The Scots may be disinclined to walk away from the UK -- for now

A current Daily Mail article suggests the Scots may be currently disinclined to leave the UK:

This result helps reduce uncertainty about the future, so it is good financially and economically. More important, it reduces the possibility of a geostrategic collapse of Britain into a rump state. (Where the UK continues to be a stabilising force in the world.)

More details:

The poll found that more Scots (46 per cent) would prefer to remain part of the UK outside the European Union than be in an independent Scotland that stayed in the EU (37%).

When stripped of don't knows the numbers translate to 55 per cent versus 45 per cent in favour of Scotland remaining in a UK that is not in the European Union.

Scots were also asked for their view about access to the single market.

A total of 40 per cent would rather Scotland remained in a United Kingdom that lost access to the single market.

This compared to 34 per cent who would prefer to leave the UK and retain access to the single market.

However, recent elections have made it clear that Scotland is sharply distinct from the rest of the UK, and in fact has a separate sense of national identity.

It remains to be seen if a gradual shift to a federation by devolution will be enough to hold off the Scottish inclination to walk away from the UK. END

Hillary Clinton accepts Democratic Party Nomination, July 28, 2016

Video:



Transcript: here.

Again, I post these for reference because of the importance of the US Presidency. I point to the Acts 27 challenge to democratic government, here. END

Donald J Trump accepts the Republican Party Nomination for President of the USA:

Video:



Transcript.

I think we should all pause to ponder our current geostrategic challenges:

 Likewise, we may ponder the seven mountains issues:

As well as this info graphic on the challenge of change in light of warning-signs and the need for critical mass:

. . . backed up by a warning on how the "window" of what is acceptable can be moved --

And, last but not least, I strongly suggest that we read this earlier KF blog post on the Acts 27 challenge to democratic government. END

Cameron moves on, May to move in at No. 10

Daily Mail's subhead bullets tell the story:

And the beat goes on. END

The UK Pound bounces back over the US$ 1.30 threshold on announcement of PM Theresa May

It seems that he mere announcement of a new Prime Minister of the UK on Wednesday next, has given the Pound a shot in the arm:

In short, we can here see the impact of uncertainty and the further impact of restored confidence; even, in a small measure.

Food for thought. END

Police Chief Brown of Dallas speaks

Video:



Sobering, sound and refuses to be drawn into agendas. Note discussion here. Food for thought. END

Dallas, TX Police massacre

It seems unusually difficult to get a factual summary of developing incidents these days, so let us start with Wikipedia's summary -- sketchy though that is:

A Black Lives Matter protest^[6][7][8][9] was organized in Dallas by the Next Generation Action Network in response to the killings of two men, Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, by police officers in Louisiana and Minnesota, respectively, days before.^[10] The Dallas protest was one of several held across the United States on the night of July 7.^[11] Around 800 protesters were involved, and around 100 police officers were assigned to protect the event and the surrounding area.^[12] Before the shooting occurred, no other incidents were reported, and the event was peaceful.^[13]

The gunfire began in downtown Dallas at 8:58 p.m.^[14] A bystander reported hearing 50 to 75 shots.^[13] Dallas Police Chief David O. Brown said that some of the officers were shot in the back, and that the shooter had some knowledge of the protest route.^[14][15] Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings said that the shooter fired from different floors of a nearby building.^[16] At least twelve officers fired back.^[17]

Another bystander, who recorded cell phone video of the event from his hotel balcony, reported observing the shooter, clad in tactical clothing and armed with a rifle, at street level. The bystander stated that the shooter loaded his rifle and began firing indiscriminately to draw officers near his position. When one officer approached a corner, the shooter engaged him in a gunfight, forcing the officer to take cover behind a concrete pillar. The shooter fired at one side of the pillar, then ran over to the other side, ambushed the officer, and shot him multiple times from behind at point-blank range, killing him. After firing additional gunshots into the officer's body, the gunman fled upon being shot at by additional officers.^[18][19]

Following the shooting, the gunman engaged officers in a standoff at a nearby parking garage, firing intermittently at them. One officer was injured in the shootout. A suspicious package was discovered near the garage and was secured by a bomb squad.^[12][20][21] Chief Brown later stated that the gunman had declared that the end was near, his intentions were to kill more law enforcement personnel, and that he had placed explosives all over the garage and downtown Dallas.^[14][22]

During negotiations, Johnson said that he acted alone and was not part of any group. The standoff ended at about 2:30 a.m. the next day,^[23] after the shooter was killed by a C-4 bomb deployed and set off by a robot.^{[24][25][26][27]} A sweep of downtown Dallas found no presence of explosives.^[10]

I frankly suspect that there may well have been more than one shooter, as earlier reports indicate. And yes, this uncomfortably echoes a certain School Book Depository incident in Dallas in November 1963.

