Off Topic The Politics Thread

[Staines R's]

Good article, thanks for sharing.

The failure of Obama to enforce the red line(s) in Syria has had huge ramifications, within Syria and beyond. I don't dislike Ed Miliband much, seems a nice person on the whole, but he should be absolutely ashamed of his role in leading Labour to vote down UK action at the same time.

I was saying to Steels…just listened to the Conflicted podcast from 2 years ago on Russia and then China.
Amazing how it’s all been going on for years right under our noses…helped get me some more understanding of why we are where we are now.
Truly enlightening

 

[Staines R's]

Someone else to look up

A horrible, nasty individual who is revered by many in Ukraine as a nationalist hero.
But remember……they are the good guys.
It’s all black and white

 

[Staines R's]

Not everything? How about nothing. No, he cannot bring himself to mention the UK or Boris Johson, despite the fact that the UK was arming Ukraine with defensive weapons weeks before the EU. And it's counties like Germany that have done a massive U turn. Bryant has no credibility in my eyes.

Do you think the British banking system has been corrupt and a clean haven for Russian Ogliarchs to clean there dirty money for years ? And I count Labour under Blair just as culpable

 

[QPR Oslo]

I edited my post to include Al Jazeera, because it’s on there too, I looked it up to make sure, anticipating your response! I don’t think they would be classed as ‘our’ side, although I do think in many areas (but not all) they are decent journalists.

As Steels, who clearly does know his military stuff, has said, this column of vehicles is a completely weird bit of military tactics. We forget that Russia has been a dictatorship for 22 years now - it probably didn’t feel like it until the first stitch up of elections, but they now have all the bad habits of dictatorships - such as not ever wanting to give the dictator bad news and learning to actually believe the lies.

But Putin still has a scary amount of weaponry at his disposal.

I been watching Al Jazeera more and more. Good coverage of far more World news than BBC World who often spend a whole news slot on one topic and ignore all else that's going on in the World. Less apparent bias than BBC too, and here anyway far better technically. With BBC you are continually having to change the volume as their different interviews have different volumes and often dont work at all, while Al Jazeera somehow smooth out the volume and quality even in the middle of a town being shelled, cellars, woods wherever. More funds I guess!

 

[kiwiqpr]

You're Google history will make interesting viewing for the NZ security service (all three of them)

theres probably a file somewhere
they are probably struggling to crack all the codenames
steelmonkey staines r uber hoop etc
there has beem
n a van parked outside my house all week
maybe i should have a look

 

[kiwiqpr]

it roared off down the street as i got near

 

[Uber_Hoop]

theres probably a file somewhere
they are probably struggling to crack all the codenames
steelmonkey staines r uber hoop etc
there has beem
n a van parked outside my house all week
maybe i should have a look

I’m more concerned about your subscription to Bangkok Chickboys.

 

[Goldhawk-Road]

Do you think the British banking system has been corrupt and a clean haven for Russian Ogliarchs to clean there dirty money for years ? And I count Labour under Blair just as culpable

Yes, there's definitely been an element of that. But remember, US, France and particularly Germany were cosying up to Putin, for self interest and to coax him towards democracy. It would have been a strong UK govt to turn away investment funds in those circumstances. It's easy to be wise in hindsight.

What the West should have seen is all the testing Putin has been doing recently. Submarines hanging around communication cables in the Channel, aircraft entering sovereign nations' airspace etc. This invasion had been signposted.

 

[Sooperhoop]

The propaganda camera never lies...

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[Staines R's]

Yes, there's definitely been an element of that. But remember, US, France and particularly Germany were cosying up to Putin, for self interest and to coax him towards democracy. It would have been a strong UK govt to turn away investment funds in those circumstances. It's easy to be wise in hindsight.

What the West should have seen is all the testing Putin has been doing recently. Submarines hanging around communication cables in the Channel, aircraft entering sovereign nations' airspace etc. This invasion had been signposted.

So then the U.K. is just as much to blame for this mess than the others you mention….in fact you could say more so as we (the U.K.) have financed the whole thing. I don’t think it’s so much hindsight…more like turning a blind eye to suit our needs.

 

[Goldhawk-Road]

So then the U.K. is just as much to blame for this mess than the others you mention….in fact you could say more so as we (the U.K.) have financed the whole thing. I don’t think it’s so much hindsight…more like turning a blind eye to suit our needs.

