Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says Western arms shipments to Ukraine mean Nato is "in essence engaged in war with Russia" and there is "considerable" risk of the conflict going nuclear
This is now a settled theme from Russia,.
Tbh I'm amazed they haven't said this from the outset, and it's part of the reason why I think we've being really disingenuous about the No Fly Zone. We have drawn our own line by saying that it's fine to supply tons of military equipment, intelligence and, even, special 'advisors' (SAS) to Ukraine but it's not fine to install a NFZ. 95% of people on here have gone along with this, often vociferously. They've told themselves that the one will help Ukraine but won't escalate it but the other would lead to WWIII and Armageddon.
But it's cant and hypocrisy basically, isn't it? If we're going to support Ukraine, bloody well support Ukraine. We should have backed Zelensky's request and stood up to Putin.
Just my opinion. Don't flame me.
Not going to flame you, but consider this: all but the most psychopathic criminals retain a demented sense of justice, a point quite neatly illustrated by monty python's piranha brothers who nail someone's head to the floor "because he had transgressed the unwritten code." Putin's unwritten code includes no nfz.
Or of course, he is bluffing and we only think it does. But don't fall into the narrative of Stand up to the bully, give Ivan a bloody nose and he will always cave in to true British grit. That is a school story and there's no nukes in schools.
It's amazing how many people think this is fucking Michael Bay film and that Russia will back down if, in some as yet to be defined manner, Ukraine wins.
There is going to have to be a deal sooner or later and the pressure should be on Ukraine and Russia to make it sooner.
What 'pressure to do a deal' can we put on a Russia that is doing, and saying, what it is?
And what makes you think they'll stick with the deal for a microsecond longer than it takes to get what they want?
Again, even nutters have a sense of justice. You adhere to the unwritten code, you don't get your head nailed to the coffee table. Russia's sabre rattling is consistently if...then, else..., not, we are going to nuke you just for shits n giggles and because we can
But OK you think a deal can't be done, so whats your alternative? Give Ivan a dam' good thrashing because then he'll back down, like bullies always do?
The government and people of Russia believe, with 100% confidence, that they will come out of the other end of a nuclear exchange in far better shape than NATO. This is a recurrent theme on Russian TV.
It's a vast and sparsely populated country with shit infrastructure and people who are used to roughing it anyway.
Oh I'm sure that Putin, his cronies and oligarchs with their luxurious palaces and yachts are completely used to roughing it (!)
I don't think they want to spend the rest of their lives living underground.
Russia may be sparsely populated but much of the population is concentrated in a small number of areas. Nearly 10% of the population lives in Moscow, and another 14% lives in the next fourteen cities. It would not take many warheads to destroy those population centres.
I think this is a case where standing up to a bully is actually a lot safer than giving way to him.
If we would do it. Would we? Does Vlad think we would? Do his people?
Moscow was abandoned and burned to the ground in 1812, Leningrad had a 900 day siege, Stalingrad happened at Stalingrad. Having its cities pulverised to fuck and coming back from it, is just part of the myth.
Somehow, I don't think that either Russia's leaders or masses have a huge desire to commit national suicide.
Well, fuck it, look at the actual evidence, why not? You might as well say that nobody has ever gone to war because, yes, I know what it says in the history books, but would people really commit themselves to years of large scale slaughter and misery for no clear gain, time after time? There is a whole heap of commentators out there, and any number of clips of state TV on twitter, saying quite explicitly that Russia thinks it can win an all out nuclear war. Now if the Russians are saying that and the Western commentators are saying believe them, I don't see what weight is to be attached to your "somehow" gut feeling on the subject.
Russia had very little choice but to fight an enemy in 1941 that was bent on enslaving or exterminating the population. In such a situation, they had little choice but to endure hell.
Now, they do have a choice.
I see your problem: you have had enough of experts.
"Russia’s information infrastructure is hugely different from the West. The Russian masses, especially outside the cities, are not all on the internet; they rely on state-controlled television for news. That pre-existing monopoly has been massively reinforced since the invasion of Ukraine, with all alternative news sources blocked for the overwhelming majority of Russians. This has been compounded by many of the younger, social media-savvy generation leaving the country.
What is left is a population depressingly similar to its grandparents, who crowded Red Square to cheer the Leader of All Progressive Humanity whenever Stalin appeared atop Lenin’s tomb to receive the adulation of his helots. True, many applauded out of fear, but many also from conviction: even today, Stalin remains revered by millions of Russians. The mythology of the Great Patriotic War combines all the central elements of the Russian political identity: love of a strong leader, a near-masochist willingness to endure the unendurable for the sake of the motherland, and imperial greatness resulting in domination over other nations.
Since coming to power, Vladimir Putin has aspired to tick all those boxes. His propaganda machine, now unchallenged by any alternative voice, has reduced his compatriots to a state of moronic credulity. By carefully feeding the paranoia that is a principal component of the Russian character, Putin has secured his people’s support for an adventure that can only have catastrophic consequences for them."
I mean, LOL, Iain Martin, sure, but he *sounds* as if he knows what he is talking about, he is saying exactly what Russian TV and all the Western commentators on Russian TV are saying, and your intuition as to how you might feel if you were Russian is a bit off the point.
It does appear that the word is slowly getting back to those inside Russia, but it’s a slow process. Lots of younger people trying to educate their parents and grandparents that the TV is not telling the truth.
It won’t be long either, before the wives and mothers of 20,000 dead soldiers realise their husbands and sons are not coming home, as well as the tens of thousands more who will come home with injuries and stories.
That is just the casualties so far. If this goes on for another couple of months then the "butchers's bill" will be enormous. Politically de-stabilising enormous.
It's a fascinating mystery what is going on inside Russia, both in the outside environment and in people's heads. I think we tend to swing between extremes on this, as we have done with Russia's military prowess.
At the start of the war there was an assumption out there that this is Putin's war, that the Russian people don't realise what's going on, once the body bags start coming back they'll turn against Putin, they won't be prepared to shoot at their Slavic brethren etc etc. Now - fed by events in Bucha and some depressing evidence coming out of the motherland, I fear we've gone too far the other way: Russia's people are all incorrigible imperialists who have bought lock stock and barrel into a death cult that will lead them cheerfully to Nuclear armageddon. I was starting to think that way too.
Watching the Navalny film last night I was forced to rethink. There is a long, deep tradition of rebellion, scepticism of authority and micro-subversion in Russia dating back centuries, and that's not going to disappear overnight. I know most of us assume the recent fires in various military installations are Ukrainian operations but there's still a small possibility it's domestic sabotage, like in Belarus. If so, then things might be more interesting than we thought.
I don't think we (the West) have got our heads properly around Russians yet. It's a form of orientalism - we discover they are a bit different from us, so we leap right across the spectrum and start to think of them as wholly exotic beings who operate on a different mental planet from everyone else. We're guilty of the same with China. Whereas in reality we're talking about humans who share many of the same virtues and flaws, conditioned by culture and context.
Slugger O Toole has great analysis on the assembly election. Also Peter Donaghy is modelling all the individual constituencies on twitter.
Will be interesting to see how well Alliance will do and if they are capable of getting 2nd seats in various constituencies like East Antrim, Lagan Valley, Strangford and North Down (unlikely, I agree with the above prediction). I have revised down my predictions for Alliance somewhat but I still expect Sinn Fein to be the largest party.
I think the biggest unknown is the SDLP, they have strong candidates but are in danger of being squeezed out in constituencies like Lagan Valley where Alliance is doing well.
Also I wonder if the Greens can spring a surprise in East Belfast?
Alliance and UUP and TUV should be up.
SF little changed, DUP and SDLP down
Is this likely to lead to Michelle O'Neill becoming First Minister? I haven't been following it but sounds... interesting.
Unless the DUP agree to rejoin the executive there will be no active FM post, assuming the DUP not the UUP are still second
Tracy-Ann Oberman: EastEnders star pays damages in anti-Semitism libel case.
Hot on the heels of other recent legal results – such as the Telegraph’s and right-wing former Labour MP Ian Austin’s similar humiliation and apology to ex-Corbyn staffer Laura Murray
You could almost say AS was exaggerated for Political reasons by Labours opponents
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says Western arms shipments to Ukraine mean Nato is "in essence engaged in war with Russia" and there is "considerable" risk of the conflict going nuclear
This is now a settled theme from Russia,.
Tbh I'm amazed they haven't said this from the outset, and it's part of the reason why I think we've being really disingenuous about the No Fly Zone. We have drawn our own line by saying that it's fine to supply tons of military equipment, intelligence and, even, special 'advisors' (SAS) to Ukraine but it's not fine to install a NFZ. 95% of people on here have gone along with this, often vociferously. They've told themselves that the one will help Ukraine but won't escalate it but the other would lead to WWIII and Armageddon.
But it's cant and hypocrisy basically, isn't it? If we're going to support Ukraine, bloody well support Ukraine. We should have backed Zelensky's request and stood up to Putin.
Just my opinion. Don't flame me.
Not going to flame you, but consider this: all but the most psychopathic criminals retain a demented sense of justice, a point quite neatly illustrated by monty python's piranha brothers who nail someone's head to the floor "because he had transgressed the unwritten code." Putin's unwritten code includes no nfz.
Or of course, he is bluffing and we only think it does. But don't fall into the narrative of Stand up to the bully, give Ivan a bloody nose and he will always cave in to true British grit. That is a school story and there's no nukes in schools.
It's amazing how many people think this is fucking Michael Bay film and that Russia will back down if, in some as yet to be defined manner, Ukraine wins.
There is going to have to be a deal sooner or later and the pressure should be on Ukraine and Russia to make it sooner.
What 'pressure to do a deal' can we put on a Russia that is doing, and saying, what it is?
And what makes you think they'll stick with the deal for a microsecond longer than it takes to get what they want?
Again, even nutters have a sense of justice. You adhere to the unwritten code, you don't get your head nailed to the coffee table. Russia's sabre rattling is consistently if...then, else..., not, we are going to nuke you just for shits n giggles and because we can
But OK you think a deal can't be done, so whats your alternative? Give Ivan a dam' good thrashing because then he'll back down, like bullies always do?
The government and people of Russia believe, with 100% confidence, that they will come out of the other end of a nuclear exchange in far better shape than NATO. This is a recurrent theme on Russian TV.
It's a vast and sparsely populated country with shit infrastructure and people who are used to roughing it anyway.
Oh I'm sure that Putin, his cronies and oligarchs with their luxurious palaces and yachts are completely used to roughing it (!)
I don't think they want to spend the rest of their lives living underground.
Russia may be sparsely populated but much of the population is concentrated in a small number of areas. Nearly 10% of the population lives in Moscow, and another 14% lives in the next fourteen cities. It would not take many warheads to destroy those population centres.
I think this is a case where standing up to a bully is actually a lot safer than giving way to him.
If we would do it. Would we? Does Vlad think we would? Do his people?
Moscow was abandoned and burned to the ground in 1812, Leningrad had a 900 day siege, Stalingrad happened at Stalingrad. Having its cities pulverised to fuck and coming back from it, is just part of the myth.
Somehow, I don't think that either Russia's leaders or masses have a huge desire to commit national suicide.
Well, fuck it, look at the actual evidence, why not? You might as well say that nobody has ever gone to war because, yes, I know what it says in the history books, but would people really commit themselves to years of large scale slaughter and misery for no clear gain, time after time? There is a whole heap of commentators out there, and any number of clips of state TV on twitter, saying quite explicitly that Russia thinks it can win an all out nuclear war. Now if the Russians are saying that and the Western commentators are saying believe them, I don't see what weight is to be attached to your "somehow" gut feeling on the subject.
Russia had very little choice but to fight an enemy in 1941 that was bent on enslaving or exterminating the population. In such a situation, they had little choice but to endure hell.
Now, they do have a choice.
I see your problem: you have had enough of experts.
"Russia’s information infrastructure is hugely different from the West. The Russian masses, especially outside the cities, are not all on the internet; they rely on state-controlled television for news. That pre-existing monopoly has been massively reinforced since the invasion of Ukraine, with all alternative news sources blocked for the overwhelming majority of Russians. This has been compounded by many of the younger, social media-savvy generation leaving the country.
What is left is a population depressingly similar to its grandparents, who crowded Red Square to cheer the Leader of All Progressive Humanity whenever Stalin appeared atop Lenin’s tomb to receive the adulation of his helots. True, many applauded out of fear, but many also from conviction: even today, Stalin remains revered by millions of Russians. The mythology of the Great Patriotic War combines all the central elements of the Russian political identity: love of a strong leader, a near-masochist willingness to endure the unendurable for the sake of the motherland, and imperial greatness resulting in domination over other nations.
Since coming to power, Vladimir Putin has aspired to tick all those boxes. His propaganda machine, now unchallenged by any alternative voice, has reduced his compatriots to a state of moronic credulity. By carefully feeding the paranoia that is a principal component of the Russian character, Putin has secured his people’s support for an adventure that can only have catastrophic consequences for them."
I mean, LOL, Iain Martin, sure, but he *sounds* as if he knows what he is talking about, he is saying exactly what Russian TV and all the Western commentators on Russian TV are saying, and your intuition as to how you might feel if you were Russian is a bit off the point.
It does appear that the word is slowly getting back to those inside Russia, but it’s a slow process. Lots of younger people trying to educate their parents and grandparents that the TV is not telling the truth.
It won’t be long either, before the wives and mothers of 20,000 dead soldiers realise their husbands and sons are not coming home, as well as the tens of thousands more who will come home with injuries and stories.
That is just the casualties so far. If this goes on for another couple of months then the "butchers's bill" will be enormous. Politically de-stabilising enormous.
It's a fascinating mystery what is going on inside Russia, both in the outside environment and in people's heads. I think we tend to swing between extremes on this, as we have done with Russia's military prowess.
At the start of the war there was an assumption out there that this is Putin's war, that the Russian people don't realise what's going on, once the body bags start coming back they'll turn against Putin, they won't be prepared to shoot at their Slavic brethren etc etc. Now - fed by events in Bucha and some depressing evidence coming out of the motherland, I fear we've gone too far the other way: Russia's people are all incorrigible imperialists who have bought lock stock and barrel into a death cult that will lead them cheerfully to Nuclear armageddon. I was starting to think that way too.
Watching the Navalny film last night I was forced to rethink. There is a long, deep tradition of rebellion, scepticism of authority and micro-subversion in Russia dating back centuries, and that's not going to disappear overnight. I know most of us assume the recent fires in various military installations are Ukrainian operations but there's still a small possibility it's domestic sabotage, like in Belarus. If so, then things might be more interesting than we thought.
