POLITICS CORNER

[plaques]

With Public opinion firmly backing the Ukrainian refugees the governments hostile environment is becoming a laughing stock round the world. They can see that maintaining this inhumane stance is going to lose them even more votes at the May elections. They have now come up with this cunning plan.. Pass the problem to local councils and individuals to sort out. This is not a plan but and abrogation of responsibility. Numbers are still being bandied about that are aspirational wishful thinking. Who was it who said "the buck stops here" with the buffoon its 'pass the parcel' with promises starting next week as though Feb 22 invasions day had been move to Mar 22.

PS. The 7.5% inflation rate that had been forecast before the war started has now been upgraded to 10%+. That's OK because we can blame the whole lot on the war. The peasants will be taken in and blame the Russians.

[Tizer]

The BBC News web site has just reported: 15:14. Reports on the Telegram messaging service are claiming Russian troops have blown up ammunition in front of the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant. A subsequent message from Ukraine’s nuclear energy company, Energoatom, say it is not yet clear whether radiation levels have been affected since the explosion. Russia took control of Europe's largest nuclear power station on 4 March, after it was hit by shelling. The plant, located around 550km (342 miles) south-east of the capital Kyiv, on the banks of the river Dnieper, generates around 20% of all electricity in Ukraine.

Meanwhile so many people are being killed by the Russian shelling of Ukrainian cities that they are having to be buried in mass graves. Putin is hell bent on destroying Ukraine. They're shelling houses' apartment blocks, hospitals, schools, churches, mosques, admin buildings, everything. The chief of Russia's National Guard has said Moscow's military offensive in Ukraine is not going to plan, according to Reuters. He blames it on neo-nazi elements in Ukraine. This is going to end in a total mess and the cost of it will be thousands of people dead and many, many more injured, displaced from homes, a country turned into a cross between a scrapyard and a graveyard. And the effects will last for generations and perhaps spread to other east European countries. Something drastic has to be done. The Western leaders keep saying they can't do anything until Russia attacks a Nato country. If Russia carried out a similar Blitzkreig attack through Finland and into Sweden, both not Nato countries, would we be just standing by and watching?

[Tripps]

Just had a quick glance at the new scheme for Ukrainian refugees.

The saying that I'm fond of could have been coined for the job.

"What could possibly go wrong".

Fascinating to read the 'terms and conditions' then compare them with the treatment of the self selecting dinghy people.

[Stanley]

I think your post nailed it Ken. Estimates of total energy cost for 'the average family' climb and are now at £3,500 per annum and that's only a guess. We need to dust off a WW2 phrase for use when people start complaining about rising prices. "Don't you know there's a war on!?"
Up to now I have been living in hopes that Putin would realise that he had guessed wrong and would back down but that's the one thing he's not going to do without a 'victory'. Reluctantly I have to agree, time for NATO to step up to the plate and hit back. Start by sending those MIG aircraft in, as a gesture and go on from there.
Too late to avoid WW3, it's here.

[Tizer]

Too late to avoid WW3, it's here.

I agree with that. Putin only understands one thing and that is power. We've bottled out repeatedly when we should have faced up to him. I can see a possible situation where European countries will have to send in their military to fight the Russians - but without America, even though America is a Nato country. It will be up to them if they want to join in. We may be forced to ignore the Nato/non-Nato distinction and ally with whoever needs us.

I heard something on the BBC radio news this morning about Germany now deciding to change it's attitude to armaments and military matters in the light of Russia invasion of Ukraine. I've searched the web but found nothing except this: `Germany to buy US-made F-35s capable of carrying nuclear weapons
`German defence minister says the country will replace its ageing Tornado bombers with F-35A Lightning II aircraft.' Al Jazeera

[Stanley]

Germany's planned military spending will result in a far bigger military, the biggest in Europe. Some old people who remember WW2 are afraid of this but not me. this is a different Germany than in the 1930s and we need their strength.

[Tizer]

We need to take action sooner rather than later, not just because of the continuing death and damage in Ukraine but for another reason. If we let this trouble go on for years we could see Donald Trump or one of his gang back in charge of the USA. Trump would probably take the US out of Nato and leave Europe to his friend Putin.

[Tripps]

This is Nancy Pelosi the Speaker of the US House of Representatives.

Nancy Pelosi

I find elsewhere that
"Pelosi, 81, doesn't drink, and hasn't for years. Her daughter Christine attacked prior slurs about her mom's alleged alcoholism in 2019, tweeting: 'Republicans and their conservative allies have been pumping this despicable fake meme for years! Now they are caught. '#FactCheck: Madam Speaker doesn’t even drink alcohol!' "



Tom Lehrer may have been right. . . .

