Howdy, Stranger!

It looks like you're new here. Sign in or register to get started.

Options

The Lebedev peerage affair looks set to halt the Johnson recovery – politicalbetting.com

12346

Comments

  • Options
    AlistairAlistair Posts: 23,670

    Alistair said:

    I know this is old news but Glenn Greenwald is a proper piece of shit.

    I remember the days when he was lauded by certain sectors of the media along with the likes of Assange and Snowden.
    He got a second breath of wind from the right when he started railing against "cancel culture".

    He was a big proponent of the Hunter Biden e-mails as well.
  • Options
    state_go_awaystate_go_away Posts: 5,422

    carnforth said:

    Scott_xP said:
    50?

    Ireland is making plans to be ready to accommodate more than 100,000. (1,349 have entered Ireland so far)
    Patel was interviwed today and she said that the scheme only opened yesterday and the home office had received 10,000 applications in the first few hours which were being processed

    I do not like Patel but this them against us is tedious especially as we have said we will take 200,000
    You said last week the bad money for influence legislation goes after the Chinese too Big G, not just Russians. Do you want to change that position ahead of tomorrow’s shenanigans in Parliament?
    Not sure what you mean but listening to Starmer today it does seem the legidlstion has been virtually agreed between Boris and himself for tomorrow and it must identify dirty money from anywhere
    What difference do you think this pending legislation will make? Seeing as how Boris Johnson refuses to obey laws that inconvenience him or his government, personally or politically?

    These laws actually help his government and I have no doubt they will be enforced if for no other reason public demand and opposition demands

    I would just comment in all this cynicism of Boris, Peppa Crerar the mirror journalist most responsible for putting partygate in front of the nation, was very complimentary to Boris this morning saying that he was doing well and leading Britain in a global context
    So to ask the question again, if we are doing such a marvellous job why are we refusing Ukrainian refugees? The rest of Europe acts, we refuse but then tell lies about acting.

    On one hand we have that traitor Patel saying how marvellous her policy is for refugees. On the other hand we have hard evidence that her Border Force refuse to let almost everyone in. Go away they are told.
    If there is evidence than Patel must respond and hopefully it will be raised in the HOC tomorrow

    If? It is being reported widely from multiple sources of multiple examples.

    They are lying to you when they say the policy is generous.
    I understand 200,000 can come to the UK for 3 years

    Is that wrong and if so please provide a link
    One posted above. Turned away by Border Force. Told to go away, back to Paris or Brussels. We aren't letting people in. You understand the lie they have told. I don;t blame you one bit - it is outrageous that we can't trust the word of the Home Secretary about the treatment of refugees.

    But we can't trust her word. It is a lie.
    What evidence do you have that we are not processing the 10 000 received yesterday
    10,000 what? People?
    Applicants. But then you knew that.
    I did? Its just that "10,000" is not the number being quoted by the actual Home Office. Nowhere near that. And again. Are ANY other countries with Ukrainian residents who are within easy reach of refugees REFUSING entry as we are?
    "Fifty Ukrainians have been granted visas under a scheme for refugees with family links to the UK, the Home Office has announced.

    It is about 1% of the 5,535 people who have applied since the programme launched 48 hours earlier."

    https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-60640460
    Its utterly absurd. Fleeing for your life? You can't come here - not without filling in a visa form from another country and then waiting about for us to consider your application.

    No. Other. Country. Doing our kind of malevolent cruelty. And yet as we uniquely bar refugees and send them away we have people saying "but we're letting 200k in".

    No, we aren't. We let in 50.
    they might be safer not coming here with the way its going
  • Options
    TheuniondivvieTheuniondivvie Posts: 40,172
    edited March 2022
    Alistair said:

    I know this is old news but Glenn Greenwald is a proper piece of shit.

    What's he said/done now?

    I can't work out whether at some point in the distant past he was capable of interesting analysis and has subsequently gone mad, or I was a gullible ****.
  • Options
    MrEdMrEd Posts: 5,578
    Alistair said:

    I know this is old news but Glenn Greenwald is a proper piece of shit.

    Why?
  • Options
    pingping Posts: 3,731
    BBC;

    Pentagon officials have been briefing journalists on the latest US intelligence assessment of the conflict.

    A senior defence official said the US does not believe that a Russian amphibious operation aimed at taking the Black Sea city of Odesa is imminent.

    Earlier President Zelensky warned that Russian forces were preparing to bombard Odesa, which is close to the Moldovan border and the Russia-backed breakaway Moldovan region of Transnistria.

    The US defence official also said the US had observed only ‘limited’ changes on the ground in Ukraine over the past day, with Russian efforts to Kyiv, Kharkiv and Chernihiv being hotly contested by Ukraine.

    A 65km (40-mile) Russian convoy near Kyiv remains stalled and the airspace over Ukraine remains contested despite aircraft losses on both sides.

    The US estimates that 600 Russian missile launches of various kinds have taken place since the beginning of Russia’s invasion on 24 February, the official said.

    The Pentagon believes that approximately 95% of the Russian forces it had amassed near Ukraine’s border have now been committed to the offensive and deployed into Ukraine.
  • Options
    kle4kle4 Posts: 91,820
    Well, I hate to think what the details of this are when you cut it down from 5 days to 1.

    BBC: Hundreds of Ukrainian doctors have been taking part in an online war surgery course based in the UK.

    The course was organised by Dr David Nott, who has taught conflict healthcare across the world, and Dr Henry Marsh, a neurosurgeon with deep links to Ukraine.

    What was normally a five-day face-to-face course was crammed into a 12-hour Zoom call during which Dr Nott and Dr Marsh went through ballistics and burns, neurosurgery and vascular surgery.

    War surgery is different to anything a doctor has seen before, David Nott said. Hostile environments require decisions on treatments made under extreme time and resource pressure.

    Dr Marsh told the participants: "With luck you won't need this knowledge but best to prepare for the worst."
  • Options
    rottenboroughrottenborough Posts: 58,266
    edited March 2022
    kle4 said:

    "As Ukrainians deal with the devastation of the Russian attacks in their homeland, many are also encountering a confounding and almost surreal backlash from family members in Russia, who refuse to believe that Russian soldiers could bomb innocent people, or even that a war is taking place at all."



    Ukrainians Find That Relatives in Russia Don’t Believe It’s a War
    Many Ukrainians are encountering a confounding and frustrating backlash from family members in Russia who have bought into the official Kremlin messaging.

    https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/06/world/europe/ukraine-russia-families.html

    It's frustrating enough when a relative buys into a conspiracy theory you know for a fact to be false (one of mine genuinely thought images of T May had been spliced into footage in Salisbury and she was not really there, to take a mild example), but when you call to let them know your apartment building has been destroyed and half your neighbours are dead?
    I'm struggling with this. In the piece a guy's own father (back in Russia) doesn't believe he is being bombed to bits in Ukr.

    So he would literally rather believe state TV news over his own son?
  • Options
    LeonLeon Posts: 47,330

    Leon said:

    Sounds like Putin doing the Full Grozny on Kharkiv


    "Still more and more reports coming in of explosions all over #Kharkiv.

    This looks like the worst bombardment so far in the war. Indiscriminate shelling by Russia on the second biggest city in #Ukraine.

    How many war crimes can Putin commit in one day and be allowed to continue?"

    https://twitter.com/TWMCLtd/status/1500593565633851392?s=20&t=Wfff52Cp7zZ2bvjUXHGNIA

    And because he has nukes we are forced to sit and watch

    This is how Russians fight wars.
    It appears Putin is happy to turn Ukraine into a pile of smoking ashes, with 5m refugees scattered across Europe, as long as he "wins" this war

    The worst war crime in Europe since WW2, and probably second only to WW2. A truly bitter historic irony, when it was Russia that suffered so much from Hitler
  • Options
    FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 76,285
    edited March 2022
    Alistair said:

    Alistair said:

    I know this is old news but Glenn Greenwald is a proper piece of shit.

    I remember the days when he was lauded by certain sectors of the media along with the likes of Assange and Snowden.
    He got a second breath of wind from the right when he started railing against "cancel culture".

    He was a big proponent of the Hunter Biden e-mails as well.
    I have long been very suspicious of what motivates him.
  • Options
    kle4kle4 Posts: 91,820

    kle4 said:

    "As Ukrainians deal with the devastation of the Russian attacks in their homeland, many are also encountering a confounding and almost surreal backlash from family members in Russia, who refuse to believe that Russian soldiers could bomb innocent people, or even that a war is taking place at all."



    Ukrainians Find That Relatives in Russia Don’t Believe It’s a War
    Many Ukrainians are encountering a confounding and frustrating backlash from family members in Russia who have bought into the official Kremlin messaging.

    https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/06/world/europe/ukraine-russia-families.html

    It's frustrating enough when a relative buys into a conspiracy theory you know for a fact to be false (one of mine genuinely thought images of T May had been spliced into footage in Salisbury and she was not really there, to take a mild example), but when you call to let them know your apartment building has been destroyed and half your neighbours are dead?
    I'm struggling with this. In the piece a guy's own father (back in Russia) doesn't believe he is being bombed to bits in Ukr.

    So he would literally rather believe state TV news over his own son?
    That'll make for an awkward Orthodox Christmas. If his son lives to see it.
  • Options
    AlistairAlistair Posts: 23,670
    Incidentally the pictures of Russia bringing forward random civilian trucks and vehicles speak to the deep logistical hole they find themselves in.

    An under-reported fact of ww2 was just how huge the logistical support America gave Russia. Over a third of all aviation fuel was supplied by the US, hundreds of thousands of trucks and astonishing amounts of explosives, copper and aluminium.

    There is this myth about the great efficient Soviet/Russian war machine but reality is pretty different.

    Russia, good at artillery bombardment, shit at supplying the artillery without help.
  • Options
    AlistairAlistair Posts: 23,670

    Alistair said:

    Alistair said:

    I know this is old news but Glenn Greenwald is a proper piece of shit.

    I remember the days when he was lauded by certain sectors of the media along with the likes of Assange and Snowden.
    He got a second breath of wind from the right when he started railing against "cancel culture".

    He was a big proponent of the Hunter Biden e-mails as well.
    I have long been very suspicious of what motivates him.
    At this stage I can't tell if he is
    1) high on his own supply
    2) just a flat out grifter
    3) paid by Russia
  • Options
    MrEdMrEd Posts: 5,578

    Alistair said:

    Alistair said:

    I know this is old news but Glenn Greenwald is a proper piece of shit.

    I remember the days when he was lauded by certain sectors of the media along with the likes of Assange and Snowden.
    He got a second breath of wind from the right when he started railing against "cancel culture".

    He was a big proponent of the Hunter Biden e-mails as well.
    I have long been very suspicious of what motivates him.
    I don’t get the whole thing about the Hunter Biden e-mails - it’s already been admitted by Hunter himself that was his laptop and his e-mails so why do people on here the only ones who are saying it’s a conspiracy theory? In the States, the media has already moved from the conspiracy theory line to essentially saying it doesn’t matter
  • Options
    FrancisUrquhartFrancisUrquhart Posts: 76,285
    edited March 2022
    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    Sounds like Putin doing the Full Grozny on Kharkiv


    "Still more and more reports coming in of explosions all over #Kharkiv.

    This looks like the worst bombardment so far in the war. Indiscriminate shelling by Russia on the second biggest city in #Ukraine.

    How many war crimes can Putin commit in one day and be allowed to continue?"

    https://twitter.com/TWMCLtd/status/1500593565633851392?s=20&t=Wfff52Cp7zZ2bvjUXHGNIA

    And because he has nukes we are forced to sit and watch

    This is how Russians fight wars.
    It appears Putin is happy to turn Ukraine into a pile of smoking ashes, with 5m refugees scattered across Europe, as long as he "wins" this war

    The worst war crime in Europe since WW2, and probably second only to WW2. A truly bitter historic irony, when it was Russia that suffered so much from Hitler
    Konstantin Kisin made the point that the Russian doctrine places far less worth on the value of the individual life, it is much more important that the "greater good" is seen to have been upheld. Putin propaganda is that this is about resisting the Nazis (again) and behind them NATO want to roll in and expand.

