Time for Change: Campaign for an Independent Green Thanet MP and Ramsgate Mayor

  “Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies... a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed.” —  President Dwight D. Eisenhower (Served as 5 Star General and was the first Supreme Commander of NATO) ,  Chance for Peace Speech, 1953 “War is a racket. It always has been. It is possibly the oldest, easily the most profitable, surely the most vicious.” —  Major General Smedley D. Butler ,  War Is a Racket, 1935 “The arms industry requires constant expansion to justify its enormous budget, and wars or threats of war are an essential part of that logic.” —  Noam Chomsky ,  Hegemony or Survival, 2003 “The military-industrial complex has metastasized into a permanent war economy.” —  Andrew Bacevich ,  The New American Militarism, 2005 “The defence industry... needs war like a junkie needs a fix.” —  Chris Hedges ,  War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning, 2002 “War i...

  As NATO’s new Secretary General, Mark Rutte isn’t wasting time in embracing realpolitik. His recent stance—that Europe should foot the bill for Ukraine while the U.S. supplies the weapons—has sparked both confusion and concern across EU capitals. The message, subtle as a sledgehammer, raises the haunting spectre of a transatlantic division of labour where strategy flows westward and liability eastward. Rutte’s vision isn’t just pragmatic—it’s provocative. It asks Europeans to accept diminished control in exchange for continued protection. But at what cost? Who Pays, Who Commands? Rutte’s pitch effectively cements the U.S. as NATO’s military dealer-in-chief, while the EU becomes the paymaster for an open-ended conflict. To many, that looks less like solidarity and more like outsourcing sovereignty. Estonia’s Prime Minister Kaja Kallas—no stranger to Russia’s shadow—has warned repeatedly of Europe’s need to develop its own strategic capacities, not merely bankroll American hardware...

In 1997, Princess Diana walked through a cleared path in a minefield in Huambo, Angola — clad in body armour and a visor, her presence igniting global outrage over the silent killers buried beneath war-torn soil. That moment helped catalyse the Ottawa Treaty banning anti-personnel landmines. Twenty-eight years later, her son Prince Harry retraced those steps, not just symbolically, but as a patron of The HALO Trust, meeting Angola’s president and reaffirming support for a mine-free future. But the world Diana hoped to demine remains dangerously littered.  In Cambodia, where landmines from decades of conflict still maim civilians, clearance efforts continue. In Myanmar, the situation is worsening: the country now leads the world in landmine casualties, with over 1,000 civilian deaths and injuries in 2023 alone. The military’s use of banned mines — including in homes, farms, and even churches — has been labelled a war crime. Children are forced to act as human minesweepers, and floo...

  In 2025, Asia is rewriting the energy playbook. While Europe doubles down on solar and wind, Southeast Asia and South Asia are looking into nuclear reactors — not just for climate goals, but for energy sovereignty , grid stability , and strategic deterrence . The recent India–Pakistan war , rising tensions in the Taiwan Strait , and Korean peninsula brinkmanship have made one thing clear: intermittent energy won’t power resilience. From Bhopal to Fukushima: The Ghosts That Shape Policy Asia’s energy decisions are haunted by two disasters: Bhopal (1984) : A gas leak from a pesticide plant killed thousands and exposed the dangers of industrial negligence. It wasn’t nuclear, but it seeded deep mistrust in foreign-run infrastructure and lax safety regimes. Fukushima (2011) : A tsunami-triggered meltdown at Japan’s Daiichi plant led to mass evacuations and radioactive contamination. It derailed Japan’s nuclear program and triggered Germany’s phase-out. Yet in 2025, the tide is turni...

