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🤣 Can you believe anything that comes out of this blokes gob? On the platform with Orban .......

Now that is a trip and a half. Fantastic sights and the eclipse is something else too. I always wanted to kayak down the Grand Canyon but I would settle for a walk in now.

The liar Smirnov is in jail as a proven liar !!!! There is no evidence, It couldn't be clearer even republicans are saying so. The border deal was agreed and scuppered by Trump to avoid a Biden win and to stop the UKraine funding (some would say to keep his handlers happy. Nowt to do with any journo. Trump is a fraud and fortunately it looks ever likely that he will be out and increasingly likely he going down (come on Judge Merchan 🙂). Trump is the very reason why Europe is reorganising it's position re NATO. Trump is the very reason why the US is a flaky ally.

Mike Johnson rather than Pence. What negotiation is there to be had with a terror state? Trumps commitment to ending the war is simply to give in to Russia demands by acceding territory. Johnson is blocking the Ukraine aid bill going through the senate at the behest of Trump via MTG at the threat of having his seat vacated. The Border deal originally set as a prerequisite of the aid deal was agreed by both republicans and democrats and then subsequently blocked by Trump via Johnson. By 'Biden on the other hand' I presume you refer to the Kremlin agent and serial liar 'Smirnov' lying to the FBI about a link to Biden and Ukraine. Allegations at the heart of the Republican impeachment demand and his subsequent imprisonment.

Inability to deliver on commitments and latest arms package (Mike Pence (Moscow Mike)). Trumps statement about finishing the war in 24 hrs undermines the countries commitment, gives Russia hope, shows weak ally. Proposals by Trump to withdraw from NATO. MTG statements about Ukraine. All shows the US as a likely flip flopping foreign policy stance. Biden and his administration is clearly there for Ukraine but it's support is blocked and undermined by Trump. It's not the sign of a strong ally for Ukraine or Europe or for the UK. The financial connection between Trump and Russia may not have been made yet but it will be. Meeting with Orban, Tucker Carlson's father and Orban, Danube Institute (Orban) Heritage Foundation and agenda 25.

Flip flopping ally. Potential for Moscow controlled administration if Trump gets in. Unlikely but possible.

This ^^^ What value having an untrustworthy ally like the US?

We have to stop agreeing with each other 🤣 I will loose my reputation for being a miserable ...

Your right. I just caught up with this today and it's been going around and around. It's disappointing when the argument resorts to attacking the person rather than the point of discussion (on both sides I might add). For me I wait to see which way the legislation ultimately falls but when I go to my local clay ground and see the piles of plastic in dumpy bags it's pretty appalling. I can't believe that we can't sort this plastic waste fairly easily at least for clay shooting.

Trump will end it within 24hrs with the help of Putin.

🤣 and yet you post this :- It's clear that BASC and others are looking at where we are likely to be heading hence all of the discussion.

First we should decide what it is for. Maybe, subsistence or comfort? Then decide what we can afford. If people are living a lot longer and there are a lot more of them with a smaller population paying for them then something has to give. I don't know the answer but buying votes by paying unaffordable is certainly unsustainable. I can understand a desire for that approach but removing civil rights, lowering standards and the use of force is the way of authoritarian government. A basic (Obama care style) NHS geared to keeping people in work, would have benefits. The additional service paid for by ourselves. Nothing for pensioners other than that which will reduce the cost of maintenance for the state. Cut the state yes. Start with the lords the monarchy and rethink the taxation system. With immigration a simple statement of what we want in the UK to support the country. A clear process of how you apply and a mechanism for refugees would be a huge step forward. Support for integration and employment.

🤣 Please. It's a lawless failed state. There are no metrics for the economy to even measure performance.

I guess it's carry on until the legislation is brought to ban either lead, plastic or both. This gradual tightening of control and protection of the environment is happening across the board. We have to start somewhere.

I have not proposed anything other than we need to generate more income or cut benefits. So whats your answer? by A Indelicato · 2023 · Cited by 7 — In summary, Europeans' attitudes towards immigrants tend to be positive when they are the moderate left-wing electorate while voting for right- ...

So no ideas then? That's the nail on the head. We are all too quick to blame anyone and everything rather than ourselves whilst at the same time we are incapable of taking the steps needed to tackle the fundamental issues. Meanwhile Russia stokes the flames of discontent.

So whats the answer? Imagine in a right wing wet dream we were able to send every illegal migrant back to where ever they had come from. We are still faced with a shortage of workers. We have a population imbalance. Too many old people paid too much pension. Pension paid too early, a health care system we cannot afford. A military on it's knees an inadequate education system. Somewhere we need to get more workers or cut services or generate significantly more income. It's not going to happen from reducing migration.

Why do you think 'these people' are any different from anyone else? Why do some see them as different? 50% of asylum migrants are in work compared to 70% of UK born nationals. 21% of asylum migrants will be self employed compared to just 14% of UK born. Its clear the UK either needs more workers paying tax or less benefits being paid (particularly pensions) and services cut (particularly NHS). Maybe a solution would be to look at policies of integration rather than alienation. you may find this report helpful to better understand the situation. https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2019-04-25-new-report-explores-barriers-employment-refugees-and-‘asylum-migrant

It's been a while since I was around there 😁 Still Hinkley is not so far and good to see it's still a British brand at heart.

I read something interesting today about migration to the US across the border from Mexico. The article was saying that rather than crack down on the crossings, the government would be more successful concentrating on the employers exploiting the illegal employment of migrants. Without employment then the problem would be mostly solved. There was no willingness to do this as the migrants were a lucrative source of labour.

Now that is a machine. 👍 @r1steele Are they still made at Meriden?

Yes. Stand up and be counted.

Russia is attacking the West. State sanctioned killings. Election interference. Bribing leaders and politicians. Andrew Perpetuas team analyses daily video footage counting hard assets losses of both sides from social media. Each listed kill is directly linked to video evidence. Troop loses are more difficult to evaluate. The data from Ukraine is far more evidenced (with a verification process) than the Russian numbers. It's looking increasingly likely that Ukraine will not be on it's own. Fortunately it looks like loony tune trump has alienated enough women and true republicans (according to fox) to be a looser come November. Global conflict is inevitable if Ukraine were to loose. Even winning will do little for world stability. Global conflict is fuelled by Russia's aggression and bolstered by Trump's weakness. China is waiting in the wings for Taiwan. Trumps recent sell out to Jeff Yass (merger for Truth social) and his sudden about turn on Tik Tok ban (part owned by Yass) spotlight his further indebtedness to China. Shrewd move by sleepy Joe to bolster US chip manufacture.

I doubt the figures from Zelensky are true. March was a record month for destroyed Russian motorised vehicles at 1546 (visually confirmed). The drone strike's 1200km into Russia two days ago, together with the refinery attacks, the Czechia initiative, the increasing support in Europe are all good signs for Ukraine . The Russian use of tanks from the 50's, the depletion of storage sites, the scavenging of artillery barrels are all evidence of a reducing capability. I see the data come in pretty much every day and the Russian losses are vast. It's clear that Russia does not have the man power or equipment or financial resources to defeat Ukraine. The question for the West is do we have the resource and staying power to push them back. What will Putin do when faced with the end? Whatever the truth of it, it's a sad loss of life and Putin must be defeated. Let's hope Trump is defeated in November and the US can regain its position as a superpower.