[Politics] Russia invades Ukraine (24/02/2022)

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Eric the meek

Fiveways Wilf
NSC Patron
Aug 24, 2020
7,137
Anyone been to any of the Baltic States in the last few years?

I went to Latvia with Mrs Jakarta few years back and they absolutely loathe the Russians.

Also went to Poland a couple of years ago and if anything they hate them even more.

Does anyone see a pattern emerging?

Russia itself complains of being surrounded by enemies. I wonder if it has ever occurred to them why that might be?
 




Skuller

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jun 3, 2017
340
People have short memories but you cant seriously be suggesting the Blair's reputation wasn't tarnished by Iraq or that there wasn't widespread opposition to the war?! When anyone talks about him they talk about Iraq!

A lot of the lies came out years later but the majority of 100 was down from 167 at previous election with a non existent opposition. To appease the opposition within his own party Blair also had to agree to resign before the next election!

What I'm trying to claim is that memories are overly influenced by who was shouting loudest at the time. So we all remember the loud anti-war demos, but tend to forget the quiet ones who were in favour in favour of Blair's position but didn't demonstrate so vociferously. We all remember the daily reports from the Chilcott inquiry into the war and its damning conclusions, but forget what the people then knew: that Blair actually had a rather good record in his premiership and they took that into account when it came to the next general election. If his reputation had been tarnished as much as you say then why was he re-elected? Third-termers tend to have declining support anyway but a 100 seat majority isn't bad.

As for him promising not to serve a third term before the 2005 election, I'm afraid I don't think that's true (source https://www.channel4.com/news/artic...en did blair promise to step down/169525.html).

I'm a Blairite anyway, so probably am not being objective.
 




Blue Valkyrie

Not seen such Bravery!
Sep 1, 2012
32,165
Valhalla
We won't appease our way out of World War 3, just delay it slightly.

Sooner or later someone has to stand up to Putin and ask him if he feels a lucky punk.

Biden could do it today with a no fly zone over west Ukraine.

But he's choosing appeasement and kicking the can down the road for another President.

Putin won't go away, he won't get any saner, he won't want to conquer the Baltic states any less.

So the choice is stand up to him now, or fight him in the future.

I suppose appeasement gives time to tick through the bucket lists.
 


Half Time Pies

Well-known member
Sep 7, 2003
1,575
Brighton
Who have Russia got to secure themselves agains

Nobody thinks that the US is going to be rolling tanks across the Russian boarder but if I was Putin I would be seriously worried about the expansion of liberal democracy and subsequent threat of regime change.

I think that Putin also sees a power vacuum start to emerge as US power and appetite for military intervention declines. The balance of power is slowly shifting so military powers are beginning to jostle for position, particularly Russia in Europe and the middle east and China in Asia.
 






Half Time Pies

Well-known member
Sep 7, 2003
1,575
Brighton
What I'm trying to claim is that memories are overly influenced by who was shouting loudest at the time. So we all remember the loud anti-war demos, but tend to forget the quiet ones who were in favour in favour of Blair's position but didn't demonstrate so vociferously. We all remember the daily reports from the Chilcott inquiry into the war and its damning conclusions, but forget what the people then knew: that Blair actually had a rather good record in his premiership and they took that into account when it came to the next general election. If his reputation had been tarnished as much as you say then why was he re-elected? Third-termers tend to have declining support anyway but a 100 seat majority isn't bad.

As for him promising not to serve a third term before the 2005 election, I'm afraid I don't think that's true (source https://www.channel4.com/news/artic...en did blair promise to step down/169525.html).

I'm a Blairite anyway, so probably am not being objective.

In hindsight I actually quite like Blair (although I didn't at the time), he's a much more credible politician than the current crop that we have! No doubt he stayed in power because people balanced off his success overall as a prime minister against the decisions that he made in Iraq but his reputation was definitely tarnished. Remember the opposition party were also fully in support of military action, I think the majority of opposition to war came from within the labour party itself.
 


