RuamRudy

I am not so sure about your suggestion that Mandelson's abilities would make him a bad choice. I recall that he was considered to be very adept at subterfuge and machinations. Maybe Trump is a bit less subtle than Mandy, but I wouldn't write off the latter's chances if he actually gets the post.

When I think of major US exports, wheat isn't the first thing that springs to mind. My point is that Russia doesn't add any value to these products. The value is added by the importing country. Regardless of the commodity, the value is created in its transformation from raw goods to consumer product. Russia produces no value added goods which are in demand in the rest of the world.

So raw, unprocessed products and chicken sh!t then. Nothing with value added - the part where the real profits are realised. Reuters has reported that the Central Bank denies the claim. If I still had a Russian bank account, I am not sure if that denial would make me more or less comfortable. https://www.reuters.com/markets/rates-bonds/russian-central-bank-dismisses-retail-deposit-freeze-rumours-2025-01-13/

Other than raw, unprocessed natural resources, what value added products does Russia export to the world? The reality is that the Russian economy is in free fall and their banks and teetering on the edge. Only yesterday the Duma was battling with the central bank to prevent the latter from confiscating bank balances above $13,300, but apparently the Duma lost. Already Russians are limited in the withdrawals they can make. Now if they have over 1.4 million roubles in their account it's now frozen and out of their reach. Russia is on its knees and sinking - the sooner the better.

Why does it seem to you to be a good outcome?

It is on the very fringes of the EU; the EU itself is being threatened and EU countries' infrastructure being sabotaged. Russian agents have been murdering dissidents across Europe - and also killing citizens of the countries they have been operating in - all with impunity. It is not an abstract affair on the other side of the world - it is happening on our doorstep and in our front yard.

The levels of sophistication certainly vary according to the country, but it would be very naïve to suggest that corruption doesn't thrive in the western facing world. From the awarding of blatantly unfair covid contract to friends and donors, to the awarding of gongs and baubles to friends and supporters, the UK is no less corrupt than any other country - it is just that we go about it in a different way.

Corruption permeates every country and every society. When I lived and worked in Russia, it was almost admired - those with the skill to manoeuvre themselves into a position they could exploit were generally seen as the clever ones who should be respected and even emulated. In the mid 2000's in the city I lived in, there were a total of 3 Hummers to be seen on the roads. One belonged to an Armenian guy who owned a string of legit businesses but also controlled all the fresh flowers for sale in the city - I know it sounds like a joke, but Russians love buying flowers and the market there is huge; he got a cut of all flower sales from all retailers. The other 2 Hummers - one was owned by the head of the tax collection service in the city, and the second was owned by his wife. The fact that these people flaunted their wealth so extravagantly led to no repercussions - everyone knew who they were and how they got rich; what we see as corruption, Russians see as business. Corruption in Ukraine is nothing to be extolled, but it should be no reason to attempt to overthrow democracy, especially when the ones doing the overthrowing as as bad or even worse.

Up there with Russia. Why should they have to? Sovereignty to an independent country is not Putin's or Russia's to give.

PNP nabs suspect in kidnapping of US vlogger Elliot Eastman https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/regions/932372/pnp-nabs-suspect-in-kidnapping-of-us-vlogger-elliot-eastman/story/ "The Philippine National Police Regional Office 9 arrested the alleged mastermind behind the abduction of Mindanao-based American vlogger Elliot Eastman, whom one of the suspects believes may be dead. "In December, the PNP said one of the suspects claimed that Eastman died in the banca, and that the abductors threw his body into the sea."

Now you are qualifying your position. The twitter account that, thus far, you have been defending made no such distinction. It declared that each and every one Pakistani or Muslim was not to be trusted because of their ethnicity. For the record, I wouldn't trust my child around anyone I didn't know well regardless of their heritage.

The account literally tweeted that all Pakistanis see white women as inferior, and that no Muslim could be trusted near children. If you cannot see the blatant racism there then I cannot help you.

Whomever is behind the twitter account @thatkatyagirl did; I was challenged to provide evidence that this account was racist and found these particular tweets that I listed in under a minute. EP then defended her/him, saying in relation to the statement "If you spend any time with Pakistani men, you will see where they place white working class girls on the respect line." The Twitter account did not say 'some' Pakistani men.

Sorry but some unknown twitter account with a very disturbing timeline filled with dog whistle racism is hardly a peer reviewed critique of the report. The demanding of links is no tactic, it's a requirement of this site in order to prevent unfounded claims such as yours being passed off as legitimate.

Care to explain more or are we just to assume that you have unique insight?

So your accusations are baseless and unfounded.

I would be interested to see a link to that report if you have it. According to the government, 82% of Brits are white so if your figures are correct the level of white abuse is disproportionately high. I expect Musk will be tweeting about this any minute now. https://www.ethnicity-facts-figures.service.gov.uk/#:~:text=82%%20of%20people%20in%20England,a%20variety%20of%20ethnic%20backgrounds.

Are you really equating Denmark and Canada with Russia and Hamas?

Released without charge - as I said.

If there was a case against her she would be facing charges. She is as lucky as you are that you are walking around a free man.

I wonder how long till the stinking, corrupt corpse of Cambridge Analytica is resurrected.

So what was all this about? plus all the subsequent rant? Physician, heal thyself.

I have never once voted for Labour in all my 50-ish years so I am not the best person to try to big them up, but neither I am trying to lambast their performance as if they inherited anything other than an unmitigated disaster of epic proportions. Nor am I trying to paint their RELATIVELY minor foibles as the crimes of the century while wilfully ignoring the rampant corruption that was going on unchecked by the Tories for years. Nothing happens in a vacuum, but many seem unwilling to acknowledge that.

Russia was always going to win a war of attrition; sadly the west is allowing this to be a very real possibility through their tepid support of Ukraine. And what then, should the worst occur? Do you seriously think that if Ukraine capitulates, we can go back to how life was before, and that Russia should face no sanction for its actions? Putin, once again, allowed to traipse around the world like a genuine leader of a democratic nation? I think that would make most rational people outraged.