Looks like Biden and Johnson spoke to Zelenskyy while it was ongoing, for now it looks like any serious threat of a meltdown has been averted. UNSC meeting in the coming hours.
Looks like Biden and Johnson spoke to Zelenskyy while it was ongoing, for now it looks like any serious threat of a meltdown has been averted. UNSC meeting in the coming hours.
Interesting that Zelenskyy always seems to phone Boris.
UK ambassador to Poland really struggling to defend her government’s refugee asylum policy on Newsnight.
Why should she?
I’ve no real interest in that question. But it was embarrassing to watch her repeating government lines as answers to direct questions about the poverty of our response compared to that in Europe.
If, in December 2019 I had posted about a two year long global pandemic that resulted in us all being confided to our houses for months, followed by a large scale Russian invasion of Ukraine incorporating (god I hope this doesn’t happen) a nuclear meltdown of the largest plant in Europe, I think one or two might have said I was nuts.
To sound extra nuts you could have told us that under these conditions the Dow Jones would be up 15%.
Looks like Biden and Johnson spoke to Zelenskyy while it was ongoing, for now it looks like any serious threat of a meltdown has been averted. UNSC meeting in the coming hours.
Perhaps, but there is a potential ongoing problem until normality is restored. Even shutting the reactors down doesn’t appear to ensure safety.
“If the electricity is taken out, the back-up generators kick in, but if those don’t kick in or their diesel fuel is set on fire, for example, the pumps can’t pump cold water into the reactor and into the spent fuel pools. That’s necessary to keep the nuclear reaction moderated. Otherwise the water will boil out and the core will go critical and explode,” Budjeryn said.
She said confinement chambers were designed to withstand some level of impact and could stop the release of radiation even if the core exploded.
She warned however that the pools holding spent fuel rods could be more of a worry. “The fuel there is not as active, but they are usually overstuffed,” Budjeryn said. Less active but more tightly packed material was also dangerous if the cooling system fails, she said.
“And spent fuel pools are not covered by hardened concrete confinement chambers,” Budjeryn added.…
It does sound as if the fire is now under control, the fighting has stopped and the management are comfortable that they have control of the reactors. But a significant strategic weakness has been exposed here. If Ukraine loses 25-30% of its power generation resistance in the cities is going to be next to impossible.
Putin will see a nuclear reactor blowing as no bad thing. He has no care about radiation pollution - which is why he has been developing the 9M730 Burevestnik, which has radioactive exhaust.
Apparently the prevailing winds in Ukraine are easterly / southeasterly, so that means that any pollution caused by a reactor blowing would end up over Europe. The enemy.
Is he wanting to weaponise Chernobyl? To me, it looks like he does...
It does sound as if the fire is now under control, the fighting has stopped and the management are comfortable that they have control of the reactors. But a significant strategic weakness has been exposed here. If Ukraine loses 25-30% of its power generation resistance in the cities is going to be next to impossible.
Tosh.
It will be extremely unpleasant for the denizens of Kyiv or Lviv, or wherever. But no power is unpleasant, not fatal.
Putin will see a nuclear reactor blowing as no bad thing. He has no care about radiation pollution - which is why he has been developing the 9M730 Burevestnik, which has radioactive exhaust.
Apparently the prevailing winds in Ukraine are easterly / southeasterly, so that means that any pollution caused by a reactor blowing would end up over Europe. The enemy.
Is he wanting to weaponise Chernobyl? To me, it looks like he does...
Aren't prevailing winds - due to the rotation of the earth - generally Easterly... meaning heading towards the East... meaning heading towards Russia?
Putin will see a nuclear reactor blowing as no bad thing. He has no care about radiation pollution - which is why he has been developing the 9M730 Burevestnik, which has radioactive exhaust.
Apparently the prevailing winds in Ukraine are easterly / southeasterly, so that means that any pollution caused by a reactor blowing would end up over Europe. The enemy.
Is he wanting to weaponise Chernobyl? To me, it looks like he does...
Aren't prevailing winds - due to the rotation of the earth - generally Easterly... meaning heading towards the East... meaning heading towards Russia?
Ooops, I may have got that the wrong way around... Blame lack of caffeine. Or the fact I;m an idiot...
As Russia is trying to cut off the flow of information in Ukraine by attacking its communications infrastructure, the British news outlet BBC is revisiting a broadcasting tactic popularized during World War II: shortwave radio.
NY Times
Fuck you Nadine Dorries.
I’ve got a decent quality shortwave radio, with battery supply periodically refreshed. In the case of war, or significant disruption of infrastructure by hostile power (more likely), it is probably the only robust communication reception technology.
We frequently receive messages from the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB) with quite a long list of things to have at home. The government clearly considers that significant disruption to food, water, telecommunications and electricity supply is fairly likely within the foreseeable future. It is one reason why I will definitely not be buying two electric cars: one of them must have an internal combustion engine. (Picking up our first ever EV later this morning. Yippee!)
Putin will see a nuclear reactor blowing as no bad thing. He has no care about radiation pollution - which is why he has been developing the 9M730 Burevestnik, which has radioactive exhaust.
Apparently the prevailing winds in Ukraine are easterly / southeasterly, so that means that any pollution caused by a reactor blowing would end up over Europe. The enemy.
Is he wanting to weaponise Chernobyl? To me, it looks like he does...
Aren't prevailing winds - due to the rotation of the earth - generally Easterly... meaning heading towards the East... meaning heading towards Russia?
Ooops, I may have got that the wrong way around... Blame lack of caffeine. Or the fact I;m an idiot...
An easterly wind blows FROM the east towards the west,
Putin will see a nuclear reactor blowing as no bad thing. He has no care about radiation pollution - which is why he has been developing the 9M730 Burevestnik, which has radioactive exhaust.
