Andy Taylor

Excellent letter. Keep going.

The model for this has to be Greece’s accession after the end of its military rule. But one look at the latest TI corruption perception report demonstrates that the EU has a real challenge when it comes to ensuring corruption is addressed amongst its eastern members.

Would love to see the equivalent French piece about the Lewes fireworks…..,

This is what moral clarity looks like and I thank God for it…..

Well, not necessarily. Was it being done more cheaply before? If not, what was that money being spent on? Surely the only thing that should matter is patient outcomes.

You have evidence for that? Do share….

New location for me - where is that?

Thanks for the heads up

Interesting - what “links to Palantir”? I mean, we’re all linked to Palantir one way or another…..

Yes but Saunders Lewis’ protest had literally nothing to do with the Arabs and everything to do with identifying the RAF as English occupation a time when they were preparing to defend the UK against Germany.

Wasn’t the backdrop the imminent war with Germany, which you might argue Wales had a stake in…….

Why’s that? This is not a particularly remote part of the world, nor (in comparison with Europe) particularly rural. What is stopping better connectivity?

Taking the long view, let’s look at the PTSD rates for the ICE troopers. The will have to live with the choices they made. They are young and they have a lifetime to process that. I mean, they made their choice, but……

To be fair, when you’ve got 50% of the world’s oil and practically unlimited money, and neighbours like theirs, you might consider that quality armed forces are a good bet.

Severomorsk? Unfortunate.

Probably the most Economist take on reading but valid nonetheless……

That is very good indeed

The determination of some people on the left to link every subject to Israel is really something

Which war are you thinking they were preparing for? Not sure this stands up.

As indeed the Minsk agreeements were intended to do and failed to do. So I’m not sure what the mediation element of a non-NATO defence pact brings to the table. Are we agreed that ultimately a non-US defence pact requires Europeans and the UK to build an effective defence structure to deter Russia?

To use à parallel example and perhaps not dissimilar, how would this approach have worked with the Sudetenland? In the end external mediators answered “genuine” grievances by awarding the region to Nazi Germany and that didn’t solve anything.

Thanks for the replies! I’m interested - what genuine grievances existed in the Donbas that might lead to support for a Russian invasion? And that sovereign Ukraine was preventing a resolution of - and that the Russians would support?

Dear God, it’s about Palantir. Zack makes a great point. Then, first reply, Pavlov’s dogs appear and it’s “Israel”. Take a break. RTFQ and maybe comment on the point on US and tech dependence?

Sure. That means spending MORE on defence to replace the US input (see how much the Baltics and Poland spend). Diplomacy, um, already exists and what on earth is a mediation arm? Explain how that works in an Ukraine context?

Let’s use à logic model to see what would happen to Ukraine if Russia won. And see what they already did to the areas they occupied. How many kids abducted, that sort of thing, then have a think what the Russians would stir up next. Easy to say “don’t back Ukraine” when you have nothing at stake.

Swindon has everything necessary to support human life but no soul. 18 months there. No regrets. Peace out.

Brilliant, and well organised.

Well, a bit of a stretch. Sure, the coup was wrong. But you might as well say the US only exists because of England and George III and the Revolution was a direct consequence of that……

5,000 officers. The other 50% are already earmarked for ignoring the crime hotspots. Baffling.

No. The tanker has been involved in straightforward sanction busting. Nothing about supporting USA and the square root of nothing to do with Israel. Every country should be doing this.