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I would agree that the Brexit crowd tried to argue that it made economic sense to forego a free trade arrangement on our doorstep with massive economies in favour of free trade agreements with smaller economic units thousands of miles away, but that was just his attempted rebuttal to those who pointed out that the economic madness is severing links with the EU.
The core of his message was a nationalistic, patriotic, dare I say jingoistic one. There was a clue in all those stupid mini union jacks that they stole off children's sandcastles that they were so fond of waving at the European Parliament.
It was Putin that brought war. War isn't patriotic. But defending the democratic ideals of the UK and our allies in western Europe against despotism is.
And you are completely deluded if you think Farage won many votes because of either internationalism or free trade ideals. He won on the basis that the UK didn't need anyone else and that it could and should close its borders. And in the process he took us out of a free market near and prosperous neighbours, who by and large share our democratic ideals.
I'm sure patriotism is easily manipulated and maybe that's my point.
Farage's brand of isolationist politics presented as extraordinarily nationalistic and patriotic, pitching us all against the great enemy - the EU - and making a huge play about democracy and how e.g. judges and EU-sceptics were trying to undermine it.
He's rather less concerned that his mate Trump has no commitment to democracy, nor to any of us in Europe, and has no qualms at all about rewarding the autocrat Putin.
It was remarkably easy for Starmer to grab those patriotic credential away from him.
Trump campaigns on a patriotic platform about making America great and then immediately bends over to the US's traditional enemy, and starts to stiff US allies wherever he can.
It must be confusing for those MAGA supporters to keep up with who's on whose side.
In the UK, Brexit largely led by Farage was also largely about patriotism. Lot's of talk of treachery etc.
But now Starmer is playing the role of international statesman trying to lead 'the West' against tyranny, and Farage is floundering - tied up in knots over his closeness to Trump and some of the synpathetic remarks he's made about Putin in the past.
My guess is Farage is just being careful not to say anything which would contradict his chum Trump. There is a massive dynamic at play amongst the various national populists to make sure that they are on the same page on various topics, including Ukraine. Giorgia Meloni is refreshingly different on that - she knows how important the defence of Ukraine is and has pushed back agains the Trump-like loons in her own country who don't want to support Ukraine.
As for Trump not fawning over Putin: all the evidence is to the exact opposite but if it makes you happy to believe that, fill your boots.
The narrative of post-Soviet era aggressive NATO expansion simply ignores the fact that the countries that NATO expanded too, were extremely keen to get away from the orbit of Russia.
As I say, go to the Baltic States and tell them them that their aspiration for independence and to be part of a defensive block that would protect that independence from capricious Russian aggression/paranoia, was simply part of a grand geopolitical plan for US expansion.
Same goes for Ukraine. Why t f would it want to have anything to do with Russia, given its history.
And do you really think too that Sweden and Finland joined NATO as an aggressive act towards Russia?
Fools like you and Trump see no value in democracy and no danger in appeasing homicidal psychopathic imperialists like Putin.
As if the last 100 years of European history has taught you nothing.
Russia propaganda has infiltrated to the heart of US politics and particularly MAGA and its take over of the Republican Party.
Thankfully it's reached only a few crackpots here: Bev Turner on GB News referring to the invasion as Russian's 'special military operation'. WTF!? Lord Haw-Haw eat your f*cking heart out.
Thatcher's fortunes were turned around by her leadership around the Falklands and I think the country also liked the way she took a leading role in the Cold War alongside Reagan.
Are people feeling better disposed towards Starmer following his international performances over the last week?
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