Apparently the prevailing winds in Ukraine are easterly / southeasterly, so that means that any pollution caused by a reactor blowing would end up over Europe. The enemy.
Is he wanting to weaponise Chernobyl? To me, it looks like he does...
Aren't prevailing winds - due to the rotation of the earth - generally Easterly... meaning heading towards the East... meaning heading towards Russia?
Ooops, I may have got that the wrong way around... Blame lack of caffeine. Or the fact I;m an idiot...
Actually, I may not:
"In spring the baric field changes. In the north, east, and south, the easterly and southeasterly winds prevail, in the west – northwesterly and westerly, while in the southwest – southerly and southeasterly."
As Russia is trying to cut off the flow of information in Ukraine by attacking its communications infrastructure, the British news outlet BBC is revisiting a broadcasting tactic popularized during World War II: shortwave radio.
NY Times
Fuck you Nadine Dorries.
I’ve got a decent quality shortwave radio, with battery supply periodically refreshed. In the case of war, or significant disruption of infrastructure by hostile power (more likely), it is probably the only robust communication reception technology.
As Russia is trying to cut off the flow of information in Ukraine by attacking its communications infrastructure, the British news outlet BBC is revisiting a broadcasting tactic popularized during World War II: shortwave radio.
NY Times
Fuck you Nadine Dorries.
I’ve got a decent quality shortwave radio, with battery supply periodically refreshed. In the case of war, or significant disruption of infrastructure by hostile power (more likely), it is probably the only robust communication reception technology.
Putin will see a nuclear reactor blowing as no bad thing. He has no care about radiation pollution - which is why he has been developing the 9M730 Burevestnik, which has radioactive exhaust.
Apparently the prevailing winds in Ukraine are easterly / southeasterly, so that means that any pollution caused by a reactor blowing would end up over Europe. The enemy.
Is he wanting to weaponise Chernobyl? To me, it looks like he does...
Aren't prevailing winds - due to the rotation of the earth - generally Easterly... meaning heading towards the East... meaning heading towards Russia?
Ooops, I may have got that the wrong way around... Blame lack of caffeine. Or the fact I;m an idiot...
An easterly wind blows FROM the east towards the west,
Yeah, I think I was correct in the first place. Oh well. Normal service will soon be resumed...
It does sound as if the fire is now under control, the fighting has stopped and the management are comfortable that they have control of the reactors. But a significant strategic weakness has been exposed here. If Ukraine loses 25-30% of its power generation resistance in the cities is going to be next to impossible.
Tosh.
It will be extremely unpleasant for the denizens of Kyiv or Lviv, or wherever. But no power is unpleasant, not fatal.
I believe a lot of oldies and/or vulnerable have stayed put, understandably; no power may be fatal to a lot of them at the tail end of a Ukrainian winter. To be callous that may not affect resistance of course..
Putin will see a nuclear reactor blowing as no bad thing. He has no care about radiation pollution - which is why he has been developing the 9M730 Burevestnik, which has radioactive exhaust.
Apparently the prevailing winds in Ukraine are easterly / southeasterly, so that means that any pollution caused by a reactor blowing would end up over Europe. The enemy.
Is he wanting to weaponise Chernobyl? To me, it looks like he does...
Aren't prevailing winds - due to the rotation of the earth - generally Easterly... meaning heading towards the East... meaning heading towards Russia?
Ooops, I may have got that the wrong way around... Blame lack of caffeine. Or the fact I;m an idiot...
An easterly wind blows FROM the east towards the west,
Yeah, I think I was correct in the first place. Oh well. Normal service will soon be resumed...
In winter (January), two zones are distinguished in the distribution of the prevailing wind direction, which lie on either side of the Voyekov axis. North of the axis the wind with a western component is observed, and south of the axis prevails the wind with an eastern component (northeasterly, easterly, and southeasterly), and in the east – the northerly wind.
In spring the baric field changes and as a result winds of different directions are observed. In the north, east, and south, the easterly and southeasterly winds prevail, in the west – northwesterly and westerly, while in the southwest – southerly and southeasterly. In March, an average monthly speed has the same values as in winter, from April the wind begins to abate to 2–5 m/s.
Concerning that troops on the ground followed the order to shell the power station. Perhaps they didn’t realise what they were doing, but they could easily have killed themselves doing it.
It’s accepted that Vlad is mad, but I thought those beneath him might at least have some understanding of how dangerous this all is.
It does sound as if the fire is now under control, the fighting has stopped and the management are comfortable that they have control of the reactors. But a significant strategic weakness has been exposed here. If Ukraine loses 25-30% of its power generation resistance in the cities is going to be next to impossible.
Tosh.
It will be extremely unpleasant for the denizens of Kyiv or Lviv, or wherever. But no power is unpleasant, not fatal.
I believe a lot of oldies and/or vulnerable have stayed put, understandably; no power may be fatal to a lot of them at the tail end of a Ukrainian winter. To be callous that may not affect resistance of course..
March can be pretty grim in that part of the world.
I have to say that I am finding it difficult to think clearly about the situation in Ukraine. My overwhelming emotion is of rage towards the Russian regime. It is similar to the emotion felt towards the UK government with their war on Iraq in 2003, and towards various terrorist bombings that have taken place over the years. The difference is that this is one that directly affects us, could result in our annihilation, and is something that we have no control over.
I am not a pacifist and understand that sometimes we need to go to war. We need to go to war now with Putin, but we know that we cannot, without destroying western civilisation, because of nuclear weapons. It is just an unbearable moral dilemma with no answer.
As Russia is trying to cut off the flow of information in Ukraine by attacking its communications infrastructure, the British news outlet BBC is revisiting a broadcasting tactic popularized during World War II: shortwave radio.
