Vaughan B-W
@vaughanbw.bsky.social
Ex-Melburnian, now Londoner, regulatory lawyer, #ActuallyAutistic, personal account, views are my own (if they're even that).
Why doesn't Denmark PNG this guy? If his mission is to buy Greenland, he can save himself the trip as it's not for sale.
January 7, 2026 at 1:05 PM
Why doesn't Denmark PNG this guy? If his mission is to buy Greenland, he can save himself the trip as it's not for sale.
On the 'ceremonial' question - the British monarch (and his representative in Canada and Australia, the Governor General) does have a constitutional function - 'to encourage and to warn'. It's perfectly proper for the King to say, privately 'are you sure that's wise, Prime Minister?'.
January 7, 2026 at 11:45 AM
On the 'ceremonial' question - the British monarch (and his representative in Canada and Australia, the Governor General) does have a constitutional function - 'to encourage and to warn'. It's perfectly proper for the King to say, privately 'are you sure that's wise, Prime Minister?'.
See for example, Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea.
January 7, 2026 at 11:15 AM
See for example, Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea.
I guess it depends on your definition of 'republic' - in general if a country has a President rather than a King (or Queen), it's a republic. It may or may not be a democracy. Usually if it's name asserts it to be a democratic republic, that's a good sign it isn't.
January 7, 2026 at 11:14 AM
I guess it depends on your definition of 'republic' - in general if a country has a President rather than a King (or Queen), it's a republic. It may or may not be a democracy. Usually if it's name asserts it to be a democratic republic, that's a good sign it isn't.
All of them are democracies, in a broad sense, though all of them are flawed democracies to varying degrees. As are many republican democracies, including of course the United States.
January 7, 2026 at 11:12 AM
All of them are democracies, in a broad sense, though all of them are flawed democracies to varying degrees. As are many republican democracies, including of course the United States.
None of them are republics. They are constitutional monarchies.
January 7, 2026 at 11:06 AM
None of them are republics. They are constitutional monarchies.
Sure. Canada, Britain, Australia, Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Spain, Belgium, Japan... need I go on?
January 7, 2026 at 7:47 AM
Sure. Canada, Britain, Australia, Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Spain, Belgium, Japan... need I go on?
You could count the first Gulf War as a win. Similarly the former Yugoslavia. And, if you squint hard enough, Iraq (Bush's Coalition arguably won the war but lost the peace in Iraq). The US doesn't lose wars so much as it loses interest.
January 6, 2026 at 10:33 PM
You could count the first Gulf War as a win. Similarly the former Yugoslavia. And, if you squint hard enough, Iraq (Bush's Coalition arguably won the war but lost the peace in Iraq). The US doesn't lose wars so much as it loses interest.
Isn't it a full moon?
January 3, 2026 at 10:45 PM
Isn't it a full moon?
Sure, but the point is that non-state employees being allowed to carry firearms in public places is not entirely without precedent in Australia.
For today I express no view on the specific proposal.
For today I express no view on the specific proposal.
December 29, 2025 at 9:01 AM
Sure, but the point is that non-state employees being allowed to carry firearms in public places is not entirely without precedent in Australia.
For today I express no view on the specific proposal.
For today I express no view on the specific proposal.
Aren't certain private security firms licensed to carry weapons? I'm sure I've seen an Armaguard van with armed personnel collecting the cash from a supermarket (many years ago now).
December 29, 2025 at 8:35 AM
Aren't certain private security firms licensed to carry weapons? I'm sure I've seen an Armaguard van with armed personnel collecting the cash from a supermarket (many years ago now).
Happy Christmas, Angry. Appreciate your work as always.
December 25, 2025 at 2:03 PM
Happy Christmas, Angry. Appreciate your work as always.
With the hand painted periwinkles?
December 24, 2025 at 7:46 AM
With the hand painted periwinkles?
Some aspects of biological sex, you can change, if they don't match your gender identity or if your pursuit of happiness otherwise requires. You can take hormones. You can have surgery. Others, you're pretty much stuck with - your genetics are what they are.
December 21, 2025 at 9:07 AM
Some aspects of biological sex, you can change, if they don't match your gender identity or if your pursuit of happiness otherwise requires. You can take hormones. You can have surgery. Others, you're pretty much stuck with - your genetics are what they are.
This is the issue with biological sex. It's real, but it's complicated. It's chromosomal, genetic, anatomical, endocrinological, all mashed together. For most people those align, and also align with identified gender. Occasionally they don't.
December 21, 2025 at 9:05 AM
This is the issue with biological sex. It's real, but it's complicated. It's chromosomal, genetic, anatomical, endocrinological, all mashed together. For most people those align, and also align with identified gender. Occasionally they don't.
Wasn't that already litigated?
December 13, 2025 at 8:44 AM
Wasn't that already litigated?
You don't think Trump's got another three years in him?
Vance might be worse from the point of view of Europe and Ukraine.
Vance might be worse from the point of view of Europe and Ukraine.
December 13, 2025 at 8:22 AM
You don't think Trump's got another three years in him?
Vance might be worse from the point of view of Europe and Ukraine.
Vance might be worse from the point of view of Europe and Ukraine.
Whereas all of them saying they had no idea... seems implausible.
December 12, 2025 at 6:47 PM
Whereas all of them saying they had no idea... seems implausible.
I could respect if one or more of them said "Yes, he was a friend of mine. I knew in a loose sense that he employed a lot of pretty girls, and there was one time I felt I had to ask - 'Geoff, is she old enough to be working for you?!', but I didn't know the half of it, clearly".
December 12, 2025 at 6:35 PM
I could respect if one or more of them said "Yes, he was a friend of mine. I knew in a loose sense that he employed a lot of pretty girls, and there was one time I felt I had to ask - 'Geoff, is she old enough to be working for you?!', but I didn't know the half of it, clearly".
No, most of it just appears in my account each month, after Rachel Reeves takes a chunk of it.
December 11, 2025 at 3:54 PM
No, most of it just appears in my account each month, after Rachel Reeves takes a chunk of it.
It's part of my remuneration, if you look at it that way.
December 11, 2025 at 3:32 PM
It's part of my remuneration, if you look at it that way.
Depends. If the threatening behaviour occurred in a particular context (ie. mental health crisis), yeah, I could probably move past it and maintain a kind of friendship. It probably wouldn't be quite the same though.
December 6, 2025 at 6:34 PM
Depends. If the threatening behaviour occurred in a particular context (ie. mental health crisis), yeah, I could probably move past it and maintain a kind of friendship. It probably wouldn't be quite the same though.
Well - it can refuse to confirm a crackpot HHS Secretary in the first place. It's not as if Mr Kennedy made any secret of his crackpottedness.
December 5, 2025 at 5:41 PM
Well - it can refuse to confirm a crackpot HHS Secretary in the first place. It's not as if Mr Kennedy made any secret of his crackpottedness.