Trump, NATO funding and Article 5

There appears to be a view that Trump would defend NATO nations in the event that US support was needed.

I think that it is insane to rely on him.  But, saying that, I think that the threat of invasion from Russia is low in the next few years, considering how many casualties Russia has sustained in Ukraine.  My issue is not if Trump would defend Europe (I do not think that he would), but more importantly, will US presidents who follow him decide to go along his populist line.  

Article 5 provides that if a NATO Ally is the victim of an armed attack, each & every other member of the Alliance will consider this act of violence as an armed attack against all members & will take the actions it deems NECESSARY to assist the Ally attacked. 

 

Many think that he would obey Article 5. I think that he would and would take the actions that he felt was necessary to assist the ally which had been attacked. Sadly I suspect that such actions would in essence, be nothing.  With this in mind, greater European cooperation on defence is needed, and I am glad Starmer has attended a meeting about this.  

Even Havertz scored!

What a game! The team did really well. I will be honest, I feared the worst.  We have not had the best record so far, but we won! I can go to bed, which will please my wife as I have been shouting while watching the highlights. 

And They're Off!

We woke up early today to take my daughter to the airport for her two months of travelling in Asia. As I type this, she is on a flight to Singapore. I think the dog has taken it the best out of all of us, but Leia has already been looking for my daughter around the house.

My son went though him missing her before, I have been more emotional in the past few days before she went, and it hit my wife at the airport itself.  The photo is what she sent to us from the plane before take off.

We all have our fingers crossed that she enjoys herself and returns safely.

Flo & Joan - A Song for Anti-Vaxxers

Yesterday, vaccination was in the media gain, thanks to Trump and his picks for people to run the USA.  I was talking about this with my daughter.  

She had not seen this video.  So we watched it together last night. I am going to miss her as she travels next month.  I did not really appreciate it, until last night and then she got loads of hugs, today as well.  I think I am irritating my wife more than my daughter now with how much I am going to miss her.  

Learning from history

Today was a day to remember from history.  Sadly, at times, it seems that the wrong lessons have been learned, an example of which is when Hamas decided to record the murder of Israeli civilians to remind Israel about the Holocaust.

On a more personal note, the rise of the far right across the west, with people like Musk trying to make it more acceptable, is another reason why we should never forget what the forces of hatred and intolerance did in the past.  I do not want to be sent to a camp in the future.  

It was not a red card

Arsenal won a game yesterday.  With our injuries, the win was more important than normal, even more so considering we should not have had a man sent off. I know that we are not going to win the title, but finishing second is better than third.

As for the family, yesterday my son and daughter went for a dog walk together.  It is the first time my son has joined us and Leia loved it.  She loves to walk, and loved Gosbecks which is where we took her, but loves it even more if several of us walk with her.  Hopefully, when my daughter travels next week, my son will keep me company on these walks.

Elon Musk and fascism

There is an argument that too many people on the left call those they disagree with, fascist. I agree with this and for a while, I felt that people like Rory Stewart were wrong to call people like Elon Musk fascist. And then Musk gave that salute. Twice. He knew what he did. He knew it would get people talking about it. And that was the straw that broke me.

In the UK, he has supported Tommy Robinson, famously calling out Nigel Farage because Stephen Yaxley-Lennon is too toxic for him. In Germany he has been supporting the AfD. I am not sure I would consider him to be racist (I have suspicions), but he does seem to be suffering from Islamophobia. 

Politics has become more right wing in the UK with Reform UK doing well in the polls. We have seen what has happened in America where they voted an adulterous abuser of women in the office of President over a woman. And I fear that Germany is going to go the same way as Austria and Italy. 

So, Rory Stewart, I was wrong about Elon Musk, and you were right.