European Politics

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Re: European Politics

Postby Goonerred » Sun May 15, 2022 12:56 pm

Phil71 wrote:Finland officially apply to join NATO.

I think they've been warned against it by bully Putin.
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Re: European Politics

Postby Phil71 » Sun May 15, 2022 1:05 pm

The Russians suffered a huge loss on Friday. They tried a massive assault across a river in the Donbas region with hundreds of armoured vehicles and thousand of troops. The attack was pre-empted by the Ukrainians who had positioned tanks & artillery along that front and shelled the shit out of them. It was carnage.
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Re: European Politics

Postby Phil71 » Sun May 15, 2022 5:29 pm

The Ukrainians have retaken Kharkiv and the Russian forces have fallen back to the border. If the Ukrainians continue to push east the would cut off the supply corridor that's being used from Belgorod to supply the whole Russian army in eastern Ukraine.

Military experts have said today that the Russians have lost around one third of their ground forces in Ukraine - either through being killed or injured.
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Re: European Politics

Postby UFGN » Sun May 15, 2022 5:50 pm

You have to draw the conclusion from this that the Russians’ training is amateurish

No disrespect to Ukraine, but I think any major army like the UK or France would butcher the Russians if this is what Ukraine can do to them

Without nukes they’d be nothing to worry about
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Re: European Politics

Postby Phil71 » Sun May 15, 2022 6:20 pm

UFGN wrote:You have to draw the conclusion from this that the Russians’ training is amateurish

No disrespect to Ukraine, but I think any major army like the UK or France would butcher the Russians if this is what Ukraine can do to them

Without nukes they’d be nothing to worry about


The main issue is that a significant number of their ground troops are doing national service, because the Russian army is not seen as a good career in the same way as our army is. The pay and conditions in the Russian army are apparently very poor. I imagine their motivation is pretty poor - especially if they are being poorly supplied.

The Ukrainian army is made up mainly of career soldiers and volunteers who want to fight to protect their homeland and lifestyle. And they have the power of the west supplying them with whatever they need and giving them the best tactical advice you can get.

Russia will be defeated. They may even have to leave Crimea.

A Russian supply ship was apparently hit yesterday with what western analysts describe as 'something heavy'. It is now out of action.
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Re: European Politics

Postby Jedi » Tue May 17, 2022 3:51 pm

My city randomly started having 100+ anonymous bomb threats every single day, for like the past 3 days.

They're happening in schools, shopping malls, bridges and other places. The protocol is such that you simple have to evacuate and check the buildings every time which is having a considerable economic effect.

Nobody really knows what's happening but the working theory from the government is that it's cyber warfare and has something to do with Ukraine. Whether it's pressure from Russia or West, who knows really.
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Re: European Politics

Postby Pat Rice in Short Shorts » Wed Jun 01, 2022 3:20 pm

Well...the predicted global famine is becoming a reality. The Economist, the World Bank, the UN, most hunger fighting and health related organizations all agree now. The Ukraine war is about take a massive toll on the world. And Zelensky refuses to negotiate over Eastern areas that have been in civil war, not simply war with Russia but with Ukrainians who have opposed the western led coup of 8 years ago. Now Zelensky wants long range missiles to hit Russian targets. Meanwhile many Ukrainian troops are refusing to fight. The results of all this are and have been obvious to anyone willing to take a step back and examine this outside of the emotional pleas and use some logic. Russia will control the East as they do Crimea. The number of lives lost globally will surpass those inside Ukraine by a magnitude that is unimaginable. Whole economies have been wrecked. Massive opportunities for authoritarians to step into the void and chaos are opening. Democracies are dying and being sacrificed to "save democracy". This is exactly why I pointed out weeks ago that Ukraine is not worth all this. South Sudan was not deemed worth setting the globe alight over. Nor was Yemen. Nor was any number of regional wars. Even the Middle East has limits of how far anyone is willing to go to "save democracy" given they are not democracies. But then neither is Ukraine when we drill down. It is a cash cow for corrupt politicians and oligarchs like Biden and so many others. It is a money laundering operation on a massive scale with the full support of the compliant media who have ignored the facts in favor of beating the war drum over negotiations.