NY Times
Fuck you Nadine Dorries.
I’ve got a decent quality shortwave radio, with battery supply periodically refreshed. In the case of war, or significant disruption of infrastructure by hostile power (more likely), it is probably the only robust communication reception technology.
I have a tinfoil hat
Do you have a wee stockpile at home Bev?
Bottled water? A generator? Creme eggs?
I do not have creme eggs, but we DO have a generator
I have to say that I am finding it difficult to think clearly about the situation in Ukraine. My overwhelming emotion is of rage towards the Russian regime. It is similar to the emotion felt towards the UK government with their war on Iraq in 2003, and towards various terrorist bombings that have taken place over the years. The difference is that this is one that directly affects us, could result in our annihilation, and is something that we have no control over.
I am not a pacifist and understand that sometimes we need to go to war. We need to go to war now with Putin, but we know that we cannot, without destroying western civilisation, because of nuclear weapons. It is just an unbearable moral dilemma with no answer.
The only answer is the fall of Putin. The hope is someone sane replaces him. That has been the only answer from day one.
I have to say that I am finding it difficult to think clearly about the situation in Ukraine. My overwhelming emotion is of rage towards the Russian regime. It is similar to the emotion felt towards the UK government with their war on Iraq in 2003, and towards various terrorist bombings that have taken place over the years. The difference is that this is one that directly affects us, could result in our annihilation, and is something that we have no control over.
I am not a pacifist and understand that sometimes we need to go to war. We need to go to war now with Putin, but we know that we cannot, without destroying western civilisation, because of nuclear weapons. It is just an unbearable moral dilemma with no answer.
Perhaps we simply need to stop all forms of trade with Russia now.
That's a good result by Labour. 4.5% swing is less than the national voting intention polls but good for West Midlands.
And no sign of a Ukraine uplift for Johnson.
I predict that the opposite will slowly happen: that the Ukraine will damage the tories. This is partly because Putin is pulverising Ukraine and (ultimately) winning. And secondly because of all the dirty Russian money sluicing around in the tory party coffers.
I have to say that I am finding it difficult to think clearly about the situation in Ukraine. My overwhelming emotion is of rage towards the Russian regime. It is similar to the emotion felt towards the UK government with their war on Iraq in 2003, and towards various terrorist bombings that have taken place over the years. The difference is that this is one that directly affects us, could result in our annihilation, and is something that we have no control over.
I am not a pacifist and understand that sometimes we need to go to war. We need to go to war now with Putin, but we know that we cannot, without destroying western civilisation, because of nuclear weapons. It is just an unbearable moral dilemma with no answer.
BBC Radio Five Live: firefighters trying to put out the flames are being shot at by Russian troops.
Jesus Christ. At this stage I am pretty sure Putin is TRYING to draw NATO into direct conflict. Because he knows he’s fucked up
No. He isn't trying to do that. He's pulverising Ukraine which is fine by him: he is getting pretty much what he wanted. He knows NATO is too wary to stand up to him so he is getting away with it.
There was a good interview with Roger Moorhouse, a historian, on Triggernometry yesterday. The insight that struck me was the idea that Putins regime in Russia is simply a rogue state. The error we made was to ever consider it otherwise.
BBC Radio Five Live: firefighters trying to put out the flames are being shot at by Russian troops.
Jesus Christ. At this stage I am pretty sure Putin is TRYING to draw NATO into direct conflict. Because he knows he’s fucked up
No. He isn't trying to do that. He's pulverising Ukraine which is fine by him: he is getting pretty much what he wanted. He knows NATO is too wary to stand up to him so he is getting away with it.
It is very much not a wise thing to be wanting, to be in precarious military occupation of part of a country of 44 million people, and to do it in such a way that its population will have undying hatred for you in their hearts, and will have near unanimous moral and material support from the rest of the world in fighting against you.
That's a good result by Labour. 4.5% swing is less than the national voting intention polls but good for West Midlands.
And no sign of a Ukraine uplift for Johnson.
I predict that the opposite will slowly happen: that the Ukraine will damage the tories. This is partly because Putin is pulverising Ukraine and (ultimately) winning. And secondly because of all the dirty Russian money sluicing around in the tory party coffers.
Aye the Midlands is full of whoppers so decent result for Labour really
Nads' voice breaking as she praises journos and the BBC for their work in Ukraine. The hypocritical old bag fair brought a lump of something to my throat.
That's a good result by Labour. 4.5% swing is less than the national voting intention polls but good for West Midlands.
And no sign of a Ukraine uplift for Johnson.
I predict that the opposite will slowly happen: that the Ukraine will damage the tories. This is partly because Putin is pulverising Ukraine and (ultimately) winning. And secondly because of all the dirty Russian money sluicing around in the tory party coffers.
Aye the Midlands is full of whoppers so decent result for Labour really
The whopper vote is a vital voter segment to be appealed to.
BBC Radio Five Live: firefighters trying to put out the flames are being shot at by Russian troops.
Jesus Christ. At this stage I am pretty sure Putin is TRYING to draw NATO into direct conflict. Because he knows he’s fucked up
No. He isn't trying to do that. He's pulverising Ukraine which is fine by him: he is getting pretty much what he wanted. He knows NATO is too wary to stand up to him so he is getting away with it.
I don't think anyone has ever graduated from the University of Putinology quite so quickly! Congratulations. Especially coming so soon after that bad fail at your first attempt.
BBC Radio Five Live: firefighters trying to put out the flames are being shot at by Russian troops.
Jesus Christ. At this stage I am pretty sure Putin is TRYING to draw NATO into direct conflict. Because he knows he’s fucked up
No. He isn't trying to do that. He's pulverising Ukraine which is fine by him: he is getting pretty much what he wanted. He knows NATO is too wary to stand up to him so he is getting away with it.
