I'm guessing you won't read this, since you'll be on holiday. But I’ll say it anyway: yet again, so much can't-miss reading it's almost propelling me into a major calendar revision. More slots to get through Saturday Read, but then, what can I delete to make room for it? What a quandary…
Many thanks for including my essay on James Salter for RealClearBooks. Readers interested in a more offbeat meditation from me on literary biography as a genre are encouraged to check out my Substack: https://ashesandsparks.substack.com/p/hapax-legomenon.
I find the analysis by John Gray to be remarkably negative. Nationalism is a natural feeling of pride in one’s place of origin. Britain and Europe are not going to rolled over by Russia which has a GDP equivalent to Australia, which has a quarter of its population. Neither is Ukraine about to attempt a peace with Russia if Trump becomes President. Russia has already emptied its prisons and extended its call up and is currently recruiting Cubans and Africans to fill its trenches in Ukraine. The Russian Navy, the reason for the annexation of the Crimea, has vacated the Black Sea after being defeated by Ukrainian forces it could not defend itself against. If Trump wins he will find that negotiation with Putin is as futile as his negotiations with North Korea. He is currently blaming Biden for the retreat from Kabul, which he negotiated. It is my belief that the West, despite all the noise, will prevail against the East, just as it did against the Mongols in the 13th century. It will just take time.
That excerpt from the article by Brendan Simms is totally delusionary. The Idea that Starmer can defeat Russia and save Ukraine is like a throwback to the days of empire. ''What do you say Carruthers, shall we send one gunboat or two?''
The grim fact is that if Trump is elected and decides to stop supporting Ukraine then it is over. There is nothing that Starmer, either on his own or with the rest of Europe can do to stop it. We have already had a taste of this with the six month delay of US aid. Europe simply does not have the capacity to fill the gap.
SIR STEER CALMER
… a new slogan just for you to adopt Andrew Marr, since being an optimist, you're my favourite journo at the moment.
This should work at the level where populism energises people. Grab the public imagination before the naysayers get stuck in…
I'm guessing you won't read this, since you'll be on holiday. But I’ll say it anyway: yet again, so much can't-miss reading it's almost propelling me into a major calendar revision. More slots to get through Saturday Read, but then, what can I delete to make room for it? What a quandary…
Back on form this week. Many thanks for an excellent Saturday Read.
Many thanks for including my essay on James Salter for RealClearBooks. Readers interested in a more offbeat meditation from me on literary biography as a genre are encouraged to check out my Substack: https://ashesandsparks.substack.com/p/hapax-legomenon.
I find the analysis by John Gray to be remarkably negative. Nationalism is a natural feeling of pride in one’s place of origin. Britain and Europe are not going to rolled over by Russia which has a GDP equivalent to Australia, which has a quarter of its population. Neither is Ukraine about to attempt a peace with Russia if Trump becomes President. Russia has already emptied its prisons and extended its call up and is currently recruiting Cubans and Africans to fill its trenches in Ukraine. The Russian Navy, the reason for the annexation of the Crimea, has vacated the Black Sea after being defeated by Ukrainian forces it could not defend itself against. If Trump wins he will find that negotiation with Putin is as futile as his negotiations with North Korea. He is currently blaming Biden for the retreat from Kabul, which he negotiated. It is my belief that the West, despite all the noise, will prevail against the East, just as it did against the Mongols in the 13th century. It will just take time.
That excerpt from the article by Brendan Simms is totally delusionary. The Idea that Starmer can defeat Russia and save Ukraine is like a throwback to the days of empire. ''What do you say Carruthers, shall we send one gunboat or two?''
The grim fact is that if Trump is elected and decides to stop supporting Ukraine then it is over. There is nothing that Starmer, either on his own or with the rest of Europe can do to stop it. We have already had a taste of this with the six month delay of US aid. Europe simply does not have the capacity to fill the gap.