For a hostile superpower the Chinese are very friendly
Your first time to China? Amazing country. I spent 3 months of my gap year there back in 2011, met my wife there while she was on her gap year (though we didn't get together properly until 2013 when she came to London to do her masters degree). It's probably one of the best countries I've ever travelled in, amazing natural wonders, incredible food wherever you go and the people are very friendly despite few to none speaking English they're always happy to help.
There has been a revealing interview this morning on ABC in the US by Lord Mandelson, UK ambassador in Washington - in which he calls on Ukraine and all European leaders to give “unequivocal backing to the initiative President Trump is taking” to broker a peace between Ukraine and Russia.
This from Mandelson stood out: “Ukraine should be first to commit to a ceasefire and defy the Russians to follow”.
Mandelson also calls on European governments, led by the UK and France, to make a major commitment of their forces to the Ukraine’s land, airspace and sea, as a deterrent to Putin making future incursions, with - he hopes - the US providing the “ultimate” backstop if all were to go to hell (the backstop being American intelligence, air cover and access to its long range missile tech, I understand).
The close ally of Keir Starmer also urges President Zelenskyy to sign the Trump “commercial” deal assigning mineral and energy rights to the US, to give “the US a stake in Ukraine’s future”.
All of this would be a bitter pill for Zelenskyy to swallow, after he was humiliated in the Whitehouse by Trump and Vance. But maybe that is the mark of true courageous leadership
F*** off Mandy! What is wrong with these people?
Rutte was feeding us the same old bollocks last night.
Yeah what do they know.
Come to PB for a realistic plan of what should happen next.
I've formulated it in my Churchillian mind, and nowhere does my plan indulge Trump.
Off thread, but I have just bumped into fellow pb-er @ManchesterKurt . Feeling quite pleased with myself for working out who he is in real life from a handful of clues on here.
Was the big clue him actually being called Kurt?
Or is he just vile?
Haha, no, I get the reference, but no, he's a nice fella. Chat on here had revealed three key facts about him: he lives near me, he plays golf, and he doesn't have a car. And the number of different pedestrians I see passing my house with golf clubs is exactly one. He didn't have his clubs with him today, but he was the fella who I see walking past my house with golf clubs. So I chanced a "Kurt?" and he answered.
Poirot wouldn't be ashamed of that piece of deduction.
I feel more like some slightly pitiable character by Alan Bennett taking a slightly obsessive interest in the characters passing his house, to be honest. But thank you.
Or an injured James Stewart, though this is not a heat wave.
Whenever I come to China I am always reminded how insanely weird the Japanese are
The Chinese SHOUD be the strange ones. This distant ancient magnificent very foreign culture. And yet somehow they’re not. They’re like a mix of Russians and Turks with incredible infrastructure - they’re rude and friendly, they like a drink, their imperialism is a bit lazy
But the Japanese? The Japanese are just out there. Mad as a box of frog sashimi. Almost a different species. In a good way.
Not in a good way. Or at least not when I used to live and travel in the region. Then I put it down to the Japanese not having come to terms with losing, nor thinking they had done anything wrong in the war which, as you will know being a frequent visitor to China, is what accounts for the at times visceral hatred of the Japanese by the Chinese.
Really?! That surprises me. You’re an intelligent man of the world - the Japanese are brilliantly friendly and welcoming - their culture is amazing - the food omg - there is zero crime and they don’t fuck about with migration - they do everything differently and often superbly
That said their imperial history is appalling. Which is - as you note - why they are hated around the region. From Korea to the Philippines to China
But in my experience the Japanese are sincerely guilty about this - almost to a fault. A bit like the Germans
Japan might be my favourite single destination on Earth. Certainly up there
Many, many of them are super friendly and welcoming but there is, or was, to me a sinister undercurrent. I don't think I ever thought anyone was actually guilty or sorry for about what they did in the war. Certainly and to illustrated the stark difference, nowhere near the German what I believe is sincere and profound regret and guilt.
This view is hardly controversial among those familiar with the region.
I suppose you having to rely on everything second hand language-wise in the region, and coming fresh faced to it all might account for your restricted understanding.
Well yeah except I lived in Kyoto for several months with a friend who was a bilingual professor at Kyoto university who introduced me to dozens of fascinating and cultured Japanese people - who then invited me to their homes. Parties. Dinners. Weekends. And also I travelled all over and had an affair with a beautiful married Tokyo musician (great singer) etc etc
Apart from that my experience of Japan is minimal and of course you are a perfect Japanese speaker and a sumo wrestler so you know better
Do we know if there are any polls coming out soon with post-ambush fieldwork?
If Reform's polling share survives that then we really do have something interesting on our hands.
I don't expect it to take a significant hit. When Trump gets egregious Farage goes quiet or puts a slither of space between them, and that will alleviate those people who do have some concerns (many support them for reasons entirely connected to foreign affairs of course)
Whenever I come to China I am always reminded how insanely weird the Japanese are
The Chinese SHOUD be the strange ones. This distant ancient magnificent very foreign culture. And yet somehow they’re not. They’re like a mix of Russians and Turks with incredible infrastructure - they’re rude and friendly, they like a drink, their imperialism is a bit lazy
But the Japanese? The Japanese are just out there. Mad as a box of frog sashimi. Almost a different species. In a good way.
Not in a good way. Or at least not when I used to live and travel in the region. Then I put it down to the Japanese not having come to terms with losing, nor thinking they had done anything wrong in the war which, as you will know being a frequent visitor to China, is what accounts for the at times visceral hatred of the Japanese by the Chinese.
Really?! That surprises me. You’re an intelligent man of the world - the Japanese are brilliantly friendly and welcoming - their culture is amazing - the food omg - there is zero crime and they don’t fuck about with migration - they do everything differently and often superbly
That said their imperial history is appalling. Which is - as you note - why they are hated around the region. From Korea to the Philippines to China
But in my experience the Japanese are sincerely guilty about this - almost to a fault. A bit like the Germans
Japan might be my favourite single destination on Earth. Certainly up there
Many, many of them are super friendly and welcoming but there is, or was, to me a sinister undercurrent. I don't think I ever thought anyone was actually guilty or sorry for about what they did in the war. Certainly and to illustrated the stark difference, nowhere near the German what I believe is sincere and profound regret and guilt.
This view is hardly controversial among those familiar with the region.
I suppose you having to rely on everything second hand language-wise in the region, and coming fresh faced to it all might account for your restricted understanding.
Well yeah except I lived in Kyoto for several months with a friend who was a bilingual professor at Kyoto university who introduced me to dozens of fascinating and cultured Japanese people - who then invited me to their homes. Parties. Dinners. Weekends. And also I travelled all over and had an affair with a beautiful married Tokyo musician (great singer) etc etc
Apart from that my experience of Japan is minimal and of course you are a perfect Japanese speaker and a sumo wrestler so you know better
You dreamt that whilst lying in a drug-induced stupor on a South American mountaintop. Your entire existence since then, including PB, has just been a profound dream ...
Off thread, but I have just bumped into fellow pb-er @ManchesterKurt . Feeling quite pleased with myself for working out who he is in real life from a handful of clues on here.
Was the big clue him actually being called Kurt?
Or is he just vile?
Haha, no, I get the reference, but no, he's a nice fella. Chat on here had revealed three key facts about him: he lives near me, he plays golf, and he doesn't have a car. And the number of different pedestrians I see passing my house with golf clubs is exactly one. He didn't have his clubs with him today, but he was the fella who I see walking past my house with golf clubs. So I chanced a "Kurt?" and he answered.
Two people off here have found me on Facebook but I have not yet been accosted on the street. It can't be that hard to do because the two that did it are both fucking idiots.
Why would they even be interested, unless they plan to case your joint to stroke your expensive motors? Anonymity is important. I wouldn't want anyone I know reading the old shite I post and be able to attribute guilt in the real world.
We shouldn't expect to see a candidate at the local elections called Pete de Mexico then I suppose.
I don't understand the European Ukraine play. It seems that Russia will only end the war if they can claim a victory (the Donbas at a minimum, presumably) and that Ukraine will only end the war if they are defeated (or, a negotiated peace with cast iron Western-backed security guarantees - boots on the ground presumably via NATO or another structure).
Therefore what are we playing at? It seems like the options are simple:
Let Russia defeat Ukraine.
Help Ukraine push Russia out of their borders.
Tell Russia that if they don't accept a negotiated settlement (probably less than the whole Donbas with western bases in Ukraine) then Europe/UK will use all their military might to achieve the above.
What else is there, realistically?
Option 3 is the game plan
Back to the 2021 borders (I’d prefer 2014 personally but that’s the compromise).
Kursk thrown in for free unless Russia plays silly buggers and then it’s Kursk for something
My thoughts.
Ukraine's red line would be a functional country able to make any alliances it wants with the formal exception of NATO (It's barely functioning anyway) and most importantly able to join the EU. Security provided by a consortium of European countries to defend whatever ceasefire line is agreed.
All POWs, children and others kidnapped to Russia returned. Anyone living in previous Ukraine allowed to move to residual Ukraine.
Russia gets to keep previously acquired territory plus the new Hellscape full of mines and empty of people. ie currently occupied Crimea, Donetsk including Mariupol, and Luhansk.
In the mix occupied Zaporozhzhia and Kherson. For strategic reasons Ukraine will want to control the Crimean isthmus but this could be a sticking point.
That means Putin walks away with a clear win he can sell to his people and means a further war either i Ukraine or the Baltic States is all the more likely a few years down the line. When he will not make the mistake of trusting his military commanders a second time.
In short. We lose and a second war becomes inevitable.
Not necessarily. Ukraine hopefully will be a successful and secure country, which for the first time will be out of reach of Russia. Russia inherits a desert of its own making. What will Ukraine want do with this (Bakhmut)? So give it to the Russians as their "victory" !
The problem with the sort of view you state above is that it ignores Putin's stated objectives. He wants (at least) eastern Europe under his control. In the short term, he wants all of Ukraine's eastern provinces - including territory his military does not hold - and the entirety of Ukraine's Black Sea coast.
So a big question is this: why would giving Putin this 'victory' cause him to scale back his ambitions and desires? Or would a 'victory' cause him to want more, and to be able to sell it to the Russian public and oligarchs?
Good points but it is why what happens on the other side of whatever line you draw is the important thing. It will need to be defended such that Putin can't and won't cross it regardless of what he thinks. This is more important than which place you draw the line.
By the way I don't have a view on what the agreement should be like beyond it needs to be an outcome the Ukrainians will accept given the circumstances they find themselves in.
Off thread, but I have just bumped into fellow pb-er @ManchesterKurt . Feeling quite pleased with myself for working out who he is in real life from a handful of clues on here.
Was the big clue him actually being called Kurt?
Or is he just vile?
Haha, no, I get the reference, but no, he's a nice fella. Chat on here had revealed three key facts about him: he lives near me, he plays golf, and he doesn't have a car. And the number of different pedestrians I see passing my house with golf clubs is exactly one. He didn't have his clubs with him today, but he was the fella who I see walking past my house with golf clubs. So I chanced a "Kurt?" and he answered.
Two people off here have found me on Facebook but I have not yet been accosted on the street. It can't be that hard to do because the two that did it are both fucking idiots.
Why would they even be interested, unless they plan to case your joint to stroke your expensive motors? Anonymity is important. I wouldn't want anyone I know reading the old shite I post and be able to attribute guilt in the real world.
We shouldn't expect to see a candidate at the local elections called Pete de Mexico then I suppose.
Whenever I come to China I am always reminded how insanely weird the Japanese are
The Chinese SHOUD be the strange ones. This distant ancient magnificent very foreign culture. And yet somehow they’re not. They’re like a mix of Russians and Turks with incredible infrastructure - they’re rude and friendly, they like a drink, their imperialism is a bit lazy
But the Japanese? The Japanese are just out there. Mad as a box of frog sashimi. Almost a different species. In a good way
I had a Japanese girlfriend for a while. I used to think that the Japanese were aliens. Proper, world-apart aliens.
Then she'd remind me - we were the aliens that did fox-hunting.
I don't understand the European Ukraine play. It seems that Russia will only end the war if they can claim a victory (the Donbas at a minimum, presumably) and that Ukraine will only end the war if they are defeated (or, a negotiated peace with cast iron Western-backed security guarantees - boots on the ground presumably via NATO or another structure).
Therefore what are we playing at? It seems like the options are simple:
Let Russia defeat Ukraine.
Help Ukraine push Russia out of their borders.
Tell Russia that if they don't accept a negotiated settlement (probably less than the whole Donbas with western bases in Ukraine) then Europe/UK will use all their military might to achieve the above.
What else is there, realistically?
Option 3 is the game plan
Back to the 2021 borders (I’d prefer 2014 personally but that’s the compromise).
Kursk thrown in for free unless Russia plays silly buggers and then it’s Kursk for something
My thoughts.
Ukraine's red line would be a functional country able to make any alliances it wants with the formal exception of NATO (It's barely functioning anyway) and most importantly able to join the EU. Security provided by a consortium of European countries to defend whatever ceasefire line is agreed.
All POWs, children and others kidnapped to Russia returned. Anyone living in previous Ukraine allowed to move to residual Ukraine.
Russia gets to keep previously acquired territory plus the new Hellscape full of mines and empty of people. ie currently occupied Crimea, Donetsk including Mariupol, and Luhansk.
In the mix occupied Zaporozhzhia and Kherson. For strategic reasons Ukraine will want to control the Crimean isthmus but this could be a sticking point.
