On the topic of Putins "popularity" russian gdp per head is up 11 fold between 1999 and 2024. Thats a massive increase in standard of living at a time when the uk has stagnated.
per annum per capita growth for a quarter of a century. Impressive.
Do you get double the pay for using two logins at once?
I was joking! It's obvious that standards of living in Russia haven't increased by 10% each year for 25 years.
It's almost like Russia benefited massively from the commodities boom of the last quarter century.
With that said, Outside Moscow and St.Petersburg, there's very little evidence of prosperity in Russia. Most of rural, and small city, Russia is dirt poor, with little commerce, and few prospects. Much of the country still has dirt tracks rather than paved roads.
Hmmmm
Not sure that’s completely true
Russia is vast and varied. There are definitely huge regions which are shockingly poor
But also unexpected areas of prosperity - the commodity rich north or the pacific coast or down south around the Black Sea - they can be rather nice
Sure, there are little islands of prosperity. But most of Russia makes Albania look prosperous.
One of the fascinating things I learned early on in the Ukraine war, was that many Russian conscripts were shocked at how wealthy Ukraine felt, and how that was completely at odds with what they'd been told.
The looting of white goods etc would support that observation. It shows what is concealed by mean GDP stats, and also how greedy the Russian kleptocracy is.
Ive just read this on reddit. This guy says rural russia and ukraine dont really differ in prosperity.
I've been to Russia and Ukraine every year until 2014 and they don't really differ in prosperity or lack thereof.
Speaking from my own experience and my relatives (Kalmykia is a rural place with infrastructure that is lacking 😅): Most people in rural Russia own an own house (they bought or built it back during the Soviet Union times). The people don't starve because they have their own gardens and kettle that cover their basic needs. Kids have toys (cheap Chinese products are available even in rural areas). All people I know have a washing machine (it may not be the newest model but who cares if it's still functioning?). Every household I know has at least one car (it's rather a Lada than a Mercedes, but Mercedes cars aren't built for the Russian "outback" anyway, not even the SUVs 😅, the "richer" people have a Toyota). All people I know have at least one smartphone and tablet/laptop per household (usually every family member has a smartphone), including internet connection. Nutella is a tricky one (rural villages are probably not profitable for them, but there's coca cola, sprite, fanta, etc.). There are several supermarket (franchise) and some local stores. Most people have a flat TV (some have an old fashioned TV. DVD/blue-ray player, music player, etc.
Based on my experience, I'd say, those news reports about Russian soldiers stealing daily goods are either propaganda or some nasty individuals (in large groups?). There's also a chance that the army is recruiting former criminals (that wouldn't be a new thing in Russian history?).
If my area would steal something it would be asphalt (don't drive to Elista at night, and only drive slowly during daytime 😂). I've been to number of Oblasts in Russia (all in Europe), but Kalmykian roads are by far the worst. You don't need signs to tell that you've left Rostovskaya Oblast and have entered Kalmykia, because there's literally a clear cut difference in road quality. It goes from a normal street where you can drive 100 km/h to watch out, there are holes, don't go faster than 30 km/h! in less than 10 m 😂 (I'm not exaggerating).
And the band played believe if you like.
He’s completely right
My guess is @truman might be that very rare and precious thing. A mildly pro-Putin Russian possibly living in the west - maybe even in the UK (dunno) - and real, and apparently sane
Let’s not scare him away, he’s interesting. Compare him to the wibbling, infantile gibberish of @BatteryCorrectHorse for instance
His description of provincial Russia exactly matches my experiences. Some regions are almost African-poor in appearance - dirt roads, very basic infra. Others are more like poorer bits of Eastern Europe - Romania or Bulgaria. A few bigger cities could be in Poland or Hungary
Moscow and st Petersburg sometimes look like london or Paris but with less crime
Even before the SMO, Ukraine was a poorer country than Russia and even Belarus and it fucking felt like it. It is hard to generalise though as there is vast income disparity in all three.
Economic immigration between Ukraine, Belarus and Russia was overwhelmingly in the Russian direction which tells you something.
I am going to Kharkov this summer. If I get killed by a kinzhal, I hereby bequeath my collection of "Likes" to Truman. He's going to fucking need them as he is straying dangerously far from pb.com Russophobe orthodoxy.
Why does a large amount of Twitter / X believe that Chaz has kicked the bucket? Is this wishful thinking on the poetry of him dying on St Paddy's day; or is this an outcome of the continued palace silence after the weirdness around Kate and Chaz's illness leading to more conspiratorial thinking?
You must be new to twitter.
TBF twitter was ahead of the "official" curve when Lizzy popped her clogs. I know it has got much worse since then, and recent Windsor conspiracies have been abound - but still, we know Charles is ill and I wouldn't be surprised to learn he's popped it.
The King will be at Trooping the Colour but in a carriage while his cancer treatment continues rather than riding a horse, he certainly is not dead
What is the poetry of him dying on St. Patrick's Day?
Fairly sure Charles isn't dead. The lags between queen's death and internet rumours of queen's death, and between queen's death and actual announcement of queen's death, were about 2 hours and 7 hours respectively. It was hardly hushed up.
The Kate stuff is weirder by far. Not least because it's hard to see who gains by it.
+1. The Kate thing is weird. I don't understand the point of any of it. If she is seriously unwell, then just say, and expect privacy. Health issues happen. If its something else? Divorce? Seems unlikely. Is she dead? Even more unlikely. At this point its classic Streissand.
It's not Streisand. Their comms managers may not get their jobs by being the best in the business, but they're not that stupid.
The mistake is to assume that if she had a health issue they would necessarily be OK with its nature and cause and circumstances coming out. It's easy to think of scenarios where that wouldn't be so - ones that don't involve the anti-Christ or bad people believing what they read on the internet.
You believe the story about the photograph? I certainly have my doubts, and I am not one to go into conspiracy theories.
Of course it may just be health issues, but if she currently looks as good as she did in the photo, then why isn't she back at work? She looked amazing.
My guess is that she has something - like a stoma - that she is embarrassed by. In an ideal world she might be like Charles and cancer and use it as a “teachable moment” but you can’t force her to
The mistake was faking a photo.
I stress this is just speculation
IBD and stoma is the logical answer for the non conspiracy minded. Post op treatment by steroids causing puffiness so refusal to give a brief video thanking well wishers. But it doesn’t explain the very odd press management and behaviour of William. Reportedly visiting the hospital only once, the last min ducking out from that funeral. Nor the sudden attention by sections of the global press on an apparently ordinary British aristo mother of three.
There’s plenty of other things that would be embarrassing for both the patient AND the institution of the monarchy and you only need to look at the public comments of MM and Lady Di to hazard a guess as to what.
If the foreign press reports about the true nature of Charles condition are accurate, you can see how the two combined represent a genuine crisis. The last Prince of Wales had three decades for his image to recover from “caddish” behaviour before taking the top job. The current PoW may not have that luxury.
The difference is William is Diana's son and better looking and more charismatic than his father and Kate shows no sign of divorcing him either, even if the Rose rumours were true which is dubious, unlike when Diana divorced Charles over Camilla. So I doubt it makes much difference either way. The handsome and charismatic can more easily brush off affairs, see JFK and Bill Clinton.
Charles is more intelligent than both his son is and mother was but for a ceremonial monarch as we have now looks and empathy and charisma are more important than brains. Which was why the Queen cleverly made sure Charles initially married Diana, who had far more of those qualities than Camilla, so it was the former's genes and maternal influence which continued the line rather than the latter's
Opinion | Even Rishi’s ring-binder can’t stop the Tory death spiral
Emotional intelligence is the missing ingredient in the Sunak mix and it is coming to dominate everything, as both voters and MPs ask whether the PM really gets it, writes @KateEMcCann
I don't even put this down to emotional intelligence. If he was willing to propose and enact policies that would actually help people, still being the feckless wet hen he is, I think people would cut him more slack. The issue is that no politician seems up for proposing things people like and know will help them - which would be more government spending on services and increased taxes on those with high levels of wealth and income, alongside sensible regulation to counter the inflation we have seen in the last 6 months. People aren't stupid - they see their electric and gas bills increase at the same time headlines cry how much profit these companies are making. People see their Council Tax go up and local services and roads crumble. They just want things to be less shit.
Trouble is, taxes are already high
If you increase taxes on the wealthy they will just fuck off abroad - like me. So many jobs can now be done remotely - and thanks to digital nomad visas other countries are making it highly feasible to move to sunnier climes with much lower tax rates. Ok these new places will have less fascinating cultural diversity and fewer menacing pro Palestinian rallies and you’ve got to put up with nightlife that actually goes on after 11pm but nothing is perfect
I was in Hackney on Saturday. The pub we were in closed at 12pm, so we walked up the road (ten minutes) to another pub that was playing pounding music until 2am.
You are out of touch.
Why on earth would anyone choose to enter the second pub?
And yet Man City continue to get away with repeated flouting of the rules over many years. If I were a Forest or Everton fan I would be fuming at this.
And the new Premier League rules coming in next season will favour the big clubs even more.
The Conservative track record is one of complete lack of regulation of football over 14 years. Now we have a vague promise to bring in a football regulator some time in the near future. That won't cut it when there will be an election between then and now, for they appear to have deliberately missed the opportunity to act. And in any case a Conservative football regulator would be about as effective as OFWAT.
Arguably its not the Government's job to regulate football - that's The Premier League and Football Association in this country, and UEFA/FIFA abroad - assuming complying with any legal measures.
I am not fully up to speed on why Man City's case is still dragging along, yet others are completed and docked points, but clearly there must be some point of difference.
Unless its the old big vs small again (in my day Swindon relegated two divisions vs Spurs fined some money).
What Wulfrun_Phil and others miss is that government interference in football can lead to the country being suspended by UEFA/FIFA from international and club action.
The government regulator has a very fine line to tread.
One can only imagine the scene
FIFA - "We have discovered that 40% of your football clubs are owned by genocidal criminals. This is just not good enough. Get it up to 80% or we will suspend all UK clubs."
My word the Guardian has realised exclusive clubs attract the elites.
The full membership list of the men-only Garrick Club reveals its central position as a bulwark of the British establishment, featuring scores of leading lawyers, heads of publicly funded arts institutions, the chief of MI6, the head of the civil service, and King Charles.
Members also include the deputy prime minister, the secretary of state for levelling up, the chief executive of the Royal Opera House as well as Richard Moore, the head of the Secret Intelligence Service, and Simon Case, who as cabinet secretary is the prime minister’s most senior policy adviser and the leader of nearly half a million civil servants.
My word the Guardian has realised exclusive clubs attract the elites.
The full membership list of the men-only Garrick Club reveals its central position as a bulwark of the British establishment, featuring scores of leading lawyers, heads of publicly funded arts institutions, the chief of MI6, the head of the civil service, and King Charles.
Members also include the deputy prime minister, the secretary of state for levelling up, the chief executive of the Royal Opera House as well as Richard Moore, the head of the Secret Intelligence Service, and Simon Case, who as cabinet secretary is the prime minister’s most senior policy adviser and the leader of nearly half a million civil servants.
I agree. I just think people won't give Starmer very long before they expect things to be less shit, and nothing Starmer is currently proposing seems to be aimed at making life less shit - so I expect both a Labour landslide in the next GE and then mass dissatisfaction with them in a year or so.
No - Labour will be riding high for a year or two at least, the every fact the we have a government which is actually doing some governing and acting in what it believes to be the national interest will lead to a huge sigh of relief at all levels and I would expect a short-term increase in investment as business reacted to the return of a stable policy environment.
I would expect Labour to hold an early budget which will begin to shift the burden of taxation away from the incomes of poorer people toward the assets of richer people - this will result in a jump in growth as the poorer people will be spending money which the richer would have saved. Then of course there will be investment in public service, though it will take time for this to produce visible results. And attempts to reduce trade barriers with the EU.
People understand that it has taken the Tories 14 years to create the mess the UK is in - it won't all be resolved overnight but as long as things appear to be moving in the right direction I suspect Labour will retain the benefit of the doubt for quite some time.
I hope you're right - but again, Labour under SKS at the moment does not seem to be suggesting these kinds of policies.
And I understand that there will be somewhat of a honeymoon period, but the question will be asked; if Liz Truss can break the economy over a week, why can't someone help average people in a reasonable time? I know breaking things is generally easier than fixing them, but material relief (from high energy bills, for example) will be something people will want asap and may expect Labour to put out more than they would expect the Tories to.
And yet Man City continue to get away with repeated flouting of the rules over many years. If I were a Forest or Everton fan I would be fuming at this.
And the new Premier League rules coming in next season will favour the big clubs even more.
The Conservative track record is one of complete lack of regulation of football over 14 years. Now we have a vague promise to bring in a football regulator some time in the near future. That won't cut it when there will be an election between then and now, for they appear to have deliberately missed the opportunity to act. And in any case a Conservative football regulator would be about as effective as OFWAT.
Arguably its not the Government's job to regulate football - that's The Premier League and Football Association in this country, and UEFA/FIFA abroad - assuming complying with any legal measures.
I am not fully up to speed on why Man City's case is still dragging along, yet others are completed and docked points, but clearly there must be some point of difference.
Unless its the old big vs small again (in my day Swindon relegated two divisions vs Spurs fined some money).
The Spurs issue was the new regime reported that the previous lot had been up to no good, I think.
The Man City case is dragging on because it is a lot more serious and the PL want to get it right. The case is due to be heard at some point in the autumn, possibly concluding summer 2025.
If City are found guilty, it could be one of the biggest moments in British sport.
On the topic of Putins "popularity" russian gdp per head is up 11 fold between 1999 and 2024. Thats a massive increase in standard of living at a time when the uk has stagnated.
per annum per capita growth for a quarter of a century. Impressive.
Do you get double the pay for using two logins at once?
I was joking! It's obvious that standards of living in Russia haven't increased by 10% each year for 25 years.
It's almost like Russia benefited massively from the commodities boom of the last quarter century.
With that said, Outside Moscow and St.Petersburg, there's very little evidence of prosperity in Russia. Most of rural, and small city, Russia is dirt poor, with little commerce, and few prospects. Much of the country still has dirt tracks rather than paved roads.
Hmmmm
Not sure that’s completely true
Russia is vast and varied. There are definitely huge regions which are shockingly poor
But also unexpected areas of prosperity - the commodity rich north or the pacific coast or down south around the Black Sea - they can be rather nice
Sure, there are little islands of prosperity. But most of Russia makes Albania look prosperous.
One of the fascinating things I learned early on in the Ukraine war, was that many Russian conscripts were shocked at how wealthy Ukraine felt, and how that was completely at odds with what they'd been told.
The looting of white goods etc would support that observation. It shows what is concealed by mean GDP stats, and also how greedy the Russian kleptocracy is.
