@ericclive
Retired law professor and law reformer. Pro EU. Anti Brexit. Pro UN, pro international law and civilised international relations. Supporter of Scottish independence in Europe for pro European, internationalist, democratic, progressive and other reasons.
π¬π§ The bbc Broadcaster of State Propaganda explaining how US B1 bombers will dump their 125,000lb bomb payload from 30,000 ft with a βdefensive postureβ
Thatβll be reassuring for the people underneath them π£π₯
π΄σ §σ ’σ ³σ £σ ΄σ ΏπͺπΊπ
Truly unbelievable stuff. Just up there shamelessly lying his ass off
So Trump talks to Putin and now plans to ease oil-related sanctions on Russia. He spends a billion dollars of American money a day to help Israel directly and Russia indirectly while harming much of the rest of the world and getting nothing. The art of the deal???
I think I'm numb now to Trump saying these things. But I don't think I'll ever get used to the sound of the audience laughing along with him
The pro-war intervention by the sanctimonious Tony Blair, the comment by Donald Trump that he didn't mind religious leaders, the photo of Trump surrounded by praying pastors, the crusading bombast by Pete Hegseth. There's a horrible religious element in this Iran war.
The very last person to comment on illegal wars is Sir Tony Blair #Iraq
The gulf between what people think of Tony Blair commenting on war in the Middle East & what Tony Blair thinks people think of Tony Blair commenting on war in the Middle East is positively Badenochian.
It's extremely clear that the US doesn't really have an objective here except to inflict maximum pain, and attacking water supply is going to end catastrophically for the entire region. It's not just a war crime, it's approaching a crime against humanity.
Just fascinating to see Blair, a man whose reputation was ruined by the Iraq war, advocate joining a war that is exponentially stupider and more chaotic. How is it possible to learn nothing from the worst mistake of your life?
Big mistake for Keir Starmer to allow the US to use UK bases for its attacks on Iran. Just being complicit in an illegal and increasingly atrocious war but getting insults in exchange.
With McSweeney gone this can only be known as the Starmer sweet spot.
Triangulating to upset literally everyone and achieve nothing.
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
So, Johnson, Farage, Badenoch, the Telegraphβ¦ howl about the UK being βan irrelevance on the world stageβ.
Remind me again who decided to isolate us with a strategically and economically idiotic Brexit, relying on a trade deal with the US to save us from exactly the kind of weakness they now bemoan.
FT comments section this morning - saying what everyone else is thinking, right?
Well I hate to imagine what a *worse* political strategist would do to the polling.
This is messy. A UK base in Cyprus is hit with a drone which was not fired from Iran. Before or after that, the UK allows the US to use that base to strike "defensively" at targets in Iran. Iran is now justified in trying to strike the UK base in self defence.
www.thenational.scot/news/2590910...
A Bill calling for parliamentary approval for the foreign use of UK military bases has been tabled by @jeremycorbyn.bsky.social and co-sponsored by @johnmcdonnellmp.bsky.social, @greenpartyhan.bsky.social, @hackneyabbott.bsky.social + more.
Takeaways: Merz's silence as Trump slates Spain & UK calculated not to antagonise brittle host. Briefing after was that he was robust in private. But does that work? Starmer & Macron tried slavishness & it got them nowhere. Now Trump's new bestie in Europe, Merz will have to decide which way to jump
The official "Summary of the UK Government legal position: The legality of defensive action in respect of Iranian regional attacks" does not read well. Reading it, you could be forgiven for thinking that Iran had started an illegal war in the Middle East.
In 1973 Edward Heath refused the US permission to use any of the UK's air bases to resupply during the Yom Kippur war.
Donald Trump protests too much. We've been here before. The USA, quite rightly, did not help Israel, France and the UK in their illegal and stupid invasion of Egypt in the Suez crisis of 1956. The UK, under Ted Heath, refused the US permission to use UK air bases during the Yom Kippur war of 1973.
This is a bit weird: Trump seems to claim (at about 40 seconds in) that his father was born in the UK. Which is just not true: his father was born in New York, to a family with Germanic ancestry.
Obviously there's loads of other falsehoods in there but that one seems particularly weird?
Israel says "Thank you, generous benefactor". The rest of the world says "What's that great idiot done now?"
This is true and remarkable but I'd rather be called a separatist (wanting constitutional and political separation) than a nationalist (in the comon xenophobic sense of nation above all else).
By 49% to 28%, Britons are opposed to the US military action against Iran
Net support by 2024 vote
Reform: +33
Con: +14
Lab: -45
Lib Dem: -49
Green: -59
yougov.com/en-gb/daily-...
Britons likewise oppose the government's decision to allow US aircraft to use UK airbases to launch attacks against missile sites in Iran
Support: 32%
Oppose: 50%
yougov.com/en-gb/daily-...
Donald Trump says there is a big wave of strikes on Iran coming. Yet the high value targets must have been hit already. The cost (even just the direct cost) of each strike must be considerable. The cost/benefit analysis of hitting low level targets must be interesting.
Keir Starmer is on the same side as the American public even if he, quite rightly, disagrees with their rogue president. A CNN poll conducted last Saturday and Sunday found that 59% of Americans disapproved of the Iran strikes.
I'm really looking forward to the first example of an 8 turn. Can't be far off now, given the conflicting pulls in the Iran situation.
Keir Starmer finds his voice in the Commons and makes clear his position on the US/Israel illegal war or Iran. Clear distancing from the US regime's position. Good for him. Pity about the wobble when he allowed the US to use British bases
"Do you accept there is such a thing as international law? And if you were Prime Minister would you try to adhere to it?"
Farage: "And international law? Well it is whatever you want it to be isn't it really? You know what is international law?"
Reform UK would be dangerous for all of our rights.