I am not convinced NATO joining in is wise. This is not just because of the risk of nuclear war. The analogy I am thinking of is post 9/11. The world was united in dealing with Afghanistan. The error came when we tried to go further by invading Iraq, for which there was little support. So it is with Russia. The world is united in condemning Russia, but that would not extend to military intervention in Ukraine by NATO, which feeds in to Russias 'two sides' argument. Goes back to the idea that we should leave the Russian regime to reveal its true nature. Starve it to death, rather than fighting it.
I have to say that I am finding it difficult to think clearly about the situation in Ukraine. My overwhelming emotion is of rage towards the Russian regime. It is similar to the emotion felt towards the UK government with their war on Iraq in 2003, and towards various terrorist bombings that have taken place over the years. The difference is that this is one that directly affects us, could result in our annihilation, and is something that we have no control over.
I am not a pacifist and understand that sometimes we need to go to war. We need to go to war now with Putin, but we know that we cannot, without destroying western civilisation, because of nuclear weapons. It is just an unbearable moral dilemma with no answer.
The only answer is the fall of Putin. The hope is someone sane replaces him. That has been the only answer from day one.
I don't wish to sound flippant, but actually what you've just said is there is no answer.
BBC Radio Five Live: firefighters trying to put out the flames are being shot at by Russian troops.
Jesus Christ. At this stage I am pretty sure Putin is TRYING to draw NATO into direct conflict. Because he knows he’s fucked up
One could argue they are trying to cut off the electricity, but I agree with you. Primarily this is about trying to draw NATO into acting.
If NATO became actively engaged in Ukraine, every Russian division would be destroyed, as quickly as Putin could press gang fresh boys into service. If Putin escalated the war to firing on NATO bases flying sorties, NATO could crush every base within 100 miles of the Ukrainian border without blinking. If Putin launched a nuke or nukes, then he like the rest of us loses the game entirely.
If his strategy really is to draw the West in to a fight to retrospectively justify his war, one has to assume he has gone full cuckoo and his goal is universal oblivion.
I don’t think that’s true. I think he knows he can’t hold Ukraine and make it a stable part of mother Russia, so his goal is to make it an ungovernable mess so the West can’t have it either.
BBC Radio Five Live: firefighters trying to put out the flames are being shot at by Russian troops.
Jesus Christ. At this stage I am pretty sure Putin is TRYING to draw NATO into direct conflict. Because he knows he’s fucked up
No. He isn't trying to do that. He's pulverising Ukraine which is fine by him: he is getting pretty much what he wanted. He knows NATO is too wary to stand up to him so he is getting away with it.
I am not convinced NATO joining in is wise. This is not just because of the risk of nuclear war. The analogy I am thinking of is post 9/11. The world was united in dealing with Afghanistan. The error came when we tried to go further by invading Iraq, for which there was little support. So it is with Russia. The world is united in condemning Russia, but that would not extend to military intervention in Ukraine by NATO, which feeds in to Russias 'two sides' argument. Goes back to the idea that we should leave the Russian regime to reveal its true nature. Starve it to death, rather than fighting it.
It will respond to starvation claiming it is a malicious act of war againt the Russian people justifying any aggresive actions it takes on those grounds.
I have to say that I am finding it difficult to think clearly about the situation in Ukraine. My overwhelming emotion is of rage towards the Russian regime. It is similar to the emotion felt towards the UK government with their war on Iraq in 2003, and towards various terrorist bombings that have taken place over the years. The difference is that this is one that directly affects us, could result in our annihilation, and is something that we have no control over.
I am not a pacifist and understand that sometimes we need to go to war. We need to go to war now with Putin, but we know that we cannot, without destroying western civilisation, because of nuclear weapons. It is just an unbearable moral dilemma with no answer.
The only answer is the fall of Putin. The hope is someone sane replaces him. That has been the only answer from day one.
I don't wish to sound flippant, but actually what you've just said is there is no answer.
Evidence that they maintained the unofficial agreement with Labour not to tread on each others' toes, and that voters got the message.
In all seriousness, why bother standing? In 2015, the Lib Dems lost 342 deposits (£171,000) and even in 2019 they lost 157 deposits (£78,500). Why not just save the money?
Russia is starting to roll out blocks for Apple and Google mobile app stores, Facebook, Twitter and a variety of foreign media sites. Blocking is not yet fully effective but I am sure they will figure it out…
Evidence that they maintained the unofficial agreement with Labour not to tread on each others' toes, and that voters got the message.
In all seriousness, why bother standing? In 2015, the Lib Dems lost 342 deposits (£171,000) and even in 2019 they lost 157 deposits (£78,500). Why not just save the money?
Russia is starting to roll out blocks for Apple and Google mobile app stores, Facebook, Twitter and a variety of foreign media sites. Blocking is not yet fully effective but I am sure they will figure it out…
Evidence that they maintained the unofficial agreement with Labour not to tread on each others' toes, and that voters got the message.
In all seriousness, why bother standing? In 2015, the Lib Dems lost 342 deposits (£171,000) and even in 2019 they lost 157 deposits (£78,500). Why not just save the money?
Because one of their principal claims to prominence is that they are not a network of local pressure groups, but a national party. If they stop standing nationally, that USP is gone and it becomes harder and harder to build back up.
Looks like Biden and Johnson spoke to Zelenskyy while it was ongoing, for now it looks like any serious threat of a meltdown has been averted. UNSC meeting in the coming hours.
Interesting that Zelenskyy always seems to phone Boris.
Think you are dreaming , it will be fatso phoning him trying to get his big mush public and get awaty from the fact that he is a lying cheating crooked no user.