Ive just read this on reddit. This guy says rural russia and ukraine dont really differ in prosperity.
I've been to Russia and Ukraine every year until 2014 and they don't really differ in prosperity or lack thereof.
Speaking from my own experience and my relatives (Kalmykia is a rural place with infrastructure that is lacking 😅): Most people in rural Russia own an own house (they bought or built it back during the Soviet Union times). The people don't starve because they have their own gardens and kettle that cover their basic needs. Kids have toys (cheap Chinese products are available even in rural areas). All people I know have a washing machine (it may not be the newest model but who cares if it's still functioning?). Every household I know has at least one car (it's rather a Lada than a Mercedes, but Mercedes cars aren't built for the Russian "outback" anyway, not even the SUVs 😅, the "richer" people have a Toyota). All people I know have at least one smartphone and tablet/laptop per household (usually every family member has a smartphone), including internet connection. Nutella is a tricky one (rural villages are probably not profitable for them, but there's coca cola, sprite, fanta, etc.). There are several supermarket (franchise) and some local stores. Most people have a flat TV (some have an old fashioned TV. DVD/blue-ray player, music player, etc.
Based on my experience, I'd say, those news reports about Russian soldiers stealing daily goods are either propaganda or some nasty individuals (in large groups?). There's also a chance that the army is recruiting former criminals (that wouldn't be a new thing in Russian history?).
If my area would steal something it would be asphalt (don't drive to Elista at night, and only drive slowly during daytime 😂). I've been to number of Oblasts in Russia (all in Europe), but Kalmykian roads are by far the worst. You don't need signs to tell that you've left Rostovskaya Oblast and have entered Kalmykia, because there's literally a clear cut difference in road quality. It goes from a normal street where you can drive 100 km/h to watch out, there are holes, don't go faster than 30 km/h! in less than 10 m 😂 (I'm not exaggerating).
And the band played believe if you like.
He’s completely right
My guess is @truman might be that very rare and precious thing. A mildly pro-Putin Russian possibly living in the west - maybe even in the UK (dunno) - and real, and apparently sane
Let’s not scare him away, he’s interesting. Compare him to the wibbling, infantile gibberish of @BatteryCorrectHorse for instance
His description of provincial Russia exactly matches my experiences. Some regions are almost African-poor in appearance - dirt roads, very basic infra. Others are more like poorer bits of Eastern Europe - Romania or Bulgaria. A few bigger cities could be in Poland or Hungary
Moscow and st Petersburg sometimes look like london or Paris but with less crime
Even before the SMO, Ukraine was a poorer country than Russia and even Belarus and it fucking felt like it. It is hard to generalise though as there is vast income disparity in all three.
Economic immigration between Ukraine, Belarus and Russia was overwhelmingly in the Russian direction which tells you something.
I am going to Kharkov this summer. If I get killed by a kinzhal, I hereby bequeath my collection of "Likes" to Truman. He's going to fucking need them as he is straying dangerously far from pb.com Russophobe orthodoxy.
I still remember the 2018 world cup. People went to Russia and raved about the country and how kind the people were. Now they all hate Russians. Its a funny old world.
On the topic of Putins "popularity" russian gdp per head is up 11 fold between 1999 and 2024. Thats a massive increase in standard of living at a time when the uk has stagnated.
I do not doubt in a free and fair election the Dictator of Russia would win.
I agree. I just think people won't give Starmer very long before they expect things to be less shit, and nothing Starmer is currently proposing seems to be aimed at making life less shit - so I expect both a Labour landslide in the next GE and then mass dissatisfaction with them in a year or so.
No - Labour will be riding high for a year or two at least, the every fact the we have a government which is actually doing some governing and acting in what it believes to be the national interest will lead to a huge sigh of relief at all levels and I would expect a short-term increase in investment as business reacted to the return of a stable policy environment.
I would expect Labour to hold an early budget which will begin to shift the burden of taxation away from the incomes of poorer people toward the assets of richer people - this will result in a jump in growth as the poorer people will be spending money which the richer would have saved. Then of course there will be investment in public service, though it will take time for this to produce visible results. And attempts to reduce trade barriers with the EU.
People understand that it has taken the Tories 14 years to create the mess the UK is in - it won't all be resolved overnight but as long as things appear to be moving in the right direction I suspect Labour will retain the benefit of the doubt for quite some time.
I expect there will be alot of goodwill towards labour and they will get the benefit of the doubt at first. Especially as the Tories will be fighting like rats in a sack.
On the topic of Putins "popularity" russian gdp per head is up 11 fold between 1999 and 2024. Thats a massive increase in standard of living at a time when the uk has stagnated.
per annum per capita growth for a quarter of a century. Impressive.
Do you get double the pay for using two logins at once?
I was joking! It's obvious that standards of living in Russia haven't increased by 10% each year for 25 years.
It's almost like Russia benefited massively from the commodities boom of the last quarter century.
With that said, Outside Moscow and St.Petersburg, there's very little evidence of prosperity in Russia. Most of rural, and small city, Russia is dirt poor, with little commerce, and few prospects. Much of the country still has dirt tracks rather than paved roads.
Hmmmm
Not sure that’s completely true
Russia is vast and varied. There are definitely huge regions which are shockingly poor
But also unexpected areas of prosperity - the commodity rich north or the pacific coast or down south around the Black Sea - they can be rather nice
Sure, there are little islands of prosperity. But most of Russia makes Albania look prosperous.
One of the fascinating things I learned early on in the Ukraine war, was that many Russian conscripts were shocked at how wealthy Ukraine felt, and how that was completely at odds with what they'd been told.
The looting of white goods etc would support that observation. It shows what is concealed by mean GDP stats, and also how greedy the Russian kleptocracy is.
Ive just read this on reddit. This guy says rural russia and ukraine dont really differ in prosperity.
I've been to Russia and Ukraine every year until 2014 and they don't really differ in prosperity or lack thereof.
Speaking from my own experience and my relatives (Kalmykia is a rural place with infrastructure that is lacking 😅): Most people in rural Russia own an own house (they bought or built it back during the Soviet Union times). The people don't starve because they have their own gardens and kettle that cover their basic needs. Kids have toys (cheap Chinese products are available even in rural areas). All people I know have a washing machine (it may not be the newest model but who cares if it's still functioning?). Every household I know has at least one car (it's rather a Lada than a Mercedes, but Mercedes cars aren't built for the Russian "outback" anyway, not even the SUVs 😅, the "richer" people have a Toyota). All people I know have at least one smartphone and tablet/laptop per household (usually every family member has a smartphone), including internet connection. Nutella is a tricky one (rural villages are probably not profitable for them, but there's coca cola, sprite, fanta, etc.). There are several supermarket (franchise) and some local stores. Most people have a flat TV (some have an old fashioned TV. DVD/blue-ray player, music player, etc.
Based on my experience, I'd say, those news reports about Russian soldiers stealing daily goods are either propaganda or some nasty individuals (in large groups?). There's also a chance that the army is recruiting former criminals (that wouldn't be a new thing in Russian history?).
If my area would steal something it would be asphalt (don't drive to Elista at night, and only drive slowly during daytime 😂). I've been to number of Oblasts in Russia (all in Europe), but Kalmykian roads are by far the worst. You don't need signs to tell that you've left Rostovskaya Oblast and have entered Kalmykia, because there's literally a clear cut difference in road quality. It goes from a normal street where you can drive 100 km/h to watch out, there are holes, don't go faster than 30 km/h! in less than 10 m 😂 (I'm not exaggerating).
And the band played believe if you like.
He’s completely right
My guess is @truman might be that very rare and precious thing. A mildly pro-Putin Russian possibly living in the west - maybe even in the UK (dunno) - and real, and apparently sane
Let’s not scare him away, he’s interesting. Compare him to the wibbling, infantile gibberish of @BatteryCorrectHorse for instance
His description of provincial Russia exactly matches my experiences. Some regions are almost African-poor in appearance - dirt roads, very basic infra. Others are more like poorer bits of Eastern Europe - Romania or Bulgaria. A few bigger cities could be in Poland or Hungary
Moscow and st Petersburg sometimes look like london or Paris but with less crime
Even before the SMO, Ukraine was a poorer country than Russia and even Belarus and it fucking felt like it. It is hard to generalise though as there is vast income disparity in all three.
Economic immigration between Ukraine, Belarus and Russia was overwhelmingly in the Russian direction which tells you something.
I am going to Kharkov this summer. If I get killed by a kinzhal, I hereby bequeath my collection of "Likes" to Truman. He's going to fucking need them as he is straying dangerously far from pb.com Russophobe orthodoxy.
I like @Truman I hope he hangs about. He’s 9000 times more interesting than yet another lefty woke accountant or incel IT nerd
And, as I say, he is showing interesting sparks of being real when at first we all thought he was a bot. It’s like watching sentience emerge in GPT4.8
On the topic of Putins "popularity" russian gdp per head is up 11 fold between 1999 and 2024. Thats a massive increase in standard of living at a time when the uk has stagnated.
per annum per capita growth for a quarter of a century. Impressive.
Do you get double the pay for using two logins at once?
I was joking! It's obvious that standards of living in Russia haven't increased by 10% each year for 25 years.
It's almost like Russia benefited massively from the commodities boom of the last quarter century.
With that said, Outside Moscow and St.Petersburg, there's very little evidence of prosperity in Russia. Most of rural, and small city, Russia is dirt poor, with little commerce, and few prospects. Much of the country still has dirt tracks rather than paved roads.
Hmmmm
Not sure that’s completely true
Russia is vast and varied. There are definitely huge regions which are shockingly poor
But also unexpected areas of prosperity - the commodity rich north or the pacific coast or down south around the Black Sea - they can be rather nice
Sure, there are little islands of prosperity. But most of Russia makes Albania look prosperous.
One of the fascinating things I learned early on in the Ukraine war, was that many Russian conscripts were shocked at how wealthy Ukraine felt, and how that was completely at odds with what they'd been told.
The looting of white goods etc would support that observation. It shows what is concealed by mean GDP stats, and also how greedy the Russian kleptocracy is.
Ive just read this on reddit. This guy says rural russia and ukraine dont really differ in prosperity.
I've been to Russia and Ukraine every year until 2014 and they don't really differ in prosperity or lack thereof.
Speaking from my own experience and my relatives (Kalmykia is a rural place with infrastructure that is lacking 😅): Most people in rural Russia own an own house (they bought or built it back during the Soviet Union times). The people don't starve because they have their own gardens and kettle that cover their basic needs. Kids have toys (cheap Chinese products are available even in rural areas). All people I know have a washing machine (it may not be the newest model but who cares if it's still functioning?). Every household I know has at least one car (it's rather a Lada than a Mercedes, but Mercedes cars aren't built for the Russian "outback" anyway, not even the SUVs 😅, the "richer" people have a Toyota). All people I know have at least one smartphone and tablet/laptop per household (usually every family member has a smartphone), including internet connection. Nutella is a tricky one (rural villages are probably not profitable for them, but there's coca cola, sprite, fanta, etc.). There are several supermarket (franchise) and some local stores. Most people have a flat TV (some have an old fashioned TV. DVD/blue-ray player, music player, etc.
Based on my experience, I'd say, those news reports about Russian soldiers stealing daily goods are either propaganda or some nasty individuals (in large groups?). There's also a chance that the army is recruiting former criminals (that wouldn't be a new thing in Russian history?).
If my area would steal something it would be asphalt (don't drive to Elista at night, and only drive slowly during daytime 😂). I've been to number of Oblasts in Russia (all in Europe), but Kalmykian roads are by far the worst. You don't need signs to tell that you've left Rostovskaya Oblast and have entered Kalmykia, because there's literally a clear cut difference in road quality. It goes from a normal street where you can drive 100 km/h to watch out, there are holes, don't go faster than 30 km/h! in less than 10 m 😂 (I'm not exaggerating).
Kalmykian Roads worse than Edinburgh. Yeah, right.
On the topic of Putins "popularity" russian gdp per head is up 11 fold between 1999 and 2024. Thats a massive increase in standard of living at a time when the uk has stagnated.
per annum per capita growth for a quarter of a century. Impressive.
Do you get double the pay for using two logins at once?
I was joking! It's obvious that standards of living in Russia haven't increased by 10% each year for 25 years.
It's almost like Russia benefited massively from the commodities boom of the last quarter century.
With that said, Outside Moscow and St.Petersburg, there's very little evidence of prosperity in Russia. Most of rural, and small city, Russia is dirt poor, with little commerce, and few prospects. Much of the country still has dirt tracks rather than paved roads.
Hmmmm
Not sure that’s completely true
Russia is vast and varied. There are definitely huge regions which are shockingly poor
But also unexpected areas of prosperity - the commodity rich north or the pacific coast or down south around the Black Sea - they can be rather nice
Sure, there are little islands of prosperity. But most of Russia makes Albania look prosperous.
One of the fascinating things I learned early on in the Ukraine war, was that many Russian conscripts were shocked at how wealthy Ukraine felt, and how that was completely at odds with what they'd been told.
The looting of white goods etc would support that observation. It shows what is concealed by mean GDP stats, and also how greedy the Russian kleptocracy is.
Ive just read this on reddit. This guy says rural russia and ukraine dont really differ in prosperity.
I've been to Russia and Ukraine every year until 2014 and they don't really differ in prosperity or lack thereof.
Speaking from my own experience and my relatives (Kalmykia is a rural place with infrastructure that is lacking 😅): Most people in rural Russia own an own house (they bought or built it back during the Soviet Union times). The people don't starve because they have their own gardens and kettle that cover their basic needs. Kids have toys (cheap Chinese products are available even in rural areas). All people I know have a washing machine (it may not be the newest model but who cares if it's still functioning?). Every household I know has at least one car (it's rather a Lada than a Mercedes, but Mercedes cars aren't built for the Russian "outback" anyway, not even the SUVs 😅, the "richer" people have a Toyota). All people I know have at least one smartphone and tablet/laptop per household (usually every family member has a smartphone), including internet connection. Nutella is a tricky one (rural villages are probably not profitable for them, but there's coca cola, sprite, fanta, etc.). There are several supermarket (franchise) and some local stores. Most people have a flat TV (some have an old fashioned TV. DVD/blue-ray player, music player, etc.
Based on my experience, I'd say, those news reports about Russian soldiers stealing daily goods are either propaganda or some nasty individuals (in large groups?). There's also a chance that the army is recruiting former criminals (that wouldn't be a new thing in Russian history?).
If my area would steal something it would be asphalt (don't drive to Elista at night, and only drive slowly during daytime 😂). I've been to number of Oblasts in Russia (all in Europe), but Kalmykian roads are by far the worst. You don't need signs to tell that you've left Rostovskaya Oblast and have entered Kalmykia, because there's literally a clear cut difference in road quality. It goes from a normal street where you can drive 100 km/h to watch out, there are holes, don't go faster than 30 km/h! in less than 10 m 😂 (I'm not exaggerating).