Here is an agriculture update. Fertilizer is four times the cost this spring than last year. Diesel double. Economically many farmers are making hard choices to stay viable and that includes selling fertilizer supplies on hand and not using diesel fuel in favor of simply not planting a crop.

So when food shortages and massive inflation hit hard in the west, and I mean far worse than currently and the resulting social upheaval imagine the effects in places such as India, Nepal, Sub Saharan Africa, Central America. Now look to who is to benefit...Bill Gates and his ilk, China, all who have been buying up farm lands all across the world and exerting more and more control of the global economy. Sounds dystopian sure. But as a guy said on Twitter last month, "I was a conspiracy nut until I ran out of conspiracy theories when they all came true!"


If ever there was need for a (reasoned) anti war movement encouraging meaningful dialog it is now, but all the usual folks are the ones calling for war and justifying the upcoming and current calamity are siding with the uber rich corrupt political class who have caused this and now want to ride into save us all from THEM. How can anyone who is percipient still be on the globalization bandwagon?
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Re: European Politics

Postby EliteKiller » Wed Jun 01, 2022 4:23 pm

Pat Rice in Short Shorts wrote:Well...the predicted global famine is becoming a reality. The Economist, the World Bank, the UN, most hunger fighting and health related organizations all agree now. The Ukraine war is about take a massive toll on the world. And Zelensky refuses to negotiate over Eastern areas that have been in civil war, not simply war with Russia but with Ukrainians who have opposed the western led coup of 8 years ago. Now Zelensky wants long range missiles to hit Russian targets. Meanwhile many Ukrainian troops are refusing to fight. The results of all this are and have been obvious to anyone willing to take a step back and examine this outside of the emotional pleas and use some logic. Russia will control the East as they do Crimea. The number of lives lost globally will surpass those inside Ukraine by a magnitude that is unimaginable. Whole economies have been wrecked. Massive opportunities for authoritarians to step into the void and chaos are opening. Democracies are dying and being sacrificed to "save democracy". This is exactly why I pointed out weeks ago that Ukraine is not worth all this. South Sudan was not deemed worth setting the globe alight over. Nor was Yemen. Nor was any number of regional wars. Even the Middle East has limits of how far anyone is willing to go to "save democracy" given they are not democracies. But then neither is Ukraine when we drill down. It is a cash cow for corrupt politicians and oligarchs like Biden and so many others. It is a money laundering operation on a massive scale with the full support of the compliant media who have ignored the facts in favor of beating the war drum over negotiations.

Here is an agriculture update. Fertilizer is four times the cost this spring than last year. Diesel double. Economically many farmers are making hard choices to stay viable and that includes selling fertilizer supplies on hand and not using diesel fuel in favor of simply not planting a crop.

So when food shortages and massive inflation hit hard in the west, and I mean far worse than currently and the resulting social upheaval imagine the effects in places such as India, Nepal, Sub Saharan Africa, Central America. Now look to who is to benefit...Bill Gates and his ilk, China, all who have been buying up farm lands all across the world and exerting more and more control of the global economy. Sounds dystopian sure. But as a guy said on Twitter last month, "I was a conspiracy nut until I ran out of conspiracy theories when they all came true!"


If ever there was need for a (reasoned) anti war movement encouraging meaningful dialog it is now, but all the usual folks are the ones calling for war and justifying the upcoming and current calamity are siding with the uber rich corrupt political class who have caused this and now want to ride into save us all from THEM. How can anyone who is percipient still be on the globalization bandwagon?


Good post until you somewhat misunderstood global food production - India exports about 12% of its food production, that's a massive number in terms of volume and export value. Perhaps the global elite own some production but it's meaningless. The first thing India will do, it already has, is reduce or ban food exports to ensure it's own supply, this just happens to come at a time when India is suffering from a major drought. All food exporters will either reduce exports or increase profits massively as prices rise. Sadly the low paid workers won't see any benefit, but maybe some small farmers might.