    It is difficult for us in the west to try and consider such a notation, but we neither have the cultural framework nor have to listen to the 24/7 propaganda or be worried we will be off to Siberia should we raise an objection.
  • Options
    kle4kle4 Posts: 91,820
    Yikes, pulling no punches there

    Zelensky: "Think about the feeling of impunity that the occupiers have that they announce their atrocities in advance! All because there is no reaction. Not a word. It’s like all Western leaders are gone today. I hope you will at least notice it tomorrow, and react to it".


    However much no NFZ makes rational sense for the West, it's no wonder the Ukrainians are a bit more sanguine about it making a large scale war more likely given their current situation.
  • Options
    FoxyFoxy Posts: 44,709

    kle4 said:

    "As Ukrainians deal with the devastation of the Russian attacks in their homeland, many are also encountering a confounding and almost surreal backlash from family members in Russia, who refuse to believe that Russian soldiers could bomb innocent people, or even that a war is taking place at all."



    Ukrainians Find That Relatives in Russia Don’t Believe It’s a War
    Many Ukrainians are encountering a confounding and frustrating backlash from family members in Russia who have bought into the official Kremlin messaging.

    https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/06/world/europe/ukraine-russia-families.html

    It's frustrating enough when a relative buys into a conspiracy theory you know for a fact to be false (one of mine genuinely thought images of T May had been spliced into footage in Salisbury and she was not really there, to take a mild example), but when you call to let them know your apartment building has been destroyed and half your neighbours are dead?
    I'm struggling with this. In the piece a guy's own father (back in Russia) doesn't believe he is being bombed to bits in Ukr.

    So he would literally rather believe state TV news over his own son?
    The truth is too hard to believe sometimes, even when it stares you in the face. Comfortable lies are preferred to uncomfortable truths. It's a phenomenon here too.
  • Options
    MoonRabbitMoonRabbit Posts: 12,441
    IshmaelZ said:

    DougSeal said:

    DougSeal said:

    DougSeal said:

    On topic, I’m looking forward to seeing how Starmer deploys the Lebedev affair at PMQs. It could really be the making of him if he manages it right.

    This morning he said he was not aware of the detail and it should be referred to the appropriate committee

    Seems eminently sensible
    He’s got until Wednesday to grab the detail. He’s a QC so shouldn’t be hard. Really hope he gets it right.
    Appointments have to be approved by the House of Lords Appointment Commission so ultimately they are responsible

    https://www.parliament.uk/business/lords/whos-in-the-house-of-lords/members-and-their-roles/how-members-are-appointed/
    The charge is that Johnson got the intelligence assessment changed. That had nothing to do with anyone else.
    Then Starmer is correct in referring it to the appropriate committee
    Johnson is a smarmy, lying, worthless crook and a disgrace to himself, his party and his country. Your attitude to him is Rudolf the Red nosed Reindeer played out in real life.
    That’s enough slander 😠 There’s proper questions emerging here for PB to bottom out and help each other, and credit to Big G for answering every question honestly whilst HY has run away to hide in a fridge.
  • Options
    Andy_JSAndy_JS Posts: 26,714
    All western companies need to stop operating in Russia.
  • Options
    kle4kle4 Posts: 91,820

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    Sounds like Putin doing the Full Grozny on Kharkiv


    "Still more and more reports coming in of explosions all over #Kharkiv.

    This looks like the worst bombardment so far in the war. Indiscriminate shelling by Russia on the second biggest city in #Ukraine.

    How many war crimes can Putin commit in one day and be allowed to continue?"

    https://twitter.com/TWMCLtd/status/1500593565633851392?s=20&t=Wfff52Cp7zZ2bvjUXHGNIA

    And because he has nukes we are forced to sit and watch

    This is how Russians fight wars.
    It appears Putin is happy to turn Ukraine into a pile of smoking ashes, with 5m refugees scattered across Europe, as long as he "wins" this war

    The worst war crime in Europe since WW2, and probably second only to WW2. A truly bitter historic irony, when it was Russia that suffered so much from Hitler
    Konstantin Kisin made the point that the Russian doctrine places far less worth on the value of the individual life, it is much more important that the "greater good" is seen to have been upheld. Putin propaganda is that this is about resisting the Nazis (again) and behind them NATO want to roll in and expand.
    The sequel to the Great Patriotic War is turning out to be a bit of a let down. Often the way with really long awaited sequels, especially in the hands of fanboy nostalgists with a poor grast of the facts of the original.
  • Options
    kle4kle4 Posts: 91,820
    Alistair said:

    Alistair said:

    Alistair said:

    I know this is old news but Glenn Greenwald is a proper piece of shit.

    I remember the days when he was lauded by certain sectors of the media along with the likes of Assange and Snowden.
    He got a second breath of wind from the right when he started railing against "cancel culture".

    He was a big proponent of the Hunter Biden e-mails as well.
    I have long been very suspicious of what motivates him.
    At this stage I can't tell if he is
    1) high on his own supply
    2) just a flat out grifter
    3) paid by Russia
    Without using an overfamiliar phrase, there are always people willing to do it for free.
  • Options
    LeonLeon Posts: 47,330
    I fear this is absolutely right


    "With the indiscriminate bombardment of Kharkiv, a mostly Russian-speaking city, Putin's strategy becomes clear: Murder as many people as possible. Then take possession of the ruins.

    "Longer-term strategy: move "patriotic" Russians into the ruins. Change the nature of the place. Whether you call it genocide or ethnic cleansing, the KGB know how to do it: Stalin, like Hitler, tried it many times."

    https://twitter.com/anneapplebaum/status/1500482760242339843?s=20&t=Wfff52Cp7zZ2bvjUXHGNIA
  • Options
    philiphphiliph Posts: 4,704

    Scott_xP said:
    50?

    Ireland is making plans to be ready to accommodate more than 100,000. (1,349 have entered Ireland so far)
    Patel was interviwed today and she said that the scheme only opened yesterday and the home office had received 10,000 applications in the first few hours which were being processed

    I do not like Patel but this them against us is tedious especially as we have said we will take 200,000
    You said last week the bad money for influence legislation goes after the Chinese too Big G, not just Russians. Do you want to change that position ahead of tomorrow’s shenanigans in Parliament?
    Not sure what you mean but listening to Starmer today it does seem the legidlstion has been virtually agreed between Boris and himself for tomorrow and it must identify dirty money from anywhere
    What difference do you think this pending legislation will make? Seeing as how Boris Johnson refuses to obey laws that inconvenience him or his government, personally or politically?

    These laws actually help his government and I have no doubt they will be enforced if for no other reason public demand and opposition demands

    I would just comment in all this cynicism of Boris, Peppa Crerar the mirror journalist most responsible for putting partygate in front of the nation, was very complimentary to Boris this morning saying that he was doing well and leading Britain in a global context
    So to ask the question again, if we are doing such a marvellous job why are we refusing Ukrainian refugees? The rest of Europe acts, we refuse but then tell lies about acting.

    On one hand we have that traitor Patel saying how marvellous her policy is for refugees. On the other hand we have hard evidence that her Border Force refuse to let almost everyone in. Go away they are told.
    If there is evidence than Patel must respond and hopefully it will be raised in the HOC tomorrow

    If? It is being reported widely from multiple sources of multiple examples.

    They are lying to you when they say the policy is generous.
    I understand 200,000 can come to the UK for 3 years

    Is that wrong and if so please provide a link
    One posted above. Turned away by Border Force. Told to go away, back to Paris or Brussels. We aren't letting people in. You understand the lie they have told. I don;t blame you one bit - it is outrageous that we can't trust the word of the Home Secretary about the treatment of refugees.

    But we can't trust her word. It is a lie.
    What evidence do you have that we are not processing the 10 000 received yesterday
    10,000 what? People? The Home Office said we have so far let in 50.

    This one is simple. We have a million people fleeing into Poland alone. Some have relatives here, connections here, sanctuary offered here. Unlike countries across the continent we are turning them away. You can't come here. Go away. Fill in a form. We'll think about it.

    Its disgusting, shameful, appalling. That she is lying about it just makes it worse. Let refugees in. Now.
    Poland alone? That dumb assertion really annoys me. It is the easiest exit by miles. That may be why they all head there. A stupid statistic to weaponise.
    Yes, we should make it easier. We should do more.
    Comparison to the Poland number is stupidity personified.
  • Options
    MoonRabbitMoonRabbit Posts: 12,441
    DavidL said:

    Chameleon said:

    https://twitter.com/marcorubio/status/1500475577383497731
    "Get familiar with #Transnistria

    You will soon be hearing a lot more about it"

    Rubio signalling that US Int believes that Russia are going to start doing things from Transnistria?

    Wasn’t she in the Rocky Horror Picture Show?
    I was in Rocky Horror at school. Loved it. 👯‍♀️ 👄
  • Options
    TheuniondivvieTheuniondivvie Posts: 40,172
    Foxy said:

    kle4 said:

    "As Ukrainians deal with the devastation of the Russian attacks in their homeland, many are also encountering a confounding and almost surreal backlash from family members in Russia, who refuse to believe that Russian soldiers could bomb innocent people, or even that a war is taking place at all."



    Ukrainians Find That Relatives in Russia Don’t Believe It’s a War
    Many Ukrainians are encountering a confounding and frustrating backlash from family members in Russia who have bought into the official Kremlin messaging.

    https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/06/world/europe/ukraine-russia-families.html

    It's frustrating enough when a relative buys into a conspiracy theory you know for a fact to be false (one of mine genuinely thought images of T May had been spliced into footage in Salisbury and she was not really there, to take a mild example), but when you call to let them know your apartment building has been destroyed and half your neighbours are dead?
    I'm struggling with this. In the piece a guy's own father (back in Russia) doesn't believe he is being bombed to bits in Ukr.

    So he would literally rather believe state TV news over his own son?
    The truth is too hard to believe sometimes, even when it stares you in the face. Comfortable lies are preferred to uncomfortable truths. It's a phenomenon here too.
    Old T.S. knew his stuff (despite all the dubiety).

    Go, go, go, said the bird: human kind
    Cannot bear very much reality.
    Time past and time future
    What might have been and what has been
    Point to one end, which is always present.
  • Options
    rottenboroughrottenborough Posts: 58,266
    Here it is. The inevitable Downfall spoof:

    "I have to wipe my ass with ruble notes instead of super-soft triple Finnish toilet paper"

    https://twitter.com/aleksnovak007/status/1500595638811209734
  • Options

    kle4 said:

    "As Ukrainians deal with the devastation of the Russian attacks in their homeland, many are also encountering a confounding and almost surreal backlash from family members in Russia, who refuse to believe that Russian soldiers could bomb innocent people, or even that a war is taking place at all."



    Ukrainians Find That Relatives in Russia Don’t Believe It’s a War
    Many Ukrainians are encountering a confounding and frustrating backlash from family members in Russia who have bought into the official Kremlin messaging.

    https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/06/world/europe/ukraine-russia-families.html

    It's frustrating enough when a relative buys into a conspiracy theory you know for a fact to be false (one of mine genuinely thought images of T May had been spliced into footage in Salisbury and she was not really there, to take a mild example), but when you call to let them know your apartment building has been destroyed and half your neighbours are dead?
    I'm struggling with this. In the piece a guy's own father (back in Russia) doesn't believe he is being bombed to bits in Ukr.

