weapons (and particularly artillery ammunition) from China and North Korea. Russia rains long range missiles on the civilian infrastructure of Ukraine - one of their main objectives of late has been to destroy the electrical generating and distribution network to ensure that winter will be especially hard for civilians - any Ukrainian response is of course mendacious, brutal and a threat by NATO! The Ukraine was for a long time controlled by the Russian Empire, Czarist or Soviet. It was never a comfortable occupation, Ukraine was often rebellious. Arguably one of the great mistakes of Nazi Germany in their invasion of the Soviet Union was to fail to turn Ukraine to their side instead the Nazis stupidly went for racial oppression and genocide. Ukraine does, and has for generations, looked to Europe and not Moscow.

Yes we did. I dislike Starmer intensely, distrust him and view him as a colourless authoritarian socialist, albeit one who has managed to indulge some rather expensive tastes. However, of the three plausible candidates for Prime Minister he ended up with more votes than any other candidate; so his appointment reflects that. His parliamentary majority raises calls for electoral reform, but his legitimacy as Prime Minister is not really challengeable. The USA Presidential contest is essentially a binary choice, Trump or Harris. Therefore the winner, the one who gets the most votes, should be the one who assumes the Presidency. As someone said here recently ( @stevenl) if the Electoral College decides otherwise it is a subversion of Democracy

He probably does, like many he may be looking at a period of internment, in a desert camp whilst he is investigated!

Surely a valid point, when in a national election for President, the loser, by several million votes, can be awarded the Presidency by a, now, largely jerrymandered system, based on a very limited suffrage, and devised in the 18th century, to ensure that the then "(slave owning) establishment" maintained power. There is a place for tradition in political procedure and governance (after all I am from the UK, possibly it's home) but it's place is not to manage and alter the clearly expressed democratic intent of the electorate. That is why we (the UK) abolished "traditions" like "rotten boroughs", property and wealth qualifications to vote, and introduced absolute adult suffrage.

What, Mister Trump uttering "factual discrepancies", surely not!

I presume that you have completed a special course, one which has equipped you to be entirely barking, totally bigoted, and absolutely incapable of interpreting let alone understanding the teachings of Almighty God. After all, no one could be like you naturally!

Macron warns that the EU is failing to be competitive because of over regulation and centralisation. So he is calling for a Central Banking package, greater Integration in defence, foreign affairs and such like. Right...

Good Lord, she is a woman! Knew one once, soft and lumpy as far as I remember!

Well, watching the "programme" presented by Trump, you get a fairly good impression of what it will involve. Rounding up and deportation, ( starting on day 1) and based soundly on suspicions raised by colour and ethnicity, "legal" sanctions against non acquiescent media outlets, a highly politicised judicial system, mass dismissal of civil servants who fail to show loyalty to the leader, or whose loyalty is suspect (and very likely whose accusers fancy their jobs). The whole package under a Presidency relying on running out the deadlines under the electoral system to put him in power through a contingent election and or the courts. It's all there in his admittedly garbled burblings!

Something has been going on for the last couple of days. I used to have it set up so that when it opened AN offered me Thai News, World News and Political Soapbox, these being the forums which I used the most. Now it is all over the place. Mind you the EVA Air adverts are as reliable as ever. To answer your question @steven100, probably because they can!

Now what was the quote? Ah yes: " In order to save the village we had to destroy it"!

Posted like a true independent!😄