I don't think we (the West) have got our heads properly around Russians yet. It's a form of orientalism - we discover they are a bit different from us, so we leap right across the spectrum and start to think of them as wholly exotic beings who operate on a different mental planet from everyone else. We're guilty of the same with China. Whereas in reality we're talking about humans who share many of the same virtues and flaws, conditioned by culture and context.
One comment from a close Russian relative - she said that she completely understood the video of the applause for Ceaușescu turning into boos.
She said that everyone was afraid to whisper in a corner what they really believed - informers everywhere. But many, many people held it in their hearts.
Everyone has some saving graces, even Jeremy C. I accept that he means well, and he's consistent. So consistent that he's not changed his mind on anything since he was seven. That's why he thinks NATO are war-mongers and Putin is the victim in this so-called war.
His time will come again. When the Guardian begins having a plurality of pro-Russian articles, it will be safe for him emerge. It may take a while, but it will happen.
BoJo has one habit that makes him irredeemable, though. Without a script he never finishes a sentence, and even with one, he waffles. Er, ah, a, makes up most of his words. I keep waiting for "Er, now, missus."
Get rid, Tories, before he ever finishes a sentence.
Slugger O Toole has great analysis on the assembly election. Also Peter Donaghy is modelling all the individual constituencies on twitter.
Will be interesting to see how well Alliance will do and if they are capable of getting 2nd seats in various constituencies like East Antrim, Lagan Valley, Strangford and North Down (unlikely, I agree with the above prediction). I have revised down my predictions for Alliance somewhat but I still expect Sinn Fein to be the largest party.
I think the biggest unknown is the SDLP, they have strong candidates but are in danger of being squeezed out in constituencies like Lagan Valley where Alliance is doing well.
Also I wonder if the Greens can spring a surprise in East Belfast?
Alliance and UUP and TUV should be up.
SF little changed, DUP and SDLP down
Is this likely to lead to Michelle O'Neill becoming First Minister? I haven't been following it but sounds... interesting.
The central scenario seems to be that SF win the election, but the DUP refuse to form an executive with an SF First Minister, so we have a period of deadlock until either the DUP win some concessions in return for agreeing to First Minister O'Neill, or there is another election.
It was apparently "funded by USAID" and "virtually under the patronage of the US President and Congress"
Is that supposed to be bad?
They really are as thick as mince.
As the founder of The Royal Society For The Prevention of Abusive Language Towards Foodstuffs, could you please not liken Russian Greater Nationalists to mince?
If you have mince, you have the basis for a large number of tasty, nutritious, filling meals.
If you have a quantity of RGNs - well making them into food would be rather rude, and would probably taste horrible. And they are no good for anything else.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says Western arms shipments to Ukraine mean Nato is "in essence engaged in war with Russia" and there is "considerable" risk of the conflict going nuclear
This is now a settled theme from Russia,.
Tbh I'm amazed they haven't said this from the outset, and it's part of the reason why I think we've being really disingenuous about the No Fly Zone. We have drawn our own line by saying that it's fine to supply tons of military equipment, intelligence and, even, special 'advisors' (SAS) to Ukraine but it's not fine to install a NFZ. 95% of people on here have gone along with this, often vociferously. They've told themselves that the one will help Ukraine but won't escalate it but the other would lead to WWIII and Armageddon.
But it's cant and hypocrisy basically, isn't it? If we're going to support Ukraine, bloody well support Ukraine. We should have backed Zelensky's request and stood up to Putin.
Just my opinion. Don't flame me.
Not going to flame you, but consider this: all but the most psychopathic criminals retain a demented sense of justice, a point quite neatly illustrated by monty python's piranha brothers who nail someone's head to the floor "because he had transgressed the unwritten code." Putin's unwritten code includes no nfz.
Or of course, he is bluffing and we only think it does. But don't fall into the narrative of Stand up to the bully, give Ivan a bloody nose and he will always cave in to true British grit. That is a school story and there's no nukes in schools.
It's amazing how many people think this is fucking Michael Bay film and that Russia will back down if, in some as yet to be defined manner, Ukraine wins.
There is going to have to be a deal sooner or later and the pressure should be on Ukraine and Russia to make it sooner.
What 'pressure to do a deal' can we put on a Russia that is doing, and saying, what it is?
And what makes you think they'll stick with the deal for a microsecond longer than it takes to get what they want?
Again, even nutters have a sense of justice. You adhere to the unwritten code, you don't get your head nailed to the coffee table. Russia's sabre rattling is consistently if...then, else..., not, we are going to nuke you just for shits n giggles and because we can
But OK you think a deal can't be done, so whats your alternative? Give Ivan a dam' good thrashing because then he'll back down, like bullies always do?
The government and people of Russia believe, with 100% confidence, that they will come out of the other end of a nuclear exchange in far better shape than NATO. This is a recurrent theme on Russian TV.
It's a vast and sparsely populated country with shit infrastructure and people who are used to roughing it anyway.
Oh I'm sure that Putin, his cronies and oligarchs with their luxurious palaces and yachts are completely used to roughing it (!)
I don't think they want to spend the rest of their lives living underground.
Russia may be sparsely populated but much of the population is concentrated in a small number of areas. Nearly 10% of the population lives in Moscow, and another 14% lives in the next fourteen cities. It would not take many warheads to destroy those population centres.
I think this is a case where standing up to a bully is actually a lot safer than giving way to him.
If we would do it. Would we? Does Vlad think we would? Do his people?
Moscow was abandoned and burned to the ground in 1812, Leningrad had a 900 day siege, Stalingrad happened at Stalingrad. Having its cities pulverised to fuck and coming back from it, is just part of the myth.
Somehow, I don't think that either Russia's leaders or masses have a huge desire to commit national suicide.
Well, fuck it, look at the actual evidence, why not? You might as well say that nobody has ever gone to war because, yes, I know what it says in the history books, but would people really commit themselves to years of large scale slaughter and misery for no clear gain, time after time? There is a whole heap of commentators out there, and any number of clips of state TV on twitter, saying quite explicitly that Russia thinks it can win an all out nuclear war. Now if the Russians are saying that and the Western commentators are saying believe them, I don't see what weight is to be attached to your "somehow" gut feeling on the subject.
Russia had very little choice but to fight an enemy in 1941 that was bent on enslaving or exterminating the population. In such a situation, they had little choice but to endure hell.
Now, they do have a choice.
I see your problem: you have had enough of experts.
"Russia’s information infrastructure is hugely different from the West. The Russian masses, especially outside the cities, are not all on the internet; they rely on state-controlled television for news. That pre-existing monopoly has been massively reinforced since the invasion of Ukraine, with all alternative news sources blocked for the overwhelming majority of Russians. This has been compounded by many of the younger, social media-savvy generation leaving the country.
What is left is a population depressingly similar to its grandparents, who crowded Red Square to cheer the Leader of All Progressive Humanity whenever Stalin appeared atop Lenin’s tomb to receive the adulation of his helots. True, many applauded out of fear, but many also from conviction: even today, Stalin remains revered by millions of Russians. The mythology of the Great Patriotic War combines all the central elements of the Russian political identity: love of a strong leader, a near-masochist willingness to endure the unendurable for the sake of the motherland, and imperial greatness resulting in domination over other nations.
Since coming to power, Vladimir Putin has aspired to tick all those boxes. His propaganda machine, now unchallenged by any alternative voice, has reduced his compatriots to a state of moronic credulity. By carefully feeding the paranoia that is a principal component of the Russian character, Putin has secured his people’s support for an adventure that can only have catastrophic consequences for them."
I mean, LOL, Iain Martin, sure, but he *sounds* as if he knows what he is talking about, he is saying exactly what Russian TV and all the Western commentators on Russian TV are saying, and your intuition as to how you might feel if you were Russian is a bit off the point.
It does appear that the word is slowly getting back to those inside Russia, but it’s a slow process. Lots of younger people trying to educate their parents and grandparents that the TV is not telling the truth.
It won’t be long either, before the wives and mothers of 20,000 dead soldiers realise their husbands and sons are not coming home, as well as the tens of thousands more who will come home with injuries and stories.
That is just the casualties so far. If this goes on for another couple of months then the "butchers's bill" will be enormous. Politically de-stabilising enormous.
It's a fascinating mystery what is going on inside Russia, both in the outside environment and in people's heads. I think we tend to swing between extremes on this, as we have done with Russia's military prowess.
At the start of the war there was an assumption out there that this is Putin's war, that the Russian people don't realise what's going on, once the body bags start coming back they'll turn against Putin, they won't be prepared to shoot at their Slavic brethren etc etc. Now - fed by events in Bucha and some depressing evidence coming out of the motherland, I fear we've gone too far the other way: Russia's people are all incorrigible imperialists who have bought lock stock and barrel into a death cult that will lead them cheerfully to Nuclear armageddon. I was starting to think that way too.
Watching the Navalny film last night I was forced to rethink. There is a long, deep tradition of rebellion, scepticism of authority and micro-subversion in Russia dating back centuries, and that's not going to disappear overnight. I know most of us assume the recent fires in various military installations are Ukrainian operations but there's still a small possibility it's domestic sabotage, like in Belarus. If so, then things might be more interesting than we thought.
I don't think we (the West) have got our heads properly around Russians yet. It's a form of orientalism - we discover they are a bit different from us, so we leap right across the spectrum and start to think of them as wholly exotic beings who operate on a different mental planet from everyone else. We're guilty of the same with China. Whereas in reality we're talking about humans who share many of the same virtues and flaws, conditioned by culture and context.
'A riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma', as some crazy journalist opined in the 1930s.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says Western arms shipments to Ukraine mean Nato is "in essence engaged in war with Russia" and there is "considerable" risk of the conflict going nuclear
This is now a settled theme from Russia,.
Tbh I'm amazed they haven't said this from the outset, and it's part of the reason why I think we've being really disingenuous about the No Fly Zone. We have drawn our own line by saying that it's fine to supply tons of military equipment, intelligence and, even, special 'advisors' (SAS) to Ukraine but it's not fine to install a NFZ. 95% of people on here have gone along with this, often vociferously. They've told themselves that the one will help Ukraine but won't escalate it but the other would lead to WWIII and Armageddon.
But it's cant and hypocrisy basically, isn't it? If we're going to support Ukraine, bloody well support Ukraine. We should have backed Zelensky's request and stood up to Putin.
Just my opinion. Don't flame me.
Not going to flame you, but consider this: all but the most psychopathic criminals retain a demented sense of justice, a point quite neatly illustrated by monty python's piranha brothers who nail someone's head to the floor "because he had transgressed the unwritten code." Putin's unwritten code includes no nfz.
Or of course, he is bluffing and we only think it does. But don't fall into the narrative of Stand up to the bully, give Ivan a bloody nose and he will always cave in to true British grit. That is a school story and there's no nukes in schools.
It's amazing how many people think this is fucking Michael Bay film and that Russia will back down if, in some as yet to be defined manner, Ukraine wins.
There is going to have to be a deal sooner or later and the pressure should be on Ukraine and Russia to make it sooner.
What 'pressure to do a deal' can we put on a Russia that is doing, and saying, what it is?
And what makes you think they'll stick with the deal for a microsecond longer than it takes to get what they want?
Again, even nutters have a sense of justice. You adhere to the unwritten code, you don't get your head nailed to the coffee table. Russia's sabre rattling is consistently if...then, else..., not, we are going to nuke you just for shits n giggles and because we can
But OK you think a deal can't be done, so whats your alternative? Give Ivan a dam' good thrashing because then he'll back down, like bullies always do?
The government and people of Russia believe, with 100% confidence, that they will come out of the other end of a nuclear exchange in far better shape than NATO. This is a recurrent theme on Russian TV.
It's a vast and sparsely populated country with shit infrastructure and people who are used to roughing it anyway.
Oh I'm sure that Putin, his cronies and oligarchs with their luxurious palaces and yachts are completely used to roughing it (!)
I don't think they want to spend the rest of their lives living underground.
Russia may be sparsely populated but much of the population is concentrated in a small number of areas. Nearly 10% of the population lives in Moscow, and another 14% lives in the next fourteen cities. It would not take many warheads to destroy those population centres.
I think this is a case where standing up to a bully is actually a lot safer than giving way to him.
If we would do it. Would we? Does Vlad think we would? Do his people?
Moscow was abandoned and burned to the ground in 1812, Leningrad had a 900 day siege, Stalingrad happened at Stalingrad. Having its cities pulverised to fuck and coming back from it, is just part of the myth.
Somehow, I don't think that either Russia's leaders or masses have a huge desire to commit national suicide.
Well, fuck it, look at the actual evidence, why not? You might as well say that nobody has ever gone to war because, yes, I know what it says in the history books, but would people really commit themselves to years of large scale slaughter and misery for no clear gain, time after time? There is a whole heap of commentators out there, and any number of clips of state TV on twitter, saying quite explicitly that Russia thinks it can win an all out nuclear war. Now if the Russians are saying that and the Western commentators are saying believe them, I don't see what weight is to be attached to your "somehow" gut feeling on the subject.
Russia had very little choice but to fight an enemy in 1941 that was bent on enslaving or exterminating the population. In such a situation, they had little choice but to endure hell.
Now, they do have a choice.
I see your problem: you have had enough of experts.
"Russia’s information infrastructure is hugely different from the West. The Russian masses, especially outside the cities, are not all on the internet; they rely on state-controlled television for news. That pre-existing monopoly has been massively reinforced since the invasion of Ukraine, with all alternative news sources blocked for the overwhelming majority of Russians. This has been compounded by many of the younger, social media-savvy generation leaving the country.
What is left is a population depressingly similar to its grandparents, who crowded Red Square to cheer the Leader of All Progressive Humanity whenever Stalin appeared atop Lenin’s tomb to receive the adulation of his helots. True, many applauded out of fear, but many also from conviction: even today, Stalin remains revered by millions of Russians. The mythology of the Great Patriotic War combines all the central elements of the Russian political identity: love of a strong leader, a near-masochist willingness to endure the unendurable for the sake of the motherland, and imperial greatness resulting in domination over other nations.
Since coming to power, Vladimir Putin has aspired to tick all those boxes. His propaganda machine, now unchallenged by any alternative voice, has reduced his compatriots to a state of moronic credulity. By carefully feeding the paranoia that is a principal component of the Russian character, Putin has secured his people’s support for an adventure that can only have catastrophic consequences for them."
I mean, LOL, Iain Martin, sure, but he *sounds* as if he knows what he is talking about, he is saying exactly what Russian TV and all the Western commentators on Russian TV are saying, and your intuition as to how you might feel if you were Russian is a bit off the point.
It does appear that the word is slowly getting back to those inside Russia, but it’s a slow process. Lots of younger people trying to educate their parents and grandparents that the TV is not telling the truth.