    So he would literally rather believe state TV news over his own son?
    5 live reported a distressed daughter this morning living in Ukraine saying her parents were pro Russia and said it was all western propaganda and now they only communicate with each by the odd text

    The daughter was very upset at the fracture with her own parents
  • Options
    HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 117,030
    edited March 2022

    IshmaelZ said:

    DougSeal said:

    DougSeal said:

    DougSeal said:

    On topic, I’m looking forward to seeing how Starmer deploys the Lebedev affair at PMQs. It could really be the making of him if he manages it right.

    This morning he said he was not aware of the detail and it should be referred to the appropriate committee

    Seems eminently sensible
    He’s got until Wednesday to grab the detail. He’s a QC so shouldn’t be hard. Really hope he gets it right.
    Appointments have to be approved by the House of Lords Appointment Commission so ultimately they are responsible

    https://www.parliament.uk/business/lords/whos-in-the-house-of-lords/members-and-their-roles/how-members-are-appointed/
    The charge is that Johnson got the intelligence assessment changed. That had nothing to do with anyone else.
    Then Starmer is correct in referring it to the appropriate committee
    Johnson is a smarmy, lying, worthless crook and a disgrace to himself, his party and his country. Your attitude to him is Rudolf the Red nosed Reindeer played out in real life.
    That’s enough slander 😠 There’s proper questions emerging here for PB to bottom out and help each other, and credit to Big G for answering every question honestly whilst HY has run away to hide in a fridge.
    It is not a question it is abuse from a leftwinger who despises the fact Boris crushed the left with the biggest Tory landslide since Thatcher in 1987 in 2019.

    I have got better things to do than answer bitter rants
  • Options
    NigelbNigelb Posts: 62,667
    Foxy said:

    kle4 said:

    Well, I hate to think what the details of this are when you cut it down from 5 days to 1.

    BBC: Hundreds of Ukrainian doctors have been taking part in an online war surgery course based in the UK.

    The course was organised by Dr David Nott, who has taught conflict healthcare across the world, and Dr Henry Marsh, a neurosurgeon with deep links to Ukraine.

    What was normally a five-day face-to-face course was crammed into a 12-hour Zoom call during which Dr Nott and Dr Marsh went through ballistics and burns, neurosurgery and vascular surgery.

    War surgery is different to anything a doctor has seen before, David Nott said. Hostile environments require decisions on treatments made under extreme time and resource pressure.

    Dr Marsh told the participants: "With luck you won't need this knowledge but best to prepare for the worst."

    Particularly impressive as Henry Marsh has terminal cancer.
    He is a deeply admirable character.
  • Options
    kle4kle4 Posts: 91,820

    kle4 said:

    "As Ukrainians deal with the devastation of the Russian attacks in their homeland, many are also encountering a confounding and almost surreal backlash from family members in Russia, who refuse to believe that Russian soldiers could bomb innocent people, or even that a war is taking place at all."



    Ukrainians Find That Relatives in Russia Don’t Believe It’s a War
    Many Ukrainians are encountering a confounding and frustrating backlash from family members in Russia who have bought into the official Kremlin messaging.

    https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/06/world/europe/ukraine-russia-families.html

    It's frustrating enough when a relative buys into a conspiracy theory you know for a fact to be false (one of mine genuinely thought images of T May had been spliced into footage in Salisbury and she was not really there, to take a mild example), but when you call to let them know your apartment building has been destroyed and half your neighbours are dead?
    I'm struggling with this. In the piece a guy's own father (back in Russia) doesn't believe he is being bombed to bits in Ukr.

    So he would literally rather believe state TV news over his own son?
    5 live reported a distressed daughter this morning living in Ukraine saying her parents were pro Russia and said it was all western propaganda and now they only communicate with each by the odd text

    The daughter was very upset at the fracture with her own parents
    Sometimes a family breakdown is for the best, despite what TV and Movies would have us believe. I'm amazed they still text after that.
  • Options
    MoonRabbitMoonRabbit Posts: 12,441
    DougSeal said:

    On topic, I’m looking forward to seeing how Starmer deploys the Lebedev affair at PMQs. It could really be the making of him if he manages it right.

    Starmer and Labour has heaps to wield in parliament all week. If Tories didn’t want to get whacked over the head by a club with “world beating” on it, they shouldn’t have handed it to all parliamentary opponents then.

    Two hundred thousand refugees? But what about the hurdles UK laying out for them to get through? It’s not unpatriotic for Libdems and Labour to resume normal opposition on these things and ensure government actually deliver on promises, it would be the wrong thing if the opposition didn’t.

    Primeminister getting blocked by honest security assessments, who then gets the assessment changed to continue?

    Starmer’s very first question this week has to be “when was the last time you rang and spoke to Putin”
  • Options
    FoxyFoxy Posts: 44,709
    Alistair said:

    Alistair said:

    I know this is old news but Glenn Greenwald is a proper piece of shit.

    I remember the days when he was lauded by certain sectors of the media along with the likes of Assange and Snowden.
    He got a second breath of wind from the right when he started railing against "cancel culture".

    He was a big proponent of the Hunter Biden e-mails as well.
    Isn't he just being consistent, complaining of the cancellation of Putin and the oligarchs?
  • Options
    SeaShantyIrish2SeaShantyIrish2 Posts: 15,612
    MrEd said:

    Alistair said:

    I know this is old news but Glenn Greenwald is a proper piece of shit.

    Why?
    Glenn Greenwald
    @ggreenwald
    Some have speculated that the US goal isn't to protect Ukrainians -- that's the pretext -- but rather sacrifice Ukraine by turning it into Syria or Afghanistan where war rages for years and destroys the country, bogging down Russia. No proof, but US actions consistent with that.
    11:47 AM · Mar 5, 2022·Twitter Web App
  • Options
    SeaShantyIrish2SeaShantyIrish2 Posts: 15,612
    Foxy said:

    Alistair said:

    Alistair said:

    I know this is old news but Glenn Greenwald is a proper piece of shit.

    I remember the days when he was lauded by certain sectors of the media along with the likes of Assange and Snowden.
    He got a second breath of wind from the right when he started railing against "cancel culture".

    He was a big proponent of the Hunter Biden e-mails as well.
    Isn't he just being consistent, complaining of the cancellation of Putin and the oligarchs?
    Similar to cancellation of (still) President Trump and the My Pillow guy?
  • Options
    BigRichBigRich Posts: 3,489
    Alistair said:

    Incidentally the pictures of Russia bringing forward random civilian trucks and vehicles speak to the deep logistical hole they find themselves in.

    An under-reported fact of ww2 was just how huge the logistical support America gave Russia. Over a third of all aviation fuel was supplied by the US, hundreds of thousands of trucks and astonishing amounts of explosives, copper and aluminium.

    There is this myth about the great efficient Soviet/Russian war machine but reality is pretty different.

    Russia, good at artillery bombardment, shit at supplying the artillery without help.

    the west gave over 300,000 trucks to the USSR in WW2 while the Russians where able to produce about 150,000 of there own. so that's about 2/3 of there trucks.
  • Options
    kle4kle4 Posts: 91,820

    MrEd said:

    Alistair said:

    I know this is old news but Glenn Greenwald is a proper piece of shit.

    Why?
    Glenn Greenwald
    @ggreenwald
    Some have speculated that the US goal isn't to protect Ukrainians -- that's the pretext -- but rather sacrifice Ukraine by turning it into Syria or Afghanistan where war rages for years and destroys the country, bogging down Russia. No proof, but US actions consistent with that.
    11:47 AM · Mar 5, 2022·Twitter Web App
    Classy. 'Some have speculated' 'No proof'. Surprised it doesn't say the US 'lured' Russia in to boot.
  • Options
    FoxyFoxy Posts: 44,709

    DavidL said:

    Chameleon said:

    https://twitter.com/marcorubio/status/1500475577383497731
    "Get familiar with #Transnistria

    You will soon be hearing a lot more about it"

    Rubio signalling that US Int believes that Russia are going to start doing things from Transnistria?

    Wasn’t she in the Rocky Horror Picture Show?
    I was in Rocky Horror at school. Loved it. 👯‍♀️ 👄
    A bit ribald for a school production. Are you a St Trinity's Old Girl?
  • Options
    Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 49,345
    Alistair said:

    Incidentally the pictures of Russia bringing forward random civilian trucks and vehicles speak to the deep logistical hole they find themselves in.

    An under-reported fact of ww2 was just how huge the logistical support America gave Russia. Over a third of all aviation fuel was supplied by the US, hundreds of thousands of trucks and astonishing amounts of explosives, copper and aluminium.

    Also 4,719 P-39 fighters, 2,425 P-40 fighters, 2,367 P-63 fighters, 862 B-25 bombers, 3,414 A-20 bombers
  • Options
    TresTres Posts: 2,230

    DavidL said:

    Made the mistake of watching some of the BBC news 24 reports tonight. It was absolutely hellish. We are seeing war crimes and the massacre of civilians in Europe in real time. This is not Rwanda which was basically hidden away. It is utterly dominating our news day after day.

    I am really not sure how long we can stand to one side from this. Of course I recognise the risks in dealing with a psychopathic lunatic with a huge nuclear arsenal but this is a horror. Are we really willing to let these bastards kill 1m people in Kyiv in the same way they murdered the inhabitants of Aleppo? Can we?

    whats the difference then ?
    Ukraine has well known fitba teams
  • Options
    LeonLeon Posts: 47,330
    edited March 2022
    My God


    It's like footage from the Second World War, colorised

    And yet it is happening now, this is today


    "This is #Kharkiv, east #Ukraine, on 6 March 2022.

    Before Putin began his barbaric war against the Ukrianian people, Kharkiv was a vibrant city of 1.5 million people. How can the world let this happen?!?"

    https://twitter.com/AlexKokcharov/status/1500577460093603842?s=20&t=-6OVFfqYhkSAO2uut-L_xQ
  • Options
    SeaShantyIrish2SeaShantyIrish2 Posts: 15,612
    kle4 said:

    MrEd said:

    Alistair said:

    I know this is old news but Glenn Greenwald is a proper piece of shit.

    Why?
    Glenn Greenwald
    @ggreenwald
    Some have speculated that the US goal isn't to protect Ukrainians -- that's the pretext -- but rather sacrifice Ukraine by turning it into Syria or Afghanistan where war rages for years and destroys the country, bogging down Russia. No proof, but US actions consistent with that.
    11:47 AM · Mar 5, 2022·Twitter Web App
    Classy. 'Some have speculated' 'No proof'. Surprised it doesn't say the US 'lured' Russia in to boot.
    GG probably says just that (with similar mealy-mouthed "disclaimer") but you'd need to wade though oceans of similar swill to find out for sure. Personally regret the minute I spent googling up this garbage.
  • Options
    Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 49,345
    HYUFD said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    DougSeal said:

    DougSeal said:

    DougSeal said:

    On topic, I’m looking forward to seeing how Starmer deploys the Lebedev affair at PMQs. It could really be the making of him if he manages it right.

    This morning he said he was not aware of the detail and it should be referred to the appropriate committee

    Seems eminently sensible
    He’s got until Wednesday to grab the detail. He’s a QC so shouldn’t be hard. Really hope he gets it right.
    Appointments have to be approved by the House of Lords Appointment Commission so ultimately they are responsible

    https://www.parliament.uk/business/lords/whos-in-the-house-of-lords/members-and-their-roles/how-members-are-appointed/
    The charge is that Johnson got the intelligence assessment changed. That had nothing to do with anyone else.
    Then Starmer is correct in referring it to the appropriate committee
    Johnson is a smarmy, lying, worthless crook and a disgrace to himself, his party and his country. Your attitude to him is Rudolf the Red nosed Reindeer played out in real life.
    That’s enough slander 😠 There’s proper questions emerging here for PB to bottom out and help each other, and credit to Big G for answering every question honestly whilst HY has run away to hide in a fridge.
    It is not a question it is abuse from a leftwinger who despises the fact Boris crushed the left with the biggest Tory landslide since Thatcher in 1987 in 2019.

