As it usually does in the post-Christmas quiet spot, The Australian today brings us aggregated results from recent Newspoll surveys with voting intention and leaders’ ratings broken down by state and various demographic indicators. Unfortunately, only three polls have been conducted since the exercise was last conducted in mid-October, resulting in an unusually modest overall sample of 3655, breaking down to as little as 277 in the case of South Australia (with no repeat of the October aggregate’s inclusion of a Tasmanian result).
With due caution for the wide error margins, the state breakdowns are remarkable for how close they are to the results of the 2022 election, with Labor leading 51-49 in New South Wales (compared with 51.4-48.6 at the election), 55-45 in Victoria (54.8-45.2), 54-46 in Western Australia (55.0-45.0) and 55-45 in South Australia (54.0-46.0), and the Coalition leading 54-46 in Queensland (54.0-46.0). The gender breakdowns unusually find Labor in a slightly stronger position among men (leading 53-47, out from 51-49 in the October aggregate) than women (in from 56-44 to 52-48), but I would hesitate to read much into it at this stage. You can find most of the results by clicking on the relevant tabs in the BludgerTrack poll data feature.
UPDATE: There is also today a similar exercise from Nine Newspapers from its last three monthly Resolve Strategic polls, though the interest level is limited in this case by the fact that breakdowns for the three largest states are published with each poll. Whereas Newspoll finds no state swinging by more than 1% compared with the election, Resolve Strategic, which has been markedly more favourable for Labor than other pollsters, records a very wide range of results. The pollster does not provide two-party preferred numbers, but my own estimates suggest swings to Labor of around 3.5% in New South Wales, 3% in Victoria, 6.5% in Queensland and 9% in South Australia, and to the Coalition of around 2% in Western Australia. Also featured are breakdowns by three age cohorts, which follow the usual patterns.
Daily Kos is hardly an independent source – it’s avowedly progressive and pro-Democrat. It also looks like its been engaging in a bit of cherry-picking. A quick trip to the fivethirtyeight.com website gives a more sobering picture. That said, at a National level, Biden is still competitive, and he has the obvious advantage of incumbency. That we are even contemplating another Trump presidency says much about the state of American democracy.
Morning all.
The SMH/age continues to assume we are stupid. “ But the Labor primary vote remains higher nationwide than it was at the last election despite the setbacks, while the Coalition’s primary vote has fallen to 32 per cent from 36 per cent at the election.”
Yes of course, PV doesn’t win elections….. but the article would suggest the ALP have gone to the mattresses. Independent? All ways!
Meanwhile, I read my PB colleagues tales of woe and say I am now racked with guilt.
My father passed away this year, and my mother in law has moved in as the last step before permanent care, but me? I’ve had a great year and am in perfect health.
To my fellow bludgers with issues; stay strong. I wish you all a good recovery and a better 2024.
Oh, and qu’elle surprise! SMRs still, do not exist.
Great round up Cat. Thank you. Your formatting makes it easy to read too.
(Oh and to me, tankies are those who go on incessantly about military stuff. Most of us have forgotten the Budapest connection.)
US Cartoons:
UK:
Don’t blame Murdoch – Trump is peddling a product many American want to buy – whether it’s based on fact is not relevant to the buyers.
“Go Back To Pakistan”: Couple Tells Indian-Origin Man After Taking Over His US Home
Bobby Chawla, whose family purchased the house 22 months ago in a bank auction, was unable to move in because accused squatters Barry and Barbara Pollack refused to leave.
https://www-ndtv-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.ndtv.com/world-news/go-back-to-pakistan-couple-tells-indian-origin-man-after-taking-over-his-us-home-4745963/amp/1?amp_gsa=1&_js_v=a9&usqp=mq331AQGsAEggAID#amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&aoh=17036317259428&csi=0&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&share=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ndtv.com%2Fworld-news%2Fgo-back-to-pakistan-couple-tells-indian-origin-man-after-taking-over-his-us-home-4745963
“An Indian-origin man in New York witnessed a “Christmas miracle” after two squatters who had taken over his home finally moved out. According to the New York Post, Bobby Chawla, whose family purchased the house 22 months ago in a bank auction, was unable to move in because accused squatters Barry and Barbara Pollack refused to leave. The pair hadn’t paid their mortgage in more than a decade and were even caught on video telling the Chawla family to “go back to Pakistan”.
