Cathy

“Contrary to what some may say, woke, decadent Europe is not facing civilizational erasure,” #KajaKallas said. “In fact, people still want to join our club and not just fellow Europeans.” Even in #Canada many people have an interest in joining the EU article.wn.com/view/2026/02... #DonaldTrump

Portrane towers with the snowy Wicklow Mountains backdrop from Rush yesterday.

Brilliant analysis of an iconic scene from CASABLANCA with too much contemporary relevance. “The Germans are but one small enclave, finding themselves within a community that’s filled with less traditional power but greater numbers and far superior zeal.”

We'll never forget the tragic fire at the #Stardust nightclub in the early hours of #ValentinesDay 1981. The families, friends, survivors & community are foremost at this sad time of remembrance

This isn't a purely philosophical or semantic argument about what "British" means.

Once you accept different tiers of British citizenship you gain a way to formally discriminate.

USSR documents famously had a "5th line" denoting ethnicity. Stalin's nationalist repressions used this as their basis.

Schumer: "Every other police department in America is unmasked. ICE can do the same. This is a rogue force. They are almost trained it looks like to be nasty and mean and cruel."

Our court system is largely working, with the exception of the most important court

15 years ago today I arrived on Downing Street in a cage.
I've seen off Cameron, May, Johnson, Truss and Sunak and I'm still going strong.
Only two Prime Ministers have ever done longer stints here: William Pitt the Younger and Sir Robert Walpole.
Bill and Bob - I'm coming for you...
(Photos AP)

Beautiful Northern Ireland… weekend views of the snow capped Mourne Mountains in County Down.

📸 Mary Jo Cunningham

Minister says Irish Government disagrees with Rubio's Munich comments on 'climate change cult' Helen McEntee, who is also Defence Minister, was speaking to The Journal today in Munich as she attended meetings.

Helen McEntee pointed to climate change as a key area where the Irish government doesn't agree with Rubio/US Admin.

She also says Andrew Baker [Trump national security advisor] did not tell her inadequate defence would preclude US working with Ireland.

www.thejournal.ie/helen-mcente...

Heavy showers moving East across the country this morning after thunderstorms in the West earlier with some power outages reported. Temperatures up to 11c in Southwest with some sunny spells and more showers to come today.

Long exposure at a ferry terminal with sunrise colours and mountains in the distance

A long exposure shot at the Carlingford Lough Ferry Terminal in Greenore, Co. Louth yesterday morning, with the snow-capped Mourne Mountains, Co. Down in the distance.
#longexposurephotography #carlingfordlough #greenore #morninglight #coastalphotography

“The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper”. Happy St. Valentine’s Day …………… ❤️
#ValentinesDay #lovelife #mystory #winter #sunset #wildatlanticway #strandhill #photography #surf #surfing #sligo #Ireland

This shows the farcical state of the ‘negotiations’:

- Ukraine should hold elections, but not Russia
- security guarantees by US do not exist
- the US helps with nothing, so it cannot pressure
- 12 trillion USD ‘vapourware’ deals are offered by a dirt-poor Russia.

It a joke - embarrassing.

Greenland PM Jens-Frederik Nielsen:

"The Greenlandic people have never felt threatened. The first time they felt unsafe for real is when an ally talked about acquiring them, buying them. It's outrageous."

Many Europeans now see US as a threat to Europe | YouGov While people in the six largest European countries prioritise European autonomy over the US-Europe alliance, they are unwilling to take the steps needed to build Europe up as a rival power

Return to normal relationship after abnormal Trumpism may be wishful thinking. But signing up for the Trump project is an unpopular idea that his populist authoritarian allies will try to sell at home, with help in $$$ and pressure and online amplification from the US
yougov.co.uk/internationa...

Fergal Keane: veteran Irish foreign correspondent leaves BBC after 37 years Threats to a free press from oligarchs are now greater than ever, warns journalist as he departs reporting role

Fergal Keane: veteran Irish foreign correspondent leaves BBC after 37 years

Threats to a free press from oligarchs are now greater than ever, warns journalist as he departs reporting role

www.irishtimes.com/media/2026/0...

Ari Drennen @AriDrennen Follow The high trust neighborhoods that MAGA yearns for exist all over America, and they're all like D+40 nxthompson A @nxthompson •22h An extraordinary paragraph. buff.ly/uH5ykhX The secret fear of the morally depraved is that virtue is actually common, and that they're the ones who are alone. In Minnesota, all of the ideological cornerstones of MAGA have been proved false at once. Minnesotans, not the armed thugs of ICE and the Border Patrol, are brave. Minnesotans have shown that their community is socially cohesivebecause of its diversity and not in spite of it. Minnesotans have found and loved one another in a world atomized by social media, where empty men have tried to fill their lonely soul with lies about their own inherent superiority. Minnesotans have preserved everything worthwhile about "Western civilization," while armed brutes try to tear it down by force.

This is so spot on

I knew I saw this somewhere before. Funny that it’s almost exactly what’s actually happening now.

Odd that Trump wants EU and UK to accept hormone beef and RFK Jr is pushing beef consumption when there's a shortage of US beef.

Trump failed to indict six members of Congress. This is why it matters Grand juries are preventing some of the grossest abuses of federal power

On Trump's failed attempt to indict six members of Congress

At @prospectmagazine.co.uk
www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/law/th...

And further points on the 1642/2026 comparison at my own blog:
emptycity.substack.com/p/1642s-five... /
davidallengreen.com/2026/02/1642...

>

Rubio skips Ukraine meeting with European leaders in Munich US secretary of state cancels attendance at last minute in move that EU official calls ‘insane’

He skipped the Ukraine meeting in order to be able to travel to Budapest to see Viktor Orban.

giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...

“Also, we want Greenland.”

Rubio speech at MSC—in short: US sees global trade, diplomacy, migration, immigration, global institutions and global affairs in general as a “foolish post-WWII mistake” and invites Europe “so save itself by each protecting sovereignty, closed borders, and Christianity” alike Trump’s America.

Wang Yi in Munich on Ukraine talks

"Europe should not watch this from the sidelines. Right here in Munich last year, the US had started engagement with Russia and Europe seemed to be watching from the sidelines. Europe should not be on the menu, but should be at the table."

Rubio warns Europe of new era in geopolitics before Munich security conference The US Secretary of State will address the first major transatlantic meeting since Donald Trump threatened to annex Greenland.

The Trump admin is not an ally of the UK and I will keep saying this. They are trying to destroy Europe just like they are destroying their own country.
So sick of the Trump admin.
#BoycottUSGoods

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Rubio Calls For The End Of A Tolerant, Democratic Europe And The Crowd Goes Wild Just over an hour ago, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called for the end of a tolerant, democratic Europe and its break-up into a disparate group of smaller, Trumpist states, and the Europeans in t...

Free piece just released. Marco Rubio called on tolerant, democratic, liberal Europe to destroy itself and embrace a Trump-like future. He received a standing ovation and we are told some people are reassured. If so, Europe will deserve everything coming its way. open.substack.com/pub/phillips...

Europe should not be excited about politeness.

A modicum of respect is the least we should expect.

The call to do what US says rather than what European pragmatism and/or morality directs is unacceptable.

Another thrilling #ValentinesDay at #WBYeats house

Happy Valentine’s Day—may we show our love for nature by protecting the red squirrels who depend on it.
#ValentinesDay2026 #wildlife #nature www.change.org/p/save-the-h...