    I have got better things to do than answer bitter rants
    56.4% still voted against Boris, higher than the 51.9% who voted Leave in 2016.
  • Options
    FrankBoothFrankBooth Posts: 9,047
    Do we know how many Polish MiGs they are getting? Perhaps that will be a game changer.
  • Options
    SeaShantyIrish2SeaShantyIrish2 Posts: 15,612
    BigRich said:

    Alistair said:

    Incidentally the pictures of Russia bringing forward random civilian trucks and vehicles speak to the deep logistical hole they find themselves in.

    An under-reported fact of ww2 was just how huge the logistical support America gave Russia. Over a third of all aviation fuel was supplied by the US, hundreds of thousands of trucks and astonishing amounts of explosives, copper and aluminium.

    There is this myth about the great efficient Soviet/Russian war machine but reality is pretty different.

    Russia, good at artillery bombardment, shit at supplying the artillery without help.

    the west gave over 300,000 trucks to the USSR in WW2 while the Russians where able to produce about 150,000 of there own. so that's about 2/3 of there trucks.
    “Without Spam, we wouldn’t have been able to feed our army.” - Nikita Khrushchev
  • Options
    Luckyguy1983Luckyguy1983 Posts: 25,472
    BigRich said:

    Alistair said:

    Incidentally the pictures of Russia bringing forward random civilian trucks and vehicles speak to the deep logistical hole they find themselves in.

    An under-reported fact of ww2 was just how huge the logistical support America gave Russia. Over a third of all aviation fuel was supplied by the US, hundreds of thousands of trucks and astonishing amounts of explosives, copper and aluminium.

    There is this myth about the great efficient Soviet/Russian war machine but reality is pretty different.

    Russia, good at artillery bombardment, shit at supplying the artillery without help.

    the west gave over 300,000 trucks to the USSR in WW2 while the Russians where able to produce about 150,000 of there own. so that's about 2/3 of there trucks.
    We also delayed our own advance into Germany to let the Soviets catch up. Bizarre and still unexplained.
  • Options
    Andy_JSAndy_JS Posts: 26,714

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    Sounds like Putin doing the Full Grozny on Kharkiv


    "Still more and more reports coming in of explosions all over #Kharkiv.

    This looks like the worst bombardment so far in the war. Indiscriminate shelling by Russia on the second biggest city in #Ukraine.

    How many war crimes can Putin commit in one day and be allowed to continue?"

    https://twitter.com/TWMCLtd/status/1500593565633851392?s=20&t=Wfff52Cp7zZ2bvjUXHGNIA

    And because he has nukes we are forced to sit and watch

    This is how Russians fight wars.
    It appears Putin is happy to turn Ukraine into a pile of smoking ashes, with 5m refugees scattered across Europe, as long as he "wins" this war

    The worst war crime in Europe since WW2, and probably second only to WW2. A truly bitter historic irony, when it was Russia that suffered so much from Hitler
    Konstantin Kisin made the point that the Russian doctrine places far less worth on the value of the individual life, it is much more important that the "greater good" is seen to have been upheld. Putin propaganda is that this is about resisting the Nazis (again) and behind them NATO want to roll in and expand.

    It is difficult for us in the west to try and consider such a notation, but we neither have the cultural framework nor have to listen to the 24/7 propaganda or be worried we will be off to Siberia should we raise an objection.
    It's not just Russia. Individuals are not valued highly in pretty much everywhere that isn't part of the West. It's the collective that matters. But this doesn't seem to be understood very well outside Western countries.
  • Options
    NigelbNigelb Posts: 62,667
    Tres said:

    DavidL said:

    Made the mistake of watching some of the BBC news 24 reports tonight. It was absolutely hellish. We are seeing war crimes and the massacre of civilians in Europe in real time. This is not Rwanda which was basically hidden away. It is utterly dominating our news day after day.

    I am really not sure how long we can stand to one side from this. Of course I recognise the risks in dealing with a psychopathic lunatic with a huge nuclear arsenal but this is a horror. Are we really willing to let these bastards kill 1m people in Kyiv in the same way they murdered the inhabitants of Aleppo? Can we?

    whats the difference then ?
    Ukraine has well known fitba teams
    Also Syria was a civil war - this is an invasion.
  • Options
    rottenboroughrottenborough Posts: 58,266
    TPУXA⚡️@tpyxaTV·2h++🚨BREAKING NEWS🚨 ++

    #Anonymous has hacked the #Russian streaming Plattform Wink and Ivi (Russian Netflix) and state television and is showing videos from the war in the #Ukraine

    #UkraineRussianWar #Moscow #UkraineUnderAttaсk
  • Options
    rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 54,013
    moonshine said:

    Sandpit said:

    Aslan said:

    I think we maybe worry too much about the fighter jet issue. I see the Ukrainians have got a load more Turkish drones. I'm puzzled as to why we haven't done more for them there.

    It is quite possible British and American experienced drone pilots are piloting those drones. How would Russia ever know?
    We think Russia lost 9 warplanes yesterday. They're taking a big risk committing all their forces.
    At the start of the conflict, Russia had around 1,100 warplanes (plus transporters, refuellers, helicopters etc). How many of those actually exist and are serviceable, is anyone’s guess. Let’s assume 50%, which IMHO is a tad optimistic given what else we know about the Russian forces at the moment.

    Now, Ukraine says they’ve shot down around 50 in the last 10 days, which represents 10% of the entire Russian Air Force downed in a week and a half. There’s plenty of evidence for most of those kills too, so it’s not a wild over-estimate.

    There’s also 30 or 40 helicopters shot down, which is fair proportion of the rotary fleet as well.

    Thanks to weapons and training over the past half dozen years, the Ukranians have great equipment and know how to use it. There’s no need for the antagonistic “No-Fly Zone” that Putin wants NATO to activate, the Ukranian forces, backed by NATO weapons and intelligence, are doing just fine.
    Are there estimates of how severely damaged Russia’s armoured strength is? Elite divisions? I’m sure Putin would look at only 5% of his Air Force gone (on paper) and think it’s a rounding error. And of the X thousand troop losses, not care less about the deaths of press ganged convicts and rural peasants.

    So how bad is it really now?
    Well, it's complicated.

    For a start a fair number of the serviceable planes (with the best pilots) are in Syria.
  • Options
    SeaShantyIrish2SeaShantyIrish2 Posts: 15,612
    BTW, has anyone noticed how so much of the web chatter re: anti-Vax, has now shifted to pro-Putin?

    That's what I'm being told in USA. Is that true here, and in UK? IF so, pretty interesting to put it mildly.
  • Options
    NigelbNigelb Posts: 62,667
    Poland is willing to give MiG-29 fighter planes to Ukraine, but wants a guarantee from the White House that it will provide U.S.-made fighter jets to fill the gap in their fleet.
    https://twitter.com/POLITICOEurope/status/1500441145712812033
  • Options
    NigelbNigelb Posts: 62,667
    Vadym Denysenko, advisor to interior minister of Ukraine:

    "Russian occupiers gathered sufficient troops near Kyiv and will try to seize the capital in the next few days."

    https://twitter.com/KyivIndependent/status/1500565829540323332
  • Options
    MoonRabbitMoonRabbit Posts: 12,441
    HYUFD said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    DougSeal said:

    DougSeal said:

    DougSeal said:

    On topic, I’m looking forward to seeing how Starmer deploys the Lebedev affair at PMQs. It could really be the making of him if he manages it right.

    This morning he said he was not aware of the detail and it should be referred to the appropriate committee

    Seems eminently sensible
    He’s got until Wednesday to grab the detail. He’s a QC so shouldn’t be hard. Really hope he gets it right.
    Appointments have to be approved by the House of Lords Appointment Commission so ultimately they are responsible

    https://www.parliament.uk/business/lords/whos-in-the-house-of-lords/members-and-their-roles/how-members-are-appointed/
    The charge is that Johnson got the intelligence assessment changed. That had nothing to do with anyone else.
    Then Starmer is correct in referring it to the appropriate committee
    Johnson is a smarmy, lying, worthless crook and a disgrace to himself, his party and his country. Your attitude to him is Rudolf the Red nosed Reindeer played out in real life.
    That’s enough slander 😠 There’s proper questions emerging here for PB to bottom out and help each other, and credit to Big G for answering every question honestly whilst HY has run away to hide in a fridge.
    It is not a question it is abuse from a leftwinger who despises the fact Boris crushed the left with the biggest Tory landslide since Thatcher in 1987 in 2019.

    I have got better things to do than answer bitter rants
    Welcome back 🙂

    A couple of proper questions then, politely put.

    Primeministers getting blocked by honest security assessments, who then get the assessment changed to continue, for example like Blair, has to be investigated to ensure resilience of our Democracy and security structures. are you arguing with that?

    However, I agree with what you posted earlier, this isn’t something on lips of every voter at the moment, I completely agree.

    What does appear to be on lips of every voter at the moment is the length of time the UK government is giving Oligarchs to escape with their money? I think we all agree can’t we, this is what voters of this country are thinking and saying unprompted right now - I have earwigged in two bars and a church today “why don’t they just get on and take action, why does it have to take another two weeks?”

    So looking at the coming week, and parliament tomorrow, whilst the government set down it can only be done in six months, how do they end up agreeing 3 months, a month or two weeks from there and not defending the six months? What length would you be happy defending on PB? What is the game they are playing there, hoping opposition will keep government toes from fire?
  • Options
    rottenboroughrottenborough Posts: 58,266
    Keep an eye on Serbs and Bosnia:

    SARAJEVO, Bosnia Herzegovina — Additional troops from four European Union nations started arriving in Bosnia Friday to reinforce the EU-led peacekeeping force in the Balkan country which has never fully recovered from its brutal 1992-95 war.

    All four companies of the reserve forces from Austria, Bulgaria, Romania and Slovakia will arrive at the European Union Force (EUFOR) base outside Sarajevo to reinforce its 600-strong contingent already stationed in the country. The new deployments will total 500 troops.

    EUFOR announced the deployment of additional forces a day after Russian president Vladimir Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24.

    The force described the step as a precautionary measure to prevent the deterioration of the security situation internationally from spreading to Bosnia.

    https://www.marketwatch.com/story/extra-eu-troops-in-bosnia-to-prevent-spillover-from-russian-aggression-vs-ukraine-01646422671
  • Options
    LeonLeon Posts: 47,330

    BTW, has anyone noticed how so much of the web chatter re: anti-Vax, has now shifted to pro-Putin?

    That's what I'm being told in USA. Is that true here, and in UK? IF so, pretty interesting to put it mildly.

    I have a fairly bonkers relative who was madly anti-vax and has now segued into being effortlessly pro-Putin. Ditto a friend (less of a friend at the moment)

    It is bizarre but definitely a phenomenon. How does it work?
  • Options
    rottenboroughrottenborough Posts: 58,266

    BTW, has anyone noticed how so much of the web chatter re: anti-Vax, has now shifted to pro-Putin?

    That's what I'm being told in USA. Is that true here, and in UK? IF so, pretty interesting to put it mildly.

    I thought these trolls had stopped as they could no longer be paid by Moscow?
  • Options
    swing_voterswing_voter Posts: 1,435

    BigRich said:

    Alistair said:

    Incidentally the pictures of Russia bringing forward random civilian trucks and vehicles speak to the deep logistical hole they find themselves in.

    An under-reported fact of ww2 was just how huge the logistical support America gave Russia. Over a third of all aviation fuel was supplied by the US, hundreds of thousands of trucks and astonishing amounts of explosives, copper and aluminium.

    There is this myth about the great efficient Soviet/Russian war machine but reality is pretty different.

