Thirty Years' War archive: becoming luterans...

This is EXTREMELY bad.

By not being serious about its energy policy over the past two decades, the UK has come to rely on this 2 gigawatt cable with France.

It's almost always running at full blast importing power from French nuclear reactors.

Enough for millions of people. https://t.co/LnRvzid3Lw

— Mark Nelson (@energybants) September 15, 2021

Maybe the grieve over the lost submarines makes the French forget how to repair power cables.

Theresa May questions if Aukus pact could lead to war over Taiwan | The Guardian |

Boris Johnson has been challenged by his predecessor Theresa May as to whether the newly signed Aukus defence pact between the UK, US and Australia could lead to Britain being dragged into a war with China over Taiwan.

The intervention came during a Commons debate on the three-country agreement, under which the US and UK will share sensitive technology with Australia to allow it to develop its first nuclear-powered submarines.

The former British prime minister asked Johnson: "What are the implications of this pact for the stance that would be taken by the United Kingdom in its response should China attempt to invade Taiwan?"

'Sapere aude'

France says Biden acted like Trump to sink Australia defence deal | Reuters |

Two weeks ago, the Australian defence and foreign ministers had reconfirmed the deal to France, and French President Emmanuel Macron lauded decades of future cooperation when hosting Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison in June.

"It's a stab in the back. We created a relationship of trust with Australia and that trust has been broken," Le Drian said.

Relations between Trump and Macron soured during Trump's presidency, and diplomats say there have been concerns in recent months that Biden is not being forthright with his European allies.

...
Washington's actions in Australia are likely to further strain Transatlantic ties. The European Union was due to roll out its Indo-Pacific strategy later on Thursday and Paris is preparing to take on the EU presidency.

"This is a clap of thunder and for many in Paris a Trafalgar moment," Bruno Tertrais, Deputy Director of the Paris-based think tank the Foundation of Strategic Research said on Twitter, referring to a French naval defeat in 1805 that was followed by British naval supremacy.

He said it would "complicate the transatlantic cooperation in and about the region. Beijing will benefit."

US move to dislodge France from Australia submarine deal is incoherent - French ministers [_link] pic.twitter.com/CEzuOiVtIf

— Reuters (@Reuters) September 16, 2021

'Sapere aude'

France deplores 'stab in the back' by Australia over submarines

Defence Minister Florence Parly called Australia's about-face "very bad news with regard to keeping one's word", while adding that France is "clear-eyed as to how the United States treats its allies".

"In terms of geopolitics and international relations, it's serious," she told RFI radio on Thursday.

Parly and Le Drian had already denounced a "regrettable" move by Canberra in a statement overnight, saying it underscored the need to bolster "a European strategic autonomy".

'Sapere aude'

Emmanuel Macron tells Scott Morrison  'we're by your side' on China

Emmanuel Macron has declared "we stand by your side" in Australia's ongoing stoush with China, declaring Canberra "central" to regional stability.

The French President made the comments as he welcomed Prime Minister Scott Morrison at the Elysee Palace in Paris, where the pair discussed Beijing's increasingly assertive posture in the Indo-Pacific.

Transcript PM Morrison visit to OECD HQ Paris

JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, how did your discussions go with President Macron around the submarine program and the cost of that?

PRIME MINISTER: It was a very positive discussion we had last night about a whole raft of issues and of course including the contract. We are coming up to important gates in that contract and there have been issues that we have had to address over particularly the last eight months and President Macron and I have a very, very open and very transparent, and very friendly relationship where we can speak candidly to each other about these issues.

Ahh ... there was a Plan B 🤥

JOURNALIST: Did you ask President Macron to take a greater hand in the subs contract and in your meeting with Naval Group, did that leave you with a sense that we do need a Plan B?

PRIME MINISTER: First of all I would say that President Macron has been taking a very active role. He and I have been discussing these issues for some time and he has an open invitation for he and I to raise issues that relate to this contract and we have, consistently. And I appreciate the direct role that he has played in ensuring that we've seen a much-improved position come forward from Naval over the last six months, but there is still a long way to go.

JOURNALIST: Is it true that Naval Group has a September deadline to submit the design work for the next two years and if the Government is not happy in September would you, will you walk away from the contract.