  In the age of multipolarity, the ghosts of empire still haunt the map. From the coral ring of Clipperton Island to the windswept Falklands, the vestiges of colonial ambition and strategic posturing remain embedded in global governance. The so-called “New Monroe Doctrine”—revived in recent years as a hemispheric assertion of U.S. primacy—has not only reshaped American foreign policy but also reignited questions about sovereignty, stewardship, and the role of supranational institutions like the EU and UN. Take Clipperton Island, a speck of French territory in the Pacific, awarded to France in 1931 after arbitration with Mexico. Uninhabitable and ecologically fragile, Clipperton is less a strategic asset than a symbol of how discovery and occupation still underpin international law. Yet its relevance today lies in how similar micro-territories—like Pitcairn (UK), Saint Barthélemy (France), or Curaçao (Dutch)—serve as nodes in a global network of tax havens and offshore jurisdictions...

  In the gleam of polished buttons and brass, the British Royal Family presents a tableau of martial legacy. There’s camouflage, salutes, honorary ranks—and a whole lot of medals.  Yet beneath the surface of state banquets and submarine christenings lies a growing theatricality, one that flirts with illusion more than operation. The Royals may wear the trappings of duty, but too often, it's Walter Mitty-style roleplay: performance dressed as purpose. The latest act stars Queen Camilla, newly elevated to Vice Admiral of the Royal Navy , a title announced with solemnity and awe by First Sea Lord Sir Gwyn Jenkins. As sponsor of HMS Astute, Camilla has long “supported” naval operations in a ceremonial capacity. The promotion is designed to “reflect the high regard” sailors hold for her. Admirable sentiment, yes—but one that reinforces a system where symbolic support earns actual rank . Charles the Decorated King Charles III often appears festooned with medals— more than 30 at last...

  Halong Bay Tragedy: A Stark Reminder This week, a tourist ferry capsized in Halong Bay, Vietnam , during Storm Wipha , claiming 27 lives . Despite decades of regional development, this incident echoes a troubling pattern: Asia’s maritime safety remains uneven , especially in tourist-heavy zones. Remembering Phuket: The 2004 Tsunami The Indian Ocean tsunami devastated Phuket and surrounding provinces, killing over 5,400 people in Thailand alone. Beaches like Patong, Kata, and Karon were obliterated. The disaster exposed Thailand’s lack of early warning systems and catalysed sweeping reforms: Installation of tsunami buoys and 130+ warning towers Annual evacuation drills and multilingual alerts Creation of National Disaster Prevention Day on December 26 Yet, two decades later, tourist boat safety still lags behind land-based disaster preparedness. Maritime Safety: A Regional Patchwork Since ASEAN’s formation, ferry safety has improved in some nations: China : Fatalities drop...

 The recent sex scandals involving senior Thai monks have triggered a wave of reform proposals aimed at restoring public trust and strengthening the integrity of the monastic system.  Here are 10 key reforms either underway or actively being considered: 1. Criminalisation of Monk–Layperson Sexual Relations A proposed amendment to the Sangha Act would make sexual relations between monks and laywomen a criminal offense , punishable by up to 7 years in prison . 2. Equal Legal Accountability Both monks and laypeople involved in illicit sexual acts would face equal prosecution , marking a shift from symbolic discipline to enforceable law. 3. Temple Financial Oversight Investigations into temple finances have prompted calls for audits and transparency , especially regarding alleged misuse of funds to support illicit relationships. 4. Restructuring the National Office of Buddhism (NOB) The NOB is being urged to undergo a government-backed restructure to better monitor monastic con...

  On a quiet morning in July 2025, three Thai soldiers stepped on a landmine near the Cambodian border. One lost his leg. The others were wounded. The mine — a Russian-made PMN-2 — had been planted in an area previously declared safe. Thailand blamed Cambodia. Cambodia denied it. But the real tragedy isn’t just the blast — it’s the diplomatic silence that followed. Despite both countries being signatories to the Ottawa Convention , which bans the use and stockpiling of anti-personnel mines, the region remains riddled with explosive remnants of war. And ASEAN, the Southeast Asian bloc that prides itself on “peace, prosperity, and people,” has yet to mount a unified response. Thailand’s Long Road to Demining Thailand began demining operations in 1987, recognizing that landmines were choking development in rural border zones. By 1999, it had destroyed over 10,000 mines and launched a national humanitarian mine action plan. Yet, as recent events show, the threat persists — not just fr...

