ianpkearns.bsky.social
Commentary on fiction, history, politics, biography, and football, not always in that order. #bcafc
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I know. It really is hard to believe!
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Spot on. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve been in meetings where senior UK security and military personnel try to burnish their credibility and credentials by saying: “I’ve just got back from Washington and met (insert a big name American) who told me…..” ….what to think?
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That said, it will be devastating to poorer communities around the world. Funding this via another route would have been hugely preferable, though politically difficult.
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And just look at these string votes in the 18-24 age group, for both the AfD and Die Linke. #germanelections
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She came very close indeed to saying that. It doesn’t work anymore. From the pandemic to this, we live in a time where disruptive change is the defining characteristic of the age. It is the new normal. Fiscal flexibility, not rigidity, is going to be a necessity.
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The eurozone is already talking about ‘escape hatches’ from its own fiscal rules. Which just goes to show they aren’t rules at all. They are political judgements.
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Absolutely right to be sceptical re a UN force. But there’s a lot of muddled thinking. The Europeans will not go in without the US, and the Russians will not accept anything that looks like a NATO force in Ukraine.
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Aardvark, surely?
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There is no need for a massive public row with the Americans. The Europeans, including UK, just need to get on with investing in all kinds of defence capability. Capability they can use together, and without the Americans, if the need arises. And do it as quickly as possible.
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Hard to see how the US raising doubts over the strength of its commitment to Europe can lead to a strengthened NATO. It’s damaging, and dangerous too, because it may lead Putin to miscalculate what he can get away with.
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I’m reminded of something Brian Clough used to say (apparently). “You’re only in the team today, son, because of injuries. Your job is to make sure you’re still in the team when everyone’s fit.”
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In my view, unless Trump suddenly says, “only kidding”, we’re about to witness something very akin to state level nervous breakdown.
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Lastly, anyone in academia, think tanks, or even inside the gov’t machine who advocates planning for a future without reliance on the US will be ignored and marginalised. Psychologically, the British pol-mil establishment is just not ready to acknowledge a new reality.
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In the absence of any other policy, this latter position has huge attractions. But for it to be sustainable, we have to believe that Trump means nothing of what he says. Far more likely, we are witnessing the collapse of an eight decade strategy of national security dependence on the US.
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3) The professional military-diplomatic core will tell everyone (including @phillipspobrien.bsky.social) that it is time for cool heads….Don’t do anything rash. Work with Trump where you can. In other words….. Nothing fundamental is happening. This will all blow over. We just need to ride it out.
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2) There is basically a vacuum in the Labour Party where a serious thinking through of the current geopolitical environment should be. That’s why, in the face of seismic developments, they still maintain the pathetic position that increases in defence spending can wait.
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After having worked in national security circles in the UK for more than two decades, I can say this with confidence: 1) The British security establishment has no plan, other than behaving like the problem doesn’t exist, for dealing with a breach in the relationship with the US.
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But even that is interesting. The altered language is part of a serious political strategy to get it taken seriously on the agenda. Right or wrong, UFO is perceived as for kooks. UAP as a legitimate focus for spooks.
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Like I said. Mind blowing and it’s happening right in front of the world’s eyes. Were you aware?
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The amazing thing about the story is that it’s not a standard gov’t conspiracy claim. It’s also a claim that US national security is being harmed by the refusal of a few people to acknowledge the presence and drive the reverse engineering of alien technology.
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This is the book that helped pave the way. Read the bio of the author, and also the bio of the former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense who wrote the foreword.
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Rashford isn’t the story. The story is Amorim saying to the whole squad you’ll give absolutely everything and play my way or you are out, no matter who you are. It’s about creating a winning culture and long overdue. Time for #Rashford to cut his wage demands and leave if he wants to play football.