The fog of war – politicalbetting.com

Leon said:

BigRich said:

williamglenn said:

Looks like an absolutely massive explosion in Ukraine.

https://twitter.com/nexta_tv/status/1498037904496418817

gosh!!

Have they exploded and oil/gas storage or is that one of those very big bombs, that somebody was talking about yesterday?

Thermobaric bombs is the best guess

Either a similar bomb or the same explosion from a different angle. Ginormous


https://twitter.com/mutahmett/status/1498022991724261385?s=20&t=5VRcrjSE8-1FHaY1x0FR0Q



Putin has doubled down. He is going to Grozny Ukraine into submission. Hideous. Many thousands will die

It gets harder and harder to not want to just say “fuck it, let’s go in”. Obviously there’s then a heart/head thing and we know we can’t, but I wish we could…

Friend of mine, a university professor, has a student in one of his classes from Ukraine. This kid's family is now sheltering in a village somewhere outside Kyiv.

Putin and his pimps must pay for that, and much more.

By the way, would like for my fellow Democrats and others on the left to take notice, that among most notable & despicable supporters of Putin in this critical hour are - Cuba, Nicaragua & Venezuela. Along with Belarus, Syria, Burma and North Korea. True rogue's gallery.

Casino_Royale said:

It's possible Putin is like Hitler and believes that if he can't have his greater Russia then the whole world should burn, including his own people.

If that is the case then his inner circle need to dispatch him - quickly.

Read the essay I posted below, which was simultaneously published by multiple Russian outlets, from more or less talking about a final solution to the Ukrainian question to the reuniting the Russian people bit it's like a cut and paste of the 1939 Reichstag speech.

Does indicate that they expected this war to be over by now though.

JosiasJessop said:

BigRich said:

williamglenn said:

Looks like an absolutely massive explosion in Ukraine.

https://twitter.com/nexta_tv/status/1498037904496418817

gosh!!

Have they exploded and oil/gas storage or is that one of those very big bombs, that somebody was talking about yesterday?

I don't think gas or oil would go up quite like that without precursor flames?

Night makes explosions look bigger..... If that is a secondary explosion, it is high order - you can see a shock wave.

LNG *might* - there have been some experiment by oil companies to see if there is a FAE risk from tanks.

Casino_Royale said:

It's possible Putin is like Hitler and believes that if he can't have his greater Russia then the whole world should burn, including his own people.

If that is the case then his inner circle need to dispatch him - quickly.

It's very possible and immensely dangerous, but it could also be something that started as a plan for some sort of giant and theatrical bluff, and somehow became more real.

We are in the twilight zone.

Leon said:

Benpointer said:

Leon said:

Peter_the_Punter said:

StillWaters said:

StuartDickson said:

Taz said:

StuartDickson said:

PJohnson said:

Peter_the_Punter said:

PJohnson said:

Big_G_NorthWales said:

PJohnson said:

Sandpit said:

Zelensky’s starting point is going to be a Russian withdrawal to the pre-2014 borders, giving up Donbass and Crimea.

Zelensky can’t negotiate away the international sanctions, that are about to tank the markets and cause bank runs in Moscow tomorrow morning.

Oh, and by the way, he has another few thousand NATO-spec anti-tank weapons, and a few hundred NATO-spec anti-aircraft weapons, ready for the next few thousand tanks and few hundred aircraft that try and get to Kiev.

Negotiations difficult now both sides all in...Ukraine will have to put their egos aside a bit and listen to russias concerns...and vice versa

The only concern in this is when will Putin be deposed and put on trial for war crimes

We cannot base policy on wild hopes

Who is 'We'?

Most posters on PB know each other, in many cases personally but otherwise through reputation and thousands of posts. On the evidence of a handful of posts I should say you are a troll, and your views - if indeed they are yours - have attracted well-merited contempt.

You don't speak for anybody except yourself and whoever might be marking your card.

I speak from a deep knowledge of history and human nature...my concern is humanity as a whole...many posters on here are superficial

You noticed?

We like Sean. He’s like our own little pet tarantula. Vile, poisonous and icky. But strangely mesmerising.

Spiders are venomous, not poisonous, and no tarantula is venomous to mankind. They are mesmerising I agree. Indian ornamentals especially.

Ok. Fine. Sean is vile, venomous and icky. Happy now?

And our red under the Reading bed called us “superficial”? Pffff.

If a trans man or woman asked you to refer to them as “they” rather than by their birth gender I have no doubt you would do so out of politeness even if you disagree with their actions.

So when @Leon has requested you stop calling him “Sean” why do you insist on doing so?

It's a tease and he sets himself up for it. No need for toys out of the pram on this one.

It may be a tease but I find it quite fucking annoying, and also boring, it's not good for the site - misidentifying people who wish to remain anonymous is A BAD INTERNET HABIT - and it also prevents me from ever attending things like the PB meets

So, STOP , thanks very much

By all means abuse me roundly for anything else. I don't mind that at all

Maybe you could avoid promoting those crappy Sean Thomas Spectator pieces in return? ;-)

Deal. I will only promote the good ones

You'll be very quiet, then.

darkage said:

BigRich said:

williamglenn said:

Looks like an absolutely massive explosion in Ukraine.

https://twitter.com/nexta_tv/status/1498037904496418817

gosh!!

Have they exploded and oil/gas storage or is that one of those very big bombs, that somebody was talking about yesterday?

This is why I quit twitter. It is some scratchy film of a massive explosion/bomb in the nighttime, but until it is verified by a reliable source, it could have been from any number of conflicts. But we've all immediately come to the conclusion that Russia have dropped a thermobaric bomb on Ukraine.

It's a reasonable perspective.

The flipside - which I agree may or may not apply in this instance - is that shedloads of stuff on twitter has turned out to be absolutely reliable but a lot of the big news organisations are taking quite a long time to report it as such given the verification checks needed. So you pays your money and you take your choice sort of thing.

darkage said:

BigRich said:

williamglenn said:

Looks like an absolutely massive explosion in Ukraine.

https://twitter.com/nexta_tv/status/1498037904496418817

gosh!!