It won’t be long either, before the wives and mothers of 20,000 dead soldiers realise their husbands and sons are not coming home, as well as the tens of thousands more who will come home with injuries and stories.
Cognitive dissonance is incredibly hard to overcome. If something challenges deeply held beliefs (we're the good guys, Putin is a great leader, etc.), then we will perform the most extraordinary mental gymnastics to avoid having to reassess our views.
Slugger O Toole has great analysis on the assembly election. Also Peter Donaghy is modelling all the individual constituencies on twitter.
Will be interesting to see how well Alliance will do and if they are capable of getting 2nd seats in various constituencies like East Antrim, Lagan Valley, Strangford and North Down (unlikely, I agree with the above prediction). I have revised down my predictions for Alliance somewhat but I still expect Sinn Fein to be the largest party.
I think the biggest unknown is the SDLP, they have strong candidates but are in danger of being squeezed out in constituencies like Lagan Valley where Alliance is doing well.
Also I wonder if the Greens can spring a surprise in East Belfast?
Alliance and UUP and TUV should be up.
SF little changed, DUP and SDLP down
Is this likely to lead to Michelle O'Neill becoming First Minister? I haven't been following it but sounds... interesting.
The central scenario seems to be that SF win the election, but the DUP refuse to form an executive with an SF First Minister, so we have a period of deadlock until either the DUP win some concessions in return for agreeing to First Minister O'Neill, or there is another election.
Ye Gods. SF have served as DFM to the DUP for several years. NI politics is completely bonkers.
It's so weird that a leftie like BJO genuinely wants a Tory Government over Labour
Rachel Reeves said she was "pleased" Labour lost in 2019
I will be equally pleased with that result in 2024
No she didn’t say that. Don’t lie.
She said she was glad Corbyn wasn’t PM right now. I agree with her.
Same thing
And you expect those of us who worked our bollocks off for a Labour Government to vote for a front bench that wanted to lose
Wait. Isn't that exactly what you've been doing when you've advocated voting for Johnson over Starmer?
Mr Johnson is a socialist and Labour politician? Now I really, really am confused.
We are living in a world where a war is being fought, apparently, against Jewish Gay Nazis.
The important bit is not to internalise the madness, in any way. Just put yourself in the mental state you use for watching a Mel Brooks film, and you'll be fine.
Is there a particular opposition DUP have to the daughter and niece of IRA men versus an actual IRA man they served with in the shape of Martin McGuinness?
For those of you in senior management positions, please please please ensure your staff have decent laptops.
I've just moved role and this ancient elitebook can't run Teams if I have my camera on, can barely run anything in R, and can only keep about three edge tabs active.
For those of you in senior management positions, please please please ensure your staff have decent laptops.
I've just moved role and this ancient elitebook can't run Teams if I have my camera on, can barely run anything in R, and can only keep about three edge tabs active.
"Months" is the response from the IT guys.
Are you yet to discover the cappuccino-keyboard technique? I hear it it's an extremely powerful tool in accelerating key IT upgrades in the workplace?
For those of you in senior management positions, please please please ensure your staff have decent laptops.
I've just moved role and this ancient elitebook can't run Teams if I have my camera on, can barely run anything in R, and can only keep about three edge tabs active.
"Months" is the response from the IT guys.
Just send your line manager a memo that you can't attend the next Teams as the laptop won't work, and therefore send your apologies.
Slugger O Toole has great analysis on the assembly election. Also Peter Donaghy is modelling all the individual constituencies on twitter.
Will be interesting to see how well Alliance will do and if they are capable of getting 2nd seats in various constituencies like East Antrim, Lagan Valley, Strangford and North Down (unlikely, I agree with the above prediction). I have revised down my predictions for Alliance somewhat but I still expect Sinn Fein to be the largest party.
I think the biggest unknown is the SDLP, they have strong candidates but are in danger of being squeezed out in constituencies like Lagan Valley where Alliance is doing well.
Also I wonder if the Greens can spring a surprise in East Belfast?
Alliance and UUP and TUV should be up.
SF little changed, DUP and SDLP down
Is this likely to lead to Michelle O'Neill becoming First Minister? I haven't been following it but sounds... interesting.
The central scenario seems to be that SF win the election, but the DUP refuse to form an executive with an SF First Minister, so we have a period of deadlock until either the DUP win some concessions in return for agreeing to First Minister O'Neill, or there is another election.
Ye Gods. SF have served as DFM to the DUP for several years. NI politics is completely bonkers.
I explained Northern Ireland to some Peruvian relatives thus.....
In the peace agreement, the police force was to be half Catholic and half Protestant
Of course, they forgot about other denominations of Christianity. After some discussion, they were counted in the Protestant quota.
They also forgot about atheists. After some discussion, they were counted in the Protestant quota.
They also forgot about other religions. Hindus, Muslims etc. After some discussion, they were counted in the Protestant quota.
Then there was an issue with non-NI borne Catholics joining the police service. The Shiners were adamant that they were the wrong kind of Catholics. After some discussion, they were counted in the Protestant quota.
I find the above utterly marvellous and one of the best uses of my tax money that I can remember. It makes me smile every time I think upon it. Not many items of government spending do that.
Is there a particular opposition DUP have to the daughter and niece of IRA men versus an actual IRA man they served with in the shape of Martin McGuinness?
For those of you in senior management positions, please please please ensure your staff have decent laptops.
I've just moved role and this ancient elitebook can't run Teams if I have my camera on, can barely run anything in R, and can only keep about three edge tabs active.
"Months" is the response from the IT guys.
A tech company I know ordered a couple of hundred laptops and desktops from a well-known and respected manufacturer. For technical and legal reasons, they want all the machines to be identical (within their type). They have just received the first tranche over six months late, with mismatched processors, graphics cards, memory types, and peripheral cards. Some were referred to as; "The sweepings of the factory floor chucked in."
Last time they placed an order, at the end of 2019 (I think!) the supplier performed perfectly, providing identical kit.
It's so weird that a leftie like BJO genuinely wants a Tory Government over Labour
Rachel Reeves said she was "pleased" Labour lost in 2019
I will be equally pleased with that result in 2024
No she didn’t say that. Don’t lie.
She said she was glad Corbyn wasn’t PM right now. I agree with her.
If Labour has won the election, who would have been PM? Strains credulity that a Labour Parliamentary party that no confidence voted Corbyn but then did nothing would have booted him out if he had won them the keys to Downing Street.
It is a distinction without difference.
There is a difference.
Assume I have a choice of 2 bad things - I can either lose my hand or my voice.
It's by coin toss. Heads the voice, tails the hand.
Flick ... spin spin spin ... it's TAILS.
Fuck, there goes my hand. Chop. Argh, that hurt.
Now Kay Burley comes along and she asks me -
Kuntibula, are you pleased you still have your voice?
"Yes," I say. (which I can since I do still have my voice)
Apparently Trump has decreed that he will not come back to Twitter even if He is allowed by Musk, great news.
Does he mean it? don't know, he probably knows that if he does it would kill his own Triter alternative, 'Truth Social' he would also look silly if he did return and only got a fraction of his former followers back.
For those of you in senior management positions, please please please ensure your staff have decent laptops.
I've just moved role and this ancient elitebook can't run Teams if I have my camera on, can barely run anything in R, and can only keep about three edge tabs active.
"Months" is the response from the IT guys.
Are you yet to discover the cappuccino-keyboard technique? I hear it it's an extremely powerful tool in accelerating key IT upgrades in the workplace?
I had a boss, way back, who was wise in The Ways of The Workers.
He kept in a cupboard, the laptop to be used by those who damaged theirs. It was a super hardened device, conforming to various military specifications. Waterproof to a serious depth, fire resistance and you could literally drop it onto concrete from a height and it would just bounce. It was one of the machines spec'd for use in extreme conditions in the field - this was at an oil company.
It was apparently "funded by USAID" and "virtually under the patronage of the US President and Congress"
Quick - somebody notify Marjorie Taylor Green, Madison Cawthorne, Fucker Carlson and 45.
These right wing whackos and Putinists all need to get their messaging in line. I thought 45 had to be restored in order to root out a massive child sex ring. Now it seems it is gay Nazis stormtroopers that are the problem.
Apparently Trump has decreed that he will not come back to Twitter even if He is allowed by Musk, great news.
Does he mean it? don't know, he probably knows that if he does it would kill his own Triter alternative, 'Truth Social' he would also look silly if he did return and only got a fraction of his former followers back.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says Western arms shipments to Ukraine mean Nato is "in essence engaged in war with Russia" and there is "considerable" risk of the conflict going nuclear
This is now a settled theme from Russia,.
Tbh I'm amazed they haven't said this from the outset, and it's part of the reason why I think we've being really disingenuous about the No Fly Zone. We have drawn our own line by saying that it's fine to supply tons of military equipment, intelligence and, even, special 'advisors' (SAS) to Ukraine but it's not fine to install a NFZ. 95% of people on here have gone along with this, often vociferously. They've told themselves that the one will help Ukraine but won't escalate it but the other would lead to WWIII and Armageddon.
But it's cant and hypocrisy basically, isn't it? If we're going to support Ukraine, bloody well support Ukraine. We should have backed Zelensky's request and stood up to Putin.
Just my opinion. Don't flame me.
Not going to flame you, but consider this: all but the most psychopathic criminals retain a demented sense of justice, a point quite neatly illustrated by monty python's piranha brothers who nail someone's head to the floor "because he had transgressed the unwritten code." Putin's unwritten code includes no nfz.
Or of course, he is bluffing and we only think it does. But don't fall into the narrative of Stand up to the bully, give Ivan a bloody nose and he will always cave in to true British grit. That is a school story and there's no nukes in schools.
It's amazing how many people think this is fucking Michael Bay film and that Russia will back down if, in some as yet to be defined manner, Ukraine wins.
There is going to have to be a deal sooner or later and the pressure should be on Ukraine and Russia to make it sooner.
What 'pressure to do a deal' can we put on a Russia that is doing, and saying, what it is?
And what makes you think they'll stick with the deal for a microsecond longer than it takes to get what they want?
Again, even nutters have a sense of justice. You adhere to the unwritten code, you don't get your head nailed to the coffee table. Russia's sabre rattling is consistently if...then, else..., not, we are going to nuke you just for shits n giggles and because we can
But OK you think a deal can't be done, so whats your alternative? Give Ivan a dam' good thrashing because then he'll back down, like bullies always do?
The government and people of Russia believe, with 100% confidence, that they will come out of the other end of a nuclear exchange in far better shape than NATO. This is a recurrent theme on Russian TV.
It's a vast and sparsely populated country with shit infrastructure and people who are used to roughing it anyway.
Oh I'm sure that Putin, his cronies and oligarchs with their luxurious palaces and yachts are completely used to roughing it (!)
I don't think they want to spend the rest of their lives living underground.
Russia may be sparsely populated but much of the population is concentrated in a small number of areas. Nearly 10% of the population lives in Moscow, and another 14% lives in the next fourteen cities. It would not take many warheads to destroy those population centres.
I think this is a case where standing up to a bully is actually a lot safer than giving way to him.
If we would do it. Would we? Does Vlad think we would? Do his people?
Moscow was abandoned and burned to the ground in 1812, Leningrad had a 900 day siege, Stalingrad happened at Stalingrad. Having its cities pulverised to fuck and coming back from it, is just part of the myth.
Somehow, I don't think that either Russia's leaders or masses have a huge desire to commit national suicide.
Well, fuck it, look at the actual evidence, why not? You might as well say that nobody has ever gone to war because, yes, I know what it says in the history books, but would people really commit themselves to years of large scale slaughter and misery for no clear gain, time after time? There is a whole heap of commentators out there, and any number of clips of state TV on twitter, saying quite explicitly that Russia thinks it can win an all out nuclear war. Now if the Russians are saying that and the Western commentators are saying believe them, I don't see what weight is to be attached to your "somehow" gut feeling on the subject.
Russia had very little choice but to fight an enemy in 1941 that was bent on enslaving or exterminating the population. In such a situation, they had little choice but to endure hell.
Now, they do have a choice.
I see your problem: you have had enough of experts.
"Russia’s information infrastructure is hugely different from the West. The Russian masses, especially outside the cities, are not all on the internet; they rely on state-controlled television for news. That pre-existing monopoly has been massively reinforced since the invasion of Ukraine, with all alternative news sources blocked for the overwhelming majority of Russians. This has been compounded by many of the younger, social media-savvy generation leaving the country.
What is left is a population depressingly similar to its grandparents, who crowded Red Square to cheer the Leader of All Progressive Humanity whenever Stalin appeared atop Lenin’s tomb to receive the adulation of his helots. True, many applauded out of fear, but many also from conviction: even today, Stalin remains revered by millions of Russians. The mythology of the Great Patriotic War combines all the central elements of the Russian political identity: love of a strong leader, a near-masochist willingness to endure the unendurable for the sake of the motherland, and imperial greatness resulting in domination over other nations.
Since coming to power, Vladimir Putin has aspired to tick all those boxes. His propaganda machine, now unchallenged by any alternative voice, has reduced his compatriots to a state of moronic credulity. By carefully feeding the paranoia that is a principal component of the Russian character, Putin has secured his people’s support for an adventure that can only have catastrophic consequences for them."
I mean, LOL, Iain Martin, sure, but he *sounds* as if he knows what he is talking about, he is saying exactly what Russian TV and all the Western commentators on Russian TV are saying, and your intuition as to how you might feel if you were Russian is a bit off the point.
It does appear that the word is slowly getting back to those inside Russia, but it’s a slow process. Lots of younger people trying to educate their parents and grandparents that the TV is not telling the truth.
It won’t be long either, before the wives and mothers of 20,000 dead soldiers realise their husbands and sons are not coming home, as well as the tens of thousands more who will come home with injuries and stories.
That is just the casualties so far. If this goes on for another couple of months then the "butchers's bill" will be enormous. Politically de-stabilising enormous.
It's a fascinating mystery what is going on inside Russia, both in the outside environment and in people's heads. I think we tend to swing between extremes on this, as we have done with Russia's military prowess.
At the start of the war there was an assumption out there that this is Putin's war, that the Russian people don't realise what's going on, once the body bags start coming back they'll turn against Putin, they won't be prepared to shoot at their Slavic brethren etc etc. Now - fed by events in Bucha and some depressing evidence coming out of the motherland, I fear we've gone too far the other way: Russia's people are all incorrigible imperialists who have bought lock stock and barrel into a death cult that will lead them cheerfully to Nuclear armageddon. I was starting to think that way too.
