[chuckling] Imagine...

Ha! Unfortunately likely. Yes, I see it the same way. We need to end this nightmare, and the sooner, the better. That would be my priority. Spoken from a distance.

Re: Tucker

I think it's esp important these very public enablers like Tucker Carlson come out in opposition. It's in our interest. It might open other people's eyes, & pave a way for wider criticism of the man people once literally adored. So I don't think it's wise to berate them. Think about it.

2/2 I also think it's esp important these v public enablers like Tucker come out in opposition. It might open other people's eyes, and pave a way for wider criticism of the man people once literally adored. So I don't think it's wise to berate them. It's in all of our interest they publicly repent.

1/2 I'm with you but there's a distinction between 'regular' followers (your & my neighbours) & the public cheerleaders (who also profited from their cheerleading). I understand people are esp angry with the latter, and unforgiving.

An old timbered house. In its corner, on a lawn, an old table and chair. The trees around just breaking into green. Sunshine lights up this early spring scene.

A neighbourhood walk.
A lovely corner.
A lovely day.

Not more upsetting, though, or all-important, and that was my point.

Clearly, that's not all of us. 😉

That is precisely the absurdity of this time.

S. E. Cupp - Wikipedia

That's S. E. Cupp.
Hang on ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S._E._C...

We have six weeks' worth of Kerosene. Experts call for a European-wide, concerted effort to save aviation fuel & develop a triage system. They point out the importance of cargo, aid, & medical flights. And what are people worried about? Their holidays.

Indeed, i think it was the simplicity that really lets this point down. People who drive a battered 20yr-old car worth €500 are still struggling. Apart from the fact that the additional petrol cost comes on top of all other cost-of-living increases. It's not isolated, is it.

3/3

I think this is a debate we'll see more often from now on, and past Trump's eventual departure. And we have seen it, a lot more low-key, in Britain with #Brexit.

2/3

🧵 Today's, I saw this change-of-heart by Trump supporter Tucker Carlson. Instagram reacted angrily & unforgiving. Usually, we reach out to people who admit errors & apologise. As more & more prominent MAGA supporters change their minds, video no. 2 (below) explains why people cannot forgive.

Auch bei Regen, ja. 😁

The hierarchy passed the responsibility down. Have a look at the Guardian assessment. I just published it. Saying 'it was his job, otherwise he should have resigned' is victim-blaming. His superiors should have never put him in a position where telling the truth might get him fired.

Indeed.

Olly Robbins' evidence to foreign affairs committee - snap verdict Olly Robbins did not come across as angry or bitter. Instead he came across as hurt and disappointed – but also conscientious, principled, and honest. He seemed to impress members of the foreign affairs committee, and that made his evidence all the more compelling. Mostly, he did not say anything that directly contradicts what Keir Starmer told MPs yesterday. They both agree Starmer, and No 10 generally, were not told about the reservations UKSV (UK Security Vetting) had about Peter Mandelson. Robbins would not discuss the details of his conversation with PM where the PM told him he was being sacked, but he was passionate, and quite compelling, about the case for protecting the confidentiality of the DV (developed vetting) system. But there is still one hole in this part of the story. While No 10 is saying the UKSV file on Mandelson shows that “the recommendation from the vetting officer had been that DV should not be granted to Peter Mandelson”, Robbins claims he was not told that, at least in those terms. (See 9.56am, 10am, 10.10am and 10.47am.) On this point, the committee did not sound as if it was confident that it had got to the bottom of the story. Robbins also claimed that knowing that refusing Mandelson’s vetting would cause a colossal problem for No 10 was not a factor in the decision to approve it. (See 11.23am.) Mmm. You can choose to believe that if you want. But the most important part of Robbins’ evidence was what he said about the pressure he, and the rest of the Foreign Office, were under to push through the appointment. This was not a total surprise; but Robbins’ language was powerful. (See 9.14am, 9.22am and 10.22am.) And Robbins revealed that the Cabinet Office argued that Mandelson did not even need to be vetted. This is new, and highly embarrassing. ...

Kemi Badenoch is claiming that Robbins’ evidence shows that due process not followed. (See 12pm.) In fact, it shows the opposite; it is because due process was being follow that Morgan McSweeney was constantly on the phone telling the Foreign Office to speed it all. Badenoch is pushing this line because she is still trying to land the argument that Starmer lied to MPs, despite having to back down from the extreme version of this claim she was pushing last week. Ed Davey’s response to the Robbins’ hearing (see 12.05pm) is more astute because he has focused on the one revelation from the hearing that will most shock Labour MPs: that No 10 was trying to find a diplomatic job for Matthew Doyle. The broadcasters have not been making this a key feature of their coverage yet because Doyle, despite being a peer (and independent one, now he has lost the Labour whip), is not really a public figure. But he is very well known to Labour MPs (he has a long history in the party, being a Labour adviser when Tony Blair was PM) and backbenchers will be astounded that Starmer was lining him up for a plum Foreign Office job. The fact that this is now public is bad for Starmer’s reputation with the people who will decide his fate. Updated at 13.37 CEST

A good overview and assessment from the Guardian:

A German journalist from an economic weekly just said in a talkshow that if you have a car, you're not poor & can afford the increased prices for petrol.

I half expect lazy, simple logic in tweets, short by design, often pointed for clicks or effect. Not from a serious reporter on public TV.

I see. In that case, I wish you all the best for a quick recovery. I hope the pain subsides very, very soon. Be kind to yourself, take painkillers to ease tge discomfort. You don't need to suffer. 🤗

A good perspective, currently overlooked. That was my opinion, too, back then. Starmer, I thought, deliberately chose a shrewd operator for an incredibly difficult post.

Knowing the environment Robinson is talking about, this meant risking his job. It's always easy to say he should have despite the risk. Before doing so, I encourage everyone to pause and honestly ask themselves what they would have done.

I'm so sorry to hear that. That is a long time. Are you sure there isn't an infection? Throbbing usually point to that. Any chance of having it checked again?

Not when the expectation is unrealistic. Robinson was in an impossible situation. Failure to enable Mandelson's appointment would have seen him sacked.

A forward-thinking decision.

I'm not saying he wasn't. I'm pointing out a systematic problem where managers expect things to happen, and staff are under pressure to do so, regardless of whether it's possible or not. In that environment, mistakes happen.

We all know them, these 'just make it happen' calls. I certainly do, and from a (different) foreign service, too.

From my 1st and 2nd hand (not just UK) foreign office experience, this is not uncommon and therefore entirely plausible.

Difficult, isn't it? Very confrontational & unprofessional, to put it politely.