Latest Moan From You and Me 2025

That is a sentient creature and how visitors resist offering it a biscuit or patting it I don't know.

 

Half the world's population will be overweight or obese by 2050

More than 50% of adults predicted to be obese by 2050 worldwide

this annoys me a little because we are always hearing about the impact of fossils fuels, air travel etc in connection with climate change but for some reason we aren't targeting the fact that many consume far far more than they need. The heavier someone is the more they pollute, a generalisation but probably not to far from the truth.

 

The best is a deal negotiated between Russia and Ukraine guaranteed by USA and Europe. Kiev would have to accept losing some land, but could always swap back the Russian land it holds hectare for hectare.
As for the resources USA businesses invest in the developement, extraction and sale in return for a 25 year royalty free arrangement.
Don't be surprised if China comes in on the Ukraine side solely to prevent USA from getting the resources especially the metal ores. China will not want a deal between Russia and USA as they won't fancy Putin attacking from the landward side while the USA's aircraft carriers fill the China Sea.
As for Taiwan and South Korea any treaty with the USA is worthless as long as Trump is in office.

 

@Fat Controller, it's not true that the US got nothing from WW2. If Hitler had succeeded in his aims of conquering Europe and Asia, the USA would have been next on his list. And they didn't join in until after Pearl Harbour.

 

And post-WW2, the US was able to manipulate the global monetary system to place the dollar at the centre, which has yielded mega-bucks ever since. The City of London was not happy and invented off-shoring as a way to “compensate” itself. And look where that has led!

@Fat Controller, it is a Russian/US “alliance” if those two come out on top through reciprocally supporting each other, and any safeguards in place for Ukraine only last till the US has extracted all it can financially and then withdrawn.

 

Never mind the U.K. will come out on top after all we have A SPECIAL AGREEMENT with the USA do we not!

 

How much more territory does Russia want ? It has the Crimea which is a huge gain and very useful in economic terms. When Russia began it's "military exercise" - aka the invasion - I seem to recall that one of their stated intentions was to "save" the Russian citizens currently residing in Ukranian territory and also to keep the Western World at bay.
Ukraine is being told to make concessions whilst Russia has yet to offer any. As I've said before, that phone conversation between Trump and Putin would make interesting listening.

How would we feel in the UK if a "world power" whether it be Russia, China or the US decided to invade our country ? What would we be prepared to exchange - indeed, what do we have to exchange - the House of Lords, The Royal Family, the NHS ( already on the cards ? ) to come to a "deal" ? Would we defend ourselves or just roll over ?

No easy choices but time to accept that the US is interested only in $$$ and making Trump look good. Russia wants to expand it's borders but also with both eyes on the economic benefits it could achieve. The rest of us have to work around that attitude somehow.

 

We don't know what's being talked about behind closed doors!!!! all that's in the media could be all for show

 

Now you know how we Canucks feel. This guy next door is trying to bulldoze the border delineation and wants to take what we have and he is offering nothing in exchange! The battle of the tariffs started at midnight so this is no bluff. I was a bit disappointed that your boy Starmer pretty much said que sera sera - what happens to Canada is no big deal!

 

Re the latest Obesity headlines...........not sure that Trump's Make America Great Again is an apt slogan considering the US already has a head start given their current obesity stats

 

@CanadianLori I think a lot of us already know how you feel over there. A friend in your area was already having a hard time of it before the new tarrif "war" began.
Must admit I haven't heard Starmer's comments on what's going on over there but it seems to be getting to the stage of Every Country for Itself at the moment.

Just to cheer you up, someone somewhere posted a map of North America. It showed Canada as Canada, Alaska as East Canada and, best of all, showed the US as South Canada

 

@Philippa Russia will take the whole of Ukraine if given the opportunity. They will then look to 'reintegrate' every other country which was formerly part of the Soviet Union. Show weakness to a bully, be that Trump or Putin, and the outlook becomes even more bleak.

 

I think a “tariff war” is fundamentally different to bulldozering borders and taking over land. Tariffs are an economic tool that gets used a lot. There are pros and cons. It may well be Trump has not factored in the cons yet.

@Philippa, am happy to hand over the Royals and the HoL, as long as it is a “no returns allowed” deal.

 

Starmer will soon discover just how big a mug Trump has taken him for. For once Trump is correct. Just a tiny bit of ego massaging is enough to get Starmer to roll over like a puppy eager for a tummy rub. Trump is already saying the the UK will be next in line for tariffs.

 

Hmmm, what part of Trump declaring over and over again, that Canada will be their 51st state did your news reporting services miss broadcasting?

The tariffs are just the start of the escalation.