And the band played believe if you like.
He’s completely right
My guess is @truman might be that very rare and precious thing. A mildly pro-Putin Russian possibly living in the west - maybe even in the UK (dunno) - and real, and apparently sane
Let’s not scare him away, he’s interesting. Compare him to the wibbling, infantile gibberish of @BatteryCorrectHorse for instance
His description of provincial Russia exactly matches my experiences. Some regions are almost African-poor in appearance - dirt roads, very basic infra. Others are more like poorer bits of Eastern Europe - Romania or Bulgaria. A few bigger cities could be in Poland or Hungary
Moscow and st Petersburg sometimes look like london or Paris but with less crime
Even before the SMO, Ukraine was a poorer country than Russia and even Belarus and it fucking felt like it. It is hard to generalise though as there is vast income disparity in all three.
Economic immigration between Ukraine, Belarus and Russia was overwhelmingly in the Russian direction which tells you something.
I am going to Kharkov this summer. If I get killed by a kinzhal, I hereby bequeath my collection of "Likes" to Truman. He's going to fucking need them as he is straying dangerously far from pb.com Russophobe orthodoxy.
I find the idea that disliking Putin & Co is "Russophobic" interesting.
Is disliking Netanyahu & Co. "Isrealphobic"? Is disliking Urban & chums "Hungaryphobic"? Is delisting Modi & The Black Shorts "Indiaphobic"?
My word the Guardian has realised exclusive clubs attract the elites.
The full membership list of the men-only Garrick Club reveals its central position as a bulwark of the British establishment, featuring scores of leading lawyers, heads of publicly funded arts institutions, the chief of MI6, the head of the civil service, and King Charles.
Members also include the deputy prime minister, the secretary of state for levelling up, the chief executive of the Royal Opera House as well as Richard Moore, the head of the Secret Intelligence Service, and Simon Case, who as cabinet secretary is the prime minister’s most senior policy adviser and the leader of nearly half a million civil servants.
'If my area would steal something it would be asphalt (don't drive to Elista at night, and only drive slowly during daytime 😂). I've been to number of Oblasts in Russia (all in Europe), but Kalmykian roads are by far the worst. You don't need signs to tell that you've left Rostovskaya Oblast and have entered Kalmykia, because there's literally a clear cut difference in road quality. It goes from a normal street where you can drive 100 km/h to watch out, there are holes, don't go faster than 30 km/h! in less than 10 m 😂 (I'm not exaggerating). '
Comrade
You will experience exactly the same abrupt change in driving from Worcestershire into Gloucestershire.
I am not exaggerating.
Infrastructure borders are great fun as little amusing diversions on one's travels. A few notable intra-developed world examples:
- Ontario : Quebec - from smooth road to potholed death trap (at least when I was there) - France : Switzerland - completely different road sign fonts and colour scheme - Germany : Denmark - from no speed limit to strict limits and speed cameras everywhere - France : Spain - old stone farmhouses to crumbling concrete tower blocks - Tennessee : Alabama - neat white houses with picket fences, immaculate lawns, churches and horses to down at heel trailers and cotton farms
You are (still) right about Ontario/Quebec. For unaccountable reason public services declined in the latter once the French took over, and have never recovered.
Didn’t a ton of businesses flee Montreal for Toronto because of the Quebecois indyrefs? AIUI Montreal used to be the Canadian biz capital - or equal with Tronna - but the Indy stuff scared them all away. Reducing the tax base which has never recovered
The same will happen to Edinburgh is there is ever another Sindyref
Yup, your first para is correct.
The second I cannot comment on for fear of MalcolmG.
I'm going to disagree with Heathener that the Cons are hated by the public. They are not - but then John Major was not hated and neither was Gordon Brown. There just comes a point when people decide that you are not up to it. That might be the individual PM and then a party can do something about it. If it is perception of the party as a whole (as now) then it is just a case of when and not if. The people I meet in my work are mostly long-time Conservative voters. They certainly do not hate the Cons but a large proportion of them do feel that the current bunch representing the Conservative Party are pathetic and/or useless. You can stick your heads in the sand all you like but if I'm seeing it and the polls suggest the same then I'm going to assume that in fact is the case.
Do people foresee a bright brilliant future under Starmer? No. There is general despair at the state of the country. Maybe he can stop the rot. Anyway for quite a while he will be able to point at this current mess of a Govt as his excuse for things not improving as fast as people want. So long as members of the current Cabinet are hanging around in the Con leadership that will be a much easier sell than some here seem to think.
Meanwhile its a beautiful Spring day here - as Friday and Saturday were. You have to pity anyone missing days like these because they really are the best you'll find anywhere.
And yet Man City continue to get away with repeated flouting of the rules over many years. If I were a Forest or Everton fan I would be fuming at this.
And the new Premier League rules coming in next season will favour the big clubs even more.
The Conservative track record is one of complete lack of regulation of football over 14 years. Now we have a vague promise to bring in a football regulator some time in the near future. That won't cut it when there will be an election between then and now, for they appear to have deliberately missed the opportunity to act. And in any case a Conservative football regulator would be about as effective as OFWAT.
Arguably its not the Government's job to regulate football - that's The Premier League and Football Association in this country, and UEFA/FIFA abroad - assuming complying with any legal measures.
I am not fully up to speed on why Man City's case is still dragging along, yet others are completed and docked points, but clearly there must be some point of difference.
Unless its the old big vs small again (in my day Swindon relegated two divisions vs Spurs fined some money).
What Wulfrun_Phil and others miss is that government interference in football can lead to the country being suspended by UEFA/FIFA from international and club action.
The government regulator has a very fine line to tread.
One can only imagine the scene
FIFA - "We have discovered that 40% of your football clubs are owned by genocidal criminals. This is just not good enough. Get it up to 80% or we will suspend all UK clubs."
You laugh but lest we forget the initial Premier League objection to the Saudis owning Newcastle United was not the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, nor the genocide in Yemen but the Saudi state playing a major role in allowing illegal sports streams (including PL coverage) in the MENA region at the expensive of the rights holder beIN sports.
Once the KSA agreed to stop doing the latter the PL were okay with genocidal criminals owning one of their clubs.
On the topic of Putins "popularity" russian gdp per head is up 11 fold between 1999 and 2024. Thats a massive increase in standard of living at a time when the uk has stagnated.
per annum per capita growth for a quarter of a century. Impressive.
Do you get double the pay for using two logins at once?
I was joking! It's obvious that standards of living in Russia haven't increased by 10% each year for 25 years.
It's almost like Russia benefited massively from the commodities boom of the last quarter century.
With that said, Outside Moscow and St.Petersburg, there's very little evidence of prosperity in Russia. Most of rural, and small city, Russia is dirt poor, with little commerce, and few prospects. Much of the country still has dirt tracks rather than paved roads.
Hmmmm
Not sure that’s completely true
Russia is vast and varied. There are definitely huge regions which are shockingly poor
But also unexpected areas of prosperity - the commodity rich north or the pacific coast or down south around the Black Sea - they can be rather nice
Sure, there are little islands of prosperity. But most of Russia makes Albania look prosperous.
One of the fascinating things I learned early on in the Ukraine war, was that many Russian conscripts were shocked at how wealthy Ukraine felt, and how that was completely at odds with what they'd been told.
The looting of white goods etc would support that observation. It shows what is concealed by mean GDP stats, and also how greedy the Russian kleptocracy is.
Ive just read this on reddit. This guy says rural russia and ukraine dont really differ in prosperity.
I've been to Russia and Ukraine every year until 2014 and they don't really differ in prosperity or lack thereof.
Speaking from my own experience and my relatives (Kalmykia is a rural place with infrastructure that is lacking 😅): Most people in rural Russia own an own house (they bought or built it back during the Soviet Union times). The people don't starve because they have their own gardens and kettle that cover their basic needs. Kids have toys (cheap Chinese products are available even in rural areas). All people I know have a washing machine (it may not be the newest model but who cares if it's still functioning?). Every household I know has at least one car (it's rather a Lada than a Mercedes, but Mercedes cars aren't built for the Russian "outback" anyway, not even the SUVs 😅, the "richer" people have a Toyota). All people I know have at least one smartphone and tablet/laptop per household (usually every family member has a smartphone), including internet connection. Nutella is a tricky one (rural villages are probably not profitable for them, but there's coca cola, sprite, fanta, etc.). There are several supermarket (franchise) and some local stores. Most people have a flat TV (some have an old fashioned TV. DVD/blue-ray player, music player, etc.
Based on my experience, I'd say, those news reports about Russian soldiers stealing daily goods are either propaganda or some nasty individuals (in large groups?). There's also a chance that the army is recruiting former criminals (that wouldn't be a new thing in Russian history?).
If my area would steal something it would be asphalt (don't drive to Elista at night, and only drive slowly during daytime 😂). I've been to number of Oblasts in Russia (all in Europe), but Kalmykian roads are by far the worst. You don't need signs to tell that you've left Rostovskaya Oblast and have entered Kalmykia, because there's literally a clear cut difference in road quality. It goes from a normal street where you can drive 100 km/h to watch out, there are holes, don't go faster than 30 km/h! in less than 10 m 😂 (I'm not exaggerating).
And the band played believe if you like.
He’s completely right
My guess is @truman might be that very rare and precious thing. A mildly pro-Putin Russian possibly living in the west - maybe even in the UK (dunno) - and real, and apparently sane
Let’s not scare him away, he’s interesting. Compare him to the wibbling, infantile gibberish of @BatteryCorrectHorse for instance
His description of provincial Russia exactly matches my experiences. Some regions are almost African-poor in appearance - dirt roads, very basic infra. Others are more like poorer bits of Eastern Europe - Romania or Bulgaria. A few bigger cities could be in Poland or Hungary
Moscow and st Petersburg sometimes look like london or Paris but with less crime
Even before the SMO, Ukraine was a poorer country than Russia and even Belarus and it fucking felt like it. It is hard to generalise though as there is vast income disparity in all three.
Economic immigration between Ukraine, Belarus and Russia was overwhelmingly in the Russian direction which tells you something.
I am going to Kharkov this summer. If I get killed by a kinzhal, I hereby bequeath my collection of "Likes" to Truman. He's going to fucking need them as he is straying dangerously far from pb.com Russophobe orthodoxy.
I still remember the 2018 world cup. People went to Russia and raved about the country and how kind the people were. Now they all hate Russians. Its a funny old world.
Eh? Russia had already invaded Georgia and Ukraine and there were massive concerns about our fans’ safety. In the end they were ok because Putin wanted his 1936 Olympics moment.
On the topic of Putins "popularity" russian gdp per head is up 11 fold between 1999 and 2024. Thats a massive increase in standard of living at a time when the uk has stagnated.
per annum per capita growth for a quarter of a century. Impressive.
Do you get double the pay for using two logins at once?
I was joking! It's obvious that standards of living in Russia haven't increased by 10% each year for 25 years.
It's almost like Russia benefited massively from the commodities boom of the last quarter century.
With that said, Outside Moscow and St.Petersburg, there's very little evidence of prosperity in Russia. Most of rural, and small city, Russia is dirt poor, with little commerce, and few prospects. Much of the country still has dirt tracks rather than paved roads.
Hmmmm
Not sure that’s completely true
Russia is vast and varied. There are definitely huge regions which are shockingly poor
But also unexpected areas of prosperity - the commodity rich north or the pacific coast or down south around the Black Sea - they can be rather nice
Sure, there are little islands of prosperity. But most of Russia makes Albania look prosperous.
One of the fascinating things I learned early on in the Ukraine war, was that many Russian conscripts were shocked at how wealthy Ukraine felt, and how that was completely at odds with what they'd been told.
The looting of white goods etc would support that observation. It shows what is concealed by mean GDP stats, and also how greedy the Russian kleptocracy is.
Ive just read this on reddit. This guy says rural russia and ukraine dont really differ in prosperity.
I've been to Russia and Ukraine every year until 2014 and they don't really differ in prosperity or lack thereof.
Speaking from my own experience and my relatives (Kalmykia is a rural place with infrastructure that is lacking 😅): Most people in rural Russia own an own house (they bought or built it back during the Soviet Union times). The people don't starve because they have their own gardens and kettle that cover their basic needs. Kids have toys (cheap Chinese products are available even in rural areas). All people I know have a washing machine (it may not be the newest model but who cares if it's still functioning?). Every household I know has at least one car (it's rather a Lada than a Mercedes, but Mercedes cars aren't built for the Russian "outback" anyway, not even the SUVs 😅, the "richer" people have a Toyota). All people I know have at least one smartphone and tablet/laptop per household (usually every family member has a smartphone), including internet connection. Nutella is a tricky one (rural villages are probably not profitable for them, but there's coca cola, sprite, fanta, etc.). There are several supermarket (franchise) and some local stores. Most people have a flat TV (some have an old fashioned TV. DVD/blue-ray player, music player, etc.
Based on my experience, I'd say, those news reports about Russian soldiers stealing daily goods are either propaganda or some nasty individuals (in large groups?). There's also a chance that the army is recruiting former criminals (that wouldn't be a new thing in Russian history?).
If my area would steal something it would be asphalt (don't drive to Elista at night, and only drive slowly during daytime 😂). I've been to number of Oblasts in Russia (all in Europe), but Kalmykian roads are by far the worst. You don't need signs to tell that you've left Rostovskaya Oblast and have entered Kalmykia, because there's literally a clear cut difference in road quality. It goes from a normal street where you can drive 100 km/h to watch out, there are holes, don't go faster than 30 km/h! in less than 10 m 😂 (I'm not exaggerating).
And the band played believe if you like.
He’s completely right
My guess is @truman might be that very rare and precious thing. A mildly pro-Putin Russian possibly living in the west - maybe even in the UK (dunno) - and real, and apparently sane
Let’s not scare him away, he’s interesting. Compare him to the wibbling, infantile gibberish of @BatteryCorrectHorse for instance
His description of provincial Russia exactly matches my experiences. Some regions are almost African-poor in appearance - dirt roads, very basic infra. Others are more like poorer bits of Eastern Europe - Romania or Bulgaria. A few bigger cities could be in Poland or Hungary
Moscow and st Petersburg sometimes look like london or Paris but with less crime
Even before the SMO, Ukraine was a poorer country than Russia and even Belarus and it fucking felt like it. It is hard to generalise though as there is vast income disparity in all three.
Economic immigration between Ukraine, Belarus and Russia was overwhelmingly in the Russian direction which tells you something.