PRIME MINISTER: The Scope Two works, the master schedule, total costs, these are all the next steps. Contracts have gates and that's the next gate.

'Sapere aude'

Foreign Minister @MarisePayne and I discussed our shared commitment to ensuring the peace and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region and discussed tomorrow's Australia-U.S. Ministerial Consultations. #AUSMIN pic.twitter.com/z2MPXdq047

— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) September 15, 2021

'Sapere aude'

#France has canceled a diplomatic celebration with the #US, which was to be held in Washington, after a deal with the UK and #Australia excluded Paris

"The 🇺🇸 choice to exclude a 🇪🇺 ally and partner such as 🇫🇷 from a structuring partnership with Australia, at a time when we are facing unprecedented challenges in the Indo-Pacific region (...) shows a lack of coherence that 🇫🇷 can only note and regret." [_link]

— French Embassy U.S. (@franceintheus) September 16, 2021

Meeting Challenges in the Indo-Pacific and China: French Strategic Perspectives

Perte du "contrat du siècle", maintenant que fait-on ? "Nous allons regarder de manière très précise si des compensations doivent être apportées par les Australiens suite à la rupture du partenariat stratégique" Hervé Grandjean, Porte-parole, ministère des Armées 🎙 @hchevrillon pic.twitter.com/OJY7sB21ls

— BFM Business (@bfmbusiness) September 16, 2021

'Sapere aude'

Trump was an Idiot, however Biden is elderly and conservative. Has retained too many foreign policies initiated by the previous administration. Failed to reduce sanctions on Iran and renew the JCPOA ... added numerous economic and financial sanctions across a range of countries.

Promised a return to multilateralism and have a timely meeting with allies. None has come to fruition as soon in Withdrawal from Afghanistan. Many lives will be lost of good people and allies.

Biden has suffered a setback with the Covid-19 pandemic in the US and has an immense domestic agenda. He has failed to support vaccination across the globe as  was requested by the UN and WHO.

The President has abandoned the war on extremist Islam and supports the Abraham Business Accords in further support of settlement expansion by Israel and deaf on suffering of Palestinians.

The new enemy is China as he will try to isolate other nations from trade and commercial ties. As VP Biden was responsible for R2P Policy in the Obama administration and expansion of the Iraq War into Syria in an attempt to overthrow Bashar Assad. Obama initiated regime change in Libya creating chaos and further expansion of jihad across the Sahara, Nigeria, Mali and Niger.

The long Civil war in Syria caused devastation, 600k deaths and millions of displaced persons and refugee flight into Europe.

Furthermore, Biden was the architect of the Maidan revolt and overthrow in the Ukraine. Reset of more aggression against  Russia as in isolation of the early stages of the Cold War in the Soviet era.

'Sapere aude'

The End of the Sahelian Anomaly: How the Global Conflict between the Islamic State and al-Qa`ida Finally Came to West Africa | July 2020 |

Adnan Abu Walid al-Sahrawi | Wikipedia |

Al-Sahrawi was born in Laayoune, Western Sahara into a wealthy trading family that fled the city for refugee camps in Algeria. He joined the Polisario Front and received military training, but he demobilised amid promises of a United Nations referendum on the status of Western Sahara.

He studied social sciences at the Mentouri University of Constantine, from which he graduated in 1997. A year later he joined the Sahrawi Youth Union. In 2004, said to be suffering from health problems and depression, he turned to Islam after contact with students from the Ibn Abbas Institute in Nouakchott.

Around November 2010, he left Tindouf in Algeria for northern Mali and joined the Katiba Tarik ibn Zayd, a unit of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).

In October 2011, he was part of the group that founded the Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa, alongside the Malian Ahmed al-Tilemsi and Sultan Ould Bady, as well as the Mauritanian Hamada Ould Mohamed Kheirou.

On 13 May 2015, Abu Walid declared his allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, leader of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, and formed the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara. Not all of Al-Mourabitoun accepted the move, with Mokhtar Belmokhtar denying that al-Murabitoun had pledged to Baghdadi, causing a split in the group. More than a year and a half later, the allegiance was publicly accepted by ISIS's Amaq News Agency.