The Post reported that the Pollacks bought the home in September 1990 for $255,000. However, by 2006 they had some financial trouble and stopped paying their mortgage. Moreover, to stop the bank from taking over the house, the couple began filing “skeleton” and “frivolous” bankruptcies in three different courts. This made the court stay their eviction order for 17 years, meaning the Pollacks stayed in the New York house without paying the mortgage for nearly two decades.
The home finally ended up in a bank auction after the couple was sued for foreclosure in 2008. This case dragged on for 11 years. And to prevent the Pollacks from extending their stay in the house, a federal bankruptcy judge last week barred the Pollacks from further filings. However, even then, the squatters refused to move out until their misuse of the court system was exposed by the New York Post.
The outlet reported that the pair finally moved out on Friday and the New York house appeared to be vacant.
”
Could the Pollacks be Trump supporters?
Morning all. Thanks for the morning roundup Cat, notably the foreign news which keeps on churning. The world is in conflict.
Also best wishes to Taylormade and A-E on the health front.
I saw last night a few comments about Iran, Houthi rebels and how to stop the attacks. Obviously Iran’s current actions are using the Houthis as a fig leaf to do everything short of war against shipping from any enemy nation, which is a lot for Iran. There was a suggestion that Iran’s drone factories should be bombed.
The trouble is I don’t think the solution is to attack Iran either. I recently pointed out that 12% of the world’s trade, and 5% of Australia’s trade passes through the Red Sea. But for the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz it is worse. About 20% of the world’s oil and gas passes through it, including much of Australia’s oil.
The Strait of Hormuz is less than 50km wide and shallow. It could easily be blocked by forces on the land on either side (Iran or UAE) using drones, mines or missiles. A war with Iran would immediately impact the world’s oil and gas supply, including ours.
Unless there was an international coalition willing to fight Iran with enough force to capture the area around Bander Abbass and neutralise it from launching attacks (and Iran has a major navy and army base there) it would be asking for trouble.
So once again I support Australia increasing its defences, especially the RAN and RAAF, but lets not do anything stupid, and lets keep trying hard to talk the USA out of doing likewise.
“Still, that litany of woe doesn’t seem too bad comparatively and I’m sure you will return to top form soon.”
_______
Agreed. My health was pretty bad coming bout of covid, and it’s been like putting together a puzzle with seperate – but i suspect mainly connected – puzzle pieces. I actually think I’m really getting on top of it all, but one never knows.
”
Oakeshott Countrysays:
Wednesday, December 27, 2023 at 10:03 am
Don’t blame Murdoch – Trump is peddling a product many American want to buy – whether it’s based on fact is not relevant to the buyers.
”
And what is that product OC?
I will still blame Murdoch completely because he created an environment for that product.
A product sold by Trump was) is never a good product. For example, Trump University or Trump Casino etc.
The key to Trump’s success is that he sympathises with and shares the fears, prejudices and hatreds of his target audience, or can at least convince them that he does. Same business model as Right-wing talkback radio.
”
Outsidersays:
Wednesday, December 27, 2023 at 10:02 am
Daily Kos is hardly an independent source – it’s avowedly progressive and pro-Democrat.
”
I never said otherwise. If Fox News can exist in USA, so can Dailykos.
But that is besides the point.
The point was I was posting the recent polls as per 538.
Can you say any of those numbers are wrong after browsing 538?
By trying to dismiss the numbers saying Dailykos is “avowedly Progressive and pro-democrats” is neither here nor there.
The ABC has a good article on long-COVID, which my partner unfortunately has. It is a terrible thing, watching someone waste away in bed all day asleep. It is ripping apart families and has long term society wide implications.
‘Ven says:
Wednesday, December 27, 2023 at 9:48 am
Iran dismisses US accusations of tanker attack off India
The US accusations are meant to ‘distract’ from Washington’s complicity in Israel’s ‘crimes in Gaza’, Iran’s FM says.
https://www-aljazeera-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.aljazeera.com/amp/news/2023/12/25/iran-dismisses-us-claim-it-hit-tanker-near-india?amp_gsa=1&_js_v=a9&usqp=mq331AQGsAEggAID#amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&aoh=17036095655253&csi=0&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&share=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.aljazeera.com%2Fnews%2F2023%2F12%2F25%2Firan-dismisses-us-claim-it-hit-tanker-near-india‘
—————————-
As if anyone in the world would trust what the theocratic, barbarous and murderous Iran regime says about anything at all.
