[Oboogie]

I'd not be surprised if there was a convention saying that party leaders kept clear of each other during the campaign period. Not quite the American "president and VP can never travel together" rule, but certainly would make security easier.

The event was packed with world leaders, including the president of the USA, I don't believe for a moment there was a shortage of security.

I think Sunak didn't want to be seen with leaders from the EU in case it upset the Gammon.

[Crabcakes]

Few veterans, if any, will around for the 90th, by the 100th there will be none.
It's an opportunity to be statesmanlike, rubbing shoulders with world leaders and Royalty and more people will watch the D-Day commemorations than the G7 conference. Politically D-Day is an easy, uncontroversial event - very few of the UK electorate will see the defeat of the Third Reich as a bad thing - whereas the G7 contains many potential pitfalls and may attract negative publicity for him.
It's not an easy thing to screw up, but he managed it.
Sunak's really not very good at this, is he?

As an aside, I find it really hard to get my head around that (barring any short-term disasters) I will have lived through WWI, and not in the far future WW2 but also the moon landings and the creators of the internet, passing from living memory to history. I’ve met members of my own family who were born in the 19th century, but with medical science continuing to progress in leaps and bounds it is not wholly outside the realms of possibility that I might be alive to see the start of then 22nd century and it is almost certain my daughter will.

Time is both terrifyingly short and incomprehensibly long for us all.

[Nigredo]

https://x.com/AdamBienkov/status/179898 ... 87h4w&s=19

EDIT: It's been a while since I've posted here, is there a trick to embedding Tweets or has Musk's mierdas touch ruined that forever?

Edit the link to change “x” to “twitter” and it works fine!

Many thanks, got it working now!

Back on topic;

"So the man that wants to reintroduce National Service can't even be bothered to spend an afternoon honouring our military."

The attack lines write themselves

[Philip Marlow]

Heh.

[Oboogie]

That D Day dodgers song is an unfortunate side effect of a national media policy to only print upbeat news. The Italian campaign was an horrendous struggle.

The phrase "D-Day Dodgers" was coined by Lady Nancy Astor MP who did indeed "talk a load of piss". It was an outrageous slur on the men fighting in Italy, as you say a very bloody campaign, implying they were somehow cowardly for not being in Normandy - as if they even had a choice as to where her government sent them!
However the downplaying of the Italian campaign it didn't start with Astor, or even the media. Witness Overlord being referred to as "The Second Front". I'm not sure who coined the phrase - possibly Stalin? - but it dates back to 1942 and Soviet demands for the Western Allies to relieve pressure on the USSR by engaging German land forces. This completely ignored the fact that the ground war in North Africa and the Mediterranean Theatre preceded Barbarossa by over a year. The Eastern Front was the Second Front, Normandy was the Third. Not opinion, just counting.

Apologies for the rant. Blame my father who, after two and a half years fighting in North Africa, was surprised to learn that they were returning to the UK to prepare for "the opening of The Second Front". He never forgave that slight.

[Malcolm Armsteen]

Sky really going for the throat over the D-Day celebrations. Sunak just repeating the same line. Lamely. Says he saw the British ceremony - insinuating that the international didn't count.

The nation cries with one voice : "The man's a cunt"

[Abernathy]

O'Brien's been putting the boot in all morning too (even more than usual), and his switchboard and Inbox are apparently overwhelmed with outraged former and currrent Tory supporters and non-supporters.

And still Sunak carries on digging.

I think we are seeing the end of Sunak and his Tories unfolding before our eyes and ears. Speculation that he might not even make it to polling day before being forced to resign everything. He is abjectly, horrifically incompetent.

These Tories being re-elected for 5 more years is completely in conceivable.

[Oboogie]

He's just admitted in an interview with Sam Coates that his itinerary was set weeks ago - so he was always planning to come home early because the Paul Brand interview certainly wasn't set up before the election was called.

Preparations and the itinerary for the Commemorations for the 80th anniversary of D-Day proceed both of course.

[Bones McCoy]

My observation of yesterday evening has "gorn viral"

[Andy McDandy]

Mind if I borrow that? Will give credit etc.

[Bones McCoy]

That D Day dodgers song is an unfortunate side effect of a national media policy to only print upbeat news. The Italian campaign was an horrendous struggle.