Diaries written @BooMan ...

Terrorists of Benghazi Raid Killed in Algerian Hostage Massacre | Jan. 25, 2013 |

Chadian Forces Decapitate AQIM - Top Leaders Killed in Mountains | March 2, 2013 |

A Decade of US Special Ops in the Sahel-Maghreb | Feb. 7, 2013 |

US joint military exercises across five Saharan states, including Mauritania and Algeria, known as Operation Flintlock in 2005.

'Sapere aude'

Florence Parly: "Nous ne quittons pas le Sahel, la lutte contre le terrorisme reste notre priorité absolue" pic.twitter.com/gemuCgiPhs

— BFMTV (@BFMTV) September 16, 2021

'Sapere aude'

#Algeria is willing to risk it all by recalling its envoy to Paris, and forbid French military planes over its airspace.

It's unclear what prompted the sudden move, but France's support of #Morocco against the terrorist Algerian backed terrorist group #Polisario may be the cause pic.twitter.com/t6SGobMP42

— The Africa Connection (@ThinkTAC2021) October 3, 2021

Algeria bans French military planes as diplomatic row deepens | The. Guardian |

'Sapere aude'

VIDEO: 🇫🇷 Makram Akrout, a Tunisian-born baker who has lived in France for 19 years, has won Paris' best #baguette contest. More than a hundred contestants took part and Makrout will now have the chance to serve his bread at the presidential palace pic.twitter.com/Imt1nf1tvl

— AFP News Agency (@AFP) September 26, 2021

'Sapere aude'

Sheikh Jarrah's El-Kurd twins make TIME top 100 list | Al Jazeera |

Palestinian rights activists Muna and Mohammed El-Kurd, whose family faces forced displacement from their home in the occupied East Jerusalem neighbourhood of Sheikh Jarrah, have been named to TIME magazine's annual list of the 100 most-influential people in the world.

The twins, aged 23, earlier this year became the faces of a global campaign to halt Israeli efforts to forcibly displace Palestinians from Sheikh Jarrah to make way for Jewish settlers.

Israeli forces detained and questioned the siblings for several hours over their activism in June.

"Through online posts and media appearances, sibling activists Mohammed and Muna El-Kurd provided the world with a window into living under occupation in East Jerusalem."

In a statement on Twitter on Wednesday, Mohammad El-Kurd said that although being named to the list was a "positive" development, symbolism is not enough to truly support the Palestinian cause.

'Sapere aude'

In conversation with @MetrasWebsite, @m7mdkurd discusses shifting rhetorical strategies in the struggle for Palestinian liberation, its effectiveness, and how it has been developed. [_link]

— Mondoweiss (@Mondoweiss) September 13, 2021

Silwan Ethnic Cleansing - E Jerusalem | June 10, 2021 |

Given a Voice by the Nation magazine ...

We are thrilled to welcome Mohammed el-Kurd to The Nation as our first ever Palestine Correspondent. [_link]

— The Nation (@thenation) September 8, 2021

'Sapere aude'

What a crock of horse pa-tui.  

The US is no shape to fight a 21st Century war.  The US is still gearing up, i.e., F-22, to fight the Warsaw Pact flooding through the Fulda Gap.  

She believed in nothing; only her skepticism kept her from being an atheist. -- Jean-Paul Sartre

This was my statement on #Afghanistan ahead of the informal meeting of foreign affairs minister in Ljubljana. #Gymnich pic.twitter.com/ksTKkXqpb7

— davidmcallister (@davidmcallister) September 3, 2021

'Sapere aude'

The Australien Government has made an ad for its new AUKUS military alliance, and it's surprisingly honest and informative 🇦🇺 🇬🇧 🇺🇸

👉 Am re-uploading this one because somehow the audio was out of sync on the last one! (more than usual!) pic.twitter.com/rnNkSgu4l0

— theJuiceMedia (@thejuicemedia) October 3, 2021

What impact does the nuclear option have on Australian submarine contractors and jobs? [_link]

— ABC News (@abcnews) September 17, 2021

'Sapere aude'

Germany and the Netherlands halt deportations to Afghanistan | The Guardian - Aug. 11, 2021 |

Separately in The Hague, the Dutch state secretary for justice and security, Ankie Broekers-Knol, announced a "moratorium on [deportation] decisions and departures". The halt "will apply for six months and will apply to foreign nationals of Afghan nationality", she wrote in a letter to the Dutch parliament.