No, because the oligarchs bringing money in hadn't broken any UK laws. Human right lawyers would have been all over the UK govt like a rash. They still may be, but will get short shrift from the courts after the invasion.

If you want to look at funding Russia, see Merkel's energy policy which was like a blood transfusion from Russia to Germany. Again, not illegal. The West have been naive and duped.

 

[Steelmonkey]

theres probably a file somewhere
they are probably struggling to crack all the codenames
steelmonkey staines r uber hoop etc
there has beem
n a van parked outside my house all week
maybe i should have a look

Maybe Stacey is in it....

 

[Staines R's]

No, because the oligarchs bringing money in hadn't broken any UK laws. Human right lawyers would have been all over the UK govt like a rash. They still may be, but will get short shrift from the courts after the invasion.

If you want to look at funding Russia, see Merkel's energy policy which was like a blood transfusion from Russia to Germany. Again, not illegal. The West have been naive and duped.

Did you watch the video I put up ?
If you did, do you not think the whole situation that has been allowed to go on for far too long ? And the fact that only now the government are making small inroads to make this kind of thing illegal…is either appallingly naive…..or possibly corrupt ?

 

[Goldhawk-Road]

Did you watch the video I put up ?
If you did, do you not think the whole situation that has been allowed to go on for far too long ? And the fact that only now the government are making small inroads to make this kind of thing illegal…is either appallingly naive…..or possibly corrupt ?

Missed it, sorry. When did you put it up and who made it?

Again, in the absence of knowledge of criminal activity, why would the UK be corrupt if the rest of Europe was buying its energy from Russia?

 

[Staines R's]

Missed it, sorry. When did you put it up and who made it?

Again, in the absence of knowledge of criminal activity, why would the UK be corrupt if the rest of Europe was buying its energy from Russia?

#74020. As I said when I posted it, obviously anti-Tory but the previous Labour government were no better.

It’s all about having morals mate…if something smells like ****, looks like **** and feels like ****…..I’m guessing it’s probably ****. Just ‘cos something isn’t illegal, it doesn’t make it ok. Maybe it’s just we have different views and morals.
When you have banks in this country knowingly (and let’s be honest they do know) laundering money for Russian Ogliarchs, African Dictators and South American drug smugglers….I personally think that’s wrong

 

[ELLERS]

The propaganda camera never lies...

You must log in or register to see media

What cr2p keying! Even his propaganda is sub standard.

 

[Stroller]

I been watching Al Jazeera more and more. Good coverage of far more World news than BBC World who often spend a whole news slot on one topic and ignore all else that's going on in the World. Less apparent bias than BBC too, and here anyway far better technically. With BBC you are continually having to change the volume as their different interviews have different volumes and often dont work at all, while Al Jazeera somehow smooth out the volume and quality even in the middle of a town being shelled, cellars, woods wherever. More funds I guess!

Never mind the volume, feel the facts.

 

[Goldhawk-Road]

#74020. As I said when I posted it, obviously anti-Tory but the previous Labour government were no better.

It’s all about having morals mate…if something smells like ****, looks like **** and feels like ****…..I’m guessing it’s probably ****. Just ‘cos something isn’t illegal, it doesn’t make it ok. Maybe it’s just we have different views and morals.
When you have banks in this country knowingly (and let’s be honest they do know) laundering money for Russian Ogliarchs, African Dictators and South American drug smugglers….I personally think that’s wrong

London is heavily regulated but I agree there are periods of laxity. If you want to reform the financial system, start with secretive tax havens worldwide.

 

[Staines R's]

London is heavily regulated but I agree there are periods of laxity. If you want to reform the financial system, start with secretive tax havens worldwide.

Periods of laxity ? ****ing hell Goldie that’s like saying Putin isn’t a very nice chap.
It’s ****ing obscene and the system has been set up to make the rich, richer.
Agree without your last point….tax avoidance schemes need to be addressed.

 

[Goldhawk-Road]

Periods of laxity ? ****ing hell Goldie that’s like saying Putin isn’t a very nice chap.
It’s ****ing obscene and the system has been set up to make the rich, richer.
Agree without your last point….tax avoidance schemes need to be addressed.

Not true. It grew lax leading up to 2008, then tightened up after the banking scandal. Recently old habits seem to be coming back. Strong, consistent regulation is the key, but you'll still have the tax havens that hide where money is coming from.