Westminstenders: The Imperial March

[RedToothBrush]

There are many ways to enforce power indirectly using privilege. Jacob Rees Mogg knows every trick in the book and dresses it up as respectability rather than a subtle form or intimidation and deliberate exclusion.

It's not the stuff 'of the people'.

Meanwhile the newly crowned PM, is making rather a bug deal of how he is the man 'of the people', here to serve them and to deliver their will.

There's a big theme here about presenting as 'of the people' whilst simultaneously serving the interests of the elite and reestablishing its power over the people.

It's a theme that is set to run for some time, and is entrenched in Trumpism too.

This shift in power is particularly harmful to women it must be noted.

'Strong and stable' was 'weak and wobbly' and we should be mindful that in the era of reversed spin, what 'of the people' signifies.

We've long known about the authoritarianism at the heart of leaving thinking. It's only now that it's finally going to start stomping it's feet all over our freedoms and power.

The road back will be a long and hard one because we failed to spot the threat and the dangers of it.

[Peregrina]

So if he revoked, the opposition would automatically move to get rid of him because he has done what they wanted him to do ? Or is the opposition in favour of Brexit ?

If the Opposition is the Labour party, that's the big question, isn't it? We just don't really know what the stand for. People voted for them last time thinking that they supported Remain, to be told that 80% of people voted for parties which supported Leave.

[Oakenbeach]

So they would switch party without a mandate

Of course, in a heartbeat.... they would claim their mandate was the referendum.

[NoWordForFluffy]

Would revocation really lead to a VoNC? Interesting thought! It's not going to happen though, so it's not worth thinking about!

[Hazardtired]

woodpigeons the only thing i know is that people are paying attention to epilepsy meds, largely because as I said many patients are brand specific and can't switch brands or take generic. Was covered extensively in Westminster during one of the discussions on medication act. Also epilepsy charities have communicated directly with MPs. Basically it has a lot of awareness.

Adhd I haven't read/seen much about but I imagine switching brands or taking generics while not ideal would be okish? It'll be easier for pharmacies to manage shortages if thats the case. The biggest alarm balls are when you can only take one medication hence the hard push on epilepsy. Also sorry if you have encountered ignorance over the adhd diagnosis and medication it's very much a real thing!

[woodpigeons]

tobee all I know is that last time we went to get dgs’s prescription the pharmacist couldn’t get it.
After ringing around for 4 days he did manage to. He said the shortage was because of Brexit.
He also said that because it’s a controlled drug he, or the GP, couldn’t approve a substitution. If it wasn’t available we’d have to ask the paediatrician for an alternative prescription.
buffy this really is an awful situation for too many of us and I’d also forgotten about inhalers.
I do think drugs which keep people like your mother alive, rather than just improve their quality of life will still be available. Surely.
There was talk last time of the RAF flying in essential drugs.

[Hazardtired]

buffy good luck with the IUD fitting Have heard loads of issues with hr, does your sister no the issue with the diabetes tablets?

[Oakenbeach]

Would revocation really lead to a VoNC?

Would the Brexit Ultras support a Government that the ultimate U-turn and revoke Article 50 after promising “no-deal, do or die”?

[prettybird]

I know ListeningQuietly - even if she hadn't been deselected, she's already said she's retiring (jumping before she was pushed? ).

Imho, that only makes it all the more likely that she will "join" the Brexit Party to make a point

[Hazardtired]

Alarm balls? Bells*

Sorry woodpigeon just read your update, if the consultant lists all the different options he could have then the gp/pharmacist can change it easier.

[CrunchyCarrot]

You on Levothyroxine, @tobee? I know some folk who are brand-sensitive and can only tolerate one, which is problematic if that one isn't available. I'm not sure that doctors take hypothyroidism seriously, though. They probably think we'll all be fine even if we have to miss pills.

I take liothyronine since levo didn't do much for me. I self-source it from the EU so am nervous about being able to get it if we Brexit. It's all pretty scary.