Where the 'hurt' will come is in rich Western net food importing countries who will have to pay exorbitant prices or go without. At least if you grow stuff as a last resort you can become a subsistence farmer .... you can't be a subsistence shopper when the shelves are bare.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-05-14/india-says-wheat-exports-prohibited-with-immediate-effect

The UK is in a reasonable position producing almost all the "basic" goods, however we only produce in total about 60% in value of what we eat ... luckily a lot of the 40% is high value luxury food we could do without .... at some point we might have to.

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/united-kingdom-food-security-report-2021/united-kingdom-food-security-report-2021-theme-2-uk-food-supply-sources
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Re: European Politics

Postby Pat Rice in Short Shorts » Wed Jun 01, 2022 6:30 pm

Good post until you somewhat misunderstood global food production - India exports about 12% of its food production, that's a massive number in terms of volume and export value. Perhaps the global elite own some production but it's meaningless. The first thing India will do, it already has, is reduce or ban food exports to ensure it's own supply, this just happens to come at a time when India is suffering from a major drought. All food exporters will either reduce exports or increase profits massively as prices rise. Sadly the low paid workers won't see any benefit, but maybe some small farmers might.

Where the 'hurt' will come is in rich Western net food importing countries who will have to pay exorbitant prices or go without. At least if you grow stuff as a last resort you can become a subsistence farmer .... you can't be a subsistence shopper when the shelves are bare.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-05-14/india-says-wheat-exports-prohibited-with-immediate-effect

The UK is in a reasonable position producing almost all the "basic" goods, however we only produce in total about 60% in value of what we eat ... luckily a lot of the 40% is high value luxury food we could do without .... at some point we might have to.

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/united-kingdom-food-security-report-2021/united-kingdom-food-security-report-2021-theme-2-uk-food-supply-sources



India banned wheat exports a month ago. Rice is soon to follow. That said as I recall most of what India exports is wheat, cotton and Basmati rice. They also secured oil imports from Russia at a discount while other nations were looking to ban Russian energy. And I applaud them for looking out for their own interests first.

The issue for Britain is that they have become very entangled in EU ag trade, and most of what they import from say France will soon be cut off as well I'd bet.

There is a reason that the US pays subsidies to farmers to keep them afloat in tough times, despite the protests from the left for decades about it. Food production is a national security issue, and globalization threatens this. The Saudis have been on a ag revolution for many years too. I recall in the 80s flying around that region seeing hundreds of pivot irrigation systems in the desert, green circles that made no economic sense in terms of food supply but vital now and in the future.

I recall being in Egypt in the 90s when they tried to disengage from subsidizing bread and gasoline. It nearly went mental in the streets, with riots. Governments fall over food supplies. Bad guys step into the void.

So we are about to find ourselves at a fork in the road. Decouple from the globalist economy or become subjects of a globalist regime as per the WEF agenda. :dontknow:
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Re: European Politics

Postby EliteKiller » Wed Jun 01, 2022 6:45 pm

Pat Rice in Short Shorts wrote:
Good post until you somewhat misunderstood global food production - India exports about 12% of its food production, that's a massive number in terms of volume and export value. Perhaps the global elite own some production but it's meaningless. The first thing India will do, it already has, is reduce or ban food exports to ensure it's own supply, this just happens to come at a time when India is suffering from a major drought. All food exporters will either reduce exports or increase profits massively as prices rise. Sadly the low paid workers won't see any benefit, but maybe some small farmers might.

Where the 'hurt' will come is in rich Western net food importing countries who will have to pay exorbitant prices or go without. At least if you grow stuff as a last resort you can become a subsistence farmer .... you can't be a subsistence shopper when the shelves are bare.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-05-14/india-says-wheat-exports-prohibited-with-immediate-effect

The UK is in a reasonable position producing almost all the "basic" goods, however we only produce in total about 60% in value of what we eat ... luckily a lot of the 40% is high value luxury food we could do without .... at some point we might have to.