Watching the Navalny film last night I was forced to rethink. There is a long, deep tradition of rebellion, scepticism of authority and micro-subversion in Russia dating back centuries, and that's not going to disappear overnight. I know most of us assume the recent fires in various military installations are Ukrainian operations but there's still a small possibility it's domestic sabotage, like in Belarus. If so, then things might be more interesting than we thought....
Note also that it's a multicultural society in a partial state of denial about being so. 'Russian' is a bit of a confusing term given the blurring between the nationality and the ethnic group. And there's a very large number of ethnic Ukrainians inside Russia - even before the recent forcible deportations of maybe half a million people.
The fact that that role exists, presumably with a salary in the six figures, tells you everything you need to know about the UK in 2022, and its failure to deliver major infrastructure projects close to time and budget.
For those of you in senior management positions, please please please ensure your staff have decent laptops.
I've just moved role and this ancient elitebook can't run Teams if I have my camera on, can barely run anything in R, and can only keep about three edge tabs active.
"Months" is the response from the IT guys.
A tech company I know ordered a couple of hundred laptops and desktops from a well-known and respected manufacturer. For technical and legal reasons, they want all the machines to be identical (within their type). They have just received the first tranche over six months late, with mismatched processors, graphics cards, memory types, and peripheral cards. Some were referred to as; "The sweepings of the factory floor chucked in."
Last time they placed an order, at the end of 2019 (I think!) the supplier performed perfectly, providing identical kit.
I have been told, at a couple of places, that this is why they liked Mac laptops. They cost a bit more, but the absence of 99% of the fuckery that suppliers get up to with accidentally changing build specs etc.....
Is there a particular opposition DUP have to the daughter and niece of IRA men versus an actual IRA man they served with in the shape of Martin McGuinness?
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says Western arms shipments to Ukraine mean Nato is "in essence engaged in war with Russia" and there is "considerable" risk of the conflict going nuclear
This is now a settled theme from Russia,.
Tbh I'm amazed they haven't said this from the outset, and it's part of the reason why I think we've being really disingenuous about the No Fly Zone. We have drawn our own line by saying that it's fine to supply tons of military equipment, intelligence and, even, special 'advisors' (SAS) to Ukraine but it's not fine to install a NFZ. 95% of people on here have gone along with this, often vociferously. They've told themselves that the one will help Ukraine but won't escalate it but the other would lead to WWIII and Armageddon.
But it's cant and hypocrisy basically, isn't it? If we're going to support Ukraine, bloody well support Ukraine. We should have backed Zelensky's request and stood up to Putin.
Just my opinion. Don't flame me.
Not going to flame you, but consider this: all but the most psychopathic criminals retain a demented sense of justice, a point quite neatly illustrated by monty python's piranha brothers who nail someone's head to the floor "because he had transgressed the unwritten code." Putin's unwritten code includes no nfz.
Or of course, he is bluffing and we only think it does. But don't fall into the narrative of Stand up to the bully, give Ivan a bloody nose and he will always cave in to true British grit. That is a school story and there's no nukes in schools.
It's amazing how many people think this is fucking Michael Bay film and that Russia will back down if, in some as yet to be defined manner, Ukraine wins.
There is going to have to be a deal sooner or later and the pressure should be on Ukraine and Russia to make it sooner.
What 'pressure to do a deal' can we put on a Russia that is doing, and saying, what it is?
And what makes you think they'll stick with the deal for a microsecond longer than it takes to get what they want?
Again, even nutters have a sense of justice. You adhere to the unwritten code, you don't get your head nailed to the coffee table. Russia's sabre rattling is consistently if...then, else..., not, we are going to nuke you just for shits n giggles and because we can
But OK you think a deal can't be done, so whats your alternative? Give Ivan a dam' good thrashing because then he'll back down, like bullies always do?
The government and people of Russia believe, with 100% confidence, that they will come out of the other end of a nuclear exchange in far better shape than NATO. This is a recurrent theme on Russian TV.
It's a vast and sparsely populated country with shit infrastructure and people who are used to roughing it anyway.
Oh I'm sure that Putin, his cronies and oligarchs with their luxurious palaces and yachts are completely used to roughing it (!)
I don't think they want to spend the rest of their lives living underground.
Russia may be sparsely populated but much of the population is concentrated in a small number of areas. Nearly 10% of the population lives in Moscow, and another 14% lives in the next fourteen cities. It would not take many warheads to destroy those population centres.
I think this is a case where standing up to a bully is actually a lot safer than giving way to him.
If we would do it. Would we? Does Vlad think we would? Do his people?
Moscow was abandoned and burned to the ground in 1812, Leningrad had a 900 day siege, Stalingrad happened at Stalingrad. Having its cities pulverised to fuck and coming back from it, is just part of the myth.
Somehow, I don't think that either Russia's leaders or masses have a huge desire to commit national suicide.
Well, fuck it, look at the actual evidence, why not? You might as well say that nobody has ever gone to war because, yes, I know what it says in the history books, but would people really commit themselves to years of large scale slaughter and misery for no clear gain, time after time? There is a whole heap of commentators out there, and any number of clips of state TV on twitter, saying quite explicitly that Russia thinks it can win an all out nuclear war. Now if the Russians are saying that and the Western commentators are saying believe them, I don't see what weight is to be attached to your "somehow" gut feeling on the subject.
Russia had very little choice but to fight an enemy in 1941 that was bent on enslaving or exterminating the population. In such a situation, they had little choice but to endure hell.
Now, they do have a choice.
I see your problem: you have had enough of experts.
"Russia’s information infrastructure is hugely different from the West. The Russian masses, especially outside the cities, are not all on the internet; they rely on state-controlled television for news. That pre-existing monopoly has been massively reinforced since the invasion of Ukraine, with all alternative news sources blocked for the overwhelming majority of Russians. This has been compounded by many of the younger, social media-savvy generation leaving the country.
What is left is a population depressingly similar to its grandparents, who crowded Red Square to cheer the Leader of All Progressive Humanity whenever Stalin appeared atop Lenin’s tomb to receive the adulation of his helots. True, many applauded out of fear, but many also from conviction: even today, Stalin remains revered by millions of Russians. The mythology of the Great Patriotic War combines all the central elements of the Russian political identity: love of a strong leader, a near-masochist willingness to endure the unendurable for the sake of the motherland, and imperial greatness resulting in domination over other nations.
Since coming to power, Vladimir Putin has aspired to tick all those boxes. His propaganda machine, now unchallenged by any alternative voice, has reduced his compatriots to a state of moronic credulity. By carefully feeding the paranoia that is a principal component of the Russian character, Putin has secured his people’s support for an adventure that can only have catastrophic consequences for them."
I mean, LOL, Iain Martin, sure, but he *sounds* as if he knows what he is talking about, he is saying exactly what Russian TV and all the Western commentators on Russian TV are saying, and your intuition as to how you might feel if you were Russian is a bit off the point.
If Russians really do have such commitment to the cause that they'll choose national self-immolation in order to put Zelensky in his place, would we not be seeing some sign of it, by now? Where are the throngs of people of fighting age joining up, and the deeds of insane bravery on the battlefield? That was what we saw in 1941-45.
There's only one side in this war that's shown real fighting spirit, and it's not the Russian side.
It's so weird that a leftie like BJO genuinely wants a Tory Government over Labour
Rachel Reeves said she was "pleased" Labour lost in 2019
I will be equally pleased with that result in 2024
No she didn’t say that. Don’t lie.
She said she was glad Corbyn wasn’t PM right now. I agree with her.
Same thing
And you expect those of us who worked our bollocks off for a Labour Government to vote for a front bench that wanted to lose
You're clearly twisting words to suit your own motives. Here for the record is the full quote.
“Yes, I’m pleased that he’s not prime minister, but I don’t like the prime minister we’ve got either, and that’s why I’m campaigning for Keir Starmer to be the next prime minister – a Labour prime minister.”
Continue to misrepresent that as much as you like, but bear in mind that in doing so the only person whose credibility that you're undermining is yourself.
It was apparently "funded by USAID" and "virtually under the patronage of the US President and Congress"
Make your mind up. I thought they were supposed to Nazis? Now they are Gay Pride With Guns???
When they are going to these lengths to keep the Homophobe Coalition together, you just know the war isn't going well....
The Ukrainians are Jewish Nazi NATO Homosexuals. Do keep up.
Surely, there needs to be some Trans units in there to really get the Russians going?
We should support the Cis-nistrians!
So, Transdneister is a large self-ID party with chocolate eggs??
From wikipedia:
"The official shortform name (the name in daily usage) in Russian is "Приднестровье", Pridnestrovie, which literally means "Cisdniestria". Short name in Romanian Nistrenia (Нистреня in Cyrillic), in Ukrainian Придністров'я - Prydnistrovia."
For those of you in senior management positions, please please please ensure your staff have decent laptops.
I've just moved role and this ancient elitebook can't run Teams if I have my camera on, can barely run anything in R, and can only keep about three edge tabs active.
"Months" is the response from the IT guys.
A tech company I know ordered a couple of hundred laptops and desktops from a well-known and respected manufacturer. For technical and legal reasons, they want all the machines to be identical (within their type). They have just received the first tranche over six months late, with mismatched processors, graphics cards, memory types, and peripheral cards. Some were referred to as; "The sweepings of the factory floor chucked in."
Last time they placed an order, at the end of 2019 (I think!) the supplier performed perfectly, providing identical kit.
I have been told, at a couple of places, that this is why they liked Mac laptops. They cost a bit more, but the absence of 99% of the fuckery that suppliers get up to with accidentally changing build specs etc.....
Indeed. We are fully Mac in part for this very reason. You know exactly what you are buying and the things work. That's not to say you can't buy a great PC, of course you can, but unless you are willing to spend £££ on IT compliance how do you know for sure what's under the bonnet?
It was apparently "funded by USAID" and "virtually under the patronage of the US President and Congress"
Make your mind up. I thought they were supposed to Nazis? Now they are Gay Pride With Guns???
When they are going to these lengths to keep the Homophobe Coalition together, you just know the war isn't going well....
The Ukrainians are Jewish Nazi NATO Homosexuals. Do keep up.
Surely, there needs to be some Trans units in there to really get the Russians going?
We should support the Cis-nistrians!
An informative thread on Transnistria/Transdniestria, for our general edification.
https://twitter.com/Tom_deWaal/status/1501615391252135940 A long🧵on the situation in #Transdniestria/#Transnistria, misconceptions and fears that it could turn into a new front in the war. My main point is there's a shared interest both in Transdniestria (TN) and in right-bank Moldova in stopping the conflict from reaching them.
For those of you in senior management positions, please please please ensure your staff have decent laptops.
I've just moved role and this ancient elitebook can't run Teams if I have my camera on, can barely run anything in R, and can only keep about three edge tabs active.
"Months" is the response from the IT guys.
Are you yet to discover the cappuccino-keyboard technique? I hear it it's an extremely powerful tool in accelerating key IT upgrades in the workplace?
Nope. Speaking as the IT manager, we have the special 2010 relic laptop waiting for the next person who suffers from a cappuccino-keyboard interface problem.
For those of you in senior management positions, please please please ensure your staff have decent laptops.
I've just moved role and this ancient elitebook can't run Teams if I have my camera on, can barely run anything in R, and can only keep about three edge tabs active.
"Months" is the response from the IT guys.
Are you yet to discover the cappuccino-keyboard technique? I hear it it's an extremely powerful tool in accelerating key IT upgrades in the workplace?
I had a boss, way back, who was wise in The Ways of The Workers.
He kept in a cupboard, the laptop to be used by those who damaged theirs. It was a super hardened device, conforming to various military specifications. Waterproof to a serious depth, fire resistance and you could literally drop it onto concrete from a height and it would just bounce. It was one of the machines spec'd for use in extreme conditions in the field - this was at an oil company.
It weighed a metric ton, and was quite slow.
I knew an IT purchasing manager who admitted that staffers who intentionally damaged ageing 'assets' and presented it as an accident were in no small part doing him a favour as he could then replace them via the insurance, whereas otherwise he was stuck with them in the company fleet until someone was able to prove they no longer worked at all. Don't know how true this is of all firms, but I found it interesting.
For those of you in senior management positions, please please please ensure your staff have decent laptops.
I've just moved role and this ancient elitebook can't run Teams if I have my camera on, can barely run anything in R, and can only keep about three edge tabs active.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says Western arms shipments to Ukraine mean Nato is "in essence engaged in war with Russia" and there is "considerable" risk of the conflict going nuclear
This is now a settled theme from Russia,.
Tbh I'm amazed they haven't said this from the outset, and it's part of the reason why I think we've being really disingenuous about the No Fly Zone. We have drawn our own line by saying that it's fine to supply tons of military equipment, intelligence and, even, special 'advisors' (SAS) to Ukraine but it's not fine to install a NFZ. 95% of people on here have gone along with this, often vociferously. They've told themselves that the one will help Ukraine but won't escalate it but the other would lead to WWIII and Armageddon.
But it's cant and hypocrisy basically, isn't it? If we're going to support Ukraine, bloody well support Ukraine. We should have backed Zelensky's request and stood up to Putin.
Just my opinion. Don't flame me.
Not going to flame you, but consider this: all but the most psychopathic criminals retain a demented sense of justice, a point quite neatly illustrated by monty python's piranha brothers who nail someone's head to the floor "because he had transgressed the unwritten code." Putin's unwritten code includes no nfz.
Or of course, he is bluffing and we only think it does. But don't fall into the narrative of Stand up to the bully, give Ivan a bloody nose and he will always cave in to true British grit. That is a school story and there's no nukes in schools.
It's amazing how many people think this is fucking Michael Bay film and that Russia will back down if, in some as yet to be defined manner, Ukraine wins.
There is going to have to be a deal sooner or later and the pressure should be on Ukraine and Russia to make it sooner.
What 'pressure to do a deal' can we put on a Russia that is doing, and saying, what it is?
And what makes you think they'll stick with the deal for a microsecond longer than it takes to get what they want?
Again, even nutters have a sense of justice. You adhere to the unwritten code, you don't get your head nailed to the coffee table. Russia's sabre rattling is consistently if...then, else..., not, we are going to nuke you just for shits n giggles and because we can
But OK you think a deal can't be done, so whats your alternative? Give Ivan a dam' good thrashing because then he'll back down, like bullies always do?
The government and people of Russia believe, with 100% confidence, that they will come out of the other end of a nuclear exchange in far better shape than NATO. This is a recurrent theme on Russian TV.
It's a vast and sparsely populated country with shit infrastructure and people who are used to roughing it anyway.
Oh I'm sure that Putin, his cronies and oligarchs with their luxurious palaces and yachts are completely used to roughing it (!)
