Lindsey Graham has died. Mitch McConnell hasn't been seen for weeks and rumours are strong.
Things coming in threes.....too much to hope?
I'm more of the opinion that it might be deliberate action. Was Graham exposed to a substance by Russian operatives whilst in Kyiv?
thought did cross my mind
at the same time old guy taking lots of flights increases risk of cardiovascular issues
The Mitch McConnell "reports/speculation" are quite weird though. Dead or alive, family allegedly off radar, the conspiracy nuts having a field day.
yeah, don't get the McConnell thing, his seat is pretty safe republican, even with trump's approval in the crapper, Republicans should have it and he was standing down anyway so i don't see any point in delaying, even if hes really ill.
Graham's seat is also pretty safe republican , be interesting to watch the maga nuts sucking up to trump and backstabbing each other to get his endorsement for 2 fairly safe seats
yeah, don't get the McConnell thing
It apparently gets slightly messy about who can stand eg some of those who got primaried by trump and so on but ultimately we can ignore that and just look at what happened.
He suddenly disappeared into hospital for a month with nothing but some very dubious comments from some true believers about how they "spoke to him". Obviously for any conspiracy theorist or just dubious type speaking to doesnt imply a two way conversation.
So it is just a bit weird. I mean I cant see my employer being happy if I/my carers gave this sort of answer to so I cant see why his constituents or the taxpayer in general should.
The gerontocracy in US politics does seem completely out of hand. McConnell has completely zoned out on interviews before and then you have Reagan. On the flipside there is Biden and then there was Feinstein who died in office aged 90 and by all accounts wasnt capable of the job several years prior.
He suddenly disappeared into hospital for a month with nothing but some very dubious comments from some true believers about how they "spoke to him"
There is something of a minor AI war going on with images of McConnell that are apparently "proof of life" with equal numbers of folks protesting that the images are faked...While using AI image enhancement to prove it, without asking (or possibly just ignoring) the obvious question that arises...
??!!
dementia don wants us to pay him now
All other countries will have fair and open use of the Strait. The U.S.A. will be, from this point forward, known as “THE GUARDIAN OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT,” but as such, and as a matter of FAIRNESS, will be reimbursed, at the rate of 20% on all cargo shipped, for any and all costs necessary to do the job of providing safety and security to this very volatile section of the World. The process and formation will begin immediately.
Looks like old orange-bollocks is trying to set up some kind of international shipping protection racket in what passes for his dementia-addled brain. I can only see one slight problem with this.... Since when was it in his power to declare whether the Hormuz Strat is open or not? If the last few moments have shown us anything its that the Iranians have considerably more say in that, no matter what the self-appointed 'Guardian of the Hormuz Strait' has to say on the matter
Madder than bucket of spiders, the senile old giffer
TRUMP ON TRUTH SOCIAL: The Hormuz Strait is OPEN, and will remain OPEN, with or without Iran. We are reinstating the THE IRANIAN BLOCKADE, so named because it is only stopping Iran’s ships or customers from entering or leaving. All other countries will have fair and open use of the Strait. The U.S.A. will be, from this point forward, known as “THE GUARDIAN OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT,” but as such, and as a matter of FAIRNESS, will be reimbursed, at the rate of 20% on all cargo shipped, for any and all costs necessary to do the job of providing safety and security to this very volatile section of the World. The process and formation will begin immediately. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP
...but as such, and as a matter of FAIRNESS, will be reimbursed, at the rate of 20% on all cargo shipped...
First, you'll need to reimburse the rest of the world at the rate of 20% for the chaos and costs caused by your closing the SoH.
FAIRNESS would be that you backdate payment to February. The world will wait
What Trump is proposing is illegal.
The other thing is how on earth would it be managed?
How would they collect payments?
Who pays? The shipping company? The real owner of the ship? The cargo owner? Or the shipper?
Would they have teams to audit the cargo when it was loaded or unloaded, to see if the cargo is accurately described on the manifest?
It absolute nonsense and will never happen.
Another day cosplaying as a mafia boss at the expense of his country (and ours).