Have they exploded and oil/gas storage or is that one of those very big bombs, that somebody was talking about yesterday?

This is why I quit twitter. It is some scratchy film of a massive explosion/bomb in the nighttime, but until it is verified by a reliable source, it could have been from any number of conflicts. But we've all immediately come to the conclusion that Russia have dropped a thermobaric bomb on Ukraine.

It's been geolocated:

https://twitter.com/john_marquee/status/1498041255699247104
https://twitter.com/gianfiorella/status/1498042079825436674

IshmaelZ said:

JosiasJessop said:

IshmaelZ said:

JosiasJessop said:

Carnyx said:

HYUFD said:

Heathener said:

By the way, this isn't mere play. If you talk to the residents around Faslane they are acutely aware that it would be the No.1 nuclear target.

So, no, some of the Highlands are certainly not the safest place to be.

(I'm assuming everyone knows it's the home of our Trident nuclear subs)

Kay word 'parts', as I pointed out the distance from the top to the bottom of the Highlands is longer than the distance between London and the North of England.

Plus of course the whole reason at least 1 submarines with Trident nuclear missiles on board is always on patrol 24/7 is that in the event of nuclear war the UK PM from his bunker could still order a nuclear missile attack on Moscow or whereever the nuclear attack on the UK came from even if Faslane had been hit (though in reality it would almost certainly only be Moscow or Bejing being the 2 capitals of our potential enemies with nuclear weapons). 1 Trident nuclear missile is the equivalent of 8 Hiroshimas on its own

But Glasgow is on the border of the Highlands. At the Faslane part.

I haven't been following the discussion, but I don't think of Faslane as being 'Highlands'. It's too near Glasgow for it to be 'Highlands', demographically, geographically, or culturally. It's close, though.

And since, perhaps uniquely on PB, I've walked around the lot (excepting the islands), I'll put myself as an authority.

Bloody hell. "Highlands" is not some sort of sociological or demographic construct, it's a fact of life. Look on a map.

Not quite sure what you have "walked around" the lot of but a lot of us have been there. Indeed there's actual Scots who post here who probably know almost as much about it as you do.

You're a little feisty tonight.

In fact, scratch that. You're a little feisty.

As usual.

Well, yes, but if you advance the idea the Highlands are defined culturally you can surely expect to be picked up on it?

Highlands. High lands. Geddit?

And if you take the train west out of Glasgow its only 20 minutes til you are looking out of the window and thinking fuck me that's steep

I'm from "the Highlands" and I'd struggle to consider Ben Lomond in them, tbh. Far too southern

I'm sure JJ knows them better than 90% of Scots, based on past posts.

Someone, somewhere needs to find a way to stop escalating this. Is there anyone with a cool head?

IshmaelZ said:

Eabhal said:

IshmaelZ said:

JosiasJessop said:

Carnyx said:

HYUFD said:

Heathener said:

By the way, this isn't mere play. If you talk to the residents around Faslane they are acutely aware that it would be the No.1 nuclear target.

So, no, some of the Highlands are certainly not the safest place to be.

(I'm assuming everyone knows it's the home of our Trident nuclear subs)

Kay word 'parts', as I pointed out the distance from the top to the bottom of the Highlands is longer than the distance between London and the North of England.

Plus of course the whole reason at least 1 submarines with Trident nuclear missiles on board is always on patrol 24/7 is that in the event of nuclear war the UK PM from his bunker could still order a nuclear missile attack on Moscow or whereever the nuclear attack on the UK came from even if Faslane had been hit (though in reality it would almost certainly only be Moscow or Bejing being the 2 capitals of our potential enemies with nuclear weapons). 1 Trident nuclear missile is the equivalent of 8 Hiroshimas on its own

But Glasgow is on the border of the Highlands. At the Faslane part.

I haven't been following the discussion, but I don't think of Faslane as being 'Highlands'. It's too near Glasgow for it to be 'Highlands', demographically, geographically, or culturally. It's close, though.

And since, perhaps uniquely on PB, I've walked around the lot (excepting the islands), I'll put myself as an authority.

Bloody hell. "Highlands" is not some sort of sociological or demographic construct, it's a fact of life. Look on a map.

Not quite sure what you have "walked around" the lot of but a lot of us have been there. Indeed there's actual Scots who post here who probably know almost as much about it as you do.

In my experience the English tend to be pretty knowledgeable about the Highlands. They go on holiday, and they fall in love.

Indeed, Skye is basically the Home Counties + plus mad Dutch drivers nowadays.

I know what JJ means. Argyll is distinct from Assynt. Perthshire from the Cuillin. Speyside from Caithness.

That fucking bridge was the worst mistake in the history of civil engineering. I am a Hilleary btw so not in need of guidance on the whole Skye thang.

Yet the Kylesku Bridge is a thing of unalloyed beauty. Concrete and terrain in perfect harmony.

Leon said:

BigRich said:

williamglenn said:

Looks like an absolutely massive explosion in Ukraine.

https://twitter.com/nexta_tv/status/1498037904496418817

gosh!!

Have they exploded and oil/gas storage or is that one of those very big bombs, that somebody was talking about yesterday?

Thermobaric bombs is the best guess

Either a similar bomb or the same explosion from a different angle. Ginormous


https://twitter.com/mutahmett/status/1498022991724261385?s=20&t=5VRcrjSE8-1FHaY1x0FR0Q



Putin has doubled down. He is going to Grozny Ukraine into submission. Hideous. Many thousands will die

The Ukrainians have shoulder launched thermobaric weapons and I'm sure will get to use them. In fact lots of countries do have them in some shape or form, including the UK,. The Russians have just taken it to a scale.

darkage said:

BigRich said:

williamglenn said:

Looks like an absolutely massive explosion in Ukraine.

https://twitter.com/nexta_tv/status/1498037904496418817

gosh!!

Have they exploded and oil/gas storage or is that one of those very big bombs, that somebody was talking about yesterday?

This is why I quit twitter. It is some scratchy film of a massive explosion/bomb in the nighttime, but until it is verified by a reliable source, it could have been from any number of conflicts. But we've all immediately come to the conclusion that Russia have dropped a thermobaric bomb on Ukraine.