Wednesday's move by the Germans and Dutch marked a sharp U-turn from their previous position. Officials had said as late as Tuesday that both governments had joined their counterparts in Austria, Belgium, Denmark and Greece to write to the EU's executive arm saying they should be allowed to press on with expulsions of Afghan migrants if their asylum applications failed.

Afghanistan urged the EU in July to cease forced deportations for three months as security forces battle the Taliban offensive before the full US military pullout from Afghanistan on 31 August.

The hardline Islamists have in recent days made huge advances in the north, capturing territory including the provincial capital Kunduz, where German soldiers had been deployed for a decade until the end of June.

'Sapere aude'

The investigation by the German authorities following a lethal airstrike in the context of NATO operations in Afghanistan did not breach the Convention | EHCR |

Kunduz massacre goes unpunished | WSWS - March 3, 2021 |

Hanan, who also appeared on behalf of his village, had filed the complaint alleging inadequate judicial investigation of the deaths of his two sons, who were eight and twelve years old when they were killed.

The two children, Abdul Bayan and Nesarullah, and more than a hundred other people (the exact number has not yet been firmly established), most of them civilians, were killed on 4 September 2009 when two US warplanes bombed a crowd that had gathered around two stalled tankers on a sandbank of the Kunduz River. The order for the attack had been given by Col. Georg Klein of the Bundeswehr (Armed Forces).

Taliban infiltrate once-peaceful Afghan north | BBC News - July 8, 2009 |

The northern Afghan province of Kunduz is renowned for its mouth-watering melons, rice and almonds.

Kunduzis are likely to remember their province as "the bread basket of Afghanistan" - it was the country's main source of cotton and fruit exports in more peaceful times.
But those memories might be fading fast. A recent spate of attacks by the Taliban and al-Qaeda has altered the face of Kunduz beyond all recognition.

'Sapere aude'

Strategic Rivalry between United States and China

The Sino-American rivalry also undermines multilateral institutions such as the World Trade Organisation. While Washington has withdrawn from a number of multilateral institutions, Beijing is expanding its influence in contexts like the United Nations.

Europe needs to escape the bipolar logic that demands it choose between the American and Chinese economic/technological spheres. The European Union must develop a China policy for its drive towards sovereignty (stra­tegic autonomy). That requires a "supranational geopolitics".

Analysis - US-China rivalry: Is a new cold war really emerging?

'Sapere aude'

"Trump was hostile to Europe, and basically we have the impression that Biden doesn't care," says fmr French Amb. to the US @GerardAraud, after this week's dustup btwn Washington & Paris pic.twitter.com/7mHgFAP7O6

— Fareed Zakaria (@FareedZakaria) September 19, 2021

What a Faux Pas! Rude Americans Arrive in France

'Sapere aude'

Biden abides by expectations of US Congress as the former President set out a maverick foreign policy based on AmericaFirst! now normalized.

If Joe Biden continues his current course, historians might one day look back on him as the president who normalized Donald Trump's foreign policy.

My take: pic.twitter.com/WkhhPjaXRT

— Fareed Zakaria (@FareedZakaria) September 19, 2021

Fareed is a broken clock, once in a 12 hour period he's correct.

'Sapere aude'

America First, Biden-Style

Does US President Joe Biden want a dynamic America, open to the world, or Donald Trump's anxious America, suspicious and contemptuous of others? Until Biden offers a bold gesture to exorcise the spirit of Trump from US foreign policy, his hopes of restoring American global leadership are likely to be disappointed.

If America's allies were concerned by President Joe Biden's remarks on foreign policy in his address to Congress on April 28, they had every right to be. Although Biden's domestic economic agenda could not have been less Trumpian - higher taxes on the wealthy and a substantial expansion of the social safety net - the foreign policy he outlined was not all that different from his rococo predecessor's "America First" credo.