[Tizer]

This morning on the BBC News live feed. Having spent nearly 2 billion dollars on military hardware sent to Ukraine I can't see the US letting the country be handed over to the Russians...
Biden to announce $800 million in security assistance for Ukraine
US President Joe Biden is expected to announce the allocation of an additional $800 million (£612m) worth of security assistance to Ukraine later. The move comes ahead of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's address to the US Congress today. The package of measures is expected to include anti-tank missiles and a move to top up Ukraine's supply of Western anti-armour missiles that Kyiv's troops have used to great effect, including Javelin and Stinger launchers. Some US outlets have also reported that the White House is considering providing the Ukrainian military with single use drones called Switchblades, which can be used to target Russian armour and troops. The Biden administration has already agreed to allocate over $1 billion (£766 million) to Ukraine in the past week.

I'm relieved to see that the Polish, Czech and Slovenian prime ministers, and the head of Poland’s governing Law and Justice party, are back in Poland safe and sound after their visit to Kyiv.

[Stanley]

See THIS and ask yourself why Johnson went to Saudi. Was it to get promises of more oil? (His analysts would tell him before he went that OPEC have never adjusted the flow of oil to help the customers but only to bolster their position as producers.)
Was it to further the case of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Anoosheh Ashoori? No need as it was a done deal by the time he went.
Or was it (And this is my favourite) because it was another useful device for avoiding awkward questions at home which refuse to go away.

[plaques]

See THIS and ask yourself why Johnson went to Saudi. Was it to get promises of more oil? (His analysts would tell him before he went that OPEC have never adjusted the flow of oil to help the customers but only to bolster their position as producers.)

.
He came back with a No Deal, "but they understand the position". I'll bet they do. Why travel all that distance knowing you are going to get the Bum's Rush. Saudi are already on the list for human rights abuse and attacking civilians in the Yemen. Is it that their dictatorship is on the cards for penal sanctions as per Putin? A quiet word in their ear about Conservative party donations and property holdings may have been the real reason for his visit.

[Tizer]

For three weeks, Mariupol has been under constant shelling and bombing by Russian forces, which have completely surrounded the city. About 300,000 people are trapped, with no electricity, gas or running water. Food and medicine are running low. Russia won't allow them to leave safely and has also prevented the delivery of humanitarian aid. Similar situations are arising in other Ukrainian cities.

Putin is getting increasingly frustrated and will probably start finding excuses to attack neighbouring countries, so I'm pleased to hear this news...
`UK to deploy Sky Sabre missile defence system in Poland' Reuters
Further details of Sky Sabre are here: LINK

[Stanley]

I get the feeling we are approaching some kind of breaking point. Not sure where the break will be but this fantasy world approach to Putin's naked aggression must surely break down.
Several reputations have been trashed in UK politics already because of reactions to Ukraine and associated problems like refugees. If nothing is done politics loses credibility.

[Tizer]

Putin seems to have decided, like children do, that if he can't get what he wants he'll break it. He's intent on obliterating Ukraine, its people, its infrastructure, factories, airports, houses, churches, mosques, universities, admin buildings, even it's history and culture. And the West is standing by and letting it happen. We've let Putin pass all the possible `red lines', such as killing civilians, using vacuum bombs, targeting residential areas. No wonder he carried on with the invasion.

[plaques]

An interesting take on the P&O ferries sackings, P&O are intending to replace the existing staff with cheep foreign agency workers ready to move onboard when the the ships dock. This implies they must already have working visas issued by the Home Office. This must have prepared weeks if not months in advance. Also the cheap workers would not qualify on the point system for skilled workers therefore a special dispensation must have been agreed. If this is true in looks like the Home Office along with the Government knew weeks ago what was going to happen and are in league with the owners to sack British workers and replace them with foreign labour. This is deemed legal since by leaving the EU we can apply our own laws to reduce workers rights and conditions as they think fit. WELCOME to Brexit.

[Stanley]

I agree Ken, this was not something that could be done at the drop of a hat. The new security guards were already present to evict the workers from the ships.

[plaques]

Some time ago British Gas made their worker apply for their own jobs. Boris Johnson said in Parliament that this was unacceptable and a bill would be introduce to curtail this practice. Only a few days ago this bill was rejected by the Conservatives so we are back to square one. This morning's radio quoted Kwasi Kwarteng MP saying he didn't think the redundancy system had been followed correctly. I would remind him that that before a man can be made redundant the job has to be redundant ie: there is no need for the job. In the P&O case the job still exists therefore redundancy doesn't come into it. One would have thought that the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy would have known this, More smoke and mirrors.

