Russia has invaded Ukraine

Actually I shoot both rifle AND shotgun rather well - and it IS true !

Good for you! Have you actually pointed them at another person with a readiness to pull the trigger? Maybe you have.

I am sure those in Ukraine taking up these weapons are also ready to actually pull the trigger. Although there clearly are signs of reluctance on both sides, as mentioned in that video. Wars are always horrendous affairs with untold amounts of human tragedies on all sides, but maybe none are as sad as civil wars, and I get the feeling many Russian/Ukrainians feel a kindredness that makes this situation even worse.

Whatever the motives behind arming civilians/patriots/homeguards, the existence of such hand-to-hand warfare is abominable. But for many there is no choice - even if handling a weapon is a challenge in itself.

On the other hand, is it any worse than the use of thermobaric bombs, cluster bombs, and carpet bombing of complete towns - all of which are now predicted to be in the next Russian tactics…

Our masters are Very good with the “Predictions!” - Note Covid and Global Warming - and when the “predictions” fail to materialise - well they just come up with new (and usually more horrific ) Predictions !

Fools believe “Predictions” - especially “Predictions” from those with a vested interest :slightly_smiling_face:

[Edit - Remember "Weapons of mass destruction "? ]

And some some fools ignore them.

Ultimately, how one responds to predictions depends on the seriousness of the outcome if it happens - which, of course, some predictions do. I am sure there are many Russians now who wish they had converted their roubles into USD when this all started.

Predictions cover many things, whether one should take an umbrella when one goes out for a walk, whether one should invest in this or that company, whether one should sell or buy a property now or later, whether a country should join NATO or remain neutral, whether I should vote conservative or labour.

Most decisions in our lives are based on predictions and expectations of where things are going. Some are routine and some are major. But others even represent major crossroads. Brexit is maybe a good example of many predictions, some proved correct, some didn’t. Some predictions were deliberately misleading, others were genuine but other unknowns entered the equation - and others are still open cases.

One has always, ultimately, got to hang one’s hat on a belief structure, otherwise life just stagnates. All we can ever do is research as much as is possible and make our decision. There is always a risk and a probability, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t - but that is life, one just has to get used to it and move on.

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Actually I wrote ;

But I hear your “belief” system ;

I suppose if you believe "one side is good - one side is evil"

Ultimately I cannot change your mind by discussion - so if you have an overwhelming need to “Change stuff” - at any cost,

I’ll leave you and your certainties to comfort each other for now :slightly_smiling_face:

Putin is using our own weakness against us !

Hopefully a product of this action will be to bring the West to it’s senses !

Links are green writing

"Boris Under Pressure To BACK Mogg’s Proposal - YouTube

"2) Italy Set To REOPEN Coal Plants - YouTube

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Why should you even feel the need to???
You believe in your opinions and others believe in other opinions. That is why people discuss things.
Or maybe you are just claiming absolute ownership of the “absolute truth” and that everyone has to just accept your truth? That, Mr Falstaff, is dictatorship - just like Mr Putin. :rofl:

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The Russians and the Ukrainians are going to be negotiating again tomorrow. I really hope some agreement is reached and this horror stops.

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Absolutely! But there does not seem to be much chance of an agreement yet. Russia’s demands are too much and virtually amount to a total (power) surrender rather than a peace agreement.

It seems Russia wants to turn Ukraine into another puppet regime just like its northern neighbour, Belarus.

But this is now becoming such a horrendous humanitarian disaster, the likes of which Europe never believed it would see again. The targetting of civilian areas and, even worse, locations where lots of civilians are located, such as railway stations, is beyond anyone’s definition of acceptable war damage.

It is good to see the ICC starting investigations into possible war crimes, but that is a long term process and does not help those suffering right now.

It is becoming harder and harder for the rest of Europe to just stand by and not physically interfere. But the real and credible risk of escalation into a full-blown European war is just too high. All other means of deterrent have to be tried first. We have tried diplomacy and we have tried economic pressures - where do we turn to next…

But one thing is certain, we will not forget, we will not forgive. This simply is not the way the civilised world acts and no one is going to accept being sucked into this same regime.

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n

Oh do learn to read between the lines !

"The Wild, Wild East - YouTube

An account from CRP of his journey out of Kiev - BY RAIL !

Its funny, Mr Falstaff, you talk about discussing and yet I am not seeing any discussion from you at all - just a pile of dubious videos. The last video I did look at and it has been shown to be completely erroneous. So I really don’t think I am going to waste time trying to find out what you are trying to say by ploughing through a load of even more dubious claims by yet even more dubious authors.

Whilst I guess it is good that someone supports these people’s advertising income from their videos, if you have a point to discuss then I would really prefer, and appreciate, hearing it in your own words…otherwise I have no comment.