As Richard Haass, the president of the Council on Foreign Relations, recently noted, "there is more foreign-policy continuity between Biden and Trump than first meets the eye ... Trumpism still looms large." So, Biden's speech was a strange brew: Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal mixed with powerful hints of Trumpian nationalism.

When Biden turned to foreign policy, his emphasis was on China and the United States, as if Europe did not exist, and the US could win this competition without the active participation of Europeans. To European ears, of course, that sounds a little bit too close to Trumpian contempt. The US could not have won the Cold War without its European allies, and it will not outcompete China without European cooperation. In her softly, softly way, German Chancellor Angela Merkel drove that message home just before Biden took office by pushing the European Union into fast-tracking the EU-China Comprehensive Agreement on Investment.

Biden has been following a form of "America First" policy even in response to the coronavirus pandemic. His refusal to send COVID-19 vaccines to important European countries in dire need and facing important elections has made his claim that "America is back" sound very doubtful in many European capitals.

Americans before allies: Biden's limited multilateralism | ECFR |

'Sapere aude'

Seems to me this whole AUKUS thing can be easily explained as internal political ploys by Johnson and Morrison, plus the US wanting to sell some submarines and increase its influence in Australia.

Whether NATO will continue is a more reasonable question. France mad, Poland mad, UK mad, several Balkan countries mad; will France and Germany be able to hold it together? Maybe they should boot out a few of the troublesome recent ex-Soviet bloc countries.

The Biden Administration and the Future of Multilateralism | CFR - April 21, 2021 |

Biden has wisely framed the United States return to multilateralism as a foreign policy for the American middle class, linked to the concrete interests of US citizens. Whether such a course is sustainable remains to be seen. The Trump years unleashed powerful national and global forces that will test the domestic foundations of U.S. internationalism and other countries' appetite to follow America's lead.

Biden must also reconcile his multilateral ambitions with his administration's hard-line on China, a rare element of continuity with his predecessor's foreign policy. Washington must figure out how to compartmentalize its relations with Beijing, so that the two countries can cooperate in global forums where their interests align, notwithstanding their intense geopolitical rivalry and mutual strategic mistrust.

'Sapere aude'

Well, incresing energy bills could be off-set for low incomes with targeted tax/benefits changes. Also the government can take some of the cost for transitioning homes to lower energy usage. But it takes a political will and a willingness to use taxes and expenditures as tools rather then as incomes and costs (which is extra hard in the eurozone).

The Aukus military and technology partnership is a 'once in a lifetime' opportunity

Aukus, the new military and technology partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States starting with nuclear submarines, is historic. It recognizes the cold war reality between America and China, with Australia aligning itself with the American side. It is drawing US military power into the region where China wants to expand its sphere of influence and reclaim Taiwan. It gives teeth to the so-called Quad, the security cooperation between the United States, Australia, Japan and India. It offers wavering countries such as Vietnam and the Philippines a new American beacon.

The US proves that it will not give up global leadership. After Afghanistan, that was sorely needed. Australia declares itself to be a base for the US in the Indo-Pacific, the main theater of the new cold war. In return, it must be able to count on American commitment for decades. You can bet that China will respond. It will take another 20 years before Australia has its submarines. Plenty of time to try or escalate. That starts with China's recent candidacy to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a regional free trade agreement that America turned its back on under Trump.

About the author Marc de Vos ...

New Dean of the Macquarie Law School

A highly-reputed scholar, Professor De Vos has an impressive record in cross-disciplinary, collaborative and impact-oriented research. His areas of expertise broadly cover the world of work, inclusiveness, and citizenship.

'Sapere aude'

Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki, September 20, 2021

Q    Okay, what does the President want to tell President Macron about the submarine deal?

MS. PSAKI:  Well, first, I think as had been noted in some reports, so let me just confirm this, I guess: The President will have a call -- it has yet -- is -- we're still working on the scheduling of it -- with President Macron in the coming days.  And what I expect the President will do on that call is reaffirm our commitment to working with one of our oldest and closest partners on a range of challenges that the global community is facing.  And he, of course, will discuss recent developments and our ongoing work together on a range of issues -- certainly our shared interest in the Indo-Pacific, but also a range of global challenges and issues.

