Its going to be interesting to see how Johnson plays it because he is already under a lot of pressure from many Tory MP's who see him as being far too 'Green', and unduly influenced by the current Mrs Johnson. The idea that they are going to swallow all that Climate change BS allied with allowing potentially 100,000's to wash up on the UK's shores is not going to happen. Johnson will either have to go very hawkish on both issues or else they will move against him. Sense that many of the new intake of MP's realise that they can actually hold their seats but only if the Tories actually start acting like a Conservative party should be acting and not the pathetic light blue social liberals they are at the moment.

"The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command." - 1984 - George Orwell.

An interesting initial scan of the reaction to Biden's speech. Those you have been the most sycophantic to him appear the most critical whilst more than a few voices on the Right appear to be conceding that he gave a reasonable account of himself and the situation.

"The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command." - 1984 - George Orwell.

Yep, I think there have been a lot of good posts from different political perspectives.

I think we all agree that our leaders have failed fundamentally here on multiple counts going back decades.

To an extent we can see that the current heads were left a pig in a poke.....However, none of them have improved the situation and the incompetence and disaster at the airport is just another bad mark against the west.

Edited by Stirlingsays (16 Aug 2021 10.55pm)

'Who are you and how did you get in here? I'm a locksmith. And, I'm a locksmith.' (Leslie Nielsen)

This ex special services soldier says that the US and by extension us have thrown our people over their under the bus. Saying the failures have come from those in ivory towers.

[Link]

Edited by Stirlingsays (17 Aug 2021 12.19am)

'Who are you and how did you get in here? I'm a locksmith. And, I'm a locksmith.' (Leslie Nielsen)

There you go then. Maybe he wasn't for the lily livered rules of war and wants a reason to go back in to decapitate the taliban; not give them a black eye.
Who knows but what I have stated about freedom and dying for it has happened many times before. waterloo, WW1 WW2 Vietnam, Korea. And many before that. If I'm wrong then say so. Don't go pitching politics.
Sometimes you have to fight for what you want, not hope you get it.

A few observations.
1. Call for accountability? - Waste of time and will just put millions of pounds/dollars into the hands of PR firms and big law firms. Who was held to account for WMD / Iraq? It was just a charade. Cost millions and Bush and Blair still walked all the way to the bank.

2. The US want to walk away from Afghanistan? I don't think they will find it so easy, especially if they start seeing terrorist incidents on US soil. Also, normal people don't like seeing other innocent human beings, women and children, dying and starving or terrorized, no matter the colour of their skin. Biden might find himself doing a U turn on this to some degree. Money, support, aid, troops., just to save his sorry arse.

3. Johnson and Raab? They will distance themselves from Biden. Keep their heads down. Damage limitation mode from the British public. Taliban start up their old tricks and this could go on for years.

Following Palace since 25 Feb 1978