[PigeonofDoom]

Aaargh! Anyone else having real issues posting?? Keep losing long posts
For people worrying about meds, check out the MHRA guidance
www.gov.uk/government/collections/mhra-guidance-and-publications-on-a-possible-no-deal-scenario#importing-and-exporting

They’re basically trying to ensure as little rupture as they can and the DHSC are also asking suppliers to stock pile. So issues will probably depend on where your drug is coming from, shelf life, storage requirements and how in demand it is (although you’d hope they forecast this).

Think there’ll be greater issues long term as meds will become more expensive due to

• knackered pound
  
• will likely be the need for increased checks by manufacturers and importers
  
• we will become a less desirable market for new treatments
  
• the cost of all the stockpiling!!

[woodpigeons]

Please laugh BigChoc. We do, it keeps us sane.

[mathanxiety]

Spare us the sentimental codswallop, LouiseCollins.

www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/07/america-pays-its-dues-age-trump/594880/

The International Institute for Strategic Studies estimates that it would cost European countries $110 billion to defend freedom of navigation. That is more than the annual defense budgets of Britain and France combined. It isn’t happening anytime soon, regardless of brave talk about “European strategic autonomy.”

Pacific nations, moreover, may not want Australian military training, for fear of antagonizing China when Australian security guarantees are not on offer, and wouldn’t suffice against a threat of China’s magnitude anyway...

...An America Firster might not see much to dislike here. In the past 70 years, the U.S. has allowed more and more of the security burden to migrate from allies onto the U.S. Both of this week’s initiatives would relieve some pressure from U.S. forces as the U.S. tries to prioritize its efforts away from the Gulf to manage the China challenge. Both are undertaken by trusted American allies. They may prove to be the harbinger of a more balanced relationship among strong states of the West.

That would be a good outcome for the U.S.—but only if allies were choosing to do more consistent with American interests. They are not. The U.S. had a proposal for maritime patrols in the Gulf that its European allies declined to join. If the U.S. doesn’t act in concert with others, it will have less absolute power.

To take a financial example, European Union countries did not develop a so-called special-purpose vehicle for funding business with Iran to support American efforts—they are building means to circumvent dollar primacy because they object so strenuously to American policy on Iran. The SPV won’t succeed in the near term, but it shows that America’s European allies are so rattled by Trump’s Iran policy and so exasperated by the profligacy of U.S. sanctions that they’re looking to limit American financial power.

America’s friends are choosing to dissociate themselves, believing their interests are better served without American strength. It seems the rest of the world is losing faith that the U.S. is a reliable partner, sober and taking others’ interests into account as well as its own. The U.S. is ceasing to be a country that its allies come to for help solving problems. On the contrary, America’s allies think the U.S. is the cause of their increasingly tenuous security.

[woodpigeons]

Thank you Hazard.
We tried that with the consultant and got rather a strange response. Almost accused of spreading rumours and scaremongering. Maybe he’s a Brexiteer.
So we should only contact him in the unlikely event of it happening.

[mathanxiety]

And the obvious conclusion that may suggest itself to Europe, now faced with the problem of being asked to carry the can for the American cold war revival and other adventures, is that cozying up a bit more to Russia might not be such a bad thing.

[wheresmymojo]

PMK

[BigChocFrenzy]

Louise The world has moved on
The interests of the US, UK, E27 have changed drastically since the USSR fell.

NATO was created to defend against the communist USSR

The formation of the Common Market was encouraged by the USA to strengthen Western European unity and economic stability

However, once the USSR fell and communism vanished, the USA felt much less threatened by Russia and started to regard the EU as an economic rival

This has gone into the stratosphere under Trump,
who is also regarded as not being committed to NATO, totally unlike previous Presidents

Trump has wrecked EU confidence & trust in the US as an ally

He and his ambassador to the EU have openly said they wish the EU to be dismantled
This is because the individual members, even Germany, could be dominated in trade deals,
but the EU can't

Other US politicians have over the years demanded European troops be sent to the Middle East or Afghanistan

It doesn't matter whether this is for military or diplomatic reasons:
The various European electorates - including British voters - don't want their troops sent to foreign wars on US request

Voters also oppose higher taxes or spending cuts, to increase defense spending to a level that the US demand

Why should democratic EU governments do what the US wants, instead of what their voters want ?

