BBC's Jeremy Bowen, "The Trump world view is now clearer than ever" "It is that big countries can impose their will as they deem necessary on smaller countries" "Seize troublesome leaders" "Seize natural resources, like Venezuelan oil" "This is for Trump a new imperial era"

~ Let me explain why we can’t stand Keir Starmer | Keir Starmer | The Guardian ~ https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/jan/05/let-me-explain-why-we-cant-stand-keir-starmer

The President's powers come from the Constitution and Congress. There's no third source. If neither grant a power—and, more importantly, if either prohibit it—then the President doesn't have it. Full stop.

Emily Thornberry criticises Keir Starmer and Yvette Cooper for refusing to criticise the US's attack on Venezuela as a breach of international law

Ed Davey criticises Starmer and Cooper for failing to acknowledge Trump's attack on Venezuela as a clear breach of international law Cooper response is both cowardly and disgusting

John McDonnell slams Keir Starmer and Yvette Cooper for refusing to call our Trump's breach of international law "I found it shameful that the Prime Minister and ministers today in the news rounds have refused to condemn this action" Yvette Cooper waffles like a coward

A one-way client 'relationship' . ~ Trump and Starmer's special relationship is under its greatest strain ~ https://inews.co.uk/opinion/trump-starmer-special-relationship-greatest-strain-4148711

~ Do not mistake a projection of power for a projection of fear | Ian James Parsley ~ https://ianjamesparsley.wordpress.com/2026/01/05/do-not-mistake-a-projection-of-power-for-a-projection-of-fear/

British public opposes the US action to capture Venezuela's President. 21% support (8% strongly) 51% oppose (34% strongly) By party Labour: 12-63 oppose LibDem: 12-69 oppose Green: 5-77 oppose Conservative: 31-47 oppose Reform (49-22 support) are different, with half supporting.

Almost all of the MAGA Republicans who were dead set against foreign military adventures are now all-in on foreign military adventures. The only thing they really believe in is getting their cut from the Republican kleptocracy. It's not a political party – it's a criminal enterprise.

Perhaps @darrenpjones.bsky.social would like to pass this on to his boss (I mean Keir Starmer, not Morgan McSweeney @imogenwalker.bsky.social!)?

The Terminator ruined people’s confidence in communism When VHS tapes arrived in Russia in the 1980s, the difference in material circumstances between America and Russia was laid bare by a homicidal cyborg. Listen to the full episode on the fall of the USSR now ⬇️ linktr.ee/originstoryp...

They won’t be able to do anything, the EU is a super power in only one sense, regulatory….., and that’s only really a soft power. Coupled with the fact the EU (as well as the UK, if not more) has offloaded a good portion of its self production to China etc.. doesn’t put it in a good position.

I'm reading a lot of posts from politicians in the EU about solidarity with Denmark/Greenland. That's nice. But what will they do when Trump invades Greenland? Nice words are for the birds then.

Trump creates an impossible dilemma for those of us who look at the world in analytic terms. We can’t turn our analytic brains off, but it’s impossible to analyze something like this without creating the impression that there is actually a plan of some sort, even when we all agree that there is not.

Prompting this response: www.cbsnews.com/news/denmark...

~ Criminalised for checking the weather: New offences come into force for people crossing the Channel | Oxford Law Blogs ~ https://blogs.law.ox.ac.uk/border-criminologies-blog/blog-post/2026/01/criminalised-checking-weather-new-offences-come-force

What is the point of having a human rights lawyer in charge of the country if he can not bring himself to condemn blatant authoritarian land grabbing. What does it tell the country about fairness, justice and this govts priorities?

There’s appeal across the political spectrum, and you take the fight head on with the rule breakers of the former Tory govt and the rule destroyers of the far-right. But this govt have taken cowardice over justice every time. Bankers bonuses, Israel, Trump, ECHR, winter fuel, immigration…

There are MANY issues with Starmer’s messaging. But I always thought this govts best and easiest bet was to become THE government of the rules and fair play. Led by a former lawyer, lean into fairness, equality, law and order, justice for workers, respect for international law.