The targetting of police has spread across the USA, with several other incidents. 

Underlying, is a wave of hostility, cast in terms of repeated media reports of police targetting blacks and murdering them. This needs to be addressed, first that there is a problem of policing, second that too many of the bloody shirt incidents are not as clearly racist murder of blacks by gangsters in blue as media and street reports too often have made out. And, given that there is a firm belief that blacks are uniquely victimised by US police, it is important to note the following Washington Post tabulation of Police shootings in the USA for 2015 (which, per reports, is not atypical):

The numbers are troubling, but show a very broad societal problem in the USA that will not be simplistically solved. There are problems of policing, of criminality, of societal instability [esp. in cities], of race, of media manipulation, of unscrupulous politicians with agendas, and much more.

I am quite concerned that many here in the Caribbean are being swept up in an atmosphere of polarised hysteria, and that we need to become far more cautious about what we believe, why.

Further to such, the following Tweets are troubling and tellingly revealing, given the importance of peace officers in the community, including the Afro-American and Afro-Caribbean community:

And, if you think I am concerned that hostility to US police can easily transfer to hostility to the police here in the Caribbean, you had better believe that I am. 

Likewise, I am concerned that ruthless agit prop agitators and strategists may easily manipulate polarised people, groups and movements into fronts for terrorism and chaos, triggering the rise of a police state tyranny to restore "order" and "safety." 

Where, our boys and girls can all too readily be turned into cannon fodder for such vicious agendas. Leaving us to mourn even as liberty burns up in the bonfires set by devilish tactics and behaviour.

I do that, because I saw that happen already in Jamaica in the 1970's and 80's. I saw agitators blurt out the agenda of getting the bloody shirt to stir revolution, on Mona Campus UWI in 1986. I saw the leading campus communist who dragged the student who blurted that out in a meeting, out of the meeting . . . literally, by his ear.

What will we say to those mourning those murdered in the streets by terrorists or rioters or used by ruthless agitators as cannon fodder for their revolution when the police feel forced to resort to deadly force? 

If you want a deeper reference, kindly study the history of post WW I Germany as chaos and street violence opened the way for Hitler.

We need a far more balanced, mature approach. END

Clinton vs FBI Director Comey re emails

Video:

 (NB:  Trump's statement. BREAKING: Guccifer, Romanian hacker who reportedly broke into the Clinton email server, is said to have been found dead of apparent suicide [cf. Vince Foster etc . . . ] in his gaol cell. The report says, he had been extradited to the USA. [Looks like a prank/ hoax site, sorry.])

Why has Mrs Clinton not been prosecuted for sustained, reckless violations that a responsible person must know exposed not only methods and extent of knowledge but also lives?

Let me cite US Code, 18, Section 793 on responsibility through negligence:

(f) Whoever, being entrusted with or having lawful possession or control of any document, writing, code book, signal book, sketch, photograph, photographic negative, blueprint, plan, map, model, instrument, appliance, note, or information, relating to the national defense,

(1) through gross negligence permits the same to be removed from its proper place of custody or delivered to anyone in violation of his trust, or to be lost, stolen, abstracted, or destroyed, or

(2) having knowledge that the same has been illegally removed from its proper place of custody or delivered to anyone in violation of its trust, or lost, or stolen, abstracted, or destroyed, and fails to make prompt report of such loss, theft, abstraction, or destruction to his superior officer—

Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both.

(g) If two or more persons conspire to violate any of the foregoing provisions of this section, and one or more of such persons do any act to effect the object of the conspiracy, each of the parties to such conspiracy shall be subject to the punishment provided for the offense which is the object of such conspiracy . . .

 Now, we can note the FBI Director's careful resort to "carelessness" rather than "negligence" in his statements. This already pointed to intent not to act under this code. Meanwhile, others up to Gen Petraeus, have been prosecuted for what seems to be far less extensive violations of duty.

That, we must ponder. END

PS: Drudge's links list:

 FBI DIRECTOR: CLINTON AND AIDES 'EXTREMELY CARELESS'...

CAMPAIGN BULLIED MEDIA WITH LIES...

COMEY TRANSCRIPT...

TRUMP UNLOADS...

PAPER: FIX WAS IN...

Obama DOJ Prosecuted More Gov. Officials For Leaking Classified Info Than Past Admins -- Combined...

2015: Charged Naval Reservist For Mishandling...

UWI's Brexit symposium

Video:



Food for thought. END

The Somme, day 1 + 100 years

. . . today, 60,000 casualties almost 20,000 dead as the interlaced machine guns mowed down Kitchener's new army.

Video:



Analysis video:



Let us remember their sacrifice, and let us learn from it. END

PS: WW I timeline.