The point is that Putin has gone doolally. He was always evil but now has has gone crazed. The west first really saw it during that bizarre one hour rant to the nation. Some people are suggesting covid may be to blame for sending him over the edge into full tonto. Who knows?
So NATO and the west are sitting idly by whilst an entire nation is pulverised. We've tinkered with some sanctions here, some assets there, but Putin won't care much about those.
In a couple of years he will turn his attention to the next country on his list, all the while bringing the Russian people on board with his propaganda machine.
Russia is starting to roll out blocks for Apple and Google mobile app stores, Facebook, Twitter and a variety of foreign media sites. Blocking is not yet fully effective but I am sure they will figure it out…
Nads' voice breaking as she praises journos and the BBC for their work in Ukraine. The hypocritical old bag fair brought a lump of something to my throat.
The BBC method of funding is out of date and needs changing. She is right about that.
I have to say that I am finding it difficult to think clearly about the situation in Ukraine. My overwhelming emotion is of rage towards the Russian regime. It is similar to the emotion felt towards the UK government with their war on Iraq in 2003, and towards various terrorist bombings that have taken place over the years. The difference is that this is one that directly affects us, could result in our annihilation, and is something that we have no control over.
I am not a pacifist and understand that sometimes we need to go to war. We need to go to war now with Putin, but we know that we cannot, without destroying western civilisation, because of nuclear weapons. It is just an unbearable moral dilemma with no answer.
Perhaps we simply need to stop all forms of trade with Russia now.
LOL, as if the Tories will cut off their money supply, we will get hot air from them but in reality they will still be filling their boots, luckily they have plenty of tax havens to keep laundry going.
Looks like Biden and Johnson spoke to Zelenskyy while it was ongoing, for now it looks like any serious threat of a meltdown has been averted. UNSC meeting in the coming hours.
Interesting that Zelenskyy always seems to phone Boris.
Think you are dreaming , it will be fatso phoning him trying to get his big mush public and get awaty from the fact that he is a lying cheating crooked no user.
Yeah, Zelenshky phones everyone.
Johnson doesn't come out of this well, especially given the stinking Putin dirty money sloshing around in tory coffers. No western leader comes out of this well, with the possible exception of Ursula von der Leyen and Olaf Scholz by virtue of the fact that they have actually moved their positions and changed according to Putin's madness.
But really this is an abject and utter failure of the west and by the west.
The point is that Putin has gone doolally. He was always evil but now has has gone crazed. The west first really saw it during that bizarre one hour rant to the nation. Some people are suggesting covid may be to blame for sending him over the edge into full tonto. Who knows?
So NATO and the west are sitting idly by whilst an entire nation is pulverised. We've tinkered with some sanctions here, some assets there, but Putin won't care much about those.
In a couple of years he will turn his attention to the next country on his list, all the while bringing the Russian people on board with his propaganda machine.
And we sit by.
You complain about ad hominems and use mental health slurs.
We are not sitting by. Listen to people like you and you’d think we are doing nothing.
A no fly zone and a Third World War is not on the agenda at the moment. Quite right too.
The point is that Putin has gone doolally. He was always evil but now has has gone crazed. The west first really saw it during that bizarre one hour rant to the nation. Some people are suggesting covid may be to blame for sending him over the edge into full tonto. Who knows?
So NATO and the west are sitting idly by whilst an entire nation is pulverised. We've tinkered with some sanctions here, some assets there, but Putin won't care much about those.
In a couple of years he will turn his attention to the next country on his list, all the while bringing the Russian people on board with his propaganda machine.
And we sit by.
You complain about ad hominems and use mental health slurs.
We are not sitting by. Listen to people like you and you’d think we are doing nothing.
A no fly zone and a Third World War is not on the agenda at the moment. Quite right too.
We are doing bugger all, effectively. Absolutely zilch to stop him pulverising an entire nation.
'Mental health slurs'? Wtf? I know more about mental ill health than probably anyone on this forum, thanks. And this is not a slur it's a genuine point. Many commentators and some experts believe that Putin has become mentally ill: deranged.
"Putin's mental health questioned by a growing number of experts"
According to the BBC "Ukraine’s State Emergency Services said there were no victims from the fire, which didn’t affect the reactor sites but a nearby five-storey training site"
I think Condoleezza Rice's point is spot on. Putin changed in the past two months.
"I met with him many times, and this is a different Putin," she said on Fox News Sunday. "He was always calculating and cold, but this is different. He seems erratic. There is an ever deepening, delusional rendering of history."
And when you say 'advance' you probably didn't get an actual Advance fare.
£96 for that journey is ridiculous. I'm sorry for you. That sucks.
Luckily my employer is paying but good grief. Would cost £20-£30 in petrol tops to get there.
I also note the train is fairly empty. Wonder why
It's another of the many reasons I may move abroad. The train fares in the UK are ridiculously expensive. £96 for your journey of, what, 90 miles. That's awful.
but that is also a very creditable Con performance.
In a West Midlands seat where tories are supposed to be at their best, which was the biggest LEAVE seat in the region (63% to 36%), I don't think a 4.5% swing to Labour is remotely creditable.
Looks like Biden and Johnson spoke to Zelenskyy while it was ongoing, for now it looks like any serious threat of a meltdown has been averted. UNSC meeting in the coming hours.
Interesting that Zelenskyy always seems to phone Boris.
Think you are dreaming , it will be fatso phoning him trying to get his big mush public and get awaty from the fact that he is a lying cheating crooked no user.
Yeah, Zelenshky phones everyone.
Johnson doesn't come out of this well, especially given the stinking Putin dirty money sloshing around in tory coffers. No western leader comes out of this well, with the possible exception of Ursula von der Leyen and Olaf Scholz by virtue of the fact that they have actually moved their positions and changed according to Putin's madness.