Lindsey Graham Just Admitted On Camera That The Trump Administration Is Planning A Full Scale Invasion Of Cuba In 2026… 🤬

Nor should we. We're being bullshat.

Left: Emily Thornberry says Trump attacking Venezuela breaks international law Right: Keir Starmer The Coward, repeatedly tells Beth Rigby he believes in international law but refuses to say whether Trump's attack breaks international law

Left: Keir Starmer, "The future of Greenland is for Greenland and Denmark, only" Right: But the future of Venezuela is for the US?

Pete Hegesth, "We spent decades, purchased in American blood and got nothing economically in return" "Now we can ensure we can access to additional wealth" In case you had any doubt, it's all about oil

BBC News, "Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has doubled down on Mexico's opposition to the US attack on Venezuela" "Saying: we categorically reject intervention in the internal matters of other countries"

New Venezuela statement from all 26 EU member states:

I'm just not Keir enough.

Where’s Congress?

Exactly.

The right question.

Hmm. ~ Zelo Street: Labour Weasels On Venezuela ~ https://zelo-street.blogspot.com/2026/01/labour-weasels-on-venezuela.html

One of our problems is that the USUK military and political machines are tightly bound I worked as a part-time subcontractor for a low level RAF intel analysis unit in the 90s. An American worked along me I doubt it's changed much

He is. But "closer ties to the Single Market" is also wrong: you're either •in• it - with Freedom of Movement of People - or you are •out• of it. Either Starmer does not know this, or it's more doublespeak. I presume the latter.

A propos of, ooh, everything, this excellent piece from @andrewrawnsley.bsky.social sprang to mind... www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

We really did elect the Pathetic Sharks

Spain is unequivocal .... no vacuous dithering www.msn.com/en-gb/news/w...

I broadly agree... but the difficulty for those seeking to defend world leaders whose public statements do little to indicate that Trump has done anything wrong, is that we don't know what, if any, action is being taken, and what, if anything, they are doing to stop the 'world order' falling apart.

He can't even get his lies right! King Donald the Mad leans out of the in-flight toilet to say Venezuela has 17 trillion barrels of oil reserves. The entire world reserves of oil is 1.5 trillion.

WH sources say Venezuela's opposition leader committed the "ultimate sin": She accepted the Nobel Peace prize. “If she had turned it down and said, ‘I can’t accept it because it’s Donald Trump’s,’ she’d be the president of Venezuela today,” one said. www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...

If you cannot see why governments should defend the principles of international law, I don't know how to help you.

And I can tell you that they are exceptionally good! ~ Mercadona launches new mini Spanish tortillas pack with gourmet fillings for €15 ~ https://www.majorcadailybulletin.com/news/did-you-know/2026/01/05/139317/mercadona-launches-new-mini-spanish-tortillas-pack-with-gourmet-fillings-for-15.html

Labour's Mike Tapp refusing to support Denmark against threats from President Trump wanting to take over Greenland - coward

Complex? It's really not.

To all those saying "but if our government spoke out, there might be consequences", please remember that not speaking out also has consequences. The history of appeasement is not a reassuring one.

Left: What the UK wanted, a strong confident leader Right: What the UK got, a coward in Downing Street 🇻🇪 No matter how awful Maduro was, if you can't criticise a country for attacking another sovereign country, you're a coward and you have no place in the highest office in our land

Stephen Bush on Starmer, Trump and Venezuela. https://s.42l.fr/P8fatqCh

Peter Kellner: ~ Starmer's options in the last chance saloon ~ https://kellnerp.substack.com/p/starmers-options-in-the-last-chance

~ Trump’s coup in Venezuela didn’t just break the rules – it showed there aren’t any. We’ll all regret that | Nesrine Malik | The Guardian ~ https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jan/05/donald-trump-coup-venezuela-break-rules-regret

Tell me that I'm hallucinating.