Russia have incorporated four Ukrainian oblasts and Crimea into the Russian Federation. That is the bare minimum they will accept. From memory that's about 25-30% of 2013 Ukraine. They want about another 30%, leaving a landlocked rump Ukraine at about 30-40% of its 2013 area. Ukraine have no leverage other than to keep fighting.
Important to remember that Russia doesn’t occupy all of the oblasts that it has incorporated into the Russian Federation - ie what you say is a “minimum” is well beyond the current front line
Whenever I come to China I am always reminded how insanely weird the Japanese are
The Chinese SHOUD be the strange ones. This distant ancient magnificent very foreign culture. And yet somehow they’re not. They’re like a mix of Russians and Turks with incredible infrastructure - they’re rude and friendly, they like a drink, their imperialism is a bit lazy
But the Japanese? The Japanese are just out there. Mad as a box of frog sashimi. Almost a different species. In a good way
I had a Japanese girlfriend for a while. I used to think that the Japanese were aliens. Proper, world-apart aliens.
Then she'd remind me - we were the aliens that did fox-hunting.
Sky’s Day of the Jackal is quite fabulously mediocre
MI6’s breakthrough interrogation technique is “going into a hospital and holding a pillow over the suspect’s face until he reveals the information”
How long did it take them to come up with that? They must have had the scriptwriters brainstorming for a week for something new and clever and fresh - then bingo
Israeli forces are preparing to advance toward Damascus, Syria, to defend the Druze suburb of Jaramana, currently under attack by the Syrian regime (HTS).
Good for Israel. Hope they can protect the Druze.
No doubt @bondegezou will be along before long to repeat his spin that Israel is attacking peaceful Syria unprovoked (despite them being legally at war), that the new regime are peaceful and have done nothing wrong (despite them being proscribed terrorists in this country before they took over) and that the Druze don't need protection.
Anything to blame Israel, plus ça change.
You are responding to a williamglenn post. You don’t think he might have selected a tweet from a somewhat biased source? Are you really that naive?
Oh I know full well he might have.
Not as naïve as the individual who claimed with a straight face that Israel is not at war with Syria. Who was that again?
Israel and Syria are legally at war, but there has been a UN-overseen ceasefire for decades. Israel has now repeatedly attacked Syria, unprovoked. They marched into the UN buffer zone. They have repeatedly bombed Syria. This is landgrab.
They are at war, yes. Ceasefire is meaningless, just ask the Ukrainians.
Syria is now under the control of what was a formerly proscribed terrorist organisation that has been nihilistic towards Israel and in favour of Israel's destruction. If grabbing land from their enemy they're at war with aids their survival, then good for them!
It’s a ceasefire that’s held for, I think, longer than you’ve been alive. To dismiss it is naive.
One person was killed in Damascus and Israel are saying that justifies invasion. Netanyahu is like Trump and Putin.
Yet not a ceasefire that led to a peace treaty so the status of war is still valid.
I despise Netanyahu but the war predates him, and my birth, and the birth of almost everyone on this site.
It's a shame that the Assad regime fell, as that regime protected minorities. The present regime are ISIS adjacent, and letting out ISIS (from their SDF captors) is likely to be the next step.
And we wonder why Trump questions liberal interventionism?
Not only did Assad support ISIS, but Trump has threatened to abandon the SDF, who are the ones primarily responsible (with US help) for containing ISIS. The new government in Damascus has every reason to want ISIS defeated, unlike Assad.
Israel, for their own reasons, just want to scupper the chance of an end to the civil war in Syria.
That's a collection of statements that bear no relation to each other or to the truth.
New government in Damascus has every reason ISIS is defeated: this is just logical, as they want control over the whole of Syria.
You seem to support Assad, who helped ISIS, refused to fight them while he was doing his best to murder everyone else, and is one of the worst war criminals in the world.
The essay you link to is interesting, but many of the statements in the introduction (I have not read further) don't seem to me to bear much scrutiny. Assad is accused of "buying oil from ISIS" and "buying grain from ISIS" - but what else does one do when ISIS controls the oil fields and the grain fields? Let the population starve in the dark?
He is also accused in the intro of "attacking the moderate rebels instead of ISIS" again I'm not sure what is to be expected of someone fighting a civil war. There were many flavours of rebel in the conflict, but few of them were moderate. I don't see how Assad could have prosecuted the war differently. Driven past the moderate rebels (taking fire) to get to ISIS?
I am a lot more persuaded by the regime's early support for ISIS in Iraq, which seems likely, and just proves that one should never work through such groups, as it always comes back to bite you.
Yes, the SDF is in a perilous position, but the reason that this makes ISIS more likely to rise again is that the HTS regime, which is ideologically adjacent to ISIS, will then be left holding the keys to the ISIS prisoners. You may find this piece interesting:
I supported Assad as the least worst option. Sadly events are proving me right, again. Every time the West gets on its white charger and decides to get rid of some nasty strongman, things invariably get worse, mostly much worse. It's a lesson we seem to need to learn again and again. I would like us, in Britain if nowhere else, to sort out our own issues, and stop trying to fix the rest of the world because they don't do things the way that we would like them to.
I mean I've only seen the highlights but surely Trump is simply taking a side in one of the oldest and most difficult dilemmas. What is worth giving up to stop the killing.
Why is dealing with that impossible question so reprehensible.
We see it in aid all the time (enable/support the tyrants to get food to the citizens..)
Yes, he’s decided that giving up Ukraine is worth it to stem the expense to the US. The democratically elected government of Ukraine - along with the opposition, judging by their public comments yesterday, disagree.
Chuck into the mix Europe’s future security, which the US has apparently decided is no longer a matter for them, then a polite no thanks is in order. No skin in the game, no say.
All that, of course, is predicated on Europe getting its shit together over the next few days and weeks.
I would like to see Europe get its shit together in the next 24 hours.
The billions the UK promised yesterday are a good start.
Lets show the Americans we can help defeat Russia with or without them - but if its without them, they don't get a say in what happens afterwards.
What jobs will guarantee exemption from being called up to fight in this proposed EU war against Russia? I'll get my lads writing their job applications out ASAP.
Who said anything about the EU? Or war with Russia?
Russia is a small country, it is smaller than Italy economically. It is not some mighty bear that we should be afraid of.
Ukraine is able to defeat Russia with our backing, we have no reason or need to go to war, just continue to support Ukraine.
Do you think what is happening now (what you want to continue with) is going to allow Ukraine to defeat Russia.
Eventually, yes.
And that is a legitimate view, if misguided in my mind. It means thousands more deaths of people that are not you or your family but so be it. Trump's is that he wants the killing to stop. With all the compromises that involves. Why is that view so reprehensible.
Trump doesn't want the killing to stop. He wants Ukraine to surrender, after which hundreds of thousands will be killed by Russia. Stopping the war doesn't bring peace, it enables genocide.
I think this probably needs a bit of an accompanying explainer?
Not for anyone who has been paying attention for the last decade
Well given that you seem to think that's what you've been doing, perhaps you will favour us with an explanation of how demographically challenged Russia, having achieved all its territorial ambitions, is going to slaughter 200,000+ innocents.
Historically, conquering armies have had little trouble in massacring civilians.
In Ukraine, we have detailed, criminal case grade evidence of murders, expulsions and kidnapping of children in the areas occupied by Russia. En masse.9
In addition, the original plans for the Russian invasion were captured. They included mass arrests of the political and intellectual classes, as part of a plan to eliminate the idea of Ukraine as a separate state to Russia, culturally.
So you need to explain why you think that the Russians would behave differently in any areas of the Ukraine they conquer from now, to the way they behaved (and planned to behave) in those they have conquered.
I can well believe that they plan to do all those horrible things. But none of them amount to killing hundreds of thousands, or anything like. That's why I asked for an explanation, and why I wasn't surprised not to get one.
May be we can work to the internationally accepted definition of “genocide” rather than the pretendy straw man made up by a Russian sympathising conspiracy theorist such as yourself?
Maybe you could actually READ you daft fuckwit - I was asking for John Lilburne's explanation of his supposition that hundreds of thousands would be killed if Ukraine surrendered. Genocide wasn't mentioned.
It was in the other post line to which you originally replied on. But of course truth doesn’t matter to you. Just your master’s bidding.
This conversation is showing you up to be a complete loon. I questioned a claim that Putin would slaughter hundreds of thousands post-"surrender". Now I am apparently twisting the meaning of genocide by using the frames of reference given in the original post?
As for 'my master's bidding' - I don't have a master, and that allows me to speak as I find. Perhaps you should think about who has benefitted you, and how that has informed your own viewpoint, because your above post reads like classic projection to me.
The original post that I replied to - and where you responded to me - talked about genocide and you responded with a straw man on 200,000+ deaths
I know that you have consistently parroted Russian propaganda lines from MH17 onward. But I forget you are a truth seeker who treats all statements by western governments with scepticism. And yet, somehow, you always end up sharing the same position as the Russians.
But you’re right. I’ve no evidence that you are paid by the Russians. May be you are just a fool instead.
Sky’s Day of the Jackal is quite fabulously mediocre
The only reason the first episode and a half (after which I decided 'enough already') wasn't the worst thing I've ever seen on Sky is because I managed to watch some of England v South Africa.
Sky’s Day of the Jackal is quite fabulously mediocre
MI6’s breakthrough interrogation technique is “going into a hospital and holding a pillow over the suspect’s face until he reveals the information”
How long did it take them to come up with that? They must have had the scriptwriters brainstorming for a week for something new and clever and fresh - then bingo
Not seen it but I did see a weird comparison where they basically just re-shot a scene from the film.
What's the point?
The film is really first class, and it really does a great job of portraying the careful austerity of the book. Hard to see what Sky thought they might add.
Whenever I come to China I am always reminded how insanely weird the Japanese are
The Chinese SHOUD be the strange ones. This distant ancient magnificent very foreign culture. And yet somehow they’re not. They’re like a mix of Russians and Turks with incredible infrastructure - they’re rude and friendly, they like a drink, their imperialism is a bit lazy
But the Japanese? The Japanese are just out there. Mad as a box of frog sashimi. Almost a different species. In a good way
I was told by a Japanese friend not at all approvingly the Chinese are really Americans - brash and direct.
That’s quite accurate. But then the Japanese are probably the most unbrash and indirect people on earth - unless they are drunk
I love both places. China and Japan. The Italy and England of Asia but entirely different and that analogy makes no sense because where are the French?
Korea? Pretty brash lot in my experience - honorary Parisians?
The travel cliche is that the Koreans are the “Irish of Asia”
But it’s bollocks. As a culture Korea is a lot more distinct and complex and ancient and peculiar - the analogy seems to stem from the fact the Koreans quite like a fight after a few beers
Korea is like an early iteration of Japan. The basics are there but the Japanese added their unique impeccable perversely perfectionist sheen to it all
I doubt that's an observation which would find favour in either country.
Whenever I come to China I am always reminded how insanely weird the Japanese are
The Chinese SHOUD be the strange ones. This distant ancient magnificent very foreign culture. And yet somehow they’re not. They’re like a mix of Russians and Turks with incredible infrastructure - they’re rude and friendly, they like a drink, their imperialism is a bit lazy
But the Japanese? The Japanese are just out there. Mad as a box of frog sashimi. Almost a different species. In a good way.
Not in a good way. Or at least not when I used to live and travel in the region. Then I put it down to the Japanese not having come to terms with losing, nor thinking they had done anything wrong in the war which, as you will know being a frequent visitor to China, is what accounts for the at times visceral hatred of the Japanese by the Chinese.
Really?! That surprises me. You’re an intelligent man of the world - the Japanese are brilliantly friendly and welcoming - their culture is amazing - the food omg - there is zero crime and they don’t fuck about with migration - they do everything differently and often superbly
That said their imperial history is appalling. Which is - as you note - why they are hated around the region. From Korea to the Philippines to China
But in my experience the Japanese are sincerely guilty about this - almost to a fault. A bit like the Germans
Japan might be my favourite single destination on Earth. Certainly up there
Many, many of them are super friendly and welcoming but there is, or was, to me a sinister undercurrent. I don't think I ever thought anyone was actually guilty or sorry for about what they did in the war. Certainly and to illustrated the stark difference, nowhere near the German what I believe is sincere and profound regret and guilt.
This view is hardly controversial among those familiar with the region.
I suppose you having to rely on everything second hand language-wise in the region, and coming fresh faced to it all might account for your restricted understanding.
Well yeah except I lived in Kyoto for several months with a friend who was a bilingual professor at Kyoto university who introduced me to dozens of fascinating and cultured Japanese people - who then invited me to their homes. Parties. Dinners. Weekends. And also I travelled all over and had an affair with a beautiful married Tokyo musician (great singer) etc etc
Apart from that my experience of Japan is minimal and of course you are a perfect Japanese speaker and a sumo wrestler so you know better
You dreamt that whilst lying in a drug-induced stupor on a South American mountaintop. Your entire existence since then, including PB, has just been a profound dream ...
On my recent revisit to Japan I went back to find the apartment I lived in (courtesy of my very generous friend). It’s right by the philosopher’s footpath in Kyoto which is basically the nicest place to live in Japan if you like deep Japanese culture
Fucking hideous building tho. A utilitarian concrete box. Japan has possibly the ugliest urban architecture on earth
Their excuse is war and fires and tsunamis and earthquakes so it’s not worth building anything beautiful as it won’t last. And yet the temples and castles (inasmuch as they survive) are exquisite
Like I said it is the most bewildering country on earth. Everywhere you turn there is a new paradox
Off thread, but I have just bumped into fellow pb-er @ManchesterKurt . Feeling quite pleased with myself for working out who he is in real life from a handful of clues on here.