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/united-kingdom-food-security-report-2021/united-kingdom-food-security-report-2021-theme-2-uk-food-supply-sources



India banned wheat exports a month ago. Rice is soon to follow. That said as I recall most of what India exports is wheat, cotton and Basmati rice. They also secured oil imports from Russia at a discount while other nations were looking to ban Russian energy. And I applaud them for looking out for their own interests first.

The issue for Britain is that they have become very entangled in EU ag trade, and most of what they import from say France will soon be cut off as well I'd bet.

There is a reason that the US pays subsidies to farmers to keep them afloat in tough times, despite the protests from the left for decades about it. Food production is a national security issue, and globalization threatens this. The Saudis have been on a ag revolution for many years too. I recall in the 80s flying around that region seeing hundreds of pivot irrigation systems in the desert, green circles that made no economic sense in terms of food supply but vital now and in the future.

I recall being in Egypt in the 90s when they tried to disengage from subsidizing bread and gasoline. It nearly went mental in the streets, with riots. Governments fall over food supplies. Bad guys step into the void.

So we are about to find ourselves at a fork in the road. Decouple from the globalist economy or become subjects of a globalist regime as per the WEF agenda. :dontknow:


Yup - and bottom line it will be all about water - the fork is indeed coming. A swing to isolationism and self-interest will become more and more powerful political positions, either that or bow to China .... the UK is just ahead of the game.
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Re: European Politics

Postby EliteKiller » Wed Jun 01, 2022 6:46 pm

Pat Rice in Short Shorts wrote:India banned wheat exports a month ago. Rice is soon to follow. That said as I recall most of what India exports is wheat, cotton and Basmati rice. They also secured oil imports from Russia at a discount while other nations were looking to ban Russian energy. And I applaud them for looking out for their own interests first.

The issue for Britain is that they have become very entangled in EU ag trade, and most of what they import from say France will soon be cut off as well I'd bet.

There is a reason that the US pays subsidies to farmers to keep them afloat in tough times, despite the protests from the left for decades about it. Food production is a national security issue, and globalization threatens this. The Saudis have been on a ag revolution for many years too. I recall in the 80s flying around that region seeing hundreds of pivot irrigation systems in the desert, green circles that made no economic sense in terms of food supply but vital now and in the future.

I recall being in Egypt in the 90s when they tried to disengage from subsidizing bread and gasoline. It nearly went mental in the streets, with riots. Governments fall over food supplies. Bad guys step into the void.

So we are about to find ourselves at a fork in the road. Decouple from the globalist economy or become subjects of a globalist regime as per the WEF agenda. :dontknow:


Yup - and bottom line it might well be all about water - the fork is indeed coming. A swing to isolationism and self-interest will become more and more powerful political positions, either that or bow to China .... the UK might be ahead of the game, or might have gone the wrong way?
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Re: European Politics

Postby DiamondGooner » Wed Jun 01, 2022 8:39 pm

Yep.

Its fkin ridiculous that America and Western Europe, especially England forced the shut down of loads of self sustaining industries in place of Financial Services.

.......... I mean why couldn't we have both.

Western nations have allowed China to have a monopoly on goods manufacturing, did they not see the issue with that?

Isolationism to a point is good, being self reliant but then also being able to trade openly, but you don't cut the udders off your own cow, its fkin stupid.

If we had more manufacturing in the UK not just a sparce amount then prices would become more competitive.
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Re: European Politics

Postby UFGN » Wed Jun 01, 2022 9:14 pm

DiamondGooner wrote:Yep.

Its fkin ridiculous that America and Western Europe, especially England forced the shut down of loads of self sustaining industries in place of Financial Services.

.......... I mean why couldn't we have both.

Western nations have allowed China to have a monopoly on goods manufacturing, did they not see the issue with that?

Isolationism to a point is good, being self reliant but then also being able to trade openly, but you don't cut the udders off your own cow, its fkin stupid.

If we had more manufacturing in the UK not just a sparce amount then prices would become more competitive.


The Germans and the Japanese have managed to maintain a manufacturing sector. We watched ours burn. In Germany people who build cars for a living are respected and well paid.

Engineering is highly respected as well. Engineers have the title "Engineer" in front of their name,like a doctor does here.

