Britain’s elites are in hysterics over looming “war” with Russia

Source: Responsible Statecraft
by Ian Proud

“British Defense Secretary Wes Streeting recently said the U.K. has 1000 days to be ‘ready with our allies to fight and win.’ The enemy is obvious: Russia. The catch: London doesn’t have the cash to fight, and ordinary folk aren’t interested. This latest reminder that war with our Slavic foes is imminent is vague and unspecified, and frankly tedious.” (11/03/26)

https://responsiblestatecraft.org/britain-war-russia/

Thomas L. Knapp

Trumping [TM] the Presidency: Buying Elections, Selling Merch

Source: Common Dreams
by Paul Josephson

“Someday soon, it will be possible to call for an orange skin cosmetology appointment with your not-made-in-America Trump phone, which has been on back order for 18 months; schedule the appointment with your Trump watch; and pay for it (and a new US passport with a likeness of President Donald Trump) with Trump bitcoins, while staying at a Trump hotel near a Trump golf course. You can already take a cross country trip to visit national parks with your Trump digital pass embossed with a picture of George Washington and a convicted felon. … There are limits to Trump merch. When you get cancer you will not be treated in Trump Hospital because there is none and your medical insurance has been eliminated.” (11/03/26)

https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/trump-buying-and-selling

Steve Trinward

Lebanon cuts power to public bodies as electricity crisis deepens

Source: Al Jazeera [Qatari state media]

“Lebanon’s Ministry of Energy and Water has begun shutting down the supply of electricity to approximately 100 public institutions that have outstanding bill payments, according to local media. The decision, which began to take effect on Monday, marks a further escalation in Energy Minister Joe Saddi’s dispute with the government. Saddi recently began boycotting cabinet meetings over what he claims is the government’s failure to address his demands to increase power supply, reduce the burden of fuel costs and settle unpaid bills to the state-owned electricity company.” (11/03/26)

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/11/3/lebanon-cuts-power-to-public-bodies-as-electricity-crisis-deepens

Thomas L. Knapp

“Boiling Point”: How America lit and fueled the Ukraine war

Source: Asia Times
by John P Ruehl

“The narrative surrounding the Ukraine war often marks its beginning on February 24, 2022, when Russia launched its full-scale invasion. But the rivalries and political decisions that brought the two countries into conflict stretch back centuries. The start of the Cold War, meanwhile, was the beginning of sustained US efforts to further antagonize Ukraine’s relationship with Moscow.” (11/03/26)

https://asiatimes.com/2026/11/boiling-point-how-america-lit-and-fueled-the-ukraine-war/

Thomas L. Knapp

UK: “Quiet quitting” could be hitting the economy; here’s why

Source: BBC News [UK state media]

“The so-called ‘quiet quitting’ trend where workers do the basic requirements of a job but refuse to do anything more might be hitting the economy, analysis has found. Over the last decade, Britons have become less engaged with the jobs they do and are less willing to put in extra effort, according to a Resolution Foundation report. The thinktank said this could partly help explain the slump in productivity since the pandemic. ‘This is self-evidently bad for workers, but it also doesn’t bode well for productivity and labour supply, both of which are vital for lifting living standards in the years ahead,’ said Hannah Slaughter, principal economist at the Resolution Foundation. Quiet quitting was popularised on social media shortly after the pandemic. Frustrated by high demands, low pay, and a squeeze in living standards, many online posts said workers should only do what their bosses asked and nothing more.” (11/03/26)

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cw23d5z87drpo

Steve Trinward