But really this is an abject and utter failure of the west and by the west.
Once again Johnson has trapped himself with his inability to resist over-selling what he is doing to attract media attention, and then under-delivering. Brexit appears to have given us the 'freedom' to do less and move less quickly against Russian money than the EU.
Looks like Biden and Johnson spoke to Zelenskyy while it was ongoing, for now it looks like any serious threat of a meltdown has been averted. UNSC meeting in the coming hours.
Interesting that Zelenskyy always seems to phone Boris.
Think you are dreaming , it will be fatso phoning him trying to get his big mush public and get awaty from the fact that he is a lying cheating crooked no user.
Yeah, Zelenshky phones everyone.
Johnson doesn't come out of this well, especially given the stinking Putin dirty money sloshing around in tory coffers. No western leader comes out of this well, with the possible exception of Ursula von der Leyen and Olaf Scholz by virtue of the fact that they have actually moved their positions and changed according to Putin's madness.
But really this is an abject and utter failure of the west and by the west.
Once again Johnson has trapped himself with his inability to resist over-selling what he is doing to attract media attention, and then under-delivering. Brexit appears to have given us the 'freedom' to do less and move less quickly against Russian money than the EU.
The point is that Putin has gone doolally. He was always evil but now has has gone crazed. The west first really saw it during that bizarre one hour rant to the nation. Some people are suggesting covid may be to blame for sending him over the edge into full tonto. Who knows?
So NATO and the west are sitting idly by whilst an entire nation is pulverised. We've tinkered with some sanctions here, some assets there, but Putin won't care much about those.
In a couple of years he will turn his attention to the next country on his list, all the while bringing the Russian people on board with his propaganda machine.
And we sit by.
You complain about ad hominems and use mental health slurs.
We are not sitting by. Listen to people like you and you’d think we are doing nothing.
A no fly zone and a Third World War is not on the agenda at the moment. Quite right too.
We are doing bugger all, effectively. Absolutely zilch to stop him pulverising an entire nation.
'Mental health slurs'? Wtf? I know more about mental ill health than probably anyone on this forum, thanks. And this is not a slur it's a genuine point. Many commentators and some experts believe that Putin has become mentally ill: deranged.
"Putin's mental health questioned by a growing number of experts"
As Russia is trying to cut off the flow of information in Ukraine by attacking its communications infrastructure, the British news outlet BBC is revisiting a broadcasting tactic popularized during World War II: shortwave radio.
NY Times
Fuck you Nadine Dorries.
I’ve got a decent quality shortwave radio, with battery supply periodically refreshed. In the case of war, or significant disruption of infrastructure by hostile power (more likely), it is probably the only robust communication reception technology.
We frequently receive messages from the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB) with quite a long list of things to have at home. The government clearly considers that significant disruption to food, water, telecommunications and electricity supply is fairly likely within the foreseeable future. It is one reason why I will definitely not be buying two electric cars: one of them must have an internal combustion engine. (Picking up our first ever EV later this morning. Yippee!)
but that is also a very creditable Con performance.
In a West Midlands seat where tories are supposed to be at their best, which was the biggest LEAVE seat in the region (63% to 36%), I don't think a 4.5% swing to Labour is remotely creditable.
Labour GE victory nailed on!
I'm not sure that either the man on the street (is that epression now disallowed?) or the person with or without a cervix on the Clapham omnibus is fixated on Brexit this week. Two years of covid and impending obliteration may have dulled the Brexit salience.
I'm heading out but I also want to check this self-satisfied back slapping that some on here come out with. This is delusional.
We are doing nothing at all to prevent Putin pulverising Ukraine. And that is all that matters. Sanctions, asset seizing, western unity all sound good to our own ears. Putin won't care about them right now.
All that matters to him is that his forces are pulverising Ukraine into the ground.
And we watch on.
Don't kid yourselves that this is anything other than Putin getting his way.
I'm heading out but I also want to check this self-satisfied back slapping that some on here come out with. This is delusional.
We are doing nothing at all to prevent Putin pulverising Ukraine. And that is all that matters. Sanctions, asset seizing, western unity all sound good to our own ears. Putin won't care about them right now.
All that matters to him is that his forces are pulverising Ukraine into the ground.
And we watch on.
Don't kid yourselves that this is anything other than Putin getting his way.
but that is also a very creditable Con performance.
In a West Midlands seat where tories are supposed to be at their best, which was the biggest LEAVE seat in the region (63% to 36%), I don't think a 4.5% swing to Labour is remotely creditable.
Labour GE victory nailed on!
Minority Lab government with Lab on 295, SNP on 55, LD on 19, Con on 257 on this projection. Seat by seat projection map, not sure on which boundaries though.
The point is that Putin has gone doolally. He was always evil but now has has gone crazed. The west first really saw it during that bizarre one hour rant to the nation. Some people are suggesting covid may be to blame for sending him over the edge into full tonto. Who knows?
So NATO and the west are sitting idly by whilst an entire nation is pulverised. We've tinkered with some sanctions here, some assets there, but Putin won't care much about those.
In a couple of years he will turn his attention to the next country on his list, all the while bringing the Russian people on board with his propaganda machine.
And we sit by.
You complain about ad hominems and use mental health slurs.
We are not sitting by. Listen to people like you and you’d think we are doing nothing.
A no fly zone and a Third World War is not on the agenda at the moment. Quite right too.
We are doing bugger all, effectively. Absolutely zilch to stop him pulverising an entire nation.
'Mental health slurs'? Wtf? I know more about mental ill health than probably anyone on this forum, thanks. And this is not a slur it's a genuine point. Many commentators and some experts believe that Putin has become mentally ill: deranged.
"Putin's mental health questioned by a growing number of experts"
Terms like doolally and tonto are perjorative terms.