I thought grandpa had said that Iran wouldn't be allowed to charge to use the Strait ? 🤔
It’s quite literally a brain-fart. The moment any idea, no matter how completely batshit crazy, enters his head, he’s put it out into the world via Truth Social.
This will just be another piece of nonsense to add to all the ever-lengthening list of his various fantasy posts claiming victory.
Maybe him and Pete Hegseth have been smoking crack together?
I recently re-read Chomsky`s Who Rules the World .. and whilst enjoying the book some years ago, it feels deeply urgent today because it directly predicted our fractured geopolitics.
The dodgy chickens are slowly coming home to roost.
BBC News - US judge voids Donald Trump's $1.8bn settlement with IRS that gave him immunity from tax audits
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn8q0e8d4ego
I feel its a subtle step for the UK looking to close the gap in readiness to have UK troops ready to be deployed by Trump into Iran.
I sincerely hope not as the Iranains are a very determined and seriously tough bunch.
The outcome would be dire, resulting in a quick end to any PM who supported that. Credit to Starmer for having kept us just about out of it so far.
Actually I think the illegal Iran war (and Russias invasion of Ukraine) have exposed the limits of naked power. It has exposed weakness that weren’t obvious before. Russia has been shown to be a paper tiger and US has been incapable of keep the world’s shipping lanes open and failed to defend its allies in the Middle East. Far mor effective is the threat of power and it without wielding it - the beat war is no war.
US judge voids Donald Trump's $1.8bn settlement
Even better is that the judge was so pissed off the the case scam, that she referred all the litigators to their respective bars for possible disciplinary action, and asked all the Amicus briefs to send in their time sheets for Donald to pay.
Russia has been shown to be a paper tiger
Be cautious of this conclusion, the Russian army that's fighting in Ukraine isn't 'The' Russian army. It's not even the conscript army, it's an 'army' filled with barely-trained contracted civilians.
US has been incapable of keep the world’s shipping lanes open
Again, there's no army/navy in the world that can do that. What you're describing is what happens when politicians who're either not briefed well enough, or exist in political environments that have let any sort of ability to challenge bad decision making wither away have been permitted to make bad decisions
I wonder if tariff is still Trumps favourite word?
He's about as likely to be able to enforce his proposed 20% levy on cargoes passing through the Strait of Hormuz, as that would also be completely illegal too. Something he himself helpfully pointed out to everyone just a couple of short weeks ago, when it was the Iranians threatening to do it.
What we’re witnessing is foreign policy made up on the back of a fag packet in reaction to the hissy fit of a toddler. All it’s achieving is further strengthening the Iranian regime and showing how weak the US position is. All while driving its allies in the region away and making them question their alliance with Washington.
Everyone knows that there’s only one country that can decide whether the Strait is open or not and it’s not the US. Trumps declaration that he is the ‘Guardian’ of the strait is absolutely laughable, no matter how many more bombs land on Iran in his latest tantrum
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jul/14/trump-tariffs-us-refunds?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
I feel its a subtle step for the UK looking to close the gap in readiness to have UK troops ready to be deployed by Trump into Iran.
It's just something that hasn't been tackled previously in the hope that the UK would have some sort of influence with Iran.
The case of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who was held for almost six years and released immediately after we repaid a £400mn debt, showed that the concept of influence was nonsense
Another day cosplaying as a mafia boss at the expense of his country (and ours).
He's realised that the MOU was a crock and has backed out via point 1,
Point 1: The United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran and their allies in the current war, by signing this MOU, declare the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon, and undertake from now on not to initiate any war or any military operation against each other, and to refrain from the threat or use of force against each other...
He's still trapped and is again looking for a better solution, but time isn't on his side.
His navy, meanwhile, has been there for months and will be looking for leave; the Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group (CSG) appears to have been off the Gulf since the end of Jan, joined by the USS Tripoli assault ship at the end of March and the George HW Bush CSG in April.
Each CSG is around 7500 sailors with maybe six ships plus subs. An assault group is another 4000 sailors and marines (and ships)
USS Tripoli was replaced by the USS Boxer ARG a couple of weeks ago.
http://news.usni.org/category/fleet-tracker
Cue the UK government today designating the IRGC a threat to national security with up to a 14 year prison sentence for anyone expressing a positive opinion to assisting them - crazy!!I feel its a subtle step for the UK looking to close the gap in readiness to have UK troops ready to be deployed by Trump into Iran.