No one has immediately "come to the conclusion", but a lot of people are speculating on Twitter, and much of the speculation is from well-informed military types, who are already analysing the perspectives, light effects shock waves and so on

And this speculation is not some wild frenzy of "OMG this is tactical nukes!" (which you could argue, given the slightly scary mushroom cloud effect, and the sheer size of the explosion), it is careful and forensic, in the circs

We know Putin has been preparing these weapons for Ukraine:

Video of a Russian military column reportedly near the town of Okhynky, on the highway between Kyiv and Sumy. There’s a TOS-1A thermobaric MLRS.
https://t.me/milinfolive/77159

https://twitter.com/RALee85/status/1497839062132183042?s=20&t=zvoiF5DHlXstuVSYOzqClw

Why would he not use them if the war as it stands is not going to plan?

A thermobaric warhead seems the best guess and/or a hit on an oil/ammo dump

Jonathan said:

Someone, somewhere needs to find a way to stop escalating this. Is there anyone with a cool head?

Wouldn't look for one on PB to be honest. Most here are crying havoc and letting slip the dogs of war. Virtual dogs mind, I don't think anyone's joined the legion. But they are doing their bit by getting jolly cross and socking it to that PJohnson character in no uncertain terms.

https://twitter.com/fatimatlis/status/1498015824329728004?s=21

Travis Akers
@travisakers
Pravda Brewery, based in Lviv, Ukraine, has suspended its beer brewing operations and is now making Molotov cocktails for residents to use against invading Russian forces.

The labels on the bottles say “Putin is a dickhead.”

https://twitter.com/travisakers/status/1497754605865684992

HYUFD said:

kle4 said:

HYUFD said:

pigeon said:

rottenborough said:

The UN Security Council adopted a resolution to call for an emergency session of the General Assembly which will convene in the next 24 hours. It is the first time such a session has been called in decades, said U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, because “This is not ordinary moment. We need to take extraordinary action to meet this threat to our international system and to do everything we can to help Ukraine and its people.”

NY Times

The General Assembly vote has no binding effect, but will give an indication of how isolated Russia has become. Though, frankly, you wonder whether, should Nutjob discover that he has almost the whole world against him, he might try to kill absolutely everyone in revenge. It's extremely scary.

China, the UAE and India all abstained rather than vote to condemn Russia on the Security Council.

Those are some pretty big or wealthy nations not lining up against him whatever the Assembly decides

Abstaining is opposing when it comes to votes like that - like when a resolution on Libya was able to be passed.

No it is abstaining.

If they were opposing they would have voted for the resolution to deplore Putin's actions as we, the USA, France and 8 other UN Security Council members did.

Russia of course vetoed it anyway, so it was not like the Libya resolution where there was no veto used

And. It probably took some hard work to get PRC on board. Although it seems they've been as blindsided by it too.

Eabhal said:

Theuniondivvie said:

Eabhal said:

IshmaelZ said:

JosiasJessop said:

IshmaelZ said:

JosiasJessop said:

Carnyx said:

HYUFD said:

Heathener said:

By the way, this isn't mere play. If you talk to the residents around Faslane they are acutely aware that it would be the No.1 nuclear target.

So, no, some of the Highlands are certainly not the safest place to be.

(I'm assuming everyone knows it's the home of our Trident nuclear subs)

Kay word 'parts', as I pointed out the distance from the top to the bottom of the Highlands is longer than the distance between London and the North of England.

Plus of course the whole reason at least 1 submarines with Trident nuclear missiles on board is always on patrol 24/7 is that in the event of nuclear war the UK PM from his bunker could still order a nuclear missile attack on Moscow or whereever the nuclear attack on the UK came from even if Faslane had been hit (though in reality it would almost certainly only be Moscow or Bejing being the 2 capitals of our potential enemies with nuclear weapons). 1 Trident nuclear missile is the equivalent of 8 Hiroshimas on its own

But Glasgow is on the border of the Highlands. At the Faslane part.

I haven't been following the discussion, but I don't think of Faslane as being 'Highlands'. It's too near Glasgow for it to be 'Highlands', demographically, geographically, or culturally. It's close, though.

And since, perhaps uniquely on PB, I've walked around the lot (excepting the islands), I'll put myself as an authority.

Bloody hell. "Highlands" is not some sort of sociological or demographic construct, it's a fact of life. Look on a map.

Not quite sure what you have "walked around" the lot of but a lot of us have been there. Indeed there's actual Scots who post here who probably know almost as much about it as you do.

You're a little feisty tonight.

In fact, scratch that. You're a little feisty.

As usual.

Well, yes, but if you advance the idea the Highlands are defined culturally you can surely expect to be picked up on it?

Highlands. High lands. Geddit?

And if you take the train west out of Glasgow its only 20 minutes til you are looking out of the window and thinking fuck me that's steep

I'm from "the Highlands" and I'd struggle to consider Ben Lomond in them, tbh. Far too southern

I'm sure JJ knows them better than 90% of Scots, based on past posts.

Which part are you from?

Mainly a non-High bit.

Wick?

solarflare said:

darkage said:

BigRich said:

williamglenn said:

Looks like an absolutely massive explosion in Ukraine.

https://twitter.com/nexta_tv/status/1498037904496418817

gosh!!

Have they exploded and oil/gas storage or is that one of those very big bombs, that somebody was talking about yesterday?

This is why I quit twitter. It is some scratchy film of a massive explosion/bomb in the nighttime, but until it is verified by a reliable source, it could have been from any number of conflicts. But we've all immediately come to the conclusion that Russia have dropped a thermobaric bomb on Ukraine.

It's a reasonable perspective.

The flipside - which I agree may or may not apply in this instance - is that shedloads of stuff on twitter has turned out to be absolutely reliable but a lot of the big news organisations are taking quite a long time to report it as such given the verification checks needed. So you pays your money and you take your choice sort of thing.

Yes, fair enough. I agree. I guess I am happy to let other people find stuff on twitter and find out about it later on, after some verification has gone on. Otherwise you cannot tell what is real or otherwise.