I would also note that the President spoke, in his remarks last week -- acknowledged in his remarks, I should say -- he acknowledged that France has a substantial Indo-Pacific presence and is a key partner and ally in strengthening security and prosperity.

But most importantly, we continue to look forward to our close alliance with France -- one of our strongest partnerships -- as we work to address a range of issues in the world.

Q    And you have no plans to abandon the submarine deal, do you?

MS. PSAKI:  No, we do not.

'Sapere aude'

Get rid of your @Xiaomi phone as fast as possible, #Lithuania defense ministry advises the country's citizens. [_link]

— Steve Herman (@W7VOA) September 22, 2021

'Sapere aude'

NATO nudges Europe to make its transport networks war-ready | Defense News - Nov. 13, 2018 |

BERLIN - NATO leaders have their eyes on the European Union's draft budget as a means to boost spending on infrastructure projects that could serve key military functions besides their civilian uses.

The push comes as both organizations seek ways to increase defense cooperation without stepping on each other's toes. Defense officials have described joint activities in military mobility as a relatively safe space in a NATO-EU field fraught with political tension.

Ensuring that Europe's main transportation lines are suitable for transporting military gear in the event of a confrontation with Russia has been a key concern for defense leaders on both sides of the Atlantic. A patchwork of diverging policies and technical standards still complicates the rapid movement of tanks and other warfighting gear across borders.

Grand stressed that NATO is not seeking to influence European Union decision making. But, he said, simple advice on military logistics during construction planning could make the difference between tanks being able to traverse through a tunnel or be stuck in front of it.

Take a look at the exercise areas, main roads being used and static displays locations in the upcoming exercises in Lithuania. #WeAreNATO pic.twitter.com/GSeTFMFtRU

— NATO NFIU Lithuania (@NFIU_Lithuania) May 31, 2018

'Sapere aude'

The 🇮🇹 @ItalianAirForce has deployed #Eurofighters in 🇪🇪 to confirm its commitment to @NATO 's #AirPolicing mission, taking over from the #F35s. It's the 4th consecutive 🇮🇹 deployment under #NATO's mission in the #Baltic, assuring safe skies ✈️

🔗 [_link] pic.twitter.com/BzRRu0qT87

— 🇮🇹 Italy at NATO (@ItalyatNATO) September 22, 2021

'Sapere aude'

How Taiwan beat the coronavirus | CNBC - July 15, 2020 |

US triples Covid-19 vaccines for Taiwan with 2.5 million doses | France24 - June 19, 2021 |

Washington, competing with Beijing to deepen geopolitical clout through so-called "vaccine diplomacy", initially had promised to donate 750,000 doses to Taiwan, but is increasing that number as President Joe Biden's administration advances its pledge to send 80 million U.S.-made shots around the world.

China, which considers Taiwan an integral part of its territory, has repeatedly offered to send coronavirus vaccines to the island, which has been battling a spike in domestic infections. Taipei has expressed concern about the safety of Chinese shots.
The 2.5 million donated doses of the Moderna Inc vaccine will leave Memphis, Tennessee, on a flight belonging to Taiwan's China Airlines early on Saturday.

Vaccine donation from Lithuania touches down in Taiwan | Aug. 2, 2021 |

'Sapere aude'

NATO enlargement and the options facing the Alliance in advance of the Second Prague Summit

In Prague in January 1994, just after attending his first NATO summit in Brussels, US President Bill Clinton declared that it was no longer a question of whether NATO would enlarge, but how and when. Back then, however, huge differences still existed within the US government and in NATO about the wisdom of bringing former Soviet-bloc countries into the Alliance, and most Western officials (as well as those in Moscow) believed that the idea of NATO enlargement had been shelved in favour of the Partnership for Peace.

....
In the United States, which was the main driver of the enlargement process between 1994 and 1997, the policy was made possible because a diverse group supported enlargement, albeit for very different reasons. The "Wilsonians", such as President Clinton and National Security Adviser Anthony Lake hoped that NATO enlargement would help encourage the adoption of market democracy and respect for human rights in Central and Eastern Europe, while the "hedgers", including then Senate Foreign Relations Chair Jesse Helms and prominent former officials Henry Kissinger and Zbigniew Brzezinski, emphasised expanding the Alliance to protect against the possible resurgence of Russia in the region.