I am going to Kharkov this summer. If I get killed by a kinzhal, I hereby bequeath my collection of "Likes" to Truman. He's going to fucking need them as he is straying dangerously far from pb.com Russophobe orthodoxy.
I still remember the 2018 world cup. People went to Russia and raved about the country and how kind the people were. Now they all hate Russians. Its a funny old world.
“Hating Russians” is racist bullshit
I despise the regime and think Putin is a brutal autocrat (and ultimately very very bad for Russia herself) but the people must be divorced from their government
Russians are incredibly hospitable and often hilarious. I love their dark humour - which, I imagine, they need quite a lot
Tata Steel has announced the coke ovens at its giant Port Talbot plant in south Wales will close on Wednesday over concerns about their "operational stability", according to the company.
'If my area would steal something it would be asphalt (don't drive to Elista at night, and only drive slowly during daytime 😂). I've been to number of Oblasts in Russia (all in Europe), but Kalmykian roads are by far the worst. You don't need signs to tell that you've left Rostovskaya Oblast and have entered Kalmykia, because there's literally a clear cut difference in road quality. It goes from a normal street where you can drive 100 km/h to watch out, there are holes, don't go faster than 30 km/h! in less than 10 m 😂 (I'm not exaggerating). '
Comrade
You will experience exactly the same abrupt change in driving from Worcestershire into Gloucestershire.
I am not exaggerating.
Infrastructure borders are great fun as little amusing diversions on one's travels. A few notable intra-developed world examples:
- Ontario : Quebec - from smooth road to potholed death trap (at least when I was there) - France : Switzerland - completely different road sign fonts and colour scheme - Germany : Denmark - from no speed limit to strict limits and speed cameras everywhere - France : Spain - old stone farmhouses to crumbling concrete tower blocks - Tennessee : Alabama - neat white houses with picket fences, immaculate lawns, churches and horses to down at heel trailers and cotton farms
You are (still) right about Ontario/Quebec. For unaccountable reason public services declined in the latter once the French took over, and have never recovered.
Didn’t a ton of businesses flee Montreal for Toronto because of the Quebecois indyrefs? AIUI Montreal used to be the Canadian biz capital - or equal with Tronna - but the Indy stuff scared them all away. Reducing the tax base which has never recovered
The same will happen to Edinburgh is there is ever another Sindyref
Yup, your first para is correct.
The second I cannot comment on for fear of MalcolmG.
I view Malc as the PB jester.
His comments about an independent Scotland's lender of last resort kept my office entertained for weeks.
Believe it or a not, after Scottish independence the Bank of England will do whatever an independent Scotland tells it to do, rather than what the rest of the UK sets the BoE's mandate as.
Oh Scotland and can default on all her debts and expect the markets to lend to Scotland at the best rates.
On the topic of Putins "popularity" russian gdp per head is up 11 fold between 1999 and 2024. Thats a massive increase in standard of living at a time when the uk has stagnated.
per annum per capita growth for a quarter of a century. Impressive.
Do you get double the pay for using two logins at once?
I was joking! It's obvious that standards of living in Russia haven't increased by 10% each year for 25 years.
It's almost like Russia benefited massively from the commodities boom of the last quarter century.
With that said, Outside Moscow and St.Petersburg, there's very little evidence of prosperity in Russia. Most of rural, and small city, Russia is dirt poor, with little commerce, and few prospects. Much of the country still has dirt tracks rather than paved roads.
Hmmmm
Not sure that’s completely true
Russia is vast and varied. There are definitely huge regions which are shockingly poor
But also unexpected areas of prosperity - the commodity rich north or the pacific coast or down south around the Black Sea - they can be rather nice
Sure, there are little islands of prosperity. But most of Russia makes Albania look prosperous.
One of the fascinating things I learned early on in the Ukraine war, was that many Russian conscripts were shocked at how wealthy Ukraine felt, and how that was completely at odds with what they'd been told.
The looting of white goods etc would support that observation. It shows what is concealed by mean GDP stats, and also how greedy the Russian kleptocracy is.
Ive just read this on reddit. This guy says rural russia and ukraine dont really differ in prosperity.
I've been to Russia and Ukraine every year until 2014 and they don't really differ in prosperity or lack thereof.
Speaking from my own experience and my relatives (Kalmykia is a rural place with infrastructure that is lacking 😅): Most people in rural Russia own an own house (they bought or built it back during the Soviet Union times). The people don't starve because they have their own gardens and kettle that cover their basic needs. Kids have toys (cheap Chinese products are available even in rural areas). All people I know have a washing machine (it may not be the newest model but who cares if it's still functioning?). Every household I know has at least one car (it's rather a Lada than a Mercedes, but Mercedes cars aren't built for the Russian "outback" anyway, not even the SUVs 😅, the "richer" people have a Toyota). All people I know have at least one smartphone and tablet/laptop per household (usually every family member has a smartphone), including internet connection. Nutella is a tricky one (rural villages are probably not profitable for them, but there's coca cola, sprite, fanta, etc.). There are several supermarket (franchise) and some local stores. Most people have a flat TV (some have an old fashioned TV. DVD/blue-ray player, music player, etc.
Based on my experience, I'd say, those news reports about Russian soldiers stealing daily goods are either propaganda or some nasty individuals (in large groups?). There's also a chance that the army is recruiting former criminals (that wouldn't be a new thing in Russian history?).
If my area would steal something it would be asphalt (don't drive to Elista at night, and only drive slowly during daytime 😂). I've been to number of Oblasts in Russia (all in Europe), but Kalmykian roads are by far the worst. You don't need signs to tell that you've left Rostovskaya Oblast and have entered Kalmykia, because there's literally a clear cut difference in road quality. It goes from a normal street where you can drive 100 km/h to watch out, there are holes, don't go faster than 30 km/h! in less than 10 m 😂 (I'm not exaggerating).
And the band played believe if you like.
He’s completely right
My guess is @truman might be that very rare and precious thing. A mildly pro-Putin Russian possibly living in the west - maybe even in the UK (dunno) - and real, and apparently sane
Let’s not scare him away, he’s interesting. Compare him to the wibbling, infantile gibberish of @BatteryCorrectHorse for instance
His description of provincial Russia exactly matches my experiences. Some regions are almost African-poor in appearance - dirt roads, very basic infra. Others are more like poorer bits of Eastern Europe - Romania or Bulgaria. A few bigger cities could be in Poland or Hungary
Moscow and st Petersburg sometimes look like london or Paris but with less crime
Even before the SMO, Ukraine was a poorer country than Russia and even Belarus and it fucking felt like it. It is hard to generalise though as there is vast income disparity in all three.
Economic immigration between Ukraine, Belarus and Russia was overwhelmingly in the Russian direction which tells you something.
I am going to Kharkov this summer. If I get killed by a kinzhal, I hereby bequeath my collection of "Likes" to Truman. He's going to fucking need them as he is straying dangerously far from pb.com Russophobe orthodoxy.
I still remember the 2018 world cup. People went to Russia and raved about the country and how kind the people were. Now they all hate Russians. Its a funny old world.
“Hating Russians” is racist bullshit
I despise the regime and think Putin is a brutal autocrat (and ultimately very very bad for Russia herself) but the people must be divorced from their government
Russians are incredibly hospitable and often hilarious. I love their dark humour - which, I imagine, they need quite a lot
True.
BUT the majority of them (not his 87%, but a majority of them) support Putin and are partly responsible for their country’s actions, like the Germans who were voters in the 30s.
On the topic of Putins "popularity" russian gdp per head is up 11 fold between 1999 and 2024. Thats a massive increase in standard of living at a time when the uk has stagnated.
per annum per capita growth for a quarter of a century. Impressive.
Do you get double the pay for using two logins at once?
I was joking! It's obvious that standards of living in Russia haven't increased by 10% each year for 25 years.
It's almost like Russia benefited massively from the commodities boom of the last quarter century.
With that said, Outside Moscow and St.Petersburg, there's very little evidence of prosperity in Russia. Most of rural, and small city, Russia is dirt poor, with little commerce, and few prospects. Much of the country still has dirt tracks rather than paved roads.
Hmmmm
Not sure that’s completely true
Russia is vast and varied. There are definitely huge regions which are shockingly poor
But also unexpected areas of prosperity - the commodity rich north or the pacific coast or down south around the Black Sea - they can be rather nice
Sure, there are little islands of prosperity. But most of Russia makes Albania look prosperous.
One of the fascinating things I learned early on in the Ukraine war, was that many Russian conscripts were shocked at how wealthy Ukraine felt, and how that was completely at odds with what they'd been told.
I recall at the start of the war how Russian conscripts would steal washing machines from civilian houses to send back home, completely forgetting their house didn't have an electricity supply.
'If my area would steal something it would be asphalt (don't drive to Elista at night, and only drive slowly during daytime 😂). I've been to number of Oblasts in Russia (all in Europe), but Kalmykian roads are by far the worst. You don't need signs to tell that you've left Rostovskaya Oblast and have entered Kalmykia, because there's literally a clear cut difference in road quality. It goes from a normal street where you can drive 100 km/h to watch out, there are holes, don't go faster than 30 km/h! in less than 10 m 😂 (I'm not exaggerating). '
Comrade
You will experience exactly the same abrupt change in driving from Worcestershire into Gloucestershire.
I am not exaggerating.
Infrastructure borders are great fun as little amusing diversions on one's travels. A few notable intra-developed world examples:
- Ontario : Quebec - from smooth road to potholed death trap (at least when I was there) - France : Switzerland - completely different road sign fonts and colour scheme - Germany : Denmark - from no speed limit to strict limits and speed cameras everywhere - France : Spain - old stone farmhouses to crumbling concrete tower blocks - Tennessee : Alabama - neat white houses with picket fences, immaculate lawns, churches and horses to down at heel trailers and cotton farms
You are (still) right about Ontario/Quebec. For unaccountable reason public services declined in the latter once the French took over, and have never recovered.
Didn’t a ton of businesses flee Montreal for Toronto because of the Quebecois indyrefs? AIUI Montreal used to be the Canadian biz capital - or equal with Tronna - but the Indy stuff scared them all away. Reducing the tax base which has never recovered
The same will happen to Edinburgh is there is ever another Sindyref
The other day I was talking to a bloke who runs a business in Canada. He recently relocated it to Quebec and was given special help by the Quebec government on how to work round Quebec's language laws. He said they were incredibly helpful. What a ridiculous situation.
In Spain, too, a lot of Spanish businesses have moved their business HQs out of Catalonia. However, Barcelona's attractions to international businesses are mitigating that to an extent.
Interestingly on the outlook for uk inflation and interest rates unleaded gasoline in new york has just hit its highest levels since June 2022 just after Russia invaded Ukraine. Not good.
And yet Man City continue to get away with repeated flouting of the rules over many years. If I were a Forest or Everton fan I would be fuming at this.
And the new Premier League rules coming in next season will favour the big clubs even more.
The Conservative track record is one of complete lack of regulation of football over 14 years. Now we have a vague promise to bring in a football regulator some time in the near future. That won't cut it when there will be an election between then and now, for they appear to have deliberately missed the opportunity to act. And in any case a Conservative football regulator would be about as effective as OFWAT.
Arguably its not the Government's job to regulate football - that's The Premier League and Football Association in this country, and UEFA/FIFA abroad - assuming complying with any legal measures.
I am not fully up to speed on why Man City's case is still dragging along, yet others are completed and docked points, but clearly there must be some point of difference.
Unless its the old big vs small again (in my day Swindon relegated two divisions vs Spurs fined some money).
The Spurs issue was the new regime reported that the previous lot had been up to no good, I think.
The Man City case is dragging on because it is a lot more serious and the PL want to get it right. The case is due to be heard at some point in the autumn, possibly concluding summer 2025.
If City are found guilty, it could be one of the biggest moments in British sport.
Looking back (and its still painful) I found this;
"ALAN SUGAR, the Tottenham Hotspur chairman, last night felt like the man who has avoided the death penalty only to be given life imprisonment. The Football Association's punishment for Spurs' financial irregularities included the deduction of 12 points from next season's Premiership campaign, suspension from the 1994-95 FA Cup and a record pounds 600,000 fine plus costs.
It amounted to the most severe sentence meted out by the English game's ruling body to one of its members. In the circumstances, simple relegation - Spurs' greatest fear - might have been a blessing."
I fail to see how the fine and 12 points off was a worse punishment than being relegated two divisions, as happened to Swindon. (Albeit trimmed to one on appeal). Promotion to the Premier League is reckoned to be worth 50 million or more nowadays, and it was a bit deal in 1990 too. Plus Town had a side that may have survived and prospered.
If you want to see one rule for the rich, this was it.
And yet Man City continue to get away with repeated flouting of the rules over many years. If I were a Forest or Everton fan I would be fuming at this.
And the new Premier League rules coming in next season will favour the big clubs even more.
The Conservative track record is one of complete lack of regulation of football over 14 years. Now we have a vague promise to bring in a football regulator some time in the near future. That won't cut it when there will be an election between then and now, for they appear to have deliberately missed the opportunity to act. And in any case a Conservative football regulator would be about as effective as OFWAT.
Arguably its not the Government's job to regulate football - that's The Premier League and Football Association in this country, and UEFA/FIFA abroad - assuming complying with any legal measures.
I am not fully up to speed on why Man City's case is still dragging along, yet others are completed and docked points, but clearly there must be some point of difference.
Unless its the old big vs small again (in my day Swindon relegated two divisions vs Spurs fined some money).
What Wulfrun_Phil and others miss is that government interference in football can lead to the country being suspended by UEFA/FIFA from international and club action.
The government regulator has a very fine line to tread.
One can only imagine the scene
FIFA - "We have discovered that 40% of your football clubs are owned by genocidal criminals. This is just not good enough. Get it up to 80% or we will suspend all UK clubs."
You laugh but lest we forget the initial Premier League objection to the Saudis owning Newcastle United was not the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, nor the genocide in Yemen but the Saudi state playing a major role in allowing illegal sports streams (including PL coverage) in the MENA region at the expensive of the rights holder beIN sports.
Once the KSA agreed to stop doing the latter the PL were okay with genocidal criminals owning one of their clubs.
I'm laughing as usual. In between the holocaust jokes.
Remember that when Thaskin wanted to buy a football club, the FA ruled, via their layers, that being a wanted war criminal was not a breach of the "Fit and proper owner" rule?
Former US president Obama visits no 10 Downing Street for a private meeting with Rishi Sunak
Now that leads to an interesting question - what question / information does the US President need to pass on to the UK Prime Minister in person?
Or going the other way, what information does Rishi want to send to the US President through non-monitored channels? (cue Royal conspiracy theorists getting excited...)
Note Starmer will have a far more difficult economic situation to deal with if he becomes PM than Blair did in 1997.
