#any-questions — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #any-questions, aggregated by home.social.
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War, war, war
Hostilities continue with little sign of lasting peace let alone reconciliation
April 2026
There is a ceasefire in Gaza/killings continue; the straight of Hormuz is open/the straight of Hormuz is closed; the Iranians have agreed to hand over their nuclear material; the Iranians will not hand over their nuclear material; there is a ceasefire in southern Lebanon; homes continue to be demolished in southern Lebanon. Welcome to the now you see it, now you don’t world of Middle East warfare.
At one level it is bizarre. Largely stemming from Washington, it seems to represent a desperate desire by the Americans and President Trump to claim some kind of victory for the ill-considered and catastrophic war they were persuaded into by the Israelis. At another level it is a disaster in which death, destruction and human misery is foisted on the peoples of Gaza, Lebanon and Iran. The killing is wanton. The pretence that the bombing and killing is directed at terrorists and because innocent people are human shields seems no longer to be the story in town.
In addition to the visible destruction there is the treatment of Palestinians in prisons around Israel which the latest UN report discusses. In exposing this practice, Francesca Albanese has been atrociously treated by the Americans as we discussed in our previous post.
Any Questions? and Danny Kruger
It is disappointing to listen to some of our politicians speaking in support of this continuing violence and carnage in the region as some kind of solution to the problems there. One such is the Reform politician Danny Kruger, the MP For East Wiltshire, a constituency touching on Salisbury. In a BBC radio programme called ‘Any Questions?’ where members of the audience put questions to a panel of – for the most part – politicians, he said in answer to a question on the Pope’s comments about Donald Trump:
“[It is] important that the Americans and Israelis win this war (audience demurs) and it is important the right side comes out on top. The Americans and Israelis were right to recognise that Iran poses and existential threat to its own region and to the safety of the world. One day we are going to have to take on the challenge of defeating the Iranian regime, the most evil regime in the world and I recognise why so many people are appalled at how President Trump conducts himself. […]
“But guys, you’ve got to be on the right side of this conflict. […] Fundamentally, the Iranians are the bad guys in this conflict and it’s really important that their power to develop nuclear weapons and their power to support terrorist organisations around the region – and in this country – [are] degraded. So I really, really hope that the outcome of this conflict is a weaker Iran.” (our italics)
Noticeable in this one-sided approach to the conflict is the absence of balance. No one would claim that the Iranian regime is other than a violent and unpleasant one, but the language of ‘winning’, ‘defeat’ and the desire to see a ‘weaker Iran’ is disappointing to say the least. Since it is Israel which has been engaged in bombing and assassinations, the absence of any mention of their activities – the killing of over 70,000 in Gaza for example, and the current process of demolitions in south Lebanon – is questionable. Is it only Iran posing an ‘existential threat to the region?’. Israel is the only nuclear power after all. One wonders if Mr Kruger has ever read the speeches of Ben Gvir or Bezalel Smotrich?
Caterpillar Tractors
On the subject of demolitions, our attention has been drawn to a YouTube post on the activities of the American plant company Caterpillar which provides the armoured machines enabling the demolitions in south Lebanon and Gaza to be carried out. See ‘How Caterpillar profits from the genocide in Gaza and [US citizens] pay for it.‘
124th v igil
Yes, they continue with over 30 yesterday (18 April) with around 40 passing motorists sounding their horns.
No sign of another local MP, Mr John Glen, who is a ‘proud’ member of Conservatives Friends of Israel the biggest lobby organisation in Parliament. Along with some Labour ministers like Peter Kyle and David Lammy, they are part of a large contingent of around 150 MPs who promote the interests of Israel in parliament.
- War, war, war
- UN rapporteur sanctioned by the US
- Will peace talks succeed?
- April minutes and newsletter
- Government deceit concerning arms exports
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Listening to audience reaction on #bbcaq #AnyQuestions I'd say we should #RejoinEU as soon as possible! It's a no-brainer
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Haunted Elevator (ft. David S. Pumpkins) - SNL 🤣🎃😱
#HauntedElevator #DavidSPumpkins #TomHanks #Halloween #SNL #funny #AnyQuestions #AyyPapi lol
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#ReemIbrahim of the Institute of Economic Affairs claimed a millionaire leaves the UK every 45 minutes on BBCs #AnyQuestions last night.
This is based on figures from Henley & Partners wealth advisory firm. They claim that 16500 #millionaires will leave the UK in 2025. About 45 per day.
They “tracks the movements of more than 150,000 high net-worth individuals in its in-house database”. When further probed the numbers of individuals being tracked is global. Not just UK.
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Is "builder" actually a recognised language? Builders in different countries seem to speak, or rather shout, in various dialects of it but there seem to be overwhelming similarities...
#justasking #AnyQuestions -
#AnyQuestions...?
#This is my #AnswerForEverything for #Today:
"I'm a Doctor... Not an Instagram Influencer..."
#HappyScottishHeritageMonth, #People...!
🧙⚔️🤖🐺🤖⚔️🧙 | ☕🎠🦹🦄🦹🎠☕
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Well all know what time it is. It's David S. Pumpkins time. #halloween #anyquestions
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This Is Your Kid’s Brain on Extreme Heat - It's too hot for school, as stifling classrooms cause some teachers to switch to remote l... - https://www.wired.com/story/extreme-heat-kids-schools-learning/ #science/health #anyquestions? #science
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So the BBC Radio 4 Any Questions audience burst into spontaneous applause when they heard about Bozos resignation. But yeah he's an election winner.
https://www.independent.co.uk/tv/news/boris-johnson-resigns-bbc-radio-b2355100.html
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“Lend your ears to music, open your eyes to painting, and… stop thinking!”
Wassily KandinskyI have synaesthesia. A condition not so rare as you might think. Kandinsky had it too. Here is a short film about it:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVC3E16FCrk
And a painting by Kandinsky to get you thinking or feeling. Maybe hearing or tasting? Callled ‘Painting with a Green Centre’ from 1913. Lines, shapes, colours. Not of anything maybe, but of something?
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@ClimateandCapMedia @jamesdyke
Me too! And 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of Schumacher’s #SmallIsBeautiful - let’s really make it the year when #Degrowth thinking becomes mainstream (already happening- yesterday on #AnyQuestions Delyth Jewell said #GDP measures all the wrong things - HUGE audiencd applause)
As this title oage brilliantly expresses: the new world is almost born 😊
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Listening to #AnyQuestions on #Radio4 just now and i feel public discourses *are* shifting. Delyth Jewell just now talking about how #GDP measures the wrong things, to a huge round of applause (also the only one to mention Brexit as onenreason why UK economy is doing so badly - again huge applaus)
#Degrowth -
And it's time! Subscribe now to my Patreon (at any level from $1/month upwards) to leave your question on this post and have it answered in December's Patron Q&A video: https://patreon.com/posts/december-2022-75584724
Ask me anything about writing/publishing/reading/fountain pen geekery/etc! :)
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Just around the corner from our bookshop you'll find Skipton's lovely Plaza cinema, a traditional picture house with stalls and circle decked with vintage Pullman seats. Tonight they did a superb job hosting BBC Radio 4's Any Questions? The beeb ran the show like clockwork and we had a great time listening to Skiptoners fire their question at the panel. Nice to finally find out where the voices inside our radio come from. #wefoundtheborrowers #AnyQuestions #Skipton
