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The fog of war – politicalbetting.com

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  • MoonRabbitMoonRabbit Posts: 13,353
    edited February 2022

    Jonathan said:

    Jonathan said:

    We are relying on the tact and diplomatic finesse of Liz Truss and Boris Johnson.

    No we aren't.

    The time for tact was before Russia invaded. Macron tried that and it was a disaster (no objection to him trying).

    Boris has been through this wonderfully blunt and untactful. Between Macron and Boris there was a good cop/bad cop dynamic.

    That last thing that is needed at the minute is tact.
    What’s your view of the endgame? Not sure we should be putting all our eggs in the basket where Putin changes his mind or suddenly throws his hands up and says he’s had enough.

    At some point, someone, somewhere will have to be clever. Hopefully they are doing that now.

    Is there a Russian general who doesn’t like this, who needs reassurances?
    Its dangerous because we're not dealing with someone sane.

    Today I can foresee four credible paths.

    1: Russia wins the war, but its very bloody, and they fail to keep a successful occupation.
    2: A negotiated settlement with the Donbas rebel areas being recognised and Russia withdraws from the rest of Ukraine.
    3: Putin finds a face-saving reason to pull out.
    4: Putin has an 'accident' and someone else in the Palace negotiates a truce.

    None of them seem particularly likely today, number 1 did at the start but not anymore.
    Some other possible paths:

    5) The conflict becomes bogged down as a stalemate - Putin doesn't withdraw but allows it to become frozen
    6) The economic sanctions lead to a revolution in Russia
    7) Putin becomes cornered and orders a pre-emptive nuclear strike on the west. :(
    13) it turns out none of this is real, I’m plugged in a Truman show type matrix in the pentagon to find out how I would think and blame at prospect of escalation to next defcon. I am unplugged, thanked for my help, and a pretty fit lady about my own age smiles as she gives me a cup of tea and my favourite sticky toffee hobnob biscuits, and says I can go back to her flat afterwards if I feel shaken by the experiment. I am then debriefed, telling them everything, but as soon as I finish I am unplugged from a Truman show matrix device to find myself in some hirrbile basement Kremlin test lab where they go huzzah, in Russian, so that’s what Westerners really think now dispose of the Guinea pig Bentcoksky.
  • rcs1000 said:

    PJohnson said:

    Scott_xP said:

    📉Russians are lining up at cash machines trying to ditch their rubles, despite them selling for *1/3rd less than Friday's close.*
    “I’ve stood in lines for an hour, but foreign currency is gone everywhere, just rubles,” said Vladimir

    https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-02-27/russians-rush-for-dollars-as-sanctions-threaten-ruble-collapse

    "...said Vladimir"?

    For some reason this brought to mind the image of Putin queued at the bank trying to get his umpteen billions of stolen loot out in dollar bills. :-)
    Destroying the lives of good ordinary Russians...a sad sight
    Just as a matter of interest, what do you think has happened to the lives of good ordinary Ukrainians since Russia invaded?
    Well accordingly to RT, they are being liberated from an evil Nazi regime.....
  • IshmaelZIshmaelZ Posts: 21,830

    IshmaelZ said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    Eabhal said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    malcolmg said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    Jonathan said:

    We are relying on the tact and diplomatic finesse of Liz Truss and Boris Johnson.

    No we aren't.

    The time for tact was before Russia invaded. Macron tried that and it was a disaster (no objection to him trying).

    Boris has been through this wonderfully blunt and untactful. Between Macron and Boris there was a good cop/bad cop dynamic.

    That last thing that is needed at the minute is tact.
    You lived through the dick-shrivelling embarrassment of Lizzie Goes To Moscow, and you are still prepared to have a pop at Macron?
    He is an absolute moron
    Is anyone not a moron in your eyes, aside from yourself and in-the-pay-of-Russia-sex-pest Salmond?

    (Gets ready for the usual stream of ill-directed verbal diarrhoea). ;)
    Moderator might want to have a think about that one.
    It's true, though, isn't it? Or does Swedish society have different norms when it comes to the way they treat women?
    Is it unprovoked racial smear night?
    I'm not sure you should be protesting tongue in cheek comments like this given your language last night.

    And Salmond's defence, afaik, was that his behaviour was unacceptable but not criminal.
    What language?
    I know you were displaying your impressive movie something, but
    https://vf.politicalbetting.com/discussion/comment/3813170#Comment_3813170
    "Not a word I knew till 2 minutes ago, but apparently used only as an ethnic slur. And what is this "normally considered fair game" shit? I mean, yes, we are all on the Ukr side, but you sound like a Victorian gent reading the ticker in his club and hoping the North is giving the niggers a dam' good pasting."

    you are literally too stupid to read that as a condemnation of ethnic slurs? Literally? Really really? Genuinely? Not kidding?

    The point of PB used to be the very high level of intelligence one could expect from one's readership. Those were the days.
    I didn't complain about your language at all. In fact, I posted a video of a Predator clip last night to defend your 'edgy' language.

    You asked "what language?"

    You also claimed to be drunk, so I thought you might need reminding of your 'edginess'.

    I'm probably too stupid to understand you though.
    I don't understand your point, then.
    You don't understand why your oh-so-very-cleverly-inoffensive use of offensive language might have upset some people (not me, I'm just trying to help you see what you've done), and you might need to temper your super-intelligent-but-not-offensive offensiveness?

    You are just too clever for everyone.
    Sorry (genuinely), I now see you were merely trying to help. I was not completely sober last night, but not at the memory loss stage either.
  • JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 42,205
    malcolmg said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    malcolmg said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    Jonathan said:

    We are relying on the tact and diplomatic finesse of Liz Truss and Boris Johnson.

    No we aren't.

    The time for tact was before Russia invaded. Macron tried that and it was a disaster (no objection to him trying).

    Boris has been through this wonderfully blunt and untactful. Between Macron and Boris there was a good cop/bad cop dynamic.

    That last thing that is needed at the minute is tact.
    You lived through the dick-shrivelling embarrassment of Lizzie Goes To Moscow, and you are still prepared to have a pop at Macron?
    He is an absolute moron
    Is anyone not a moron in your eyes, aside from yourself and in-the-pay-of-Russia-sex-pest Salmond?

    (Gets ready for the usual stream of ill-directed verbal diarrhoea). ;)
    Moderator might want to have a think about that one.
    It's true, though, isn't it? Or does Swedish society have different norms when it comes to the way they treat women?
    Is it unprovoked racial smear night?
    No. Stuart posts most of his hatred of England from his home in Sweden. From what I've heard, although he won, Salmond did not come out of the court case well. So I'm wondering if Stuart's view on this case has been coloured by his location.

    I mean, Salmond admitted to 'unacceptable behaviour' like climbing on top of a female guest at his official residence and kissing her whilst she was in bed.
    https://news.stv.tv/scotland/salmond-said-sorry-to-woman-for-unacceptable-behaviour

    "Despite being cleared of all charges, he also admitted to behaviour including stroking a female civil servant’s face while she slept, and tugging her hair on several occasions."

    https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/6745626/alex-salmond-sorry-behaviour-women-inquiry/

    Personally, I'd call that sort of behaviour 'sex pest'.
    What a demented twat you are, Mary Whitehouse reborn, how unlucky could your wife have been to be landed with a nutter like you. Good old Mr Perfect , stick to the Naked Rambling rather than the verbal diahorrea.
    LOL.

    "Naked rambling"?

    I am not ?Gough?. I was mistaken for him once when I was in Tain. Which was odd, as I was fully clothed.
  • ping said:

    Jonathan said:

    Hope someone sensible somewhere is thinking about the endgame.

    Indeed.

    Putin needs an off-ramp, but I don’t think the west is in the mood to give him one.

    Dangerous times.
    Hard to imagine what kind of an off-ramp you can give to someone who has deliberately driven into an untenable position.

    Personally I think there is much that could be offered:
    i) Ukraine agrees never to join NATO. (This is a bit phony because it was never going to do it anyway and doesn't need to now because it is de facto in anyway.)
    ii) Give up the Southern Oblasts. (You're not going to get them back anyway and they have large, awkward Russian minorities)
    iii) Let Russia keep the Crimea.

    Now piss off please Mr Putin.

    The trouble is that even if you give all of that it hardly compenates him for the cost of this mad adventure. He and his henchmen become pariahs. The Russian economy goes even further down the tubes. The Russian 'Empire' will never again increase an inch in the territory it holds. That's it - line in the sand. Russia stops where it is.

    Net result is that Putin goes down as the craziest Russian since Rasputin and the country disappears down the toilet.

    Not very appealing.
    Can someone just arrange for someone to put some poison into his wine?
    I think the only reasonable Western goal now can be regime change. I've got my own views as to what I'd like to see happen to him but the most important thing is he leaves office.

    The man is demented and evil, and isn't going to change.
  • ping said:

    Jonathan said:

    Hope someone sensible somewhere is thinking about the endgame.

    Indeed.

    Putin needs an off-ramp, but I don’t think the west is in the mood to give him one.

    Dangerous times.
    Hard to imagine what kind of an off-ramp you can give to someone who has deliberately driven into an untenable position.