Easy 10

Brain dead MUG SHEEP
Jul 5, 2003
62,426
Location Location
Isn’t it convenient that no one is talking about parties all of a sudden….

'Twas always the aim. Obfuscate and kick this into the long grass first by waiting on the Sue Grey report, spin that out for as long as possible, THEN say we need to wait for the Met to complete their (shabby, half-arsed) "investigations". Draw it aaaaall out till Vlad kicks things off and happy days! The lying mop-haired c*nt gets to look like a grown-up at the dispatch box for a couple of days, and all the guff over his shameful deceitful activities is conveniently blown away.

I guarantee the conniving filth we have at No10 will have been punching the air over the escalating crisis. They'll be popping champagne corks again when Russia do a full scale invasion.
 


Is it PotG?

Thrifty non-licker
Feb 20, 2017
25,481
Sussex by the Sea
'Twas always the aim.

I guarantee the conniving filth we have at No10 will have been punching the air over the escalating crisis. They'll be popping champagne corks again when Russia do a full scale invasion.

Post of the Week.

:thumbsup::mad::ohmy::clap::lolol:
 




Eeyore

Colonel Hee-Haw of Queen's Park
NSC Patron
Apr 5, 2014
25,940
I think Moldova falls if Ukraine does.

Pretty much a joint operation although we are not at that point yet.

Then I think a pause.


But we will then move on to a reheated Serbia/Bosnia situation - where the Kremlin is more obviously at arms length - within a fairly short time frame.


Estonia/Latvia/Lithuania not at the top of his list for now. But where will we be in 10 years time ?

Those are NATO territories. So that won't happen.
 


Blue Valkyrie

Not seen such Bravery!
Sep 1, 2012
32,165
Valhalla
Those are NATO territories. So that won't happen.
Dangerous thinking.

The war with Putin is coming. We keep running away from confronting him. He learns that he gets away with everything. There are no limits.

A terrible strategy.

Only the Russian people or Russian military can now stop the future war with NATO - by stopping Putin before he gets there.
 


clapham_gull

Legacy Fan
Aug 20, 2003
25,877
Isn’t it convenient that no one is talking about parties all of a sudden….
Er no. That was talked to death and we are waiting for the Police report. There is no great conspiracy, they are just completely useless and have been so in plain sight.



Sent from my SM-A526B using Tapatalk
 




nicko31

Well-known member
Jan 7, 2010
18,580
Gods country fortnightly
Apparently today there were just 2 Tory backbenchers in Commons for the debate on countering Russian aggression & illicit finance.

Just incredible..
 


atomised

Well-known member
Mar 21, 2013
5,170
Plenty of reports suggest that we are within hours of kick off time. Such a sad state, if this is so my thoughts and prayers are with the Ukrainians
 


atomised

Well-known member
Mar 21, 2013
5,170
In the grand scheme of world affairs, I think this might come under 'prioritising'.

Unless BoJo and his cronies have set this whole thing up as a sideshow distraction. :wink:

Indeed, to suggest it's convenient and politicise it trivialises the situation the Ukrainians are in. Nobody will have wanted this to help bury bad news and to suggest otherwise seems odd
 


beorhthelm

A. Virgo, Football Genius
Jul 21, 2003
36,025
apparently airspace on Ukraine/Russia border under notice of military ops, and airports across eastern Ukraine are blocking the runways.
 




Blue Valkyrie

Not seen such Bravery!
Sep 1, 2012
32,165
Valhalla
Zelensky's speech tonight, specifically the part addressed to the Russian people will go down in world history.

One day it may even bring down Putin. Revolutions start with the smallest sparks.

So many will die. For nothing.

Twitter thread, just 3 of the highlights below :

[Tweet]1496621390388150283[/Tweet]

[Tweet]1496624238127685633[/Tweet]

[Tweet]1496626971379384331[/Tweet]
 


atomised

Well-known member
Mar 21, 2013
5,170
UN security council emergency meeting on Ukraine at 930 eastern time. I believe that's in a couple of hours here
 


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