[Tizer]

This is another step up in Russia's use of heavy weapons. I've copied the information from the BBC News web site's live feed...
`Russia says it launched hypersonic missile at Ukrainian ammo depot'
`A spokesperson for Russia's defence ministry has said that Moscow has destroyed an underground depot in western Ukraine using hypersonic missiles. Igor Konashenkov claimed that the warehouse had been housing missiles and "aviation ammunition of Ukrainian troops". Russia has never before admitted to using hypersonic missiles in combat. They are cutting edge ballistic missiles that can fly in the upper atmosphere at more than five times the speed of sound. According to the Russian military, the "Kinzhal" missile system used in the strike is capable of hitting targets at a range of more than 2,000km (1,242 miles) and can overcome all existing air and missile defence systems.'

Joe Biden has repeated that although the US is sending weapons to help Ukraine it won't directly provide planes or pilots. Some US senators have claimed that it should do so because Russia provided MIG fighters and Soviet pilots to fight for the North Vietnamese against US aircraft. I've done a google search and find no evidence for this claim. Some Soviet pilots flew MIGs against US aircraft in the Korean War - perhaps the senators are conveniently confusing the two wars.

[Tripps]

This lady is Vice President of the United States of America. Keep that in mind as, and if, you watch this video.

Kamala Harris

[Tripps]

Re P&O 'redundancies'. The barrister and employment expert on LBC Daniel Barnett, has just said that P&O were delinquent in not advising the Government (Dep't B.E.I.S of their intentions at least 45 days before action. From what I read - they had less than 24 hours notice. This it seems, must be done when 20 or more employees are involved. He said that makes the directors personally criminally liable, and possibly subject to unlimited fines. He quoted that Act - chapter and verse. He says we will doubtless hear more of this in the coming days.

Good - says I.

[Stanley]

Sorry to have to disappoint you but the Tories will always find a way to be on the employer's side in any dispute. So of course they will forget to pass a law that makes British Gas's ploy of sacking workers and making them apply for their own jobs Ken. The new Public Order Act will mean they will be able to prosecute them for demonstrating or picketing. We are heading into the golden future where we have sovereign control and can get back to the good old days!

[plaques]

The new Public Order Act will mean they will be able to prosecute them for demonstrating or picketing. We are heading into the golden future where we have sovereign control and can get back to the good old days!

The police will be totally impartial on these matters acting without fear or favour. A gang of balaclava wearing private militia 'security' men will be treated exactly in the same manner as the Sara Everard vigil. Look out there goes another flying pig.

[Tizer]

A good article by Gordon Corera, the BBC's Security correspondent. It looks increasingly like Putin really did think he was setting in motion a `special operation', perhaps involving mainly special forces rather than a big army and all over in a week because the small group of men he trusts didn't tell him taking Ukraine needed more than that. Then that group has sent in the heavy stuff to make sure the `special operation' would succeed quickly and fulfil Putin's dream. Now they've found out it's more difficult than even they thought and they dare not tell Putin the truth. He may be no wiser than the Russian public if his little cabal don't tell him what's happening outside the Kremlin...
`Ukraine war: Western agents seek to get inside Putin's head' BBC
....Mr Putin's initial military plan looked like something devised by a KGB officer, one western intelligence official explains. It had been created, they say, by a tight "conspiratorial cabal" with an emphasis on secrecy. But the result was chaos. Russian military commanders were not ready and some soldiers went over the border without knowing what they were doing.
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According to the Telegraph the Government Information Cell (GIC) set up by Liz Truss is using `paid advertising to reach Russian citizens with videos and other material countering disinformation about Putin's invasion of Ukraine'.
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Independent groups of `underground' IT experts are providing mechanisms for the public in the West to send emails in bulk to the Russian public to tell them the truth about Ukraine. BBC One of the groups is Polish and calls itself Squad 303. There were two squadrons of Polish fighter pilots in the RAF in World War Two, 302 and 303. The latter was the RAF squadron that shot down the most enemy planes in the the war.

[Stanley]

Whatever the truth, we are looking at a bloody, murderous mess. You can't imagine mismanagement on the scale the 'experts' are positing. But then I look at our clown comparing war to Brexit and I am not so sure. If this is what is happening it's incompetence on a massive scale.....

[plaques]

The one thing I can't get my head round is that both Russia and the Ukraine fought together against Hitler. As we know the cost to these countries was absolutely terrible but they fighting for the survival of their countries against fascists (note not Germans per se). Now we have Russia doing exactly the same thing albeit controlled by a dictator and supported by the KGB. I have heard it expressed its not NATO that's the problem but the success of the common market. This is the reason Putin supported Brexit all to weaken our position within Europe and of course to have a safe refuge for their dirty money but also in the hope that the common market as a powerful trading block would collapse strengthening their international standing.

Remember after WW2 Churchill wanted to continue the war into Russia thinking that in their weakened position we may be able to win. Fortunately wiser council prevailed. Has Putin finally turned the tables?