Our brands haven't kept pace.... historically British TVs, cameras and cars were prized items. Now companies who could have been world leaders now are either waaaay off the pace behind Japanese or Korean rivals, or foreign owned.

Our government hasn't given a shit. Too busy engaging in a race to the bottom economically. Failed to protect workers against job losses as factories have moved abroad, by failing to put the right financial "carrot and stick" regime in place to prevent foreign ownership and / or shedding of jobs. Also, failed to engage with business to make sure kids have the right skills to keep the UK an attractive place for manufacturers.
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Re: European Politics

Postby Pat Rice in Short Shorts » Wed Jun 01, 2022 9:36 pm

Our government hasn't given a shit. Too busy engaging in a race to the bottom economically. Failed to protect workers against job losses as factories have moved abroad, by failing to put the right financial "carrot and stick" regime in place to prevent foreign ownership and / or shedding of jobs. Also, failed to engage with business to make sure kids have the right skills to keep the UK an attractive place for manufacturers.



Then why look to and keep electing the same twats? Government is supposed to represent the will of the people and it does so (sadly). If one keeps corrupt idiots in power then the fault lies with the citizens who believe the BS and are fooled time and time again. The solution is to first admit that these policies do not work and abandon them. But when that is proposed the butt hurt brain dead take up the torch of the corrupt and do their work for them.

This was what Trump was all about, as inarticulate and rude as he may be... he was right. So why not look to like minded leaders to try a new approach? Why not accept the reality that you have been lied to over and over and wake up to what is going on, not just in the US and Britain but Canada, the EU and elsewhere. Why not analyze why it is that Japan, Hungary and Korea have not gone off the deep end? It is because they make an effort to reject the nonsense and maintain traditional values. What is required is a massive collective epiphany in the west.
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Re: European Politics

Postby DiamondGooner » Thu Jun 02, 2022 3:02 am

UFGN wrote:
DiamondGooner wrote:Yep.

Its fkin ridiculous that America and Western Europe, especially England forced the shut down of loads of self sustaining industries in place of Financial Services.

.......... I mean why couldn't we have both.

Western nations have allowed China to have a monopoly on goods manufacturing, did they not see the issue with that?

Isolationism to a point is good, being self reliant but then also being able to trade openly, but you don't cut the udders off your own cow, its fkin stupid.

If we had more manufacturing in the UK not just a sparce amount then prices would become more competitive.


The Germans and the Japanese have managed to maintain a manufacturing sector. We watched ours burn. In Germany people who build cars for a living are respected and well paid.

Engineering is highly respected as well. Engineers have the title "Engineer" in front of their name,like a doctor does here.

Our brands haven't kept pace.... historically British TVs, cameras and cars were prized items. Now companies who could have been world leaders now are either waaaay off the pace behind Japanese or Korean rivals, or foreign owned.

Our government hasn't given a shit. Too busy engaging in a race to the bottom economically. Failed to protect workers against job losses as factories have moved abroad, by failing to put the right financial "carrot and stick" regime in place to prevent foreign ownership and / or shedding of jobs. Also, failed to engage with business to make sure kids have the right skills to keep the UK an attractive place for manufacturers.


Agreed.

I have noticed more and more for all our bluster and national pride, we've let things slip, half arsed a lot of stuff and we've let a lot of our civil protection get eroded to dust.

For example, people on trial if you earned less than a certain amount would be entitled to free representation in court, now that's gone ......... I mean wtf? you need a solicitor otherwise your screwed, so if you get falsely accused but can't afford the 10k it costs to have a Barrister fight your case, your fked.

Also as well our inflation is out of control and we over price fkin everything, EVERYTHING.

Food, cigs, clothes, property you name it, fines everywhere, rates going up etc etc.

I literally feel like Gov't and businesses in the UK are literally hunting the public down and squeezing their income like juice from a lemon.

Its got out of hand, the price of living is definitely rising above wages.

In 5 years my property has risen £50k in value from when I bought it.........If I had to buy my property today via a mortgage, I couldn't even afford to buy my own house ffs.

............ and now we have the energy bills trippling since last year.
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