Phil71 wrote:Finland officially apply to join NATO.
I think they've been warned against it by bully Putin.
by Goonerred » Sun May 15, 2022 12:56 pm
Phil71 wrote:Finland officially apply to join NATO.
by Phil71 » Sun May 15, 2022 1:05 pm
by Phil71 » Sun May 15, 2022 5:29 pm
by UFGN » Sun May 15, 2022 5:50 pm
by 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
by Jedi » Tue May 17, 2022 3:51 pm
by Pat Rice in Short Shorts » Wed Jun 01, 2022 3:20 pm
by 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?
by 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
by 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.
by 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.
by DiamondGooner » Wed Jun 01, 2022 8:39 pm
by 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.
by 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.
by 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.