Theuniondivvie said:

Eabhal said:

Theuniondivvie said:

Eabhal said:

IshmaelZ said:

JosiasJessop said:

IshmaelZ said:

JosiasJessop said:

Carnyx said:

HYUFD said:

Heathener said:

By the way, this isn't mere play. If you talk to the residents around Faslane they are acutely aware that it would be the No.1 nuclear target.

So, no, some of the Highlands are certainly not the safest place to be.

(I'm assuming everyone knows it's the home of our Trident nuclear subs)

Kay word 'parts', as I pointed out the distance from the top to the bottom of the Highlands is longer than the distance between London and the North of England.

Plus of course the whole reason at least 1 submarines with Trident nuclear missiles on board is always on patrol 24/7 is that in the event of nuclear war the UK PM from his bunker could still order a nuclear missile attack on Moscow or whereever the nuclear attack on the UK came from even if Faslane had been hit (though in reality it would almost certainly only be Moscow or Bejing being the 2 capitals of our potential enemies with nuclear weapons). 1 Trident nuclear missile is the equivalent of 8 Hiroshimas on its own

But Glasgow is on the border of the Highlands. At the Faslane part.

I haven't been following the discussion, but I don't think of Faslane as being 'Highlands'. It's too near Glasgow for it to be 'Highlands', demographically, geographically, or culturally. It's close, though.

And since, perhaps uniquely on PB, I've walked around the lot (excepting the islands), I'll put myself as an authority.

Bloody hell. "Highlands" is not some sort of sociological or demographic construct, it's a fact of life. Look on a map.

Not quite sure what you have "walked around" the lot of but a lot of us have been there. Indeed there's actual Scots who post here who probably know almost as much about it as you do.

You're a little feisty tonight.

In fact, scratch that. You're a little feisty.

As usual.

Well, yes, but if you advance the idea the Highlands are defined culturally you can surely expect to be picked up on it?

Highlands. High lands. Geddit?

And if you take the train west out of Glasgow its only 20 minutes til you are looking out of the window and thinking fuck me that's steep

I'm from "the Highlands" and I'd struggle to consider Ben Lomond in them, tbh. Far too southern

I'm sure JJ knows them better than 90% of Scots, based on past posts.

Which part are you from?

Mainly a non-High bit.

Wick?

I wish!

BlancheLivermore said:

Travis Akers
@travisakers
Pravda Brewery, based in Lviv, Ukraine, has suspended its beer brewing operations and is now making Molotov cocktails for residents to use against invading Russian forces.

The labels on the bottles say “Putin is a dickhead.”

https://twitter.com/travisakers/status/1497754605865684992

Another example of excellent propoganda.

Eabhal said:

IshmaelZ said:

Eabhal said:

IshmaelZ said:

JosiasJessop said:

IshmaelZ said:

Eabhal said:

IshmaelZ said:

JosiasJessop said:

Carnyx said:

HYUFD said:

Heathener said:

By the way, this isn't mere play. If you talk to the residents around Faslane they are acutely aware that it would be the No.1 nuclear target.

So, no, some of the Highlands are certainly not the safest place to be.

(I'm assuming everyone knows it's the home of our Trident nuclear subs)

Kay word 'parts', as I pointed out the distance from the top to the bottom of the Highlands is longer than the distance between London and the North of England.

Plus of course the whole reason at least 1 submarines with Trident nuclear missiles on board is always on patrol 24/7 is that in the event of nuclear war the UK PM from his bunker could still order a nuclear missile attack on Moscow or whereever the nuclear attack on the UK came from even if Faslane had been hit (though in reality it would almost certainly only be Moscow or Bejing being the 2 capitals of our potential enemies with nuclear weapons). 1 Trident nuclear missile is the equivalent of 8 Hiroshimas on its own

But Glasgow is on the border of the Highlands. At the Faslane part.

I haven't been following the discussion, but I don't think of Faslane as being 'Highlands'. It's too near Glasgow for it to be 'Highlands', demographically, geographically, or culturally. It's close, though.

And since, perhaps uniquely on PB, I've walked around the lot (excepting the islands), I'll put myself as an authority.

Bloody hell. "Highlands" is not some sort of sociological or demographic construct, it's a fact of life. Look on a map.

Not quite sure what you have "walked around" the lot of but a lot of us have been there. Indeed there's actual Scots who post here who probably know almost as much about it as you do.

In my experience the English tend to be pretty knowledgeable about the Highlands. They go on holiday, and they fall in love.

Indeed, Skye is basically the Home Counties + plus mad Dutch drivers nowadays.

I know what JJ means. Argyll is distinct from Assynt. Perthshire from the Cuillin. Speyside from Caithness.

That fucking bridge was the worst mistake in the history of civil engineering. I am a Hilleary btw so not in need of guidance on the whole Skye thang.

Yet the Kylesku Bridge is a thing of unalloyed beauty. Concrete and terrain in perfect harmony.

Sure. It's not the bridge itself, it's what comes over it.

You're either talking about the tourists who support the otherwise paltry economy, or the English.

Yes.

Ah.

As long as they drive on the right side of the road, I don't mind at all.

Surely it would be better if they drove on the left?

FrankBooth said:

Is there anything to stop Ukrainian jets flying in from Nato territory? Someone did mention refueling might be going on over some of the neighbouring states.

Also is there any way the Ukrainians might be able to take the thermobaric weapons - possibly with drone strikes?

We won’t be able to refuel their kit, partly because of comparability but also because of training. It’s not something you do without practicing.

Eabhal said:

IshmaelZ said:

Eabhal said:

IshmaelZ said:

JosiasJessop said:

Carnyx said:

HYUFD said:

Heathener said:

By the way, this isn't mere play. If you talk to the residents around Faslane they are acutely aware that it would be the No.1 nuclear target.

So, no, some of the Highlands are certainly not the safest place to be.

(I'm assuming everyone knows it's the home of our Trident nuclear subs)

Kay word 'parts', as I pointed out the distance from the top to the bottom of the Highlands is longer than the distance between London and the North of England.