I appreciate your response (genuinely) but surely those terms are not inappropriate for Vladimir Putin? Were he admitted to a psychiatric unit for treatment I would be the first to advise correct professional terminology.
But to a madman obliterating an entire nation and threatening to nuke the world? Any pejorative term is surely okay? If you prefer then I suggest that he is displaying signs of paranoid delusion, extreme psychosis, sociopathy, mania and perhaps others.
The psychosis is particularly apparent in his recent rantings:
Looks like Biden and Johnson spoke to Zelenskyy while it was ongoing, for now it looks like any serious threat of a meltdown has been averted. UNSC meeting in the coming hours.
Interesting that Zelenskyy always seems to phone Boris.
Think you are dreaming , it will be fatso phoning him trying to get his big mush public and get awaty from the fact that he is a lying cheating crooked no user.
Yeah, Zelenshky phones everyone.
Johnson doesn't come out of this well, especially given the stinking Putin dirty money sloshing around in tory coffers. No western leader comes out of this well, with the possible exception of Ursula von der Leyen and Olaf Scholz by virtue of the fact that they have actually moved their positions and changed according to Putin's madness.
But really this is an abject and utter failure of the west and by the west.
Once again Johnson has trapped himself with his inability to resist over-selling what he is doing to attract media attention, and then under-delivering. Brexit appears to have given us the 'freedom' to do less and move less quickly against Russian money than the EU.
but that is also a very creditable Con performance.
In a West Midlands seat where tories are supposed to be at their best, which was the biggest LEAVE seat in the region (63% to 36%), I don't think a 4.5% swing to Labour is remotely creditable.
A historic shift is taking place in Finland. For the first time, most Finns want to join NATO. Across the Baltic Sea, Swedes are becoming more favorable towards membership as well. Sparked by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, this might lead to a major foreign-policy shift for the militarily non-aligned Nordic states. But it is not easy to take out insurance when the house is already on fire.
As many as 53 percent of Finns are now in favor of joining NATO, according to polling conducted from February 23-25 (the Russian invasion began on February 24). That’s a dramatic change: In 2017, the same poll showed only 19 percent of Finns wanting to join NATO, and the figure had remained rather stable over time. Polls in favor of joining NATO were up in Sweden as well, with 41 percent supportive in a poll released February 25, compared to 37 percent in January. Public endorsement for membership in Sweden has hovered around 35 percent since the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014.
but that is also a very creditable Con performance.
In a West Midlands seat where tories are supposed to be at their best, which was the biggest LEAVE seat in the region (63% to 36%), I don't think a 4.5% swing to Labour is remotely creditable.
Labour GE victory nailed on!
Minority Lab government with Lab on 295, SNP on 55, LD on 19, Con on 257 on this projection. Seat by seat projection map, not sure on which boundaries though.
Comments
But it was embarrassing to watch her repeating government lines as answers to direct questions about the poverty of our response compared to that in Europe.
Even shutting the reactors down doesn’t appear to ensure safety.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/04/ukraine-nuclear-power-plant-fire-zaporizhzhia-russian-shelling
… Mariana Budjeryn, an Ukrainian expert at the project on managing the atom at Harvard University’s Belfer Center said: “Saying that a reactor building is hit doesn’t tell us much, because the most vulnerable [part of] this is the electricity and water supply.”
“If the electricity is taken out, the back-up generators kick in, but if those don’t kick in or their diesel fuel is set on fire, for example, the pumps can’t pump cold water into the reactor and into the spent fuel pools. That’s necessary to keep the nuclear reaction moderated. Otherwise the water will boil out and the core will go critical and explode,” Budjeryn said.
She said confinement chambers were designed to withstand some level of impact and could stop the release of radiation even if the core exploded.
She warned however that the pools holding spent fuel rods could be more of a worry. “The fuel there is not as active, but they are usually overstuffed,” Budjeryn said. Less active but more tightly packed material was also dangerous if the cooling system fails, she said.
“And spent fuel pools are not covered by hardened concrete confinement chambers,” Budjeryn added.…
Apparently the prevailing winds in Ukraine are easterly / southeasterly, so that means that any pollution caused by a reactor blowing would end up over Europe. The enemy.
Is he wanting to weaponise Chernobyl? To me, it looks like he does...
Thankfully this one is much newer and better designed, than the infamous old one in northern Ukraine.
It will be extremely unpleasant for the denizens of Kyiv or Lviv, or wherever. But no power is unpleasant, not fatal.
Blame lack of caffeine. Or the fact I;m an idiot...
We frequently receive messages from the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB) with quite a long list of things to have at home. The government clearly considers that significant disruption to food, water, telecommunications and electricity supply is fairly likely within the foreseeable future. It is one reason why I will definitely not be buying two electric cars: one of them must have an internal combustion engine. (Picking up our first ever EV later this morning. Yippee!)
"In spring the baric field changes. In the north, east, and south, the easterly and southeasterly winds prevail, in the west – northwesterly and westerly, while in the southwest – southerly and southeasterly."
http://wdc.org.ua/atlas/en/4080100.htm
Our opposition to nuclear power is one of my main gripes with my political party.
Bottled water?
A generator?
Creme eggs?
Seems the only reasonable course of action.
https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/scottish-news/tartan-army-launch-fundraising-bid-26110799
In spring the baric field changes and as a result winds of different directions are observed. In the north, east, and south, the easterly and southeasterly winds prevail, in the west – northwesterly and westerly, while in the southwest – southerly and southeasterly. In March, an average monthly speed has the same values as in winter, from April the wind begins to abate to 2–5 m/s.
It’s accepted that Vlad is mad, but I thought those beneath him might at least have some understanding of how dangerous this all is.