'An analysis of economic and polling data by the political consultancy Public First shows the country has lower wage growth, higher levels of debt and less affordable housing than it did when Labour last ousted the Conservatives from power..The economy grew 4.9% in 1997, following nearly five years where it did not shrink in a single quarter. This year, the Office for Budget Responsibility forecasts it will grow just 0.6%.
Wage growth had been strong for years before the 1997 election and was 2.6% in the election year. This year, the OBR thinks it will be just 0.1%.
However SKS won't be burdened with the hopes and dreams of a nation as Blair was. It will be easier for him to overdeliver against expectations.
A very political stance. Low expectations are not the same as improving the national outlook.
Lets put this in perspective
We have low growth We have massive debts We need about 5 millions dwellings and the commensurate infrastructure We have a migration problem and the much larger problem of workforce participation We need productivity and investment We have a war in Ukraine
And Starmer is just the man for the job because he sacked Corbyn, The equivalent of reorganising the filing in Labour HQ,
Your hope is based on all of us accepting decline is good enough.
Personally I dont.
On housing, one factor has been the growth of older people splitting up and living on their own. What the nations needs is an oldies dating programme. Get all those selfish old folk out of their three bed houses and coupled up once again. More sex for the elderly, more houses for the young...
On the other hand there's Joe and Jill Biden at it like a couple in a french brothel and they still wont let go of that big white house in the middle of Washington. I dread to think what the Blairs do in their 9 houses.
Biden at the Gridiron.
“ One candidate is too old, mentally unfit to be president: The other’s me. You know he ain’t the same guy that I beat in 2020…But don’t tell him. He thinks he’s running against Barack Obama. ...And another big difference between us — I know what I value most; I'm Jill Biden's husband. And I know her name. ”
The senile and too old argument is really being taken apart. If they can bring home the message of what they have achieved on the economy it should be easier than 2020.
He is too old. So is Trump.
The USA should not be having this choice.
True. But Biden is certainly not senile. (Nor is Trump, for that matter, although he is increasingly living in an echo chamber of his own paranoia and delusions - but that's a different mental condition).
Oh right so Biden will just be getting fitter over the next 4 years, Will he be doing the 100m at the Olympics in Paris ?
Who am I to believe, you or the evidence of my own eyes ? Tough call.
I never said anything about either man's physical fitness. FWIW, I think there's a probability that whichever is elected won't see out his term. Trump is obese, stressed and with an awful diet; Biden looks frail.
Feel free to believe whatever you want. I'm just calling it as I see it.
DJT has good genetics. His revolting father lived to a right old age. Biden's father was from the pre-pottery Palaeolithic before the advent of written language so we don't know how old he was.
That's as may be. But you can only take so many risks with your health in your late 70s (or indeed, early 80s, by the end of the 2025-29 term) before the dice land the wrong way.
Trump does (sadly) look robust. Also a lifelong teetotaller and non-smoker. I'd put up a spread of something like 125/140 on remaining lifespan (months) if I was making a market.
Trump's risks are more of the nature of keeling over from a major stroke / heart attack than a prolonged gradual decline.
Ive just read this on reddit. This guy says rural russia and ukraine dont really differ in prosperity.
I've been to Russia and Ukraine every year until 2014 and they don't really differ in prosperity or lack thereof.
Speaking from my own experience and my relatives (Kalmykia is a rural place with infrastructure that is lacking 😅): Most people in rural Russia own an own house (they bought or built it back during the Soviet Union times). The people don't starve because they have their own gardens and kettle that cover their basic needs. Kids have toys (cheap Chinese products are available even in rural areas). All people I know have a washing machine (it may not be the newest model but who cares if it's still functioning?). Every household I know has at least one car (it's rather a Lada than a Mercedes, but Mercedes cars aren't built for the Russian "outback" anyway, not even the SUVs 😅, the "richer" people have a Toyota). All people I know have at least one smartphone and tablet/laptop per household (usually every family member has a smartphone), including internet connection. Nutella is a tricky one (rural villages are probably not profitable for them, but there's coca cola, sprite, fanta, etc.). There are several supermarket (franchise) and some local stores. Most people have a flat TV (some have an old fashioned TV. DVD/blue-ray player, music player, etc.
Based on my experience, I'd say, those news reports about Russian soldiers stealing daily goods are either propaganda or some nasty individuals (in large groups?). There's also a chance that the army is recruiting former criminals (that wouldn't be a new thing in Russian history?).
If my area would steal something it would be asphalt (don't drive to Elista at night, and only drive slowly during daytime 😂). I've been to number of Oblasts in Russia (all in Europe), but Kalmykian roads are by far the worst. You don't need signs to tell that you've left Rostovskaya Oblast and have entered Kalmykia, because there's literally a clear cut difference in road quality. It goes from a normal street where you can drive 100 km/h to watch out, there are holes, don't go faster than 30 km/h! in less than 10 m 😂 (I'm not exaggerating).
Are YOU saying this, or some guy on Reddit (and are you that guy)? So are you from Elista in southern Russia?
If so, I've got to ask why you are on a website about British politics? Sure, we have our foreign posters on here, but most (all?) are British nationals with an interest in the home country anyway.
Interestingly on the outlook for uk inflation and interest rates unleaded gasoline in new york has just hit its highest levels since June 2022 just after Russia invaded Ukraine. Not good.
If you want to retain your generous "more interesting than woke accountants" rating then you'll need to add a bit more discursive colour to posts like these.
On the topic of Putins "popularity" russian gdp per head is up 11 fold between 1999 and 2024. Thats a massive increase in standard of living at a time when the uk has stagnated.
per annum per capita growth for a quarter of a century. Impressive.
Do you get double the pay for using two logins at once?
I was joking! It's obvious that standards of living in Russia haven't increased by 10% each year for 25 years.
It's almost like Russia benefited massively from the commodities boom of the last quarter century.
With that said, Outside Moscow and St.Petersburg, there's very little evidence of prosperity in Russia. Most of rural, and small city, Russia is dirt poor, with little commerce, and few prospects. Much of the country still has dirt tracks rather than paved roads.
Hmmmm
Not sure that’s completely true
Russia is vast and varied. There are definitely huge regions which are shockingly poor
But also unexpected areas of prosperity - the commodity rich north or the pacific coast or down south around the Black Sea - they can be rather nice
Sure, there are little islands of prosperity. But most of Russia makes Albania look prosperous.
One of the fascinating things I learned early on in the Ukraine war, was that many Russian conscripts were shocked at how wealthy Ukraine felt, and how that was completely at odds with what they'd been told.
The looting of white goods etc would support that observation. It shows what is concealed by mean GDP stats, and also how greedy the Russian kleptocracy is.
Ive just read this on reddit. This guy says rural russia and ukraine dont really differ in prosperity.
I've been to Russia and Ukraine every year until 2014 and they don't really differ in prosperity or lack thereof.
Speaking from my own experience and my relatives (Kalmykia is a rural place with infrastructure that is lacking 😅): Most people in rural Russia own an own house (they bought or built it back during the Soviet Union times). The people don't starve because they have their own gardens and kettle that cover their basic needs. Kids have toys (cheap Chinese products are available even in rural areas). All people I know have a washing machine (it may not be the newest model but who cares if it's still functioning?). Every household I know has at least one car (it's rather a Lada than a Mercedes, but Mercedes cars aren't built for the Russian "outback" anyway, not even the SUVs 😅, the "richer" people have a Toyota). All people I know have at least one smartphone and tablet/laptop per household (usually every family member has a smartphone), including internet connection. Nutella is a tricky one (rural villages are probably not profitable for them, but there's coca cola, sprite, fanta, etc.). There are several supermarket (franchise) and some local stores. Most people have a flat TV (some have an old fashioned TV. DVD/blue-ray player, music player, etc.
Based on my experience, I'd say, those news reports about Russian soldiers stealing daily goods are either propaganda or some nasty individuals (in large groups?). There's also a chance that the army is recruiting former criminals (that wouldn't be a new thing in Russian history?).
If my area would steal something it would be asphalt (don't drive to Elista at night, and only drive slowly during daytime 😂). I've been to number of Oblasts in Russia (all in Europe), but Kalmykian roads are by far the worst. You don't need signs to tell that you've left Rostovskaya Oblast and have entered Kalmykia, because there's literally a clear cut difference in road quality. It goes from a normal street where you can drive 100 km/h to watch out, there are holes, don't go faster than 30 km/h! in less than 10 m 😂 (I'm not exaggerating).
And the band played believe if you like.
He’s completely right
My guess is @truman might be that very rare and precious thing. A mildly pro-Putin Russian possibly living in the west - maybe even in the UK (dunno) - and real, and apparently sane
Let’s not scare him away, he’s interesting. Compare him to the wibbling, infantile gibberish of @BatteryCorrectHorse for instance
His description of provincial Russia exactly matches my experiences. Some regions are almost African-poor in appearance - dirt roads, very basic infra. Others are more like poorer bits of Eastern Europe - Romania or Bulgaria. A few bigger cities could be in Poland or Hungary
Moscow and st Petersburg sometimes look like london or Paris but with less crime
Even before the SMO, Ukraine was a poorer country than Russia and even Belarus and it fucking felt like it. It is hard to generalise though as there is vast income disparity in all three.
Economic immigration between Ukraine, Belarus and Russia was overwhelmingly in the Russian direction which tells you something.
I am going to Kharkov this summer. If I get killed by a kinzhal, I hereby bequeath my collection of "Likes" to Truman. He's going to fucking need them as he is straying dangerously far from pb.com Russophobe orthodoxy.
I still remember the 2018 world cup. People went to Russia and raved about the country and how kind the people were. Now they all hate Russians. Its a funny old world.
“Hating Russians” is racist bullshit
I despise the regime and think Putin is a brutal autocrat (and ultimately very very bad for Russia herself) but the people must be divorced from their government
Russians are incredibly hospitable and often hilarious. I love their dark humour - which, I imagine, they need quite a lot
A chunk of my family were from Russia/Ukraine. Then my dad married a Russian emigre.
My word the Guardian has realised exclusive clubs attract the elites.
The full membership list of the men-only Garrick Club reveals its central position as a bulwark of the British establishment, featuring scores of leading lawyers, heads of publicly funded arts institutions, the chief of MI6, the head of the civil service, and King Charles.
Members also include the deputy prime minister, the secretary of state for levelling up, the chief executive of the Royal Opera House as well as Richard Moore, the head of the Secret Intelligence Service, and Simon Case, who as cabinet secretary is the prime minister’s most senior policy adviser and the leader of nearly half a million civil servants.
'If my area would steal something it would be asphalt (don't drive to Elista at night, and only drive slowly during daytime 😂). I've been to number of Oblasts in Russia (all in Europe), but Kalmykian roads are by far the worst. You don't need signs to tell that you've left Rostovskaya Oblast and have entered Kalmykia, because there's literally a clear cut difference in road quality. It goes from a normal street where you can drive 100 km/h to watch out, there are holes, don't go faster than 30 km/h! in less than 10 m 😂 (I'm not exaggerating). '
Comrade
You will experience exactly the same abrupt change in driving from Worcestershire into Gloucestershire.
I am not exaggerating.
Infrastructure borders are great fun as little amusing diversions on one's travels. A few notable intra-developed world examples:
- Ontario : Quebec - from smooth road to potholed death trap (at least when I was there) - France : Switzerland - completely different road sign fonts and colour scheme - Germany : Denmark - from no speed limit to strict limits and speed cameras everywhere - France : Spain - old stone farmhouses to crumbling concrete tower blocks - Tennessee : Alabama - neat white houses with picket fences, immaculate lawns, churches and horses to down at heel trailers and cotton farms
You are (still) right about Ontario/Quebec. For unaccountable reason public services declined in the latter once the French took over, and have never recovered.
Didn’t a ton of businesses flee Montreal for Toronto because of the Quebecois indyrefs? AIUI Montreal used to be the Canadian biz capital - or equal with Tronna - but the Indy stuff scared them all away. Reducing the tax base which has never recovered
The same will happen to Edinburgh is there is ever another Sindyref
It wasn't just indyrefs. It was also excessive legislation (mainly, but not solely, related to language) which made doing business in Montreal increasingly onerous compared to doing business in Toronto. And also made being an Anglophone in Montreal (of whom there used to be many) an increasingly unattractive proposition compared to being an Anglophone in Toronto.
On the topic of Putins "popularity" russian gdp per head is up 11 fold between 1999 and 2024. Thats a massive increase in standard of living at a time when the uk has stagnated.
per annum per capita growth for a quarter of a century. Impressive.
Do you get double the pay for using two logins at once?
I was joking! It's obvious that standards of living in Russia haven't increased by 10% each year for 25 years.
It's almost like Russia benefited massively from the commodities boom of the last quarter century.
With that said, Outside Moscow and St.Petersburg, there's very little evidence of prosperity in Russia. Most of rural, and small city, Russia is dirt poor, with little commerce, and few prospects. Much of the country still has dirt tracks rather than paved roads.
Hmmmm
Not sure that’s completely true
Russia is vast and varied. There are definitely huge regions which are shockingly poor
But also unexpected areas of prosperity - the commodity rich north or the pacific coast or down south around the Black Sea - they can be rather nice
Sure, there are little islands of prosperity. But most of Russia makes Albania look prosperous.
One of the fascinating things I learned early on in the Ukraine war, was that many Russian conscripts were shocked at how wealthy Ukraine felt, and how that was completely at odds with what they'd been told.
The looting of white goods etc would support that observation. It shows what is concealed by mean GDP stats, and also how greedy the Russian kleptocracy is.
Ive just read this on reddit. This guy says rural russia and ukraine dont really differ in prosperity.
I've been to Russia and Ukraine every year until 2014 and they don't really differ in prosperity or lack thereof.
Speaking from my own experience and my relatives (Kalmykia is a rural place with infrastructure that is lacking 😅): Most people in rural Russia own an own house (they bought or built it back during the Soviet Union times). The people don't starve because they have their own gardens and kettle that cover their basic needs. Kids have toys (cheap Chinese products are available even in rural areas). All people I know have a washing machine (it may not be the newest model but who cares if it's still functioning?). Every household I know has at least one car (it's rather a Lada than a Mercedes, but Mercedes cars aren't built for the Russian "outback" anyway, not even the SUVs 😅, the "richer" people have a Toyota). All people I know have at least one smartphone and tablet/laptop per household (usually every family member has a smartphone), including internet connection. Nutella is a tricky one (rural villages are probably not profitable for them, but there's coca cola, sprite, fanta, etc.). There are several supermarket (franchise) and some local stores. Most people have a flat TV (some have an old fashioned TV. DVD/blue-ray player, music player, etc.
Based on my experience, I'd say, those news reports about Russian soldiers stealing daily goods are either propaganda or some nasty individuals (in large groups?). There's also a chance that the army is recruiting former criminals (that wouldn't be a new thing in Russian history?).
