Irim Sarwar

I really wish y’all would learn the tiniest bit of Middle East history and dispense with the “Iran is all a plot to distract from the Epstein Files” thesis.

Trump fully believes, as he said, that he can “kill someone on 5th Avenue” and get away with it.

Geopolitics is more complicated, folks.

Again, re “Trump’s Iran war is *just* to distract from the Epstein Files” crowd:

The US has tried to exert control over who rules Iran since before Jeffrey Epstein was BORN.

So they killed 180 girls on purpose. Got it.

Allmost as if the US is being governed by some overentitled idiots who have never had to think about the other person's viewpoint.

As a DC area Native, I've thought this for decades.

I do not know a single Middle Easterner who believes Trump went to war on Iran solely to distract Americans from the Epstein Files.

Because Middle Easterners HAVE EXPERIENCE WITH WHY AND HOW THE UNITED STATES GOES TO WAR ON THEM THE MIDDLE EASTERNERS IN THE MIDDLE EAST.

I know this is asking a lot, but -- please understand that "the Kurds" are not one monolithic, unified, singular people located within the borders of one specific Middle Eastern nation-state.

Literally its job.

But 'small government' conservatives and libertarians ruin it for the rest of us. Don't want to pay taxes? Get stuck in a war zone with no way out.

And what a shame that Rachel Reeves, who directly plagiarised Hannah's speech, didn't have the grace to welcome her to Parliament.

So Rachel Reeves is an extremist now?

Wonderful slip by Rachel Reeves in her statement to the Commons.

The ‘changes we promised’ morphed into the ‘promises we changed’.

I hadn't seen this, but it is an absolutely beautiful pastoral letter of his from last month.

d3hgrlq6yacptf.cloudfront.net/64512e98ef5d...

Tributes flow to Bishop Watson of Guildford, who has died, aged 64 He had been diagnosed with inoperable pancreatic cancer less than a month ago

My deepest condolences to his family, his friends, his diocese, all to whom he ministered, and all who knew and loved him. May he rest in peace and may his memory be a blessing.

www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/202...

Green win exposes myth of ethnic ‘bloc voting’ Reform campaign was too narrow: in a constituency where six out of ten voters were white, they focused on one-third of the constituency, in white working-class areas

There may be some logic in Reform wanting to disenfranchise the voters who they want to deport in large numbers. But Reform cannot execute their “deport and disenfranchise” policy before a general election in which their targets have a voice and a vote too.
www.easterneye.biz/manchester-e...

And this is absolutely going to be the case with the YouGov poll about taxes. How you ask a question matters, and if you ask them what services they think should be cut, or where too much money is being spent, you get a different answer.

*Research design matters*

Maybe, just maybe, you need to ask some real questions and dig into this. Do they want to nationalise water? Transport? Utilities? Housing?

Do they want free/subsidised childcare or school meals? A proper safety net?

What? WHAT do they want?

That is a wonderful story and absolutely brilliant result - it would be lovely to hear/see more of that. That's one of the ways meritocracy should work.

Ok, then that is absolutely amazing, and I'm thrilled for him.

Prof. Robert Pape:

"I have studied every air campaign since WWI... I've modelled the bombing of Fordow and regime change in Iran for 20 years... We are now in the grip of the escalation trap... This has never worked in over 100 years... Trump is up against the weight of history".

It's always about who you know, not what you know. There's a reason it's called the 'old boy network'/nepo babies. Why do certain students get internships while other equally/more bright persistent students don't? Connections: parents, uncles, sororities, fraternities, & the rest. Resources matter.

Yes, I'd gathered that, but I was wondering about him.

Yes, absolutely. The myth that it's just 'persistence and resilience' when it's really 'who you know and who's going to give you a leg up' is harmful.

I notice OP says 'grammar school', which means he passed the 11+. Is sporty boy posh/public (UK) school? Money behind him? That matters.

This made me laugh way too hard.

friend sent this over from the other place and unfortunately I did laugh

Britain’s ‘open’ voters need a champion Despite their triumph in Gorton, it’s not clear the Greens have what it takes to prevent a Reform victory at the next election

This week's column: the Green surge is in part because Labour consciously decided they didn't want the votes they got in 2024:

It's all a bit BASIC.

Literally the embassy's responsibility to get people out safely in an emergency.

Government doesn't work under conservatives, and it's about time people got their through their heads and kicked them into touch permanently.

I need proper Cheetos.

Great to meet parents preparing for an iftar at Thomas’ Academy, Fulham today – a wonderful, inclusive school bringing together families and community organisations. Wishing everyone a warm and joyful evening.