Was the big clue him actually being called Kurt?
Or is he just vile?
Haha, no, I get the reference, but no, he's a nice fella. Chat on here had revealed three key facts about him: he lives near me, he plays golf, and he doesn't have a car. And the number of different pedestrians I see passing my house with golf clubs is exactly one. He didn't have his clubs with him today, but he was the fella who I see walking past my house with golf clubs. So I chanced a "Kurt?" and he answered.
Two people off here have found me on Facebook but I have not yet been accosted on the street. It can't be that hard to do because the two that did it are both fucking idiots.
Why would they even be interested, unless they plan to case your joint to stroke your expensive motors? Anonymity is important. I wouldn't want anyone I know reading the old shite I post and be able to attribute guilt in the real world.
Balls. I better stop looking for Mexicans named Pete.
Sky’s Day of the Jackal is quite fabulously mediocre
MI6’s breakthrough interrogation technique is “going into a hospital and holding a pillow over the suspect’s face until he reveals the information”
How long did it take them to come up with that? They must have had the scriptwriters brainstorming for a week for something new and clever and fresh - then bingo
Eddie Redmayne’s about as threatening as a baby rabbit. There was a whole marketing spiel about how Redmayne INSISTED that he have a red polka dot cravat like what Edward Fox (who was proper psycho) wore in the original. Knew it was going to be guff from that point.
I do think Reform will find it hard to find a winning coalition with their support for Putin.
Despite their rising ambition in the last year, they may not realistically be after a winning coalition, just a kingmaking one.
The rationale for voters suggesting Labour will win most seats is that they are a) second in opinion polls b) are able to better target votes for seats and c) in power.
The rationale against are a) they are only second in opinion polls and dropping fast b) recent council elections seem to show them getting hit by Reform in areas where they used to be safe c) they are in power when it is more than likely things will get worse d) Starmer is universally hated
Reform continue to move forward at the moment and they will benefit from Labour delaying council elections in many areas as they can now focus their efforts. They have a rising star in Rupert Lowe. A long long way for them to go to win most seats at a General Election.
Tories seem to be consolidating around their base but lack ideas and quality people.
Lib Dems showing few signs of breaking out from their strongholds.
Sky’s Day of the Jackal is quite fabulously mediocre
MI6’s breakthrough interrogation technique is “going into a hospital and holding a pillow over the suspect’s face until he reveals the information”
How long did it take them to come up with that? They must have had the scriptwriters brainstorming for a week for something new and clever and fresh - then bingo
Not seen it but I did see a weird comparison where they basically just re-shot a scene from the film.
What's the point?
The film is really first class, and it really does a great job of portraying the careful austerity of the book. Hard to see what Sky thought they might add.
Based on many modern TV adaptations, poor audio mixing is added a lot of the time.
Whenever I come to China I am always reminded how insanely weird the Japanese are
The Chinese SHOUD be the strange ones. This distant ancient magnificent very foreign culture. And yet somehow they’re not. They’re like a mix of Russians and Turks with incredible infrastructure - they’re rude and friendly, they like a drink, their imperialism is a bit lazy
But the Japanese? The Japanese are just out there. Mad as a box of frog sashimi. Almost a different species. In a good way
I was told by a Japanese friend not at all approvingly the Chinese are really Americans - brash and direct.
That’s quite accurate. But then the Japanese are probably the most unbrash and indirect people on earth - unless they are drunk
I love both places. China and Japan. The Italy and England of Asia but entirely different and that analogy makes no sense because where are the French?
Korea? Pretty brash lot in my experience - honorary Parisians?
The travel cliche is that the Koreans are the “Irish of Asia”
But it’s bollocks. As a culture Korea is a lot more distinct and complex and ancient and peculiar - the analogy seems to stem from the fact the Koreans quite like a fight after a few beers
Korea is like an early iteration of Japan. The basics are there but the Japanese added their unique impeccable perversely perfectionist sheen to it all
I doubt that's an observation which would find favour in either country.
Probably not but it’s true
You need to go to Japan for a few weeks and you’ll see what I mean
Everything Korea does Japan does in a better more sophisticated way that is somehow, at the same time, also colder and more alienating
Right that’s enough precise non generalised cultural observation and I’m finishing my Shanghai cocktails
Sky’s Day of the Jackal is quite fabulously mediocre
MI6’s breakthrough interrogation technique is “going into a hospital and holding a pillow over the suspect’s face until he reveals the information”
How long did it take them to come up with that? They must have had the scriptwriters brainstorming for a week for something new and clever and fresh - then bingo
Eddie Redmayne’s about as threatening as a baby rabbit.
I do have difficulty picturing it. Actors can surprise though, I was shocked Timothee Chalamet was able to portray some strength and even menace in Dune Part II when he looks like a stiff breeze would blow him over.
Sky’s Day of the Jackal is quite fabulously mediocre
MI6’s breakthrough interrogation technique is “going into a hospital and holding a pillow over the suspect’s face until he reveals the information”
How long did it take them to come up with that? They must have had the scriptwriters brainstorming for a week for something new and clever and fresh - then bingo
Eddie Redmayne’s about as threatening as a baby rabbit. There was a whole marketing spiel about how Redmayne INSISTED that he have a red polka dot cravat like what Edward Fox (who was proper psycho) wore in the original. Knew it was going to be guff from that point.
Yes bang on. Absolutely
That’s the main problem. He is simply not scary or even remotely psycho. It’s a dreadful performance from a pretty good actor
Off thread, but I have just bumped into fellow pb-er ManchesterKurt . Feeling quite pleased with myself for working out who he is in real life from a handful of clues on here.
Was the big clue him actually being called Kurt?
Or is he just vile?
Haha, no, I get the reference, but no, he's a nice fella. Chat on here had revealed three key facts about him: he lives near me, he plays golf, and he doesn't have a car. And the number of different pedestrians I see passing my house with golf clubs is exactly one. He didn't have his clubs with him today, but he was the fella who I see walking past my house with golf clubs. So I chanced a "Kurt?" and he answered.
Two people off here have found me on Facebook but I have not yet been accosted on the street. It can't be that hard to do because the two that did it are both fucking idiots.
Why would they even be interested, unless they plan to case your joint to stroke your expensive motors? Anonymity is important. I wouldn't want anyone I know reading the old shite I post and be able to attribute guilt in the real world.
Balls. I better stop looking for Mexicans named Pete.
Off thread, but I have just bumped into fellow pb-er @ManchesterKurt . Feeling quite pleased with myself for working out who he is in real life from a handful of clues on here.
Was the big clue him actually being called Kurt?
Or is he just vile?
Haha, no, I get the reference, but no, he's a nice fella. Chat on here had revealed three key facts about him: he lives near me, he plays golf, and he doesn't have a car. And the number of different pedestrians I see passing my house with golf clubs is exactly one. He didn't have his clubs with him today, but he was the fella who I see walking past my house with golf clubs. So I chanced a "Kurt?" and he answered.
Two people off here have found me on Facebook but I have not yet been accosted on the street. It can't be that hard to do because the two that did it are both fucking idiots.
They've probably read you accounts of downing drones with a shotgun and decided it's not quite worth the risk.
Whenever I come to China I am always reminded how insanely weird the Japanese are
The Chinese SHOUD be the strange ones. This distant ancient magnificent very foreign culture. And yet somehow they’re not. They’re like a mix of Russians and Turks with incredible infrastructure - they’re rude and friendly, they like a drink, their imperialism is a bit lazy
But the Japanese? The Japanese are just out there. Mad as a box of frog sashimi. Almost a different species. In a good way.
Not in a good way. Or at least not when I used to live and travel in the region. Then I put it down to the Japanese not having come to terms with losing, nor thinking they had done anything wrong in the war which, as you will know being a frequent visitor to China, is what accounts for the at times visceral hatred of the Japanese by the Chinese.
Really?! That surprises me. You’re an intelligent man of the world - the Japanese are brilliantly friendly and welcoming - their culture is amazing - the food omg - there is zero crime and they don’t fuck about with migration - they do everything differently and often superbly
That said their imperial history is appalling. Which is - as you note - why they are hated around the region. From Korea to the Philippines to China
But in my experience the Japanese are sincerely guilty about this - almost to a fault. A bit like the Germans
Japan might be my favourite single destination on Earth. Certainly up there
Many, many of them are super friendly and welcoming but there is, or was, to me a sinister undercurrent. I don't think I ever thought anyone was actually guilty or sorry for about what they did in the war. Certainly and to illustrated the stark difference, nowhere near the German what I believe is sincere and profound regret and guilt.
This view is hardly controversial among those familiar with the region.
I suppose you having to rely on everything second hand language-wise in the region, and coming fresh faced to it all might account for your restricted understanding.
Well yeah except I lived in Kyoto for several months with a friend who was a bilingual professor at Kyoto university who introduced me to dozens of fascinating and cultured Japanese people - who then invited me to their homes. Parties. Dinners. Weekends. And also I travelled all over and had an affair with a beautiful married Tokyo musician (great singer) etc etc
Apart from that my experience of Japan is minimal and of course you are a perfect Japanese speaker and a sumo wrestler so you know better
You dreamt that whilst lying in a drug-induced stupor on a South American mountaintop. Your entire existence since then, including PB, has just been a profound dream ...
Sky’s Day of the Jackal is quite fabulously mediocre
MI6’s breakthrough interrogation technique is “going into a hospital and holding a pillow over the suspect’s face until he reveals the information”
How long did it take them to come up with that? They must have had the scriptwriters brainstorming for a week for something new and clever and fresh - then bingo
Eddie Redmayne’s about as threatening as a baby rabbit. There was a whole marketing spiel about how Redmayne INSISTED that he have a red polka dot cravat like what Edward Fox (who was proper psycho) wore in the original. Knew it was going to be guff from that point.
Off thread, but I have just bumped into fellow pb-er @ManchesterKurt . Feeling quite pleased with myself for working out who he is in real life from a handful of clues on here.
Was the big clue him actually being called Kurt?
Or is he just vile?
Haha, no, I get the reference, but no, he's a nice fella. Chat on here had revealed three key facts about him: he lives near me, he plays golf, and he doesn't have a car. And the number of different pedestrians I see passing my house with golf clubs is exactly one. He didn't have his clubs with him today, but he was the fella who I see walking past my house with golf clubs. So I chanced a "Kurt?" and he answered.
Two people off here have found me on Facebook but I have not yet been accosted on the street. It can't be that hard to do because the two that did it are both fucking idiots.
Why would they even be interested, unless they plan to case your joint to stroke your expensive motors? Anonymity is important. I wouldn't want anyone I know reading the old shite I post and be able to attribute guilt in the real world.
I am friends with a few people off here on Facebook but most of them use their own names on here and in some cases, such as Marquee Mark, we share non political interests. I certainly wouldn't go looking for anyone who was using a pseudonym and bothering them. There are actually a few people on here who I chat with occasinally on the PB messenger system who I would very much like to meet in real life or at least chat with on other forums as, again, their non-political interests very much align with mine.
Off thread, but I have just bumped into fellow pb-er @ManchesterKurt . Feeling quite pleased with myself for working out who he is in real life from a handful of clues on here.
Was the big clue him actually being called Kurt?
Or is he just vile?
Haha, no, I get the reference, but no, he's a nice fella. Chat on here had revealed three key facts about him: he lives near me, he plays golf, and he doesn't have a car. And the number of different pedestrians I see passing my house with golf clubs is exactly one. He didn't have his clubs with him today, but he was the fella who I see walking past my house with golf clubs. So I chanced a "Kurt?" and he answered.
Two people off here have found me on Facebook but I have not yet been accosted on the street. It can't be that hard to do because the two that did it are both fucking idiots.
Why would they even be interested, unless they plan to case your joint to stroke your expensive motors? Anonymity is important. I wouldn't want anyone I know reading the old shite I post and be able to attribute guilt in the real world.
I am friends with a few people off here on Facebook but most of them use their own names on here and in some cases, such as Marquee Mark, we share non political interests. I certainly wouldn't go looking for anyone who was using a pseudonym and bothering them. There are actually a few people on here who I chat with occasinally on the PB messenger system who I would very much like to meet in real life or at least chat with on other forums as, again, their non-political interests very much align with mine.
Whenever I come to China I am always reminded how insanely weird the Japanese are
The Chinese SHOUD be the strange ones. This distant ancient magnificent very foreign culture. And yet somehow they’re not. They’re like a mix of Russians and Turks with incredible infrastructure - they’re rude and friendly, they like a drink, their imperialism is a bit lazy
But the Japanese? The Japanese are just out there. Mad as a box of frog sashimi. Almost a different species. In a good way
I was told by a Japanese friend not at all approvingly the Chinese are really Americans - brash and direct.
That’s quite accurate. But then the Japanese are probably the most unbrash and indirect people on earth - unless they are drunk
I love both places. China and Japan. The Italy and England of Asia but entirely different and that analogy makes no sense because where are the French?
Korea? Pretty brash lot in my experience - honorary Parisians?
The travel cliche is that the Koreans are the “Irish of Asia”
But it’s bollocks. As a culture Korea is a lot more distinct and complex and ancient and peculiar - the analogy seems to stem from the fact the Koreans quite like a fight after a few beers
Korea is like an early iteration of Japan. The basics are there but the Japanese added their unique impeccable perversely perfectionist sheen to it all
I doubt that's an observation which would find favour in either country.