The phrase "D-Day Dodgers" was coined by Lady Nancy Astor MP who did indeed "talk a load of piss". It was an outrageous slur on the men fighting in Italy, as you say a very bloody campaign, implying they were somehow cowardly for not being in Normandy - as if they even had a choice as to where her government sent them!
However the downplaying of the Italian campaign it didn't start with Astor, or even the media. Witness Overlord being referred to as "The Second Front". I'm not sure who coined the phrase - possibly Stalin? - but it dates back to 1942 and Soviet demands for the Western Allies to relieve pressure on the USSR by engaging German land forces. This completely ignored the fact that the ground war in North Africa and the Mediterranean Theatre preceded Barbarossa by over a year. The Eastern Front was the Second Front, Normandy was the Third. Not opinion, just counting.

Apologies for the rant. Blame my father who, after two and a half years fighting in North Africa, was surprised to learn that they were returning to the UK to prepare for "the opening of The Second Front". He never forgave that slight.

Apologies, long.

Hindsight (ie reading actual records from all engaged nations) reveals several things about the Italian campaign.
* Stalin was extremely keen for the western allies to open a second front. Landing in France wasn't feasible at this time.
* The allies had secured victory in North Africa, providing a handy jump-off for a southern invasion.
* An Italian landing (with Italian american [including Mafia] diplomacy) was seen as a potential way to dislocate the German Italian alliance.
* The US Army Airforce had already identified airfield sites around Foggia. These would could stage bombing missions against Bavarian and Austrian aircraft works and Romanian airfields, saving an extreme range trip form England).

All these points are grand strategy - weaken the enemy and strike at their logistics.
Allied analysts also sensed that the Germans were running short on almost everything (But so were the USSR).
The Italian front would divert enemy divisions form the east, providing the red army a little respite to re-equip and organise an offensive.

Now the downsides.
* Italy isn't all flat beaches and vineyards, much is prime defensive terrain, and the place was a bastard to fight through.
* Many of the troops had fought a long campaign in North Africa and had been promised a trip home for leave. This never materialised and various small mutinies occurred. These were pacified, and the Commonwealth troops in Italy were subject to a relatively consensual command regime afterwards.
* Italy did leave the Axis, but before the allies could exploit this, their troops were disarmed by, and replaced by hardcore and ideological German veterans. Some massacres of Italians followed.
* It's undeniable that the Germans put up a stiffer fight than Italians would have.
* The practical benefits of the Italian campaign were diverting a chunk of Germany's strategic reserve, and providing air power from the south of Europe.

[Bones McCoy]

Mind if I borrow that? Will give credit etc.

That one's not mine.
I posted a bunch of D-day dodger stuff on twitter yesterday: Comments, pictures, newsreel and the song.
Some other wag with better eyesight and editing skills mocked up the commando comic.

It's on Facebook, but feel free to share away.

[Crabcakes]

This analysis of Sunak’s beguiling combination of ineptitude and arrogance by Ian Dunt is the unrelenting dismemberment he absolutely and richly deserves

https://iandunt.substack.com/p/d-day-for-sunak

[Youngian]

A couple of polls yesterday showed Reform within touching distance of the Conservatives. Those voters are older, right-wing and extremely nostalgic for this period in British history. Honestly, it's often not even clear that they know British history exists before 1939.

That’s a little harsh, there’s Napoleon Solo defeated at Waterloo station, Henry VIII had sixth wives, Robin Hood got an arrow in his eye at Hastings and King Arthur burnt the cakes.

[Malcolm Armsteen]

Or, as a parent once told me at an open evening, Henry had 8 wives, which was why he was called Henry the VIII.

Never underestimate the stupidity of some people.

[Nigredo]

Parody

Somehow not parody

[Youngian]

Or, as a parent once told me at an open evening, Henry had 8 wives, which was why he was called Henry the VIII.

Never underestimate the stupidity of some people.

And it’s the ones who think they deserve a fucking medal for flaunting their patriotism (small minded nationalism to be accurate) that have a distinct lack of curiosity about their own country’s history.

[slilley]

As this Conservative campaign lurches from one error to another you do wonder who if anyone is "materminding" the campaign.

Tonight is another debate featuring mainly the deputies, and I do have somenot much sympathy for Penny Mordaunt who will have to face up for the Tories against this backdrop. A bit like facing the West Indies pace attack of the q980s without a helmet.

[Malcolm Armsteen]

Apparently Philp tried to portray the international event as 'French'. He then accused Olney of not going to Normandy...
It didn't go well for him. Man's a cunt.

[Bones McCoy]

I usually steer clear of Vogon style doggerel.
But the nation that gave the world McGonnanall deserves its say.

He's the D-day dodger, off to ITV.
Always telling porkies, lacking verity.
Hester's millions fund his pranks.
Or Tufton Street and its think tanks.
He is the D-day dodger, he'll be on ITV.