Ukraine

I think Thatcher could give Boris a run for his money, for that title.
Admittedly in her favour was that she was a scientist, however against that she did come up with Mr Whippy.

 

Yes. It's a tough call. She perhaps started the rot which has led to where we are now: rampant individualism, a pride in not giving a **** about others, greed is good, screw the environment, use the police to batter labour and opposition political activists, war to divert attention from domestic failure. I like that TB has been called her prodigy. That seems right.

 

We can't change history, but if only Paddy Ashdown had been either left or right. I liked him better than most politicians of his era.

 

We can agree there. He wasn't awful. And the work he did in the Balkans was exemplary...a horrendous role that he carried out with skill. Sadly that's now being undone by extreme serb nationalists in the Republika Srbska, and I think war is likely there again. Tragic.

 

For those interested, there is an interesting article on the age gap difference in the Russian population published today: The solace for young Russians like me is that Putin is also digging his own grave in Ukraine | Sergey Faldin

At the bottom of that article is a link to a controversial piece by Simon Jenkins pointing out how ineffective sanctions are. It is controversial - because most people feel that we cannot do nothing - and boots on the ground in a war with Russia is inconceivable, so what else is there but sanctions? His points are reasonable though - at least for a discussion: sanctions have never been effective at achieving the stated end game; they entrench dodgy leaders; they invariably hit the population which is not to be blamed for their leaders. They can be absolutely devastating and result in huge loss of civilian life. This is complex and difficult - but then, it should be treated as such perhaps...

 

As the Russian economy falters and life becomes hard for it's citizens they might just rebel. Coupled with no international sport etc, life will be quite miserable for the public and they'll only have terrorist Putin to blame.

 

Yeah - absolutely @JR. One can only hope. These folks aren't North Koreans after all - and they have a good level of understanding of what life is like with something resembling normal political freedoms. Fingers crossed.

 

Oh now come on FC, the idea of building loads of houses all over the green fields is to lower house prices, or at least that is the official line.

However they have built thousands around here and they have sold signs put on them before they are finished, not just small places either.
I dont know who has all the money to buy them but it aint locals.

Mostly DFLs who want a bit of the country, trouble is after they have built that house they are going to live in it aint country no more, and they can call it "cherry tree walk" or " blue bell close" but "darling buds of May" it aint.

 

These have nothing to do with the council, all built by the big house builders.

 

I hope you are right, I don't think he'll listen to any sense ...

I understand the National flower of Ukraine in a Sunflower, so I am posting this (not very good) drawing I did a few years ago, to show my support for them at this terrible time.
They need more than a drawing though ...