Plus of course the whole reason at least 1 submarines with Trident nuclear missiles on board is always on patrol 24/7 is that in the event of nuclear war the UK PM from his bunker could still order a nuclear missile attack on Moscow or whereever the nuclear attack on the UK came from even if Faslane had been hit (though in reality it would almost certainly only be Moscow or Bejing being the 2 capitals of our potential enemies with nuclear weapons). 1 Trident nuclear missile is the equivalent of 8 Hiroshimas on its own

But Glasgow is on the border of the Highlands. At the Faslane part.

I haven't been following the discussion, but I don't think of Faslane as being 'Highlands'. It's too near Glasgow for it to be 'Highlands', demographically, geographically, or culturally. It's close, though.

And since, perhaps uniquely on PB, I've walked around the lot (excepting the islands), I'll put myself as an authority.

Bloody hell. "Highlands" is not some sort of sociological or demographic construct, it's a fact of life. Look on a map.

Not quite sure what you have "walked around" the lot of but a lot of us have been there. Indeed there's actual Scots who post here who probably know almost as much about it as you do.

In my experience the English tend to be pretty knowledgeable about the Highlands. They go on holiday, and they fall in love.

Indeed, Skye is basically the Home Counties + plus mad Dutch drivers nowadays.

I know what JJ means. Argyll is distinct from Assynt. Perthshire from the Cuillin. Speyside from Caithness.

That fucking bridge was the worst mistake in the history of civil engineering. I am a Hilleary btw so not in need of guidance on the whole Skye thang.

I remember my parents paying the toll on it.

It's a stunning bridge.

It's a lovely bridge. It positively vaults from Kyle to Skye, like a prancing stag (surely deliberate?); if you had to have a bridge, this is about as good as it gets.

And yet it is sad as well. "Over the sea to Skye" means so much less now you can drive it in 2 minutes. I loved that wait in Kyle for the ferry.

And it ruins the peerless sea-landscape around Gavin Maxwell's little island, right under the concrete.

Aslan said:

Russian police are starting to lose control of antiwar protests back home:

https://www.reddit.com/r/ukraine/comments/t2pwhd/russian_protestors_starting_to_protect_each_other/

Meanwhile Kharkiv and Kyiv still in Ukrainian hands. Russian stockmarket looks to melt down on Monday. Putin is really in danger of the whole thing backfiring. An intervention by a major Western power - say the RAF enforcing a no-fly zone - could really make the difference between a Russian Ukraine and the end of Putin.

Our policy makers should think about how Putin murdered British citizens on British soil and how now is their chance to ensure appropriate consequences.

What should NATO do if an RAF fighter was shot down over Ukraine?

DavidL said:

Eabhal said:

Theuniondivvie said:

Eabhal said:

Theuniondivvie said:

Eabhal said:

IshmaelZ said:

JosiasJessop said:

IshmaelZ said:

JosiasJessop said:

Carnyx said:

HYUFD said:

Heathener said:

By the way, this isn't mere play. If you talk to the residents around Faslane they are acutely aware that it would be the No.1 nuclear target.

So, no, some of the Highlands are certainly not the safest place to be.

(I'm assuming everyone knows it's the home of our Trident nuclear subs)

Kay word 'parts', as I pointed out the distance from the top to the bottom of the Highlands is longer than the distance between London and the North of England.

Plus of course the whole reason at least 1 submarines with Trident nuclear missiles on board is always on patrol 24/7 is that in the event of nuclear war the UK PM from his bunker could still order a nuclear missile attack on Moscow or whereever the nuclear attack on the UK came from even if Faslane had been hit (though in reality it would almost certainly only be Moscow or Bejing being the 2 capitals of our potential enemies with nuclear weapons). 1 Trident nuclear missile is the equivalent of 8 Hiroshimas on its own

But Glasgow is on the border of the Highlands. At the Faslane part.

I haven't been following the discussion, but I don't think of Faslane as being 'Highlands'. It's too near Glasgow for it to be 'Highlands', demographically, geographically, or culturally. It's close, though.

And since, perhaps uniquely on PB, I've walked around the lot (excepting the islands), I'll put myself as an authority.

Bloody hell. "Highlands" is not some sort of sociological or demographic construct, it's a fact of life. Look on a map.

Not quite sure what you have "walked around" the lot of but a lot of us have been there. Indeed there's actual Scots who post here who probably know almost as much about it as you do.

You're a little feisty tonight.

In fact, scratch that. You're a little feisty.

As usual.

Well, yes, but if you advance the idea the Highlands are defined culturally you can surely expect to be picked up on it?

Highlands. High lands. Geddit?

And if you take the train west out of Glasgow its only 20 minutes til you are looking out of the window and thinking fuck me that's steep

I'm from "the Highlands" and I'd struggle to consider Ben Lomond in them, tbh. Far too southern

I'm sure JJ knows them better than 90% of Scots, based on past posts.

Which part are you from?

Mainly a non-High bit.

Wick?

I wish!

Dying of radioactive poisoning or dying of boredom in Wick is a tough call.

As we all know, for one guy, being actually and cruelly beheaded by the Taliban is better than LIVING in Wick, and, frankly. he has a point. I went there for one day in summer and I would have preferred to lose my sense of sight for two weeks. Imagine a LIFE there

"I’d rather risk beheading by Taliban than live in Wick"

https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/8113251/afghanistan-refugee-taliban-scotland/

Foxy said:

Flatlander said:

WhisperingOracle said:

ydoethur said:

Aslan said:

Heathener said:

Scott_xP said:

geoffw said:

If Putin has come to the end of the road he might try to take the rest of us with him.

Russian state TV: “Our submarines alone can launch more than 500 nuclear warheads, which guarantees the destruction of the US and NATO for good measure. The principle is: why do we need the world if Russia won’t be in it?”
https://twitter.com/ilya_shepelin/status/1498022807627829250

Hell's bells.

Someone needs to stop this madman. And fast.

Moscow has had far more crazed nutcases than Putin over the decades and none of them launched nuclear weapons. They know full well Russia would be leveled if it happened. And they know that Russia will indeed "be in the world" if they don't. This is all an attempt to get others to back down. I.e. a bluff.

