US threaten Iran with pre-emptive strike

I don't think it's especially pejorative, context though.

(xp) Yeah, I'd say, in the UK, 'Brits' is associated with Irish Republicanism.

Gotcha—that's not the understanding here. it's not common but I think ppl sometimes use it for lack of a plural ending in -s consistent with e.g. swedes, germans

calz if I may then what is the appropriate term to identify a UK resident

The British.

... in the context of Mike Pompeo's statement.

I like Les Tosseurs de l'ouest

UK is a relatively new name (it didn't enter common usage till after WW2 i think), so Britain I suppose it is. But there are people in family who would react like you have spat in their face if you called them a Brit!

in my family.. I meant

I'm Britlish and think 'Brits' was the least objectionable part of Pompeo's statement but y'all do y'all (as we always say round these here parts).

anyway seems like before very long you'll all be liberated from these clumsy catch-alls

I'm Britlish and think 'Brits' was the least objectionable part of Pompeo's statement

Get away.

I think it was when Not so Great Britain was running out of Empire when UK became more commonly used was what I meant to say. Fuck it anyway, we're all going to die!

oh for the day when I can insist on Coastal American

not to mention the J-words and P-words.

Wait, "Brit" is a slur anywhere near par with these??

oh no, I just meant the abbreviation of country names is dodgy territory to get into.

I can well imagine Trump or Pompeo using the J-word btw.

no doubt as citizens of the Peripheral United States we'll one day be known as Pussies

actually I think they already call us that

I have no idea what the j or p word refer to

Citizens of Japan and Pakistan respectively.

I can recall Bush doing the ethnic slur p-word once.

Not that a British Prime Minister would ever do such a thing.

I think Bush did use the latter once, unaware of its connotations. Americans often seem unfamiliar with it, although it certainly at least used to be common in Canada.2xp!

Pretty sure the same is true of British people and the J-word.

Tbh, I thought of "Brit" as sort of like "Canuck" - weirdly informal for an official statement by a Cabinet member but not actually pejorative or insulting.

xp Oh, I heard both of them a lot as a kid. Lucky us.

Didn't know there was some Irish Republicanism connotation.

I only found out in recent years about the J-Word being a slur. But you could probably count on your hand the population of the Japanese diaspora of northern England.

https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/media/images/79426000/jpg/_79426070_martinbbc.jpg

I always find it jarring coming from the mouths of US politicians, though plenty of them have flirted with Irish Republicanism in order to win some Irish American votes.

... back in the day that is, during the Troubles.

oh ok on the slurs

tried searching for a Churchill rant about "the frogs" but couldn't find a speech (as opposed to private conversation)

Haberman, of course, shares the byline on a story w/the following headline: "For Trump, a Risky Decision Other Presidents Had Avoided."

that's one way of putting it I guess

For MIlosevic, a Bold Project Other Presidents Shied Away From

Intention matters. I don't know anyone in North America who thinks 'Brit' is a slur or who is even remotely aware of its Irish Republican connotations. See also: 'cunt'.

xps

Britpop soon to be renamed albionboogie

1. I’ve had a chance to check in with sources, including two US officials who had intelligence briefings after the strike on Suleimani. Here is what I’ve learned. According to them, the evidence suggesting there was to be an imminent attack on American targets is “razor thin”.

— Rukmini Callimachi (@rcallimachi) January 4, 2020

Repeated strongly worded assertions are more important in the public mind than evidence.

on the other bit of the statement i think it was stephen bush or possibly alex harrowell pointing out that even within the context of Brexit the military/defence alignment has been more and more an Anglo-French one, but that the Brexit rhetoric has increasingly been about US/UK alignment without any real substance behind it.

seems this will be one of a number of areas where UK gov rhetoric comes up against practicality.

a number of people understandably saying that UK will throw their lot in with the US no matter what for a trade deal, but these org arrangements are not so easily unwound.

One of the interesting subplots of the UK post-June 2016 is the rhetorical "immediate visit to Trump/state visit for Trump/we are so close with Trump" and the reality of continuing and deepening UK-FR defence co-operation and that G7 summit.

— Stephen Bush (@stephenkb) January 3, 2020

I can't think of a time when the political posture in FP and the policy reality have been quite so far apart which is one reason I was v anxious about us ending up being dragged into a disaster during the election.

— Stephen Bush (@stephenkb) January 3, 2020

Got to love this 'an attack is being planned but if we kill an individual person it won't happen' reasoning.

he had all the logistics memorised you see, and only he knew them. the fatal flaw in his plan, every evildoer has one.

What's the nature of the relationship between Russia and Iran at the moment?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbvxP08FlMs

xp

Good question!

https://www.aljazeera.com/amp/news/2019/12/china-russia-iran-joint-naval-drills-191227183505159.html

And like how does the Russia - Syria - Turkey - Iran deal work? I need to read a book or two about this. My current understanding is Putin does deals with all these to keep them sweet but they don't all get on together?

.64/ BREAKING: #Iraqi parliament votes to expel #US forces from #Iraq.

— Hala Jaber (@HalaJaber) January 5, 2020

That was on the cards.

Guess we should pack up and go

It’s the government, rather than Parliament, that decides but it’s certainly on the cards.

Abdul-Mahdi has said Suleimani was in Iraq to discuss a Saudi offer to de-escalate - which potentially leaves open the idea that he was lured into a trap by KSA.