I don't think they want to spend the rest of their lives living underground.
Russia may be sparsely populated but much of the population is concentrated in a small number of areas. Nearly 10% of the population lives in Moscow, and another 14% lives in the next fourteen cities. It would not take many warheads to destroy those population centres.
I think this is a case where standing up to a bully is actually a lot safer than giving way to him.
If we would do it. Would we? Does Vlad think we would? Do his people?
Moscow was abandoned and burned to the ground in 1812, Leningrad had a 900 day siege, Stalingrad happened at Stalingrad. Having its cities pulverised to fuck and coming back from it, is just part of the myth.
Somehow, I don't think that either Russia's leaders or masses have a huge desire to commit national suicide.
Well, fuck it, look at the actual evidence, why not? You might as well say that nobody has ever gone to war because, yes, I know what it says in the history books, but would people really commit themselves to years of large scale slaughter and misery for no clear gain, time after time? There is a whole heap of commentators out there, and any number of clips of state TV on twitter, saying quite explicitly that Russia thinks it can win an all out nuclear war. Now if the Russians are saying that and the Western commentators are saying believe them, I don't see what weight is to be attached to your "somehow" gut feeling on the subject.
Russia had very little choice but to fight an enemy in 1941 that was bent on enslaving or exterminating the population. In such a situation, they had little choice but to endure hell.
Now, they do have a choice.
I see your problem: you have had enough of experts.
"Russia’s information infrastructure is hugely different from the West. The Russian masses, especially outside the cities, are not all on the internet; they rely on state-controlled television for news. That pre-existing monopoly has been massively reinforced since the invasion of Ukraine, with all alternative news sources blocked for the overwhelming majority of Russians. This has been compounded by many of the younger, social media-savvy generation leaving the country.
What is left is a population depressingly similar to its grandparents, who crowded Red Square to cheer the Leader of All Progressive Humanity whenever Stalin appeared atop Lenin’s tomb to receive the adulation of his helots. True, many applauded out of fear, but many also from conviction: even today, Stalin remains revered by millions of Russians. The mythology of the Great Patriotic War combines all the central elements of the Russian political identity: love of a strong leader, a near-masochist willingness to endure the unendurable for the sake of the motherland, and imperial greatness resulting in domination over other nations.
Since coming to power, Vladimir Putin has aspired to tick all those boxes. His propaganda machine, now unchallenged by any alternative voice, has reduced his compatriots to a state of moronic credulity. By carefully feeding the paranoia that is a principal component of the Russian character, Putin has secured his people’s support for an adventure that can only have catastrophic consequences for them."
I mean, LOL, Iain Martin, sure, but he *sounds* as if he knows what he is talking about, he is saying exactly what Russian TV and all the Western commentators on Russian TV are saying, and your intuition as to how you might feel if you were Russian is a bit off the point.
If Russians really do have such commitment to the cause that they'll choose national self-immolation in order to put Zelensky in his place, would we not be seeing some sign of it, by now? Where are the throngs of people of fighting age joining up, and the deeds of insane bravery on the battlefield? That was what we saw in 1941-45.
There's only one side in this war that's shown real fighting spirit, and it's not the Russian side.
This all seems to be missing the point. Putin is not going to decide to launch nuclear weapons on the basis of opinion polling to the effect that the Russian people would be OK with that, actually. Conversely, he would probably not be persuaded out of it on the strength of public opinion being against.
It was apparently "funded by USAID" and "virtually under the patronage of the US President and Congress"
Make your mind up. I thought they were supposed to Nazis? Now they are Gay Pride With Guns???
When they are going to these lengths to keep the Homophobe Coalition together, you just know the war isn't going well....
The Ukrainians are Jewish Nazi NATO Homosexuals. Do keep up.
Surely, there needs to be some Trans units in there to really get the Russians going?
We should support the Cis-nistrians!
An informative thread on Transnistria/Transdniestria, for our general edification.
https://twitter.com/Tom_deWaal/status/1501615391252135940 A long🧵on the situation in #Transdniestria/#Transnistria, misconceptions and fears that it could turn into a new front in the war. My main point is there's a shared interest both in Transdniestria (TN) and in right-bank Moldova in stopping the conflict from reaching them.
For those of you in senior management positions, please please please ensure your staff have decent laptops.
I've just moved role and this ancient elitebook can't run Teams if I have my camera on, can barely run anything in R, and can only keep about three edge tabs active.
"Months" is the response from the IT guys.
A tech company I know ordered a couple of hundred laptops and desktops from a well-known and respected manufacturer. For technical and legal reasons, they want all the machines to be identical (within their type). They have just received the first tranche over six months late, with mismatched processors, graphics cards, memory types, and peripheral cards. Some were referred to as; "The sweepings of the factory floor chucked in."
Last time they placed an order, at the end of 2019 (I think!) the supplier performed perfectly, providing identical kit.
I have been told, at a couple of places, that this is why they liked Mac laptops. They cost a bit more, but the absence of 99% of the fuckery that suppliers get up to with accidentally changing build specs etc.....
Yep, agree with that. It'd be interesting to see if some of the places I used to know well and were Windows-only companies have changed or loosened policy over the last decade.
For those of you in senior management positions, please please please ensure your staff have decent laptops.
I've just moved role and this ancient elitebook can't run Teams if I have my camera on, can barely run anything in R, and can only keep about three edge tabs active.
"Months" is the response from the IT guys.
Are you yet to discover the cappuccino-keyboard technique? I hear it it's an extremely powerful tool in accelerating key IT upgrades in the workplace?
Nope. Speaking as the IT manager, we have the special 2010 relic laptop waiting for the next person who suffers from a cappuccino-keyboard interface problem.
Ha! I dare say that you have a sister device for phones that struggle to handshake with a pint of lager?
It was apparently "funded by USAID" and "virtually under the patronage of the US President and Congress"
Make your mind up. I thought they were supposed to Nazis? Now they are Gay Pride With Guns???
When they are going to these lengths to keep the Homophobe Coalition together, you just know the war isn't going well....
The Ukrainians are Jewish Nazi NATO Homosexuals. Do keep up.
Surely, there needs to be some Trans units in there to really get the Russians going?
We should support the Cis-nistrians!
An informative thread on Transnistria/Transdniestria, for our general edification.
https://twitter.com/Tom_deWaal/status/1501615391252135940 A long🧵on the situation in #Transdniestria/#Transnistria, misconceptions and fears that it could turn into a new front in the war. My main point is there's a shared interest both in Transdniestria (TN) and in right-bank Moldova in stopping the conflict from reaching them.
For those of you in senior management positions, please please please ensure your staff have decent laptops.
I've just moved role and this ancient elitebook can't run Teams if I have my camera on, can barely run anything in R, and can only keep about three edge tabs active.
"Months" is the response from the IT guys.
They are training you to focus on the matters in hand - maximum 2 or 3 - rather than get yourself diverted.
For those of you in senior management positions, please please please ensure your staff have decent laptops.
I've just moved role and this ancient elitebook can't run Teams if I have my camera on, can barely run anything in R, and can only keep about three edge tabs active.
"Months" is the response from the IT guys.
Are you yet to discover the cappuccino-keyboard technique? I hear it it's an extremely powerful tool in accelerating key IT upgrades in the workplace?
Nope. Speaking as the IT manager, we have the special 2010 relic laptop waiting for the next person who suffers from a cappuccino-keyboard interface problem.
Ha! I dare say that you have a sister device for phones that struggle to handshake with a pint of lager?
Yep, that’ll be the Nokia 3310.
We’ll actually buy you one if you don’t want to BYOD. Most people have *their own* £1200 iPhone or Galaxy, which have a surprisingly good record of not being left in pubs and taxis, nor of interfacing with a pint of liquid.
It was apparently "funded by USAID" and "virtually under the patronage of the US President and Congress"
Make your mind up. I thought they were supposed to Nazis? Now they are Gay Pride With Guns???
When they are going to these lengths to keep the Homophobe Coalition together, you just know the war isn't going well....
The Ukrainians are Jewish Nazi NATO Homosexuals. Do keep up.
Surely, there needs to be some Trans units in there to really get the Russians going?
We should support the Cis-nistrians!
An informative thread on Transnistria/Transdniestria, for our general edification.
https://twitter.com/Tom_deWaal/status/1501615391252135940 A long🧵on the situation in #Transdniestria/#Transnistria, misconceptions and fears that it could turn into a new front in the war. My main point is there's a shared interest both in Transdniestria (TN) and in right-bank Moldova in stopping the conflict from reaching them.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says Western arms shipments to Ukraine mean Nato is "in essence engaged in war with Russia" and there is "considerable" risk of the conflict going nuclear
This is now a settled theme from Russia,.
Tbh I'm amazed they haven't said this from the outset, and it's part of the reason why I think we've being really disingenuous about the No Fly Zone. We have drawn our own line by saying that it's fine to supply tons of military equipment, intelligence and, even, special 'advisors' (SAS) to Ukraine but it's not fine to install a NFZ. 95% of people on here have gone along with this, often vociferously. They've told themselves that the one will help Ukraine but won't escalate it but the other would lead to WWIII and Armageddon.
But it's cant and hypocrisy basically, isn't it? If we're going to support Ukraine, bloody well support Ukraine. We should have backed Zelensky's request and stood up to Putin.
Just my opinion. Don't flame me.
Not going to flame you, but consider this: all but the most psychopathic criminals retain a demented sense of justice, a point quite neatly illustrated by monty python's piranha brothers who nail someone's head to the floor "because he had transgressed the unwritten code." Putin's unwritten code includes no nfz.
Or of course, he is bluffing and we only think it does. But don't fall into the narrative of Stand up to the bully, give Ivan a bloody nose and he will always cave in to true British grit. That is a school story and there's no nukes in schools.
It's amazing how many people think this is fucking Michael Bay film and that Russia will back down if, in some as yet to be defined manner, Ukraine wins.
There is going to have to be a deal sooner or later and the pressure should be on Ukraine and Russia to make it sooner.
What 'pressure to do a deal' can we put on a Russia that is doing, and saying, what it is?
And what makes you think they'll stick with the deal for a microsecond longer than it takes to get what they want?
Again, even nutters have a sense of justice. You adhere to the unwritten code, you don't get your head nailed to the coffee table. Russia's sabre rattling is consistently if...then, else..., not, we are going to nuke you just for shits n giggles and because we can
But OK you think a deal can't be done, so whats your alternative? Give Ivan a dam' good thrashing because then he'll back down, like bullies always do?
The government and people of Russia believe, with 100% confidence, that they will come out of the other end of a nuclear exchange in far better shape than NATO. This is a recurrent theme on Russian TV.
It's a vast and sparsely populated country with shit infrastructure and people who are used to roughing it anyway.
Oh I'm sure that Putin, his cronies and oligarchs with their luxurious palaces and yachts are completely used to roughing it (!)
I don't think they want to spend the rest of their lives living underground.
Russia may be sparsely populated but much of the population is concentrated in a small number of areas. Nearly 10% of the population lives in Moscow, and another 14% lives in the next fourteen cities. It would not take many warheads to destroy those population centres.
I think this is a case where standing up to a bully is actually a lot safer than giving way to him.
If we would do it. Would we? Does Vlad think we would? Do his people?
Moscow was abandoned and burned to the ground in 1812, Leningrad had a 900 day siege, Stalingrad happened at Stalingrad. Having its cities pulverised to fuck and coming back from it, is just part of the myth.
Somehow, I don't think that either Russia's leaders or masses have a huge desire to commit national suicide.
Well, fuck it, look at the actual evidence, why not? You might as well say that nobody has ever gone to war because, yes, I know what it says in the history books, but would people really commit themselves to years of large scale slaughter and misery for no clear gain, time after time? There is a whole heap of commentators out there, and any number of clips of state TV on twitter, saying quite explicitly that Russia thinks it can win an all out nuclear war. Now if the Russians are saying that and the Western commentators are saying believe them, I don't see what weight is to be attached to your "somehow" gut feeling on the subject.
Russia had very little choice but to fight an enemy in 1941 that was bent on enslaving or exterminating the population. In such a situation, they had little choice but to endure hell.
Now, they do have a choice.
I see your problem: you have had enough of experts.
"Russia’s information infrastructure is hugely different from the West. The Russian masses, especially outside the cities, are not all on the internet; they rely on state-controlled television for news. That pre-existing monopoly has been massively reinforced since the invasion of Ukraine, with all alternative news sources blocked for the overwhelming majority of Russians. This has been compounded by many of the younger, social media-savvy generation leaving the country.
What is left is a population depressingly similar to its grandparents, who crowded Red Square to cheer the Leader of All Progressive Humanity whenever Stalin appeared atop Lenin’s tomb to receive the adulation of his helots. True, many applauded out of fear, but many also from conviction: even today, Stalin remains revered by millions of Russians. The mythology of the Great Patriotic War combines all the central elements of the Russian political identity: love of a strong leader, a near-masochist willingness to endure the unendurable for the sake of the motherland, and imperial greatness resulting in domination over other nations.
Since coming to power, Vladimir Putin has aspired to tick all those boxes. His propaganda machine, now unchallenged by any alternative voice, has reduced his compatriots to a state of moronic credulity. By carefully feeding the paranoia that is a principal component of the Russian character, Putin has secured his people’s support for an adventure that can only have catastrophic consequences for them."
I mean, LOL, Iain Martin, sure, but he *sounds* as if he knows what he is talking about, he is saying exactly what Russian TV and all the Western commentators on Russian TV are saying, and your intuition as to how you might feel if you were Russian is a bit off the point.
If Russians really do have such commitment to the cause that they'll choose national self-immolation in order to put Zelensky in his place, would we not be seeing some sign of it, by now? Where are the throngs of people of fighting age joining up, and the deeds of insane bravery on the battlefield? That was what we saw in 1941-45.
There's only one side in this war that's shown real fighting spirit, and it's not the Russian side.
This all seems to be missing the point. Putin is not going to decide to launch nuclear weapons on the basis of opinion polling to the effect that the Russian people would be OK with that, actually. Conversely, he would probably not be persuaded out of it on the strength of public opinion being against.
He isn't going to launch nuclear weapons because he knows it would end with the complete devastation of Russia. His whole identity is based on Russian civilization being restored to greatness. Every urban center being leveled to the ground is the opposite of that. The people ramping up this threat are the people who have been pushing Russian favorable talking points from the beginning, and have already been proved wrong on most of them.
It was apparently "funded by USAID" and "virtually under the patronage of the US President and Congress"
Make your mind up. I thought they were supposed to Nazis? Now they are Gay Pride With Guns???
When they are going to these lengths to keep the Homophobe Coalition together, you just know the war isn't going well....
