Ukraine

the views he has expressed consistently over many years can only be described as right wing - and often quite far so.

I will disagree with you, unsurprisingly, about Channel 4. They have been a source of largely excellent journalism for years and the latest attacks on them by an utterly corrupt government - the most nakedly so in Britain’s recent history - are more of the same ongoing attempt to silence all independent criticism.

 

Each was different of course and first causes in these things are so difficult to separate. But whether NATO was there first or not they were central in each instance and they were all unmitigated disasters in my opinion. They were all official Nato operations.

I really wish Christopher Hitchens were still alive: he was the only credible supporter for the Iraq war to my mind and I’d love to know what he would say about it with the distance of hindsight

 

I was looking at the NATO sign and wondering why it was spelt backwards underneath.
Typical French, they do everything backwards.

 

I could pull out a very long list of things they have ignored going the other way. Not sure your example shows that the BBC is left wing. Nor mine that they are right. I am pretty certain the Tory attacks on them are a) policy (if in doubt, attack the BBC) and b) highly effective at muting criticism. And we know so because periodically there is a leak from within the BBC about the extra level of consideration which they now go through on any story critical of the Conservatives, their activities or policies.

And that’s the point: they are no longer fulfilling their job of holding the government to account. And that is by design from the Tories. And a matter of existential fear for the BBC.

It seems there is nothing this government would not stoop to, to stay in power including destroying an institution which was revered across the world previously. Of course this has been going on for years - with the closure of local language world service programming for eg, an act of such unbelievably stupid self harm it really makes Brexit look clever…

 

Yes - I was pretty sad about all of them going - a real loss though perhaps it gives space for new faces? The BBC was always good at that - bringing on talent. Those three are true professionals -and good journalists. I know that Andrew Marr has indicated pretty strongly that he is looking forward to not being shackled editorially any more.

 

I see that Vlad has stopped UK aircraft from landing in Russia. I wasn't planning on holidaying in a dictatorship.

 

Yes - in response to the UK's 'unfriendly' blocking of Aeroflot flights... Playing very much to the home crowd there - but then I suppose mostly that's what politicians do. I have had towo work trips to Moscow, so years back: absolutely hated the place...no interest in visiting either

 

The more worrying thing is that BA are also banned from Russias air space..

 

I want to see the UK send more lethal defensive equipment to Ukraine - but still keeping our distance by letting the Ukrainians pull the trigger.

 

Poland have now banned Russian aircraft from its air space. I wonder - will they shoot down a fighter that wanders over the border?

 

I think it's a balancing act.
Ukrainian air force seems to have been pretty much neutralised, Russian wouldn't be putting all that armour into an area where they didn't control the air, just my thinking.

Bearing that in mind, I don't see how Ukraine can win,it's seems to me to be about how long rather than if.

So are we going to send them all our most hi tech stuff, which will probably fall into Russian hands, personally I don't think so.

 

Quote from Donald Tusk:

A former head of the European Council says Germany and Italy have “disgraced themselves” after blocking tough sanctions against Russia.

History repeating itself perhaps?

 

Yet, non Russian reports tell us that the Ukrainians have taken back their airport - from Russian paratroopers. To stop Russian aircraft landing or for some other purpose?

As they say - the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men should do nothing.