    Personally I think there is much that could be offered:
    i) Ukraine agrees never to join NATO. (This is a bit phony because it was never going to do it anyway and doesn't need to now because it is de facto in anyway.)
    ii) Give up the Southern Oblasts. (You're not going to get them back anyway and they have large, awkward Russian minorities)
    iii) Let Russia keep the Crimea.

    Now piss off please Mr Putin.

    The trouble is that even if you give all of that it hardly compenates him for the cost of this mad adventure. He and his henchmen become pariahs. The Russian economy goes even further down the tubes. The Russian 'Empire' will never again increase an inch in the territory it holds. That's it - line in the sand. Russia stops where it is.

    Net result is that Putin goes down as the craziest Russian since Rasputin and the country disappears down the toilet.

    Not very appealing.
    The problem is this is rewarding Putin for his bad behaviour
    Scarcely, Gareth.

    He will hardly be able to set foot outside Russia, most of his toys will be confiscated and he will be reduced to relative penury. He'll be spending his time watching his wonderful country decline around him whilst he can do little about it apart from posting the occasional assinine pro-Russian comment on PB.

    It's no kind of life. It's why I don't think he would accept it unless forced to at the point of a gun.
  • FoxyFoxy Posts: 48,473
    Nigelb said:

    More seriously (BBC journalist).
    Russian troops are in Berdyansk. They're getting closer to Mariupol. Also not clear about the northern direction - Volnovakha I heard was totally cut off by Russian troops. They're encircling Mariupol from all sides.
    https://twitter.com/abdujalil/status/1497998348992798730

    It certainly looks as if the southern front is the one that the Russians are winning. Hard to know whether by accident or design.
  • Andy_JSAndy_JS Posts: 32,134

    ping said:

    Jonathan said:

    Hope someone sensible somewhere is thinking about the endgame.

    Indeed.

    Putin needs an off-ramp, but I don’t think the west is in the mood to give him one.

    Dangerous times.
    Hard to imagine what kind of an off-ramp you can give to someone who has deliberately driven into an untenable position.

    Personally I think there is much that could be offered:
    i) Ukraine agrees never to join NATO. (This is a bit phony because it was never going to do it anyway and doesn't need to now because it is de facto in anyway.)
    ii) Give up the Southern Oblasts. (You're not going to get them back anyway and they have large, awkward Russian minorities)
    iii) Let Russia keep the Crimea.

    Now piss off please Mr Putin.

    The trouble is that even if you give all of that it hardly compenates him for the cost of this mad adventure. He and his henchmen become pariahs. The Russian economy goes even further down the tubes. The Russian 'Empire' will never again increase an inch in the territory it holds. That's it - line in the sand. Russia stops where it is.

    Net result is that Putin goes down as the craziest Russian since Rasputin and the country disappears down the toilet.

    Not very appealing.
    I don't see why Ukraine should agree never to join NATO when that's probably the main way in which they can avoid being invaded again in the future.
  • OmniumOmnium Posts: 10,691
    IshmaelZ said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    Eabhal said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    malcolmg said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    Jonathan said:

    We are relying on the tact and diplomatic finesse of Liz Truss and Boris Johnson.

    No we aren't.

    The time for tact was before Russia invaded. Macron tried that and it was a disaster (no objection to him trying).

    Boris has been through this wonderfully blunt and untactful. Between Macron and Boris there was a good cop/bad cop dynamic.

    That last thing that is needed at the minute is tact.
    You lived through the dick-shrivelling embarrassment of Lizzie Goes To Moscow, and you are still prepared to have a pop at Macron?
    He is an absolute moron
    Is anyone not a moron in your eyes, aside from yourself and in-the-pay-of-Russia-sex-pest Salmond?

    (Gets ready for the usual stream of ill-directed verbal diarrhoea). ;)
    Moderator might want to have a think about that one.
    It's true, though, isn't it? Or does Swedish society have different norms when it comes to the way they treat women?
    Is it unprovoked racial smear night?
    I'm not sure you should be protesting tongue in cheek comments like this given your language last night.

    And Salmond's defence, afaik, was that his behaviour was unacceptable but not criminal.
    What language?
    I know you were displaying your impressive movie something, but
    https://vf.politicalbetting.com/discussion/comment/3813170#Comment_3813170
    "Not a word I knew till 2 minutes ago, but apparently used only as an ethnic slur. And what is this "normally considered fair game" shit? I mean, yes, we are all on the Ukr side, but you sound like a Victorian gent reading the ticker in his club and hoping the North is giving the niggers a dam' good pasting."

    you are literally too stupid to read that as a condemnation of ethnic slurs? Literally? Really really? Genuinely? Not kidding?

    The point of PB used to be the very high level of intelligence one could expect from one's readership. Those were the days.
    I didn't complain about your language at all. In fact, I posted a video of a Predator clip last night to defend your 'edgy' language.

    You asked "what language?"

    You also claimed to be drunk, so I thought you might need reminding of your 'edginess'.

    I'm probably too stupid to understand you though.
    I don't understand your point, then.
    You don't understand why your oh-so-very-cleverly-inoffensive use of offensive language might have upset some people (not me, I'm just trying to help you see what you've done), and you might need to temper your super-intelligent-but-not-offensive offensiveness?

    You are just too clever for everyone.
    Sorry (genuinely), I now see you were merely trying to help. I was not completely sober last night, but not at the memory loss stage either.
    Duh!
  • There must be about 10 times as many anti tank weapons in/headed for Ukraine as there are Russian tanks heading there.

    @visegrad24
    BREAKING: Danish PM Mette Frederiksen just announced that Denmark will send 2700 handheld anti-tank weapons and a number of spare parts to anti-air Stinger missiles Ukraine.

    She said she will also allow volunteers to go fight for Ukraine.
    https://twitter.com/visegrad24/status/1498001609699344392
  • malcolmgmalcolmg Posts: 43,209

    rcs1000 said:

    malcolmg said:

    Eabhal said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    malcolmg said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    Jonathan said:

    We are relying on the tact and diplomatic finesse of Liz Truss and Boris Johnson.

    No we aren't.

    The time for tact was before Russia invaded. Macron tried that and it was a disaster (no objection to him trying).

    Boris has been through this wonderfully blunt and untactful. Between Macron and Boris there was a good cop/bad cop dynamic.

    That last thing that is needed at the minute is tact.
    You lived through the dick-shrivelling embarrassment of Lizzie Goes To Moscow, and you are still prepared to have a pop at Macron?
    He is an absolute moron
    Is anyone not a moron in your eyes, aside from yourself and in-the-pay-of-Russia-sex-pest Salmond?

    (Gets ready for the usual stream of ill-directed verbal diarrhoea). ;)
    Moderator might want to have a think about that one.
    It's true, though, isn't it? Or does Swedish society have different norms when it comes to the way they treat women?
    Is it unprovoked racial smear night?
    I'm not sure you should be protesting tongue in cheek comments like this given your language last night.

    And Salmond's defence, afaik, was that his behaviour was unacceptable but not criminal.
    You obviously don't know very much, I assume you are a spotty youth who does not read newspapers. Not guilty on all counts you dunderheided moron by a jury of manly women. Get an education so you can read about stuff and understand what facts are.
    'manly women'?
    Lots of those in the Scottish legal system
    For sure
  • Andy_CookeAndy_Cooke Posts: 4,993
    PJohnson said:

    Scott_xP said:

    📉Russians are lining up at cash machines trying to ditch their rubles, despite them selling for *1/3rd less than Friday's close.*
    “I’ve stood in lines for an hour, but foreign currency is gone everywhere, just rubles,” said Vladimir

    https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-02-27/russians-rush-for-dollars-as-sanctions-threaten-ruble-collapse

    "...said Vladimir"?

    For some reason this brought to mind the image of Putin queued at the bank trying to get his umpteen billions of stolen loot out in dollar bills. :-)
    Destroying the lives of good ordinary Russians...a sad sight
    Yes, Putin is, isn't he?
    Shouldn't have resorted to attempted violent armed robbery on the grandest scale, really.
    Uniting the world against him, pushing Ukraine towards NATO and the EU, and ruining the lives of good ordinary Russians.
    What a stupid man.
  • tlg86tlg86 Posts: 26,123
    The FA say England will not play Russia at any level for the foreseeable future.
  • WhisperingOracleWhisperingOracle Posts: 9,050
    edited February 2022
    Foxy said:

    Nigelb said:

    More seriously (BBC journalist).
    Russian troops are in Berdyansk. They're getting closer to Mariupol. Also not clear about the northern direction - Volnovakha I heard was totally cut off by Russian troops. They're encircling Mariupol from all sides.
    https://twitter.com/abdujalil/status/1497998348992798730

    It certainly looks as if the southern front is the one that the Russians are winning. Hard to know whether by accident or design.
    He would have won the whole south by now if he'd started with a less nonsensical battle plan, I think.
  • England will not play Russia in any game for the foreseeable future
  • eekeek Posts: 28,077
    malcolmg said:

    eek said:

    malcolmg said:

    malcolmg said:

    malcolmg said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    Jonathan said:

    We are relying on the tact and diplomatic finesse of Liz Truss and Boris Johnson.

    No we aren't.

    The time for tact was before Russia invaded. Macron tried that and it was a disaster (no objection to him trying).