    Russia, good at artillery bombardment, shit at supplying the artillery without help.

    the west gave over 300,000 trucks to the USSR in WW2 while the Russians where able to produce about 150,000 of there own. so that's about 2/3 of there trucks.
    We also delayed our own advance into Germany to let the Soviets catch up. Bizarre and still unexplained.
    what source do you have for that claim about delaying the advance into Germany? My limied belief is Battle of the Bulge, failure of OP MARKET GARDEN, massive flooding around Netherlands and v fierce resistance from Germans was the real cause
  • Options
    kle4kle4 Posts: 91,820
    edited March 2022
    Leon said:

    BTW, has anyone noticed how so much of the web chatter re: anti-Vax, has now shifted to pro-Putin?

    That's what I'm being told in USA. Is that true here, and in UK? IF so, pretty interesting to put it mildly.

    I have a fairly bonkers relative who was madly anti-vax and has now segued into being effortlessly pro-Putin. Ditto a friend (less of a friend at the moment)

    It is bizarre but definitely a phenomenon. How does it work?
    The government and media cannot be trusted on X
    Therefore the government and media cannot be trusted on 'anything', including Y
    Anyone saying the opposite of our government and media on Y is therefore truthful
    Something something Putin is just defending his country's interests
  • Options
    rottenboroughrottenborough Posts: 58,266
    Leon said:

    BTW, has anyone noticed how so much of the web chatter re: anti-Vax, has now shifted to pro-Putin?

    That's what I'm being told in USA. Is that true here, and in UK? IF so, pretty interesting to put it mildly.

    I have a fairly bonkers relative who was madly anti-vax and has now segued into being effortlessly pro-Putin. Ditto a friend (less of a friend at the moment)

    It is bizarre but definitely a phenomenon. How does it work?
    Well, they get emailed a load of shite from Moscow that they have to post on twitter and then once a month they find some money in their bank account.
  • Options
    kle4kle4 Posts: 91,820
    Nigelb said:

    Poland is willing to give MiG-29 fighter planes to Ukraine, but wants a guarantee from the White House that it will provide U.S.-made fighter jets to fill the gap in their fleet.
    https://twitter.com/POLITICOEurope/status/1500441145712812033

    All Europe should do that, be a good way to get a military upgrade.
  • Options
    SeaShantyIrish2SeaShantyIrish2 Posts: 15,612
    edited March 2022

    BTW, has anyone noticed how so much of the web chatter re: anti-Vax, has now shifted to pro-Putin?

    That's what I'm being told in USA. Is that true here, and in UK? IF so, pretty interesting to put it mildly.

    I thought these trolls had stopped as they could no longer be paid by Moscow?
    Despite difficulties in Putin's fiscal supply chain, am confident payment will still be made to those willing to take it. For one thing, plenty already salted down in US, UK, EU transferred to accounts, etc. that will NOT be frozen, suspended, sequestered, etc.

    And of course only relative handful of such influencers are actually on the payroll, most are (to coin a phrase) "useful idiots" following the lead of the Bad Shepherd.
  • Options
    Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 49,345

    BigRich said:

    Alistair said:

    Incidentally the pictures of Russia bringing forward random civilian trucks and vehicles speak to the deep logistical hole they find themselves in.

    An under-reported fact of ww2 was just how huge the logistical support America gave Russia. Over a third of all aviation fuel was supplied by the US, hundreds of thousands of trucks and astonishing amounts of explosives, copper and aluminium.

    There is this myth about the great efficient Soviet/Russian war machine but reality is pretty different.

    Russia, good at artillery bombardment, shit at supplying the artillery without help.

    the west gave over 300,000 trucks to the USSR in WW2 while the Russians where able to produce about 150,000 of there own. so that's about 2/3 of there trucks.
    We also delayed our own advance into Germany to let the Soviets catch up. Bizarre and still unexplained.
    what source do you have for that claim about delaying the advance into Germany? My limied belief is Battle of the Bulge, failure of OP MARKET GARDEN, massive flooding around Netherlands and v fierce resistance from Germans was the real cause
    I would have thought Stalin's repeated calls for "Second Front now" actually prevented the Soviets from taking over Berlin completely, prevented them from taking over western Germany and western Austria, as well as Denmark, France, Italy and Benelux.
  • Options
    LeonLeon Posts: 47,330
    kle4 said:

    Leon said:

    BTW, has anyone noticed how so much of the web chatter re: anti-Vax, has now shifted to pro-Putin?

    That's what I'm being told in USA. Is that true here, and in UK? IF so, pretty interesting to put it mildly.

    I have a fairly bonkers relative who was madly anti-vax and has now segued into being effortlessly pro-Putin. Ditto a friend (less of a friend at the moment)

    It is bizarre but definitely a phenomenon. How does it work?
    The government and media cannot be trusted on X
    Therefore the government and media cannot be trusted on 'anything', including Y
    Anyone saying the opposite of our government and media on Y is therefore truthful
    Something something Putin is just defending his country's interests
    Yes, that sounds about right

    My relative has bought the entire Putinist spiel, which really surprises me (he is smart). He rants about Ukraine being dominated by "Nazis" like this is obvious and terrible, yet he has not mentioned Ukraine in his lifetime, AFAIK, until this war. So the evil Nazi regime in Kyiv didn't bother him until Putin decided to "take it out", at which point the destruction of the Nazis became imperative and Putin is being hypocritically opposed by the liars in Washington, London, Paris, etc

    I do not respond to his social media and Whatsapp screams because we would have a terrible row and probably never talk again. I just hope he recovers some of his wits
  • Options
    NigelbNigelb Posts: 62,667
    This lady is far from the only one who survived the Nazis, and now faces Putin. There are numerous similar accounts.

    https://twitter.com/MaximEristavi/status/1500443664497233920
    my grandma is about to celebrate her 92th birthday in her apartment hearing russian bombs falling closer and closer. she is too frail to leave. she survived hitler and his invaders setting her house on fire and shooting her point blank as 12yo teenager. she is not scared…
    … i talk to her every day. every time she ends up comforting me, despite that i am not the one in mortal danger. it breaks my heart over and over again. “don’t worry. i outlived hitler. i’ll live to the day when they hang putin, too” — that’s how we end every conversation…
  • Options
    MoonRabbitMoonRabbit Posts: 12,441
    When’s the last time Boris spoke to Putin?

    It’s Boris own six point plan he wants to be measured against. Macron’s on phone with Putin for nearly two hours of Putin’s time at a time. How else is Boris going to tick off ““an immediate cease-fire and allow civilians safe passage, food and medical supplies”” without playing a part in the dialogue? Clearly Boris has given himself this action to deal direct with Putin to be able tick off this point on the plan?

    In Parliament he wants to be measured against ““unprecedented powers to peel back the facade of dirty Russian money in London””. We should expect movement a lot quicker than three months?

    That’s how to achieve a couple of points on Boris plan. What does he need to do to achieve the others? For example
    Don’t normalise Russian aggression Citing Russia’s invasion of Georgia in 2008 and the annexation of Crimea in 2014, Johnson remarked that “Russian aggression merely encourages more aggression”.
    The Kremlin cannot “bite off chunks of an independent country and inflict immense human suffering and then creep back into the fold,” Johnson said.

    What action not already taken ticks that one off?

    image

    1. Work with other world leaders to create an “international humanitarian coalition”
    Johnson said world leaders must work together to establish “an immediate cease-fire and allow civilians safe passage, food and medical supplies.”
    2. Help Ukraine defend itself
    Johnson wrote that an increasing number of nations are willing to provide defensive equipment to Ukraine, but he said they must act quickly to coordinate their efforts.
    3. Go further with sanctions
    Expelling Russian banks from SWIFT, “[going] after the oligarchs”, and giving law enforcement agencies “unprecedented powers to peel back the facade of dirty Russian money in London” were mentioned in the piece.
    4. Don’t normalise Russian aggression
    Citing Russia’s invasion of Georgia in 2008 and the annexation of Crimea in 2014, Johnson remarked that “Russian aggression merely encourages more aggression”.
    The Kremlin cannot “bite off chunks of an independent country and inflict immense human suffering and then creep back into the fold,” Johnson said.
    5. Remain open to diplomacy, so long as Ukraine has a seat at the table
    “There can be no new Yalta, decided over the heads of the people of Ukraine, by external powers,” he wrote.
    6. Strengthen Euro-Atlantic security
    This includes strengthening Nato’s eastern flank, as well as supporting non-Nato countries that may be at risk of Russian aggression, such as Moldova and Georgia. On the other hand, countries that “participate or enable Russian aggression, such as Belarus”, will be sanctioned.
  • Options
    SeaShantyIrish2SeaShantyIrish2 Posts: 15,612
    kle4 said:

    Nigelb said:

    Poland is willing to give MiG-29 fighter planes to Ukraine, but wants a guarantee from the White House that it will provide U.S.-made fighter jets to fill the gap in their fleet.
    https://twitter.com/POLITICOEurope/status/1500441145712812033

    All Europe should do that, be a good way to get a military upgrade.
    Sounds like a dandy add-on to Uncle Joe's infrastructure program. AND one more likely than most to get through Congress at the moment!

    For it appears to be emerging, that one way Republicans can disassociate themselves from 45 without actually denouncing him, is by wrapping themselves in the Blue-and-Gold.

    Of course it IS possible to both a the same time, such as Mike Pence. But THAT combo is NOT for faint-hearted, run-of-the-mill GOPers. Not yet, anyway.
  • Options
    rottenboroughrottenborough Posts: 58,266
    Chris almighty. Is there no end to the disaster that is social media?


    Pro-Russian channels and QAnon conspiracy theorists think Moscow is launching airstrikes on Ukraine to destroy bioweapon-manufacturing labs in order to prevent the American infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci from creating a sequel to the COVID-19 virus.

    https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/03/02/ukraine-biolabs-conspiracy-theory-qanon/
  • Options
    another_richardanother_richard Posts: 25,101

    Keep an eye on Serbs and Bosnia:

    SARAJEVO, Bosnia Herzegovina — Additional troops from four European Union nations started arriving in Bosnia Friday to reinforce the EU-led peacekeeping force in the Balkan country which has never fully recovered from its brutal 1992-95 war.

    All four companies of the reserve forces from Austria, Bulgaria, Romania and Slovakia will arrive at the European Union Force (EUFOR) base outside Sarajevo to reinforce its 600-strong contingent already stationed in the country. The new deployments will total 500 troops.

    EUFOR announced the deployment of additional forces a day after Russian president Vladimir Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24.

    The force described the step as a precautionary measure to prevent the deterioration of the security situation internationally from spreading to Bosnia.

    https://www.marketwatch.com/story/extra-eu-troops-in-bosnia-to-prevent-spillover-from-russian-aggression-vs-ukraine-01646422671

    Serbia would have to be beyond mad to try anything.

    Its record is:

    Lost in Croatia
    Lost in Bosnia
    Lost in Kosovo
  • Options
    NigelbNigelb Posts: 62,667
    Disturbing thread.
    https://twitter.com/MaximEristavi/status/1500443664497233920
    Let's discuss what's happening in Russia. To put it simply, it's going full fascist. Authorities launched a propaganda campaign to gain popular support for their invasion of Ukraine and they're getting lots of it. You can see "Z" on these guys' clothes. What does it mean?
  • Options
    another_richardanother_richard Posts: 25,101

    BTW, has anyone noticed how so much of the web chatter re: anti-Vax, has now shifted to pro-Putin?

    That's what I'm being told in USA. Is that true here, and in UK? IF so, pretty interesting to put it mildly.

    Anti-vaxxery is very fringe in the UK and concentrated among younger and non-white demographics.

    Of course that's among real human beings as opposed to bots.
  • Options
    MoonRabbitMoonRabbit Posts: 12,441
    Foxy said:

    DavidL said:

    Chameleon said:

    https://twitter.com/marcorubio/status/1500475577383497731
    "Get familiar with #Transnistria

    You will soon be hearing a lot more about it"

    Rubio signalling that US Int believes that Russia are going to start doing things from Transnistria?

