[Football] So... Does Russian World Cup 2018 equate to Hitler's 1936 Olympics?

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

This thread remains useless without a poll.

 

[OzMike]

Boris is an archetypal English twit, like the characters that Hugh Grant plays in movies.
When speaking in public everything he is going to say should be vetted before it is blurted out.
I do not agree with what Russia has done or is doing on the world stage, but couldn't Britain have a representative in charge of foreign policy who is not a figure of such ridicule.
He would be better off with a red nose in a circus.

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

I agree. My wife is from the Ukraine, no fan of Putin, no fan of their invasion of Crimea [or of Eastern Ukraine], no fan of the Russian elite, and she is horrified that Hitler has been mentioned in comparison to Putin/Russia. "well, that comment about Hitler has crossed a line, and that's the vast majority of Russian people lined up firmly behind Putin for the long-haul then" she observed to me.

She is probably not that keen in you saying the Ukraine, rather than using the country name of Ukraine ?

'The' relegates the country to a region status within USSR, and in my experience is not something Ukrainians like too much.

 

[Half Time Pies]

In the context of whats happened are we seriously suggesting that Boris Johnson has 'crossed a line' with his verbal attack on the Russians??

I am sorry but any rights the Russians had to be 'outraged' by the comments of our foreign minister were removed the moment they decided to use a banned nerve agent in salisbury town centre.

 

[vegster]

But why was it illegal when they could be used in other 'British' cities.

Apparently they could be used in Northern Ireland but the Home Secretary at the time of purchase refused to sanction their use due to the risk of injury. So for mainland GB, unusable.

 

[severnside gull]

Russia already has its political gain from the award of the world cup (as it did with the winter Olympics) and the more the west rails against it the greater the benefit for Putin. He's playing a long game and at present it's internalism, and consolidation - using the acquiescence of the old enemy, the west, to gain strength and extend the power of Mother Russia towards regaining control of its former satellites.
That's not to say we shouldn't protest at the open racism and violence that will almost certainly be an undercurrent this summer but we lost this particular war when FIFA allowed itself to be bribed to award the competition just as they allowed the next world cup to be bought by an equally despotic state in Qatar.
Our "democratic" sports bodies continue to spout the "sport is outside of politics" message which of course opens them up to being bought & sold by people who realise that sport is actually a very potent political tool.

Edit: other than that, Boris is just a **** who speaks in soundbites. Stop feeding the troll FFS!

 

[Dave the OAP]

Boris has proved once again what poor judgement he has. The Johnson 'joke' has long since ceased to be funny, he makes me feel embarrassed to be British and indeed he's proving himself to be a complete diplomatic liability. Other Cabinet Ministers have been reshuffled away for far less, but May is so weak she is forced to endure his incompetence.

If you compare any leader or regime to Hitler and the Nazis you are asking for trouble, and it is an embarrassment that he has made this comparison whilst we are trying to get support from our European allies for sanctions against Russia. It was already a hard task getting this support whilst simultaneously pulling out of the EU defence force and moving Brexit onto the next stage.

I reckon every time he opens his fat privileged mouth and comes out with this bile he spouts, May gets on the phone to whoever it is now he is insulting, to apologise and roll her eyes.

When he was away from power, appearing on HIGNFY and the like, he was this Mr Bumbles character, funny and witty and appeared to strike a chord with people especially his comments about Blair etc. Then he was thrust into the limelight as Mayor of London and people then started to see what he was, especially with things like the boris airport etc. Now we realise he is a dangerous buffoon who cares little about who he insults. And the really scary thing is that he is our Foreign Secretary...in effect number 3 in this government.

WTF was may thinking of. We have heard of the phrase about keeping your enemies close, but this is just rediculous.

I know the chances of starting to throw nuclear missiles at each other is unthinkable, but for those of our mates who are going to Russia for the WC, it doesn't exactly fill you with confidence that their safety can be guaranteed....especially if this ****ing idiot compares putin to Hitler!

 

[Dave the OAP]

In the context of whats happened are we seriously suggesting that Boris Johnson has 'crossed a line' with his verbal attack on the Russians??

I am sorry but any rights the Russians had to be 'outraged' by the comments of our foreign minister were removed the moment they decided to use a banned nerve agent in salisbury town centre.

Allegedly

 

[brightn'ove]

And some people genuinely wanted this ****ing idiot to be prime minister.

 

[DFL JCL]

What country takes on a world cup or Olympics with the intention of not grandstanding on a global stage? What i would really like to know is what is really going on here. This whole Salisbury spy gate episode reeks of misdirection. What's the left hand doing while everyone is watching the right hand.

 

[Pretty Plnk Fairy]

What's the left hand doing while everyone is watching the right hand.

Normally having a tug every time Tommy Robinson tweets

regards
DR

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

I don't think I've ever agreed with Boris Johnson about anything. He doesn't even agree with himself half the time. A loathsome boil on the arse of politics and an utter embarrassment to this country every time he opens his fat mouth.

Stop beating about the Bush and say what you really think................

......... but I have more than some sympathy with what you say!

 

[Renegade1]

Boris should change to a career in PR.

 

[raymondo]

I meant that conveniently they don't talk about Stalin.

Still not quite sure what you mean? Plenty of Ukrainians died under Stalin. It's dangerous I feel to compare these things directly: Stalin, Hitler, Putin etc. Ukraine and Russia have a common history, still feel like brothers (who are fighting), but my wife feels that most Ukrainians will also be horrified by the Hitler comment from Johnson. No offence meant, and I may have misunderstood your position. Up the Albion.

 

[Bold Seagull]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/3128202.stm

 

[Pretty Plnk Fairy]

Of course Russia DID boycott the Nazi 1938 World Cup. England didn't and the then Tory government ordered our team to join in the Nazi salute...

One word

Just banter

regards
DR

 

[Bold Seagull]

One word

Just banter

regards
DR

It’s wrong anyway!

England weren't even at the 1938 World Cup! #fakenews

It was a friendly in Berlin in 1938, see above link.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Normally having a tug every time Tommy Robinson tweets

regards
DR

Please, not when I'm drinking. Just splattered my keyboard with tea.

You are supposed to be doing verisimilitude not facetiousness......what went wrong?

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

It’s wrong anyway!

England weren't even at the 1938 World Cup! #fakenews

It was a friendly in Berlin in 1938, see above link.

*cough* its.....oh why bother?

 

[raymondo]

She is probably not that keen in you saying the Ukraine, rather than using the country name of Ukraine ?

'The' relegates the country to a region status within USSR, and in my experience is not something Ukrainians like too much.

You are correct! Luckily she didn't read my post or my borscht portions would be reduced . By the bye... you should have written "...not that keen on YOUR saying 'the' Ukraine..." because it's a gerund ('your' NOT 'you' please ). In fact, correct use of the gerund requires its own frigging thread!