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So it seems that the second round of talks between Russian and Ukrainian teams is now underway. As anticipated, in the run up to these talks, Russia has increased its attacks on towns and infrastructure and more talk of nuclear warfare.

I guess it would be too simple for Ukraine just to give Russia a 5-year guarantee not to apply for NATO membership provided Russia accepted Ukraine as an independent state and does not attack it - to be reviewed again after 5 years.

Yes, too simple because Russia wants to control Ukraine and cannot recognise its independence and wants to completely demilitarise it, at least until it can remilitarise it itself.

So I guess we won’t see anything concrete from this session. It could be a promising step forward, though, if they could at least agree to a mutually-acceptable neutral external arbitrator to control and shepherd the process forward.

WHAT AM i TRYING TO SAY ?

I’m thinking. Why not just send in elite special forces, storm his palace and put a bullet in his head ? Send in the best of the best, the elitest, Or better and safer, do a drone strike on him from an undetectable stealth drone after making 100% sure it is him walking about outside ?

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I think that is what a lot of people are thinking. But even if something like that succeeded, it would not necessarily end the conflict, rather it would probably immediately escalate it to a global level and with even worse weaponry - and that is if it succeeded! What about if the mission failed! :thinking:

I think a lot of hopes are being placed on the possibility of generating internal pressures to depose Mr Putin via the economic sanctions which will rapidly start to disintegrate their economy in a serious way. The longer it continues the broader and deeper will be the economic cost to Russia.

In the meantime, Mr Putin restates his belief that the Ukrainians and Russians are one people and yet continues indiscriminate killing of civilians and creating suffering through the destruction of basic public infrastructure including, heating, power, water and sanitation. Even though one of the reasons offered for sending his “peacekeeping” force into Ukraine was to prevent apparent genocide in the eastern regions.

Although the negotiations did seem to achieve some localised ceasefires to allow humanitarian aid and, presumably, refugee movements, it is still a long way from resolving the war.

Mr Putin continues to stoke up the nuclear scaremongering, this time by shelling and setting on fire the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station - which happens to be the largest nuclear power generating plant in Europe. The fires are now extinguished and apparently radiation levels are normal. So is this another example of Mr Putin showing the world what he can do, and presumably will do, if and whenever he wants to, if he doesn’t get his own way?

Once again, the western world is showing incredible restraint and admirable unification in its response - but I feel we are now sailing very close to the edge, too close…

It raises the question, is this really all just about Ukraine? Or is this just the start of the major shift in global power politics. A waning in US influence as it slowly implodes on internal political divisions and an ever-increasing debt burden verses an expanding Chinese economic power with the benefits of long-term dictatorship, a huge workforce and internal market, and an ever-expanding influence in other continents.

If China then holds hands with Russia and North Korea with a combined nuclear threat, where will the west then stand?

The world has very limited resources and nowhere near enough to support a high life-style across the globe. It kind of brings to mind the theme from H.G. Wells “War of the worlds”:

" … minds immeasurably superior to ours regarded this Earth with envious eyes, and slowly and surely, they drew their plans against us."

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er Evidence !

It is true that in 15 lengthy comments - you have produced zero evidence of anything - but without any evidence at all are prepared to discount my evidence as ;

And without even considering my latest Evidence (with references AND sources)

Some might say that just shows fear - or weakness AND might add that it is the western weakness which has precipitated this situation !

Quite so !

Where on earth are you getting THAT Particular “Opinion” from ??? - EVIDENCE Please !

There are two types of contributors to forums: those that discuss and share and those that just troll others - guess which category you fall into Mr Falstaff…oh, and if you want evidence of that just read you own stuff here…

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Once again - in line with many of your ilk - you refuse to answer any of the valid points raised and attempt to have “the last word” - by a purely Ad-Hominem attack !

You have raised nothing of your own to answer!!! - you only post surrogate opinions of others who have no credentials for their view in videos that you expect others to watch and try and understand what your view, if any, might be.

You say "read between the lines" yet you only publish one-liners so that is rather difficult!

I have no interest in what you continue to write here and I will continue to post my own views as I see it. If that offends you then don’t read it - this is FORUM for the exchange of ideas, not throwing tantrums just because others don’t agree with what you might think yourself - if we even knew what that was since you never do more than criticise others - I guess you are in the age group 70-75?

I have muted you as I have no interest in seeing your posts so spray you poison for others to see but I will not see them. Enjoy your day.

Well it would seem that this particular post-modernist “Wokester” can’t cope with the inconvenient injection of facts, evidence and truth !

In fact he / she is so disturbed that others might want to discuss the validity of his / her “Opinions” that he / she sticks his / her fingers in their ears so as to become deaf to dissent !

I wonder what particular parallels we can draw here with the current actions of the “media” - both “Social” and “Legacy” ?

[Those particular forms of weakness which the rest of the world is capitalising on as we speak ! ]