    Boris has been through this wonderfully blunt and untactful. Between Macron and Boris there was a good cop/bad cop dynamic.

    That last thing that is needed at the minute is tact.
    You lived through the dick-shrivelling embarrassment of Lizzie Goes To Moscow, and you are still prepared to have a pop at Macron?
    He is an absolute moron
    Is anyone not a moron in your eyes, aside from yourself and in-the-pay-of-Russia-sex-pest Salmond?

    (Gets ready for the usual stream of ill-directed verbal diarrhoea). ;)
    you flatter yourself , go get a life saddo. Ill-educated troll.
    Usual stream - tick

    ill-directed - tick

    verbal diarrhoea - tick

    ;)
    How sad get one get, now F**k off and bore someone else to death, you ignorant cretin.
    If only you took your insults and followed your own advice.
    Oh Dear Mr Blowhard joins the fray. You know you are in trouble when you are only supported by the W-eak one. Gives us a few of your usual boasts about what a big shot you are , make us laugh some more.
    I don’t remember boosting - I remember pointing out that your arguments are so weak all you have is insults.

    The pub bore that hasn’t realised he’s drunk his brains away
  • malcolmg said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    Jonathan said:

    We are relying on the tact and diplomatic finesse of Liz Truss and Boris Johnson.

    No we aren't.

    The time for tact was before Russia invaded. Macron tried that and it was a disaster (no objection to him trying).

    Boris has been through this wonderfully blunt and untactful. Between Macron and Boris there was a good cop/bad cop dynamic.

    That last thing that is needed at the minute is tact.
    You lived through the dick-shrivelling embarrassment of Lizzie Goes To Moscow, and you are still prepared to have a pop at Macron?
    He is an absolute moron
    Is anyone not a moron in your eyes, aside from yourself and in-the-pay-of-Russia-sex-pest Salmond?

    (Gets ready for the usual stream of ill-directed verbal diarrhoea). ;)
    Moderator might want to have a think about that one.
    It's true, though, isn't it? Or does Swedish society have different norms when it comes to the way they treat women?
    You’ve just stated that someone is guilty of something when they were acquitted in a court of law. OGH has a policy on defamation.
    His own lawyer, who called him a sex pest, says he wasn't charged with that
    Oh dear, defamatory statement about a second person. You BritNats are slow learners.
    The lawyer who acted for Alex Salmond during his sex assault trial is to be investigated after claims he described him as a "sex pest" and a bully.
    Gordon Jackson QC was caught on video making comments about the former first minister and two of his accusers.


    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-52081790
  • Foxy said:

    Nigelb said:

    More seriously (BBC journalist).
    Russian troops are in Berdyansk. They're getting closer to Mariupol. Also not clear about the northern direction - Volnovakha I heard was totally cut off by Russian troops. They're encircling Mariupol from all sides.
    https://twitter.com/abdujalil/status/1497998348992798730

    It certainly looks as if the southern front is the one that the Russians are winning. Hard to know whether by accident or design.
    I think peak ukrainian resistance is over
  • bigglesbiggles Posts: 5,909

    There must be about 10 times as many anti tank weapons in/headed for Ukraine as there are Russian tanks heading there.

    @visegrad24
    BREAKING: Danish PM Mette Frederiksen just announced that Denmark will send 2700 handheld anti-tank weapons and a number of spare parts to anti-air Stinger missiles Ukraine.

    She said she will also allow volunteers to go fight for Ukraine.
    https://twitter.com/visegrad24/status/1498001609699344392

    Certainly, if all of these get into the country before the borders close, then holding ground won’t be fun.
  • alex_alex_ Posts: 7,518
    Foxy said:

    Nigelb said:

    More seriously (BBC journalist).
    Russian troops are in Berdyansk. They're getting closer to Mariupol. Also not clear about the northern direction - Volnovakha I heard was totally cut off by Russian troops. They're encircling Mariupol from all sides.
    https://twitter.com/abdujalil/status/1497998348992798730

    It certainly looks as if the southern front is the one that the Russians are winning. Hard to know whether by accident or design.
    Haven’t they taken Mariupol about 3 times already?
  • JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 42,205
    Nigelb said:

    More seriously (BBC journalist).
    Russian troops are in Berdyansk. They're getting closer to Mariupol. Also not clear about the northern direction - Volnovakha I heard was totally cut off by Russian troops. They're encircling Mariupol from all sides.
    https://twitter.com/abdujalil/status/1497998348992798730

    As I believe I said this morning: we all (well, most of us...) want Ukraine to win so much that we might be biasing our posts towards that end, particularly as most western media is also biased that way. It might not be going as 'well' as we think.

    Although I hope it's going much better for Ukraine than I think.
  • Just a note on nuclear war: a strike on London would kill all the Russian oligarchs and kleptokrats and their families based here, not to mention all their wealth stored in London property and banks forever, and they'll be well connected enough with the Kremlin for him to be well aware of that. They're not insane even if he is.

    So, I'd treat threats like this with a pinch of salt.
  • malcolmg said:

    Eabhal said:

    malcolmg said:

    Eabhal said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    malcolmg said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    Jonathan said:

    We are relying on the tact and diplomatic finesse of Liz Truss and Boris Johnson.

    No we aren't.

    The time for tact was before Russia invaded. Macron tried that and it was a disaster (no objection to him trying).

    Boris has been through this wonderfully blunt and untactful. Between Macron and Boris there was a good cop/bad cop dynamic.

    That last thing that is needed at the minute is tact.
    You lived through the dick-shrivelling embarrassment of Lizzie Goes To Moscow, and you are still prepared to have a pop at Macron?
    He is an absolute moron
    Is anyone not a moron in your eyes, aside from yourself and in-the-pay-of-Russia-sex-pest Salmond?

    (Gets ready for the usual stream of ill-directed verbal diarrhoea). ;)
    Moderator might want to have a think about that one.
    It's true, though, isn't it? Or does Swedish society have different norms when it comes to the way they treat women?
    Is it unprovoked racial smear night?
    I'm not sure you should be protesting tongue in cheek comments like this given your language last night.

    And Salmond's defence, afaik, was that his behaviour was unacceptable but not criminal.
    You obviously don't know very much, I assume you are a spotty youth who does not read newspapers. Not guilty on all counts you dunderheided moron by a jury of mainly women. Get an education so you can read about stuff and understand what facts are.
    Just a millennial with normal blood pressure Malc.
    Well read the verdict , see who were lying through their teeth. NOT GUILTY on all charges despite the government and most others against him. A jury of his peers consisting of mainly women found him innocent on all charges.
    They found “not proven” on one.
  • nico679nico679 Posts: 6,200
    How do these donated weapons get to where they’re needed .

    Won’t they be sitting targets crossing by road once they enter Ukraine .
  • There must be about 10 times as many anti tank weapons in/headed for Ukraine as there are Russian tanks heading there.

    @visegrad24
    BREAKING: Danish PM Mette Frederiksen just announced that Denmark will send 2700 handheld anti-tank weapons and a number of spare parts to anti-air Stinger missiles Ukraine.

    She said she will also allow volunteers to go fight for Ukraine.
    https://twitter.com/visegrad24/status/1498001609699344392

    The second bit doesn't sound a good idea.
  • JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 42,205
    biggles said:

    There must be about 10 times as many anti tank weapons in/headed for Ukraine as there are Russian tanks heading there.

    @visegrad24
    BREAKING: Danish PM Mette Frederiksen just announced that Denmark will send 2700 handheld anti-tank weapons and a number of spare parts to anti-air Stinger missiles Ukraine.

    She said she will also allow volunteers to go fight for Ukraine.
    https://twitter.com/visegrad24/status/1498001609699344392

    Certainly, if all of these get into the country before the borders close, then holding ground won’t be fun.
    I wouldn't like to be in a truck hit by an anti-tank missile. Or a car. Or a house.

    Think of what the latter would do to house prices...
  • mwadamsmwadams Posts: 3,570
    The only problem with continuing to allow this Putin-bot to post here is that it can be referenced by Putin's propagandists as demonstrating that Western opinion is divided and not entirely against him.

    I'm not proposing a course of action, just suggesting a possible consequence.
  • WhisperingOracleWhisperingOracle Posts: 9,050
    edited February 2022
    PJohnson said:

    Foxy said:

    Nigelb said:

    More seriously (BBC journalist).
    Russian troops are in Berdyansk. They're getting closer to Mariupol. Also not clear about the northern direction - Volnovakha I heard was totally cut off by Russian troops. They're encircling Mariupol from all sides.
    https://twitter.com/abdujalil/status/1497998348992798730

    It certainly looks as if the southern front is the one that the Russians are winning. Hard to know whether by accident or design.
    I think peak ukrainian resistance is over
    ..and so is peak Putin strength, I think.
  • IshmaelZIshmaelZ Posts: 21,830
    Omnium said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    Omnium said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    Omnium said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    alex_ said:

    Just a question - where does Russia get its food from?

    Ukraine mainly
    I presume @IshmaelZ that you've comprehensively apologised for your comments last night?
    Look. I-- I'd had a lovely supper, and all I said to my wife was, 'That piece of halibut was good enough for Jehovah.'

