King Chuck - wow.

[steve_bank]

Trump adores power figures and gets off being ard them.

I thought Charles did a good job. Despite Trump's insults he with dignity and self control walked a fine line. H made points against authoritarianism and for checks and balances on a chief executive obviously speaking to Trump without being insulting or angry, supreme diplomatic skill.

Points on rule of law and the post war peace in Europe.

It was of course hypocrisy when republicanism cheered for it.

Add to that Americans are fascinated with English royals. It was a big show to be part of, the King Of England at Congress.

Its probably all for nought. The general reporting has been relations with Europe and Canada have been permanently damaged. They are preparing for a future without the US as an ally. Europe is being very diplomatic.

It does not seem likely the US will in the future respond to a NATO treaty request.

 

[Elixir]

Maybe I give his Royal Highness too much credit. Saying things that go over the heads of mental midgets like trump isn’t exactly an incredible feat.

 

[steve_bank]

Churchill's speech to Congress is credited with turning around American isolationism on the war.

Common values, common history, and personal American blood relationships.

Text and film are online.

 

[Tigers!]

Dendrast! Haven't seen you in ages!

Good to see.

I was seduced by the dark side. (FB. Also recently, Bluesky. Not so dark, not oligarch owned.) Thanks for remembering. Yours was the first name that caught my eye, tho I see quite a few names from "the good old days", whenever those were.

You might be popping back into that hole again very soon.

 

[dendrast]

Dendrast! Haven't seen you in ages!

Good to see.

I was seduced by the dark side. (FB. Also recently, Bluesky. Not so dark, not oligarch owned.) Thanks for remembering. Yours was the first name that caught my eye, tho I see quite a few names from "the good old days", whenever those were.

You might be popping back into that hole again very soon.

Could be. Why?
Both FB and Bluesky are getting on my nerves, or more correctly, American politics is getting on my nerves. (A major feature of Bluesky) In the autumn of 2025, I was laid up in bed for about 8 weeks with an injury (Another story for another time) and got far too much of Facebook, so I decided to close my account. After jumping through hoops, they told me it would take thirty days for the account to close. (Why? It took like five minutes to open. Just flip that damned switch and disconnect the life support.) After the thirty days, I went to check to see if I was truly done with them forever.
Don't bother, if you are thinking of it too. The instant I reopened the page, everything was reinstated. I was once addicted to cigarettes. This is worse. No matter how much self-control you have, you find yourself spending more and more time there, doomscrolling. And I don't even have a mobile phone.
It turns out that FB is like Hotel California.
You can check out, but you never can leave.

 

[Jarhyn]

Dendrast! Haven't seen you in ages!

Good to see.

I was seduced by the dark side. (FB. Also recently, Bluesky. Not so dark, not oligarch owned.) Thanks for remembering. Yours was the first name that caught my eye, tho I see quite a few names from "the good old days", whenever those were.

You might be popping back into that hole again very soon.

Could be. Why?
Both FB and Bluesky are getting on my nerves, or more correctly, American politics is getting on my nerves. (A major feature of Bluesky) In the autumn of 2025, I was laid up in bed for about 8 weeks with an injury (Another story for another time) and got far too much of Facebook, so I decided to close my account. After jumping through hoops, they told me it would take thirty days for the account to close. (Why? It took like five minutes to open. Just flip that damned switch and disconnect the life support.) After the thirty days, I went to check to see if I was truly done with them forever.
Don't bother, if you are thinking of it too. The instant I reopened the page, everything was reinstated. I was once addicted to cigarettes. This is worse. No matter how much self-control you have, you find yourself spending more and more time there, doomscrolling. And I don't even have a mobile phone.
It turns out that FB is like Hotel California.
You can check out, but you never can leave.

Twitter, Facebook, BlueSky, it's all there for people to find the things they like.

Once you actually know what you like, they end up becoming more of engagement traps.

And you're wrong: I've been Facebook-free for close to decade, now, and before that I had only logged in a couple of times.

I will admit I have a bit of a Reddit problem?

Also, welcome back!

 

[Derec]

Churchill's speech to Congress is credited with turning around American isolationism on the war.

It has been a while since UK had a prime minister with the gravitas of Churchill. Maggie Thatcher came close.

 

[bilby]

Churchill's speech to Congress is credited with turning around American isolationism on the war.

It has been a while since UK had a prime minister with the gravitas of Churchill. Maggie Thatcher came close.

Both of them were arseholes. Fortunately for Churchill, that's what you need in wartime. Fortunately for the UK, they ditched him for Atlee as soon as the war was won. Unfortunately for the UK, they didn't ditch Thatcher once the Falklands War was won.

 

[ideologyhunter]

Just saw the clip where Rod Stewart is nattering with Chuck.
Is anyone else jonesing for a new single: Ratbags and Glad Rags? He'd top the UK charts, anyway.

 

[Patooka]

Churchill's speech to Congress is credited with turning around American isolationism on the war.

It has been a while since UK had a prime minister with the gravitas of Churchill. Maggie Thatcher came close.

You misspelled "condescending".