Their so-called ‘morality police’ bash women to death for not wearing hair covering. It executes gays and lesbians for being gay and lesbian. Iran has no freedom of speech, of the press or of assembly.
Iran routinely arms a variety of terrorism outfits and non-state players and deploys them to achieve its ambitions of regional hegemony. These terrorists routinely target civilians. Rape is used as an instrument of terror.
As for the icing on the cake Iran is busy sending drones to Russia in full knowledge that Russia uses the drones to target civilians, hospitals and power generation plants in Ukraine.
Apart from that the Indian Government seems to think there is something going on with the Iranian-backed Houthis trashing freedom of navigation with their drones and their missiles on international shipping in international waters.
India is sending not one but three warships to protect its trade interests.
‘Torchbearer says:
Wednesday, December 27, 2023 at 10:22 am
The ABC has a good article on long-COVID, which my partner unfortunately has. It is a terrible thing, watching someone waste away in bed all day asleep. It is ripping apart families and has long term society wide implications.’
———————————
Yep. Two of my friends have it. For one of them the consequences are a significant loss of enjoyment of life – loss of a sense of taste and smell, partial loss of hearing. and funny things happening in his head. The other friend has had pretty well catastrophic long covid: dvts, crippling arthritis and massive loss of energy.
Both are significantly stressors on the respective marriages.
Rex Douglas,
BK is having a week off. I’m simply filling in for him till he returns. So you can take your ‘Littlefinger type coup’ and place it where it hurts.
Yes, I’m being targeted by a storm shadow
Storm shadow, storm shadow
‘ Sailin’ and ‘runnin’ from storm shadow
Storm shadow, storm shadow
And if I ever lose my fleet
Lose my frigates, lose my subs
Oh, if I ever lose my fleet
I won’t have go to war no more
https://www.theage.com.au/world/europe/ukraine-destroys-one-of-russia-s-biggest-amphibious-warships-in-crimea-20231227-p5etqy.html
Thanks C@t. Fran Lebowitz making the Dawn Patrol was a stretch!, but much appreciated – touched by a personal touch. She’s funny New York acerbic, if a bit repetitive, and a real deal New York Democrat. The “Pretend it’s a ….” is (along with the boots, jeans, coat, hair, cigar and pointing finger heavy lesbian look) her schtick – pretend it’s a city, pretend it’s a museum, or to those fart arseing around in aeroplane isles: Pretend it’s plane, and it’s boarding! To lingerers on 5th at Midtown – pretend it’s a city! Speaking of midtown, Rockefeller Centre (and St Patrick’s, if you’re so inclined) is a midtown must – there’s the most famous Christmas Tree in town! Go to the Observation Deck, and when the light is right, marvel at the Empire State Building gleaming. I mean gleaming. It’s one of the great 20th C buildings. Along with the SOH. Some say (OK, I think it was PJK) the SOH will take its place in history as the greatest.
Remember, America is ‘go-like-you-belong’ land, with only two real cities as she calls it: New York and Chicago. San Fran she calls a ‘village’!
She mentioned that even the Upper East Side didn’t vote for Trump. That’s Old Money. It, like a bazillion other place and things, is worth a visit – you could worse than start with the Frick Collection on 5th which, if nothing else, and it’s lots else, is a look at a fabulous grand old residence, plus it’s got Whistler’s Mum, well, Mom.
Further up there’s the Neue Gallery, with the gob smacking Klimt portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer, the Woman in Gold, in oil, sliver, and gold, on canvas. Here’s the top half:
(blow you away like the Mona Lisa doesn’t)
You’re up in Met Museum land now, and the Guggenheim, etc etc. It takes time. New York needs time.
Torchbearer @ #61 Wednesday, December 27th, 2023 – 10:22 am
oh no. Really? So terrible. Is there help?