Be cautious of this conclusion, the Russian army that's fighting in Ukraine isn't 'The' Russian army. It's not even the conscript army, it's an 'army' filled with barely-trained contracted civilians.
It’s quite literally a brain-fart. The moment any idea, no matter how completely batshit crazy, enters his head, he’s put it out into the world via Truth Social.
@nickc who said
“ Be cautious of this conclusion, the Russian army that's fighting in Ukraine isn't 'The' Russian army. It's not even the conscript army, it's an 'army' filled with barely-trained contracted civilians. ”
How do you think the Russian army has ended up in this state ?????
Ok - I’ll tell you- Russia rolled into Ukraine over FOUR YEARS AGO - and they and the rest of the world thought they’d be in Kiev in short time. That didn’t happen, why, because the Russian army were a paper tiger. A 3 day special military operation has turned into a complete disaster with far ranging consequences for Putins Russia.
A 3 day special military operation has turned into a complete disaster with far ranging consequences for Putins Russia.
Putin cannot use the conscript and regular army in the way that former Soviet leaders did because of things like Afghanistan and Chechnya. He needs to keep European Russia onside, and to do that he cannot send the twice annually drafted (prizivniki) young Muscovite men and women into the meat grinder that is Ukraine. Especially now as Ukraine has a battle hardened military that is slowly transforming itself into a better organised and doctrinally modern fighting force. He has no other choice but to use this 3rd grade (at best) 'military' (kontraktniki) which is largely unsupported infantry culled from Eurasian Russia. The conscripted army numbers something like 300,000 (approx the combined strength of the entire French and German armies) despite the nearly 1.5million casualties the Russians have suffered in Ukraine.
Russia remains the largest threat to European peace.
He needs to keep European Russia onside, and to do that he cannot send the twice annually drafted (prizivniki) young Muscovite men and women into the meat grinder that is Ukraine.
So what about the complete lack of hardware?
What exactly would the Russian equivalent of conscripted home counties Gen-Z bring to the fight that has been missing so far?
You know that final episode of Blackadder Goes Forth, where the well to do Cpt Darling get's sent to the front?
It's not even the conscript army, it's an 'army' filled with barely-trained contracted civilians.
It's also the kit and supplies that have been shown to be somewhere between "non-existent" and "imaginary".
We seem to now be wildly off topic, but if you want to see the truth about how poorly trained and equipped the Russian troops are in the meat grinder of Ukraine, this is a real eye-opener, in a thoroughly depressing manner. The disregard for the lives of the conscripts is total. They don't even seem to make it up to the status of cannon fodder. Its staggering that Putin can oversee such a senseless waste of young lives on such an industrial scale and still remain in power
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m002rxvc/the-zero-line-inside-russias-war
So what about the complete lack of hardware?
The VVS (Russian air force) has about 4000 aircraft remaining in its fleet, the RAF is about 650. The Russain army still has about 2-3000 MBT, we have less than 250, AFV still number about 10-15,000 (despite the Ukraine losses) compared to barely over 1000 in the Army, Russia's Naval fleet is still about 500 ships, compared to about 70-80 for the Royal Navy.
The VVS (Russian air force) has about 4000 aircraft remaining in its fleet,
How many of those are actually modern combat aircraft and what is their condition? I'm pretty sure that their aircraft situation is like their tank situation - a large number on paper, but most are outdated cold war leftovers and many are not actually airworthy.
How many of those are actually modern combat aircraft and what is their condition?
If we're 'just' talking front-line fighter/bomber types than about 700-900. The Uk fleet of Typhoons and F35 by comparison is a little over a 100 Typhoons and about 50 F35's. There are currently just 9 RAF air defence squadrons active in the UK, the lowest number since the UK's involvement in military aviation.