This is like my observation that Wales is Budget Scotland.
Off thread, but I have just bumped into fellow pb-er @ManchesterKurt . Feeling quite pleased with myself for working out who he is in real life from a handful of clues on here.
Was the big clue him actually being called Kurt?
Or is he just vile?
Haha, no, I get the reference, but no, he's a nice fella. Chat on here had revealed three key facts about him: he lives near me, he plays golf, and he doesn't have a car. And the number of different pedestrians I see passing my house with golf clubs is exactly one. He didn't have his clubs with him today, but he was the fella who I see walking past my house with golf clubs. So I chanced a "Kurt?" and he answered.
Two people off here have found me on Facebook but I have not yet been accosted on the street. It can't be that hard to do because the two that did it are both fucking idiots.
Why would they even be interested, unless they plan to case your joint to stroke your expensive motors? Anonymity is important. I wouldn't want anyone I know reading the old shite I post and be able to attribute guilt in the real world.
I am friends with a few people off here on Facebook but most of them use their own names on here and in some cases, such as Marquee Mark, we share non political interests. I certainly wouldn't go looking for anyone who was using a pseudonym and bothering them. There are actually a few people on here who I chat with occasinally on the PB messenger system who I would very much like to meet in real life or at least chat with on other forums as, again, their non-political interests very much align with mine.
Off thread, but I have just bumped into fellow pb-er @ManchesterKurt . Feeling quite pleased with myself for working out who he is in real life from a handful of clues on here.
Was the big clue him actually being called Kurt?
Or is he just vile?
Haha, no, I get the reference, but no, he's a nice fella. Chat on here had revealed three key facts about him: he lives near me, he plays golf, and he doesn't have a car. And the number of different pedestrians I see passing my house with golf clubs is exactly one. He didn't have his clubs with him today, but he was the fella who I see walking past my house with golf clubs. So I chanced a "Kurt?" and he answered.
Two people off here have found me on Facebook but I have not yet been accosted on the street. It can't be that hard to do because the two that did it are both fucking idiots.
Why would they even be interested, unless they plan to case your joint to stroke your expensive motors? Anonymity is important. I wouldn't want anyone I know reading the old shite I post and be able to attribute guilt in the real world.
I am friends with a few people off here on Facebook but most of them use their own names on here and in some cases, such as Marquee Mark, we share non political interests. I certainly wouldn't go looking for anyone who was using a pseudonym and bothering them. There are actually a few people on here who I chat with occasinally on the PB messenger system who I would very much like to meet in real life or at least chat with on other forums as, again, their non-political interests very much align with mine.
People have non-political interests?
To our ever lasting shame, yes.
I struggle to consider politics an interest anymore. More of an ordeal
Whenever I come to China I am always reminded how insanely weird the Japanese are
The Chinese SHOUD be the strange ones. This distant ancient magnificent very foreign culture. And yet somehow they’re not. They’re like a mix of Russians and Turks with incredible infrastructure - they’re rude and friendly, they like a drink, their imperialism is a bit lazy
But the Japanese? The Japanese are just out there. Mad as a box of frog sashimi. Almost a different species. In a good way
I was told by a Japanese friend not at all approvingly the Chinese are really Americans - brash and direct.
That’s quite accurate. But then the Japanese are probably the most unbrash and indirect people on earth - unless they are drunk
I love both places. China and Japan. The Italy and England of Asia but entirely different and that analogy makes no sense because where are the French?
Korea? Pretty brash lot in my experience - honorary Parisians?
The travel cliche is that the Koreans are the “Irish of Asia”
But it’s bollocks. As a culture Korea is a lot more distinct and complex and ancient and peculiar - the analogy seems to stem from the fact the Koreans quite like a fight after a few beers
Korea is like an early iteration of Japan. The basics are there but the Japanese added their unique impeccable perversely perfectionist sheen to it all
I doubt that's an observation which would find favour in either country.
This is like my observation that Wales is Budget Scotland.
Turkey's participation in the summit is interesting. Powerful NATO member but outside of the EU despite their aspirations. They could deliver a lot for European security and they are certainly not afraid if mixing it. As I say interesting.
I mean I've only seen the highlights but surely Trump is simply taking a side in one of the oldest and most difficult dilemmas. What is worth giving up to stop the killing.
Why is dealing with that impossible question so reprehensible.
We see it in aid all the time (enable/support the tyrants to get food to the citizens..)
Yes, he’s decided that giving up Ukraine is worth it to stem the expense to the US. The democratically elected government of Ukraine - along with the opposition, judging by their public comments yesterday, disagree.
Chuck into the mix Europe’s future security, which the US has apparently decided is no longer a matter for them, then a polite no thanks is in order. No skin in the game, no say.
All that, of course, is predicated on Europe getting its shit together over the next few days and weeks.
I would like to see Europe get its shit together in the next 24 hours.
The billions the UK promised yesterday are a good start.
Lets show the Americans we can help defeat Russia with or without them - but if its without them, they don't get a say in what happens afterwards.
What jobs will guarantee exemption from being called up to fight in this proposed EU war against Russia? I'll get my lads writing their job applications out ASAP.
Who said anything about the EU? Or war with Russia?
Russia is a small country, it is smaller than Italy economically. It is not some mighty bear that we should be afraid of.
Ukraine is able to defeat Russia with our backing, we have no reason or need to go to war, just continue to support Ukraine.
Do you think what is happening now (what you want to continue with) is going to allow Ukraine to defeat Russia.
Eventually, yes.
And that is a legitimate view, if misguided in my mind. It means thousands more deaths of people that are not you or your family but so be it. Trump's is that he wants the killing to stop. With all the compromises that involves. Why is that view so reprehensible.
Trump doesn't want the killing to stop. He wants Ukraine to surrender, after which hundreds of thousands will be killed by Russia. Stopping the war doesn't bring peace, it enables genocide.
I think this probably needs a bit of an accompanying explainer?
Not for anyone who has been paying attention for the last decade
Well given that you seem to think that's what you've been doing, perhaps you will favour us with an explanation of how demographically challenged Russia, having achieved all its territorial ambitions, is going to slaughter 200,000+ innocents.
Historically, conquering armies have had little trouble in massacring civilians.
In Ukraine, we have detailed, criminal case grade evidence of murders, expulsions and kidnapping of children in the areas occupied by Russia. En masse.9
In addition, the original plans for the Russian invasion were captured. They included mass arrests of the political and intellectual classes, as part of a plan to eliminate the idea of Ukraine as a separate state to Russia, culturally.
So you need to explain why you think that the Russians would behave differently in any areas of the Ukraine they conquer from now, to the way they behaved (and planned to behave) in those they have conquered.
I can well believe that they plan to do all those horrible things. But none of them amount to killing hundreds of thousands, or anything like. That's why I asked for an explanation, and why I wasn't surprised not to get one.
May be we can work to the internationally accepted definition of “genocide” rather than the pretendy straw man made up by a Russian sympathising conspiracy theorist such as yourself?
Maybe you could actually READ you daft fuckwit - I was asking for John Lilburne's explanation of his supposition that hundreds of thousands would be killed if Ukraine surrendered. Genocide wasn't mentioned.
It was in the other post line to which you originally replied on. But of course truth doesn’t matter to you. Just your master’s bidding.
This conversation is showing you up to be a complete loon. I questioned a claim that Putin would slaughter hundreds of thousands post-"surrender". Now I am apparently twisting the meaning of genocide by using the frames of reference given in the original post?
As for 'my master's bidding' - I don't have a master, and that allows me to speak as I find. Perhaps you should think about who has benefitted you, and how that has informed your own viewpoint, because your above post reads like classic projection to me.
The original post that I replied to - and where you responded to me - talked about genocide and you responded with a straw man on 200,000+ deaths
I know that you have consistently parroted Russian propaganda lines from MH17 onward. But I forget you are a truth seeker who treats all statements by western governments with scepticism. And yet, somehow, you always end up sharing the same position as the Russians.
But you’re right. I’ve no evidence that you are paid by the Russians. May be you are just a fool instead.
Dear God, This was the post I replied to:
Trump doesn't want the killing to stop. He wants Ukraine to surrender, after which hundreds of thousands will be killed by Russia. Stopping the war doesn't bring peace, it enables genocide.
200,000+ is the minimum number that that comment could have been referring to. So it wasn't any kind of 'straw man' - it was a conservative summation of the statement I took issue with.
I don't understand the European Ukraine play. It seems that Russia will only end the war if they can claim a victory (the Donbas at a minimum, presumably) and that Ukraine will only end the war if they are defeated (or, a negotiated peace with cast iron Western-backed security guarantees - boots on the ground presumably via NATO or another structure).
Therefore what are we playing at? It seems like the options are simple:
Let Russia defeat Ukraine.
Help Ukraine push Russia out of their borders.
Tell Russia that if they don't accept a negotiated settlement (probably less than the whole Donbas with western bases in Ukraine) then Europe/UK will use all their military might to achieve the above.
What else is there, realistically?
Option 3 is the game plan
Back to the 2021 borders (I’d prefer 2014 personally but that’s the compromise).
Kursk thrown in for free unless Russia plays silly buggers and then it’s Kursk for something
My thoughts.
Ukraine's red line would be a functional country able to make any alliances it wants with the formal exception of NATO (It's barely functioning anyway) and most importantly able to join the EU. Security provided by a consortium of European countries to defend whatever ceasefire line is agreed.
All POWs, children and others kidnapped to Russia returned. Anyone living in previous Ukraine allowed to move to residual Ukraine.
Russia gets to keep previously acquired territory plus the new Hellscape full of mines and empty of people. ie currently occupied Crimea, Donetsk including Mariupol, and Luhansk.
In the mix occupied Zaporozhzhia and Kherson. For strategic reasons Ukraine will want to control the Crimean isthmus but this could be a sticking point.
That means Putin walks away with a clear win he can sell to his people and means a further war either i Ukraine or the Baltic States is all the more likely a few years down the line. When he will not make the mistake of trusting his military commanders a second time.
In short. We lose and a second war becomes inevitable.
Not necessarily. Ukraine hopefully will be a successful and secure country, which for the first time will be out of reach of Russia. Russia inherits a desert of its own making. What will Ukraine want do with this (Bakhmut)? So give it to the Russians as their "victory" !
I do think Reform will find it hard to find a winning coalition with their support for Putin.
Reform dont support Putin though do they?
Sadly that is a question which is very much open to debate. They certainly don't give the impression of being anti-Putin nor anti-Trump, which to many of us is becoming more and more the same thing.
Farage has made some noises in the right direction but has gone no where near as far as any of the other party leaders in the UK. And polls show that Reform supporters are by far the most anti-Ukraine and pro-Russian of voters.
So I don't think anyone can reasonably say they are definitely not pro-Russia/Putin
I do think Reform will find it hard to find a winning coalition with their support for Putin.
Reform dont support Putin though do they?
Sadly that is a question which is very much open to debate. They certainly don't give the impression of being anti-Putin nor anti-Trump, which to many of us is becoming more and more the same thing.
Farage has made some noises in the right direction but has gone no where near as far as any of the other party leaders in the UK. And polls show that Reform supporters are by far the most anti-Ukraine and pro-Russian of voters.
So I don't think anyone can reasonably say they are definitely not pro-Russia/Putin
Read their Twitter posts. Everyone is “Putin bad…but”.
Take Matthew Goodwin who as well as being actually racist now, was posting earlier that Zelenskyy was to blame for the fallout in the White House!
Sod those WASPI women, it is surely the United faithful that need some compensation and consideration for unexpected and brutal disappointments. £20k a head seems light for the trauma we have had to endure. This is beyond depressing and I am getting beyond depressed. Help.
Sod those WASPI women, it is surely the United faithful that need some compensation and consideration for unexpected and brutal disappointments. £20k a head seems light for the trauma we have had to endure. This is beyond depressing and I am getting beyond depressed. Help.
Why don’t the young in this country have some compensation for giving up our lives to protect the elderly from Covid
Sod those WASPI women, it is surely the United faithful that need some compensation and consideration for unexpected and brutal disappointments. £20k a head seems light for the trauma we have had to endure. This is beyond depressing and I am getting beyond depressed. Help.
Why don’t the young in this country have some compensation for giving up our lives to protect the elderly from Covid
Sure, we made terrible mistakes at their expense. But United fans are the more urgent cause.
I do think Reform will find it hard to find a winning coalition with their support for Putin.
Reform dont support Putin though do they?
Sadly that is a question which is very much open to debate. They certainly don't give the impression of being anti-Putin nor anti-Trump, which to many of us is becoming more and more the same thing.
Farage has made some noises in the right direction but has gone no where near as far as any of the other party leaders in the UK. And polls show that Reform supporters are by far the most anti-Ukraine and pro-Russian of voters.
So I don't think anyone can reasonably say they are definitely not pro-Russia/Putin
Read their Twitter posts. Everyone is “Putin bad…but”.
Take Matthew Goodwin who as well as being actually racist now, was posting earlier that Zelenskyy was to blame for the fallout in the White House!
I don't know why anyone gets off on Goodwin's utter cobblers. I am sure once, when he was a bone-fide academic, he might have had something to say. As a GeeBeebies talking head he has no better an analysis than we w****** on here.
I do think Reform will find it hard to find a winning coalition with their support for Putin.
Reform dont support Putin though do they?