    I can only repeat my reply to a previous hon gent, adding the observation that I have always loved the Dylan line "It's a wonder that you still know how to breathe."

    "Not a word I knew till 2 minutes ago, but apparently used only as an ethnic slur. And what is this "normally considered fair game" shit? I mean, yes, we are all on the Ukr side, but you sound like a Victorian gent reading the ticker in his club and hoping the North is giving the niggers a dam' good pasting."

    you are literally too stupid to read that as a condemnation of ethnic slurs? Literally? Really really? Genuinely? Not kidding?

    The point of PB used to be the very high level of intelligence one could expect from one's readership. Those were the days.
    How can you judge my level of stupidity?
    By the content of your posts, duh. Including this one.
    No thoughts about an apology then? No contritian? I guess you're busy with apparently being the most intelligent person in the world and owning half on England?
    Yawn

    You can really not see that saying in effect "That remark is as offensively racist as saying what you probably call the N word because that's the kind of moron you are" is not a racist thing to say? In which case it seems pointless to even get started on the Predator thing, but in a nutshell: the people he is addressing are not the F word, everyone knows that, it turns out later that he actually is.

    And you ask how I can judge your level of stupidity. How would I not be able to, when I can read and assess your output on here? How else would I do it, short of pming you an IQ test and urging you not to cheat?
  • malcolmgmalcolmg Posts: 43,209
    eek said:

    malcolmg said:

    eek said:

    malcolmg said:

    malcolmg said:

    malcolmg said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    Jonathan said:

    We are relying on the tact and diplomatic finesse of Liz Truss and Boris Johnson.

    No we aren't.

    The time for tact was before Russia invaded. Macron tried that and it was a disaster (no objection to him trying).

    Boris has been through this wonderfully blunt and untactful. Between Macron and Boris there was a good cop/bad cop dynamic.

    That last thing that is needed at the minute is tact.
    You lived through the dick-shrivelling embarrassment of Lizzie Goes To Moscow, and you are still prepared to have a pop at Macron?
    He is an absolute moron
    Is anyone not a moron in your eyes, aside from yourself and in-the-pay-of-Russia-sex-pest Salmond?

    (Gets ready for the usual stream of ill-directed verbal diarrhoea). ;)
    you flatter yourself , go get a life saddo. Ill-educated troll.
    Usual stream - tick

    ill-directed - tick

    verbal diarrhoea - tick

    ;)
    How sad get one get, now F**k off and bore someone else to death, you ignorant cretin.
    If only you took your insults and followed your own advice.
    Oh Dear Mr Blowhard joins the fray. You know you are in trouble when you are only supported by the W-eak one. Gives us a few of your usual boasts about what a big shot you are , make us laugh some more.
    I don’t remember boosting - I remember pointing out that your arguments are so weak all you have is insults.

    The pub bore that hasn’t realised he’s drunk his brains away
    Dear dear , is that the best you can manage. That from the cretin who said I had dementia. Go fuck yourself you moronic shitpot.
  • JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 42,205
    nico679 said:

    How do these donated weapons get to where they’re needed .

    Won’t they be sitting targets crossing by road once they enter Ukraine .

    It doesn't look as though Russia has air superiority. And there are also issues on hitting things on the borders of NATO countries, in case a missile strays over.

    Although that does not seem to have stopped them at sea, given they've hit non-Ukrainian ships.
  • Yeah….that’ll work….

    BREAKING: FIFA says Russia can play as 'RFU' team without the country's flag or anthem but could still be banned from World Cup qualifying

    https://twitter.com/RobHarris/status/1498011447443566596
  • Yeah….that’ll work….

    BREAKING: FIFA says Russia can play as 'RFU' team without the country's flag or anthem but could still be banned from World Cup qualifying

    https://twitter.com/RobHarris/status/1498011447443566596

    Can always trust FIFA to do the right thing......
  • glwglw Posts: 9,871
    nico679 said:

    How do these donated weapons get to where they’re needed .

    Won’t they be sitting targets crossing by road once they enter Ukraine .

    I expect they won't be brought into Ukraine in large numbers at a time or in military vehicles. So unless Russia is planning on blocking every road and searching every vehicle, and they'll need to occupy the whole country to do that, most of these weapons will reach Ukrainian forces. It's another Operation Cyclone, but bigger and faster, the Russians know what they will mean for their forces.
  • There must be about 10 times as many anti tank weapons in/headed for Ukraine as there are Russian tanks heading there.

    @visegrad24
    BREAKING: Danish PM Mette Frederiksen just announced that Denmark will send 2700 handheld anti-tank weapons and a number of spare parts to anti-air Stinger missiles Ukraine.

    She said she will also allow volunteers to go fight for Ukraine.
    https://twitter.com/visegrad24/status/1498001609699344392

    The second bit doesn't sound a good idea.
    Well in the case of Denmark they still have National Service so you would expect that some of their volunteers will know how to fire a gun. Unlike the UK where most of ours think playing Call of Duty for 3 weeks is sufficient.
  • CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 60,216
    edited February 2022
    malcolmg said:

    eek said:

    malcolmg said:

    eek said:

    malcolmg said:

    malcolmg said:

    malcolmg said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    Jonathan said:

    We are relying on the tact and diplomatic finesse of Liz Truss and Boris Johnson.

    No we aren't.

    The time for tact was before Russia invaded. Macron tried that and it was a disaster (no objection to him trying).

    Boris has been through this wonderfully blunt and untactful. Between Macron and Boris there was a good cop/bad cop dynamic.

    That last thing that is needed at the minute is tact.
    You lived through the dick-shrivelling embarrassment of Lizzie Goes To Moscow, and you are still prepared to have a pop at Macron?
    He is an absolute moron
    Is anyone not a moron in your eyes, aside from yourself and in-the-pay-of-Russia-sex-pest Salmond?

    (Gets ready for the usual stream of ill-directed verbal diarrhoea). ;)
    you flatter yourself , go get a life saddo. Ill-educated troll.
    Usual stream - tick

    ill-directed - tick

    verbal diarrhoea - tick

    ;)
    How sad get one get, now F**k off and bore someone else to death, you ignorant cretin.
    If only you took your insults and followed your own advice.
    Oh Dear Mr Blowhard joins the fray. You know you are in trouble when you are only supported by the W-eak one. Gives us a few of your usual boasts about what a big shot you are , make us laugh some more.
    I don’t remember boosting - I remember pointing out that your arguments are so weak all you have is insults.

    The pub bore that hasn’t realised he’s drunk his brains away
    Dear dear , is that the best you can manage. That from the cretin who said I had dementia. Go fuck yourself you moronic shitpot.
    That’s more like it!

    I worried you might be losing your touch!
  • BalrogBalrog Posts: 207

    I was already following Rob Lee, but not Michael Kofman..

    Marcel Dirsus
    @marceldirsus
    I’ve said this before but I’ll say it again: You should follow @RALee85 and @KofmanMichael to understand what’s happening in Ukraine.
    https://twitter.com/marceldirsus/status/1497980909991211017

    Hi

    Thanks for the link. That lead me to this: https://nvo-ng-ru.translate.goog/realty/2022-02-03/3_1175_donbass.html?_x_tr_sl=ru&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=wapp

    Hopefully it works. English translation of an article by a Russian military expert explaining why invading Ukraine wouldn't take a few days. It pretty much predicts what has happened. And includes for example that missile bombardments to knock out uktranian command and control etc are great, but the country is too big for the number of missiles they realistically have. It was written to debunk what he saw as the common view that invading Ukraine would be trivial. Perhaps Putin should have read it first....
  • RobD said:

    .

    RobD said:

    Like their US GOP comrades assembled at CPAC, UK Tories would rather rave about dangers of Woke than wake up to the Putinist threat abroad AND at home.

    Thus bending over backwards giving aid and comfort to their spiritual leader - Vladimir Putin.

    Side note - keep your eye on Hungary, where Viktor Orban is clearly hoping to get some goodies out of the deal now going down. Including (I'm guessing) "autonomy" for Sub (or Trans) Carpathia, part of which has ethnic-Hungarian majority.

    Perhaps you should stick to commenting on Washington politics?
    Don't be be like that! We all comment on other countries' politics all the time. Not as important as the Bristol South Town Council by-election, true, but still vaguely interesting, and SSI's US perspective is as interesting as anyone's.
    The perspective isn’t interesting when it is totally wrong.
    Seems that yours truly has really touched a nerve here?

    If Boris Johnson and 45 are NOT Putinists in mind & spirit, then I'm the Grand Rabbi of Kyiv.
    Aside from Boris posting x tons of military hardware to Ukraine to literally kill Putin's ambitions?
    To paraphrase a great British political analyst, well, he would do that, wouldn't he?
    So apart from the sanctions and the pushing everyone else forward on various actions and send weapons to Ukraine and reinforcing the Baltic states....

    This crisis is turning into the possible end of Putin. Can't really see that as a win for Putin, particularly since he will probably be looking at a bullet or an accident with one of those awkward Moscow windows. They have a terrible record of accidents with windows there.....
    Certainly hope your last para is correct. Including (God help me) the window. . .

    As for your first para, well, have been convinced for a long time that Boris Johnson is part of the Putinist league. Perhaps (mostly) unwittingly, but he's still a key element of Vlad's game plan, as is (of course) #45.