The Ukrainians are Jewish Nazi NATO Homosexuals. Do keep up.
Surely, there needs to be some Trans units in there to really get the Russians going?
We should support the Cis-nistrians!
An informative thread on Transnistria/Transdniestria, for our general edification.
https://twitter.com/Tom_deWaal/status/1501615391252135940 A long🧵on the situation in #Transdniestria/#Transnistria, misconceptions and fears that it could turn into a new front in the war. My main point is there's a shared interest both in Transdniestria (TN) and in right-bank Moldova in stopping the conflict from reaching them.
Stop arguing, and read there thread - it's interesting. ...Russia’s crucial contribution is to supply free gas via Moldova. Gazprom sends the bill to Moldovagaz, no one pays for it. The unpaid gas debt accrued by Tiraspol may exceed $7 billion. ...
Apparently Trump has decreed that he will not come back to Twitter even if He is allowed by Musk, great news.
Does he mean it? don't know, he probably knows that if he does it would kill his own Triter alternative, 'Truth Social' he would also look silly if he did return and only got a fraction of his former followers back.
I suspect someone will set up a bot to tweet all his contributions which (I assume) is currently not allowed.
Well, people share his screengrabs of "From the Desk of President DJT", and they get *some* engagement.
But unless he's properly on the platform, then he's not going to be interacting with people - responding to their Tweets, replying to random weirdos who engage with him, etc.
The fact that that role exists, presumably with a salary in the six figures, tells you everything you need to know about the UK in 2022, and its failure to deliver major infrastructure projects close to time and budget.
I bet it's a part time role paying less than £50k/year.
Small wager (£20)?
If it pays more than £100k, you win. If it pays less than £50k, I win. Something in the middle and we call it a draw.
I do believe Corbyn would have been a better PM than Johnson yes, that's a sincerely held view. Johnson is a 0, Corbyn a 0.1
Ukraine would have been screwed right now had Corbyn been in charge.
And I have no reason to believe that Corbyn would have handled the pandemic better. In fact, I'm fairly convinced he would have totally screwed up the vaccine procurement.
It was apparently "funded by USAID" and "virtually under the patronage of the US President and Congress"
Wait. So the Russian army is getting whipped by a bunch of poofs???
I think the correct term is "gayers".
I thought "gayers" was acceptable, unless you were of the perpetually offended sh*tstirring mindset, in which case "acceptable" is whatever term is currently not being used.
It was apparently "funded by USAID" and "virtually under the patronage of the US President and Congress"
Make your mind up. I thought they were supposed to Nazis? Now they are Gay Pride With Guns???
When they are going to these lengths to keep the Homophobe Coalition together, you just know the war isn't going well....
The Ukrainians are Jewish Nazi NATO Homosexuals. Do keep up.
Surely, there needs to be some Trans units in there to really get the Russians going?
We should support the Cis-nistrians!
An informative thread on Transnistria/Transdniestria, for our general edification.
https://twitter.com/Tom_deWaal/status/1501615391252135940 A long🧵on the situation in #Transdniestria/#Transnistria, misconceptions and fears that it could turn into a new front in the war. My main point is there's a shared interest both in Transdniestria (TN) and in right-bank Moldova in stopping the conflict from reaching them.
Thanks for that. Makes it sound like the frozen conflict in Moldova is only marginally more real than than Berwick-upon-Tweed Vs Russia. Until and unless the gasman comes with a demand for the unpaid gas bill. (maybe they can just hide in a cupboard)
The fact that that role exists, presumably with a salary in the six figures, tells you everything you need to know about the UK in 2022, and its failure to deliver major infrastructure projects close to time and budget.
The French have a saying, apparently: "You don't consult the frogs when you're draining the swamp." And the Chinese have a saying: "You have thirty minutes to leave your apartment before it is bulldozed."
Honestly, on relfection, I prefer our system. We may be hopeless at building things but the chances of your home being arbitrarily taken or rendered worthless is pretty low.
I do worry though that Stewart Jackson will see his remit as preventing HS2 being built, rather than ensuring it is built in a way which minimises the negatives and maximises the positives for individuals along its route. Stewart, if you're reading, let us know!
Apparently Trump has decreed that he will not come back to Twitter even if He is allowed by Musk, great news.
Does he mean it? don't know, he probably knows that if he does it would kill his own Triter alternative, 'Truth Social' he would also look silly if he did return and only got a fraction of his former followers back.
It was apparently "funded by USAID" and "virtually under the patronage of the US President and Congress"
Make your mind up. I thought they were supposed to Nazis? Now they are Gay Pride With Guns???
When they are going to these lengths to keep the Homophobe Coalition together, you just know the war isn't going well....
This was good, too. https://twitter.com/tomgara/status/1518717785949589506 ...Russia staged a fake bust of alleged Ukrainian Nazi assassins, and the guy tasked with assembling the paraphernalia for the photo bought three copies of The Sims instead of three SIM cards..
It was apparently "funded by USAID" and "virtually under the patronage of the US President and Congress"
Make your mind up. I thought they were supposed to Nazis? Now they are Gay Pride With Guns???
When they are going to these lengths to keep the Homophobe Coalition together, you just know the war isn't going well....
The Ukrainians are Jewish Nazi NATO Homosexuals. Do keep up.
Surely, there needs to be some Trans units in there to really get the Russians going?
We should support the Cis-nistrians!
An informative thread on Transnistria/Transdniestria, for our general edification.
https://twitter.com/Tom_deWaal/status/1501615391252135940 A long🧵on the situation in #Transdniestria/#Transnistria, misconceptions and fears that it could turn into a new front in the war. My main point is there's a shared interest both in Transdniestria (TN) and in right-bank Moldova in stopping the conflict from reaching them.
It was apparently "funded by USAID" and "virtually under the patronage of the US President and Congress"
Make your mind up. I thought they were supposed to Nazis? Now they are Gay Pride With Guns???
When they are going to these lengths to keep the Homophobe Coalition together, you just know the war isn't going well....
This was good, too. https://twitter.com/tomgara/status/1518717785949589506 ...Russia staged a fake bust of alleged Ukrainian Nazi assassins, and the guy tasked with assembling the paraphernalia for the photo bought three copies of The Sims instead of three SIM cards..
And these are the people we're supposed to believe have the ability to switch the votes of people in Sunderland at will.
The fact that that role exists, presumably with a salary in the six figures, tells you everything you need to know about the UK in 2022, and its failure to deliver major infrastructure projects close to time and budget.
I bet it's a part time role paying less than £50k/year.
Small wager (£20)?
If it pays more than £100k, you win. If it pays less than £50k, I win. Something in the middle and we call it a draw.
The fact that that role exists, presumably with a salary in the six figures, tells you everything you need to know about the UK in 2022, and its failure to deliver major infrastructure projects close to time and budget.
I bet it's a part time role paying less than £50k/year.
Small wager (£20)?
If it pays more than £100k, you win. If it pays less than £50k, I win. Something in the middle and we call it a draw.
It was apparently "funded by USAID" and "virtually under the patronage of the US President and Congress"
Wait. So the Russian army is getting whipped by a bunch of poofs???
I think the correct term is "gayers".
I thought "gayers" was acceptable, unless you were of the perpetually offended sh*tstirring mindset, in which case "acceptable" is whatever term is currently not being used.
(Source iirc: Iain Dale)
I assumed RCS' tongue was firmly in cheek, and his language accordingly
The fact that that role exists, presumably with a salary in the six figures, tells you everything you need to know about the UK in 2022, and its failure to deliver major infrastructure projects close to time and budget.
I bet it's a part time role paying less than £50k/year.
Small wager (£20)?
If it pays more than £100k, you win. If it pays less than £50k, I win. Something in the middle and we call it a draw.
The fact that that role exists, presumably with a salary in the six figures, tells you everything you need to know about the UK in 2022, and its failure to deliver major infrastructure projects close to time and budget.
I bet it's a part time role paying less than £50k/year.
Small wager (£20)?
If it pays more than £100k, you win. If it pays less than £50k, I win. Something in the middle and we call it a draw.
It's so weird that a leftie like BJO genuinely wants a Tory Government over Labour
Rachel Reeves said she was "pleased" Labour lost in 2019
I will be equally pleased with that result in 2024
No she didn’t say that. Don’t lie.
She said she was glad Corbyn wasn’t PM right now. I agree with her.
If Labour has won the election, who would have been PM? Strains credulity that a Labour Parliamentary party that no confidence voted Corbyn but then did nothing would have booted him out if he had won them the keys to Downing Street.
It is a distinction without difference.
PM Corbyn would really be conflicted now. Who to support over Ukraine? NATO or a former Soviet comrade.
Even Johnson for all his utter uselessness worked that one out.
Corbyn would be Anti War and has condemned Putins invasion
The truth is that no modern politician has been more consistent or more prescient when it comes to Putin than Corbyn. Far from being pro-Putin, Corbyn warned against him when others didn’t.
"Ooh, er, look out for that big bad Vlad. Oh, and by the way, let's unilaterally disarm! Now, I must get back to the allotment."
It was apparently "funded by USAID" and "virtually under the patronage of the US President and Congress"
Make your mind up. I thought they were supposed to Nazis? Now they are Gay Pride With Guns???
When they are going to these lengths to keep the Homophobe Coalition together, you just know the war isn't going well....
The Ukrainians are Jewish Nazi NATO Homosexuals. Do keep up.
Surely, there needs to be some Trans units in there to really get the Russians going?
We should support the Cis-nistrians!
An informative thread on Transnistria/Transdniestria, for our general edification.
https://twitter.com/Tom_deWaal/status/1501615391252135940 A long🧵on the situation in #Transdniestria/#Transnistria, misconceptions and fears that it could turn into a new front in the war. My main point is there's a shared interest both in Transdniestria (TN) and in right-bank Moldova in stopping the conflict from reaching them.
Thanks for that. Makes it sound like the frozen conflict in Moldova is only marginally more real than than Berwick-upon-Tweed Vs Russia. Until and unless the gasman comes with a demand for the unpaid gas bill. (maybe they can just hide in a cupboard)
'Twas on a Monday morning The gas man came to call The gas tap wouldn't turn I wasn't getting gas at all He tore out all the skirting boards To try and find the main And I had to call a carpenter To put them back again
Oh, it all makes work for the working man to do...
The fact that that role exists, presumably with a salary in the six figures, tells you everything you need to know about the UK in 2022, and its failure to deliver major infrastructure projects close to time and budget.
The French have a saying, apparently: "You don't consult the frogs when you're draining the swamp." And the Chinese have a saying: "You have thirty minutes to leave your apartment before it is bulldozed."
Honestly, on relfection, I prefer our system. We may be hopeless at building things but the chances of your home being arbitrarily taken or rendered worthless is pretty low.
I do worry though that Stewart Jackson will see his remit as preventing HS2 being built, rather than ensuring it is built in a way which minimises the negatives and maximises the positives for individuals along its route. Stewart, if you're reading, let us know!
The way I would do it, is pay people a 50% uplift on their property’s independently-assessed value, a one-time offer that decreases over time to 100%. They spend more money and opportunity cost, spending years talking rather than building.
I remember my old favourite statistic, that Dubai Airport’s Terminal 3, was built in less time than LHR Terminal 5’s planning enquiry. The scope of the projects was the same, new buildings on the existing site, plus access roads
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says Western arms shipments to Ukraine mean Nato is "in essence engaged in war with Russia" and there is "considerable" risk of the conflict going nuclear
This is now a settled theme from Russia,.
Tbh I'm amazed they haven't said this from the outset, and it's part of the reason why I think we've being really disingenuous about the No Fly Zone. We have drawn our own line by saying that it's fine to supply tons of military equipment, intelligence and, even, special 'advisors' (SAS) to Ukraine but it's not fine to install a NFZ. 95% of people on here have gone along with this, often vociferously. They've told themselves that the one will help Ukraine but won't escalate it but the other would lead to WWIII and Armageddon.
But it's cant and hypocrisy basically, isn't it? If we're going to support Ukraine, bloody well support Ukraine. We should have backed Zelensky's request and stood up to Putin.
Just my opinion. Don't flame me.
Not going to flame you, but consider this: all but the most psychopathic criminals retain a demented sense of justice, a point quite neatly illustrated by monty python's piranha brothers who nail someone's head to the floor "because he had transgressed the unwritten code." Putin's unwritten code includes no nfz.
Or of course, he is bluffing and we only think it does. But don't fall into the narrative of Stand up to the bully, give Ivan a bloody nose and he will always cave in to true British grit. That is a school story and there's no nukes in schools.
It's amazing how many people think this is fucking Michael Bay film and that Russia will back down if, in some as yet to be defined manner, Ukraine wins.
There is going to have to be a deal sooner or later and the pressure should be on Ukraine and Russia to make it sooner.
What 'pressure to do a deal' can we put on a Russia that is doing, and saying, what it is?
And what makes you think they'll stick with the deal for a microsecond longer than it takes to get what they want?
Again, even nutters have a sense of justice. You adhere to the unwritten code, you don't get your head nailed to the coffee table. Russia's sabre rattling is consistently if...then, else..., not, we are going to nuke you just for shits n giggles and because we can
But OK you think a deal can't be done, so whats your alternative? Give Ivan a dam' good thrashing because then he'll back down, like bullies always do?
The government and people of Russia believe, with 100% confidence, that they will come out of the other end of a nuclear exchange in far better shape than NATO. This is a recurrent theme on Russian TV.
It's a vast and sparsely populated country with shit infrastructure and people who are used to roughing it anyway.
Oh I'm sure that Putin, his cronies and oligarchs with their luxurious palaces and yachts are completely used to roughing it (!)
I don't think they want to spend the rest of their lives living underground.
Russia may be sparsely populated but much of the population is concentrated in a small number of areas. Nearly 10% of the population lives in Moscow, and another 14% lives in the next fourteen cities. It would not take many warheads to destroy those population centres.
I think this is a case where standing up to a bully is actually a lot safer than giving way to him.
If we would do it. Would we? Does Vlad think we would? Do his people?
Moscow was abandoned and burned to the ground in 1812, Leningrad had a 900 day siege, Stalingrad happened at Stalingrad. Having its cities pulverised to fuck and coming back from it, is just part of the myth.
Somehow, I don't think that either Russia's leaders or masses have a huge desire to commit national suicide.
Well, fuck it, look at the actual evidence, why not? You might as well say that nobody has ever gone to war because, yes, I know what it says in the history books, but would people really commit themselves to years of large scale slaughter and misery for no clear gain, time after time? There is a whole heap of commentators out there, and any number of clips of state TV on twitter, saying quite explicitly that Russia thinks it can win an all out nuclear war. Now if the Russians are saying that and the Western commentators are saying believe them, I don't see what weight is to be attached to your "somehow" gut feeling on the subject.