Sadly that is a question which is very much open to debate. They certainly don't give the impression of being anti-Putin nor anti-Trump, which to many of us is becoming more and more the same thing.
Farage has made some noises in the right direction but has gone no where near as far as any of the other party leaders in the UK. And polls show that Reform supporters are by far the most anti-Ukraine and pro-Russian of voters.
So I don't think anyone can reasonably say they are definitely not pro-Russia/Putin
Read their Twitter posts. Everyone is “Putin bad…but”.
Take Matthew Goodwin who as well as being actually racist now, was posting earlier that Zelenskyy was to blame for the fallout in the White House!
I don't know why anyone gets off on Goodwin's utter cobblers. I am sure once, when he was a bone-fide academic, he might have had something to say. As a GeeBeebies talking head he has no better an analysis than we w****** on here.
Matthew Goodwin has been utterly racialised by Twitter. Man is a fucking nutter.
I mean I've only seen the highlights but surely Trump is simply taking a side in one of the oldest and most difficult dilemmas. What is worth giving up to stop the killing.
Why is dealing with that impossible question so reprehensible.
We see it in aid all the time (enable/support the tyrants to get food to the citizens..)
Yes, he’s decided that giving up Ukraine is worth it to stem the expense to the US. The democratically elected government of Ukraine - along with the opposition, judging by their public comments yesterday, disagree.
Chuck into the mix Europe’s future security, which the US has apparently decided is no longer a matter for them, then a polite no thanks is in order. No skin in the game, no say.
All that, of course, is predicated on Europe getting its shit together over the next few days and weeks.
I would like to see Europe get its shit together in the next 24 hours.
The billions the UK promised yesterday are a good start.
Lets show the Americans we can help defeat Russia with or without them - but if its without them, they don't get a say in what happens afterwards.
What jobs will guarantee exemption from being called up to fight in this proposed EU war against Russia? I'll get my lads writing their job applications out ASAP.
Who said anything about the EU? Or war with Russia?
Russia is a small country, it is smaller than Italy economically. It is not some mighty bear that we should be afraid of.
Ukraine is able to defeat Russia with our backing, we have no reason or need to go to war, just continue to support Ukraine.
Do you think what is happening now (what you want to continue with) is going to allow Ukraine to defeat Russia.
Eventually, yes.
And that is a legitimate view, if misguided in my mind. It means thousands more deaths of people that are not you or your family but so be it. Trump's is that he wants the killing to stop. With all the compromises that involves. Why is that view so reprehensible.
Trump doesn't want the killing to stop. He wants Ukraine to surrender, after which hundreds of thousands will be killed by Russia. Stopping the war doesn't bring peace, it enables genocide.
I think this probably needs a bit of an accompanying explainer?
Not for anyone who has been paying attention for the last decade
Well given that you seem to think that's what you've been doing, perhaps you will favour us with an explanation of how demographically challenged Russia, having achieved all its territorial ambitions, is going to slaughter 200,000+ innocents.
Historically, conquering armies have had little trouble in massacring civilians.
In Ukraine, we have detailed, criminal case grade evidence of murders, expulsions and kidnapping of children in the areas occupied by Russia. En masse.9
In addition, the original plans for the Russian invasion were captured. They included mass arrests of the political and intellectual classes, as part of a plan to eliminate the idea of Ukraine as a separate state to Russia, culturally.
So you need to explain why you think that the Russians would behave differently in any areas of the Ukraine they conquer from now, to the way they behaved (and planned to behave) in those they have conquered.
I can well believe that they plan to do all those horrible things. But none of them amount to killing hundreds of thousands, or anything like. That's why I asked for an explanation, and why I wasn't surprised not to get one.
May be we can work to the internationally accepted definition of “genocide” rather than the pretendy straw man made up by a Russian sympathising conspiracy theorist such as yourself?
Maybe you could actually READ you daft fuckwit - I was asking for John Lilburne's explanation of his supposition that hundreds of thousands would be killed if Ukraine surrendered. Genocide wasn't mentioned.
It was in the other post line to which you originally replied on. But of course truth doesn’t matter to you. Just your master’s bidding.
This conversation is showing you up to be a complete loon. I questioned a claim that Putin would slaughter hundreds of thousands post-"surrender". Now I am apparently twisting the meaning of genocide by using the frames of reference given in the original post?
As for 'my master's bidding' - I don't have a master, and that allows me to speak as I find. Perhaps you should think about who has benefitted you, and how that has informed your own viewpoint, because your above post reads like classic projection to me.
The original post that I replied to - and where you responded to me - talked about genocide and you responded with a straw man on 200,000+ deaths
I know that you have consistently parroted Russian propaganda lines from MH17 onward. But I forget you are a truth seeker who treats all statements by western governments with scepticism. And yet, somehow, you always end up sharing the same position as the Russians.
But you’re right. I’ve no evidence that you are paid by the Russians. May be you are just a fool instead.
Dear God, This was the post I replied to:
Trump doesn't want the killing to stop. He wants Ukraine to surrender, after which hundreds of thousands will be killed by Russia. Stopping the war doesn't bring peace, it enables genocide.
200,000+ is the minimum number that that comment could have been referring to. So it wasn't any kind of 'straw man' - it was a conservative summation of the statement I took issue with.
Quite. The fact that Putin started a war that has killed well over 200,000 people shouldn't prejudice us against his peaceful intentions.
I mean I've only seen the highlights but surely Trump is simply taking a side in one of the oldest and most difficult dilemmas. What is worth giving up to stop the killing.
Why is dealing with that impossible question so reprehensible.
We see it in aid all the time (enable/support the tyrants to get food to the citizens..)
Yes, he’s decided that giving up Ukraine is worth it to stem the expense to the US. The democratically elected government of Ukraine - along with the opposition, judging by their public comments yesterday, disagree.
Chuck into the mix Europe’s future security, which the US has apparently decided is no longer a matter for them, then a polite no thanks is in order. No skin in the game, no say.
All that, of course, is predicated on Europe getting its shit together over the next few days and weeks.
I would like to see Europe get its shit together in the next 24 hours.
The billions the UK promised yesterday are a good start.
Lets show the Americans we can help defeat Russia with or without them - but if its without them, they don't get a say in what happens afterwards.
What jobs will guarantee exemption from being called up to fight in this proposed EU war against Russia? I'll get my lads writing their job applications out ASAP.
Who said anything about the EU? Or war with Russia?
Russia is a small country, it is smaller than Italy economically. It is not some mighty bear that we should be afraid of.
Ukraine is able to defeat Russia with our backing, we have no reason or need to go to war, just continue to support Ukraine.
Do you think what is happening now (what you want to continue with) is going to allow Ukraine to defeat Russia.
Eventually, yes.
And that is a legitimate view, if misguided in my mind. It means thousands more deaths of people that are not you or your family but so be it. Trump's is that he wants the killing to stop. With all the compromises that involves. Why is that view so reprehensible.
Trump doesn't want the killing to stop. He wants Ukraine to surrender, after which hundreds of thousands will be killed by Russia. Stopping the war doesn't bring peace, it enables genocide.
I think this probably needs a bit of an accompanying explainer?
Not for anyone who has been paying attention for the last decade
Well given that you seem to think that's what you've been doing, perhaps you will favour us with an explanation of how demographically challenged Russia, having achieved all its territorial ambitions, is going to slaughter 200,000+ innocents.
Historically, conquering armies have had little trouble in massacring civilians.
In Ukraine, we have detailed, criminal case grade evidence of murders, expulsions and kidnapping of children in the areas occupied by Russia. En masse.9
In addition, the original plans for the Russian invasion were captured. They included mass arrests of the political and intellectual classes, as part of a plan to eliminate the idea of Ukraine as a separate state to Russia, culturally.
So you need to explain why you think that the Russians would behave differently in any areas of the Ukraine they conquer from now, to the way they behaved (and planned to behave) in those they have conquered.
I can well believe that they plan to do all those horrible things. But none of them amount to killing hundreds of thousands, or anything like. That's why I asked for an explanation, and why I wasn't surprised not to get one.
May be we can work to the internationally accepted definition of “genocide” rather than the pretendy straw man made up by a Russian sympathising conspiracy theorist such as yourself?
Maybe you could actually READ you daft fuckwit - I was asking for John Lilburne's explanation of his supposition that hundreds of thousands would be killed if Ukraine surrendered. Genocide wasn't mentioned.
It was in the other post line to which you originally replied on. But of course truth doesn’t matter to you. Just your master’s bidding.
This conversation is showing you up to be a complete loon. I questioned a claim that Putin would slaughter hundreds of thousands post-"surrender". Now I am apparently twisting the meaning of genocide by using the frames of reference given in the original post?
As for 'my master's bidding' - I don't have a master, and that allows me to speak as I find. Perhaps you should think about who has benefitted you, and how that has informed your own viewpoint, because your above post reads like classic projection to me.
The original post that I replied to - and where you responded to me - talked about genocide and you responded with a straw man on 200,000+ deaths
I know that you have consistently parroted Russian propaganda lines from MH17 onward. But I forget you are a truth seeker who treats all statements by western governments with scepticism. And yet, somehow, you always end up sharing the same position as the Russians.
But you’re right. I’ve no evidence that you are paid by the Russians. May be you are just a fool instead.
Dear God, This was the post I replied to:
Trump doesn't want the killing to stop. He wants Ukraine to surrender, after which hundreds of thousands will be killed by Russia. Stopping the war doesn't bring peace, it enables genocide.
200,000+ is the minimum number that that comment could have been referring to. So it wasn't any kind of 'straw man' - it was a conservative summation of the statement I took issue with.
A common mistake, 100,000+ is the minimum number to be in the hundreds of thousands. The range of numbers that fit within the hundreds of thousands is 100,000 - 999,999.
Someone earning £140k is earning a salary within the hundreds of thousands (1.4 hundreds of thousands if you want to precise).
Either way though, either number is entirely possible given Russia's actions in the past and present and the mass graves we have already seen.
Farage said the west intimidated Putin into invading. Why would he say that if he didn’t support Putin?
He's said in the past NATO/EU expansion was a pretext Putin used, as he was trying to explain he wasn't justifying Putin's actions. A pretext by definition is not the real reason, yet he still seems to genuinely blame NATO/EU for it. So either he doesn't know what a pretext is since if he thinks it was a pretext there's no cause to get angry with the West, or he was lying and does think the action was justified.
Sod those WASPI women, it is surely the United faithful that need some compensation and consideration for unexpected and brutal disappointments. £20k a head seems light for the trauma we have had to endure. This is beyond depressing and I am getting beyond depressed. Help.
Why don’t the young in this country have some compensation for giving up our lives to protect the elderly from Covid
Sure, we made terrible mistakes at their expense. But United fans are the more urgent cause.
You still have a few more weeks to officially enjoy the fact you have the most league titles, until we jointly reclaim that from you.
Farage said the west intimidated Putin into invading. Why would he say that if he didn’t support Putin?
He's said in the past NATO/EU expansion was a pretext Putin used, as he was trying to explain he wasn't justifying Putin's actions. A pretext by definition is not the real reason, yet he still seems to genuinely blame NATO/EU for it. So either he doesn't know what a pretext is, or he was lying and does think the action was justified.
Vance and co certainly do think that.
His silence and lack of action is indicative. Look at how active they were on the grooming gangs.
Today is, OT notwithstanding, a truly remarkable day. The ST had a cartoon in the centre pages that actually made me laugh. It is beyond my feng shui to link it to here but it was genuinely funny. Don't miss it.
Sky’s Day of the Jackal is quite fabulously mediocre
MI6’s breakthrough interrogation technique is “going into a hospital and holding a pillow over the suspect’s face until he reveals the information”
How long did it take them to come up with that? They must have had the scriptwriters brainstorming for a week for something new and clever and fresh - then bingo
Eddie Redmayne’s about as threatening as a baby rabbit.
I do have difficulty picturing it. Actors can surprise though, I was shocked Timothee Chalamet was able to portray some strength and even menace in Dune Part II when he looks like a stiff breeze would blow him over.
Whereas why the hell anyone ever thought casting the vampire actor as Batman was a good idea is beyond me.
He could not and did not pull that off. Dreadful casting.
Sod those WASPI women, it is surely the United faithful that need some compensation and consideration for unexpected and brutal disappointments. £20k a head seems light for the trauma we have had to endure. This is beyond depressing and I am getting beyond depressed. Help.
Why don’t the young in this country have some compensation for giving up our lives to protect the elderly from Covid
Giving up your lives implies you died, yet here you are. The reality was that lockdown affected everybody. We all gave up our lives (sic). What do you want in return? I don’t think we need to link Covid to the housing crisis. And you can and many are, looking at ending the farce of the triple lock. But if you feel more is needed maybe it’s time to go into politics and make things happen? Have you thought of it? You have the passion.
Turkey's participation in the summit is interesting. Powerful NATO member but outside of the EU despite their aspirations. They could deliver a lot for European security and they are certainly not afraid if mixing it. As I say interesting.
I mean I've only seen the highlights but surely Trump is simply taking a side in one of the oldest and most difficult dilemmas. What is worth giving up to stop the killing.
Why is dealing with that impossible question so reprehensible.
We see it in aid all the time (enable/support the tyrants to get food to the citizens..)
Yes, he’s decided that giving up Ukraine is worth it to stem the expense to the US. The democratically elected government of Ukraine - along with the opposition, judging by their public comments yesterday, disagree.
Chuck into the mix Europe’s future security, which the US has apparently decided is no longer a matter for them, then a polite no thanks is in order. No skin in the game, no say.
