Putin

[Grafenwalder]

This is a cracking documentary and packs a heck of a lot in 42mins.

Told by people who know Putin, former ambassadors and Russians, it covers his involvement in Syria, CAF, invasion of Chechnya, Georgia, and of course Ukraine.

I never understood why Navalny returned to Russia - still don't!

phpBB [video]

[Holly]

So what's going on? Russia appearendly sent a missile into Poland. Was it an mistake Was in on purpose? Was it even a Russian missile?
Will this now escalate the war?
This could really spell trouble for the rest of the world. Suddenly there's talk about WW3, even nuclear war. Why does the world have to be dragged into this? Why this particular war? Why is everyone so invested in this one? How is this going to end? How can it end without really big trouble for the rest of us? Putin won't give in, that's a given, I think. So what next? I can't see Putin giving up...can anyone?

[Cactus Jack]

So what's going on? Russia appearendly sent a missile into Poland. Was it an mistake Was in on purpose? Was it even a Russian missile?
Will this now escalate the war?
This could really spell trouble for the rest of the world. Suddenly there's talk about WW3, even nuclear war. Why does the world have to be dragged into this? Why this particular war? Why is everyone so invested in this one? How is this going to end? How can it end without really big trouble for the rest of us? Putin won't give in, that's a given, I think. So what next? I can't see Putin giving up...can anyone?

In order:

A lot. That seems to be true. Probably. Probably not. Definitely.

Possible but how is unclear.

Yes. Not so suddenly, not much. It doesn't but probably will. Russia wants to regain the Soviet Empire and lots of other countires, especially Poland, aren't keen on that idea. Putin will either die or be removed from power. See previous answer. He won't have to.

The rest is irrelevant as it rest on the assumption Putin will remain in power after crippling his economy to piss off his financial backers and losing a war to piss off his generals. The oligarchs will cut their losses and Putin will be out.

[ArchieG]

Surprisingly few Russian leaders in the last 300 years have died of natural causes. Unless megalomania is natural, of course.

[Cactus Jack]

Surprisingly few Russian leaders in the last 300 years have died of natural causes. Unless megalomania is natural, of course.

Russia wasn't particularly unusual in the way it got through crowned heads prior to 1917, you have to remember that Britain was the exception not the rule when it came do not killing their monarchs - largely because after 1800 British monarchs were largely ceremonial figureheads. (Although to be fair the British are pretty good as not assasinating Prime Ministers too and in some cases that was very tempting - mentioning no Margaret Thatchers.)

More seriously the Absolutist monarchs did tend to come to a sticky end more often across all of Europe, and our course some heirs were bumped off too with pretty catastrophic consequences.

[Guest]

So what's going on? Russia appearendly sent a missile into Poland. Was it an mistake Was in on purpose? Was it even a Russian missile?
Will this now escalate the war?
This could really spell trouble for the rest of the world. Suddenly there's talk about WW3, even nuclear war. Why does the world have to be dragged into this? Why this particular war? Why is everyone so invested in this one? How is this going to end? How can it end without really big trouble for the rest of us? Putin won't give in, that's a given, I think. So what next? I can't see Putin giving up...can anyone?

Because it involves Europe. And we are in Europe. Let's hope they continue to say the bomb in Poland was an error or accident. A third world war is not what anyone wants. That's why everyone in NATO has been very clear in the way they are aiding Ukraine, not partnering them.

Also you can edit this bit but you say appearendly but I think you mean apparently

[ArchieG]

The Russians certainly followed the French model of tiring of the zeal of their revolutionary leaders too.

[Guest]

Apparently they've found explosive material near the recently broken Nord pipe stream. How did we in the west allow ourselves to become reliant on gas from Russia. We walked into this with our eyes wide open. I know we the UK get a lot of our fuel from Qatar but it's a supply and demand thing. Russia is also holding the bread basket to the world to ransom too. Horrifying.

[Cactus Jack]

Apparently they've found explosive material near the recently broken Nord pipe stream. How did we in the west allow ourselves to become reliant on gas from Russia. We walked into this with our eyes wide open. I know we the UK get a lot of our fuel from Qatar but it's a supply and demand thing. Russia is also holding the bread basket to the world to ransom too. Horrifying.

The world is reliant on gas that comes from where the gas is and right now that means mostly the Middle East, South America and Russia.

Sadly all too often political instability seems to come with the wealth created by large fossil fuels deposits.

[ArchieG]

Apparently they've found explosive material near the recently broken Nord pipe stream. How did we in the west allow ourselves to become reliant on gas from Russia. We walked into this with our eyes wide open. I know we the UK get a lot of our fuel from Qatar but it's a supply and demand thing. Russia is also holding the bread basket to the world to ransom too. Horrifying.

The world is reliant on gas that comes from where the gas is and right now that means mostly the Middle East, South America and Russia.

Sadly all too often political instability seems to come with the wealth created by large fossil fuels deposits.

Sadly Russia isn’t politically unstable.

[Stooo]

This stuff is so entrenched.

[Stooo]

A hard read.

[Text]

There's a plausible theory out there that putin heavily bankrolled Brexit cos he knew that us leaving Europe would weaken us substantially. And in our relatively weakened post-Brexit state, with a shrunken economy, he knows we cannot put up that much of a fight against him, on the Ukraine issue. Evil!

[Stooo]

It's not the fall that kills you, it's the sudden stop at the bottom...

[Text]

It's not the fall that kills you, it's the sudden stop at the bottom...

Déjà Vu View.
(View Thru The Rear Window.)

Dial H for Homicide!

Poor lass.