If my area would steal something it would be asphalt (don't drive to Elista at night, and only drive slowly during daytime 😂). I've been to number of Oblasts in Russia (all in Europe), but Kalmykian roads are by far the worst. You don't need signs to tell that you've left Rostovskaya Oblast and have entered Kalmykia, because there's literally a clear cut difference in road quality. It goes from a normal street where you can drive 100 km/h to watch out, there are holes, don't go faster than 30 km/h! in less than 10 m 😂 (I'm not exaggerating).
And the band played believe if you like.
He’s completely right
My guess is @truman might be that very rare and precious thing. A mildly pro-Putin Russian possibly living in the west - maybe even in the UK (dunno) - and real, and apparently sane
Let’s not scare him away, he’s interesting. Compare him to the wibbling, infantile gibberish of @BatteryCorrectHorse for instance
His description of provincial Russia exactly matches my experiences. Some regions are almost African-poor in appearance - dirt roads, very basic infra. Others are more like poorer bits of Eastern Europe - Romania or Bulgaria. A few bigger cities could be in Poland or Hungary
Moscow and st Petersburg sometimes look like london or Paris but with less crime
Even before the SMO, Ukraine was a poorer country than Russia and even Belarus and it fucking felt like it. It is hard to generalise though as there is vast income disparity in all three.
Economic immigration between Ukraine, Belarus and Russia was overwhelmingly in the Russian direction which tells you something.
I am going to Kharkov this summer. If I get killed by a kinzhal, I hereby bequeath my collection of "Likes" to Truman. He's going to fucking need them as he is straying dangerously far from pb.com Russophobe orthodoxy.
I'm not sure that's true: in my investor days I got to visit some weird ass parts of Russia, and I was absolutely staggered by how poor it was away from the glitz. You'd meet with some poor bastard is trying to sell a factory for next to nothing, you were literally buying capital equipment at 10 cents in the dollar, but the Russian infrastructure was so bad, that even if you could make stuff cheaply, you could never get it to buyers cost efficiently.
In those towns, the only real employment was working for the government, usually the police.
I know Ukraine much less well, and while Kiev never felt as... gltzy... as Moscow, I don't think the rural hinterlands are anywhere near as poor.
Interestingly on the outlook for uk inflation and interest rates unleaded gasoline in new york has just hit its highest levels since June 2022 just after Russia invaded Ukraine. Not good.
If you want to retain your generous "more interesting than woke accountants" rating then you'll need to add a bit more discursive colour to posts like these.
Nah i might just become a complete bore like Kinabalu.
On the subject of Russia, I am pleased to announce that my wife's portrait of Nadya Tolokonnikova, the Founder of Pussy Riot, has been accepted into a very prestigious exhibition in Los Angeles.
'Ukraine's British embassy was today forced to give an official statement confirming King Charles III is still alive after Russian media claimed he had died.
A host of Russian news sites and their associated social media accounts reported earlier today that the King had died aged 75 as a result of cancer complications, citing unnamed 'media' sources in an inexplicable stream of posts.
Rishi Sunak hints the Tories would accept another £5 million from 'racism' storm donor Frank Hester
The spineless gimp is still lying .
Hester did not apologize for his racist comments .
Who was sitting on the story since 2019? They can't have thought it was particularly urgent to bring it to anyone's attention.
How do you know they had the story since 2019 . The comments were made in 2019 doesn’t mean they’ve had them since then. Regardless the papers across the board print the stories when they think they’ll have most impact . I await your outrage when a right wing paper sits on a damaging Labour story !
Opinion | Even Rishi’s ring-binder can’t stop the Tory death spiral
Emotional intelligence is the missing ingredient in the Sunak mix and it is coming to dominate everything, as both voters and MPs ask whether the PM really gets it, writes @KateEMcCann
I don't even put this down to emotional intelligence. If he was willing to propose and enact policies that would actually help people, still being the feckless wet hen he is, I think people would cut him more slack. The issue is that no politician seems up for proposing things people like and know will help them - which would be more government spending on services and increased taxes on those with high levels of wealth and income, alongside sensible regulation to counter the inflation we have seen in the last 6 months. People aren't stupid - they see their electric and gas bills increase at the same time headlines cry how much profit these companies are making. People see their Council Tax go up and local services and roads crumble. They just want things to be less shit.
Trouble is, taxes are already high
If you increase taxes on the wealthy they will just fuck off abroad - like me. So many jobs can now be done remotely - and thanks to digital nomad visas other countries are making it highly feasible to move to sunnier climes with much lower tax rates. Ok these new places will have less fascinating cultural diversity and fewer menacing pro Palestinian rallies and you’ve got to put up with nightlife that actually goes on after 11pm but nothing is perfect
I was in Hackney on Saturday. The pub we were in closed at 12pm, so we walked up the road (ten minutes) to another pub that was playing pounding music until 2am.
You are out of touch.
No I’m not. The Times - today
And those Hackney venues are doomed. Hackney council have just passed laws closing everything at 11 or 12 at most. It only applies to new places now but it will be extended. That’s Khan’s new joyless London and it will only get worse
“In Hackney, all new venues must close by 11PM Mon-Fri and 12PM at the weekend. No new venues can operate later than this.
Over time the existing venues will need new licenses and therefore the venues that are open after 11/12 will slowly erode until there is literally none left.”
Again, you are projecting. The venues in Hackney were OPEN on Saturday. I was THERE.
As for this Times clickbait nonsense, two-seconds on Google Maps shows you how many bars in Soho are open top 12am, 1am, later... (TLDR – the answer is LOTS). I had 'breakfast' at Balans with a cocktail at 3am very recently. On a Thursday. It does close early on a Thursday admittedly – at 5am rather than 6am.
The closing of London’s nightlife is not an illusion. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. Sadly
And the Hackney changes are only coming in now: read my comment. It will take a few years for khan to close it down completely. But he will
Going the way of your other famous predictions:
• Self-driving cars • Chinese GDP • Truss surprising on the upside
(P.S. Licensing in Hackney has nothing to do with Sadiq Khan)
Chinese GDP
Nor is this a statistical illusion, as the FT data crunchers (probably the best in the biz) have noted:
That's GDP (PPP), not GDP. It also depends on the Chinese figures, which are (ahem) interesting.
The Russian Ukraine war is showing that - after decades of dispute - gdp by ppp is probably the better measure than gdp (nominal)
Read the FT article. It explains why, and details the corroborating evidence which shows that China now has the bigger economy
We shouldn't be surprised that China is a bigger economy than the US: it has 4x as many people, and - to take one example - it's car market is twice as big (30m v 15m).
Rishi Sunak hints the Tories would accept another £5 million from 'racism' storm donor Frank Hester
The spineless gimp is still lying .
Hester did not apologize for his racist comments .
Who was sitting on the story since 2019? They can't have thought it was particularly urgent to bring it to anyone's attention.
How do you know they had the story since 2019 . The comments were made in 2019 doesn’t mean they’ve had them since then. Regardless the papers across the board print the stories when they think they’ll have most impact . I await your outrage when a right wing paper sits on a damaging Labour story !
Someone had it, not necessarily the press
I wonder if it is like the Chris Huhne speeding saga.
Somebody knew about it since 2003 and only decided to blab when Huhne left her for another woman.
Opinion | Even Rishi’s ring-binder can’t stop the Tory death spiral
Emotional intelligence is the missing ingredient in the Sunak mix and it is coming to dominate everything, as both voters and MPs ask whether the PM really gets it, writes @KateEMcCann
I don't even put this down to emotional intelligence. If he was willing to propose and enact policies that would actually help people, still being the feckless wet hen he is, I think people would cut him more slack. The issue is that no politician seems up for proposing things people like and know will help them - which would be more government spending on services and increased taxes on those with high levels of wealth and income, alongside sensible regulation to counter the inflation we have seen in the last 6 months. People aren't stupid - they see their electric and gas bills increase at the same time headlines cry how much profit these companies are making. People see their Council Tax go up and local services and roads crumble. They just want things to be less shit.
Trouble is, taxes are already high
If you increase taxes on the wealthy they will just fuck off abroad - like me. So many jobs can now be done remotely - and thanks to digital nomad visas other countries are making it highly feasible to move to sunnier climes with much lower tax rates. Ok these new places will have less fascinating cultural diversity and fewer menacing pro Palestinian rallies and you’ve got to put up with nightlife that actually goes on after 11pm but nothing is perfect
I was in Hackney on Saturday. The pub we were in closed at 12pm, so we walked up the road (ten minutes) to another pub that was playing pounding music until 2am.
You are out of touch.
Why on earth would anyone choose to enter the second pub?
Because it was a party and we were having a laugh with mates. Realise that you prefer 10pm with a teddy and a cocoa but different stroke for different folks.
Opinion | Even Rishi’s ring-binder can’t stop the Tory death spiral
Emotional intelligence is the missing ingredient in the Sunak mix and it is coming to dominate everything, as both voters and MPs ask whether the PM really gets it, writes @KateEMcCann
I don't even put this down to emotional intelligence. If he was willing to propose and enact policies that would actually help people, still being the feckless wet hen he is, I think people would cut him more slack. The issue is that no politician seems up for proposing things people like and know will help them - which would be more government spending on services and increased taxes on those with high levels of wealth and income, alongside sensible regulation to counter the inflation we have seen in the last 6 months. People aren't stupid - they see their electric and gas bills increase at the same time headlines cry how much profit these companies are making. People see their Council Tax go up and local services and roads crumble. They just want things to be less shit.
Trouble is, taxes are already high
If you increase taxes on the wealthy they will just fuck off abroad - like me. So many jobs can now be done remotely - and thanks to digital nomad visas other countries are making it highly feasible to move to sunnier climes with much lower tax rates. Ok these new places will have less fascinating cultural diversity and fewer menacing pro Palestinian rallies and you’ve got to put up with nightlife that actually goes on after 11pm but nothing is perfect
I was in Hackney on Saturday. The pub we were in closed at 12pm, so we walked up the road (ten minutes) to another pub that was playing pounding music until 2am.
You are out of touch.
No I’m not. The Times - today
And those Hackney venues are doomed. Hackney council have just passed laws closing everything at 11 or 12 at most. It only applies to new places now but it will be extended. That’s Khan’s new joyless London and it will only get worse
“In Hackney, all new venues must close by 11PM Mon-Fri and 12PM at the weekend. No new venues can operate later than this.
Over time the existing venues will need new licenses and therefore the venues that are open after 11/12 will slowly erode until there is literally none left.”
Again, you are projecting. The venues in Hackney were OPEN on Saturday. I was THERE.
As for this Times clickbait nonsense, two-seconds on Google Maps shows you how many bars in Soho are open top 12am, 1am, later... (TLDR – the answer is LOTS). I had 'breakfast' at Balans with a cocktail at 3am very recently. On a Thursday. It does close early on a Thursday admittedly – at 5am rather than 6am.
The closing of London’s nightlife is not an illusion. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. Sadly
And the Hackney changes are only coming in now: read my comment. It will take a few years for khan to close it down completely. But he will
Going the way of your other famous predictions:
• Self-driving cars • Chinese GDP • Truss surprising on the upside
(P.S. Licensing in Hackney has nothing to do with Sadiq Khan)
Chinese GDP
Nor is this a statistical illusion, as the FT data crunchers (probably the best in the biz) have noted:
That's GDP (PPP), not GDP. It also depends on the Chinese figures, which are (ahem) interesting.
The Russian Ukraine war is showing that - after decades of dispute - gdp by ppp is probably the better measure than gdp (nominal)
Read the FT article. It explains why, and details the corroborating evidence which shows that China now has the bigger economy
We shouldn't be surprised that China is a bigger economy than the US: it has 4x as many people, and - to take one example - it's car market is twice as big (30m v 15m).
Exactly, though in nominal terms it still doesn't.
In any case other than power projection for the government for actual residents of a country gdp per capita is more important than either, hence Monaco has a richer population than the US and Singapore a richer population than China
'Ukraine's British embassy was today forced to give an official statement confirming King Charles III is still alive after Russian media claimed he had died.
A host of Russian news sites and their associated social media accounts reported earlier today that the King had died aged 75 as a result of cancer complications, citing unnamed 'media' sources in an inexplicable stream of posts.
More and more and more and more Putinist bilge being pumped today by Putinist bilge pumps.
Perhaps they could better abuse their time, by helping their hero and alleged mega (as opposed to MAGA) billionaire Donald Trump come up with his court-ordered bond?
Opinion | Even Rishi’s ring-binder can’t stop the Tory death spiral
Emotional intelligence is the missing ingredient in the Sunak mix and it is coming to dominate everything, as both voters and MPs ask whether the PM really gets it, writes @KateEMcCann
I don't even put this down to emotional intelligence. If he was willing to propose and enact policies that would actually help people, still being the feckless wet hen he is, I think people would cut him more slack. The issue is that no politician seems up for proposing things people like and know will help them - which would be more government spending on services and increased taxes on those with high levels of wealth and income, alongside sensible regulation to counter the inflation we have seen in the last 6 months. People aren't stupid - they see their electric and gas bills increase at the same time headlines cry how much profit these companies are making. People see their Council Tax go up and local services and roads crumble. They just want things to be less shit.
Trouble is, taxes are already high
If you increase taxes on the wealthy they will just fuck off abroad - like me. So many jobs can now be done remotely - and thanks to digital nomad visas other countries are making it highly feasible to move to sunnier climes with much lower tax rates. Ok these new places will have less fascinating cultural diversity and fewer menacing pro Palestinian rallies and you’ve got to put up with nightlife that actually goes on after 11pm but nothing is perfect
I was in Hackney on Saturday. The pub we were in closed at 12pm, so we walked up the road (ten minutes) to another pub that was playing pounding music until 2am.
You are out of touch.
No I’m not. The Times - today
And those Hackney venues are doomed. Hackney council have just passed laws closing everything at 11 or 12 at most. It only applies to new places now but it will be extended. That’s Khan’s new joyless London and it will only get worse
“In Hackney, all new venues must close by 11PM Mon-Fri and 12PM at the weekend. No new venues can operate later than this.
Over time the existing venues will need new licenses and therefore the venues that are open after 11/12 will slowly erode until there is literally none left.”
Again, you are projecting. The venues in Hackney were OPEN on Saturday. I was THERE.
As for this Times clickbait nonsense, two-seconds on Google Maps shows you how many bars in Soho are open top 12am, 1am, later... (TLDR – the answer is LOTS). I had 'breakfast' at Balans with a cocktail at 3am very recently. On a Thursday. It does close early on a Thursday admittedly – at 5am rather than 6am.