All that, of course, is predicated on Europe getting its shit together over the next few days and weeks.
I would like to see Europe get its shit together in the next 24 hours.
The billions the UK promised yesterday are a good start.
Lets show the Americans we can help defeat Russia with or without them - but if its without them, they don't get a say in what happens afterwards.
What jobs will guarantee exemption from being called up to fight in this proposed EU war against Russia? I'll get my lads writing their job applications out ASAP.
Who said anything about the EU? Or war with Russia?
Russia is a small country, it is smaller than Italy economically. It is not some mighty bear that we should be afraid of.
Ukraine is able to defeat Russia with our backing, we have no reason or need to go to war, just continue to support Ukraine.
Do you think what is happening now (what you want to continue with) is going to allow Ukraine to defeat Russia.
Eventually, yes.
And that is a legitimate view, if misguided in my mind. It means thousands more deaths of people that are not you or your family but so be it. Trump's is that he wants the killing to stop. With all the compromises that involves. Why is that view so reprehensible.
Trump doesn't want the killing to stop. He wants Ukraine to surrender, after which hundreds of thousands will be killed by Russia. Stopping the war doesn't bring peace, it enables genocide.
I think this probably needs a bit of an accompanying explainer?
Not for anyone who has been paying attention for the last decade
Well given that you seem to think that's what you've been doing, perhaps you will favour us with an explanation of how demographically challenged Russia, having achieved all its territorial ambitions, is going to slaughter 200,000+ innocents.
Historically, conquering armies have had little trouble in massacring civilians.
In Ukraine, we have detailed, criminal case grade evidence of murders, expulsions and kidnapping of children in the areas occupied by Russia. En masse.9
In addition, the original plans for the Russian invasion were captured. They included mass arrests of the political and intellectual classes, as part of a plan to eliminate the idea of Ukraine as a separate state to Russia, culturally.
So you need to explain why you think that the Russians would behave differently in any areas of the Ukraine they conquer from now, to the way they behaved (and planned to behave) in those they have conquered.
I can well believe that they plan to do all those horrible things. But none of them amount to killing hundreds of thousands, or anything like. That's why I asked for an explanation, and why I wasn't surprised not to get one.
May be we can work to the internationally accepted definition of “genocide” rather than the pretendy straw man made up by a Russian sympathising conspiracy theorist such as yourself?
Maybe you could actually READ you daft fuckwit - I was asking for John Lilburne's explanation of his supposition that hundreds of thousands would be killed if Ukraine surrendered. Genocide wasn't mentioned.
It was in the other post line to which you originally replied on. But of course truth doesn’t matter to you. Just your master’s bidding.
This conversation is showing you up to be a complete loon. I questioned a claim that Putin would slaughter hundreds of thousands post-"surrender". Now I am apparently twisting the meaning of genocide by using the frames of reference given in the original post?
As for 'my master's bidding' - I don't have a master, and that allows me to speak as I find. Perhaps you should think about who has benefitted you, and how that has informed your own viewpoint, because your above post reads like classic projection to me.
The original post that I replied to - and where you responded to me - talked about genocide and you responded with a straw man on 200,000+ deaths
I know that you have consistently parroted Russian propaganda lines from MH17 onward. But I forget you are a truth seeker who treats all statements by western governments with scepticism. And yet, somehow, you always end up sharing the same position as the Russians.
But you’re right. I’ve no evidence that you are paid by the Russians. May be you are just a fool instead.
Dear God, This was the post I replied to:
Trump doesn't want the killing to stop. He wants Ukraine to surrender, after which hundreds of thousands will be killed by Russia. Stopping the war doesn't bring peace, it enables genocide.
200,000+ is the minimum number that that comment could have been referring to. So it wasn't any kind of 'straw man' - it was a conservative summation of the statement I took issue with.
Quite. The fact that Putin started a war that has killed well over 200,000 people shouldn't prejudice us against his peaceful intentions.
Whenever I come to China I am always reminded how insanely weird the Japanese are
The Chinese SHOUD be the strange ones. This distant ancient magnificent very foreign culture. And yet somehow they’re not. They’re like a mix of Russians and Turks with incredible infrastructure - they’re rude and friendly, they like a drink, their imperialism is a bit lazy
But the Japanese? The Japanese are just out there. Mad as a box of frog sashimi. Almost a different species. In a good way.
Not in a good way. Or at least not when I used to live and travel in the region. Then I put it down to the Japanese not having come to terms with losing, nor thinking they had done anything wrong in the war which, as you will know being a frequent visitor to China, is what accounts for the at times visceral hatred of the Japanese by the Chinese.
Really?! That surprises me. You’re an intelligent man of the world - the Japanese are brilliantly friendly and welcoming - their culture is amazing - the food omg - there is zero crime and they don’t fuck about with migration - they do everything differently and often superbly
That said their imperial history is appalling. Which is - as you note - why they are hated around the region. From Korea to the Philippines to China
But in my experience the Japanese are sincerely guilty about this - almost to a fault. A bit like the Germans
Japan might be my favourite single destination on Earth. Certainly up there
Many, many of them are super friendly and welcoming but there is, or was, to me a sinister undercurrent. I don't think I ever thought anyone was actually guilty or sorry for about what they did in the war. Certainly and to illustrated the stark difference, nowhere near the German what I believe is sincere and profound regret and guilt.
This view is hardly controversial among those familiar with the region.
I suppose you having to rely on everything second hand language-wise in the region, and coming fresh faced to it all might account for your restricted understanding.
Well yeah except I lived in Kyoto for several months with a friend who was a bilingual professor at Kyoto university who introduced me to dozens of fascinating and cultured Japanese people - who then invited me to their homes. Parties. Dinners. Weekends. And also I travelled all over and had an affair with a beautiful married Tokyo musician (great singer) etc etc
Apart from that my experience of Japan is minimal and of course you are a perfect Japanese speaker and a sumo wrestler so you know better
Yeah having a beer with some people being polite or embarrassed and humouring the gaijin gives you unprecedented insight.
I mean I've only seen the highlights but surely Trump is simply taking a side in one of the oldest and most difficult dilemmas. What is worth giving up to stop the killing.
Why is dealing with that impossible question so reprehensible.
We see it in aid all the time (enable/support the tyrants to get food to the citizens..)
Yes, he’s decided that giving up Ukraine is worth it to stem the expense to the US. The democratically elected government of Ukraine - along with the opposition, judging by their public comments yesterday, disagree.
Chuck into the mix Europe’s future security, which the US has apparently decided is no longer a matter for them, then a polite no thanks is in order. No skin in the game, no say.
All that, of course, is predicated on Europe getting its shit together over the next few days and weeks.
I would like to see Europe get its shit together in the next 24 hours.
The billions the UK promised yesterday are a good start.
Lets show the Americans we can help defeat Russia with or without them - but if its without them, they don't get a say in what happens afterwards.
What jobs will guarantee exemption from being called up to fight in this proposed EU war against Russia? I'll get my lads writing their job applications out ASAP.
Who said anything about the EU? Or war with Russia?
Russia is a small country, it is smaller than Italy economically. It is not some mighty bear that we should be afraid of.
Ukraine is able to defeat Russia with our backing, we have no reason or need to go to war, just continue to support Ukraine.
Do you think what is happening now (what you want to continue with) is going to allow Ukraine to defeat Russia.
Eventually, yes.
And that is a legitimate view, if misguided in my mind. It means thousands more deaths of people that are not you or your family but so be it. Trump's is that he wants the killing to stop. With all the compromises that involves. Why is that view so reprehensible.
Trump doesn't want the killing to stop. He wants Ukraine to surrender, after which hundreds of thousands will be killed by Russia. Stopping the war doesn't bring peace, it enables genocide.
I think this probably needs a bit of an accompanying explainer?
Not for anyone who has been paying attention for the last decade
Well given that you seem to think that's what you've been doing, perhaps you will favour us with an explanation of how demographically challenged Russia, having achieved all its territorial ambitions, is going to slaughter 200,000+ innocents.
Historically, conquering armies have had little trouble in massacring civilians.
In Ukraine, we have detailed, criminal case grade evidence of murders, expulsions and kidnapping of children in the areas occupied by Russia. En masse.9
In addition, the original plans for the Russian invasion were captured. They included mass arrests of the political and intellectual classes, as part of a plan to eliminate the idea of Ukraine as a separate state to Russia, culturally.
So you need to explain why you think that the Russians would behave differently in any areas of the Ukraine they conquer from now, to the way they behaved (and planned to behave) in those they have conquered.
I can well believe that they plan to do all those horrible things. But none of them amount to killing hundreds of thousands, or anything like. That's why I asked for an explanation, and why I wasn't surprised not to get one.
May be we can work to the internationally accepted definition of “genocide” rather than the pretendy straw man made up by a Russian sympathising conspiracy theorist such as yourself?
Maybe you could actually READ you daft fuckwit - I was asking for John Lilburne's explanation of his supposition that hundreds of thousands would be killed if Ukraine surrendered. Genocide wasn't mentioned.
It was in the other post line to which you originally replied on. But of course truth doesn’t matter to you. Just your master’s bidding.
This conversation is showing you up to be a complete loon. I questioned a claim that Putin would slaughter hundreds of thousands post-"surrender". Now I am apparently twisting the meaning of genocide by using the frames of reference given in the original post?
As for 'my master's bidding' - I don't have a master, and that allows me to speak as I find. Perhaps you should think about who has benefitted you, and how that has informed your own viewpoint, because your above post reads like classic projection to me.
The original post that I replied to - and where you responded to me - talked about genocide and you responded with a straw man on 200,000+ deaths
I know that you have consistently parroted Russian propaganda lines from MH17 onward. But I forget you are a truth seeker who treats all statements by western governments with scepticism. And yet, somehow, you always end up sharing the same position as the Russians.
But you’re right. I’ve no evidence that you are paid by the Russians. May be you are just a fool instead.
Dear God, This was the post I replied to:
Trump doesn't want the killing to stop. He wants Ukraine to surrender, after which hundreds of thousands will be killed by Russia. Stopping the war doesn't bring peace, it enables genocide.
200,000+ is the minimum number that that comment could have been referring to. So it wasn't any kind of 'straw man' - it was a conservative summation of the statement I took issue with.
Did you read the Wikipedia article I posted? Or do you regard it as anti-Russian propaganda?
Starmer has had a decent day at the office today, so far. Politics happens a day/hour at a time at the moment, and we have no idea what lunacy is to be unleashed tomorrow, but UK, France and friends have pushed things forward in good ways today. We are right to keep testing out the USA as to its loyalties and giving them every chance to be onside with us WRT European policy, even if for now their internal politics is a lost cause.
And pictures matter. Mr Z with HMKCIII, just released, (probably a good call on HM's part to wear a suit instead of red trousers) and with Starmer are worth a million words when weighed against the disgrace of Friday.
Sod those WASPI women, it is surely the United faithful that need some compensation and consideration for unexpected and brutal disappointments. £20k a head seems light for the trauma we have had to endure. This is beyond depressing and I am getting beyond depressed. Help.
Why don’t the young in this country have some compensation for giving up our lives to protect the elderly from Covid
Giving up your lives implies you died, yet here you are. The reality was that lockdown affected everybody. We all gave up our lives (sic). What do you want in return? I don’t think we need to link Covid to the housing crisis. And you can and many are, looking at ending the farce of the triple lock. But if you feel more is needed maybe it’s time to go into politics and make things happen? Have you thought of it? You have the passion.
You clearly don’t know me at all if you think politics is my passion.
Starmer has had a decent day at the office today, so far. Politics happens a day/hour at a time at the moment, and we have no idea what lunacy is to be unleashed tomorrow, but UK, France and friends have pushed things forward in good ways today. We are right to keep testing out the USA as to its loyalties and giving them every chance to be onside with us WRT European policy, even if for now their internal politics is a lost cause.
And pictures matter. Mr Z with HMKCIII, just released, (probably a good call on HM's part to wear a suit instead of red trousers) and with Starmer are worth a million words when weighed against the disgrace of Friday.
He'll be in a spot of bother on Wednesday when Kemi asks him why he humiliated Chas. Granted she claimed it was her idea earlier in the week, but she isn't directly tainted by the Oval Office debacle.
I am still deafened by Farage's AWOL radio silence.
Farage said the west intimidated Putin into invading. Why would he say that if he didn’t support Putin?
Because he is a muppet?
You can say many things about Farage, but the idea he is casual with his words doesn't stand much scrutiny.
Think the worst of Farage and you won't go far wrong.
I don't over analyse Farage. That word that rhymes with James Hunt covers all eventualities. Farage is a ...
If Farage wanted to tell us that Putin is a wicked war criminal, Mr Z is a hero, Trump is sub-optimal and has chosen his friends unwisely, and Starmer has played a difficult hand well this week in times when patriotic parties in the UK unite over essentials I am sure he can find the words. He hasn't.
Sod those WASPI women, it is surely the United faithful that need some compensation and consideration for unexpected and brutal disappointments. £20k a head seems light for the trauma we have had to endure. This is beyond depressing and I am getting beyond depressed. Help.
Why don’t the young in this country have some compensation for giving up our lives to protect the elderly from Covid
Giving up your lives implies you died, yet here you are. The reality was that lockdown affected everybody. We all gave up our lives (sic). What do you want in return? I don’t think we need to link Covid to the housing crisis. And you can and many are, looking at ending the farce of the triple lock. But if you feel more is needed maybe it’s time to go into politics and make things happen? Have you thought of it? You have the passion.