    Could be wrong, about BoJo anyway. But doubt it - can smell his stink on this side of the Atlantic (and Pacific).
    I think you're very much wrong. Not about 45, but about Boris, that's the FBPE invented version of Boris not the real thing.

    Boris has never been the same thing as either Trump or Putin and its always been very puerile to link them together. Lets not forget Boris was quite happy to laugh at Trump behind his back, I think at the G7.

    Boris is interested in Boris, not Trump or Putin or anyone else for that matter.
    "Boris has never been the same thing as either Trump or Putin and its always been very puerile to link them together."

    Might be very puerile AND also very true at the same time.

    Oxford definition of puerile as "silly; suitable for a child rather than an adult" is tailor-made for the PM.
  • WhisperingOracleWhisperingOracle Posts: 9,050
    edited February 2022

    There must be about 10 times as many anti tank weapons in/headed for Ukraine as there are Russian tanks heading there.

    @visegrad24
    BREAKING: Danish PM Mette Frederiksen just announced that Denmark will send 2700 handheld anti-tank weapons and a number of spare parts to anti-air Stinger missiles Ukraine.

    She said she will also allow volunteers to go fight for Ukraine.
    https://twitter.com/visegrad24/status/1498001609699344392

    The second bit doesn't sound a good idea.
    Well in the case of Denmark they still have National Service so you would expect that some of their volunteers will know how to fire a gun. Unlike the UK where most of ours think playing Call of Duty for 3 weeks is sufficient.
    Yes, but I think as TimS, or someone mentioned earlier, there's both propaganda and escalation dangers with that. They could very soon find themselves paraded live on TV - the "foreign agent provocateurs", rather than the brave ukrainian people.
  • YokesYokes Posts: 1,323
    nico679 said:

    How do these donated weapons get to where they’re needed .

    Won’t they be sitting targets crossing by road once they enter Ukraine .

    They already are being delivered across uncontested crossings by military and unmarked vehicles. A quick look at the map will tell you where. There is, however, no clarity on how much kit has been sent & how it is getting them to the front line, that methodology is unclear.

    There has been no attempt to interfere with it, yet, but, sitting south of Brest, that group of Russian and shortly Belarus military (reportedly 5am local time for their entrance to the party) , might have something to say about it in time.
  • Yeah….that’ll work….

    BREAKING: FIFA says Russia can play as 'RFU' team without the country's flag or anthem but could still be banned from World Cup qualifying

    https://twitter.com/RobHarris/status/1498011447443566596

    Yes but who is going to play them?

    Mind you judging by the performance of their armed forces they could be the only team on the pitch and still lose 3-0.
  • There must be about 10 times as many anti tank weapons in/headed for Ukraine as there are Russian tanks heading there.

    @visegrad24
    BREAKING: Danish PM Mette Frederiksen just announced that Denmark will send 2700 handheld anti-tank weapons and a number of spare parts to anti-air Stinger missiles Ukraine.

    She said she will also allow volunteers to go fight for Ukraine.
    https://twitter.com/visegrad24/status/1498001609699344392

    The second bit doesn't sound a good idea.
    Well in the case of Denmark they still have National Service so you would expect that some of their volunteers will know how to fire a gun. Unlike the UK where most of ours think playing Call of Duty for 3 weeks is sufficient.
    Yes, but I think as TimS, or someone mentioned earlier, there's both propaganda and escalation dangers with that. They could very soon find themselves paraded live on TV - the "foreign agent provocateurs", not the brave ukrainian people.
    Yep fair point.
  • Nigelb said:

    More seriously (BBC journalist).
    Russian troops are in Berdyansk. They're getting closer to Mariupol. Also not clear about the northern direction - Volnovakha I heard was totally cut off by Russian troops. They're encircling Mariupol from all sides.
    https://twitter.com/abdujalil/status/1497998348992798730

    As I believe I said this morning: we all (well, most of us...) want Ukraine to win so much that we might be biasing our posts towards that end, particularly as most western media is also biased that way. It might not be going as 'well' as we think.

    Although I hope it's going much better for Ukraine than I think.
    One war Russia is comprehensively losing is the “information war” - how important or not that turns out to be only time will tell, but they’re being comprehensively thrashed.
  • bigglesbiggles Posts: 5,909

    There must be about 10 times as many anti tank weapons in/headed for Ukraine as there are Russian tanks heading there.

    @visegrad24
    BREAKING: Danish PM Mette Frederiksen just announced that Denmark will send 2700 handheld anti-tank weapons and a number of spare parts to anti-air Stinger missiles Ukraine.

    She said she will also allow volunteers to go fight for Ukraine.
    https://twitter.com/visegrad24/status/1498001609699344392

    The second bit doesn't sound a good idea.
    Well in the case of Denmark they still have National Service so you would expect that some of their volunteers will know how to fire a gun. Unlike the UK where most of ours think playing Call of Duty for 3 weeks is sufficient.
    It’s good training for NRAM.
  • IshmaelZIshmaelZ Posts: 21,830

    @iguardans
    An Ukranian sailor has been arrested in Mallorca after sinking the yacht of his Russian wealthy boss.
    Boat owner is Alexander Mijeev, an executive at Rostec, a Russian state owned company manufacturer military equipment and tech
    Source @UHmalllorca
    https://www.ultimahora.es/sucesos/ultimas/2022/02/27/1704825/ucrania-rusia-detenido-marinero-ucraniano-por-hundir-yate-jefe-ruso-mallorca.html?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=we
    https://twitter.com/iguardans/status/1497982822736437254

    Good bloke.
  • HeathenerHeathener Posts: 7,084
    Some great hacking by Anonymous.

    Russia Today has been broadcasting Ukrainian music, flags and footage from the conflict :smiley:

    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/feb/27/anonymous-the-hacker-collective-that-has-declared-cyberwar-on-russia

  • JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 42,205

    There must be about 10 times as many anti tank weapons in/headed for Ukraine as there are Russian tanks heading there.

    @visegrad24
    BREAKING: Danish PM Mette Frederiksen just announced that Denmark will send 2700 handheld anti-tank weapons and a number of spare parts to anti-air Stinger missiles Ukraine.

    She said she will also allow volunteers to go fight for Ukraine.
    https://twitter.com/visegrad24/status/1498001609699344392

    The second bit doesn't sound a good idea.
    Well in the case of Denmark they still have National Service so you would expect that some of their volunteers will know how to fire a gun. Unlike the UK where most of ours think playing Call of Duty for 3 weeks is sufficient.
    I used to be fairly good at shooting. Now, I'd probably shoot my foot off. Knowing me, it'd be my good foot, leaving me with my bad one...
  • OmniumOmnium Posts: 10,691
    IshmaelZ said:

    Omnium said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    Omnium said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    Omnium said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    alex_ said:

    Just a question - where does Russia get its food from?

    Ukraine mainly
    I presume @IshmaelZ that you've comprehensively apologised for your comments last night?
    Look. I-- I'd had a lovely supper, and all I said to my wife was, 'That piece of halibut was good enough for Jehovah.'

    I can only repeat my reply to a previous hon gent, adding the observation that I have always loved the Dylan line "It's a wonder that you still know how to breathe."

    "Not a word I knew till 2 minutes ago, but apparently used only as an ethnic slur. And what is this "normally considered fair game" shit? I mean, yes, we are all on the Ukr side, but you sound like a Victorian gent reading the ticker in his club and hoping the North is giving the niggers a dam' good pasting."

    you are literally too stupid to read that as a condemnation of ethnic slurs? Literally? Really really? Genuinely? Not kidding?

    The point of PB used to be the very high level of intelligence one could expect from one's readership. Those were the days.
    How can you judge my level of stupidity?
    By the content of your posts, duh. Including this one.
    No thoughts about an apology then? No contritian? I guess you're busy with apparently being the most intelligent person in the world and owning half on England?
    Yawn

    You can really not see that saying in effect "That remark is as offensively racist as saying what you probably call the N word because that's the kind of moron you are" is not a racist thing to say? In which case it seems pointless to even get started on the Predator thing, but in a nutshell: the people he is addressing are not the F word, everyone knows that, it turns out later that he actually is.

    And you ask how I can judge your level of stupidity. How would I not be able to, when I can read and assess your output on here? How else would I do it, short of pming you an IQ test and urging you not to cheat?
    You seem to be confusing me with 'everybody' and quoting as such.

    I'm enchanted that you pay so much attention to my posts as to have a view.

  • Nigelb said:

    More seriously (BBC journalist).
    Russian troops are in Berdyansk. They're getting closer to Mariupol. Also not clear about the northern direction - Volnovakha I heard was totally cut off by Russian troops. They're encircling Mariupol from all sides.
    https://twitter.com/abdujalil/status/1497998348992798730

    As I believe I said this morning: we all (well, most of us...) want Ukraine to win so much that we might be biasing our posts towards that end, particularly as most western media is also biased that way. It might not be going as 'well' as we think.

