beautifulthailand99

It's 2027 Trump is President and Europe's about to be destroyed once again. Buy gold and supplies and learn Russian. https://www.politico.eu/article/europe-trump-ukraine-war-russia-nato-vladimir-putin/

Well if you won't read the report you will never know. They make a point of saying that US interests are different from Ukraine and that the relief of sanctions can be tools to delivering an uneasy end to hostilities. Currently it is thought that 700k men have fled the country many to join their refugee partners and children who will probably never return that and further mobilisation will cripple what's left of the economy. An election would be helpful as well as a ceasefire and then let's take it from there. Trump is reported he may be minded to continue the war but Europe would have to match the funding dollar for dollar. I'm afraid we're bust and just a bond market strike away from perdition. You picked a good place to sit this out smoke and taxation notwithstanding as did the 100s of thousands of Russians have too.

And.... she has been there and spoke at first hand with a variety of sources. A lot of the criticism is from folks outside the country taken umbrage that a Russian speaking journalist should deal in anything other than propaganda. A lot of journalists have forgotten their role is to speak truth to power not be a pr agency for the state department. RIP John Pilger.

This is a very interesting article causing considerable controversy amongst the Ukrainian maximalists for its unvarnished portrayal of life inside the country. Understandably a lot of folks are just tired of war and want it to end. https://t.co/0R9hPNnPjt

He did much to the chagrin of his assembled oligarchs. I have great sympathy for Ukraine all of this would have been better it had never happened and we all try to get along peacefully. But here we are. I don't buy the belief that Putin is the new Hitler and he presents an existential threat to the west. Its abundantly clear now to even the dimmest he would never attack NATO and he is happy to keep his beef as to what he sees as his fraternal brothers which is Ukraine. And it's clear that we won't put boots on the ground nor have sufficient military kit to enable the Ukrainians to finish the job. So to continue to put more petrol on the fire is to prolong the suffering to achieve the same outcome on the end. Another by product of this is Russia has now permanently pivoted and as the largest country in the world with the most natural resources to China and the global south who care not a jot for our moralising. I have mentioned before that the Pentagon's think tank the Rand Corporation snuck out a report early last year outlining various scenarios as to end this war not all putting Ukrainian agency as the primary concern. Its now time to dust this off and begin a process to end the war as unpalatable that is to many. https://www.rand.org/pubs/perspectives/PEA2510-1.html

My caveat was of course if threatened with societal collapse and some form of warlordism if the central power fell apart. That's how Putin came to power with the collapse of the Soviet Union first came anarchy, law and order collapsed state infrastructure was looted and salaries went unpaid all mismanaged by an alcoholic Yeltsin supported by the west who were part of that looting frontier. Putin brought order to the chaos reputedly on 50% of everything. The Chinese leaders and people saw that and thought no thanks. How do you manage a country of 1.3 billion souls without a firm hand ? Exporting western democracy to countries that don't want it is a form of imperialism even more so if done with the barrel of the gun. Besides which the US preaches this but when it goes against them like Allende in Chile they pull a coup. Or in SE Asia fuel a regional war that left 3.5 million dead and countries destroyed. Against that backdrop Putin or indeed the global South is in no mood for morality lectures.

Could be the rumoured Trump golden showers kopromat said to have been taken on the Obama bed in Moscow. Which if true explains some of the hold that Putin has over him.

I smoked and dealt in an amateur fashion it must be said from the age of 17 to 38 when I decided enough was enough and knocked it and cigarettes on the head. Never regretted it for many reasons not least my health,wealth and the fact it made me happy doing eff all. The typical stoner. On the few occasions I've had a toke since I've really not enjoyed it, for one it knocked me out in social situations where I would rather be social and the other was a rampant paranoia often centred around why the hell am I doing it again. Is this normal or is it just me ?

Most successful Chinese I have met in the West or indeed Thailand (Hong Kong refugees excepted if course) are immensely proud of their country and the leaps they have made from the dark days of Mao. Indeed my nephew is married to one and they have a mixed race daughter now in the UK. They care more about wealth and status rather than high democratic principles I feel.

If the options are a firm hand or societal chaos then most people choose the former. If they stop feeding and housing their people with some comfort then they will feel their wrath. That's the implicit social contract and sadly it means rough justice for the malcontents should they wish to express that. That would include me I'm sure and I'm glad I don't live there.

Yes something which you for whatever reasons have checked out of. I will live and die in Europe and call me selfish if you want but I would wish to see out my final days in peace on the continent untroubled by distant squabbles at the fringes. Its what my dad fought for peace. My grandad who I never knew was gassed at the Somme and had problems all his life dying in 1961. He apparently never mentioned the war, never wore a poppy or went to Armistice commerations and had the ignominy in the 1930s of having the national assistance board rifling through their bare house looking for things to sell before he could get a meagre stipend. A country fit for heroes my backside.