You clearly don’t know me at all if you think politics is my passion.
Your passion is obviously horses arranged in parallel to maximise effect. Correct?
Sod those WASPI women, it is surely the United faithful that need some compensation and consideration for unexpected and brutal disappointments. £20k a head seems light for the trauma we have had to endure. This is beyond depressing and I am getting beyond depressed. Help.
Why don’t the young in this country have some compensation for giving up our lives to protect the elderly from Covid
Giving up your lives implies you died, yet here you are. The reality was that lockdown affected everybody. We all gave up our lives (sic). What do you want in return? I don’t think we need to link Covid to the housing crisis. And you can and many are, looking at ending the farce of the triple lock. But if you feel more is needed maybe it’s time to go into politics and make things happen? Have you thought of it? You have the passion.
You clearly don’t know me at all if you think politics is my passion.
Your passion is obviously horses arranged in parallel to maximise effect. Correct?
Farage said the west intimidated Putin into invading. Why would he say that if he didn’t support Putin?
Because he is a muppet?
You can say many things about Farage, but the idea he is casual with his words doesn't stand much scrutiny.
Think the worst of Farage and you won't go far wrong.
I don't over analyse Farage. That word that rhymes with James Hunt covers all eventualities. Farage is a ...
If Farage wanted to tell us that Putin is a wicked war criminal, Mr Z is a hero, Trump is sub-optimal and has chosen his friends unwisely, and Starmer has played a difficult hand well this week in times when patriotic parties in the UK unite over essentials I am sure he can find the words. He hasn't.
He will say that just as soon as he can find a way of linking all that to immigration.
Starmer has had a decent day at the office today, so far. Politics happens a day/hour at a time at the moment, and we have no idea what lunacy is to be unleashed tomorrow, but UK, France and friends have pushed things forward in good ways today. We are right to keep testing out the USA as to its loyalties and giving them every chance to be onside with us WRT European policy, even if for now their internal politics is a lost cause.
And pictures matter. Mr Z with HMKCIII, just released, (probably a good call on HM's part to wear a suit instead of red trousers) and with Starmer are worth a million words when weighed against the disgrace of Friday.
He'll be in a spot of bother on Wednesday when Kemi asks him why he humiliated Chas. Granted she claimed it was her idea earlier in the week, but she isn't directly tainted by the Oval Office debacle.
I am still deafened by Farage's AWOL radio silence.
1 I predict Kemi won't ask the question. I think she gets that loyalty to state and crown means a lot this week.
2 Farage and Reform seem to be in a deep dilemma. The fact they find this a dilemma is itself a total self condemnation. The dilemma boils down to loyalty to UK interests or loyalty to Trump/Russia's.
Trump said this to Zelensky at the WH on Friday and I don't think it's received enough attention. There's an implicit "any" there before "deal", isn't there. Given "we're out" means pulling the plug it's basically serving Ukraine up to Putin on a plate.
Ok, Putin wasn't at the meeting so it's just about possible he doesn't know about it. But he has his sources so I think we must assume he does. In which case Trump has telegraphed to Putin, "you have all the cards, Ukraine has none."
Why would he do this? One reason only. He wants any old deal so he can say he's done one. But he also has the red line of no financial or military cost to America. Cake and eat it in other words. It's not a coherent position and I can't see him pulling it off.
Trump said this to Zelensky at the WH on Friday and I don't think it's received enough attention. There's an implicit "any" there before "deal", isn't there. Given "we're out" means pulling the plug it's basically serving Ukraine up to Putin on a plate.
Ok, Putin wasn't at the meeting so it's just about possible he doesn't know about it. But he has his sources so I think we must assume he does. In which case Trump has telegraphed to Putin, "you have all the cards, Ukraine has none."
Why would he do this? One reason only. He wants any old deal so he can say he's done one. But he also has the red line of no financial or military cost to America. Cake and eat it in other words. It's not a coherent position and I can't see him pulling it off.
It is a coherent position, just not an honourable one.
And he's not just telegraphing to Putin that he holds all the cards, Ukraine has none, he said so explicitly.
The problem is that the cards that Trump are holding is the Joker and the Get out of Jail Free card the Supreme Court gave him, not aces. Oh and that Zelensky is fighting a war, not playing solitaire.
Europe can back up Ukraine with or without the USA. Rather do it with, but if need be alone, it wouldn't be the first time we've stood up to fascists without America.
Russia does not have the economic or industrial might of the UK and Europe combined. Heck it doesn't have it of the UK alone, not that we are alone in supporting Ukraine.
Trump said this to Zelensky at the WH on Friday and I don't think it's received enough attention. There's an implicit "any" there before "deal", isn't there. Given "we're out" means pulling the plug it's basically serving Ukraine up to Putin on a plate.
Ok, Putin wasn't at the meeting so it's just about possible he doesn't know about it. But he has his sources so I think we must assume he does. In which case Trump has telegraphed to Putin, "you have all the cards, Ukraine has none."
Why would he do this? One reason only. He wants any old deal so he can say he's done one. But he also has the red line of no financial or military cost to America. Cake and eat it in other words. It's not a coherent position and I can't see him pulling it off.
Yes. Non USA NATO today has given Trump an exit strategy from his Friday catastrophe + clearly indicated that he has to take that route to stay friends with a vast range of decently civilised countries and placing the ball in Trump's court.
If Trump in the end says No, or raises the stakes too high, I think non USA NATO will carry on alone. Actually, I don't think they have a choice.
Farage said the west intimidated Putin into invading. Why would he say that if he didn’t support Putin?
Because he is a muppet?
You can say many things about Farage, but the idea he is casual with his words doesn't stand much scrutiny.
Think the worst of Farage and you won't go far wrong.
I don't over analyse Farage. That word that rhymes with James Hunt covers all eventualities. Farage is a ...
If Farage wanted to tell us that Putin is a wicked war criminal, Mr Z is a hero, Trump is sub-optimal and has chosen his friends unwisely, and Starmer has played a difficult hand well this week in times when patriotic parties in the UK unite over essentials I am sure he can find the words. He hasn't.
He will say that just as soon as he can find a way of linking all that to immigration.
Farage doesn't possess Johnson's talent for inconsistency and disloyalty. Johnson would betray Trump in a heartbeat (as Jenrick has) and claim he never praised Trump in the first place( much like Trump.). Farage is far more loyal and appears unable to condemn his orange ally.
Trump said this to Zelensky at the WH on Friday and I don't think it's received enough attention. There's an implicit "any" there before "deal", isn't there. Given "we're out" means pulling the plug it's basically serving Ukraine up to Putin on a plate.
Ok, Putin wasn't at the meeting so it's just about possible he doesn't know about it. But he has his sources so I think we must assume he does. In which case Trump has telegraphed to Putin, "you have all the cards, Ukraine has none."
Why would he do this? One reason only. He wants any old deal so he can say he's done one. But he also has the red line of no financial or military cost to America. Cake and eat it in other words. It's not a coherent position and I can't see him pulling it off.
Yes. Non USA NATO today has given Trump an exit strategy from his Friday catastrophe + clearly indicated that he has to take that route to stay friends with a vast range of decently civilised countries and placing the ball in Trump's court.
If Trump in the end says No, or raises the stakes too high, I think non USA NATO will carry on alone. Actually, I don't think they have a choice.
Well done to all the leaders stepping up to the plate and filling the vacuum. They all deserve credit.
Putin thought America was all that mattered in the West and he may have bought off the President, but the West is more than just America. To go with the card analogy, Trump may want to fold, but non-USA NATO is calling Putin's bluff.
Trump said this to Zelensky at the WH on Friday and I don't think it's received enough attention. There's an implicit "any" there before "deal", isn't there. Given "we're out" means pulling the plug it's basically serving Ukraine up to Putin on a plate.
Ok, Putin wasn't at the meeting so it's just about possible he doesn't know about it. But he has his sources so I think we must assume he does. In which case Trump has telegraphed to Putin, "you have all the cards, Ukraine has none."
Why would he do this? One reason only. He wants any old deal so he can say he's done one. But he also has the red line of no financial or military cost to America. Cake and eat it in other words. It's not a coherent position and I can't see him pulling it off.
It is a coherent position, just not an honourable one.
And he's not just telegraphing to Putin that he holds all the cards, Ukraine has none, he said so explicitly.
The problem is that the cards that Trump are holding is the Joker and the Get out of Jail Free card the Supreme Court gave him, not aces. Oh and that Zelensky is fighting a war, not playing solitaire.
Europe can back up Ukraine with or without the USA. Rather do it with, but if need be alone, it wouldn't be the first time we've stood up to fascists without America.
Russia does not have the economic or industrial might of the UK and Europe combined. Heck it doesn't have it of the UK alone, not that we are alone in supporting Ukraine.
It might work if he drops the condition of no cost to America. Otherwise I can't see it.
Trump said this to Zelensky at the WH on Friday and I don't think it's received enough attention. There's an implicit "any" there before "deal", isn't there. Given "we're out" means pulling the plug it's basically serving Ukraine up to Putin on a plate.
Ok, Putin wasn't at the meeting so it's just about possible he doesn't know about it. But he has his sources so I think we must assume he does. In which case Trump has telegraphed to Putin, "you have all the cards, Ukraine has none."
Why would he do this? One reason only. He wants any old deal so he can say he's done one. But he also has the red line of no financial or military cost to America. Cake and eat it in other words. It's not a coherent position and I can't see him pulling it off.
Yes. Non USA NATO today has given Trump an exit strategy from his Friday catastrophe + clearly indicated that he has to take that route to stay friends with a vast range of decently civilised countries and placing the ball in Trump's court.
If Trump in the end says No, or raises the stakes too high, I think non USA NATO will carry on alone. Actually, I don't think they have a choice.
If Musk is pulling the strings he has already demanded the USA leave NATO and even more remarkably the UN.
I mean I've only seen the highlights but surely Trump is simply taking a side in one of the oldest and most difficult dilemmas. What is worth giving up to stop the killing.
Why is dealing with that impossible question so reprehensible.
We see it in aid all the time (enable/support the tyrants to get food to the citizens..)
Yes, he’s decided that giving up Ukraine is worth it to stem the expense to the US. The democratically elected government of Ukraine - along with the opposition, judging by their public comments yesterday, disagree.
Chuck into the mix Europe’s future security, which the US has apparently decided is no longer a matter for them, then a polite no thanks is in order. No skin in the game, no say.
All that, of course, is predicated on Europe getting its shit together over the next few days and weeks.
I would like to see Europe get its shit together in the next 24 hours.
The billions the UK promised yesterday are a good start.
Lets show the Americans we can help defeat Russia with or without them - but if its without them, they don't get a say in what happens afterwards.
What jobs will guarantee exemption from being called up to fight in this proposed EU war against Russia? I'll get my lads writing their job applications out ASAP.
Who said anything about the EU? Or war with Russia?
Russia is a small country, it is smaller than Italy economically. It is not some mighty bear that we should be afraid of.
Ukraine is able to defeat Russia with our backing, we have no reason or need to go to war, just continue to support Ukraine.
Do you think what is happening now (what you want to continue with) is going to allow Ukraine to defeat Russia.
Eventually, yes.
And that is a legitimate view, if misguided in my mind. It means thousands more deaths of people that are not you or your family but so be it. Trump's is that he wants the killing to stop. With all the compromises that involves. Why is that view so reprehensible.
Trump doesn't want the killing to stop. He wants Ukraine to surrender, after which hundreds of thousands will be killed by Russia. Stopping the war doesn't bring peace, it enables genocide.
I think this probably needs a bit of an accompanying explainer?
Not for anyone who has been paying attention for the last decade
Well given that you seem to think that's what you've been doing, perhaps you will favour us with an explanation of how demographically challenged Russia, having achieved all its territorial ambitions, is going to slaughter 200,000+ innocents.
Historically, conquering armies have had little trouble in massacring civilians.
In Ukraine, we have detailed, criminal case grade evidence of murders, expulsions and kidnapping of children in the areas occupied by Russia. En masse.9
In addition, the original plans for the Russian invasion were captured. They included mass arrests of the political and intellectual classes, as part of a plan to eliminate the idea of Ukraine as a separate state to Russia, culturally.
So you need to explain why you think that the Russians would behave differently in any areas of the Ukraine they conquer from now, to the way they behaved (and planned to behave) in those they have conquered.
I can well believe that they plan to do all those horrible things. But none of them amount to killing hundreds of thousands, or anything like. That's why I asked for an explanation, and why I wasn't surprised not to get one.
May be we can work to the internationally accepted definition of “genocide” rather than the pretendy straw man made up by a Russian sympathising conspiracy theorist such as yourself?
Maybe you could actually READ you daft fuckwit - I was asking for John Lilburne's explanation of his supposition that hundreds of thousands would be killed if Ukraine surrendered. Genocide wasn't mentioned.
It was in the other post line to which you originally replied on. But of course truth doesn’t matter to you. Just your master’s bidding.
This conversation is showing you up to be a complete loon. I questioned a claim that Putin would slaughter hundreds of thousands post-"surrender". Now I am apparently twisting the meaning of genocide by using the frames of reference given in the original post?
As for 'my master's bidding' - I don't have a master, and that allows me to speak as I find. Perhaps you should think about who has benefitted you, and how that has informed your own viewpoint, because your above post reads like classic projection to me.
