Today’s headlines .........

[pulisa]

Ample evidence that we will..What a shocker!

[Lencoboy]

The AUKUS* Subplot

Australia, United Kingdom and America have joined forces, ostensibly to prevent a perceived... er… ch… chasm widening in world security (and not just to stymie a lucrative French contract to supply Oz with submarines).

https://theconversation.com/the-auku...-region-168065

‘The most significant component of AUKUS announced so far is that Australia will acquire nuclear-powered submarines. The US and the UK have shared this nuclear technology in an arrangement dating back to 1958.’

Crikey!

‘Many questions remain about AUKUS. One is why did the UK return to the Indo-Pacific arena in this way, having essentially left it, in strategic terms, in the 1950s?’

Yes, CRIKEY!

* AUKUS pronounced ORCUS = A demon of the underworld, whose motto is: "I will be the last creature when I am done. The cosmos will then be perfect, free of the braying abominations that are all other living things."

https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Orcus He doesn't mince his words.... sounds like my kind of bloke.

Shhh, don't tell Confusion and FrankT, they'll be having kittens!!

[MyNameIsTerry]

AUKUS RUCKUS

‘The US and UK are facing growing international criticism over a new security pact signed with Australia.’

Given the less-than-inscrutable goings-on in the Eastern Pacific regions, AUKUS, or something like it, shouldn’t have come as any great surprise…. But it did.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-58592613

‘He called it a "brutal, unilateral and unpredictable decision" that reminded him of former US President Donald Trump.’

Funny old world, isn’t it? Fancy the Biden administration being compared to that of Mr Trump by an aggrieved French bloke….

Yes, the French government seem to be throwing a fair amount of toys out of their pram over this. Surely pretty embarrassing?

[Lencoboy]

AUKUS RUCKUS

‘The US and UK are facing growing international criticism over a new security pact signed with Australia.’

Given the less-than-inscrutable goings-on in the Eastern Pacific regions, AUKUS, or something like it, shouldn’t have come as any great surprise…. But it did.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-58592613

‘He called it a "brutal, unilateral and unpredictable decision" that reminded him of former US President Donald Trump.’

Funny old world, isn’t it? Fancy the Biden administration being compared to that of Mr Trump by an aggrieved French bloke….

Seems like pretty much all world leaders (past and present) are being tarred with the same brush nowadays!

[spectrum123]

In the first Gulf War there was a wry observation going round: What do you call a Frenchman dashing towards the Middle East? An arms dealer.

I think we may be seeing the resurrection of an old maxim (pun intended) “Peace – through superior firepower”

Or Jed Babbin's quote . . . you know frankly, going to war without France is like going deer hunting without an accordion. You just leave a lot of useless noisy baggage behind.”

[Lencoboy]

Gasbags

‘The government is holding urgent talks with representatives from the energy industry amid growing concern about a spike in wholesale gas prices.’

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-58605735

‘A drop in wind and solar output is among the factors blamed for the rise in wholesale gas prices….’

‘UK consumers are already facing a big hike in bills this winter as higher wholesale prices have led to a recalculation of the energy price cap, but perhaps the more immediate threat is a shortage of carbon dioxide used in the food industry.’

So let’s get this straight: the renewable energy sources, such as the wind and the sun, aren’t reliable (no! really?); a factor the world gas producers have seized upon to increase their whacking great profits. In so doing, the fertiliser industry is becoming too expensive to run and is shutting down, leading to a shortage – yes, folks, a shortage – in carbon dioxide (CO2 – a ‘greenhouse’ gas implicated in climate change and which we all need to reduce… apparently). The CO2 shortage is causing a knock-on disruption in various areas of trade, including meat production….

Yes, I think we need to talk about this, but probably not in the way the Government intends; more like: what the hell’s going on?

Most ironic!

[MyNameIsTerry]

No Kidding!

‘Britain is facing a “baby shortage” that could lead to “long-term economic stagnation”, a thinktank has said.’

https://www.theguardian.com/money/20...says-thinktank

Yes, this is serious. I don’t think anybody should be eating more than one baby per week…. Oh, hang on, I’m confusing this bit of thinktanking with other shortage stories.

