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The Iran War: What are Trump’s Options and How Bad Could It Get ?

  Donald Trump has a problem on his hands…and the USA as a nation now has an even bigger one.... Having been persuaded by his advisors and Netanyahu that an all-out attack on the Iranian regime and its military wing, the IRGC, was the best solution to the ‘Iranian problem’, Trump was clearly expecting the war to be over in a matter of days. This still seems to be his 'default' position for any campaign he starts, despite the lessons already provided by the Ukraine war and the continued attacks by all 3 of the Iranian proxies in the face of massive bombing campaigns since the October 7th HAMAS attack. Despite the intense battering he and the Israelis have administered over a wide area of Iran in the last fortnight, and the cumulative and continuing decapitation of the old leadership in targeted Israeli raids, the Iranian military in the form of the IRGC are still managing to bombard their arab neighbours with their remaining stock of missiles and drones. More importantly f...
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On Having Kids…

  I first published this rather amusing, but scathing, anecdote on the subject of having and bringing up kids last April.  However, since then the issue has become a rather more serious one for our country's future, with some interesting, and quite chilling, findings recently brought to light. These would tend to confirm a marked unwillingness to embark upon the 'reproductive journey' amongst our indigenous population (i.e. those who were actually born here). Perchance our potential parents have looked at their ever-dwindling bank balances and rocketing tax bills...and seen the light.  And who could blame them given the prospect of even worse to come over the next 3 years ? Recently announced birthrate statistics have shown a marked downward trend in the course of the last 3 years, with the overall tally for 2024 down to 1.41 births per woman in England and Wales, a record low for the 3rd year in a row. This is of course well below the replacement level of 2.1, and might...
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To Pray, or Not to Pray….

  I first published this in summer of '22 around the time of the mini-budget and the ensuing financial crisis, when prayer was back in fashion, particularly for those with risky investments...it remains relevant at a time when our uncertainties seem to be increasing by the day, rather than starting to resolve themselves..... Introduction As is often quoted: ‘..there are only two certainties in life – death and taxes…’.   In the UK recently we have all heard quite enough about taxes recently, so I’ll focus on the former in this article, if I may, as a diversion, albeit a brief one, from our economic woes.... As we age, our thoughts naturally turn to the prospect of our own deaths – and what might or might not happen to us afterwards. Although death itself is a certainty for all of us, there is a surprising reluctance on the part of society to discuss its practicalities and consequences, both physical and spiritual.  In my view, this enduring taboo makes the subject m...
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