The closing of London’s nightlife is not an illusion. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. Sadly
And the Hackney changes are only coming in now: read my comment. It will take a few years for khan to close it down completely. But he will
Going the way of your other famous predictions:
• Self-driving cars • Chinese GDP • Truss surprising on the upside
(P.S. Licensing in Hackney has nothing to do with Sadiq Khan)
Chinese GDP
Nor is this a statistical illusion, as the FT data crunchers (probably the best in the biz) have noted:
Nope, that's PPP. You are moving the goalposts AGAIN. Just admit you got this one wrong FFS.
Ive just read this on reddit. This guy says rural russia and ukraine dont really differ in prosperity.
I've been to Russia and Ukraine every year until 2014 and they don't really differ in prosperity or lack thereof.
Speaking from my own experience and my relatives (Kalmykia is a rural place with infrastructure that is lacking 😅): Most people in rural Russia own an own house (they bought or built it back during the Soviet Union times). The people don't starve because they have their own gardens and kettle that cover their basic needs. Kids have toys (cheap Chinese products are available even in rural areas). All people I know have a washing machine (it may not be the newest model but who cares if it's still functioning?). Every household I know has at least one car (it's rather a Lada than a Mercedes, but Mercedes cars aren't built for the Russian "outback" anyway, not even the SUVs 😅, the "richer" people have a Toyota). All people I know have at least one smartphone and tablet/laptop per household (usually every family member has a smartphone), including internet connection. Nutella is a tricky one (rural villages are probably not profitable for them, but there's coca cola, sprite, fanta, etc.). There are several supermarket (franchise) and some local stores. Most people have a flat TV (some have an old fashioned TV. DVD/blue-ray player, music player, etc.
Based on my experience, I'd say, those news reports about Russian soldiers stealing daily goods are either propaganda or some nasty individuals (in large groups?). There's also a chance that the army is recruiting former criminals (that wouldn't be a new thing in Russian history?).
If my area would steal something it would be asphalt (don't drive to Elista at night, and only drive slowly during daytime 😂). I've been to number of Oblasts in Russia (all in Europe), but Kalmykian roads are by far the worst. You don't need signs to tell that you've left Rostovskaya Oblast and have entered Kalmykia, because there's literally a clear cut difference in road quality. It goes from a normal street where you can drive 100 km/h to watch out, there are holes, don't go faster than 30 km/h! in less than 10 m 😂 (I'm not exaggerating).
Are YOU saying this, or some guy on Reddit (and are you that guy)? So are you from Elista in southern Russia?
If so, I've got to ask why you are on a website about British politics? Sure, we have our foreign posters on here, but most (all?) are British nationals with an interest in the home country anyway.
DON’T CHASE HIM AWAY
FFS
We need @truman just like we need our young lady communist with the inherited house. Fresh voices; new perspectives
Opinion | Even Rishi’s ring-binder can’t stop the Tory death spiral
Emotional intelligence is the missing ingredient in the Sunak mix and it is coming to dominate everything, as both voters and MPs ask whether the PM really gets it, writes @KateEMcCann
I don't even put this down to emotional intelligence. If he was willing to propose and enact policies that would actually help people, still being the feckless wet hen he is, I think people would cut him more slack. The issue is that no politician seems up for proposing things people like and know will help them - which would be more government spending on services and increased taxes on those with high levels of wealth and income, alongside sensible regulation to counter the inflation we have seen in the last 6 months. People aren't stupid - they see their electric and gas bills increase at the same time headlines cry how much profit these companies are making. People see their Council Tax go up and local services and roads crumble. They just want things to be less shit.
Trouble is, taxes are already high
If you increase taxes on the wealthy they will just fuck off abroad - like me. So many jobs can now be done remotely - and thanks to digital nomad visas other countries are making it highly feasible to move to sunnier climes with much lower tax rates. Ok these new places will have less fascinating cultural diversity and fewer menacing pro Palestinian rallies and you’ve got to put up with nightlife that actually goes on after 11pm but nothing is perfect
I was in Hackney on Saturday. The pub we were in closed at 12pm, so we walked up the road (ten minutes) to another pub that was playing pounding music until 2am.
You are out of touch.
No I’m not. The Times - today
And those Hackney venues are doomed. Hackney council have just passed laws closing everything at 11 or 12 at most. It only applies to new places now but it will be extended. That’s Khan’s new joyless London and it will only get worse
“In Hackney, all new venues must close by 11PM Mon-Fri and 12PM at the weekend. No new venues can operate later than this.
Over time the existing venues will need new licenses and therefore the venues that are open after 11/12 will slowly erode until there is literally none left.”
Again, you are projecting. The venues in Hackney were OPEN on Saturday. I was THERE.
As for this Times clickbait nonsense, two-seconds on Google Maps shows you how many bars in Soho are open top 12am, 1am, later... (TLDR – the answer is LOTS). I had 'breakfast' at Balans with a cocktail at 3am very recently. On a Thursday. It does close early on a Thursday admittedly – at 5am rather than 6am.
The closing of London’s nightlife is not an illusion. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. Sadly
And the Hackney changes are only coming in now: read my comment. It will take a few years for khan to close it down completely. But he will
Going the way of your other famous predictions:
• Self-driving cars • Chinese GDP • Truss surprising on the upside
(P.S. Licensing in Hackney has nothing to do with Sadiq Khan)
Chinese GDP
Nor is this a statistical illusion, as the FT data crunchers (probably the best in the biz) have noted:
Nope, that's PPP. You are moving the goalposts AGAIN. Just admit you got this one wrong FFS.
I got it bang on. And the FT explains why China really does have a bigger economy and it’s not statistical illusions
Opinion | Even Rishi’s ring-binder can’t stop the Tory death spiral
Emotional intelligence is the missing ingredient in the Sunak mix and it is coming to dominate everything, as both voters and MPs ask whether the PM really gets it, writes @KateEMcCann
I don't even put this down to emotional intelligence. If he was willing to propose and enact policies that would actually help people, still being the feckless wet hen he is, I think people would cut him more slack. The issue is that no politician seems up for proposing things people like and know will help them - which would be more government spending on services and increased taxes on those with high levels of wealth and income, alongside sensible regulation to counter the inflation we have seen in the last 6 months. People aren't stupid - they see their electric and gas bills increase at the same time headlines cry how much profit these companies are making. People see their Council Tax go up and local services and roads crumble. They just want things to be less shit.
Trouble is, taxes are already high
If you increase taxes on the wealthy they will just fuck off abroad - like me. So many jobs can now be done remotely - and thanks to digital nomad visas other countries are making it highly feasible to move to sunnier climes with much lower tax rates. Ok these new places will have less fascinating cultural diversity and fewer menacing pro Palestinian rallies and you’ve got to put up with nightlife that actually goes on after 11pm but nothing is perfect
I was in Hackney on Saturday. The pub we were in closed at 12pm, so we walked up the road (ten minutes) to another pub that was playing pounding music until 2am.
You are out of touch.
No I’m not. The Times - today
And those Hackney venues are doomed. Hackney council have just passed laws closing everything at 11 or 12 at most. It only applies to new places now but it will be extended. That’s Khan’s new joyless London and it will only get worse
“In Hackney, all new venues must close by 11PM Mon-Fri and 12PM at the weekend. No new venues can operate later than this.
Over time the existing venues will need new licenses and therefore the venues that are open after 11/12 will slowly erode until there is literally none left.”
Again, you are projecting. The venues in Hackney were OPEN on Saturday. I was THERE.
As for this Times clickbait nonsense, two-seconds on Google Maps shows you how many bars in Soho are open top 12am, 1am, later... (TLDR – the answer is LOTS). I had 'breakfast' at Balans with a cocktail at 3am very recently. On a Thursday. It does close early on a Thursday admittedly – at 5am rather than 6am.
The closing of London’s nightlife is not an illusion. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. Sadly
And the Hackney changes are only coming in now: read my comment. It will take a few years for khan to close it down completely. But he will
Going the way of your other famous predictions:
• Self-driving cars • Chinese GDP • Truss surprising on the upside
(P.S. Licensing in Hackney has nothing to do with Sadiq Khan)
Chinese GDP
Nor is this a statistical illusion, as the FT data crunchers (probably the best in the biz) have noted:
Nope, that's PPP. You are moving the goalposts AGAIN. Just admit you got this one wrong FFS.
It passes the sniff test, though, no? There are, what, about a quarter as many Americans as Chinese. Now the average American is richer than the average Chinaman. But four times richer?
On the topic of Putins "popularity" russian gdp per head is up 11 fold between 1999 and 2024. Thats a massive increase in standard of living at a time when the uk has stagnated.
per annum per capita growth for a quarter of a century. Impressive.
Do you get double the pay for using two logins at once?
I was joking! It's obvious that standards of living in Russia haven't increased by 10% each year for 25 years.
It's almost like Russia benefited massively from the commodities boom of the last quarter century.
With that said, Outside Moscow and St.Petersburg, there's very little evidence of prosperity in Russia. Most of rural, and small city, Russia is dirt poor, with little commerce, and few prospects. Much of the country still has dirt tracks rather than paved roads.
Hmmmm
Not sure that’s completely true
Russia is vast and varied. There are definitely huge regions which are shockingly poor
But also unexpected areas of prosperity - the commodity rich north or the pacific coast or down south around the Black Sea - they can be rather nice
Sure, there are little islands of prosperity. But most of Russia makes Albania look prosperous.
One of the fascinating things I learned early on in the Ukraine war, was that many Russian conscripts were shocked at how wealthy Ukraine felt, and how that was completely at odds with what they'd been told.
The looting of white goods etc would support that observation. It shows what is concealed by mean GDP stats, and also how greedy the Russian kleptocracy is.
Ive just read this on reddit. This guy says rural russia and ukraine dont really differ in prosperity.
I've been to Russia and Ukraine every year until 2014 and they don't really differ in prosperity or lack thereof.
Speaking from my own experience and my relatives (Kalmykia is a rural place with infrastructure that is lacking 😅): Most people in rural Russia own an own house (they bought or built it back during the Soviet Union times). The people don't starve because they have their own gardens and kettle that cover their basic needs. Kids have toys (cheap Chinese products are available even in rural areas). All people I know have a washing machine (it may not be the newest model but who cares if it's still functioning?). Every household I know has at least one car (it's rather a Lada than a Mercedes, but Mercedes cars aren't built for the Russian "outback" anyway, not even the SUVs 😅, the "richer" people have a Toyota). All people I know have at least one smartphone and tablet/laptop per household (usually every family member has a smartphone), including internet connection. Nutella is a tricky one (rural villages are probably not profitable for them, but there's coca cola, sprite, fanta, etc.). There are several supermarket (franchise) and some local stores. Most people have a flat TV (some have an old fashioned TV. DVD/blue-ray player, music player, etc.
Based on my experience, I'd say, those news reports about Russian soldiers stealing daily goods are either propaganda or some nasty individuals (in large groups?). There's also a chance that the army is recruiting former criminals (that wouldn't be a new thing in Russian history?).
If my area would steal something it would be asphalt (don't drive to Elista at night, and only drive slowly during daytime 😂). I've been to number of Oblasts in Russia (all in Europe), but Kalmykian roads are by far the worst. You don't need signs to tell that you've left Rostovskaya Oblast and have entered Kalmykia, because there's literally a clear cut difference in road quality. It goes from a normal street where you can drive 100 km/h to watch out, there are holes, don't go faster than 30 km/h! in less than 10 m 😂 (I'm not exaggerating).
And the band played believe if you like.
He’s completely right
My guess is @truman might be that very rare and precious thing. A mildly pro-Putin Russian possibly living in the west - maybe even in the UK (dunno) - and real, and apparently sane
Let’s not scare him away, he’s interesting. Compare him to the wibbling, infantile gibberish of @BatteryCorrectHorse for instance
His description of provincial Russia exactly matches my experiences. Some regions are almost African-poor in appearance - dirt roads, very basic infra. Others are more like poorer bits of Eastern Europe - Romania or Bulgaria. A few bigger cities could be in Poland or Hungary
Moscow and st Petersburg sometimes look like london or Paris but with less crime
Even before the SMO, Ukraine was a poorer country than Russia and even Belarus and it fucking felt like it. It is hard to generalise though as there is vast income disparity in all three.
Economic immigration between Ukraine, Belarus and Russia was overwhelmingly in the Russian direction which tells you something.
I am going to Kharkov this summer. If I get killed by a kinzhal, I hereby bequeath my collection of "Likes" to Truman. He's going to fucking need them as he is straying dangerously far from pb.com Russophobe orthodoxy.
I'm not sure that's true: in my investor days I got to visit some weird ass parts of Russia, and I was absolutely staggered by how poor it was away from the glitz. You'd meet with some poor bastard is trying to sell a factory for next to nothing, you were literally buying capital equipment at 10 cents in the dollar, but the Russian infrastructure was so bad, that even if you could make stuff cheaply, you could never get it to buyers cost efficiently.
In those towns, the only real employment was working for the government, usually the police.
I know Ukraine much less well, and while Kiev never felt as... gltzy... as Moscow, I don't think the rural hinterlands are anywhere near as poor.
Yes there is a discrepancy between the Ukrainian income stats and the reality on the ground
Before the war Ukrainians were ostensibly much much poorer than Russians
Yet on my recent visit I travelled around quite a lot. Admittedly all in western Ukraine but still
Central Lviv is beautiful and feels as rich as Spain
Nor are regional towns dirt poor. I went to a few of them (on quite efficient trains and enjoying excellent mobile coverage everywhere)
They felt like poor middle income places - no dirt roads. Some nice architecture helps
Weirdly when I slipped over the border from Ukraine into Romania and the EU it was Romania which felt instantly poorer, with desperate ugly fat people wandering around awful towns. It could have been Wick
CME FedWatch Tool shows only 54.3% probability now of 25 basis points rate cut at June meeting (vs 71.7% a week ago), so turning into something close to a coin toss
On the topic of Putins "popularity" russian gdp per head is up 11 fold between 1999 and 2024. Thats a massive increase in standard of living at a time when the uk has stagnated.
per annum per capita growth for a quarter of a century. Impressive.
Do you get double the pay for using two logins at once?
I was joking! It's obvious that standards of living in Russia haven't increased by 10% each year for 25 years.
It's almost like Russia benefited massively from the commodities boom of the last quarter century.
With that said, Outside Moscow and St.Petersburg, there's very little evidence of prosperity in Russia. Most of rural, and small city, Russia is dirt poor, with little commerce, and few prospects. Much of the country still has dirt tracks rather than paved roads.
Hmmmm
Not sure that’s completely true
Russia is vast and varied. There are definitely huge regions which are shockingly poor
But also unexpected areas of prosperity - the commodity rich north or the pacific coast or down south around the Black Sea - they can be rather nice
Sure, there are little islands of prosperity. But most of Russia makes Albania look prosperous.