    Although I hope it's going much better for Ukraine than I think.
    One war Russia is comprehensively losing is the “information war” - how important or not that turns out to be only time will tell, but they’re being comprehensively thrashed.
    Yes but are they losing the information war in russia
  • JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 42,205

    Nigelb said:

    More seriously (BBC journalist).
    Russian troops are in Berdyansk. They're getting closer to Mariupol. Also not clear about the northern direction - Volnovakha I heard was totally cut off by Russian troops. They're encircling Mariupol from all sides.
    https://twitter.com/abdujalil/status/1497998348992798730

    As I believe I said this morning: we all (well, most of us...) want Ukraine to win so much that we might be biasing our posts towards that end, particularly as most western media is also biased that way. It might not be going as 'well' as we think.

    Although I hope it's going much better for Ukraine than I think.
    One war Russia is comprehensively losing is the “information war” - how important or not that turns out to be only time will tell, but they’re being comprehensively thrashed.
    It'll be interesting to see how Chinese state media is reporting this. In fact, it's really important to know this.

    I assume they're taking a rather neutral viewpoint. But if that changes...
  • WhisperingOracleWhisperingOracle Posts: 9,050
    edited February 2022
    What we really need is some of those semi-mythical accounts of UFO's shutting down nuclear weapon systems. One or two of those accounts are quite interesting - where's Moonshine when you need him to discuss the details.
  • kinabalukinabalu Posts: 41,947

    Heathener said:

    I really wish I was out in SE Asia at the moment but, hey ho.

    Anyway, courtesy of the lovely Daily Star here is a map of where Putin might nuke in the UK and the safest places to be.

    https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/surviving-nuclear-war-in-uk-26326895

    Apologies if this unnerves people but we're dealing with a madman and anything is possible, especially with the escalations.

    Why is he nuking Swansea?

    There are very good reasons so to do, but I can't see it from a Russian perspective.

    Anyway, if the Swansea blast doesn't get me, the Bristol one might.
    They’re also nuking Oxford but not Brize Norton, apparently.
    And every nuke is a Tsarbomba.
    No that list is only of the 20 city targets. It is one part of 105 targets in the UK. Or was back in the late 80s. The target list will be somewhat reduced and altered now in part because we have shut a lot of the airbases.
    What about Hampstead if I run into the Heath?
  • HeathenerHeathener Posts: 7,084

    Just a note on nuclear war: a strike on London would kill all the Russian oligarchs and kleptokrats and their families based here, not to mention all their wealth stored in London property and banks forever, and they'll be well connected enough with the Kremlin for him to be well aware of that. They're not insane even if he is.

    So, I'd treat threats like this with a pinch of salt.

    I doubt that right now Putin gives a flying fig about them. If he's mad enough to be threatening nuclear warfare he's not about to say, 'no wait, some of my former colleagues might get hit.'
  • kinabalu said:

    Heathener said:

    I really wish I was out in SE Asia at the moment but, hey ho.

    Anyway, courtesy of the lovely Daily Star here is a map of where Putin might nuke in the UK and the safest places to be.

    https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/surviving-nuclear-war-in-uk-26326895

    Apologies if this unnerves people but we're dealing with a madman and anything is possible, especially with the escalations.

    Why is he nuking Swansea?

    There are very good reasons so to do, but I can't see it from a Russian perspective.

    Anyway, if the Swansea blast doesn't get me, the Bristol one might.
    They’re also nuking Oxford but not Brize Norton, apparently.
    And every nuke is a Tsarbomba.
    No that list is only of the 20 city targets. It is one part of 105 targets in the UK. Or was back in the late 80s. The target list will be somewhat reduced and altered now in part because we have shut a lot of the airbases.
    What about Hampstead if I run into the Heath?
    I suspect you would have to run a bit further than that.
  • IshmaelZIshmaelZ Posts: 21,830
    Omnium said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    Omnium said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    Omnium said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    Omnium said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    alex_ said:

    Just a question - where does Russia get its food from?

    Ukraine mainly
    I presume @IshmaelZ that you've comprehensively apologised for your comments last night?
    Look. I-- I'd had a lovely supper, and all I said to my wife was, 'That piece of halibut was good enough for Jehovah.'

    I can only repeat my reply to a previous hon gent, adding the observation that I have always loved the Dylan line "It's a wonder that you still know how to breathe."

    "Not a word I knew till 2 minutes ago, but apparently used only as an ethnic slur. And what is this "normally considered fair game" shit? I mean, yes, we are all on the Ukr side, but you sound like a Victorian gent reading the ticker in his club and hoping the North is giving the niggers a dam' good pasting."

    you are literally too stupid to read that as a condemnation of ethnic slurs? Literally? Really really? Genuinely? Not kidding?

    The point of PB used to be the very high level of intelligence one could expect from one's readership. Those were the days.
    How can you judge my level of stupidity?
    By the content of your posts, duh. Including this one.
    No thoughts about an apology then? No contritian? I guess you're busy with apparently being the most intelligent person in the world and owning half on England?
    Yawn

    You can really not see that saying in effect "That remark is as offensively racist as saying what you probably call the N word because that's the kind of moron you are" is not a racist thing to say? In which case it seems pointless to even get started on the Predator thing, but in a nutshell: the people he is addressing are not the F word, everyone knows that, it turns out later that he actually is.

    And you ask how I can judge your level of stupidity. How would I not be able to, when I can read and assess your output on here? How else would I do it, short of pming you an IQ test and urging you not to cheat?
    You seem to be confusing me with 'everybody' and quoting as such.

    I'm enchanted that you pay so much attention to my posts as to have a view.

    I don't know you from Adam. Your 3 or 4 posts addressed to me this evening tell me all I need to know. You have yet to make a case about wtf I am meant to be apologising for.
  • CiceroCicero Posts: 3,062
    edited February 2022
    Jonathan said:

    Hope someone sensible somewhere is thinking about the endgame.

    I think (hope) Zhelinsky is thinking very clearly. If the war is stopped then we have time to try to de-escalate. I don´t think that the Russian generals are likely to make any move against their own leader, but of course Putin´s time may be limited in any case. Off ramps are very much needed, so for the time being we should not be thinking that we can back Putin into a corner. Even if the higher nuclear alert is a warning to prevent deploying NATO troops on the ground rather than a genuine move, we still, as always with Putin, have to take it seriously. He has a habit of doing what he says, no matter how monstrous.
  • BenpointerBenpointer Posts: 34,576
    mwadams said:

    The only problem with continuing to allow this Putin-bot to post here is that it can be referenced by Putin's propagandists as demonstrating that Western opinion is divided and not entirely against him.

    I'm not proposing a course of action, just suggesting a possible consequence.

    I don't think Putin's propangadists reporting the odd (ok very odd) dissenting voice on PB.com is going to crumble Ukrainian resistance tbh.
  • Yeah….that’ll work….

    BREAKING: FIFA says Russia can play as 'RFU' team without the country's flag or anthem but could still be banned from World Cup qualifying

    https://twitter.com/RobHarris/status/1498011447443566596

    A poor decision. Just ban them, as the IOC should have done after the doping scandal. Allowing them to compete under some ludicrous flag of convenience is sh*t.
    I think them turning up to be booed and have the opposing team walk off might be worth it….but no one is going to play them….and Russia won’t be in the next Olympics either…
  • JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 42,205
    kinabalu said:

    Heathener said:

    I really wish I was out in SE Asia at the moment but, hey ho.

    Anyway, courtesy of the lovely Daily Star here is a map of where Putin might nuke in the UK and the safest places to be.

    https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/surviving-nuclear-war-in-uk-26326895

    Apologies if this unnerves people but we're dealing with a madman and anything is possible, especially with the escalations.

    Why is he nuking Swansea?

    There are very good reasons so to do, but I can't see it from a Russian perspective.

    Anyway, if the Swansea blast doesn't get me, the Bristol one might.
    They’re also nuking Oxford but not Brize Norton, apparently.
    And every nuke is a Tsarbomba.
    No that list is only of the 20 city targets. It is one part of 105 targets in the UK. Or was back in the late 80s. The target list will be somewhat reduced and altered now in part because we have shut a lot of the airbases.
    What about Hampstead if I run into the Heath?
    What have Russia got against badgers or their watchers? ;)
  • Breaking news all routes out of Kiev blocked by the russians
  • kinabalukinabalu Posts: 41,947
    These goalies are rubbish!
  • MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 52,344

    Yeah….that’ll work….

    BREAKING: FIFA says Russia can play as 'RFU' team without the country's flag or anthem but could still be banned from World Cup qualifying

    https://twitter.com/RobHarris/status/1498011447443566596

    A poor decision. Just ban them, as the IOC should have done after the doping scandal. Allowing them to compete under some ludicrous flag of convenience is sh*t.
    Cheating bastards have polluted world sport for far too long. Kick out an entire generation of "sportsmen".
  • eekeek Posts: 28,077
    edited February 2022
    malcolmg said:

    eek said:

    malcolmg said:

    eek said:

    malcolmg said:

    malcolmg said:

    malcolmg said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    Jonathan said:

    We are relying on the tact and diplomatic finesse of Liz Truss and Boris Johnson.

    No we aren't.

    The time for tact was before Russia invaded. Macron tried that and it was a disaster (no objection to him trying).

    Boris has been through this wonderfully blunt and untactful. Between Macron and Boris there was a good cop/bad cop dynamic.