    Wasn’t she in the Rocky Horror Picture Show?
    I was in Rocky Horror at school. Loved it. 👯‍♀️ 👄
    A bit ribald for a school production. Are you a St Trinity's Old Girl?
    The mere mention of sixth formers in stockings and suspenders and PB instantly so distracted from World War III they don’t notice what autocorrect done to trinians

    We used the same costumes and make up to put on another show I can’t remember name, to do with Vampires and Motorbikes.
  • Options
    rottenboroughrottenborough Posts: 58,266
    Leon said:

    kle4 said:

    Leon said:

    BTW, has anyone noticed how so much of the web chatter re: anti-Vax, has now shifted to pro-Putin?

    That's what I'm being told in USA. Is that true here, and in UK? IF so, pretty interesting to put it mildly.

    I have a fairly bonkers relative who was madly anti-vax and has now segued into being effortlessly pro-Putin. Ditto a friend (less of a friend at the moment)

    It is bizarre but definitely a phenomenon. How does it work?
    The government and media cannot be trusted on X
    Therefore the government and media cannot be trusted on 'anything', including Y
    Anyone saying the opposite of our government and media on Y is therefore truthful
    Something something Putin is just defending his country's interests
    Yes, that sounds about right

    My relative has bought the entire Putinist spiel, which really surprises me (he is smart). He rants about Ukraine being dominated by "Nazis" like this is obvious and terrible, yet he has not mentioned Ukraine in his lifetime, AFAIK, until this war. So the evil Nazi regime in Kyiv didn't bother him until Putin decided to "take it out", at which point the destruction of the Nazis became imperative and Putin is being hypocritically opposed by the liars in Washington, London, Paris, etc

    I do not respond to his social media and Whatsapp screams because we would have a terrible row and probably never talk again. I just hope he recovers some of his wits
    Of all the madness of Putin's war, his lie that it is the other side who are Nazi when he is clearly the greatest Nazi since Spandau was closed to new inmates is just jaw dropping off the scale.

    Maybe all that Baudrillard stuff about hyper reality is true.

  • Options
    pingping Posts: 3,731
    edited March 2022
    Brent crude futures currently $127

    Traded as high as $136, earlier
  • Options
    rottenboroughrottenborough Posts: 58,266
    Nigelb said:

    Disturbing thread.
    https://twitter.com/MaximEristavi/status/1500443664497233920
    Let's discuss what's happening in Russia. To put it simply, it's going full fascist. Authorities launched a propaganda campaign to gain popular support for their invasion of Ukraine and they're getting lots of it. You can see "Z" on these guys' clothes. What does it mean?

    Not sure it is fascist in the true historical sense, but close enough to be a useful label.

    This is why I think we are only weeks, maybe days from war with Russia. This shit from Putin is totally out of control and at some point we will have to draw the line and defend it from evil.

  • Options
    Sunil_PrasannanSunil_Prasannan Posts: 49,345

    Keep an eye on Serbs and Bosnia:

    SARAJEVO, Bosnia Herzegovina — Additional troops from four European Union nations started arriving in Bosnia Friday to reinforce the EU-led peacekeeping force in the Balkan country which has never fully recovered from its brutal 1992-95 war.

    All four companies of the reserve forces from Austria, Bulgaria, Romania and Slovakia will arrive at the European Union Force (EUFOR) base outside Sarajevo to reinforce its 600-strong contingent already stationed in the country. The new deployments will total 500 troops.

    EUFOR announced the deployment of additional forces a day after Russian president Vladimir Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24.

    The force described the step as a precautionary measure to prevent the deterioration of the security situation internationally from spreading to Bosnia.

    https://www.marketwatch.com/story/extra-eu-troops-in-bosnia-to-prevent-spillover-from-russian-aggression-vs-ukraine-01646422671

    Serbia would have to be beyond mad to try anything.

    Its record is:

    Lost in Croatia
    Lost in Bosnia
    Lost in Kosovo
    Don't forget Slovenia.
  • Options
    rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 54,013
    BigRich said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    Sandpit said:

    MattW said:

    Aslan said:

    I think we maybe worry too much about the fighter jet issue. I see the Ukrainians have got a load more Turkish drones. I'm puzzled as to why we haven't done more for them there.

    It is quite possible British and American experienced drone pilots are piloting those drones. How would Russia ever know?
    I'd say that UK and US pilots don't have experience on the particular drone - and I do not know that drone flying skills are *that* much more transferrable than fighter-flying skills.

    Plus Ukraine had around 60 TB2s on order, and were in mid-delivery (having had about a third), so they likely had further pilots already in training. I'd say it is more likely that these are the further pilots.

    My favourite story on this is the Austro-Hungarians who got fully functioning submarines with experienced crews in WW1 by appointing one officer to be a sort of honorary captain of German submarines they borrowed complete with crew.
    It’s not a drone purchased by UK or US militaries, although it’s clearly a brilliant piece of gap-finding in current airbourne capabilities that both countries should consider buying (and maybe donating or lending to Ukraine).

    Getting a TB2 ‘type rating’ for an existing Western drone pilot should be pretty straightforward though, it’s a much simpler, slower and lower aircraft, which of course brings its own advantages and disadvantages in theatre.
    The TB2 seems to be the drone equivalent of the NLAW (and vice versa). Much simpler and cheaper than the pricey, superior but harder-to-use alternatives. Kind of like the Kalashnikov or the T34?

    Some weapons are far better for being relatively basic
    On the matter of the NLAW, are there any reports of Ukraine acquiring further stocks beyond the 2,000 supplied by the UK? Given that they are single use disposable weapons, surely Ukraine are going to have quickly exhausted their stock amid intense fighting in the absence of resupply?
    Yes, plentiful evidence that they are being amply resupplied. The NLAWS are, for Ukrainians, the hero weapon of the war, alongside the Turkish drones

    Do a Twitter search on "NLAW" and you'll see
    Anything other than on Twitter? There's no reference as yet on Wiki other than an extra 100 arriving from Luxembourg.
    Up your google skills. Jeez
    No need for you to up your condescension skills.

    Having already searched Google and drawn a blank, I would be delighted then if you would prove me to be a complete prat by providing a link to something that reliably points to copious resupply of NLAWs to the Ukranians.
    @LostPassword linked this below

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2022/03/04/weapons-access-ukraine/


    It is pretty clear, reading between the lines, that NLAWS (and much else) are being resupplied across the border, but for obvious reasons the evidence for this is now much sketchier

    But you can find plentiful hints on Twitter. eg


    NEXTA@nexta_tv·Mar 4A new large batch of NLAW arrived in #Kyiv💪

    https://twitter.com/nexta_tv/status/1499827970818646020?s=20&t=Wfff52Cp7zZ2bvjUXHGNIA
    Thales Belfast is apparently quite busy at the moment. Lots of overtime on offer.
    How quickly can Belfast Produce the NLAW?

    Is there a risk, if this drags on, that we will have sent all of our available stocks of NLAWs and then the flow will be reduced to what can be produced?
    That's a very real risk.

    But... Against that, the Ukrainians can draw upon antitank weapons built in Belfast... Or in the US, in Sweden, or France, or Australia, etc.

  • Options
    rpjsrpjs Posts: 3,787

    Do we know how many Polish MiGs they are getting? Perhaps that will be a game changer.

    I think they have around 25 but it’s unclear how many are serviceable. I think the total NATO ex-Warsaw Pact inventory is around 70.

    Apparently there is an issue that the Polish MiGs have been upgraded with Western avionics to an extent that the Ukrainian pilots can’t just jump into the cockpits without training.
  • Options
    another_richardanother_richard Posts: 25,101

    Chris almighty. Is there no end to the disaster that is social media?


    Pro-Russian channels and QAnon conspiracy theorists think Moscow is launching airstrikes on Ukraine to destroy bioweapon-manufacturing labs in order to prevent the American infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci from creating a sequel to the COVID-19 virus.

    https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/03/02/ukraine-biolabs-conspiracy-theory-qanon/

    The attempt to shut down the Chinese lab theory really did have consequences.
  • Options
    rottenboroughrottenborough Posts: 58,266

    Keep an eye on Serbs and Bosnia:

    SARAJEVO, Bosnia Herzegovina — Additional troops from four European Union nations started arriving in Bosnia Friday to reinforce the EU-led peacekeeping force in the Balkan country which has never fully recovered from its brutal 1992-95 war.

    All four companies of the reserve forces from Austria, Bulgaria, Romania and Slovakia will arrive at the European Union Force (EUFOR) base outside Sarajevo to reinforce its 600-strong contingent already stationed in the country. The new deployments will total 500 troops.

    EUFOR announced the deployment of additional forces a day after Russian president Vladimir Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24.

    The force described the step as a precautionary measure to prevent the deterioration of the security situation internationally from spreading to Bosnia.

    https://www.marketwatch.com/story/extra-eu-troops-in-bosnia-to-prevent-spillover-from-russian-aggression-vs-ukraine-01646422671

    Serbia would have to be beyond mad to try anything.

    Its record is:

    Lost in Croatia
    Lost in Bosnia
    Lost in Kosovo
    Don't forget Slovenia.
    And field of blackbirds.

  • Options
    williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 48,082
    @nexta_tv
    ❗️The armed forces of #Ukraine liberated the city of #Chuguev in the #Kharkiv region. #Russian side suffered heavy losses in personnel and equipment, according to the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.


    https://twitter.com/nexta_tv/status/1500615581212594179
  • Options
    Andy_JSAndy_JS Posts: 26,714
    edited March 2022

    Leon said:

    kle4 said:

    Leon said:

    BTW, has anyone noticed how so much of the web chatter re: anti-Vax, has now shifted to pro-Putin?

    That's what I'm being told in USA. Is that true here, and in UK? IF so, pretty interesting to put it mildly.

    I have a fairly bonkers relative who was madly anti-vax and has now segued into being effortlessly pro-Putin. Ditto a friend (less of a friend at the moment)

    It is bizarre but definitely a phenomenon. How does it work?
    The government and media cannot be trusted on X
    Therefore the government and media cannot be trusted on 'anything', including Y
    Anyone saying the opposite of our government and media on Y is therefore truthful
    Something something Putin is just defending his country's interests
    Yes, that sounds about right

    My relative has bought the entire Putinist spiel, which really surprises me (he is smart). He rants about Ukraine being dominated by "Nazis" like this is obvious and terrible, yet he has not mentioned Ukraine in his lifetime, AFAIK, until this war. So the evil Nazi regime in Kyiv didn't bother him until Putin decided to "take it out", at which point the destruction of the Nazis became imperative and Putin is being hypocritically opposed by the liars in Washington, London, Paris, etc

    I do not respond to his social media and Whatsapp screams because we would have a terrible row and probably never talk again. I just hope he recovers some of his wits
    Of all the madness of Putin's war, his lie that it is the other side who are Nazi when he is clearly the greatest Nazi since Spandau was closed to new inmates is just jaw dropping off the scale.

    Maybe all that Baudrillard stuff about hyper reality is true.

    He isn't a Nazi, he's a Russian ultra-nationalist and imperialist. Unless we're just using the word Nazi to mean very bad person.
  • Options
    another_richardanother_richard Posts: 25,101

    Keep an eye on Serbs and Bosnia:

    SARAJEVO, Bosnia Herzegovina — Additional troops from four European Union nations started arriving in Bosnia Friday to reinforce the EU-led peacekeeping force in the Balkan country which has never fully recovered from its brutal 1992-95 war.

    All four companies of the reserve forces from Austria, Bulgaria, Romania and Slovakia will arrive at the European Union Force (EUFOR) base outside Sarajevo to reinforce its 600-strong contingent already stationed in the country. The new deployments will total 500 troops.

    EUFOR announced the deployment of additional forces a day after Russian president Vladimir Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24.

    The force described the step as a precautionary measure to prevent the deterioration of the security situation internationally from spreading to Bosnia.

    https://www.marketwatch.com/story/extra-eu-troops-in-bosnia-to-prevent-spillover-from-russian-aggression-vs-ukraine-01646422671

    Serbia would have to be beyond mad to try anything.

