Just dawning on me how huge the US air strike is, not just for Syria, but for the US and international relations. Looks like Jared Kushner, Trumps son in law, and by all accounts more of a liberal democrat than an alt right populist, is winning the battle for influence in the White House over the horrible isolationist pro Putin Steve Bannon, recently kicked off the National Security Council. Blood is thicker than water. Putin will now realise that he can't rely on the Trump team to either stay silent on or back up his imperialist adventures. And even the nasty dictator Xi Jinping may have pause for thought. Three massive egos who don't give a **** about anybody else. Could get a bit nervy. But today at least Trump is the good guy.
In other news Corbyn tax private school fees to pay for primary school dinners (lunches, surely?) idea based on a misreading of Institute of Fiscal Studies research is rubbished, politely, by the Institute of Fiscal Studies. Corbyn clearly doesn't understand that most people would send their kids to state schools if they thought their local options were good enough, they don't do it for ideological reasons. Many also could not afford a 20% hike in fees, meaning that extra kids would be in the state system. I do think the private school sector should be taxed somehow, but preferably not for the next 4 terms while I'm paying fees.
Apparently both Singapore and Hong Kong impose a 15% tax on foreigners buying property in their countries. What a good idea. Let's do it, and make it retrospective. Apparently Qatar owns more property in London than the Crown Estate, and all bought over the last few years. As a committed (or rather resigned, it's happening whatever, get used to it) globalist I shouldn't mind, but this doesn't feel right. At least we should get some public service funding out of it.