Russia had very little choice but to fight an enemy in 1941 that was bent on enslaving or exterminating the population. In such a situation, they had little choice but to endure hell.
Now, they do have a choice.
I see your problem: you have had enough of experts.
"Russia’s information infrastructure is hugely different from the West. The Russian masses, especially outside the cities, are not all on the internet; they rely on state-controlled television for news. That pre-existing monopoly has been massively reinforced since the invasion of Ukraine, with all alternative news sources blocked for the overwhelming majority of Russians. This has been compounded by many of the younger, social media-savvy generation leaving the country.
What is left is a population depressingly similar to its grandparents, who crowded Red Square to cheer the Leader of All Progressive Humanity whenever Stalin appeared atop Lenin’s tomb to receive the adulation of his helots. True, many applauded out of fear, but many also from conviction: even today, Stalin remains revered by millions of Russians. The mythology of the Great Patriotic War combines all the central elements of the Russian political identity: love of a strong leader, a near-masochist willingness to endure the unendurable for the sake of the motherland, and imperial greatness resulting in domination over other nations.
Since coming to power, Vladimir Putin has aspired to tick all those boxes. His propaganda machine, now unchallenged by any alternative voice, has reduced his compatriots to a state of moronic credulity. By carefully feeding the paranoia that is a principal component of the Russian character, Putin has secured his people’s support for an adventure that can only have catastrophic consequences for them."
I mean, LOL, Iain Martin, sure, but he *sounds* as if he knows what he is talking about, he is saying exactly what Russian TV and all the Western commentators on Russian TV are saying, and your intuition as to how you might feel if you were Russian is a bit off the point.
If Russians really do have such commitment to the cause that they'll choose national self-immolation in order to put Zelensky in his place, would we not be seeing some sign of it, by now? Where are the throngs of people of fighting age joining up, and the deeds of insane bravery on the battlefield? That was what we saw in 1941-45.
There's only one side in this war that's shown real fighting spirit, and it's not the Russian side.
The deeds of insane bravery were often inspired by the fact that you got shot if you retreated.
The fact that that role exists, presumably with a salary in the six figures, tells you everything you need to know about the UK in 2022, and its failure to deliver major infrastructure projects close to time and budget.
The French have a saying, apparently: "You don't consult the frogs when you're draining the swamp." And the Chinese have a saying: "You have thirty minutes to leave your apartment before it is bulldozed."
Honestly, on relfection, I prefer our system. We may be hopeless at building things but the chances of your home being arbitrarily taken or rendered worthless is pretty low.
I do worry though that Stewart Jackson will see his remit as preventing HS2 being built, rather than ensuring it is built in a way which minimises the negatives and maximises the positives for individuals along its route. Stewart, if you're reading, let us know!
The way I would do it, is pay people a 50% uplift on their property’s independently-assessed value, a one-time offer that decreases over time to 100%. They spend more money and opportunity cost, spending years talking rather than building.
It's so weird that a leftie like BJO genuinely wants a Tory Government over Labour
Rachel Reeves said she was "pleased" Labour lost in 2019
I will be equally pleased with that result in 2024
No she didn’t say that. Don’t lie.
She said she was glad Corbyn wasn’t PM right now. I agree with her.
If Labour has won the election, who would have been PM? Strains credulity that a Labour Parliamentary party that no confidence voted Corbyn but then did nothing would have booted him out if he had won them the keys to Downing Street.
It is a distinction without difference.
PM Corbyn would really be conflicted now. Who to support over Ukraine? NATO or a former Soviet comrade.
Even Johnson for all his utter uselessness worked that one out.
Corbyn would be Anti War and has condemned Putins invasion
The truth is that no modern politician has been more consistent or more prescient when it comes to Putin than Corbyn. Far from being pro-Putin, Corbyn warned against him when others didn’t.
"Ooh, er, look out for that big bad Vlad. Oh, and by the way, let's unilaterally disarm! Now, I must get back to the allotment."
AFAICS Corbyn has been, after first of all publicly arguing that it is the fault of an entirely fictional "NATO buildup in Ukraine" (in his pre-invasion speech to STWC), arguing that we should be ensuring peace by preventing the victim of the aggression arming themselves.
It's so weird that a leftie like BJO genuinely wants a Tory Government over Labour
Rachel Reeves said she was "pleased" Labour lost in 2019
I will be equally pleased with that result in 2024
No she didn’t say that. Don’t lie.
She said she was glad Corbyn wasn’t PM right now. I agree with her.
If Labour has won the election, who would have been PM? Strains credulity that a Labour Parliamentary party that no confidence voted Corbyn but then did nothing would have booted him out if he had won them the keys to Downing Street.
It is a distinction without difference.
PM Corbyn would really be conflicted now. Who to support over Ukraine? NATO or a former Soviet comrade.
Even Johnson for all his utter uselessness worked that one out.
Corbyn would be Anti War and has condemned Putins invasion
The truth is that no modern politician has been more consistent or more prescient when it comes to Putin than Corbyn. Far from being pro-Putin, Corbyn warned against him when others didn’t.
"Ooh, er, look out for that big bad Vlad. Oh, and by the way, let's unilaterally disarm! Now, I must get back to the allotment."
I first saw Corbyn, pre-leadership, on RT (which I happened on occasionally to understand a little of Russia's thinking), possibly around 2014, and thought "who is this blithering imbecile". Needless to say, he was quite on message about Russian grievance.
Surprisingly little of this stuff survives on the internet.
Tracy-Ann Oberman: EastEnders star pays damages in anti-Semitism libel case.
Hot on the heels of other recent legal results – such as the Telegraph’s and right-wing former Labour MP Ian Austin’s similar humiliation and apology to ex-Corbyn staffer Laura Murray
You could almost say AS was exaggerated for Political reasons by Labours opponents
Oh hang on
I expect Labour's opponents to exaggerate problems -- it is part of the rules of the game.
But, this exaggeration was done mainly be people in Labour.
It was apparently "funded by USAID" and "virtually under the patronage of the US President and Congress"
Make your mind up. I thought they were supposed to Nazis? Now they are Gay Pride With Guns???
When they are going to these lengths to keep the Homophobe Coalition together, you just know the war isn't going well....
This was good, too. https://twitter.com/tomgara/status/1518717785949589506 ...Russia staged a fake bust of alleged Ukrainian Nazi assassins, and the guy tasked with assembling the paraphernalia for the photo bought three copies of The Sims instead of three SIM cards..
And these are the people we're supposed to believe have the ability to switch the votes of people in Sunderland at will.
Tracy-Ann Oberman: EastEnders star pays damages in anti-Semitism libel case.
Hot on the heels of other recent legal results – such as the Telegraph’s and right-wing former Labour MP Ian Austin’s similar humiliation and apology to ex-Corbyn staffer Laura Murray
You could almost say AS was exaggerated for Political reasons by Labours opponents
Oh hang on
I expect Labour's opponents to exaggerate problems -- it is part of the rules of the game.
But, this exaggeration was done mainly be people in Labour.
And exaggeration only works if there's something to exaggerate.
It was apparently "funded by USAID" and "virtually under the patronage of the US President and Congress"
Make your mind up. I thought they were supposed to Nazis? Now they are Gay Pride With Guns???
When they are going to these lengths to keep the Homophobe Coalition together, you just know the war isn't going well....
The Ukrainians are Jewish Nazi NATO Homosexuals. Do keep up.
Surely, there needs to be some Trans units in there to really get the Russians going?
We should support the Cis-nistrians!
An informative thread on Transnistria/Transdniestria, for our general edification.
https://twitter.com/Tom_deWaal/status/1501615391252135940 A long🧵on the situation in #Transdniestria/#Transnistria, misconceptions and fears that it could turn into a new front in the war. My main point is there's a shared interest both in Transdniestria (TN) and in right-bank Moldova in stopping the conflict from reaching them.
I rather like Transdniestria. Satisfyingly challenging to get all the consonants after the first 'a' to line up in the right order when you say it, and a sense of accomplishment from doing so. Transnistria feels lazy and a cop out. Like Xmas. These days, successfully pronouncing Transdniestria might constitute my greatest achievement in a given day.
It was apparently "funded by USAID" and "virtually under the patronage of the US President and Congress"
Wait. So the Russian army is getting whipped by a bunch of poofs???
A bunch of poofs can be quite handy in the war thing. This is an SAS territorial unit in training for possible deployment in Ukraine (Mark Francois just out of shot).
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says Western arms shipments to Ukraine mean Nato is "in essence engaged in war with Russia" and there is "considerable" risk of the conflict going nuclear
This is now a settled theme from Russia,.
Tbh I'm amazed they haven't said this from the outset, and it's part of the reason why I think we've being really disingenuous about the No Fly Zone. We have drawn our own line by saying that it's fine to supply tons of military equipment, intelligence and, even, special 'advisors' (SAS) to Ukraine but it's not fine to install a NFZ. 95% of people on here have gone along with this, often vociferously. They've told themselves that the one will help Ukraine but won't escalate it but the other would lead to WWIII and Armageddon.
But it's cant and hypocrisy basically, isn't it? If we're going to support Ukraine, bloody well support Ukraine. We should have backed Zelensky's request and stood up to Putin.
Just my opinion. Don't flame me.
Not going to flame you, but consider this: all but the most psychopathic criminals retain a demented sense of justice, a point quite neatly illustrated by monty python's piranha brothers who nail someone's head to the floor "because he had transgressed the unwritten code." Putin's unwritten code includes no nfz.
Or of course, he is bluffing and we only think it does. But don't fall into the narrative of Stand up to the bully, give Ivan a bloody nose and he will always cave in to true British grit. That is a school story and there's no nukes in schools.
It's amazing how many people think this is fucking Michael Bay film and that Russia will back down if, in some as yet to be defined manner, Ukraine wins.
There is going to have to be a deal sooner or later and the pressure should be on Ukraine and Russia to make it sooner.
What 'pressure to do a deal' can we put on a Russia that is doing, and saying, what it is?
And what makes you think they'll stick with the deal for a microsecond longer than it takes to get what they want?
Again, even nutters have a sense of justice. You adhere to the unwritten code, you don't get your head nailed to the coffee table. Russia's sabre rattling is consistently if...then, else..., not, we are going to nuke you just for shits n giggles and because we can
But OK you think a deal can't be done, so whats your alternative? Give Ivan a dam' good thrashing because then he'll back down, like bullies always do?
The government and people of Russia believe, with 100% confidence, that they will come out of the other end of a nuclear exchange in far better shape than NATO. This is a recurrent theme on Russian TV.
It's a vast and sparsely populated country with shit infrastructure and people who are used to roughing it anyway.
Oh I'm sure that Putin, his cronies and oligarchs with their luxurious palaces and yachts are completely used to roughing it (!)
I don't think they want to spend the rest of their lives living underground.
Russia may be sparsely populated but much of the population is concentrated in a small number of areas. Nearly 10% of the population lives in Moscow, and another 14% lives in the next fourteen cities. It would not take many warheads to destroy those population centres.
I think this is a case where standing up to a bully is actually a lot safer than giving way to him.
If we would do it. Would we? Does Vlad think we would? Do his people?
Moscow was abandoned and burned to the ground in 1812, Leningrad had a 900 day siege, Stalingrad happened at Stalingrad. Having its cities pulverised to fuck and coming back from it, is just part of the myth.
Somehow, I don't think that either Russia's leaders or masses have a huge desire to commit national suicide.
Well, fuck it, look at the actual evidence, why not? You might as well say that nobody has ever gone to war because, yes, I know what it says in the history books, but would people really commit themselves to years of large scale slaughter and misery for no clear gain, time after time? There is a whole heap of commentators out there, and any number of clips of state TV on twitter, saying quite explicitly that Russia thinks it can win an all out nuclear war. Now if the Russians are saying that and the Western commentators are saying believe them, I don't see what weight is to be attached to your "somehow" gut feeling on the subject.
Russia had very little choice but to fight an enemy in 1941 that was bent on enslaving or exterminating the population. In such a situation, they had little choice but to endure hell.
Now, they do have a choice.
I see your problem: you have had enough of experts.
"Russia’s information infrastructure is hugely different from the West. The Russian masses, especially outside the cities, are not all on the internet; they rely on state-controlled television for news. That pre-existing monopoly has been massively reinforced since the invasion of Ukraine, with all alternative news sources blocked for the overwhelming majority of Russians. This has been compounded by many of the younger, social media-savvy generation leaving the country.
What is left is a population depressingly similar to its grandparents, who crowded Red Square to cheer the Leader of All Progressive Humanity whenever Stalin appeared atop Lenin’s tomb to receive the adulation of his helots. True, many applauded out of fear, but many also from conviction: even today, Stalin remains revered by millions of Russians. The mythology of the Great Patriotic War combines all the central elements of the Russian political identity: love of a strong leader, a near-masochist willingness to endure the unendurable for the sake of the motherland, and imperial greatness resulting in domination over other nations.
Since coming to power, Vladimir Putin has aspired to tick all those boxes. His propaganda machine, now unchallenged by any alternative voice, has reduced his compatriots to a state of moronic credulity. By carefully feeding the paranoia that is a principal component of the Russian character, Putin has secured his people’s support for an adventure that can only have catastrophic consequences for them."
I mean, LOL, Iain Martin, sure, but he *sounds* as if he knows what he is talking about, he is saying exactly what Russian TV and all the Western commentators on Russian TV are saying, and your intuition as to how you might feel if you were Russian is a bit off the point.
If Russians really do have such commitment to the cause that they'll choose national self-immolation in order to put Zelensky in his place, would we not be seeing some sign of it, by now? Where are the throngs of people of fighting age joining up, and the deeds of insane bravery on the battlefield? That was what we saw in 1941-45.
There's only one side in this war that's shown real fighting spirit, and it's not the Russian side.
Dunno what you saw 1941-45 but I do know that one company of each Red Army regiment was on exclusively anti-retreat duty. Which affects your point I think.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says Western arms shipments to Ukraine mean Nato is "in essence engaged in war with Russia" and there is "considerable" risk of the conflict going nuclear
This is now a settled theme from Russia,.
Tbh I'm amazed they haven't said this from the outset, and it's part of the reason why I think we've being really disingenuous about the No Fly Zone. We have drawn our own line by saying that it's fine to supply tons of military equipment, intelligence and, even, special 'advisors' (SAS) to Ukraine but it's not fine to install a NFZ. 95% of people on here have gone along with this, often vociferously. They've told themselves that the one will help Ukraine but won't escalate it but the other would lead to WWIII and Armageddon.
