Trapped behind the open window I found this man, a brilliant red 'Peacock' butterfly, turned into a dowdy, dirty, black 'Peacock' by my filthy sash windows. As he was trapped between the two, as I moved one to set him free he flew up with the window. It took an ages to get him out, and, when out, by flapping in a panic I could not get a proper picture, and eventually forced him down and out of the lower, open window.
It is nice to see such a creature flapping around the place but it does appear their numbers are shrinking. The climate change caused by natural events and chemical abuse is having an effect. The world is in a worse position than it has ever been, and politicians argue, from their holiday lets, about whether a woman ought to keep an Alpaca or not! The world is heading for a bad place, save yourselves while you have the chance.
Finally Andrew Neil has recognised his limited Far-Right approach will not bring in the numbers. So, he has been dumped back to the south of France (funny how GB News is paid for by Americans and other foreigners all living like Andrew abroad) while Farage and Dan Wooton takes over the lying for the Fascist Right.
The numbers have been low, advertisers scared off, but government, that means Boris and his paymasters, have forced others to advertise there to support this limited station. The polarisation of society, to the benefit of the rich, billionaire backed, Far-Right continues.
Both here and in the US the same names are behind the push. Murdoch runs Fox News, he refused to start one here as it would not pay, £65 million has been wasted so far by GB News, and yet the Billionaires in the US keep pushing for such stations to lie to the people and happily spend their cash. Clearly they are making from it, either from the station themselves but most likely from the effect it has in influencing public policy.
Rich men getting richer by abusing the stupidity of the viewer is not new. It will however continue as long as Boris remains in charge.
This cartoon tellsus all we need to know about Afghanistan.
For how many years we have sent our armed forces to fight an unwinnable war, losing men at an enormous rate, and for what?
As I understand it, we went there to seek Bin Laden. Naturally, led by the Americans, we were told to cover the exits. Unfortunately he went out by the fire escape, one that US intelligence had not noticed. Listening in to his phone did not help as he used pencil and paper to pass messages, so finding him was difficult.
UK expertise in Afghanistan was well known. All remembered the 19th century wars on the North West Frontier, wars which we lost! It was made clear then that this was not a land we ought to be fighting over, we would never win. The Soviet Union forces fell into the trap, the one that fooled the Yanks in Vietnam, that heavy weapons, modern systems and paying the right people would allow them to dominate. They failed.
So, the US, along with Lapdog UK went to Iraq and Afghanistan, both at the same time, both badly managed, both a complete failure costing millions of lives, including many of our own. However, the politicians die in their beds.
Now, having trained our forces for Afghan fighting, losing many for little if any success, we leave. For some time we have been 'training' local forces, their quick defeat/surrender is a credit to our teaching, and little true fighting as British units has occurred. What 'special forces' may have done is unclear and possibly best left unclear for some time.
Leaving in my view is inevitable and ought to have happened years ago, we cannot stretch to Iraq and Afghanistan, we are too busy delivering to Sainsburys. Now we accept this, because the Americans are running away. We leave a confused nation, run by the Taliban, though most of them are just locals fighting for themselves, and with possibly a warlord situation fighting for years may lie ahead. In short, back to Afghan normal.
The women? What can we do?
We abandon many translators and helpers to their fate so we will do nothing for the women. Their education will fade, many will escape, some remain safe, but overall we can do nothing.
What a mess.
It is almost as if Boris designed this situation, it has all the hallmarks of his incompetence, however, it was other, proper politicians, who got us into the mess, now they take us out. I wonder what soldiers who saw friends die or carry the effects of the conflict feel about this?