Thanks, mabwm. I propose to be better by tomorrow as my son has booked us in for a game of Putt Putt golf. 😀
I’m going to New York whether my son likes it or not! 😆
You can see the most recent Trump v Biden national polls here at the 538 website: https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/polls/president-general/2024/national/
I’ve got moderate to profound hearing loss in one ear post Covid. Got hit with the short masssive steroid treatment. But hey, gratitude. I got off easily. I sat next to a colleague/friend at our 50th delayed Graduation Dinner, the sort of person you see once every ten years, but it is like yesterday when you last met. She put me onto Oliver Sacks Gratitude. Jill is her name. Married Richard, and they have a big practice on Sydney’s North Shore, still. Bless them, doing good the old fashioned way.
Tragically for Australia, the greedy boomers and outback hillbillies of Qld are making life worse for future generations by their capitulation to the Murdoch doctrine.
Dear Torchbearer,
The only hope I can offer you and your OH is that there are lots of medical professionals working on Long Covid and they have high hopes of being able to clear it from the body.
C@tmomma @ #69 Wednesday, December 27th, 2023 – 10:55 am
Go gurl, you go gurl.
BK, you have my loyal support if a challenge is thrown down for control of the dawn patrol.
ItzaDream @ #87 Wednesday, December 27th, 2023 – 10:59 am
Itza, As a person with severe hearing loss in both ears I suggest an audiologist and a hearing aid for the bad ear. You will be surprised at the difference being in balance again will make
The SMH landing page has highlighted this opinion piece on its landing page “Right-wing media bias now treated as normal”.
It’s just a letter to the editor and is obviously used as click bait to elicit comments. However, it does shine a light on something the majority of the MSM would prefer to keep hidden.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/right-wing-media-bias-now-treated-as-normal-20231226-p5etmp.html Article and comments are not paywalled.
Itzadream
Have you seen the rest of the Klimt pieces in the Belvedere museum in Vienna? Wonderful collection. Der Kuss is my favourite.
Boerwar
“ India is sending not one but three warships to protect its trade interests.”
This is why we need to rebuild the RAN ASAP. We need to be able to do the same with our own maritime patrol area and the waterways that contain our own trade interests. At present we only have 3 ships (Hobarts) that can do so. The Anzacs have nothing that can stop massed drones.
Labor needs to do this.
Here’s one back at you C@t.
The indefatigable Brigid Delaney, commentator, author, and Katy Gallagher’s speech writer (who knew!) from Adelaide Writers Festival (just re-podcast on ABC the other day) on her latest book “Reasons Not to Worry – How to be Stoic in chaotic times –
I enjoyed it, the broadcast. She doesn’t sound like she looks, or writes. Whatever that means. She goes through the four principles of Stoicism: Justice, Courage, Wisdom and Temperance, and applies them to dealing with the great and small challenges we face, up to and including death.
At 38:00 she deals with social media, and handling pile-ons, and bullying and the like, and the maintenance of tranquillity and equilibrium.
https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/bigideas/wellmania-s-brigid-delaney-on-the-gift-of-the-stoics/102961156
Hey A_E, best wishes. Think salt water. Think warm salt water. Think Boy Charlton. I had my first swim since the fires and Covid on Christmas Eve. Heaven. Healing. Thank you Jeebus. Hope things get better and betterer. At least you weren’t strangled by a rampant belligerent Thymus.
(Cafe crap – we walked out)
Boerwarsays:
Wednesday, December 27, 2023 at 10:24 am
‘Ven says:
Wednesday, December 27, 2023 at 9:48 am
Iran dismisses US accusations of tanker attack off India
The US accusations are meant to ‘distract’ from Washington’s complicity in Israel’s ‘crimes in Gaza’, Iran’s FM says.
https://www-aljazeera-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.aljazeera.com/amp/news/2023/12/25/iran-dismisses-us-claim-it-hit-tanker-near-india?amp_gsa=1&_js_v=a9&usqp=mq331AQGsAEggAID#amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&aoh=17036095655253&csi=0&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&share=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.aljazeera.com%2Fnews%2F2023%2F12%2F25%2Firan-dismisses-us-claim-it-hit-tanker-n
Apart from that the Indian Government seems to think there is something going on with the Iranian-backed Houthis trashing freedom of navigation with their drones and their missiles on international shipping in international waters.
India is sending not one but three warships to protect its trade interests.
——————————————————————
Good to hear India is pulling its weight here. As the entrance to Red Sea is basically next door to India and it is obviously a very important trade route for India. If US couldn’t convince its QUAD partner India to participate, who could they convince?.