But it's cant and hypocrisy basically, isn't it? If we're going to support Ukraine, bloody well support Ukraine. We should have backed Zelensky's request and stood up to Putin.
Just my opinion. Don't flame me.
Not going to flame you, but consider this: all but the most psychopathic criminals retain a demented sense of justice, a point quite neatly illustrated by monty python's piranha brothers who nail someone's head to the floor "because he had transgressed the unwritten code." Putin's unwritten code includes no nfz.
Or of course, he is bluffing and we only think it does. But don't fall into the narrative of Stand up to the bully, give Ivan a bloody nose and he will always cave in to true British grit. That is a school story and there's no nukes in schools.
It's amazing how many people think this is fucking Michael Bay film and that Russia will back down if, in some as yet to be defined manner, Ukraine wins.
There is going to have to be a deal sooner or later and the pressure should be on Ukraine and Russia to make it sooner.
What 'pressure to do a deal' can we put on a Russia that is doing, and saying, what it is?
And what makes you think they'll stick with the deal for a microsecond longer than it takes to get what they want?
Again, even nutters have a sense of justice. You adhere to the unwritten code, you don't get your head nailed to the coffee table. Russia's sabre rattling is consistently if...then, else..., not, we are going to nuke you just for shits n giggles and because we can
But OK you think a deal can't be done, so whats your alternative? Give Ivan a dam' good thrashing because then he'll back down, like bullies always do?
The government and people of Russia believe, with 100% confidence, that they will come out of the other end of a nuclear exchange in far better shape than NATO. This is a recurrent theme on Russian TV.
It's a vast and sparsely populated country with shit infrastructure and people who are used to roughing it anyway.
Oh I'm sure that Putin, his cronies and oligarchs with their luxurious palaces and yachts are completely used to roughing it (!)
I don't think they want to spend the rest of their lives living underground.
Russia may be sparsely populated but much of the population is concentrated in a small number of areas. Nearly 10% of the population lives in Moscow, and another 14% lives in the next fourteen cities. It would not take many warheads to destroy those population centres.
I think this is a case where standing up to a bully is actually a lot safer than giving way to him.
If we would do it. Would we? Does Vlad think we would? Do his people?
Moscow was abandoned and burned to the ground in 1812, Leningrad had a 900 day siege, Stalingrad happened at Stalingrad. Having its cities pulverised to fuck and coming back from it, is just part of the myth.
Somehow, I don't think that either Russia's leaders or masses have a huge desire to commit national suicide.
Well, fuck it, look at the actual evidence, why not? You might as well say that nobody has ever gone to war because, yes, I know what it says in the history books, but would people really commit themselves to years of large scale slaughter and misery for no clear gain, time after time? There is a whole heap of commentators out there, and any number of clips of state TV on twitter, saying quite explicitly that Russia thinks it can win an all out nuclear war. Now if the Russians are saying that and the Western commentators are saying believe them, I don't see what weight is to be attached to your "somehow" gut feeling on the subject.
Russia had very little choice but to fight an enemy in 1941 that was bent on enslaving or exterminating the population. In such a situation, they had little choice but to endure hell.
Now, they do have a choice.
I see your problem: you have had enough of experts.
"Russia’s information infrastructure is hugely different from the West. The Russian masses, especially outside the cities, are not all on the internet; they rely on state-controlled television for news. That pre-existing monopoly has been massively reinforced since the invasion of Ukraine, with all alternative news sources blocked for the overwhelming majority of Russians. This has been compounded by many of the younger, social media-savvy generation leaving the country.
What is left is a population depressingly similar to its grandparents, who crowded Red Square to cheer the Leader of All Progressive Humanity whenever Stalin appeared atop Lenin’s tomb to receive the adulation of his helots. True, many applauded out of fear, but many also from conviction: even today, Stalin remains revered by millions of Russians. The mythology of the Great Patriotic War combines all the central elements of the Russian political identity: love of a strong leader, a near-masochist willingness to endure the unendurable for the sake of the motherland, and imperial greatness resulting in domination over other nations.
Since coming to power, Vladimir Putin has aspired to tick all those boxes. His propaganda machine, now unchallenged by any alternative voice, has reduced his compatriots to a state of moronic credulity. By carefully feeding the paranoia that is a principal component of the Russian character, Putin has secured his people’s support for an adventure that can only have catastrophic consequences for them."
I mean, LOL, Iain Martin, sure, but he *sounds* as if he knows what he is talking about, he is saying exactly what Russian TV and all the Western commentators on Russian TV are saying, and your intuition as to how you might feel if you were Russian is a bit off the point.
If Russians really do have such commitment to the cause that they'll choose national self-immolation in order to put Zelensky in his place, would we not be seeing some sign of it, by now? Where are the throngs of people of fighting age joining up, and the deeds of insane bravery on the battlefield? That was what we saw in 1941-45.
There's only one side in this war that's shown real fighting spirit, and it's not the Russian side.
The deeds of insane bravery were often inspired by the fact that you got shot if you retreated.
Yes, retreat would lead to certain death for you and probably also your family. Whereas advancing would lead only to probable death for you.
It's so weird that a leftie like BJO genuinely wants a Tory Government over Labour
Rachel Reeves said she was "pleased" Labour lost in 2019
I will be equally pleased with that result in 2024
No she didn’t say that. Don’t lie.
She said she was glad Corbyn wasn’t PM right now. I agree with her.
If Labour has won the election, who would have been PM? Strains credulity that a Labour Parliamentary party that no confidence voted Corbyn but then did nothing would have booted him out if he had won them the keys to Downing Street.
It is a distinction without difference.
PM Corbyn would really be conflicted now. Who to support over Ukraine? NATO or a former Soviet comrade.
Even Johnson for all his utter uselessness worked that one out.
Corbyn would be Anti War and has condemned Putins invasion
The truth is that no modern politician has been more consistent or more prescient when it comes to Putin than Corbyn. Far from being pro-Putin, Corbyn warned against him when others didn’t.
"Ooh, er, look out for that big bad Vlad. Oh, and by the way, let's unilaterally disarm! Now, I must get back to the allotment."
As so many on pb.com have argued, if we let big bad Vlad take the Donbas, then nothing, absolutely nothing is safe.
Next stop is Warsaw, then Pas de Calais ... and then Jeremy's allotment itself.
Best to have a nuclear war. Just to make sure Jeremy's gooseberries are safe.
Comments
At the start of the war there was an assumption out there that this is Putin's war, that the Russian people don't realise what's going on, once the body bags start coming back they'll turn against Putin, they won't be prepared to shoot at their Slavic brethren etc etc. Now - fed by events in Bucha and some depressing evidence coming out of the motherland, I fear we've gone too far the other way: Russia's people are all incorrigible imperialists who have bought lock stock and barrel into a death cult that will lead them cheerfully to Nuclear armageddon. I was starting to think that way too.
Watching the Navalny film last night I was forced to rethink. There is a long, deep tradition of rebellion, scepticism of authority and micro-subversion in Russia dating back centuries, and that's not going to disappear overnight. I know most of us assume the recent fires in various military installations are Ukrainian operations but there's still a small possibility it's domestic sabotage, like in Belarus. If so, then things might be more interesting than we thought.
I don't think we (the West) have got our heads properly around Russians yet. It's a form of orientalism - we discover they are a bit different from us, so we leap right across the spectrum and start to think of them as wholly exotic beings who operate on a different mental planet from everyone else. We're guilty of the same with China. Whereas in reality we're talking about humans who share many of the same virtues and flaws, conditioned by culture and context.
Tracy-Ann Oberman: EastEnders star pays damages in anti-Semitism libel case.
Hot on the heels of other recent legal results – such as the Telegraph’s and right-wing former Labour MP Ian Austin’s similar humiliation and apology to ex-Corbyn staffer Laura Murray
You could almost say AS was exaggerated for Political reasons by Labours opponents
Oh hang on
She said that everyone was afraid to whisper in a corner what they really believed - informers everywhere. But many, many people held it in their hearts.
His time will come again. When the Guardian begins having a plurality of pro-Russian articles, it will be safe for him emerge. It may take a while, but it will happen.
BoJo has one habit that makes him irredeemable, though. Without a script he never finishes a sentence, and even with one, he waffles. Er, ah, a, makes up most of his words. I keep waiting for "Er, now, missus."
Get rid, Tories, before he ever finishes a sentence.
If you have mince, you have the basis for a large number of tasty, nutritious, filling meals.
If you have a quantity of RGNs - well making them into food would be rather rude, and would probably taste horrible. And they are no good for anything else.
https://www.thenational.scot/news/20092951.neil-oliver-leave-pontificating-past-experts-says-tom-devine/
(but Mr Oliver did do a degree in archaeology)
EDIT: Ooops, apologies - wrong forum
When they are going to these lengths to keep the Homophobe Coalition together, you just know the war isn't going well....
The important bit is not to internalise the madness, in any way. Just put yourself in the mental state you use for watching a Mel Brooks film, and you'll be fine.
I've just moved role and this ancient elitebook can't run Teams if I have my camera on, can barely run anything in R, and can only keep about three edge tabs active.
"Months" is the response from the IT guys.
In the peace agreement, the police force was to be half Catholic and half Protestant
Of course, they forgot about other denominations of Christianity. After some discussion, they were counted in the Protestant quota.
They also forgot about atheists. After some discussion, they were counted in the Protestant quota.
They also forgot about other religions. Hindus, Muslims etc. After some discussion, they were counted in the Protestant quota.
Then there was an issue with non-NI borne Catholics joining the police service. The Shiners were adamant that they were the wrong kind of Catholics. After some discussion, they were counted in the Protestant quota.
So in Northern Ireland we have, officially,
Protestant Hindus.
Protestant Muslims,
Protestant Catholics.
etc
etc
I find the above utterly marvellous and one of the best uses of my tax money that I can remember. It makes me smile every time I think upon it. Not many items of government spending do that.
Village People - In the Navy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmGuy0jievs
Last time they placed an order, at the end of 2019 (I think!) the supplier performed perfectly, providing identical kit.
Assume I have a choice of 2 bad things - I can either lose my hand or my voice.
It's by coin toss. Heads the voice, tails the hand.
Flick ... spin spin spin ... it's TAILS.
Fuck, there goes my hand. Chop. Argh, that hurt.
Now Kay Burley comes along and she asks me -
Kuntibula, are you pleased you still have your voice?
"Yes," I say. (which I can since I do still have my voice)
Is this a lie?
No - it's the literal truth.
Does he mean it? don't know, he probably knows that if he does it would kill his own Triter alternative, 'Truth Social' he would also look silly if he did return and only got a fraction of his former followers back.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-will-not-return-to-twitter-even-if-elon-musk-purchases-platform-will-begin-using-his-truth-social
He kept in a cupboard, the laptop to be used by those who damaged theirs. It was a super hardened device, conforming to various military specifications. Waterproof to a serious depth, fire resistance and you could literally drop it onto concrete from a height and it would just bounce. It was one of the machines spec'd for use in extreme conditions in the field - this was at an oil company.
It weighed a metric ton, and was quite slow.
And there's a very large number of ethnic Ukrainians inside Russia - even before the recent forcible deportations of maybe half a million people.
There's only one side in this war that's shown real fighting spirit, and it's not the Russian side.
“Yes, I’m pleased that he’s not prime minister, but I don’t like the prime minister we’ve got either, and that’s why I’m campaigning for Keir Starmer to be the next prime minister – a Labour prime minister.”
Continue to misrepresent that as much as you like, but bear in mind that in doing so the only person whose credibility that you're undermining is yourself.
"The official shortform name (the name in daily usage) in Russian is "Приднестровье", Pridnestrovie, which literally means "Cisdniestria". Short name in Romanian Nistrenia (Нистреня in Cyrillic), in Ukrainian Придністров'я - Prydnistrovia."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Names_of_Transnistria
https://twitter.com/Tom_deWaal/status/1501615391252135940
A long🧵on the situation in #Transdniestria/#Transnistria, misconceptions and fears that it could turn into a new front in the war.
My main point is there's a shared interest both in Transdniestria (TN) and in right-bank Moldova in stopping the conflict from reaching them.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transnistria
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transnistria#Names
We’ll actually buy you one if you don’t want to BYOD. Most people have *their own* £1200 iPhone or Galaxy, which have a surprisingly good record of not being left in pubs and taxis, nor of interfacing with a pint of liquid.
...Russia’s crucial contribution is to supply free gas via Moldova. Gazprom sends the bill to Moldovagaz, no one pays for it. The unpaid gas debt accrued by Tiraspol may exceed $7 billion. ...
But unless he's properly on the platform, then he's not going to be interacting with people - responding to their Tweets, replying to random weirdos who engage with him, etc.
Small wager (£20)?
If it pays more than £100k, you win. If it pays less than £50k, I win. Something in the middle and we call it a draw.
(Source iirc: Iain Dale)
And the Chinese have a saying: "You have thirty minutes to leave your apartment before it is bulldozed."
Honestly, on relfection, I prefer our system. We may be hopeless at building things but the chances of your home being arbitrarily taken or rendered worthless is pretty low.
I do worry though that Stewart Jackson will see his remit as preventing HS2 being built, rather than ensuring it is built in a way which minimises the negatives and maximises the positives for individuals along its route.
Stewart, if you're reading, let us know!
https://twitter.com/tomgara/status/1518717785949589506
...Russia staged a fake bust of alleged Ukrainian Nazi assassins, and the guy tasked with assembling the paraphernalia for the photo bought three copies of The Sims instead of three SIM cards..
"P&O ferry European Causeway adrift off coast of Larne"
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-61229753
https://retirementpostponed.com/exec/hs2-residents-commissioner/
Presumably with an executive of the department under him, who earns the six figures.
Answer is in the advert.
Which makes it *really* close to 50k per year.
Unless they have dodged IR35 et al.
The gas man came to call
The gas tap wouldn't turn
I wasn't getting gas at all
He tore out all the skirting boards
To try and find the main
And I had to call a carpenter
To put them back again
Oh, it all makes work for the working man to do...
I remember my old favourite statistic, that Dubai Airport’s Terminal 3, was built in less time than LHR Terminal 5’s planning enquiry. The scope of the projects was the same, new buildings on the existing site, plus access roads
The man is delusional.
Surprisingly little of this stuff survives on the internet.
But, this exaggeration was done mainly be people in Labour.
These days, successfully pronouncing Transdniestria might constitute my greatest achievement in a given day.
Did they end up switching the crews out in the end?
Next stop is Warsaw, then Pas de Calais ... and then Jeremy's allotment itself.
Best to have a nuclear war. Just to make sure Jeremy's gooseberries are safe.