One of the fascinating things I learned early on in the Ukraine war, was that many Russian conscripts were shocked at how wealthy Ukraine felt, and how that was completely at odds with what they'd been told.
The looting of white goods etc would support that observation. It shows what is concealed by mean GDP stats, and also how greedy the Russian kleptocracy is.
Ive just read this on reddit. This guy says rural russia and ukraine dont really differ in prosperity.
I've been to Russia and Ukraine every year until 2014 and they don't really differ in prosperity or lack thereof.
Speaking from my own experience and my relatives (Kalmykia is a rural place with infrastructure that is lacking 😅): Most people in rural Russia own an own house (they bought or built it back during the Soviet Union times). The people don't starve because they have their own gardens and kettle that cover their basic needs. Kids have toys (cheap Chinese products are available even in rural areas). All people I know have a washing machine (it may not be the newest model but who cares if it's still functioning?). Every household I know has at least one car (it's rather a Lada than a Mercedes, but Mercedes cars aren't built for the Russian "outback" anyway, not even the SUVs 😅, the "richer" people have a Toyota). All people I know have at least one smartphone and tablet/laptop per household (usually every family member has a smartphone), including internet connection. Nutella is a tricky one (rural villages are probably not profitable for them, but there's coca cola, sprite, fanta, etc.). There are several supermarket (franchise) and some local stores. Most people have a flat TV (some have an old fashioned TV. DVD/blue-ray player, music player, etc.
Based on my experience, I'd say, those news reports about Russian soldiers stealing daily goods are either propaganda or some nasty individuals (in large groups?). There's also a chance that the army is recruiting former criminals (that wouldn't be a new thing in Russian history?).
If my area would steal something it would be asphalt (don't drive to Elista at night, and only drive slowly during daytime 😂). I've been to number of Oblasts in Russia (all in Europe), but Kalmykian roads are by far the worst. You don't need signs to tell that you've left Rostovskaya Oblast and have entered Kalmykia, because there's literally a clear cut difference in road quality. It goes from a normal street where you can drive 100 km/h to watch out, there are holes, don't go faster than 30 km/h! in less than 10 m 😂 (I'm not exaggerating).
And the band played believe if you like.
He’s completely right
My guess is @truman might be that very rare and precious thing. A mildly pro-Putin Russian possibly living in the west - maybe even in the UK (dunno) - and real, and apparently sane
Let’s not scare him away, he’s interesting. Compare him to the wibbling, infantile gibberish of @BatteryCorrectHorse for instance
His description of provincial Russia exactly matches my experiences. Some regions are almost African-poor in appearance - dirt roads, very basic infra. Others are more like poorer bits of Eastern Europe - Romania or Bulgaria. A few bigger cities could be in Poland or Hungary
Moscow and st Petersburg sometimes look like london or Paris but with less crime
Even before the SMO, Ukraine was a poorer country than Russia and even Belarus and it fucking felt like it. It is hard to generalise though as there is vast income disparity in all three.
Economic immigration between Ukraine, Belarus and Russia was overwhelmingly in the Russian direction which tells you something.
I am going to Kharkov this summer. If I get killed by a kinzhal, I hereby bequeath my collection of "Likes" to Truman. He's going to fucking need them as he is straying dangerously far from pb.com Russophobe orthodoxy.
I'm not sure that's true: in my investor days I got to visit some weird ass parts of Russia, and I was absolutely staggered by how poor it was away from the glitz. You'd meet with some poor bastard is trying to sell a factory for next to nothing, you were literally buying capital equipment at 10 cents in the dollar, but the Russian infrastructure was so bad, that even if you could make stuff cheaply, you could never get it to buyers cost efficiently.
In those towns, the only real employment was working for the government, usually the police.
I know Ukraine much less well, and while Kiev never felt as... gltzy... as Moscow, I don't think the rural hinterlands are anywhere near as poor.
That´s my experience too: Ukraine is pretty European. Russia... isn´t.
Away from Moscow or St. Pete, there are large parts of Africa that are richer than Russia. It´s why the Russian troops keep looting things like washing machines in Ukraine. Often, these things are completely out of their reach, some have never even seen them before.
Opinion | Even Rishi’s ring-binder can’t stop the Tory death spiral
Emotional intelligence is the missing ingredient in the Sunak mix and it is coming to dominate everything, as both voters and MPs ask whether the PM really gets it, writes @KateEMcCann
I don't even put this down to emotional intelligence. If he was willing to propose and enact policies that would actually help people, still being the feckless wet hen he is, I think people would cut him more slack. The issue is that no politician seems up for proposing things people like and know will help them - which would be more government spending on services and increased taxes on those with high levels of wealth and income, alongside sensible regulation to counter the inflation we have seen in the last 6 months. People aren't stupid - they see their electric and gas bills increase at the same time headlines cry how much profit these companies are making. People see their Council Tax go up and local services and roads crumble. They just want things to be less shit.
Trouble is, taxes are already high
If you increase taxes on the wealthy they will just fuck off abroad - like me. So many jobs can now be done remotely - and thanks to digital nomad visas other countries are making it highly feasible to move to sunnier climes with much lower tax rates. Ok these new places will have less fascinating cultural diversity and fewer menacing pro Palestinian rallies and you’ve got to put up with nightlife that actually goes on after 11pm but nothing is perfect
I was in Hackney on Saturday. The pub we were in closed at 12pm, so we walked up the road (ten minutes) to another pub that was playing pounding music until 2am.
You are out of touch.
No I’m not. The Times - today
And those Hackney venues are doomed. Hackney council have just passed laws closing everything at 11 or 12 at most. It only applies to new places now but it will be extended. That’s Khan’s new joyless London and it will only get worse
“In Hackney, all new venues must close by 11PM Mon-Fri and 12PM at the weekend. No new venues can operate later than this.
Over time the existing venues will need new licenses and therefore the venues that are open after 11/12 will slowly erode until there is literally none left.”
Again, you are projecting. The venues in Hackney were OPEN on Saturday. I was THERE.
As for this Times clickbait nonsense, two-seconds on Google Maps shows you how many bars in Soho are open top 12am, 1am, later... (TLDR – the answer is LOTS). I had 'breakfast' at Balans with a cocktail at 3am very recently. On a Thursday. It does close early on a Thursday admittedly – at 5am rather than 6am.
The closing of London’s nightlife is not an illusion. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. Sadly
And the Hackney changes are only coming in now: read my comment. It will take a few years for khan to close it down completely. But he will
Going the way of your other famous predictions:
• Self-driving cars • Chinese GDP • Truss surprising on the upside
(P.S. Licensing in Hackney has nothing to do with Sadiq Khan)
Chinese GDP
Nor is this a statistical illusion, as the FT data crunchers (probably the best in the biz) have noted:
Nope, that's PPP. You are moving the goalposts AGAIN. Just admit you got this one wrong FFS.
I got it bang on. And the FT explains why China really does have a bigger economy and it’s not statistical illusions
It’s there. Read it you fucking idiot
No. You were completely wrong. You predicted China's economy would be bigger than that of the United States BY GDP by now.
It is not. It is nowhere near.
Just admit that you got this one wrong, it's not difficult.
Comments
Economic immigration between Ukraine, Belarus and Russia was overwhelmingly in the Russian direction which tells you something.
I am going to Kharkov this summer. If I get killed by a kinzhal, I hereby bequeath my collection of "Likes" to Truman. He's going to fucking need them as he is straying dangerously far from pb.com Russophobe orthodoxy.
Charles is more intelligent than both his son is and mother was but for a ceremonial monarch as we have now looks and empathy and charisma are more important than brains. Which was why the Queen cleverly made sure Charles initially married Diana, who had far more of those qualities than Camilla, so it was the former's genes and maternal influence which continued the line rather than the latter's
FIFA - "We have discovered that 40% of your football clubs are owned by genocidal criminals. This is just not good enough. Get it up to 80% or we will suspend all UK clubs."
No irony.
And I understand that there will be somewhat of a honeymoon period, but the question will be asked; if Liz Truss can break the economy over a week, why can't someone help average people in a reasonable time? I know breaking things is generally easier than fixing them, but material relief (from high energy bills, for example) will be something people will want asap and may expect Labour to put out more than they would expect the Tories to.
The Man City case is dragging on because it is a lot more serious and the PL want to get it right. The case is due to be heard at some point in the autumn, possibly concluding summer 2025.
If City are found guilty, it could be one of the biggest moments in British sport.
I hope he hangs about. He’s 9000 times more interesting than yet another lefty woke accountant or incel IT nerd
And, as I say, he is showing interesting sparks of being real when at first we all thought he was a bot. It’s like watching sentience emerge in GPT4.8
Is disliking Netanyahu & Co. "Isrealphobic"?
Is disliking Urban & chums "Hungaryphobic"?
Is delisting Modi & The Black Shorts "Indiaphobic"?
The second I cannot comment on for fear of MalcolmG.
Do people foresee a bright brilliant future under Starmer? No. There is general despair at the state of the country. Maybe he can stop the rot. Anyway for quite a while he will be able to point at this current mess of a Govt as his excuse for things not improving as fast as people want. So long as members of the current Cabinet are hanging around in the Con leadership that will be a much easier sell than some here seem to think.
Meanwhile its a beautiful Spring day here - as Friday and Saturday were. You have to pity anyone missing days like these because they really are the best you'll find anywhere.
Once the KSA agreed to stop doing the latter the PL were okay with genocidal criminals owning one of their clubs.
I despise the regime and think Putin is a brutal autocrat (and ultimately very very bad for Russia herself) but the people must be divorced from their government
Russians are incredibly hospitable and often hilarious. I love their dark humour - which, I imagine, they need quite a lot
Tata Steel has announced the coke ovens at its giant Port Talbot plant in south Wales will close on Wednesday over concerns about their "operational stability", according to the company.
Driving myself around Colombia
😶
His comments about an independent Scotland's lender of last resort kept my office entertained for weeks.
Believe it or a not, after Scottish independence the Bank of England will do whatever an independent Scotland tells it to do, rather than what the rest of the UK sets the BoE's mandate as.
Oh Scotland and can default on all her debts and expect the markets to lend to Scotland at the best rates.
BUT the majority of them (not his 87%, but a majority of them) support Putin and are partly responsible for their country’s actions, like the Germans who were voters in the 30s.
https://twitter.com/jsncwn/status/1769750124215832711/photo/1
In Spain, too, a lot of Spanish businesses have moved their business HQs out of Catalonia. However, Barcelona's attractions to international businesses are mitigating that to an extent.
Confused Trump: “Joe Biden won against Barack Hussein Obama."
Donald Trump’s rapid cognitive decline should be a major news story.
https://twitter.com/RpsAgainstTrump/status/1769737437398303213
"You know that I support you personally, but I'm not sure that you have the full backing of the Party any more..." again and again.
"ALAN SUGAR, the Tottenham Hotspur chairman, last night felt like the man who has avoided the death penalty only to be given life imprisonment. The Football Association's punishment for Spurs' financial irregularities included the deduction of 12 points from next season's Premiership campaign, suspension from the 1994-95 FA Cup and a record pounds 600,000 fine plus costs.
It amounted to the most severe sentence meted out by the English game's ruling body to one of its members. In the circumstances, simple relegation - Spurs' greatest fear - might have been a blessing."
I fail to see how the fine and 12 points off was a worse punishment than being relegated two divisions, as happened to Swindon. (Albeit trimmed to one on appeal). Promotion to the Premier League is reckoned to be worth 50 million or more nowadays, and it was a bit deal in 1990 too. Plus Town had a side that may have survived and prospered.
If you want to see one rule for the rich, this was it.
Remember that when Thaskin wanted to buy a football club, the FA ruled, via their layers, that being a wanted war criminal was not a breach of the "Fit and proper owner" rule?
So are you from Elista in southern Russia?
If so, I've got to ask why you are on a website about British politics? Sure, we have our foreign posters on here, but most (all?) are British nationals with an interest in the home country anyway.
She loathes Putin and all his works.
They'll be relieved to discover it isn't the stuffy working men's club across the street.
In those towns, the only real employment was working for the government, usually the police.
I know Ukraine much less well, and while Kiev never felt as... gltzy... as Moscow, I don't think the rural hinterlands are anywhere near as poor.
Biden actual won against Obama, became President and it was all covered up. Everyone who knew* was imprisoned in the basement of a pizza place.
So Biden is seeking his illegal 4th term in office.
*The entire government of the United States. Federal and State.
Obama fans are likely already voting Tory or Labour or LD or SNP
A host of Russian news sites and their associated social media accounts reported earlier today that the King had died aged 75 as a result of cancer complications, citing unnamed 'media' sources in an inexplicable stream of posts.
It came as an image of a clearly fake statement from 'Buckingham Palace' reporting Charles' 'unexpected death' was circulated on social media.'
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13210475/King-Charles-NOT-dead-Ukraines-British-embassy-issues-furious-denial-Russian-media-shared-fake-Buckingham-Palace-statement-claiming-Monarch-passed-away-unexpectedly-yesterday-afternoon.html
Somebody knew about it since 2003 and only decided to blab when Huhne left her for another woman.
In any case other than power projection for the government for actual residents of a country gdp per capita is more important than either, hence Monaco has a richer population than the US and Singapore a richer population than China
Perhaps they could better abuse their time, by helping their hero and alleged mega (as opposed to MAGA) billionaire Donald Trump come up with his court-ordered bond?
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-unable-get-464m-appeal-bond-stop-collection-attorneys-say-practical-impossibility
FFS
We need @truman just like we need our young lady communist with the inherited house. Fresh voices; new perspectives
It’s there. Read it you fucking idiot
NEW THREAD
Before the war Ukrainians were ostensibly much much poorer than Russians
Yet on my recent visit I travelled around quite a lot. Admittedly all in western Ukraine but still
Central Lviv is beautiful and feels as rich as Spain
Nor are regional towns dirt poor. I went to a few of them (on quite efficient trains and enjoying excellent mobile coverage everywhere)
They felt like poor middle income places - no dirt roads. Some nice architecture helps
Weirdly when I slipped over the border from Ukraine into Romania and the EU it was Romania which felt instantly poorer, with desperate ugly fat people wandering around awful towns. It could have been Wick
And you do not know if who instigated the meeting
CME FedWatch Tool shows only 54.3% probability now of 25 basis points rate cut at June meeting (vs 71.7% a week ago), so turning into something close to a coin toss
Away from Moscow or St. Pete, there are large parts of Africa that are richer than Russia. It´s why the Russian troops keep looting things like washing machines in Ukraine. Often, these things are completely out of their reach, some have never even seen them before.
It is not. It is nowhere near.
Just admit that you got this one wrong, it's not difficult.