I wish it were otherwise.

Two very very cynical, yet sadly I believe true, observations about the current mess.

Oppression will succeed if you are heartless to be oppressive enough.

War crimes are a very flawed idea in their inception. And more damningly are not an effective criticism.

This has to be one of the most American things ever that America ever did did.

Time to insert some mumblings about health and safety regulations and why we can't enjoy such peak entertainments today?

Where would we be with a good old-fashioned ammunition crisis?

Lost Doctor Who and the Daleks episodes discovered in 'ramshackle' collection The Doctor's assistant Peter Purves was invited to a screening of the episodes in Leicester.

This is actually exciting news

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

To absent friends, in memory still bright.

JJ, people - you and I both included - can barely remember where we put our keys five minutes ago.

How do you expect people to remember ten years ago?

:)

Oh, and I see we are apparently in yet another ammunition crisis.

Really modern warfare is a bit of a stuck record on this point. It's like politicians and journalists never learn...

Now if it were really talented there would be subparts æ ø & å as well :) Plus ð of course.

Mmm, that's an idea.

It is how I imagine Salvadore Dali would do a brief

Time to introduce a new editing note: reindexed?

Doesn't matter, only that we clear it.

More seriously, being the Americano-phile I am, what I actually do when I look across the pond is mourn.

Look I remember Badger from The Wind in the Willows stop motion animation film from my childhood. I think Churchill would be quite happy to be a badger.

And besides, I would rather live in a decaying imperial state arguing about badgers on mostly unused banknotes than *looks across Atlantic* :)

One day I am going to have to persuade you to take me to New York. And whilst I will decline the pizzas you can finally introduce me to proper bagels :) And other wonderful bakery offerings I am sure :)

I mean he's now certifiably lied, and is something of a fraud.

Nice to know he fits in so well with the rest of the crooks in Parliament, only with slightly wackier ideas.

If you want to truly secure the strait you need to control the other side. Boots on ground.

The one very very very slim hope I have is with this mess the nonce in Chief might finally have over reached.

If we wish a WW2 analogy for the Strait of Hormuz situation it would I think be the coastal convoys around Britain during WW2. Allied forces one side, hostile another.

These were not save. The fighting could be frequent, frantic and fierce. Many people lost their lives.

I mean, I think any lawyers who read your thread did well to avoid crippling nightmares.

The fact that this would offend both the big manly men in the Disunited States, and the big manly men in the Iranian state, is just added icing to a delicious cake.

Sorry, I cannot accept this insult to moral vacuums. Being a moral vacuum requires effort and dedication far beyond the ability of any politician. Only civil servants are capable of meeting such stern standards.

Source: that well known documentary Yes Minister.

Two legal nightmares in one day Raffi. Are you guys trying to turn Bluesky into a lawyer's highlight tour ride of hell?

:)

This must be cultural because, as a layperson with a quixotic (and probably unhealthy) interest in law I find this style just far easier to follow than most US legal writing. Bring British and all.

Or maybe I'm just strange. :)

But when left leaning people pretend "the right" is the source of all evil I despair.

This government is not full of loonies, but is eroding some of the most fundamental rights for mere convenience.

What's next?

In the other place lots of UK legal people used to be very scathing of Tory ministers, with fair reason. I have purposely kept my BS presence more restricted, but I hope those same people are shouting even louder about this.

I know this did provoke an impressive sounding petition.

Jury restriction plan clears first hurdle despite Labour dissent The justice secretary says the limits are required to stem a growing backlog of cases in crown courts.

David Lammy should be utterly ashamed of himself.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

So obviously not a lawyer, but my oh my did reading this thread make me cringe.

NB: Just in case I am being too preachy I will say that is an ideal I try to live my life by, but I most certainly will not claim I have always succeeded (to my shame).

Fear of the other never gets old Carl.

The trick is working out what "other" we are, despite our individual best efforts, susceptible of fearing. So we can guard against it.

Which, of course, most people lack the honesty and self-awareness, or even desire, to do.

This isn't lawyer unique Sean. For secretaries in healthcare this is called just another Tuesday. And they have to remember all those stupid drug names as well.

(I was once a medical secretary, and for my sins I still remember how to spell Cyclophosphamide - my custom Word dictionary got very big)

Look the White House/War Department cannot reasonably have been expected to anticipate the Iranians would deploy sea mines.

They don't exist in Call of Duty.