"nothing is off the menu at these parties".....hmm, I wonder what is that. Prince Andrew's "experiences"? What a bunch of entitled, brainless people and they get to decide other countries' fate.
The fact that these parties are held in Italy where so many politicians have close ties with Mafia bosses shouldn't surprise anyone.
Anyway, we digress.

Back in my parents day, liberals used to be for avoiding wars and conflicts especially if their country (US) was not directly affected...Vietnam says hello

But a lot has changed in the last few decades

-liberals mock blue collar worker uprisings

-they push censorship of unpopular ideas

-science means men can have babies and compete in sporting events at an equal level to women

The word "liberal" has lost almost all of its meaning and today it is typically used by pro-Trump, conservative crowd do baptize ANYONE who doesn't agree with conspiracy theories.

By the old meaning, I consider myself liberal, i.e. someone who believes I have the freedom to act in any way I want as long as it's within the law and not harming anyone else.

The context that I am speaking about and the first paragraph of your response refers to are those on the left wing. It is hardly a Trumpist saying....they call themselves liberals. (nice try though to paint with a barn door sized brush)

What you are is a classic liberal or as many today in the US might refer to themselves as libertarians

So true. Liberals tears:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00J0...rb_top?ie=UTF8

Ahmmmm. The laissez-faire aspect was lost a long time ago.

Merriam-Webster defines liberal as

I think Liberal refers to anyone not committed to concentrating wealth and power to an established elite.

English Boys 1981 hit - The Russians Are Coming could it be back in the charts again this year ?

English Boys - The Russians Are Coming video

Just LOL at Macron meeting with Putin, saying that Russia need more empathy and then claiming he was given "pesonal assurances". https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...to-de-escalate

Macron is exactly the kind of naive and idealistic idiot that Putin, as an ex-KGB killer who has spent a lifetime exerting control over others, is adept at manipulating. I imagine he found it hard to even keep a straight face when talking to that earnest twit hoping to get some limelight and election support by brokering an end to this crisis.

The Brits had their Chamberlain, the French have their Macron. Naivete par excellence!

And the Brexits have Jacob Rees-Mogg who in his new role as Brexit Opportunities Minister must
( like Chauvelin ) try to nail down his elusive adversary, The Scarlet Pimpernel !!

Hence the new Rhyme:
They seek it here,
they seek it there,
those Brexiteers seek new Opportunities everywhere.
Did opportunities only exist in those halcyon days of empire or
is it merely just within our grasp; those damned elusive Brexit Opportunities !!

Graceful! Putin's superyacht just left Germany before finishing repairs!
https://www.businessinsider.com/puti...22-2?r=US&IR=T

Well, that's quite a strong and clear message: run while you can!

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/whi...-war-rcna15781

Apparently Macron caused the hilarious table picture as he - understandably - refused getting "tested" by the Russians.

https://www.cnbctv18.com/world/frenc...s-12456942.htm

Meanwhile, it is now the Brits' turn getting abused by charming Mr Lavrov:

Thursday saw another round of talks between Russia and the West as British Foreign Ministry Liz Truss traveled to Moscow to meet with her counterpart Sergei Lavrov.

In a sign that the relations of the two countries were at a low point, Lavrov slammed the conversation with Truss soon after he emerged from the two-hour meeting with his British counterpart.

Moscow wanted “not just excuses, but a concrete response from the West to our proposals, which presuppose the inadmissibility of strengthening someone’s security at the expense of someone else’s security,” Lavrov said.

https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2022/...-border-a76340

Urrgh! Anybody else catching the news that the US and the UK as well as other western countries are advising their citizens to leave Ukraine as soon as possible?
Reminds me that I need to stock up on the popcorn.

@mods - could you merge this with the other one? One WWIII is enough.

The only time this gets serious is if we run out of Toilet Rolls again.

Very thoughtful.

In that case it´s back to leaves again, just don´t use nettles.

Perhaps most significant is that Israel has just started evacuating diplomatic families from Kiev. My understanding is that they resisted on this until the last moment due to political sensitivities.