The original post that I replied to - and where you responded to me - talked about genocide and you responded with a straw man on 200,000+ deaths
I know that you have consistently parroted Russian propaganda lines from MH17 onward. But I forget you are a truth seeker who treats all statements by western governments with scepticism. And yet, somehow, you always end up sharing the same position as the Russians.
But you’re right. I’ve no evidence that you are paid by the Russians. May be you are just a fool instead.
Dear God, This was the post I replied to:
Trump doesn't want the killing to stop. He wants Ukraine to surrender, after which hundreds of thousands will be killed by Russia. Stopping the war doesn't bring peace, it enables genocide.
200,000+ is the minimum number that that comment could have been referring to. So it wasn't any kind of 'straw man' - it was a conservative summation of the statement I took issue with.
Did you read the Wikipedia article I posted? Or do you regard it as anti-Russian propaganda?
No, sorry, I was too busy defending myself from accusations of redefining genocide and making straw men for numbers that you had put forward. I can't see it in the thread, so if you wish to repost it, I'll read it.
Farage said the west intimidated Putin into invading. Why would he say that if he didn’t support Putin?
Because he is a muppet?
You can say many things about Farage, but the idea he is casual with his words doesn't stand much scrutiny.
Think the worst of Farage and you won't go far wrong.
I don't over analyse Farage. That word that rhymes with James Hunt covers all eventualities. Farage is a ...
If Farage wanted to tell us that Putin is a wicked war criminal, Mr Z is a hero, Trump is sub-optimal and has chosen his friends unwisely, and Starmer has played a difficult hand well this week in times when patriotic parties in the UK unite over essentials I am sure he can find the words. He hasn't.
He will say that just as soon as he can find a way of linking all that to immigration.
Farage doesn't possess Johnson's talent for inconsistency and disloyalty. Johnson would betray Trump in a heartbeat (as Jenrick has) and claim he never praised Trump in the first place( much like Trump.). Farage is far more loyal and appears unable to condemn his orange ally.
Farage lacks the subtlety Starmer has shown. Sir K keeps saying that he is sure Trump is onside and all that, but we all know perfectly well he is setting Trump tests and giving him a chance of exits from his own duplicity, and is also developing the best possible plan (which would of course be tragically sub-optimal) for if Trump proves as perfidious as he appears.
I mean I've only seen the highlights but surely Trump is simply taking a side in one of the oldest and most difficult dilemmas. What is worth giving up to stop the killing.
Why is dealing with that impossible question so reprehensible.
We see it in aid all the time (enable/support the tyrants to get food to the citizens..)
Yes, he’s decided that giving up Ukraine is worth it to stem the expense to the US. The democratically elected government of Ukraine - along with the opposition, judging by their public comments yesterday, disagree.
Chuck into the mix Europe’s future security, which the US has apparently decided is no longer a matter for them, then a polite no thanks is in order. No skin in the game, no say.
All that, of course, is predicated on Europe getting its shit together over the next few days and weeks.
I would like to see Europe get its shit together in the next 24 hours.
The billions the UK promised yesterday are a good start.
Lets show the Americans we can help defeat Russia with or without them - but if its without them, they don't get a say in what happens afterwards.
What jobs will guarantee exemption from being called up to fight in this proposed EU war against Russia? I'll get my lads writing their job applications out ASAP.
Who said anything about the EU? Or war with Russia?
Russia is a small country, it is smaller than Italy economically. It is not some mighty bear that we should be afraid of.
Ukraine is able to defeat Russia with our backing, we have no reason or need to go to war, just continue to support Ukraine.
Do you think what is happening now (what you want to continue with) is going to allow Ukraine to defeat Russia.
Eventually, yes.
And that is a legitimate view, if misguided in my mind. It means thousands more deaths of people that are not you or your family but so be it. Trump's is that he wants the killing to stop. With all the compromises that involves. Why is that view so reprehensible.
Trump doesn't want the killing to stop. He wants Ukraine to surrender, after which hundreds of thousands will be killed by Russia. Stopping the war doesn't bring peace, it enables genocide.
I think this probably needs a bit of an accompanying explainer?
Not for anyone who has been paying attention for the last decade
Well given that you seem to think that's what you've been doing, perhaps you will favour us with an explanation of how demographically challenged Russia, having achieved all its territorial ambitions, is going to slaughter 200,000+ innocents.
Historically, conquering armies have had little trouble in massacring civilians.
In Ukraine, we have detailed, criminal case grade evidence of murders, expulsions and kidnapping of children in the areas occupied by Russia. En masse.9
In addition, the original plans for the Russian invasion were captured. They included mass arrests of the political and intellectual classes, as part of a plan to eliminate the idea of Ukraine as a separate state to Russia, culturally.
So you need to explain why you think that the Russians would behave differently in any areas of the Ukraine they conquer from now, to the way they behaved (and planned to behave) in those they have conquered.
I can well believe that they plan to do all those horrible things. But none of them amount to killing hundreds of thousands, or anything like. That's why I asked for an explanation, and why I wasn't surprised not to get one.
May be we can work to the internationally accepted definition of “genocide” rather than the pretendy straw man made up by a Russian sympathising conspiracy theorist such as yourself?
Maybe you could actually READ you daft fuckwit - I was asking for John Lilburne's explanation of his supposition that hundreds of thousands would be killed if Ukraine surrendered. Genocide wasn't mentioned.
It was in the other post line to which you originally replied on. But of course truth doesn’t matter to you. Just your master’s bidding.
This conversation is showing you up to be a complete loon. I questioned a claim that Putin would slaughter hundreds of thousands post-"surrender". Now I am apparently twisting the meaning of genocide by using the frames of reference given in the original post?
As for 'my master's bidding' - I don't have a master, and that allows me to speak as I find. Perhaps you should think about who has benefitted you, and how that has informed your own viewpoint, because your above post reads like classic projection to me.
The original post that I replied to - and where you responded to me - talked about genocide and you responded with a straw man on 200,000+ deaths
I know that you have consistently parroted Russian propaganda lines from MH17 onward. But I forget you are a truth seeker who treats all statements by western governments with scepticism. And yet, somehow, you always end up sharing the same position as the Russians.
But you’re right. I’ve no evidence that you are paid by the Russians. May be you are just a fool instead.
Dear God, This was the post I replied to:
Trump doesn't want the killing to stop. He wants Ukraine to surrender, after which hundreds of thousands will be killed by Russia. Stopping the war doesn't bring peace, it enables genocide.
200,000+ is the minimum number that that comment could have been referring to. So it wasn't any kind of 'straw man' - it was a conservative summation of the statement I took issue with.
Quite. The fact that Putin started a war that has killed well over 200,000 people shouldn't prejudice us against his peaceful intentions.
Comments
Even so, the MAGA and Putin-love puts a lower ceiling on their vote.
Apart from that my experience of Japan is minimal
and of course you are a perfect Japanese speaker and a sumo wrestler so you know better
By the way I don't have a view on what the agreement should be like beyond it needs to be an outcome the Ukrainians will accept given the circumstances they find themselves in.
MI6’s breakthrough interrogation technique is “going into a hospital and holding a pillow over the suspect’s face until he reveals the information”
How long did it take them to come up with that? They must have had the scriptwriters brainstorming for a week for something new and clever and fresh - then bingo
He is also accused in the intro of "attacking the moderate rebels instead of ISIS" again I'm not sure what is to be expected of someone fighting a civil war. There were many flavours of rebel in the conflict, but few of them were moderate. I don't see how Assad could have prosecuted the war differently. Driven past the moderate rebels (taking fire) to get to ISIS?
I am a lot more persuaded by the regime's early support for ISIS in Iraq, which seems likely, and just proves that one should never work through such groups, as it always comes back to bite you.
Yes, the SDF is in a perilous position, but the reason that this makes ISIS more likely to rise again is that the HTS regime, which is ideologically adjacent to ISIS, will then be left holding the keys to the ISIS prisoners. You may find this piece interesting:
https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/isis-is-filling-the-vacuum-in-syria/
I supported Assad as the least worst option. Sadly events are proving me right, again. Every time the West gets on its white charger and decides to get rid of some nasty strongman, things invariably get worse, mostly much worse. It's a lesson we seem to need to learn again and again. I would like us, in Britain if nowhere else, to sort out our own issues, and stop trying to fix the rest of the world because they don't do things the way that we would like them to.
I know that you have consistently parroted Russian propaganda lines from MH17 onward. But I forget you are a truth seeker who treats all statements by western governments with scepticism. And yet, somehow, you always end up sharing the same position as the Russians.
But you’re right. I’ve no evidence that you are paid by the Russians. May be you are just a fool instead.
What's the point?
The film is really first class, and it really does a great job of portraying the careful austerity of the book. Hard to see what Sky thought they might add.
"‘We’re taking it seriously’: how police in Manchester cut burglaries by third"
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/mar/02/greater-manchester-police-cut-burglaries-crime-operation-castle
Fucking hideous building tho. A utilitarian concrete box. Japan has possibly the ugliest urban architecture on earth
Their excuse is war and fires and tsunamis and earthquakes so it’s not worth building anything beautiful as it won’t last. And yet the temples and castles (inasmuch as they survive) are exquisite
Like I said it is the most bewildering country on earth. Everywhere you turn there is a new paradox
The rationale for voters suggesting Labour will win most seats is that they are a) second in opinion polls b) are able to better target votes for seats and c) in power.
The rationale against are a) they are only second in opinion polls and dropping fast b) recent council elections seem to show them getting hit by Reform in areas where they used to be safe c) they are in power when it is more than likely things will get worse d) Starmer is universally hated
Reform continue to move forward at the moment and they will benefit from Labour delaying council elections in many areas as they can now focus their efforts. They have a rising star in Rupert Lowe. A long long way for them to go to win most seats at a General Election.
Tories seem to be consolidating around their base but lack ideas and quality people.
Lib Dems showing few signs of breaking out from their strongholds.
In summary this bet is like roulette.
Not unusual to find that burglary drops massively in an area when a single gang (or even one individual) is locked up.
You need to go to Japan for a few weeks and you’ll see what I mean
Everything Korea does Japan does in a better more sophisticated way that is somehow, at the same time, also colder and more alienating
Right that’s enough precise non generalised cultural observation and I’m finishing my Shanghai cocktails
Xie Xie and goodnight.
That’s the main problem. He is simply not scary or even remotely psycho. It’s a dreadful performance from a pretty good actor
And that is my final word. Nighty night
Trump doesn't want the killing to stop. He wants Ukraine to surrender, after which hundreds of thousands will be killed by Russia. Stopping the war doesn't bring
peace, it enables genocide.
200,000+ is the minimum number that that comment could have been referring to. So it wasn't any kind of 'straw man' - it was a conservative summation of the statement I took issue with.
Farage has made some noises in the right direction but has gone no where near as far as any of the other party leaders in the UK. And polls show that Reform supporters are by far the most anti-Ukraine and pro-Russian of voters.
So I don't think anyone can reasonably say they are definitely not pro-Russia/Putin
Take Matthew Goodwin who as well as being actually racist now, was posting earlier that Zelenskyy was to blame for the fallout in the White House!
Someone earning £140k is earning a salary within the hundreds of thousands (1.4 hundreds of thousands if you want to precise).
Either way though, either number is entirely possible given Russia's actions in the past and present and the mass graves we have already seen.
Vance and co certainly do think that.
Think the worst of Farage and you won't go far wrong.
He could not and did not pull that off. Dreadful casting.
lol
And pictures matter. Mr Z with HMKCIII, just released, (probably a good call on HM's part to wear a suit instead of red trousers) and with Starmer are worth a million words when weighed against the disgrace of Friday.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSsV7xyDyfY
I am still deafened by Farage's AWOL radio silence.
2 Farage and Reform seem to be in a deep dilemma. The fact they find this a dilemma is itself a total self condemnation. The dilemma boils down to loyalty to UK interests or loyalty to Trump/Russia's.
Trump said this to Zelensky at the WH on Friday and I don't think it's received enough attention. There's an implicit "any" there before "deal", isn't there. Given "we're out" means pulling the plug it's basically serving Ukraine up to Putin on a plate.
Ok, Putin wasn't at the meeting so it's just about possible he doesn't know about it. But he has his sources so I think we must assume he does. In which case Trump has telegraphed to Putin, "you have all the cards, Ukraine has none."
Why would he do this? One reason only. He wants any old deal so he can say he's done one. But he also has the red line of no financial or military cost to America. Cake and eat it in other words. It's not a coherent position and I can't see him pulling it off.
Reform had this week to simply say “we are backing the government in defending against Putin.”
They have not. They’re equivocated. That alone excludes me - and I am convinced most voters - from ever even considering voting for them.
I can’t think this kind of thing goes down well in the Red Wall.
And he's not just telegraphing to Putin that he holds all the cards, Ukraine has none, he said so explicitly.
The problem is that the cards that Trump are holding is the Joker and the Get out of Jail Free card the Supreme Court gave him, not aces. Oh and that Zelensky is fighting a war, not playing solitaire.
Europe can back up Ukraine with or without the USA. Rather do it with, but if need be alone, it wouldn't be the first time we've stood up to fascists without America.
Russia does not have the economic or industrial might of the UK and Europe combined. Heck it doesn't have it of the UK alone, not that we are alone in supporting Ukraine.
If Trump in the end says No, or raises the stakes too high, I think non USA NATO will carry on alone. Actually, I don't think they have a choice.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZD2njgRrW8o
Putin thought America was all that mattered in the West and he may have bought off the President, but the West is more than just America. To go with the card analogy, Trump may want to fold, but non-USA NATO is calling Putin's bluff.