And all I need to illustrate the accuracy of my statement are three quotes from various key parties following the Salzburg summit: ‘Tusk says Chequers plan for trade not acceptable as it will undermine the single market.’ ‘EU leaders arged to stand firm against May by Macron’ ‘May says Chequers “only plan” on the table… Read more
Posts by:
Ivan Horrocks
‘Trafficking in unreality’: Trump takes the US further down the road to authoritarianism
Perhaps understandably the UK media’s daily reporting on Donald Trump was dominated yesterday (Wednesday) by the release of a recording of a conversation between Trump and his (ex) personal lawyer, Michael Cohen. The recording provided irrefutable evidence that Trump has been lying since before the Presidential election about what he did or did not know… Read more
Putin, Trump and ‘treason’: what now for the US (and UK)?
Much has been written in the media worldwide about the astonishing press conference President Trump gave with Vladimir Putin yesterday. I say astonishing because having watched a variety of clips, and read numerous reports, the gravity of what unfolded cannot be overstated. In front of the world’s media a President of the United States took… Read more
Hegemony 2: the rise of the wreckers
One of the hallmarks of any hegemonic system such as we have in the UK, is a common world-view that acts to unify the bloc (i.e. all the various entities, actors and agents in the system). This world-view includes ideological elements from varying sources, but its unity stems from an articulating principle which always comes… Read more
Hegemony in the UK means there’s no need for a “coup” after Brexit
In his recent blog http://www.progressivepulse.org/brexit/the-state-of-the-unions-between-england-scotland-and-northern-ireland my fellow PP blogger, Sean Danaher, makes his usual excellent dissection of recent polls on the subject of Brexit and the way this may impact relations between the various countries of the UK and Ireland, and specifically the potential for creating opportunities for a united Ireland and independent Scotland. Sean also… Read more
You’ve been Trumped! (the shaming of the G7)
So, six of the G7 leaders finally learn that it doesn’t matter how much you fawn over and suck up to Donald Trump the man has no respect for anyone other than himself, Putin and various other strong men/dictators. Furthermore, having fallen into tolerating Trumps daily lies and distortions and much more, they now find… Read more
Potholes, neglect and the wanton vandalism of local infrastructure
No one who uses any form of road transport can have missed the appalling condition of roads in England. But here I need to add an immediate qualifier: I’m talking specifically about urban, suburban and rural roads that fall under the responsibility of local highway authorities (i.e. local councils). I’m not talking about the motorways… Read more
Hooray! Brexit delivers an unexpected benefit
This news is a few weeks old, but as I’m not a Daily Mail reader it had passed me by. And as I’m also not deluded, misinformed or ignorant about the EU, or so ideologically hidebound that I can’t separate reality from fiction, any real benefit deserves acknowledging. Strangely enough this benefit comes to us… Read more
At last! The Japanese speak out (but too late to stop disaster)
And so, at last, members of one of the major manufacturing sectors in the UK – Japanese car makers – backed up by their government, meet with our powerless Prime Minister to publicly express their concern at the direction in which Brexit is heading. In so doing they unambiguously emphasise that should it come to… Read more
Wake up America! Trumpism and the road to Putin’s ‘managed’ democracy (a warning from history)
We all know by now that Trump and anyone on his ‘team’ – which includes almost every Republican member of Congress – are extremely uncomfortable talking about anything to do with Russia. Indeed, so all encompassing is this phobia that the President still finds it impossible to admit that Russia interfered in the 2016 elections,… Read more