The mainstay of soviet frontline aircraft is the Su30 (the Su-30 and Su-35) series with about 230 (there are still some Su-27 left but they're being phased out) and the much shorter range MiG29's (about 250 of those) I think it's probably safer that our intelligence services expect that all those aircraft are available, rather than guess at operational readiness. - The rest of the front lines is made up of G/A aircraft Su 24, 25, and 34's and the like. Very few VVS aircraft are currently being deployed within Ukrainian airspace.
If you look at helicopters, then the Russian fleet is about 1500 airframes compared with about 200 for the entire Army, RAF and FAA fleet combined.
Russia remains the biggest threat to European peace.
There are currently just 9 RAF air defence squadrons active in the UK, the lowest number since the UK's involvement in military aviation
How many are there across NATO? Presumably that's a fairer comparison.
So, about 400-450 Typhoons operated between Us the Germans, and Austrians mainly with Italy and Spain with smaller numbers, about 250 Rafales and Mirage operated by the French, there's about another 300-350 F-16 operated by many smaller European NATO air forces, about 150 or so F35 spread unevenly around western Europe in various states of readiness and about 100 or so JAS-39 Grippens operated by Scandinavians and Eastern European countries.
So about 100-150 more front line aircraft in total. But, no overall control system and lacking the immediate co-ordination, language and doctrine available to the VVS. Some NATO air doctrine functions rest solely with the USAF and US Navy, without their participation, European NATO air forces are severely degraded.
Compare Russian armed forces with NATO - not just the UK 🤷🏻♂️
SO you claim that Russia has 4000 airframes - and yet with such a huge number they’ve failed to achieve air supremacy over Ukraine. While Ukraine has achieved dominance pretty much without an airforce (comparatively).
Let’s look at MBTs - Ukraine is destroying roughly 1500to 3000 a year (fog of war) - how effective are those tanks anyway? It seems a third of them are T62 or even older T55.
and yet with such a huge number they’ve failed to achieve air supremacy over Ukraine. While Ukraine has achieved dominance pretty much without an airforce (comparatively).
Neither the Russians or Ukrainians have air supremacy. Without the participation of USAF F-16CJ and US Navy EA-18G Growler, we (European NATO air forces) also have no SEAC capability, our aircraft would be equally vulnerable and wouldn't be able to achieve air supremacy.
Compare Russian armed forces with NATO - not just the UK
The reason I'm comparing us to the Russians is that if the Russians decided to expand to a wider European war, the UK would undoubtedly be the first targets the Russians attacked. They would aim to destroy as much of our capability as possible, as without UK involvement, much of European NATO won't be able to work together operationally, because along with the US we are the operational glue in terms of intelligence and awareness that allows NATO to work
We are especially vulnerable to Russian attack, they have long range air and ship launched weapons that we have literally no defence against.
Very few VVS aircraft are currently being deployed within Ukrainian airspace.
So they can reasonably be assumed to be useless if they can't even fly over a country that it's reasonably assumed has little to no remaining stocks of air defenses.
This is what I mean "I think it's probably safer that our intelligence services expect that all those aircraft are available," would give you a very conservative position. Ad-absurdum should we apply that to the army and have an army of hundreds of millions as Russia could conscript that many?
There can be any claim of numbers they like, but if they actually existed then why would they not be deployed in Ukraine and be walking into Kyiv by the end of the week?
So they can reasonably be assumed to be useless if they can't even fly over a country that it's reasonably assumed has little to no remaining stocks of air defenses
Nowhere in Europe has the equivalent of Russian (and former Soviet countries, including Ukraine) air defense capability Both Ukraine and Russia were using former Soviet doctrine and tactics. If they wanted to, the VVS could go mostly anywhere they wanted in most Western European countries, or fly around the coast down the Iceland Gap.
Without US involvement, Europe is very exposed.
This all probably belongs in the Ukraine thread.
I sometimes get the feeling that Trump's bunch of neo-idiots haven't a clue what they're doing.
So, those massive investments, totally not bullshit from Trump then?
So, those massive investments, totally not bullshit from Trump then?
No, no, no. Of course not. He's just taken a few hours to agree billions of dollars of inward investment after he realised he couldn't possibly charge a 20% levy for use of the Strait. He is a master negotiator.
