Preparing for War or Preparing the Public? The Power — and Danger — of Political Rhetoric

In a striking recent statement, the UK government warned that Britain must begin actively preparing for a “wartime scenario” — on British soil. “The UK must actively prepare for a ‘wartime scenario’ on British soil “for the first time in many years”, the Government has warned” – Evening Standard. The phrase, shocking in its …

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This Is Not a Game: When War Commentary Becomes Collusion

There is something deeply disturbing happening in the British media — and hardly anyone sees it. Turn on the news during any major war and you’ll find a familiar scene: a well-groomed retired general, seated in front of a tactical map, calmly explaining where the fighting is going, what the likely next moves are, …

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Ukraine war will be won by the most persistent, resilient and persevering

Persistence will win the Ukraine war

There is a sign in stands at Roland Garros, the famous tennis complex where the French Open is played. It reads: “Victory belongs to the most persevering“. Ray Kroc purchased the fast-food company McDonald’s in 1961 from the McDonald brothers and was its CEO from 1967 to 1973. Kroc is credited with the global expansion of McDonald’s, turning it into …

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Superb Ukrainian animal rescuers dodge bombs and bullets to rescue dogs and cats stranded in floodwaters

Cat rescued from dam floods

These guys are amazing. The skill and professionalism of the guy you see in the video is impressive. The way he catches the cat who was scared and tried to escape shows a good understanding of animals as does the way he gave a scared dog on a roof the time to adjust to …

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Catching up with the exodus of people and their pets from Ukraine

Young woman refugee from Ukraine and her cat - her 'son'.

I think that it is useful to occasionally touch base to remind ourselves that the ongoing refugee crisis in Ukraine is still there. People are still suffering. Cats and dogs are still suffering with them. They are still leaving Ukraine to save their lives. And it always amazes me how calm and well-behaved the …

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It’s Vyshyvanka Day! How to say it!

It’s Vyshyvanka Day!

Yep, in Ukraine it is Vyshyvanka Day today May 19th, 2023. So, what is it? Wikipedia kindly tells me: “Vyshyvanka Day is an international holiday that aims to preserve the Ukrainian folk traditions of creating and wearing ethnic embroidered clothes called vyshyvankas. It is celebrated the third Thursday of May. Vyshyvankas are, along with …

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Ukrainian refugee’s dog pushes out resident cats in UK home

Homes for Ukrainians

The well-publicised Homes for Ukraine programme is, in general, highly successful. Apparently, more than 50,000 refugees have arrived in the UK after fleeing the war in Ukraine under the Ukraine visa schemes. However, on the radio today I heard about a pet problem which interests me. There have been other problems such as Ukrainians …

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