His behaviour at the moment is eerily reminiscent of that of Brezhnev in his last years. Crazy foreign ventures. Threats of nuclear annihilation. Trying to sustain over-ambitious military spending at the expense of his country. Rampaging fraud and corruption in the government. The FSB extremely powerful.

Brezhnev, of course, had dementia, complicated by cardiovascular problems and alcoholism.

There may be more to these rumours about Putin's health.

There could be, but I still don't really understand what's going on with him. He clearly is genuinely changed in some ways and embarked on a mad project to take Kiyiv, for instance, or to refer continually to 1940's history.

Yet I wonder what other elements might be performance here, particularly now when he's terrifying the world. Could it be some very strange mixture of elaborately planned theatre and genuine danger and illness, I wonder. We have to take him to a considerable degree at his word when he's making these kinds of threats, ofcourse.

The rounded face could be either Botox or steroids..

Nah, he has always looked like that.

To me, his face (particularly the nose) is completely different now.

Farooq said:

Leon said:

Eabhal said:

IshmaelZ said:

Eabhal said:

IshmaelZ said:

JosiasJessop said:

Carnyx said:

HYUFD said:

Heathener said:

By the way, this isn't mere play. If you talk to the residents around Faslane they are acutely aware that it would be the No.1 nuclear target.

So, no, some of the Highlands are certainly not the safest place to be.

(I'm assuming everyone knows it's the home of our Trident nuclear subs)

Kay word 'parts', as I pointed out the distance from the top to the bottom of the Highlands is longer than the distance between London and the North of England.

Plus of course the whole reason at least 1 submarines with Trident nuclear missiles on board is always on patrol 24/7 is that in the event of nuclear war the UK PM from his bunker could still order a nuclear missile attack on Moscow or whereever the nuclear attack on the UK came from even if Faslane had been hit (though in reality it would almost certainly only be Moscow or Bejing being the 2 capitals of our potential enemies with nuclear weapons). 1 Trident nuclear missile is the equivalent of 8 Hiroshimas on its own

But Glasgow is on the border of the Highlands. At the Faslane part.

I haven't been following the discussion, but I don't think of Faslane as being 'Highlands'. It's too near Glasgow for it to be 'Highlands', demographically, geographically, or culturally. It's close, though.

And since, perhaps uniquely on PB, I've walked around the lot (excepting the islands), I'll put myself as an authority.

Bloody hell. "Highlands" is not some sort of sociological or demographic construct, it's a fact of life. Look on a map.

Not quite sure what you have "walked around" the lot of but a lot of us have been there. Indeed there's actual Scots who post here who probably know almost as much about it as you do.

In my experience the English tend to be pretty knowledgeable about the Highlands. They go on holiday, and they fall in love.

Indeed, Skye is basically the Home Counties + plus mad Dutch drivers nowadays.

I know what JJ means. Argyll is distinct from Assynt. Perthshire from the Cuillin. Speyside from Caithness.

That fucking bridge was the worst mistake in the history of civil engineering. I am a Hilleary btw so not in need of guidance on the whole Skye thang.

I remember my parents paying the toll on it.

It's a stunning bridge.

It's a lovely bridge. It positively vaults from Kyle to Skye, like a prancing stag (surely deliberate?); if you had to have a bridge, this is about as good as it gets.

And yet it is sad as well. "Over the sea to Skye" means so much less now you can drive it in 2 minutes. I loved that wait in Kyle for the ferry.

And it ruins the peerless sea-landscape around Gavin Maxwell's little island, right under the concrete.

And you described Cyclefree's article yesterday as pompous?

Cyclefree can only dream of the poetry of ‘like a prancing stag’.

StillWaters said:

FrancisUrquhart said:

Massive Russian convoy seen outside Kyiv

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gDmMVzjIVw

Outside Kyiv being 60km away?

Technically everything not currently in Kyiv is outside of Kyiv tbf.

Jonathan said:

Someone, somewhere needs to find a way to stop escalating this. Is there anyone with a cool head?

Xi Jinping? Like supporting Russia against the US and setting a precedent that he could invade Taiwan must have seemed like a clever idea at the time, but the precedent part isn't exacly going to plan, and you can't retake Taiwan if nuclear armageddon has eliminated all life on earth.

PJohnson said:

StillWaters said:

FrancisUrquhart said:

Massive Russian convoy seen outside Kyiv

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gDmMVzjIVw

Outside Kyiv being 60km away?

Not good this is a massive 3.5 mile convoy...putin is getting serious...pray tonight for the citizens of kiev

Pray tonight for the drone operators taking out that convoy.

And the families of those incinerated in it.

Aslan said:

MightyAlex said:

Aslan said:

Russian police are starting to lose control of antiwar protests back home:

https://www.reddit.com/r/ukraine/comments/t2pwhd/russian_protestors_starting_to_protect_each_other/

Meanwhile Kharkiv and Kyiv still in Ukrainian hands. Russian stockmarket looks to melt down on Monday. Putin is really in danger of the whole thing backfiring. An intervention by a major Western power - say the RAF enforcing a no-fly zone - could really make the difference between a Russian Ukraine and the end of Putin.

Our policy makers should think about how Putin murdered British citizens on British soil and how now is their chance to ensure appropriate consequences.

What would you recommend NATO doing if an RAF fighter was shot down over Ukraine?

Add more airforces to shoot down Russian planes.

Frankly I was hoping for another 20-30 years of life rather than dying in a nuclear holocaust before the summer.

HYUFD said:

kle4 said:

HYUFD said:

pigeon said:

rottenborough said:

The UN Security Council adopted a resolution to call for an emergency session of the General Assembly which will convene in the next 24 hours. It is the first time such a session has been called in decades, said U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, because “This is not ordinary moment. We need to take extraordinary action to meet this threat to our international system and to do everything we can to help Ukraine and its people.”

NY Times

The General Assembly vote has no binding effect, but will give an indication of how isolated Russia has become. Though, frankly, you wonder whether, should Nutjob discover that he has almost the whole world against him, he might try to kill absolutely everyone in revenge. It's extremely scary.

China, the UAE and India all abstained rather than vote to condemn Russia on the Security Council.

