Musings

@MeidasTouch I asked Grok how much US Ukraine aid stays in US ...this is the response:

🚨 Ukraine’s air defenses repel massive Russian drone assault overnight 🇺🇦 234 of 251 drones downed or suppressed, including ~150 Shahed UAVs 💥 Impacts recorded in 11 locations, debris across multiple regions #Ukraine #RussiaUkraineWar

Even on the train, on the way home, it’s respect 🫡 People stand, the same time every morning

@Saffron_Sniper1 Wasn't that paid a few years ago when Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was released?

The British Government 🇬🇧 committed one of the biggest financial scams against Iran 🇮🇷 in history. Iran is owed $500 million plus 46 years of interest by the British Government. Source: Boris Johnson Former Prime Minister of BRITAIN 🇬🇧

He's going to try to just walk away & hope allies will pick up the pieces, its obvious he's going to try to blame lack of support from allies as evidence that US shouldnt be in NATO which will be another gift to Putin. (Without recognising that his insults & threats, lack of consultation resulted in their position, not to mention they've learned from history, war gaming, & betrayal in the past)

@Scaramucci Trump is not smart. If he gets out of this, he gets lucky. My guess is that the net is tightening on him and his Epstein truth gets him replaced in the next 3-4 months.

Let me tell you exactly how Trump thinks. He operates unilaterally. He thinks he’s smarter than everybody. When his advisors told him Iran might close the Strait or attack our allies he said — they're not going to do that. And then he had to admit to the press that he did not expect Iran to launch missiles at a 9 to 1 ratio against our allies versus Israel. Let's be honest about what actually happened. He went in unilaterally. Didn't sell it to the American people. Didn't consult our NATO allies. We have 25 years of evidence that we’re not good at regime change. We went from the Taliban to the Taliban. We spent 20 years and trillions of dollars and came full circle. We went from Khomeini to Khomeini in less than a Scaramucci. The biggest brain in the room couldn't see that coming.

The trouble with the world at the moment is how entrenched & isolated each side is, there's very little debate from side to side. Each side is in their own little echo chamber, so when they meet opinions collide. Until the world gets back to finding where we can find agreement & build consensus there's going to be vast swings left & right & no movement forward.

Dignity. Barack Obama stepped forward like a man who still understands what public service means. Donald Trump, as always, crawled in from the gutter and reminded the world what moral sewage looks like in power. That is the story now. Not left versus right. Not policy versus policy. Character versus rot. One man still knows how to honor duty, sacrifice, and the weight of a life. The other cannot look at decency without trying to spit on it. And that is America’s humiliation. Robert Mueller is gone — and the country is still trapped between a memory of greatness and a man who mocks everything that ever made it real.

@BenGrahamUK I have more of an issue that since the Americans bought out Cadbury's there's less chocolate in them, its mostly palm oil? Buy Thorntons or Lindt.

Britain has been a Christian nation for over 1,400 years. Through wars, plagues, and countless kings, Easter has always been celebrated. Yet now, Cadbury won’t even use the word ‘Easter’ on their eggs. When did celebrating British traditions become controversial?

Yes, you only have to look at a 3D map of Iran to see its a natural fortress, it could potentially turn into a blood bath, when have US ever won a war recently?? Vietnam, Libya, Iraq, Afghanistan all led no where?? If Trump sends troops this campaign very much reminds me of the Gallipoli fiasco, where troops were stuck on the beaches & hills (designed incidentally by Churchill & Kitchener in WW1)

@Microinteracti1 Trump doesn't give a rats ass about anything other than enriching himself, his crappy family and his BFF Vladimir Putin. The 82'th Airborne Division will suffer under his treacherous leadership, when they are deployed in Iran in the coming days. God save their souls.

It’s a drone. Chasing another drone. Into actual clouds. And it works. The Ukrainians have built a flying angry wasp that hunts Iranian Shaheds for roughly the price of a second-hand lawnmower. Ukraine would share this. They’d teach it. They’d probably fly the damn things themselves to protect American soldiers in the Middle East. But Trump won’t ask. Because the man who could save American lives happens to be Volodymyr Zelensky. And that, apparently, is a dealbreaker. So the Shaheds fly. Unmolested. Toward Americans. Own goal. Absolutely spectacular own goal. Gandalv / @Microinteracti1

@Microinteracti1 Trump pokes the hornets nest, then wont ask for help from the person that will deal with the hornets because its Zelenskyy. Also Trump deosnt know how to de-escalate, he threatens Iran so Iran threatens back. War escalates.