On another note, with India choosing to spend vast amounts of money on building up a huge navy with nuclear submarines and aircraft carriers. Obviously with so many people in poverty in India but India choosing to spend that money not lifting them out of poverty. Instead spending it on a massive nuclear submarine building program along with other things like aircraft carriers and ballistic missiles. They certainly need to justify this military build up by using their navy when their trade routes are threatened like now. Otherwise it would appear that all that money that could of been spent lifting people from poverty was just wasted.
Oi, Rex! The “greedy boomers and outback hillbillies of Qld”have resolutely resisted “the Murdoch doctrine” for all but one of the 12 State elections since Joh was deposed.
Don’t you worry about that!
laughtong @ #76 Wednesday, December 27th, 2023 – 11:03 am
Thanks laughtong, very much. I wish you well. I’m in good hands with my ENT guy and his audiologist, and due back early New Year for follow up. He didn’t recommend a hearing aid at that stage (a few months ago) as my general hearing was more than adequate, and balance fine. Hearing conversation and details in a crowded place is a lingering problem. This guy is great, and I trust him. Plus took him some grog for Christmas, that always helps! (Friends). Thank you kindly.
Citizen
That’s the most sensible opinion I’ve seen in the Sydney Morning Herald in many a year.
Socrates @ #79 Wednesday, December 27th, 2023 – 11:12 am
A discussion about this at Christmas lunch (as you do) and the hapless Ministers we’ve been saddled with:
https://www.minister.defence.gov.au/previous-ministers
Entropy
India’s economy is growing fast, including a rapidly expanding middle class. As a % of GDP India’s defence spending is 2.4%, not much more than Australia’s.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_with_highest_military_expenditures
Considering that they have potentially hostile neighbours on two sides (China and Pakistan) I don’t think India’s military is disproportionate. India has responded to the naval arms race in east Asia, but did not start it.
Rossmcg says:
“That’s the most sensible opinion I’ve seen in the Sydney Morning Herald in many a year.”
Written by a reader, not a ‘journalist’.
Socrates @ #78 Wednesday, December 27th, 2023 – 11:06 am
No, I haven’t. Thank you. Not sure when Vienna will call again. I found it strangely uncomfortable. The first time I fled to Budapest down the river (before the wall came down). I’ve been back once since, but again didn’t settle well. Something authoritarian heavy in the air, maybe, I think. (Not to say the galleries aren’t good value.) Happy days to you and yours, and the cats.
The West Australian publishes a lengthy piece today by Warren Mundine urging the Albanese government to do the right thing by WA farmers over live exports.
Strikes me as a curious champion of things affecting WA agriculture but maybe now he has realised that he’s unelectable in NSW and he’s looking for a new home in the WA Liberals.
They might just take him, having swallowed his poison over the Voice.
ItzaDream
“ A discussion about this at Christmas lunch (as you do) and the hapless Ministers we’ve been saddled with:”
https://www.minister.defence.gov.au/previous-ministers
Surely one of the most unsuccessful collections of Defence Ministers in Australian history. They did not deliver a single new warship that had not already been started by Labor.
Even the fill-in Arafura Class OPVs are not yet in service, held up by specification problems. The rest were patrol boats. Then there are the failed projects, like helicopters.
Meanwhile most of the money was wasted on consultants. Rex Patrick revealed in his FOI question a few days ago that the RAN Submarine Agency had more consultants than uniformed ADF personnel. Most of the internal technical skills are gone. Whereas India now builds its own locally designed aircraft carriers…
Enough from me. Way over quota. Sun breaking through after a shower. Really lovely.
Boerwar @ Wednesday, December 27, 2023 at 8:58 am:
“ IMO it shows that forward basing/port use of fleet units is, like it was in WW2 without air superiority, too big a risk. I am surprised that the Russians did not learn this lesson the last time.
It also shows that the Russian Navy is keeping true to its traditions.”
===============
Agreed – it’s crucial we develop assets to enjoy air superiority in our own airspace, especially in this era of cheap and plentiful drones.
Itza
Thanks. Xanthippe and I are getting over covid, though slower than expected. Happily our cat with one kidney is now happily running around playing with our other cats, which is great.