Those are some pretty big or wealthy nations not lining up against him whatever the Assembly decides

Abstaining is opposing when it comes to votes like that - like when a resolution on Libya was able to be passed.

No it is abstaining.

If they were opposing they would have voted for the resolution to deplore Putin's actions as we, the USA, France and 8 other UN Security Council members did.

Russia of course vetoed it anyway, so it was not like the Libya resolution where there was no veto used

I don't know why I am bothering, but not everything is to be taken literally. Would you believe I am aware that an abstention is not literally opposing?. The point, which is pretty obvious, was that for a nation like China to not vote against was itself a message to Russia.

The comparison with Libya was not that no one vetoed that one, but that several who did not vote for it made it clear they would be against what did end up happening in terms of the campaign and was expected to happen, but their actions in not voting against made it clear they were happy to not stand in its way even if they did not endorse it.

Leon said:

Foxy said:

Flatlander said:

WhisperingOracle said:

ydoethur said:

Aslan said:

Heathener said:

Scott_xP said:

geoffw said:

If Putin has come to the end of the road he might try to take the rest of us with him.

Russian state TV: “Our submarines alone can launch more than 500 nuclear warheads, which guarantees the destruction of the US and NATO for good measure. The principle is: why do we need the world if Russia won’t be in it?”
https://twitter.com/ilya_shepelin/status/1498022807627829250

Hell's bells.

Someone needs to stop this madman. And fast.

Moscow has had far more crazed nutcases than Putin over the decades and none of them launched nuclear weapons. They know full well Russia would be leveled if it happened. And they know that Russia will indeed "be in the world" if they don't. This is all an attempt to get others to back down. I.e. a bluff.

His behaviour at the moment is eerily reminiscent of that of Brezhnev in his last years. Crazy foreign ventures. Threats of nuclear annihilation. Trying to sustain over-ambitious military spending at the expense of his country. Rampaging fraud and corruption in the government. The FSB extremely powerful.

Brezhnev, of course, had dementia, complicated by cardiovascular problems and alcoholism.

There may be more to these rumours about Putin's health.

There could be, but I still don't really understand what's going on with him. He clearly is genuinely changed in some ways and embarked on a mad project to take Kiyiv, for instance, or to refer continually to 1940's history.

Yet I wonder what other elements might be performance here, particularly now when he's terrifying the world. Could it be some very strange mixture of elaborately planned theatre and genuine danger and illness, I wonder. We have to take him to a considerable degree at his word when he's making these kinds of threats, ofcourse.

The rounded face could be either Botox or steroids..

Nah, he has always looked like that.

He really hasn't. He has a new football-shaped face

Young Putin was quite cheekboney

Mrs P thinks he looks like he's got Parkinson's.

PJohnson said:

Luckyguy1983 said:

Jonathan said:

Someone, somewhere needs to find a way to stop escalating this. Is there anyone with a cool head?

Wouldn't look for one on PB to be honest. Most here are crying havoc and letting slip the dogs of war. Virtual dogs mind, I don't think anyone's joined the legion. But they are doing their bit by getting jolly cross and socking it to that PJohnson character in no uncertain terms.

Lol mate I'm just trying to be realistic but my views don't seem to be welcome

Your realism being that the Ukrainians, who were after nuclear weapons, should accept being killed with grace because resisting it will just mean they will be killed even more.

When playing the martyr I think a more sympathetic stance is required.

Stereodog said:

Aslan said:

Russian police are starting to lose control of antiwar protests back home:

https://www.reddit.com/r/ukraine/comments/t2pwhd/russian_protestors_starting_to_protect_each_other/

Meanwhile Kharkiv and Kyiv still in Ukrainian hands. Russian stockmarket looks to melt down on Monday. Putin is really in danger of the whole thing backfiring. An intervention by a major Western power - say the RAF enforcing a no-fly zone - could really make the difference between a Russian Ukraine and the end of Putin.

Our policy makers should think about how Putin murdered British citizens on British soil and how now is their chance to ensure appropriate consequences.

I know I don't post much so I won't be missed but I'm quitting this forum for a while because of my anxiety levels. This is in no small part due to idiots like you who insist on trying to talk the world into nuclear war. Before I go let me repeat the minute a British jet comes into contact with a Russian one it's game over. If you want to see the Ukrainian flag fluttering over an irradiated wasteland then that's your affair but I sincerely hope no one in a position of power listens to you.

Hey, I like your stuff. Stay chilled if you can.

Leon said:

Benpointer said:

Leon said:

Peter_the_Punter said:

StillWaters said:

StuartDickson said:

Taz said:

StuartDickson said:

PJohnson said:

Peter_the_Punter said:

PJohnson said:

Big_G_NorthWales said:

PJohnson said:

Sandpit said:

Zelensky’s starting point is going to be a Russian withdrawal to the pre-2014 borders, giving up Donbass and Crimea.

Zelensky can’t negotiate away the international sanctions, that are about to tank the markets and cause bank runs in Moscow tomorrow morning.

Oh, and by the way, he has another few thousand NATO-spec anti-tank weapons, and a few hundred NATO-spec anti-aircraft weapons, ready for the next few thousand tanks and few hundred aircraft that try and get to Kiev.

Negotiations difficult now both sides all in...Ukraine will have to put their egos aside a bit and listen to russias concerns...and vice versa

The only concern in this is when will Putin be deposed and put on trial for war crimes

We cannot base policy on wild hopes

Who is 'We'?

Most posters on PB know each other, in many cases personally but otherwise through reputation and thousands of posts. On the evidence of a handful of posts I should say you are a troll, and your views - if indeed they are yours - have attracted well-merited contempt.

You don't speak for anybody except yourself and whoever might be marking your card.

I speak from a deep knowledge of history and human nature...my concern is humanity as a whole...many posters on here are superficial

You noticed?

We like Sean. He’s like our own little pet tarantula. Vile, poisonous and icky. But strangely mesmerising.

Spiders are venomous, not poisonous, and no tarantula is venomous to mankind. They are mesmerising I agree. Indian ornamentals especially.