Why havent you updated the Green Party website with you and your Deputy Leader on the front page?? I used to think similar things to you at your age, you are a good talker & a good debater, you know how to get attention like Farage, but I cant see you as a Prime Minister or indeed a party leader in Parliament, making very difficult choices, decisions & judgements, perhaps based on information not divulged to the public for national security reasons? You have to deal with the world as it is, not as you wish it to be, we all want a better world, a peaceful world, a world where everyone lives together in harmony looking after the poor, the sick, the elderly but there are evil people in the world who dont play by the rules, who work outside the law. How would you deal with the US president, the war in Ukraine? The Iran war & the threat it poses to food, energy, health & economic security? Our Defence? You say you want to eventually pull us out of NATO, how will you defend UK? How will you grow the economy to afford your policies without causing even more of an exodus from the UK? How will you defend our UK culture, norms, how will you support the influx of refugees, caused by open borders & wars abroad? How will you deal with Russia & China? How will you deal with the rise of radical islam, all of which has caused rise in support of Farage, Lowe, Tommy Robinson etc?

I've seen literally thousands of people today alone. Labour are done. People aren't just excited by the Green Party - they're out on the streets campaigning to win. Hope and a plan. Join.greenparty.org.uk

This Iran war equates to an indirect attack by US & Israel on allies in the Gulf & Europe & other countries who depend on the Gulf for oil, gas, helium, fertiliser etc, Trump absolutely did not think this through Trump has lifted sanctions on Russian & Belarus Oil (equates to $250m a day into Putin's war chest) whilst Russia supplies Iran with arms & US military co-ordinates(?) Russia is the main beneficiary here. Iran allows non 'aggressor' countries ships to pass the Strait. US/Israel have effectively further weakened European Economies & depleted the stock of weapons that EU would have bought to support Ukraine ...this poses an existential threat to Europe, not to mention Iran signalling its missile range is further than thought. 3 weeks ago, by many accounts, Iran was willing to give up its enriched Uranium & the strait was open for business... Now Iran can effectivley hold the world to ransom... & the US wants to walk away calling it easy to keep the Strait open, ie Trump doesnt want to commit its huge US navy to the task he knows they will be sitting ducks, Minesweepers were decommisioned, just a few weeks ago (d'oh) ..what an absolute mess!

Here’s Rory Stewart talking a lot of sense about the Iran war: “We need to get out immediately. Every day this continues, it gets closer to a global economic meltdown and closer to a much bigger conflict and the beginnings of a third world war.”

Its shocking to really see how defenceless UK really is... Healey has to go, Carns would be better... Where is the urgency on investment in our Defences? We need more ships, THAAD's Patriot systems , recruitment drives..all of this equates as an attack on EU by US /Israel... as it diverts our attention from Ukraine War diverts our resources...especially as Trump has lifted sanctions on Russian & Belarus Oil worth $250m a day to Putin... what a catastrophe Trump/Putin/Netanyahu are

I am very wary of reports that the UK is now within range of Iranian ballistic missiles. But if the reports are true, let’s be in no doubt: the UK has no defences against such missiles. No dedicated national ballistic missile defence (BMD) system for intercepting intermediate- or intercontinental-range threats aimed at the homeland. No ground-based interceptors (like US THAAD or Patriot systems in Europe) deployed in Britain for this purpose. In theory our T-45 warships could provide some cover. But most are currently undeployable or not in UK waters. Leaving us defenceless from ballistic missile attack. Another massive military failure of the political class of all recent governments.

@En_chinaNews @grok is this real?

Israel and the United States will seek to end the war after tonight. Because they realized they cannot defeat Iran. Iran is relentlessly bombing Israel tonight.

No Iran probably still has thousands of drones underground, with mini submarines etc Its still capable of doing much damage in the strait... this is far from 'an easy mission' to open the straits ... 3 weeks ago, Iran was prepared to give up its enriched uranium via diplomacy & negotiation & the straits were open to trade... Now Iran refuses to negotiate, & will hold the world to hostage over the Straits...all you've done is create a new generation of refugees or militant anti west terrorists... US wont commit its considerable Naval power to open the strait, US cannot finish the war it started or commit its navy to re-opening the Straits which its actions closed? This is a hostile act against the West IMO opinion but enriches China & Russia?>

@RichardHaass Or telling everyone that actually depends on the strait, your turn to defend it. We left you with a very weak Iran. I don't necessarily agree with this plan but maybe the EU will wake up. China could potentially own the strait. They have a major stake and the resources

President Trump appears to be setting the stage for US withdrawal and leaving local states the task of reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Think of it as a new Trump Doctrine for the Middle East: "We broke it but you own it." open.substack.com/pub/richardhaa…

We will all have a different opinion...IMO Reeves should go..she's been a liability, made poor choices for the Economy. The fact is he doesnt have much of a pool of talent to chose from. He should keep Streeting he does a good job with the NHS. Healey should be demoted & let Carns take over. He seems to have a thing about Rayner dont know why. Miliband is also a bit of a liability.