‘“This combination of a lower share of the population in work and a higher share in need of economic support clearly has a negative effect on the productive capacity of the economy.”’

Now call me old-fashioned, but has anyone thought to question how we’ve arrived at this imbalance of codgers to nippers? Darwinism comes into the equation, somewhere…. maybe the bit where a thriving population is directly related to the availability of essential resources, and overconsumption exerts a curtailing feedback effect.

Quick digression… read the 1974 sci fi novel The Mote In God’s Eye, by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle, to see a very dystopian version of rampant fecundity. Alternatively, just watch Star Trek – The Trouble With Tribbles episode.

[Lencoboy]

No Kidding!

‘Britain is facing a “baby shortage” that could lead to “long-term economic stagnation”, a thinktank has said.’

https://www.theguardian.com/money/20...says-thinktank

Yes, this is serious. I don’t think anybody should be eating more than one baby per week…. Oh, hang on, I’m confusing this bit of thinktanking with other shortage stories.

‘“This combination of a lower share of the population in work and a higher share in need of economic support clearly has a negative effect on the productive capacity of the economy.”’

Now call me old-fashioned, but has anyone thought to question how we’ve arrived at this imbalance of codgers to nippers? Darwinism comes into the equation, somewhere…. maybe the bit where a thriving population is directly related to the availability of essential resources, and overconsumption exerts a curtailing feedback effect.

Quick digression… read the 1974 sci fi novel The Mote In God’s Eye, by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle, to see a very dystopian version of rampant fecundity. Alternatively, just watch Star Trek – The Trouble With Tribbles episode.

Good god, what next?

Also, where's the mass outrage from the general public about all the shortages and general price increases of late?

Remember the 'Occupy' movements even as recently as 10 years ago?

Back in the 70s and 80s there would have been mass protests, marches, strikes, social unrest, etc, though I'm not necessarily advocating such things myself right now in response.

But now most people just seem blasé and indifferent towards a lot of it, while instead getting their knickers in a twist over things like Covid vaccines, masks, etc.

We barely ever seem to see 'Marches for Jobs' anymore either!

[Lencoboy]

No Kidding!

‘Britain is facing a “baby shortage” that could lead to “long-term economic stagnation”, a thinktank has said.’

https://www.theguardian.com/money/20...says-thinktank

Yes, this is serious. I don’t think anybody should be eating more than one baby per week…. Oh, hang on, I’m confusing this bit of thinktanking with other shortage stories.

‘“This combination of a lower share of the population in work and a higher share in need of economic support clearly has a negative effect on the productive capacity of the economy.”’

Now call me old-fashioned, but has anyone thought to question how we’ve arrived at this imbalance of codgers to nippers? Darwinism comes into the equation, somewhere…. maybe the bit where a thriving population is directly related to the availability of essential resources, and overconsumption exerts a curtailing feedback effect.

Quick digression… read the 1974 sci fi novel The Mote In God’s Eye, by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle, to see a very dystopian version of rampant fecundity. Alternatively, just watch Star Trek – The Trouble With Tribbles episode.

It does also seem to me that some are spoiling for the next Global Financial Crisis!

[dorabella]

Good god, what next?

Also, where's the mass outrage from the general public about all the shortages and general price increases of late?

Remember the 'Occupy' movements even as recently as 10 years ago?

Back in the 70s and 80s there would have been mass protests, marches, strikes, social unrest, etc, though I'm not necessarily advocating such things myself right now in response.

But now most people just seem blasé and indifferent towards a lot of it, while instead getting their knickers in a twist over things like Covid vaccines, masks, etc.

We barely ever seem to see 'Marches for Jobs' anymore either!

Well you couldn't make this stuff up!!

Just one 'crisis' after another - think the populace at large has just grown indifferent to so much stuff splashed all over the news and social media 24 hours a day. Won't have much effect on people until it starts to affect them personally ... i.e when their supermarket bill or energy bills suddenly shoot up.

As for public marches ... a lot of people still hiding behind their sofas and the front door for fear of the 'rona or getting arrested by policy under 'rona emergency powers to break up public gatherings ... unless you are supporting XR that is.

I am more worried about the apathy of the populace with respect to the amount of civil liberties that have been eroded in the last eighteen months and which the government seems not to want to re-instate ...