  On 17 July 2025 , the UK launched Isambard-AI —a machine so fast, so vast, it could calculate in 1 second what it would take the world’s 7 billion people 80,000 years to compute. Powered by 23 AI ExaFLOPs , this Bristol-built behemoth is now the fastest supercomputer in the UK (indeed faster than all UK computers combined) , #6 in Europe , and among the greenest on Earth . It doesn’t just crunch numbers. It redefines what’s possible. 1.  NHS: Diagnosing at the Speed of Life Isambard-AI can revolutionize patient care: MRI & CT scans analysed in seconds with BioBank for earlier cancer, stroke, and dementia detection. Live feed analysis from dementia patients' homes to detect memory loss patterns and trigger cognitive interventions. 12 key diseases with Russell Group leads: modelling complex protein interactions behind cancer and autoimmune diseases, shortening drug development pipelines dramatically. Creating personalized treatment simulators for all 70M UK citizens , ...

  In July 2025, Thailand’s Buddhist establishment was rocked by revelations that nine senior monks had been disrobed following a sprawling sex and blackmail scandal. At the centre was Wilawan “Sika Golf” Emsawat, accused of seducing and extorting clergy across multiple provinces. Police uncovered over 80,000 explicit images and videos, implicating monks from revered temples.  The fallout has triggered calls for financial transparency and stricter oversight of monastic conduct . Thai Buddhism facing several scandals in recent years: *  Phra Khom Embezzlement Case (2023)  Suitcases of cash and gold bars were discovered at Wat Pa Thammakhiri. Phra Khom was sentenced to 468 years for embezzling over $12 million in temple donations. *  Methamphetamine Raids (2021–2024)  Multiple temples were raided for drug use. In Chumphon, all monks at Wat Khao Kaeo tested positive for meth and were disrobed. *  Jet-Set Monk Wirapol Sukphol (2013)  Viral video showed...

 Here are 20  additional electoral reform ideas that build on the UK’s recent democratic overhaul and could further modernize participation, transparency, and fairness: 1. Civic Tech Integration Introduce secure online voting pilots for overseas voters and disabled citizens. Use blockchain or end-to-end encryption to ensure vote integrity. 2. Proportional Representation Trials Launch regional pilots using systems like Single Transferable Vote (STV) or Additional Member System (AMS) to assess public response and fairness. 3. Consolidated Electoral Law Replace fragmented statutes with a single Representation of the People Act , simplifying administration and legal clarity. 4. Constituency Redrawing via Census Base boundary changes on census data(!) rather than the electoral register to better reflect population shifts and include unregistered citizens. And prevent civil service gerrymandering eg Thanet South repeated boundary changes 5. Mandatory Voter Education Curriculum...

  Donald Trump rode into office — again — on promises to end America’s “Forever Wars.” But within five months, he’s matched Biden’s four-year drone strike tally, reigniting conflicts across Somalia, Syria, and Iraq. Plus B2 raids on Iran with Israel. While White House statements tout “strategic precision,” the body count tells another story.  Drone warfare has become the hammer of perpetual conflict — detached, high-tech, and morally disfiguring. Perhaps too many youths in USAF Creech or RAF Waddington are getting trigger-happy in Forever Wars on wedding parties or rebels on a motorbike essentially Call of Duty video games wars with $40M Predator drones and $2M Tomahawk missiles and real casualties. The RAF drone strikes of just 12 in 2 years in Iraq and Syria shows restraint, and perhaps also a lack of credible targets - with questions as RAF Cyprus over what exactly are UK boots on the ground doing? And why after 25 years of war and Occupation in Arabia drone strikes are so ...