    Its record is:

    Lost in Croatia
    Lost in Bosnia
    Lost in Kosovo
    Don't forget Slovenia.
    I class the Slovenia war as an attempt by the Yugoslavia government to stop the dissolution of the country.

    The Croatian, Bosnian and Kosovan wars were various attempts to create a Greater Serbia.
  • Options
    another_richardanother_richard Posts: 25,101
    rcs1000 said:

    BigRich said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    Leon said:

    Sandpit said:

    MattW said:

    Aslan said:

    I think we maybe worry too much about the fighter jet issue. I see the Ukrainians have got a load more Turkish drones. I'm puzzled as to why we haven't done more for them there.

    It is quite possible British and American experienced drone pilots are piloting those drones. How would Russia ever know?
    I'd say that UK and US pilots don't have experience on the particular drone - and I do not know that drone flying skills are *that* much more transferrable than fighter-flying skills.

    Plus Ukraine had around 60 TB2s on order, and were in mid-delivery (having had about a third), so they likely had further pilots already in training. I'd say it is more likely that these are the further pilots.

    My favourite story on this is the Austro-Hungarians who got fully functioning submarines with experienced crews in WW1 by appointing one officer to be a sort of honorary captain of German submarines they borrowed complete with crew.
    It’s not a drone purchased by UK or US militaries, although it’s clearly a brilliant piece of gap-finding in current airbourne capabilities that both countries should consider buying (and maybe donating or lending to Ukraine).

    Getting a TB2 ‘type rating’ for an existing Western drone pilot should be pretty straightforward though, it’s a much simpler, slower and lower aircraft, which of course brings its own advantages and disadvantages in theatre.
    The TB2 seems to be the drone equivalent of the NLAW (and vice versa). Much simpler and cheaper than the pricey, superior but harder-to-use alternatives. Kind of like the Kalashnikov or the T34?

    Some weapons are far better for being relatively basic
    On the matter of the NLAW, are there any reports of Ukraine acquiring further stocks beyond the 2,000 supplied by the UK? Given that they are single use disposable weapons, surely Ukraine are going to have quickly exhausted their stock amid intense fighting in the absence of resupply?
    Yes, plentiful evidence that they are being amply resupplied. The NLAWS are, for Ukrainians, the hero weapon of the war, alongside the Turkish drones

    Do a Twitter search on "NLAW" and you'll see
    Anything other than on Twitter? There's no reference as yet on Wiki other than an extra 100 arriving from Luxembourg.
    Up your google skills. Jeez
    No need for you to up your condescension skills.

    Having already searched Google and drawn a blank, I would be delighted then if you would prove me to be a complete prat by providing a link to something that reliably points to copious resupply of NLAWs to the Ukranians.
    @LostPassword linked this below

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2022/03/04/weapons-access-ukraine/


    It is pretty clear, reading between the lines, that NLAWS (and much else) are being resupplied across the border, but for obvious reasons the evidence for this is now much sketchier

    But you can find plentiful hints on Twitter. eg


    NEXTA@nexta_tv·Mar 4A new large batch of NLAW arrived in #Kyiv💪

    https://twitter.com/nexta_tv/status/1499827970818646020?s=20&t=Wfff52Cp7zZ2bvjUXHGNIA
    Thales Belfast is apparently quite busy at the moment. Lots of overtime on offer.
    How quickly can Belfast Produce the NLAW?

    Is there a risk, if this drags on, that we will have sent all of our available stocks of NLAWs and then the flow will be reduced to what can be produced?
    That's a very real risk.

    But... Against that, the Ukrainians can draw upon antitank weapons built in Belfast... Or in the US, in Sweden, or France, or Australia, etc.

    Anti-tank weapons can be made a lot quicker than tanks can.
  • Options
    solarflaresolarflare Posts: 3,623

    Chris almighty. Is there no end to the disaster that is social media?


    Pro-Russian channels and QAnon conspiracy theorists think Moscow is launching airstrikes on Ukraine to destroy bioweapon-manufacturing labs in order to prevent the American infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci from creating a sequel to the COVID-19 virus.

    https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/03/02/ukraine-biolabs-conspiracy-theory-qanon/

    Sounds like an awful SyFy movie. Throw in a sharknado or two?
  • Options
    AslanAslan Posts: 1,673

    Chris almighty. Is there no end to the disaster that is social media?


    Pro-Russian channels and QAnon conspiracy theorists think Moscow is launching airstrikes on Ukraine to destroy bioweapon-manufacturing labs in order to prevent the American infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci from creating a sequel to the COVID-19 virus.

    https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/03/02/ukraine-biolabs-conspiracy-theory-qanon/

    The attempt to shut down the Chinese lab theory really did have consequences.
    I believe the most recent evidence points incredibly strongly to the wet market.
  • Options
    MoonRabbitMoonRabbit Posts: 12,441
    Anyway. Time to pray for nice things to happen.

    image

    🙋‍♀️
  • Options
    kyf_100kyf_100 Posts: 3,957
    Andy_JS said:

    Leon said:

    kle4 said:

    Leon said:

    BTW, has anyone noticed how so much of the web chatter re: anti-Vax, has now shifted to pro-Putin?

    That's what I'm being told in USA. Is that true here, and in UK? IF so, pretty interesting to put it mildly.

    I have a fairly bonkers relative who was madly anti-vax and has now segued into being effortlessly pro-Putin. Ditto a friend (less of a friend at the moment)

    It is bizarre but definitely a phenomenon. How does it work?
    The government and media cannot be trusted on X
    Therefore the government and media cannot be trusted on 'anything', including Y
    Anyone saying the opposite of our government and media on Y is therefore truthful
    Something something Putin is just defending his country's interests
    Yes, that sounds about right

    My relative has bought the entire Putinist spiel, which really surprises me (he is smart). He rants about Ukraine being dominated by "Nazis" like this is obvious and terrible, yet he has not mentioned Ukraine in his lifetime, AFAIK, until this war. So the evil Nazi regime in Kyiv didn't bother him until Putin decided to "take it out", at which point the destruction of the Nazis became imperative and Putin is being hypocritically opposed by the liars in Washington, London, Paris, etc

    I do not respond to his social media and Whatsapp screams because we would have a terrible row and probably never talk again. I just hope he recovers some of his wits
    Of all the madness of Putin's war, his lie that it is the other side who are Nazi when he is clearly the greatest Nazi since Spandau was closed to new inmates is just jaw dropping off the scale.

    Maybe all that Baudrillard stuff about hyper reality is true.

    He isn't a Nazi, he's a Russian ultra-nationalist and imperialist. Unless we're just using the word Nazi to mean very bad person.
    Russia is going full fascist. The "Z" in place of the swastika.

    https://twitter.com/kamilkazani/status/1500495309595725831

    Here are the Russian Police.

    https://twitter.com/deformispersona/status/1500462942474625024

    I think war is inevitable now, and if (or when) it goes nuclear, that will be the end of it for all of us. Dark times. Unimaginably dark times.

  • Options
    LeonLeon Posts: 47,330
    Andy_JS said:

    Leon said:

    kle4 said:

    Leon said:

    BTW, has anyone noticed how so much of the web chatter re: anti-Vax, has now shifted to pro-Putin?

    That's what I'm being told in USA. Is that true here, and in UK? IF so, pretty interesting to put it mildly.

    I have a fairly bonkers relative who was madly anti-vax and has now segued into being effortlessly pro-Putin. Ditto a friend (less of a friend at the moment)

    It is bizarre but definitely a phenomenon. How does it work?
    The government and media cannot be trusted on X
    Therefore the government and media cannot be trusted on 'anything', including Y
    Anyone saying the opposite of our government and media on Y is therefore truthful
    Something something Putin is just defending his country's interests
    Yes, that sounds about right

    My relative has bought the entire Putinist spiel, which really surprises me (he is smart). He rants about Ukraine being dominated by "Nazis" like this is obvious and terrible, yet he has not mentioned Ukraine in his lifetime, AFAIK, until this war. So the evil Nazi regime in Kyiv didn't bother him until Putin decided to "take it out", at which point the destruction of the Nazis became imperative and Putin is being hypocritically opposed by the liars in Washington, London, Paris, etc

    I do not respond to his social media and Whatsapp screams because we would have a terrible row and probably never talk again. I just hope he recovers some of his wits
    Of all the madness of Putin's war, his lie that it is the other side who are Nazi when he is clearly the greatest Nazi since Spandau was closed to new inmates is just jaw dropping off the scale.

    Maybe all that Baudrillard stuff about hyper reality is true.

    He isn't a Nazi, he's a Russian ultra-nationalist and imperialist. Unless we're just using the word Nazi to mean very bad person.
    He is Fascist, inasmuch as that means anything, and I think it does - eg Fascism = preference for and worship of: aggression, warfare, violence, patriarchy, "tradition", the collective spirit, the "will to power" - plus dominance for the sake of dominance, hysterical favouring of the nation (or race, cult, tribe, creed) over all others, contempt for democracy, etc etc

    Fascist. Putin is a Fascist.

    "Nazism" is to my mind a specifically German version of Fascism, and is uniquely obsessed with Jews (which Putin doesn't seem to be, particularly)
  • Options
    TimTTimT Posts: 6,328
    Leon said:

    BTW, has anyone noticed how so much of the web chatter re: anti-Vax, has now shifted to pro-Putin?

    That's what I'm being told in USA. Is that true here, and in UK? IF so, pretty interesting to put it mildly.

    I have a fairly bonkers relative who was madly anti-vax and has now segued into being effortlessly pro-Putin. Ditto a friend (less of a friend at the moment)

    It is bizarre but definitely a phenomenon. How does it work?
    Cultural cognition. Check out Dan Kahan at Yale on this. http://www.culturalcognition.net
  • Options
    LeonLeon Posts: 47,330
    Aslan said:

    Chris almighty. Is there no end to the disaster that is social media?


    Pro-Russian channels and QAnon conspiracy theorists think Moscow is launching airstrikes on Ukraine to destroy bioweapon-manufacturing labs in order to prevent the American infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci from creating a sequel to the COVID-19 virus.

    https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/03/02/ukraine-biolabs-conspiracy-theory-qanon/

    The attempt to shut down the Chinese lab theory really did have consequences.
    I believe the most recent evidence points incredibly strongly to the wet market.
    No. No no no

    It really does not

    I can't be arsed to argue this but this so-called new evidence is desperately feeble, when scrutinised
  • Options
    TheuniondivvieTheuniondivvie Posts: 40,172
    Leon said:

    Andy_JS said:

    Leon said:

    kle4 said:

    Leon said:

    BTW, has anyone noticed how so much of the web chatter re: anti-Vax, has now shifted to pro-Putin?

    That's what I'm being told in USA. Is that true here, and in UK? IF so, pretty interesting to put it mildly.

    I have a fairly bonkers relative who was madly anti-vax and has now segued into being effortlessly pro-Putin. Ditto a friend (less of a friend at the moment)

    It is bizarre but definitely a phenomenon. How does it work?
    The government and media cannot be trusted on X
    Therefore the government and media cannot be trusted on 'anything', including Y
    Anyone saying the opposite of our government and media on Y is therefore truthful
    Something something Putin is just defending his country's interests
    Yes, that sounds about right

    My relative has bought the entire Putinist spiel, which really surprises me (he is smart). He rants about Ukraine being dominated by "Nazis" like this is obvious and terrible, yet he has not mentioned Ukraine in his lifetime, AFAIK, until this war. So the evil Nazi regime in Kyiv didn't bother him until Putin decided to "take it out", at which point the destruction of the Nazis became imperative and Putin is being hypocritically opposed by the liars in Washington, London, Paris, etc

    I do not respond to his social media and Whatsapp screams because we would have a terrible row and probably never talk again. I just hope he recovers some of his wits
    Of all the madness of Putin's war, his lie that it is the other side who are Nazi when he is clearly the greatest Nazi since Spandau was closed to new inmates is just jaw dropping off the scale.