How Starmer still hopes to save his premiership ahead of make-or-break elections - one last reshuffle to reset his government which could see Wes Streeting and Rachel Reeves out with Angela Rayner, Louise Haigh and Lucy Powell coming back in independent.co.uk/news/uk/politi…

'We have the finest military in the world' ... that isn't true is it, we are woefully ill-equipped, its not just Starmer's fault, (Tories ran Defence down for 14 years or more) although he should show alot more urgency in Defence investment >Navy, ships, minesweepers, recruitment etc Trumps's actions will further weaken & impoverish the UK/EU/Europe. Trump is actively working with Putin he's lifted sanctions on Russia & Belarus worth $150m to $250m a day to Russia ( Russia sides with Iran & China) The king should NOT be going to visit Trump after way Trump has treated Starmer & talked about our troops & called us cowards. Israel & US are trying to pull UK into the conflict.

BREAKING: “It’s crucial for people to know whether or not Irans missiles came close to hitting a British base Diego Garcia. How far did the missiles get?” - Laura Kuenssberg “Our assessment is the Iranians certainly targeted Diego Garcia” - Housing Secretary Steve Reed

HES SUCH A LIAR UK and other Countries are sticking together based on International law so is UN and NATO and Keir Starmer is leading the response..EUROPE is working as 1 The tension between Prime Minister Keir Starmer and President Donald Trump centers on the UK's refusal to join US-led offensive military actions against Iran, with Starmer explicitly citing the lack of a "viable, thought-through plan" as a primary reason for his caution The "No Plan" Conflict Starmer has repeatedly stated that the UK will not be drawn into a "wider war" without clear objectives and a legal basis, frequently referencing the "mistakes of Iraq" as a cautionary example Legal & Tactical Concerns: Starmer argues that any British military involvement must have a "viable thought-through plan" and a "lawful basis". He has described the current US-led strikes as "offensive" and stated that the UK government "does not believe in regime change from the skies" Low-Risk" Approach: Instead of sending major warships like destroyers or aircraft carriers to the Strait of Hormuz as Trump requested, the UK is reportedly considering "low-risk" alternatives, such as sending underwater mine-hunting drones Team Effort vs. Decisiveness: UK sources suggest Starmer is prioritising a collective, multilateral approach with allies, whereas Trump has publicly mocked this, telling Starmer he "doesn't have to worry about a team" and should just make a decision. Germany to Trump: Berlin says Iran is “not NATO’s war.” politico.eu/article/german… ITALY Italy Says It Will Not Join Iran War and Begins Pulling Back Troops Italy has announced it will not participate in the ongoing war involving the United States, Israel, and Iran, while also beginning to withdraw some of its military personnel from positions in the Middle East as the conflict intensifies. Japan has declined U.S. President Donald Trump's request to send warships to the Strait of Hormuz, maintaining that the Middle East conflict is not their war. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi indicated no current plans for deployment, citing constraints from Japan's pacifist constitution and focusing on diplomatic caution. Japan joins other allies, including Australia and European nations, in rejecting the request to secure shipping lanes amid the Iran conflict Key Leaders and Responses Germany (Boris Pistorius & Friedrich Merz): Defence Minister Boris Pistorius stated "This is not our war. We have not started it," questioning why "a handful of European frigates" were expected to do what the "powerful U.S. Navy" could not Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s spokesperson added, "This war has nothing to do with NATO". United Kingdom (Keir Starmer): Prime Minister Starmer insisted the UK would not be "drawn into the wider war," although he noted the UK was working with allies on a "viable plan" to keep the Strait open that did not involve a NATO mission Italy (Antonio Tajani & Matteo Salvini): Foreign Minister Tajani stated Italy was not involved in any naval missions that could be extended to the area. Deputy PM Salvini warned that sending ships would be interpreted as joining the conflict. Japan & Australia: Both nations ruled out maritime security operations or sending naval ships to the Strait. Context of the Dispute Trump's Threat: President Trump warned that the future of NATO would be "very bad" if allies did not provide naval support to secure the vital oil shipping route. Strategic Shift: Observers noted this resistance marked a shift from 2025, a year some described as one of "appeasement," toward European leaders acting more independently of Washington's "America First" foreign policy THEY ARE PUTTING THEIR COUNTRIES FIRST NOT TRUMP

James Cleverly using the 'dithering' line of political attack on Starmer, he wasnt dithering, he was being measured, considered, not just blindly following orders from an out of control, unpredictable US president,who started an unwinnable, illegal war unilaterally without consulting Congress or allies. Trump changes his mind everyday. Trump is looking for an excuse to pull US out of NATO...NB this is not with the NATO remit. Trump should have gauged military support first. Cleverley is part of the party who depleted & underfunded our Defence Capability.

"He was dithering, he was undecided. And that, I fear, has undermined our standing in the world." Sir James Cleverly says Trump's accusation of 'European cowardice' is inappropriate, but argues that the prime minister "sat on his hands" instead of supporting action against Iran.

Two minutes of legitimate appreciation for President Donald J. Trump

@IAmPoliticsGirl @WhiteHouse As an outsider looking in...why are all these issues looped in together? Take out the part that you disagree on... make it a separate voting issue??

@WhiteHouse Straight up lies. Republicans control every part of the federal government. The Democrats have offered you 9 separate standalone bills that would fully fund TSA, but you guys have refused to vote for it because you have all the power. Stop passing blame.