I am not a pacifist and understand that sometimes we need to go to war. We need to go to war now with Putin, but we know that we cannot, without destroying western civilisation, because of nuclear weapons. It is just an unbearable moral dilemma with no answer.
That has been the only answer from day one.
Vlad the Mad is off his bloody head.
And no sign of a Ukraine uplift for Johnson.
I predict that the opposite will slowly happen: that the Ukraine will damage the tories. This is partly because Putin is pulverising Ukraine and (ultimately) winning. And secondly because of all the dirty Russian money sluicing around in the tory party coffers.
The analogy I am thinking of is post 9/11. The world was united in dealing with Afghanistan. The error came when we tried to go further by invading Iraq, for which there was little support.
So it is with Russia. The world is united in condemning Russia, but that would not extend to military intervention in Ukraine by NATO, which feeds in to Russias 'two sides' argument.
Goes back to the idea that we should leave the Russian regime to reveal its true nature. Starve it to death, rather than fighting it.
If his strategy really is to draw the West in to a fight to retrospectively justify his war, one has to assume he has gone full cuckoo and his goal is universal oblivion.
I don’t think that’s true. I think he knows he can’t hold Ukraine and make it a stable part of mother Russia, so his goal is to make it an ungovernable mess so the West can’t have it either.
Severe deflation?
The worry is that there are even worse people than him in his government.
Things are almost unimaginably bad now, but imagine (if possible) what they would be like with Lavrov in charge.
Ta.
Great Firewall coming to RU
https://twitter.com/dalperovitch/status/1499635215697911810?s=21
If he has any more episodes like last night it will be a very short career...
Russian troops have seized the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the Ukrainian authorities say.
"Operational personnel are monitoring the condition of power units," a local authority said on social media, quoted by Reuters news agency.
Station personnel continue to work and monitor the state of the power units, it said.
A fire broke out at the plant earlier - Europe's largest - after a Russian shelling attack.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-europe-60532634
So NATO and the west are sitting idly by whilst an entire nation is pulverised. We've tinkered with some sanctions here, some assets there, but Putin won't care much about those.
In a couple of years he will turn his attention to the next country on his list, all the while bringing the Russian people on board with his propaganda machine.
And we sit by.
Johnson doesn't come out of this well, especially given the stinking Putin dirty money sloshing around in tory coffers. No western leader comes out of this well, with the possible exception of Ursula von der Leyen and Olaf Scholz by virtue of the fact that they have actually moved their positions and changed according to Putin's madness.
But really this is an abject and utter failure of the west and by the west.
We are not sitting by. Listen to people like you and you’d think we are doing nothing.
A no fly zone and a Third World War is not on the agenda at the moment. Quite right too.
And when you say 'advance' you probably didn't get an actual Advance fare.
£96 for that journey is ridiculous. I'm sorry for you. That sucks.
'Mental health slurs'? Wtf? I know more about mental ill health than probably anyone on this forum, thanks. And this is not a slur it's a genuine point. Many commentators and some experts believe that Putin has become mentally ill: deranged.
"Putin's mental health questioned by a growing number of experts"
https://www.foxnews.com/us/has-russian-president-vladimir-putin-lost-mind
See also:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2022/03/01/vladimir-putin-sick-covid-russia-ukraine-invasion-illness
https://news.yahoo.com/ill-unhinged-calculating-russias-putin-000321682.html
https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2022-02-28/russia-putin-behavior-mental-health
https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/fears-paranoid-putin-lost-mind-26340870
"I met with him many times, and this is a different Putin," she said on Fox News Sunday. "He was always calculating and cold, but this is different. He seems erratic. There is an ever deepening, delusional rendering of history."
When was the last time Con+Lab got over 90% combined in a by election?
https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainers/sanctions
Labour GE victory nailed on!
I’m sorry you have had mental health issues. There’s a lot of it about. My wife was in tears this morning at the whole sorry situation in Ukraine.
One page extracted from "If crisis or war comes":
https://www.msb.se/siteassets/dokument/amnesomraden/krisberedskap-och-civilt-forsvar/stod-till-kommuner/krisberedskapsveckan/broschyren-pa-olika-sprak/if-crisis-or-war-comes.pdf
We are doing nothing at all to prevent Putin pulverising Ukraine. And that is all that matters. Sanctions, asset seizing, western unity all sound good to our own ears. Putin won't care about them right now.
All that matters to him is that his forces are pulverising Ukraine into the ground.
And we watch on.
Don't kid yourselves that this is anything other than Putin getting his way.
"Robert Alden, Conservative leader at the city council, had been vying to become the first Tory MP for the constituency since 1936."
Pre-coffee brain:
"He must be very old by now?!"
https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/elections/2022/01/britain-predicts
A solid but unspectacular result for Lab in Erdington.
https://twitter.com/BNONews/status/1499650309861351424
But to a madman obliterating an entire nation and threatening to nuke the world? Any pejorative term is surely okay? If you prefer then I suggest that he is displaying signs of paranoid delusion, extreme psychosis, sociopathy, mania and perhaps others.
The psychosis is particularly apparent in his recent rantings:
Hallucinations
False perceptions
False beliefs
Bizarre behaviour
Disordered speech
Delusions
As many as 53 percent of Finns are now in favor of joining NATO, according to polling conducted from February 23-25 (the Russian invasion began on February 24). That’s a dramatic change: In 2017, the same poll showed only 19 percent of Finns wanting to join NATO, and the figure had remained rather stable over time. Polls in favor of joining NATO were up in Sweden as well, with 41 percent supportive in a poll released February 25, compared to 37 percent in January. Public endorsement for membership in Sweden has hovered around 35 percent since the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014.
https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-atlanticist/will-finland-and-sweden-join-nato-now/