    That last thing that is needed at the minute is tact.
    You lived through the dick-shrivelling embarrassment of Lizzie Goes To Moscow, and you are still prepared to have a pop at Macron?
    He is an absolute moron
    Is anyone not a moron in your eyes, aside from yourself and in-the-pay-of-Russia-sex-pest Salmond?

    (Gets ready for the usual stream of ill-directed verbal diarrhoea). ;)
    you flatter yourself , go get a life saddo. Ill-educated troll.
    Usual stream - tick

    ill-directed - tick

    verbal diarrhoea - tick

    ;)
    How sad get one get, now F**k off and bore someone else to death, you ignorant cretin.
    If only you took your insults and followed your own advice.
    Oh Dear Mr Blowhard joins the fray. You know you are in trouble when you are only supported by the W-eak one. Gives us a few of your usual boasts about what a big shot you are , make us laugh some more.
    I don’t remember boosting - I remember pointing out that your arguments are so weak all you have is insults.

    The pub bore that hasn’t realised he’s drunk his brains away
    Dear dear , is that the best you can manage. That from the cretin who said I had dementia. Go fuck yourself you moronic shitpot.
    As I said in my first post, if all youve got is insults what’s the point in posting.

    Btw for reference this is my mental image of you (probably taken on one of your better days)

    image
  • JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 42,205

    Yeah….that’ll work….

    BREAKING: FIFA says Russia can play as 'RFU' team without the country's flag or anthem but could still be banned from World Cup qualifying

    https://twitter.com/RobHarris/status/1498011447443566596

    A poor decision. Just ban them, as the IOC should have done after the doping scandal. Allowing them to compete under some ludicrous flag of convenience is sh*t.
    I think them turning up to be booed and have the opposing team walk off might be worth it….but no one is going to play them….and Russia won’t be in the next Olympics either…
    Actually... we need the Russian people to know our problem isn't with them. Booing their teams, whilst satisfying, is kinda insulting and intimidating. Best just to let them not turn up.
  • Heathener said:

    Some great hacking by Anonymous.

    Russia Today has been broadcasting Ukrainian music, flags and footage from the conflict :smiley:

    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/feb/27/anonymous-the-hacker-collective-that-has-declared-cyberwar-on-russia

    Wars just 'aint what they used to be, eh Vlad?
  • OmniumOmnium Posts: 10,691
    IshmaelZ said:

    Omnium said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    Omnium said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    Omnium said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    Omnium said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    alex_ said:

    Just a question - where does Russia get its food from?

    Ukraine mainly
    I presume @IshmaelZ that you've comprehensively apologised for your comments last night?
    Look. I-- I'd had a lovely supper, and all I said to my wife was, 'That piece of halibut was good enough for Jehovah.'

    I can only repeat my reply to a previous hon gent, adding the observation that I have always loved the Dylan line "It's a wonder that you still know how to breathe."

    "Not a word I knew till 2 minutes ago, but apparently used only as an ethnic slur. And what is this "normally considered fair game" shit? I mean, yes, we are all on the Ukr side, but you sound like a Victorian gent reading the ticker in his club and hoping the North is giving the niggers a dam' good pasting."

    you are literally too stupid to read that as a condemnation of ethnic slurs? Literally? Really really? Genuinely? Not kidding?

    The point of PB used to be the very high level of intelligence one could expect from one's readership. Those were the days.
    How can you judge my level of stupidity?
    By the content of your posts, duh. Including this one.
    No thoughts about an apology then? No contritian? I guess you're busy with apparently being the most intelligent person in the world and owning half on England?
    Yawn

    You can really not see that saying in effect "That remark is as offensively racist as saying what you probably call the N word because that's the kind of moron you are" is not a racist thing to say? In which case it seems pointless to even get started on the Predator thing, but in a nutshell: the people he is addressing are not the F word, everyone knows that, it turns out later that he actually is.

    And you ask how I can judge your level of stupidity. How would I not be able to, when I can read and assess your output on here? How else would I do it, short of pming you an IQ test and urging you not to cheat?
    You seem to be confusing me with 'everybody' and quoting as such.

    I'm enchanted that you pay so much attention to my posts as to have a view.

    I don't know you from Adam. Your 3 or 4 posts addressed to me this evening tell me all I need to know. You have yet to make a case about wtf I am meant to be apologising for.
    Apologise. Properly Apologise. It's not that hard, and you definitely know you should.
  • Yeah….that’ll work….

    BREAKING: FIFA says Russia can play as 'RFU' team without the country's flag or anthem but could still be banned from World Cup qualifying

    https://twitter.com/RobHarris/status/1498011447443566596

    Yes but who is going to play them?

    Mind you judging by the performance of their armed forces they could be the only team on the pitch and still lose 3-0.
    :lol:
  • JosiasJessopJosiasJessop Posts: 42,205
    malcolmg said:

    Yeah….that’ll work….

    BREAKING: FIFA says Russia can play as 'RFU' team without the country's flag or anthem but could still be banned from World Cup qualifying

    https://twitter.com/RobHarris/status/1498011447443566596

    A poor decision. Just ban them, as the IOC should have done after the doping scandal. Allowing them to compete under some ludicrous flag of convenience is sh*t.
    I think them turning up to be booed and have the opposing team walk off might be worth it….but no one is going to play them….and Russia won’t be in the next Olympics either…
    They should add FIFA to the sanctions list, useless bunch of troughers.
    On this, I think we can both agree. Hurrah!
  • PJohnson said:

    Breaking news all routes out of Kiev blocked by the russians

    Kyiv is free!
  • tlg86tlg86 Posts: 26,123
    15 mins ago I said to my dad that bringing a keeper on isn’t as risky as bringing on an outfield player to take one.

    HAHAHAHAHA!
  • WhisperingOracleWhisperingOracle Posts: 9,050
    edited February 2022
    Cicero said:

    Jonathan said:

    Hope someone sensible somewhere is thinking about the endgame.

    I think (hope) Zhelinsky is thinking very clearly. If the war is stopped then we have time to try to de-escalate. I don´t think that the Russian generals are likely to make any move against their own leader, but of course Putin´s time may be limited in any case. Off ramps are very much needed, so for the time being we should not be thinking that we can back Putin into a corner. Even if the higher nuclear alert is a warning to prevent deploying NATO troops on the ground rather than a genuine move, we still, as always with Putin, have to take it seriously. He has a habit of doing what he says, no matter how monstrous.
    I think Zelenskiy sounded very clear-thinking, clear-sighted and rational in his statement earlier on. That's partly why I'm feeling a bit more confident about things in the long-term. There might be more suffering first though, I think sadly.
  • alex_alex_ Posts: 7,518
    Keeper brought on to save penalties missed crucial penalty!
  • MoonRabbitMoonRabbit Posts: 13,353
    edited February 2022

    Nigelb said:

    More seriously (BBC journalist).
    Russian troops are in Berdyansk. They're getting closer to Mariupol. Also not clear about the northern direction - Volnovakha I heard was totally cut off by Russian troops. They're encircling Mariupol from all sides.
    https://twitter.com/abdujalil/status/1497998348992798730

    As I believe I said this morning: we all (well, most of us...) want Ukraine to win so much that we might be biasing our posts towards that end, particularly as most western media is also biased that way. It might not be going as 'well' as we think.

    Although I hope it's going much better for Ukraine than I think.
    The adage as old as war is truth is always the first casualty. I’d love to know the state of play right now, but resigned to the fact I can’t - despite this age of hand held tv screens connected up all over the world, it’s all gone just as you said, biased to what we want. Even that dramatic film of armour column and village obliterated earlier, packaged as Ukraine obliterating invaders, there was something about the demeanour of humans in the film made me doubt what the packaging said.

    Though I share your hope it's going much better for Ukraine than our fears. 👍🏻 But something Yokes posted, where we want to think Russia going too slow, they might be working to a different longer time frame, they do seem meticulous about surrounding population centres rather than piling into them expensively? What can that mean? Encircled Much harder for us to supply them, even with the blood and oxygen they will need, harder for us to rescue the leaders?

    I will pray for Klitchko and Zelenskiy and the Ukrainian everyday people drawing the bravest of line in the sand. And hope to wake up in a world where they have a future to continue their good work.
  • IshmaelZIshmaelZ Posts: 21,830
    PJohnson said:

    Breaking news all routes out of Kiev blocked by the russians

    You must be so pleased. The odds of large numbers of men women and children suffering agonising injury and death have just fallen dramatically.

    Someone posted this about an hour ago, but great to have it confirmed at first hand.
  • HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 122,226
    edited February 2022
    Heathener said:

    I really wish I was out in SE Asia at the moment but, hey ho.

    Anyway, courtesy of the lovely Daily Star here is a map of where Putin might nuke in the UK and the safest places to be.

    https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/surviving-nuclear-war-in-uk-26326895

    Apologies if this unnerves people but we're dealing with a madman and anything is possible, especially with the escalations.

    The safest places to live in the event of a nuclear attack are obviously the most rural areas and coastal areas far from military bases eg Isles of Scilly, the Highlands of Scotland, the Yorkshire Moors, Snowdonia and Mid Wales, East Kent etc.