The European army is Europe taking the first steps to be able to defend itself,
(as the US has been saying it should)
since the US is no longer the reliable partner it used to be

Obviously no one expects the US to attack the EU militarily, but Trump has threatened a trade war

[DarkAtEndOfTunnel]

I'm not sure if 'cosying up to Russia' is the correct phase. But perhaps we're moving to a new maturity in European dealings with this state that is still often considered a European power, of European descent, despite it's holdings in Asia. We can hardly ignore the place. Ukraine and Syria will not thank us if we try.

[Iambuffy]

hazard I it's think metformin. Her hrt is oral though and I'm not sure of the name.

I'm not saying anything to mum. What can I say? She'll just worry. I'll worry for the both of us.

I told you all I didn't get anywhere with trussell trust on no deal prep, right? Just got lots of blank looks 🙄

When do I raise it at FGB at school? Bearing in mind the treasurer is an arch brexiteer...🤬

[wheresmymojo]

Tomorrow's newspapers - the Express & Torygraph have something under embargo on the front pages...no idea if it's Brexit related or not.

Main stories about BoJo's daily no deal meetings, tour of the Union and spending in prep of no deal.

Can't post pics for some reason but here's the link:

tomorrowspaperstoday.com

[wheresmymojo]

Oh pics have posted...you can find the remaining papers via the link.

[derxa]

I'll contact Alister jack. I wonder what he really thinks.

[BigChocFrenzy]

A VoNC would happen anytime Corbyn thinks he can win it, regardless of Brexit

That is likely to happen sooner if Tory rebels think voting with Labour on a VoNC is the only way to avoid No Deal

However, if the Tories lose a few more MPs in by-elections etc,
then Corbyn could have enough Opposition MPs (even excluding Hoey and another couple)
to win without Tory rebels

In that case, he would call & win a VoNc regardless of whether BJ has decided to Revoke / Extend / No Deal

[mathanxiety]

George W Bush and the WMD hoax started quite the rot in US/EU relations. Barack Obama generated renewed hope that Europe's relationship with the US could be salvaged on the basis of the expectation that he was personally a good, reasonable egg who would restore sanity to US foreign policy. However, that hope became more and more a case of 'hopium' during his second term even after Hilary Clinton had left the Dept of State.

Ukraine is a basket case economically, politically and in terms of confidence in the civic authorities. Every single political regime that has been freely elected there has collapsed with total loss of public support, whether western or eastern looking, since independence from the former USSR. Some have been pushed off the cliff edge by US intervention, which has itself provoked several crises, with the EU handed the hot potato of establishing a relationship with a country that is in a state of constant turmoil that is in no way qualified to have a formal trading or political relationship with the EU.

Syria remains a state thanks to Russian intervention on the side of Assad, who, like it or not, remains the only figurehead who matters whenever parties begin to sit around the table to try to sort out a future for the country.

[Peregrina]

Trump has wrecked EU confidence & trust in the US as an ally

We could say that ourselves, with May and Hunt at the helm. How far will this be true with Johnson and Raab? We have captured an Iranian ship on behalf of the US, although dressed up as being in accordance with EU regulations, to be told by the US to look after our own shipping - which we are now doing by sending a second navy ship to the area.

We have already seen Trump destroy a good Ambassador, to be replaced with???

So yes, I do worry that Johnson's blinkered Government of stupid fools who think they are clever will jump into bed with the Americans, to be thrown out when America decides it wants the whole bed for itself.