Putin is not as smart as he thinks he is.

[SydneyRover]

No revolution, no invasion, just persuade a useful number to vote for you. It doesn't matter what effect this has on society, persuade them that those on the lower rungs are lazy, don't deserve help and are not worth it.

''Half of England is owned by less than 1% of the population''

''Research by author reveals corporations and aristocrats are the biggest landowners''

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2019/apr/17/who-owns-england-thousand-secret-landowners-author

''Who owns Britain’s £13tn wealth?''

https://www.resolutionfoundation.org/comment/who-owns-britains-13tn-wealth/


''Wealth of the richest one per cent in UK more than 230 times that of the poorest ten per cent, ONS says
Wealth inequality was intrenched before the coronavirus pandemic, experts say''

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/household-wealth-richest-one-percent-poorest-ons-b1989181.html

[SydneyRover]

Then persuade them that the opportunities are there you just have to work harder .......... why is that? Oh that's right because ....................

''Britain’s best universities are dominated by private schools. Could I help level the playing field?

My local comprehensive had not had a student go to Oxford or Cambridge in seven years. So I offered to give its brightest pupils the confidence and support of an expensive education''


https://www.theguardian.com/education/2020/oct/10/britains-best-universities-are-dominated-by-private-schools-could-i-help-level-the-playing-field

[SydneyRover]

And you think to yourself 'I've worked hard at my local school, got my marks, have my degree' the world is my oyster ................. except it's a snotball, because you're still at the back of the queue.

''Britain’s top jobs still in hands of private school elite, study finds

‘Scandalous’ figures show extent of domination in politics, media and business''

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/jun/25/britains-top-jobs-still-in-hands-of-private-school-elite-study-finds

There you go, that's how it's done in three easy lessons. Could that be the reason we have dilettante's running the country? Oh well back to the OP, wash rinse and repeat.

[SydneyRover]

A small mind rattling around in a ballcock hound, forget your petty feuds and prove otherwise.

[drfchound]

I was backing up your decision to leave this country behind SR.
You should be so happy over there.

[SydneyRover]

I didn't realise you were talking to me hound

[BillyStubbsTears]

There was a letter released yesterday, allegedly written by a senior spook at the FSB. This translation is well worth a read.

http://www.igorsushko.com/2022/03/translation-of-alleged-analysis-of.html?m=1

I once saw a quote by someone famous although I cannot for the life of me remember who. It went something like this.

Nations can convince themselves a d their people that they are still Great, even as they internally fall apart. They can retain the trappings of Greatness, a d be treated as Great by other nations. But reality always emerges sooner or later. Usually on the battlefield.

I wonder if we are seeing that now. A d I wonder how a once-Great nation with 8000 nukes reacts when the world sees the reality?

[SydneyRover]

Yep, I have often wondered what the FSB file on johnson would read like.

[BillyStubbsTears]

I'm not a massive one for speculative conspiracy theories. Most of them are b*llocks. But I have never seen any cogent argument to refute the contention that Farage and Johnson are both either willingly or under coercion, working for Russia.

[BillyStubbsTears]

And for balance, I don't think the Corbynistas are actively working for Russia. They are what the Soviets used to call Useful Idiots. Idealistic dreamers who do the work of the other side while telling themselves they are independent and morally upstanding.

[SydneyRover]

I'm not a massive one for speculative conspiracy theories. Most of them are b*llocks. But I have never seen any cogent argument to refute the contention that Farage and Johnson are both either willingly or under coercion, working for Russia.

If you looked at making a circumstantial case against them then one would need a large shed methinks.

This is noteworthy of Farage : ''English teacher who had not met the 17 year-old Farage, Chloe Deakin, wrote to the headmaster of Dulwich College, David Emms, asking him to reconsider his decision to appoint Farage as a prefect, citing concerns expressed by others over Farage's alleged 'fascist' views''

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigel_Farage#Ancestry_and_childhood

[SydneyRover]

This cannot possibly be going to any plan, with Finland and possibly Sweden looking favourably towards NATO this is the exact opposite to what putin would want.

[i_ateallthepies]

What makes no sense is that Putin is anxious about having a country who would like to be but isn't a member of Nato right on his border.  So, he makes Ukraine a part of Russia and then he has Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Rumania - all Nato members right on his doorstep.

[drfchound]

I didn't realise you were talking to me hound

Well who else had been on this thread up to the time posted the above reply.

[SydneyRover]

Yes you are right hound, we should have learned lessons following the Cambridge spy scandal 

[BobG]

And the Prófumo Affair too....

[normal rules]

What makes no sense is that Putin is anxious about having a country who would like to be but isn't a member of Nato right on his border.  So, he makes Ukraine a part of Russia and then he has Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Rumania - all Nato members right on his doorstep.

Direct access to Crimea and the Black Sea is hugely important strategically.

[ravenrover]

It would appear there is little/no chance of anyone taking Putin out. He is surrounded by a small group of same thinking advisors. The Oligarchs who support him know they have made their money with his support, those that oppose him keep quiet for the same reason. Without him both groups lose everything. It would have to be a complete outsider with no chance of getting near enough, so the future looks very bleak the conflict could go on for years and Ukraine would be completely flattened

[Not Now Kato]

I'm not a massive one for speculative conspiracy theories. Most of them are b*llocks. But I have never seen any cogent argument to refute the contention that Farage and Johnson are both either willingly or under coercion, working for Russia.

 

[ravenrover]

Why is Raabid missing off there?

[keyser_soze]

Love ColdWarSteve. John Terry sneaking in at the far end of the table.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Why is Raabid missing off there?

Because he's now irrelevant? He rose without trace. Now he's sinking without trace.

Assuming there IS a future, the future pub quiz question "Who was Foreign Secretary in 2019/21?" will get even the best historians scratching their heads.

[Bentley Bullet]

Why is Raabid missing off there?

Because he's now irrelevant? He rose without trace. Now he's sinking without trace.

Assuming there IS a future, the future pub quiz question "Who was Foreign Secretary in 2019/21?" will get even the best historians scratching their heads.

Alternatively, there would have been a 100% correct answer rate had it been Diane Abbott.

[SydneyRover]

Why is Raabid missing off there?

Because he's now irrelevant? He rose without trace. Now he's sinking without trace.

Assuming there IS a future, the future pub quiz question "Who was Foreign Secretary in 2019/21?" will get even the best historians scratching their heads.

Alternatively, there would have been a 100% correct answer rate had it been Diane Abbott.

I didn't say it was her fault, I said I was going to blame her

[idler]

Why is Raabid missing off there?

Because he's now irrelevant? He rose without trace. Now he's sinking without trace.

Assuming there IS a future, the future pub quiz question "Who was Foreign Secretary in 2019/21?" will get even the best historians scratching their heads.

Alternatively, there would have been a 100% correct answer rate had it been Diane Abbott.

Diane Abbot wouldn't have lasted anywhere near as long as Raab because apart from possibly not being up to the job she would have been crucified by the press far more than the Tory ministers have been don't you think BB?