    Though obviously if Putin did launch nukes on the UK we would also be send Trident nuclear missiles to attack Moscow and St Petersburg from UK submarines within a few hours
  • Lol. Bringing on players for penalties never works! 👍
  • PJohnson said:

    Nigelb said:

    More seriously (BBC journalist).
    Russian troops are in Berdyansk. They're getting closer to Mariupol. Also not clear about the northern direction - Volnovakha I heard was totally cut off by Russian troops. They're encircling Mariupol from all sides.
    https://twitter.com/abdujalil/status/1497998348992798730

    As I believe I said this morning: we all (well, most of us...) want Ukraine to win so much that we might be biasing our posts towards that end, particularly as most western media is also biased that way. It might not be going as 'well' as we think.

    Although I hope it's going much better for Ukraine than I think.
    One war Russia is comprehensively losing is the “information war” - how important or not that turns out to be only time will tell, but they’re being comprehensively thrashed.
    Yes but are they losing the information war in russia
    JUST IN: #Russian state TV channels have been hacked by #Anonymous to broadcast the truth about what happens in #Ukraine.

    #OpRussia #OpKremlin #FckPutin #StandWithUkriane


    https://twitter.com/YourAnonTV/status/1497678663046905863
  • Yokes said:

    PJohnson said:

    Breaking news all routes out of Kiev blocked by the russians

    That's not breaking at all, its been that way for around 18 hours, plus blocked is not certain. A number of those routes are contested.

    Be fucking accurate and be up to date.
    They are only reporting what their paymasters tell them.
  • Andy_CookeAndy_Cooke Posts: 4,993
    Yokes said:

    PJohnson said:

    Breaking news all routes out of Kiev blocked by the russians

    That's not breaking at all, its been that way for around 18 hours, plus blocked is not certain. A number of those routes are contested.

    Be fucking accurate and be up to date.
    Be fair; he did imply earlier that the information flow in Russia is poor.
    He’s as up to date as he can be.
  • NickPalmerNickPalmer Posts: 21,502
    Foxy said:

    Nigelb said:

    More seriously (BBC journalist).
    Russian troops are in Berdyansk. They're getting closer to Mariupol. Also not clear about the northern direction - Volnovakha I heard was totally cut off by Russian troops. They're encircling Mariupol from all sides.
    https://twitter.com/abdujalil/status/1497998348992798730

    It certainly looks as if the southern front is the one that the Russians are winning. Hard to know whether by accident or design.
    The amphibious landing force has probably helped them there. In general, I think that we're all celebrating the failure of the invason a bit prematurely - it's only been going for a few days and Kyiv is apparently surrounded. Not clear what the Russians plan next there, though - fighting for it street by street must sound unappealing to the most gung-ho general.
  • IshmaelZ said:

    PJohnson said:

    Breaking news all routes out of Kiev blocked by the russians

    You must be so pleased. The odds of large numbers of men women and children suffering agonising injury and death have just fallen dramatically.

    Someone posted this about an hour ago, but great to have it confirmed at first hand.
    That was a sick disgusting post
  • kinabalukinabalu Posts: 41,947

    Just a note on nuclear war: a strike on London would kill all the Russian oligarchs and kleptokrats and their families based here, not to mention all their wealth stored in London property and banks forever, and they'll be well connected enough with the Kremlin for him to be well aware of that. They're not insane even if he is.

    So, I'd treat threats like this with a pinch of salt.

    Post of the day - I drop to 155 over 86.
  • malcolmg said:

    Yeah….that’ll work….

    BREAKING: FIFA says Russia can play as 'RFU' team without the country's flag or anthem but could still be banned from World Cup qualifying

    https://twitter.com/RobHarris/status/1498011447443566596

    A poor decision. Just ban them, as the IOC should have done after the doping scandal. Allowing them to compete under some ludicrous flag of convenience is sh*t.
    I think them turning up to be booed and have the opposing team walk off might be worth it….but no one is going to play them….and Russia won’t be in the next Olympics either…
    They should add FIFA to the sanctions list, useless bunch of troughers.
    Malcolm, at last - a post that everyone can agree with!

    How many years of trying? :wink:
  • darkagedarkage Posts: 5,317
    edited February 2022
    Has anyone considered aliens and what role they might be playing in all this?
  • Scott_xP said:

    NEW: FA announces that England team won't play against Russia in any international fixtures "for the forseeable future". https://twitter.com/FAspokesperson/status/1498005213067816960

    I think 100% of Scots will be cheering on Ukraine when (if) they play in Glasgow next month.
  • ChameleonChameleon Posts: 4,264
    https://twitter.com/200_zoka/status/1498004657926512641

    Looks like long columns of Chechans just outside Kyiv. Hopefully some drones are still around.
  • Foxy said:

    Nigelb said:

    More seriously (BBC journalist).
    Russian troops are in Berdyansk. They're getting closer to Mariupol. Also not clear about the northern direction - Volnovakha I heard was totally cut off by Russian troops. They're encircling Mariupol from all sides.
    https://twitter.com/abdujalil/status/1497998348992798730

    It certainly looks as if the southern front is the one that the Russians are winning. Hard to know whether by accident or design.
    The amphibious landing force has probably helped them there. In general, I think that we're all celebrating the failure of the invason a bit prematurely - it's only been going for a few days and Kyiv is apparently surrounded. Not clear what the Russians plan next there, though - fighting for it street by street must sound unappealing to the most gung-ho general.
    Yes you are correct Nick what you WANT to happen is not the same as what will happen
  • CarlottaVanceCarlottaVance Posts: 60,216
    edited February 2022
    #Breaking: Swiss President @IgnazioCassis says it is "very probable" that Switzerland will follow the European Union tomorrow in sanctioning Russia and its freezing assets.

    https://twitter.com/NTarnopolsky/status/1498016520554876932

    Meanwhile Putin’s been told “sanctions are nothing to worry about”….
  • max seddon
    @maxseddon
    ·
    15m
    My Russian bank is selling dollars for 88 rubles, already above the record high, and buying them for 120. The central bank sanctions haven’t even come in yet
  • FlatlanderFlatlander Posts: 4,595
    edited February 2022

    PJohnson said:

    Nigelb said:

    More seriously (BBC journalist).
    Russian troops are in Berdyansk. They're getting closer to Mariupol. Also not clear about the northern direction - Volnovakha I heard was totally cut off by Russian troops. They're encircling Mariupol from all sides.
    https://twitter.com/abdujalil/status/1497998348992798730

    As I believe I said this morning: we all (well, most of us...) want Ukraine to win so much that we might be biasing our posts towards that end, particularly as most western media is also biased that way. It might not be going as 'well' as we think.

    Although I hope it's going much better for Ukraine than I think.
    One war Russia is comprehensively losing is the “information war” - how important or not that turns out to be only time will tell, but they’re being comprehensively thrashed.
    Yes but are they losing the information war in russia
    JUST IN: #Russian state TV channels have been hacked by #Anonymous to broadcast the truth about what happens in #Ukraine.

    #OpRussia #OpKremlin #FckPutin #StandWithUkriane


    https://twitter.com/YourAnonTV/status/1497678663046905863
    Much as I'd like that to be true, I very much doubt it.
  • IshmaelZIshmaelZ Posts: 21,830
    Omnium said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    Omnium said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    Omnium said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    Omnium said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    Omnium said:

    IshmaelZ said:

    alex_ said:

    Just a question - where does Russia get its food from?

    Ukraine mainly
    I presume @IshmaelZ that you've comprehensively apologised for your comments last night?
    Look. I-- I'd had a lovely supper, and all I said to my wife was, 'That piece of halibut was good enough for Jehovah.'

    I can only repeat my reply to a previous hon gent, adding the observation that I have always loved the Dylan line "It's a wonder that you still know how to breathe."

    "Not a word I knew till 2 minutes ago, but apparently used only as an ethnic slur. And what is this "normally considered fair game" shit? I mean, yes, we are all on the Ukr side, but you sound like a Victorian gent reading the ticker in his club and hoping the North is giving the niggers a dam' good pasting."

    you are literally too stupid to read that as a condemnation of ethnic slurs? Literally? Really really? Genuinely? Not kidding?

    The point of PB used to be the very high level of intelligence one could expect from one's readership. Those were the days.
    How can you judge my level of stupidity?
    By the content of your posts, duh. Including this one.
    No thoughts about an apology then? No contritian? I guess you're busy with apparently being the most intelligent person in the world and owning half on England?
    Yawn

    You can really not see that saying in effect "That remark is as offensively racist as saying what you probably call the N word because that's the kind of moron you are" is not a racist thing to say? In which case it seems pointless to even get started on the Predator thing, but in a nutshell: the people he is addressing are not the F word, everyone knows that, it turns out later that he actually is.

    And you ask how I can judge your level of stupidity. How would I not be able to, when I can read and assess your output on here? How else would I do it, short of pming you an IQ test and urging you not to cheat?
    You seem to be confusing me with 'everybody' and quoting as such.

    I'm enchanted that you pay so much attention to my posts as to have a view.

    I don't know you from Adam. Your 3 or 4 posts addressed to me this evening tell me all I need to know. You have yet to make a case about wtf I am meant to be apologising for.
    Apologise. Properly Apologise. It's not that hard, and you definitely know you should.
    What for?
This discussion has been closed.