    Maybe all that Baudrillard stuff about hyper reality is true.

    He isn't a Nazi, he's a Russian ultra-nationalist and imperialist. Unless we're just using the word Nazi to mean very bad person.
    He is Fascist, inasmuch as that means anything, and I think it does - eg Fascism = preference for and worship of: aggression, warfare, violence, patriarchy, "tradition", the collective spirit, the "will to power" - plus dominance for the sake of dominance, hysterical favouring of the nation (or race, cult, tribe, creed) over all others, contempt for democracy, etc etc

    Fascist. Putin is a Fascist.

    "Nazism" is to my mind a specifically German version of Fascism, and is uniquely obsessed with Jews (which Putin doesn't seem to be, particularly)
    Very sound on the old woke though.
  • Options
    TimTTimT Posts: 6,328

    BigRich said:

    Alistair said:

    Incidentally the pictures of Russia bringing forward random civilian trucks and vehicles speak to the deep logistical hole they find themselves in.

    An under-reported fact of ww2 was just how huge the logistical support America gave Russia. Over a third of all aviation fuel was supplied by the US, hundreds of thousands of trucks and astonishing amounts of explosives, copper and aluminium.

    There is this myth about the great efficient Soviet/Russian war machine but reality is pretty different.

    Russia, good at artillery bombardment, shit at supplying the artillery without help.

    the west gave over 300,000 trucks to the USSR in WW2 while the Russians where able to produce about 150,000 of there own. so that's about 2/3 of there trucks.
    We also delayed our own advance into Germany to let the Soviets catch up. Bizarre and still unexplained.
    what source do you have for that claim about delaying the advance into Germany? My limied belief is Battle of the Bulge, failure of OP MARKET GARDEN, massive flooding around Netherlands and v fierce resistance from Germans was the real cause
    I thought it was well-known. And basically was to allow the photo op of the allies all meeting up at a particular geographic location. But that may just be my faulty memory.
  • Options
    Luckyguy1983Luckyguy1983 Posts: 25,472

    BigRich said:

    Alistair said:

    Incidentally the pictures of Russia bringing forward random civilian trucks and vehicles speak to the deep logistical hole they find themselves in.

    An under-reported fact of ww2 was just how huge the logistical support America gave Russia. Over a third of all aviation fuel was supplied by the US, hundreds of thousands of trucks and astonishing amounts of explosives, copper and aluminium.

    There is this myth about the great efficient Soviet/Russian war machine but reality is pretty different.

    Russia, good at artillery bombardment, shit at supplying the artillery without help.

    the west gave over 300,000 trucks to the USSR in WW2 while the Russians where able to produce about 150,000 of there own. so that's about 2/3 of there trucks.
    We also delayed our own advance into Germany to let the Soviets catch up. Bizarre and still unexplained.
    what source do you have for that claim about delaying the advance into Germany? My limied belief is Battle of the Bulge, failure of OP MARKET GARDEN, massive flooding around Netherlands and v fierce resistance from Germans was the real cause
    Chatting to someone who was part of the British occupation. A family friend. Chat was when I was little, with my Dad, who probably remembers the story in more detail than I do. It wasn't a delay into Germany, I think it was at the very end when they were in Berlin. They were ordered to stop.
  • Options
    another_richardanother_richard Posts: 25,101
    Aslan said:

    Chris almighty. Is there no end to the disaster that is social media?


    Pro-Russian channels and QAnon conspiracy theorists think Moscow is launching airstrikes on Ukraine to destroy bioweapon-manufacturing labs in order to prevent the American infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci from creating a sequel to the COVID-19 virus.

    https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/03/02/ukraine-biolabs-conspiracy-theory-qanon/

    The attempt to shut down the Chinese lab theory really did have consequences.
    I believe the most recent evidence points incredibly strongly to the wet market.
    Thanks for proving my point.
  • Options
    LeonLeon Posts: 47,330
    kyf_100 said:

    Andy_JS said:

    Leon said:

    kle4 said:

    Leon said:

    BTW, has anyone noticed how so much of the web chatter re: anti-Vax, has now shifted to pro-Putin?

    That's what I'm being told in USA. Is that true here, and in UK? IF so, pretty interesting to put it mildly.

    I have a fairly bonkers relative who was madly anti-vax and has now segued into being effortlessly pro-Putin. Ditto a friend (less of a friend at the moment)

    It is bizarre but definitely a phenomenon. How does it work?
    The government and media cannot be trusted on X
    Therefore the government and media cannot be trusted on 'anything', including Y
    Anyone saying the opposite of our government and media on Y is therefore truthful
    Something something Putin is just defending his country's interests
    Yes, that sounds about right

    My relative has bought the entire Putinist spiel, which really surprises me (he is smart). He rants about Ukraine being dominated by "Nazis" like this is obvious and terrible, yet he has not mentioned Ukraine in his lifetime, AFAIK, until this war. So the evil Nazi regime in Kyiv didn't bother him until Putin decided to "take it out", at which point the destruction of the Nazis became imperative and Putin is being hypocritically opposed by the liars in Washington, London, Paris, etc

    I do not respond to his social media and Whatsapp screams because we would have a terrible row and probably never talk again. I just hope he recovers some of his wits
    Of all the madness of Putin's war, his lie that it is the other side who are Nazi when he is clearly the greatest Nazi since Spandau was closed to new inmates is just jaw dropping off the scale.

    Maybe all that Baudrillard stuff about hyper reality is true.

    He isn't a Nazi, he's a Russian ultra-nationalist and imperialist. Unless we're just using the word Nazi to mean very bad person.
    Russia is going full fascist. The "Z" in place of the swastika.

    https://twitter.com/kamilkazani/status/1500495309595725831

    Here are the Russian Police.

    https://twitter.com/deformispersona/status/1500462942474625024

    I think war is inevitable now, and if (or when) it goes nuclear, that will be the end of it for all of us. Dark times. Unimaginably dark times.

    Sweet Jesus that is a terrifying thread, at the top. Russian Fascism, absolutely: that's what this is

    I wonder if Putin himself realises what monsters he has unleashed

    I too fear we will end up at war with him, at which point we might all die

    The west needs to reach out to China, and together we need to kill him. China may be our enemy but we linked up with Stalin to defeat Hitler, who was the greater menace to both
  • Options
    Luckyguy1983Luckyguy1983 Posts: 25,472
    TimT said:

    BigRich said:

    Alistair said:

    Incidentally the pictures of Russia bringing forward random civilian trucks and vehicles speak to the deep logistical hole they find themselves in.

    An under-reported fact of ww2 was just how huge the logistical support America gave Russia. Over a third of all aviation fuel was supplied by the US, hundreds of thousands of trucks and astonishing amounts of explosives, copper and aluminium.

    There is this myth about the great efficient Soviet/Russian war machine but reality is pretty different.

    Russia, good at artillery bombardment, shit at supplying the artillery without help.

    the west gave over 300,000 trucks to the USSR in WW2 while the Russians where able to produce about 150,000 of there own. so that's about 2/3 of there trucks.
    We also delayed our own advance into Germany to let the Soviets catch up. Bizarre and still unexplained.
    what source do you have for that claim about delaying the advance into Germany? My limied belief is Battle of the Bulge, failure of OP MARKET GARDEN, massive flooding around Netherlands and v fierce resistance from Germans was the real cause
    I thought it was well-known. And basically was to allow the photo op of the allies all meeting up at a particular geographic location. But that may just be my faulty memory.
    Pretty scandalous really. Ending up in tens of thousands more people than necessary living under a communist regime.
  • Options
    another_richardanother_richard Posts: 25,101

    BigRich said:

    Alistair said:

    Incidentally the pictures of Russia bringing forward random civilian trucks and vehicles speak to the deep logistical hole they find themselves in.

    An under-reported fact of ww2 was just how huge the logistical support America gave Russia. Over a third of all aviation fuel was supplied by the US, hundreds of thousands of trucks and astonishing amounts of explosives, copper and aluminium.

    There is this myth about the great efficient Soviet/Russian war machine but reality is pretty different.

    Russia, good at artillery bombardment, shit at supplying the artillery without help.

    the west gave over 300,000 trucks to the USSR in WW2 while the Russians where able to produce about 150,000 of there own. so that's about 2/3 of there trucks.
    We also delayed our own advance into Germany to let the Soviets catch up. Bizarre and still unexplained.
    what source do you have for that claim about delaying the advance into Germany? My limied belief is Battle of the Bulge, failure of OP MARKET GARDEN, massive flooding around Netherlands and v fierce resistance from Germans was the real cause
    Chatting to someone who was part of the British occupation. A family friend. Chat was when I was little, with my Dad, who probably remembers the story in more detail than I do. It wasn't a delay into Germany, I think it was at the very end when they were in Berlin. They were ordered to stop.
    IIRC the US 9th army was ordered to stop their advance to Berlin when they reached the Elbe.

    Given that Berlin was to be in the Soviet zone an attempt to capture it was not deemed worth the inevitable extra casualties it would bring.
  • Options
    Luckyguy1983Luckyguy1983 Posts: 25,472
    Leon said:

    kyf_100 said:

    Andy_JS said:

    Leon said:

    kle4 said:

    Leon said:

    BTW, has anyone noticed how so much of the web chatter re: anti-Vax, has now shifted to pro-Putin?

    That's what I'm being told in USA. Is that true here, and in UK? IF so, pretty interesting to put it mildly.

    I have a fairly bonkers relative who was madly anti-vax and has now segued into being effortlessly pro-Putin. Ditto a friend (less of a friend at the moment)

    It is bizarre but definitely a phenomenon. How does it work?
    The government and media cannot be trusted on X
    Therefore the government and media cannot be trusted on 'anything', including Y
    Anyone saying the opposite of our government and media on Y is therefore truthful
    Something something Putin is just defending his country's interests
    Yes, that sounds about right

    My relative has bought the entire Putinist spiel, which really surprises me (he is smart). He rants about Ukraine being dominated by "Nazis" like this is obvious and terrible, yet he has not mentioned Ukraine in his lifetime, AFAIK, until this war. So the evil Nazi regime in Kyiv didn't bother him until Putin decided to "take it out", at which point the destruction of the Nazis became imperative and Putin is being hypocritically opposed by the liars in Washington, London, Paris, etc

    I do not respond to his social media and Whatsapp screams because we would have a terrible row and probably never talk again. I just hope he recovers some of his wits
    Of all the madness of Putin's war, his lie that it is the other side who are Nazi when he is clearly the greatest Nazi since Spandau was closed to new inmates is just jaw dropping off the scale.

    Maybe all that Baudrillard stuff about hyper reality is true.

    He isn't a Nazi, he's a Russian ultra-nationalist and imperialist. Unless we're just using the word Nazi to mean very bad person.
    Russia is going full fascist. The "Z" in place of the swastika.

    https://twitter.com/kamilkazani/status/1500495309595725831

    Here are the Russian Police.

    https://twitter.com/deformispersona/status/1500462942474625024

    I think war is inevitable now, and if (or when) it goes nuclear, that will be the end of it for all of us. Dark times. Unimaginably dark times.

    Sweet Jesus that is a terrifying thread, at the top. Russian Fascism, absolutely: that's what this is

    I wonder if Putin himself realises what monsters he has unleashed

    I too fear we will end up at war with him, at which point we might all die

    The west needs to reach out to China, and together we need to kill him. China may be our enemy but we linked up with Stalin to defeat Hitler, who was the greater menace to both
    Get a grip. Russia is invading (not very efficiently it would appear) a near neighbour. It's deeply regrettable for those concerned, but as a threat to the wider world, they get less scary by the day.
This discussion has been closed.