Starmer's vision quest

[Rusty Nails]

Daft thing about the "minerals deal" is how it highlights Trump spouting lies again and again. One moment he's telling us how he just wants to stop all these beautiful people from getting killed, next he's stopping Ukraine being effective at preventing civilian deaths (through stopping intelligence sharing).

Minerals deals are irrelevant to peace. Peace deals do not in any way need a minerals deal. All the peace Trump keeps talking about, how "only he knows" what the Russians will respond to, it's a fiction in Trump's wild imagination being played so he can claim a win making US richer and blame Zelenskyy for no actual peace (he'll think of as payback for Trump's 1st impeachment 'cos he really really hates Zelenskyy).

But UK and (some) EU leaders will spend hours flattering his ego, feeding his narcissism which makes him happy whilst making Europe/UK look weak.

Ian

I agree, but sadly do not see any other way to deal with him in the short term given their relative military weakness built up from years of not spending enough…except when they assisted the US in Afghanistan and Iraq…and relying on the might of the US. They can increase their spending but it will not change anything for a few years.

The peace dividend from reduced defence spending that Europe gained after the collapse of the USSR made everyone get complacent…while Putin bided his time.

 

[CXRAndy]

View: https://x.com/GBNEWS/status/1898144871707238866?t=I4SaMHfoL2-W0FJYOwB9wg&s=19

 

[CXRAndy]

Starmer is going to employ the service of Elon to slash the civil service.

Excellent 👍

 

[multitool]

The point to remember about the mineral deal is that it is a mineral deal benefitting whom precisely?

Because Trump's line is that the US has spent $350b (lie) and "we get nothing back", implying that the money from the minerals will go back to state coffers. But it won't. It's be private corporations doing the mining and private corporations, like Tesla, using the minerals.

Which is why, of course, Musk bought himself a place in the US government

 

[CXRAndy]

Oh you cynical one

 

[CXRAndy]

View: https://x.com/benonwine/status/1898480900574261650?t=b7Kj6jnvCUpjfnEqcYewpw&s=19


Just leave him to it. I hope he doesn't fall and catch the Iconic building on the way down

 

[AndyRM]

He was arrested hours ago.

 

[CXRAndy]

He was arrested hours ago.

Did he fall or did they 'drag' him kicking and screaming?

 

[Ian H]

The point to remember about the mineral deal is that it is a mineral deal benefitting whom precisely?

Because Trump's line is that the US has spent $350b (lie) and "we get nothing back", implying that the money from the minerals will go back to state coffers. But it won't. It's be private corporations doing the mining and private corporations, like Tesla, using the minerals.

Which is why, of course, Musk bought himself a place in the US government

For Trump, the private corporations are the USA. Actual government just gets in the way.

 

[multitool]

Well I don't think this is anything new. Think back to Gulf War 1, and then Iraq Invasion. Both of these were ordered by members of the Bush family. The Bush family were oil magnates. The Iraq invasion was opposed by the Russians and the French who, by sheer coincidence, had just negotiated new oil contracts with Saddam.

You cant be naive about the ways of the world. We, as westerners, all consume cast amounts of energy and oil-based products that we probably feel we couldn't do without.