Ex Scotwork consultant. Scottish curling champion 1989. Past-President Edinburgh CC. Past-President CRSC. Past-Deacon Incorporation of Tailors in Glasgow
Balerno, Scotland
Joined December 2011
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Robin_Copland retweeted
🔥 Max Hastings gives Trump both barrels and not before time.
Trump made 30,573 false or misleading claims during his first term. Now the lying, bullying and grotesque inversion of truth have become instruments of government, while billionaires and political courtiers compete for seats at his table.
The victims are the Ukrainian people being bombed, betrayed and blamed while Trump appeases Putin.
Hastings is right: democracies must stop treating industrial-scale dishonesty as background noise.
“This is a lie” must become our collective reply.
Robin_Copland retweeted
Overdue, but at long last, the world seems to be waking up to the reality of the threat that is Donald Trump. Netanyahu has played him like a puppet.
Robin_Copland retweeted
You want the NATO allies to join you in a war you started without ever consulting these allies about the war or explaining your war aims. We’re meant just to meekly fall in line.
You recently supported a US invasion of a NATO ally (Denmark/Greenland) but now you want these same allies to join your war.
Your president disparaged and misrepresented the role of NATO allies in Afghanistan. But now you want them to join with you again in a war of your making.
You went to war with Iran without a thought of how to keep the Strait of Hormuz open and without involving your allies in the matter. But now you want the NATO allies to bail you out, even though there’s still no plan for Hormuz.
You want the NATO allies to join you in a war in which you still cannot articulate the endgame. Or what victory would look like.
You went to war thinking the Iranian regime would quickly topple, that Tehran would not attack the Gulf States or close Hormuz. Why would we align with such Epic Stupidity?
You and other know-nothing blowhards started this war all on your own. You can finish it on your own. If you’re able to …
Just spoke to @POTUS about our European allies’ unwillingness to provide assets to keep the Strait of Hormuz functioning, which benefits Europe far more than America. I have never heard him so angry in my life. I share that anger given what’s at stake.
The arrogance of our allies to suggest that Iran with a nuclear weapon is of little concern and that military action to stop the ayatollah from acquiring a nuclear bomb is our problem not theirs is beyond offensive. The European approach to containing the ayatollah’s nuclear ambitions have proven to be a miserable failure.
The repercussions of providing little assistance to keep the Strait of Hormuz functioning are going to be wide and deep for Europe and America.
I consider myself very forward-leaning on supporting alliances, however at a time of real testing like this, it makes me second guess the value of these alliances. I am certain I am not the only senator who feels this way.
Robin_Copland retweeted
Secretary Hegseth needs to explain exactly what he meant when he said “no quarter." It's well established that it means to take no prisoners — to kill them instead of accept their surrender. That is illegal under U.S. and international law, would put our servicemembers at greater risk, and erodes the good order and discipline of the best military in the world.
My letter to the Secretary of Defense:
Robin_Copland retweeted
Sorry you can’t have it both ways. If you’ve destroyed the Iranian military and they are now a paper tiger, why does the US need so much assistance to keep the Strait open?
Robin_Copland retweeted
Mr. President, you may have forgotten, but you recently threatened to invade a NATO ally.
Robin_Copland retweeted
Donald Trump is calling on European countries to join the war against Iran, which is only fair after he's been so supportive over Ukraine
Robin_Copland retweeted
And there it is. A Prime Minister who consults with his team ( which includes experts) versus a President who makes his mind up on his own… dangerous dangerous man.
Trump: "The prime minster of UK told me 'I'm meeting with my team to make a determination.' I said, 'You don't need to meet with a team. You're the prime minster. You can make your own. Why do you need to meet with your team to find out if you're gonna send some mine sweepers or boats to us?' It's the same thing here."
Robin_Copland retweeted
Unfortunately the Washington Post has decided to eliminate its Berlin bureau and with it my job. It's been the honor and adventure of a lifetime to be Berlin bureau chief, even if just for 6 months.
So many great journalists have lost their jobs today. It's a dark day.
Robin_Copland retweeted
It was an honor to be @washingtonpost's first Sydney bureau chief. Unfortunately, I'm also the last. The paper is shrinking foreign coverage. I've lost my job. Worse, millions of readers will lose my colleagues' brilliant coverage. At a time of tumult, we need more info, not less
Robin_Copland retweeted
Not unbelievable, sadly, but deeply connected. My entire body of work for a decade has been intersection of tech bro impunity, foreign interference & political capture. Attacks on the press are central to this. It’s why they came for me & why I know fighting back is so KEY.
Unbelievable that a man who spent US$75m on a film no-one wants to see about Melania Trump has just fired almost all the foreign correspondents on the newspaper he owns. You might think nothing was happening in this world. @JeffBezos @washingtonpost #SaveThePost
Robin_Copland retweeted
Cancelled Washington Post and a whole host of mag 7 subscriptions today to send a message of solidarity @profgalloway
Robin_Copland retweeted
Jeff Bezos, who could keep the Wash Post a pillar of American democracy with the change dug out from his limousine seats, sets an example of surrender to authoritarianism for every other business person and institution in America.
The @WashPost has now laid off its Asia editor, its New Delhi bureau chief, its Sydney bureau chief, its Cairo bureau chief, the entire Middle East reporting team, China correspondents, Iran correspondents, Turkey correspondents, and many more. The world is becoming less America-centric by the minute while the United States is becoming more America-centric than ever. It is just a depressing yet somehow perfect summation of our current moment that one of the most important newspapers in the history of the country - one that has actually shaped the history of the United States - doesn't think reporting on the world is of any use anymore. What an utterly perfect encapsulation of where we have arrived.
Robin_Copland retweeted
The one thing we can be absolutely sure about is that Trump will not allow proper, fair elections
Robin_Copland retweeted
Jeff Bezos's wanton destruction of one of America's most fearless journalistic institutions so that he can suck up to Trump is too expensive a midlife crisis to impose on America. A sad day for independent media.
Robin_Copland retweeted
Vote Reform.
Trust in Nigel Farage.
Give them a second chance.
Why not.
What have we got to lose.
Only the NHS.
Only the state pension.
Only workers’ rights.
Only human rights.
Only council services.
Only protections people fought decades to build.
Nothing important then.
They have already shown what happens when they get power. Promises gone in months. Councillors resigning or being sacked. Taxes going up anyway. Debates avoided. Excuses replacing answers.
This is not a risk on paper. It is already playing out.
A second chance is not hope.
It is denial.
Should I go on.
