The day did not start particularly well as I hit some kind of wrong key and removed (irretrievably) the blog for the current day so had to start all over again. Yesterday, I watched some of the Senate hearings to confirm some of the members of the proposed Trump administration before they take up their appointments. Some of the appointments appeared to neutral commentators to be bizarre such as the nominee for the Defence Secretary who had the reputation as a wife beater, an alcoholic and a denier of human rights issues and was currently employed as a Fox News journalist (Fox News is a rabidly right wing and Trump supporting news media) A sharp contrast has to be drawn between the UK Select Committees where the questioning of ministers is sharply focused, detailed and forensic. The American committee system by contrast is long winded and members of the committee (and those they are supposed to be interrogating) given to long, grandstanding speeches. Such is the hold of Trump over the current Republican party (and they, in turn over their electorates) than these Senate hearings may well turn out to be a formality and even the 'wackiest' members of the incoming administration receive approval.
The airways and news media are full of the peace deal announced last night between Hamas and the Israelis in the Gaza war. But Netanyahu's security cabinet and then full cabinet have yet to approve the deal and may feel inclined to quibble unless the Americans jump on them hard. It is said that the incoming Trump envoys and the outgoing Biden envoys worked as one team on the American side to get the deal over the line and they say and Trump, in particular, is anxious to get the deal in place before Inauguration Day next Monday. Both Democrats and Republicans are claiming credit for the deal, but the truth is that the Biden regime no doubt did the 'heavy lifting' over the months whilst the Trump team indicated to the Israelis that 'all hell would break loose' if they did not accede to the American pressure. Of course, Netanyahu has nowhere to go as he cannot appeal beyond, the right of an incredibly right-wing administration (as is his own) There are many details still to be worked out in the forthcoming hours and days such as the identities of the hostages to be released and even now, Netanyahu is claiming that that Hamas is breaking the agreement so there is still quite a tense time ahead of us. Of course, it is quite possible that when the peace deal is eventually put into effect, that Netanyahu may be forced out. There is a sizeable part of Israeli public opinion who blame him for not prosecuting the war in such a way that the hostages, their family members, are released, And it is said that Netanyahu's unpreparedness for the war in Gaza and manifest security failings may result in him being a scapegoat. Those of a long political memory may remember that Churchill was heavily defeated in the 1945 election which was a landslide for the Labour party. My mother when she was alive, always maintained that it was he vote of the soldiers who voted to come home instead of being held in the theatre of war as Churchill wanted, that was the decisive factor in this election and not, therefore, a mass conversion to a left wing political agenda. But WWII had a massive democratising effect upon the population and hence the housebuilding programme just after the way with the slogan 'Homes Fit for Heroes' And the 1944 Education Act was groundbreaking as well as the foundation of the NHS in 1948 in which Nye Bevan, the 'father' of the NHS was said to remark that 'if a bedpan was dropped in an NHS hospital, its clatter would be heard in Westminster'. Times, as they say, have changed.
Yesterday was my shopping day and the care workers were scheduled to arrive one hour later than normal. But then I got a text today they would be here half an hour earlier than planned and I was not fully dressed when they called. Then the sit call for me to go and do the shopping was delayed by an hour so the normal constant re-timings of the day's visits continue. One of the care workers noticed a bruise on Meg's heel which seems to have got worse overnight. This was photographed and transmitted to me via WhatsApp and I filled in the webform which is the way by which a GP appointment is made these days. Later in the day there should be a telephone consultation and I have to upload the image of Meg's hotel for the doctor. The fact that she is on a blood thinning medication may be relevant but we will see what a doctor makes of it. I did get a phone call from a physician associate who informed me that bruises of this type are not uncommon on those taking blood thinning medication but, nonetheless, she was going to make a call on Meg later on in the day. Then we received a most extraordinary request from the doctor who had seen Meg recently asking if I could take her down to the surgery to have her weighed (clearly impossible) or could I provide a current and up-to-measurement of her weight in kilograms. I pointed out that this was clearly impossible as Meg has not been able to stand since last May and surely this was appreciated from the notes on her file. Later on in the morning, I managed to get the shopping done and I managed to buy a fair number of mousses, fromage fraiche and similar sweets which I hope will provide her with a little sustenance as it is so difficult to get food and drink inside her at the moment.
The Gaza peace deal is currently in jeopardy as the Israelis are claiming that Hamas has reneged on the deal, a claim which is being vehemently denied. The Israelis say they will not put the plan before their cabinet until final re-negotiations have taken place - this may have been anticipated as both sides jockey for the best possible deal before it is signed, sealed and delivered but I would not be surprised if the Israelis take a lot to be appeased and it is always possible that the deal collapses in complete acrimony.
© Mike Hart [2025]