Nobody Cares about Britain

[Innula Zenovka]

It’s not going to be OK – you can’t appease Trump, and you shouldn’t want to try

The UK is on its own now

substack.com

I think this is free to read.

A view from the UK about what the election results mean for the UK (not as bad as for Ukraine or the US, obviously, but not good).

The UK’s charm offensive won’t work because Lammy was basically right. I am not going to get into whether you can call today’s far right forces fascist or Nazi. Terminological bickering is a pointless pasttime. We can see with our own eyes what we face: a chaotic, corrupt, vindictive, mendacious and conspiratorial movement, led by a man who has been vicious all his life, and is now falling into gormless senility.

Like the Eye of Sauron, the global far right fixes on one country at a time and it is now trained on Labour Britain. It does not hate the Labour government for its real failures but for a caricature born of dark fantasies.

The UK is the only advanced economy with a strong left-wing government, and the far right has fitted it into the “great replacement conspiracy theory”. The theory holds that treacherous liberal elites (in this case Labour ministers) so hate the white race that they are flooding the West with Muslims, who will then vote for the elites and allow them to govern forever.

Some might question how "left-wing" Starmer's government actually is -- certainly not as left wing as many Labour MPs and party members would like (including me, and I'm on the centre right of the party) -- but I guess even most of our Conservatives are left-wing in MAGA terms (support the NHS, equal marriage, abortion, gun control ...).

 

[Beebo Brink]

I've screamed at the TV several times today, at the pearl-clutching, hand-wringing commentators who want us to "Listen more" to the people who voted for Trump. Because if only we were clearer about our message, or more attuned to their concerns, we wouldn't have lost this election.

That is a kind of appeasement as well. It's the "we did something wrong" perspective to losing that has always infuriated me about Dems. When Republicans lose they just double-down on their beliefs and ignore any calls for self-reflection or "adjustment" to their agenda.

Sorry, didn't mean to vent on the Britain thread.... as you were.

 

[Isabeau]

Skulls and Sheets (@skullsandsheets.bsky.social)

Is it just me or getting a collection of children at a food bank to sing happy birthday to the King a bit crass?

bsky.app

 

[Kamilah Hauptmann]

Weird how Charles can’t order Navy marines to whack random citizens in official capacity.

 

[Casey Pelous]

Weird how Charles can’t order Navy marines to whack random citizens in official capacity.

What's even the point of being King?

 

[Free]

What's even the point of being King?

Having the role of power without any of the penalties? The excessive wealth? The real estate?

 

[Innula Zenovka]

Weird how Charles can’t order Navy marines to whack random citizens in official capacity.

He can, but the monarch is the only person who is above the law. Members of the armed forces have a duty not to carry out unlawful orders, and would find themselves prosecuted for murder if they did (though it would be open to Charles to pardon them after conviction).

 

[CronoCloud Creeggan]

Weird how Charles can’t order Navy marines to whack random citizens in official capacity.

If he did, the VERY non-Royal Army would probably be ordered by Parliament to bring another King Charles in to be beheaded.

 

[Innula Zenovka]

One of the main arguments for keeping the monarchy, as far as I'm concerned, is that the fact the monarch has all sorts of scary powers, which he exercises on the advice of the Prime Minister, means no one else has them, and the PM's advice is subject to review by the courts. Boris Johnson discovered this the hard way when he tried to prorogue parliament to force his Brexit legislation through and avoid his legal duty to ask Brussels for an extension, and the Supreme Court told him he couldn't.

According to Tim Shipman's recent book about the Johnson administration

Cummings said he wanted to hear what would happen if Johnson didn’t send the letter and broke the law. The prime minister interjected: “What if I just wrote ‘Up yours!’ on it?”

Eadie and MacNamara exchanged a look. MacNamara explained that the Benn act dictated the exact wording of the letter which must be sent. Cummings was adamant, “Well we just won’t send it.”

Gesturing at Johnson, he added: “They can put you in jail.”

MacNamara warned that if the government set out to break the law, officials would down tools and mutiny. “The civil service can’t work for you. If you want to do that, it’s the law, none of us can work for you.”

Cummings had previously contemplated the ultimate photo opportunity to dramatise Johnson’s desire to deliver Brexit.

“We’ll just barricade the door and the police can f*** off. They’ll have to break the f***ing door down.”

Another Vote Leaver said: “There was serious conversation about what happens if the police come to arrest the PM.”

Johnson chipped in: “I’ll barricade myself in. They’ll have to winkle me out with a flamethrower.”

MacNamara thought they had both misunderstood how his scenario would play out. Far from protecting Johnson from a policeman with a warrant for his arrest, those guarding the building would be the ones arresting him.

“The police don’t work for you in that situation, Dom, they work for me,” she said. “They work for us. It’s not your building. These aren’t your people. The police work for the Queen. We all work for the Queen.”

Johnson confirmed later: “She did say that.”

‘Can the Queen sack a PM?’: how Boris Johnson prorogued parliament

The inside story of how he rammed through Brexit can finally be told — how aides feared police would raid No 10 and royal anger brought out Elizabeth’s unvarnished views

www.thetimes.com

Evernote Link

 

[Kamilah Hauptmann]

If he did, the VERY non-Royal Army would probably be ordered by Parliament to bring another King Charles in to be beheaded.

The British have an analogue to the 2nd Amendment, an might actually use it???

 

[Casey Pelous]

Having the role of power without any of the penalties? The excessive wealth? The real estate?

With no "off with his head!" powers, he's just another boring multi-billionaire but with snazzy costumes and props. Like Warren Buffett with an ermine robe.

 

[Free]

With no "off with his head!" powers, he's just another boring multi-billionaire but with snazzy costumes and props. Like Warren Buffett with an ermine robe.

I could be happy with no head chopping powers but an ermine robe. And fabulously wealthy with lots of real estate, of course.

 

[Innula Zenovka]

I could be happy with no head chopping powers but an ermine robe. And fabulously wealthy with lots of real estate, of course.

You'd have to entertain each POTUS at least once as an honoured guest whatever you thought of him, though.

 

[Free]

You'd have to entertain each POTUS at least once as an honoured guest whatever you thought of him, though.

Then I only need to serve the incoming one McDonalds, and make tuxes optional.

 

[Katheryne Helendale]

You'd have to entertain each POTUS at least once as an honoured guest whatever you thought of him, though.

Could I kick a certain one down the steps when he gets in front of me?

 

[Beebo Brink]

You'd have to entertain each POTUS at least once as an honoured guest whatever you thought of him, though.

Oh dear. Queen Elizabeth had her turn with Donald Trump. I wonder if King Charles will have to suffer a presidential visit, too.

 

[Kamilah Hauptmann]

I so want to see King Chuck just lay the Orange Clown out with one punch hahaha.

 

[Innula Zenovka]

Oh dear. Queen Elizabeth had her turn with Donald Trump. I wonder if King Charles will have to suffer a presidential visit, too.

It's being discussed.

 

[Innula Zenovka]

Kevin Schofield (@kevinschofied.bsky.social)

Elon Musk Says Britain Is A 'Tyrannical Police State' In Latest Swipe At Keir Starmer https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/elon-musk-says-britain-is-a-tyrannical-police-state-in-latest-swipe-at-keir-starmer_uk_67437e04e4b03c8ec6f8d5ef

bsky.app

 

[Innula Zenovka]

Laura Kuenssberg beyond parody (@normalisland.co.uk)

This is not satire x

bsky.app