RRSTDV8 wrote:

Our one chance, I think, is to turn back to the Commonwealth and try to use what little we have left to improve the lot of others. This is about investing in them so that might return the favour in future. It has to be done on the basis of a group of equals, however. If the Foreign and Commonwealth Office go in there with the usual condescending crap the UK likes to give "developing nations", we'll get spit in our eyes.

RRSTDV8 wrote:

Dropping Trident/it's replacement and using the money elsewhere would be a good idea. No need to be sat at the top table when you can't afford the tab.

BLFarrar wrote:

RRSTDV8 wrote:

Dropping Trident/it's replacement and using the money elsewhere would be a good idea. No need to be sat at the top table when you can't afford the tab.

I'm middle of the road as regards disarmament...yes money elsewhere in activities for good.
But the current fractious nature of world politics.....especially North Korea, a useless US president, state of Middle East, the not going away ISIS threat & no real benefits from the UN - we should all be worried.
In context Brexit is a side show....which will resolve itself to our benefit.
Independant Scotland a mere detail...not of any significance.

We won't be the one to press the big red button first (unless Trump goes loopy and decides to strike first)

If North Korea press the button first, then Trident wasn't really a deterrent
I can certainly think of better areas to spend that £200Bn, despite the country having no money

Whatever happens, regardless of who presses the button first, the world is

Moo wrote:

Flying into the airport over this vast industrial landscape made me really think how are we going to be able to compete with it.

RRSTDV8 wrote:

As for competing with China. We can't. Not a hope in hell's chance.

Moo wrote:

Having seen the press outside the UK and listened to those in the EU about our bullish, wind the EU up approach, does anyone really believe that Boris, Davis and Fox are the best people for delivering it?

No - I'd have Dan Hannan, Douglas Carswell and Steve Baker - but those three will do fine.

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Moo wrote:

BL I love your blind optimism and naivety: 'Brexit is a side show which will resolve itself to our benefit'
How can you possibly know that? On what basis can you determine that? This is the problem with the Brexiteers, its all positive supposition without any basis of fact to support it. The one thing we know is that we don't know how it will pan out in the long run.
As for our negotiating position with the EU, I've never seen them so united!

Always was an optimist...if you've got to have any philosophy - it's my my chosen route.
It works for me. Currently. Maybe with a hint of pragmatism.
I can't think of any other "guiding principles" that I could allude to...
Naive - not in the adjective sense (unaffected simplicity) but breaking things / issues / situations down into what we (or more importantly to what I can comprehend & deal with, at my tender age have some worldly experience, hopefully ruling out: childlike, credulous, dewy-eyed, fleeceable, green, gullible, ingenuous, innocent, round-eyed, simple, simple-minded, simplistic, uninformed, unsophisticated, unworldly, wet behind the ears, wide-eyed. (Word-Web dictionary definitions)


Brexit.
None of us know (brave statement I know) just what the Brexit talks will bring.
But:
Those in the EC we leave behind will want the best outcome for them, initially I would have thought led by Germany (which it most probably will be as "who's going to argue with them" & they do face a side shift move in politics anyway soon)
I don't think talks that bring about conditions will be as obstructive...I say obstructive as they can't be preventative "if it isn't this it will be have to be that". It is a route or a process that leads to an outcome.
I do realise Tusk is at the "helm" for a while & it's said that Poland are one of the big (bigger, biggest) potential sufferers in the Brexit happening
So - what hurdles can he put down ? Realistically.
Bigger exit fee ?.....this I see as one aspect of the divorce that is rooted in commitments already in place...surely in the negotiation we won't or shouldn't become more embroiled or committed financially. How could we be eligible for more ? If this is the case the "words on the bus" may have had elements of being factual.
Worse post exit conditions ?... we are leaving the four principle freedoms single market - that's been said already.
up trade between Poland & the UK ?...they would stand to lose a lot on agricultural goods...look at your food labels - lots comes our way from there.

The EC will & should handle this collectively. Should.

Hierarchies......things have to be ranked some way in an order of importance
Being realistic there are other things happening in the world, that ranked against what I consider
local (Scottish - Independance moves....not an international issue matters mainly to Scots & Scotland),
Regional EC - Brexit.... matters to the UK as it's self determined anyway....not international, tied up with trade, , freedoms, movements etc

Other world matters have far greater significance.

International issues.
North Korea doing what they are doing with missiles, other weapons, diplomacy, status quo's, thier regional stability (always been frought between North & South Korea. Right now.
Friends & colleagues in South Korea see the issues as being currently critical, but not new.
They live in the shadow of the threat daily.
The despot who inherited the mantle of power there wants & needs to be seen as a world player not because they have resources (oil, minerals, technology) - they just have a means to have or make Armageddon weapons.
It's a strange alliance of China, The US of A, Russia that may have to work together to contain N.Korea.
It's maybe fortunate that North Korea is where it is sandwiched between China & South Korea so it can't have any territorial ambitions....other than invading S.Korea.
I always thought (maybe incorrectly) that China had more influence in North Korea, but it would appear, despite China dabbling on the world poilitics stage elsewhere thier immediate neighbour should be thier number one concern.. in my opinion.
Despite all my personal feelings about China & involvements abroad from them & influencing things (& not just trade domination/s) maybe a positive factor that they are now.

Middle East.
A complex situation without any involvements from the "West"....
- Territorial ambitions - two gulf wars.....I just wonder what would have transpired if these hadn't happened Saddam still there, Gaddafi still there....all seemed to have dubious link to the problem right now Syria. It was previously a bolt hole to escape to that could supply arms.
- Arab Spring meltdowns....that have swapped regimes that may not have been the best (for those who live there) replaced by unstable & fractured non democratic situations.
- (pseudo) Religious aspirations. A caliphate....far more than one country....with catastrophic incidents staged worldwide.
- ISIS....which goes into the vacuums created by regime change.....bad enough, tragic if contained there but it clearly isn't.... worries the hell out of me as it's totally indiscriminate.

But this thread is Brexit...we deal with what will bite us us in the / be better than that first we have some degree of determination.
Here we are......Easter Tuesday, sunshine outside, relaxing here looking at many new shoots on my apartment verandah collection of plants....especially the Norfolk Isalnd Pines grown from seed....have you got space for a large tree ?

me - now an election !

DG wrote:

another 'reality' gem

It's not real until the fat man tweets; and even then....

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Quote:

Unnamed Washington and European officials claimed the UK had been forced behind the EU in the queue to reach a deal with America.

Quote:

House Speaker Paul Ryan, the most powerful Republican in Congress, made clear as much in a speech in London on Wednesday.
He said the US was ready to negotiate a new trade deal with Britain but also wanted a strong Europe.
‘The United States stands ready to forge a new trade agreement with Great Britain as soon as possible, so that we may further tap into the great potential between our people,’ he said in a speech at the Policy Exchange think tank.

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alternatively

Quote:

Donald J. Trump ‏Verified account @realDonaldTrump Apr 19

#BuyAmericanHireAmerican

Reading this it makes me think it might actually be true

Quote:

Mrs Merkel is said to have told senior colleagues that Mr Trump misunderstood the basic facts about the EU and trade, asking her 10 times if he could work out a trade deal with Germany before finally getting the message he could negotiate only with the EU.

Quote:

A senior German politician was quoted as saying: “Ten times Trump asked her (Merkel) if he could negotiate a trade deal with Germany.

“Every time she replied, ‘You can’t do a trade deal with Germany, only the EU’,” the politician said. “On the eleventh refusal, Trump finally got the message, ‘Oh, we’ll do a deal with Europe then.’”

Also makes you wonder what he means when he says that he supports Brexit