Ok. Fine. Sean is vile, venomous and icky. Happy now?

And our red under the Reading bed called us “superficial”? Pffff.

If a trans man or woman asked you to refer to them as “they” rather than by their birth gender I have no doubt you would do so out of politeness even if you disagree with their actions.

So when @Leon has requested you stop calling him “Sean” why do you insist on doing so?

It's a tease and he sets himself up for it. No need for toys out of the pram on this one.

It may be a tease but I find it quite fucking annoying, and also boring, it's not good for the site - misidentifying people who wish to remain anonymous is A BAD INTERNET HABIT - and it also prevents me from ever attending things like the PB meets

So, STOP , thanks very much

By all means abuse me roundly for anything else. I don't mind that at all

Maybe you could avoid promoting those crappy Sean Thomas Spectator pieces in return? ;-)

Deal. I will only promote the good ones

Surprised to learn it bothered you but fairy nuff; if you don't like it, people shouldn't do it.

StillWaters said:

FrancisUrquhart said:

Massive Russian convoy seen outside Kyiv

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gDmMVzjIVw

Outside Kyiv being 60km away?

Half an hour's drive

Christ. I do believe Putin has decided to go full Chechnya on Ukraine. He can't stand the humiliation of a reverse, he cannot allow the career or life ending risk of a defeat. So he will obliterate any opposition until he "wins". I would not rule out tactical nukes, but he probably won't need them. He will simply rain down hellfire until he inherits the blasted desert, and calls it victory

Stand by for a new Cold War lasting decades

Benpointer said:

Leon said:

Foxy said:

Flatlander said:

WhisperingOracle said:

ydoethur said:

Aslan said:

Heathener said:

Scott_xP said:

geoffw said:

If Putin has come to the end of the road he might try to take the rest of us with him.

Russian state TV: “Our submarines alone can launch more than 500 nuclear warheads, which guarantees the destruction of the US and NATO for good measure. The principle is: why do we need the world if Russia won’t be in it?”
https://twitter.com/ilya_shepelin/status/1498022807627829250

Hell's bells.

Someone needs to stop this madman. And fast.

Moscow has had far more crazed nutcases than Putin over the decades and none of them launched nuclear weapons. They know full well Russia would be leveled if it happened. And they know that Russia will indeed "be in the world" if they don't. This is all an attempt to get others to back down. I.e. a bluff.

His behaviour at the moment is eerily reminiscent of that of Brezhnev in his last years. Crazy foreign ventures. Threats of nuclear annihilation. Trying to sustain over-ambitious military spending at the expense of his country. Rampaging fraud and corruption in the government. The FSB extremely powerful.

Brezhnev, of course, had dementia, complicated by cardiovascular problems and alcoholism.

There may be more to these rumours about Putin's health.

There could be, but I still don't really understand what's going on with him. He clearly is genuinely changed in some ways and embarked on a mad project to take Kiyiv, for instance, or to refer continually to 1940's history.

Yet I wonder what other elements might be performance here, particularly now when he's terrifying the world. Could it be some very strange mixture of elaborately planned theatre and genuine danger and illness, I wonder. We have to take him to a considerable degree at his word when he's making these kinds of threats, ofcourse.

The rounded face could be either Botox or steroids..

Nah, he has always looked like that.

He really hasn't. He has a new football-shaped face

Young Putin was quite cheekboney

Mrs P thinks he looks like he's got Parkinson's.

I just watched his video from earlier today, and he's definitely blinking and twitching in a slightly new way. Something's up.

Farooq said:

PJohnson said:

Luckyguy1983 said:

Jonathan said:

Someone, somewhere needs to find a way to stop escalating this. Is there anyone with a cool head?

Wouldn't look for one on PB to be honest. Most here are crying havoc and letting slip the dogs of war. Virtual dogs mind, I don't think anyone's joined the legion. But they are doing their bit by getting jolly cross and socking it to that PJohnson character in no uncertain terms.

Lol mate I'm just trying to be realistic but my views don't seem to be welcome

You are shilling for a fascist.

A two- bit fascist?

PJohnson said:

Aslan said:

Russian police are starting to lose control of antiwar protests back home:

https://www.reddit.com/r/ukraine/comments/t2pwhd/russian_protestors_starting_to_protect_each_other/

Meanwhile Kharkiv and Kyiv still in Ukrainian hands. Russian stockmarket looks to melt down on Monday. Putin is really in danger of the whole thing backfiring. An intervention by a major Western power - say the RAF enforcing a no-fly zone - could really make the difference between a Russian Ukraine and the end of Putin.

Our policy makers should think about how Putin murdered British citizens on British soil and how now is their chance to ensure appropriate consequences.

Putin is waiting for the right moment to attack Kiev and is doing well in the south of ukraine

Have you got a song and a dance to go with that?

Go fuck yourself Putin cheerleader.

https://twitter.com/franakviacorka/status/1497911200692289544?s=21

A member of the Belarusian military speaks to the Belarusian troops.

pigeon said:

Benpointer said:

Aslan said:

MightyAlex said:

Aslan said:

Russian police are starting to lose control of antiwar protests back home:

https://www.reddit.com/r/ukraine/comments/t2pwhd/russian_protestors_starting_to_protect_each_other/

Meanwhile Kharkiv and Kyiv still in Ukrainian hands. Russian stockmarket looks to melt down on Monday. Putin is really in danger of the whole thing backfiring. An intervention by a major Western power - say the RAF enforcing a no-fly zone - could really make the difference between a Russian Ukraine and the end of Putin.

Our policy makers should think about how Putin murdered British citizens on British soil and how now is their chance to ensure appropriate consequences.

What would you recommend NATO doing if an RAF fighter was shot down over Ukraine?

Add more airforces to shoot down Russian planes.

Frankly I was hoping for another 20-30 years of life rather than dying in a nuclear holocaust before the summer.

Quite. I've been moaning about how it feels like this Winter has dragged on forever, but when I wanted it finally to warm up a little being heated to a thousand degrees in half-a-second wasn't quite what I had in mind.

No indeed. And if you avoid that, the resulting winter will last the rest of your short, cold, starved life.