....Mandleson muddying the waters....
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bong ching -
... yes, not helpful.Originally posted by eighthobstruction View Post
(- I was wondering if it was an age thing - but he's younger than me (so that can't be the case
))
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....I think it is a Kissinger thing....an ego thing....(an out in the cold thing)....Originally posted by vinteuil View Post
... yes, not helpful.
(- I was wondering if it was an age thing - but he's younger than me (so that can't be the case ))
I do like this defacto caveat ref negotiations - that if as a back stop "should Russia break a peace", Ukraine would automatically get NATO membership....I'm happy for rfg to post "get real"....bong chingComment
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What would I give up to allow UK to reach 3% Defence Spending....I would give up my Winter Fuel Payment - whoops that's gone already......Um, I would give up the pertinent patching of previous patches on local road potholes.....bong chingComment
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Mandelson has too much form to go into while on the subject of Ukraine - just to remind that he was one of the first to cheer the 2019 Conservative general election victory.Originally posted by eighthobstruction View PostComment
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Finding myself all at sea politically on which direction to take right now, I have to trust in the wisdom of Alexander Stubb's viewpoint. Eyes Left, possibly the broadest and most open-minded of the left wing online debating forums now available for supposedly intelligent opinion shaping seems to be come out against any external support for Ukraine in her moment of need. A majority on there sees the country as (a) a battle ground over claimed territory as being less clear-cut than we're actually being told; (b) based on maintream media footage from 2015 from several countries an uncontrolled hotbed of fascist infiltration both in its military arm and its institutions of state; (c) being fought for over rights to the rare earths both sides' mega tech industries need to boost their competitive advantages, and thus of no interest to leftists who see the development of AI etc as solely in the interests of big biz. There doesn't seem much support in explaining that had the Nazis succeeded in invading Britain our ruling orders would in all probability have given carte blanche to British fascists putting patriotism first (such as the Blue Shirts, which my father had supported for a time) as they were probably the best armed and drilled to lead a popular resistance movement in this country.Originally posted by eighthobstruction View Post
Under external threat we start from a first principle of defending national sovereignty because that's all we have to go on: the motives of any potential attacker take second place. This all reminds me of the parable (attributed to the Buddha put equally pertinent here) of the man dying from an arrow through his heart, who nevertheless refuses to have it removed until he has been informed of all there is to know about his attacker - their age, sex, place of birth, education, beliefs, motivation, etc.Comment
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The best thing to do is step up the sanctions against Russia. This will have the best impact.
I have to say that I am really surprised how much worse Trump is than last time....that was bad enough. Time for UK to part ways with America and align more with Europe. I also think we need to get Chinese support in the likelihood of America aggression. It may be unpalatable but I cannot see another option.Comment
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Really? I think the first term was the dry run where he discovered what was possible. Second time round he was able to hit the ground running.Originally posted by Ian Thumwood View Post
As for any sort of rapprochement with China ... Frying pans and fire?It isn't given us to know those rare moments when people are wide open and the lightest touch can wither or heal. A moment too late and we can never reach them any more in this world.Comment
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I think China is the only country that frightens Trump. If we flirt with thr Chinese, I think TrumpOriginally posted by french frank View Post
will be less bullish. It will be interesting to see which company breaks rank with Trump first. I have a funny feeling it will be a country like Canada. Four years of this and America will not have any allows.Comment
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....Ian, your analysis is so far off the mark....are you sure you are not reading your sources sideways on....your view of China and flirting???....what sort of flirting??.... give us some flesh to your adjectives and adverbs....The idea that you know what Trump thinks....and he is frightened of China....frightened of what??.USA will have allies, people are scrambling behind the scenes trying to keep USA as an ally....Mid-terms 2026 will be a turning point....that is if there is any unhallowed out govt institution by then, if tricks and turns fall in the more Liberal side of the court ...and if checks and balances hold....If USA stays in NATO, then it will have 30 allies; who badly need USA in Ukraine....in all USAA is likely going to remain in NATO....I believe Trump does want peace ....but he also wants Kudos, status, heritage, money, celebrity till death, etc etc. His method is stir it up as many times as needed - see what comes out - stir again....I suppose it might be called a method, but with many many messes to wipe up and no conscience about colateral damage....I have to admit a great deal of stirring was needed, shame it had to be done chaotically and devisively...bong chingComment
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Allies? Well Putin, for one. It seems surreal that one should be envisaging a sci-fi world dominated by two malignant despots, but plausible. China has managed its smooth transition from "bureaucratic centralism" to bureaucratic capitalism successfully and can carry on as it will while keeping internal dissidence under firm control without fear of external threat, whereas Russia did not. I don't know if America now keeps up its patrols of the western Pacific; I recall that even back in "better times" America was not interested when China began progressively reneging on its democratic promises for Hong Kong - our ex-colony; I would imagine that Trump would also rationalise Taiwan as being within China's sphere of interest, arguing ambiguity over its hegemonic claim as possibly in China's favour, based on history. True to its Stalinist heritage China does not appear expansionist beyond what it regards as its legitimate claims, namely Taiwan and a few small islands and stretches of ocean.Originally posted by Ian Thumwood View PostComment
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Defense Secretary Hegseth orders U.S. Cyber Command to cease operations against Russia....Originally posted by eighthobstruction View Post
Really? What does that mean?
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From a Guardian article:
Perhaps I'm being overly cynical here - or just ignorant - but how likely is this? If Russia did invade, would the US let it so long as it could keep the deal on the income stream?US vice-president JD Vance said that the best way to protect Ukraine from another Russian invasion is to guarantee the US has a financial interest in Ukraine’s future.Comment
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....quite honestly there is a great deal of the inadvertant going on; both in domestic and foriegn 'policy'....some of it is a shell game, some of it a bran tub, and some of it just plain revenge/malice....but during this second term there is Vance and Musk there too + all the other many appointee's and billionaire cabinet supporters/ advisers [sic]....
One thing for sure on the domestic front his lawyers/visioaries are winning from the point of view that - by the time all these actions are litigated, and finalised the institutions will be crippled for foreseeable future....Last edited by eighthobstruction; 04-03-25, 11:25.bong chingComment
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