Committee on Foreign Relations United States Senate Millennium Edition 1816-2000

Senator Jesse Helms of North Carolina, chairman and Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware, ranking minority member.

'Sapere aude'

Further reading ...

Fascist Propaganda: Symbolism of Frankenstein

Calling the kettle black ... say hallo to the new Cold War vs. the Communist Party of China. Someone needs to call ping-pong diplomacy of war criminal Henry Kissinger in the Nixon years a GRAVE ERROR!!

Pompeo calls on nations to 'induce' change on 'Frankenstein' China

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo took fresh aim at China on Thursday and said Washington and its allies must use "more creative and assertive ways" to press the Chinese Communist Party to change its ways, calling it the "mission of our time.

Henry Kissinger is of course the darling of Democrats on their foreign policy joined by Madeleine Albright, Zbigniew Brzezinski, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.

'Sapere aude'

You think you could live in Canada, but then you find out they call Kermit the Frog "Green Dennis" or something and the deal is off.

— J.P. McDade (@jp_mcdade) May 27, 2021

Boris Johnson's climate speech annotated: what he said and what he meant | The Guardian |

Johnson ends in typical fashion, invoking Kermit the Frog and Sophocles in almost the same breath. Political leaders around the world, and their advisers, are less used to such Johnsonian flights of fancy than the British public, so it is safe to say they will be looking harder at what the UK does than what the prime minister says.

The rhetoric may soar between Greek tragedy and the Muppets, but the decisions the government has taken - cutting overseas aid; continuing the expansion of oil and gas, and perhaps a new coalmine, in the UK; dropping references to the Paris temperature goals from the Australian trade deal; forming the Aukus defence pact with climate rogue Australia, and so offending ally France and the pivotal player at the Cop26 talks, China, in doing so - will do far more than any words of the prime minister at UNGA to set the diplomatic tone for Cop26.

'Sapere aude'

Nothing to do with Green, it's all nonsense. This is all about control, nothing else. This Winter will be very telling in so many ways 👀

— Mystic Mel (@Melshenny1) September 23, 2021

'Sapere aude'

Boris Johnson, speaking outside the Capitol, says it's time for the French to "prenez un grip" and "donnez-moi un break" after the spat over a U.K. submarine deal with the U.S. and Australia pic.twitter.com/FpVywohTjK

— Kitty Donaldson (@kitty_donaldson) September 22, 2021

'Sapere aude'

Biden to press UK PM Johnson over Northern Ireland: Report | Times of India - June 7, 2021 |

What else was discussed on the G7 sidelines ... AUKUS 😡

President Biden - when asked about the NI Protocol.

"On the protocols, I feel very strongly about those."

"I would not at all like to see... a change in the Irish accords, with the end result having a closed border."pic.twitter.com/7nmRp72NBB

— Darran Marshall (@DarranMarshall) September 21, 2021

'Sapere aude'

Now Tesco rations fuel and shuts petrol stations after BP [_link]

— Daily Mail U.K. (@DailyMailUK) September 23, 2021

'Sapere aude'

Nice try, UK... but we think @OlafScholz has enough on his plate right now with the small matter of coalition talks. 🚚 🇬🇧 pic.twitter.com/AiJloMPUwF

— DW Politics (@dw_politics) September 27, 2021

'Sapere aude'

Jeep as in GP or General Purpose from Healthcare to ferrying fuel to petrol stations ...

Monday briefing: PM could call in the troops over petrol crisis [_link]

— The Guardian (@guardian) September 27, 2021

'Sapere aude'

It is a very interesting situation.

• Leftish media like the Guardian say that the UK's gas supply is in trouble.

• Tory ministers say there is no problem.

• The US continues its Cold War strategy by interfering with the Nord Stream 2 project which has zero influence on anything the US actually cares about.

• EU countries that actually have an interest in their gas supply are bickering between themselves and with Russia.

It is going to be a miserable winter in England.