I stayed in Vienna with some friends I met backpacking back in the 1990s, so my perception may have been biased. It is old and staid, but I loved the architecture, culture and gardens.
The question the headline at the 9 Entertainment papers begs is does media act as an influencer?
The headline informs that Labor will be defeated at the next election or, at best, will survive in minority government
Based on a fall in support in Queensland (where the Coalition holds near half the 50 Seats it holds in a 151 Seat House so its support base) and in WA, these States described as “Battleground States)
If you continue to read past this narrative, support for Labor maintains at the same level as the last election nationally AND the support for the LNP has fallen from the election result
By extension, IF Labor support has fallen in Queensland and WA but remains overall, what will be the impact in the 2 most populist States, so NSW and Victoria and will this see further Seats fall to Labor?
The media run on inflation and cost of living pressures, which are abating globally from elevated levels of 2 years ago when interest rates were first raised (Australia a laggard hence the Cash Rate remaining 100 odd basis points below the USA)
We see an an analyse of spending blaming cost of living pressures
But there is no analysis of the impact of the Pandemic including ahead of mass vaccination which was the catalyst for the removal of movement restrictions
So spending on in house items including communications items – refer the Harvey Norman sales – and the increase in household savings to record levels
And that these expenditures and savings have been replaced by spending on entertainment and travel, which are now the growth items
As Central Banks inform there remains predatory inflation including rental costs so some stickiness to quote their words
And the Cash Rate in Australia has a 4 in front of it, the indicative Fed Reserve rate in the USA with a 5 in front of it – both up from historical lows – these increases over the last 2 years plus producing the inflation projectory and the narrative that from here interest rates will fall
Instead we get doom and gloom – and that in Australia the government is in terminal territory because of cost of living pressures and interest rates
As I have contributed here before it is time to rename MSM (and the cowered ABC under the LNP Chair) the Liberal Party Tribune, focussed on influencing not reporting
By extension, democracy in Australia is in danger
There is also no reporting on the demise of the Right wing government in the UK, the Motherland, and why
Socratessays:
Wednesday, December 27, 2023 at 10:10 am
Morning all. Thanks for the morning roundup Cat, notably the foreign news which keeps on churning. The world is in conflict.
Also best wishes to Taylormade and A-E on the health front.
I saw last night a few comments about Iran, Houthi rebels and how to stop the attacks. Obviously Iran’s current actions are using the Houthis as a fig leaf to do everything short of war against shipping from any enemy nation, which is a lot for Iran. There was a suggestion that Iran’s drone factories should be bombed.
The trouble is I don’t think the solution is to attack Iran either. I recently pointed out that 12% of the world’s trade, and 5% of Australia’s trade passes through the Red Sea. But for the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz it is worse. About 20% of the world’s oil and gas passes through it, including much of Australia’s oil.
The Strait of Hormuz is less than 50km wide and shallow. It could easily be blocked by forces on the land on either side (Iran or UAE) using drones, mines or missiles. A war with Iran would immediately impact the world’s oil and gas supply, including ours.
——————————————————————
Why would Iran block the Persian Gulf if USA blew up a couple of their missile factories?. As my estimate is less than 1% of USA trade goes to and from the Persian Gulf or through the Red Sea. USA is self sufficient for oil anyway. Though i’m still very dubious of Ven’s claim they are worlds biggest exporter of oil. Producer i do believe but not exporter though. A small amount of our oil does come from the Persian Gulf. Though vast bulk of the oil we use is refined in Singapore and the crude product comes from mainly Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Australia ourselves. Hence why Australia uses the Tapis crude indicator for our oil price, a Malaysian price indicator.
Socrates @ #95 Wednesday, December 27th, 2023 – 11:41 am
And the cake. And the coffee, always served with a small glass of chilled water iirc. Nice. Sachertorte at source!
Socrates @ #95 Wednesday, December 27th, 2023 – 11:41 am
And the cake. And the coffee, always served with a small glass of chilled water iirc. Nice. Sachertorte at source!
The Trump product is simple and eternal. It does not need Murdoch or anyone else to promote it. In two words “American Exceptionalism”, in four words “Make America Great Again”.
Failing empires get leaders who do not admit the reality. Britain got Antony Eden (it could also be argued that Boris and Brexit was very late imperial revisionism). America had and will have the Donald. The world will be a much worse place.