I'd like to think I am a reasonably effective communicator but one thing that is simply impossible to convey to younger people is how much better things were in the 1990s. 9/11 and the response to it changed the world for the worse in so many ways. You then had the great financial crisis from which many countries, including Britain, have still not recovered. And now there is a war on Europe's doorstep, terrorism is "part and parcel" of our lives and basic things like a house of your own are unaffordable for most people. Of course, things are better in many ways too but I wouldn't trade that peace, high trust environment and financial comfort for all the smartphones in the world.

For my British and European friends who are "shocked" and "surprised", here are 10 reasons you didn't see this coming.

NEW: The owner of Peanut the squirrel explains how New York officials raided his house, took Peanut and his raccoon, and k*lled them. 7-year-old Peanut and Fred the raccoon were euthanized after anonymous complaints. “Officers raided my house as if I was a drug dealer. I was sat outside my house for five hours. I had to get a police escort to my bathroom.” “I wasn't even allowed to feed my rescue horses breakfast or lunch. I was sit, sat there like a criminal after they interrogated my wife to check out her immigration status.” “Then proceeded to ask me if I had cameras in my house. Then proceeded to go through every cabinet, nook and cranny of my house for a squirrel and raccoon.” “They got a search warrant for departments, and a judge signed off on a search warrant for a squirrel in a raccoon. And then they took them and k*lled them.” Video: @TMZ

🇺🇸🇺🇦 Watch Zelensky's reaction as Biden calls him Putin 😭