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Actually, you're the one who claimed that they are the job creators without offering any exceptions. Here's what you wrote: "Perhaps you have a "thing" about well off people, you know, the ones who create jobs that actually got them well off." So thanks for your correction. Your claim was even more extreme than how I represented it.

Please. Provide some proof that most of those paying the highest tax rate are job creators.

Actually, Putin and other Russians who subscribe to his view would absolutely disagree with you on that score. Their ideology endorses something called Eurasian values which are in opposition to the values subscribed to by most of Europe.

And what makes you think that their ICE vehicles would be able to cope operating in such conditions?

You don't actually know that the war will drag on. Russia's economy may well collapse before then. Putin may suddenly find himself extremely unwelcome in Russia. "Pro-Kremlin pollster FOM reported that the proportion of Russians saying their friends and relatives are feeling anxiety jumped after the mobilization announcement from 35 percent to 69 percent. The survey was conducted from Sept. 23 to Sept. 25." https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/09/30/putin-speech-russia-ukraine-war/ And your concern for Ukrainians is obviously fake. We've seen what Russians have already done to Ukrainian civilians. What will they do if unchecked? Have you read some of the articles published in the official journal of the Russian govt about the nature of Ukrainians? These articles are vile and are obvousy incitements to commit genocide. As more LNG becomes available to Europe, prices will drop. And it will be years and years before Russia can connect to China. And even if it succeeds in that, China already has in place huge gas deals with Turkmenistan. So how much Russian gas will it require? In addition, natural gas power generation is already beginning to be outcompeted by wind and solar. And its other chief use, to help create nitrogen based fertilizer, is also beginning to be phased out. So the prospects for Russian gas aren't especially rosy.

Funny. I recalled after you mentioned that that someone had brought up this point in some other thread. I assumed that it was true. Then I decided to do a little hunting on the Web to see if it actually is true. And I can't find anything in the Nato Articles that make such a stipulation. And then I found this: Is it possible to join NATO in a military conflict? Most often, the seminar participants question the possibility of membership in the Alliance while the country is in a state of war. So, I propose to deal with the issue in detail from a legal perspective. The only document defining the procedure for gaining membership in the Alliance is the North Atlantic Treaty of March 21, 1949. I suggest we study its content to answer the question. https://www.unian.info/politics/10023578-is-it-possible-to-join-nato-in-a-military-conflict.html The author's conclusion is that there is no clause that forbids membership to a nation in conflict. Perhaps you can produce evidence to counter this claim?

And what about deprivatizing water? Not only have rates shot up after privatization, but pollution has skyrocketed. Huge stretches of British beaches are off limits because of pollution. The only water company with a good record on this happens to be the only one not privatized. It's in Scotland. https://www.labour.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Conference-2018-Water-pamphlet-FINAL.pdf

It should be pointed out that the Conservatives were more enthusiastic backers of the 2nd iraq war than was Labour or the Lib Dems. And the Conservatives are now backing the war in Ukraine more enthuisiastically as well. I think that's a good thing but it hardly supports your argument. As for wind farms being ugly...that's an aesthetic judgement. Even if the noise pollution was serious (it isn't) how does that compare to the air pollution generated by fossil fuels? Actually wind turbine blades are now being recycled. Apart from its other drawbacks, electricity generated from nuclear power plants is very, very costly.

https://fullfact.org/europe/what-does-british-public-think-about-europe/

Actually opinion polls were running very close on the question and well within the margin of error. It was just pundits who were opining mostly that the brexit vote would fail.

You sure the war won't end soon? I think Ukrainians are Europeans. And the consequences of a Russian victory are far worse for them. I'm guessing your remark about your daughters' situation in the UK is some kind of joke.

If you want to learn about the other cuts favoring the wealthy, here is the link from Chomper Higgot's post. https://fullfact.org/economy/kwasi-kwarteng-mini-budget/

You should get out more.

Well, as the Ukrainians might say, better to cut off your nose than to have your throat slit. UN investigators have reported on the atrocities committed by the Russians. Imagine what they could do if given free rein.

Actually it would make sense for Russia to bomb their pipeline. That way they could claim that they want to restore natural gas supplies to Europe but can't because of the dastardly act committed by some western malefactor.

Actually, the off ramps aren't being removed. Lately Russian troops have been retreating on them in Donbas and now in Kherson.

You mean the Russians will stay in place and not take advantage of the situation and at the least occupy territory that they claim is now part of Russia? How about Russia withdraw from Ukraine and end its massvie violation of international law. Then let diplomacy take its course.

Is it fair enough? If evidence is overwhelming that a decision is bad, is it unreasonable to criticize it? It's not like this is a close call.

Who was driving the expansion of NATO? No need for you to answer. It was the countries that remember what it was like to be under the Russian/Soviet jackboot after WW2. The countries that heard Russia claim it has a legitimate right to intervene to protect ethnic Russians resident in other countries. That's who is driving the expansion.

So why did you ask?

You may have a point. She can be left to trounce herself

Anyway, it's not going to happen, Hungary certainly would stand in the way. Turkey most likely, too.

Not now. Best to wait to see if Russia crumbles.

And now my replies are endless rant? You raised 2 points I refuted them.

Hww about the stamp duty? Wasn't that cut?