Strategic Culture

India and Pakistan continue to claim the whole of Kashmir, but neither can seriously believe that any mediation tribunal would judge this to be appropriate. Compromise is needed – one that India and Pakistan are incapable of reaching on their own.

Britain is on its way out of the European Union, so has no say in EU policy, but in any case it wouldn’t agree about criticism of Israel because the governing Conservative Party fosters an organisation called ‘Conservative Friends of Israel’ (CFI) whose members constitute some eighty per cent of Conservative Members of Parliament.

Almost everything Trump touches turns to dirt or worse. Even if he seems to be genuinely trying to improve some sort of awkward situation, he strikes the wrong note. It doesn’t matter to him that he knows absolutely nothing about the subject which draws his attention, because in his ignorance he will plunge in and make things worse.

The US-NATO alliance is increasing the number and scope of military manoeuvres along Russia’s borders, and announced that “in 2019, a total of 102 NATO exercises are planned; 39 of them are open to partner participation.” The exercises include 25 land, 27 air and 12 maritime-centred groups of manoeuvres.

Boris Johnson, by his refusal to support Sir Kim Darroch, has shown that he is unfit to hold any government position. But he is going to be prime minister of the United Kingdom because his electorate are 160,000 Conservative Party members who support Johnson as their sort of man: a disloyal “distracted, agenda-free buffoon.”

When the US military establishment knows that things are going downhill, they do their best to keep citizens in the dark. They refuse to admit that the situation in Afghanistan is out of control of the US and the Afghan government in Kabul.

The government would be better advised to concentrate on getting the country back on its tracks rather than indulging in the fantasy that, as Johnson wildly claims, exiting the European Union will mean that Britain can “have our cake and eat it”. Disaster is not far off.

Trump’s Washington intends to destroy Cuba in order to save it from lack of democracy, while energetically supporting Saudi Arabia (and many others) in spite of their total lack of democracy.

Trump’s international belligerence is fuelled by the psychotic, lily-livered Bolton, who is encouraging him to go to war on Iran while intensifying savage sanctions on Cuba. There is no end in sight to Trump’s campaigns of sadism and spite.

Although the Belt and Road Initiative brings opportunities to all countries, it will continue to be aggressively opposed by the US. There is harmony among BRI nations, but implacable hostility from Washington.