Questions Of The Day (Politics)

[Wile E. Coyote]

Since the loss of Crimea, the Ukrainians have professionalised their army and irregulars are now under a central command. The big difference is that those in any way sympathetic to Russia largely left after Crimea, so their army's willingness to fight is much improved.

The question is not ideological. Will the Ukrainian men, unlike the city Afghans, actually fight for their homes, families and way of life?

[Mick Harper]

Another question is what is the attitude of the, as they are coyly called, 'minority Russian-speaking Ukrainians'. The western meedja never speak of this though it is of critical importance in, say, what happens in Kharkiv, a majority Russian-speaking city.

My own ignorance is therefore invincible but I can draw some inferences from places I do know about. For a start, I will bet that hardly any Russian-speaker speaks Ukrainian. Everyone in the Ukraine can speak Russian so there is no requirement for Russian-speakers to learn Ukrainian. They may have to learn it in school but, by gummee, like every non-Welsh speaking Welshman, that's their lot.

I will also place a small wager that every Russian-speaker favours incorporation of the Ukraine into Russia (either bodily or by the closest of associations). If the Ukraine had done what, say, Poland did after leaving the bloc and become a normal democratic and prosperous European country, there might be some doubt about whether Russian Ukrainians would want to return to Putinland, but they didn't so there isn't.

More on this fascinating but carefully ignored subject when I have found out more about it. ["More about it, he's such a card."]

[Wile E. Coyote]

The Ukrainians are way better at Public Relations, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOCbW1hc6Ng

Still, most probably the Russians will win militarily and fairly rapidly, they have won in Chechnya, Georgia, Syria, Crimea. The Russian people have a history of making sacrifices for their country even when it's under a rotten leader. I doubt the thought of 1000s' of casualities or economic sanctions will stop the Russians.

Are the Ukrainians willing to see another Grozny?

[Mick Harper]

Fans of the Protocols of Zion got two boosts

[Mick Harper]

A new note has crept into the reporting. Criticism of Ukraine. At the moment no more than their shocking treatment of 'foreign' students. I don't think they mean Russian students.

First, refusing to let them onto departing trains -- surely the first time a racist country (and the Ukraine has a shockingly bad history) has ever said "Blacks Go Home! Not!" Then telling Ukrainian border guards that preventing any male between 18 and 60 from leaving because they are wanted for the army, does not apply to Nigerians and Indians. Now that is pure racial discrimination.

On (roughly) the same subject, the media have still not voiced a word of criticism of Poland where the queue time is now expressed in days rather than hours. No such difficulties are being reported from other countries. Apparently Slovakia doesn't require each applicant to fill out a Purpose of Visit form in triplicate. They are just assuming they are mostly refugees fleeing from a war, or some damn thing.

We should send Pritti Patel to Poland to get it sorted. It'll take many years, Pritts, but as that fine old battle hymn has it
We don't want to lose you
But we think you ought to go

[Mick Harper]

And speaking of careful ignoral among the media, why has no-one been mentioning that Putin's face is going all puffy. This used to be known as Pompidou Syndrome and betokened cortisone shots. Though why a building would need cortisone shots is beyond me.

But I'm no doctor (after those false accusations from my gynaecology patients) so I am prepared to listen to a second opinion on this one. Where's Boreades when you need him?

[Wile E. Coyote]

You could be onto something.

I have long suspected that Putin's claim to hold a Judo blackbelt, and his love of Mixed Martial Arts, Taekwondo Karate, was a "tough man" fiction. He doesn't have cauliflower ears so it's a bit like saying Andropov liked Jazz......

Short, bald guy, with inferiority complex.

[Grant]

Problems with sanctions and targeting the oligarchs:
1) we might cause a massive liquidity crunch, especially if Russia can’t use the international banking systems
2) what if Putin turns off the gas pipe?
3) there are many Ukrainian oligarchs as well
4) most of the oligarchs really are Jewish. It’s not just an anti-Semitic trope. What if they use their Israeli passports?

[Mick Harper]

As I have mentioned before, Odessa was once the largest Jewish city in the world. Which city in Ukraine has not been troubled by war? Odessa. Which city gave its name to an escape route for war criminals? Odessa. Draw your own conclusions.

[Grant]

Will they never learn?
An oligarch (a Ukrainian one!) has been found hanging in a garage in his house in the Wentworth estate. The police have stated his death is “unexplained, but not suspicious”

Yes, move along. Nothing here to merit the slightest suspicion. Next you’ll be telling us Epstein was murdered

[Mick Harper]

Remind me. Isn't this the second mysterious death of an oligarch by hanging in the home counties? I seem to remember one from some years ago. You would think they could afford to hire a hitman.

[Mick Harper]

Judging false flag claims is always notoriously tricky but when it comes to setting fire to the biggest nuclear power station in Europe I'm going to go with 'probably not the locals'.

[Mick Harper]

We must stand up to the bullying demands of Zelensky. NATO must never buckle to the demands of this pushy president.

[Mick Harper]

People form orderly queues to tell me that Russian foreign policy is predicated on the fact that it is always being invaded from the west. Not that they have my stylish way with words. But nor do they have my grasp of history.

[Wile E. Coyote]

There is nothing really of importance in Ukraine once they gave up their Nuclear weapons, except their location as a stage along the gas highway.....

First Nord Stream completed 2011-12. Crimea annexed 2014.
Second Nord Stream completed 2022. Plan was probably to have Ukraine annexed 2022 (maybe).

Once Ukraine was no longer important as the highway it was probably always due to be annexed, especially as the first stage/trial run in 2014 went so well. (For Russia)

Don't know. It's a plausible explanation that is out on the net.