War Is Brewing.

[transam]

My mate had a holiday booked to
Egypt years ago than that Luxor terrorist attack happened

he said the plane was half empty

and why

all
The Germans cancelled
He arrived in Egypt in his Union Jack shorts and knotted hanky on his ead and was interviewed by eygption TV

they asked him why he never cancelled are you not afraid

Told em “ nah we brits are made of sterner stuff “

mind you he had had a few on plane

mind you that was an advantage tbh

all the deck chairs were not being hogged by the Germans and there were no German organised belching contests

 

[ajohn]

Listen, as I've said before, in terms of who's right and who's wrong I err towards Putin as long as his only objective is to prevent NATO surrounding him on every Russian border, it's not an entirely unreasonable wish. But is that his only objective?, it would be great fun for him to cause massive splits between western powers, the EU even more so.

This does seem to be part of the reason and in some respects they are surrounded already. It seems this relates to the "collapse of the USSR" and an informal agreement that they would not be surrounded. Some background info that is likely to be correct
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...ntry-joins-nato-and-why-putin-cares-quicktake
https://apnews.com/article/sergey-l...raine-europe-0082b64482aadeb975ea00c2f585525b

Perhaps Germany's and France's view is if some want to be Russian let them. It seems the Ukraine is dependent on Russian gas. why doesn't Putin freeze them to death. Some years ago Russia was threatening some country with turning it off. Why - because they wouldn't pay for it. Ukraine maybe - I can't remember. Their economy isn't helped by the current situation and there are various ideas around about debt etc. Both the WB and the IMF have involvement. Their population has been declining since ~1990. It sounds like an odd sort of place with a number of problems and not just Putin and the USA.

Yet another essentially tribal problem. Our own in the UK is more civilised.

 

[denso13]

Does anyone know what it's all about yet?

Putin bad, Biden good.

You've got the makings of a good TikTok riff there, just needs filled out a bit.

 

[ajohn]

More crazy news may be coming. The USA is going to sort it all out by arranging to divert gas from all over the place to Europe - they are going to do it was said. Liquefied I would assume so I wonder what will be done with it when it arrives. I saw a facility being built up over time in Pembrokeshire. Not sure if we have others around. It wasn't an overnight job. No doubt the USA will want to sell some of theirs too. News like much of it for their own domestic consumption maybe.

 

[SMG]

Lets get real, nothing takes the spotlight off our government like a war. But I don't believe Putin wants war, he knows he would never win in a total war against NATO, the mans an ex KGB hood, he knows the score. If there is an incursion, I believe it will be limited, & halted. Putin is like General Custer, full of bravado but surrounded by people who want him dead, the USA is doing most of the sabre rattling, as it always does. Do we really want Alzheimer's Joe`s finger on the button, hell no. Putin wants the world to know Russia is still a superpower, & is petrified at the prospects of another potential NATO country on his borders. Big talk of 100k troops on the border, where's the Engineers to clear the advance, the logistics to provide food, fuel equipment, 100k men need a lot of support, or within 3 days they will be stopped.

 

[fillyboy]

Putin wants the world to know Russia is still a superpower,

I was quite surprised to read the other day the Russian economy is about the same size as Spain.

 

[ajohn]

I was quite surprised to read the other day the Russian economy is about the same size as Spain.

Might pay to check the numbers and how they are defined. For instance

https://country.eiu.com/russia
https://country.eiu.com/spain

Have you ever been to Russia? 2 years prior to covid I went on a whistle stop Baltic tour in a Russian boat along with loads of Germans, other Brits and Russians. Stop overs in various Baltic states. It was rather interesting.

 

[Notch7]

I was quite surprised to read the other day the Russian economy is about the same size as Spain.

and most of is floating around London

 

[Notch7]

Extraordinary intervention:

US officials express their "dismay and frustration" at the continued refusal of a Conservative government awash with Russian cash to shut down the London laudromat, undermining the effectiveness of sanctions.

The fortunes of Russia’s megarich are safe as houses in Londongrad
The question I am asked most right now — apart, perhaps, from “Will Vladimir Putin invade Ukraine?” — is: why does no one stop him? Even autocrats have to manage public opinion, balance economic interests and pay the bills, so how can he risk..

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/...ch-are-safe-as-houses-in-londongrad-qdc29vtd6

 

[ajohn]

The head of NATO has chimed in. Must of been short of news so saying the usual. Boris is toying with the idea of sending more troops in. The man in Ukraine is saying everybody over reacting but seems to have dug a lot of trenches currently filled with the young.

Filly's favourite lady has said we are going to help sort out the Ukraine's energy supply problems. Wonder if it will include the gas transfer fees they get as well as the gas. Not sure where the new pipe is running but some announcement by Germany caused gas prices too shoot up by 17%. Probably down to the greens. Wiki comment so true or false pass.

Gas - well for some it's the ideal fuel to get rid of oil and coal as it's cleaner. Germany well known for burning brown coal in the past has a particular problem
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-51133534

Reminds me of the amount burnt thought to be down to campaigns against nuclear. In our case we had oil and gas so used them. Some countries went nuclear but are phasing it out now. It seems China will build us more nuclear stations but hoping the French will. It seems Japan dropped out a while ago. France owns the content of meter cupboards so it might like their electricity but hard to see how it will bring prices down. Also if everyone wants gas ??????????

 

[ajohn]

AlJ had a reporter in the Ukraine's "disputed zone" in their own territory. It showed the damage from the war. shelling by the look of it.

 

[Vinty]

.

Yet another essentially tribal problem. Our own in the UK is more civilised

True. Eastern Europe is full of ethnic and religious faultlines.
The Americans and others are trying portray what is in reality an ethnic uprising as a Russian invasion.

 

[SMG]

We don't have the troops available to form a credible deterrent against Russia, perhaps as part of a NATO task force, & we do have a credible Navy & Air Force, but will NATO get involved, Ukraine is not a member, but is a partner, therefore not obliged to be involved. Boris is loving this news, it takes the spotlight off him. I haven't heard any news as to why Gas is going up in price? I can only think that as the world looks toward Electric, the gas suppliers are ripping us off while they can, the latest stats I`ve seen shows we only get 5% from Russia.

 

[Notch7]

.

True. Eastern Europe is full of ethnic and religious faultlines.
The Americans and others are trying portray what is in reality an ethnic uprising as a Russian invasion.

Ukraine has been independent since 1991, so any involvement by Russia is an invasion.

Ukraine wants to be part of the EU, that’s what Putin is scared of.

 

[ajohn]

The Americans and others are trying portray what is in reality an ethnic uprising as a Russian invasion.

That is a fair view and the same ethnic problems are always cropping up. Even NI has one. We do too neglecting that one.

Ukraine wants to be part of the EU, that’s what Putin is scared of.

Actually they do not meet the requirements that are needed to join.

The war in the Ukraine is ongoing. It isn't finished. The AlJ report was interesting in that the message the people concerned want to get out is the one that all are ignoring. They want to be Russian. Seems many have left even moving to Russia.

Seems Boris missed his phone call to Putin. Not sure how language figures with both of them other than Putin can speak perfect German. Hardly surprising really. Maybe Boris couldn't get through. There was a mention of a visit .......................... Seems some are off to the Ukraine, one part of it anyway.