This is how empires end hollowed out by venal financial elites , a restless populace and endless wars that destroy people influence and wealth. Whilst the US was busy fighting desert cave dwellers China was industrialising and building world class infrastructure. Its not difficult.If I was Ukraine now I would thank my western backers and politely decline any further aid and invite China in for the redevelopment and then let's see what sovereignty actually is. They would do a great job as well plus Russia wouldn't dare touch them.

If a Martian came down to earth and saw Xi Trump and Biden at a table within seconds they would be talking to Xi and within an hour Xi would have negotiated at Earth Martian peace treaty. As far as we can ascertain he has around 75% approval ratings I know I would vote for him as he has created development, prosperity and peace which beats this battle for democracy hands down.

My dad fought I'm ww2 and is sadly no longer with us. He was eternally grateful for the contribution that the Soviets made in winning the war and despaired at the reunification of Germany. I suspect he would strongly in favour of a messy peace rather than an endless war and he would be right.He would also have seen Ukraine as an unfortunate victim of being a relic of the Soviet empire and a neighbour to boot who should find their peace with their paranoid neighbour after all the allies did indeed gift Eastern Europe to Stalin at the end of war. Realpolitik and all that.

To twist a quote no representation without taxation otherwise words are cheap or indeed free. A recent opinion poll in the UK found only 17% of 18 to 24 year old would favour conscription. There is hope.

I assume you live in Thailand and enjoy the fruits of a fairly repressive authoritarian regime. There's a chap in Chiang Rai doing 50 years for a few posts. I know Thais that have suffered and are refugees from this land. The good news us I will have to pay in taxes for the outcomes you're willing on that and enforced Ukrainian conscripts being pushed into an endless war

Since Russia is on the brink of getting its agent into place as President of the mightiest nation on earth I wouldn't write it off just yet.

It's ludicrous in the extreme and merely a ploy to continue persuading western electorates to choose guns over butter and functioning pensions and health care system. Putin may be bad but he's certainly not mad.

He won't do that. What I see happening is a tacit ceasefire sometime this year when Ukraine realises it has no more men,ammo or equipment to fight the war of attrition. They along with the Russians continue to develop massive defensive fortifications over the stalemate frontline and a defacto armistice happens. Ukraine will quietly forget about getting back these regions and Crimea indeed it will probably be glad to ditch its Russophile regions. The Kremlin will also be happy to take what they now have as a win. If that peace holds for sufficient time then investment may come back into Ukraine from western powers and they could get some sort of NATO/EU lite. There will be no official peace agreement in the short to medium term and Zelenskiy will retire to allow to take on the mantle of leadership.

I think we can safely say if Zelenkiy effectively had to sack his long standing Defence Secretary over corruption allegations then there is a fair amount of endemic corruption in the system. When I worked in IT testing software finding and fixing bugs didn't mean that the software was getting better quite the contrary it led to the belief that there were further bugs lurking unseen to risk the integrity of the system. These upsets like the current Zelenkiy/Zalunhyi spat are papered over and quickly hidden from the western media less the great unwashed get hints that their billions of dollars of aid isn't being wisely spent. Effectively these guys nicked our money and committed treason in their own but there is very little accountability as far as I can discern. https://www.politico.eu/article/defense-minister-reznikov-ukraine-corruption-probe-war-russia-zelenskyy/

Just past Sattahip is a fishing village which is quite a nice play to stay and from the national park near the natural history museum you can get a boat trip to the uninhabited navy controlled islands. Two of them that you need to book separately so that's 2 days sorted. The fishing village is like old Thailand not a girlie bar,massage place or ganja shop in site.Bolt goes there as well took 50 minutes and 450 baht to get there,if you are on a budget use a whit sonthaew on Sukhumvit Road to get to Saatahip and a Bolt for the last 15 minute trip around the headland.

Old grumpy people move to Thailand old grumpy people get grumpy. Is this a story ?

Continuing discussion in western and Ukrainian media about the feud that has opened up between President Zelenskiy and his hugely popular and respected army chief Zalunhyi. Zalunhyi has gone public to face him down. It would appear from the commentary here and elsewhere that the army wants more compulsory conscription to face off Russia in the meat grinding front lines ,that and the Presidents jealously at a more respected player on the political stage. There will be considerable concern from western allies if Zelenkiy through apparent defect of character allows personal enmities to get in the way of successfully prosecuting the war. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/02/01/zelensky-zaluzhny-ukraine-military-shakeup/ https://www.cnn.com/videos/world/2024/02/01/exp-ukraine-zaluzhny-ouster-matthew-orr-intv-020102aseg1-cnni-world.cnn Kyiv Post almost mutinous in its reporting in support of the army chief. It is of course to Ukraine's great credit they can have such a frank debate in Russia bodies would be dying. https://www.kyivpost.com/post/274388

You're not allowed to criticise the guards @Morch

Imagine good people got into power and opened the books and revealed what is inside done by the people with the guns. Imagine is all that you can do brain doesn't beat bullets particularly in one of the most effectively brainwashed citizenry I can imagine. Plus it would put prices up for us so there is that.